JP2024050954A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of suppressing malfunction.

SOLUTION: Since a passage TR3 and a passage TR4 are arranged along a direction crossing a game board 13 (base plat e 19060), at least one portion of the passage TR3 and the passage TR4 can be arranged by utilizing space (namely, space in a front side and a rear side of the base plate 19060) in a fore-and-aft direction (in a direction crossing the game board 13 (base plate 19060) relatively having a space margin. Therefore, by miniaturizing a distribution unit 19980 in a width direction (a horizontal direction in front view), space for arranging other members can be secured correspondingly.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 161

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

A gaming machine is known that is equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-148189 A

However, the conventional gaming machines described above had the problem of reducing space.

The present invention was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can save space.

To achieve this objective, the gaming machine described in claim 1 is equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass, and at least a portion of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is arranged along a direction that intersects with the gaming board.

The gaming machine described in claim 2 is the gaming machine described in claim 1, in which the distribution member is rotatably supported, and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board.

The gaming machine described in claim 3 is the gaming machine described in claim 2, in which at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above.

The gaming machine described in claim 1 allows space to be secured.

The gaming machine described in claim 2 provides the same effect as the gaming machine described in claim 1, and also allows space to be secured.

The gaming machine described in claim 3 provides the same effect as the gaming machine described in claim 2, and also allows space to be secured.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board and the operating unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board and the operating unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the window movable unit taken along line XX in FIG. 2. 4A is a rear view of the window movable unit, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the window movable unit. 4A is a rear view of the window movable unit, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the window movable unit. FIG. 1 is an exploded front oblique view of a game board, an outer edge member, and a metal plate-shaped member. 1 is an exploded rear perspective view of a game board, an outer edge member, and a metal plate-shaped member. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit. 1A is an exploded front perspective view of a first operating unit, and FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of a feather-shaped member and an auxiliary member showing the meshing state of the feather-shaped member and the auxiliary member. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a first operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit; FIG. 2 is a top view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 6A to 6C are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of a first operating unit. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a second operating unit. FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of the second operating unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a second operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a second operating unit; FIG. 13 is an exploded rear perspective view of the second operating unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a hollow member 740. 48(a) to 48(c) are cross-sectional views of the light-guiding member, the plate-shaped displacement member, and the hollow member taken along the line XLIX-XLIX in FIG. 47. FIG. 4A and 4B are front views of the drive unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. 54A is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LVa-LVa in FIG. 53, and FIG. 54B is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LVb-LVb in FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a change in conduction of left and right electromagnetic solenoids over time and a change in the posture of a plate-shaped displacement member. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a change in conduction of left and right electromagnetic solenoids over time and a change in the posture of a plate-shaped displacement member. FIG. 13 is a top view of the second operating unit. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the rotational displacement of a large receiving portion. FIG. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXXII-LXXII in Figure 58. 13A and 13B are rear views of a window movable unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view of a first operating unit in the third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. 6A to 6C are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of a first operating unit. 13A and 13B are front views of a drive unit of a second operating unit in a fourth embodiment. 54(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the second operating unit of the fifth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to the line LVa-LVa in FIG. 53. A front view of the game board in the sixth embodiment. An exploded oblique front view of the base plate, prize opening unit, and ball throwing unit. 1A is a front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit. 1A is a perspective front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of the prize slot unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the prize slot unit. 1A is a front view of the front unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the front unit. FIG. FIG. 1A is a front view of a displacement member, FIG. 1B is a side view of the displacement member, and FIG. 1C is a perspective front view of the displacement member. A rear view of the winning port unit and displacement member in range XCI of Figure 87 (b). A rear view of the prize opening unit and displacement member in range XCI of Figure 87 (b). 4A is a side view of the drive unit, FIG. 4B is a top view of the drive unit, and FIG. 4C is a perspective front view of the drive unit. FIG. FIG. 93(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit taken along line XCVI-XCVI in FIG. 93(b). A cross-sectional view of the prize slot unit taken along line XCVII-XCVII in Figure 83. 97(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the winning port unit taken along line XCVIII-XCVIII in FIG. 97. 1A is a front view of a specific winning port unit, FIG. 1B is a rear view of the specific winning port unit, and FIG. 1C is a top view of the specific winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of a specific winning port unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the specific winning port unit 950. 99(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of a specific winning port unit taken along line CII-CII in FIG. 99(c). 13A and 13B are oblique front views of a specific winning port unit. 104(a) is a front view of a specific winning port unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit taken along line CIVb-CIVb in FIG. 104(a). 1A is a top view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the specific winning port unit and a drive unit. 106(a) is a cross-sectional view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit taken along line CVIa-CVIa in FIG. 105(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit taken along line CVIb-CVIb in FIG. 106(a). 1A is a front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the throwing unit. 1A is an exploded perspective front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective rear view of the throwing unit. 4A is a front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the sorting unit. FIG. FIG. 112(a) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in FIG. 109(a), and FIG. 112(b) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CXIIb-CXIIb in FIG. 112(a). 112(a) and (b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the distribution unit in the range CXIII of FIG. 112(b). 4A is a front view of the passage unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the passage unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4A is a front view of the replacement unit, and FIG. 4B is a rear view of the replacement unit. 118(a) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit taken along line CXVIIIa-CXVIIIa in FIG. 117(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit taken along line CXVIIIb-CXVIIIb in FIG. 118(a). A cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line CXIXa-CXIXa in Figure 81. 120(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). 120(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). FIG. 23 is a rear view of the front unit and the displacement member in the seventh embodiment. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of a drive unit and a drive shaft according to an eighth embodiment. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of a drive unit and a displacement member according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base and the displacement member in the tenth embodiment. 13A and 13B are rear views of the front unit and the displacement member. FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base and the displacement member in the eleventh embodiment. 13A and 13B are rear views of the front unit and the displacement member. 129(a) is a rear view of the front unit in the twelfth embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit along line CXXIXb-CXXIXb in FIG. 129(a). 130(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the thirteenth embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CXXXb-CXXXb in FIG. 130(a). 131(a) is a cross-sectional view of the prize opening unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the prize opening unit taken along line CXXXIb-CXXXIb in FIG. 131(a). 23A is a side view of the drive unit in the fourteenth embodiment, FIG. 23B is a top view of the drive unit, and FIG. 23C is a perspective front view of the drive unit. FIG. 133(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board, and FIG. 133(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line CXXXIIIb-CXXXIIIb in FIG. 133(a). 15A is a cross-sectional view of a game board according to a fifteenth embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of a game board according to a sixteenth embodiment. 135(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit in the 17th embodiment viewed from the rear, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit taken along line CXXXVb-CXXXVb in Figure 135(a). FIG. 136(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit viewed from behind, and FIG. 136(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIb-CXXXVIb in FIG. 136(a). 137(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit viewed from the rear, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIIb-CXXXVIIb in FIG. 137(a). FIG. 23 is an exploded oblique front view of the game board in the 18th embodiment. 1A is a front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit. 1A is a perspective front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of the prize slot unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the prize slot unit. 143(a) is a front view of the front unit, (b) is a rear view of the front unit, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the front unit taken along line CXLIIIc-CXLIIIc in FIG. 143(a). 1A is a perspective front view of the front unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the front unit. FIG. FIG. 4A is a front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the sorting unit. 4A is a perspective front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a perspective rear view of the sorting unit. FIG. FIG. 149 , (a) is a side view of the first side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIa in FIG. 149 , (b) is a side view of the first side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIb in FIG. 149 , (c) is a side view of the second side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIc in FIG. 149 , and (d) is a side view of the second side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLId in FIG. 149 . A cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CLIIa-CLIIa in Figure 147(a). 152(a) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CLIII-CLIII in FIG. 152(a). 154(a) is a front view of the passage unit, (b) is a top view of the passage unit, (c) is a side view of the passage unit, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the passage unit taken along line CLIVd-CLIVd in FIG. 154(a). 4A is a perspective front view of the passage unit, and FIG. 4B is a perspective rear view of the passage unit. FIG. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLVIII-CLVIII in Figure 139(a), where (a) shows the wing member in a closed state, and (b) shows the wing member in an open state. 139(a) is a partially enlarged view of the winning opening unit in the range CLIXa of FIG. 139(a) when the feather members are in the closed state, and FIG. 139(b) is a side view of the winning opening unit when the feather members are in the closed state. 139(a) is a partially enlarged view of the winning opening unit in the range CLIXa of FIG. 139(a) when the feather members are in the open state, and FIG. 139(b) is a side view of the winning opening unit when the feather members are in the open state. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in a first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in a second position. 162(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLXIIa-CLXIIa in FIG. 161, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLXIIb-CLXIIb in FIG. 162(a). 109(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit in the nineteenth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in FIG. 109(a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the twentieth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 21st embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 22nd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 23rd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 24th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 25th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 26th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 27th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 28th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 29th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. 30(a) is a top view of the prize opening unit in the 30th embodiment, and (b) is a side view of the prize opening unit. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 31st embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 32nd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 33rd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is displaced forward while maintaining the attitude (angle) arranged in the first position inside the bearing portion described below, and (c) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 34th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 35th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 36th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 37th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 38th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the thirty-ninth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), and shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 40th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). 1A is a side view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to Figs. 1 to 44, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10 will be described. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view of the game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the pachinko machine 10 has an outer frame 11, whose outer shell is formed by wooden frames assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12, which is formed to roughly the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable towards the front, with the side where the hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having numerous nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc. is attached to the inner frame 12 so that it can be detached from the back side. A pinball game is played by balls (game balls) flowing down the front of the game board 13. The inner frame 12 is also fitted with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) that launches balls into the front area of the game board 13, and a launch rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of the game board 13.

On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper front side, and a lower tray unit 15 that covers the lower side. Metal hinges 19 are attached to two places, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), to support the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15, and the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front side, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be released by inserting a special key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts and electrical parts, and has a window 14c formed in a roughly elliptical shape at its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the rear side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

The front frame 14 has an upper tray 17 for storing balls, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top and extends out to the front, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4). In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17. This frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the stage of the performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81 (see Figure 2) or when changing the content of the Super Reach performance.

The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around its periphery (for example, corners). These light-emitting means change and control the light-emitting state by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a certain reach is reached, and play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. The periphery of the window portion 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating illumination units such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks due to the built-in LEDs lighting up or blinking, thereby notifying that a jackpot is being hit or that a reach is being reached just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left corner of the front frame 14 when viewed from the front (see Figure 1) is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating an illumination unit such as an LED that can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

A small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination section 32 from the back side so that the back side of the front frame 14 can be seen, and the certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. In addition, in order to create a more dazzling appearance, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination sections 29-33 in the pachinko machine 10.

Below the window 14c, a ball lending operation unit 40 is provided. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into the card unit (ball lending unit) (not shown) arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out according to the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and the built-in LED is lit to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on the information recorded on the card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of the card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use a card unit and cash machines.

The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 on the left side that is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top for storing balls that cannot be stored in the upper tray 17. An operating handle 51 is provided on the right side of the lower tray 50, which is operated by the player to shoot the ball into the front of the game board 13.

The operating handle 51 contains a touch sensor 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, a launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of balls while the switch is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) for detecting the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the operating handle 51 is rotated clockwise by the player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in response to the amount of rotation, and the ball is launched with a strength (launch strength) corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, thereby hitting the ball into the front of the game board 13 with a flight amount corresponding to the player's operation. When the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the launch stop switch 51b are turned off.

A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, the bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. This ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray (not shown) is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

As shown in Figure 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails (not shown) and a windmill (not shown) for guiding balls to a base plate 60 cut into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general winning port 63, a first winning port 64, a second winning port 140, a variable winning device 65, a through gate 67, a variable display unit 80, etc., and the peripheral portion is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

The base plate 60 is formed from a wooden plate member. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with tapping screws or the like. The base plate 60 may be made of a light-transmitting resin material. In this case, it becomes possible for the player to see the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side.

The central front portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see Figure 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into an approximately arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13, and an inner rail 61 formed of a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62 is set up inside the outer rail 62. The inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 surround the front outer periphery of the game board 13, and the game board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) surround the front and back, forming a game area in front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. The game area is an area (where prize holes and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) that is partitioned in front of the game board 13 and is formed by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 that connects the rails.

The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4) to the top of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip of the inner rail 61 (upper left in Figure 2), which prevents a ball that has been guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning back into the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip of the outer rail 62 (upper right in Figure 2) at a position corresponding to the maximum flight part of the ball, and a ball launched with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back toward the center while its force is reduced.

At the lower left side of the game area when viewed from the front (lower left side of FIG. 2), the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are provided, each equipped with a plurality of LEDs as light-emitting means and a seven-segment display. The first pattern display devices 37A and 37B display information according to the controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and mainly display the game status of the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are configured to be used differently depending on whether the ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 140. Specifically, when the ball has entered the first winning hole 64, the first pattern display device 37A is activated, whereas when the ball has entered the second winning hole 140, the first pattern display device 37B is activated.

The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B also use LEDs to indicate whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode, whether it is fluctuating, whether the stopped symbol corresponds to a special mode jackpot, a normal jackpot, or a miss, and the number of reserved balls, while also displaying the number of rounds during a jackpot and errors using a seven-segment display device. The multiple LEDs are configured to have different light colors (e.g., red, green, blue), and the combination of light colors can indicate various game states of the pachinko machine 10 with a small number of LEDs.

In addition, in this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 140. In the lottery, the pachinko machine 10 determines whether or not there is a jackpot (jackpot lottery), and if it determines that there is a jackpot, it also determines the type of jackpot. The types of jackpots that can be determined here include a 15R special jackpot, a 4R special jackpot, and a 15R regular jackpot. The first pattern display devices 37A, 37B not only show whether the result of the lottery is a jackpot or not as the stopping pattern after the fluctuation has ended, but also show a pattern according to the type of jackpot if there is a jackpot.

Here, a "15R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and a "4R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4. A "15R normal jackpot" is a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and is in a time-saving state for a specified number of changes (for example, 100 changes).

The "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot increases after the jackpot as an added value, that is, when the probability is fluctuating (during a probability change), in other words, a state in which it is easy to transition to a special game state. In this embodiment, the high probability state (during a probability change) includes a game state in which the probability of hitting the second symbol, which will be described later, is increased and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 140. The "low probability state" refers to a time when the probability change is not in progress, and refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot is normal, that is, a state in which the probability of a jackpot is lower than in a probability change. In addition, the time-saving state (during time-saving) of the "low probability state" refers to a game state in which the probability of a jackpot is normal and the probability of a jackpot remains the same, only the probability of a jackpot increases, and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 140. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state, which is neither a probability change nor a time-saving state (a state in which neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of a jackpot for the second symbol is increased).

During the special probability period or the time-saving period, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time that the feather member 945 (electric device) attached to the second winning port 140 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal times. When the feather member 945 is in an open state (open state), it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140 than when the feather member 945 is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the special probability period or the time-saving period, it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

In addition, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, instead of changing the opening time of the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140, or in addition to changing the opening time, the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may be increased compared to normal. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the probability of winning the second pattern may not be changed, and at least one of the time the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may be changed. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the time the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may not be changed, and only the probability of winning the second pattern may be changed to be increased compared to normal.

In the play area, there are arranged a plurality of general winning holes 63 through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning hole. In addition, a variable display unit 80 is arranged in the center of the play area. The variable display unit 80 is provided with a third pattern display device 81 consisting of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply abbreviated as "display device") that performs a variable display of a third pattern while synchronizing with the variable display in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, triggered by the winning (initial winning) in the first winning hole 64 and the second winning hole 140, and a second pattern display device (not shown) consisting of an LED that displays a variable display of a second pattern, triggered by the passage of a ball through the through gate 67. In addition, a center frame 86 is arranged in the variable display unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81.

The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 9-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 4), so that, for example, three symbol rows, top, middle, and bottom, are displayed. Each symbol row is configured with a plurality of symbols (third symbols), and these third symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, so that the third symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. The third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment performs decorative display according to the display of the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, while the display of the game state associated with the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4) is performed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B. Note that the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, reels instead of a display device.

The second symbol display device performs a variable display in which a "circle" and an "x" symbol as display symbols (second symbol (not shown)) are alternately lit for a predetermined period of time each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. In the pachinko machine 10, when it is detected that the ball has passed through the through gate 67, a winning lottery is held. If the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "circle" symbol after the second symbol is displayed in a variable manner. If the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "x" symbol after the third symbol is displayed in a variable manner.

The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the variable display in the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a "circle" pattern), the feather member 945 attached to the second winning port 140 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

The time it takes for the second symbol to change display is set to be shorter during a special probability or time-saving mode than during normal game mode. As a result, during special probability and time-saving mode, the second symbol changes display in a short time, so more winning lotteries can be held than during normal game mode. This increases the chances of winning in the winning lottery, giving the player more opportunities to have the wing member 945 of the second winning port 140 open. Therefore, during special probability and time-saving mode, it is possible to create a state in which it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140.

Note that if the state is such that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning port 140 during a special probability or time-saving period by increasing the probability of winning, increasing the opening time or number of times the feather member 945 opens for one win, or other methods, the time it takes for the second symbol to change display may be constant regardless of the game state. On the other hand, if the time it takes for the second symbol to change display is set shorter during a special probability or time-saving period than during normal times, the probability of winning may be constant regardless of the game state, and the opening time or number of times the feather member 945 opens for one win may be constant regardless of the game state.

The through gates 67 are attached to the game board 13 in the left and right areas of the variable display unit 80, and are configured to allow a portion of the ball launched onto the game board 13 to pass through. When a ball passes through the through gates 67, a winning lottery for the second pattern is held. After the winning lottery, a variable display is performed on the second pattern display device, and if the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, a "○" pattern is displayed as the stopping pattern of the variable display, and if the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, an "X" pattern is displayed as the stopping pattern of the variable display.

The number of times that a ball passes through the through gate 67 can be reserved up to a maximum of four times in total, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the above-mentioned first pattern display devices 37A, 37B, and is also displayed by lighting the second pattern reserved lamp (not shown). There are four second pattern reserved lamps, the maximum number of reserved balls, and they are arranged symmetrically below the third pattern display device 81.

The second pattern change display may be performed by switching on and off a plurality of lamps in the second pattern display device as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first pattern display device 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, the second pattern reserve lamp may be turned on by a part of the third pattern display device 81. The maximum number of reserved balls for the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is not limited to four times, but may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). The number of through gates 67 installed is not limited to two, but may be one, for example. The installation position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the left and right of the variable display unit 80, but may be below the variable display unit 80, for example. Since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display devices 37A, 37B, the second pattern reserve lamp may not be turned on.

A first winning hole 64 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the variable display unit 80. When a ball enters this first winning hole 64, a first winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on. When the first winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37A.

On the other hand, a second winning hole 140 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the first winning hole 64 when viewed from the front. When a ball enters this second winning hole 140, a second winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on, and when the second winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37B.

The first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140 are also each one of the winning ports through which five balls are paid out when a ball enters the winning port. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140 may be different numbers, for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140 may be five.

The second winning opening 140 is provided with a feather member 945. This feather member 945 is configured to be able to open and close, and is normally in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win the second winning opening 140. On the other hand, when the second pattern display device displays a "○" pattern as a result of the variable display of the second pattern, which is triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the feather member 945 opens (expands), making it easier for the ball to win the second winning opening 140.

As described above, during the special rate and time-saving period, the probability of the second symbol winning is higher than during normal play, and the time it takes for the second symbol to change display is also shorter, so the "○" symbol is more likely to appear in the change display of the second symbol, and the number of times the wing member 945 is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the special rate and time-saving period, the wing member 945 is open for a longer period than during normal play. Therefore, during the special rate and time-saving period, it is possible to create an environment in which the ball is more likely to win the second winning hole 140 than during normal play.

The probability of a jackpot occurring when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 is the same as when a ball enters the second winning slot 140, regardless of whether the probability is low or high. However, the probability of a 15R special jackpot being selected as the type of jackpot occurring when a jackpot occurs is set to be higher when a ball enters the second winning slot 140 than when a ball enters the first winning slot 64. On the other hand, the first winning slot 64 does not have the feather member that the second winning slot 140 has, and the ball is always capable of winning.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, the feather member associated with the second winning opening 140 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning opening 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to aim for the first winning opening 64, which does not have a feather member, by shooting the ball so that it passes to the left of the variable display unit 80 (so-called "left shot"), and by having the ball win at the first winning opening 64, gaining more opportunities for the jackpot lottery and aiming to win the jackpot.

On the other hand, during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, the feather member 945 attached to the second winning port 140 is likely to be opened by passing the ball through the through gate 67, making it easier to win at the second winning port 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning port 140 so that it passes to the right of the variable display device 80 (the so-called "right hit"), passing through the through gate 67 to open the feather member, and aiming for the ball to win at the second winning port 140, resulting in a 15R special bonus jackpot.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, since the game board 13 is configured symmetrically, it is possible to aim for the first winning slot 64 with a "right hit" and for the second winning slot 140 with a "left hit". Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment does not require the player to change the way the ball is shot between "left hit" and "right hit" depending on the game state of the pachinko machine 10 (whether it is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode). This eliminates the hassle of having to change the way the ball is shot.

A variable winning device 65 (see FIG. 2) is provided below the first winning port 64, and a specific winning port 65a is provided in the approximate center of the device. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery performed due to winning in the first winning port 64 or the second winning port 140 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first pattern display device 37A or the first pattern display device 37B is turned on to show the jackpot stop pattern, and the stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 to indicate the occurrence of a jackpot. After that, the game state transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which balls are more likely to win. In this special game state, the specific winning port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed, or until 10 balls have won).

This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after this closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is taking place is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an addition of game value (game value).

The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when the LED corresponding to the big win is lit in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and while the specific winning opening 65a is open, a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a, triggering the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a to be opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, forming a game state as a special game state. Also, the specific winning opening 65a is not limited to one, and one or more than two (for example, three) may be arranged, and the arrangement position is not limited to the lower right side of the first winning opening 64 or the lower left side of the first winning opening 64, but may be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

In the lower right corner of the game board 13, there is a space K1 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to the space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

The game board 13 is provided with an outlet 71. Balls that flow down the game area and do not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 640 are guided through the outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The outlets 71 are arranged in pairs on the left and right of the specific winning hole 65a.

The game board 13 has many nails planted in it to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various parts (gimmicks) such as windmills are also arranged on it.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113) and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115) and a card unit connection board 116.

The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92, which forms the protective cover, and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each part, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as necessary.

The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100-104. The board boxes 100-104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

The board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected to the box base and box cover by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened (connected by a crimping structure). A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if you try to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, you can know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

The payout unit 93 is equipped with a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132, which pays out balls using a specified electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 4). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 pays out the required number of balls as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibration to the tank rail 131.

The payout control device 111 is also provided with a state recovery switch 120, the firing control device 112 with a variable resistor control knob 121, and the power supply device 115 with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to clear ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 4). The control knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, which is a one-chip microcomputer that is an arithmetic device. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission/reception circuit. In the main control device 110, the MPU 201 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as the jackpot lottery, the display settings on the first pattern display devices 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81, and the lottery for the display results on the second pattern display device.

In addition, in order to instruct the sub-control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices via a data transmission/reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction, from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices.

RAM 203 has various areas, counters, and flags, as well as a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of MPU 201 and the return addresses of control programs executed by MPU 201 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which various flags, counters, I/O values, etc. are stored. Note that RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from power supply device 115 even after power to pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in RAM 203 is backed up.

When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values of each register at the time of the power outage (including the occurrence of a power outage; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the power turned on when the power outage is resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is performed by main processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is performed during start-up processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned on. Note that the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of MPU 201 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to MPU 201, NMI interrupt processing (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage processing.

The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is connected to an input/output port 205 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the second pattern display device, the second pattern reservation lamp, and solenoids 209 consisting of a large opening solenoid for driving the opening and closing of the specific winning port 65a to the front side with the lower edge of the opening and closing plate as the axis, and a solenoid for driving the blade member, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input/output port 205.

The input/output port 205 is also connected to various switches 208, which are made up of a group of switches (not shown) and a group of sensors including a slide position detection sensor S and a rotation position detection sensor R, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115. The MPU 201 executes various processes based on the signals output from the various switches 208 and the RAM erase signal SG2 output from the RAM erase switch circuit 253.

The payout control device 111 drives the payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values of various flags, counters, I/O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. Note that, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is also configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage process.

The MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 is connected to an input/output port 215 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The main control device 110, payout motor 216, launch control device 112, etc. are each connected to the input/output port 215. In addition, although not shown, a prize ball detection switch for detecting the paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that the prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111, but is not connected to the main control device 110.

When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the strength of the ball launch corresponds to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in response to the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51.

The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29-33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and advance notice performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 221, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

An input/output port 225 is connected to the MPU 221 of the voice and lamp control device 113 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the voice output device 226, the lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, etc. The other devices 228 include the drive motor MT1 and the electromagnetic solenoids SOL1 and SOL2.

The voice lamp control device 113 determines the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 based on various commands (variation pattern command, stop type command, etc.) received from the main control device 110, and notifies the display control device 114 of the determined display mode by commands (display variation pattern command, display stop type command, etc.). The voice lamp control device 113 also monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the frame button 22 is operated by the player, instructs the display control device 114 to change the stage displayed on the third symbol display device 81 or change the performance content during a super reach. When the stage is changed, a back image change command including information about the changed stage is sent to the display control device 114 so that the third symbol display device 81 displays a back image corresponding to the changed stage. Here, the back image refers to an image displayed on the back side of the third symbol, which is the main image to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The display control device 114 displays various images on the third symbol display device 81 according to the command sent from this voice lamp control device 113.

The voice lamp control device 113 also receives a command (display command) from the display control device 114 that indicates the display content of the third pattern display device 81. Based on the display command received from the display control device 114, the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a voice corresponding to the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content, and also controls the turning on and off of the lamp display device 227 in accordance with the display content.

The display control device 114 is connected to the sound lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the display of the third pattern display device 81, such as the variable performance of the third pattern, based on commands received from the sound lamp control device 113. The display control device 114 also transmits display commands to the sound lamp control device 113 as appropriate, notifying the display contents of the third pattern display device 81. The sound lamp control device 113 can match the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the sound output from the sound output device 226 by outputting sound from the sound output device 226 in accordance with the display contents indicated by the display commands.

The power supply unit 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruption due to a power failure or the like, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erase switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltage to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in an externally supplied 24-volt AC voltage, generates a 12-volt voltage for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control unit 111 when the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs a power failure signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. The power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5 volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can normally execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (not shown).

The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and sends a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

Next, the structure of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300 will be described. Figure 5 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300, and Figure 6 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300. Note that Figure 2 will be referred to as appropriate in the explanation of Figures 5 and 6. Also, the third pattern display device 81 is omitted from Figure 6.

As described above, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails (not shown) and a windmill (not shown) for guiding balls on a base plate 60 machined into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 140, a through gate 67, a variable winning device 65, a variable display unit 80, a pair of left and right window movable units 150, and a ball flow-down unit 290 configured to allow balls discharged from the game area to flow down, and the peripheral portion of the board is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

As mentioned above, the base plate 60 is made of plywood made by overlapping plywood sheets, and is formed so that it can be shielded by the base plate 60 so that the player cannot see the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the base plate 60 has a through hole drilled at approximately the center to accommodate the variable display unit 80, as well as multiple (two in this embodiment) small through holes 60a drilled to pass electrical wiring connected to the through gate 67, multiple (three in this embodiment) mating recesses 60b recessed to allow for concave-convex mating with the front end of the operating unit 300, and multiple (two in this embodiment) light-transmitting holes 60c drilled in the front-rear direction at the lower left and right sides.

The light transmission hole 60c is formed at a position where light irradiated from the operating unit 300 side can pass through, improving the presentation effect of the game board 13 from the perspective of light emission presentation. This will be explained in detail.

On the front side of the light passage hole 60c, the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 made of a light-transmitting resin material are arranged, and the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 are fastened and fixed to the base plate 60 in such a manner that the outer parts 94 of the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 cover the light passage hole 60c.

The left and right flow surface component members 91, 92 are configured in an approximately symmetrical shape, except that a covering plate FB is disposed on the front side of the right flow surface component member 92. Therefore, the left flow surface component member 91 will be described in detail, and a description of the right flow surface component member 92 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the flow-down surface component 91 is configured such that the play area is divided by a plate-like portion arranged along the front surface of the base plate 60 and a band-like portion 93 formed in a band of the same width as the inner rail 61, and includes the band-like portion 93, an outer portion 94 which is the outer portion (outer portion when viewed from the front) of the play area divided by the band-like portion 93, and an inner portion 95 which is the inner portion (inner portion when viewed from the front) of the play area divided by the band-like portion 93.

As described above, the outer portion 94 is located outside the play area, and is therefore configured as a portion that is unlikely to affect the flow of the ball downstream. Therefore, since there is no need to consider the effect on the ball caused by the displacement of the outer plate portion 94, the thickness of the outer portion 94 can be designed to be thin.

In addition, even if the thickness of the inner portion 95 becomes thin as a result of designing the outer portion 94 to be thin, the thickness of the base plate 60 is disposed on the back side of the inner portion 95, so that the rigidity of the base plate 60 can be utilized to suppress the fore-and-aft displacement of the inner portion 95 (deformation in the thickness direction). Furthermore, by designing the outer portion 94 and the inner portion 95 to be thin, the fore-and-aft width of the play area can be sufficiently secured.

In this way, the thickness of the outer portion 94 can be designed to be thin without compromising the functionality required of the inner portion 95, and as a result, the light irradiated from the operating unit 300 side and passing through the light transmission hole 60c can be easily seen by the player through the outer portion 94.

In this embodiment, since the base plate 60 is formed from a wooden plate member, it is difficult for the player to see the light irradiated from the back side through the thickness of the base plate 60. On the other hand, by forming a light transmission hole 60c (see FIG. 6) as in this embodiment and arranging a light emitting means on the back side, it is possible to easily change the brightness seen through the base plate 60 while constructing the base plate 60 from a wooden plate member.

For example, when forming a decorative pattern that appears to be continuously connected between the outer portion 94 and other portions when viewed from the front, the appearance of the same decorative pattern can be changed into multiple types by varying the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778 arranged on the illumination board 777 located on the back side of the outer portion 94 and changing the brightness of the outer portion 94.

For example, a decorative member that changes the visible pattern depending on the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778 may be attached to the outer portion 94. In this case, the appearance (image) of the game board 13 can be significantly changed depending on the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778.

The form of the decorative member that changes the visible pattern depending on the light emission form is not limited in any way. For example, it may be a member that is designed to make different patterns visible depending on the angle at which light is shone, such as an illumination plate. Also, for example, it may be a member that is designed to change the visible pattern by changing the light emission color, assuming that a pattern is drawn in multiple colors and multiple colors of light are available for irradiation.

As described above, the inner portion 95 is disposed inside the play area. If the inner portion 95 is displaced (deformed), this may affect the balls flowing down the play area. However, in this embodiment, the flesh of the base plate 60 is arranged on the back side of the inner portion 95 (the light-transmitting hole 60c is arranged to be located on the outer portion 94 side relative to the band-shaped portion 93 when viewed from the front), so the rigidity of the base plate 60 can be used to prevent displacement (deformation) of the inner portion 95. This stabilizes the flow of the balls down the play area.

A general winning opening 63 is provided in the inner portion 95, and the general winning opening 63 is provided in a through hole formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and the flow-down surface component 91 is fixed from the front side of the game board 13 by tapping screws or the like.

The central front portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see Figure 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

As described above, the variable display device unit 80 has a center frame 86 arranged around the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81, and the window movable units 150 are arranged at the upper left and right corners of the center frame 86.

Figure 7 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13. Note that in Figure 7, the lower part of the game board 13 is omitted, and the auxiliary device 160 is exploded and shown from a front perspective.

The window movable unit 150 is equipped with a displacement member 151 that can be rotated and displaced and is configured so that the player can see through the window inside the center frame 86, and an auxiliary device 160 that is disposed on the rear side of the displacement member 151 and generates a driving force to drive the displacement member 151 and irradiates light toward the displacement member 151.

The displacement member 151 is formed in a bifurcated shape when viewed from the front to rear direction, and includes a bifurcated portion 152 that is supported at a base end portion formed near the bent portion, a tip portion 153 that is disposed at both ends of the bifurcated portion 152 and formed in a box shape (bag-like, cup-like) with an open back side, and a protruding portion 154 that protrudes radially from the base end portion of the bifurcated portion 152.

The tip 153 is equipped with a presentation part 153a formed in a box shape (bag-like, cup-like) with the bottom side facing the front and arranged so that it can be seen by the player, and a ring-shaped part 153b fastened and fixed to the open side of the presentation part 153a, the opposite side of the presentation part 153a being narrower than the side of the presentation part 153a.

The performance section 153a has a light-diffusing shape (jagged shape) formed on the inside surface, and can diffuse the light that is irradiated from the back side to the inside of the open section. Therefore, even if the light that is actually irradiated is only irradiated over a narrow range, the entire performance section 153a can be seen to be (faintly) glowing to a player viewing the performance section 153a from the front side.

The projection 154 has a range of displacement in both directions of rotation that is determined by a pair of claws 86a that protrude from the center frame 86. In other words, the displacement member 151 is configured to be rotatably displaceable at an angle (less than 360 degrees) determined by the arrangement of the claws 86a and its relationship with the projection 154.

Figure 8 is an exploded front perspective view of the auxiliary device 160, and Figure 9 is an exploded rear perspective view of the auxiliary device 160. The auxiliary device 160 includes an abutment member 161 arranged at a position where it can abut against the displacement member 151 (see Figure 7), a metal (brass in this embodiment) transmission shaft rod portion 162 whose one end (front end) is connected to the abutment member 161 so as not to rotate relative to the abutment member 161, a driven member 163 connected to the other end (rear end) of the transmission shaft rod portion 162 so as not to rotate relative to the abutment member 161, a known E-ring 164 fitted radially into both ends of the transmission shaft rod portion 162, a support case 170 configured to support the transmission shaft rod portion 162 and configured as a case-shaped support case, and an illumination board 180 disposed inside the support case 170.

The transmission shaft rod portion 162 is a cylindrical member with a perfectly circular outer shape when viewed in the axial direction (front-rear direction) at the middle portion, and both ends are cut into a planar shape from a predetermined radial direction, giving both ends an approximately D-shaped cross section. These both end portions fit into the insertion hole 161b of the abutting member 161 and the insertion hole 163b of the driven member 163, connecting the abutting member 161, the transmission shaft rod portion 162, and the driven member 163 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other (integrally).

The abutment member 161 is made of a resin material and has a base end 161a in which a through hole 161b having a D-shaped cross section is drilled and through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and an arm portion 161c extending outward from the base end 161a and configured to be roughly U-shaped when viewed from the front.

The driven member 163 is made of a resin material and has a base end 163a in which a through hole 163b having a D-shaped cross section is drilled and through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and an arm portion 163c that extends straight outward from the base end 161a and is configured in a generally flat plate shape.

A metal plate member MB1 made of metal (magnetic material) is disposed on the upper surface of the driven member 163. In this embodiment, the metal plate member MB1 is fixed to the driven member 163 by engaging with the elastic claw 163d.

In more detail, rails are provided at both radial ends of the arm 163c to guide the metal plate member MB1 forward and backward, and the rails are formed so that the metal plate member MB1 can be guided only from the front side (only the front side is fully open). When the metal plate member MB1 is slid along the rails, the elastic claws 163d are pressed down by the metal plate member MB1, and when the metal plate member MB1 is slid in this state, the metal plate member MB1 hits the rear side wall of the rails, restricting the sliding, and at this position, the metal plate member MB1 is released from pressing down on the elastic claws 163d (it has risen to a position facing the side of the metal plate member MB1), and the elastic claws 163d engage to restrict the metal plate member MB1 from retracting to the front side.

The method of fixing the metal plate member MB1 to the driven member 163 is not limited to this. For example, the metal plate member MB1 may be fastened to the driven member 163, tied with a cable tie, or attached with adhesive tape, etc.

The support case 170 comprises a rear member 170B, a middle member 170M that is disposed on the front side of the rear member 170B and has a support hole 174 through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and a front member 170F that is disposed on the front side of the middle member 170M and has a decorative shape (wave pattern) formed on the front side. These multiple (three in this embodiment) plate-shaped members are stacked front to back and fastened together.

The illumination board 180 is formed in a plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the front to match the shape of the front member 170F, and is equipped with a light-emitting means 181 consisting of multiple LEDs etc. that are arranged in a position designed with consideration for the presentation, a connector 182 that is arranged as a part to which electrical wiring is connected, and multiple through holes 183 that are drilled in the illumination board 180 for assembly.

The light emitting means 181 includes a strong light emitting means 181a arranged inside the light transmission hole 177 when viewed from the front, and a weak light emitting means 181b arranged outside the light transmission hole 177 (facing the back surface of the plate of the front member 170F).

The through hole 183 is formed in an elliptical shape that is long along the inclined direction. This makes it easy to assemble the through hole 183 to the protruding cylindrical portion 172, which has a perfect circular outer shape when viewed from the front.

In other words, while the position of the illumination board 180 is tilted (see FIG. 10), the protruding direction of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 is not tilted (front-to-back), which makes assembly problems (not being able to assemble or coming loose) more likely to occur than when assembled in the same direction. However, in this embodiment, the through hole 183 is formed in a long oval shape along the direction in which the position of the illumination board 180 is tilted, so that the through hole 183 can have a larger margin along the tilt direction, making it easier to assemble the through hole 183 to the protruding cylindrical portion 172.

The illuminated board 180 is housed between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M, with the front of the illuminated board 180 facing diagonally downward (the normal line is inclined downward toward the front side). This will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 10.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the window movable unit 150 taken along line X-X in Figure 2. To facilitate understanding, the rear member 170B is omitted from the illustration, and the outline of the displacement member 151 is shown by imaginary lines. Line X-X is positioned to pass through the center of the upper protruding cylindrical portion 172. In the following explanation, Figures 8 and 9 will be referred to as appropriate.

The shape of the wall portion on the front side of the middle member 170M is different between the upper wall portion 170MU and the lower wall portion 170MD. That is, the upper wall portion 170MU is configured as a non-inclined wall portion (with a normal line facing horizontally), and the lower wall portion 170MD is configured as an inclined wall portion (with a normal line facing downward toward the front side).

In this way, the illuminated board 180 is supported so that the back surface of the board is aligned with the lower wall portion 170MD (the normal is inclined downward toward the front side) with respect to the wall portions having different normals. In other words, in the assembled state (see FIG. 2), the direction of the optical axis of the light emitted from the light-emitting means 181 of the illuminated board 180 is inclined downward toward the front side.

The middle member 170M has a protruding frame portion 171 that protrudes in a frame shape toward the front side, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 172 that protrude in a thin cylindrical shape toward the front side inside the protruding frame portion, and wiring holes 173 that are drilled in the front-rear direction in an arrangement surrounding the connector 182 at the left and right outer corners (left side).

The protruding frame 171 abuts against the outer frame of the front member 170F at the front and rear, sealing the entire periphery of the illuminated board 180. This prevents the illuminated board 180 from being visible between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M, and also prevents light leakage from similar positions.

The protruding cylindrical portion 172 has a large diameter seat and a small diameter insertion portion that protrudes further from the seat. By assembling the insertion portion so that it fits into the through hole 183 of the illumination board 180, the back surface of the illumination board 180 is supported by the seat, and the position of the illumination board 180 can be stabilized.

The seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 arranged on the upper wall portion 170MU is higher than the seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 arranged on the lower wall portion 170MD. This allows the illumination board 180, which is assembled in the above-mentioned inclined position, to be stably supported, and also ensures a gap between the upper wall portion 170MU and the illumination board 180.

The protruding tip of the seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 is formed as an inclined surface (a surface configured so that the protruding length becomes shorter the further downward) that matches the posture of the illumination board 180. This allows the protruding cylindrical portion 172 to be given not only the function of stabilizing the positioning of the illumination board 180, but also the function of stabilizing the posture of the illumination board 180.

The wiring hole 173 is a through hole for passing electrical wiring connected to the connector 182 of the illumination board 180. The position of the illumination board 180 can be maintained by the load applied to the illumination board 180 via this electrical wiring, so the position of the illumination board 180 can be stably supported without fastening the illumination board 180.

The front member 170F is made of a colored (white in this embodiment) light-transmitting resin material with a shape such that the rear surface is a surface approximately parallel to the lower wall portion 170MD, and is provided with a number of light-transmitting holes 177 drilled in a circular shape in the front-rear direction, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 178 protruding in a thin cylindrical shape toward the rear side, and an L-shaped support portion 179 that is L-shaped when viewed from the left to right direction and connects between the rear surface of the plate and the frame portion that forms the outer periphery.

The light-transmitting hole 177 is formed so as to surround any of the LEDs constituting the light-emitting means 181 in a front view. This causes the light-emitting means 181 arranged on the rear side of the light-transmitting hole 177 and the other light-emitting means 181 to be viewed differently from the front side of the front member 170F. In other words, the inside of the light-transmitting hole 177 can be visually perceived as emitting a stronger light than the other locations.

The protruding cylindrical sections 178 are formed with multiple protruding lengths that are approximately equal. This allows the distance between the main plate section of the front member 170F and the illuminated board 180 to be uniform throughout the entire range in which the illuminated board 180 is arranged, while the illuminated board 180 in an inclined position can be surface-supported at multiple positions, thereby improving the stability of the support for the illuminated board 180 while maintaining the freedom of arrangement of the light-emitting means 181 and suppressing unevenness in the light emission pattern.

In other words, since the illuminated board 180 is inclined with the front of the board facing downward toward the front side, it is preferable to support it from the front side to maintain that position, but if a large-area support part is provided in one place to support the illuminated board 180, the area in which the light-emitting means 181 arranged on the front side of the illuminated board 180 can be arranged tends to be limited. If the area of the support part is reduced in order to prioritize the area in which the light-emitting means 181 can be arranged, the position of the illuminated board 180 will be disrupted, and the distance between the main board part of the front member 170F and the illuminated board 180 will easily vary within the range in which the illuminated board 180 is arranged, which could lead to uneven light emission.

In contrast, in this embodiment, multiple protruding cylindrical sections 178 with similar protruding heights and small diameters are provided, and are configured to support the front of the illuminated board 180 at multiple points simultaneously, so that multiple protruding cylindrical sections 178 supporting the illuminated board 180 can be arranged in multiple small gaps that occur between adjacent light-emitting means 181. This allows the stability of the support of the illuminated board 180 to be improved while maintaining the freedom of positioning of the light-emitting means 181 and suppressing unevenness in the light emission mode.

In the assembled state, the L-shaped support portion 179 is positioned opposite the top and front of the illuminated board 180 and functions to suppress the displacement of the illuminated board 180. In other words, the lower portion of the L-shaped support portion 179, which is positioned opposite the front of the illuminated board 180, supports the board and prevents it from tipping forward under its own weight.

Also, the rear of the L-shaped support part 179, which faces the top surface of the illuminated board 180, is usually positioned with a gap between it and the illuminated board 180, so that the illuminated board 180 can be loosely supported while minimizing the vertical displacement of the illuminated board 180.

In addition, a support portion having the same shape as the L-shaped support portion 179 is also formed on the front side of the lower wall portion 170MD of the inner member 170M (formed in two positions, one on the left and one on the right), and is arranged opposite the underside and backside of the illuminated board 180, and functions to suppress displacement of the illuminated board 180. In other words, in this embodiment, the L-shaped support portions arranged above and below the illuminated board 180 are configured to suppress displacement of the illuminated board 180 in the front-rear and up-down directions.

In this way, in this embodiment, the illuminated board 180 is not directly fastened, but is supported stably by being sandwiched and supported from the front and back between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M. This is a measure to take into account the possibility that the illuminated board 180 may vibrate due to the influence of vibrations generated in the middle member 170M, for example, if the middle member 170M and the illuminated board 180 were fastened and configured as a single rigid body.

In other words, according to this embodiment, the illumination board 180 is not fastened to either the middle member 170M or the front member 170F, so even if vibrations occur in the middle member 170M or the front member 170F, it is easy to maintain the position of the illumination board 180 independently.

Here, it is thought that the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 arranged on the back side of the inner member 170M is likely to be the cause of vibration of the inner member 170M, but in this embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is arranged on the opposite side (back side) of the illumination board 180, across a gap that occurs on the front side of the upper wall-shaped portion 170MU.

With this configuration, the vibration of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is transmitted to the illumination board 180 via the thin-diameter protruding cylindrical portion 172, so that the vibration of the vibration solenoid SOL1 can be mitigated by the deformation of the protruding cylindrical portion 172, and the transmission of vibration to the illumination board 180 can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the direct transmission of vibration from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, which serves as a vibration source, to the illumination board 180.

The middle member 170M is provided with a support hole 174 that is drilled in the front-rear direction with a diameter slightly longer than the diameter of the transmission shaft rod portion 162 and is configured to rotatably support the transmission shaft rod portion 162, a lower regulating portion 175 that is disposed below the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, and an upper regulating portion 176 that is disposed on the opposite side of the support hole 174 with respect to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

The driven member 163 is normally tilted by its own weight (see FIG. 11(a)), but when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, a magnetic force (electromagnetic force) is generated, which attracts the metal plate member MB1 and displaces it upward. That is, in this embodiment, the abutment member 161 and the driven member 163 undergo rotational displacement as the metal plate member MB1 displaces between a raised position, which is located as a result of the metal plate member MB1 rising due to the electromagnetic force, and a lowered position, which is located as a result of the metal plate member MB1 descending due to its own weight after the electromagnetic force disappears. Below, this rotational displacement will be explained with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.

Figure 11(a) is a rear view of the window movable unit 150, and Figure 11(b) is a front view of the window movable unit 150. Also, Figure 12(a) is a rear view of the window movable unit 150, and Figure 12(b) is a front view of the window movable unit 150.

Note that Figures 11(a) and 11(b) show a state in which no electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the driven member 163 is tilted by its own weight (lowered position), while Figures 12(a) and 12(b) show a state in which the metal plate member MB1 and the driven member 163 are raised by the electromagnetic force generated when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 (raised position).

In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, the rear member 170B is omitted from the illustration in Figures 11(a) and 12(a), and the outer shape of the displacement member 151 and the shape of the opening on the rear side are shown by imaginary lines in Figures 11(b) and 12(b).

As shown in Figures 11(a) and 12(a), in the lowered position, the driven member 163 abuts against the cushion portion 175a attached to the upper surface of the lower restricting portion 175, and is restricted from moving downward. In the raised position, the driven member 163 abuts against the cushion portion 176a attached to the lower surface of the upper restricting portion 176, and is restricted from moving upward.

The material of the cushion parts 175a, 176a is not limited in any way. For example, it may be a general-purpose plastic such as polypropylene or polystyrene, an engineering plastic such as polycarbonate, a thermosetting resin such as melamine resin, polyurethane, or epoxy resin, or a rubber material. In addition, the materials of the cushion parts 175a, 176a may be the same or different.

Here, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are configured to have different positions (distance from the transmission shaft rod portion 162) based on the transmission shaft rod portion 162, and the effects that result from this will be explained.

First, the load applied to the lower restricting portion 175 via the driven member 163 is mainly a load caused by the weight of the driven member 163, so the driven member 163 can be stably supported by supporting the center of gravity of the driven member 163. For this reason, the lower restricting portion 175 is disposed at the center of gravity of the driven member 163 (approximately the center position of the arm length).

In contrast, the load applied to the upper regulating portion 176 via the driven member 163 is mainly a load due to the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, so there is little advantage to aligning the position of the upper regulating member 176 with the center of gravity position of the driven member 163. In this embodiment, the upper regulating member 176 is positioned opposite the rotating tip of the driven member 163, thereby reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 via the driven member 163.

In other words, when a force moment of the same magnitude is generated, the load transmitted through the driven member 163 is smaller at a position farther from the rotation axis of the driven member 163 (a position where the arm related to the moment is longer), so the load transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 can be reduced.

As described above, since it is desirable for the load to be transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 at the rotating tip of the driven member 163, in this embodiment, the width dimension (radial width) of the cushion portion 176a is made shorter (shorter than the width dimension of the cushion portion 175a). This makes it possible to avoid the load being transmitted at the middle portion of the driven member 163 and ensure stable load transmission at the rotating tip.

In addition, since the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 continues to be generated in the raised position, it is unlikely that the driven member 163 will bounce back after colliding with the cushion portion 176a.

On the other hand, by making the width dimension (radial width) of the cushion portion 175a of the lower restricting portion 175 longer (longer than the width dimension of the cushion portion 176a), the area of the surface that receives the load can be increased, and the pressure (stress) generated in the cushion portion 175a due to the load caused by the weight of the driven member 163 can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the rebound (bound) of the driven member 163 after colliding with the cushion portion 175a.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load transmitted to the cushion portions 175a and 176a via the driven member 163 during displacement in both the up and down directions while suppressing the rebound of the driven member 163.

A curved protrusion 176b is formed below the upper restricting portion 176 on the rear side of the middle member 170M. The protrusion 176b is disposed opposite the rotation tip of the driven member 163, and guides the rotation of the driven member 163 while keeping contact with the driven member 163 to a small area when the driven member 163 is displaced toward the front side.

As shown in Figures 11(b) and 12(b), the tip 153 of the displacement member 151 is disposed on the front side of the strong light emitting means 181a, which is disposed inside the light transmission hole 177 when viewed from the front. Therefore, the light emitted from the strong light emitting means 181a is visible to the player through the tip 153.

As described above, the internal shape of the presentation unit 153a allows a player viewing the presentation unit 153a from the front to see the entire presentation unit 153a as if it were glowing (faintly), so that even in a situation where the actual position of the strong light emitting means 181a does not change but the displacement member 151 is displaced, changes in the light emission mode of the presentation unit 153a can be suppressed.

In other words, the light viewed through the presentation unit 153a can be visually perceived by the player as displacing in sync with the displacement of the presentation unit 153a, creating the illusion that a light-emitting means such as an LED is disposed inside the presentation unit 153a and displacing in sync with the displacement of the presentation unit 153a.

On the other hand, since the weak light emitting means 181b can be made to appear to emit light at a fixed position, it is possible to adopt a fixedly positioned illumination board 180, while making it possible to make the weak light emitting means 181b arranged on the illumination board 180 appear to emit light at a fixed position, and the strong light emitting means 181a arranged on the illumination board 180 appear to emit light while displacing.

This allows for a lighting effect that is usually achieved by using multiple illuminated boards, with the first board in a fixed position and the second board configured to be movable, to be achieved using a single illuminated board in a fixed position. As a result, the number of illuminated boards can be reduced while still achieving the same effect.

Returning to FIG. 5, the operation unit 300 is disposed on the rear side of the game board 13, and various light emitting means and various operation units are disposed inside.

Figure 13 is an exploded front perspective view of the operating unit 300. The operating unit 300 includes a bottom wall portion 311, an outer wall portion 312 erected from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 311, and a rear case 310 formed in a box shape with the front side open from the outer wall portion 312.

The rear case 310 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front by forming a rectangular opening 311a in the center of the bottom wall portion 311. The opening 311a is formed to a size that corresponds to the outer shape (outer edge) of the display area of the third pattern display device 81 (i.e., capable of dividing the display area of the third pattern display device 81 when viewed from the front).

The operating unit 300 is configured as one unit by housing a first operating unit 400 in the internal space of the rear case 310, in which a movable device is arranged so as to be displaceable along a path including the upper side of the opening 311a, left and right performance units 600 arranged on both the left and right sides of the opening 311a for performing light emission performances, and a second operating unit 700 arranged below the opening 311a.

Specifically, the first operating unit 400 is disposed above the opening 311a, and the second operating unit 700 is disposed below the opening 311a, on the bottom wall 311 of the rear case 310. Note that FIG. 5 illustrates the first operating unit 400 and the second operating unit 700 attached to the rear case 310.

The rear case 310 is provided as a flat plate extending from the front end of the outer wall 312 along the rear surface of the game board 13 (e.g., arranged parallel to the rear surface), and includes a support plate portion 313 that provides surface support for the game board 13 in the assembled state (see FIG. 2).

The support plate portion 313 has a positioning protrusion 313a that protrudes toward the front side and has a shape that can fit into the fitting recess 60b formed in the base plate 60 of the game board 13, and a number of insertion holes 313b that are drilled so that the fastening screws that are fastened to the base plate 60 can be inserted through them.

The rear case 310 is positioned relative to the base plate 60 by fitting the positioning protrusion 313a into the fitting recess 60b (see Figure 6), and the fastening screw is inserted into the insertion hole 313b and screwed into the base plate 60, thereby fixing the game board 13 and the operation unit 300 together, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300.

The shape of the positioning protrusion 313a is not limited in any way, and various forms are exemplified. For example, it may be a protrusion with an outer shape slightly smaller than the inner shape of the mating recess 60b (circular or oval in this embodiment), or it may be a protrusion with a shape (even smaller outer shape) that increases the mating gap in consideration of workability during assembly. Also, if the inner shape of the mating recess 60b is formed in a rectangular shape, it is naturally assumed that the shape of the positioning protrusion 313a will also be rectangular accordingly.

As shown in Figures 5 and 13, in this embodiment, many support plate portions 313 are densely arranged on the left and upper sides of the rear case 310, and fewer support plate portions 313 are formed on the right and lower sides. This is the result of a design that takes into consideration the balance between improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and operating unit 300 and space efficiency.

In other words, when the base plate 60 of the game board 13 is made of plywood made by overlapping plywood as in this embodiment, the movable members arranged on the back side of the game board 13 cannot be seen through the flesh of the base plate 60, so the entire back side of the area where an opening can be formed (a recess formed on the side) in the base plate 60 of the game board 13 can be used as an area for displaying the movable members so that they can be seen.

In contrast, where the support plate portion 313 is formed, the internal space of the rear case 310 is encroached inward by the area of the support plate portion 313 when viewed from the front, and the area in which the movable member can be arranged is accordingly narrowed. Therefore, if the strength problem can be resolved and maintained even if the support plate portion 313 is omitted, then omitting the support plate portion 313 can avoid limiting the range in which the movable member can be arranged.

In this embodiment, the reason why many support plate portions 313 are arranged on the left and upper sides of the rear case 310 is that this is related to the range of the area in which the player can see the ball that is shot into the play area, etc. In other words, the support plate portions 313 are formed in places other than the range in which the shot ball can be seen.

To explain in more detail, in this embodiment, the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (Figure 4) is introduced into the play area by passing between the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 and through the return ball prevention member 68, and is then configured to flow down the play area. In a pinball game, the location that is thought to attract the most attention is the location where the ball passes, and other outer areas (for example, the area on the opposite side of the outer rail 62 and inner rail 61 from the third pattern display device 81) usually attract less attention.

As a result, players are likely to pay less attention to the lower left and upper left areas based on the left-convex arc formed by the outer rail 62, and the upper left and upper right areas based on the upward-convex arc, which are areas the ball cannot reach.

In addition, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned outer edge member 73 and the block-shaped member 74, which is disposed on the front side of the game board 13 and whose surfaces facing the outer rail 62 at the lower and upper left parts of the outer rail 62 are formed to conform to the outer rail 62, are made of a light-opaque resin material. In addition to the game board 13 being made of plywood, which is difficult for light to transmit, the game board 13 is configured so that the back side of the game board 13 cannot be seen from the front side of the game board 13 through the outer edge member 73 or the block-shaped member 74.

In this embodiment, the support plate portions 313 are preferentially placed in these locations where attention is low or where the support plate portions 313 are not visible. In fact, even on the left side and upper side where many support plate portions 313 are formed, the support plate portions 313 are formed near the corners of the rear case 310, avoiding the center portion that serves as the protruding end portion of the outer rail 62.

In other words, by selecting the areas where space will be eroded by forming the support plate portion 313 from areas that are low in visibility (low performance potential) to begin with, it is possible to ensure the rigidity of the operating unit 300 and the game board 13 as a whole while ensuring a high degree of freedom in the design of the area within the field of view of the player who is focusing on the ball.

In this regard, since there is a common configuration with pachinko machines in which the balls launched by the ball launching unit 112a are rolled along the outer rail 62 and introduced into the play area, areas where the balls do not flow down can be easily arranged in the lower left, upper left, and upper right parts.

The lower half of the right outer wall 312 has a notch 312a that is cut out toward the rear side. When viewed from the front, this notch 312a is cut out below the band 93 (see FIG. 5) of the game board 13, and forms a gap between the game board 13 in the assembled state (see FIG. 2).

By forming the cutout portion 312a in this manner, the following effects can be achieved. For example, the gap formed by the cutout portion 312a can function as a wiring pass through which the electrical wiring connected to the variable winning device 65 passes to the outside of the rear case 310. This reduces the possibility of the electrical wiring interfering with other components compared to when the wiring is routed up and down.

The gap formed by the cutout portion 312a can be used as a space for arranging components required for the variable winning device 65. Examples of components required for the variable winning device 65 include a solenoid that generates a driving force, a flow path for the balls, a circuit board for the light emission performance, a detection sensor that detects the balls, and other structures.

In addition, by arranging a light-emitting means such as an LED near the cutout portion 312a, the light emitted from the light-emitting means can be more easily seen by the player as light with a blurred outline. In other words, compared to when the entire circumference of the rear case 310 is connected to the game board 13 (when the boundary of the light irradiated from the rear side of the game board 13 is formed along the shape of the rear case 310), the boundary of the light seen through the game board 13 can be made vague. This makes it possible to prevent the boundary of the light seen through the game board 13 from depending on the shape of the rear case 310, and improves the freedom of the light-emitting effects.

Furthermore, compared to a case where the electrical wiring connected to the light-emitting means such as the LED is arranged to extend outside the operating unit 300 along the back surface of the game board 13, a configuration such as this embodiment in which the electrical wiring extends outside the operating unit 300 through the cutout portion 312a reduces the possibility that the electrical wiring will block the light emitted from the LED.

In other words, by configuring the electrical wiring so that it can be routed outside the operating unit 300 without being routed to the front side of the LED, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the electrical wiring will block the light emitted from the LED. This improves the design freedom of the presentation using the light emitted from the light-emitting means such as the LED.

The length (vertical length) of the cutout portion 312a is not limited in any way. For example, the cutout portion 312a may be formed over the entire area (vertical width) between the upper and lower support plate portions 313.

As described above, in this embodiment, fastening and fixing to the game board 13 is omitted on the right side of the rear case 310, so when considering the rigidity of the right side of the game board 13, the rigidity of the operating unit 300 cannot be relied upon.

To address this issue, in this embodiment, a metal plate member 75 made of metal is disposed on the outer edge 73 at a position corresponding to the right end of the game board 13. The metal plate member 75 is described below.

Figure 14 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13, the outer edge member 73, and the metal plate member 75, and Figure 15 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13, the outer edge member 73, and the metal plate member 75. Note that in Figures 14 and 15, for ease of understanding, the game board 13 is illustrated alone, and other members arranged on the game board 13 are omitted from the illustration.

The outer edge member 73 is made of a resin material and includes an arc wall portion 73a that forms the upper portion and has an arc-shaped inner surface, a vertical wall portion 73b that extends downward from the lower end of the arc wall portion 73a in a thin wall shape, and an inclined wall portion 73c that is formed with an upper surface that slopes downward to the left from the lower end of the vertical wall portion 73b. In this way, by forming the outer edge member 73 from a single member that covers almost the entire area in the vertical direction, the number of steps required to assemble the outer edge member 73 to the game board 13 can be reduced compared to when the outer edge member 73 is formed from multiple members that are separated into upper and lower parts.

The vertical wall portion 73b includes a number of plate-like protrusions 73b1 that protrude in a plate shape along the right surface toward the rear side, a number of bent portions 73b2 that are bent in a U-shape when viewed in the up-down direction from the front edge of the right surface, a cylindrical protrusion 73b3 that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the rear side at the joint between the arc wall portion 73a and the inclined wall portion 73c, and a fastening portion 73b4 that is provided next to the cylindrical protrusion 73b3 and is formed so that a fastening screw can be screwed in.

The bent portion 73b2 is disposed at the midpoint of the spacing between the plate-shaped protruding portions 73b1. This allows the retention force of the metal plate-shaped member 75 relative to the vertical wall portion 73b to be improved while limiting the number of seam penetration portions 75c formed in the metal plate-shaped member 75, as described below.

In other words, compared to resisting the bending of the metal plate member 75 with only the three plate-shaped protrusions 73b1, the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1 and the bent portions 73b2 can generate resistance to the bending of the metal plate member 75, thereby reducing the load generated at one location. In addition, by arranging the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1 and the bent portions 73b2 at equal intervals, the load generated when the metal plate member 75 bends can be evenly distributed, preventing excessive load from being generated at any one location.

The metal plate member 75 is provided with a main body plate portion 75a which is folded back multiple times in the short direction but is formed without any creases in the long direction, a bent portion 75b which is bent leftward at the rear side edge of the main body plate portion 75a, a plurality of joint penetration portions 75c which are formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction at the joint between the main body plate portion 75a and the bent portion 75b, through holes 75d which are formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction at the upper and lower ends of the bent portion 75b, and an insertion hole 75e which is drilled in the plate portion where the through holes 75d are formed and which is stepped toward the front side so that a fastening screw can be inserted.

The metal plate member 75 generates particularly strong resistance to bending in the longitudinal direction because the bent portions 75b are formed in the vertical direction in addition to the way the folds are formed in the main plate portion 75a. Therefore, by arranging the metal plate member 75 integrally with the vertical wall portion 73b, which is easily bent in the longitudinal direction, the vertical wall portion 73b can be efficiently reinforced.

The joint penetration portion 75c is formed to a size that allows the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 of the vertical wall portion 73b to be inserted therethrough. In this embodiment, the joint penetration portion 75c is formed so that the vertical wall portion 73b and the metal plate-shaped member 75 can be integrated by inserting the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 through the joint penetration portion 75c.

When the metal plate member 75 is assembled so as to be integrated with the vertical wall portion 73b, the front side edge of the main body plate portion 75a is sandwiched between the bent portion 73b2 and the outer surface of the vertical wall portion 73b, and the cylindrical protrusion portion 73b3 is inserted into the through hole 75d. In this manner, the metal plate member 75 and the vertical wall portion 73b are positioned relative to each other at multiple points in the vertical direction. In this state, the outer edge member 73 and the metal plate member 75 can be fastened and fixed by threading the fastening screw inserted into the insertion hole 75e into the fastening portion 73b4.

With the above configuration, the metal plate member 75 is disposed above and below the vertical wall portion 73b, so that the entire vertical wall portion 73b can be reinforced. Here, the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 and the cylindrical protrusion portion 73b3 of the vertical wall portion 73b pass through the metal plate member 75 and extend to the back side, and their tips engage with the game board 13. The engagement between the metal plate member 75 and the game board 13 will be explained below.

The game board 13 has a number of recesses 13e recessed into the right edge of the front surface to receive the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1, and a number of positioning holes 13f recessed into the upper and lower sides of the recesses 13e as depressions capable of receiving the cylindrical protrusions 73b3.

When the outer edge member 73 and the metal plate-like member 75 are assembled together and attached to the game board 13, the plate-like protrusion 73b1 is received in the recess 13e, and the circular protrusion 73b3 is received in the positioning hole 13f, and positioned accordingly. In other words, the plate-like protrusion 73b1 and the circular protrusion 73b3 are used not only for positioning with the metal plate-like member 75, but also for positioning with the game board 13. This makes it possible to reduce the number of positioning pieces.

In this embodiment, as described above, the metal plate member 75 is assembled to suppress the curvature of the vertical wall portion 73b, so there is no need to provide sufficient rigidity to the vertical wall portion 73b alone, and the vertical wall portion 73b can be formed thin enough that it easily curves in the left-right direction alone.

Furthermore, the rigidity of the metal plate member 75 can suppress deformation of the game board 13 (improve rigidity), so that even if a gap occurs between the game board 13 and the rear case 310, the shape of the game board 13 can be maintained.

Returning to Figs. 5 and 13, the explanation will be given. The first operation unit 400 is disposed above the third pattern display device 81 of the operation unit 300. The first operation unit 400 is equipped with a light-emitting performance device LA1 that can be displaced from the state shown in Figs. 5 and 13 to a position in front of the third pattern display device 81, and is a device that visually entertains the player by controlling the displacement to be synchronized with the display of the third pattern display device 81, or to be synchronized with the operation of the frame button 22 that can be operated by the player. The first operation unit 400 will be described in detail below.

Figures 16 and 17 are partial front views of the operating unit 300. Figure 16 illustrates a retracted state in which each component of the first operating unit 400 retracts to the upper side of the third pattern display device 81, and Figure 17 illustrates a protruding state in which each component of the first operating unit 400 protrudes (lowers) toward the third pattern display device 81 more than in the retracted state.

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the interior shape of the rear case 310 is not symmetrical. In particular, the upper wall (ceiling surface) is lower on the right side as viewed from the front compared to the left side as viewed from the front due to its relationship with the shape of the tank 130 of the dispensing unit 93 (see Figure 3). In other words, the tank 130 is disposed on the upper right side of the operating unit 300, and in order to secure the area for its placement, the upper wall of the rear case 310 is disposed at a position lower on the right side compared to the left side (disposed along the wall schematic line UL).

As such, since it is easier to secure a larger area on the left side inside the rear case 310 compared to the right side (there is more room in the ceiling height), in this embodiment, auxiliary devices such as the drive motor MT1 and coil spring SP1 that do not directly affect the appearance of the presentation (are not intended to be visible to the player) are placed on the left side.

This allows the drive motor MT1 and coil spring SP1 to be positioned by effectively utilizing the recess (gap) created by the asymmetric shape of the top wall of the rear case 310, and allows the lower edge of the first operating unit 400 to be moved as far upward as possible while still maintaining a symmetrical shape, making it easier to ensure a large vertical dimension of the visible area of the display of the third pattern display device 81.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shape of the feather-shaped member 460 (see FIG. 16) of the first operating unit 400, which faces the upper wall of the rear case 310 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, is designed to match the asymmetric shape of the upper wall of the rear case 310. That is, the feather-shaped member 460 on the left side is designed to protrude more toward the upper wall of the rear case 310 than the feather-shaped member 460 on the right side.

The feather-shaped members 460 are configured to combine and be seen as a single unit when the first operating unit 400 changes state from the retracted state to the extended state, and are designed to have a symmetrical shape in this state, making it difficult for players to notice that the left and right feather-shaped members 460 are asymmetrical.

In this embodiment, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the asymmetrical portion of the feather-shaped member 460 (the upper side edge that abuts when combined) is hidden by the game board 13 (see Figure 2), making it difficult for the player to notice that the left and right feather-shaped members 460 are configured in an asymmetrical shape.

Figures 18 and 19 are front perspective views of the first operating unit 400, and Figures 20 and 21 are rear perspective views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 18 and 20 show the first operating unit 400 in a retracted state, and Figures 19 and 21 show the first operating unit 400 in an extended state.

When the drive motor MT1 of the first operating unit 400 is driven to rotate, the arm member 414 rotates and moves via multiple gears interposed therebetween, and the lift plate 430 moves up and down in synchronization with the rotational movement.

The lift plate 430 is supported by a metal rail 405 that is arranged at approximately the center from left to right and is configured to be expandable and contractible up and down, and an auxiliary arm member 444 that is arranged on the left and right opposite side of the arm member 414.

A relative displacement member 442 that is displaced vertically in synchronization with the change in position of the auxiliary arm member 444 is disposed on the lift plate 430, and multiple feather-shaped members 460 that are symmetrically displaced in rotation are displaced in synchronization with the displacement of the relative displacement member 442.

The components of the first operating unit 400 are therefore displaced between a retracted state and an extended state in a displacement mode that combines lifting and rotation as the drive motor MT1 is driven. This allows the components to be displaced in multiple directions despite only using a single drive motor MT1, improving the presentation effect.

As shown in FIG. 20, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper end position of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to protrude above the upper edge of the lifting plate 430. When the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 is shielded by the base plate 60 of the game board 13 (see FIG. 2) and is difficult to see, making it difficult for a player to notice that the arc-shaped gear portion 444b protrudes from the upper edge of the lifting plate 430.

On the other hand, the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates in conjunction with the downward displacement of the lifting plate 430 from the retracted state of the first operating unit 400 to the extended state, so that the arc-shaped gear portion 444b, which protrudes above the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 in the retracted state (see FIG. 27), is displaced downward as the lifting plate 430 is displaced downward, and is hidden below the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 (see FIG. 28).

In this way, the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 is allowed to protrude (stick out) from the lift plate 430 in a location that is blocked by the base plate 60, and the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be displaced so that the protruding portion is hidden on the back side of the lift plate 430 until the lift plate 430 is displaced to a position where it is not blocked by the base plate 60. This improves the design freedom of the auxiliary arm member 444 and the lift plate 430 compared to a configuration in which the auxiliary arm member 444 is always hidden on the back side of the lift plate 430.

For example, the upper edge of the lift plate 430 can be positioned lower, making it easier to avoid interference between the upper edge of the lift plate 430 and the upper outer wall portion 312 of the rear case 310 (see FIG. 16).

In addition, by configuring the auxiliary arm member 444 to rotate and displace, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the rack gear-shaped portion (the portion having gear teeth formed along a straight line) is maintained protruding toward the third pattern display device 81, while ensuring a sufficient protruding length of the lifting plate 430 toward the third pattern display device 81.

In other words, even if a fixed rack gear-shaped portion is formed on the lift plate 430 side of the main plate 401 and configured to mesh with the rotating gear 441, the relative displacement member 442 can be displaced up and down relative to the lift plate 430 in accordance with the up and down displacement of the lift plate 430, but in this case, the fixed rack gear-shaped portion must always be arranged along the position where the lift plate 430 is located. Therefore, if a configuration in which most of the lift plate 430 protrudes downward from the lower edge of the main plate 401, as in the lift plate 430 of this embodiment, is used, it would be necessary to form the fixed rack gear-shaped portion protruding from the lower edge of the main plate 401 toward the third pattern display device 81.

Therefore, there is a risk of problems such as poor visibility of the third pattern display device 81 due to the third pattern display device 81 being blocked by the fixed rack-gear-shaped part, or reduced design freedom of the lifting plate 430 due to the need to hide the rack-gear-shaped part with the lifting plate 430 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state.

In contrast to this, according to this embodiment, instead of a fixed rack-gear-shaped portion, a variable auxiliary arm member 444 is used, so that the auxiliary arm member 444 can be positioned on the rear side (so as to be hidden) of the lifting plate 430 in accordance with the displacement of the lifting plate 430. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the rack-gear-shaped portion remains protruding toward the third pattern display device 81, while ensuring a sufficient protruding length (amount of displacement) of the lifting plate 430 toward the third pattern display device 81.

22(a) and 23 are exploded front perspective views of the first operating unit 400, FIG. 22(b) is a front perspective view of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 showing the meshing state of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470, and FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 are exploded rear perspective views of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in Figures 22(a), 23, 24 and 25, the first operation unit 400 is made of a resin material and has a long plate shape in the left and right directions. The main plate part 401 is fastened to the bottom wall part 311 of the rear case 310 (see Figure 16), a transmission unit 410 composed of multiple members rotatably supported on the main plate part 401, a rear arrangement plate 420 composed of multiple plate-shaped parts arranged on the same plane including a connecting plate part 421 connected to the tip of the arm member 414 of the transmission unit 410, a lifting plate 430 arranged on the front side of the rear arrangement plate 420 and fastened to the rear arrangement plate 420, and a synchronous operation unit 440 supported between the lifting plate 430 and the storage plate part 425 of the rear arrangement plate 420 (see Figures 23 and 25).

In addition, the first operating unit 400 includes a plate-shaped support plate portion 450 fastened to the lift plate 430, a pair of left and right vane-shaped members 460 that are rotatably supported by the support plate portion 450 and rotate under the load applied by the displacement of a fixed transmission plate 490 fastened to the front side of the synchronous operating unit 440, and an auxiliary member 470 that rotates synchronously with the vane-shaped members 460 (see Figures 22(a), 22(b) and 24).

The main body plate 401 is provided with a shaft support 402 that supports the transmission gear 412, an end support 403 located at the lower right and supporting the end gear 413, an arm support 404 that is a pillar-shaped part that supports the arm member 414, a metal rail 405 located in the left-right center and to which the rear side is fixed so that the front side can be displaced up and down, a long hole 406 that is drilled as a long opening on the left and right side of the metal rail 405, a cover 407 formed in a plate shape from a light-transmitting resin material and that covers the area where the long hole 406 is formed from the rear side, and a detection sensor SC1 for detecting the state.

The end support section 403 includes a shaft support section 403a formed in the same shape as the shaft support section 402, an annular projection 403b projecting along a circle centered on the shaft support section 403a, and a stopper section 403c projecting in a fan shape toward the front side at a position between the annular projection 403b and the shaft support section 403a. The stopper section 403c is formed by general compression molding, and the opposite side of the projection is formed as a recessed section.

The lid 407 closes the area where the long hole 406 is formed. In this embodiment, as described later, the electrical wiring DH1 that passes through the wiring through hole 401a formed through the main plate 401 from the front side of the main plate 401 and reaches the rear side of the long hole 406 is guided to the front side through the long hole 406. Therefore, in a situation where the lid 407 is not present and the rear side is open, the electrical wiring DH1 protrudes to the rear side, and there is a risk that it will be pinched between the bottom wall 311 (see FIG. 13) of the rear case 310 and the main plate 401 during assembly work. In contrast, in this embodiment, the area where the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged is partitioned by the lid 407, so that the electrical wiring DH1 can be prevented from being pinched between the bottom wall 311 and the main plate 401.

This allows the first operating unit 400 to be assembled to the rear case 310 without checking the placement of the electrical wiring DH1, making the assembly process more efficient.

The transmission unit 410 includes a drive gear 411 that is non-rotatably connected to the rotating shaft of the drive motor MT1, a transmission gear 412 that is meshed with the drive gear 411 and rotatably supported by the shaft support section 402, an end gear 413 that is meshed with the transmission gear 412 and rotatably supported by the shaft support section 403a, and an arm member 414 that is supported by the arm support section 404 so that its posture can be changed as the end gear 413 rotates.

The terminal gear 413 includes an annular protrusion 413a that protrudes toward the rear side in an annular shape with an inner diameter slightly longer than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 403b, a stoppered portion 413b that protrudes in a fan shape similar to the stopper portion 403c with a gap between it and the inner surface of the annular protrusion 413a, a cylindrical protrusion 413c that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the front side at an eccentric position away from the shaft support portion 403a, and a detected portion 413d that extends in a fan shape toward the outer diameter direction from a flange portion formed in a flange shape on the front side of the gear portion.

The annular protrusion 413a is disposed so that its shaft side surface faces the annular protrusion 403b, sandwiching the annular protrusion 403b between itself and the stopped portion 413b. In other words, the annular protrusion 403b serves as a guide rail that guides the rotation of the terminal gear 413.

The stopped portion 413b is formed by general compression molding, and the opposite side of the protruding portion is formed as a recessed portion. The stopped portion 413b interferes with the stopper portion 403c in the rotation direction. That is, in this embodiment, the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is limited by the circumferential dimensions of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b. That is, the terminal gear 413 rotates and displaces at a rotation angle of less than 360 degrees.

When designing the shapes of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b, the rotation angle required for the terminal gear 413 is calculated, and the shape of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b is designed at an angle obtained by dividing the remaining angle (the angle obtained by subtracting the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 from 360 degrees) in half. This makes it possible to prevent either the stopper portion 403c or the stopped portion 413b from becoming weak in strength, thereby extending the service life of the first operating unit 400.

The cylindrical extension 413c is a brass metal rod that is fitted and fixed to the resin terminal gear 413. A ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction and a well-known E-ring E1 are arranged at the tip of the extension, and the arm member 414 is connected and supported by the cylindrical extension 413c so that it cannot fall off.

The detected portion 413d is formed with a thickness that allows it to pass through the detection gap of the detection sensor SC1, and when the detected portion 413d is detected by the detection sensor SC1, the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 can determine that the first operating unit 400 is in a retracted state.

The arm member 414 includes an annular portion 414a rotatably supported by the arm support portion 404, a plate-shaped portion 414b extending radially from the front side of the annular portion 414a, an intermediate plate portion 414c arranged in parallel to the rear side of the plate-shaped portion 414b and connected to the extended end of the plate-shaped portion 414b, a long hole portion 414d drilled in the intermediate plate portion 414c in the shape of a long hole, a tip plate portion 414e arranged in parallel to the rear side of the intermediate plate portion 414c and connected to the extended end of the intermediate plate portion 414c, and a cylindrical protrusion portion 414f protruding in a cylindrical shape from the extended tip of the tip plate portion 414e to the front side.

The long hole portion 414d is formed with a size that allows the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c of the terminal gear 413 to be inserted, and the driving force of the drive motor MT1 is transmitted through this long hole portion 414d.

The cylindrical extension 414f is a brass metal rod that is fitted and fixed to the resin tip plate 414e. A ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction and a well-known E-ring E1 are arranged at the tip of the cylindrical extension 414f, and the connecting plate 421 of the rear mounting plate 420 is connected and supported by the cylindrical extension 414f so that it cannot fall off.

Figure 26 is a top view of the first operating unit 400. In Figure 26, the second intermediate position of the first operating unit 400 is illustrated, and for ease of understanding, the coil spring SP1, the fixed pulley that guides the coil spring SP1, the drive motor MT1, and the base plate to which the drive motor MT1 is fastened are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 26, in this embodiment, the shape of the arm member 414 is designed to ensure a large area on the front side of the arm member 414. In other words, by forming the arm member 414 in a shape that is bent forward and backward, interference with other members can be functionally avoided. This will be explained below.

The plate-shaped portion 414b is positioned in front of the detection sensor SC1 to avoid interference with the detection sensor SC1. In other words, the restriction on the front-rear position of the plate-shaped portion 414b is due to its relationship with the detection sensor SC1, so the front-rear position can be designed freely in places not related to the detection sensor SC1 (places on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with the detection sensor SC1 as the reference).

In this embodiment, the intermediate plate portion 414c, which is disposed on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with respect to the detection sensor SC1, is disposed on the rear side compared to the plate-shaped portion 414b. This makes it possible to narrow the front-to-rear distance between the plate front surface of the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414, and allows the load to be transmitted to the arm member 414 at the base side of the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c, thereby preventing the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c from deforming when the load is transmitted, thereby preventing a decrease in the efficiency of load transmission.

Furthermore, since the front-to-rear position of the intermediate plate portion 414c depends on its relationship with the terminal gear 413, the front-to-rear position can be designed arbitrarily in the area not related to the terminal gear 413 (the area on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with the terminal gear 413 as the reference).

In this embodiment, the tip plate portion 414e, which is disposed on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with respect to the terminal gear 413 as a reference, is disposed on the rear side compared to the intermediate plate portion 414c. This allows a large space to be secured on the front side of the tip plate portion 414e, making it easier to secure the front-to-rear dimensions of components such as the rear arrangement plate 420 and synchronous operation unit 440, which are disposed in front of the tip plate portion 414e and on the rear side of the lift plate 430.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the shape of the arm member 414 is set with the aim of avoiding interference with other members, but it also has other structural effects. For example, by forming the arm member 414 with a stepwise bend, it is possible to prevent the load generated in the arm member 414 from concentrating locally (at one point) (stress concentration can be alleviated), and the durability of the arm member 414 can be improved.

Furthermore, by providing the minimum necessary gap to avoid interference with other components, a large gap can be provided on the opposite side of the arm member 414 from the other components that secure that gap, and this gap can be used to run electrical wiring (electrical wiring different from electrical wiring DH1) or to install additional performance components (such as an illumination board).

Also, as shown in FIG. 26, in this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1, which is arranged to reach the light-emitting performance device LA1 from the main body plate portion 401 side, is configured to be able to prevent it from being unintentionally pinched by the feather-shaped member 460 or caught in the gear teeth of the rotating gear 441 or the relative displacement member 442. This will be explained below. In this explanation, FIG. 25 will be referred to as appropriate.

The electrical wiring DH1 is first guided from the main body plate portion 401 side through the long hole portion 406 to the auxiliary arm member 444. At this time, the electrical wiring DH1 is passed through the through hole 448a of the end side plate 448 and is passed to the inside of the extension portion 444c.

Inside the extension portion 444c, the electrical wiring DH1 is guided to the base end side portion 444a while being prevented from falling off by the retaining portion 444c1. The electrical wiring DH1 is then guided from the base end side portion 444a to the rear side of the storage plate portion 425, and passes through an L-shaped area partitioned by a frame portion protruding toward the rear side of the storage plate portion 425 and a blocking plate 428 to reach the through hole 427.

The frame portion protruding from the rear side of the storage plate portion 425 has an omitted portion 425b in which the protrusion is omitted over approximately half the circumference centered on the insertion hole 425a. The omitted portion 425b allows the electrical wiring DH1 to be guided to the front side of the closure plate 428 at an angle of 180 degrees. This reduces the possibility that the electrical wiring DH1 will bend near the insertion hole 425a when the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates.

The electrical wiring DH1 is passed through the through hole 427 to the front side, and is guided through the cylindrical portion 433 formed at a position overlapping the through hole 427 at the front and rear to the front side of the lift plate 430, where it is temporarily fastened to the fastening portion 451 of the support plate portion 450 with a cable tie or the like, and connected to a connector arranged on the electric display board of the light-emitting performance device LA1.

In this way, the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged inside the components (auxiliary arm member 444 and rear mounting plate 420) for most of its path, which reduces the possibility of the electrical wiring DH1 colliding with other moving parts and receiving a load, compared to conventional pachinko machines in which the electrical wiring is exposed for most of its path.

In addition, in this embodiment, the guide path of the electrical wiring DH1 is separated from the relative displacement member 442 that undergoes sliding displacement. In other words, deformation such as bending or curving in the electrical wiring DH1 can only be caused by the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 (rotational displacement accompanied by sliding displacement of the rotation axis).

As a result, even if the vertical displacement speed of the lift plate 430 and the displacement speed of the relative displacement member 442 are configured to be significantly different, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the electrical wiring DH1 from becoming large by breaking the relationship between the deformation of the electrical wiring DH1 and the displacement speed of the relative displacement member 442.

Referring back to Figures 22(a), 23, 24 and 25, the rear arrangement plate 420 includes a plate-shaped connecting plate portion 421 that is connected to the cylindrical protruding portion 414f of the arm member 414 and fastened to the lift plate 430, a storage plate portion 425 that is disposed on the right side of the connecting plate portion 421 and fastened to the lift plate 430 and to which the front side member of the metal rail 405 is fastened, and an L-shaped blocking plate 428 that is fastened to the storage plate portion 425 and partially blocks the rear side portion of the storage plate portion 425.

The connecting plate portion 421 includes a long through hole 422 that is drilled in the main plate portion in the left-right direction and is formed to allow the cylindrical protrusion portion 414f to pass through, and a support box portion 423 that is formed below the long through hole 422 and has a box shape with the front side and top side open.

The support box portion 423 is formed long downward based on the insertion slot 422, so that the rigidity of the storage plate portion 425 can be reinforced by using the support box portion 423. That is, the support box portion 423 is arranged opposite the support wall portion 426 on the left and right, and if the support wall portion 426 is significantly deflected to the left and comes into contact with the support box portion 423, the rigidity of the support box portion 423 can suppress the deformation.

The storage plate 425 has a support wall 426 that protrudes toward the front side from the left edge of the main plate in the vertical direction, and a through hole 427 drilled on the front side of the closure plate 428.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is inserted into the through hole 427. That is, the through hole 427 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the connector disposed at the end of the electrical wiring DH1 to be inserted therethrough.

The blocking plate 428 is formed so that its front surface abuts against a frame portion that protrudes in a frame shape from the rear side of the storage plate portion 425, and is configured to separate the area between the storage plate portion 425 and the blocking plate 428. In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is configured to be arranged only inside the frame portion of the storage plate portion 425 (the front side of the blocking plate 428). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electrical wiring DH1 from entering the metal rail 405 side (to the left of the frame portion).

A special hole 428a is formed through the closure plate 428 so that the temporary fastening portion 425c, which is a U-shaped protrusion toward the rear side at a position closer to the through hole 427 than the omitted portion 425b, can be seen from the rear.

The irregular hole 428a is formed from a horizontally elongated portion whose width is slightly longer than the width of the temporary fastening portion 425c, and a vertically elongated portion that intersects with the horizontally elongated portion to ensure an area through which the cable tie can pass.

The temporary fastening portion 425c serves as a fastening portion for the cable tie. By temporarily fastening the electrical wiring DH1 with the cable tie, the position of the electrical wiring DH1 can be stabilized. In this case, by tightening the cable tie, the path of the electrical wiring DH1 guided from the auxiliary arm member 444 to the blocking plate 428 can be moved toward the blocking plate 428, so that a gap can be provided between the edge portion of the semicircular plate portion centered on the insertion hole 425a of the storage plate portion 425 and the electrical wiring DH1 (see Figures 25 and 26). This prevents the electrical wiring DH1 from rubbing against the edge portion of the storage plate portion 425, thereby extending the service life of the electrical wiring DH1.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the cable tie that temporarily fastens the electrical wiring DH1 (see FIG. 26) guided between the omitted portions 425b can be exposed from the irregular hole 428a of the closure plate 428, so that the cable tie can be replaced or installed without removing the closure plate 428.

This allows the electrical wiring DH1 to be temporarily fastened at a position between the receiving plate 425 and the blocking plate 428, where the position of the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the components of the first operating unit 400 is fixed (i.e., where the electrical wiring DH1 overlaps with the path from the light-emitting device LA1 to which one end of the electrical wiring DH1 is connected to the base end side portion 444a of the auxiliary arm member 444, which is the first portion that displaces the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the lift plate 430, along the path of the electrical wiring DH1), while the cable tie can be replaced without removing the blocking plate 428. This allows the service life of the electrical wiring DH1 to be improved, and the maintainability of the cable tie associated with the electrical wiring DH1 to be improved.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is routed along the front side of the blocking plate 428 in accordance with the shape of the blocking plate 428, but since the blocking plate 428 is L-shaped when viewed from the rear, the electrical wiring DH1 curves along a first plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction on the front side of the blocking plate 428, while curving along a second plane (a plane perpendicular to the first plane) perpendicular to the left-to-right direction near the through hole 427. This improves the holding force that holds the electrical wiring DH1 to the blocking plate 428 and the receiving plate 425, and stabilizes the position of the electrical wiring DH1.

The lift plate 430 includes a fastening section 431 consisting of multiple parts for fastening the rear arrangement plate 420, a support section 432 consisting of multiple parts for supporting the synchronous operation unit 440, a cylindrical section 433 formed to allow the electrical wiring DH1 to pass through, a fastening section 434 consisting of multiple parts for fastening the support plate section 450, multiple counter parts 435 formed on the main plate section to prevent interference between the components, and a decorative section 436 with a roughly symmetrical pattern on the front of the plate.

The fastening portion 431 has at least a pair of gourd-shaped protrusions 431a that are arranged at the lower end of the lift plate 430 and support the vertical displacement of the relative displacement member 442 (slide rack). The gourd-shaped protrusions 431a are the part that supports the relative displacement member 442, but also have a female screw shape formed at their tip, into which a fastening screw that fastens and fixes the storage plate portion 425 to the lift plate 430 is screwed. In other words, they are used both as a part related to fastening and fixing the rear arrangement plate 420 and as a part related to supporting the synchronous operation unit 440.

The cylindrical portion 433 extends toward the rear side through the gap between the components of the synchronous operation unit 440, and its rear end abuts against the front surface of the storage plate portion 425, and in this abutting state, the through hole 427 and the inside of the cylindrical portion 433 are continuously connected. Electrical wiring DH1 is inserted forward and backward through this continuously connected portion.

Examples of the countermeasure portion 435 include a notch portion 435a cut upward from the lower edge of the main body plate portion to avoid interference with the connecting portion between the fixed transmission plate 490 and the relative displacement member 442 (in this embodiment, the raised fastening portion arranged vertically side by side), and a recessed portion 435b recessed into a wall portion formed in a wall shape to protect the upper side of the axis of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 and formed to avoid interference with the arc-shaped gear portion 444b.

The decorative portion 436 is disposed on the rear side of the feather-shaped member 460 and is configured to work in conjunction with the feather-shaped member 460 to allow a series of patterns to be visually recognized as the feather-shaped member 460 is displaced, as will be described in more detail below.

The synchronous operation unit 440 includes a pair of rotating gears 441 that mesh with each other, a relative displacement member 442 that meshes with one of the rotating gears 441 and is formed so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, a pair of elongated holes 443 drilled in the relative displacement member 442, an auxiliary arm member 444 that has rotating gear teeth that mesh with the other rotating gear 441, and an end side plate 448 that is fastened and fixed to the rotating tip of the auxiliary arm member 444 from the back side.

The gourd-shaped protrusion 431a is inserted into the long hole 443. The longitudinal direction of the gourd shape and the longitudinal direction of the long hole 443 are arranged approximately parallel to each other, so that the posture of the relative displacement member 442 can be stabilized.

In addition, the area of contact with the long hole 443 can be made smaller than when the gourd-shaped protrusion 431a is formed in an oval shape, so the frictional resistance generated between the gourd-shaped protrusion 431a and the relative displacement member 442 can be reduced.

The auxiliary arm member 444 includes a ring-shaped base end side portion 444a that is supported by the large diameter protrusion 432a of the support portion 432, an arc gear portion 444b in which gear teeth are formed concentrically with the ring shape of the base end side portion 444a, an extension portion 444c that extends radially from the base end side portion 444a of the ring shape, and a cylindrical member 444d that is disposed at the extended tip portion of the extension portion 444c and is formed in a roughly semi-cylindrical shape, with the open portion on the inside of the cylinder being configured to be continuously connected to the open portion of the extension portion 444c.

When the base end side portion 444a is inserted into the large diameter protrusion 432a, its movement toward the rear side is restricted by the storage plate portion 425 having an insertion hole 425a through which a fastening screw is inserted and threaded into a female thread portion formed at the tip of the large diameter protrusion 432a. In other words, the base end side portion 444a is pivotally supported by the lift plate 430 and the storage plate portion 425 in a manner that faces the front and rear so that it cannot fall off.

The extension portion 444c is formed in a box shape with an open back side, and is provided with a retaining portion 444c1 that extends from one side in the short side direction to the other side on the back side and has a gap between the other side that is slightly longer than the short side dimension (width dimension) of the electrical wiring DH1. This retaining portion 444c1 has the role of preventing the electrical wiring DH1, which is arranged inside the extension portion 444c after the electrical wiring DH1 has been passed between the extension portion 444c and the other side in the short side direction, from falling off thereafter.

The form of the retaining portion 444c1 is not limited to this. For example, the gap between the extension portion 444c and the retaining portion 444c1 may be configured to be shorter than the short-side dimension (width dimension) of the electrical wiring DH1. In this case, when assembling (inserting) the electrical wiring DH1 into the gap between the extension portion 444c and the retaining portion 444c1, it is necessary to bend the retaining portion 444c1 to widen the gap, but this can improve the effect of preventing the electrical wiring DH1 from falling off after assembly.

As long as the electrical wiring DH1 is disposed inside the extension portion 444c, the expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 during the raising and lowering displacement of the first operating unit 400 can be minimized, but details will be described later with reference to Figures 27 to 30.

The cylindrical member 444d is designed so that its outer diameter is slightly shorter than the short dimension of the long hole portion 406, and when inserted into the long hole portion 406, it allows the auxiliary arm member 444 to slide along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the long hole portion 406 and to rotate.

The end side plate 448 has a through hole 448a through which the electrical wiring DH1 can be inserted. The electrical wiring DH1 inserted into the through hole 448a passes through the inside of the cylindrical portion 444d inserted into the long hole portion 406, passes through the inside of the extension portion 444c, is guided to the back side of the base end side portion 444a, and enters between the closure plate 428 and the storage plate portion 425. It is then guided to the front side through the through hole 427 and the cylindrical portion 433.

Because the electrical wiring DH1 is passed through in this manner, the inner shape of the through hole 448a is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the connector that is connected to the end of the electrical wiring DH1. In other words, the through hole 448a is formed to be large enough to allow the connector to be inserted therethrough.

The through hole 448a is formed not only in the center of the end side plate 448 but also in an irregular shape including an eccentric region on the radially outer side, and is particularly large on the extension portion 444c side. Therefore, regardless of the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444, the electrical wiring DH1 can be moved toward the extension portion 444c side, and it is possible to prevent the position of the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the auxiliary arm member 444 from changing significantly (moving wildly) as the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444 changes.

In addition, the through hole 448a is extended counterclockwise in rear view from the extension portion 444c side on the outer diameter side of the end side plate 448. This extension allows the opening range of the through hole 448a to be expanded to the right when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, thereby reducing the left-right displacement width required for the electrical wiring DH1.

In this case, even in the configuration of this embodiment in which the end side plate 448 is displaced left and right when the lift plate 430 is lifted and displaced, the direction of the through hole 448a can be changed to function to mitigate the left and right displacement of the end side plate 448. Therefore, the displacement width required for the electrical wiring DH1 can be made shorter compared to the displacement width of the end side plate 448, so that the excess length of the wiring set in consideration of the displacement of the electrical wiring DH1 can be shortened, and the load applied from the end side plate 448 to the electrical wiring DH1 can be reduced.

A fixed transmission plate 490 is fastened and fixed to the front side of the relative displacement member 442. That is, in the same way that the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442 are displaced relative to each other, the support plate portion 450 fastened and fixed to the lift plate 430 and the fixed transmission plate 490 fastened and fixed to the relative displacement member 442 are displaced relative to each other.

The support plate 450 is a plate-like member to which the light-emitting performance device LA1, which is formed in a disk shape and has a light-emitting substrate disposed on the rear side, is fastened and fixed to the front side, and is provided with a number of fastening parts 451 into which fastening screws inserted into the lifting plate 430 are screwed, a pair of left and right fastening shaft support parts 452 which are fitted into the cylindrical part 461 of the vane-shaped member 460 and into which fastening screws inserted into the lifting plate 430 are screwed, a pair of left and right through-holes 453 drilled below the fastening shaft support parts 452, and a support part 454 which hooks and supports the upper protrusion LA1b of the light-emitting performance device LA1.

The light-emitting performance device LA1 has a pair of fastening parts LA1a at the bottom into which fastening screws are threaded to be inserted into the support plate part 450, and a pair of protruding pieces LA1b at the top that protrude so as to be inserted into the support part 454. In this way, the bottom of the light-emitting performance device LA1 is supported by fastening and fixing, while the top is supported by engagement, thereby ensuring sufficient support strength and avoiding the shadow of the fastening screws on the upper back side of the electric board.

A three-dimensional or two-dimensional decorative pattern that is visible to the player is applied to the front of the light-emitting performance device LA1. This decorative pattern is configured so that it can be seen as a decoration integrated with the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 when it is visible and not hidden by the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 (see FIG. 34).

In this embodiment, the shapes of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 are modeled after shells (e.g., scallop shells), and the light-emitting performance device LA1 placed between them is formed into a roughly circular shape when viewed from the front, which can be visually recognized as a pearl. In other words, by making the light-emitting performance member LA1, feather-shaped member 460, and auxiliary member 470 visible as a single unit, it is possible to create an appearance that evokes the series of concepts of "a pearl placed inside an open shell."

The feather-shaped member 460 is composed of a plurality of members supported by the fastening shaft support part 452, and includes a cylindrical part 461 rotatably supported by the fastening shaft support part 452, an arc-shaped gear 462 formed in an arc shape centered on the cylindrical part 461 and meshing with each other, an extension part 463 extending from the cylindrical part 461 to the opposite side of the arc-shaped gear 462 in a plate shape, formation parts 464L, 464R formed on the extension end side of the extension part 463 and plated to be able to strongly reflect light by applying plating to the plate front part, a downstream gear 465 formed on the front side of the arc-shaped gear 462 along an arc with a smaller diameter than the arc-shaped gear 462, a flange part 466 formed in a flange shape covering the back side of the arc-shaped gear 462, and a cylindrical protrusion part 467 protruding in a cylindrical shape from the extension end part to which the flange part 466 is extended in the outer direction toward the back side.

The arc-shaped gear 462 is formed as gear teeth formed on an arc of the same diameter that mesh with the pair of cylindrical parts 461 at the midpoint. In other words, the rotation angles of the multiple (left and right) feather-shaped members 460 that rotate due to the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 are the same (symmetrical).

The extension portion 463 has a recessed portion 463a formed only on the right side. The recessed portion 463a is shaped to easily avoid interference with the electrical wiring that passes through the cylindrical portion 433 and is guided to the front side of the lift plate 430, and will be described in detail later.

The forming parts 464L, 464R are combined when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, and are configured as a series of roughly semicircular (roughly semi-elliptical) decorative bodies (see FIG. 17). On the other hand, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, they are arranged separately on the left and right, and their sizes are asymmetrical (see FIG. 16).

In more detail, the lower side is formed symmetrically, while the shape of the upper side that comes into contact when combined is such that the left forming part 464L is formed to protrude in the rotational direction compared to the right forming part 464R, making it larger. In other words, when the first operating unit 400 is in the protruding state, the contact surface S1 of the forming parts 464L, 464R is positioned toward the right side (see FIG. 17).

The shapes of the upper ends of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R that are arranged facing each other differ depending on the distance from the cylindrical portion 461. That is, the side closer to the cylindrical portion 461 (the side closer to the rotation axis, the inner diameter side) is shaped to have an interference portion 464a that is positioned offset in the direction of the rotation axis of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R so that the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R can overlap each other in a front view when they are closest to each other.

In this embodiment, the side closer to the cylindrical portion 461 corresponds to the portion where the decorative pattern is formed, which is visually recognized as a continuous pattern when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other. The interference portion 464a described above prevents the occurrence of a gap in the contact surface S1 of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other, so that the decorative pattern can be visually recognized by the player without any sense of discomfort.

On the other hand, on the side farther from the cylindrical portion 461 (the side farther from the rotation axis, the outer diameter side), the abutment surfaces are shaped to be positioned at positions that coincide in the direction of the rotation axis of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R so that the rotation of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R can be stopped by abutment.

By providing the portion of the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R where the load is generated by contact when the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R are stopped at the outermost diameter portion where the arm length is the longest in the force moment calculation, the load generated on the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R by contact can be minimized.

In this way, by changing the shape of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R depending on the distance from the cylindrical portion 461, the player can see the series of decorative patterns that are formed when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other without feeling strange, and the load that may be generated on the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R when they are closest to each other can be minimized.

The flange portion 466 serves both to suppress the positional deviation of the arc-shaped gear 462 in the front-rear direction and to separate the arc-shaped gear 462 from the fixed transmission plate 490. This allows the meshing state of the arc-shaped gear 462 to be optimized, and prevents the arc-shaped gear 462 from coming into contact with and getting caught on the fixed transmission plate 490, causing excessive resistance.

The cylindrical projection 467 is inserted into the long hole 491 of the fixed transmission plate 490, and a ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction is inserted into the projection tip. In addition, a female thread is formed at the projection tip, and a fastening screw is inserted into the collar C1 and has a head portion larger than the inner diameter of the collar C1. This connects the fixed transmission plate 490 to the cylindrical projection 467 so that it cannot fall off.

The auxiliary member 470 is composed of a pair of left and right plate-shaped members that are rotatably supported, and includes a supported portion 471 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, a metal rod 472 made of metal that is passed through the through hole 453 and inserted into the supported portion 471 and fitted non-rotatably, and a gear portion 473 that is non-rotatably fitted to the end of the metal rod 472 and has gear teeth formed on an arc centered on the metal rod 472.

A female thread is formed in the radial direction on the front side of the inserting metal rod 472, and a through hole is formed at the corresponding position of the supported part 471, through which the threaded part of the fastening screw that is screwed into the female thread can be inserted. After inserting the inserting metal rod 472 into the supported part 471, the fastening screw can be screwed into the female thread through the through hole, thereby preventing the inserting metal rod 472 from falling off the supported part 471.

The gear portion 473 is supported so as to be rotatable about the through hole 453 as the inserted metal rod 472 is supported in the through hole 453. The gear portion 473 is meshed with the downstream gear 465 (see FIG. 22(b)), so it rotates in synchronization with the rotation angle of the feather-shaped member 460.

The fixed transmission plate 490 comprises a plate-shaped portion that is fastened to the front side of the relative displacement member 442, a long hole portion 491 that is drilled as a curved long hole in the plate-shaped portion, a metal rod 492 that is a metal rod-shaped member that is non-rotatably supported at the lower end of the plate-shaped portion and protrudes toward the front side, and a decorative portion 493 that is non-rotatably fixed to the protruding tip of the metal rod 492.

The long hole portion 491 has a vertical portion 491a formed along the vertical direction, and a curved portion 491b formed by being bent in the left-right direction more than the vertical portion 491a. By dividing the long hole portion 491 into sections in this way, it is possible to provide a shift in the synchronization state between the vertical displacement of the fixed transmission plate 490 and the associated rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 rather than completely synchronizing them, as will be described in detail later.

The connection and fixation between the metal rod 492 and the decorative part 493 is the same as the connection between the inserted metal rod 472 and the supported part 471 described above. This makes it possible to prevent the metal rod 492 from falling off the decorative part 493.

Next, the operation of the first operating unit 400 will be described. Figures 27, 28, 29, and 30 are rear views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 27 to 30 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates. Figure 27 shows the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 28 shows a first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400 in which the lift plate 430 has been lowered from the retracted state by a distance slightly longer than the vertical deviation dimension of the wall schematic line UL (see Figure 16), Figure 29 shows a second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400 in which the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary arm member 444 faces the left-right direction, and Figure 30 shows the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 27, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the detected portion 413d enters the detection gap of the detection sensor SC1, thereby determining the posture of the terminal gear 413. In this embodiment, the state detected by the detection sensor SC1 is only the retracted state, and the other states (first intermediate state, second intermediate state, extended state) are states after a preset displacement amount from the retracted state, and are not detected by the detection sensor SC1.

As shown in FIG. 27, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the straight line connecting the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413 and the cylindrical protrusion 413c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long hole 414d of the arm member 414 (the radial direction of the rotation of the arm member 414). As a result, the load applied from the arm member 414 to the terminal gear 413 occurs along a straight line passing through the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413, so that the posture of the arm member 414 can be maintained even when the power of the drive motor MT1 is cut off (use of the dead point).

The tip plate portion 414e of the arm member 414 is disposed outside the arc MXS that circumscribes the disk portion of the terminal gear 413 with the rotation axis of the arm member 414 as the center. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the tip plate portion 414e and the terminal gear 413 during the rotational displacement of the arm member 414.

The auxiliary arm member 444 functions to prevent the right side of the lift plate 430 from descending. Although the auxiliary arm member 444 is supported so as to be able to slide in the long hole portion 406, it is not a resistance-free member, and movement resistance is generated by contact friction generated between the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) and the long hole portion 406. In other words, the action of this movement resistance allows the right side of the lift plate 430 to be supported by the auxiliary arm member 444.

As shown in FIG. 28, the lift plate 430 is displaced downward as the arm member 414 rotates and displaces accordingly, and the relative displacement member 442 is displaced downward by an amount that exceeds the amount of displacement of the lift plate 430 as the rotating gear 441 that meshes with the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates accordingly.

Although it has a complex shape, the driving force is transmitted from the auxiliary arm member 444 to the relative displacement member 442 by gear meshing, so there is a one-to-one correspondence between the amount of displacement of the relative displacement member 442 relative to the lift plate 430 and the rotation angle of the auxiliary arm member 444.

As shown in FIG. 28, while the arm member 414, the auxiliary arm member 444, the lift plate 430, and the relative displacement member 442 are displaced as described above, the feather-shaped member 460 maintains the same position as in the retracted state.

In other words, according to this embodiment, a time lag occurs between the timing at which the lift plate 430 starts to descend from the retracted state of the first operating unit 400 and the timing at which the vane-shaped member 460 starts to rotate. The cause of this time lag will be described later.

In this embodiment, the lift plate 430 descends by the vertical dimension of the wall schematic line UL (see FIG. 16) before the vane-shaped member 460 starts to rotate, which makes it easier to prevent the vane-shaped member 460 from colliding with the upper wall of the rear case 310 as it rotates.

In other words, the displacement mode in which the feather-shaped member 460 rotates after descending by the vertical dimension of the wall schematic line UL is the same as the displacement mode (conventional displacement mode) in which the feather-shaped member 460 rotates simultaneously with the descent of the lift plate 430 when the upper wall portion of the rear case 310 is formed so that there is no height discrepancy between the left and right. Therefore, the operation of the first operating unit 400 of this embodiment can be realized by utilizing the operating conditions (parameters such as gear ratio and displacement amount) of the conventional displacement mode. This makes it possible to reduce the cost required for design.

As shown in FIG. 27, the arm member 414, which is hidden behind the lift plate 430 in the retracted state, displaces so as to protrude above the lift plate 430 as the lift plate 430 descends, as shown in FIG. 28.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the feather-shaped member 460 is configured to be displaceable relative to the lift plate 430 so as to hide the arm member 414 (see FIG. 29). In other words, the feather-shaped member 460 not only serves as a presentation device that allows the player to view the decorative pattern formed on the surface side to create an effect that livens up the game, but also functions as a shielding device that, together with the lift plate 430, hides the arm member 414 for drive transmission.

In particular, in this embodiment, the forming portion 464L of the feather-shaped member 460 on the side where the arm member 414 having the function of transmitting driving force is arranged is made larger in shape than the forming portion 464R of the feather-shaped member 460 on the opposite side, making it easier to hide the arm member 414 from the player's view.

Similarly, the forming portion 464R is configured to hide the auxiliary arm member 444 (see FIG. 30). In this embodiment, due to this configuration, in the second intermediate state, the arm member 414 protrudes above the lifting plate 430, while the auxiliary arm member 444 is still hidden behind the lifting plate 430. In other words, the arm member 414 protrudes above the lifting plate 430, and then the auxiliary arm member 444 protrudes above the lifting plate 430 (see FIG. 30).

Therefore, even when using forming portion 464R, which is smaller in shape than forming portion 464L (the amount of upward projection of lift plate 430 at the same time is smaller than forming portion 464L), the auxiliary arm member 444 can be hidden from the player's view without any problems.

As shown in FIG. 29, when the cylindrical extension 414f is slightly farthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, the auxiliary arm member 444 assumes a position in which its longitudinal direction faces the left-right direction. When the cylindrical extension 414f is farthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, the rightward load applied from the arm member 414 to the lift plate 430 tends to increase, but in contrast, if the auxiliary arm member 444 applies a leftward load to the lift plate 430 at the same time, the displacement resistance of the lift plate 430 increases.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the auxiliary arm member 444 is tilted slightly past the position where the cylindrical extension portion 414f is furthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, and the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) is positioned at the right end of the long hole portion 406, so that a load in the leftward direction can be applied to the lift plate 430 via the auxiliary arm member 444. This makes it possible to suppress the lift plate 430 from being displaced in the left-right direction due to the left-right load applied to the lift plate 430 while suppressing the displacement resistance of the lifting and lowering displacement of the lift plate 430.

In the state shown in FIG. 29, the cylindrical protrusion 413c of the terminal gear 413 is positioned outside the arc MXS, but since the tip plate portion 414e has already gone too far below the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c, interference between the tip plate portion 414e and the terminal gear 413 can be avoided.

In other words, the arc MXS is defined merely as a guideline position, and the design of the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414 is carried out by dynamically examining whether interference will occur when the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414 are actually linked together.

As shown in FIG. 30, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the terminal gear 413 rotates with the position where the stopped portion 413b of the terminal gear 413 abuts against the stopper portion 403c of the main body plate portion 401 as the end point. Note that, as a control, the drive motor MT1 is driven so that the terminal gear 413 stops at a position slightly before the position where the stopped portion 413b abuts against the stopper portion 403c. This makes it possible to structurally prevent the terminal gear 413 from over-rotating while avoiding early damage to the stopped portion 413b and the stopper portion 403c.

As shown in FIG. 30, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the straight line connecting the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413 and the cylindrical extension portion 413c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long hole portion 414d of the arm member 414 (the radial direction of the rotation of the arm member 414). As a result, the load applied from the arm member 414 to the terminal gear 413 occurs along a straight line passing through the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413, so that the posture of the arm member 414 can be maintained even when the power of the drive motor MT1 is cut off (use of the dead point).

The posture is maintained in both directions along the rotational direction of the arm member 414. In other words, it is possible to prevent not only displacement in the direction of gravity, but also upward displacement of the first operating unit 400 from the extended state to the retracted state.

This prevents the lift plate 430 connected to the arm member 414 from bouncing upward after reaching the extended state, and prevents the components downstream of the lift plate 430 (the synchronous operation unit 440, the feather-shaped member 460, the auxiliary member 470, etc.) from being displaced as a transmission path for the driving force. This makes it easier to maintain the contact state of the feather-shaped member 460.

The auxiliary arm member 444 functions to prevent the right side of the lift plate 430 from rising. Although the auxiliary arm member 444 is supported so as to be able to slide in the long hole portion 406, it is not a resistance-free member, and movement resistance is generated due to contact friction generated between the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) and the long hole portion 406. In other words, the action of this movement resistance allows the right side of the lift plate 430 to be supported by the auxiliary arm member 444.

In addition, the auxiliary arm member 444 suspends and supports the lift plate 430. This prevents the position of the lift plate 430 from becoming unstable on the left and right sides of the metal rail 405, even though the driving force from the drive motor MT1 and the biasing force from the coil spring SP1 are generated only on one side (the left side).

Here, we will explain that, as described above, as long as the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged inside the extension portion 444c, the expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 during the elevation and lowering displacement of the lift plate 430 of the first operating unit 400 can be kept to a minimum.

When the path of the electrical wiring DH1 is traced from the light-emitting performance device LA1 side, it is fixed to the lifting plate 430 until it reaches the auxiliary arm member 444, and the path becomes variable only at the auxiliary arm member 444. On the other hand, the extension portion 444c in which the electrical wiring DH1 is disposed has a fixed shape even while the lifting plate 430 is displaced up and down, which reduces the possibility of expansion and contraction displacement occurring in the electrical wiring DH1.

At the position where the electrical wiring DH1 exits the through hole 448a on the rear side, a left-right displacement occurs in the electrical wiring DH1 due to the left-right displacement of the end side plate 448. In this way, the displacement that may cause expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 is limited to that caused by the displacement of the end side plate 448, so in this embodiment, the left-right displacement of the end side plate 448 is measured, the necessary excess length is calculated, and this excess length is added to the electrical wiring DH1 in the path from the fixed position of the electrical wiring DH1 to the end side plate 448 (in a state where the electrical wiring DH1 is loosened), and the electrical wiring DH1 is fixed to the main body plate portion 401.

In other words, the location where expansion or contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 may occur due to the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 can be limited to the vicinity of the end side plate 448, and in addition, the amount of displacement that causes expansion or contraction can be kept to less than half the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430.

Furthermore, as described above, the shape of the through hole 448a of the end side plate 448 allows the displacement width of the electrical wiring DH1 to be reduced compared to the displacement width of the end side plate 448, so that the excess length of the electrical wiring DH1 can be shortened.

Figures 31, 32, 33, and 34 are front views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 31 to 34 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates, with Figure 31 showing the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 32 showing the first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 33 showing the second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, and Figure 34 showing the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 31, the lower edge of the feather-shaped member 460 is formed symmetrically. Therefore, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the first operating unit 400, which enters the field of view in which the third pattern display device 81 is viewed, can be visually recognized by the player as a movable member with a symmetrical shape.

As shown in FIG. 32, when the lift plate 430 is slightly displaced downward, the position of the feather-shaped member 460 is maintained. Therefore, even in the state shown in FIG. 32, the first operating unit 400, which enters the field of view in which the third pattern display device 81 is viewed, can still be visually recognized by the player as a movable member with a symmetrical shape.

In the first intermediate state shown in FIG. 32, the position of the feather-shaped member 460 does not change compared to the retracted state shown in FIG. 31, but as the lift plate 430 descends, the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 are displaced downward by the same amount, and the decorative part 493 is displaced downward by an amount that exceeds the amount of downward displacement.

Therefore, when the first operating unit 400 is changed from the retracted state to the first intermediate state, the player viewing the lift plate 430 can see not only the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 alone, but also the vertical displacement of the decorative part 493, which is displaced by an amount different from the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430, thereby improving the presentation effect.

As shown in FIG. 33, in the second intermediate state, the difference between the amount of displacement of the lift plate 430 and the amount of displacement of the decorative part 493 increases compared to the first intermediate state, and in addition, the posture of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 changes.

Figure 34 shows the state in which the feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other in opposing positions. The feather-shaped members 460 are a pair of left and right members that are combined together to appear as if they were a single decorative member with a roughly semicircular (semi-elliptical) shape, and the abutment surface S1 is formed in a position shifted to the right from the center position in the left-right direction where the metal rail 405 is disposed.

In this embodiment, the upper edge side of forming portion 464L is configured to be larger on the forming portion 464R side than the upper edge side of forming portion 464R, so that the contact surface S1 in the protruding state is offset from the left-right center.

When the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper edge of the forming portions 464L, 464R is disposed in a position that is shielded by the base plate 60 of the game board 13 (see FIG. 2), making it difficult for the player to notice that the forming portions 464L, 464R are configured with an asymmetrical shape. This makes it possible to avoid giving the player a feeling of discomfort due to the asymmetrical shape of the forming portions 464L, 464R.

In addition, since the contact surface S1 is offset from the metal rail 405 when viewed from the front, even if the feather-shaped member 460 bounces back due to the impact of contact and a gap is created again, it is possible to prevent the rail member 405 from being seen through the gap, and the decorative shape formed on the front surface of the main plate portion 401 can be seen.

This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in the presentation effect compared to when the inorganic metal rail 405 (in other words, a component that is essential for realizing the displacement of the movable props and is not intended as decoration) is visible through the gap.

The abutment surface S1 is also positioned at a position offset from the left-right center position that a player would typically expect to see as the gap between a pair of movable members that abut and move away from each other on the left and right. In other words, by not creating a gap in the location (left-right center position) that a player would expect to see and by locating the abutment surface S1 where a gap may occur at a position offset from that location, even if a gap does occur, it is possible to make the gap less noticeable.

As shown in Figures 31 to 34, the visibility of the decorative part 436 changes depending on the arrangement of the feather-shaped member 460. That is, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state (see Figure 31) to the second intermediate state (see Figure 33), the outer shape of the decorative part 436 is hidden by the feather-shaped member 460, making it difficult for the player to grasp its entire appearance.

On the other hand, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state (see FIG. 34), the outer shape of the decorative part 436 arranged on the underside of the feather-shaped member 460 is visible, and the outer shape is formed so as to be continuous with the outer shape of the feather-shaped member 460 when viewed from the front.

In other words, the decorative portion 436 is formed so that the series of decorative shapes (in this embodiment, a "shell" shape) that are visible when the pair of feather-shaped members 460 are in the extended state of the first operating unit 400 extend further downward from the lower edge. Therefore, it is possible to form a series of decorative shapes that are larger than the series of decorative shapes (see FIG. 38) that are formed by combining the pair of feather-shaped members 460, and this can be visually recognized by the player.

As described above, in this embodiment, the process of displacement of the feather-shaped members 460 to form a series of decorative shapes is not the same. That is, the first displacement process is a process in which a pair of feather-shaped members 460, which are one component of a series of decorative shapes, are displaced close to each other and united to form a series of decorative shapes.

On the other hand, the second displacement process is a process in which the feather-shaped member 460 and the decorative part 436, which are one component of a series of decorative shapes, overlap front to back when viewed from the front when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, and as the first operating unit 400 approaches the extended state, the feather-shaped member 460 is displaced in a direction in which the overlap becomes smaller (the direction in which the feather-shaped member 460 moves away from the decorative part 436), thereby forming a series of decorative shapes.

Through these different processes, the displacement of the feather-shaped members 460 itself is a simple displacement pattern of proximity displacement, while the shapes can be connected at both end edges along the displacement direction of the feather-shaped members 460, forming a series of decorative shapes. Therefore, while the shapes of the feather-shaped members 460 that displace individually can be kept small, the series of decorative shapes that are formed by combining in the extended state of the first operating unit 400 can be made large in comparison to their size.

Figures 35, 36, 37, and 38 are rear views of the support plate portion 450, the vane-shaped member 460, the auxiliary member 470, and the fixed transmission plate 490. Figures 35 to 38 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates, with Figure 35 showing the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 36 showing the first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 37 showing the second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, and Figure 38 showing the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 35, the rear side of the light-emitting performance device LA1 has a plurality of through-holes LA1c that are distributed along an arc shape, and light is configured to leak out through these through-holes LA1c to the rear side. When the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the feather-shaped member 460 is positioned to cover the rear side of the through-holes LA1c, so that the light leaking out from the through-holes LA1c can be reflected to the front side by the forming portions 464L, 464R of the feather-shaped member 460.

The rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 will be described with reference to Figures 35 to 38. The rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 occurs due to the relationship between the cylindrical protrusion 467 and the long hole portion 491 of the fixed transmission plate 490, so this part will be described in particular detail.

From the retracted state shown in FIG. 35 to the first intermediate state shown in FIG. 36, the direction in which the vertical portion 491a of the long hole portion 491 through which the cylindrical extension portion 467 is inserted is opened (vertical direction) is the same as the displacement direction of the fixed transmission plate 490, so that the vane-shaped member 460 can be prevented from being rotated and displaced by the load applied to the cylindrical extension portion 467.

In this embodiment, there is no separate member for biasing the feather-shaped member 460 toward the retracted state, but the shape of the forming portions 464L and 464R means that the center of gravity is positioned to the left and right of the axis of rotation, and the retracted position is maintained by its own weight.

In the second intermediate state shown in FIG. 37, the cylindrical protrusion 467 enters the curved change portion 491b, generating a left-right load on the cylindrical protrusion 467, causing the feather-shaped member 460 to begin to rotate. From the perspective of the drive force transmission path, the drive force of the drive motor MT1 is transmitted from the fixed transmission plate 490 via the cylindrical protrusion 467 to the left feather-shaped member 460, and then to the right feather-shaped member 460. In other words, compared to the right feather-shaped member 460, the left feather-shaped member 460 is upstream in the drive force transmission path.

In this embodiment, the forming portion 464L of the left feather-shaped member 460, which is the upstream side in the transmission path of the driving force, is formed slightly larger (heavier) than the forming portion 464R, so that the movable members can be arranged so that they become lighter in sequence toward the downstream side in the transmission path of the driving force. This allows for good transmission of the driving force and prevents each component from bouncing back after it has been displaced to its terminal position.

One of the reasons why the cylindrical portion 433, which serves as a guide path for the electrical wiring DH1, is located on the forming portion 464R side is the difference in weight between the forming portions 464L and 464R. In more detail, the positions of the forming portions 464L and 464R after displacement are determined by the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 and the abutment of the opposing surfaces of the forming portions 464L and 464R, but the positions of the forming portions 464L and 464R after displacement may change slightly due to errors in the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 and aging deformation of the long hole portion 491, which determines the rotation angle of the feather-shaped member 460.

In this case, the change in position after the displacement is largely due to the weight balance of forming portions 464L and 464R. In other words, there is a high possibility that forming portion 464L will be pushed down so that forming portion 464L rests on forming portion 464R.

In consideration of this, in this embodiment, the extension portion 463 of the feather-shaped member 460 is disposed below the cylindrical portion 433 through which the electrical wiring DH1 passes. In addition, a recessed portion 463a is provided to reduce overlap between the cylindrical portion 433 and the extension portion 463. This reduces the possibility of interference between the electrical wiring DH1 and the forming portion 464L, even if the forming portion 464L is unintentionally pushed down.

In addition, since it is possible to predict the side on which deformation is likely to occur in the forming portion 464L, it is possible to design the cylindrical portion 433 and the recessed portion 463 at a position where they partially interfere with each other when viewed from the rear (see FIG. 38). This allows for greater freedom in design.

In this embodiment, the formation range of the recessed portion 463a is set to a range that can particularly open the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 433. This makes it possible to minimize the difference in shape between the pair of left and right extension portions 463 while avoiding contact between the electrical wiring DH1, which is prone to sagging due to its own weight inside the cylindrical portion 433, and the extension portion 463.

In other words, it is possible to prevent the recessed portion 463 from getting too close to the forming portion 464, and as a result, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state or the first intermediate state, the recessed portion 463a can be positioned on the rear side of the auxiliary member 470, and the recessed portion 463a can be configured to be partially hidden by the auxiliary member 470 (see FIG. 31).

This allows the recessed portion 463a to be partially hidden by the auxiliary member 470 in any state of the first operating unit 400, from the retracted state to the extended state. This makes it easier to view the extension portions 463 and the lower edges of the forming portions 464L, 464R of the pair of left and right feather-shaped members 460 symmetrically, thereby avoiding the player feeling uncomfortable due to the asymmetrical configuration of members that displace symmetrically.

The driving force is transmitted from the fixed transmission plate 490 to the cylindrical extension 467 by the fixed transmission plate 490 being displaced downward away from the tubular portion 461 of the feather-shaped member 460. As the driving force is transmitted, the cylindrical extension 467 is pulled by the fixed transmission plate 490 and rotates about the tubular portion 461, but the cylindrical extension 467 is configured not to displace at a constant speed (it is configured so that the angular velocity changes) when it is assumed that the fixed transmission plate 490 displaces at a constant speed.

In more detail, since the initial position of the cylindrical projection 467 is set near the left and right of the tubular portion 461 (see FIG. 35), if we assume that the curved change portion 491b is a long hole extending horizontally (left and right), the more the cylindrical projection 467 is displaced downward, the larger the angle of rotational displacement of the cylindrical projection 467 relative to the vertical displacement range becomes. Therefore, when the fixed transmission plate 490 is displaced at a constant speed, the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical projection 467 gradually increases.

Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a pair of feather-shaped members 460 decelerate during displacement, it is possible to create a powerful effect in which the feathers displace and combine at high speed.

On the other hand, the gradual increase in the angular velocity of the cylindrical protrusion 467 leads to an increase in the speed of the pair of feather-like members 460 just before they approach and combine. However, if the speed increases too much, the pair of feather-like members 460 may bounce back significantly due to the impact of combining, which may reduce the dramatic effect of this embodiment, which is to combine the pair of feather-like members 460 to create a series of decorative patterns.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the curved change portion 491b is formed as a long hole that extends in a direction that is inclined upward toward the rotation axis of the feather-shaped member 460 (the feather-shaped member 460 on the left side) that has the cylindrical protrusion 467 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction). This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical protrusion 467.

The degree of suppression corresponds to the amount of upward displacement (hereinafter also referred to as the "upward correction amount") of the curved change portion 491b relative to the long hole parallel to the horizontal direction (left-right direction) at the location where the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is located.

When the curved change portion 491b is configured as a long hole extending in a direction that inclines upward toward the rotation axis side as in this embodiment, the more the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is displaced downward (the closer the pair of feather-shaped members 460 are to being joined), the greater the amount of upward correction described above becomes. Therefore, the degree to which the increase in the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is suppressed (the reduction range) can be gradually increased as the position of the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is changed downward.

Therefore, compared to a configuration exemplified by a brake structure that maintains the same friction state, the speed increase can be moderately suppressed. The actual displacement speed of the feather-shaped member 460 will be described later.

Figures 39(a) to 39(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of the first operating unit 400. In Figures 39(a) to 39(c), the horizontal axis shows the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413, and in Figure 39(a), the vertical axis shows the downward displacement amount of the lift plate 430, in Figure 39(b), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the auxiliary arm member 444, and in Figure 39(c), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the feather-shaped member 460.

Here, let us consider a case where the drive motor MT1 rotates at a constant speed. In this case, while the terminal gear 413 rotates at a constant speed, the rotational movement of the arm member 414 does not rotate at a constant speed, and the lifting and lowering displacement of the lifting plate 430 also does not occur at a constant speed.

In other words, a discrepancy occurs between the control mode of the drive motor MT1 (e.g., constant speed rotation) and the control mode of the lift plate 430 (non-uniform speed displacement), and the displacement mode downstream of the lift plate 430 in the transmission path of the driving force is affected by this discrepancy. Therefore, even if the drive motor MT1 is rotated at a constant speed, it is difficult to displace the components located downstream in the transmission path at a constant speed.

For example, even if a fixed rack gear-like portion is formed on the main body plate portion 401 and configured to mesh with the rotating gear 441 of the synchronous operation unit 440, the lifting and lowering displacement of the relative displacement member 442 depends on the lifting and lowering displacement mode of the lifting and lowering plate 430, and therefore does not result in a uniform displacement.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the lifting and lowering displacement of the relative displacement member 442 is not determined by a fixed rack gear-like portion, but rather the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 is converted into the lifting and lowering displacement (vertical displacement) of the relative displacement member 442 in the same way that the rotational displacement of the arm member 414 is converted into the lifting and lowering displacement (vertical displacement) of the lift plate 430.

In other words, by applying a predetermined rule (for example, a conversion formula that converts the numerical value on the horizontal axis of FIG. 39(a) into the numerical value on the vertical axis) for converting the rotational displacement of the terminal gear 413 into the lifting displacement of the lifting plate 430 accompanying the vertical displacement of the cylindrical protrusion 414f of the arm member 414 in reverse to convert the lifting displacement of the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 accompanying the vertical displacement of the lifting plate 430 into the rotational displacement of the rotating gear 441, the deviation in the displacement pattern can be partially offset, and the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 and the displacement pattern of the rotating gear 441 can be approximated.

In other words, the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 begins to deviate from the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 when the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is around 90 degrees or 140 degrees (see FIG. 39(a)). On the other hand, the rotation angle of the auxiliary arm member 444 is prevented from deviating from the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 when the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is between 30 degrees and around 170 degrees (see FIG. 39(b)).

As a result, for example, by rotating the drive motor MT1 and the terminal gear 413 at a constant speed, the auxiliary arm member 444 can be rotated at a constant speed in most parts (see FIG. 39(b)), so that the relative displacement member 442 can be displaced up and down at a substantially constant speed relative to the lift plate 430.

This makes it easier to link the speed control of the drive motor MT1 to the displacement mode of the relative displacement member 442, making it easier to set the speed of the drive motor MT1 by calculating backwards from the displacement mode that you want the first operating unit 400 to execute as a drive performance that is visually recognized by the player.

In addition, the configuration of this embodiment can reduce the impact on the tip side of the transmission path of the driving force, which is a configuration that produces advantageous effects only on the drive device side of the transmission path. Here, the drive motor MT1 side will be described as the drive device side of the transmission path, with the lift plate 430 as the reference, and the opposite side as the tip side of the transmission path.

On the drive device side of the transmission path, suppressing the rotation angle of the arm member 414 relative to the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted or extended state is preferable from the perspective of quickly starting and stopping the arm member 414, but on the tip side of the transmission path, the speed of the arm member 414 becomes extremely small just before it reaches the retracted or extended state, which creates a problem in that the displacement tends to become slow.

From this perspective, in order to configure the displacement mode at the tip end of the transmission path so as not to be affected by the deceleration of the arm member 414, it is possible to deal with this by changing the operating speed of the drive motor MT1 before the arm member 414 reaches the displacement end, or by controlling the arm member 414 to stop before deceleration occurs (sufficiently before it reaches the retracted or extended state).

However, the former requires complex control, and the latter has the problem that the rotation angle of the arm member 414 that can be used to displace the tip end of the transmission path is small, narrowing the range of possible displacement patterns.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the displacement mode at the tip of the transmission path can be approximated to the displacement mode of the drive motor MT1 and the terminal gear 413, making it easier to reduce the degree to which the relative displacement member 442 of the synchronous operation unit 440 decelerates just before reaching the retracted state or the extended state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the displacement of the relative displacement member 442 (and the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 arranged downstream thereof) arranged at the tip of the transmission path becoming slow, while making maximum use of the rotation angle of the arm member 414.

What is visible to the player is the displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470. As shown in FIG. 39(c), when the terminal gear 413 is rotated at a constant speed, the rotational angular velocity of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 tends to increase (at or above a constant speed) until just before they stop, at which point they decelerate in accordance with the shape of the curved change portion 491b of the long hole portion 491 described above.

This allows the displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 to be more rapid and rapid compared to when the displacement mode of the lift plate 430 is determined, resulting in a more powerful displacement and improved presentation effect.

On the other hand, by providing a section in which the rotational angular velocity of the feather-shaped members 460 and the auxiliary member 470 is decelerated immediately before the feather-shaped members 460 are combined, rather than stopping the rotational angular velocity while it is increasing (combining the feather-shaped members 460), it is possible to prevent the feather-shaped members 460 from bouncing and displacing after they are combined.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the displacement mode of the lift plate 430, which is displaced in series by the driving force of the drive motor MT1, can be made different from the displacement modes of the relative displacement member 442, fixed transmission plate 490, vane member 460, and auxiliary member 470 of the synchronous operation unit 440, which are displaced downstream of the lift plate 430.

In particular, the displacement pattern that has changed once while moving downstream along the drive force transmission path can be changed back to the original state. This allows a unique displacement pattern to be created in a configuration in which multiple members are displaced in synchronous fashion.

Although the control mode of the drive motor MT1 has been described as being displaced from the retracted state to the extended state, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be controlled so as to reverse at an intermediate position. That is, for example, the rotation direction of the drive motor MT1 may be controlled to reverse so that the first operating unit 400 moves back and forth (repeatedly moves back and forth) between the retracted state and the first intermediate state.

In this case, the lift plate 430 is raised and returned to the retracted state after it starts to descend and before the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 start to rotate, so that the displacement of the first operating unit 400 that is visible to the player is limited to vertical displacement and rotational displacement is eliminated.

Even when displacing to the first intermediate state, the fixed transmission plate 490 and the decorative part 493 displace relative to the lift plate 430 in the vertical direction, making it easier to change the appearance of the first operating unit 400.

Figure 40 is an exploded front perspective view of the operation unit 300. In Figure 40, the game board 13 is removed from the operation unit 300 and placed on the front side, and the operation unit 300 and the upper part of the game board 13 are not shown. Also, in Figure 40, the outline of the transparent cover member 790, which is arranged along the lower edge of the third pattern display device 81 and is made of colorless, light-transmitting resin, is shown in imaginary lines, and the structure below it is visible.

When the game board 13 and the operating unit 300 are fastened and fixed together and used for play, the light-guiding member 714 and the upper surface of the second operating unit 700 are arranged so as to be visible on the lower front side of the display area of the third pattern display device 81 through a window section defined in the center frame 86 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the light emitted to the front side by the illumination board 777 passes through the light-transmitting hole 60c and is therefore visible from the front side of the base plate 60.

Figure 41 is a front perspective view of the second operating unit 700, and Figure 42 is a rear perspective view of the second operating unit 700. As shown in Figures 41 and 42, the second operating unit 700 includes a plurality of light-guiding members 714 (eight in this embodiment) arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and an illumination board 777 arranged on the left and right.

Each of the light-guiding members 714 is configured to be able to guide the light irradiated from below, and transmits the irradiated light from the upper end. The illumination board 777 is equipped with a light-emitting means 778 such as an LED that is configured to be able to irradiate light to the front side. In this way, the second operating unit 700 can emit light to the upper side via the light-guiding members 714, and emit light to the front side via the illumination board 777.

Figures 43 and 44 are exploded front perspective views of the second operating unit 700, and Figure 45 is an exploded rear perspective view of the second operating unit 700. Figure 43 shows a view looking down from above, and Figures 44 and 45 show a view looking up from below. Also, Figure 45 shows an enlarged view of the protruding retainer 724.

As shown in Figures 43, 44 and 45, the second operating unit 700 includes a base member 701 fastened to the bottom wall portion 311 of the rear case 310 (see Figure 40), a cover member 720 that is placed from above the base member 701 and fastened to the base member 701, a plate-shaped displacement member 730 that is sandwiched between the cover member 720 and the base member 701 and pivotally supported so as to be rotatable (rotatable at a rotation angle of about 6 degrees), and a hollow member that is placed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and is capable of being displaced at least vertically. It is equipped with multiple (eight in this embodiment) hollow members 740 that are configured to be movable, multiple (three in this embodiment) variable decorative members 750 that are placed on the top surface of the plate-like displacement member 730 on the front side of the hollow members 740 and are configured to be at least vertically displaceable, a pair of drive units 760 that are arranged on the left and right lower sides of the base member 701 and are configured to be approximately linearly symmetrical with respect to a straight line along the vertical direction and are configured to apply a load to the plate-like displacement member 730, and a transparent cover member 790 (see Figure 40).

The transparent cover member 790 is a colorless, transparent resin member shaped to cover the top and front surfaces of the cover member 720 of the second operating unit 700, and acts to prevent dust and fine particles from reaching the cover member 720, and to prevent collisions between the first operating unit 400 and the cover member 720 and the light-guiding member 714 even if any of the components of the first operating unit 400 malfunctions.

The top surface of the transparent cover 790 is inclined downward toward the rear side, so that a portion of the light emitted directly upward from the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 can be refracted toward the rear side. This makes it easier for the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to be reflected in the third pattern display device 81, so that even if the player is looking at the third pattern display device 81, it is easier for the player to notice changes in the lighting state of the light-guiding member 714 (including changes in brightness, vibrations of the light, and changes based on the displacement of the hollow member 740).

Note that the transparent cover member 790 is omitted from illustration in Figures 43, 44, and 45. First, the base member 701 that forms the framework of the second operating unit 700 will be described with reference to Figure 46.

Figure 46 is an exploded front perspective view of the base member 701. As shown in Figure 46, the base member 701 includes a plate-shaped member 702 formed to have sufficient strength, an illumination board 705 fastened to the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 702 facing the upper surface of the illumination board 705, a partition member 708 arranged facing the upper surface of the plate of the illumination board 705 and fastened to the plate-shaped member 702, a thin film cover member 712 formed of a thin film from resin that is a member that is placed on the partition member 708, a plurality of light guide members 714 (eight in this embodiment) that are placed in contact with the thin film cover member 712, and a displacement restriction member 716 that is a plate-shaped member that is placed from above the light guide members 714 and restricts the upward movement and horizontal displacement of the light guide members 714.

The plate-shaped member 702 includes an engaging portion 702a formed to be able to engage with the hook-shaped portion 721c of the cover member 720, a pair of receiving recesses 702b formed on the left and right sides of the plate-shaped member 702 and recessed to be able to pivotally support the pivotally supported portion 731 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a restricting protrusion 702c protruding upward from the front edge and formed to be able to restrict the rotation of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a number of fastening portions 703a formed so that fastening screws can be screwed in, a number of columnar protrusions 703b protruding upward beyond the fastening portions 703a and formed so that fastening screws can be screwed into the protruding tips, and a number of through holes 704 drilled in the vertical direction.

The multiple fastening parts 703a are fastened by fastening screws inserted into the illumination board 705, and are formed in three locations: the center on the left and right and at both ends. In particular, the fastening parts 703a at both ends are provided with protruding pins for positioning.

By positioning the illumination board 705 so that the protruding pins are inserted into the through holes drilled in the illumination board 705 corresponding to the positioning protruding pins, the through holes drilled in the illumination board 705 for inserting the fastening screws are continuously connected to the fastening portion 703a, so that the illumination board 705 can be fastened and fixed to the plate-like member 702 by passing and screwing the fastening screws through the through holes.

The columnar protrusion 703b is a portion into which a fastening screw is inserted, which is inserted through the displacement restriction member 716, the thin film cover member 712, and the partition member 708 in that order, and the base end side is formed in a platform-like incline. This makes it easier to position the illumination board 705 in the appropriate position.

The through hole 704 is drilled to a size that allows the passage of a connector (not shown) arranged on the underside of the illumination board 705 and the electrical wiring connected to the connector. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electrical wiring connected to the illumination board 705 is arranged on the underside of the illumination board 705 and does not protrude above the illumination board 705. This allows the entire upper surface of the illumination board 705 to be used as an area where light-emitting means 706 such as LEDs can be arranged.

The illuminated board 705 has a plurality of light-emitting means 706 composed of LEDs or the like, and an open portion 707 that is formed so as to leave a small gap between the columnar protrusion portion 703b and the base member 701 when it is in an assembled state (see FIG. 43).

The light emitting means 706 includes a plurality of individual light emitting means 706a (eight in this embodiment) arranged along a straight line facing the left-right direction, and a plurality of overall light emitting means 706b arranged in positions different from the individual light emitting means 706a.

The opening 707 is formed at a position corresponding to the columnar protrusion 703b, and the protruding end position of the columnar protrusion 703b is set above the position where the illumination board 705 is positioned in the assembled state. Therefore, when the illumination board 705 is displaced downward to the position where it is positioned in the assembled state, the opening 707 advances along the columnar protrusion 703b.

In this embodiment, the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b is formed in a circular shape when viewed from above and a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, narrowing toward the top, so that the side surface of the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b is inclined in the vertical direction. When the illuminated board 705 is displaced downward, if it is significantly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction from the position in which it is positioned in the assembled state, the misalignment of the illuminated board 705 can be corrected by following the inclination of the side surface of the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b, making it easier to position the illuminated board 705 in the desired position.

The partition member 708 is formed from a colored (black in this embodiment) hard resin material that is difficult for light to transmit, and includes a plurality of light-transmitting holes 709 drilled at positions corresponding to the individual light-emitting means 706a, a plurality of through holes 710a drilled with an inner diameter that allows the tip of the columnar protrusion 703b to be inserted, a plurality of fastening portions 710b formed so that a fastening screw inserted into the displacement restriction member 716 can be screwed in, and a plurality of receiving portions 710c recessed (or drilled) to receive protruding pins 716b protruding from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 at positions shifted in the front-rear direction from the fastening portions 710b.

The light-transmitting holes 709 are formed with a long crystal-shaped (approximately oval or tortoiseshell) cross section from front to back, with the long dimension facing in different directions depending on the position from the left and right center. That is, the closer the light-transmitting holes 709 are to the center, the smaller the deviation between the long dimension and the front-to-back direction (in this embodiment, they are the same), and the closer to the left and right ends, the more the long dimension is inclined toward the front and toward the left and right center.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting hole 709 is set in a direction that is inclined toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (about 5 degrees).

The thin film cover member 712 is a thin, colorless, transparent resin member with low rigidity, which is formed so that the center is raised and the underside is open, and is equipped with a pair of large through holes 712a drilled vertically at the left and right ends of the upper base, a number of middle through holes 712b drilled vertically laterally inward from the outer through holes 712a, and a number of small through holes 712c drilled vertically and offset in the front-rear direction from the middle through holes 712b.

The large through hole 712a is formed with a diameter longer than the diameter of the protruding portion 716e (see FIG. 72) that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 in a ring shape surrounding the insertion hole 716a. The protruding portion 716e that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 protrudes with a protruding length that exceeds the thickness of the thin film cover member 712, so that it is possible to avoid the generation of a load (fastening load) on the edge portion of the large through hole 712a during assembly.

One of the through holes 712b is disposed at a position corresponding to the columnar protrusion 703b at the center of the front side, and the other is disposed at a position corresponding to the fastening portion 710b.

The small through hole 712c is positioned in a forward/rearward direction relative to the middle through hole 712b, which is positioned at a position corresponding to the fastening portion 710b, and is formed with a size that allows the insertion of a protruding pin 716b that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 and is received in the receiving portion 710c of the partition member 708.

Therefore, the partition member 708 is covered with the thin film cover member 712, and the displacement restriction member 716 is placed on top of it, and then the fastening screws are screwed into each part to fasten and fix each part. Since the protruding pin 716b protruding from the underside of the partition member 716 is inserted into the small through hole 712c and the receiving part 710c, the thin film cover member 712 and the displacement restriction member 716 can be easily (simultaneously) aligned with the partition member 708 before the fastening screw is screwed in, and the efficiency of the work of screwing in the fastening screw thereafter can be improved.

The light guide member 714 is made of a colorless, light-transmitting resin material and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape with a bottom at the top. It comprises a main body 714a whose outer shape when viewed from above is formed into an elongated crystal shape (roughly oval or tortoiseshell shape) from front to back, a protruding edge 714b that protrudes from the lower edge to the left and right and forward, and an inclined surface 714c that slopes downward as it approaches the front side at the upper end of the main body 714a.

The upper outer surface of the main body 714a is textured, so that when the light emitted from the single individual light emitting means 706a travels through the light guide member 714 and reaches the upper end, it appears to the player as if it is being emitted from a surface, rather than as a point emission.

On the other hand, the main body 714a is not textured in any part (such as the middle part) other than the upper outer surface, and a smooth surface is formed. This makes it possible to prevent diffuse reflection when light traveling inside the light-guiding member 714 is incident on the inner wall surface of the main body 714a, and makes it easier to direct the light toward the upper end of the main body 714a by total reflection on the smooth surface, thereby reducing the energy loss of light at intermediate positions in the main body 714a.

The longitudinal direction of the main body 714a of each light-guiding member 714 when viewed from above follows the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting hole 709 described above. That is, the closer to the center the light-guiding member 714 is, the smaller the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction (in this embodiment, they are aligned), and the closer to the left or right end, the more the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center of the left and right.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member 714 is set in a direction that is inclined toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (approximately 5 degrees).

By configuring it in this way, the front end of the light-guiding member 714 in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above (the part that irradiates light towards the player and is the part closest to the player) can be made to face the player side (center of the front left and right) compared to the central position in the longitudinal direction. In other words, it is possible to make the player feel as if the light irradiated from the light-guiding member 714 towards the player side is gathering towards the player.

The protruding edge portion 714b is formed with a constant thickness from top to bottom and functions as a part for stabilizing the position and posture of the light-guiding member 714, and the inclined surface portion 714c functions to emit light that enters from below the light-guiding member 714 toward the front side, as will be described in detail later.

The displacement restriction member 716 is formed from a colored (black in this embodiment) hard resin material that is difficult for light to transmit, and includes a number of insertion holes 716a drilled to allow fastening screws to be inserted therethrough, a number of protruding pins 716b protruding from the underside, a number of receiving tube portions 716c formed in a cylindrical shape that penetrates vertically at a position corresponding to the light-guiding member 714, and a number of recessed portions 716d recessed with a step to expand the inner shape of the lower edge of the receiving tube portions 716c and configured in a shape that can receive the protruding edge portion 714b of the light-guiding member 714.

The receiving tube 716c has an inner shape that is approximately the same as the inner shape of the light-transmitting hole 709 when viewed from above, and the light-guiding member 714 is inserted inside. In addition, the recess depth of the recess 716d is set to be equal to the thickness dimension of the protruding edge 714b of the light-guiding member 714, so that in the assembled state of the second operating unit 700 (see FIG. 40), the protruding edge 714b can be sandwiched between the upper surface of the thin film cover member 712 and the lower surface of the displacement restriction member 716 (the lower surface of the recess 716d) and stably supported by the surface.

The protruding edge portion 714b is formed to protrude on the left and right sides and the front side, and is omitted from being formed on the rear side. Correspondingly, the recessed portion 716d of the displacement restriction member 716 is also recessed on the left and right sides and the front side, and is omitted from being recessed on the rear side. This makes it possible to prevent the light guide member 714 from being assembled in the front-to-reverse orientation.

In other words, even if the light-guiding member 714 is arranged in the reversed front-to-back direction and the displacement-regulating member 716 is attached, the recessed portion 716d and the protruding edge portion 714b are misaligned, so the protruding edge portion 714b cannot be inserted into the recessed portion 716d, and the protruding edge portion 714b protrudes from the underside of the displacement-regulating member 716. A gap of the thickness of the protruding edge portion 714b is created between the thin film cover member 712 and the displacement-regulating member 716, making it difficult to fasten them together, and this makes it possible to alert the assembly worker (or the automated assembly machine) that the light-guiding member 714 is arranged in the reversed front-to-back direction.

When the base member 701 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 43), the protruding edge portion 714b is sandwiched between the recessed portion 716d and the thin film cover member 712 in the vertical direction, thereby stably fixing the position and orientation of the light-guiding member 714.

The procedure for assembling the base member 701 will now be described. First, the illuminated board 705 is placed in the fastening position through the columnar protrusion 703b and fastened to the plate-shaped member 702. Next, the various components are placed above the illuminated board 705 in the following order: partition member 708, thin film cover member 712, light guide member 714, and displacement restriction member 716.

At this time, the partition member 708 is positioned on the plate-like member 702 by passing the tip of the columnar protrusion 703b through the through hole 710a of the partition member 708, and the displacement restriction member 716 and the thin film cover member 712 are positioned on the partition member 708 by passing the protrusion pin 716b through the receiving portion 710c and the small through hole 712c. In addition, the light guide member 714 is positioned on the displacement restriction member 716 by passing the main body portion 714a through the receiving tube portion 716c. In this way, the components are positioned relative to each other before the fastening screws are screwed in, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the work of screwing in the fastening screws.

Finally, the fastening screws are inserted into the insertion holes 716a and screwed into the fastening portions 710b and the columnar protrusions 703b, thereby fastening and fixing each component. According to this embodiment, after each component placed above the illumination board 705 is placed in the appropriate position, multiple fastening screws can be screwed in all at once, simplifying the work process. In addition, the process of screwing in the fastening screws can be automated (using an automatic screwdriver).

In this embodiment, the partition member 708 cannot be removed when the fastening screw inserted through the insertion hole 716a is screwed into the columnar protrusion 703b, but the partition member 708 can be moved closer to the displacement restriction member 716 by screwing the fastening screw inserted through the insertion hole 716a into the fastening portion 710b.

As a result, although the light-guiding member 714 is placed on the thin film cover member 712, this can be essentially regarded as being the same as the light-guiding member 714 being placed on the partition member 708, and the rigidity of the partition member 708 supports the light-guiding member 714 from below, thereby stabilizing the support of the light-guiding member 714.

In addition, by sandwiching the thin film cover member 712, the vertical separation dimension between the displacement restriction member 716 and the partition member 708 can be reduced, thereby preventing light leakage from between the displacement restriction member 716 and the partition member 708.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the cover member 720 is made of a colored (blue in this embodiment) light-transmitting resin material and is fastened to the base member 701. The cover member 720 includes a plurality of connecting portions 721 disposed on the peripheral portion when viewed from below and used for connecting to the base member 701, a plurality of rear through holes 722 drilled in a shape larger than the light guide member 714 corresponding to the position of the light guide member 714 of the base member 701, a plurality of front through holes 723 drilled in a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) as a set of through holes in a pair on the left and right on the front side of the rear through holes 722, and a plurality of protruding retaining portions 724 protruding downward from the left and right outer portions on the rear side and the left and right inner portions on the front side of the rear through holes 722.

The connecting portion 721 has a number of insertion holes 721a through which fastening screws can be inserted from above, a number of fastening portions 721b into which fastening screws are screwed that are inserted from below into the base member 701, and a number of hook-shaped portions 721c formed in a hook shape on the left and right outer back portions and engaged with the base member 701.

The rear through-holes 722 have four locations near the center and four locations on the left and right sides, with the upper and lower edges positioned differently. In this embodiment, the locations closer to the center are formed higher. This is due to the design of the top surface shape of the cover member 720. In other words, in order to give the top surface shape of the cover member 720 a three-dimensional appearance, the portions closer to the center are curved upward so that they appear raised, and the upper and lower edges of the rear through-holes 722 are adjusted accordingly.

The length of the protruding retainer 724 is adjusted to partially offset the difference in the vertical position of the lower edge of the rear through hole 722. In other words, the protruding length of the protruding retainer 724 arranged closer to the center is made longer, so that the vertical displacement width of the hollow member 740 is adjusted equally on the left and right. Note that the protruding retainer 724 on the front side and the protruding retainer 724 on the back side are both arranged at positions that overlap the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 when viewed in the vertical direction, so that even if the posture of the hollow member 740 is distorted, the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 can be prevented from falling off the small receiving portion 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In this embodiment, the vertical position of the lower end of the protruding retainer 724 on the rear side is positioned lower than the vertical position of the lower end of the protruding retainer 724 on the front side. This allows the posture of the hollow member 740 to lean backward even when the hollow member 740 abuts against the protruding retainer 724. This makes it easier for a player looking down from the front side at the hollow member 740 to see the shape and pattern on the front side of the cylindrical main body 741 of the hollow member 740.

The plate-shaped displacement member 730 is made of a colorless, light-transmitting resin material, and is rotatably supported by the receiving recesses 702b formed in a pair on the left and right sides of the plate-shaped member 702 and the underside of the cover member 720. The plate-shaped displacement member 730 is provided with a pair of supported shaft parts 731 that protrude from both the left and right ends with a circular cross section on the same axis, light-transmitting holes 732 that are drilled in the vertical direction at multiple locations, a pair of loaded parts 733 that are extended in a plate-like manner toward the front side from the supported shaft parts 731 and receive a push-up load from below, a plurality of light-guiding insertion holes 734 that are drilled in the vertical direction with a size that allows the light-guiding member 714 of the base member 701 to be inserted therethrough, a plurality of small receiving parts 735 that are arranged in pairs on the diagonal of the light-guiding insertion holes 734 and protrude in a ring shape when viewed from above, and a plurality of large receiving parts 736 that are located in the center of the front through hole 723 of the cover member 720 when viewed from above and protrude in a ring shape when viewed from above.

Figure 47 is a top view of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The loaded portion 733 is disposed on the front side of the rotation axis passing through the center of the supported portion 731, and a separate drive unit 760 corresponds to each of the left and right sides, and a load is applied from below.

The plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates about the bearing part 731 in different ways depending on the type of load applied to the load-bearing part 733 (for example, whether the load is applied to only one side or both sides, whether the load is applied for a short time interval or a continuous load, etc.), but details will be given later.

As shown in FIG. 47, the shape of the light guide hole 734 is formed following the shape of the above-mentioned light transmitting hole 709. That is, the light guide hole 734 is drilled in a long crystal shape (approximately oval or tortoise shell shape) from front to back, and its long direction faces in different directions depending on the position from the center of the left and right.

In other words, the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction is smaller for the light guide insertion holes 734 closer to the center (in this embodiment, they are aligned), and the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center as it approaches the left and right ends.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light guide insertion hole 734 is set in a direction that inclines toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (about 5 degrees).

The small receiving portions 735 are portions that support the hollow member 740 while allowing for rattling, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line CL1 that passes through the center position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the left-right direction, and their relationship to the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding insertion hole 734 (the spacing between the pair of small receiving portions 735 and the angle between the straight line connecting the pair of small receiving portions 735 and the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding insertion hole 734) is maintained.

This allows the hollow members 740 arranged on one side of the center line CL1 to have the same shape (while being symmetrical to the hollow members 740 arranged on the other side), while allowing the postures of the hollow members 740 to be different when the second operating unit 700 is in the assembled state (see Figure 40).

In other words, similar to the shape of the light guide insertion hole 734, the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction is smaller the closer to the center of the hollow member 740, and the closer to the left or right end, the more the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center of the left and right.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the hollow member 740 is set in a direction that inclines toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (approximately 5 degrees).

The pair of small receiving portions 735 includes a front receiving portion 735a that is disposed on the front side of the reference O1 and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section and a bottom, and a rear receiving portion 735b that is disposed on the rear side of the reference O1 and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section and a bottom.

In this embodiment, the diameter of the inner tube of the rear small receiving part 735b is designed to be longer than the diameter of the inner tube of the front small receiving part 735a. Specifically, the cross-sectional diameter of the protruding columnar part 743 of the hollow member 740 is designed to be 3 mm, the diameter of the inner tube of the front small receiving part 735a is designed to be 4.8 mm, and the diameter of the inner tube of the rear small receiving part 735b is designed to be 5.0 mm.

In other words, the gap dimension between the front small receiving portion 735a and the protruding columnar portion 743 in the opposing direction between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743 is smaller than the gap dimension between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743.

This allows for order in the displacement of the hollow member 740, which is supported while allowing for rattling. In other words, in this embodiment, rotational displacement around the front small receiving portion 735a is more likely to occur than rotational displacement around the rear small receiving portion 735b.

In other words, the arrangement of the hollow member 740 can be easily maintained near the front small receiving portion 735a, while the arrangement of the hollow member 740 can be easily shifted near the rear small receiving portion 735b, so that the direction of displacement of the hollow member 740 accompanying the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 described below can be adjusted to a direction that spreads outward to the left and right toward the rear side.

The large receiving portion 736 is a portion that supports the variable decorative member 750 while allowing for rattling. Compared to the large receiving portion 736 that is positioned on the center line CL1, the large receiving portions 736 that are positioned on both the left and right sides are spaced longer from the rotation axis that passes through the center of the supported portion 731, and are also formed at different vertical positions; details will be given later.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the hollow members 740 are configured with a symmetrical shape, with four identically shaped members arranged side by side on the left side and four identically shaped members arranged side by side on the right side. Therefore, the hollow member 740 arranged on the right side will be described in detail, and the description of the hollow member 740 arranged on the left side will be omitted.

Figure 48 is a front perspective view of the hollow member 740. As shown in Figure 48, the hollow member 740 is arranged to surround the front, back, left and right of the light-guiding member 714, blocking the light leaking from the front, back, left and right of the light-guiding member 714 so that it is not visible (difficult to see) to the player, and is configured to focus the player's gaze on the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 where the light is easily visible. The hollow member 740 is provided with a cylindrical main body 741 formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer frame designed in a long crystal shape (approximately oval shape, approximately tortoise shell shape) from the front to the back, a flat plate extension part 742 extending in a flat plate shape in the front, back, left and right directions from the lower edge part of the cylindrical main body 741, and a pair of protruding columnar parts 743 protruding in a columnar shape downward from the plate underside of the flat plate extension part 742.

The outer shape of the cylindrical main body 741 as viewed from above is slightly smaller than the inner shape of the rear through-hole 722 of the cover member 720 as viewed from above, while the outer shape of the flat extension 742 as viewed from above is larger than the inner shape of the rear through-hole 722 of the cover member 720 as viewed from above. That is, in the assembled state of the second operating unit 700 (see FIG. 40), the hollow member 740 is inserted into the rear through-hole 722 and is vertically displaceable, but is restricted from being pulled out upward of the cover member 720.

The upper edge of the cylindrical main body 741 is lowered as it approaches the front side. This allows the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 to be emitted in a concentrated manner toward the upper front side. On the other hand, most of the light that travels toward the upper rear side is blocked by the cylindrical main body 741. This allows the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 to be delivered to the player's eyes effectively, and prevents the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 from being reflected in large amounts into the third pattern display device 81, thereby reducing the visibility of the display.

The flat plate extension 742 also functions as a portion whose upward displacement is restricted by the protruding retainer 724 (see FIG. 45). That is, the protruding retainer 724 is formed at a position corresponding to the protruding columnar portion 743 on the back side, and restricts the hollow member 740 from being displaced upward. In this way, by forming the protruding retainer 724 and the protruding columnar portion 743 at corresponding positions, even if the hollow member 740 changes its posture, the protruding columnar portion 743 can be prevented from coming out of the small receiving portion 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and the hollow member 740 can be stably supported.

The protruding columnar portion 743 has a hemispherical protruding tip, is arranged to match the spacing of the small receiving portions 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (see FIG. 43), and is received by the small receiving portions 735 when the second operating unit 700 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 40).

The pair of protruding columnar portions 743 and the cylindrical main body portion 741 are configured so as not to be rotationally symmetrical. This allows the positional relationship with the light guide member 714 to be changed when assembled backwards, preventing incorrect installation. The hollow members 740, four on each side, are formed to have a bilaterally symmetrical shape, so that the hollow members 740 assembled to the left of the bilateral center position can be prevented from being assembled to the right (preventing incorrect installation).

The small receiving portion 735 rotates about a rotation axis facing left and right in the same manner as the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while the protruding columnar portion 743 is mainly displaced by the vertical displacement allowed by the hollow member 740. However, since the protruding tip of the protruding columnar portion 743 is formed in a hemispherical shape, the hollow member 740 can be displaced with little resistance. Here, the displacement mode of the hollow member 740 accompanying the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be described.

Figures 49(a), 49(b) and 49(c) are cross-sectional views of the light-guiding member 714, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 taken along the line XLIX-XLIX in Figure 47. Figure 49(a) illustrates the lower end position (initial position) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, Figure 49(b) illustrates the horizontal position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and Figure 49(c) illustrates the upper end position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The horizontal position corresponds to a position in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 has rotated (upwardly displaced) by approximately 2.1 degrees from the lower end position around the reference O1, and the upper end position corresponds to a position in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 has rotated (upwardly displaced) by approximately 4 degrees from the horizontal position around the reference O1.

As shown in FIG. 49(a), when the drive unit 760 is not operating, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is stably supported in a position (lower end position (initial position)) inclined forward by approximately 2.1 degrees from the horizontal position. In this embodiment, the rear small receiving portion 735b is recessed deeper than the front small receiving portion 735a, thereby suppressing the vertical deviation between the support position (bottom) of the front small receiving portion 735a and the support position (bottom) of the rear small receiving portion 735b in the lower end position (initial position) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

This makes it possible to prevent the posture of the hollow member 740 supported by the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the lower end posture (initial posture) from tilting forward. In addition, because the surfaces of the support positions (bottoms) of the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b are configured to be inclined downward toward the front side in the same manner as the inclination of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, even if the hollow member 740 is displaced toward the rear side, the hollow member 740 can be returned to the front side by sliding it using the inclination of the support position (bottom).

Therefore, even if the hollow member 740 is displaced due to the load generated when opening and closing the front frame 14, the position of the hollow member 740 can be stably maintained at a position closer to the front (initial position) even before the drive unit 760 is operated.

As shown in FIG. 49(b), when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in a horizontal position, the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 can secure a sufficient gap with the small receiving portion 735 in both the front and rear. Therefore, for example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 vibrates slightly in a position close to the horizontal position, there is no significant difference in the vibration state inside the small receiving portion 735 of the protruding columnar portion 743 between the front and rear protruding columnar portions 743, and the hollow member 740 is likely to be displaced in a disorderly manner in the front-back and left-right directions.

As shown in FIG. 49(c), in the process of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 being displaced to the upper end position, the front protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 abuts against the front small receiving portion 735a and is pushed toward the rear side.

Therefore, for example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 vibrates slightly with the upper end position as a reference (near the upper end position), the hollow member 740 is likely to rotate and displace around the protruding columnar portion 743 supported by the front small receiving portion 735a. In other words, the hollow member 740 is configured to be able to change the displacement mode that is likely to occur in response to the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 that is the reference for the small vibration.

The hollow member 740 has a light guide member 714 inserted inside a cylindrical main body 741, and is supported by a pair of protruding columnar sections 743 being received in the small receiving section 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Therefore, the displacement of the hollow member 740 corresponds to the displacement of the small receiving section 735, so the displacement mode of the small receiving section 735 will be described first.

Since the small receiving portion 735 is part of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, it displaces following the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Since the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates and displaces around the reference O1, which is a straight line (a straight line facing in the left-right direction) connecting the supported shaft portions 731, the small receiving portion 735 does not displace in the reference O1 direction (left-right direction), but displaces on a plane perpendicular to the reference O1. Accordingly, the degree of inclination of the straight line connecting the pair of small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right of the light guide member 714 with respect to the center line CL1 changes. Therefore, the hollow member 740 is also prompted to change its degree of inclination with respect to the center line CL1.

The hollow member 740 supported by the pair of small receiving portions 735 is allowed to not only move on a plane perpendicular to the reference O1, but also to move forward, backward, left, right, and horizontally (horizontally) and change its posture as the degree of inclination changes.

The arrangement of the small receiving portions 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1, and therefore the change in the degree of inclination described above is also symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1, so that the displacement or change in posture of the hollow member 740 in the front-back and left-right directions (horizontal direction) can be caused to occur symmetrically.

The change in the degree of inclination with respect to the center line CL1 corresponds to the arrangement of the pair of small receiving parts 735 in the state before the change, so the change in the degree of inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the side closer to the center line CL1 (center side) is different from the change in the degree of inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the side farther from the center line CL1 (left and right outer sides). In this embodiment, since the displacement in the direction parallel to the center line CL1 is maintained, the degree of change in the inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the left and right outer sides, which have a larger inclination angle with respect to the center line CL1 in the state before the change, is larger than the degree of change in the inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the center side (see FIG. 47). This allows the amount of change in the posture of the hollow member 740 when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced in a certain manner to be changed depending on whether it is closer to the center line CL1 or farther from it.

The relationship between hollow member 740 and light-guiding member 714 when displacement occurs will be described below. In order to suppress resistance when hollow member 740 is displaced, the arrangement of small receiving portion 735, the shape of hollow member 740, and the shape of light-guiding member 714 are designed to have a dimensional relationship that creates a gap between the inner surface of hollow member 740 and the outer surface of light-guiding member 714.

Here, the designed gap is different between the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member 714 when viewed from above and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In other words, the gap in the longitudinal direction is larger than the gap in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, the greater the inclination angle of the light-guiding member 714 relative to the center line CL1 in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above (the closer it is disposed to the left or right outside), the narrower the gap in the front-to-rear direction between the inner surface of the hollow member 740 and the outer surface of the light-guiding member 714.

Therefore, if the hollow members 740 were to be displaced in the front-rear direction by the same amount in response to the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right outer sides would be pressed against the light-guiding member 714, causing friction or making it easier for a large load to be applied, which could result in damage. On the other hand, if a countermeasure to this is taken by setting a large gap in the front-rear direction between the inner surface of the hollow member 740 and the outer surface of the light-guiding member 714, the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 would be too far apart, which would reduce the effect of blocking all parts of the light-guiding member 714 except for its tip with the hollow member 740 and drawing the player's attention to the tip of the light-guiding member 714.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the amount of longitudinal displacement of the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right outer sides is configured to be smaller than the amount of longitudinal displacement of the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right central sides.

In other words, in this embodiment, in a configuration in which multiple small receiving portions 735 are arranged on the same plane parallel to the reference O1, the small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right outer sides are arranged so that the front-to-rear distance between the front small receiving portion 735 and the reference O1 is shorter than the small receiving portion 735 arranged on the left and right central sides.

As a result, the front small receiving portion 735 is displaced rearward in accordance with the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and the amount of forward and backward displacement of the hollow member 740 that is pushed forward and displaced rearward can be geometrically determined so that the amount of forward and backward displacement of the members disposed on the left and right outer sides is slightly smaller than the amount of displacement of the members disposed on the left and right central sides.

In the initial position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the gap between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 is configured to be approximately equal in the front, back, left and right directions, and is set to such an extent that the gap between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 is not filled even if the hollow member 740 moves in parallel in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its initial position (the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is in a non-excited state), even if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when a player strikes or tries to shake the pachinko machine 10, causing the hollow member 740 to displace, the displacement is kept below the gap dimension between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740. Therefore, the load transmitted between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 can be reduced.

As the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates and displaces, the distance between the pair of small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right of the light-guiding hole 734 changes when viewed from above. Therefore, it is unlikely that the hollow member 740 will displace in the front-rear direction while the center of the small receiving portion 735 and the center of the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 remain aligned.

At least, the position of the protruding columnar portion 743 relative to the small receiving portion 735 changes in the gap between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743, and this change may cause the hollow member 740 to be displaced left and right and its posture to change.

The manner in which the hollow member 740 is pushed forward will now be described. As shown in FIG. 49, during the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the front side of the inner surface of the front small receiving portion 735a (the small receiving portion 735 on the side with the larger forward/rearward displacement) begins to come into contact with the front side of the protruding columnar portion 743, and is pushed forward toward the rear side.

At this time, due to the above-mentioned dimensional relationship, a gap is maintained between the front part of the inner surface of the rear small receiving part 735b and the front part of the protruding columnar part 743. Therefore, rattling in the rotational direction around the protruding columnar part 743 supported by the front small receiving part 735a is permitted. It is configured to be able to accommodate changes in the spacing between the small receiving parts 735 when viewed from above by displacement utilizing this rattling.

In this way, the small receiving portion 735 is configured to displace the hollow member 740 toward the rear side, and is configured to provide a play between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743 that allows rotational displacement around the axis of the front protruding columnar portion 743. Therefore, even if the hollow member 740 and the light guiding member 714 collide during the displacement of the hollow member 740 based on the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 driven by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the load generated between the hollow member 740 and the light guiding member 714 can be kept small, so that the hollow member 740 or the light guiding member 714 can be prevented from cracking or chipping.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the variable decorative member 750 comprises a bifurcated support member 751 supported between the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and a decorative member 756 fastened and fixed to the bifurcated support member 751 and disposed on the upper side of the cover member 720.

The bifurcated support member 751 includes a columnar protrusion 752 that protrudes downward in a columnar shape from the underside of the center of the plate-like main body, which is formed in a long plate shape on both sides, a pair of cylindrical protrusions 753 (of different lengths) that protrude upward in a cylindrical shape from both the left and right ends of the plate-like main body, and a plate-like extension 754 that extends in a plate shape from the center of the plate-like main body to the back side.

The protruding tip of the columnar protrusion 752 is formed in a hemispherical shape and is received in the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The cylindrical protrusion 753 of the bifurcated support member 751 is formed so that it can be inserted into the front through-hole 723, which allows the bifurcated support member 751 to be displaced in the vertical direction, while the large receiving portion 736 is rotated and displaced around an axis passing through the center of the supported portion 731. Therefore, although the directions of displacement are different, the protruding tip of the columnar protrusion 752 is formed in a hemispherical shape, so that the variable decorative member 750 can be displaced with little resistance in response to the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The plate-shaped extension 754 acts to position the center of gravity of the variable decorative member 750 toward the rear side from the center of the columnar protrusion 752. In other words, the position in which the variable decorative member 750 is stable under its own weight can be set to a backward tilted position. This allows the contact position between the columnar protrusion 752 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its initial position to be closer to the front side than when the variable decorative member 750 is upright without tilting, making it possible to increase the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 near the start of the position change of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The decorative member 756 has a pair of protruding legs 757 that protrude downward in correspondence with the cylindrical protrusion 753, and a female screw is formed at the tip of the protruding legs 757. The protruding legs 757 are inserted into the inside of the cylindrical protrusion 753.

The plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 has an insertion hole through which a fastening screw can be inserted, aligned along the center position of the cylindrical protrusion 753. The bifurcated support member 751 and the decorative member 757 are fastened together by inserting the fastening screw into the insertion hole and screwing it into the female thread at the tip of the protrusion leg 757.

The assembly process of the second operating unit 700 will be described. First, the variable decorative member 750 is attached to the cover member 720. That is, the cylindrical protrusion 753 of the bifurcated support member 751 is passed through the front through hole 723 of the cover member 720 from below, the protruding leg 757 of the decorative member 756 is inserted into the cylindrical protrusion 753, and a fastening screw is screwed into the female thread at the tip of the protruding leg 757.

Next, the plate-shaped displacement member 730, hollow member 740, and cover member 720 are placed on the base member 701 in that order, and the cover member 720 is fastened and fixed to the base member 701. When assembling the cover member 720 to the base member 701, the hook-shaped portion 721c is engaged with the engagement portion 702a formed on the back side of the plate-shaped member 702, and a fastening screw is inserted from above into the insertion hole 721a to fasten and fix the cover member 720 and the base member 701, and then the cover member 720 is turned upside down and the fastening screw is screwed into the fastening portion 721b.

This allows multiple components to be arranged unfixed between the base member 701 and the cover member 720, and fastening screws are screwed into multiple locations from the underside, but it is possible to prevent each component from falling out from between the base member 701 and the cover member 720 during assembly.

Finally, the drive unit 760 is placed below the base member 701 and fastened by screwing in a fastening screw from below. When the second operating unit 700 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 40), the direction of the fastening screw screwed in from below interferes with the outer wall portion 312 of the rear case 310, making it difficult to remove the fastening screw while the second operating unit 700 is housed in the rear case 310. Therefore, if the front side of the operating unit 300 is illegally opened, it is possible to prevent the drive unit 760 from being independently removed from the rear case 310.

Furthermore, a fastening portion 766 is formed on the rear side of the drive unit 760, where a fastening screw is fastened to be inserted into the bottom wall portion 311 of the rear case 310. Therefore, if the second operating unit 700 is assembled to the rear case 310 without the drive unit 760 being assembled, there will be a location where the fastening screw cannot be fastened at the stage of inserting the fastening screw into the bottom wall portion 311 to fasten and fix the second operating unit 700, so the worker can be made aware that the drive unit 760 is missing. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the drive unit 760.

Figure 50 is an exploded front perspective view of the drive unit 760. Figure 50 illustrates the drive unit 760 disposed on the right side as viewed from the front. Although the drive units 760 differ slightly in appearance, the components are symmetrical, so the drive unit 760 on the right side will be described in detail and the description of the drive unit 760 on the left side will be omitted.

The drive unit 760 includes a load member 761 configured to apply a load to the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a cylindrical shaft rod portion 762 made of metal (brass in this embodiment) that rotatably supports the base end side of the load member 761, a support case 763 to which the shaft rod portion 762 is fixed and which is configured as a case as a whole, an electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 disposed inside the support case 763, a front cover member 770 disposed on the front side of the support case 763 and fastened to the support case 763, and an illumination board 777 fastened to the front side of the front cover member 770.

The load member 761 is made of a resin material and includes a base end 761a in which a through hole through which the axial rod portion 762 is inserted is formed, a rod-shaped extension portion 761b extending outward from the base end 761a and bent in a generally dogleg shape, a vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c formed in a rod shape that bends upward from the extension tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b toward the front side, a protruding portion 761d that protrudes from the extension tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b in the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, and an opposing curved portion 761e that is formed in an arc shape centered on the axial rod portion 762 at the boundary between the protruding portion 761d and the rod-shaped extension portion 761b and is arranged opposite the curved protrusion portion 774 of the front cover member 770.

A metal plate member MB2 made of metal (magnetic material) is disposed on the upper surface of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. In this embodiment, the metal plate member MB2 is fixed to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b by engaging with the elastic claws, similar to the metal plate member MB1 described above.

In more detail, rails are provided on both longitudinal sides of the rod-shaped extension 761b to guide the metal plate member MB2 in sliding back and forth, and these rails are formed so that the metal plate member MB2 can be guided only from the rear side (only the rear side is fully open). When the metal plate member MB2 is slid along the rails, the elastic claws are pressed down by the metal plate member MB2, and when the metal plate member MB2 is slid in this state, the metal plate member MB2 hits the front side wall of the rails, restricting the sliding, and at this position the metal plate member MB2 no longer presses down on the elastic claws (they have risen to a position facing the side of the metal plate member MB1), and the elastic claws engage to restrict the metal plate member MB2 from retracting to the rear side.

The method of fixing the metal plate member MB2 to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b is not limited to this. For example, the metal plate member MB2 may be fastened to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, or may be fastened with a cable tie, or may be attached with adhesive tape, etc.

The front cover member 770 is provided with a protruding frame portion 771 that protrudes in a frame shape toward the front side, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 772 that protrude in a thin cylindrical shape toward the front side inside the protruding frame portion 771, a wiring recess 773 that is recessed at the lower edge so that electrical wiring connected to the illumination board 777 or a connector connected to the end of the electrical wiring can be passed through, and a curved protruding portion 774 that protrudes in a curved plate shape from the back surface of the plate along an arc shape centered on the shaft rod portion 762.

The protruding frame portion 771 is formed to face the periphery of the illumination board 777, and is a part that prevents loads from being applied to the illumination board 777 from the top, bottom, left, and right directions.

The protruding cylindrical portion 772 has a gourd-shaped seat portion when viewed from the front and a small-diameter insertion portion that protrudes further from the seat portion. By assembling the insertion portion so that it fits into the through hole 779 of the illumination board 777, the back surface of the plate of the illumination board 777 is supported by the seat portion, and the position of the illumination board 777 can be stabilized. The seat portion has a female threaded portion adjacent to the insertion portion into which a fastening screw can be screwed, and the illumination board 777 is fastened and fixed to the front cover member 770 by the fastening screw that is screwed into the female threaded portion.

The illumination board 777 is provided with a light emitting means 778 consisting of a number of LEDs etc. arranged at positions designed with the presentation in mind, and a number of through holes 779 drilled in the illumination board 777 for installation.

The through holes 779 are formed in a plurality of locations (two locations in this embodiment) with each pair of circular through holes corresponding to the insertion portion and female thread portion of the protruding cylindrical portion 772.

In this embodiment, the illumination board 777 is directly fastened to the front cover member 770. That is, this corresponds to a case where the front cover member 770, which is arranged close to the front side of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the illumination board 777 are configured as a single rigid body. Therefore, the illumination board 777 can be made to vibrate easily due to the vibrations generated by the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the optical axis of the light irradiated from the light emitting means 778 can be vibrated due to the vibrations generated by the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this embodiment, a curved protrusion 774 is disposed between the load member 761, which is displaced by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the plate rear surface of the front cover member 770. In other words, the load member 761, which is the vibration source, and the front cover member 770 are separated by at least the width dimension of the curved protrusion 774, so that excessive transmission of vibrations can be prevented.

The width dimension of the curved protrusion 774 can be set arbitrarily. Therefore, the width dimension of the curved protrusion 774 can be changed depending on whether it is desired to vibrate the optical axis of the light emitted from the light emitting means 778 or to keep it without vibrating. If it is the former, the width dimension can be shortened, and if it is the latter, the width dimension can be lengthened.

The support case 763 includes a lower regulating portion 764 disposed below the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, an upper regulating portion 765 disposed on the opposite side of the shaft portion 762 from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and a fastening portion 766 (see FIG. 45) into which a fastening screw is screwed that is inserted into the bottom wall portion 311 (see FIG. 6) of the rear case 310.

The load member 761 is normally tilted by its own weight (see FIG. 51(a)), but when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, a magnetic force (electromagnetic force) is generated, which attracts the metal plate member MB2 and displaces it upward.

In other words, in this embodiment, as the metal plate member MB2 moves between a raised position, which is located as a result of it being raised by electromagnetic force, and a lowered position, which is located as a result of it being lowered by its own weight after the electromagnetic force is eliminated, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (see FIG. 43), which receives a load from the load member 761, is displaced in a rotational direction about the supported shaft portion 731. Below, this rotational displacement will be described with reference to FIG. 51.

Figures 51(a) and 51(b) are front views of the drive unit 760. Note that in Figures 51(a) and 51(b), the front cover member 770 and the illumination board 777 are omitted except for the curved protrusion 774, and the outline of the curved protrusion 774 is shown by imaginary lines.

In addition, FIG. 51(a) shows a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 761 is placed in a lowered position due to its own weight, and FIG. 51(b) shows a state in which the metal plate member MB2 is attracted by the electromagnetic force generated when current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 761 is placed in an elevated position.

As shown in Figures 51(a) and 51(b), in the lowered position, the load member 761 abuts against the lower regulating portion 764, so that its downward displacement is restricted, and in the raised position, the load member 761 abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, so that its upward displacement is restricted.

The lower restricting portion 764 and the upper restricting portion 765 are configured to have different positions (distance from the shaft rod portion 762) based on the shaft rod portion 762, and the effect that results from this will be explained.

First, the load applied to the lower restricting portion 764 via the load member 761 is mainly a load caused by the weight of the load member 761 itself, so the load member 761 can be stably supported by supporting the center of gravity of the load member 761. For this reason, the lower restricting portion 764 is disposed at the center of gravity of the load member 761.

In the above description of the window movable unit 150, it was stated that the driven member 163 is formed in a straight rod shape, and therefore the center of gravity is located approximately in the center of the member. However, since the load member 761 is bifurcated into a vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c and a protruding portion 761d that extend from the extended tip side of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, the center of gravity is located closer to the extended tip side than approximately in the center of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Taking this into consideration, in this embodiment, the lower restriction portion 764 is positioned toward the extension tip side of the approximate center position of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, which corresponds to the center of gravity position of the load member 761.

In contrast, the load applied to the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761 is mainly a load due to the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, so there is little advantage to aligning the position of the upper regulating portion 765 with the center of gravity position of the load member 761. In this embodiment, the upper regulating portion 765 is positioned opposite the rotating tip of the load member 761, thereby reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761.

In other words, when a moment of force of the same magnitude is generated, the load transmitted through the load member 761 is smaller at a position farther from the rotation axis of the load member 761 (a position where the arm related to the moment is longer), so the load transmitted to the upper regulating part 765 can be reduced.

As described above, since it is desirable for the load to be transmitted to the upper regulating member 765 at the rotating tip of the load member 761, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 761d is configured to protrude further from the extending tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b toward the outer diameter side of a circle centered on the shaft portion 762, and the protruding portion 761d is configured to abut against the upper regulating member 765. This makes it possible to avoid load transmission at the middle portion of the load member 761 and ensure stable load transmission at the rotating tip side.

In this embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is configured not to push the load member 761 forward, but to pull it up by its attraction force. In other words, the magnetic force generated in the iron core disposed in the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 attracts the metal plate member MB2, thereby pulling up the load member 761.

With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the load member 761 is pushed forward by a member that moves by electromagnetic force, even if the load member 761 is displaced by the load applied to the load member 761, an overload (local load) is unlikely to occur, making it easier to avoid damage to the configuration of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2. As a result, even in a configuration in which the load member 761 is subjected to a fluctuating load, as in this embodiment, the useful life of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 can be extended.

As shown in FIG. 51(b), when the load member 761 is in a state (raised position) receiving an attractive force from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the upper surface of the metal plate member MB2 is in surface contact (contacting the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 at multiple points on a predetermined plane), while a gap is provided between the metal plate member MB2 and the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (the part that houses the coil), and the upper regulating portion 765 and the protruding portion 761d are in surface contact on a plane parallel to the above-mentioned surface contact.

This prevents the load member 761 from colliding with the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, thereby preventing the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 from being overloaded, while dispersing and receiving the load caused by the electromagnetic force at the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the lower surface (contact surface) of the upper regulating portion 765. This makes it possible to avoid the generation of a large load locally.

In addition, when the load member 761 is in the raised position, a gap may be provided not only between the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2, but also between the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2, so that the load from the load member 761 is received only by the upper regulating portion 765. In this case, the physical load transmission between the load member 761 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 can be blocked, thereby improving the durability of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this case, the load is likely to concentrate on the protruding portion 761d of the load member 761, so the protruding portion 761d will be damaged (broken) first. However, even if the protruding portion 761d is damaged (broken), the metal plate member MB2 is configured to abut against the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 at multiple points on a specified plane, so that the load can be prevented from concentrating on one point.

Furthermore, in this case, if the protrusion 761d is damaged (broken), the metal plate member MB2 comes into contact with the lower edge of the metal case at multiple points, and by separately configuring a detection sensor to detect this contact, it is possible to easily determine whether the protrusion 761d has been damaged (broken).

In addition, since the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 continues to be generated in the raised position, it is unlikely that the load member 761 will bounce back after colliding with the upper regulating portion 765. Therefore, the arrangement and posture of the upper regulating portion 765 can be designed with only consideration given to the efficiency of reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating portion 765 (the angle between the line passing through the center of the shaft rod portion 762 and the line along the width direction of the upper regulating portion 765 can be designed to be small).

On the other hand, the straight line along the width direction of the lower restricting portion 764 is inclined with respect to the straight line rL1 that passes through the lower restricting portion 764 and the center of the shaft rod portion 762, so that the direction in which the repulsive force occurs can be dispersed (force resolution) compared to when the straight line along the width direction of the lower restricting portion 764 and the straight line rL1 are parallel or collinear. This makes it possible to suppress the rebound (bound) of the load member 761 after colliding with the lower restricting portion 764.

In addition, the lower restricting portion 764 is formed with a relatively long width dimension (diametric width), which ensures a large surface area for receiving the load, thereby reducing the pressure (stress) generated in the lower restricting portion 764 due to the load caused by the weight of the load member 761.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load transmitted to the lower regulating portion 764 and the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761 during displacement in both the up and down directions, while suppressing the rebound (bound) of the load member 761.

The material of the upper regulating portion 765 and the lower regulating portion 764 is not limited in any way. For example, they may be general-purpose plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene, engineering plastics such as polycarbonate, thermosetting resins such as melamine resin, polyurethane, and epoxy resin, or rubber materials. Furthermore, the upper regulating portion 765 and the lower regulating portion 764 may be made of the same material or different materials.

For example, if the upper regulating portion 765 is to have the function of suppressing the positional deviation in the forward/rearward direction that may occur in the load member 761 due to the load that the load member 761 may receive from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the raised position, the upper regulating portion 765 may be made of a material or structure that has excellent frictional resistance as well as damping properties.

In this case, it is easy to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the front-rear direction (axial direction) due to the load applied to the load member 761 from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, particularly in the state where the protruding portion 761d and the upper regulating portion 765 are in contact with each other.

When the load member 761 is displaced, the opposing curved portion 761e displaces the back side of the curved protrusion 774. Since both the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 are formed in an arc shape centered on the shaft portion 762, even if the load member 761 is misaligned toward the front side and the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 are in contact with each other, the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 only slide along the rotational direction, so the resistance to the rotational displacement can be reduced.

In addition, by forming the opposing curved portion 761e at the lower end of the load member 761, it is possible to ensure sufficient space above it. In this embodiment, the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c is disposed in this ensured space.

The vertical rod-shaped extension 761c extends above the opposing curved portion 761e, but unlike the opposing curved portion 761e, which is curved, it extends straight when viewed from the front. In other words, when the load member 761 is in the raised position, it is formed like a rod that extends in the vertical direction when viewed from the front.

This prevents the load member 761 from bending left and right due to the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stably pushed up even in a configuration in which the tip of the load member 761 is displaced upward while shifting slightly left and right, as in this embodiment. The load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the support mode will be described later.

The vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is formed as a rod that extends straight up and down when viewed from the front, but is bent (at an obtuse angle) midway (to the left of the shaft rod 762) so that the upper end is positioned closer to the front than the lower end when viewed from the side.

This allows the area occupied by the load member 761 below the vicinity of the shaft rod portion 762 to be moved toward the rear side, ensuring the area for the components arranged on the front side. In other words, since the arrangement position of the illumination board 777 can be moved toward the rear side, increasing the distance between the game board 13 (see Figure 40) and the illumination board 777 makes it easier to see the light irradiated from the light-emitting means 778 and seen through the flow-down surface components 91, 92 as a spreading light. In other words, rather than point emission seen as a size about the outer shape of the LED, it is easier to see it as surface emission where the light reaches in a circle centered on the optical axis and shines in a plane.

Furthermore, since the load member 761 can be easily deformed forward and backward due to the load received from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, even if a local overload occurs when a single load member 761 supports the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the load member 761 can be deformed to flex and release the load. This can improve the durability of the load member 761.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, by making the load member 761 more flexible in the front, back, left and right directions, it is possible to achieve the effect of improving the stability of the pushing up of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the durability of the load member 761.

When the load member 761 is in the raised position, it is stably supported by the upward electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the downward load generated between the shaft rod portion 762 and the upper regulating portion 765 at both the left and right ends of the load member 761.

Therefore, as described below, even when a load is applied to the load member 761 from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the base end portion 761a to the protruding portion 761d is still stably supported, so the range in which deflection occurs due to the load can be limited to the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c.

This makes it possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the front-rear direction as a whole due to the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and coming into contact with the support case 763 or the front cover member 770. In other words, it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from rubbing against other members, causing damage to the members, or requiring additional driving force to drive the load member 761.

<Function of the second operation unit 700>
The operation mode of the second operating unit 700 will be described. In the second operating unit 700, the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 differs depending on the driving mode of the driving units 760 arranged on the left and right, and therefore the displacement of the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 supported on the plate-shaped displacement member 730 also differs accordingly. Below, the displacement mode of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be first described, and then the displacement modes of the variable decorative member 750 and the hollow member 740 will be described.

Figures 52, 53, and 54 are front views of the second operating unit 700. Figure 52 illustrates a state in which the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are both arranged in the lowered position, Figure 53 illustrates a state in which only the load member 761 of the left drive unit 760 is arranged in the lowered position and the load member 761 of the right drive unit 760 is displaced upward from the lowered position to the raised position, and Figure 54 illustrates a state in which the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are both arranged in the raised position.

The state shown in Figure 52 corresponds to a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see Figure 50) of the left and right drive units 760 (non-excited state). In this state, the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is not in contact with the load member 761, and the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position) that is maintained by contact with the base member 701.

The state shown in Figure 53 corresponds to a state (one-sided excitation state) in which current is controlled to flow through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see Figure 50) of the drive unit 760 on one side (the right side). In this state, the load member 761 on the right side pushes up the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, causing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to change position in the rising direction and assume an intermediate position. In this embodiment, in the intermediate position, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced by approximately 1.3 degrees from the horizontal position.

In the state shown in Figure 53, the load due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is concentrated on the right-side load member 761. In this embodiment, the load member 761 is formed in a thin rod shape and is bent in the front-to-rear direction, so that it is easily flexible in the short direction (front-to-rear direction), and is formed with a strength (rigidity) that allows it to bend and deform due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it.

In this embodiment, the load due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is applied in a direction including a front-to-rear component at the contact position with the load member 761 (see Figure 55), so the load member 761 is configured to be easily flexed and deformed, and this flexing deformation allows the load to be released. In other words, the state shown in Figure 53 corresponds to a state in which the load member 761 is flexed and deformed.

The difference in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the rising direction between the state shown in FIG. 53 and the state shown in FIG. 54 described below can be explained as being due to the degree of bending of the load member 761. In other words, the difference in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be designed by appropriately setting the elastic coefficient of the load member 761. The elastic coefficient of the load member 761 may be designed to be equal on the left and right, or may be different.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shapes of the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are symmetrical, so even if a current is passed through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the left drive unit 760 and no current is passed through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the right drive unit 760, which is the left-right reverse of the state shown in FIG. 53, the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be equivalent to the posture shown in FIG. 53. Therefore, hereinafter, the state shown in FIG. 53 will be referred to as a one-sided excitation state, and a description of the state in which the excitation relationship of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is symmetrical will be omitted.

In the state shown in FIG. 54, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported by both the left and right drive units 760. Therefore, the load of the plate-shaped displacement member 730's own weight applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is reduced by half, so that the deflection displacement of the load member 761 can be reduced.

In other words, in the state shown in FIG. 54, in comparison with the state shown in FIG. 53, the load member 761 on the left side is positioned in a raised position, and in addition, the degree of deflection of the load member 761 due to the load applied via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is approximately half.

Figure 55(a) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LVa-LVa in Figure 53, and Figure 55(b) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LVb-LVb in Figure 54.

As shown in FIG. 55(b), when a pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 are excited, the load applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is divided into two, so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be displaced upward with little bending deformation of the load member 761 (bending deformation is approximately half).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 55(a), when one side of the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 is in an excited state, the load applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is concentrated on the load member 761 on one side. Since this load increases the bending deformation caused in the load member 761, even if the rotation angle of the load member 761 is the same, the amount of upward displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is reduced by the amount of the bending deformation.

In this embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is configured to rotate around the reference O1. When the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported by the restricting protrusion 702c (initial position, shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 55(a)), the normal extending from the contact surface (lower surface) of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 extends downward in the rear direction and contacts the load member 761 of the drive unit 760.

In other words, the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the load member 761 via the loaded portion 733 occurs along the extension direction of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c, so the bending deformation occurring in the load member 761 is kept small. Therefore, in this state, the driving force transmitted via the load member 761 is mainly used for the upward displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

On the other hand, in the intermediate position (see FIG. 55(a)), the plate-shaped displacement member 730 abuts against the load member 761 of the drive unit 760 at a position lower in the front direction than the reference O1, with the normal extending from the abutment surface (lower surface) of the loaded portion 733 extending downward in the front direction.

That is, near the intermediate position (see FIG. 55(a)) where the displacement of the load member 761 is large and the amount of bending deformation of the load member 761 is likely to be large, the load applied to the load member 761 through the lower surface of the loaded portion 733 has a front component and a downward component. In this embodiment, since the load member 761 is formed in a rod shape that extends in a direction that inclines upward as it approaches the front, the load having a front component and a downward component acts as a load that bends the load member 761. Therefore, in this state, the driving force transmitted through the load member 761 is used not only for the rising displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 but also for the bending deformation of the load member 761 (the proportion used for the bending deformation of the load member 761 gradually increases).

In this way, according to this embodiment, the ease with which the load member 761 is deflected by the load applied to the load member 761 changes with the change in posture of the plate-like displacement member 730. That is, in the posture in which the load member 761 starts to apply a load to the loaded portion 733 (the lower terminal posture (initial posture)), a rear load is generated in a direction in which the load member 761 is less likely to deflect, and from the horizontal posture, a load (a downward load or a front load) is generated in a direction in which the load member 761 is more likely to deflect than the direction of the rear load.

As a result, even if the arrangement of the drive unit 760, the displacement width of the load member 761, and the generated force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 are the same, the timing at which the load member 761 is likely to bend (the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730) and the amount of bending deformation can be adjusted depending on the shape of the load member 761 (particularly the shape of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c) and the design of the loaded portion 733, so that the operating mode of the second operating unit 700 when the drive unit 760 is driven can be designed to be different.

In this embodiment, the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is shaped to extend upward while overhanging the front side, so that bending deformation can be generated in the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c at an early stage. That is, even when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in a horizontal position and a vertically downward load is applied to the load member 761, the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c can be bent (deformed in a forward tilting direction) by the load. In other words, the load of the plate-shaped displacement member 730's own weight transmitted via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can start to be used for bending deformation of the load member 761 before the plate-shaped displacement member 730 reaches the horizontal position.

In this way, by configuring the use of the driving force transmitted to the plate-shaped displacement member 730 via the load member 761 to be balanced between the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the deformation of the load member 761, it is possible to reduce fluctuations in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 even if the load member 761 is displaced too much or too little.

For example, if the load member 761 hardly flexes, differences in the amount of displacement of the load member 761 and differences in the height of the upper end of the load member 761 directly affect the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Therefore, unless the load member 761 is precisely designed so that there is no deviation in the amount of displacement or the height of the upper end of the load member 761, the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 cannot be stabilized. In this case, high precision is required both in the manufacturing stage and in the assembly stage of the member, which increases manufacturing costs.

On the other hand, when the load member 761 flexes and deforms, even if there is a slight difference in the amount of displacement of the load member 761 or in the height of the upper end of the load member 761, the change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stabilized by designing it so that the flexural deformation of the load member 761 offsets this. Therefore, the precision required in the manufacturing and assembly stages to stabilize the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be kept low, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

This does not only apply to the load member 761 alone, but also applies to the displacement of the left and right load members 761 combined. In other words, in the case where the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are configured with symmetrical shapes as in this embodiment, even if there is a slight difference in the amount of displacement of the load members 761 or the height of the upper ends of the load members 761 between the left and right drive units 760, that difference can be used for the flexural deformation of the load members 761.

This allows the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the one-sided excitation state to be stabilized in an intermediate position regardless of which of the left and right drive units 760 is being driven to cause the one-sided excitation state.

In addition, the direction of deflection of the load member 761 caused by the load applied to the load member 761 via the loaded portion 733 can be limited to the front side. This direction coincides with the direction of the forward/rearward positional deviation set for the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c relative to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. This allows the load that causes deflection deformation in the load member 761 to be configured to face in a direction away from the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Therefore, most of the load applied from the loaded portion 733 toward the loading member 761 can be absorbed by the flexural deformation of the loading member 761, and the effect of the load applied from the loaded portion 733 on the rod-shaped extension portion 761b can be reduced. In other words, the effect on the loading member 761 can be limited to the vicinity of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c.

That is, it is possible to suppress rubbing and deformation occurring in other contact portions of the load member 761 (for example, the base end portion 761a and the shaft rod portion 762, the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the curved protrusion portion 774 and the opposing curved portion 761e, etc.). This makes it easier to predict the manner in which the load member 761 will flex and deform, making it easier to design the structure of the load member 761 and the displacement manner of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, assuming that the load member 761 will flex and deform.

In addition, the direction of deflection occurring in the load member 761 can be limited to the front side (it is possible to prevent the same part from deflecting both to the front side and to the rear side depending on the situation), so that a one-to-one relationship can be established between the position of the loaded part 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the amount of deflection of the load member 761, and the durability of the load member 761 can be improved compared to when it can deflect both to the front and rear.

In Figures 55(a) and 55(b), the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes depending on the degree of deformation of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c, and both load members 761 are in the raised position (see Figure 51(b)).

Therefore, as described above, the forward/rearward displacement of the load member 761 caused by the load applied to the load member 761 due to the flexural deformation of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c can be suppressed by the friction generated between the protrusion portion 761d and the upper regulating portion 765.

Therefore, even when the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is controlled to repeatedly bend and release (for example, a control mode in which one electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is maintained in an excited state and the other electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is repeatedly switched between an excited state and a non-excited state), it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the forward/rearward direction as a whole.

This can be achieved well by the configuration in this embodiment in which the load member 761 is supported not only by the shaft rod portion 762 but also by the shaft rod portion 762 and the upper regulating portion 765. More specifically, this can be achieved well because the load member 761 is fixed in the elevated position and receives the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, rather than being placed between the lowered position and the elevated position and receiving the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In other words, if the load member 761 is supported only by the axial rod portion 762, the base end portion 761a and the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, which are the parts on the axial rod portion 762 side, will resist the forward/backward component of the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730. However, if the rod-shaped extension portion 761b is twisted or shifted in the forward/backward direction due to the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a gap may occur between the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

When the gap between the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 exceeds the distance at which an electromagnetic force is effectively generated, the electromagnetic force rapidly weakens, making it difficult to maintain the load member 761 in the raised position. As a countermeasure, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b or to increase the resistance between the shaft rod portion 762 and the load member 761, but in the former case, the load member 761 becomes heavier, leading to an increase in the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and in the latter case, an excessively large driving force is required to rotate the load member 761, leading to an increase in the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, which is not preferable.

In contrast, in this embodiment, when bending of the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c occurs, the load member 761 is stably supported not only by the axial rod 762 but also by both the axial rod 762 and the upper regulating portion 765, both of which are at both the left and right ends. This not only makes it possible to suppress torsional deformation of the rod-shaped extension 761b compared to when it is supported on only the left or right side, but also makes it possible to suppress axial displacement of the load member 761 by the frictional resistance generated between the rod-shaped extension 761b and the upper regulating portion 765.

Therefore, when controlling the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c to repeatedly flex and release, it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced overall in the forward and backward directions without increasing the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this embodiment, due to the support mode of the metal plate member MB2, the metal plate member MB2 functions as a reinforcing material for the rod-shaped extension portion 761b (see FIG. 51). In other words, the rigidity of the metal plate member MB2 can prevent torsional deformation of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Returning to FIG. 54, the explanation is given. The state shown in FIG. 54 corresponds to a state (excited state) in which current flows through the electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the left and right drive units 760. In this state, the left and right load members 761 push up the left and right loaded portions 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, changing the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the upright direction to the upper end position. In this embodiment, in the upper end position, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced by about 2.7 degrees from the mid-position (about 6.1 degrees from the lower end position, and about 4 degrees from the horizontal position).

In the state shown in Figure 54, compared to the state shown in Figure 53, the load caused by the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is divided between the load members 761 on both the left and right sides, thereby mitigating the deflection that occurs in the load members 761.

For the sake of convenience, FIG. 54 illustrates the left and right load members 761 as being so small that the deflection is indistinguishable. In other words, they are illustrated with the same shape as the load members 761 illustrated in FIG. 52.

As shown in Figures 52 to 54, in this embodiment, the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be switched between multiple positions (at least three positions) by switching the electrical conduction state of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (see Figure 50).

To switch the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 from FIG. 53 to FIG. 54, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the left-side drive unit 760 can be excited while maintaining the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the right-side drive unit 760, so that the position can be easily and smoothly switched.

Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the change over time in the conduction of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 and the change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b), the upper timing chart shows the conduction state of the left electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the middle timing chart shows the conduction state of the right electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the lower timing chart shows the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

Note that, due to the configuration, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not displace at the same time as electricity is turned on to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (there is a slight time difference), but for the sake of ease of understanding, in Figures 56 and 57, it is illustrated as if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced at the same time as electricity is turned on to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 56(a) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 53 are alternately switched. The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 56(b) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 53 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched. The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 57(a) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched.

The conduction state of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 57(b) is the same as the state in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 53 are alternately switched to, and the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched to, repeatedly.

In this way, the state switching patterns described above in Figures 52 to 54 are not one-way, but occur in multiple ways by changing the combination of the conduction modes of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2.

Therefore, since there are multiple patterns for changing the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, there are multiple patterns for the displacement of the hollow member 740 placed on the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the variable decorative member 750 (see Figure 43), but this will be described in more detail later.

Note that in Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b), for convenience, the short-term conduction length and conduction interval of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 are shown as constant, but this is merely one example. For example, the short-term conduction interval may be set to vary, or may be configured to gradually become longer or shorter, and can be set arbitrarily.

In addition, by shortening the short-term conduction length of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to instantaneously (pulse-like) change the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while by lengthening the conduction length, it is possible to maintain the posture change for a sufficient length of time. Furthermore, by shortening the conduction interval of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to change the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 as if it were vibrating.

Figure 58 is a top view of the second operating unit 700. As shown in Figure 58, the second operating unit 700 is formed in a generally bilaterally symmetrical shape when viewed from above. In the following, the part to the right of the axis of symmetry will be described in detail, and a description of the part to the left will be omitted.

Figures 59, 60, 61 and 62 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along the line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. Figures 59, 60, 61 and 62 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 59 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), Figure 60 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the horizontal position, Figure 61 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the mid-way position, and Figure 62 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position.

In Figures 59 to 62, a straight line connecting the centers of a pair of supported shafts 731 (see Figure 43) is shown as reference O1, which serves as the axis of rotation for the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Reference O1 is shown in the same way in the subsequent drawings. In Figures 59 to 62, a cross section at the center in the left-right direction of the center variable decorative member 750 is shown.

The variable decorative member 750 in the center of the left and right is allowed to move up and down through the front through hole 723 (see Figure 43), and is allowed to move front to back and left to right through the gap between the front through hole 723 and the cylindrical protrusion 753. It is supported by the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and is displaced as the large receiving portion 736 is displaced due to changes in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The following describes the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 (at the center in the left-right direction) that accompanies the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Note that, for ease of understanding, the change in posture of the variable decorative member 750 in the direction of gravity is omitted in the illustration.

In the state changes shown in Figures 59, 60, and 61, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 has not been displaced (has not retreated) to a position where it abuts against the side of the columnar protrusion 752 of the variable decorative member 750. In other words, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 is limited to displacement in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the state change between Figures 61 and 62, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 is displaced (moved back) to a position where it abuts against the front side of the columnar protrusion portion 752 of the variable decorative member 750, and load is transmitted in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the variable decorative member 750 is displaced not only in the up-down direction but also in the front-to-rear direction.

Therefore, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) accompanying the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is composed of a first stage that occurs mainly in the vertical direction (a stage in which the change in posture from the initial posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is small, see Figures 59, 60, and 61), and a second stage that occurs in a direction that is a combination of the vertical direction and the front-rear direction (a stage in which the change in posture from the initial posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is large, see Figures 61 and 62). This makes it possible to increase the variety of displacement modes of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction).

Here, the state shown in FIG. 61 corresponds to the one-sided excitation state, and the state shown in FIG. 62 corresponds to the excitation state, so by switching the drive mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) can be switched between multiple variations.

As shown in FIG. 62, a gap is maintained between the upper surface of the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 and the lower end of the tubular portion that constitutes the front through-hole 723. Therefore, since the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 are not in a position to sandwich the variable decorative member 750 from above and below, the generation of load is suppressed and the position of the variable decorative member 750 can be maintained in an unstable state.

Figures 63, 64, 65, and 66 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. Figures 63, 64, 65, and 66 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 63 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its lower end position (initial position), Figure 64 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its horizontal position, Figure 65 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its intermediate position, and Figure 66 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its upper end position. Figures 63 to 66 show cross-sections at the center in the left-right direction of the right-side variable decorative member 750.

The variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are allowed to move up and down through the front through-holes 723 (see Figure 43), and are allowed to move front-back and left-right through the gap between the front through-holes 723 and the cylindrical protrusions 753. They are supported by the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and are displaced as the large receiving portion 736 is displaced due to changes in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The large receiving portions 736 on the left and right sides are positioned closer to the reference O1 in the up-down direction and farther from the reference O1 in the front-to-back direction compared to the large receiving portion 736a in the center.

The following describes the displacement of the variable decorative members 750 (on both the left and right sides) that accompanies the change in posture of the plate-like displacement member 730. Note that, for ease of understanding, the change in posture of the variable decorative members 750 in the direction of gravity is omitted in the illustrations.

In the state changes shown in Figures 63, 64, and 65, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 has not been displaced (has not retreated) to a position where it abuts against the side of the columnar protrusion 752 of the variable decorative member 750. In other words, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 is limited to displacement in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the state change between Figures 65 and 66, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 is displaced (retracted) to the extent that it abuts against the front side of the columnar protrusion portion 752 of the variable decorative member 750, but it does not push forward any further, and the transmission of load in the front-to-rear direction is suppressed.

In other words, the load applied to the variable decorative member 750 by the large receiving portion 736 is mainly composed of loads in the vertical direction only, and when comparing only the vertical component of the displacement, the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 on both sides in the horizontal direction is greater than the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 in the center in the horizontal direction.

In this way, the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) is displaced in a different direction for each stage as the plate-shaped displaceable member 730 changes its position, while the variable decorative members 750 on both sides in the left-right direction displace mainly in the up-down direction. This makes it possible to differentiate the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 in the center in the left-right direction from that of the variable decorative members 750 on both sides in the left-right direction depending on the degree of change in position of the plate-shaped displaceable member 730.

As described above, the vertical displacement of the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides is ensured to a large extent, so as shown in FIG. 66, the gap between the upper surface of the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 and the lower end of the tubular part that constitutes the front through hole 723 that exists when focusing on the variable decorative member 750 in the center of the left and right direction disappears, and in the front-to-rear position as it is, the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 is dimensionally inserted into the tubular part that constitutes the front through hole 723.

Figure 66 shows the state after the bifurcated support member 751 comes into contact with the lower end of the tubular portion that constitutes the front through hole 723 and moves in parallel to the rear side, assuming that the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 does not deform.

As a result, the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 sandwich the variable decorative member 750 from above and below, and a load is applied to the variable decorative member 750 in the vertical compression direction from the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730. This increases the force with which the variable decorative member 750 can maintain its position, stabilizing the position of the variable decorative member 750.

Therefore, when the drive units 760 on both the left and right sides are in an excited state and the plate-shaped displacement members 730 are in their upper end positions, the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right are supported in an unstable state (see Figure 62), while the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are supported stably. This makes it possible to make the appearance of the multiple variable decorative members 750 different after the plate-shaped displacement members 730 are in their upper end positions.

In other words, the variable decorative members 750 in the center of the left and right are configured (loosely supported) to allow slight displacement as a remnant of the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are configured (firmly supported) to suppress displacement, thereby drawing the player's attention to the variable decorative members 750 in the center of the left and right.

As mentioned above, the vertical displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 due to the change in posture is greater for the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides compared to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right. Therefore, in terms of vertical displacement, the player's attention is more likely to be drawn to the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides, whereas when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is maintained in the upper end posture, the player's attention is more likely to be drawn to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right.

Therefore, if the drive state of the drive unit 760 is set so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not reach the upper end position or repeats position changes so as not to be held (stopped) in the upper end position, the player's gaze can be easily drawn to the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides, and if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is set so as to be held slightly in the upper end position, the player's gaze can be easily drawn to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right.

As a result, when there is a particular light-guiding member 714 among the multiple light-guiding members 714 that the player is particularly interested in, the drive unit 760 can be controlled to drive in a manner that will easily draw the player's attention to the variable decorative member 750 near that light-guiding member 714 (by controlling the light-emitting mode of the light-guiding member 714 in relation to the drive mode of the drive unit 760), thereby making it possible to draw the player's attention to that particular light-guiding member 714.

Figure 67 is a schematic diagram showing the rotational displacement of the large receiving portion 736. In Figure 67, the view from the direction of reference O1 is shown, and the arrangement of the central large receiving portion 736a and the left and right outer left large receiving portions 736b in the horizontal position and the upper end position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is shown.

The central large receiving portion 736a is positioned above the front side of the reference O1, so that when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated and displaced by a small angle (approximately 4 degrees), the forward/backward displacement is greater than the upward/downward displacement.

The left and right large receiving parts 736b are farther away from the reference O1 than the central large receiving part 736a, so the displacement caused by the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is greater than that of the central large receiving part 736a. On the other hand, the left and right large receiving parts 736b are positioned directly in front of the reference O1 (positioned on a horizontal line), so at the slight angle (about 4 degrees) at which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated, the vertical displacement is greater than the forward/backward displacement.

In this way, according to this embodiment, by rotating and displacing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 around the reference O1, the displacement mode of the central large receiving portion 736a can be made different from the displacement mode of the left and right large receiving portions 736b. Therefore, the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 that is displaceably supported by the large receiving portion 736 can be made different between the member located in the left and right center and the member located on the left and right outer sides.

Figures 68, 69, 70, and 71 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. Figures 68, 69, 70, and 71 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 68 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), Figure 69 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the horizontal position, Figure 70 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the intermediate position, and Figure 71 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position.

68 to 71 show a cross section at the center in the left-right direction of the light-guiding member 714. As described above, the front part of the inner surface of the front small receiving part 735a does not come into contact with the front side part of the protruding columnar part 743 until the plate-shaped displacement member 730 reaches the intermediate position (see FIG. 70), and the displacement of the hollow member 740 is mainly in the vertical direction.

Meanwhile, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 moves from the mid-position to the upper end position, the front part of the inner surface of the front small receiving portion 735a comes into contact with the front side of the protruding columnar portion 743, and after the contact, the hollow member 740 is pushed toward the rear side in accordance with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this way, a time difference can be provided between the start timing of the vertical displacement of the hollow member 740 caused by being pushed forward in accordance with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the horizontal displacement.

As shown in Figures 68 and 71, the effect of changing the width of the light refracted through the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 as the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced will be described.

When the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to the player side is width LH1a, whereas when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position, the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to the player side changes to width LH1b (LH1a>LH1b).

On the other hand, even if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced, the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 toward the third pattern display device 81 (back side) is maintained at width LH2. Therefore, as the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes, the balance between the amount of light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 toward the player and the amount of light emitted toward the back side can be changed.

In other words, by driving the drive unit 760 and changing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to its upper end position, the light directed toward the player is weaker than when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its lower end position (initial position), making it easier to look directly at the light-guiding member 714 (easier to see), and by the same token, the light directed toward the third pattern display device 81 is stronger, making it easier for the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to be reflected by the third pattern display device 81. This makes it possible to draw the player's gaze toward the light-guiding member 714 when the player is paying attention to the third pattern display device 81.

Figure 72 is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXXII-LXXII in Figure 58. As described above, a gap is formed between the partition member 708 and the illumination board 705, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 72, the light emitted from the light emitting means 706 is prevented from leaking through this gap.

In other words, in this embodiment, there is a slight gap between the partition member 708 and the illumination board 705, and the dimension of this gap is shorter than the height dimension of the emission surface (upper end surface) of the LED that constitutes the light-emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705, so that the light irradiated from the individual light-emitting means 706a in particular can be directed toward the light-guiding member 714 with almost no leakage (see the enlarged view in Figure 72).

The light emitted from each individual light-emitting means 706a is directed toward a separate light-guiding member 714, but is configured to be prevented from traveling toward other light-guiding members 714 (when focusing on one individual light-emitting means 706a, light-guiding members 714 other than the light-guiding member 714 located directly above it). That is, the light-guiding members 714 are separated from each other at the base end by the displacement restriction member 716, so that light can be prevented from traveling through the inside of the light-guiding member 714 toward other light-guiding members 714 (see the enlarged view in FIG. 72).

The light-guiding members 714 are indirectly connected to each other via the thin-film cover members 712. However, because the thin-film cover members 712 are thin-walled along the optical axis direction (up-down direction) of the individual light-emitting means 706a, it is possible to prevent the light irradiated from the individual light-emitting means 706a from reaching other light-guiding members 714.

Therefore, when creating an effect in which the color or intensity of the light irradiated from each individual light-emitting means 706a is different, it is possible to prevent the light from reaching other light-guiding members 714 and affecting the appearance of the other light-guiding members 714. In other words, it is possible to prevent an unintended light-guiding member 714 from emitting light, or to prevent light irradiated from separate individual light-emitting means 706a from being mixed and being viewed through the light-guiding member 714.

In addition, if the light emitted from the individual light-emitting means 706a leaks out from the gap between the illumination board 705 and the partition member 708, the light can be mixed with the light from the overall light-emitting means 706b and made visible to the player.

As described above, the second operating unit 700 is displaced in different manners by varying the drive modes (see Figures 56 and 57) of the drive units 760 disposed below the left and right sides of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

For example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is repeatedly displaced, as a first displacement mode, one of the drive units 760 is repeatedly operated to displace the plate-shaped displacement member 730 back and forth between the lower end position and the mid-position. As a second displacement mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, and the other drive unit 760 is repeatedly operated to displace the plate-shaped displacement member 730 back and forth between the mid-position and the upper end position.

For example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is stopped in a position different from the lower end position (initial position), as a first stopping mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, thereby stopping the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in an intermediate position. As a second stopping mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, and then the other drive unit 760 is maintained in an excited state, thereby stopping the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in an upper end position.

In particular, in this embodiment, the left and right drive units 760 are not structurally different from each other, but rather the attitude of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is adjusted by the deflection of the load member 761 caused by the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the load member 761 when only one of the drive units 760 is in an excited state (see FIG. 55(a)).

Therefore, in the first displacement mode (stop mode) or the second displacement mode (stop mode) described above, one drive unit 760 and the other drive unit 760 are not fixed as either the left or right drive unit 760, but can be swapped depending on the situation.

Therefore, unlike when one drive unit 760 and the other drive unit 760 are fixed as either the left or right drive unit 760, the drive unit 760 that is maintained in an excited state and the drive unit 760 that is repeatedly operated can be alternately switched depending on the number of operations or switched for each period, thereby making it possible to match (adjust) the degree of fatigue of the constituent materials of the pair of left and right drive units 760. This allows the replacement times of the left and right drive units 760 to be matched, which ultimately makes it possible to maintain a long service life for the second operating unit 700.

The degree of deflection in the load member 761 is merely one example and can be set arbitrarily, regardless of the magnitude of the deflection, as long as the deflection occurs. In other words, it is sufficient if the configuration can produce even a slight difference between driving and controlling one of the drive units 760 or both.

The second operation unit 700 is positioned so as to be visible from the player's line of sight, between the third symbol display device 81 and the first winning opening 64, through a window section defined by the center frame 86 (see FIG. 2). The control mode of the second operation unit 700 can be set arbitrarily, but for example, it may be controlled to correspond the entry of game balls into the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the specific winning opening 65a to the control mode of the drive unit 760 and the control mode of the lighting state of the light emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705.

For example, in order to correspond to the control mode of the lighting state, when multiple game balls enter the first winning opening 64, the individual light-emitting means 706a located on the left side may be controlled to light up in accordance with the number of balls reserved for change, and when multiple game balls enter the second winning opening 140, the individual light-emitting means 706a located on the right side may be controlled to light up in accordance with the number of balls reserved for change.

In this case, the player can be configured to know the number of reserved balls by checking the light emission state of the light-guiding member 714. Then, by associating the entrance of the game ball with the control state of the drive unit 760, the player's line of sight can be focused on the light-guiding member second operation unit 700.

For example, when a game ball enters the first winning hole 64, the drive unit 760 is driven and controlled in the first displacement mode described above, whereas when a game ball enters the second winning hole 140, which is often more advantageous for the player than a ball entering the first winning hole 64, the drive unit 760 is driven and controlled in the second displacement mode described above. This allows the player to easily determine whether the game ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 140 from the difference in the displacement mode of the second operating unit 700.

As another example of associating the entry of a game ball with the control mode of the drive unit 760, the drive unit 760 may be controlled in relation to the upper limit of the number of reserved balls. That is, for example, if a game ball enters the first winning opening 64 when the number of reserved balls in the first winning opening 64 is at the upper limit, the player will receive a prize ball, but will not have the opportunity for fluctuation, which is disadvantageous to the player. Therefore, when the number of reserved balls in the first winning opening 64 is close to the upper limit, it is desirable to notify the player of this.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 of the second operating unit 700 can be displaced by controlling the drive unit 760, and the appearance of the second operating unit 700 can be changed, so that it can attract the attention of the player. Therefore, by controlling the drive unit 760 when the number of reserved balls in the first winning slot 64 is close to the upper limit (or is the upper limit value), the player can easily notice that the number of reserved balls is close to the upper limit (or is the upper limit value).

As another example of associating the entry of a game ball with the control mode of the drive unit 760 or the control mode of the lighting state of the light-emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705, it may be associated with the entry of a game ball into a specific winning hole 65a.

In this case, for example, it may correspond to a game ball entering the specific winning port 65a, or it may correspond to a number of game balls entering the specific winning port 65a that exceeds the number of balls expected to enter when the specific winning port 65a is opened (the maximum count number per jackpot round) (a so-called over-entry).

By visually checking the state of the second operating unit 700, the player can understand that a game ball has entered the specific winning hole 65a, or that a greater number of game balls than expected have entered the specific winning hole 65a.

The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 73. In the first embodiment, the adhesive force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 acts in the vertical direction, but in the second embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 of the window movable unit 2150 is configured so that the adhesive force acts in the horizontal direction. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 73(a) and 73(b) are rear views of the window movable unit 2150 in the second embodiment. Figure 73(a) shows the state in which the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is energized and electromagnetic force is generated, and Figure 73(b) shows the state in which the solenoid is de-energized and the electromagnetic force disappears.

The window movable unit 2150 includes an abutment member 2190 that is supported coaxially with the auxiliary device 160 and is arranged to be able to abut against the driven member 163 in the rotational direction, and a biasing spring SP21 that biases the abutment member 2190.

A weight portion W21 for adjusting the center of gravity is formed at the upper end of the arm portion 163c of the driven member 163, and the driven member 163 is configured to rotate and displace under its own weight when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in a non-excited state (see FIG. 73(b)).

The abutment member 2190 includes a cushion portion 175a that is arranged to be able to abut against the driven member 163, and a rotating member 2191 that supports the cushion portion 175a.

The rotating member 2191 is disposed opposite the biasing spring SP21, and the biasing force of the biasing spring SP21 is generated in a direction that pushes the rotating member 2191 back toward the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

The following describes the displacement of the driven member 163 and the rotating member 2191. When the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in an excited state, the driven member 163 is maintained in a state in which it is attracted by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

On the other hand, when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in a non-excited state, the driven member 163 rotates and displaces under its own weight, and through the state shown in FIG. 73(b), rotates and displaces the rotating member 2191 against the biasing force of the biasing spring SP21. That is, the driven member 163 displaces alone up to the state shown in FIG. 73(b), and from the state shown in FIG. 73(b), the driven member 163 and the rotating member 2191 are displaced together. That is, the displacement speed of the driven member 163 can be changed from the state shown in FIG. 73(b).

In addition, in this embodiment, after the state of FIG. 73(b), the driven member 163 can be vibrated and displaced by the varying biasing force. This allows the variation in the displacement of the driven member 163 to be increased.

The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 74 to 78. In the first embodiment, the lift plate 430 is displaced up and down in conjunction with the rotational displacement of the arm member 414. However, the first operating unit 3400 in the third embodiment is provided with a transmission means 3410 (e.g., a rack-and-pinion transmission mechanism, not shown) that transmits a driving force so that the lift plate 430 is displaced up and down at a constant speed. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 74 to 77 are front views of the first operating unit 3400 in the third embodiment. Figures 74 to 77 show the downward displacement of the lift plate 430 in chronological order.

Figures 78(a) to 78(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of the first operating unit 3400. In Figures 78(a) to 78(c), the horizontal axis shows the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413, the vertical axis shows the downward displacement amount of the lift plate 430 in Figure 78(a), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the auxiliary arm member 444 in Figure 78(b), and the vertical axis shows the displacement amount of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 in Figure 78(c).

The first operating unit 3400 has an L-shaped (integrated rectangle with long sides perpendicular to each other) long hole 3406 formed through the main body plate 401. The long hole 3406 is formed with an opening large enough to allow the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 to be displaced in the up, down, left and right directions.

In FIG. 74, the cylindrical portion 444d is disposed at the upper end position of the vertically long opening of the long hole portion 3406, and the vertically long opening is displaced downward by the displacement to FIG. 75. In other words, the lateral position of the cylindrical portion 444d does not change in the displacement from FIG. 74 to FIG. 75, so no rotation occurs in the auxiliary arm member 444.

On the other hand, in Figures 75 to 77, the auxiliary arm member 444 is rotationally displaced in conjunction with the downward displacement of the lift plate 430. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to configure a section in which the auxiliary arm member 444 is rotationally displaced in conjunction with the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430, and a section in which the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even if the lift plate 430 is vertically displaced.

By configuring a section in which the attitude of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even if the lift plate 430 is displaced in the vertical direction, it is possible to block the transmission of the driving force to the downstream side of the driving force transmission with the auxiliary arm member 444 as the reference, and this role is the same as that of the vertical portion 491a of the fixed transmission plate 490 described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 35). According to this embodiment, the vertical portion 491a can be omitted from the fixed transmission plate 490, so the vertical dimension of the fixed transmission plate 490 can be reduced (the design freedom of the fixed transmission plate 490 can be improved).

This allows for greater freedom in designing the fixed transmission plate 490 while maintaining the effect of being able to shift the timing at which the lift plate 430 and the blade-shaped member 460 start operating.

In this embodiment, the transmission means 3410 makes it easy to vertically displace the lift plate 430 with uniform linear motion (see FIG. 78(a)). In this case, if the configuration of the synchronous motion unit 440 described above in the first embodiment is used as is, the speed of the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 will change significantly during the displacement.

In more detail, the angular velocity of the rotational displacement of the first operating unit 4300 near the second intermediate state is slower than the angular velocity of the rotational displacement of the first operating unit 3400 near the retracted state or near the extended state (the amount of angular change relative to the amount of displacement of the base end side portion 444a is smaller).

As a result, it becomes impossible to displace the relative displacement member 442 at a substantially constant speed relative to the lift plate 430. In response to this, in this embodiment, a rotating gear with arm 3441 is provided as a replacement for the lower left rotating gear 441. The rotating gear has a gear with the same gear ratio as the arc-shaped gear portion 444d, meshes with the upper right rotating gear 441, and has an extension portion that is connected to the relative displacement member 442. This partially offsets the change in angular velocity of the auxiliary arm member 444, and eliminates the difference in the displacement mode between the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442.

In other words, unlike the configuration of the first embodiment in which the relative displacement member 442 is displaced up and down in response (proportional) to the amount of angular change relative to the amount of vertical displacement of the base end side portion 444a, the amount of angular change relative to the amount of vertical displacement of the base end side portion 444a is converted back into the amount of vertical displacement of the arm tip of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441, and the relative displacement member 442 is displaced up and down in response to the amount of vertical displacement of the arm tip, thereby partially eliminating (offsetting) the difference in the displacement mode between the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442.

Therefore, the displacement mode of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 can be made to match the displacement mode of the lift plate 430.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 may be configured to pass through the rotation axis of the armed rotating gear 3441 and be guided to the relative displacement member 442. In other words, by forming the path of the electrical wiring DH1 in a continuous manner in the order of the auxiliary arm member 444, the lift plate 430, the armed rotating gear 3441, and the relative displacement member 442, it is possible to prevent the path length of the electrical wiring DH1 from fluctuating significantly due to the displacement of the first operating unit 3400.

In this case, the electrical wiring DH1 can be easily connected to the decorative part 493, so that an electric lighting board can be arranged on the decorative part 493, making it easy to create a lighting effect using light-emitting means such as LEDs.

The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 79. In the first embodiment, a case was described in which a detection sensor for detecting the state of the second operating unit 700 was not provided, but the second operating unit 4700 of the fourth embodiment is provided with a detection device 4780 for detecting the state of the drive unit 4760. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 79(a) and 79(b) are front views of the drive unit 4760 of the second operating unit 4700 in the fourth embodiment. Note that in Figures 79(a) and 79(b), the front cover member 770 and the illumination board 777 are omitted except for the curved protrusion 774, and the outline of the curved protrusion 774 is shown by imaginary lines.

In addition, FIG. 79(a) shows a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 4761 is placed in a lowered position due to its own weight, and FIG. 79(b) shows a state in which a current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2 is attracted by the generated electromagnetic force, causing the load member 4761 to be placed in an elevated position.

As shown in Figures 79(a) and 79(b), in the lowered position, the load member 4761 abuts against the lower regulating portion 764, and its downward displacement is restricted, and in the raised position, the load member 4761 abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, and its upward displacement is restricted.

The load member 4761 has the same configuration as the load member 761 described in the first embodiment, except that the protrusion 761d has been changed to a thick protrusion 4761f and a thin protrusion 4761g.

The thick-walled protruding portion 4761f is a portion that protrudes from the extended tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b along the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b with a thickness (front-to-back width) equivalent to that of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, and corresponds to the portion that abuts against the upper regulating portion 765 and receives the load when the load member 4761 is positioned in the raised position.

The thin-walled protruding portion 4761g is a plate-like portion that is thinner (shorter in front-to-back width) than the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f and protrudes from the protruding tip of the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f along the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. The upper and lower surfaces of the thin-walled protruding portion 4761g (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protruding direction) and the upper and lower surfaces of the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protruding direction) are formed flush with each other.

The thin-walled protrusion 4761g is configured to come into contact with the upper regulating portion 765 in the same manner as the thick-walled protrusion 4761f when the load member 4761 is placed in the raised position. However, since it is thinner than the thick-walled protrusion 4761f, it is more likely to break than the thick-walled protrusion 4761f due to the accumulation of fatigue caused by repeatedly exciting the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

From this viewpoint, it is not necessary that the upper and lower surfaces of the thin protrusion 4761g (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protrusion direction) and the thick protrusion 4761f (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protrusion direction) are flush with each other; it is sufficient that at least the upper surface is flush, and the position of the lower surface can be set arbitrarily. For example, by making the vertical width of the thin protrusion 4761g shorter than the vertical width of the thick protrusion 4761f, the number of repeated excitations of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 until the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged can be reduced, thereby adjusting the period until the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged.

The drive unit 4760 includes a detection device 4780. The detection device 4780 includes a printed circuit board 4781 that is fixed to the bottom of the support case 763, and a detection sensor 4782 that is disposed on the printed circuit board 4781 and that is disposed in a detection groove such that the thin-walled protrusion 4761g can be inserted and removed.

The detection sensor 4782 is a photocoupler type detection device, and when the load member 4761 is in the lowered position, the thin protrusion 4761g blocks the detection light (see FIG. 79(a)), and when the load member 4761 is in the raised position, the thin protrusion 4761g is positioned upward so as not to block the detection light (see FIG. 79(b)).

The function of the detection sensor 4782 will now be described. Normally, the detection result of the detection sensor 4782 corresponds to the position of the load member 4761, so it is possible to check whether the load member 4761 is operating properly using the detection result of the detection sensor 4782. This check is performed by the MPU 221 (see FIG. 4), and if it determines that there is a malfunction, it can generate an alarm or display an error on the display device, making it easier for players and hall staff to notice the malfunction of the second operating unit 4700.

In addition, if the thin-walled protrusion 4761g breaks (breaks) and falls, the thin-walled protrusion 4761g and the load member 4761 will no longer operate in sync, and the position change of the load member 4761 will no longer correspond to the detection result of the detection sensor 4782. If the position change of the load member 4761 no longer corresponds to the detection result of the detection sensor 4782, an alarm can be generated in the MPU 221 (see FIG. 4) or an error message can be displayed on the display device, making it easier for players and hall staff to notice that the thin-walled protrusion 4761g has broken (broken).

In this way, according to this embodiment, the detection sensor 4782 can be used both as a position detection means for detecting the position of the load member 4761 and as a damage detection means for detecting damage (fracture) of the load member 4761.

In addition, according to this embodiment, even if the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged, the thick protrusion 4761f abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, thereby stopping the load member 4761 at the raised position, and the load member 4761 can be displaced in the same manner as before the thin protrusion 4761g was damaged. Therefore, even if the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged, there is no need to immediately stop playing and put the machine into a maintenance state, and play can be continued for a while, thereby avoiding causing an unexpected disadvantage to the player.

In this way, among the parts that come into contact with the upper restricting portion 765, a part that is preferentially damaged (broken) is provided, and the damage (breakage) is detected by the detection sensor 4782, so that the load member can be replaced before fatigue accumulates to the extent that the thick protruding portion 4761f is damaged (broken).

The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 80. In the first embodiment, the case where the bending deformation occurs in relation to the rigidity of the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c itself was described, but the second operating unit 5700 of the fifth embodiment is equipped with a bending adjustment device 5780 that applies a load to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c and adjusts the bending deformation. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 80(a) and 80(b) are cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 5700 of the fifth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to the line LVa-LVa in Figure 53. The deflection adjustment device 5780 includes a box-shaped base member 5781 with a built-in metal coil, and an adjustment member 5782, which is an iron bar supported by the base member 5781 so as to be movable up and down, and which is positioned to protrude above the base member 5781.

As shown in FIG. 80(b), even if the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 are in a one-sided excited state, the deflection adjustment device 5780 is driven to change the state to a state where the deflection deformation of the load member 761 is small (a state where the deflection deformation is about half). In other words, the deflection adjustment device 5780 is adopted as an alternative to the configuration in the first embodiment where the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (both) are excited to change the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the upper end position.

That is, while the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is kept in a one-sided excitation state (see FIG. 80(a)), a metal coil (not shown) built into the base member 5781 of the deflection adjustment device 5780 is arranged so as to wrap around the adjustment member 5782, and electricity is passed through the metal coil to form an electromagnet, and the adjustment member 5782 is driven upward, so that a load in the direction of returning (restoring) the deflection of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c can be applied to the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c (see FIG. 80(b)).

In this way, according to this embodiment, by cooperatively driving the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 on either the left or right side of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the adjustment device 5780 arranged on the side of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to maintain the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the lower end position (initial position), mid-position, and upper end position.

This allows the positioning of the drive means to be more compact than when it is necessary to arrange the electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 in a pair on the left and right. For example, the positioning of the electrical wiring connected to each device of the drive means can be more compact, so it is possible to avoid the area required for the wiring to be distributed to various places (e.g., left and right).

Next, the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 81 to 121. In the sixth embodiment, the first winning port 64, the second winning port 140, and the specific winning port 65a are formed in a winning port unit 930 that is configured as one unit. The same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Furthermore, in the following, as in the first embodiment, the up-down direction of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as the direction of gravity, the left-right and rearward directions of the pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 as the left-right direction, the front side of the paper of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 as the front side (or front), and the rear side of the paper of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 as the back side (or rear).

First, with reference to Figures 81 and 82, the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 arranged on the base plate of the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment will be described. Figure 81 is a front view of the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment. Figure 82 is an exploded oblique front view of the game board 13. Note that in Figure 82, units other than the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 arranged on the base plate 60 (such as the center frame 86 (see Figure 81)) are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in Figure 82, a through hole 60a is formed in the base plate 60 by router processing on the lower side (lower side in Figure 82) of the central opening in the direction of gravity where the center frame 86 (see Figure 81) is attached, which penetrates through the base plate 60 in the thickness direction.

The through hole 60a is formed slightly smaller than the external shape of the front unit 940, described below, when viewed from the front, and the drive unit 960 and the specific winning port unit 950 arranged in the front unit 940 are inserted inside.

On the base plate 60, a winning port unit 930 is arranged from the playing area (front side), and a ball throwing unit 970 is arranged from the opposite side (back side) of the playing area, and each is fastened and fixed with tapping screws or the like. The detailed configuration of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described later.

Next, the overall configuration of the winning port unit 930 will be described with reference to Figures 83 to 86. Figure 83(a) is a front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 83(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 930. Figure 84(a) is a perspective front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 84(b) is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit 930. Figure 85 is an exploded perspective front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 86 is an exploded perspective rear view of the winning port unit 930.

As shown in Figures 83 to 86, the winning port unit 930 is mainly formed by a front unit 940, a specific winning port unit 950 arranged on the rear side (the front side of the page in Figure 83 (b)) of the front unit 940, a drive unit 960 arranged on the rear side (the front side of the page in Figure 83 (b)) of the specific winning port unit 950, and a displacement member 966 arranged between the drive unit 960 and the front unit 940.

As described above, the front unit 940 is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is larger than the through hole 60a of the base plate 60. Therefore, by disposing the winning hole unit 930 (front unit 940) on the base plate 60, the opening of the through hole 60a can be blocked. This makes it possible to prevent game balls flowing down the playing area of the game board 13 from passing through the through hole 60a from spaces other than the game ball passage paths (first winning hole 64, second winning hole 140, and specific winning hole 65a) formed in the front unit 940 described below.

The specific winning hole unit 950 is partially inserted inside the specific winning hole 65a formed in the front unit 940, and game balls can be sent through the specific winning hole 65a to the inside of the specific winning hole unit 950. A detailed explanation of the specific winning hole unit 950 will be given later.

The drive unit 960 is disposed on the rear side of the specific winning port unit 950, and a part of it (the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965) is connected via a displacement member 966 to the feather member 945 disposed in the front unit. This allows the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 to be operated to rotate and displace the feather member 945. The operation of the feather member 945 will be described in detail later.

Next, the front unit 940 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 87 to 89. Figure 87(a) is a front view of the front unit 940, and Figure 87(b) is a rear view of the front unit 940. Figure 88 is an exploded oblique front view of the front unit 940, and Figure 89 is an exploded oblique rear view of the front unit 940. Note that in Figures 87(a) and 87(b), the outer shape of the wing member 945 is shown by a dashed line.

As shown in Figures 87 to 89, the front unit 940 is mainly formed with a rear base 941 that is fastened to the base plate 60, a front base 943 that is disposed on the rear base 941 at a distance greater than the diameter of a game ball, and two (a pair) of wing members 945 that are rotatably disposed between the opposing rear base 941 and front base 943.

The rear base 941 is formed from a plate-like body with a predetermined thickness and has an external shape that is roughly a vertically inverted T shape when viewed from the front. The rear base 941 is also formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and when the prize winning port unit 930 (front unit 940) is arranged on the base plate 60, the inside of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 can be seen through the rear base 941.

The rear base 941 mainly comprises a first outlet 71 cut out on the downstream side of the game ball (the lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 87 (b))), a specific winning opening 65a located above the first outlet 71 (upper side in Figure 87 (b)) and formed as a long rectangle in the horizontal direction, a second winning opening 140 formed above the specific winning opening 65a, and a first winning opening 64 cut out on the edge opposite the first outlet 71.

The rear base 941 also has a number of through holes 941a penetrating the outer edge in the plate thickness direction. The through holes 941a are formed of a first through hole 941a1 that narrows in diameter from the front side (near side of the paper in FIG. 87(a)) to the rear side (near side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)), and a second through hole 941a2 that narrows in diameter from the rear side to the front side.

The first through hole 941a1 is a hole through which a tapping screw is inserted to fasten the rear base 941 (prize-winning port unit 930) to the base plate 60, and the inner diameter is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion of the tapping screw. As described above, the first through hole 941a1 is formed with a smaller diameter from the front side to the rear side, so that the head of the tapping screw can be accommodated in the enlarged diameter portion on the front side. This prevents the head of the tapping screw from protruding into the play area. Furthermore, a positioning protrusion 942a is formed near the first through hole 941a1, protruding cylindrically from the rear of the rear base 941.

The positioning protrusion 942a is formed at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 60b (see FIG. 82) formed around the through hole 60a of the base plate 60, and is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the positioning hole 60b. This allows the rear base 941 (prize winning port unit 930) to be positioned relative to the base plate 60.

The second through hole 941a2 is a hole through which a screw for fastening the rear base 941 and the front base 943 is inserted from the rear base 941 side, and the inner diameter is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the screw-threaded portion. In other words, the front base 943 is fastened with a screw from the rear side of the rear base 941. In this case, the operation of removing the front base 943 from the rear base 941 must be performed after the prize winning port unit 930 has been removed from the base plate 60. This prevents a player from cheating and removing only the front base 943 from the front side (play area side) of the game board 13.

As described above, the second through hole 941a2 is formed with a smaller diameter from the rear side to the front side, so the head of the screw can be accommodated in the larger diameter portion on the rear side. This prevents the head of the screw from protruding into the rear side of the rear base 941. As a result, when the specific winning port unit 950 described later is disposed on the rear side of the rear base 941, the head of the screw can be prevented from abutting against the specific winning port unit 950.

The outer shape of the lower end of the rear base 941 in the direction of gravity (lower side in FIG. 87(b)) is formed along the inner edge of the inner rail 61 (see FIG. 81) of the game board 13. The first outlet 71 is formed so that the edge of the cutout bottom (upper edge in the direction of gravity) is spaced apart from the inner edge of the inner rail 61 by at least the diameter of the game ball. This allows game balls that flow down the game area formed on the front of the game board 13 (base plate 60) and do not flow into any of the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, the specific winning opening 65a, or the general winning opening 63 () to be sent to the rear side of the game board 13 (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the page in FIG. 87(b))) via the first outlet 71.

The first winning opening 64 is formed by cutting out a semicircular shape from the end portion on the upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 87 (b)) opposite the first outlet 71. The first winning opening 64 is also formed so that the inner edge dimension is larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 941g (described later) to be sent through the first winning opening 64 to the back side (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the paper in Figure 87 (b)).

The edge of the first winning opening 64 is formed with a first receiving portion 941g that protrudes toward the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(a)) and is cup-shaped, and a first ball throwing portion 942g that protrudes with a U-shaped cross section on the side opposite the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(b)).

The first receiving portion 941g is formed to be large enough to receive one game ball inside. This allows the game ball flowing down the game area from the upper side of the first receiving portion 941g (first winning port 64) in the direction of gravity to flow inside the first receiving portion 941g.

The first receiving portion 941g is formed with a bottom surface that slopes downward toward the rear side (the opposite side of the play area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))). This allows the game ball that flows into the first receiving portion 941g to be sent downward through the first winning opening 64 to the rear side (the side of the first ball sending portion 942g).

The first receiving portion 941g further includes a guide portion 941g1 that is inclined outward in the short side direction of the base plate 60 from the upper end portions of both ends of the short side direction (left and right direction in FIG. 87) of the base plate 60 toward the second winning port side (the lower side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 87(a))). The guide portion 941g1 is formed into a plate-like body with a predetermined thickness, and the side surface opposite the play area (the rear side) is connected to the front side of the rear base 941. This increases the rigidity of the first receiving portion 941g, and prevents game balls flowing down the flow area from colliding with the first receiving portion 941g and damaging the first receiving portion 941g.

In addition, if the first winning hole 64, the second winning hole 140, and the specific winning hole 65 are integrally formed on the rear base 941, there will not be enough game nails to change the direction of the game ball flowing down the play area, making it difficult to change the direction of the game ball. Therefore, there is a risk that the player's interest will be lost, but by having the game ball collide with the guide portion 941g1, the direction of the game ball flowing down can be changed, preventing the player's interest from being lost.

Furthermore, the guide portion 941g1 is formed at an incline toward the outside of the short side of the base plate 60 (both left and right sides in FIG. 87(a)) toward the second winning opening 140, so that the game ball that collides with the guide portion 941g1 can be guided horizontally outside the rear base 941. This allows the game ball to collide again with the game nails (not shown) arranged on the base plate 60, making it easier to change the direction in which the game ball flows down. This prevents the player's interest from being diminished.

The first ball throwing section 942g is formed in a U-shape that opens upward in the direction of gravity, and the distance between the opposing inner edges is greater than the diameter of the game ball. The bottom surface of the first ball throwing section 942g is formed with a downward incline toward the rear side (the side opposite the game area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))), and the protruding tip side abuts against the edge of the inlet 982d of the ball throwing unit 970 described later. This allows the game ball that is thrown from the inside of the first receiving section 941g through the first winning port 64 to the first ball throwing section 942g to roll toward the rear side and be thrown to the ball throwing unit 970.

The first ball throwing section 942g has a first notch 942g1 cut into a rectangular shape in side view at the upper end of the protruding tip. The first notch 942g1 is a notch on which the second protrusion 982d1 of the ball throwing unit 970 described below is placed, and is notched to a size approximately the same as the shape of the second protrusion 982d1 in side view. The arrangement of the first ball throwing section 942g and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described in detail later.

The second winning opening 140 is formed in a generally D-shape with a curved upper portion when viewed from the front, and the inner edge is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball sent between the opposing vane members 945 (described later) to be sent through the second winning opening 140 to the back side (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))).

The second winning port 140 has a front side wall portion 941b that protrudes toward the front side (the side of the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(a))) at its edge, and a second ball throwing portion 942c that protrudes toward the rear side (the side opposite the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(b))).

The front side wall portion 941b is formed along both side edges of the second winning opening in the short direction of the base plate 60. The front side wall portion 941b is set to a size such that its protruding tip surface abuts against the ball sending guide portion 943d of the front base 943 described later.

The second ball sending section 942c is formed by bending in an approximately L-shape when viewed from behind at both ends of the lower edge of the second winning opening 140. The dimension of the second ball sending section 942c in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in Figure 87 (b)) is set to be larger than the radius of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling on the rolling section 943a of the front base 943 (described later) from falling from the upper surface of the rolling section 943a.

The pair of second ball sending sections 942c are set so that the distance between them in the short side direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in FIG. 87(b)) is set to be approximately the same as the length dimension of the rolling section 943a of the front base 943 described later in the short side direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in FIG. 87(b)), and the rolling section 943a is disposed on the inside. In addition, the second ball sending section 942c is formed by cutting out a second recessed section 942c1 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 87(b))) of the protruding tip. The second recessed section 942c1 is the portion on which the protrusion 981b1 of the passage unit described later is placed on the inside, and a detailed explanation of this will be given later.

The rear base 941 is formed with a first shaft hole 941d recessed in two circular locations from the play area side of the rear base 941 toward the opposite side of the play area on the other side of the gravity direction near the second winning opening 140 (the first winning opening 64 side (upper side of Figure 87 (b))), two first openings 941e curved around the axis of the first shaft hole 941d and formed through the rear base 941, a first guide wall 942b located outside the opposing direction of the two first openings 941e and protruding toward the rear side, and a protrusion 941c protruding between the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140.

The first shaft hole 941d is capable of supporting the shaft member 945a that supports the blade member 945 described below, and is formed with an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft member 945a. This allows one end of the shaft member 945a to be inserted into the first shaft hole 941d and supported.

The first opening 941e is opened in an arc shape with the center of the first shaft hole 941d as its axis. The first opening 941e is also designed to allow the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 to be inserted therethrough, and is set to be larger than the maximum width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 945b from contacting the inner surface of the first opening 941e when the feather member 945 rotates.

The protrusion 941c is formed in an isosceles triangular shape in front view, and the corners of the isosceles connecting parts are located on approximately the same plane as the center position between the opposing feather members 945 described later. The unequal sides of the protrusion 941c are formed extending parallel to the opposing direction of the feather members 945, and the length dimension is set to be slightly larger than the opposing dimension of the feather members 945 in the closed state. Furthermore, the protrusion 941c is formed at a position where the shortest distance from the feather members 945 in the closed state is smaller than the diameter of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball from being sent to the second winning hole 140 (between the opposing pair of feather members 945) when the feather members 945 are in the closed state. A detailed explanation of the closed state of the feather members 945 will be given later.

The pair of first guide walls 942b are walls that guide the displacement of the displacement member 966 when the displacement member 966 described below is displaced, and the distance dimension between the pair of opposing first guide walls 942b is set to be slightly larger than the distance dimension in the short direction of the displacement member 966.

The pair of first guide walls 942b are formed in a generally L-shape when viewed from the rear, and extend in a direction in which the bent portions approach each other. This allows the protrusion 966a of the displacement member 966 to abut against the bent portions of the first guide walls 942b, thereby regulating the displacement distance of the displacement member 966.

The specific winning opening 65a is formed as a long rectangular opening in the opposing direction of the pair of blade members 945 (left and right direction in Figure 87 (b)), and a plate member 951 of the specific winning opening unit 950 described later can be inserted inside the opening. This allows a game ball flowing down the game area to be sent to the inside of the specific winning opening unit 950 via the specific winning opening 65a.

In addition, the rear base 941 includes an upright portion 942f that surrounds the specific winning opening 65a and stands on the rear side (the side opposite the play area), and recesses 941h that are recessed from the rear side at both longitudinal ends of the specific winning opening 65a.

The shape of the inner edge of the erected portion 942f is set to be approximately the same as the shape of the specific winning port unit 950, described below, when viewed from the front. This makes it easy to position and arrange the specific winning port unit 950 inside the erected portion 942f.

The recess 941h is formed at a position corresponding to the wall portion 953d into which the rod member 952, which serves as the rotation axis of the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950, is inserted when the specific winning port unit 950 is disposed on the rear base 941. This allows the end face of the rod member 952 to abut against the inner edge of the recess 941h, preventing the rod member 952 from coming out of the plate member 951 when the rod member 952 is displaced in a direction coming out of the plate member 951.

Furthermore, the front base 942 has a bulging portion 942h that bulges out between the standing portion 942f and the second ball sending portion 942c, and a second guide wall 942d that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the standing portion 942f toward the first guide wall 942b (upper side in FIG. 87(b)).

The bulging portion 942h bulges toward the rear side of the rear base 941 and is connected to the erected portion 942f and the second ball sending portion 942c. This allows a predetermined gap to be formed between the displacement member 966 (see FIG. 90) described below and the rear side of the rear base 941 when the displacement member 966 is disposed on the rear side of the rear base 941 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)). As a result, when the displacement member 966 is displaced, the frictional (sliding) resistance of the displacement member 966 can be reduced.

The second guide wall 942d is a wall surface that guides the displacement of the lower end portion of the displacement member 966, and the distance between the pair of opposing second guide walls 942d is set to be slightly larger than the distance in the short direction of the displacement member 966. Therefore, when the displacement member 966 is disposed between the pair of opposing second guide walls 942d, the displacement distance of the lower end portion of the displacement member 966 in the short direction of the displacement member 966 can be regulated.

The rear base 941 is provided with a second outlet 941f formed by cutting out a semicircular shape toward one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) at the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of both ends of the specific winning port 65a in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in Figure 87 (b)). The second outlet 941f is a cutout for sending the game ball that has flowed into the third receiving portion 944a formed in the front base 943 to the rear side of the base plate 60 (opposite the game area), and is formed in a shape larger than the diameter of the game ball.

The edge of the second outlet 941f is formed with a third ball throwing section 942e that is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear and protrudes toward the rear side. This allows the game ball that is thrown to the rear side via the inside of the second outlet 941f to be thrown to the inside of the third ball throwing section 942e.

The third ball throwing section 942e is formed with a U-shaped curved portion (lower portion) when viewed from the rear, tilted downward in the direction of gravity as it protrudes toward the rear side, and can cause the game ball thrown from the second outlet 941f to roll toward the rear side. A detailed explanation of the game ball rolling on the inner surface of the third ball throwing section 942e will be given later.

The front base 943 is formed in a roughly upside-down T-shape, with an outer shape smaller than that of the rear base when viewed from the front. The front base 943 is also formed from a colorless and transparent plate. This allows the player to visually see the game balls flowing down between the opposing front base 943 and rear base 941.

The front base 943 is formed mainly with a second receiving portion 943c and a third receiving portion 944a that protrude from positions corresponding to the second winning opening 140 and the second outlet 941f, respectively, of the above-mentioned rear base 941.

The second receiving portion 943c is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, and the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941 is located on the inside when viewed from the front. A pair of wing members 945 (described later) are disposed on the open side (the open side of the U-shape) of the second receiving portion 943c. Furthermore, the protruding distance of the second receiving portion 943c toward the rear base 941 is set to be greater than the diameter of the game ball. Thus, the game ball can be sent between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943, and the game ball can be prevented from flowing into the second winning opening 140 from outside the area between the opposing pair of wing members 945 (described later).

The second receiving portion 943c also includes a ball guide portion 943d that protrudes inward from its inner edge, a first recess 943ca that is recessed in a circular shape from the rear base 941 side (the front side of the paper in Figure 87 (b)), and a rolling portion 943a that protrudes from the inside of the curved portion toward the rear base side.

The ball throwing guide portions 943d are formed as a pair on the lower side of the pair of feather members 945 in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 87 (b)). The pair of ball throwing guide portions 943d are also formed at positions corresponding to the front side wall portions 941b of the rear base 941, and when the rear base 941 and the front base 943 are combined, their end faces abut against each other. This allows a game ball that has flowed between the opposing feather members 945 to be thrown between the opposing ball throwing guide portions 943d.

The rolling portion 943a is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) between the pair of opposing ball-throwing guide portions 943d, and the end surface 943a1 on the upper side in the direction of gravity is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the rear base 941. Also, as described above, when the rear base 941 and the front base 943 are fastened (combined), the rolling portion 943a is disposed inside the recess 941j, and the tip protrudes toward the rear side of the rear base 941 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)).

This allows the game ball sent between the pair of opposing ball sending guide parts 943d to be sent to the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part, and the game ball can be rolled on the upper part of the end surface 943a1 and sent to the rear side of the rear base 941.

The front base 943 also has a ring-shaped protrusion 943b that protrudes from the opening side (upward in the direction of gravity) of the second receiving portion 943c at a position opposite the first shaft hole 941d of the rear base 941. The ring-shaped protrusion 943b has a second shaft hole 943b1 on its inner edge, and the other end of the shaft member 945a that supports the blade member 945 described later can be inserted into the inside of the second shaft hole 943b1. As described above, one end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the first shaft hole 941d of the rear base 941. Therefore, the shaft member 945a can be supported by being sandwiched between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943.

The third receiving portion 944a is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, with the second outlet 941f of the rear base 941 located on the inside of it. This allows game balls flowing down the play area of the game board 13 to flow into the inside of the third receiving portion 944a, and game balls that have flowed into the third receiving portion 944a can be sent to the rear side (the side opposite the play area) via the second outlet 941f.

The second receiving portion 943c and the third receiving portion 944a have a first recess 943ca and a second recess 944a1 recessed in a circular shape from the rear base 941 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)). The first recess 943ca and the second recess 944a1 are fastened portions into which the screw inserted into the above-mentioned second through hole 941a2 is screwed, and are formed coaxially with the axis of the second through hole 941a2 of the rear base 941. This allows the rear base 941 and the front base 943 to be fastened together.

When viewed from the front, the feather members 945 are arranged in pairs, sandwiching the second winning opening 140 formed in the rear base 941. The feather members 945 are made of a colored translucent material and are visible to the player through the front base 943.

The wing member 945 is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from the front, and is formed to a thickness smaller than the distance between the rear base 941 and the front base 943. The wing member 945 mainly comprises an insertion hole 945c formed through in the thickness direction (from the rear base 941 side to the front base 943 side) and a protrusion 945b protruding from the surface on the rear base 941 side (rear face).

The insertion hole 945c is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 945a supported between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943. Therefore, when fastening (assembling) the rear base 941 and the front base 943, the shaft member 945a is inserted into the insertion hole 945c, so that the wing member 945 can be disposed between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943 in a rotatable state. This allows the wing member 945 to be displaced between a closed state in which the opposing side surfaces are parallel to the direction of gravity, and an open state in which one side of the side surface is displaced outward in the opposing direction.

The protrusion 945b is a transmission part that is connected to the displacement member 966 described below and transmits the drive of the drive unit 960 to the blade member 945, and is sized so that its tip protrudes through the first opening 941e of the rear base 941 to the rear side (opposite the play area) of the rear base 941 on which the displacement member 966 is disposed. A detailed explanation of the connection state between the protrusion 945b and the displacement member 966 will be given later.

Next, the displacement member 966 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 90. Figure 90(a) is a front view of the displacement member 966, Figure 90(b) is a side view of the displacement member 966, and Figure 90(c) is a perspective front view of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 is formed from a plate-like body that is vertically long and rectangular when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left and right direction in Figure 90 (b)) at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the shape of the inner edge of the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941 described above, and the second winning opening 140 is disposed on the inside. This makes it possible to prevent game balls sent to the opposite side of the game area through the second winning opening 140 from colliding with the inner edge of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 has a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction (left-right direction in FIG. 90(a)) from one end side (upper side in FIG. 90(a)) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 90(a)), and a bulging portion 966b that bulges from the other end side in the longitudinal direction (lower side in FIG. 90(b)) toward the rear side (toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85)).

The protrusion 966a has a sliding groove 966a2 formed by penetrating the displacement member 966 in the plate thickness direction, and a contact portion 966a1 located on both outer sides of the displacement member 966 in the short side direction and extending in the longitudinal direction.

The sliding groove 966a2 is an elongated hole into which the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 described above is inserted, and is formed as an elongated hole that is long in the short direction of the displacement member 966. The width dimension of the sliding groove 966a2 is set to be larger than the width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This prevents the protrusion 945b from contacting both inner surfaces facing each other in the width direction of the sliding groove 966a2 when the feather member 945 rotates, thereby preventing the movement of the feather member 945 from being restricted.

The contact portion 966a1 is formed to bulge on both the front side (front base 943 side (see FIG. 85)) and the rear side (rear base 941 side). This reduces the area of contact between the displacement member 966 and the front base 943 and the drive unit 960 (described later). As a result, the resistance when the displacement member 966 is driven can be reduced.

The bulging portion 966b is formed to bulge out toward the rear side (the rear base 941 side), and a horizontally long rectangular connecting hole 966b1 is formed in the inner portion when viewed from the rear. The connecting hole 966b1 is an opening into which the tip (insertion portion 965e) of the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 described below is inserted, and the shape of the inner edge is set to be larger than the outer shape of the tip of the transmission member 965. The connection state between the connecting hole 966b1 and the transmission member 965 will be described in detail later.

The connecting hole 966b1 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the short direction of the displacement member 966, and has a one-side abutment portion 966b2 on the inner circumferential surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 90(a))) and a other-side abutment portion 966b3 on the inner circumferential surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 90(a))).

The one-side abutment portion 966b2 is a surface that abuts against the bulging portion 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965, which will be described later. The displacement member 966 can displace the wing member 945 to the open state (see FIG. 92) by the bulging portion 965e1 abutting against the one-side abutment portion 966b2 and being slidably displaced.

The other-side abutment portion 966b3 is a surface that abuts against the side surface opposite the bulge portion 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 described below. The displacement member 966 can displace the wing member 945 to the closed state (see FIG. 91) by sliding the side surface opposite the bulge portion 965e1 abutting against the other-side abutment portion 966b3.

Next, the connection state between the displacement member 966 and the feather member 945 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 91 and 92. Figures 91 and 92 are rear views of the winning port unit 930 and the displacement member 966 in range XCI of Figure 87(b). Note that in Figures 91 and 92, the outline of the feather member 945 is shown by a dotted line. Also, Figure 91 shows the closed state of the feather member 945, and Figure 92 shows the open state of the feather member 945.

As shown in Figures 91 and 92, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is formed in a roughly triangular shape when viewed from behind, and mainly comprises a first surface 945b1 formed parallel to the opposing surfaces of the pair of feather members 945 in the closed state, a third surface 945b3 connected to the first surface 945b1 and located on one side in the direction of gravity (the side of the specific winning opening 65a), and a second surface 945b2 connected to the first surface 945b1 and the third surface 945b3.

The sliding groove 966a2 is provided with a lower inner surface 966a4 located on one side in the direction of gravity (the connecting hole 966b1 side) and abutting against the protrusion 945b to displace the wing member 945 to an open state, an upper inner surface 966a3 facing the lower inner surface 966a4 and abutting against the protrusion 945b to displace the wing member 945 to a closed state, and an inclined surface 966a5 that inclines from the outside in the short direction of the displacement member 966 (left-right direction in Figure 91) toward the lower inner surface 966a4 toward the inside in the short direction of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 is disposed so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction in FIG. 91) relative to the rear base 941 by the transmission member 965 described later. The wing member 945 is in a closed state when the displacement member 966 is displaced toward the specific winning opening 65a (lower side in FIG. 91), and is in an open state when the displacement member 966 is displaced toward the second winning opening 140 (upper side in FIG. 91).

Next, the connection between the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 and the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 will be described. As described above, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is positioned inside the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member.

As shown in FIG. 91, when the feather member 945 is in the closed state, the protrusion 945b is positioned on the inclined surface 966a5 side of the sliding groove 966a2 (the outer side in the short direction of the displacement member 966). When the displacement member 966 is displaced from this state toward the second winning opening 140 side (the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 91)), the lower inner surface 966a4 of the displacement member 966 abuts against the third surface 945b3 of the protrusion 945b, displacing the protrusion 945b. This allows the feather member 945 to be rotationally displaced.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported at positions sandwiching the entrance opening to open or close the entrance opening, a drive means that generates a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members. The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and one end side of the rotating member is connected to a protruding portion that protrudes from the back surface of the pair of wing members. In detail, one end side of the rotating member is formed with opposing portions that face each other at a predetermined interval above and below, and the protruding portion of the wing member is inserted between the opposing opposing portions. Therefore, when the rotating member is rotated, the opposing portion of the rotating member pushes up or down the protruding portion of the wing member, thereby opening or closing the wing member.

However, in conventional gaming machines, the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts must be set large, which causes a problem of unstable opening and closing of the feather member. That is, when the rotating member is rotated to open and close the feather member, the orientation of the opposing parts is tilted relative to the protruding parts. If the opposing distance between the opposing parts is the same as the outer shape of the protruding parts, the protruding parts will interfere with the opposing parts and the rotating member will not be able to rotate. For this reason, it is necessary to set the opposing distance between the opposing parts to a size that does not cause the protruding parts to interfere, and the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts will be larger accordingly. As a result, the feather member is prone to rattling, which causes unstable opening and closing of the feather member.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a transmission member 965 that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means (drive unit 960) and a displacement member 966 that is slidably displaced with the rotation of the transmission member 965. A pair of wing members 945 are provided with protrusions 945b protruding therefrom, and a sliding groove 966a2 through which the protrusions 945b are slidably inserted is recessed in the displacement member 966, so that the groove width of the sliding groove 966a2 can be suppressed. That is, the displacement of the displacement member 966 is a sliding displacement, and the attitude of the sliding groove 966a2 is not inclined relative to the protrusions 945b, so there is no need to avoid interference with the protruding portion when rotating as in the conventional product. Therefore, the groove width of the sliding groove 966a2 can be approximated to the size of the protrusions 945b, and the groove width can be suppressed, so that the gap between the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusions 945b can be reduced. As a result, the rattling of the wing member 945 can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945 can be stabilized. In addition, since the direction of displacement of the displacement member 966 is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945, the displacement member 966 can be disposed substantially parallel to the feather members 945. As a result, the space required for disposing the feather members 945 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced, and the space for disposing other members can be secured accordingly. In other words, when the displacement member 966 is displaced, the displacement member 966 does not displace in the direction of the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945, so the space required for disposing the displacement member in the direction of the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945 can be reduced. As a result, the space for disposing other members can be secured.

In contrast to conventional products in which a rotating member is directly connected to a pair of wing members, in the present invention, a displacement member 966 is interposed between the wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. Therefore, when the displacement member 966 is moved in a direction to slide and displace it upward in the direction of gravity (the other side in the direction of gravity), the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, and the inertial force increases, so that the driving force required for the driving means (solenoid 610 described later) increases. Therefore, it becomes difficult to smoothly perform the initial operation when starting to drive the wing members 945, which are in a stopped state, and displacing them to the open state or closed state.

In contrast, in this embodiment, when the pair of wing members 945 are in the closed state, the protrusion 945b is positioned on the lower side in the direction of gravity (one side in the direction of gravity) of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the wing member 945. That is, the position of the protrusion 945b when the displacement member 966 starts to slide toward the upper side in the direction of gravity (the other side in the direction of gravity) is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member 945. This makes it possible to increase the displacement component of the protrusion 945b pushed up against the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 91) and decrease it in the direction of gravity (downward direction in FIG. 91). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, the drive of the wing member 945 in the stopped state (closed state) can be started and the initial operation when opening or closing can be performed smoothly.

The center of gravity of the feather member 945 is set on the opposite side of the protrusion 945b across the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c). As a result, when the feather member 945 is displaced from the closed state to the open state, the feather member 945 can be displaced to the open state by utilizing the weight of the feather member 945. That is, when the displacement member 966 starts to slide toward the upper side in the direction of gravity (one side in the direction of gravity), the feather member 945 is rotated in the direction to be opened, so that the feather member 945 can be rotated by its weight (its own weight). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, the drive of the feather member 945 in the stopped state (closed state) can be started, and the initial operation when opening can be performed smoothly.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned inclined surface 966a5 is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 91)) of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. As a result, even if the position of the protrusion 945b is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the feather member 945, the protrusion 945b can be guided along the inclination direction of the inclined surface 966a5, and the sliding displacement of the displacement member 966 toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) can be smoothly initiated.

In addition, by forming an inclined surface 966a5 on the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2, not only can the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b be reduced accordingly, but the abutment of the protrusion 945b against the inclined surface 966a5 can regulate the displacement of the protrusion 945b in the horizontal direction as well as in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier to suppress the rattling of the feather member 945 when in the closed state. In other words, even when affected by vibrations caused by the game ball flowing downstream, the feather member 945 can be easily maintained in the open or closed position.

As shown in FIG. 92, when the feather member 945 is displaced from an open state to a closed state, the displacement member 966 is displaced from the second winning opening 140 side to the specific winning opening 65a side (one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in FIG. 92)). As a result, the upper inner surface 966a3 of the displacement member 966 abuts against the first surface 945b1 of the protrusion 945b, displacing the protrusion 945b. This allows the feather member 945 to be rotationally displaced.

The displacement direction of the displacement member 966 from the second winning opening 140 side to the specific winning opening 65a side is set to the direction of gravity (downward in FIG. 92). This allows the feather member 945 to be displaced by utilizing the weight of the displacement member 966 when closing the feather member 945. As a result, it is easy to displace the feather member 945 from an open state to a closed state.

Next, the drive unit 960 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 93 to 95. Figure 93(a) is a side view of the drive unit 960, Figure 93(b) is a top view of the drive unit 960, and Figure 93(c) is a perspective front view of the drive unit 960. Figure 94 is an exploded perspective front view of the drive unit 960, and Figure 95 is an exploded perspective rear view of the drive unit 960.

As shown in Figures 93 to 95, the drive unit 960 is mainly formed with a first storage section 962 and a second storage section 963 that are formed in a box shape and arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 that is arranged in the space between the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 that is connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 that is journaled on the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963 and is connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 93(a)) and a guide portion 962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The covering portion 962a is formed in a generally box shape with the solenoid 610 side (lower side in FIG. 93(a)) and the guide portion 962b side open. The covering portion 962a also includes an engaged portion 962c formed by cutting out a portion of the opposing wall surface, and a fastening portion 962d protruding in a direction facing the outside of the opposing wall surface.

The engaged portion 962c is a notch that engages with the engaging portion 963c of the second housing portion 963 described below, and is cut out to have a shape larger than the outer shape of the engaging portion 963c in a side view. This allows the engaging portion 963c to engage with the engaged portion 962c before fastening the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963, improving the workability of fastening the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963.

The fastening portion 962d is formed at a position facing the fastening hole 963b1 of the second housing portion 963 when the drive unit 960 is assembled, and has a through hole 962da that penetrates toward the second housing portion 963 side (the lower side in FIG. 93(a)).

The through hole 962da is a hole through which a screw (not shown) is inserted to be screwed into the fastening hole 963b1 of the second housing part 963, and is formed coaxially with the fastening hole 963b1 and has a larger inner diameter than the fastening hole 963b1. This allows the first housing part 962 and the second housing part 963 to be fastened and fixed together.

The guide portion 962b is formed with a pair of arms 962e that are connected to the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a and are formed in a roughly L-shape when viewed from the side, a wall portion 962f that is connected to the pair of arms 962e and is formed in a gate shape when viewed from the front, and a protruding portion 962g that protrudes from the wall portion 962f on the side opposite the covering portion 962a (the rear base 941 side (see Figure 85)).

The arm portions 962e protrude from each of the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) and are formed in a generally L-shape in side view with the protruding tip side bent toward the other side in the direction of gravity (the side opposite the solenoid 610). The dimension between the pair of arms 962e is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension between both horizontal ends of the side wall portion 981b (see FIG. 109(a)) of the sorting unit 980 described later, and the side wall portion 981b is inserted between them.

The wall portion 962f is formed by connecting the side surfaces of the tip side (bent side) of the arm portion 962e described above, and its shape in front view is formed to be larger than the shape in front view of the displacement member 966 described above. In addition, the wall portion 962f has an outer distance dimension L3 (see FIG. 93(b)) in the facing direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) set to be approximately the same as the outer distance dimension L4 (see FIG. 91) in the facing direction of the pair of first guide walls 942b of the rear base 941 described above (L3=L4). Furthermore, the wall portion 962f has a distance dimension L5 (see FIG. 93(a)) in the gravity direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(a)) set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension L6 (see FIG. 91) from the upper end surface of the first guide wall 942b of the rear base 941 to the outer surface of the erected portion 942f (L5=L6). This allows the displacement member 966 to be disposed between the opposing wall portion 962f and the rear base 941, and the displacement member 966 can be accommodated between the opposing first guide walls 942b. Furthermore, the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 disposed between the opposing wall portion 962f and the rear base 941 can be positioned in that opposing space.

The protruding portion 962g is formed to protrude from the outside of the pair of arm portions 962e of the wall portion 962f in the opposing direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) to the opposite side of the arm portions 962e, and its protruding dimension is set to be approximately the same as the protruding dimension of the first guide wall 942b of the rear base 941. In addition, the inner dimension L7 in the opposing direction of the protruding portion 962g (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) is set to be slightly larger than the outer dimension L8 (see FIG. 91) in the opposing direction of the pair of second guide walls 942d of the rear base 941. Furthermore, the dimension of the protruding portion 962g in the gravity direction is set to be approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing first guide wall 942b and the standing portion 942f.

As a result, when the drive unit 960 in the assembled state is disposed on the rear base 941 (front unit 940), the drive unit 960 can be positioned relative to the rear base 941 by inserting the second guide wall 942d between the opposing protruding portions 962g and inserting the protruding portion 962g between the opposing first guide wall 942b and the standing portion 942f.

The second storage section 963 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed into a box-like body that covers the other side (lower side in FIG. 93(a)) of the solenoid 610. The second storage section 963 is formed into a rectangular shape that is long in the driving direction of the solenoid 610 (left and right direction in FIG. 93(b)) when viewed from above. The second storage section 963 is also formed with recessed portions 963e recessed at multiple locations on both wall portions extending in the longitudinal direction, an engagement portion 963c protruding toward the first storage section 962 side from between the multiple recessed portions 963e, a protrusion portion 963b protruding in the lateral direction from both wall portions extending in the longitudinal direction, and a bearing portion 963d recessed in the wall portion on one side (the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 85)) extending in the lateral direction.

The protrusion 963b is formed to protrude in a semicircular arc shape outward in the short direction of the second housing 963, and has a fastening hole 963b1 coaxial with the through hole 962da of the first housing 962. This allows the first housing 962 and the second housing 963 to be fastened and fixed together by threading a screw inserted from the through hole 962da side of the first housing 962 into the fastening hole 963b1.

The recessed portion 963e is an opening that allows air to circulate in the space formed between the opposing first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963. By circulating air through the recessed portion 963e, the solenoid 610 disposed between the opposing first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963 can be cooled.

The engaging portion 963c protrudes toward the first storage portion 962 from between the multiple recessed portions 963e arranged side by side, and its tip is formed into a hook shape that is bent inward in the short direction of the second storage portion 963. As described above, the engaging portion 963c is formed at a position corresponding to the engaged portion 962c of the first storage portion 962, and when the first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963 are combined, the engaging portion 963c is disposed inside the engaged portion 962c, and the bent portion of the engaging portion 963c engages with one side end face of the first storage portion 962.

In addition, since the engaging portion 963c is formed between the recessed portions 963e, the distance from the base end to the tip end of the engaging portion 963c can be increased. Therefore, when the engaging portion 963c is disposed in the first storage portion 962, the engaging portion 963c can be easily deflected, and the engaging portion 963c can be easily engaged with the first storage portion 962.

The bearing portion 963d is a recess that accommodates the rotating shaft 965c of the transmission member 965 described later, and is recessed in a shape larger than the outer shape of the rotating shaft 965c. In addition, the end face of the bearing portion 963d on the first housing portion 962 side is covered by a side surface on one side in the gravity direction of the first housing portion 962, and when the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963 are combined, the rotating shaft 965c accommodated in the bearing portion 963d can be prevented from coming off to the outside of the bearing portion 963d.

The solenoid 610 includes a body 961a formed in a rectangular parallelepiped, a shaft 961b inserted inside the body 961a and displaceable relative to the body 961a, a ring 961c disposed at the end of the shaft 961b opposite the body 961a, and a coil spring SP1 disposed between the ring 961c and the body 961a.

The main body 961a is a coil portion that generates magnetism when power is applied (supplied), and this magnetism allows the shaft 961b inserted into the main body 961a to be pulled inward and inserted.

The shaft portion 961b is formed from a magnetic metal material and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 961b is arranged so that its axial direction faces the rear base 941 side, and a part of the rear base 941 side protrudes from the main body portion 961a.

The annular portion 961c is disposed at the end of the shaft portion 961b protruding from the main body portion 961a. A connecting member 964, which will be described later, is connected to the annular portion 961c. As a result, when the shaft portion 961b is displaced relative to the main body portion 961a, the displacement is transmitted from the annular portion 961c to the connecting member 964, and the connecting member 964 can be displaced.

The coil spring SP1 is a spring member wound in a spiral shape multiple times. The coil spring SP1 is disposed around the shaft portion 961b, and is disposed in a slightly compressed state between the opposing annular portion 961c and the main body portion 961a. This allows the annular portion 961c to be biased in a direction away from the main body portion 961a. Therefore, when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a, the annular portion 961c can be maintained in a state separated from the main body portion 961a. Furthermore, after power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a, when the application (supply) of power is cut off, the annular portion 961c can be quickly separated from the main body portion 961a.

The connecting member 964 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The connecting member 964 is formed with a base portion 964a formed in a plate-like body parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and an erected portion 964b bent from the other side of the base portion 964a in the direction of gravity toward the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 85).

The base portion 964a is a portion that is connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and includes a first recessed portion 964c that is recessed from the end face on one side in the direction of gravity (the rear side of the paper in Figure 93 (b)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 961c, and a second recessed portion 964d that is located on the solenoid 610 side of the first recessed portion 964c and recessed with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 961b.

The first recessed portion 964c is a groove into which the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with one side open in the direction of gravity. The groove width of the first recessed portion 964c is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 961c. This allows the annular portion 961c to be inserted into the first recessed portion 964c.

The second recess 964d is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 961b and the base 964a when the annular portion 961c is disposed inside the first recess 964c as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on the bottom when viewed from behind, and is formed to open from the first recess 964c side to the solenoid 610 side.

The erected portion 964b has an insertion hole 964e that penetrates in the direction of gravity, and a protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 described later is inserted into the insertion hole 964e. As a result, when the connecting member 964 is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 610, the protrusion 965d abuts against the inner edge of the insertion hole 964e, and the transmission member 965 is displaced. The displacement of the transmission member 965 will be described in detail later.

The transmission member 965 is bent in side view and is made up of a tip portion 965a that extends in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion 965b that is connected to the tip portion 965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

The rotating portion 965b is formed so that the width dimension in the short side direction of the second storage portion 963 (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) is smaller than the dimension between the opposing bearing portions 963d formed in a pair in the second storage portion 963. The rotating portion 965b also includes a rotating shaft 965c that protrudes cylindrically on both sides of the short side direction of the second storage portion 963 (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) at the end on the 964 side, and a protruding portion 965d that protrudes radially from the rotating shaft 965c and toward one end in the direction of gravity.

As described above, the rotating shaft 965c is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the groove width of the bearing portion 963d. In addition, the distance between the protruding tips of the pair of rotating shafts 965c is set to be greater than the distance between the opposing bearing portions 963d formed in the second housing portion 963. This allows the pair of rotating shafts 965c to be inserted and arranged inside the bearing portions 963d. Therefore, by inserting the rotating shafts 965c into the bearing portions 963d and fastening the second housing portion 963 and the first housing portion 962, the transmission member 965 can be supported in a state in which it can rotate around the rotating shafts 965c.

As described above, the protrusion 965d is a protrusion inserted into the through hole 964e of the connecting member 964, and its outer shape is set smaller than the inner edge shape of the through hole 964e when viewed from above. In addition, the protrusion 965d is set such that the width dimension in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 is sufficiently larger than the width dimension of the through hole 964e in the state before the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 is displaced (power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a) (in this embodiment, the width dimension of the through hole 964e is set to be twice the width dimension of the protrusion 965d). As a result, when the transmission member 965 is rotationally displaced around the rotation shaft 965c, the protrusion 965d on both end faces in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b abuts against the through hole 964e, and the rotation of the transmission member 965 is prevented from being restricted.

The tip portion 965a is formed so that its width in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 965a is also formed with an insertion portion 965e at its tip that is inserted into the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966 described above, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connecting side with the rotating portion 965b toward one side in the direction of gravity.

The insertion portion 965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and is disposed by being inserted into the inside of the connecting hole 966b1. As a result, when the transmission member 965 is rotationally displaced, the insertion portion 965e comes into contact with the connecting hole 966b1, displacing the displacement member 966. Note that the displacement of the transmission member 965 and the displacement member 966 will be described in detail later.

Next, the displacement operation of the drive unit 960 will be described with reference to Figure 96. Figures 96(a) and 96(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 960 taken along line XCVI-XCVI in Figure 93(b). Note that Figure 96(a) illustrates the state before the solenoid 610 is operated, and Figure 96(b) illustrates the state after the solenoid 610 is operated. Also, in Figures 96(a) and 96(b), the outer shape of the rotation shaft 965c of the transmission member 965 is illustrated by a dashed line.

As shown in Figure 96(a), when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, the annular portion 961c is moved away from the main body 961a by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1 disposed between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c. This causes the connecting member 964 connected to the annular portion 961c to be pushed in a direction away from the main body 961a (left side of Figure 96(a)).

When the connecting member 964 is pushed out in a direction away from the main body 961a, the surface of the protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 on the solenoid 610 side (right side in FIG. 96(a)) comes into contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 964e of the connection member 964 on the solenoid 610 side. As a result, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is pushed down to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in FIG. 96(a)) around the rotation shaft 965c. In addition, the displacement of the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to one side in the direction of gravity is restricted by the contact portion 965g coming into contact with the second storage portion 963.

As shown in FIG. 96(b), when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, the magnetic force generated in the main body 961a draws the shaft 961b into the main body 961a, bringing the annular portion 961c and the main body 961a closer together (than when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a). As a result, the connecting member 964 connected to the annular portion 961c is displaced in a direction approaching the main body 961a (to the right in FIG. 96(a)).

When the connecting member 964 is displaced in a direction approaching the main body 961a, the surface of the protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 opposite the solenoid 610 (left side of FIG. 96(b)) comes into contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 964e of the connection member 964 opposite the solenoid 610 (left side of FIG. 96(b)). As a result, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is pushed up to the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 96(b)) around the rotating shaft 965c. In addition, the displacement of the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to the other side in the direction of gravity is restricted by the connection portion between the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 and the rotating part 965b coming into contact with the first storage part 962.

Therefore, by displacing the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to either the other side in the direction of gravity or one side in the direction of gravity, the transmission member 965 can be brought into contact with either the first storage section 962 or the second storage section 963. This makes it possible to prevent players from engaging in fraudulent behavior.

For example, if a player inserts a piano wire or the like into the gap between the transmission member 965 and the first storage section 962 or the second storage section 963 from the player side (play area side) to the solenoid 610, the displacement distance of the transmission member 965 can be reduced by the thickness of the piano wire. Therefore, an abnormality will occur in the displacement operation of the feather member 945 displaced by the transmission member 965, making it easier for the store operator to discover the fraud.

As described above, the transmission member 965 includes a tip portion 965a and a rotating portion 965b that extend from the rotating shaft 965c and are connected to the displacement member 966, and a protrusion 965d that extends from the rotating shaft 965c and is connected to the solenoid 610. The tip portion 965a and the rotating portion 965b are bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, so that the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced while ensuring the amount of displacement of the displacement member 966.

In other words, if the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are formed in a straight line when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, and the length dimension distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is set to be approximately equal to the combined distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b in this embodiment, the sliding displacement amount of the displacement member 966 can be made the same as in this embodiment, but the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 increases, resulting in an overall larger size.

On the other hand, if the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are formed in a straight line when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, and the length dimension distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension from the insertion part 965e to the rotating shaft 965c in this embodiment (the distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is shortened), the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be made the same as in this embodiment, but the amount of displacement of the displacement member 966 will be smaller.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, so that the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced while ensuring the amount of sliding displacement of the displacement member 966. In addition, the protrusion 965d is formed on the rear side (right side of FIG. 96(a)) of the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b, which is the opposite side to the displacement member 966. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the space created by bending the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b, thereby making the transmission member 965 smaller. In other words, the transmission member 965 can be efficiently arranged in the space between the rolling part 943a of the front unit 940 (the ball throwing unit 970 described later) and the passage member 955 of the specific winning port unit 950, thereby making it possible to reduce the overall size.

Next, the connection between the drive unit 960 and the displacement member 966 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 97 and 98. Figure 97 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line XCVII-XCVII in Figure 83. Figures 98(a) and 98(b) are cross-sectional views of the winning port unit 930 taken along line XCVIII-XCVIII in Figure 97. Note that Figure 98(a) illustrates the state before the solenoid 610 is operated, and Figure 98(b) illustrates the state after the solenoid 610 is operated.

As shown in Figures 97 and 98, when the drive unit 960 and the front unit 940 are assembled, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is inserted into the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966.

Therefore, as described above, when the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 is driven and the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in FIG. 98(a)), the bulge 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e abuts against the abutment portion 966b2 on one side of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, causing the displacement member 966 to slide and displace to the other side in the direction of gravity, as shown in FIG. 98(a) and FIG. 98(b).

As described above, when the displacement member 966 is slid toward the other side in the direction of gravity (toward the second winning port 140), the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is displaced, and the feather member 945 is opened. That is, the feather member 945 is opened by applying power to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610.

On the other hand, when the application (supply) of power to the body 961a of the solenoid 610 is cut off, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 98(a)) by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1 arranged in the solenoid 610 as described above. As a result, as shown in FIG. 98(a), the opposite surface of the bulge 965e1 comes into contact with the other side abutment portion 966b3 of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and the displacement member 966 is slid and displaced to one side in the direction of gravity.

As described above, when the displacement member 966 is slid toward one side in the direction of gravity (the specific winning port 65a side), the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is displaced, and the feather member 945 is closed. In other words, the feather member 945 is closed by cutting off the application (supply) of power to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610.

In this case, the feather member 945 can be in a closed state when the power supply to the main body 961a is cut off. This prevents the feather member 945 from being in an open state, which would allow game balls to easily flow into the second winning hole 140, if the wiring of the main body 961a is broken or if the wiring of the main body 961a is cut due to a player's fraudulent behavior.

The rotational displacement of the transmission member 965 is transmitted to the displacement member 966 through a connecting hole 966b1 formed at approximately the middle position in the short side direction of the displacement member 966. This makes it easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the displacement member between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. Therefore, the displacement member 966 can be smoothly slid and displaced as the transmission member rotates. As a result, the wing members 945 can be reliably opened or closed.

In other words, when a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of feather members 945 during the operation of slidingly displacing the displacement member 966 and opening or closing the pair of feather members 945 in conjunction with the rotation of the transmission member 965, the posture of the displacement member 966 changes. However, if the displacement member 966 is connected to the pair of feather members 945 at two points and is also connected to the transmission member 965 at two points, it is difficult to tolerate a change in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of feather members 945 and the transmission member 965, and resistance is generated when slidingly displacing the displacement member 966 (i.e., when the transmission member 965 is rotated), which inhibits the opening or closing of the feather members. In contrast, according to the present invention, the displacement member 966 is connected to the pair of feather members 945 at two points and to the transmission member 965 at one point, so that even if a load from the game ball acts on only one of the pair of feather members 945, it is easy to tolerate a change in the position of the displacement member 966 between the pair of feather members 945 and the transmission member 965.

Furthermore, the width dimension D1 (see FIG. 98(a)) of the contact surface between the one-side contacted portion 966b2 and the other-side contacted portion 966b3 of the insertion portion 965e is set to be smaller than three times the maximum outer dimension D2 (see FIG. 98(a)) of the protrusion 945b. This makes it easier to tolerate a change in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. In other words, if the width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e is set large, when the posture of the displacement member 966 changes between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965, the insertion portion 965e and the connecting hole 966b1 are more likely to come into contact, and the posture change of the displacement member 966 is restricted. However, by setting the width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e to be smaller than three times the maximum outer dimension D2 of the protrusion 945b, the restriction of the posture change of the displacement member 966 can be suppressed. As a result, it is easier to allow the displacement member 966 to change its position between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965.

The width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e is preferably set to be smaller than twice the maximum outer dimension D2 of the protrusion 945b. This makes it easier to prevent the insertion portion 965e from coming into contact with the connecting hole 966b1 when the posture of the displacement member 966 changes. As a result, it is easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965.

Next, the specific winning port unit 950 will be described with reference to Figures 99 to 101. Figure 99(a) is a front view of the specific winning port unit 950, Figure 99(b) is a rear view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 99(c) is a top view of the specific winning port unit 950. Figure 100 is an exploded oblique front view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 101 is an exploded oblique rear view of the specific winning port unit 950.

As shown in Figures 99 to 101, the specific winning port unit 950 is formed with a ball entry member 953 formed in a box-like body that opens toward the player (the front side of the paper in Figure 99), a plate member 951 arranged to cover the open portion of the ball entry member 953, a passage member 955 arranged on the opposite side of the plate member 951 across the ball entry member 953, and a drive unit 957 that operates the plate member 951.

The plate member 951 is formed from a colored translucent resin material, and allows the player to see the game ball flowing down the ball entry member 953 side through the plate member 951. The plate member 951 is formed with a main body portion 951a formed as a horizontally elongated rectangular plate-like body when viewed from the front, an axial hole 951b recessed into a cylindrical shape on both longitudinal outer sides of the main body portion 951a, a protrusion 951c protruding from one longitudinal end of the main body portion 951a toward the ball entry member 953 side, and an engagement portion 951d protruding from the other longitudinal end of the main body portion 951a toward the ball entry member 953 side.

The main body 951a is formed to a size sufficient to cover the open side of the ball entry member 953 described below when viewed from the front, and is shaped to be slightly smaller than the inner edge shape of the specific winning opening 65a of the front unit 940 described above.

The axial hole 951b is formed on one side of the main body 951a in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), and both ends in the longitudinal direction are set coaxially. The axial hole 951b is also formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rod member 952 described below, allowing the rod member 952 to be inserted inside. Therefore, by supporting the rod member 952 on the ball-entry member 953 while it is inserted into the axial hole 951b, the plate member 951 can be supported relative to the ball-entry member 953.

The protrusion 951c is formed to protrude from one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 951a. This makes it possible to prevent game balls that have flowed down the main body 951a from falling from one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 951a when the plate member 951 is rotated about the shaft hole 951b by the drive of the drive unit 957 described later and the other side of the plate member 951 in the direction of gravity is tilted toward the play area.

The engagement portion 951d has a recessed portion 951d1 that is partially recessed at the protruding tip. The tip portion 958c of the transmission member 958 described later is connected to the inside of the recessed portion 951d1, and the operation of the drive unit 957 is transmitted. In addition, when the plate member 951 is rotated around the shaft hole 951b, a portion of the engagement portion 951d protrudes toward the flow-down area, thereby preventing the game balls that have flowed down to the main body portion 951a from falling from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 951a.

The ball-entering member 953 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The ball-entering member 953 is composed of a main body 953a formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular box shape when viewed from the front, an erected wall 953b erected on the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, an engagement portion 953f protruding from the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, a ring-shaped protrusion 953c protruding in a ring shape from the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and a plate member 951 extending from both outer longitudinal sides of the edge of the open side of the main body 953a. It is formed with a wall portion 953d protruding from the side, an insertion hole 953e penetrating from the passage member 955 side to the plate member 951 side on the other longitudinal side of the main body portion 953a, protrusions 953g protruding from both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 953a, a protrusion 953h protruding from the open side edge of the main body portion 953a to the plate member 951 side, and two inlet ports 953j formed through the bottom surface of the main body portion 953a.

The main body 953a is formed in a size that allows a game ball to be inserted into the inner part of the box shape, and is formed with an opening 953a1 that opens to the plate member 951 side, and a rolling surface 953a2 that rolls the game ball that flows in from the opening 953a1. In addition, the outer shape of the main body 953a when viewed from the front is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner edge shape of the standing portion 942f of the front unit 940 described above. This allows the main body 953a (ball entry member 953) to be inserted inside the standing portion 942f and fastened and fixed to the front unit 940. A detailed explanation of the inner shape of the main body 953a will be given later.

The longitudinal dimension of the main body 953a is set to be greater than the outer separation distance in the opposing direction of the pair of wing members 945 described above. This allows the game ball to flow into the main body 953a through the specific winning opening 65a even if the game ball flowing down the game area collides with the outer peripheral surface of the pair of wing members 945.

The opening 953a1 has an inner edge shaped to be larger than the diameter of the game ball, and when the plate member 951 is in the open state, the game ball can flow into the inside of the main body portion 953a through the opening 953a1.

The rolling surface 953a2 is the inner edge of the main body 953a on the lower side in the direction of gravity, and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above. In addition, the dimension in the direction (short side) from the back side (passage member 955 side) to the front side (plate member 951 side) is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Therefore, the game ball sent from the opening 953a1 to the inside of the main body 953a can be rolled on the rolling surface 953a2.

The erected wall 953b is a wall that holds the detection device SE1 disposed on the side opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and is formed large enough to surround the outer periphery of the detection device SE1 in three directions, which is formed in a roughly horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from behind.

The engagement portion 953f is formed along the outer periphery of the detection device SE1 except for the three directions surrounded by the standing wall 953b. This allows the detection device SE1 to be disposed inside the portion surrounded by the standing wall 953b and the engagement portion 953f. In addition, the tip portion of the engagement portion 953f, which is separated from the base end by a distance equivalent to the thickness of the detection device SE1, is bent toward the standing wall 953b. Therefore, the detection device SE1 and the engagement portion 953f engage with each other, preventing the detection device SE1 disposed on the main body portion 953a from falling off.

The detection device SE1 is a device that detects the passage of a game ball, and has a detection hole SE1a with an inner diameter slightly larger than the game ball formed through it in the thickness direction. The detection hole SE1a is formed biased to one side or the other of the longitudinal direction of the detection device SE1, which is arranged in a horizontally elongated rectangular state when viewed from behind, and a detection board SE1b that controls the detection device SE1 is arranged on the other side or one side of the longitudinal direction where the detection hole SE1a is not formed. The detection hole SE1a is also positioned at a position corresponding to the inlet 953j described below, and allows the game ball flowing into the inlet 953j to pass through.

The annular projection 953c is formed in a circular shape protruding from multiple points on the side opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and a screw that fastens the passage member 955 and the ball insertion member 953 is screwed into the inner edge of the projection.

A pair of wall portions 953d are formed on both longitudinal outer sides of the main body portion 953a, and the distance between them is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the plate member 951. This allows the plate member 951 to be disposed between the pair of opposing wall portions 953d.

The wall portion 953d is formed with an axial hole 953d1 that penetrates the main body portion 953a in a circular shape in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 99(a)). The axial hole 953d1 is formed to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the axial hole 951b of the plate member 951. Therefore, after the plate member 951 is placed between the pair of opposing wall portions 953d, the rod member 952 can be inserted into the axial hole 953d1 and the axial hole 951b from both longitudinal outsides of the plate member 951, so that the plate member 951 can be axially supported by the ball entry member 953.

Furthermore, the wall portion 953d is formed with a protruding dimension smaller than the recessed distance of the recess 941h formed in the back base 941 of the front unit 940 described above. Therefore, by combining the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950, the wall portion 953d can be accommodated inside the recess 941h. This makes it possible to prevent the rod member 952 inserted into the shaft hole 953d1 and shaft hole 951b from slipping out.

The insertion hole 953e is a hole through which a part of the transmission member 965 arranged in the passage member 955 described later is inserted into the plate member 951 side, and is formed at a position corresponding to the transmission member 965 arranged in the passage member 955.

The protrusion 953g is formed to protrude on the axis of the connecting protrusion 942j of the front unit 940. In addition, when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are combined, the inner circle 942j1 of the connecting protrusion 942j and the insertion hole 953g1 formed through the protrusion 953g are arranged coaxially, and the protrusion 953g and the connecting protrusion 942j are abutted. As a result, the specific winning port unit 950 and the front unit 940 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the insertion hole 953g1 from the specific winning port unit 950 side into the inner circle 942j1.

The protrusion 953h is formed to protrude toward the plate member 951. This makes it difficult for a game ball to become caught between the plate member 951 and the edge of the main body 953a when the plate member 951 is displaced by the drive unit 957 described below.

The protrusion 953h is formed at approximately the same position in the longitudinal direction of the plate member 951 (left-right direction in FIG. 99(a)) of the plate member 951's protrusion 951c and the engagement portion 951d. This makes it difficult for the game ball to roll toward the protruding side of the protrusion 953h. As a result, when the plate member 951 is displaced, the game ball is less likely to become pinched between the plate member 951 and the protrusion 951c.

The inlet 953j is formed opening from the plate member 951 side to the passage member 955 side with an inner edge shape larger than the diameter of the game ball. The inlet 953j is a hole that sends the game ball that has flowed inside the main body 953a to the passage member 955, and is formed in a pair in the longitudinal direction of the main body 953a.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed so that gaming balls can enter, an opening/closing member that opens and closes the entrance opening, and a passage member that forms a passage for the gaming balls that have entered the entrance opening. The entrance opening is formed to a size that allows multiple gaming balls to enter at the same time, and the gaming balls that enter the entrance opening are collected in the passage member by rolling on the rolling surface, and flow into the passage member one by one. However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, if the entrance opening is made larger, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the gaming ball from the end of the entrance opening to the passage member becomes longer accordingly. Therefore, it takes time for the gaming ball to reach the passage member, and there is a problem that over-entry is likely to occur because another gaming ball enters through the entrance opening before the entrance opening is closed by the opening/closing member.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the inlets 953j are formed as a pair (at two locations) with a predetermined distance between them, so that even if the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a is enlarged, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball to the inlet 953j can be shortened. This shortens the time it takes for the game ball to reach the inlet 953j, allowing the game ball to flow into the inlet 953j in a short time. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the game ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the detection device SE1, which detects the inflow of game balls into the ball entry member 953, is disposed at the connection between the inlet 953j and the recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955 described below. This allows the game ball that has entered the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a to be detected in a shorter time. This prevents another game ball from entering the ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, and prevents over-entry.

In addition, the inlet 953j is formed at a position that does not overlap with the pair of wing members 945 in the closed state in the direction of gravity when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are fastened. In other words, the pair of wing members 945 in the closed state are positioned between the pair of inlets 953j.

Here, as described above, the specific winning port unit 950 is disposed below the second winning port 140 (the pair of feather members 945) in the direction of gravity. In addition, since the pair of feather members 945 are disposed in the game area, it is difficult for the game balls flowing down the game area to flow down the pair of feather members 945 in the direction of gravity. Therefore, a bias occurs in the inflow position of the game balls flowing into the ball entry member 953 of the specific winning port unit 950. In this embodiment, as described above, the inflow port 953j is formed at a position that does not overlap with the pair of feather members 945 in the closed state in the direction of gravity, so that the inflow port 953j can be brought closer to a position where a large number of game balls flow into the ball entry member 953. This allows the game balls flowing into the ball entry member 953 to flow into the inflow port 953j in a short time. As a result, over-entry of game balls into the ball entry member 953 can be suppressed.

The passage member 955 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and its outer shape in a front view is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape in a front view of the above-mentioned ball entry member 953. The passage member 955 is also formed with a pair of recessed portions 955a recessed at a position opposite the detection hole SE1a of each detection device SE1, a second opening 955b located on the other side of the longitudinal direction and formed to penetrate from the drive unit 957 side to the ball entry member 953 side, a pair of third openings 955c formed to penetrate from the drive unit 957 side to the ball entry member 953 side at both ends of the longitudinal direction, a rolling portion 955d recessed on the other side of the third opening 955c in the direction of gravity, and a second recessed portion 955f located between the pair of recessed portions 955a and recessed from the drive unit 957 side.

The recessed portion 955a is a passage that guides the game ball that passes through the detection hole SE1a, and the recessed dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 and on the drive unit 957 side are set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball.

The second opening 955b is a space in which a connecting member 957c of the drive unit 957 and a transmission member 958, which will be described later, are disposed. In addition, a shaft portion 955b1 (see FIG. 102(a)) that protrudes cylindrically in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second opening 955b. The shaft portion 955b1 is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the shaft hole 958b of the transmission member 958, and the transmission member 958 can be supported by inserting the shaft portion 955b1 into the shaft hole 958b.

The third opening 955c is a space in which the detection device SE2 is disposed, with the insertion direction of the detection hole SE1a parallel to the direction of gravity, and is set to be approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE2 when viewed from the front. This allows the detection device SE2 to be disposed inside the third opening 955c. Furthermore, when the detection device SE2 is disposed inside the third opening 955c, the detection hole SE1 protrudes toward the ball entry member 953.

In addition, an engagement portion 955e protrudes toward the drive unit 957 at the edge of the third opening 955c. The protruding tip of the engagement portion 955e is bent toward the inside of the third opening 955c. When the detection device SE2 is disposed in the third opening 955c, the bent portion of the engagement portion 955e engages with the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE2. This makes it possible to prevent the detection device SE2 inserted inside the third opening 955c from slipping out toward the drive unit 957.

The rolling portion 955d is curved in an arc shape. In addition, when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are combined, the end of the rolling portion 955d on the plate member 951 side is connected to the third ball sending portion 942e of the front unit 940. This allows a game ball flowing into the second outlet 941f of the front unit 940 to be sent to the rolling portion 955d of the specific winning port unit 950.

The other end of the rolling portion 955d is positioned on the other side in the direction of gravity of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE2 disposed in the third opening 955c. This allows the game balls rolling on the rolling portion 955d to fall from the other end and pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE2. This allows the number of game balls that have flowed into the second outlet 941f to be counted by the detection device SE2.

The second recessed portion 955f is formed between a pair of recessed portions 955a which serve as a passage for the game ball as described above. The second recessed portion 955f is a recess in which the drive unit 960 described above is disposed, and the distance dimension in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 (left-right direction in FIG. 99(c)) is set to be greater than the distance dimension in the lateral direction of the second storage portion 963 of the drive unit 960 described above (up-down direction in FIG. 93(b)).

The second recess 955f has an insertion hole 955h formed at the longitudinal center position of the passage member 955 and a protrusion 955g protruding toward the drive unit 957. The insertion hole 955h is a hole through which a screw that fastens the ball insertion member 953 and the passage member 955 is inserted, and is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the screw.

The protrusion 955g is formed in a cylindrical shape, with a fastening hole 955g1 recessed in a circular shape in the center. The fastening hole 955g1 is a hole into which a screw is screwed to fasten the drive unit 960 and the passage member 955 (specific winning port unit 950), and is formed in a position opposite the long hole 963f formed in the second storage section 963 of the drive unit 960. This allows the drive unit 960 and the passage member 955 (specific winning port unit 950) to be fastened and fixed.

The drive unit 957 is formed with a solenoid 957a, a case member 957b that covers the solenoid 957a, and a connecting member 957c that is disposed in the displacement portion of the solenoid 957a.

The solenoid 957a includes a main body 957a1 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped, a shaft 957a2 inserted inside the main body 957a1 and displaceable relative to the main body 957a1, a ring 957a3 disposed at the end of the shaft 957a2 opposite the main body 957a1, and a coil spring SP2 disposed between the ring 957a3 and the main body 957a1.

The main body 957a1 is a coil portion that generates magnetism when power is applied (supplied), and the magnetism causes the shaft 957a2, which is inserted into the main body 957a1, to be pulled toward the inside of the main body 957a1, making it possible to insert it.

The shaft portion 957a2 is formed from a magnetic metal material and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 957a2 is arranged so that its axial direction faces the passage member 955, and a portion of the shaft portion 957a2 on the rear base 941 side protrudes from the main body portion 957a1.

The annular portion 957a3 is disposed at the end of the shaft portion 957a2 protruding from the main body portion 957a1. A connecting member 957c (described later) is connected to the annular portion 957a3. As a result, when the shaft portion 957a2 is displaced relative to the main body portion 957a1, the displacement is transmitted from the annular portion 957a3 to the connecting member 957c, displacing the connecting member 957c.

The coil spring SP2 is a spring member wound in a spiral shape multiple times. The coil spring SP2 is disposed around the shaft portion 957a2 and disposed in a slightly compressed state between the annular portion 957a3 and the main body portion 957a1. This allows the annular portion 957a3 to be biased in a direction away from the main body portion 957a1. Therefore, when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body portion 957a1, the annular portion 957a3 can be maintained in a state separated from the main body portion 957a1. Furthermore, when power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 957a1 and then the application (supply) of power is cut off, the annular portion 957a3 can be quickly separated from the main body portion 957a1.

The case member 957b is formed in a box shape that covers the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a, and one side into which the shaft 957a2 is inserted is open. The case member 957b is also formed with an insertion hole 957b1 that penetrates in the axial direction of the shaft 957a2, and an opening 957b2 that penetrates the side opposite the open side.

The through hole 957b1 is a screw hole through which a screw that fastens the passage member 955 and the case member 957b (drive unit 957) is inserted, and is formed larger than the outer shape of the tip of the screw. In addition, the screw inserted through the through hole 957b1 is screwed into the passage member 955.

The opening 957b2 is formed on the opposite side of the shaft portion 957a2. This allows the wiring HS1 (see FIG. 105) to be connected to the main body portion 957a1 via the opening 957b2.

The connecting member 957c is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The connecting member 957c is formed in a plate-like body parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the annular portion 957a3 of the solenoid 957a. The connecting member 957c has a first recessed portion 957c1 recessed from the end face on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in FIG. 99(b)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 957a3, a second recessed portion 957c2 located on the solenoid 957a side of the first recessed portion 957c1 and recessed with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 957a2, and an engagement portion 957c3 protruding toward the ball receiving member 953 side.

The first recessed portion 957c1 is a groove into which the annular portion 957a3 of the solenoid 957a is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with one side open in the direction of gravity. The groove width of the first recessed portion 957c1 is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 957a3. This allows the annular portion 957a3 to be inserted into the first recessed portion 957c1.

The second recess 957c2 is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 957a2 and the connecting member 957c when the annular portion 957a3 is disposed inside the first recess 957c1 as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on one side in the direction of gravity when viewed from behind, and is formed to open from the first recess 957c1 side to the solenoid 957a side.

The engaging portion 957c3 is bent in a generally L-shape when viewed from the side. A connecting portion 958a of the transmission member 958 (described later) is disposed on the inside of the bent portion of the engaging portion 957c3. As a result, when the connecting member 957c is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 957a, the connecting portion 958a comes into contact with the inner edge of the engaging portion 957c3, displacing the transmission member 958. The displacement of the transmission member 958 will be described in detail later.

The transmission member 958 is formed as a plate-like body having a generally triangular shape in a side view. The transmission member 958 is formed with an axial hole 958b that penetrates in a circular shape in the plate thickness direction, a connecting portion 958a that protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the plate thickness direction from the end portion on the connecting member 957c side, and a tip portion 958c that protrudes toward the plate member 951 side.

As described above, the shaft hole 958b is a through hole into which the shaft portion 955b1 (see FIG. 102(a)) is inserted. The inner diameter of the shaft hole 958b is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 955b1. This allows the transmission member 958 to be rotatably supported by the passage member 955.

As described above, the connecting portion 958a is disposed inside the bent portion of the engaging portion 957c3. As a result, when the connecting member 957c is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 957a, the connecting portion 958a abuts against the inner edge of the engaging portion 957c3, and the transmission member 958 is rotated around the shaft hole 958b.

The tip 958c is inserted into the recess 951d1 of the plate member 951. Therefore, when the solenoid 957a is operated and the transmission member 958 is rotated around the axis of the shaft hole 958b, the tip 958c is displaced, pushing up the engagement portion 951d. This allows the plate member 951 to rotate.

Next, the displacement of the plate member 951 will be described with reference to Figures 102 and 103. Figures 102(a) and 102(b) are cross-sectional views of the specific winning port unit 950 taken along line CII-CII in Figure 99(c). Figures 103(a) and 103(b) are oblique front views of the specific winning port unit 950.

Note that Figures 102(a) and 103(a) show the closed state of plate member 951, while Figures 103(a) and 103(b) show the open state of plate member 951. The closed state of plate member 951 is a state in which main body portion 951a covers the opening of main body portion 953a of ball-entering member 953, and the open state of plate member 951 is a state in which main body portion 951a is separated from the opening of main body portion 953a of ball-entering member 953.

As shown in Figures 102(a) and 103(a), when the application (supply) of power to the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a is cut off, the urging force of the coil spring SP2 causes the shaft 957a2 to protrude toward the plate member 951 (left side of Figure 102(a)). As a result, the connecting member 957c disposed on the shaft 957a2 (annular portion 957a3) is also disposed on the plate member 951 side, away from the main body 957a1 side.

In this case, as described above, the connecting portion 958a (see FIG. 101) of the transmission member 958 is disposed inside the engaging portion 957c3 of the connection member 957c, so that the connecting portion 958a is pushed toward the plate member 951. As a result, a force is transmitted to the tip portion 958c of the transmission member 958 in a direction rotating around the shaft hole 958b toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 102(a)).

When the tip 958c is pushed down to one side in the direction of gravity, the tip 958c comes into contact with the recessed portion 951d1, and the body portion 951a of the plate member 951 rotates in a direction approaching the opening 953a1 of the body portion 953a of the ball-entering member 953. This allows the plate member 951 to be maintained in a closed state.

When the plate member 951 is in the closed state, the surface of the connecting member 957c facing the plate member 951 and the surface of the transmission member 958 facing the solenoid 957a are in contact with each other. As a result, if a player performs tampering to force the plate member 951 into the open state, the surface of the connecting member 957c facing the plate member 951 can be pushed out by the surface of the transmission member 958 facing the solenoid 957a, preventing the force of tampering from being applied to the coupling portion 958a or the engagement portion 957c3. As a result, damage to the coupling portion 958a or the engagement portion 957c3 can be prevented.

As shown in Figures 102(b) and 103(b), when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a, the shaft 957a2 is pulled (attracted) into the inside of the main body 957a1. As a result, the connecting member 957c disposed on the shaft 957a2 (annular portion 957a3) is also disposed on the main body 957a1 side.

In this case, as described above, the connecting portion 958a (see FIG. 101) of the transmission member 958 is disposed inside the engaging portion 957c3 of the connecting member 957c, and is displaced toward the main body portion 958a1 (right side in FIG. 102(b)) in conjunction with the displacement of the connecting member 957c. As a result, a force is transmitted to the transmission member 965 in a direction that rotates the tip portion 958c around the shaft hole 958b toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 102(b)).

When the tip 958c is pushed up in the other direction of gravity, the tip 958c comes into contact with the recessed portion 951d1, and the body portion 951a of the plate member 951 rotates in a direction away from the opening side of the body portion 953a of the ball-entering member 953. This allows the plate member 951 to be in an open state.

In addition, when the plate member 951 is displaced from the closed state to the open state, the plate member 951 can be displaced in the opening direction by utilizing the weight of the plate member 951, so that the application of force to the connecting portion 958a or the engaging portion 957c3 can be suppressed. As a result, the connecting portion 958a or the engaging portion 957c3 can be suppressed from being damaged.

Next, referring to Figure 104, the inner portion of the main body 953a of the ball entry member 953 will be described. Figure 104(a) is a front view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 104(b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 taken along line CIVb-CIVb in Figure 104(a). Note that Figure 104(a) illustrates the state in which the plate member 951 has been removed, and Figure 104(b) illustrates the state in which the plate member 951 has been attached. Also, Figures 104(a) and 104(b) illustrate the closed state of the plate member 951.

As shown in FIG. 104, the inside of the main body 953a is formed with an inclined surface 954a that inclines from the middle position in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 104(a)) of the main body 953a toward one side in the direction of gravity toward the outside, a recess 954b recessed into the end of the inclined surface 954a, a protruding portion 954c protruding from the connecting portion of the inclined surface 954a and the recess 954b, and an erected wall 954d erected and connected to each surface at both ends in the longitudinal direction and the surface on the passage member 955 side.

The inclined surface 954a is a rolling surface for game balls that roll the game balls that flow between the pair of opposing inlets 953j toward the inlet 953j, and is formed with a downward incline toward the inlet 953j. This allows the game balls that flow between the pair of opposing inlets 953j to roll toward the inlet 953j.

The recess 954b is located in front of the inlet 953j (below in FIG. 104(b)) and is recessed toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). The recess 954b is formed with a recessed tip surface that slopes downward toward the inlet 953j, and can receive a game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2 of the main body 953a and guide it to the inlet 953j (recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955). Therefore, the game ball that entered through the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a can flow into the recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955 in a short time, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The recess 954b extends linearly in a direction (up-down direction in FIG. 104(b)) approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. This makes it easier for the rolling surface 953a2 to receive a game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 (left-right direction in FIG. 104(b)) into the recess 954b, and allows the received game ball to be guided (flowed into) the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the width dimension L9 (see FIG. 104(b)) of the recess 954b in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game balls to flow quickly into the passage member 955 while aligned when multiple game balls are received in the recess 954b. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

In addition, the width dimension of the recess 954b in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is reduced from the passage member 955 side toward the opening 953a1 side (plate member 951 side). This makes it easier for the game ball to flow toward the passage member 955 side when the game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2 in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is received in the recess 954b. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the game ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The second inclined surface 954e is formed on the opposite side of the rolling surface 953a2 with the recess 954b in between, in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2, and is formed with a downward inclination toward the inlet 953j (passage member 955). This allows a game ball that has entered the second inclined surface 954e to roll in front of the inlet 953j by utilizing the downward inclination of the second inclined surface 954e, and to quickly roll toward the passage member 955. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The erected wall 954d is formed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the second inclined surface 954e, and is provided with a second guide surface 954d1 on the inlet 953j (passage member 955) side to guide the rolling direction of the game ball flowing into the second inclined surface 954e.

The second guide surface 954d1 is an end surface on the opening 953a1 side, and is formed inclined from the opening 953a1 side toward the inlet 953j side toward the recess 954b side in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. That is, the second guide surface 954d1 is formed so as to be inclined from the opening 953a1 toward the passage member 955 so as to be able to abut against the game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2, and is disposed between the longitudinal end of the rolling surface 953a2 and the passage member 955. This allows the game ball flowing into the main body 953a from the longitudinal end of the opening 953a1 to be quickly rolled toward the passage member 955. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protruding portion 954c is formed at both ends of the rolling surface 953a2 of the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction, and is protruded toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity). This allows the rolling speed of the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a toward the outside in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 (left and right direction in FIG. 104 (b)) to be decelerated before the recess 954b (passage member 955). That is, the rolling speed of the game ball is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball is decelerated before (just before) the recess 954b, so that the game ball can be prevented from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 can prevent another game ball from entering the opening 953a1 until the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protrusion 954c is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from above, with one side connected to the side opposite the opening 953a1, and one of the remaining two sides is formed with the side edge 954c3 on the recess 954b side connected to the side of the recess 954b, and the guide surface 954c1 of the remaining side is formed inclined toward the opening 953a1 toward the rolling direction of the game ball on the inclined surface 954a of the game ball (the longitudinal outward direction of the rolling surface 953a2). This allows the rolling speed of the game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 on the inclined surface 954a to be decelerated in front of the recess 954b (passage member 955).

That is, the rolling speed of the game ball in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is decelerated just before (just before) the recess 954b, thereby preventing the game ball from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be caused to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, preventing over-entry.

As described above, the axis of rotation of the plate member 951 is formed between both ends of the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a in the short direction, so that when the plate member 951 is in an open state, the end of the plate member 951 can be positioned on the one end side in the direction of gravity (above the direction of gravity) of the rolling surface 953a2. This makes it possible to prevent game balls that have flown inside the main body 951a from flying out from the opening 953a1 side of the main body 951a when the plate member 951 is in an open state.

Furthermore, since the game ball guided to the opening 953a1 side by the guide surface 954c1 can be brought into contact with the plate member 951, the rolling speed of the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 can be decelerated before the recess 954b (passage member 955). That is, the rolling speed of the game ball is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball is decelerated before (just before) the recess 954b, so that the game ball can be prevented from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 can prevent another game ball from entering the opening 953a1 until it is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The guide surface 954c1 is formed in a downwardly sloping shape from the connecting portion between the side edge portion 954c3 and the inlet 953j to the side edge portion 954c2 of the connecting portion with the inclined surface 954a. This allows the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 to flow into the inlet 953j (passage member 955) in a short time while preventing the game ball from flying out of the opening 953a1.

That is, for game balls that roll along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 on the inclined surface 954a toward the passage member 955, those with a relatively low (slow) rolling speed are unlikely to fly out of the opening 933a1, so by abutting against the guide surface 954c1 and guiding them toward the opening 953a1 side, it is possible to suppress the ball from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e, and to allow the ball to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. On the other hand, for game balls with a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, it is possible to make the ball go over the guide surface 954c1 and guide it to the standing wall 954d formed on the second inclined surface 954e side. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the game ball is consumed by going over the guide surface 954c1 and colliding with the standing wall 954d, and the ball can be decelerated reliably. Therefore, the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 can be prevented from flying out of the opening 953a1 and can flow quickly into the inlet 953j (passage member 955). As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the game ball before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

In addition, the side edge portion 954c3 of the end face of the protruding portion 954c facing the standing wall 954d extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. The second side edge portion 954d2 of the end face of the standing wall 954d facing the protruding portion 954c extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. The length dimension L30 (see FIG. 104 (b)) of the side edge portion 954c3 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is set to be smaller than the length dimension L31 of the second side edge portion 954d2 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. This allows the game ball that has overcome the guide surface 954c1 to abut against the second side edge portion 954d2 of the standing wall 954d, reliably decelerating it, and making it easier to position it in the vicinity of the passage member 955. This allows the game balls to flow into the passage member quickly. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the vertical wall 954d has a distance L32 (see FIG. 104(a)) between the middle position in the thickness direction and the second inclined surface 954e set to be approximately the same as the radius of the game ball. This allows the game ball that has climbed over the guide surface 954c1 to come into contact with the second side edge 954d2 of the vertical wall 954d, ensuring deceleration. This allows the game ball to flow quickly into the passage member. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, preventing over-entry.

The protrusion 954c is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the second guide surface 954d1 of the erected wall 954d, and even if the rolling speed of the game ball guided by the second guide surface 954d1 toward the recess 954b (passage member 955) is relatively high (low), the game ball can be brought into contact with the protrusion 954c and decelerated. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protruding portion 954c is set such that the distance dimension L33 (see FIG. 104(a)) from the recessed surface of the recess 954b to the protruding tip is greater than the radius of the game ball. As described above, the protruding portion 954c is formed to be continuous with the side surface of the recess 954b, so that even if the game ball guided toward the passage member 955 by the second guide surface 954d1 of the erected wall 954d has a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, the game ball can be easily brought into contact with the protruding portion 954c. This allows the game ball to be decelerated and flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

Next, the assembled state of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 will be described with reference to Figures 105 and 106. Figure 105(a) is a top view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960, and Figure 105(b) is a side view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960. Figure 106(a) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 taken along line CVIa-CVIa in Figure 105(a), and Figure 106(b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 taken along line CVIb-CVIb in Figure 106(a).

In addition, in Figures 105(a) and 105(b), a portion of the wiring HS1 connected to the solenoid 957a that operates the plate member 951 and a portion of the wiring HS2 connected to the solenoid 610 that operates the pair of blade members (see Figure 83(a)) are shown. Also, in Figure 106(b), a portion of the wiring HS3 connected to the detection device SE1 that detects the number of game balls that have flowed into the specific winning opening 65a is shown.

As shown in Figures 105 and 106, the drive unit 960 that drives the wing members 945 (see Figure 83 (a)) of the winning port unit 930 is formed in a position where it partially overlaps with the specific winning port unit 950 when viewed from the front. This allows a space to be formed on the opposite side (back side) of the play area of the second winning port 140 (pair of wing members 945).

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a second winning opening 140, a pair of blade members 945 that open or close the second winning opening 140, a first drive means that drives the pair of blade members 945, a specific winning opening 65a, a plate member 951 that opens or closes the specific winning opening 65a, and a second drive means that drives the plate member 951. However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the first drive means and the second drive means are respectively disposed on the back side of the pair of blade members 945 and the plate member 951, making it difficult to dispose other members or devices on the back side of the pair of blade members 945 and the plate member 951, and making it difficult to effectively utilize the space.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of feather members 945 is disposed on the rear side of the plate member 951, so that space can be created on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (see FIG. 97). In other words, by consolidating the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of feather members and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 on the rear side of the plate member 951 (specific winning port 65a), space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning port 140), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

In addition, by arranging the operating means (drive unit 960) of the wing member 945, which is disposed near the central opening (where the center frame 86 is disposed) formed in the base plate 60 (see Figure 82), on the back side of the plate member 951 (specific winning port unit 950) disposed away from the central opening, the movable body of the operating unit, which is visible to the player through the inside of the central opening (center frame 86), can be retreated to the back side of the base plate 60 (the opposite side to the playing area), making it difficult for the player to see.

That is, the movable body of the operating unit is arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 during normal (retracted) operation, making it difficult for players to see, and when movable (extending), it is made easier for players to see by extending inside the central opening (center frame 86) of the base plate 60. By arranging the operating means (drive unit 960) of the wing member 945 arranged near the central opening in a position that overlaps horizontally with the specific winning port unit 950 located far from the central opening, it is possible to easily position the movable body away from the central opening during retraction. Therefore, it is possible to make the movable body of the operating unit difficult for players to see during normal (retracted) operation. As a result, when the movable body is operated to extend, it is easy to provide interest to the player.

The plate member 951 is also set so that its projected area in front view is larger than that of the pair of wing members 945. This allows for effective use of the dead space behind the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951). That is, in a game board 13 having two displacement members (plate member 951 and pair of wing members 945), the respective drive means (drive unit 957 and drive unit 960) are disposed on the back of the side with the larger projected area in front view (plate member 951 side), making it easier to dispose the respective drive means on the back of one displacement member (plate member 951), and allowing space to be formed on the back side of the other displacement members (pair of wing members 945).

Furthermore, the projected area of the plate member 951 in a front view is larger than the projected area of the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 in a front view, so that the dead space on the back side of the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951) can be effectively utilized.

As shown in FIG. 105(a), the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the plate member 951 (left and right direction in FIG. 105(a)). This allows for effective use of the dead space on the back side of the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951).

In this case, as described above, the plate member 951 (specific winning port unit 950) is disposed at a position farther away from the central opening of the base plate 60 (see FIG. 81) than the pair of feather members 945, and is disposed with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of separation. This makes it easier to secure space on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945. As a result, the space on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 can be effectively utilized.

As described above, the rolling portion 943a is formed on the front base 943 of the front unit 940, the rolling portion 943a is disposed through the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941, and the drive unit 960 is connected to the rear base 941, so that the rear base 941 can be fastened and fixed to the front base 943 while the drive unit 960 can be held (disposed) on the front base 943 at the same time. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to attach the drive unit 960 when attaching the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 to the base plate 60 (game board 13).

The solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 and the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 are set at approximately the same end position on the side opposite the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950 (back side), and the wiring HS1 and wiring HS2 connected to the solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 and the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 are connected from the end on the side opposite the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950 (back side). This makes it easier to bundle the wiring of the solenoid 957a and the solenoid 610. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wiring from coming undone on the side opposite the play area of the game board 13 (back side), and to prevent the wiring HS1 and HS2 from interfering with other devices and accessories.

That is, the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 that drives the blade member 945 and the solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are arranged in such a manner that the axial directions of the shaft portion 961b and the shaft portion 957a2 face in the same direction, and the wiring HS1 and the wiring HS2 are connected (drawn out) to the side of the main body portion 961a and the shaft portion 957a2 opposite the shaft portions 961b and 957a2. This makes it easier to bundle the wiring HS1 of the drive unit 960 and the wiring HS2 of the drive unit 957.

The drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are disposed in a position where both side surfaces in the direction of gravity are substantially flush with each other. This simplifies the shape of the partition member (not shown) that partitions the drive unit 957 and the drive unit 960 and limits the flow of an electromagnetic field in the area where the drive unit 957 and the drive unit 960 are disposed.

In other words, if the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 are formed to be different sizes, or if the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 in the direction of gravity are positioned at different positions in the direction of gravity, a step will be formed between the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 in the direction of gravity, and a partition member will need to be formed to match the step, resulting in a complex shape of the partition member.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the drive unit 960 and the drive unit 957 are disposed at a position where both side surfaces of the main body portion 961a and the main body portion 957a1 in the direction of gravity are substantially flush with each other, and no step is formed between the outer surfaces, so the partition member can be made flat. As a result, the shape of the partition member can be simplified.

The partition member is a conductive barrier that separates the area where the drive units 960 and 957 are installed from other areas and restricts the flow of electromagnetic waves between the two areas, and is made of a metal plate.

The transmission member 965 is disposed between the passage member 955 of the specific winning port unit 950 and the rolling portion 943a of the front unit 940 (see FIG. 97), and a displacement member 966 that slides and displaces with the rotation of the transmission member 965 to open and close the pair of wing members 945 is disposed at its tip (insertion portion 965e). Compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members 945 are opened and closed only by a rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the rolling portion 943a on the back side of the second winning port 140. In addition, since there is no need to bend the ball sending path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning port 140 toward the specific winning port unit 950 to avoid interference with the rotating member as in conventional products, the second winning port 140 can be brought closer to the specific winning port 65a.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 106(a) and 106(b), the drive unit 960 is arranged in a position overlapping with the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE2 that is arranged in a pair with the specific winning port unit 950 when viewed from the front. In other words, the detection device SE2 is arranged between the plate member 951 and the drive unit 960. As a result, for example, if the plate member 951 is opened to tamper with the drive unit 960 through the specific winning port 65a, the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE1 can hide the drive unit 960, making such tampering more difficult to perform.

As described above, if the drive means (drive unit 960) for driving the feather member 945 is disposed on the rear side of the specific winning port unit 950, and a hole is formed in the ball entry member 953 from the playing area side to the drive unit 960 with a drill or the like in order to insert a piano wire or the like through a gap in the pachinko machine 10 in order to illegally operate the gaming machine, there is a risk that it may be difficult for store staff to detect the illegal activity.

In other words, because the plate member 951 is disposed on the playing area (player) side of the ball entry member 953, the ball entry member 953 is hidden by the plate member 951, making it difficult for store staff to discover any fraudulent acts being performed on the ball entry member 953.

In contrast, in this embodiment, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole to secure a path from the specific winning opening 65a to the first drive means, the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE1 can be destroyed, and thus fraudulent activity can be detected by monitoring the state of the detection device SE1. As described above, in this embodiment, even if the plate member 951 is opened and fraudulent activity is committed on the drive unit 960 from the specific winning opening 65a, the plate member 951 can be closed to block the drive unit 960, making it impossible to see the location where fraudulent activity was committed, so that monitoring the state of the detection device SE1 is particularly effective in detecting fraudulent activity.

In addition, because detection device SE1 is the same reused item (off-the-shelf product) as detection devices that detect other game balls (e.g., detection device SE2 and detection device SE3), there is no flexibility in the size of its external shape. As a result, gaps are formed between opposing detection devices SE1. Therefore, if a player were to aim for the gap and drill a hole in ball entry member 953 with a drill or the like, there is a risk that the player's fraudulent behavior will not be notified to the store clerk.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring HS3 is connected to the opposing sides of the pair of detection devices SE1. This allows the wiring HS3 to be arranged in the gap formed between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. Therefore, when a player aims a drill or the like at the gap between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1, the drill can break the wiring HS3. This allows the pachinko machine 10 to recognize a detection failure, and the pachinko machine 10 can report an error, making it easier for store clerks to discover fraud.

That is, the wiring is relatively easy to damage. Therefore, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole in order to secure a path from the specific winning port 65a to the drive unit, the wiring HS3 can be easily damaged (broken) as a result of the fraudulent act. Alternatively, it can be made to realize that it is difficult to commit a fraudulent act without damaging (breaking) the wiring HS3, making it easier to deter fraudulent acts.

In addition, a ring protrusion 953c is formed between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1, into which a screw that fastens the ball entrance member 953 and the passage member 955 is screwed. As a result, if the plate member 951 is opened and tampering is performed on the drive unit 960 from the open side of the ball entrance member 953 (the lower side of E10(a)), the drive unit 960 can be hidden by the screw screwed into the ring protrusion 953c, making such tampering more difficult to perform. That is, as described above, it is difficult to cover the front of the front of the drive unit 960 with the pair of detection devices SE1, and a gap is likely to form between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. By setting such a gap as the fastening position of the screw, the uncovered area on the front of the drive unit 960 can be supplemented by the screw, making it more difficult to perform tampering.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 106(b), the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c of the ball entrance member 953. This allows the wiring HS3 to be routed (positioned) over a wider range of the gap formed between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. In other words, a wider range of the front of the drive unit 960 can be shielded by the wiring HS3. Therefore, for example, when opening the plate member 951 and tampering with the drive unit 960 from the open side of the ball entrance member 953, it is possible to make such tampering more difficult. Alternatively, it is possible to make it easier to recognize that it is difficult to tamper without damaging (disconnecting) the wiring HS3, making it easier to deter tampering.

Therefore, when a player aims a drill or the like at the gap between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1, the drill can easily break the wiring HS3. This allows the pachinko machine 10 to recognize a detection failure, and the pachinko machine 10 can report an error, making it easier for store staff to discover fraud.

Furthermore, the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c. This makes it difficult for shear forces to act on the connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS. In other words, if the wiring HS3 is not wound around the annular protrusion 953c and is discharged outside the specific winning port unit 950, the wiring HS3 is pulled in the discharge direction by the specific winning port unit 950, causing a shear force to act on the connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS. The connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS3 is formed by an insertable connector, and is therefore easily cut by a shear force.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c, so that when the wiring HS3 is pulled in the ejection direction of the specific winning port unit 950, the direction of the force acting on the connection portion with the detection device SE1 can be made to act in the direction in which the wiring HS3 is connected. As a result, the wiring HS3 can be prevented from being cut at the connection portion with the detection device SE1.

In addition, the annular protrusion 953c formed between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1 is formed at a position biased toward the end of the wiring HS3 of the detection device SE1 opposite the discharge side. Therefore, since the wiring HS3 of the pair of detection devices SE1 is pulled out to the side opposite the screw engagement position (annular protrusion 953c), such wiring HS3 can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the drive unit 960. In other words, a wider area in front of the drive unit 960 can be shielded by the screws and wiring. Therefore, for example, when cheating on the drive unit 960 by opening the plate member 951 through the specific winning opening 65a, such cheating can be made more difficult to carry out.

Next, the overall configuration of the ball throwing unit 970 will be described with reference to Figures 107 and 108. Figure 107(a) is a front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 107(b) is a side view of the ball throwing unit 970. Figure 108(a) is an exploded perspective front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 108(b) is an exploded perspective rear view of the ball throwing unit 970.

As shown in Figures 107 and 108, the ball sending unit 970 is formed with a distribution unit 980 that is arranged on the player side (play area side) and has a space inside through which game balls can be inserted, and a passage unit 990 that is arranged on the opposite side of the distribution unit 980 from the play area.

The distribution unit 980 has an opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) that is connected to the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 of the winning opening unit 930 described above, and can receive game balls sent from the opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) to the opposite side of the game area via the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140. A detailed explanation of the distribution unit 980 will be given later.

The passage unit 990 is disposed on the other end side (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the sorting unit 980. The passage unit 990 has a plurality of openings (first through hole 991a to second through hole 991d) on the surface facing the sorting unit 980, and game balls sent inside the sorting unit 980 can be received through these openings. A detailed explanation of the passage unit 990 will be given later.

Next, the configuration of the sorting unit 980 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 109 to 112. Figure 109(a) is a front view of the sorting unit 980, and Figure 109(b) is a side view of the sorting unit 980. Figure 110 is an exploded oblique front view of the sorting unit 980, and Figure 111 is an exploded oblique rear view of the sorting unit 980. Figure 112(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in Figure 109(a), and Figure 112(b) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line CXIIb-CXIIb in Figure 112(a).

As shown in Figures 109 to 112, the distribution unit 980 is formed mainly by comprising a rear base 985, a front base 981 arranged on the player side of the rear base 985, a distribution section 983 arranged in a rotatable state between the front base 981 and the rear base, and a cover member 987 arranged on the rear side of the rear base 985 in a position corresponding to the distribution section 983.

The rear base 985 is formed from a colored translucent (blue in this embodiment) resin material, and is mainly composed of a base portion 985a formed into a plate-like body, a number of openings (openings 985b to 985g) penetrating the base portion 985a in the thickness direction, a recess 985h recessed into the other side of the openings in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a storage portion 986b and a protruding portion 986e protruding from the opposite surface of the recess 985h.

The base portion 985a is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is formed with a plurality of fastening holes 986c and 986d that penetrate the outer edge in a circular shape, and an inclined surface 986a that inclines toward one side in the direction of gravity on the side opposite the front base 981. The fastening hole 986c is a hole into which a screw that is inserted through the front base 981 (described later) is screwed. This allows the front base 981 and the rear base 985 to be fastened and fixed. The fastening hole 986d is a hole into which a screw that is inserted through the passage unit 990 (described later) is screwed. This allows the rear base 985 (distribution unit 980) and the passage unit 990 to be fastened and fixed.

The inclined surface 986a is formed at a position overlapping with a portion of the other side of the openings 985b to 985f (described below) in the direction of gravity. The inclined surface 986a is also formed at a position facing the inclined portion 982b of the front base 981 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This makes it possible to guide the flow direction of game balls flowing down in the direction of gravity toward the openings 985b to 985f. As a result, it becomes easier for game balls to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

The recess 985h is recessed toward the opposite side of the front base 981 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 109(b)) and is formed at approximately the center of the short side of the base 985a (the left-right direction in FIG. 109(b)). The recess 985h is formed with a size that can accommodate a part of the distribution section 983 (described later) on the inside, and is provided with a bearing section 985j that protrudes in an annular shape on the bottom surface. The bearing section 985j is a hole into which one end of the shaft member 988a that supports the distribution section 983 is inserted, and is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

Openings 985b and 985c are formed at both ends of the base portion 985a in the short direction, and the dimensions of the inner edges are set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, openings 985b and 985c are formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) slopes downward as it heads toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows the game ball flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll to the side opposite the front base 981 side.

Opening 985d is formed in approximately the center of the short side of base portion 985a (left-right direction in FIG. 109(b)), and its position in the direction of gravity (up-down direction in FIG. 109(b)) is set to approximately the same position as openings 985b and 985c. Also, like openings 985b and 985c, opening 985d is formed with an inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) sloping downward as it heads toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows game balls flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll to the side opposite the front base 981 side.

The opening 985e is formed between the openings 985b and 985d, and the opening 985f is formed between the openings 985c and 985d. The openings 985e and 985f are mainly formed with inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 of the space that open to the front base 981 side, outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3 of the space that open to the side opposite the front base 981 side, and intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 that extend in the direction of gravity and communicate the inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3.

The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 formed between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 described below, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

The intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed by extending in the direction of gravity, and the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) is connected to the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls passing through the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 to flow into the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2.

The intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 also have recessed portions 985f4 formed in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the throwing direction of the game ball (the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 985f4 are cutouts for disposing the detection device SE3, which will be described later, inside thereof, and are set to be approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3 when viewed from the rear. This allows the detection device SE3 to be inserted and disposed from the rear side of the base portion 985a (the side opposite the front base 981).

The detection device SE3 is also arranged such that the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a is set parallel to the extension direction of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2, and the internal space of the detection hole SE1a and the space of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are approximately aligned. This allows the game ball to pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 when it flows down from the other side of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). This allows the game ball passing through the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to be detected.

In addition, the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 is formed parallel to the direction of gravity, so that the weight of the game ball can be easily utilized when sending the game ball to the detection hole SE1a. As a result, the game ball can be prevented from getting caught in the connection between the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 and the detection hole SE1a. Note that the detailed configuration of the detection device SE3 is the same as that of the detection device SE1 described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The recessed portions 985e4, 985f4 are formed so as to be continuous with the spaces of the inlet passages 985e1, 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3, 985f3. That is, the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed using the detection device SE3. This makes it possible to prevent the length dimension of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity from becoming large. As a result, it is possible to prevent the rear base 985 from becoming large in the direction of gravity.

The discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to one side of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. In addition, the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to the third insertion hole 991c and the fourth insertion hole 991d of the passage unit 990 described below when the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls passing through the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 to flow into the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 and to be sent to the passage unit 990 by passing through the space.

Opening 985g is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of opening 985d. Also, like opening 985d, opening 985g is formed with the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) sloping downward toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows the game balls flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll toward the side opposite the front base 981.

The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 formed between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 described below, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

The storage section 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings. The storage section 986b is a portion that stores the magnetic body 988b described later inside, and its inner diameter is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b formed in a cylindrical body. The protruding dimension of the storage section 986b is set to be larger than the axial dimension of the magnetic body 988b. This allows the magnetic body 988b to be stored inside the storage section 986b. Since the storage section 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings, even if the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b is formed slightly larger due to manufacturing errors, the pair of semicircular rings can be elastically deformed to arrange the magnetic body 988b.

The protruding portion 986e is cylindrically protruding from a position on the opposite side of the bearing portion 985j and the base portion 985a described above. The protruding portion 986e also has a fastening hole recessed in a circular shape on its axis. The fastening hole is a hole into which the tip of a screw that passes through the cover member 987 described below is screwed, and the cover member 987 can be fastened and fixed to the back base 985 by screwing the screw with the cover member 987 in contact.

The magnetic body 988b is made of a magnet, and by being disposed in the housing portion 986b, it is possible to generate a magnetic field on the front base 981 side via the base portion 985a. This makes it possible to repel the magnetic body 988c disposed in the distribution portion 983 described later, making it easier to displace the distribution portion 983.

The front base 981 is formed from a colored translucent resin material (blue in this embodiment). The front base 981 is formed in a generally rectangular shape larger than the rear base 985 when viewed from the front, and is formed mainly with a base plate 981a and a bulge portion 982 that bulges out from the base plate 981a toward the player (the side opposite the rear base 986).

The base plate 981a is formed as a plate member having a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a plurality of insertion holes 981g penetrating in the plate thickness direction on its outer peripheral edge, a first guide wall 981f and a second guide wall 981d protruding toward the rear base 985 side, a second insertion hole 981e penetrating in the vicinity of the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d, and a through hole 981c penetrating in the plate thickness direction on one side of the bulge portion 982 in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction).

The insertion hole 981g is a hole through which a screw (not shown) is inserted to fasten the assembled ball throwing unit 970 to the base plate 60 (see FIG. 82), and is set to an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the screw.

The first guide wall 981f is formed in a semicircular ring shape, and is formed as a pair in the short side direction with a bulge portion 982 (described later) sandwiched between them. The first guide wall 981f is also formed with the semicircular open portion facing approximately the center of the base plate 981a in the short side direction.

The second guide wall 981d is formed in an annular shape and is formed at two locations in the short direction of the base plate 981a. The second guide wall 981d is also formed below the bulge portion 982 (described later) in the direction of gravity, and a through hole 981c is formed between the two locations.

The first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d are formed so that their inner edge shapes are substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 986c of the rear base 985 described above. This allows the wall portion around the fastening hole 986c to be inserted inside the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined, and allows the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d to be positioned.

The second insertion hole 981e is formed at the center of the semicircle of the first guide wall 981f and the center of the second guide wall 981d. When the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are assembled, the second insertion hole 981e is formed coaxially with the fastening hole 986c, and the front base 981 and the rear base 985 can be fastened together by inserting a screw from the front base 981 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 986d.

The through hole 981c is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of the game ball. The through hole 981c is also formed with a side wall portion 981b erected along its edge on the opposite side to the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in Figure 109 (a)). The through hole 981c is also a portion that communicates with the second winning opening 140 of the above-mentioned winning opening unit 930, and is formed in a position that overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the second winning opening 140 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

The side wall portion 981b is formed with dimensions such that the erected tip surface abuts the second ball throwing section 942c of the winning opening unit 930 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60. In addition, the side wall portion 981b is formed so that the rolling surface 981c1 on the inner surface on the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) is positioned closer to the other end side in the direction of gravity than the end surface 943a1 of the rolling section 943a, and is inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side.

Furthermore, the side wall portion 981b has a protrusion 981b1 protruding from the upright tip surface. The protrusion 981b1 is formed at a position radially spaced from the rolling surface 981c1 in the direction of gravity. This makes it difficult for the game ball to get caught between the rolling portion 943a and the through hole 981c when the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c. A detailed explanation of the case where the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c will be given later.

The bulge 982 is formed in a dome shape that bulges out from the base plate 981a, and is set to a size that allows a game ball to pass through inside it. It is formed with a ball sending passage TR0 through which the game ball flowing in from the inlet 982d passes, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 that branch off from the ball sending passage TR0. The bulge 982 is formed in a vertically long rectangle when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with an inlet 982d formed by cutting out the upper end in the direction of gravity, an erect wall 982a that is bent toward the rear base 985 side at a roughly central position when viewed from the front, and recesses 982e to 982j recessed at multiple locations on the other side in the direction of gravity.

The inlet 982d is cut out to have a generally U-shape when viewed from the front. The inlet 982d is formed at a position where the inner edge of the inlet 982d overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the first winning opening 64 of the winning opening unit 930 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

The inlet 982d also has a second protrusion 982d1 that protrudes from the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) opposite the rear base 985. The second protrusion 982d1 is formed in the shape of the inner edge of the first recess 942g1 of the prize winning port unit 930 described above, and when the prize winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are arranged on the base plate 60, the second protrusion 982d1 abuts against the inner edge of the first recess 942g1.

In addition, the distance dimension L34 (see FIG. 109(a)) from the second protrusion 982d1 to the end face of the inlet 982d on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is set to be greater than the distance dimension L35 (see FIG. 87(b)) from the inner edge of the first recess 942g1 to the inner edge of the first ball throwing section 942g on one side in the direction of gravity. This makes it possible for the game ball sent to the first ball throwing section 942g through the first winning opening 64 to be less likely to become pinched between the inlet 982d (bulge 982) and the first ball throwing section 942g as it flows into the inlet 982d.

The erected wall 982a is formed in a rectangular shape with a predetermined distance from the outer edge shape of the bulge portion 982 when viewed from the front. The erected wall 982a is formed on the lower side of the inlet 982d in the direction of gravity, and is formed with an abutment portion 982a1 formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the erected direction on the upper side in the direction of gravity.

The vertical wall 982a is spaced from the inner edge of the outer periphery of the bulge 982 by a horizontal distance L36 (see FIG. 112(b)) that is greater than the diameter of the game ball, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 are formed between the opposing sides, allowing the game ball to pass through.

The first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are formed downstream of the distribution section 983 described below, and game balls passing through the distribution section 983 are sent to one of them. The distribution section 983 is set up so that game balls flowing into the inlet 982d can be sent alternately to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. This makes it possible to prevent the sending of game balls flowing into the first winning port 64 from becoming monotonous. As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's interest from being lost.

A bearing portion 982c is formed on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the erected wall 982a, protruding in an annular shape from the inner surface of the bulge portion 982 toward the rear base 985. The bearing portion 982c is a portion that supports the other end side of the shaft member 988a that axially supports the distribution portion 983 described below, and its inner diameter is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. Therefore, by inserting the shaft member 988a into the bearing portion 982c, the other end side of the shaft member 988a can be supported.

As described above, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j of the rear base 985. When combining the front base 981 and the rear base 985, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j and the other end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c, so that the shaft member 988a can be supported between the front base 981 and the rear base 985.

The contact portion 982a1 is formed on the rotation trajectory of the allocating portion 983 described later, and the amount of rotational displacement of the allocating portion 983 is restricted by the contact of the action portion 983a of the allocating portion 983. The contact state between the contact portion 982a1 and the allocating portion 983 will be described in detail later.

The recesses 982e and 982f are recessed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 from the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge 982. In addition, inside the recesses 982e and 982f, a first branch passage BK1 or a second branch passage BK2 is formed as a space that communicates with the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2.

The first branch passage BK1 is connected to the opening 985b of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first branch passage BK1 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, and is also able to allow the received game balls to flow into the opening 985b of the rear base 985.

The second branch passage BK2 is connected to the opening 985c of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the second branch passage BK2 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the second passage TR2, and is also able to allow the received game balls to flow into the opening 985c of the rear base 985.

The recesses 982h and 982j are recessed from the inner surface of the bulge 982 on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) in the direction in which the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 extend. That is, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 extend to one side in the direction of gravity by the amount of the recesses 982h and 982j.

The first passage TR1 is connected to the opening 985e of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first passage TR1 receives game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985e of the rear base 985.

The second passage TR2 is connected to the opening 985f of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first passage TR1 receives the game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985e of the rear base 985.

The recess 982g is formed between the recess 982h and the recess 982j, and the recess direction is set parallel to the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. In addition, inside the recess 982g, a third branch passage BK3 is formed as a space that communicates with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, since the third branch passage BK3 that communicates with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 is formed between the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2, the distribution unit 980 can be made smaller.

The third branch passage BK3 is connected to the opening 985d of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the third branch passage is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage or the second passage, and the received game balls can flow into the opening 985d of the rear base 985.

The inclined portion 982b is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge portion 982, and is extended at an angle toward the rear base 985 toward that side in the direction of gravity. The inclined portion 982b is formed at a position facing the opening 985b and the opening 985f when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, the second passage TR2, the first branch passage BK1, the second branch passage BK2, and the third branch passage BK3 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b, guiding the flowing game balls toward the openings 985b to 985f and making it easier for them to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

Guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and guide portion 982j1 are connected to recesses 982h and 982j and to inclined portion 982b, and the erected end faces are inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 109(b)). This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the erected end faces of guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and guide portion 982j1, and to be guided toward openings 985e and 985f, making it easier for them to flow into openings 985e and 985f.

In addition, the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 are formed in connection with the inclined portion 982b. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b and be guided toward the rear base 985 while colliding with the guide portions 982h1, 982j1, making it easier for the game balls to flow into the openings 985e and 985f. Furthermore, the inclination of the inclined portion 982b allows the erection distance of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 to be reduced, thereby increasing the rigidity of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and improving their durability.

As described above, the distribution unit 980 (ball throwing unit 970) is visible to the player through the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930) disposed on the player side. Therefore, the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are difficult to see from the player side due to the front unit 940. Furthermore, when the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 are erected on the front side of the openings 985e and 985f, there is a problem in that the thickness of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 makes it difficult for the player to see the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 are formed in connection with the inclined portion 982b, so that the erected dimensions of the inclined portion 982b can be made small. Therefore, the game balls sent to the openings 985e and 985f (the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2) can be easily seen even when passing through the front unit 940. That is, in this embodiment, the inclined portion 982b is inclined so as to be positioned toward the rear base 985 as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows down, so that the thickness of the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 in the front-to-rear direction can be made thin while ensuring rigidity and guiding the game ball, and visibility of the game ball can be ensured.

The distribution section 983 is set to a thickness slightly smaller than the dimension between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985, and is formed in a roughly T-shape when viewed from the front. The distribution section 983 is mainly formed with an action section 983a on one side of the T-shape, an intermediate plate 983b protruding from approximately the center position in the extension direction of the action section 983a, a through hole 983c penetrating the connecting portion of the action section 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, a contact section 983d that bulges out in a circular shape around the axis of the through hole 983c, and a wall section 983e formed by connecting the action section 983a and the intermediate plate 983b to the rear base 985 side.

The through hole 983c is a hole into which the shaft member 988a supported between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985 is inserted, and is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. As a result, when assembling the front base 981 and rear base 985, the shaft member 988a is inserted into the through hole 983c of the distribution part 983, so that the distribution part 983 is disposed between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985 in a rotatable state.

The intermediate plate 983b is formed by extending radially outward from the through hole 983c, and when the displacement of the distribution section 983 is restricted by rotation to one side or the other, the distance L37 (see FIG. 112(b)) from its tip to the inside of the intermediate plate 983b is set to a dimension smaller than the diameter of the game ball. This restricts the throw of the game ball to one side or the other of the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2. In addition, the intermediate plate 983b can be switched from a state in which the throw of the game ball is restricted to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which the throw of the game ball is restricted to the other side of the second passage TR2 by rotating the distribution section 983 around the through hole 983c.

The action portion 983a is formed to extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the intermediate plate 983b when viewed from the front. In addition, the connection position of the action portion 983a with the abutment portion 983d is set on the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower in the direction of gravity) than the connection position with the abutment portion 983d of the intermediate plate 983b. As a result, the game ball sent to the distribution portion 983 through the inlet 982d is placed in a state where a load is applied to the action portion 983a side. As a result, the distribution portion 983 is rotationally displaced around the through hole 983c.

The wall portion 983e is connected to the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, and is formed in a substantially semicircular plate shape when viewed in the axial direction of the through hole 983c. The wall portion 983e is formed to protrude outward from the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the through hole 983c, and the thickness dimension is set to be smaller than the recessed dimension of the recess 985h of the back base 985 described above. Therefore, in a state in which the distribution portion 983 is disposed between the opposing back base 985 and the front base 981, the wall portion 983e can be disposed inside the recess 985h. This prevents the game ball sent from the inlet 982d to the inside of the distribution unit 980 from getting caught inside the recess 985h, thereby preventing the flow of the game ball from being hindered.

The wall portion 983e is provided with a housing portion 983e1 on the rear side of the intermediate plate 983b, recessed toward the intermediate plate 983b at the radially outer end from the through hole 983c. The housing portion 983e1 is a portion that houses the magnetic body 988c formed in a cylindrical body inside, and is recessed in a circular shape with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988c. The housing portion 983e1 is recessed from the rear base 985 side toward the front base 981 side, and the magnetic body 988c is housed inside from the rear base 985 side.

The magnetic body 988c is made of a magnet and is arranged in a state where it repels the magnetic body 988b arranged on the rear base 985. As a result, the magnetic force acts on the magnetic body 988c from the magnetic body 988b arranged on the rear base 985, and the distribution section 983 can rotate around the through hole 983c as an axis, causing the extension direction of the action section 983a to be tilted to one side or the other.

In addition, the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are arranged in a state where they are repelled, and the storage section 983e1 is recessed toward the front side, so that the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1 can be prevented from slipping out of the storage section 983e1. In other words, since there is no need for a part to lock the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1, the structure of the sorting section 983 can be simplified, and the magnetic body 988c can be easily arranged in the sorting section 983.

The magnetic force of magnetic body 988b and magnetic body 988c is set to a magnetic force smaller than the load of the game ball. This prevents the game ball sent inside the sorting unit 980 from being magnetically attracted to magnetic body 988b and magnetic body 988c and from stagnating inside the sorting unit 980.

The cover member 987 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from above, and is disposed on the side opposite the front base 981 side of the recess 985h of the rear base 985. The cover member 987 is also formed with two recesses, a first recess 987a and a second recess 987b, which are recessed side by side in the direction of gravity and have a circular shape when viewed from the front.

The first recess 987a is a portion that houses the housing portion 986b of the rear base 985 described above on the inside, and is set to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the housing portion 986b. Therefore, by housing the tip of the housing portion 986b in the first recess 987a with the magnetic body 988b housed inside the housing portion 986b as described above, it is possible to prevent the magnetic body 988b housed inside the housing portion 986b from slipping out of the housing portion 986b.

The second recess 987b has a through hole 987b1 on the bottom surface of the recess for fastening to the rear base 985. The inner shape of the recessed portion of the second recess 987b is formed to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985 described above. This allows the cover member 987 to be positioned by accommodating the second recess 987b in the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985, and in the positioned state, a screw can be fastened to the fastening hole of the protruding portion 986e through the through hole 987b1.

Next, referring to FIG. 113, the operation of the distribution section 983 when a game ball flows into the distribution unit 980 from the inlet 982d will be described. FIGS. 113(a) and 113(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the distribution unit 980 in range CXIII of FIG. 112(b). Note that, below, only the case where the action section 983a of the distribution section 983 is displaced from a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to the other side of the second passage TR2 will be described, and a description of the case where it restricts the throwing of the game ball to one side of the first passage TR1 from a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to the other side of the second passage TR2 will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 113(a) and 113(b), before the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 (before the game ball abuts against the action section 983a), as described above, the magnetic body 988c arranged in the distribution section 983 repels the magnetic body 988b (see Figure 110), causing the intermediate plate 983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c to be inclined toward the second passage TR2 side. Note that the action section 983a on the second passage TR2 side abuts against the abutment section 982a1 of the front base 981, thereby restricting the amount of rotation (see Figure 113(a)).

When the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 in this state, the game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 983b and the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side. As described above, the connection position of the action section 983a with the abutment section 983d is set to the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower in the direction of gravity) than the connection position with the abutment section 983d of the intermediate plate 983b, so that the weight of the game ball can be applied to the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 113(b), the distribution portion 983 is rotated around the through hole 983c as an axis, and the intermediate plate 983b radially outward from the through hole 983c is tilted toward the first passage TR1 side. The amount of rotation is restricted by the action portion 983a on the first passage TR1 side abutting against the abutment portion 982a1 of the front base 981. In this case, the repulsive direction of the magnetic body 988c is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 983b radially outward from the through hole 983c acts toward the second passage TR2 side to a state in which the magnetic body 988c acts toward the first passage TR1 side.

The distribution unit 983 can therefore use the load of the game ball and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the through hole 983c. In addition, because the direction of the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c changes, the distribution unit 983 can maintain the rotated state. Each time a game ball is sent, the distribution unit 983 can send the game balls one by one to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 by changing the tilt direction of the intermediate plate 983b.

Next, the configuration of the passage unit 990 will be described with reference to Figures 114 to 116. Figure 114(a) is a front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 114(b) is a side view of the passage unit 990. Figure 115 is an exploded perspective front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 116 is an exploded perspective rear view of the passage unit 990.

As shown in Figures 114 to 116, the passage unit 990 is formed mainly by comprising a first passage member 991 having a plurality of openings that open on the distribution unit 980 side, a second passage member 992 arranged in the first passage member 991 and sending game balls that pass through the first passage member 991, a third passage member 993 arranged in the second passage member 992 and sending game balls that have passed through the second passage member 992, and a detection device SE4 arranged between the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993.

The first passage member 991 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in front view and has a predetermined width on the second passage member 992 side. The first passage member 991 is mainly formed with a first insertion hole 991a formed through on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) of the sorting unit 980 side, a second insertion hole 991b formed through on one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction) of the first insertion hole 991a, a third insertion hole 991c and a fourth insertion hole 991d formed through on both sides in the horizontal direction of the second insertion hole 991b, and a plurality of through holes 991f formed in a circular shape around the outer periphery in front view.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985d to be received by the first insertion hole 991a.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is connected to the outer periphery with a ring-shaped protrusion 991g having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985g to be received by the second insertion hole 991b.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

The third insertion hole 991c is formed as a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, with the width dimension in the short direction set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the third insertion hole 991c is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985b of the distribution unit 980 is connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (first passage TR1) and pass through the opening 985e to be received by the third insertion hole 991c.

The third insertion hole 991c also has recessed portions 991c1 recessed on both horizontal sides on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 991c1 are portions that house the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed with dimensions that are approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3. This allows the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 to be protected by the recessed portions 991c1, and also prevents the detection device SE3 from being improperly operated from the outside when combined with the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

Furthermore, when combining the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990, the detection substrate SE1b of the detection device SE3 disposed in the distribution unit 980 can be received inside the recessed portion 991c1 of the passage unit 990, so that the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 can be positioned. This prevents a portion of the detection device SE3 from protruding outward, and allows the overall size of the ball throwing unit 970 to be reduced.

The third insertion hole 991c has a protrusion 991c2 on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side that protrudes from the second insertion hole 991b side, and the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is formed with a downward inclination in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second insertion hole 991b. This allows the game ball that flows into the third insertion hole 991c to collide with the protrusion 991c2 and to roll in a direction away from the second insertion hole 991b (leftward in Figure 114 (a)).

The fourth insertion hole 991d is formed as a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, with the width dimension in the short direction set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the fourth insertion hole 991d is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985b of the distribution unit 980 is connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (second passage TR2) and pass through the opening 985f to be received in the fourth insertion hole 991d.

The fourth insertion hole 991d also has recessed portions 991d1 recessed on both horizontal sides on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 991d1 are portions that house the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed with dimensions that are approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3. This allows the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 to be protected by the recessed portions 991d1, and also prevents the detection device SE3 from being improperly operated from the outside when combined with the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

Furthermore, the fourth insertion hole 991d has a protrusion 991c2 that protrudes from the second insertion hole 991b on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side, and the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is formed with a downward inclination in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second insertion hole 991b. This allows the game ball that flows into the fourth insertion hole 991d to collide with the protrusion 991d2 and to roll in a direction away from the second insertion hole 991b (to the right in Figure 114 (a)).

The second passage member 992 is formed in a roughly T-shaped plate that is upside down when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a fifth insertion hole 922 that penetrates to the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a sixth insertion hole 992c that penetrates to one side in the direction of gravity of the fifth insertion hole 922 (lower side in the direction of gravity), and an erected wall 992a that is erected on the inner peripheral edge of the fifth insertion hole 922.

The fifth insertion hole 922 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of a game ball. Furthermore, the fifth insertion hole 991e is formed at a position where the internal space of the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 is connected when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows a game ball passing through the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 to be received in the fifth insertion hole 922.

The erected wall 992a is erected from the entire edge of the fifth insertion hole 922 toward the third passage member 993. The erected wall 992a is also formed such that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the third passage member 993. This allows the game ball sent to the fifth insertion hole 922 to roll toward the third passage member 993 (the right side in Figure 114 (b)).

The outer peripheral surface of the standing wall 992a is formed with an engagement portion 992d that protrudes horizontally and a protruding wall 992e that protrudes horizontally from the end on the first passage member 991 side. The engagement portion 992d protrudes horizontally and is formed in an L-shape with its tip bent toward the third passage member 993 side. The wiring of the detection device SE4, which will be described later, and the detection device SE3 arranged in the distribution unit 980 are inserted between the engagement portion 992d and the standing wall 992a. This allows the wiring of the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4 to be locked, thereby preventing the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4 from slipping out of the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

The protruding walls 992e are formed to protrude in a semicircular shape when viewed from the front on both sides of the standing wall 992a in the horizontal direction, and have through holes 992e1 that penetrate the axis of the semicircle. In addition, when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined, the protruding walls 992e are formed at a position facing the annular protrusion 991g of the first passage member 991, and the through holes 992e1 are positioned coaxially with the fastening holes 991g1. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed by inserting a screw into the through hole 992e1 from the second passage member 992 side and screwing the screw into the fastening hole 991g1.

The sixth insertion hole 992c is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the sixth insertion hole 992c is formed in a position where its internal space communicates with the internal space of the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows a game ball passing through the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 to be received in the sixth insertion hole 992c.

A guide wall 992c1 is formed around the sixth insertion hole 992c, facing the third passage member 993. The guide wall 992c1 is formed of a first wall portion 992c2 that stands on one side of the sixth insertion hole 992c in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and a second wall portion 992c3 that is connected to the end of the first wall portion 992c2 in the extension direction and extends in the direction of gravity.

The first wall portion 992c2 and the second wall portion 992c3 are wall surfaces that determine the position of the detection device SE4, and the dimension between the erected wall 993e formed in the third passage member 993 and the engaging portion 993d is set to be approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing portions of the detection device SE4.

The detection device SE4 is also positioned at a position where the internal space of the detection hole SE1a is connected to the internal space of the sixth insertion hole 992c. As a result, the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c passes through the detection hole SE1a and is detected by the detection device SE4, and is sent to the third passage member 993 side.

The second passage member 992 also has a ring projection 992f that protrudes toward the third passage member 993 at a position spaced horizontally (left-right direction in FIG. 114(a)) from the sixth insertion hole 992c. The ring projection 992f has a circular fastening hole 992f1 on its axis. The fastening hole 992f1 is a hole into which a screw inserted through the third passage member 993 is screwed, thereby allowing the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed together.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985d to be received by the first insertion hole 991a.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is connected to the outer periphery with a ring-shaped protrusion 991g having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985g to be received by the second insertion hole 991b.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

The third passage member 993 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular plate shape when viewed from the front. The third passage member 993 is mainly formed with a seventh insertion hole 993a formed through at approximately the middle position in the longitudinal direction, a guide wall 993b erected from the edge of the seventh insertion hole 993a, an erect wall 993e erected from the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity towards the second passage member 992, an engagement portion 993d protruding in the longitudinal direction, and a recess 993c recessed into the side surface on the second passage member 992 side.

The seventh insertion hole 993a is formed in a square shape with one side longer than the diameter of the game ball when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the seventh insertion hole 993a is formed in a position that communicates with the internal space of the detection device SE4 disposed in the second passage member 992 when the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined. This allows a game ball that has passed through the seventh insertion hole 993a of the second passage member 992 and the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4 to be received in the seventh insertion hole 993a.

The guide wall 993b is erected from the edges of the seventh insertion hole 993a in three directions excluding the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992. The guide wall 993b is also formed such that the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined upward toward the second passage member 992 (inclined downward toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992). This allows the game ball sent to the seventh insertion hole 992g to roll toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992 (the right side in Figure 114 (b)).

As shown in FIG. 114(b), the third passage member 993 is disposed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 114(b)) of the erected wall 992a of the second passage member 992. As described above, the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in FIG. 114(b)) of the third passage member 993 is open, so that the third passage member 993 can be disposed closer to the erected wall 992a. As a result, the opening 985d and the opening 985g of the above-mentioned sorting unit 980 can be brought closer to each other, and the external dimensions of the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 in the direction of gravity can be reduced in size.

When the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the distance dimension between the erected wall 993e and the first wall portion 992c2 of the second passage member 992 is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension on the short side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the direction of gravity.

In addition, a first wall portion 992c2 is formed on the upstream side (the second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent, which positions the detection device SE4 below in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier for the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c to be inserted into the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4.

In other words, the detection hole SE1a is formed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball in order to prevent cheating by the player, so that even a slight misalignment in the height of the rolling surface of the game ball would prevent the game ball from being inserted inside it. However, in this embodiment, a first wall portion 992c2 that positions the lower side of the detection device SE4 in the direction of gravity is formed on the upstream side (second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent, so that the height misalignment between the sixth insertion hole 992c, the detection hole SE1a, and the rolling surface can be suppressed. As a result, it becomes easier to insert a game ball that passes through the sixth insertion hole 992c into the detection hole SE1a.

The engagement portion 993d is formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the third passage member 993, and is provided at its protruding tip with a bent portion 993d1 that bends toward the second passage member 992. When the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the distance dimension between the bent portion 993d1 and the second wall portion 992c3 of the second passage member 992 is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension on the longitudinal side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the horizontal direction.

The recess 993c is formed at a position facing the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 when the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, and is formed with an inner edge shape larger than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 992f. The recess 993c also has a through hole 993c1 formed coaxially with the fastening hole 992f1 of the annular protrusion 992f on the bottom surface of the recess. This allows the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed by inserting the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 into the recess 993c and inserting a screw through the through hole 993c1 from the third passage member 993 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 992f1.

According to the ball throwing unit 970 configured as described above, the ball throwing unit 970 is formed from a unit different from the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140, and is disposed on the back side (opposite the playing area) of the front unit 940 which includes the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140. Therefore, by replacing the ball throwing unit 970 (distribution unit 980) and disposing a different unit, a different playing style can be achieved without affecting the flow of the game balls flowing down the playing area.

With reference to Figures 117 and 118, another unit (replacement unit 1980) of the sorting unit 980 will be described. Figure 117(a) is a front view of the replacement unit 1980, and Figure 117(b) is a rear view of the replacement unit 1980. Figure 118(a) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit 1980 taken along line CXVIIIa-CXVIIIa in Figure 117(a), and Figure 118(b) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit 1980 taken along line CXVIIIb-CXVIIIb in Figure 118(a). Note that parts that are the same as those in the sorting unit 980 described above are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 117 and 118, the replacement unit 1980 is mainly formed with a front base 1981 arranged on the playing area side and a rear base 1985 arranged on the opposite side of the front base 1981 from the playing area side.

The front base 1981 is formed from a colored translucent resin material. The front base 1981 is formed so that its external shape when viewed from the front is substantially the same as that of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980. The front base 1981 is formed mainly with a base plate 981a and a bulging portion 1982 that bulges out from the base plate 981a toward the player (the side opposite the rear base 1985).

The front base 1981 is also formed from a material whose color (yellow in this embodiment) is different from the color of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980. This makes it easier for the player to recognize whether the sorting unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is installed on the game board 13.

In other words, if a game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) with a distribution unit 980 and a game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) with a replacement unit 1980 are installed in the same store, as described below, the shape of the play area (front of the game board 13) is the same for both specifications, making it difficult for the player to determine which specification it is. However, by making the color scheme of the distribution unit 980 and the replacement unit 1980 different, it is possible to make it easier for the player to recognize which specification the game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) is.

The base plate 1981a is set so that its external shape in a front view is approximately the same as that of the base plate 981a of the sorting unit 980. Therefore, when the sorting unit 980 is replaced with the replacement unit 1980 (the specifications are changed), the front base 1981 (replacement unit 1980) can be disposed on the base plate 60 without changing the shape of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60. Therefore, there is no need to change the shape of the base plate 60 when the specifications are changed by replacing the sorting unit 980 with the replacement unit 1980, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

The bulge 1982 is formed in a dome shape that bulges out from the base plate 1981a, and is set to a size that allows a game ball to be inserted inside. The bulge 1982 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is formed with an inlet 982d that is formed by cutting out the upper end in the direction of gravity.

The horizontal width dimension of the bulge 1982 is set to a size that allows only one game ball to pass through, and the game ball flowing in from the inlet 982d can pass through its inside and flow down. In addition, the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge 1982 is set at approximately the same position in the direction of gravity as the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity of the opening 985d formed in the rear base 1985. This allows the game balls that flow into the replacement unit 1980 from the inlet 982d to be sent to the opening 985d in the order in which they flow into the inlet 982d.

The rear base 1985 has an outer shape in a front view that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the rear base 985 of the sorting unit 980, and is formed with an opening 985d that communicates with the internal space of the bulge 1982 and an opening 985g that communicates with the internal space of the through hole 981c.

As described above, with the replacement unit 1980 configured as above, the external shape of the base plate 1981a in a front view is substantially the same as that of the base plate 981a of the sorting unit 980, so that the sorting unit 980 can be easily replaced (the specifications can be changed) with the replacement unit 1980.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry unit with a ball entry opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter and a passage connected to the ball entry opening, and a gaming board on which the ball entry unit is arranged. With such a gaming machine, the specifications of the gaming machine can be changed while reusing (combining) the gaming board by replacing the ball entry unit with another ball entry unit (e.g., one with a different number of passages). However, in the above-mentioned gaming machine, since the ball entry unit is arranged in front of the gaming board, it was necessary to reserve a space in front of the gaming board in advance according to, for example, the maximum number of passages. Therefore, when a ball entry unit with a small number of passages is used, there was a problem that space was wasted on the front side of the gaming board.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the distribution unit 980 (ball entry unit) has an inlet 982d and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 connected to the inlet 982d, a prize winning port unit 930 arranged on the front side of the game board 13, and a passage unit 990 arranged on the back side of the prize winning port unit 930 through the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 and connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, it is sufficient to secure a space corresponding to the size of the prize winning port unit 930 on the front side of the game board 13, and there is no need to secure a space corresponding to the maximum number of passages on the front side of the game board. Therefore, by replacing the distribution unit 980 with the replacement unit 1980, the game board 13 (base plate 60 and front unit 940) can be reused (combined) while the space on the front side of the game board 13 can be effectively utilized when changing the specifications of the game board 13.

As described above, the front unit 940 is formed from a colorless and transparent (light-transmitting material) resin material, and the allocation unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed with an outer shape smaller than the winning port unit and is disposed in a position overlapping the front unit 940 when viewed from the front. This allows the player to see the allocation unit 980 through the front unit 940, which increases the interest of the game. In addition, in order to allow the player to see the allocation unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980, it is not necessary to form the base plate 60 from a light-transmitting material. For example, the base plate 60 can be formed from a plywood board or a sticker can be attached to the base plate 60. Alternatively, it is permissible to paint the base plate 60, which increases the freedom of design.

Furthermore, since the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed from a colored translucent (light-transmitting) resin material, the player can see the game balls flowing down the inside (passage) of the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 through the front unit 940, which increases the interest of the game.

In addition, since the front unit 940 is formed from a colorless, transparent (light-transmitting) resin material, and the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed from a colored, semi-transparent (light-transmitting) resin material, the player can easily understand the positional relationship between the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 in the front-to-back direction (overlapping direction) through the front unit 940. In other words, the player can easily see the manner in which the game balls change position in the front-to-back direction as they flow down, which increases the interest of the game.

The ball passage of the distribution unit 980 is formed with a ball sending passage TR0 that is connected to the inlet 982d, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 that branch off from the ball sending passage TR0. The distribution unit 980 is also provided with a detection device SE3 that detects game balls passing through the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, when changing from a distribution unit 980 with many ball passage paths to a replacement unit 1980 with fewer ball passage paths to manufacture a game machine with different specifications, it is possible to prevent workers from making a mistake in the number of detection devices SE3 that are installed.

In other words, in a structure in which the detection device SE3 is disposed in the passage unit 990 disposed downstream of the sorting unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980, the detection device SE3 can be disposed for the number of passages of the sorting unit 980. However, when changing from the sorting unit 980, which has two flow passages, to the replacement unit 1980, which has one flow passage, it is possible that the detection device SE3 is disposed for the number of flow passages of the sorting unit 980, even though one detection sensor is sufficient to be disposed in the passage unit 990. In contrast, in a structure in which the detection device SE3 is disposed in a passage branching from the ball throwing passage TR0, when changing the sorting unit 980 to the replacement unit 1980, the number of detection devices SE3 corresponding to the unit is disposed, which prevents the operator from mistaking the number of the devices to be disposed.

On the other hand, the detection device SE4 that detects the flow of game balls into the second winning port 140 is arranged in the passage unit 990 as described above. Therefore, the detection devices arranged in the distribution unit 980 and the exchange unit 1980 can be distributed, thereby increasing the freedom of passage arrangement.

The replacement unit 1980 is also formed with a side wall portion 981b that sends the game balls flowing in from the second winning port 140 at the same position as the distribution unit 980. Therefore, similar to the distribution unit 980, when the replacement unit 1980 is disposed in the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930), the side wall portion 981b can be used to position the replacement unit 1980. That is, regardless of the form of the replacement unit 1980, the position at which the rolling portion 943a and the side wall portion 981b are connected is the same, so by positioning the side wall portion 981b relative to the rolling portion 943a, even the replacement unit 1980 can be positioned relative to the front unit 940.

Furthermore, the positioning of the replacement unit 1980 relative to the front unit 940 is aimed at preventing misalignment (steps) at the connecting portion between the rolling portion 943a and the side wall portion 981b, just like the sorting unit 980, and since the target portion can be positioned, the occurrence of misalignment (steps) can be effectively prevented compared to when other portions are positioned. As a result, the game balls can be made to flow down smoothly.

Next, the arrangement of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described with reference to Figure 119. Figure 119 is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line CXIXa-CXIXa in Figure 81.

As shown in FIG. 119, the connection between the passages of the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 is in a state of abutment in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 119), and the convex portion formed on the ball throwing unit 970 is inserted into the protrusion formed on the front unit 940.

To explain in more detail, the first ball throwing section 942g and the inlet 982d are arranged such that the second protrusion 982d1 formed on the inlet 982d is disposed inside the first recess 942g1 formed on the first ball throwing section 942g. In addition, the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b are arranged such that the protrusion 981b1 formed on the side wall section 981b is disposed inside the second recess 942c1 formed on the second ball throwing section 942c.

The second ball sending section 942c of the front unit 940 and the side wall section 981b of the sorting unit 980 are disposed in an internal space surrounded by the arm section 962e and wall section 962f formed in the drive unit 960.

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a gaming board, a first member that is disposed on the front side of the gaming board and has a first passage through which a gaming ball passes, and a second member that has a second passage that is connected to the first passage of the first member and is disposed on the rear side of the gaming board. A gaming ball flows down the front side of the gaming board and enters the first passage of the first member, passes through the first passage, then flows into the second passage of the second member, and passes through the second passage on the rear side of the gaming board. This changes the path through which the gaming ball passes in the front-to-rear direction, providing an interest to the player.

In this case, if there is a misalignment (step) at the connection between the first and second passages, the smooth flow of the game balls is hindered, so it is necessary to ensure the positional accuracy of the second member relative to the first member. However, the above-mentioned gaming machine has a problem in that it is difficult to position the second member relative to the first member. That is, since not only the first member but also various members such as other members with passages and decorative members are arranged on the front side of the gaming board, a positioning hole for positioning the first member can be formed in the process of forming a positioning hole in the gaming board for positioning each of these members, but in order to form a positioning hole for positioning the second member on the back side of the gaming board, a separate process of turning the gaming board over and forming a positioning hole only for the second member is required, which is not realistic.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, a pair of second guide walls 942d of the front unit 940 are inserted between the opposing protruding portions 962g of the drive unit 960. When the throwing unit 970 is disposed on the front unit 940, the side wall portion 981b of the sorting unit 970 is inserted between the opposing arm portions 962e from which the protruding portions 962g protrude.

That is, the drive unit 960 has a protrusion 962g (guide portion 962b) that engages with the second guide wall 942d of the front unit 940, and an arm portion 962e (guide portion 962b) that engages with the side wall portion 981b of the throwing unit 970. This allows the front unit 940 and the throwing unit 970 to be positioned using the guide portion 962b of the drive unit 960.

The arm 962e of the guide portion 962b is positioned outside the pair of second ball throwing portions 942c of the front unit 940 in the opposing direction. As a result, the arm 962e of the guide portion 962b engages with the second guide wall 942d of the front unit 940 at the protrusion 962g and with the side wall 981b of the ball throwing unit 970 at the arm 962e, so that the positioning of the ball throwing unit 970 relative to the front unit 940 can be effectively performed. That is, the purpose of positioning the throwing unit 970 relative to the front unit 940 is to prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring at the connection between the second throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b. The target section (the connection between the second throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b) can be directly positioned by the guide section 962b (arm section 962e), so misalignment (steps) can be effectively prevented compared to when other sections are positioned by the guide section 962b.

The drive unit 960 having the guide portion 962b is disposed in the internal space of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 while being disposed in the front unit 940. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate opening for disposing the drive unit 960. In other words, the through hole 60a for disposing the connecting portion between the second ball sending portion 942c of the front unit 940 and the side wall portion 981b can also be used as the disposing space, which reduces the number of processing steps and reduces the product cost.

As described above, the drive unit 960 with the guide portion 962b is disposed (formed so as to be able to be held) on the front unit 940 with the second ball throwing portion 942c, so that when the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the front and back of the game board 13, respectively, there is no need to attach the drive unit 960 separately; by attaching the front unit 940, the drive unit 960 can be attached at the same time. This improves the ease of installation.

In addition, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, the protrusion 962g and arm 962e of the drive unit 960 engage with the second guide wall 942d and second ball throwing section 942c, respectively. Therefore, after attaching the front unit 940 and the drive unit 960 to the base plate 60, there is no need to perform a separate task of engaging the protrusion 962g and arm 962e of the drive unit 960 with the second guide wall 942d and second ball throwing section 942c, respectively. This accordingly improves the ease of installation.

Furthermore, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 is formed so that it can engage with the throwing unit 970 from the side opposite the front unit 940. Therefore, by attaching the front unit 940 and drive unit 960 to the base plate 60 at the same time, and then attaching the drive unit 960 to the back surface of the base plate 60, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 can be engaged with the throwing unit 970 at the same time as this attachment operation. This accordingly improves the workability of the attachment work.

As described above, the wall portion 962f is connected between the pair of opposing arms 962e, and when the front unit 940 and the drive unit 960 are combined, the above-mentioned displacement member 966 is disposed between the opposing arms 962e and wall portion 962f and the rear base 941 of the front unit 940. This eliminates the need to provide a separate member for guiding the displacement of the displacement member 966. This allows the structure of the front unit 940 to be simplified, and product costs to be reduced.

In this case, the wall 962f of the guide portion 962b is disposed at a position facing the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 into which the protrusions 945b of the pair of blade members 945 are inserted, in the opening direction. Therefore, the wall 962f of the drive unit 960 blocks the opening of the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 from the outside, preventing dust and foreign matter from entering the sliding groove. As a result, the sliding of the protrusion 966a is prevented from being hindered by dust or foreign matter that has entered the sliding groove 966a2, and the pair of blade members can be stably opened or closed.

Next, referring to Figures 120 and 121, the connection state will be explained using the connection between the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b as a representative example. Figures 120(a) and 121(a) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the game board 13 in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and Figures 120(b) and 121(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the game board 13 along the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). Note that Figures 121(a) and 121(b) show a state in which the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are spaced a predetermined distance from the positions shown in Figures 120(a) and 120(b).

As shown in Figures 120 and 121, the projection 981b1 and the second recess 942c1 are spaced from the rolling surface 981c1 by a distance L38 that is set to be approximately the same as the radius of the game ball.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass. However, with such a structure that connects the first passage member and the second passage member, misalignment between the two is unavoidable, and a step is formed at the connection portion between the downstream end of the first passage member and the upstream end of the second passage member, which creates the problem that the smooth flow down of game balls may be hindered.

As described above, the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are fastened and fixed to both sides of the base plate 60. Therefore, if there is an error in the thickness dimension of the base plate 60 (if the thickness is increased), the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 may become separated in the thickness direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in Figure 120 (a)). In that case, a gap may be formed between the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b, which may hinder the smooth flow of the game balls.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 981b and the upstream end of the protrusion 981b1 are formed at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of these, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

That is, as shown in FIG. 121, the gap K1 of the space formed between the game ball rolling portion 943a of the second ball sending portion 942c and the game ball rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 981b, and the gap K2 of the space formed between the second recessed portion 942c1 of the second ball sending portion 942c and the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b are formed at different positions in the game ball rolling direction (left-right direction in FIG. 121 (a)). This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling from the second ball sending portion 942c to the side wall portion 981b from entering both the gap K1 and the gap K2. Therefore, the gap formed at the connecting portion of the second ball sending portion 942c and the side wall portion 981b can reduce the maximum resistance that the game ball receives. As a result, it is possible to prevent the game ball from stopping in the gap between the second ball sending portion 942c and the side wall portion 981b.

Next, referring to FIG. 122, the displacement member 8966 of the seventh embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the sliding groove 966a2 is formed in a straight line. However, the sliding groove 8966a2 of the displacement member 8966 of the seventh embodiment has recesses 8966a6 recessed toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity (upward in FIG. 122)) on both outer sides in the short direction of the displacement member 8966, and is formed in a substantially L-shape in rear view. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figure 122 is a rear view of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 8966 in the seventh embodiment. Note that Figure 122 corresponds to Figure 91. As shown in Figure 122, the displacement member 8966 in the seventh embodiment is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular plate when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed in the plate thickness direction at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the shape of the inner edge of the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941, and when the displacement member 8966 is arranged in the front unit 940, the second winning opening 140 is arranged inside it.

The displacement member 8966 is formed with a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction (left and right direction in FIG. 122) from one end side (upper side in FIG. 122) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 122), and a bulging portion 966b that bulges from the other end side in the longitudinal direction (lower side in FIG. 122) toward the back side (near side of the paper in FIG. 122).

The protrusion 966a has a sliding groove 8966a2 formed by penetrating the displacement member 8966 in the plate thickness direction, and a contact portion 966a1 located on both outer sides of the displacement member 8966 in the short side direction and extending in the longitudinal direction.

The sliding groove 8966a2 is a hole into which the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 is inserted, and extends in the short direction of the displacement member 966. A recess 8966a6 is recessed on the outside of the short direction toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 122)).

The width dimension of the recess 8966a6 in the short direction is set to be larger than the maximum dimension between the opposing outer peripheral surfaces of the protrusion 945b. In addition, the side surface on the moving side of the protrusion 945b extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the protrusion 945b (left-right direction in FIG. 122), and the extending direction is parallel to the first surface 945b1 of the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 in the closed state.

Therefore, when the wing member 945 is in a closed state, at least a portion of the protrusion 945b can be accommodated inside the recess 8966a6, and when the wing member 945 is rotated, the first surface 945b1 can be brought into contact with the inner surface of the recess 8966a6 to restrict the displacement of the protrusion 945b.

On the other hand, when drive is transmitted from the transmission member 965 (solenoid 610) side, the displacement member 8966 is slid and displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 can be pulled out from the inside of the recess 8966a6. This causes the protrusion 945b to come into contact with the inner surface of the sliding groove 8966a2, displacing the protrusion 945b.

In other words, when the drive is transmitted from the feather member 945, the drive can be restricted from being transmitted to the transmission member 965 side, and when the drive is transmitted from the transmission member 965 side, the engagement between the protrusion 945b and the recess 8966a6 can be released, allowing the protrusion 945b to be displaced. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Furthermore, when the pair of wing members 945 are in a closed state, the displacement member 8966 is slidably displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). Also, the recess 8966a6 is recessed toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the protrusion 945b can be received in conjunction with the sliding displacement of the displacement member 8966. Therefore, the weight (own weight) of the displacement member 8966 can be utilized to easily maintain the state in which the protrusion 945b is received in the recess 8966a6.

Next, referring to FIG. 123, the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 of the eighth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 is disposed inside the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966. However, in the eighth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 protrudes from the connecting hole 966b1. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figures 123(a) and 123(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 8960 and the displacement member 966 in the eighth embodiment. Note that Figures 123(a) and 123(b) correspond to Figure 96(a). Also, Figure 123(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, while Figure 123(b) illustrates an engaged state in the middle of displacing the wing member 945 from the closed state to the open state due to unauthorized operation (forced opening) by the player.

As shown in FIG. 123, the transmission member 9965 in the eighth embodiment is bent in side view and is made up of a tip portion 9965a extending in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion 965b that is connected to the tip portion 9965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

As in the sixth embodiment, the width of the tip portion 9965a in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 9965a is also formed with an insertion portion 9965e at its tip that is inserted into the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connecting side with the rotating shaft 965c to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

The insertion portion 9965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and is inserted into the inside of the connecting hole 966b1 with its tip end protruding from the connecting hole 966b1. The insertion portion 9966e is also formed with an engagement portion 9965e3 that protrudes from the connecting hole 966b1 to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and a bulging portion 965e1 that bulges from the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) toward the inner surface of the connecting hole 966b1.

The engagement portion 9965e3 is formed to protrude in the displacement direction (gravity direction) of the displacement member 966, and the abutment surface 9965e4 on the side surface on the rotating shaft 965c side is formed at a position where there is a slight gap between the front surface of the displacement member 966. As a result, as shown in FIG. 123(b), when the displacement member 966 is displaced in the direction of arrow Y (the other side of the gravity direction), the front surface of the displacement member 966 and the abutment surface 9965e4 come into contact with each other, thereby restricting the displacement of the transmission member 9965.

To explain in more detail, when the displacement member 966 is displaced in the direction of the arrow Y, the abutment portion 966b2 on one side of the connecting hole 966b1 abuts against the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965, and the transmission member 9965 is rotationally displaced. In this case, the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 is displaced in the direction of the arrow Y by the rotational displacement and is also displaced toward the rotation shaft 965c. Therefore, the displacement of the insertion portion 9965e toward the rotation shaft 965c can cause the abutment surface 9965e4 to abut against the front surface of the displacement member 966. This restricts the displacement of the transmission member 9965, and thus the displacement of the displacement member 966 in the direction of the arrow Y is also restricted.

On the other hand, when the drive is transmitted from the solenoid 610 (the connecting member 964 is displaced), the transmission member 965 rotates before the displacement member 966, thereby preventing the insertion portion 9965e from coming into contact with the displacement member 966. Therefore, the transmission member 965 can be rotationally displaced to displace the displacement member 966.

As described above, the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are connected to the displacement member 966. Therefore, when drive is transmitted from the feather member 945 side, the displacement member 966 comes into contact with the abutment surface 9965e4, restricting the rotation of the transmission member 9965. This prevents the feather member 945 from being forcibly opened from the outside.

That is, the transmission member 9965 in the eighth embodiment includes an insertion portion 9965e and an engagement portion 9965e3 that protrudes from the tip of the insertion portion 9965e. When the displacement member 966 is displaced and one side of the insertion portion 9965e abuts against the other side abutment portion 966b3 of the displacement member 966 with the feather member 945 in a closed state, the engagement portion 9965e3 engages with the displacement member 966. Therefore, when the feather member 945 is forcibly opened from the outside, the engagement portion 9965e3 can be engaged with the displacement member 966. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Next, the transmission member 10965 and the displacement member 10966 in the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 124. In the sixth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 is only disposed inside the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966. In the ninth embodiment, however, the tip of the insertion portion 10965e of the transmission member 10965 engages with the connecting hole 10966b. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 124(a) and 124(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 10960 and the displacement member 10966 in the ninth embodiment. Note that Figure 124(a) corresponds to Figure 96(a), and Figure 124(b) corresponds to Figure 96(b). Also, Figure 124(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 124(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in FIG. 124, the transmission member 10965 in the ninth embodiment is bent in side view and is formed of a tip portion 10965a that extends in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion that is connected to the tip portion 10965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

As in the sixth embodiment, the width of the tip portion 10965a in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 10965a is also formed with an insertion portion 10965e at its tip that is inserted into a connection hole 10966b of a displacement member 10966, which will be described later, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connection side with the rotating shaft 965c to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

The insertion portion 10965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 10966b of the displacement member 10966, and is inserted and disposed inside the connecting hole 10966b. The insertion portion 10965e is also formed with an engagement portion 10965e3 that protrudes from one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and a bulging portion 964d1 that bulges from the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) toward the inner surface of the connecting hole 966b1.

The engagement portion 10965e3 is formed in a plate shape curved around the axis of the rotating shaft 965c, and is disposed inside a recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 described later when the feather member 945 is in a closed state. The displacement member 10966 also has an abutment surface 10965e4 on the side (inner surface) on the rotating shaft 965c side. The abutment surface 10966d4 is disposed opposite the abutment surface 10966dc of the displacement member 10966 described later across a predetermined gap when the feather member 945 is in a closed state.

The displacement member 10966 is formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left and right direction in FIG. 124(a)) at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the second winning opening 140 and the second ball throwing section 942c (see FIG. 88) of the rear base 941, and is positioned with the second ball throwing section 942c inserted inside. This makes it possible to prevent game balls sent to the opposite side of the play area through the second winning opening 140 from colliding with the inner edge of the displacement member 966.

In addition, the displacement member 10966 mainly comprises a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction from one longitudinal end, a bulging portion 966b that bulges out from the other longitudinal end toward the rear side, and a recessed portion 10966d recessed into the surface opposite the bulging portion 966b.

The recess 10966d is recessed to be connected to the other abutment portion 966b3 of the connecting hole 966b1, and has an abutment surface 10966d1 on the side of the bulge 966b. When the blade member 945 is closed, the abutment surface 10966d1 is curved around the axis of the rotation shaft 965c of the transmission member 10965 described above, and is disposed opposite the abutment surface 10965e4 of the transmission member 10965 with a small gap between them. The abutment surface 10966d1 also has an inclined surface 10966d2 at the end that connects to the connecting hole 966b1.

The inclined surface 10966d2 is formed so as to be inclined toward the rear side toward the one-side abutment portion 966b2. The inclined surface 10966d2 is also formed radially inward from the abutment surface 10966d1 centered on the rotation shaft 965c.

In the ninth embodiment, the distance between the other-side abutment portion 966b3 and the one-side abutment portion 966b2 of the connecting hole 966b1 is set to be larger than the width dimension L39 (see FIG. 124(a)) in the gravity direction of the insertion portion 10965e when viewed from the front with the wing member 945 closed. This prevents the abutment surface 10965e4 from being displaced toward the rear side when the transmission member 10965 is rotated, preventing the abutment surface 10965e4 and the abutment surface 10966d1 from abutting against each other and restricting the rotation of the transmission member 10965.

According to the drive unit 10960 and the displacement member 10966 configured as above, when the solenoid 610 is driven to displace the wing member 945 to the open state, the drive is transmitted from the connecting member 964 to the transmission member 10965. As a result, the transmission member 10965 rotates around the rotation shaft 965c. As described above, the abutment surface 10965e4 of the transmission member 10965 and the abutted surface 10966d1 of the displacement member 10966 are curved around the axis of the rotation shaft 965c, so that when the transmission member 10965 rotates around the rotation shaft 965c, the abutment surface 10965e4 is displaced while maintaining a slight gap between the abutment surface 10966d1 and the abutment surface 10966d1. That is, the abutment surface 10965e4 and the abutted surface 10966d1 are displaced without interfering with each other.

As described above, the distance between the other-side abutment portion 966b3 and the one-side abutment portion 966b2 of the connecting hole 966b1 is greater than the width dimension L36 of the transmission member 10965, so that by rotating the transmission member 10965, the insertion portion 10965e arranged inside the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 can be moved to the outside of the recess 10966d. This allows the bulge portion 965e1 of the transmission member 10965 to abut against the other-side abutment portion 10966b3, thereby sliding and displacing the displacement member 10966. Therefore, the pair of wing members 945 can be displaced to the open state.

In addition, when the pair of wing members 945 are displaced from an open state to a closed state, the tip of the engagement portion 10965e3 of the transmission member 10965 is slid along the inclined surface 10966d2 formed on the abutment surface 10966d1, thereby displacing the displacement member 10966 to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and displacing the engagement portion 10965e3 inward of the recess 10966d.

On the other hand, when the pair of feather members 945 are displaced to the open state, when the drive is transmitted from the pair of feather members 945, the drive is transmitted from the displacement member 10966 to the transmission member 10965. In this case, the displacement member 10966 is slidably displaced with the engagement portion 10965e3 of the transmission member 10965 disposed inside the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966. Therefore, the transmission member 965 is rotated and displaced with the sliding displacement of the displacement member 10966, and the engagement portion 10965e3 is displaced to the rear side by the rotational displacement. Therefore, the abutment surface 10965e4 of the engagement portion 10965e3 is abutted against the abutted surface 10966d1 of the recess 10966d, and the rotational displacement of the transmission member 10965 is restricted. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

That is, the transmission member 10965 in the ninth embodiment includes an insertion portion 10965e and an engagement portion 10965e3 that protrudes from the tip of the insertion portion 10965e. When the wing member 945 is closed, one side of the insertion portion 10965e in the direction of gravity abuts against the one-side abutment portion 966b2, the engagement portion 10965e3 engages with the displacement member 10966, and when the transmission member 10965 is rotated to the other side in the direction of gravity to a position where the other side of the insertion portion 10965e in the direction of gravity (the bulging portion 965e1) abuts against the other-side abutment portion 966b3, the engagement of the engagement portion 10965e3 with the displacement member 10966 is released, so that the displacement member 10966 is prevented from sliding toward the other side in the direction of gravity without rotating the transmission member 10965. Therefore, the wing member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly removed from the outside.

On the other hand, when the transmission member 10965 is rotated to a position where the engagement portion 10965e3 comes out from the inside of the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 to the outside, the engagement portion 10965e3 is released from engagement with the displacement member 10966. Therefore, by further rotating the transmission member 10965 to the other side in the direction of gravity, the displacement member 10966 can be slid and displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity, and the feather member 945 can be released.

Next, the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 125 and 126. In the sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not disposed in the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment is disposed on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 125 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base 941 and the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment. Figures 126(a) and 126(b) are rear views of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 11966. Note that Figure 126(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 126(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in Figures 125 and 126, the front unit 940 in the tenth embodiment has a pair of second guide walls 11942b extending in the direction of gravity on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. Also, in the tenth embodiment, the tip position of the rolling portion 943a arranged between the opposing second ball throwing portions 942c is set to be approximately the same as the protruding tip position of the second ball throwing portions 942c.

The pair of second guide walls 11942b have a first tooth surface 11942b1 of the gear tooth surface formed on the opposing side surfaces. In addition, the pair of second guide walls 11942b are set such that the separation distance between them is set to be greater than the width dimension in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 126(a)) of the displacement member 11966 described later, and the displacement member 11966 is disposed between them.

The first tooth surface 11942b1 is engaged with the first gear GY1, which is journalled on the displacement member 11966 described below. As a result, the first gear GY1, which is engaged with the first tooth surface 11942b1, can be rotated by sliding the displacement member 11966.

The displacement member 11966 is formed with a first member 11967 formed into a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a second member 11968 arranged in a displaceable state on the first member 11967, and a first gear GY1 journaled on the first member 11967 and meshed with the second member 11968.

The first member 11967 has a second opening 966c formed in the thickness direction at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The first member 11967 is also formed with a pair of sliding grooves 966a2 extending along the longitudinal direction of the displacement member 11966 on the other side (upper side) of the second opening 966c in the direction of gravity, and a support portion 11966d and a sliding protrusion 11966e protruding in an annular shape on both sides in the lateral direction of the second opening 966c.

The support portion 11966d protrudes toward the first member 11967, and its tip is inserted into the shaft hole of the first gear GY1. This allows the first gear GY1 to be supported in a rotatable state on the first member 11967.

The sliding protrusion 11966e protrudes toward the first member 11967, and its tip is inserted into the inside of the sliding groove 11968b of the second member 11968. This allows the second member 11968 to be disposed on the first member 11967.

The second member 11968 is formed of a metal material into a plate-like body that is generally gate-shaped when viewed from the front, and is provided with a second tooth surface 11968a1 of the gear tooth surface on both end surfaces in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 126(a)), a sliding groove 11968b that is formed in the shape of a long hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1 (up-down direction in FIG. 126(a)), and a blade portion 11968c that is inclined in the plate thickness direction on the end surface that extends horizontally of the inner edge formed in the gate shape.

The pair of second tooth surfaces 11968a1 are each meshed with the first gear GY1. This allows the rotation of the first gear GY1 to be transmitted from both horizontal side surfaces of the second member 11968 on which the second tooth surfaces 11968a1 are formed.

As described above, the sliding groove 11968b is formed in the shape of a long hole along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1, and the sliding protrusion 11966e of the first member 11967 is inserted into the inside. Therefore, the second member 11968 can slide relative to the first member 11967 by the amount of the gap between the sliding groove 11968b and the sliding protrusion 11966e.

Therefore, as described above, when the pair of first gears GY1 are rotationally displaced by the displacement of the first member 11967, the rotation of the first gear GY1 is transmitted from the second tooth surface 11968a1 to the second member 11968, and the second member 11968 is displaced in the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1.

The blade portion 11968c is formed with a downward incline toward the first member 11967, and its lower end is positioned on the other end side in the direction of gravity than the inner surface of the other end side in the direction of gravity of the second ball sending portion 942c when the feather member 945 is closed. This allows the tip of the blade portion 11968c to be positioned on the other end side in the direction of gravity than the rolling surface of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

The protruding distance of the second ball throwing section 942c is set to a length that abuts against the rear side of the second member 11968. As described above, in the tenth embodiment, the tip position of the rolling section 943a arranged between the opposing second ball throwing sections 942c is set to a position that is approximately the same as the tip position of the second ball throwing section 942c. This allows the end of the rolling surface flowing in from the second winning opening 140, the blade section, and 11968c to cut off any foreign object inserted into the inside of the second winning opening 140.

According to the displacement member 11966 configured as described above, when the feather member 945 is in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 126(a), the blade portion 11968c of the second member 11968 can be positioned lower in the direction of gravity than the tip of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c. Therefore, when the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is cut off by tampering and the protrusion 945b is forcibly opened while no drive is being transmitted from the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960, the flow down of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 can be restricted by the displacement member 11966.

On the other hand, when the feather member 945 is in the open state, the first member 11967 of the displacement member 11966 is displaced upward by the transmission member 965, thereby displacing the second member 11968. The displacement amount of the first member 11967 is set to be greater than the radius of the game ball. As a result, the second member 11968 is set to a displacement amount twice as large as that of the first member 11967 with respect to the rear base 941 as described above, so that it can be separated from the rolling portion 943a, which is the rolling surface of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140, by a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the feather member 945 is in the open state, it is possible to allow the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 to flow down.

In other words, the second member 11968 has a blade portion that crosses the path of the game ball flowing down from the second winning opening 140 when the displacement member 11966 is slid from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and rubs against the edge of the path (the end of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c), so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140.

For example, one fraudulent act is to attach the tip of a string to a gaming ball, and then have the gaming ball enter the second winning opening 140 and pass through the rolling section 943a. When the gaming ball reaches detection device SE4 (see Figure 114) which detects its passage, the other end of the string is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to make the gaming ball go back and forth, causing detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent behavior, according to the tenth embodiment, even if the game ball described above is inserted with the feather member 945 open, the displacement member 11966 (second member 11968) is slid from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and when the blade portion 11968c crosses the passage of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball is displaced together with the blade portion 11968c and pressed against the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c, and when the blade portion 11968c rubs against the edge of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the thread can be cut between the blade portion 11968c and the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

Next, the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 127 and 128. In the sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not positioned on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment is positioned on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 127 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base 941 and the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment. Figures 128(a) and 128(b) are rear views of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 12966. Note that Figure 128(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 128(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in Figures 127 and 128, the front unit 940 in the 11th embodiment has a pair of second guide walls 12942b extending in the direction of gravity on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. Also, in the 11th embodiment, the protruding distances of the second ball sending section 942c and the rolling section 943a are set short, and the protruding tip surfaces are set in a position where they abut against the front surface of the first member 12967 of the displacement member 12966 described later.

In addition, the front unit 940 has a first support portion 12942k1 and a second support portion 12942k2 that protrude toward the displacement member 12966 on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. The first support portion 12942k1 and the second support portion 12942k2 are inserted through the shafts of the first gear GY1 and the second gear GY2, respectively, to support the first gear GY1 and the second gear GY2.

Abutment portions 12942b2 are provided on the opposing side surfaces of the pair of second guide walls 12942b, protruding in the opposing direction from one end side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). The distance between the opposing pair of abutment portions 12942b2 is set to be slightly larger than the width dimension in the short direction of the first member 12967 described below. This allows the first member 12967 to be disposed between the opposing pair of abutment portions 12942b2, and also allows the sliding displacement of the first member 12967 to be guided.

The displacement member 12966 is mainly composed of a first member 12967 formed from a vertically elongated rectangular plate-like body when viewed from the front, a second member 12968 arranged in a displaceable state on the first member 12967, a first gear GY1 journaled on the rear base 941 and meshed with the first member 12967, and a second gear GY2 journaled on the rear base 941 and meshed with the second member 12968.

The first gear GY1 is a gear with a toothed surface on its outer circumferential surface, and as described above, is journaled on the first support portion 12942k1 of the rear base 941, and its toothed surface meshes with the first member 12967 and the second gear GY2.

The second gear GY2 is a multi-stage gear consisting of two stages of gears of different sizes, and is formed with a small diameter gear GY2a on the small diameter side and a large diameter gear GY2b on the large diameter side. As described above, the second gear GY2 is journaled on the second support portion 12942k2 of the rear base 941, and the tooth surface of the small diameter gear GY2a meshes with the first gear GY1, and the tooth surface of the large diameter gear GY2b meshes with the second member 12968.

The first member 12967 is made of a metal material, and a second opening 12966c is formed in the thickness direction at a substantially central position when viewed from the front. The first member 12967 is also formed with a pair of sliding grooves 966a2 extending along the short side of the first member 12967 on the other side of the second opening 12966c in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), sliding protrusions 12966e protruding in an annular shape on both sides in the short side direction sandwiching the second opening 12966c, and third tooth surfaces 12966f of the gear tooth surface on both sides extending in the longitudinal direction.

The second opening 12966c has an inner edge shape in a front view that is larger than the inner edge shape of the second winning hole 140 of the rear base 941 described above. In addition, the second opening 12966c has a second blade portion 12966c2 on the inner surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity).

The second blade portion 12966c2 is formed with a downward incline from the rear base 941 side toward the second member 12968 side described later. When the pair of feather members 945 are closed, the second blade portion 12966c2 is disposed on the rolling path of the game ball flowing into the second winning opening 140, and when the pair of feather members 945 are open, the second blade portion 12966c2 is disposed outside the rolling path of the game ball flowing into the second winning opening 140.

The sliding protrusion 12966e protrudes toward the second member 12968, and its tip is inserted into the inside of the sliding groove 12968b of the second member 12968. This allows the second member 12968 to be disposed on the first member 12967.

The pair of third tooth surfaces 12966f are each meshed with the first gear GY1. As a result, the first member 12967 of the first gear GY1 is slidably displaced in accordance with the rotational displacement of the transmission member 965, thereby rotating the first gear GY1. As described above, the small diameter gear GY2a of the second gear GY2 is meshed with the first gear GY1, thereby rotating the second gear GY2.

The second member 12968 is made of a metal material and is formed into a plate-like body that is approximately H-shaped when viewed from the front, and is arranged with a pair of extension parts facing the direction of gravity (vertical direction in FIG. 128(a)). The second member 12968 is also formed with a second tooth surface 12968a of the gear tooth surface on the outer side of the opposing direction of the pair of extension parts, a sliding groove 12968b formed in the shape of a long hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 12968a (vertical direction in FIG. 128(a)), and a blade portion 6683 on the end surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the connecting portion that connects the pair of extension parts.

As described above, the sliding groove 12968b is formed in an elongated hole shape along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 12968a, and the sliding protrusion 12966e of the first member 12967 is inserted inside the sliding groove 12968b. Therefore, the second member 12968 can slide and displace in the direction of gravity relative to the first member 12967 by the gap between the sliding groove 12968b and the sliding protrusion 12966e.

The pair of second tooth surfaces 12968a are meshed with the large diameter gear GY2b of the second gear GY2. Thus, when the second gear GY2 is rotated, the second member 12968 is slidably displaced. As described above, the second gear GY2 is rotated by the first member 12967 being slidably displaced by the transmission member 965. Thus, the second member 12968 can be displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the first member 12967.

The first member 12967 and the second member 12968 are set to have opposite sliding displacement directions, and the amount of displacement of the second member 12968 is set to be larger by the amount that passes through the small-diameter second gear GY2.

The blade portion 6683 is formed with an upward incline toward the first member 12967, and its upper end is positioned on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the second ball sending portion 942c when the feather member 945 is closed. In other words, the second member 12968 is positioned so that the blade portion 6683 overlaps with the first member 12967 when viewed from the front with the feather member 945 closed.

Therefore, when the pair of blade members 945 are displaced from the open position to the closed position, the first member 12967 and the second member 12968 (displacement member 12966) are provided with the second blade portion 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683 that cross the rolling path of the game ball of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c and rub against each other's edges, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the path from the second winning opening 140.

For example, there is a fraudulent act of gluing the tip of a thread to a game ball, causing the game ball to enter through the second winning opening 140 and pass through the game ball rolling path of the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c, and when the game ball reaches the detection position of the detection device SE4, operating (releasing and pulling) the other end of the thread to move the game ball back and forth, thereby causing the detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such a fraudulent act, according to the present invention, even if the game ball described above enters with the pair of feather members 945 open, the pair of feather members 945 are displaced from the open position to the closed position, and when the second blade portion 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683 cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread whose tip is glued to the game ball can be sandwiched and cut between the pair of second blade portions 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent act can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the feather members 945 are open, the blade portion 6683 of the second member 12968 is positioned on the other side of the direction of gravity than the rolling surface (rolling portion 943a) of the game ball that has entered the second winning opening 140. As described above, when the feather members 945 are open, the second blade portion 12966c2 of the first member 12967 is positioned outside the rolling path of the game ball that flows into the second winning opening 140. Therefore, when the pair of feather members 945 are open, the game ball that flows into the second winning opening 140 can pass between the blade portion 6683 and the second blade portion 966c2.

In addition, in the eleventh embodiment, the first member 12967 and the second member 12968 can block the rolling path of the game balls entering the second winning opening 140, so the displacement distance of the second member 12968 can be made smaller than that of the second member 11968 in the tenth embodiment. As a result, the rolling path of the game balls entering the second winning opening 140 can be closed in a short time, and the game balls entering at the time when the pair of wing members 945 are closed can be prevented from flowing into the rolling path.

Next, the drive unit 13960 in the 12th embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 129. In the above-mentioned sixth embodiment, the transmission of drive from the solenoid 610 to the feather member 945 is performed via three members, the connecting member 964, the transmission member 965, and the displacement member 966. However, in the 12th embodiment, the transmission of drive from the solenoid 610 to the feather member 945 is performed via one member. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figure 129(a) is a rear view of the front unit 940 in the twelfth embodiment, and Figure 129(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along the line CXXIXb-CXXIXb in Figure 129(a). In Figure 129(b), only the outline of the specific winning port unit 950 is shown in dashed lines to facilitate understanding. In the twelfth embodiment, when the shaft portion 961b is retracted into the main body portion 961a, the pair of feather members 945 are in a closed state, and when the shaft portion 961b protrudes from the main body portion 961a, the pair of feather members 945 are in an open state.

As shown in FIG. 129, the drive unit 13960 in the 12th embodiment is disposed on the rear side (right side in FIG. 129(b)) of the specific winning port unit 950, and is disposed with the axis of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 facing the direction of gravity (up and down in FIG. 129(b)). In addition, a transmission member 13965 is connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610.

The transmission member 13965 is formed with a base 7658 extending from the solenoid 610 side toward the front unit 940 side, and an engagement portion 13965j erected from the end of the base 7658 on the front unit 940 side toward the protrusion 945b side of the blade member 945.

The annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is connected to the end of the base 7658 opposite the engagement portion 13965j side. This allows the transmission member 13965 to be slidably displaced by driving the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 in its axial direction.

The engaging portion 13965j is formed at a position where it overlaps with the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 129(a)) in a rear view (or a front view). In addition, the erecting dimension of the engaging portion 13965j is set to a length that exceeds the length of the protrusions 945b of the wing members 945, and it is in a state where it overlaps with the protrusions 945b in a front view.

The engaging portion 13965j has a support portion 13965j1 that is generally C-shaped in side view protruding from its upright tip. The supporting portion 13965j1 has a dimension between the opposing sides of the opening that is set to be larger than the maximum dimension of the outer shape of the protrusion 945b. The width dimension of the supporting portion 13965j1 in the opposing direction of the pair of engaging portions 13965j (left and right direction in FIG. 129(a)) is set to be larger than the displacement distance of the protrusion 945b. Therefore, the protrusion 945b can be disposed inside the opening of the supporting portion 13965j1.

Therefore, as described above, when the connecting portion 10965h is slid and displaced in the direction of gravity, the engaging portion 9965j is slid and displaced in the direction of gravity, and the protrusion 945b is displaced in conjunction with this displacement. By displacing the protrusion 945b, the wing member 945 can be displaced to the open state.

According to the drive unit 13960 configured as described above, the drive unit 13960 that drives the pair of feather members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are disposed on the rear side of the plate member 951, so that space can be formed on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning opening 140). In other words, by concentrating the arrangement space of the drive unit 13960 and the drive unit 957 on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945, space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning opening 140), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

Next, the displacement member 14966 in the thirteenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 130 and 131. In the sixth embodiment, the inner edge shape of the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966 is slightly larger than the outer shape of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 in a front view. In the thirteenth embodiment, however, the inner edge shape of the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 14966 is sufficiently larger than the outer shape of the transmission member 965. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 130(a) and 131(a) are rear views of the winning port unit 930 in the thirteenth embodiment. Figure 130(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXb-CXXXb in Figure 130(a), and Figure 131(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXIb-CXXXIb in Figure 131(a).

In addition, in Figures 130(a) and 131(a), the outer shape of the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated by a dashed line. Also, in Figures 130(a) and 130(b), the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated in a closed state, and in Figures 131(a) and 131(b), the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated in an open state when the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are cut off. Furthermore, in the thirteenth embodiment, the specific winning opening 65a is formed at a position farther away from the second winning opening 140 than in the sixth embodiment.

As shown in Figures 130(a) and 130(b), the displacement member 14966 in the thirteenth embodiment is formed in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular plate when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed at the approximate center when viewed from the front, penetrating the plate in the thickness direction (left-right direction in Figure 130(b)).

The displacement member 14966 has a protruding portion 966a that protrudes from one end (upper side in FIG. 130(a)) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 130(a)) in the lateral direction (left and right direction in FIG. 130(a)), and a bulging portion 14966b that bulges from the other end (lower side in FIG. 130(b)) in the longitudinal direction toward the rear side (toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85)).

The bulging portion 14966b is formed to bulge out toward the rear side (the rear base 941 side), and a horizontally long rectangular connecting hole 14966b1 is formed in the inner portion in rear view. The connecting hole 14966b1 is an opening into which the tip (insertion portion 965e) of the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 described later is inserted, and the shape of the inner edge is set to be larger than the outer shape of the tip of the transmission member 965.

The connecting hole 14966b1 has an inner edge with a substantially square shape when viewed from the front, and includes a one-side abutment portion 966b2 on the inner circumferential surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 130(a))) and a other-side abutment portion 966b3 on the inner circumferential surface on the one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 90(a))).

The connecting hole 14966b1 is formed so that the separation distance L40 between the opposing sides in the direction of gravity (from the other-side abutted portion 966b3 to the one-side abutted portion 14966b2) is sufficiently larger than the width dimension L41 in the direction of gravity of the insertion portion 965e, and when the pair of wing members 945 is in the closed state, the insertion portion 965e abuts against the other-side abutted portion 966b3.

The connecting hole 14966b1 is set so that the distance L40 between the opposing sides in the direction of gravity (from the other-side abutment portion 966b3 to the one-side abutment portion 14966b2) minus the width dimension L41 in the direction of gravity of the insertion portion 965e is greater than the distance L42 from the end face 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the inner edge of the second opening 966c of the displacement member 14966 minus the diameter of the game ball (L40-L41)>(L42-diameter of the game ball). As a result, when the displacement member 14966 falls to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), the edge of the displacement member 14966 can block the rolling path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

Next, referring to Figures 131(a) and 131(b), a case where the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 are cut will be described. As described above, the separation distance L40 of the connecting hole 14966b1 is formed sufficiently larger than the width dimension L41 of the insertion portion 965e in the direction of gravity, and when the pair of wing members 945 are in the closed state, the insertion portion 965e abuts against the other side abutment portion 966b3. Therefore, as shown in Figures 131(a) and 131(b), when the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 are cut, the displacement member 14966 falls freely to one side in the direction of gravity by the amount of the gap between the one side abutment portion 966b2 and the insertion portion 965e.

As described above, the dimension of the connecting hole 14966b1 obtained by subtracting the width dimension L41 from the separation distance L40 is set to be greater than the dimension obtained by subtracting the diameter of the game ball from the separation distance L42, (L40 - L41) > (L42 - diameter of the game ball). Therefore, when the displacement member 14966 falls freely, the edge of the displacement member 14966 can block the rolling path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

In other words, in the thirteenth embodiment, when the pair of feather members 945 are not connected to the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 14966 (as shown in Figures 131(a) and 131(b)), a part of the displacement member 14966 is positioned in the passage of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140. Therefore, even if the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is cut to forcibly open the feather member 945 from the outside, the flow of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 can be restricted by the displacement member 14966.

Next, the drive unit 15960 in the fourteenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 132 and 133. In the sixth embodiment, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 is positioned on the outside of the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980, but in the fourteenth embodiment, the second arm 15962j is positioned on the inside of the side wall 981b. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 132(a) is a side view of the drive unit 15960 in the fourteenth embodiment, Figure 132(b) is a top view of the drive unit 15960, and Figure 132(c) is a perspective front view of the drive unit 15960. Figure 133(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13, and Figure 133(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line CXXXIIIb-CXXXIIIb in Figure 133(a). Note that Figure 133(a) corresponds to Figure 120(a).

First, referring to FIG. 132, the drive unit 15960 in the 14th embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 132, the drive unit 15960 in the 14th embodiment is formed in a box shape and is mainly provided with a first storage section 15962 and a second storage section 963 arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 arranged in the space between the first storage section 15962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 supported by the first storage section 15962 and the second storage section 963 and connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 15962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 132(a)) and a guide portion 15962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The drive unit 15960 is mainly comprised of a first storage section 962 and a second storage section 963 that are formed in a box shape and arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 that is arranged in the space between the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 that is connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 that is journaled on the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963 and is connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 93(a)) and a guide portion 15962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The guide portion 15962b is mainly formed with a pair of arms 15962e formed in a roughly L-shape in side view, a wall portion 962f connected to the pair of arms 15962e and formed in a gate shape in front view, a protruding portion 962g protruding from the wall portion 962f on the side opposite the covering portion 962a (the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 125)), a second arm 15962j located on the other side of the pair of arms 15962e in the direction of gravity and protruding from the wall portion 962f, and a third arm 15962h protruding on the opposite side of the second arm 15962j across the wall portion 962f.

The arm 15962e protrudes from each of the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) and is formed in a generally L-shape in side view with the protruding tip bent toward the other side in the direction of gravity (the side opposite the solenoid 610). In addition, the protruding position of the arm 15962e in the direction of gravity is set below the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980 when the drive unit 15960 and the sorting unit 970 are combined.

The second arm 15962j is connected to the inner edge of the wall 962f, and the distance dimension L43 between the pair of opposing arms is set smaller than the width dimension between the pair of opposing arms 962e and larger than the diameter of the game ball. The distance dimension of the second arm 15962j in the gravity direction is set smaller than the dimension between the opposing sides of the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980 in the gravity direction, and the second arm 15962j is inserted inside the side wall 981b when the drive unit 15960 and the sorting unit 980 are combined.

The pair of second arms 15962j are set so that the outer distance dimension in the opposing direction is approximately the same as the distance dimension between the opposing side walls 981b in the horizontal direction. This allows the distribution unit 980 (ball throwing unit 970) to be positioned in the winning port unit 930 by placing the second arms 15962j inside the side walls 981b.

The distance dimension between the opposing third arms 15962h is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension between the opposing arms 15962e. In addition, the third arm 15962h is formed with a protrusion 15962h1 that is connected to the end of the second arm 15962j on the rear base 941 side.

The protruding portion 15962h1 is set such that the protruding distance from the end of the second arm portion 15962j toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) is set to be approximately the same as the recessed dimension of the second recess 942c1. In addition, the protruding portion 15962h1 is formed at a position corresponding to the second recess 942c1 when the front unit 940 and the drive unit 15960 are combined, and is positioned inside the second recess 942c1.

As a result, the upstream end of the protrusion 15962h1 and the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall 981b are formed at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of both, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Therefore, in the 14th embodiment, the drive unit 15960 can be used to position both the front unit 940 and the distribution unit 980, and also becomes part of the passage path for the game balls that flow in from the second winning opening 140. Therefore, the distribution unit 980 side can also more easily tolerate dimensional effects or installation tolerances.

Next, referring to FIG. 134(a), the side wall portion 16981b of the sorting unit 980 and the second ball throwing portion 16942c of the winning port unit 930 in the fifteenth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment described above, the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b is positioned inside the second recess 942c1 of the second ball throwing portion 942c, but in the fifteenth embodiment, the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball throwing portion 16942c is positioned inside the recess 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b. The same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 134(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 in the 15th embodiment. Note that Figure 134(a) corresponds to Figure 120(a). As shown in Figure 134(a), the side wall portion 16981b of the sorting unit 980 in the 15th embodiment is formed to a dimension such that the erected tip surface abuts against the tip of the second ball throwing portion 16942c of the winning port unit 930 when the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the base plate.

The side wall portion 16981b also has a recessed portion 16981b2 recessed into the upright tip surface toward the upright base end. The recessed portion 16981b2 is formed at a position radially spaced apart from the rolling surface 981c1 in the direction of gravity, and its recessed shape in side view is set to be substantially the same as the side view shape of the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball sending portion 16942c described below.

This makes it difficult for the game ball to get caught between the rolling part 943a and the through hole 981c when the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c. A detailed explanation of the case where the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c will be given later.

The recess 16981b2 is recessed in a generally trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side, and the inner surface of the upright base end of the side wall 16981b is formed with a downward inclination along the rolling direction of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling on the rolling surface of the through hole 981c from bouncing upward at the changeover portion of the rolling path of the game ball.

In other words, in the fifteenth embodiment, the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2 is formed with a downward inclination along the passing direction of the game ball, so that the game ball that collides with the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2 can be pressed against the rolling surface 981c1 (bottom surface). This prevents the game ball from bouncing up and bouncing off the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly.

The protrusion 16942c2 is formed to protrude from the protruding tip surface of the second ball sending section 16942c, and its outer shape in a side view is set to be approximately the same as the recessed portion 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b. This makes it possible to prevent a game ball rolling on the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a of the winning opening unit 930 from being caught inside the recessed portion 16981b2 of the sorting unit 980 when the game ball is sent to the rolling surface 981c1 of the sorting unit 980. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly from the rolling portion 943a of the winning opening unit 930 to the rolling surface 981c1 of the sorting unit 980.

In addition, in the fifteenth embodiment, the recess 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b and the upstream end of the rolling surface 981c1 are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game ball, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of these, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Furthermore, according to the fifteenth embodiment, a recess 16981b2 is formed downstream in the rolling direction of the game ball, and a protrusion 16942c2 is formed upstream, so that the downstream end of the side surface of the second ball sending section 942c and the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling section 943a can be brought close to the upstream end of the side surface and the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall section 16981b. That is, when the upstream end of the side surface of the second ball sending section 942c is formed at a different position downstream in the passing direction of the game ball from the upstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling section 943a, the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball sending section 942c can guide the game ball until it reaches the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall section 16981b. Therefore, the game ball can be smoothly flowed down (passed through).

On the other hand, the protrusion 16942c2 has a relatively low rigidity and may break. However, according to the fifteenth embodiment, the protrusion 16942c2 is formed on the upstream side of the direction in which the game ball passes. Therefore, even if the protrusion 16942c2 breaks, the bottom upstream end of the side wall portion 16981b and the side upstream end can be maintained at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, and the timing at which the game ball passes the step on the bottom side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes the step on the side side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes the effects of both, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

In addition, since the protrusion 16942c2 is formed on the winning port unit 930 side and the recessed portion 16981b2 is formed on the sorting unit 980 side, the side of the recessed portion 16981b2 abuts against the protrusion 16942c2, and the positional deviation of the sorting unit 980 in the direction of gravity relative to the rolling portion 943a can be restricted. That is, in a step where the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall portion 16981b is higher than the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling portion 943a, the game ball is likely to be bounced up when it runs up. Compared to the reverse step, it is more likely to hinder the smooth flow (passage) of the game ball. Therefore, being able to restrict the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall portion 16981b from being shifted upward in the direction of gravity relative to the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling portion 943a is particularly effective in preventing the game ball from flowing down smoothly.

Next, referring to FIG. 134(b), the side wall portion 17981b of the sorting unit 980 and the second ball throwing portion 17942c of the winning port unit 930 in the 16th embodiment will be described. In the above sixth embodiment, the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b and the end of the second recess 942c1 of the second ball throwing portion 942c are formed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the rolling direction of the game ball in a side view. However, in the 16th embodiment, the end of the second ball throwing portion 17942c and the end of the side wall portion 17981b are formed at an angle in a side view. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 134(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 in the 16th embodiment. Note that Figure 134(b) corresponds to Figure 120(a). As shown in Figure 134(b), the side wall portion 17981b of the sorting unit 980 in the 16th embodiment has a tip surface 17981b3 at its upright tip that is inclined downward from the base end side toward the tip side. In other words, the tip surface 17981b3 is inclined upward along the rolling direction of the game ball on the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 17981b.

On the other hand, the second ball sending section 17942c of the winning opening unit 930 has a tip end surface 17942c3 of its protruding tip surface formed with an upward inclination along the rolling direction of the game ball of the rolling section 943a. In addition, when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate, the tip end surface 17942c3 of the second ball sending section 17942c is disposed in a state that is approximately parallel to the tip end surface 17981b3 of the protruding tip of the above-mentioned side wall section 17981b.

Therefore, since the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b (tip surface 17981b3) can be inclined with respect to the passing direction of the game ball, compared to the case where the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the game ball (sixth embodiment), the game ball that collides with the upper end surface of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b can slide along the incline and is less likely to be bounced back. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly.

In addition, since the entire upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b (tip surface 17981b3) is formed at an incline, the occurrence of stress concentration can be suppressed and the durability of the side wall portion 17981b can be ensured, compared to the case where the side wall portion 17981b is formed into a shape having a recessed portion 16981b2, for example, as in the fifteenth embodiment. In addition, when the side wall portion 17981b is formed from a resin material, the shape change of the cavity (hollow portion) of the injection molding die can be made gentle, so that air trapping (air entrapment) and filling defects can be suppressed, improving moldability.

Next, the displacement member 18966 in the 17th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 135 to 137. In the above-mentioned sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not positioned on the rolling path of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 18966 in the 18th embodiment is positioned on the rolling path of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 135(a), 136(a) and 137(a) are schematic diagrams of the winning port unit 930 in the seventeenth embodiment as viewed from the back, and Figure 135(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVb-CXXXVb in Figure 135(a). Figure 136(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIb-CXXXVIb in Figure 136(a). Figure 137(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIIb-CXXXVIIb in Figure 137(a).

In addition, FIG. 135 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in a closed state, FIG. 136 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in an open state, and FIG. 137 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in a forcibly opened state. Also, in FIG. 135(a), FIG. 136(a) and FIG. 137(a), only the pair of feather members 945, the displacement member 18966 and the second winning opening 140 are illustrated. In FIG. 135(b), FIG. 136(b) and FIG. 137(b), only the pair of feather members 945, the rear base 941, the front base 943, the displacement member 18966, the transmission member 19958 and the solenoid 961 are illustrated in a schematic manner.

As shown in FIG. 135, the displacement member 18966 in the seventeenth embodiment is formed with an outer shape larger in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 135(a)) than the displacement member 966 in the sixth embodiment. The sliding groove 18966a of the displacement member 18966 is formed in a shape that is bent into a substantially L-shape when viewed from the rear, and includes a non-transmitting portion 18966a6 that extends in the direction of gravity, and a transmitting portion 18966a7 that is bent and extends from the lower end of the non-transmitting portion 18966a6 in the direction of gravity toward the center in the left-right direction.

In addition, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, the displacement member 18966 is arranged so that the through hole 966c1 is located lower in the direction of gravity than the second winning opening 140. As a result, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, it is possible to restrict a game ball passing through the second winning opening 140 from flowing from the rolling portion 943a into the through hole 981c of the ball sending unit 970.

The displacement member 18966 further includes a blade portion 1896g that is inclined toward the front side as it approaches downward on the inner peripheral edge on the upper side in the direction of gravity of the through hole 966c1. The front side of the blade portion 1896g abuts against the protruding tip portion of the rolling portion 943a and the protruding tip portion of the second ball throwing portion 942c. In other words, when the pair of wing members 945 are in a closed state in rear view, the blade portion 1896g is positioned so as to overlap with the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c.

In addition, the transmission member 18958 in the 17th embodiment has a larger rotation range on the tip end 965a side when the solenoid 961 is driven, compared to the first embodiment. In other words, the displacement dimension in the direction of gravity on the tip end 965a side is set to be larger, and this displacement dimension is set to be larger than the opening dimension in the direction of gravity of the second winning opening 140.

As shown in FIG. 136, when the solenoid 961 is actuated, the blade portion 1896g can be positioned above the second winning hole 140, and the opening of the second winning hole 140 can be positioned inside the through hole 966c1 of the displacement member 18966 when viewed from behind.

In addition, the displacement member 18966 is displaced in the direction of gravity due to the displacement of the transmission member 18958, so that the protrusion 945b slides inside the sliding groove 18966a. The protrusion 945b slides inside the sliding groove 18966a first inside the non-transmission part 18966a6, and then inside the transmission part 18966a7. In this case, since the extension direction of the non-transmission part 18966 and the displacement direction of the displacement member 18966 are set to be approximately the same, when the protrusion 945b slides on the non-transmission part 18966a6, it slides inside the non-transmission part 18966a6 without changing its position relative to the back base 942. On the other hand, when the protrusion 945b slides on the transmission part 18966a7, it is pushed out by the inner peripheral edge of the transmission part 18966a7 and displaced (rotated). This causes the pair of wing members 945 to shift to an open state.

Therefore, when the pair of blade members are in an open state, the game ball passing through the second winning opening 140 can be allowed to flow from the rolling portion 943a into the through hole 981c of the ball sending unit 970.

On the other hand, when the pair of feather members 945 are changed from an open state to a closed state, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 slides on the transmission part 18966a7, causing the feather member 945 to rotate. In this case, as described above, the blade part 18966g of the displacement member 18966 is positioned lower in the direction of gravity than the inner periphery of the second winning opening 140, and the front side surface abuts against the protruding tip of the rolling part 943a and the protruding tip of the second ball sending part 942c. As a result of the movement of displacing downward in the direction of gravity, the force-applied object inserted on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140 can be cut between the blade part 18966g and the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c.

In other words, when the displacement member 18966 is slid from a position that opens the pair of wing members 945 to a position that closes them, the displacement member 18966 crosses the path of the game ball flowing down from the second winning opening 140 and is equipped with a blade portion 18966g that rubs against the edge of the path (the end of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c), so that it is possible to cut off a force-applying object that has been illegally inserted from the second winning opening 140 into the path through which the game ball flows.

For example, one fraudulent act is to attach the tip of a string to a gaming ball, and then have the gaming ball enter the second winning opening 140 and pass through the rolling portion 943a. When the gaming ball reaches detection device SE4 (see Figure 114) which detects its passage, the other end of the string is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to make the gaming ball go back and forth, causing detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent behavior, according to the seventeenth embodiment, even if the game ball described above is entered with the feather member 945 open, the displacement member 18966 slides from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and when the blade portion 18966g crosses the passage of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball is displaced together with the blade portion 18966g and pressed against the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c, and when the 18966g rubs against the edge of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the thread can be cut between the 18966g and the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 137, if the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are cut (broken) due to a player's fraudulent behavior, the through hole 966c1 of the displacement member 18966 is positioned below the second winning opening 140 in the direction of gravity. This allows the displacement member 18966 to restrict the flow of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140 when the player forcibly opens the pair of feather members 945.

In this case, the transmission member 18965 is biased by the coil spring SP1 (see FIG. 94) of the solenoid 961 in a direction in which the tip 18965a side is displaced downward in the direction of gravity. In other words, the displacement member 18966 is biased in a direction in which it blocks the second winning opening 140. Therefore, if the pair of feather members 945 are forcibly opened due to the player's fraudulent behavior, the displacement member 18966 can be prevented from being forcibly opened in the same way. As a result, the player's fraudulent behavior can be prevented.

Next, the winning port unit 19930 in the 18th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 138 to 162. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is farther from you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

First, referring to FIG. 138, the winning port unit 19930 arranged on the base plate 19060 of the game board 13 in the 18th embodiment will be described. FIG. 138 is an exploded perspective front view of the game board 13 in the 18th embodiment. Note that units other than the winning port unit 19930 arranged on the base plate 19060 (such as the center frame 86 (see FIG. 81)) are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 138, a through hole 19060a is formed by router processing on the base plate 19060 on the lower side (lower side in FIG. 138) of the center opening to which the center frame 86 (see FIG. 81) is attached, the through hole 19060a penetrating the thickness direction of the base plate 19060.

The through hole 19060a is formed slightly smaller than the outer shape of the front unit 19940, described below, when viewed from the front.

On the base plate 19060, a front unit 19940 (described later) is arranged from the front (front) side, and a distribution unit 19980 and a passage unit 19990 (described later) are arranged from the rear (back) side, and the front unit 19940, distribution unit 19980, and passage unit 19990 are fastened and fixed with tapping screws or the like.

Next, the overall configuration of the winning port unit 19930 will be described with reference to Figures 139 to 142. Figure 139(a) is a front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 139(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 19930. Figure 140(a) is a perspective front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 140(b) is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit 19930. Figure 141 is an exploded perspective front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 142 is an exploded perspective rear view of the winning port unit 19930.

As shown in Figures 139 to 142, the winning slot unit 19930 is mainly formed with a front unit 19940, a distribution unit 19980 arranged on the rear side of the front unit 19940 (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b)), and a passage unit 19990 arranged on the rear side of the front unit 19940, on one side of the distribution unit 19980 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity).

The front unit 19940 is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is larger than the through hole 19060a (see FIG. 138) of the base plate 19060. Therefore, by disposing the front unit 19940 on the base plate 19060, the opening of the through hole 19060a can be blocked. This makes it possible to prevent game balls flowing down the front side of the game board 13 from passing through the through hole 19060a from spaces other than the game ball passage path (first winning hole 64, second winning hole 140) formed in the front unit 19940.

The distribution unit 19980 has an opening U8 that is connected to the first winning opening 64 of the front unit 19940, which will be described later, and can receive game balls sent from the opening U8 through the first winning opening 64 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b)) (see Figure 138). A detailed explanation of the distribution unit 19980 will be given later.

The passage unit 19990 can receive balls sent from an opening U9 (described later) through the second winning port 140 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the front side of the page in FIG. 139(b)) (see FIG. 138). A detailed explanation of the passage unit 19990 will be given later.

Next, the front unit 19940 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 143 to 146. Figure 143(a) is a front view of the front unit 19940, Figure 143(b) is a rear view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 143(c) is a cross-sectional view of the front unit 19940 taken along the line CXLIIIc-CXLIIIc in Figure 143(a). Figure 144(a) is a perspective front view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 144(b) is a perspective rear view of the front unit 19940. Figure 145 is an exploded perspective front view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 146 is an exploded perspective rear view of the front unit 19940.

As shown in Figures 143 to 146, the front unit 19940 is mainly formed with a rear base 19941 fastened to a base plate 19060 (see Figure 138), a front base 19943 arranged on the rear base 19941 at a distance greater than the diameter of a game ball, and two (a pair) of wing members 945 arranged in a rotatable state between the opposing rear base 19941 and the front base 19943.

The rear base 19941 is formed with a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed from the front, and is formed from a plate-like body with a predetermined plate thickness. The rear base 19941 is also formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and when the front unit 19940 is disposed on the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), the inside of the through hole 19060a (see FIG. 138) of the base plate 19060 can be seen through the rear base 19941.

The rear base 19941 is notched at the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) and mainly comprises a first winning opening 64 formed through at a position connected to an opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980 described later, an intermediate opening 19941h formed through at a position connected to an opening U7 of the distribution unit 19980 described later below the first winning opening 64 (lower side of Figure 143 (b)), and a second winning opening 140 formed through at a position connected to an opening U9 described later below the intermediate opening 19941h.

The rear base 19941 also has a number of through holes 941a penetrating the outer edge in the plate thickness direction. Furthermore, a positioning protrusion 942a is formed in the vicinity of the first through hole 941a1 of the through holes 941a, protruding in a cylindrical shape from the rear surface of the rear base 19941.

The rear base 19941 also has a number of fastening holes 19941i and 19941j formed on the distribution unit 19980 and passage unit 19990 sides (see FIG. 142) around the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140. The fastening holes 19941i are holes into which screws are threaded to pass through the distribution unit 19980 described below, thereby allowing the front unit 19940 and the distribution unit 19980 to be fastened together. The fastening holes 19941j are holes into which screws are threaded to pass through the passage unit 19990 described below, thereby allowing the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 to be fastened together.

The first winning opening 64 is formed in a roughly U-shape with the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) open when viewed from behind. The first winning opening 64 is also formed with an inner edge dimension that is larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front base 19943 (described later) to be sent to the rear side of the game board 13 (the right side in Figure 143 (c)) through the first winning opening 64 (see Figure 138).

The middle opening 19941h is formed to have a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the rear, and the dimensions of its inner edge are formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball sent through the opening U8 and the middle opening 19941h described below to be sent to the front side of the game board 13 (the left side of Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 138).

The second winning opening 140 is formed in a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the dimensions of its inner edge are formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. The second winning opening 140 is also disposed between the opposing feather members 945. This allows the game ball sent between the opposing feather members 945 described below to be sent through the second winning opening 140 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the right side of Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 138).

The second winning hole 140 has a first opening 19941e formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the first shaft hole 19941d described later on one side of the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of each edge on both short sides (both left and right sides in FIG. 143(b)). In addition, the first opening 19941e is designed to accommodate the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945, and is set larger than the maximum width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 945b from abutting against the inner surface of the first opening 19941e when the feather member 945 rotates.

The rear base 19941 is formed with first shaft holes 19941d formed in two circular locations on the outer short side (outer left-right side in FIG. 143(b)) near the second winning opening 140.

The front base 19943 is formed so that its external shape when viewed from the front is a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape. The front base 19943 is also formed from a colorless, transparent plate-like body. This allows the player to visually see the game ball flowing down between the opposing front base 19943 and rear base 19941.

The front base 19943 is formed mainly with a first receiving portion 19941g, an intermediate receiving portion 19943e, and a second receiving portion 19943c, which are protruded toward the rear base 19941 at positions corresponding to the first winning opening 64, the intermediate opening 19941h, and the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 19941 described above.

The first receiving portion 19941g is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, with the first winning opening 64 of the rear base 19941 located on the inside when viewed from the front. The first receiving portion 19941g is also formed to be large enough to receive one game ball on the inside. This allows a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (left side in Figure 143 (c)) from the other side of the first receiving portion 19941g (first winning opening 64) in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) to flow into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g (see Figure 138).

The first receiving portion 19941g has a protruding portion 19941g1 formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) that protrudes downward toward the rear base 19941, and the connecting portion of the upper surface of the protruding portion 19941g1 to the front base 19943 side (left side in Figure 143 (c)) is curved. When the game ball that flows in with a velocity component toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) comes into contact with the protruding portion 19941g1 inside the first receiving portion 19941g, the game ball acquires a velocity component toward the rear side (right side in Figure 143 (c)). As a result, the game ball is sent through the first winning opening 64 to the opening U8 arranged on the rear side of the first winning opening 64 (right side in Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 161).

The opening surrounded by the ends of the front base 19943 and the pair of first receiving parts 19941g on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) is the ball entry port through which the game ball enters the winning port unit 19930.

The intermediate receiving portion 19943e is formed from a plate-like body that protrudes to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the first receiving portion 19941g, and the lower surface 19943e1 of the intermediate receiving portion 19943e is curved toward the first receiving portion 19941g side (the upper side in Figure 143 (b)). This allows the game ball that passes through the intermediate opening 19941h to be sent to one side in the direction of gravity via the passage TR3.

The second receiving portion 19943c is formed in a generally U-shape when viewed from the rear, and when the rear base 19941 and the front base 19943 are fastened (combined), the upper surfaces 19943c2 of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 of the second receiving portion 19943c are disposed inside the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 19941 (the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) from the lower edge of the second winning opening 140). In addition, a pair of feather members 945, which will be described later, are disposed on the outer side of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 in the opposing direction (outside in the left-right direction in FIG. 143(b)). In addition, the distance between the outer surfaces of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the upper surfaces 19943c2 of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 are formed to be inclined downward toward the rear base 19941 side (right side in FIG. 143(c)).

The distance from the edge of the second winning port 140 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the rear base 19941 to the upper surface 19943c2 of a pair of vertical walls 19943c1 of the front base 19943 is made larger than the outer diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball flowing down between a pair of wing members 945 (described later) to be sent to the upper surface 19943c2 of the pair of vertical walls 19943c1, and the game ball can be rolled on the upper surface 19943c2 and sent to the rear side of the rear base 19941 (right side in Figure 143 (c)).

The front base 19943 also has an annular protrusion 943b that protrudes in an annular shape at a position facing the first shaft hole 19941d of the rear base 19941 on the outer side of the pair of vertical walls 19943c1 in the opposing direction (outer side in the left-right direction in FIG. 143(b)). As described above, one end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the first shaft hole 19941d of the rear base 19941, and the other end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the second shaft hole 943b1 of the annular protrusion 943b of the front base 19943. Thus, the shaft member 945a can be supported by being sandwiched between the opposing rear base 19941 and front base 19943.

Next, referring to Figures 147 to 153, we will provide a detailed explanation of the allocation unit 19980.

First, we will explain the configuration of the distribution unit 19980 with reference to Figures 147 to 150.

Figure 147(a) is a front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 147(b) is a side view of the sorting unit 19980. Figure 148(a) is a perspective front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 148(b) is a perspective rear view of the sorting unit 19980. Figure 149 is an exploded perspective front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 150 is an exploded perspective rear view of the sorting unit 19980.

As shown in Figures 147 to 150, the sorting unit 19980 is mainly formed by a sorting member 19983, a first side base 19981, a second side base 19985 arranged on the opposite side of the first side base 19981 to a first cover member 19987 described later in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, a sorting member 19983 arranged in a rotatable state between the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985, a first cover member 19987 arranged on the opposite side of the first side base 19981 to the second side base 19985, a second cover member 19988 arranged on the opposite side of the second side base 19985 to the first side base 19981, a detection device SE5, and a plurality of (two in this embodiment) magnetic bodies 988b.

The arrangement member on which the distribution member 19983 is arranged includes the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member) themselves, but is not limited to the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member), and also includes the second member on which the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member) are arranged, and the third member directly or indirectly connected to the second member. For example, the second member is the winning hole unit 19930, and the third member is the game board 13 on which the winning hole unit 19930 is arranged, as well as various members directly or indirectly connected to the game board 13 (for example, the outer frame 11, the inner frame 12, the glass unit 16, etc.).

The distribution member 19983 is mainly formed with a pair of action parts 19983a, an intermediate plate 19983b formed between the pair of action parts 19983a, a through hole 983c, a contact part 19983d, a wall part 19983e, and a magnetic body 988c.

In this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is formed with a pair of action parts 19983a and an intermediate plate 19983b arranged at a substantially right angle, and is symmetrical with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 147(a)).

Now, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 will be described with reference to FIG. 151. FIG. 151(a) is a side view of the first side base 19981 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIa in FIG. 149, FIG. 151(b) is a side view of the first side base 19981 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIb in FIG. 149, FIG. 151(c) is a side view of the second side base 19985 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIc in FIG. 149, and FIG. 151(d) is a side view of the second side base 19985 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLId in FIG. 149.

The first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is made up of an upper panel 19981a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a lower panel 19981b formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, and arranged facing the upper panel 19981a on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) at a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball, a front panel 19981c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and arranged to be connected to the ends of the upper panel 19981a and the lower panel 19981b on the player side (left side in Figure 151 (a)), and It is mainly composed of a back panel 19981d formed of a plate-like body that is elongated and roughly rectangular in rear view and that is connected to the ends of the board 19981a and the bottom panel 19981b on the side opposite the player (right side of Figure 151 (a)), a central panel 19981e formed of a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular in side view and that is connected to the top panel 19981a and the bottom panel 19981b at approximately the center in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983, and a bulge 19982 that is arranged on the player side of the front panel 19981c (left side of Figure 151 (a)).

Note that the player side refers to the front side of the pachinko machine 10, and the side opposite the player refers to the rear side of the pachinko machine 10. The same applies below.

The upper plate 19981a is formed with circular fastening holes 19981f and 19981g on its upper surface (upper side of FIG. 151(a)), and a protrusion 19981h formed by protruding from the lower surface of the upper plate 19981a toward the upper surface. The fastening hole 19981f is a hole into which a screw inserted through the second side base 19985 described later is screwed. This allows the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 to be fastened and fixed. The fastening hole 19981g is a hole into which a screw inserted through the first cover member 19987 described later is screwed. This allows the first side base 19981 and the first cover member 19987 to be fastened and fixed.

The protrusion 19981h is formed approximately in the center between the front plate 19981c and the rear plate 19981d, slanting toward the rear plate 19981d (right side in FIG. 151(a)) as it approaches the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a recess 19981h1 is formed in which part of the detection device SE5 is disposed. A notch is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 19981h to allow wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE5 to pass through.

The lower panel 19981b is formed with a recess 19981i recessed from the upper surface of the lower panel 19981b toward the lower surface. The recess 19981i is formed in the approximate center between the front panel 19981c and the rear panel 19981d, inclined toward the front panel 19981c side (left side in FIG. 151(a)) as it approaches one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), and is formed in a shape in which a part of the detection device SE5 can be disposed. In addition, an opening U1 is formed on the rear panel 19981d side (left side in FIG. 151(b)) on the first cover member 19987 side (near the paper surface in FIG. 151(b)) from the central panel 19981e described later. The opening U1 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball, and is formed in a position connected to the passage TR7 of the passage unit 19990 described later.

The front plate 19981c is formed closer to the first cover member 19987 (the front side of the page in FIG. 151(b)) than the center plate 19981e.

The central plate 19981e is formed with its rear end connected to the front of the rear plate 19981d, and a recess 19981j is formed from the protrusion 19981h of the upper plate 19981a to the recess 19981i of the lower plate 19981b, in which part of the detection device SE5 is disposed. An opening U2 is also formed closer to the front plate 19981c (left side of Figure 151 (a)) than the recess 19981j. The opening U2 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball.

In addition, a protruding portion 19981e1 is formed between the upper plate 19981a and the lower plate 19981b, connecting the central plate 19981e and the rear plate 19981d and protruding toward the second side base 19985 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 151(a)). The protruding portion 19981e1 is curved in an arc shape toward the central plate 19981e and the rear plate 19981d when viewed from above (see FIG. 153).

The bulge 19982 is mainly composed of a side panel 19982a formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a side view, a lower panel 19982b connected to one side of the side panel 19982a in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a top view, a game ball guide wall 19982c connected to the rear panel 19981d side of the side panel 19982a (right side of Figure 151 (a)), a protrusion 19982d protruding from the side of the side panel 19982a toward the second side base 19985 side (front side of the page in Figure 151 (a)), and a protrusion 19982e and a storage section 986b formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a vertically elongated shape in a front view and protruding from the side of the side panel 19982a toward the first cover member 19987 side (front side of the page in Figure 151 (b)).

The side panel 19982a is formed mainly with fastening holes 19981f on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), fastening holes 19981g on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), and a recess 19982f formed by recessing into the first cover member 19987.

The recess 19982f is a portion in which the wall portion 19983e of the distribution member 19983 is disposed, and is provided with a bearing portion 982c that protrudes in an annular shape toward the second side base 19985 side (the front side of the page in FIG. 151(a)).

The lower panel 19982b has a front contact portion 19982b1 and a rear contact portion 19982b2 for restricting the rotation of the distribution member 19983. The front contact portion 19982b1 is formed so as to be inclined toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the rear panel 19981d (right side in FIG. 151(a)), and the rear contact portion 19982b2 is formed so as to be inclined toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the rear panel 19981d.

The game ball guide wall 19982c is formed of a first curved wall 19982c1 arranged on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) and a second curved wall 19982c2 arranged on one side in the direction of gravity of the first curved wall 19982c1 (lower side in the direction of gravity) and connected to the first curved wall 19982c1, the first curved wall 19982c1 being curved toward the opposite side to the player (right side in Figure 151 (a)), and the second curved wall 19982c2 being formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the bearing portion 982c.

The lower surface of the protrusion 19982d is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the bearing portion 982c.

The protruding portion 19982e is formed with a guide wall 19982e1 and a fastening hole 19982e2 (see FIG. 147(a)). The guide wall 19982e1 is formed in a circular ring shape, and the shape of the inner edge is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19941i of the rear base 19941 described above (see FIG. 143(b)).

The second side base 19985 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and comprises an upper panel 19985a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a lower panel 19985b formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, and disposed facing the upper panel 19985a on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) at a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball, a front panel 19985c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and disposed in connection with the ends of the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b on the player side (left side in Figure 151 (d)), and It is mainly composed of a rear panel 19985d formed of a plate-like body that is elongated horizontally and roughly rectangular in rear view and is arranged by connecting the ends of the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b on the side opposite the player (left side of Fig. 151 (c)), a side panel 19985e formed of a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular in side view and is arranged by connecting the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b to the end on the first side base 19981 side (front side of the paper in Fig. 151 (c)), and a bulge 19986 arranged on the player side of the front panel 19985c (right side of Fig. 151 (c)).

The upper plate 19985a is formed with a circular through hole 19985f and a fastening hole 19985g on its upper surface (upper side of FIG. 151(a)), and a protrusion 19985h formed by protruding from the lower surface of the upper plate 19985a toward the upper surface. As described above, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19985f into the first side base 19981. In addition, the fastening hole 19985g is a hole into which a screw inserted through the second cover member 19988 described later is screwed. This allows the second side base 19985 and the second cover member 19988 to be fastened and fixed.

The protrusion 19985h is formed at a position corresponding to the protrusion 19981h of the first side base 19981, and is formed so as to be inclined toward the rear plate 19985d (left side in FIG. 151(c)) as it approaches the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity). The protrusion 19985h also includes a recess 19985h1 in which a part of the detection device SE5, which will be described later, is disposed.

The lower plate 19985b is formed with a recess 19985i recessed from the upper surface of the lower plate 19985b toward the lower surface.

The recess 19985i is formed at a position corresponding to the recess 19981i of the first side base 19981, and is formed so as to incline towards the front plate 19985c (right side in Figure 151 (c)) as it approaches one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). The recess 19985i is also formed in a shape in which a part of the detection device SE5, which will be described later, can be disposed. An opening U3 is also formed on the rear plate 19981d side (right side in Figure 151 (d)). The opening U3 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball, and is formed at a position that connects to the passage TR8 of the passage unit 19990, which will be described later.

The front plate 19985c is formed with a circular fastening hole 19985g on its front side (left side of Figure 151 (d)).

The side plate 19985e has a recess 19985k formed in a position corresponding to the recess 19981j formed in the central plate 19981e of the first side base 19981 for arranging a part of the detection device SE5.

In addition, an opening U4 is formed closer to the front panel 19985c than the recess 19985k (right side in FIG. 151(c)), and an opening U5 is formed closer to the rear panel 19985d than the recess 19985k (left side in FIG. 151(c)). Openings U4 and U5 are each formed larger than the diameter of a game ball.

The bulge 19986 is mainly formed by a side panel 19986a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and generally rectangular in side view, and a protruding portion 19986e formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and generally rectangular in front view and that protrudes from the side of the side panel 19986a toward the second cover member 19988 (the right side of FIG. 147(a)).

The side panel 19986a is formed mainly with through holes 19985f on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a fastening hole 19985g on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), and a bearing portion 985j that protrudes in an annular shape toward the first side base 19981 side (the front side of the page in Figure 151 (c)).

The protruding portion 19986e is formed with a guide wall 19982e1 and a fastening hole 19982e2 (see FIG. 147(a)).

Returning to FIG. 150, the explanation will be made from FIG. 147. The first cover member 19987 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed of a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in side view. It is mainly formed with a circular through hole 19987a around both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a protruding portion 19987b that is approximately rectangular in front view and is disposed in contact with the back surface of the front plate 19981c of the first side base 19981 toward the first side base 19981 side (the right side of FIG. 147(a)). As described above, the first side base 19981 and the first cover member 19987 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19987a into the first side base 19981.

The protrusion 19987b on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 19981 (right side in FIG. 147(b)) is curved in an arc toward the opposite side to the first side base 19981 (left side in FIG. 147(a)).

The second cover member 19988 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in side view. It is mainly formed with a circular through hole 19988a around both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a protruding portion 19988b that is approximately rectangular in front view and is disposed in contact with the back surface of the front plate 19985c of the second side base 19985 toward the second side base 19985 side (left side of FIG. 147(a)). As described above, the second side base 19985 and the second cover member 19988 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19988a into the second side base 19985.

The protrusion 19988b on the rear plate 19985d side of the second side base 19985 (right side in FIG. 147(b)) is curved in an arc toward the opposite side to the second side base 19985 (right side in FIG. 147(a)).

Next, the internal configuration of the sorting unit 19980 will be described with reference to Figures 152 and 153.

Figures 152(a) and 152(b) are cross-sectional views of the distribution unit 19980 taken along line CLIIa-CLIIa in Figure 147(a), and Figure 153 is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit 19980 taken along line CLIIII-CLIII in Figure 152(a). In addition, FIG. 152(a) illustrates a state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a position (hereinafter referred to as the "first position") where the lower surface of the action portion 19983a of the distribution member 19983 abuts against the rear side abutment portion 19982b2 of the lower plate 19982b formed on the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 described below, and FIG. 152(b) illustrates a state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a position (hereinafter referred to as the "second position") where the lower surface of the action portion 19983a of the distribution member 19983 abuts against the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the lower plate 19982b formed on the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 described below.

152 and 153, when the sorting unit 19980 is assembled, an opening U6 is formed from the upper plate 19981a, the lower plate 19981b, the side plate 19982a of the bulging portion 19982 of the first side base 19981, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985. 2b, the protrusion 19982d, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985 form an opening U7, and on the other side of the opening U7 in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), an opening U8 is formed from the side plate 19982a of the bulging portion 19982 of the first side base 19981, the protrusion 19982d, the game ball guide wall 19982c, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985. As described above, the opening U7 is disposed at a position connected to the middle opening 19941h of the back base 19941, and the opening U8 is disposed at a position connected to the first winning opening 64 of the back base 19941.

In addition, on the rear panel 19981d side of the first side base 19981 (right side of FIG. 152(a)) of the opening U6, a passage TR4 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19981a, lower panel 19981b, central panel 19981e of the first side base 19981 and the side panel 19985e of the second side base 19985, a passage T5 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19981a, lower panel 19981b, central panel 19981e and first cover member 19987 of the first side base 19981, and a passage T6 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19985a, lower panel 19985b, side panel 19985e and second cover member 19988 of the second side base 19985. Passages TR4, TR5 and TR6 are formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of a game ball. Additionally, passages TR4, TR5, and TR6 are formed such that the back panel 19981d side (the side opposite the player) of the first side base 19981 slopes downward to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and extends from the player side (the left side of Figure 152 (a)) to the side opposite the player.

In addition, detection device SE5 is arranged in the area surrounded by recess 19981h1 formed in protrusion 19981h of first side base 19981, recess 19981i formed in bottom plate 19981b, recess 19981j formed in central plate 19981e, recess 19985h1 formed in protrusion 19985h of second side base 19985, recess 19985i formed in bottom plate 19985b, and recess 19985k formed in side plate 19985e, with detection hole SE1a positioned within passage TR4. As described above, the installation area of the detection device SE5 is formed with a downward incline toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) on the side opposite the player (right side of Figure 152 (a)), so the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is inclined upward toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) on the player side (left side of Figure 152 (a)), and the extension direction of the passage TR4 and the axis direction of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 are arranged in the same direction.

The sorting member 19983 is disposed inside the sorting unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 152(a)).

In addition, with the shaft member 988a inserted into the through hole 983c, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j, and the other end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c, so that the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported between the side plate 19982a (first side base 19981) of the bulge portion 19982 and the side plate 19986a (second side base 19985) of the bulge portion 19986. Therefore, the distribution member 19983 can distribute the game balls that are thrown in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 152(a)).

As described above, the wall portion 19983e of the distribution member 19983 is disposed inside the recess 19982f of the side panel 19982a. This prevents the game balls that flow into the distribution unit 19980 from abutting against the side of the wall portion 19983e, and prevents the flow of the game balls from being obstructed.

Inside the storage section 986b, the magnetic body 988b is placed on the movement trajectory of the magnetic body 988c on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) relative to the bearing section 982c of the recess 19982f, in a state in which the magnetic body 988b repels the magnetic body 988c of the distribution member 19983.

As shown in FIG. 152(a), when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the distance dimension L44 from the tip of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 to the second curved wall 19982c2 of the game ball guide wall 19982c is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. Also, the distance dimension L45 from the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 19983 to the underside of the protruding portion 19982d is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the game ball that has flowed into the distribution unit 19980 can be prevented from passing through the opening U6, and the distribution member 19983 can rotate to allow the game ball to pass through the opening U7.

In addition, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the magnetic body 988c arranged in the distribution member 19983 is arranged closer to the opening U6 side (the right side of FIG. 152(a)) than the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage section 986b (first side base 19981). As described above, since the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are arranged in a repelling state, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to rotate from the magnetic body 988b side to the opening U6 side with the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis. Therefore, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to maintain the state arranged in the first position. As a result, even if an external force that rotates the distribution member 19983 toward the second position is applied, the distribution member 19983 can be prevented from rotating toward the second position.

As shown in FIG. 152(b), when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the second position, the distance dimension L46 from the tip of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 to the underside of the protruding portion 19982d is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. Also, the distance dimension L47 from the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 19983 to the second curved wall 19982c2 of the game ball guide wall 19982c is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the second position, the game balls that flow into the distribution unit 19980 can be prevented from passing through the opening U7, and the distribution member 19983 can rotate to allow the game balls to pass through the opening U6.

In addition, when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position, the magnetic body 988c disposed in the distribution member 19983 is disposed closer to the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 152(b)) than the magnetic body 988b disposed in the storage section 986b (first side base 19981). As described above, the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are disposed in a repelling state, so that a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to rotate from the magnetic body 988b side to the opening U7 side with the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis. Therefore, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to maintain the state disposed in the second position. As a result, even if an external force that rotates the distribution member 19983 toward the first position is applied, the distribution member 19983 can be prevented from rotating toward the first position.

Next, the configuration of the passage unit 19990 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 154 to 157.

Figure 154(a) is a front view of the passage unit 19990, Figure 154(b) is a top view of the passage unit 19990, Figure 154(c) is a side view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 154(d) is a cross-sectional view of the passage unit 19990 taken along line CLIVd-CLIVd in Figure 154(a). Figure 155(a) is a perspective front view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 155(b) is a perspective rear view of the passage unit 19990. Figure 156 is an exploded perspective front view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 157 is an exploded perspective rear view of the passage unit 19990.

As shown in FIG. 154 to FIG. 157, the passage unit 19990 is mainly formed by a first passage member 19991, a solenoid holding member 19992 arranged on the side of the first passage member 19991 opposite to the player (the right side of FIG. 154(d)), a second passage member 19993 arranged on the other side of the solenoid holding member 19992 in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a solenoid 610 arranged inside the solenoid holding member 19992, a transmission member 19965 connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, a displacement member 19966 connected to a first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965 described later, and a detection device SE6. The number of prize balls paid out when the detection device SE5 detects game balls is set to be less than the number of prize balls paid out when the detection device SE6 described above detects game balls.

The first passage member 19991 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and is mainly composed of a bottom panel 19991a formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a pair of side panels 19991b connected to both longitudinal ends of the bottom panel 19991a and formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the side, a back panel 19991c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and connected to the side of the bottom panel 19991a opposite the player (right side of Figure 154 (d)), a detection device housing section 19991d arranged a certain distance away on the other side of the bottom panel 19991a in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a pair of guide panels 19991e formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the side and connected to the side of the back panel 19991c opposite the player.

A first fastening portion 19991b1 and a second fastening portion 19991b4 are formed on the outer surfaces of the pair of side plates 19991b. In addition, a protrusion 19991b7 is formed on the back surface of each of the pair of side plates 19991b, protruding toward the solenoid holding member 19992 (right side in FIG. 154(d)).

The first fastening portion 19991b1 is formed with a first guide wall 19991b2 and a circular first through hole 19991b3. The inner edge shape of the first guide wall 19991b2 is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19941j of the rear base 19941 described above. As described above, the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 can be fastened and fixed by threading a screw inserted through the first through hole 19991b3 into the fastening hole 19941j.

The second fastening portion 19991b4 is formed with a second guide wall 19991b5 and a circular second through hole 19991b6. The inner edge shape of the second guide wall 19991b5 is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992 described later. The second through hole 19991b6 is a hole for inserting a screw that screws into the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992 described later. This allows the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992 to be fastened and fixed.

The detection device housing section 19991d is formed in a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes a recessed section 19991d1 recessed from the solenoid holding member 19992 side (right side of FIG. 154(d)) toward the player side (left side of FIG. 154(d)). The detection device SE6, which will be described later, is disposed in the recessed section 19991d1.

The player side of the detection device housing 19991d (the front side of the paper in Fig. 154(a)) is opened so that wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be inserted. The upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d is formed to be inclined to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the solenoid holding member 19992 side (the right side of Fig. 154(d)), and a game ball guide portion 19991d3 is formed to protrude from the edge of the upper surface 19991d2 in a roughly U-shape when viewed from above, with the player side open. The inner edge of the game ball guide portion 19991d3 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball.

In addition, an opening with dimensions larger than the diameter of the game ball is formed on the upper surface 19991d2 and the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d on the solenoid holding member 19992 side (right side of FIG. 154(d)) of the back plate 19991c. This allows the game ball flowing down the upper surface 19991d2 to be sent to a pair of guide plates 19991e described later.

The pair of guide plates 19991e are formed so that the distance between their opposing faces is greater than the diameter of the game ball, and the game ball passing through the opening formed on the underside of the detection device housing section 19991d can flow down to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and be discharged from the passage unit 19990 (prize winning opening unit 19300).

The solenoid holding member 19992 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is mainly composed of a storage section 19992a that is roughly rectangular when viewed from above, a restricting section 19992b that is formed from a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular and elongated in a front view on the player side of the storage section 19992a, and a pair of side panels 19992c that are formed from plate-like bodies that are roughly rectangular and elongated in a side view.

The storage section 19992a is a portion for disposing the solenoid 610 (described later) inside, and the storage section 19992a and the solenoid 610 are fastened and fixed with screws. In addition, an opening is formed on the player side of the storage section 19992a (left side of Figure 154 (d)), which allows the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 to be positioned closer to the player than the storage section 19992a.

The restricting portion 19992b is a portion for restricting the displacement of the transmission member 19965 described below, and the abutment between the restricting portion 19992b and the transmission member 19965 restricts the displacement of the transmission member 19965 to the side opposite the player (the right side in FIG. 154(d)).

The side panel 19992c is formed with a fastening hole 19992c1 on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), a fastening portion 19992c2 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), and a notch portion 19992c5 on the player side (left side in Figure 154 (c)).

The fastening hole 19992c1 is a hole into which the screw inserted through the first passage member 19991 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992 to be fastened and fixed.

The fastening portion 19992c2 is formed with a guide wall 19992c3 and a circular through hole 19992c4. The guide wall 19992c3 has an inner edge shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19993a of the second passage member 19993 described below. The through hole 19992c4 is a hole through which a screw that is screwed into the second passage member 19993 described below is inserted. This allows the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993 to be fastened and fixed.

The second passage member 19993 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed as a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above. The second passage member 19993 is provided with a passage TR7 and a passage TR8 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and is formed with fastening holes 19993a on the player side of the passage TR7 and the passage TR8 (the lower side in FIG. 154(b)).

Paths TR7 and TR8 are formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball. In addition, paths TR7 and TR8 are extended in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 154(d)) and are formed at positions that connect to openings U1 and U3 formed in the sorting unit 19980 described above.

The fastening hole 19993a is a hole into which the screw inserted through the solenoid holding member 19992 described above is screwed. This allows the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993 to be fastened and fixed.

The transmission member 19965 is mainly formed with a pair of first engagement parts 19965a formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and generally rectangular in side view, a second engagement part 19965b formed between the pair of first engagement parts 19965a and that is formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in rear view, and a pair of connecting parts 19965c that connect the pair of first engagement parts 19965a and the pair of second engagement parts 19965b.

The distance between the inner opposing surfaces of the pair of first engagement parts 19965a is greater than the distance between the outer sides of the pair of main body parts 19966g of the displacement member 19966 described later. The pair of first engagement parts 19965a also has a through hole 19965a1 that is horizontally elongated and generally rectangular in side view on the player side (lower side of FIG. 154(b)). The inside of the through hole 19965a1 is formed so that the transmission part 19966e of the displacement member 19966 described later can be disposed therein, and a notch part 19965a2 is formed on the player side of the through hole 19965a1 that is notched on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity).

The second engagement portion 19965b is a portion for connecting the transmission member 19965 and the solenoid 610, and includes a first recessed portion 19965b1 recessed from the end face on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and a second recessed portion 19965b2 recessed on the solenoid 610 side of the first recessed portion 19965b1 (right side in Figure 154 (d)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 961b.

The first recessed portion 19965b1 is a groove into which the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) open. The groove width of the first recessed portion 19965b1 is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 961c. This allows the annular portion 961c to be inserted into the first recessed portion 19965b1.

The second recess 19965b2 is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 961b and the second engagement portion 19965b when the annular portion 961c is disposed inside the first recess 19965b1 as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) when viewed from behind, and is formed with an opening on the solenoid 610 side (right side in Figure 154 (d)).

The connecting portion 19965c is a portion that connects the first engaging portion 19965a and the second engaging portion 19965b, thereby allowing the displacement of the second engaging portion 19965b to be transmitted to the first engaging portion 19965a.

The displacement member 19966 is mainly formed with a pair of main body portions 19966g formed from a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the side, a protrusion portion 19966a formed to protrude from the pair of main body portions 19966g toward the player (the lower side of FIG. 154(b)), a rotation shaft 19966d, a transmission portion 19966e, and a connecting portion 19966f that connects the pair of main body portions 19966g.

The distance between the pair of body portions 19966g and the inner opposing surfaces of the protrusion portion 19966a is formed to be greater than the dimension in the short direction (left-right direction in FIG. 154(b)) of the detection device housing portion 19991d of the first passage member 19991 described above.

The protrusion 19966a is formed with a recess 19966a1 that is recessed on the solenoid 610 side (upper side in FIG. 154(b)), and is formed so that the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 can be disposed in the recess 19966a1 (see FIG. 159(b)).

The rotating shaft 19966d is formed in an annular shape that protrudes outward in the opposing direction from the side surfaces of the pair of main body portions 19966g. At the connecting portion of the rotating shaft 19966d with the main body portions 19966g, a base portion 19966d1 is formed with dimensions larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 19966d.

The transmission portion 19966e is a portion for transmitting the displacement of the transmission member 19965 described above to the displacement member 19966, and is formed in a horizontally elongated, generally rectangular shape in a side view, protruding outward in the opposing direction from the side of the pair of main body portions 19966g on the other side (upper side in the gravity direction) of the rotation shaft 19966d in the gravity direction.

The connecting portion 19966f is a portion for connecting the pair of main body portions 19966g, and includes a side portion 19966f1 formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular in side view on the underside of the pair of main body portions 19966g, and a bottom portion 19966f2 formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in top view and connected to one end of the pair of side portions 19966f1 in the direction of gravity.

The connecting portion 19966f connects a pair of main body portions 19966g, thereby preventing one main body portion 19966g from displacing relative to the other main body portion 19966g.

When assembling the passage unit 19990, as described above, the inner edge shape of the second guide wall 19991b5 of the first passage member 19991 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992, and the inner edge shape of the guide wall 19992c3 of the solenoid holding member 19992 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19993a of the second passage member 19993. This makes it easy to position the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992, and to position the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993. This makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the passage unit 19990.

When the passage unit 19990 is assembled, the detection device SE6 is disposed inside the recessed portion 19991d1 of the first passage member 19991, and the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6 is disposed in a position that communicates with the openings formed on the upper surface 19991d2 and the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d. This allows the game ball flowing down the upper surface 19991d2 of the first passage member 19991 to pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6.

In addition, a passage TR9 is formed that is surrounded by the back plate 19991c of the first passage member 19991, the pair of guide plates 19991e, and the regulating portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992. The passage TR9 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball.

As described above, the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is formed to protrude outward in the opposing direction from the side surface of the main body portion 19966g, and is disposed inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965, so that the game ball sent to the passage TR9 can flow down the passage TR9.

The annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is disposed inside the first recessed portion 19965b1 of the transmission member 19965, and a spring (not shown) disposed between the solenoid 610 and the second engagement portion 19965b of the transmission member 19965 applies a biasing force to the transmission member 19965 to displace it toward the player (left side of FIG. 154(d)). Here, the displacement of the transmission member 19965 toward the player (left side of FIG. 154(d)) is restricted by the abutment between the second engagement portion 19965b of the transmission member 19965 and the restricting portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992.

The rotating shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966 is rotatably disposed in an area surrounded by the side plate 19991b of the first passage member 19991, the protrusion 19991b7, and the notch 19992c5 of the side plate 19992c of the solenoid holding member 19992, and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is disposed in the through hole 19965a1 of the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

The solenoid holding member 19992 is disposed on the opposite side of the first passage member 19991 from the player (the right side in FIG. 154(d)). Therefore, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the opposite side of the player from the detection device housing portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991.

When power is applied (supplied) to the main body 610a of the solenoid 610, the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 and the transmission member 19965 connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 are displaced away from the player (right side of FIG. 154(d)), and as described above, the displacement of the transmission member 19965 is restricted by the contact between the regulating portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992 and the transmission member 199965. When the transmission member 19965 is displaced away from the player, the inner surface of the through hole 19965a1 of the transmission member 19965 and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 come into contact, and a rotational force is applied to the displacement member 19966.

Returning to FIG. 142 from FIG. 139, the explanation will be given. In the situation where the winning port unit 19930 is assembled, as described above, the inner edge shape of the guide wall 19982e1 of the distribution unit 19980 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19941i of the front unit 19940, and the inner edge shape of the first guide wall 19991b2 of the passage unit 19990 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19941j of the front unit 19940, so that the positioning of the front unit 19940 and the distribution unit 19980, and the positioning of the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 can be easily performed. This makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the winning port unit 19930.

When the winning port unit 19930 is assembled, an opening U9 is formed from the lower plate 19982b of the bulge 19982 formed on the first side base 19981 of the sorting unit 19800, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d formed on the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and the protrusion 19966a formed on the displacement member 19966. As described above, the first winning port 64 of the front unit 19940 and the opening U8 of the sorting unit 19980 are formed in a position where they are connected, the middle opening 19941h of the front unit 19940 and the opening U7 of the sorting unit 19980 are arranged in a position where they are connected, and the second winning port 140 of the front unit 19940 and the opening U9 are formed in a position where they are connected.

The upper surface 19943c2 of the second receiving portion 19943c of the front unit 19940 is formed on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) than the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device accommodating portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990.

In addition, a passage TR10 is formed, surrounded by the lower plate 19981b formed on the first side base 19981 of the sorting unit 19800, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d formed on the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and a pair of game ball guide portions 19991d3. The passage TR10 is formed slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball, and as described above, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d is formed to be inclined toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the side opposite the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)). In addition, the detection device housing 19991d is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from above, and thus the passage TR10 is formed by extending from the player side (the back side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)) to the side opposite the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)). This allows the game ball sent to passage TR10 to flow down the opposite side to the player.

As described above, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the opposite side of the passage TR10 (detection device housing 19991d) from the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)), so that the passage TR10 formed on the inside of the opposing surfaces of the pair of first engagement portions 19965a of the transmission member 19965 and the pair of main body portions 19966g of the displacement member 19966 can be shortened.

In addition, openings U1 and U3 of sorting unit 19980 and passages TR7 and TR8 of passage unit 19990 are formed in a position where they are connected to each other. As a result, a passage TR11 extending in the direction of gravity is formed by a part of passage TR5 (a part of the opposite side to the player (a part of the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b))) arranged on the other side of the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) across opening U1 and passage TR7 arranged on one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction). In addition, a passage TR12 extending in the direction of gravity is formed by a part of passage TR6 (a part of the opposite side to the player) arranged on the other side of the gravity direction across opening U3 and passage TR8 arranged on one side in the gravity direction. Therefore, passage TR11 is formed closer to the first cover member 19987 of the sorting unit 19980 than passage TR4 (right side in FIG. 139(b)), and passage TR12 is formed closer to the second cover member 19988 of the sorting unit 19980 than passage TR4 (left side in FIG. 139(b)).

As a result, the game ball sent to the first winning port 64 of the front unit 19940 passes through the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980 and is sent to the inside of the distribution unit 19980. Inside the distribution unit 19980, the game ball sent to the player side (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (a)) by the rotation of the distribution member 19983 is sent to the middle port 19941h of the front unit 19940 by passing through the opening U7. Also, the game ball sent to the second winning port 140 of the front unit 19940 is sent to the inside of the passage unit 19990 by passing through the opening U9.

In addition, the game balls sent to the openings U1 and U3 of the distribution unit 19980 flow down the passages TR11 and TR12 formed in the winning port unit 19930, and are discharged from the winning port unit 19930.

Now, with reference to Figures 158 to 160, the rotational movement of the wing member 945 caused by the rotational movement of the displacement member 19966 will be described.

Figure 158 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 at the line CLVIII-CLVIII in Figure 139(a), where Figure 158(a) shows the closed state of the feather member 945, and Figure 158(b) shows the open state of the feather member 945. Figure 159(a) is a partial enlarged view of the winning port unit 19300 in the range CLIXa of Figure 139(a) when the feather member 945 is closed, and Figure 159(b) is a side view of the winning port unit 19300 when the feather member 945 is closed. Figure 160(a) is a partial enlarged view of the winning port unit 19300 in the range CLIXa of Figure 139(a) when the feather member 945 is open, and Figure 160(b) is a side view of the winning port unit 19300 when the feather member 945 is open. In addition, in Figures 159(a) and 160(a), the front base 19943 of the front unit 19940 is omitted, and in Figures 159(b) and 160(b), only the blade member 945, the solenoid 610, the transmission member 19965, and the displacement member 19966 are shown.

As shown in Figures 158 to 160, when the prize-winning port unit 19300 is assembled, the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 arranged on the front unit 19940 is arranged inside the recessed portion 19966a1 formed in the protrusion 19966a of the displacement member 19966 arranged on the passage unit 19990.

When the vane member 945 is closed, power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, and the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is separated from the main body 961a. Thus, the transmission member 19965 connected to the solenoid 610 is displaced toward the player (left side of FIG. 159(b)), and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is positioned on the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 159(b)) inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

Next, the open state of the feather member 945 will be described. In this state, power is applied (supplied) to the main body 610a of the solenoid 610, and the annular portion 961c and the main body 961a of the solenoid 610 are in close proximity. Thus, the transmission member 19965 connected to the solenoid 610 is displaced to the side opposite the player (right side in FIG. 160(b)), and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is positioned on the player side (left side in FIG. 160(b)) inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

Here, a notch 19965a2 is formed on the player side of the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965, on one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), so that the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 can rotate around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966. This displaces the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 961b, and the displacement member 19966 can rotate. In other words, the displacement member 19966 can rotate due to the simple configuration of the solenoid 610 and the transmission member 19965, and the manufacturing costs of the winning port unit 19930 can be reduced.

In addition, since the displacement member 19966 rotates around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966, the displacement (rotation) area of the displacement member 19966 within the passage unit 19990 can be reduced. This allows the prize opening unit 19930 to be made smaller.

Next, referring to Figures 161 and 162, we will explain the flow of the game ball sent to the winning port unit 19930.

Figure 161 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a), with Figure 161(a) showing the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a first position, and Figure 161(b) showing the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a second position. Figure 162(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXIIa-CLXIIa in Figure 161, and Figure 162(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXIIb-CLXIIb in Figure 162(a).

As shown in FIG. 161(a), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning hole 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980, and is sent to the distribution member 19983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) of the distribution unit 19980. As described above, the connection position of the action portion 19983a with the abutment portion 19983d is set to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) from the connection position with the abutment portion 19983d of the intermediate plate 19983b, so that the load of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 161(b), the distribution member 19983 is rotated and displaced around the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis, and when the intermediate plate 19983b radially outward from the through hole 983c reaches a position exceeding the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)), the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is sent to the opening U7. The distribution member 19983 continues to rotate and displace, and the intermediate plate 19983b is tilted toward the opening U7 side of the distribution unit 19980 (left side in FIG. 161(b)), and the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position. The rotation of the distribution member 19983 is restricted by the abutment of the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side and the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the first side base. In this case, the repulsive direction acting on the magnetic body 988c arranged on the distribution member 19983 by the magnetic force of the magnetic body 988b arranged on the first side base 19981 is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 19983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c acts toward the opening U6 side (the right side of FIG. 161(b)) to a state in which the repulsive direction acts toward the opening U7 side.

The distribution member 19983 can therefore use the load of the game balls and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the axis of the through hole 983c as the axis of rotation. In addition, the direction of the repulsive force acting on the magnetic body 988c can be switched, so that the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(b)) of the distribution member 19983 can be maintained in contact with the front side contact portion 19982b1 of the first side base.

As shown in FIG. 161(b), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980, and is sent to the distribution member 19893. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(b)). As described above, the connection position of the action portion 19983a with the abutment portion 19983d is set to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) from the connection position with the abutment portion 19983d of the intermediate plate 19983b, so that the load of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 161(a), the distribution member 19983 is rotated and displaced around the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis, and when the intermediate plate 19983b radially outward from the through hole 983c reaches a position exceeding the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)), the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is sent to the opening U6. The distribution member 19983 continues to rotate and displace, and the intermediate plate 19983b is tilted toward the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side in FIG. 161(a)), and the distribution member 19983 is placed in the first position. The rotation of the distribution member 19983 is restricted by the contact between the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side and the rear side contact portion 19982b2 of the first side base 19981. In this case, the repulsive direction acting on the magnetic body 988c arranged on the distribution member 19983 by the magnetic force of the magnetic body 988b arranged on the first side base 19981 is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 19983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c acts toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) to a state in which the repulsive direction acts toward the opening U6 side.

The distribution member 19983 can therefore use the load of the game ball and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the axis of the through hole 983c as the axis of rotation. In addition, the direction of the repulsive force acting on the magnetic body 988c can be switched, so that the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 161(a)) of the distribution member 19983 can maintain a state of abutment with the rear side abutment portion 19982b2 of the first side base 19981. The distribution member 19983 can therefore displace the inclination direction of the intermediate plate 19983b each time a game ball is sent, sending one game ball at a time to the opening U7 and the opening U6.

When the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the first position, the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the thickness center of the intermediate plate 19983b is the same as the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the thickness center of the intermediate plate 19983b when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the second position. Therefore, the first and second positions of the sorting member 19983 are disposed symmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)) when viewed from the side.

The game ball passing through the opening U7 passes through the middle opening 19941h of the front unit 19940 and is sent to the passage TR3. When the game ball sent to the passage TR3 abuts against the middle receiving part 19943e, the ball's sending direction is changed from the player side (left side of FIG. 161(b)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and flows down the passage TR3. When the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 abuts against the upper surface 19943c2 of the second receiving part 19943c, the ball's sending direction is changed from one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) to the opposite side from the player (right side of FIG. 161(b)) and the ball is sent to the second winning port 140.

The game ball passing through the second winning port 140 passes through the opening U9 formed by the distribution unit 19980 and the passage unit 19990, and is sent to the passage TR10. The game ball flowing down the passage TR10 in the opposite direction to the player (the right side of FIG. 161(b)) abuts against the game ball guide portion 19991d3 of the detection device housing portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and the ball's sending direction is changed from the opposite direction to the player to one side in the direction of gravity (the downward direction of gravity), and the game ball is sent to the opening formed in the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing portion 19991d, the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, and the opening formed on the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d.

The game ball sent to the opening formed on the underside of the detection device housing section 19991d passes through the passage TR9 and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930. Here, as the game ball passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, the number of game balls that have passed through the second winning port 140 can be counted by the detection device SE6.

The passages TR3, TR7, and TR9 through which the game balls distributed by the above-mentioned distribution member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the "fifth passage" below.

Here, when a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) comes into contact with various components (gimmicks) such as numerous nails (not shown) or windmills arranged on the front side of the game board 13, or when a game ball is sorted by the sorting action of the sorting member 19983, the game ball may flow down with a velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 (vertical to the page of FIG. 161 (b)). If the flowing game ball does not have or has only a small velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 does not come into contact with the vane member 945. On the other hand, the velocity component of the game ball in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is large, and the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 comes into contact with the vane member 945, is displaced outside the passage of the passage TR3, and does not pass through the second winning hole 140, so the number of game balls is not counted by the detection device SE6.

Next, referring to Figure 162, the flow of game balls that have passed through opening U6 will be described. If a game ball flows down the front side of the game board 13 (see Figure 138) and is sorted by the sorting action of the sorting member 19983, and has no or only a small velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 (up and down direction in Figure 162 (a)), the game ball will not come into contact with the opening end of opening U2 or opening U4 and will flow down passage TR4.

When the game ball flows down with a velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 (vertical direction in FIG. 162(a)) that is greater than the velocity component when the game ball does not come into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4. When the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, causing the flowing game ball to bounce toward the passage TR4 side relative to the opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball flows down the passage TR4. On the other hand, when the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, causing the flowing game ball to bounce toward the opposite side of the passage TR4 relative to the opening U2 or opening U4, in other words, toward the passage TR5 side or the passage TR6 side, the flowing game ball passes through the opening U2 or opening U4 and is sent to the passage TR5 or passage TR6.

When a game ball does not pass through the opening U2 or U4 and flows down the passage TR4, the game ball abuts against the protruding portion 19981e1 formed on the central plate 19981e of the first side base 19981, changing the direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player (right side of FIG. 162(a)) to the second cover member 19988 side (lower side of FIG. 162(a)), and is sent to the opening U5. The game ball that passed through the opening U5 flows down the passage TR12 formed in the winning hole unit 19930, and is discharged from the winning hole unit 19930. Here, the game ball that flows down passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 arranged in the passage TR4, and the number of game balls that have passed through the opening U6 and flow down the passage TR4 without passing through the opening U2 or U3 can be counted by the detection device SE5.

The passage TR4 and passage TR12 through which the game balls distributed by the above-mentioned distribution member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the "fourth passage" below.

As shown in FIG. 161, passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed at approximately the same position in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 161(a)). In other words, passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed at positions that overlap when viewed from above.

As a result, the prize slot unit 19300 can be made smaller in size in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 161(a)), which allows more space to be secured for arranging other components.

As described above, the first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that the player can recognize the detection device SE5 disposed in the distribution unit 19980. Furthermore, because the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is disposed along the extension direction of the passage TR4, the player can visually confirm that the game ball passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, which enhances the enjoyment of the game. In addition, as shown in FIG. 161(a), the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is arranged with an upward incline toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) on the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)). Therefore, when the prize winning hole unit 19930 (see FIG. 138) is arranged on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the base plate 19060, the player can easily see the game ball passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 arranged in the sorting unit 19980.

In addition, because the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is disposed within the passage TR4 that forms the upstream side of the fourth passage, it can be brought close to the distribution member 19983. In other words, it is possible for the player to easily visually confirm that the game balls distributed to the distribution member 19983 pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5. This can increase the interest of the game.

The game ball that passes through the opening U2 and is sent to the passage TR5 abuts against the curved portion formed in the protruding portion 19987b of the first cover member 19987, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the first cover member 19987 side (upper side of FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side of the player (right side of FIG. 162(a)), and flows down the passage TR5. The game ball flowing down the passage TR5 is sent to the passage TR11, and abuts against the back panel 19981d of the first side base 19981, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). The game ball flows down the passage TR11 formed in the winning port unit 19930, and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930.

The game ball that passes through the opening U4 and is sent to the passage TR6 abuts against the curved portion formed on the protruding portion 19988b of the second cover member 19988, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the second cover member 19988 side (the lower side of FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side of the player (the right side of FIG. 162(a)), and flows down the passage TR6. The game ball that flows down the passage TR6 is sent to the passage TR12, and abuts against the back panel 19985d of the second side base 19985, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). The game ball flows down the passage TR12 formed in the prize winning port unit 19930, and is discharged from the prize winning port unit 19930.

As described above, among game balls flowing down the fourth passage, game balls flowing down passage TR4 on the opposite side of the detection device SE5 from the player (the right side of FIG. 162(a)) are sent to passage TR12, and game balls flowing down passage TR6 are sent to passage TR12, which is part of the fourth passage, and are discharged from the winning port unit 19930. In other words, passage TR6, which branches off from the fourth passage upstream of detection device SE5, merges with the fourth passage downstream of detection device SE5. Therefore, passage TR12 can be used both as a passage for sending game balls that have flowed down passage TR4 and as a passage for sending game balls that have flowed down passage TR6.

This allows the arrangement of flow passages for game balls to be reduced in the distribution unit 19980 (prize winning port unit 19930) in which multiple flow passages are formed, and allows the distribution unit 19980 (prize winning port unit 19930) to be made smaller.

As described above, since passage TR12 is formed on the second cover member 19988 side (lower side in Figure 162 (a)) of passage TR4, space can be secured to arrange other components on one side of passage TR4 in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) on the opposite side of passage TR10 from the player (right side in Figure 162 (a)), in this embodiment space can be secured to arrange solenoid 610, and passage unit 19990 (prize winning port unit 19930) can be made smaller.

Here, the fourth and fifth passages formed on both sides of the distribution direction (left and right direction in FIG. 162(a)) of the distribution member 19983 do not have passages in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 (up and down direction in FIG. 162(a)). Therefore, the fourth and fifth passages are formed at the same position with respect to the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983. In this embodiment, a part of the fifth passage is formed on one side of the fourth passage in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), in other words, the fourth and fifth passages are formed overlapping each other when viewed from above. Also, as described above, the passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and the passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed by extending from the player side (left side in FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side to the player (right side in FIG. 162(a)). In addition, passages TR5 and TR6, which are formed on both sides of the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 of passage TR4, are formed by extending in the direction opposite to the player side, similar to passage TR4.

As described above, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 are formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that the player can visually see whether the game ball will be sent to passage TR4, passage TR5, or passage TR6, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

The top plate 19981a of the first side base 19981 and the top plate 19985a of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 148) are formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above. Therefore, information related to the game, such as "out exit", can be displayed on the top plate 19981a of the first side base 19981 and the top plate 19985a of the second side base 19985 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) of passage TR5, which is formed in the left-right direction of passage TR4 (up-down direction in FIG. 162(a)) and communicates with passage TR4 through opening U2, and passage TR6, which is communicated with passage TR4 through opening U4.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines are known that are equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the passages are arranged along the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction of the base plate, which causes a problem that the space for arranging other components is reduced.

In contrast, in the distribution unit 19800 of this embodiment, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the width direction of the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), and as shown in FIG. 161, the game balls distributed by the distribution member 19983 are sent to the fifth passage formed on the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) or the fourth passage formed on the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 161(a)). As described above, the passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and the passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed by extending from the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) to the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 161(a)), so that the distribution unit 19980 can be made smaller in size in the width direction of the base plate 19060 compared to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 (see FIG. 112) formed in the distribution unit 980 described above.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the sorting unit 19800 is formed so that the fourth passage and a portion of the fifth passage overlap when viewed from above, which allows the sorting unit 19980 to be further miniaturized in the width direction of the base plate 19060.

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the opposite side of the player (the right side of Figure 161 (a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 19980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 19980 has a velocity component in the opposite direction to the player.

As shown in FIG. 161(a), when the sorting member 19983 is placed in the first position, a game ball flowing down with a velocity component toward the opening U6 side of the sorting unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(a)) bounces off the intermediate plate 19983b of the sorting member 19983, or flows down over the intermediate plate 19983b, changing the velocity component of the game ball from the opening U6 side of the sorting unit 19980 to the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) and comes into contact with the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side of the sorting unit 19980. This causes the sorting member 19983 to rotate, and the game ball is sent to the fifth passage.

As shown in FIG. 161(b), when the distribution member 19983 is placed in the second position, a game ball flowing down with a velocity component toward the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(a)) abuts against the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 while maintaining a velocity component toward the opposite side to the player. This causes the distribution member 19983 to rotate, and the game ball is sent to the fourth passage.

Therefore, when the distribution member 19983 is disposed at the first position and when it is disposed at the second position, the angle θ3 between the middle line TL and the horizontal line HL is the same, so the distribution member 19983 can send the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 19980 to the fourth passage faster than to the fifth passage. In other words, the game balls distributed by the distribution member 19983 can have different sending times to the flow-down passages depending on the distribution direction. This provides a sense of play for the player, which in turn increases the enjoyment of the game.

In addition, conventionally, when a game ball flows down a passageway that is formed larger than the outer shape of the game ball, it flows down the passageway with a velocity component that is different from the axial direction of the detection hole of the detection device disposed in the passageway, and this can cause the game ball to collide with the side wall of the passageway and move in an uneven direction (hereinafter referred to as "game ball going wild"). When a game ball goes through the detection hole of the detection device in a wild state, the detection device can mistakenly recognize that multiple game balls have passed through the detection hole (hereinafter referred to as "chattering").

In contrast, in the distribution unit 19800 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 162, an opening U2 and an opening U4 are formed in the passage TR4 on the distribution member 19983 side (left side of FIG. 162(a)) of the detection device SE5. When a game ball is sent to the passage TR4 in a violent state, the game ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 in a state where the violent movement has subsided by abutting against the opening end of opening U2 or opening U4, thereby preventing chattering from occurring.

In addition, by passing a portion of the game ball through opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 in a state where the game ball's wildness has subsided, and chattering can be prevented from occurring. In other words, because opening U2 and opening U4 are formed in passage TR4, the cross-sectional area of passage TR4 can be increased when viewed from the front. That is, because opening U2 and opening U4 are formed in prize-winning port unit 19930, the displacement area of the game ball in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (vertical direction in FIG. 162(a)) can be expanded.

Therefore, by expanding the area where friction (resistance) caused by sliding or rolling along passage TR4 acts, the game ball's wildness can be contained. This not only suppresses the occurrence of chattering, but also makes it easier for the player to visually confirm that the game ball is passing through detection hole SE1a of detection device SE5 by arranging detection device SE5 in a position close to distribution member 19983. This increases the interest of the game.

Also, in the past, there was a problem that when an external force is applied to the arrangement member, such as by a player hitting it, there was a risk that the distribution member would rotate due to the influence of inertia. In other words, if game balls distributed to one side are guided to a winning hole that is awarded a higher game value than game balls distributed to the other side, there was a risk that fraud could be committed by applying an external force to the arrangement member, for example by hitting the gaming machine, causing the distribution member to rotate due to inertia and changing the position of the distribution member (rotating it into a position that allows game balls to be distributed to one side).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball passes through opening U2 or opening U4 and through passage TR5 or passage TR6, in other words, is discharged from the distribution unit 19980 (winning hole unit 19930) without passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, thereby preventing chattering from occurring in the detection device SE5.

While passage TR4 is equipped with a detection device, passage TR5 and passage TR6 are not equipped with detection devices. Therefore, after passing through opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, it is possible to create a mode in which the game ball flows down passage TR4 and is detected by detection device SE5, and a mode in which the game ball flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6 after passing through opening U2 or opening U4, and is discharged from the winning opening unit 19930 without being detected by the detection device.

As a result, the winning port unit 19930 has a gameplay characteristic in which the player is made to expect that after the game ball is distributed to the opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, the game ball will not pass through the opening U2 or the opening U4 and will be detected by the detection device SE5. As a result, the interest in the game can be increased.

The destination of the game ball that flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6 and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930 may be, for example, the out port, the winning port, the game area, etc.

Here, we will explain the game area in this embodiment. The game area refers to an area where game balls can pass (flow down, roll) and can be detected by a detection device.

For example, downstream of the distribution member 19983 of the winning port unit 19930, the area of the passage TR4 upstream of the detection device SE5, passage TR3 and passage TR10 are formed as the game area. In other words, downstream of the distribution member 19983 of the winning port unit 19930, the detection devices SE5, SE6, opening U2 and opening U4 are formed as the boundaries of the game area.

As described above, the first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that after the game ball is distributed to the opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, the game ball does not pass through the opening U2 or opening U4 and can be visually confirmed by the player to be detected by the detection device SE5. Therefore, the winning opening unit 19930 has a playability that makes the player expect the game ball to be detected by the detection device SE5. As a result, the interest in the game can be increased.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 161, the sorting unit 19980 is arranged in a state in which the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage portion 986b formed in the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 and the magnetic body 988c arranged in the sorting member 19983 repel each other, so that the sorting member 19983 can maintain a state in which it is arranged in the first position or the second position even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 is struck.

As described above, in this embodiment, the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the width direction of the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), so that the sorting member 19983 is displaced from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when a player strikes the glass unit 16, the inertial force generated in the distribution member 19983 acts toward the player (left side of FIG. 161(a)), and when the distribution member 19983 is located in the first position, the distribution member 19983 is improperly displaced from the first position to the second position.

As described above, the number of prize balls paid out when game balls are detected by detection device SE5 is set to be less than the number of prize balls paid out when game balls are detected by detection device SE6. Therefore, when a player strikes glass unit 16 and illegally displaces distribution member 19983 from the first entry to the second position, distribution member 19983 placed in the second position sends game balls flowing into distribution unit 19980 to passage TR4, and the game balls are detected by detection device SE5. In other words, the state changes from one in which game balls are detected by detection device SE6 to one in which game balls are detected by detection device SE5, and the number of prize balls paid out decreases.

This prevents a player from striking the glass unit 16 and illegally displacing the sorting member 19983 from the first position to the second position.

The number of prize balls dispensed when game balls are detected by detection device SE6 and the number of prize balls dispensed when game balls are detected by detection device SE5 may be set to the same number. In this case, the number of prize balls dispensed by illegally displacing the distribution member 19983 does not change. This prevents a player from striking the glass unit 16 and illegally displacing the distribution member 19983.

In addition, in this embodiment, the winning port unit 19930 is divided by the distribution member 19983, and a detection device is provided on both paths through which the game balls flow down. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and a detection device may be provided on only one of the paths.

This allows the player to continue playing the game even after the game ball has been sent to the winning slot unit 19930. As a result, the player's interest in the game can be enhanced.

Also, it is not necessary to provide detection devices in both flow passages. In this case, the game ball discharged from the winning port unit 19930 may or may not be sent to the outlet.

As a result, a detection device is not provided in the winning port unit 19930, and game balls discharged from the winning port unit 19930 are not sent to the outlet, but the passage TR9, passage TR11, or passage TR12 formed in the winning port unit 19930 is formed toward the front side (left side of FIG. 161(a)), and game balls discharged from the winning port unit 19930 are sent to the front side of the base plate 19060, so that the winning port unit 19930 can be used as a game area. In other words, the game area formed in the pachinko machine 10 can be made larger by the amount that the winning port unit 19930 has passages in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction of FIG. 161(a)), and the player can enjoy the game. As a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is described as being disposed in the distribution unit 19980, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the distribution member 19983 may be disposed in any position within the play area described above.

This allows players to enjoy the game, which in turn increases their interest in the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is disposed inside the distribution unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 161(a)), and the game ball being thrown is distributed in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 161(a)), but this is not necessarily limited to the above. The distribution member 19983 may be disposed inside the distribution unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 161(a)), and the game ball being thrown may be distributed in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 161(a)).

This allows the game balls sent to the distribution unit 19980 to be distributed in various directions, providing the player with a sense of fun. As a result, the game becomes more interesting.

In addition, in this embodiment, the passage TR4 and passage TR12 through which the game balls sorted by the sorting member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the fourth passage, but the passage TR6 and passage TR12 formed on one side of passage TR4 in the left-right direction may be collectively referred to as the sixth passage. In this case, passage TR4 merges with the side of the sixth passage.

As a result, the game ball flowing down passage TR4 is offset from passage TR4 to passage TR6 (the lower side of Figure 162 (a)) when viewed from the front, and is sent to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). This makes it possible to secure space to arrange the solenoid 610 of the passage unit 19990 on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of passage TR4.

Next, referring to FIG. 163, the winning port unit 20930 in the 19th embodiment will be described. In the 6th embodiment, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are formed toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) (see FIG. 112). In the 19th embodiment, however, a portion of the first passage TR201 and the second passage TR202 are formed with a depth passage extending from the front base 20981 side (left side in FIG. 163) toward the rear base 20985 side (right side in FIG. 163). Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 163 is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section along line CXIIa-CXIIa in Figure 109(a). In Figure 163, the second passage TR2 in the sixth embodiment is shown by a dashed line. Also, since the first passage TR201 and the second passage TR202 are formed symmetrically with respect to the shaft member 988a of the distribution section 983, only the second passage TR202 will be described, and a description of the first passage TR201 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 163, the second passage TR202 of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment is formed with a depth passage TR202a extending from the front base 20981 side (left side of FIG. 163) toward the rear base 20985 side (right side of FIG. 163) downstream of the distribution section 983. Thus, while in the sixth embodiment the second passage TR2 is connected to the front base 981 side of the inflow passage 985f1 (see FIGS. 110 to 112), the second passage TR202 of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment is connected to the other side of the inflow passage 985f1 in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity).

The second passage TR202 is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the game ball, and the extension dimension of the depth passage TR202a toward the opposite side from the player is formed to be at least twice the diameter of the game ball.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines are known that are equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the game board, which causes the distribution unit to become larger in the width direction, resulting in a problem of reduced space available for arranging other components.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball that passes through the depth passage TR202a is sent toward the rear base 20985 side (right side in FIG. 163) rather than the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), and then sent to the inflow passage 985f1. Therefore, the depth passage TR202a can be arranged by utilizing the space in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 163), where there is relatively more space. Therefore, the distribution unit 20980 can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

Next, with reference to FIG. 164, the winning port unit 21930 in the 20th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the lower surface of the passage TR4 (lower panel 19981b formed on the first side base of the distribution unit 19980) was formed as a flat surface (see FIG. 161), but in the 20th embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower panel 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), reducing the flow speed of the game balls. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 164 is a cross-sectional view of the prize slot unit 21930 in the twentieth embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a).

As shown in FIG. 164, in the sorting unit 21980 of the winning port unit 21930 in the 20th embodiment, a passage TR214 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 21981 (right side of FIG. 164) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 19981a, lower plate 21981b, and central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 and the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 153). In the range where the passage TR214 is formed, the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 has multiple protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) that protrude toward the upper plate 19981a between the opening U6 and the detection device SE5.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section, and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981.

This ensures that the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and the game ball's flow speed decreases as the game ball comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1.

The protrusion 21981b1 disposed downstream is disposed inside the opening U2 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 164). Therefore, when the game ball comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 while the game ball is moving wildly, the protrusion 21981b1 can displace the game ball in the up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 164) or left-to-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 164).

This allows the game ball to pass through opening U2 or opening U4, and then through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), and the distribution member 19983 allows the player to enjoy the game even after the ball has passed through opening U6. As a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

In particular, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 disposed on the downstream side is disposed inside the opening U2 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 164), so that the game ball, which is displaced left-to-right (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) by contact with the protrusion 21981b1, can be prevented from contacting the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985, and damage to the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 can be prevented (see FIG. 153).

In addition, since the game ball can pass through opening U2 or opening U4 and through passage TR5 or passage TR6 without coming into contact with the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 153), the passing speed of the game ball can be increased, making the game more interesting.

Here, the projection 21981b1 formed on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is formed with a projection dimension toward the upper plate 19981a side (upper side of Figure 164) that is approximately one-tenth the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball flowing down the passage TR214 to climb over the projection 21981b1 and flow down within the passage TR214. In other words, the game ball and the projection 21981b1 come into contact with each other, preventing the flow of the game ball down within the passage TR214 from being restricted.

The distance between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 arranged on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is formed to be approximately equal to the diameter of the game ball. As a result, the game ball that has overcome the upstream protrusion 21981b1, which has a protrusion dimension on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 that is approximately one-tenth the diameter of the game ball, abuts against the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b again, and is prevented from passing over the downstream protrusion 21981b1 without abutting against the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b. Therefore, the protrusion 21981b1 can reliably reduce the flow speed of the game ball.

As described above, the distribution member 19983 sends the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to the opening U6 (fourth passage) faster than it sends the game balls to the opening U7 (fifth passage).

Therefore, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be distributed to opening U6 and detected by detection device SE5 arranged in the fourth passage is shorter than the time taken for a gaming ball to be distributed to opening U7 and detected by detection device SE6 arranged in the fifth passage. In other words, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 is different from the time taken for a gaming ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, the distance that the game ball travels from opening U6 to detection device SE5, which is disposed in the fourth passage (passage TR214), is set to be shorter than the distance that the game ball travels from opening U7 to detection device SE6, which is disposed in the fifth passage (between passages TR9 and TR10).

Therefore, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be distributed to opening U6 and detected by detection device SE5 arranged in the fourth passage is shorter than the time taken for a gaming ball to be distributed to opening U7 and detected by detection device SE6 arranged in the fifth passage. In other words, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 is different from the time taken for a gaming ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls to distribute the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side. However, the conventional gaming machines described above have restrictions on the layout of the passage that guides the distributed gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means, and on the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means, resulting in a problem of low freedom of design.

In other words, when the detection of game balls by the first detection means and the second detection means is displayed by the display means to notify the player (for example, when the number of detected game balls is displayed as the number of reserved balls), if the time required for a game ball to reach the distribution member and be detected by the first detection means and the time required for a game ball to be distributed to one side by the second detection means differs from the time required for a game ball to be detected by the second detection means depending on the distribution direction, there will be a difference in the time from when the game ball reaches the distribution member to when it is displayed, depending on the distribution direction, and this will reduce the interest of the game.

Therefore, in the conventional gaming machines described above, it was necessary to arrange the passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically on the left and right sides of the sorting member, and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the lower surface of passage TR214 (lower surface plate 21981b formed on the first side base 21981 of distribution unit 21980) is formed with a protrusion 21981b1. Therefore, the flow speed of the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) is reduced, and the time from when the game ball flows into the distribution unit 21980 until it is detected by detection device SE5 can be extended. Therefore, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced.

In addition, since passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage) is extended in the direction of gravity (up and down in FIG. 164), the game balls fall freely down passage TR3. Therefore, the flow speed of the game balls can be increased compared to when the game balls roll down the passage. This can reduce the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6.

Therefore, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or even if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing the interest of the game from being diminished and ensuring freedom of design.

In this embodiment, the protrusions 21981b1 are described as being formed in two pieces, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and one protrusion 21981b1 or three or more protrusions 21981b1 may be formed.

When one protrusion 21981b1 is formed, the distribution member 19983 allows the player to enjoy the game even after the ball has passed through opening U6, and prevents the game ball from passing through opening U2 or opening U4 excessively and passing through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), preventing the player's interest in the game from being diminished.

When three or more protrusions 21981b1 are formed, the speed at which the game ball flows down the fourth passage (passage TR214) can be further slowed down, and the difference between the time it takes for the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, by adjusting the number of protrusions 21981b1 formed, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be adjusted, which increases the interest of the game. Furthermore, this adjustment can be achieved by the protrusions 21981b1, which can be easily formed, and the product cost can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is described as having two protrusions 21981b1 of the same shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and each protrusion 21981b1 may be formed in a different shape.

For example, if the protrusion dimension of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 is greater than the protrusion dimension of the upstream protrusion 21981b1, the probability that the game ball will pass through opening U2 or opening U4 and pass through passage TR5 or passage TR6 due to the abutment of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 with the game ball is higher than the abutment of the upstream protrusion 21981b1 with the game ball (see FIG. 153). In other words, as the game ball approaches the detection device SE5, the probability that the game ball will pass through opening U2 or opening U4, i.e., will not pass through detection device SE5, increases, making the game more interesting.

In addition, for example, if the protrusion dimension of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 is smaller than the protrusion dimension of the upstream protrusion 21981b1, it is possible to suppress the game ball from moving wildly in a position close to the detection device SE5, and to suppress the occurrence of chattering, and to reduce the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6, thereby suppressing a loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The protrusion 21981b1 may be formed intermittently in the left-right direction, or the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed inclined in the front-rear direction (left-right direction of FIG. 164).

When the protrusions 21981b1 are formed intermittently in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164), the game ball comes into contact with the end of the protrusion 21981b1 in the left-right direction, and the game ball is displaced in the left-right direction. As a result, the game ball can pass through the opening U2 or opening U4 and the passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), which can increase the interest of the game.

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 and is formed so as to incline toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 164) as it progresses to the left (rear of the paper surface of FIG. 164), a game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and be displaced to the left, making it easier for it to pass through opening U2 and then through passage TR5.

If the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline toward the rear (right side of FIG. 164) as it progresses to the right (near the page in FIG. 164), the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and be displaced to the right, making it easier for it to pass through opening U4 and then through passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline rearward (to the right in FIG. 164) as it moves from the center to both ends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 164) of the bottom panel 21981b of the first side base 21981, a game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and will be displaced left-right, passing through opening U2 or opening U4, and more easily passing through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

Therefore, the distribution member 19983 allows the player to continue playing the game even after the ball has passed through the opening U6. As a result, the player's interest in the game can be enhanced.

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline forward (left side of FIG. 164) as it moves from the center to both ends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) of the bottom plate 21981b of the first side base 21981, the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and is displaced toward the center in the left-right direction. With the ball's movement contained, the ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, preventing chattering from occurring.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed in a semicircular shape in cross section. In this case, damage to the protrusion 21981b1 due to contact with the game ball can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a recess may be formed. This prevents game balls from getting stuck in the passage TR214, that is, prevents game balls from coming into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and the upper plate 19981a of the first side base 19981, preventing the game balls from flowing down, even if the dimensions of the passage TR214 in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 164) are small.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, when the distribution member 19983 distributes in two directions, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 21980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, referring to FIG. 165, the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment will be described. In the 20th embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR214 and the detection device SE5 (see FIG. 164), but in the 21st embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 of the passage TR224 (part of the fourth passage) and the detection device SE5. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 165 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section along the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). As shown in Figure 165, in the distribution unit 22980 of the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment, a passage TR224 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 22981 (right side of Figure 165) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 22981a, lower plate 22981b, central plate 22981e and side plate of the second side base. A plurality of protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) protruding toward the upper plate 19981a are formed on the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981 between the openings U2 and U4 (see Figure 153) of the passage TR224 and the detection device SE5. The spacing between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 is the same as that in the 20th embodiment, so a description of this will be omitted.

By forming the protrusion 21981b1 between the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) and the detection device SE5, i.e., on the rear side of the sorting unit 22980 (right side in FIG. 165), the protrusion 21981b1, which is not related to the game, can be formed in a position far away from the player. This makes it difficult for the player to see the protrusion 21981b1, improving the appearance of the pachinko machine 10.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 165) on the upper surface of the lower plate 22981b of the first side base 22981, and the protrusion 21981b1 and the central plate 22981e are molded integrally.

This prevents the central plate 22981e from bending due to contact between the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR224) and the central plate 22981e, thereby preventing damage to the central plate 22981e.

When a game ball that does not pass through opening U2 or opening U4 (see FIG. 153) but flows down passage TR224 comes into contact with protrusion 21981b1, the flow speed of the game ball decreases, and the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 22980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced.

As a result, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 22980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) and the detection device SE5, so that the game ball can be prevented from passing through the openings U2 or U4 and being sent to the passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153) due to contact between the game ball and the protrusion 21981b1.

In this embodiment, passage TR224 is equipped with a detection device SE5, whereas passages TR5 and TR6 (see FIG. 153) are not equipped with a detection device. Therefore, the game result differs when the game ball flows down passage TR224 from when it flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6. This prevents the game ball sorted by sorting member 19983 to the opening U6 side from coming into contact with protrusion 21981b1, resulting in a different game result.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 165) on the upper surface of the lower plate 22981b of the first side base 22981, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed inclined in the front-rear direction (left-right direction of FIG. 165) in the left-right direction.

If the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline toward the rear (right side of FIG. 165) as it progresses to the left (rear of the page in FIG. 165) or to the right (front of the page in FIG. 165), the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR224) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, causing it to be displaced to the left or right, and the game ball will come into contact with the center plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base.

Therefore, the frictional force generated between the game ball and the central plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base reduces the flow speed of the game ball, thereby reducing the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the sorting unit 22980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, the game ball is displaced to the left (toward the page in FIG. 165) or to the right (toward the page in FIG. 165) and comes into contact with the center plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base, preventing the game ball from moving wildly. This helps prevent chattering from occurring.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, when the distribution member 19983 distributes in two directions, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 22980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower panel 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 22980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, referring to FIG. 166, the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment will be described. In the 21st embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 of the passage TR224 (part of the fourth passage) and the detection device SE5 (see FIG. 165), but in the 22nd embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 (part of the fourth passage) and the openings U2 and U4. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 166 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section at the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). As shown in Figure 166, in the distribution unit 23980 of the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment, a passage TR234 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 23981 (right side of Figure 166) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 23981a, lower plate 23981b, center plate 23981e and side plate of the second side base. A plurality of protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) protruding toward the upper plate 23981a are formed on the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981 between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 and the openings U2 and U4. The spacing between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 is the same as that in the 20th embodiment, so a description of this will be omitted.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 166) on the upper surface of the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981, and the protrusion 21981b1 and the central plate 23981e are molded integrally.

This prevents the central plate 23981e from bending due to contact between the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR234) and the central plate 23981e, thereby preventing damage to the central plate 23981e.

When the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR234) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, the flow speed of the game ball decreases, and the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced.

As a result, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing the enjoyment of the game from being diminished while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the flow speed of the game ball is reduced by the protrusion 21981b1, the game ball flows down toward the area where the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) of the passage TR234 are formed, making it easier for the player to visually confirm that the game ball is flowing down the passage TR234 or being sent to passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

In addition, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 and the openings U2 and U4, i.e., an arrangement space for forming the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the detection device SE5, the openings U2 and U4, and the distribution member 19983, which prevents the player from being unable to see the game ball due to the distribution member 19983, and allows the player to see which passage the game ball will pass through, among passage TR234, passage TR5, or passage TR6.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 23980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 2981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, with reference to Figure 167, the winning port unit 24930 in the 23rd embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the center of gravity is located on the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 (see Figure 161), but in the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 is different. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 167 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 24930 in the 23rd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 167(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 167(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 167(a), the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 167(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 167(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). In other words, the distribution member 24983 is formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action part 19983a and the action part 24983a (direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action part 24983a side (left side of FIG. 167(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

In addition, the front side abutment portion 24982b1 of the lower plate 24982b formed on the bulge portion 24982 of the first side base 24981 has a recess 24982b3 formed in a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983. As a result, the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983 is positioned inside the recess 24982b3, and the distribution member 24983 can be positioned in the second position.

In other words, the distribution member 24983 can form an inclined state similar to the second position of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, whereby the game ball placed between the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 167 (a)) and the intermediate plate 19983b can be distributed from the distribution member 24983 to the front unit 19940 side (left side of Figure 167 (a)), and sent to the passage TR3 through the opening U7 and the intermediate opening 19941h.

The protrusion 24983a1 is formed sufficiently small compared to the intermediate plate 19983b. Therefore, when the distribution member 24983 is arranged in the first position, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the front-rear direction is located on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 167(a)) relative to the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. This allows the distribution member 24983 to maintain a state in which it is arranged in the first position.

Also, as shown in FIG. 167(b), when the distribution member 24983 is arranged in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning port 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 24980, and is sent to the distribution member 24983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 167(a)), and the weight of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side.

As a result, the distribution member 24983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 167(a), and the distribution member 24983 is placed in the first position.

As described above, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action portion 19983a and the action portion 24983a (the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action portion 24983a (left side of FIG. 167(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b, so the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 displacing from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 displacing from the first position to the second position is larger than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 24980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 24980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 24983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 24980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, since the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 24980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be adjusted by the distribution member 24983, the structure of the distribution unit 24980 can be simplified to reduce product costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 167(b), when the sorting member 24983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (arrow F2 direction in FIG. 167(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 24983 (direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 24983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983 (arrow F2 direction in FIG. 167(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 167(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the distributing member 24983 has an action portion 24983a on which a protrusion 24983a1 is formed, and is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a weight member may be provided on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 24983.

That is, in the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, the protrusion 24983a1 is integrally formed with the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 167(a)), while the weight member may be removably arranged. The weight member may be arranged to protrude from the underside of the action portion 24983a, as with the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, or may be embedded inside the action portion 24983a.

By replacing the weight member, the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see Figure 161) can be easily adjusted.

When the weight member is embedded, the recess 24982b3 is prevented from being disposed in the front contact portion 24982b1, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the weight member is prevented from protruding from the underside of the action portion 24983a, thereby preventing damage to the distribution member 24983 during assembly.

In the present embodiment, the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1 is formed to have a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 formed on the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the recess 24982b3 may be formed to be sufficiently larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1. In addition, the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1 may have a through hole formed to have a width larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1.

As a result, even if dust or the like accumulates in the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1, the lower surface of the action portion 24983a (lower side in FIG. 167(a)) can come into contact with the upper surface of the front contact portion 24982b1 (upper side in FIG. 167(a)), and the distribution member 24983 can be positioned in the second position.

Next, referring to FIG. 168, the winning port unit 25930 in the 24th embodiment will be described. In the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 is different (see FIG. 167). In the 24th embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and when an external force acts on the distribution member 25983, the distribution member 25983 is prevented from rotating. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 168 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 25930 in the 24th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 168(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 25983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 168(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 25983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 168(a), the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 168(a)) of the distribution member 25983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower side in FIG. 168(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). In other words, the distribution member 25983 is formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 in the direction connecting the action part 19983a and the action part 24983a (direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action part 24983a side (right side in FIG. 168(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

In addition, the rear side abutment portion 25982b2 of the lower plate 25982b formed on the bulge portion 25982 of the first side base 25981 has a recess 24982b3 formed in a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 25983. As a result, the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 25983 is positioned inside the recess 24982b3, and the distribution member 25983 can be positioned in the first position.

In other words, the distribution member 25983 can form an inclined state similar to the first position of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, whereby the game ball positioned between the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 168 (a)) and the intermediate plate 19983b can be distributed from the distribution member 25983 to the detection device SE5 side (right side of Figure 168 (a)), and sent through the opening U6 to the passage TR4.

The protrusion 24983a1 is formed sufficiently small compared to the intermediate plate 19983b, so that when the sorting member 24983 is positioned in the second position, as shown in FIG. 168(b), the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 in the front-to-rear direction is located closer to the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 168(b)) than the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. This allows the sorting member 25983 to remain positioned in the second position.

In addition, the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is located closer to the opening U6 (to the right in FIG. 168(a)) than the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 168(a), when the distribution member 25983 is arranged in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 25983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983.

In addition, the protrusion 24983a1 is formed to protrude from the lower surface of the action part 24983a (the lower side in FIG. 168(a)) toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is located toward one side in the direction of gravity relative to the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 25983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 25983 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) is made smaller compared to the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. In addition, the distance between the axial center of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 can be made smaller.

This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983, and also reduces the moment acting on the distribution member 25983 due to the inertial force.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 25983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 25983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In addition, it is relatively easy to form the protrusion 24983a1 on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 25983, and this reduces the production cost compared to methods that reduce the inertial force acting on the distributing member 25983, such as using anti-vibration rubber.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. That is, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster when the distribution member 25983 distributes in two directions. In this case, the rotation speed of the distribution member 25983 displaced from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), and the rotation speed of the distribution member 25983 displaced from the first position to the second position is larger than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 25983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 25980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring design freedom (see FIG. 161).

In addition, since the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 can be adjusted by the distribution member 25983, the structure of the distribution unit 25980 can be simplified to reduce production costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

Next, referring to FIG. 169, the winning port unit 26930 in the 25th embodiment will be described. In the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a (see FIG. 167), but in the 25th embodiment, a magnetic body 26983a2 is disposed on one of the action parts 26983a, thereby making the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 different. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 169 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 26930 in the 25th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 169(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 169(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 169(a), the action portion 26983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983 in the 25th embodiment has a magnetic body 26983a2 embedded inward from its underside.

Furthermore, a magnetic body 26982b4 is embedded in the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed in the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981 from its upper surface toward the inside. When the distribution member 26983 is in the first position, the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed in a position facing the magnetic body 26983a2 disposed in the action portion 26983a. Furthermore, the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed in a state where it repels the magnetic body 26983a2 disposed in the action portion 26983a.

Here, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear contact portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a is formed to be smaller than the resultant force of gravity acting on the sorting member 26983 located in the first position and the repulsive force between the magnetic body 988c arranged on the sorting member 26983 and the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage portion 986b (see FIG. 150). Therefore, when the sorting member 26983 is arranged in the first position, it remains in the first position.

In this embodiment, due to the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear contact portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a, the action portion 26983a of the distribution member 26983 does not come into contact with the rear contact portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge 26982 of the first side base 26981, but the action portion 26983a of the distribution member 26983 and the rear contact portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge 26982 of the first side base 26981 approach each other, and the state in which the forces acting on the distribution member 26983 are balanced is referred to as the first position.

When the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 26980, and is sent to the distribution member 26983, whereupon it is rotated and displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the axis of rotation, and the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position.

As described above, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a acts on the sorting member 26983, so the rotation speed of the sorting member 26983 displaced from the first position to the second position is greater than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 169(b), when the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 26980, and is sent to the distribution member 26983. The ball is then rotated and displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position.

As described above, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a acts on the sorting member 26983, so the rotation speed of the sorting member 26983 displaced from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 26980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 26983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 is embedded inward from the lower surface of the action portion 26983a, and the magnetic body 26982b4 is embedded inward from the upper surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2. In other words, the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26983a2 and the lower surface of the action portion 26983a form the same surface, and the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26982b4 and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2 form the same surface. However, this is not necessarily limited to this.

For example, the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26983a2 may be formed on the inside of the bottom surface of the action portion 26983a (upper side in FIG. 169(a)), and the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26982b4 may be formed on the inside of the top surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2 (lower side in FIG. 169(a)).

This prevents magnetic body 26983a2 from coming into contact with magnetic body 26982b4, and prevents magnetic body 26983a2 or magnetic body 26982b4 from being damaged.

In addition, due to variations in dimensional tolerances, it is possible to prevent the exposed surface of magnetic body 26983a2 from being formed outside the bottom surface of action portion 26983a (lower side in FIG. 169(a)), or the exposed surface of magnetic body 26982b4 from being formed outside the top surface of rear surface abutment portion 26982b2 (upper side in FIG. 169(a)), thereby preventing magnetic body 26983a2 and magnetic body 26982b4 from abutting against each other.

This prevents damage to magnetic body 26983a2 or magnetic body 26982b4. It also prevents the sorting member 26983 from being rotated sufficiently and not positioned in the first position.

In addition, by inserting a spacer or the like between the magnetic body 26983a2 and the action portion 26983a, or between the magnetic body 26982b4 and the rear side abutment portion 26982b2, the distance between the magnetic body 26983a2 and the magnetic body 26982b4 can be adjusted when the sorting member 26983 is positioned in the first position.

This allows the magnitude of the force acting on the distribution member 26983 to be adjusted, and the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be easily adjusted.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 26983's distribution in two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 and the magnetic body 26982b4 are arranged in a repulsive state, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and they may be arranged in an attractive state.

As a result, when the sorting member 26983 is positioned in the first position, even if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 26983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10, the sorting member 26983 can be prevented from displacing from the first position to the second position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 is disposed on the action portion 26983a disposed on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983, and the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed on the back side abutment portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The magnetic body 26983a2 may be disposed on the action portion 19983a disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983, and the magnetic body 26982b4 may be disposed in a state of being attracted to the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 169(b), when the sorting member 26983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 26983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 26983 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 26983 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 26983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 26983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 26983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

Next, referring to FIG. 170, the winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage and the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage are arranged at the same angle (see FIG. 161). In the 26th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage and the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage are arranged at different angles. In addition, parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 170 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 170(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 170(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the back contact portion 27982b2 of the lower panel 27982b formed on the bulge 27982 of the first side base 27981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 170 (a)), and the upper surface of the back contact portion 27982b2 is formed to protrude upward (upward direction in Figure 170 (a)) beyond the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1.

As a result, the angle θ4 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the first position is greater than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

Therefore, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged at the first position, the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fifth passage (opening U7), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 170 (a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), can be smaller than the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fourth passage (opening U6), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 170 (a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) when the distribution member 19983 is arranged at the second position.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 27980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 19983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the sorting unit 27980 can easily adjust the difference between the time until detection by the detection device SE5 and the time until detection by the detection device SE6 by adjusting the position of the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1 that protrudes upward (upward in FIG. 170(a)).

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 171, the winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment will be described. In the 26th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage is smaller than the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage (see FIG. 170). In the 27th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage is larger than the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage. In addition, parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 171 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 171(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 171(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the rear contact portion 28982b2 of the lower panel 28982b formed on the bulge 28982 of the first side base 28981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 171 (a)), and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 27982b2 is formed recessed below the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1 (downward direction in Figure 170 (a)).

As a result, the angle θ5 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the first position is smaller than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In addition, the position of the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) with the axis of the shaft member 988a as the center of rotation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 171(a), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by hitting the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axis position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 (in the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 19983 is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 19983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 19983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 28980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 172, the winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to a symmetrical plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (see FIG. 147). In the 28th embodiment, the distribution member 29983 is formed in an asymmetrical shape with respect to a symmetrical plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 172 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 172(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 29983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 172(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 29983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment, the angle θ6 between the line of action SL connecting the pair of action parts 19983a of the distribution member 29983 on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 172 (a)) and the intermediate line TL is formed to be smaller than the angle θ7 between the line of action SL and the intermediate line TL on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 172 (a)). In other words, the distribution member 29983 is arranged with the intermediate plate 19983b tilted relative to the pair of action parts 19983a, and is formed into an asymmetric shape with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 172 (a)).

Therefore, when the distribution member 29983 is arranged at the first position, the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 29983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fifth passage (opening U7), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 172(a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), can be smaller than the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 29983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fourth passage (opening U6), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 172(a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), when the distribution member 29983 is arranged at the second position.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 29980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 29983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 29983's distribution in two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 173, the winning port unit 30930 in the 29th embodiment will be described. In the 29th embodiment, the contact surface of the distribution member 30983 with the game balls is formed differently when the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position and when it is disposed in the second position. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 173 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 30930 in the 29th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 173(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 173(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 173(b), when the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 30980, and is sent to the distribution member 30983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(b)). As a result, the distribution member 30983 is rotationally displaced with the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 173(a), and the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position.

Here, a rubber sheet 30983f made of a rubber-like elastic material is disposed on the side of the middle plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. Therefore, a game ball that abuts against the rubber sheet 30983f bounces back and is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity).

When the game ball displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) comes into contact with the distribution member 30983 again due to its own weight, the member 30983 is rotated from the second position to the first position due to the load of the game ball, and the game ball is sent to the fourth passage (passage TR4). In other words, the game ball is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), which can delay the sending of the game ball to the fourth passage (passage TR4).

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 30983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, by changing the thickness or shape of the rubber sheet 30983f, or by disposing a rubber sheet having a different elastic modulus, the difference between the time until detection by the detection device SE5 and the time until detection by the detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted.

In addition, a rubber sheet 30983f formed from a rubber-like elastic material is disposed on the side of the intermediate plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side, so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 30983 is located closer to the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) than the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 173(a), when the sorting member 30983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 30983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 30983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 30983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 30983 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 30983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 30983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 30983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the rubber sheet 30983f is provided on the distribution member 30983, so that the game ball is displaced (bounced) to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), but this is not necessarily limited to this. The game ball may come into contact with the rubber sheet 30983f, reducing the velocity component of the game ball.

For example, if the rubber sheet 30983f has viscosity, the speed component toward the opening U6 side (the right side of Figure 173 (a)) is reduced as the game ball slides or rolls on the rubber sheet 30983f.

In addition, for example, when the gaming ball comes into contact with the rubber sheet 30983f and causes it to deform significantly (the gaming ball sinks), the frictional force acting between the gaming ball and the rubber sheet 30983f reduces the velocity component toward the opening U6 side (the right side of Figure 173(a)).

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 30983's two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the rubber sheet 30983f is described as being formed from a rubber-like elastic body, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, materials with different materials (elastic modulus) such as a resin film, a gel-like sheet, or a metal plate can be used.

In addition, in this embodiment, a rubber sheet 30983f formed from a rubber-like elastic body is arranged on the side of the intermediate plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and protrusions formed with dimensions smaller than the game ball may be formed on the surfaces of the intermediate plate 19983b, the abutment portion 19983d, and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. As a result, the frictional force acting between the game ball and the protrusions reduces the velocity component toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(a)).

Next, referring to FIG. 174, the prize-winning port unit 31930 in the 30th embodiment will be described. The distribution member 31983 in the 30th embodiment is formed so that the rotational resistance varies depending on the direction of rotation. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

The distribution member 31983 in this embodiment has the same configuration as the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, except that the shaft member 31988a extends in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 174(a)) relative to the shaft member 988a. A pair of action parts 19983a and the intermediate plate 19983b are arranged at a substantially right angle, and are formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends left-right (see FIG. 161).

Figure 174 (a) is a top view of the winning port unit 31930, and Figure 174 (b) is a side view of the winning port unit 31930. In the winning port unit 31930 in the 30th embodiment, the side plate 31986a formed in the bulge 31986 of the second side base 31985 has a bearing portion 31985j that protrudes in an annular shape toward the first side base 19981 side (left side of Figure 174 (a)), and the inside of the bearing portion 31985j is formed to penetrate in the axial direction.

One end of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983 passes through the bearing portion 31985j and is disposed outside the second cover member 31988 (to the right in FIG. 174(a)), and the other end of the shaft member 31988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c (see FIG. 151) of the side plate 19982a formed in the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981. Thus, the shaft member 31988a is disposed rotatably by the bearing portion 31985j and the bearing portion 982c. In addition, one end of the shaft member 31988a is formed into a roughly D-shape when viewed in the axial direction, and the one-way gear WG described later is disposed thereon.

The one-way gear WG is formed as a cam-type one-way clutch with a roller and spring between the inner and outer rings. A gear that meshes with the third gear GY3 is engraved on the outer periphery of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG. In addition, the shaft hole of the one-way gear WG is formed in a shape that is approximately the same as the D-shape of one end of the axially visible shaft member 31988a.

The distribution member 31983 and the shaft member 31988a are fastened together with a set screw (not shown). This allows the rotation of the distribution member 31983 to be transmitted to the inner ring of the one-way gear WG.

When the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3 is not rotated. On the other hand, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3 is rotated.

The second cover member 31988 has a third gear GY3 at a position where it meshes with the one-way gear WG, a fourth gear GY4 at a position where it meshes with the third gear GY3, and a fifth gear GY5 at a position where it meshes with the fourth gear GY4.

Therefore, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 do not rotate. On the other hand, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel, and the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG rotates, causing the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 to rotate.

Here, when the rotation of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the third gear GY3 and the outer ring of the one-way gear WG and the third gear GY3 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG and the third gear GY3.

Similarly, when the rotation of the third gear GY3 is transmitted to the fourth gear GY4 and the third gear GY3 and the fourth gear GY4 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the third gear GY3 and the fourth gear GY4, and when the rotation of the fourth gear GY4 is transmitted to the fifth gear GY5 and the fourth gear GY4 and the fifth gear GY5 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the fourth gear GY4 and the fifth gear GY5.

Therefore, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 rotate, i.e., when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is slower than when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 do not rotate, i.e., when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is not transmitted to the outer ring of the one-way gear WG.

Therefore, when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG, i.e., when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is slower than when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is not transmitted to the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG, i.e., when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), and the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to be detected by detection device SE5 (see FIG. 161) and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, this ensures freedom of design, i.e., even when the distribution member 31983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, it is possible to reduce the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6, thereby preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the sorting member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 174(b)), friction (resistance) is generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 174(b)), the distribution member 31983 can be prevented from displacing from the second position to the first position.

In addition, the one-way gear WG is configured to switch between transmitting and not transmitting rotation to the third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, so differences in rotational resistance in the rotational direction can be reliably created.

In addition, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 are arranged outside the second cover member 31988, and can be easily removed. This reduces the time required to adjust the detection time difference.

In addition, the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can be configured relatively simply so that they can be driven or not, thereby reducing product costs and improving reliability and durability.

In particular, the inertial force generated when the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, which are in a stopped state, begin to rotate can be used to provide rotational resistance for the distribution member 31983. This makes it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member 31983, and is effective as a configuration that reduces the difference in distribution time for the distribution member 31983 in the present invention, in which the amount of displacement in the distribution operation of the distribution member 31983 is relatively small.

In this embodiment, the number of gears arranged is three, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the number of gears may be two or less or two or more. By increasing or decreasing the number of gears, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted (see FIG. 161).

In addition, in this embodiment, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG does not rotate due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG does not transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG rotates due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 (see FIG. 161). However, the one-way gear WG may be configured to act in the opposite manner.

In other words, when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the one-way gear WG may be configured not to transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

In this case, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 161), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position.

Next, referring to FIG. 175, the winning port unit 32930 in the 31st embodiment will be described. In the 31st embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 32983 is formed at the same position as the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 175 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 32930 in the 31st embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). As shown in Figure 175, the distribution member 32983 in the 31st embodiment is formed with a pair of action portions 19983a, and a center of gravity adjustment portion 32983g that protrudes from the opposite side of the contact portion 19983d from the intermediate plate 19983b (the lower side in Figure 175) when viewed in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a. The center of gravity adjustment portion 32983g is a portion for arranging the center of gravity of the distribution member 32983 at the same position as the axis of the shaft member 988a, and is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 175, when the sorting member 32983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the center of gravity of the sorting member 32983 and the axial center position of the shaft member 988a are disposed in the same position, so the inertial force acting on the sorting member 32983 does not generate a moment.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the displacement of the distribution member 32983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In addition, even when the sorting member 32983 is disposed in the second position and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 32983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the opposite direction to the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the inertial force acting on the sorting member 32983 similarly does not generate a moment.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the opposite direction to the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the displacement of the distribution member 32983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

The distribution member 32983 is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. This simplifies the shape of the distribution member 32983, reducing production costs. In addition, the distribution member 32983 has no directionality, improving assembly.

Next, referring to FIG. 176, the winning port unit 33930 in the 32nd embodiment will be described. In the 32nd embodiment, the shape of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution member 33983 is formed differently on the opening U6 side and the opening U7 side. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 176 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 33930 in the 32nd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 176(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 176(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in Fig. 176(a), the opening U6 side (right side of Fig. 176(a)) of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution member 33983 is formed with a protruding surface 33983b1 formed by curving in an arc protruding toward the opening U6 side, and the opening U7 side (left side of Fig. 176(a)) of the intermediate plate 33983b is formed with a concave surface 33983b2 formed by curving in an arc recessed toward the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 33983. In addition, the action portion 33983a of the distribution member 33983 on the opening U7 side is formed to protrude toward the intermediate plate 33983b (upper side of Fig. 176(a)) as it advances toward the shaft member 988a side (right side of Fig. 176(a)), and the upper surface of the action portion 33983a and the concave surface 33983b2 form a uniform surface. In other words, the boundary between the upper surface of the action portion 33983a and the concave surface 33983b2 is formed on the same plane.

When the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 33980, and is sent to the distribution member 33983. The game ball is sent to the concave surface 33983b2 of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution unit 33980 and the action portion 33983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 176(a)). As a result, the distribution member 33983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the axis of rotation, as shown in FIG. 176(b), and the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position.

The concave surface 33983b2 of the intermediate plate 33983b is curved in an arc concave toward the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 33983, and forms a uniform surface with the upper surface of the action portion 33983a. Therefore, the velocity components of the game ball sent to the distribution unit 33980 toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)) can be changed to velocity components toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 176(b)) to send the game ball to the opening U7. In other words, since the game ball can be given a velocity component toward the opening U7 side, it can be sent in a shorter time than the sending to the opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the time it takes for the distribution member 33983 to send the game ball to passage TR3 (fifth passage) can be made shorter than the time it takes in the 18th embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 176(b), when the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning hole 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 33980, and is sent to the distribution member 33983. The game ball is sent to the projection surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution unit 33980 and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)). As a result, the distribution member 33983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 176(a), and the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position.

Here, the protruding surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b is curved in an arc protruding toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)), so compared to the side of the intermediate plate 19883b formed in a straight line in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), the sliding or rolling distance on the protruding surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b can be made larger.

In addition, the game ball slides or rolls on the protruding surface 33983b1, thereby approaching the axis of the shaft member 988a, thereby reducing the moment acting on the distribution member 33983. This makes it possible to slow down the rotation time of the distribution member 33983 from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, the time it takes for the distribution member 33983 to send the game ball to passage TR4 (fourth passage) can be made longer than the time in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 33980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 33983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 33983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to Figure 177, the winning port unit 34930 in the 33rd embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported (see Figure 161), but in the 33rd embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported and is arranged so that it can be displaced in the front-rear and up-down directions. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 177 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 34930 in the 33rd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 177(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, Figure 177(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in Figure 177(b)) while maintaining the attitude (angle) of the distribution member 19983 disposed in the first position inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j described below, and Figure 177(c) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position. Note that, for ease of understanding, in the enlarged view shown in Figure 177, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are shown in solid lines, and the distribution member 19983 is shown in dashed lines.

In the prize winning port unit 34930 in the thirty-third embodiment, the bearings 34982c, 34985j are formed in an elliptical shape that extends at an angle to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as they approach the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 177 (a)). Here, the elliptical shape refers to a shape in which both ends are formed in an arc shape with a radius equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a, and the pair of both ends are connected by a pair of straight lines. In addition, the pair of straight lines are arranged in parallel, and the distance between them is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

Therefore, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 can be displaced within the bearings 34982c and 34985j. In other words, the distribution member 19983 is arranged rotatably within the distribution unit 34980, and is arranged so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 177(a)) and up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 177(a)).

As shown in FIG. 177(a), when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the first position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)). In this case, the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983 acts forward (left side in FIG. 177(a)), and the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(b)) inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j, as shown in FIG. 177(b). That is, the sorting member 19983 is displaced forward by the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983.

In addition, the forward displacement of the distribution member 19983 generates friction between the shaft member 988a and the bearings 34982c and 34985j, allowing the kinetic energy imparted to the distribution member 19983 by an external force to be consumed.

In addition, as the distributing member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), it is displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the kinetic energy imparted to the distributing member 19983 by an external force can be converted into potential energy.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 19983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side of FIG. 177(b)), the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(b)) of the distribution member 19983 can maintain contact with the rear side contact portion 19982b2 of the lower panel 19982b formed on the bulge 34982 of the first side base 34981. This allows the distribution member 19983 to maintain the attitude (angle) of being disposed in the first position.

When the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(b)), i.e., when the shaft member 988a is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), the shaft member 988a is displaced rearward (right side in FIG. 177(a)) inside the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j due to gravity, i.e., displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), as shown in FIG. 177(a), the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the distribution member 19983 can be maintained in the first position.

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), the distance between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e of the front unit 19940, and the intermediate opening 19941h of the distribution member 19983 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball.

Therefore, when a game ball is sent to the distribution unit 34980 with the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 displaced forward (left side in Figure 177 (b)), and the distribution member 19983 displaces from the first position to the second position, there is a risk that the game ball will become caught between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e or the intermediate opening 19941h of the front unit 19940, and the distribution member 19983.

In contrast, the bearings 34982c and 34985j in this embodiment are formed in an elliptical shape that inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 177(a)), in other words, it is formed in an elliptical shape that inclines toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)). Therefore, the distribution member 19983 is displaced toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)) and the one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) by the force acting on the distribution member 19983 in the direction of gravity due to its own weight and the contact between the distribution member 19983 and the game ball flowing down inside the distribution unit 34980, and the game ball that has been released from the jammed state can be sent to the fifth passage (passage TR3).

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), the distance between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e of the front unit 19940, and the intermediate opening 19941h of the distribution member 19983 may be greater than the diameter of the game ball.

When a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see Figure 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 34980, and is sent to the distribution member 19983, the game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side of the distribution unit 19980 (left side of Figure 177 (a)).

As described above, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 19980 has a velocity component toward the rear side (the right side of FIG. 177(a)), so the sending direction of the game ball and the extension direction of the bearing parts 34982c, 34985j have the same directional component in that the game ball moves toward one side of the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it moves toward the rear side.

Thus, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 remains disposed on one side of the inner side of the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), i.e., on the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(a)), while the distribution member 19983 is rotated around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and is disposed in the second position as shown in FIG. 177(c).

When an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) with the distributing member 19983 disposed in the second position, and an inertial force acts on the distributing member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the shaft member 988a of the distributing member 19983 displaces the inside of the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j toward the front side (left side in FIG. 177(a)), i.e., toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), in the same way as when the distributing member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and the distributing member 19983 can be prevented from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

As a result, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 remains disposed on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) inside the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j, i.e., on the rear side (right side in Figure 177 (c)), and when the game ball is thrown, the distribution member 19983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and is disposed in the first position as shown in Figure 177 (a).

In addition, in this embodiment, the bearings 34982c, 34985j are formed in an elliptical shape that extends and inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 177(a)). Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see Figure 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in Figure 177(a)), the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced within the bearings 34982c, 34985j, thereby preventing the distribution member 19983 from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

In addition, the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, which is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(a)) on the inside of the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j, i.e., to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), is disposed in the first position by the action of gravity, so there is no need for a driving means such as an actuator to displace the sorting member 19983 to the first position. This makes it possible to reduce product costs. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sorting member 19983 from being maintained in a state displaced forward due to poor control of the driving means, etc.

In addition, even if an external force is continuously applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force is continuously acting on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), gravity is applied, allowing the distribution member 19983 to maintain its state of being disposed in the first position.

In this embodiment, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are described as being formed in an oval shape that extends and inclines to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 177(a)). However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and the bearings may be formed in an oval shape that extends and inclines to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 177(a)).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 177(c), when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 19983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 177(c)). The inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983 acts toward the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(c)), and the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is displaced toward the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(c)) inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j. That is, the sorting member 19983 is displaced toward the rear side due to the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983.

In addition, the rearward displacement of the distribution member 19983 generates friction between the shaft member 988a and the bearings 34982c and 34985j, allowing the kinetic energy imparted to the distribution member 19983 by an external force to be consumed.

In addition, as the distributing member 19983 is displaced rearward (to the right in FIG. 177(b)), it is displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the kinetic energy imparted to the distributing member 19983 by an external force can be converted into potential energy.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 177(c)), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 19983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are described as being formed in an elliptical shape that extends and inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 177(a)), but this is not necessarily limited to this.

For example, the portion connecting the pair of ends may be curved, or may be formed from both a curved shape and a straight shape. In this way, by forming the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j in a shape that corresponds to the external force applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), it is possible to prevent the distribution member 19983 from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

In addition, although the pair of linear shapes is described as being arranged in parallel, this is not necessarily limited thereto, and the pair of linear shapes may be arranged non-parallel.

For example, the opposing distance may be greater from the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)) toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 177(a)). This allows the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983, which is displaced toward the opening U7 side, to rotate and displace inside the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 177(b), even when a game ball is sent to the distribution unit 34980 with the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 displaced forward (left side of FIG. 177(b)) and the distribution member 19983 is displaced from the first position to the second position, the game ball can be prevented from getting caught between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e or the intermediate opening 19941h of the front unit 19940, and the distribution member 19983.

In order to displaceably displace the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j, it is preferable that the lower surfaces of the inner sides of the bearings 34982c and 34985j are formed in a straight line shape.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 34980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 178, the prize opening unit 35930 in the 34th embodiment will be described. In the 34th embodiment, the distribution member 31983 is positioned offset in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the position of the opening U10. Note that parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 178 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 35930 in the 34th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section at line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 178(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 178(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position. Note that in Figure 178, for ease of understanding, only the outlines of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 are shown by dashed lines.

In the prize winning port unit 35930 of the thirty-fourth embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the rear contact portion 35982b2 of the lower panel 35982b formed on the bulge 35982 of the first side base 35981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 178(a)), and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 35982b2 is formed to protrude upward (upward direction in FIG. 178(a)) beyond the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1.

As a result, the angle θ4 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 31983 is disposed in the first position is greater than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 31983 is disposed in the second position.

In addition, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines have been known that include an entrance port through which gaming balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the gaming balls that enter the entrance port to one side or the other. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the entrance port is located vertically above the distribution member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so the manner in which the gaming balls that enter the entrance port travel until they reach the distribution member becomes monotonous, resulting in a lack of interest in the game.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, the prize winning port unit 35930 has the distribution member 31983 positioned rearward (to the right in FIG. 178(a)) from the first prize winning port 64, so that the game ball entering the first prize winning port 64 is displaced in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 178(a)) before it reaches the distribution member 31983. This allows a player who is viewing a game ball flowing downward (downward in FIG. 178(a)) or left-to-right (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 178(a)) on the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) to be able to see the game ball displace in a different direction (front-to-back) than before. This can increase the player's interest in the game.

In particular, in this embodiment, the distribution member 31983 is arranged biased in approximately the same direction as the direction of the velocity component of the game ball relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning port 64 (the up-down direction (up-down direction in Figure 178 (a)) and the front-rear direction (left-right direction in Figure 178 (a))), so that the game ball abuts against the distribution member 31983 while maintaining the velocity component. Therefore, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the game ball can be displaced quickly, further increasing the interest of the game.

As shown in FIG. 178(a), the axial center position of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 178(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 178(a)). Therefore, when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position, the game ball abuts against the intermediate plate 19983b on the axial center side of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983. Therefore, the moment acting on the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 due to the collision of the game ball can be reduced, and damage to the intermediate plate 19983b (distribution member 19983) can be suppressed.

In addition, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel.

Therefore, the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position can be slower than the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even when design freedom is ensured, that is, when the distribution member 31983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring design freedom.

In addition, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 are located outside the second cover member, so they can be easily removed. This reduces the time required to adjust the detection time difference.

In particular, the inertial force generated when the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, which are in a stopped state, begin to rotate can be used to provide rotational resistance for the distribution member 31983. This makes it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member 31983, and is effective as a configuration that reduces the difference in distribution time for the distribution member 31983 in the present invention, in which the amount of displacement in the distribution operation of the distribution member 31983 is relatively small.

In this embodiment, the number of gears arranged is three, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the number of gears may be two or less or two or more. By increasing or decreasing the number of gears, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted (see FIG. 161).

As shown in FIG. 178(a), when the distributing member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(a)) comes into contact with the distributing member 31983, the game ball loses its velocity component toward the rear side due to the contact between the game ball and the distributing member 31983. Next, the game ball is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) due to its own weight, and displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position by coming into contact with the action part on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 178(a)).

As shown in FIG. 178(b), when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 31983, and the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side.

As a result, the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position is different from the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position. Note that in this embodiment, the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position is faster than the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position.

In other words, the displacement (rotation) speed of the distribution member 31983 when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position is slower than the displacement (rotation) speed of the distribution member 31983 when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position.

Therefore, the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side of the distribution member 31983 (right side in FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the rear side contact portion 35982b2 at high speed, which may cause damage to the action portion 19983a (distribution member 31983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, causing friction (resistance) on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

This allows the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the second position to the first position to be slowed down, thereby preventing damage to the action portion 19983a (distribution member 31983).

Here, when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 due to the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the first position to the second position is transmitted to the one-way gear WG, friction (resistance) occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, so that the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the first position to the second position is slowed down. Therefore, when a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) collides with the distribution member 31983, the distribution member 31983 cannot displace (rotate) together with the game ball due to the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth, and the distribution member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position with the game ball bouncing back (separated). Therefore, while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, and when the distribution member 31983 is positioned in the second position, the game ball that bounced (moved away) falls and comes into contact with the distribution member 31983, which may cause the game ball to be sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it was originally intended to be distributed.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the one-way gear WG is configured such that when the distributing member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 31983 is not transmitted to the one-way gear WG. As a result, no friction (resistance) occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and the distributing member 31983 can be quickly displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 31983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 31983, the distribution member 31983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

As a result, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 31983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 31983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, preventing the game ball from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 178(b)), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the second position to the first position.

The one-way gear WG allows the rotation of the gear formed on the outer ring to be switched between being transmitted and not transmitted, so a difference in rotational resistance in the direction of rotation can be reliably created. Also, because the gear can be relatively simply configured to be either driven or not, product costs can be reduced and reliability and durability can be improved.

In addition, because the distribution member 31983 is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, the shape of the distribution member 31983 can be simplified, reducing product costs. Also, ease of assembly can be improved.

In this embodiment, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG does not rotate due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG does not transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG rotates due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5. However, the one-way gear WG may be configured to act in the opposite manner.

In other words, when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG may be configured not to transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

In this case, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 178(a)), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 31983's two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 179, the prize opening unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment will be described. In the 35th embodiment, the distribution member 24983 is positioned offset in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the position of the opening U10. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 179 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 179(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 179(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment, a distribution member 24983 is provided. As described above, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action portion 19983a and the action portion 24983a (the direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action portion 24983a side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b, by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

Therefore, when the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) against gravity, so the displacement can be slowed down. On the other hand, when the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) using gravity, so the displacement (rotation) can be made faster.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 36980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 24983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 36980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, since the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 36980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be adjusted by the distribution member 24983, the structure of the distribution unit 36980 can be simplified to reduce product costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6.

As described above, the game ball flowing into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 36980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 36980 has a velocity component toward the rear side. Also, the bias direction of the distribution member 24983 relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning opening 64 and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball are formed in approximately the same direction.

As shown in FIG. 179(b), when the distributing member 24983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 24983, so that the distributing member 24983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)). Therefore, the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) of the distributing member 24983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 36982b2 at high speed, which may damage the action portion 19983a (distributing member 24983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), so that the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be slowed down, thereby preventing damage to the action part 19983a (distribution member 24983).

The axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 24983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 179(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 179(a)).

Here, if the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side of the distribution member 24983 (right side of FIG. 179(a)) is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its underside (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the first position to the second position is slowed down by the amount of the protrusion 24983a1. Therefore, when a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) collides with the distribution member 24983, the distribution member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position with the game ball bouncing back (moving away). Therefore, the sorting member 24983 cannot displace (rotate) together with the game ball, and if the sorting member 24983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), and the bouncing (moving away) game ball falls while the sorting member 24983 is positioned in the second position and comes into contact with the sorting member 24983, there is a risk that the game ball will be sent to opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it is normally sorted.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the action portion 24983a disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). Therefore, when displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the first position to the second position can be performed quickly.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 24983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 24983, the distribution member 24983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 24983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 24983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 24983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, when the sorting member 24983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 24983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 24983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the distributing member 24983 has an action portion 24983a on which a protrusion 24983a1 is formed, and is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a weight member may be provided on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 24983.

That is, in the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, the protrusion 24983a1 is integrally formed with the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)), while the weight member may be arranged so as to be removable. The weight member may be arranged to protrude from the underside of the action portion 24983a, as with the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, or may be embedded inside the action portion 24983a.

By replacing the weight member, the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see Figure 161) can be easily adjusted.

When the weight member is embedded, the recess 24982b3 is prevented from being disposed in the front contact portion 36982b1, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the weight member is prevented from protruding from the underside of the action portion 24983a, thereby preventing damage to the distribution member 24983 during assembly.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 24983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 180, the winning port unit 37930 in the 36th embodiment will be described. In the 36th embodiment, the receiving surface of the distribution member 37983 that receives the game balls is formed as a curved surface 37983h that protrudes toward the axis of the shaft member 988a. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 180 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 37930 in the 36th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 180(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 180(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 37930 of the 36th embodiment, the axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 37983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 180(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 180(a)).

As shown in FIG. 180(a), both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 37983b of the distribution member 37983 are curved in an arc protruding toward the axis of the shaft member 988a.

The acting portion 37983a of the distribution member 37983 is formed to protrude toward the intermediate plate 37983b (upper side in FIG. 180(a)) as it advances toward the shaft member 988a (right side in FIG. 180(a)), and the upper surface of the acting portion 37983a and both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 37983b form a uniform curved surface 37983h.

The axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 37983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 180(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 180(a)).

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (the right side of FIG. 180(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 37980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 37980 has a velocity component toward the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 180(b), when the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the second position and a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 37983, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distributing member 37983, so that the game ball is sent to the opening U6 while maintaining or increasing the velocity component toward the rear side. In other words, of the forces acting on the distributing member 37983 due to the game ball coming into contact with it, the force component that displaces (rotates) the distributing member 37983 can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 180(b), when the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 37983, so that the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side. Therefore, the action portion 37983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) of the distributing member 37983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 37982b2 at high speed, which may damage the action portion 37983a (distributing member 37983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distribution member 37983, and therefore, among the forces acting on the distribution member 37983 when the game ball comes into contact with it, the force component that displaces (rotates) the distribution member 37983 can be reduced, and therefore, the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 37983 from the second position to the first position can be slowed down, thereby suppressing damage to the action portion 37983a (distribution member 37983).

As shown in FIG. 180(a), when the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the first position, if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 37983, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distribution member 37983, and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball is converted into a velocity component toward the front side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) and sent to the opening U7.

This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage.

As a result, even if the distribution member 37983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or even if the length of the ball path from the distribution member 37983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball path to the detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161), the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 37983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 181, the winning port unit 38930 in the 37th embodiment will be described. In the 37th embodiment, the angles between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surfaces of the action parts 38983a3 and 38983a4 are different. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 181 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 38930 in the 37th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 181(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 38983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 181(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 38983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 38930 of the 37th embodiment, the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 38983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 181(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 181(a)).

As described above, the game ball flowing into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 38980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 38980 has a velocity component toward the rear side. Also, the bias direction of the distribution member 24983 relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning opening 64 and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball are formed in approximately the same direction.

The action portion 38983a3 disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 181(a)) is formed to have a smaller thickness dimension than the tip of the action portion 19983a in the 18th embodiment as it moves from the shaft member 988a side (right side of FIG. 181(a)), which is the connection portion with the abutment portion 19983d, toward the tip.

Therefore, the angle θ8 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action part 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 181 (a)) is made larger than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (see Figure 161).

The action portion 38983a4 disposed on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 181(a)) is formed to a constant thickness dimension from the shaft member 988a side (left side in FIG. 181(a)), which is the connection portion with the abutment portion 19983d, toward the tip.

Therefore, the angle θ9 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action part 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 181 (a)) is smaller than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (see Figure 161).

Therefore, the tip of the action part 38983a4 is formed to have a greater thickness than the tip of the action part 19983a (see Figure 161).

As a result, the distribution member 38983 is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 38983 in the direction connecting the action part 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 181(a)) and the action part 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) (a direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 181(a), when the sorting member 38983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 38983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 38983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 38983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 38983 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 25983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 38983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 38983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 181(b), when the distributing member 38983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 38983, so that the distributing member 38983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side. Therefore, the action portion 38983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) of the distributing member 38983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 38982b2 at high speed, and there is a risk that the action portion 38983a4 (distributing member 38983) will be damaged.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the angle θ9 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action portion 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 181 (a)) is smaller than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (see Figure 161). In other words, the tip of the action portion 38983a4 is formed to be thicker than the tip of the action portion 19983a (see Figure 161), so that damage to the action portion 38983a4 (distribution member 38983) can be suppressed.

Here, the tip of the action part 38983a4 is formed to have a greater thickness than the tip of the action part 19983a (see FIG. 161), so the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 38983 from the first position to the second position is slower.

Therefore, when a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) hits the distributing member 38983, the distributing member 38983 cannot displace (rotate) with the game ball, and distributing member 38983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away). Therefore, while the distributing member 38983 is displaced (rotating) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), the game ball that bounced (moved away) falls while the distributing member 38983 is positioned at the second position, and comes into contact with the distributing member 38983, which may result in the game ball being sent to opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it was originally intended to be distributed.

In contrast, the angle θ8 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 in this embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 181 (a)) is larger than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (see Figure 161), so the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a greater velocity component heading toward the opening U7 than the velocity component heading toward the opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

In other words, the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a large velocity component in the same direction as the rotation direction of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983. In other words, the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a small velocity component in a direction that deviates from the rotation area of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 38983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 38983, the distribution member 38983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 38983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 38983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 38983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 38983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, since the game ball is given a greater velocity component heading toward opening U7 than the velocity component heading toward opening U7 in the 18th embodiment, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the distribution member 38983 can send the game ball to opening U7 in a shorter time than the time it takes to send the ball to opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the time it takes for game balls flowing into the distribution unit 38980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for them to be distributed to the fifth passage.

As a result, even if the distribution member 38983 is disposed in a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 38983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 38980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 is reduced (see FIG. 161), preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

Next, referring to FIG. 182, the winning port unit 39930 in the 38th embodiment will be described. In the 38th embodiment, the lower end of the first curved wall 39982c1 of the game ball guide wall 39982c of the bulge portion 39982 formed in the first side base 39981 of the sorting unit 39980 is formed to protrude toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)). Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 182 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 39930 in the 38th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 182(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 182(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 39930 of the 38th embodiment, the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 39983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 182(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 182(a)).

In addition, the action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) of the distribution member 39983 and the action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) are formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side is formed longer than the action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side.

Therefore, even when the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 39983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 182(a)) of the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 182(a)), the action portion 39983a3 of the distribution member 39983 disposed in the first position is disposed in the area through which the game ball passes, and the game ball can come into contact with the action portion 39983a3 of the distribution member 39983. This allows the distribution member 39983 to be displaced from the first position to the second position.

The first curved wall 39982c1 of the game ball guide wall 39982c is curved so as to protrude toward the rear side (the right side of FIG. 182(a)), and the lower end of the first curved wall 39982c1 is formed with a protruding portion 39982c3 that protrudes further toward the opening U10 than the first curved wall 19982c1 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161).

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (the right side of FIG. 182(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 39980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 39980 has a velocity component toward the rear side.

Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 39980 with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) slides or rolls on the first curved wall 39982c1 and abuts against the protruding portion 39982c3, whereby it is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component toward the front side (left side of FIG. 182(a)). In addition, as gravity acts on the game ball, it is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

In other words, the game ball is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component in the same direction as the rotational displacement of the action part 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 182 (a)) of the distribution member 39983, whose axis is the axis of rotation of the shaft member 988a.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 182(a), when the distributing member 39983 is disposed in the first position and a game ball having a velocity component toward the front side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) comes into contact with the distributing member 39983 and the distributing member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 39983 can be made faster than when the game ball has a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 182(a)).

In addition, the acting portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 182(a)) of the distribution member 39983 is formed longer than the acting portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 182(a)), so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 39983 is located closer to the acting portion 39983a3 side (left side in FIG. 182(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, when the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) against its own weight, so the displacement can be slowed down. On the other hand, when the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) using its own weight, so the displacement (rotation) can be made faster.

As shown in FIG. 182(b), when the distributing member 39983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the player (left side of FIG. 182(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 39983, and the distributing member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the second position to the first position. Since the velocity component of the game ball toward the player and the displacement (rotation) direction of the distributing member 39983 are formed in opposite directions, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 39983 can be slowed down.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 39980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 39980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the sorting member 39983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 39983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 39983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 39983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 39983 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 39983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distributing member 39983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)), the displacement of the distributing member 39983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 182(a), when the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the first position, the velocity component of the game ball toward the player and the displacement (rotation) direction of the distribution member 39983 are formed in approximately the same direction, so that the game ball can be prevented from moving away from the distribution member 39983 (bouncing back) due to a collision between the game ball and the distribution member 39983.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 39983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 39983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In the present embodiment, the dividing member 39983 is described as having an action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) and an action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and the action portions 39983a3 and 39983a4 may be formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b.

In this case, the configuration of the distribution member 39983 can be simplified, reducing production costs.

Next, referring to FIG. 183, the winning port unit 40930 in the 39th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is disposed between aisles TR10 and TR9 (see FIG. 161), but in the 39th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is disposed in aisle TR3. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is farther from you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 183 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 40930 in the thirty-ninth embodiment, which corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a), and shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position.

In the winning port unit 40930 of the 39th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is arranged in the passage TR3, so that the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 40980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 40980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, the front base 40943 of the front unit 40940 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, so the player can visually see the game ball passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, enhancing the enjoyment of the game.

In the winning port unit 19930 in the 18th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the side of the detection device SE6 opposite the player, so the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 must be disposed on the front side (left side of Figure 183(b)) and then folded back towards the rear side (left side of Figure 183(b)), which results in a longer wiring (not shown) for the detection device SE6.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be arranged on the rear side (right side of Figure 183 (a)), simplifying the assembly of the prize slot unit 40930 and reducing production costs.

In addition, the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be arranged on the rear side (right side of FIG. 183(a)), i.e., in a position far away from the player, which makes it possible to prevent the detection device SE6 from being operated improperly.

Next, the winning port unit 41930 in the 40th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 184 and 185. In the 18th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the side of the passage TR10 opposite the player (see Figure 161), but in the 40th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on one side of the passage TR10 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). Note that parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 184 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 41930 in the 40th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 185(a) is a side view of the winning port unit 41930, and Figure 185(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 41930. Note that Figure 185 only shows the blade member 945 arranged in the front unit 19940, the solenoid 610 arranged in the passage unit 41990, the transmission member 41965, and the displacement member 41966.

As shown in Figures 184 and 185, the solenoid 610 is disposed on one side of the passage TR10 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) with the axis of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 aligned along the direction of gravity (the up-down direction in Figure 184). Therefore, the displacement direction of the protrusion 945b associated with the opening and closing operation of the blade member 945 can be made to coincide with the displacement direction of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610.

Here, in order to open and close the blade member 945, the displacement member 19966 in the 18th embodiment needs to be rotationally displaced (see FIG. 160) around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966. That is, it is necessary to convert the linear displacement of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 into a displacement in the rotational direction.

In contrast, the displacement member 41966 in this embodiment can open and close the wing member 945 by displacing it linearly in the direction of gravity (the up and down direction in FIG. 184). In other words, the displacement direction of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 can be aligned with that of the displacement member 41966 without converting the linear displacement of the annular portion 961c, simplifying the configuration of the displacement member 41966 and reducing production costs.

In addition, the dimensions of the prize winning port unit 41930 in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 184) can be reduced, making the prize winning port unit 41930 more compact.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is in no way limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the configuration in one embodiment may be combined with or replaced with some or all of the configuration in another embodiment to form another embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are arranged to face each other in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 may be arranged to face each other in the radial direction of the rotational displacement of the driven member 163, or may be arranged to face each other in the rotational axis direction (a direction intersecting the plane in which the driven member 163 is displaced). In this case, a frictional force is generated between the driven member 163 and the driven member 163 can be decelerated by the frictional force.

In the first embodiment, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are always arranged to face each other in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, at least one of the lower regulating portion 175 or the upper regulating portion 176 may be configured to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the driven member 163, and may be configured to face the driven member 163 in the displacement direction of the driven member 163 when it is desired to decelerate the driven member 163, and to retract outside the displacement trajectory of the driven member 163 at other times. This allows multiple types of displacement modes of the driven member 163 to be configured.

In the first embodiment, an example of the arrangement of the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 is described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, they may be arranged in a position where they overlap when viewed in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, or the upper regulating portion 176 may be arranged closer to the rotation axis of the driven member 163 than the lower regulating portion 175.

In addition, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are not limited to being disposed on either the left or right side of the rotation shaft of the driven member 163, and one of the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 may be disposed on the left side and the other on the right side.

In the above first embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 exerts an electromagnetic force in a direction to lift the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 may be disposed below the driven member 163 and configured to generate an upward electromagnetic force. Also, instead of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, a rotary motor may be used to drive the driven member 163.

In the above first embodiment, the light emitting means 181 is configured with an LED, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be a miniature light bulb, a laser, an illumination plate, or a small liquid crystal display screen.

In the above first embodiment, a gap is formed between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 to suppress the transmission of vibrations to the illumination board 180, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, instead of filling the gap, a highly damping resin material may be filled into the area between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180. In this case, the arrangement space for the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 can be narrowed while suppressing the transmission of vibrations.

Conversely, the gap between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 may be narrowed and the filling with resin material may be omitted. In this case, the transmission of vibrations to the illumination board 180 when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is driven can be promoted, so that the illumination board 180 can be made to vibrate in response to the vibrations, creating an effect in which the light irradiated from the light emitting means 181 fluctuates.

In the first embodiment, the light transmission hole 60c is configured as one large opening, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured with multiple through holes, such as punched metal.

In the first embodiment, the outer portion 94 is configured as a thin plate, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an opening may be formed partially. In this case, by forming an opening at a position that matches the arrangement of the light-emitting means 181 when viewed from the front, it is possible to prevent the plate portion of the illumination board 180 from being visible while exposing the light-emitting means 181 when viewed from the front.

In the above first embodiment, the driving force is transmitted to the lift plate 430 by the arm member 414, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the driving force may be transmitted by an endless gear belt or a cam mechanism.

In the first embodiment, the rotation angle width of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be symmetrical above and below the horizontal, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be asymmetrical above and below, or it may be configured to have a rotation angle width only above or below the horizontal.

In the above first embodiment, the long hole portion 406 is described as being a long hole that is long in the horizontal direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be a long hole that extends at an angle to the horizontal direction, a curved long hole, or a long hole that has a portion that extends in the vertical direction. This improves the design freedom of the auxiliary arm member 444.

In the first embodiment, a pair of feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other to form a symmetrical shape has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a slight gap may be provided from the design stage. This can reduce fatigue that accumulates in the feather-shaped members 460 due to abutment, compared to when the feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other, and can increase the durability of the feather-shaped members 460. Note that the pattern formed on the back side of the gap and the light emitted from the light-emitting means may be visible to the player through this gap.

In the first embodiment, the pair of feather-shaped members 460 have the same displacement amount and displacement speed, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the pair of feather-shaped members 460 may be configured to have different displacement amounts and displacement speeds by adjusting the gear ratio by making the sizes of the arc-shaped gears 462 of the feather-shaped members 460 different on the left and right. This allows the abutment surface S1 to be shifted from the center position on the left and right even when the shapes of the sides where the pair of feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other are symmetrical.

In the first embodiment, the feather-shaped member 460 is visually perceived as having a symmetrical shape when in contact, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured so that most of the parts are symmetrical while some parts are different. For example, it may be configured so that some parts are asymmetrical in shape, the pattern drawn on the front side is asymmetrical, or the colors are asymmetrical. Even in this case, since most of the shape of the feather-shaped member 460 is symmetrical, the player can be made to believe that the feather-shaped member 460 has a symmetrical shape.

In the above first embodiment, a case has been described in which the abutting feather-shaped members 460 undergo rotational displacement, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a pair of feather-shaped members 460 may be configured to move in parallel in the left-right direction to abut against each other. In this case, in comparison with the shape of the rear case 310, the left feather-shaped member 460 can be formed with a larger area than the right feather-shaped member 460.

In the first embodiment, the feather-shaped members 460 supported and displaced by the lift plate 430 form a continuous shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the feather-shaped members 460 may be combined with a fixed, specified member (e.g., the center frame 86 of the game board 13) to form a symmetrical shape when viewed from the front. This allows the player to visually distinguish between a shape that is completed by the feather-shaped members 460 alone and a shape that is completed by other specified members and the feather-shaped members 460, thereby improving the presentation effect of the feather-shaped members 460.

In the first embodiment, the light-emitting performance member LA1, the feather-shaped member 460, and the auxiliary member 470 are used to evoke the concept of "shells and pearls," but this is not necessarily limited to the present invention. For example, the light-emitting performance member LA1 may be given a decorative pattern representing a bullet hole in a wall, and the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 may be configured with a shape representing the momentum of a bullet. In this case, this can be achieved by reusing the shape of the feather-shaped member 460, and configuring the light-emitting performance member LA1 and the auxiliary member 470 from separate members with different decorations or shapes. In other words, some of the components can be reused to configure a new operating unit, thereby reducing development costs.

In the above first embodiment, the lift plate 430 is described as slidingly displaced in a linear direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 may be configured to be supported by a fixed axis, and the lift plate 430 may be configured to be displaceable in an arc trajectory centered on this axis.

Also, when the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be pivotally supported in a fixed position, the lift plate 430 may still be configured to be displaced in one direction. In this case, the relative displacement member 442 may also be configured to be slidable in the left-right direction so that the left-right displacement of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b can be absorbed by the relative displacement member 442. For example, by providing a biasing means or electromagnetic solenoid that biases the relative displacement member 442 toward the arc-shaped gear portion 444b in the left-right direction, the meshing between the arc-shaped gear portion 444b and the relative displacement member 442 can be stabilized.

In addition, the arc-shaped gear portion 444b may be made of a flexible resin material used for gear belts, etc., rather than being made of a highly rigid resin material. In this case, the deformation of the material can absorb the left-right displacement of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b.

In the above first embodiment, the window section defined in the center of the game board 13 by the center frame 86 is configured in a generally symmetrical shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the inner shape of the center frame 86 may be asymmetrical depending on the size of the vane-shaped members 460. This provides the game board 13 with the function of concealing the rear side by shielding it, and the function of improving the freedom of the shape of the game area.

In the first embodiment, the illumination board 777 is disposed on the rear side of the light-transmitting hole 60c, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the illumination board 777 may be disposed inside the light-transmitting hole 60c. In this case, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the outer portion 94 of the flow-down surface component 91 can be brought close to each other, and by forming the outer portion 94 thin, it is possible to produce an effect in which the outer portion 94 vibrates (waves) in response to the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In other words, the part that is displaced by the actuation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the second operating unit 700 and is visible to the player can be positioned not only inside the window section defined by the center frame 86, but also outside the window section.

In the first embodiment, the recessed portions of the base plate 60 located on the front side of the illumination board 777 are located on the left and right lower sides of the game area, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, they may be located inside the center frame 86, below the outer rail 62, or inside the opening of the specific winning hole 65a, as long as they do not affect the flow of the game balls downward.

In the above first embodiment, the partition member 708 is formed from a resin material with little deflection (high rigidity resin material), but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the partition member 708 may be formed from a rubbery resin material. In this case, the elastic deformation of the partition member 708 allows the partition member 708 to be tightly attached to the illumination board 705 and the thin film cover member 712, preventing light leakage.

In the above first embodiment, the distance between the reference O1 and the positions where the left and right load members 761 abut against the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is the same, and the left and right load members 761 are disposed in front of the reference O1. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the distance between the reference O1 and the positions where the left and right load members 761 abut against the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be different, or the positions of the left and right load members 761 relative to the reference O1 may be different.

In the first embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the forward inclined portion of the load member 761 is configured so as not to collide with the front cover member 770, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the load member 761 may be configured in a positional relationship in which the upper wall of the front cover member 770 and the front surface of the load member 761 come into contact with each other as the load member 761 is displaced toward the front side. In this case, even if the load member 761 is displaced toward the front side due to the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the load applied from the front cover member 770 can return the position of the load member 761 to the rear side.

In the above first embodiment, the left and right drive units 760 are described as being approximately symmetrical in shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the flexibility of the load members 761 may be changed by (locally) changing the density, thickness, or material of the vertical rod-shaped extensions 761c of the left and right load members 761. This makes it possible to change the posture in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 stops when the left and right drive units 760 are in a one-sided excitation state, depending on which of the left and right drive units 760 is driven. In other words, it is possible to increase the number of postures in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stopped.

Even if the left and right drive units 760 are configured to be approximately symmetrical on the left and right, the same effect can be achieved by making the shape of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 asymmetrical (for example, by providing extra thickness on the lower base side of the loaded portion 733 on one side).

In the above first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be configured to displace up and down while maintaining its posture, while the load member 761 may be configured to change its posture. This makes it possible to configure a state (posture) in which the load member 761 is easy to bend and a state (posture) in which the load member 761 is difficult to bend, even when the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not change.

In the first embodiment, the protrusion 761d is configured integrally with the load member 761, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the protrusion 761d and the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c may be configured separately, with the protrusion 761d being configured to be able to be assembled to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c by fastening, engaging, fitting, fitting, clamping, or other assembly methods. In this case, even if the protrusion 761d is damaged, the load member 761 up to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c can be reused, and only the protrusion 761d needs to be replaced, so the size of the maintenance members can be reduced compared to when the entire load member 761 is replaced.

In the first embodiment, the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b are misaligned in the direction of the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the centers of the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b may be positioned so as to overlap with the same plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In this case, the direction of the change in the spacing between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b based on the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be made perpendicular to the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, so that the change in the spacing between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b can be used to change the holding force of the hollow member 740, rather than to change the posture of the hollow member 740.

In other words, the increase in the inclination angle of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 mechanically narrows the gap between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b, which can be used to pinch the pair of front and rear protruding columnar portions 743 of the hollow member 740 from the front and rear. Therefore, the holding state (ease of vibration) of the hollow member 740 can be changed as the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes.

In this case, the clearance between the front small receiving portion 735a and the protruding columnar portion 743 and the clearance between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743 may be configured to be equal. In this case, the holding force of the front and rear protruding columnar portions 743 increases similarly, making it easier to suppress changes in the posture of the hollow member 740 compared to when the side with the larger clearance is allowed to rotate around the side with the smaller clearance as an axis.

In the above first embodiment, the small receiving portions 735 supporting the pair of protruding columnar portions 743 of the hollow member 740 are arranged separately in front of and behind the reference O1 on the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a pair may be arranged together in front of or behind the reference O1.

In the first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be configured to slide left and right, and the small receiving portion 735 may be configured as a long groove that is long in a direction inclined relative to the sliding direction. In this case, by providing the inclination of the front small receiving portion 735a and the inclination of the rear small receiving portion 735b on opposite sides of the sliding direction, the clearance between the protruding columnar portion 743 and the small receiving portion 735 can be changed in accordance with the sliding displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. This allows the holding mode (ease of vibration) of the hollow member 740 to be changed.

In the first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported on a left-right axis and displaced, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be supported in a manner that allows it to rotate on a front-rear axis (for example, supported by a ball joint).

The plate body (a long plate extending in the left-right direction) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be supported as a separate body on the upper side of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this case, a combination of rotation about the left-right axis and rotation about the front-rear axis can be generated in the plate body of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 depending on the driving mode of the drive unit 760.

The pivot support may also be configured as a vertically long hole shape to allow vertical displacement of the pivotally supported portion 731 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this case, not only can the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotate, but one of the left and right pivotally supported portions 731 can be displaced vertically compared to the other, resulting in a change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (corresponding to a rotational displacement about an axis in the front-to-rear direction), making it possible to further diversify the displacement modes of the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 associated with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In the above first embodiment, the deflection of the load member 761 is caused by a change in the load direction based on a change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a core material extending along the displacement direction of the load member 761 may be configured to pass through the load member 761, and the length of the core that enters the load member 761 may change as the load member 761 is displaced (the core material may be configured to slip out). In this case, the stiffness of the load member 761 changes based on the presence or absence of the core material, and the deflection of the load member 761 may be caused by this stiffness change.

In the second embodiment described above, a case has been described in which one of the parts that decelerates the driven member 163 is configured to be displaceable, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, both parts that decelerate the driven member 163 may be configured to be displaceable. In this case, both decelerating parts (lower regulating portion 175 and upper regulating portion 176) may be configured from the same material.

In the above second embodiment, the biasing spring SP21 does not directly contact the driven member 163, but applies a biasing force via the abutment member 2190, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the biasing spring SP21 may be configured to directly contact the driven member 163.

In this case, the arrangement (contact points) of the biasing spring SP21 with respect to the driven member 163 can be set arbitrarily. For example, multiple contact points may be provided between the (single or multiple) biasing spring SP21 and the driven member 163, and the contact points may be divided between the rotating shaft side and the rotating tip side, sandwiching the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

In the above third embodiment, the shape of the long hole portion 3406 is extended in the displacement direction of the lift plate 430 to form a section in which the attitude of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even during the displacement of the lift plate 430, thereby blocking the transmission of driving force to the downstream side of the auxiliary arm member 444 in that section. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a slipping portion (an angular region in which the gear teeth are not engaged) may be provided between the arc-shaped gear portion 444b and the rotating gear 441 to form a section in which the rotating gear 441 does not rotate even when the arc-shaped gear portion 444b rotates, thereby blocking the transmission of driving force to the downstream side of the auxiliary arm member 444.

In the above third embodiment, a case was described in which the displacement width of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 corresponds to the vertical position of the arm tip of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441 may not be a gear with gear teeth formed all around, but may be configured to have a partial protrusion that can function as a cam, and the protrusion may be configured to displace the relative displacement member 442 by applying a load to the relative displacement member 442. In this case, the displacement mode (displacement speed, displacement width) of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 can be designed as desired depending on the design of the protrusion of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441 and the relative displacement member 442.

In the above fourth embodiment, the detection sensor 4782 is configured to detect the thin protruding portion 4761g, which is part of the load member 4761 and is easily damaged, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured to detect the thick protruding portion 4761f.

In the above fifth embodiment, the adjustment member 5782 protrudes upward from the underside of the load member 761 and presses the front side of the load member 761, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the adjustment member 5782 may be configured to protrude forward from the rear side of the load member 761.

For example, an opening may be formed on the inner side of the load member 761, and the adjustment member 5782 may enter the opening and function as a core. In this case, the degree to which the adjustment member 5782 enters the opening can change the degree to which the load member 761 bends.

In the above first and fifth embodiments, the load member 761 is driven by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the drive device that drives the load member 761 may be configured with a motor such as a DC motor. This allows the load member 761 to be driven without being limited to an instantaneous drive mode.

In the sixth embodiment, the protrusion 945b is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from the rear, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the protrusion 945b may be formed in a circular shape when viewed from the rear. In this case, rattling of the wing member 945 during opening and closing operations can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operations of the wing member 945 can be stabilized.

That is, when the protrusion 945b is formed in a different shape when viewed from the rear or the sliding groove 966a2 is formed in a curved shape, the protrusion 945b slides along the sliding groove 966a2, changing the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b. Therefore, when the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b is increased, the protrusion 945b becomes easier to move by that amount, and the blade member 945 becomes more likely to rattle.

In response to this, the protrusion 945b is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the rear, and the sliding groove 966a2 is linearly extended on the displacement member 966, so that the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b during the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945 can always be kept constant. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the wing member 945, and to stabilize the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945.

Furthermore, since the sliding groove 966a2 extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the displacement member 966, the extension length of the sliding groove 966a2 can be minimized. As a result, the amount of weight reduction associated with the recessing of the sliding groove 966a2 can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the displacement member 966 can be improved.

In the sixth embodiment, the screw that is screwed into the annular protrusion 953c formed between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1 is used to fasten the ball entry member 953 and the passage member 955 together, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the screw may be used to fasten the specific winning port unit 950 and the front unit 940 together.

In the sixth embodiment, the annular protrusion 953c formed between a pair of opposing detection devices SE1 of the specific winning port unit 950 is formed to protrude in a circular ring shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the annular protrusion 953c formed between a pair of opposing detection devices SE1 may be formed in a conical shape whose diameter increases as it moves away from the ball entry member 953 toward the passage member 955.

In this case, when a tool such as a drill is used to perform drilling or the like to secure a path from the specific winning port 65a to the drive unit 960, the direction of travel of the drill can be shifted (slid sideways) laterally (in the direction moving radially outward from the axis of the annular protrusion 953c) on the outer circumferential surface of the annular protrusion 953c (the outer circumferential surface of the enlarged portion), making it easier to damage (sever) the wiring HS3.

In the sixth embodiment described above, a case was described in which the playing area (front) side of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980 is visible to the player, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a sticker displaying information consisting of letters or figures may be attached to the playing area (front) side of the sorting unit 980.

In this case, information consisting of letters or figures is displayed on the play area (front) side of the ball sending passage TR0, first passage TR1, and second passage TR2 of the distribution unit 980, so that even when the distribution unit 980 is viewed through the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930), the display can be used as a landmark (reference position) to make it easier for the player to recognize the position of the distribution unit 980. Note that the form of information display is not limited to the attachment of a sticker, and may also be ink printing or two-color formation.

In the above tenth embodiment, the displacement member 11966 is formed from two members, a first member 11967 and a second member 11968, and the blade portion 11968c is formed in the second member 11968, which has a larger displacement amount than the first member 11967. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The displacement member 11966 may be formed from a single member, the displacement amount of the transmission member 965 of that single member (displacement member 11966) may be increased, and the blade portion 11968c may be formed in the through hole 966c1 of the single member.

In the above eleventh embodiment, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, the shaft portion 961b of the drive unit 960 is in a state of being protruded from the main body portion 961a by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, power may be applied to the main body portion 961a so that the shaft portion 961b of the drive unit 960 is in a state of being retracted inside the main body portion.

In this case, the displacement members 11966, 12966 can use the electromagnetic force of the drive unit 960 (solenoid 610) to cut the illegal object (thread) inserted inside the rolling path of the rolling ball of the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c with the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2. That is, the displacement of the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2 in the cutting direction (clamping direction) is performed using electromagnetic force, so the driving force can be made large. This makes it easier for the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2 to cut the illegal object.

In the above eleventh embodiment, the coil spring SP1 is arranged in a compressed state between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c of the drive unit 960, and when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 961a, the annular portion 961c is displaced toward the main body 961a (the shaft portion 961b is pulled into the main body 961a), but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a spring in a stretched state may be arranged between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c of the drive unit 960, and when power is applied to the main body 961a, the annular portion 961c may be displaced in a direction away from the main body 961a.

In this case, as in the above, the blades 11968c, 6683 and the second blade 12966c2 are displaced in the cutting direction (clamping direction) using electromagnetic force, so the driving force can be increased. This makes it easier for the blades 11968c, 6683 and the second blade 12966c2 to cut illegal objects.

The present invention may be implemented in a type of pachinko machine or the like different from the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly called a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which the expected value of a jackpot is increased until a jackpot state occurs multiple times (for example, two or three times) including the first jackpot. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game in which the player is given a predetermined game value after the jackpot pattern is displayed, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters a predetermined area. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a winning device with a special area such as a V zone, and the special game state is entered with the necessary condition being that the ball enters the special area. Furthermore, in addition to pachinko machines, it may be implemented as various gaming machines such as arepachi, mahjong ball, slot machines, and gaming machines that are a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

Slot machines are well known in that, for example, after inserting a coin and determining the effective line of symbols, the operation lever is operated to change the symbols, and the stop button is operated to stop and finalize the symbols. Therefore, the basic concept of a slot machine is "a slot machine that has a display device that displays a variable display of a string of identification information consisting of multiple identification information and then displays the finalized identification information, in which the variable display of the identification information is started due to the operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the variable display of the identification information is stopped and finalized due to the operation of a stop operation means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and a special game that gives a predetermined game value to the player is generated, provided that the combination of identification information at the time of the stop is a specific one." In this case, typical examples of the game medium include coins, medals, etc.

An example of a gaming machine that combines a pachinko machine and a slot machine is one that has a display device that displays a pattern sequence consisting of multiple patterns in a variable manner and then displays the pattern in a fixed manner, but does not have a handle for shooting balls. In this case, after a specified amount of balls are inserted based on a specified operation (button operation), the pattern starts to change due to, for example, the operation of an operating lever, and the pattern change is stopped due to, for example, the operation of a stop button or after a specified time has passed, and a special game is generated in which a specified gaming value is awarded to the player, provided that the fixed pattern at the time of the stop is a so-called jackpot pattern, and a large number of balls are paid out to the player in a receiving tray at the bottom. If such a gaming machine is used instead of a slot machine, the gaming hall can handle only the balls as the gaming value, which can eliminate problems seen in current gaming halls where pachinko machines and slot machines are mixed, such as the burden on facilities due to the separate handling of medals and balls as the gaming value, and the restrictions on the location of gaming machines.

Below, we will explain the gaming machine of the present invention as well as the various invention concepts included in the above-mentioned embodiments.

<Prevents solenoids from crashing. Uses a cushion>
A gaming machine A1 comprising: a displacement means configured to be displaceable; a drive means arranged on a predetermined direction side of the displacement means and configured to generate a drive force for driving the displacement means in the predetermined direction; and a resistance means configured to generate resistance to the displacement of the displacement means in the predetermined direction, wherein the resistance means is configured to reduce the load applied from the displacement means to the drive means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, are configured to displace a displacement member using an electromagnetic solenoid (see, for example, JP 2015-231434 A). However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the point that receives the load from the displacement member is limited to the electromagnetic solenoid, and the electromagnetic solenoid is subject to excessive load, which causes the electromagnetic solenoid to easily break down early. In other words, there is a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of improving the durability of gaming machines.

In contrast, according to the gaming machine A1, the resistance means generates resistance to the displacement of the displacement means in a predetermined direction (towards the drive means) and is configured to be able to reduce the load applied from the displacement means to the drive means, so that it is possible to prevent the drive means from receiving an excessive load. This makes it possible to improve the durability of the gaming machine.

The manner in which the load applied to the driving means can be reduced is not limited in any way. For example, the load can be reduced by dispersing it by increasing the number of points that receive the load, the transmission of the load can be blocked by configuring the resistance means to provide a gap between the displacement means and the driving means, or the surface area over which the resistance means acts on the displacement means can be increased to reduce the load per unit area.

A gaming machine A2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A1, a support means for supporting the displacement means is provided, and the drive means is disposed closer to the support means than the resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A1, gaming machine A2 can prevent the load on the resistance means from becoming excessive by shortening the arm length (arm length of the force moment) between the support means and the drive means.

A gaming machine A3 is characterized in that in the gaming machine A2, the support means supports the displacement means so that the displacement means can rotate about a predetermined axis, and the predetermined axis is disposed on the predetermined direction side relative to the resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A2, gaming machine A3 can prevent the load generated between the specified axis and the displacement means from being reversed in a direction intersecting the specified direction (left and right direction), and limits the side on which friction occurs in the part covering the rotating axis to one side (avoiding slight displacement to the left and right), thereby limiting the parts that need to be made thick.

A gaming machine A4 is characterized in that it comprises a first resistance means for generating a load against displacement in the predetermined direction and a second resistance means for generating a load against displacement in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction in the gaming machine A3, the first resistance means and the second resistance means have misalignment parts that are positioned at different positions when viewed in the predetermined direction, and the first resistance means is positioned farther away from the predetermined axis than the second resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A3, gaming machine A4 can reduce the load applied from the first resistance means to the displacement means. In other words, the magnitude of the load can be reduced by lengthening the arm length of the force moment generated in the displacement means by the load from the first resistance means.

In addition, by separating the location where the load occurs between the first resistance means and the displacement means from the location where the load occurs between the second resistance means and the displacement means, it is possible to avoid concentration of the load, thereby improving the durability of the displacement means.

Gaming machine A5 is characterized in that in gaming machine A3 or A4, the displacement means includes a transmission section for transmitting a driving force to a predetermined displacement means and an attached section extending radially outward from the transmission section, and the first resistance means is disposed so as to be able to abut against the attached section.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines A3 and A4, gaming machine A5 can transmit the driving force to the displacement means even if the accessory is damaged, so that the displacement means can continue to be displaced by drive control until maintenance is required.

The type of the transmission unit is not limited in any way, and various types are exemplified. For example, it may be configured in a position close to the drive means, or it may be configured on the axially opposite side to the side where the drive means is located, based on a shaft member arranged along a specific axis.

Furthermore, the aspect of the axially opposite side on which the drive means is disposed is not limited in any way with respect to the shaft member as a reference, and various aspects are exemplified. For example, the drive means and the transmission unit may be configured at positions opposite each other with respect to a plane perpendicular to a specific portion of the shaft member, or even if the positions with respect to the plane are not opposite each other, the transmission unit may be configured on the opposite side of the drive means across the shaft member in the transmission path of the drive force via the shaft member.

A gaming machine A6 is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A5, and is characterized by having a load applying means for applying a load to the displacement means in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines A1 to A5, gaming machine A6 can quickly return and displace the displacement means from the drive displacement side.

A gaming machine A7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A6, the load applying means are arranged on both sides of the drive means along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A6, gaming machine A7 can avoid imbalances in the attitude of the load applying means and the load that is generated due to the influence of the driving force.

A gaming machine A8 is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A7, characterized in that the resistance means is configured to be capable of applying a reaction force when in contact with the displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines A1 to A7, gaming machine A8 can generate frictional force at the contact surface between the displacement means and the resistance means. This makes it possible to prevent the displacement means from shifting in a direction other than the predetermined direction.

A gaming machine A9 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A8, the displacement means is configured to be able to receive an external force, and the contact surface between the displacement means and the resistance means is arranged parallel to at least one directional component of the external force.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A8, gaming machine A9 can prevent the displacement means from being displaced by external forces through frictional resistance.

<Rack, pinion, gear arm (irregular double rack)>
Gaming machine B1 comprises a base means, an intermediate means supported on the base means so as to be slidably displaceable, a tip end means supported on the intermediate means so as to be displaceable, and a displacement configuration means supported on the intermediate means and configured so that the tip end means can be displaced relative to the intermediate means as the intermediate means displaces relative to the base means, characterized in that the base means is configured so as to be displaceable in a manner not corresponding to the displacement mode of the intermediate means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, have a structure in which a pinion is sandwiched between multiple racks (see, for example, JP 2016-153095 A). With this structure, the racks are displaced in opposite directions as the pinion rotates, so the displacement speed of one rack relative to the other can be increased, making it possible to create a performance that displaces at high speed.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, a separate shielding member had to be provided to hide the fixed rack, which posed a problem in that it could reduce the design freedom of the presentation.

In contrast, according to gaming machine B1, the base means is configured to be displaceable, so that the base means can be displaced in accordance with the displacement of the tip side means and intermediate means, thereby hiding the base means with the tip side means and intermediate means. This eliminates the need to provide a separate shielding member, and improves the design freedom of the tip side means.

Gaming machine B2 is characterized in that in gaming machine B1, the base means is configured to be rotatable.

When both components sandwiching the pinion (the base means and the tip side means) are racks that slide in parallel and are arranged on the same plane, the pinion cannot be arranged in a position that overlaps with the rack when viewed in the direction of rack displacement in order to avoid interference between the components. This means that the space required to arrange the rack increases in a direction that intersects with the pinion's rotation axis, making it difficult to design it compact.

In addition, because it is necessary to provide support parts at multiple points to maintain the rack's position and optimize the meshing with the pinion, there is a risk that the component structure will become more complicated and the number of assembly steps will increase. In other words, there is room for improvement in terms of saving space and simplifying the structure.

In the retracted position, the protruding portion of the base means and the recessed portion of the tip means overlapped in the direction of slide displacement, so the shielding width in the retracted position was bulky.

In contrast, according to gaming machine B2, the base means is configured to rotate and displace, so the base means and the displacement configuration means can be positioned so that they overlap when viewed in the direction of sliding displacement of the intermediate means, thereby saving space, and the base means only needs to be provided with a configuration for pivoting, which simplifies the structure.

In addition, the protruding portion on the foundation means side can be positioned toward the back by utilizing the curvature, making it possible to narrow the shielding width in the retracted position.

Gaming machine B3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B2, a portion of the base means is rotatably supported by the intermediate means, and by rotating around another portion as a fulcrum, the position of the base means is reversed along the sliding displacement direction of the intermediate means, and the other portion is configured to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the sliding displacement direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B2, gaming machine B3 stabilizes the load transmission between a portion of the base means and the displacement component means because both the portion of the base means and the displacement component means are supported by the intermediate means.

In addition, by displacing the other part of the foundation means in a direction intersecting the sliding displacement direction, the displacement can be balanced by the displacement of the part and the other part of the foundation means, and the amount of displacement of the entire foundation means (both up, down, left and right) can be suppressed.

A gaming machine B4 is characterized in that, in any of the gaming machines B1 to B3, when the tip side means is positioned at the end position on one side (the extension side) of the displacement range, the base means receives a load to maintain its position from a direction intersecting the direction of the sliding displacement.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines B1 to B3, gaming machine B4 can reduce the load required for sliding displacement compared to when the load for maintaining the position is applied in the direction of the sliding displacement. Furthermore, by utilizing the fact that the position of the base means is maintained with the tip side means positioned at one end position, the position of the intermediate means and the tip side means can be stabilized.

A gaming machine B5, which is any of the gaming machines B1 to B4, is characterized in that when the tip side means is positioned at the other end position (retreat side) of the displacement range, the base means assumes a position in which the load applied from the intermediate means faces the direction in which the base means can be displaced.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines B1 to B4, gaming machine B5 can smooth the start-up of the base means, intermediate means, and displaceable means.

Gaming machine B6 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines B1 to B5, when the tip side means is positioned at the other (retreat side) terminal position of the displacement range, the base means has a protruding portion that protrudes further toward the retracted position than the intermediate means.

Gaming machine B6, in addition to the effects of gaming machines B1 to B5, employs a configuration in which the protruding portion protrudes from the intermediate means at the other end position (retreat side) that is less visible to the player, making it possible to configure the intermediate means to conceal the foundation means at one end position (protruding side) while keeping the vertical dimensions of the intermediate means below the dimensions of the foundation means.

Gaming machine B7 is any one of gaming machines B1 to B6, characterized in that a portion of the base means is rotatably supported by the intermediate means, and at least one of the intermediate means or the tip side means is connected to electrical wiring that is guided to the base means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines B1 to B6, gaming machine B7 can easily ensure a path for electrical wiring and reduce the load on the electrical wiring by utilizing the fact that displacement of one side of the base means is suppressed.

Gaming machine B8 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B7, the tip side means is configured to be slidably displaceable, and the electrical wiring is arranged outside the tip side means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B7, gaming machine B8 can reduce the load on the electrical wiring compared to when the electrical wiring is connected to a tip-side means that is displaced by a sliding displacement, which tends to place a load on the electrical wiring.

This makes it possible to increase the amount of deviation (position deviation, speed difference, etc.) that occurs in the operation of the tip side means and the intermediate means while keeping the load on the electrical wiring small. For example, it is possible to configure separate drive means that drives the intermediate means based on the base means and drive means that drives the tip side means based on the intermediate means while keeping the load on the electrical wiring small.

Gaming machine B9 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines B1 to B8, the displacement configuration means is configured to be able to displace the tip side means relative to the intermediate means by a predetermined amount corresponding to the amount of displacement of the intermediate means.

Gaming machine B9 has the same effect as any of gaming machines B1 to B8, and can also stably displace the tip means at high speed (higher than the middle means).

<A pair of left and right members are configured asymmetrically>
A gaming machine C1 is provided with a plurality of displacement means configured to be capable of displacing a first relative position and a second relative position that is located farther away from the first relative position, the plurality of displacement means being configured to be visually recognized as a series of predetermined shapes at at least one of the first relative position or the second relative position, and the plurality of displacement means being provided with a first displacement means and a second displacement means that is smaller than the first displacement means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, have multiple operating parts of roughly the same shape arranged in close proximity to form a continuous shape (see, for example, JP 2016-153095 A). With this structure, a large performance body can be easily constructed by combining small operating parts, and because the operating parts themselves are roughly the same in configuration, the difficulty of assembly work can be reduced.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the shapes of the operating parts are configured to be approximately the same, and the space required to realize the displacement of each operating part is common to each operating part, which means there is room for improvement in terms of increasing design freedom so that limited space can be utilized.

For example, when the operating unit displaces the right side of a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device placed in the center of the play area, the side closer to the display device attracts more attention from the player, but the space required for the operating unit to displace is symmetrical with respect to the operating unit, so there is a problem in that the amount of possible displacement of the left side of the operating unit (the side that attracts more attention from the player) is limited by the amount of displacement allowable on the right side of the operating unit.

In contrast, according to gaming machine C1, the first displacement means and the second displacement means, which are visually recognized as a single shape, are configured with different sizes. Therefore, even if the displacement amount of the first displacement means and the second displacement means is the same, the space required to realize the displacement can be made different, making it possible to make good use of limited space and improving design freedom.

Gaming machine C2 is characterized in that in gaming machine C1, the first displacement means and the second displacement means have their outer shapes set according to the arrangement possible area at the second relative position.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine C1, gaming machine C2 can improve the design freedom of the shape that is visually recognized by the first displacement means and the second displacement means at the first relative position, regardless of the difference in size of the arrangement possible area at the second relative position.

In addition, decorativeness can be improved when the decoration of the area at the second relative position is substituted by the first displacement means and the second displacement means, such as when the game board is made of a light-transmitting resin.

Gaming machine C3 is characterized in that it is provided with a guide means arranged on the rear side of the plurality of displacement means and guides the displacement of the plurality of displacement means in gaming machine C1 or C2, and that the guide means and the position between the displacement means are configured to be misaligned when viewed in a predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines C1 and C2, gaming machine C3 can prevent the guide means from being visible through the gaps between the multiple displacement means. This allows the gaps to be effectively utilized, for example by allowing decorative parts other than the guide means to be visible through the gaps.

Gaming machine C4 is characterized in that in gaming machine C3, the guide means is configured to be displaceable in a predetermined direction, and the positions between the multiple displacement means are positioned at positions offset from a reference line that passes through the center of the guide means and runs along the predetermined direction, when viewed in the predetermined direction.

In gaming machine C4, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C3, the area where the player expects the guide means for guiding the multiple displacement means to be located (corresponding to the reference line) is hidden by the multiple displacement means, taking into consideration load balance, etc., and is configured so that it is difficult for the player to see, thereby avoiding a decrease in design.

Gaming machine C5 is any one of gaming machines C1 to C4, and is equipped with a driving means for generating a driving force, the first displacement means being disposed at a predetermined position in the driving force transmission path of the driving means, and the second displacement means being disposed downstream of the predetermined position in the driving force transmission path.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C4, gaming machine C5 is configured so that the components become smaller the further downstream in the drive force transmission path, preventing excessive loads from being placed locally in the drive force transmission path.

Gaming machine C6 is characterized in that in gaming machine C5, the drive means and the transmission means for transmitting the drive force are disposed in the upper left part of the rear case, and the first displacement means and the second displacement means are configured such that the first displacement means disposed in the upper left part is larger than the second displacement means disposed in a position different from the upper left part.

Gaming machine C6 has the same effects as gaming machine C5, and because of the configuration and layout of the payout device, the drive means and transmission means, which are located in the upper left corner where it is easier to secure a larger area as the internal area of the rear case compared to the upper right corner, can be easily hidden by the first displacement means, which is also located in the upper left corner, making it difficult for the player to see the drive means and transmission means. This makes it unnecessary to construct a separate cover to hide the drive means and transmission means.

Gaming machine C7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine C5 or C6, the first displacement means is in a position where gravity acts in a tilting direction on the first relative position side, and is configured to approach the second displacement means by tilting displacement.

Gaming machine C7 has the same effects as gaming machines C5 and C6, and in addition, the first and second displacement means are set with a dimensional relationship that allows them to come into contact with each other. However, if there is a positional misalignment that falls within the clearance required to allow displacement (play between meshing gear teeth, gap between the guide rail and the guided portion, etc.), and a gap does not come into contact with each other, the first displacement means is tilted and displaced by gravity, making it easier to fill the gap.

This makes it possible to avoid maintaining a gap between the first displacement means and the second displacement means, thereby improving the design when the first displacement means and the second displacement means come into contact to form a continuous shape.

Gaming machine C8 is any one of gaming machines C5 to C7, characterized in that electrical wiring passes on the second displacement means side between the first displacement means and the second displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines C5 to C7, gaming machine C8 passes electrical wiring through the second displacement means, which is less susceptible to excessive displacement, and can reduce the load on the electrical wiring when the first displacement means and the second displacement means cause excessive displacement.

A gaming machine C9, which is any one of gaming machines C1 to C8, is characterized in that the predetermined shape is configured as a symmetrical shape, and the parting surface component that configures the parting surface that separates the first displacement means and the second displacement means is located on the side farther from the center position of the play area.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines C1 to C8, gaming machine C9 has an asymmetrically shaped split surface arranged on the side farther from the field of view (the side less visible to the player), which makes it possible to avoid a loss of appearance for the first and second displacement means.

Furthermore, by making the shape of the opposite side, the central position of the game area (the side closest to the field of vision, the side that is easy for the player to see), symmetrical, the appearance of the multiple displacement means can be improved.

A gaming machine C10, which is one of the gaming machines C1 to C9, is characterized in that the multiple displacement means are arranged so that the sides that limit the dimensions of the arrangement area in the second relative position are opposed to each other in the first relative position.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C9, gaming machine C10 makes it easy to visually recognize multiple displacement means having asymmetric shapes as a series of symmetric shapes at the first relative position.

A gaming machine C11 is characterized in that in any one of gaming machines C1 to C10, the plurality of displacement means are configured such that the displacement from the second relative position to the first relative position is composed of a first displacement consisting of a downward displacement and a second displacement different from the first displacement, and the second displacement does not occur for a predetermined period from the start of the displacement.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C10, gaming machine C11 can increase the player's interest by making the displacement modes of the multiple displacement means more complex.

In addition, if the upper inner surface of the rear case is vertically misaligned from left to right due to the shape of the dispensing device, the multiple displacement means are lowered an amount (corresponding to a specified range) that is not affected by the vertical misalignment of the rear case before starting the second displacement, so that the area in which the multiple displacement means are allowed to displace can be formed equally without being affected by the vertical misalignment of the upper inner surface of the rear case, making it easier to avoid the multiple displacement means colliding with the rear case even when the displacement modes of the multiple displacement means are the same.

<Movable props that change relative displacement depending on placement>
A gaming machine D1 comprising a first displacement means configured to be displaceable and a plurality of second displacement means supported to be displaceable by the first displacement means, wherein the first displacement means comprises a first support portion supporting one of the second displacement means and a second support portion supporting the other of the second displacement means, and wherein a displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means that occurs in the second displacement means supported by the first support portion as a predetermined displacement occurs in the first displacement means is different from a displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means that occurs in the second displacement means supported by the second support portion as a predetermined displacement occurs in the first displacement means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, are configured so that the second displacement means (353) is displaced in response to the displacement of a predetermined first displacement means (351 and 352) (see, for example, JP 2015-231434 A). However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the displacement between the first displacement means and the second displacement means is monotonous, and there is a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of presentation effects.

In contrast, according to gaming machine D1, the second displacement means, which displaces in conjunction with the displacement of the first displacement means, can have a different displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means depending on whether it is supported by the first support portion or the second support portion, so that the displacement patterns of the first displacement means and the second displacement means can be made more complex, improving the presentation effect.

A gaming machine D2 is characterized in that in the gaming machine D1, the gap between one of the second displacement means and the first support portion is configured to be smaller than the gap between the other second displacement means and the second support portion, and the first displacement means is configured to have a larger displacement amount on the first support portion side than on the second support portion side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D1, gaming machine D2 can be configured so that the gap in the first support part is eliminated by the displacement of the first displacement means, thereby making it possible to increase the difference in the displacement mode.

Gaming machine D3 is characterized in that it is equipped with a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means in gaming machine D1 or D2, the first displacement means is supported at one side in a predetermined direction and configured so that the amount of displacement of the one side is different from the amount of displacement of the other side, the load applying means is configured to apply a load to the other side of the first displacement means, and the second displacement means comprises a one-side second displacement means arranged on the one side and an other-side second displacement means arranged on the other side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines D1 and D2, gaming machine D3 can vary the displacement of the second displacement means depending on whether it is placed on one side or the other, regardless of where the load application means applies a load to the first displacement means.

Gaming machine D4 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D3, and is provided with a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means, the load applying means being arranged at a plurality of positions, each configured to be able to apply a load independently to the first displacement means.

Gaming machine D4 achieves the same effects as any of gaming machines D1 to D3, and does not require an auxiliary drive means for displacing the load applying means.

Gaming machine D5 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D4, and is characterized in that it includes a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means, a light-emitting substrate having a light-emitting surface, and the load applying means is at least partially blocked by the light-emitting substrate when viewed in a predetermined direction.

Gaming machine D5, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines D1 to D4, can hide the load-imparting means with a light-emitting board. That is, the light-emitting board required for the light-emitting performance can be used to prevent the load-imparting means from being seen by the player. In this case, by irradiating a strong light from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting board, the visibility near the light-emitting board can be reduced, so that other parts of the load-imparting means that are not covered by the light-emitting board when viewed in a specified direction can also be made less visible to the player.

In addition, when the light-emitting substrate and the load-applying means are disposed close to each other, the electrical wiring that supplies electricity to a drive device (e.g., an electromagnetic solenoid) that drives the load-applying means can be passed through the electrical wiring path connected to the light-emitting substrate, making it unnecessary to create a separate gap to pass the electrical wiring through.

Gaming machine D6 is characterized in that in gaming machine D5, the light-emitting substrate is disposed on the rear side of the gaming board, and the gaming board has a recessed portion that is recessed on the opposite side at a position facing the light-emitting substrate.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D5, gaming machine D6 can secure an area between the gaming board and the light-emitting substrate, and can prevent the load from the load applying means from being transmitted to the gaming board.

Gaming machine D7 is characterized in that the recessed portion in gaming machine D6 is disposed outward relative to the external shape of the gaming area when viewed from the front.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D6, gaming machine D7 can prevent the displacement of the membrane member formed in front of the recessed portion from affecting the play area.

Gaming machine D8 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D7, and is characterized in that it is provided with a guide means for guiding the displacement of the second displacement means, and the guide means is disposed on the one side of the first displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines D1 to D7, gaming machine 8 can regulate the displacement of the second displacement means with the guide means, and can reduce the amount of displacement of the first displacement means near the guide means compared to when the guide means is disposed closer to the other side, thereby suppressing friction between the first displacement means and the guide means.

A gaming machine D9 is characterized in that it comprises a support plate that supports the guiding means in the gaming machine D8, a thin film member that is fixed to the support plate at a predetermined area, and a light-emitting substrate having a light-emitting portion that is disposed on the opposite side of the support plate from the thin film member, and the thin film member is configured to separate the guiding means from the light-emitting substrate without any gaps.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D8, gaming machine D9 can prevent abrasive powder from the guiding means from entering the light-emitting substrate by separating the guiding means from the light-emitting substrate with a thin film member.

Gaming machine D10 is characterized in that the thin film member in gaming machine D9 is configured with dimensions that allow contact with other displacement means to be avoided.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D9, gaming machine D10 does not require the rigidity of the thin-film member to be ensured, so by making it as thin as possible, it is possible to minimize the degree to which the light from the light-emitting substrate is weakened by the thin-film member.

<Utilizing deflection. The key is in transmission>
A gaming machine E1 comprising a displacement means configured to be displaceable, a drive means for generating a drive force that displaces the displacement means, and a transmission means for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the displacement means, the transmission means being configured to be able to change its state so as to change the transmission manner of the drive force.

In some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, a transmission means for transmitting a driving force is inserted into a deformation groove of a displacement means, and the transmission means displaces the deformation groove, thereby displacing the displacement means (see, for example, JP 2010-234152 A). In this gaming machine, the deformation groove is formed to extend along the displacement trajectory of the transmission means, so that some excess displacement of the transmission means can be absorbed. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, since the deformation groove is configured to absorb the excess displacement of the transmission means, extra thickness and dimensional length are required to constitute the deformation groove, which places significant restrictions on the shape of the displacement means. This has led to a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of the configuration of the displacement means.

In contrast, gaming machine E1 is configured so that the mode of transmission of the driving force can be changed by changing the state of the transmission means, so that excessive displacement of the transmission means can be absorbed by changing the state of the transmission means. Therefore, there is no need to add extra configuration to the displacement means, and the configuration of the displacement means can be improved.

The change in the transmission mode is not limited in any way, and various modes are exemplified. For example, the transmission efficiency of the driving force may be changed by changing the rigidity of the transmission means or by adjusting the direction of the load applied to the transmission means, or the change may occur by increasing or decreasing the transmission means.

A gaming machine E2 is characterized in that in the gaming machine E1, the change in the state of the transmission means occurs while the displacement means is displacing.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine E1, gaming machine E2 can generate a load from the displacement means to change the state of the transmission means. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a separate load generating source to change the state of the transmission means.

The manner in which the state of the transmission means changes is not limited in any way. For example, the change may be due to deformation of the transmission means or due to a change in the rigidity (strength) of the transmission means.

Examples of deformation of the transmission means include elastic (continuous) deformation such as bending, flexure, and twisting, and deformation that creates boundaries such as bending and displacement. Examples of changes in rigidity (strength) include changes in the thickness of the transmission means and the core inserted in the transmission means coming out.

In gaming machine E2, the transmission means is configured with a shape that varies in its bending tendency depending on the direction, and the angle between the direction of the reaction force received from the displacement means and the bending tendency changes before and after the displacement means passes a predetermined reference position as it is displaced. Gaming machine E3.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine E2, gaming machine E3 can utilize the change in the direction of the reaction force received from the displacement means during the displacement of the displacement means to change the shape of the transmission means, so that a range in which the driving force mainly displaces the displacement means and a range in which the transmission means is mainly flexed and deformed by the driving force can be separated by a predetermined reference position.

Gaming machine E4 is characterized in that in gaming machine E3, the displacement means is driven to stop in a predetermined intermediate position, and the transmission means is configured so that when the displacement means is in the intermediate position, the direction of the reaction force from the displacement means is along the direction in which the displacement means is likely to bend.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E3, gaming machine E4 makes it easier to keep the displacement means in an intermediate position due to the flexure of the transmission means, so that even if the amount of driving force generated by the drive means and the period of generation are roughly set, it is easier to keep the displacement means in an intermediate position.

Gaming machine E5 is characterized in that in gaming machine E4, the driving means is controlled to generate a driving force such that the pushing portion of the transmission means that pushes the displacement means passes through the abutment position in the intermediate position of the displacement means before it is deflected.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E4, gaming machine E5 can retain drive energy even after the displacement means has reached an intermediate position, and can use this energy to vibrate the displacement means.

In other words, because the transmission means is in a position that allows it to bend easily, it is possible to generate vibrations in the transmission means by utilizing the bending, without the driving force of the driving means being generated in a manner that generates vibrations. This makes it possible to generate vibrations using a simple mechanism.

Gaming machine E6 is one of gaming machines E1 to E5, and is characterized by having a range setting means configured to be able to set the range within which the state of the transmission means changes.

In game machine E6, in addition to the effect of any of game machines E1 to E5, the range in which the state of the transmission means changes can be set by the range setting means, so that the degree of change in the state of the transmission means can be adjusted depending on the situation.

Gaming machine E7 is characterized in that in gaming machine E6, the range setting means is configured to limit the range in which the state of the transmission means changes to the downstream side of the transmission path of the driving force with respect to a predetermined position.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E6, gaming machine E7 can limit the range in which the state of the transmission path changes to the range opposite the drive means, thereby preventing a decrease in transmission efficiency upstream of the transmission path of the driving force.

In addition, by narrowing the range in which the state changes, the degree of state change occurring in the transmission means can be reduced, and the effect on the displacement mode of the displacement means can be reduced. Therefore, even if the drive means cannot be precisely controlled, deviations in the displacement mode of the displacement means (e.g. deviations in the stop position) can be kept small.

<Wiring route for movable parts>
A gaming machine F1 comprising a rotational displacement means configured to be rotationally displaceable, and an electrical supply means arranged along a line connecting the rotational axis and the radial outside of the rotational displacement means and configured to supply electricity, characterized in that the electrical supply means comprises a mounted portion that is placed on the rotational axis portion of the rotational displacement means.

In some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, electrical wiring is fixed to a rotatably supported arm-shaped member, and the electrical wiring is connected to a displacement member that is connected to the arm-shaped member (see, for example, JP 2012-157474 A). However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the electrical wiring is only loosely held in place when the arm-shaped member is rotated and displaced, and there is a risk that the electrical wiring will expand and contract as the arm-shaped member is rotated and displaced, leaving room for improvement in terms of reducing the load on the electrical wiring.

In contrast, with the gaming machine F1, the mounted portion of the electrical supply means (electrical wiring) is disposed on the rotational shaft portion of the rotational displacement means, so that the relative displacement of the mounted portion with respect to the rotational displacement means when a rotational displacement of the rotational displacement means occurs can be suppressed, and the load on the electrical wiring can be suppressed.

A gaming machine F2 is characterized in that it is provided with a displaceable arrangement means disposed near the electricity supply means in the gaming machine F1, and a suppression means for suppressing the displacement of the electricity supply means in a direction approaching the arrangement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F1, gaming machine F2 can improve the freedom of placement of the placement displacement means, thereby shortening the distance between the placement displacement means and the electrical wiring.

Gaming machine F3 is characterized in that the mounting displacement means in gaming machine F2 is configured to easily move away from the electrical supply means in the event of an unexpected displacement.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F2, gaming machine F3 can improve the freedom of placement of the placement displacement means, thereby shortening the distance between the placement displacement means and the electrical wiring.

In the gaming machine F3, the arrangement displacement means includes a first arrangement displacement means that is displaced toward the electricity supply means and stops, and a second arrangement displacement means that is displaced toward the electricity supply means and stops at a position farther away from the electricity supply means than the stop position of the first arrangement displacement means, and the first arrangement displacement means and the second arrangement displacement means come into contact with each other by displacing toward the electricity supply means, and the gaming machine F4 is configured to apply a load to each other in a direction away from the electricity supply means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F3, gaming machine F4 can avoid placing a load on the electrical supply means even if the first and second displacing means are displaced too far.

A gaming machine F5 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine F4, the first placement displacement means is configured to have a smaller inertia than the second placement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F4, gaming machine F5 can reduce the load on the electricity supply means when the first arrangement means unintentionally comes into contact with the electricity supply means.

The manner in which the magnitude of inertia is determined is not limited in any way. For example, the magnitude of inertia may be determined by configuring the first displacing means to be lighter and smaller than the second displacing means, or the magnitude of inertia may be determined by varying the manner of the support part to generate a difference in displacement resistance.

A gaming machine F6 is any one of the gaming machines F1 to F5, and is provided with a support means for supporting the rotational displacement means, the support means having an opening that opens along the circumferential direction of a predetermined rotation axis of the rotational displacement means, and the electrical supply means passes through the opening.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F1 to F5, gaming machine F6 can reduce the axial width of the rotational displacement means compared to when the electrical supply means is passed through the inside of a specified rotating shaft.

A gaming machine F7 is characterized in that, among the gaming machines F1 to F6, it is provided with a displaceable arrangement displacement means disposed near the electric power supply means, and a driving means that generates a driving force to drive the arrangement displacement means, and the driving means is disposed on the side where the rotation displacement means is not disposed.

Gaming machine F7 can achieve the same effects as any of gaming machines F2 to F6, as well as improved layout efficiency.

A gaming machine F8 is any one of the gaming machines F1 to F7, characterized in that the rotational displacement means is configured to be capable of transmitting a driving force to the placement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F1 to F7, gaming machine F8 has the ability to transmit driving force in the means for guiding the electrical wiring, allowing components to be shared and reducing the number of components.

<Concept of the invention using the drive unit 600 as an example>
A gaming machine G1 comprising an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a drive means for generating a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a rotating member rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and a slide member which is slidably displaced as the rotating member rotates, and wherein a protrusion protrudes from the slide member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protrusion is slidably inserted is recessed into the slide member or the other of the pair of wing members.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter, a pair of wing members that are rotatably supported at positions sandwiching the entrance opening and open or close the entrance opening, a drive means that generates a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members (for example, JP 2010-234009 A). The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and one end side of the rotating member is connected to a protruding portion that protrudes from the back surface of the pair of wing members. In detail, one end side of the rotating member is formed with opposing portions that face each other at a predetermined distance from each other vertically, and the protruding portion of the wing member is inserted between the opposing opposing portions. Therefore, when the rotating member is rotated, the opposing portions of the rotating member push up or down the protruding portions of the wing member, thereby opening or closing the wing member.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts must be set large, which causes a problem in that the opening and closing operation of the feather member is unstable. That is, when the rotating member is rotated to open and close the feather member, the orientation of the opposing parts is tilted relative to the protruding parts. If the opposing distance between the opposing parts is equal to the external shape (thickness) of the protruding parts, the protruding parts will interfere with the opposing parts and the rotating member will not be able to rotate. Therefore, it is necessary to set the opposing distance between the opposing parts to a size that does not cause the protruding parts to interfere, and the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts will be larger accordingly. As a result, the feather member is prone to rattling, which causes the opening and closing operation of the feather member to be unstable.

In contrast, according to the gaming machine G1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member rotated by the driving force of the driving means and a sliding member that is slidably displaced with the rotation of the rotating member, and a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed into the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, so that the groove width of the sliding groove can be suppressed. In other words, since the displacement of the sliding member is a sliding displacement and the attitude of the sliding groove is not inclined relative to the protruding portion, there is no need to avoid interference with the protruding portion when rotating as in the conventional product. Therefore, for example, the groove width of the sliding groove can be set to be equal to the size (thickness) of the protruding portion, and therefore the groove width can be suppressed, so that the gap between the sliding groove and the protruding portion can be reduced. As a result, the rattling of the wing member can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operation of the wing member can be stabilized.

The sliding groove may be a concave groove (recess) or a through groove (opening). In other words, the sliding groove may be formed so that the inserted protrusion can slide along the extension direction of the sliding groove (direction perpendicular to the groove width direction).

Amusement machine G2 is characterized in that in amusement machine G1, the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G1, gaming machine G2 has the advantage that the direction of sliding displacement of the slide member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members, so the slide member can be arranged approximately parallel to the wing members. As a result, the space required for arranging the wing members and slide member can be reduced, and more space can be secured for arranging other members.

Amusement machine G3, which is characterized in that in the gaming machine G1 or G2, the protrusion protrudes from the wing member, and the sliding groove is recessed into the sliding member and extends linearly along a direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines G1 and G2, gaming machine G3 has a protruding portion protruding from the feather member and a sliding groove recessed into the slide member and extending linearly, so that the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove and the protruding portion during the opening and closing operation of the feather member can always be kept constant. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the feather member and stabilize the opening and closing operation of the feather member. Also, because the sliding groove extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding displacement of the slide member, the extension length of the sliding groove can be minimized. As a result, the amount of material removed due to the recessing of the sliding groove can be suppressed, improving the rigidity of the slide member.

A gaming machine G4 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines G1 to G3, the protrusion protrudes from the wing member, the sliding groove is recessed into the slide member, and the position of the protrusion when the slide member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member.

In contrast to conventional products in which the rotating member is directly connected to the wing member, in the present invention, a sliding member is interposed between the wing member and the rotating member. Therefore, when the sliding member is moved in a direction to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the weight of the sliding member is added, and the inertial force increases, so the driving force required for the driving means increases. This makes it difficult to start driving the wing member, which is in a stopped state, and to smoothly perform the initial operation when opening or closing it.

In contrast, according to gaming machine G4, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines G1 to G3, a protrusion protrudes from the wing member, a sliding groove is recessed into the slide member, and the position of the protrusion when the slide member begins to slide upward in the direction of gravity is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member, so that the displacement component of the protrusion pushed up by the inner wall of the sliding groove can be made large in the horizontal direction and small (minimized) in the gravitational direction. Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the slide member is added, the drive of the wing member in a stopped state can be started and the initial operation when opening or closing can be performed smoothly.

A gaming machine G5 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine G4, when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the wing member is rotated in the direction to open.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G4, gaming machine G5 has the advantage that when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the wing member rotates in the direction of opening, so the wing member can be rotated by its weight (its own weight). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the sliding member is added, the wing member can be driven from a stopped state (closed position) and the initial operation of opening can be performed smoothly.

Amusement machine G6, which is characterized in that in the gaming machine G4 or G5, an inclined surface is formed on the inner wall of the sliding groove with which the protrusion abuts when the sliding member begins to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the inclined surface including the rotation axis of the vane member and inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

According to gaming machine G6, in either gaming machine G4 or G5, when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, an inclined surface is formed on the inner wall of the sliding groove with which the protruding portion abuts, which is inclined with respect to a plane that includes the rotation axis of the feather member and is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Therefore, even if the position of the protrusion is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the feather member, the protruding portion can be guided along the inclination direction of the inclined surface, and the sliding member can smoothly start to slide upward in the direction of gravity.

In addition, by forming an inclined surface on the inner wall of the sliding groove, not only can the gap between the inner wall and the protruding portion be reduced accordingly, but the abutment of the protruding portion against the inclined surface can regulate the displacement of the protruding portion in the horizontal direction as well as in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier to suppress rattling of the feather member when in an open or closed stopped state. In other words, even when affected by vibrations caused by game balls flowing downstream, the feather member can be easily maintained in the open or closed position.

A gaming machine G7, which is any one of the gaming machines G1 to G6, is characterized in that the inner wall of the sliding groove has a receiving portion recessed therein for receiving the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G6, the gaming machine G7 has a receiving portion recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove that receives the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted, so that the feather member can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

A gaming machine G8 is characterized in that the sliding member of the gaming machine G7 is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received by the receiving portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G7, gaming machine G8 has the advantage that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion. This makes it easier to maintain the state in which the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion by utilizing the weight (own weight) of the sliding member.

A gaming machine G9, in which the rotating member of any one of the gaming machines G1 to G8 has an abutment portion and a protruding portion protruding from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and when the wing member is in a closed state, one side of the abutment portion abuts against the one-side abutment portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, and when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutment portion abuts against the other-side abutment portion, the engagement of the protruding portion with the sliding member is released.

According to gaming machine G9, in addition to the effects of any one of gaming machines G1 to G8, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the wing member is closed, one side of the abutting portion abuts against the one-side abutted portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from sliding to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the rotating member is rotated to the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutting portion abuts against the other abutted portion, the engagement between the protruding portion and the sliding member is released, and by rotating the rotating member further to the other side, the sliding member can be slid toward the other side, thereby opening the wing member.

In the gaming machines G1 to G8, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, the rotating member includes an abutment portion and an overhanging portion that overhangs from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member is displaced from the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. A gaming machine G10 that is provided with a one-side contacted portion that contacts one side, and an other-side contacted portion that is disposed opposite the one-side contacted portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that contacts the other side of the contact portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and that is characterized in that when the wing member is in a closed state, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, and when the sliding member is slid from the closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side contacting portion contacts one side of the contacting portion, the overhanging portion engages with the sliding member.

According to the gaming machine G10, in addition to the effects of any one of the gaming machines G1 to G8, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the sliding member is slid from a closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutting portion abuts against one side of the abutting portion, the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from being slid to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so that the sliding member can be slid toward the other side by further rotating the rotating member to the other side, and the wing member can be opened. Here, if the overhanging portion is engaged with the sliding member when the wing member is closed, the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion must be formed into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side, which makes the shape complicated. Therefore, not only does the strength decrease, but there is also a risk that the engagement may become more likely to be released. In contrast, as in the present invention, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so there is no need to form the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side. Therefore, not only can the shape be simplified to ensure strength, but a shape that is easy to maintain engagement can be adopted, making it difficult to release the engagement.

A gaming machine G11 is any one of gaming machines G1 to G10, and is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and is characterized in that when the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member.

Gaming machine G11 has the same effects as any of gaming machines G1 to G10, but also includes a passage member that forms a passage for game balls that enter the ball entrance. When the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member. Therefore, even if the protruding portion is cut and the blade member is forcibly opened from the outside, the slide member can restrict the flow of game balls that enter the ball entrance from the ball entrance.

A gaming machine G12 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines G1 to G11, it is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and the slide member is provided with a frictional contact portion that crosses the passage of the passage member and rubs against the edge of the passage member when the slide member is slid from a position that opens the wing member to a position that closes the wing member.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G11, the gaming machine G12 has a sliding member that crosses the passage of the passage member and has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member when the sliding member is slid from a position that opens the wing member to a position that closes the wing member, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

For example, there is a fraudulent act in which the tip of a thread is attached to a game ball, the game ball is inserted through the ball entrance and passed through the passage of the passage member, and when the game ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, the other end of the thread is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to move the game ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent acts, according to the present invention, even if the game ball described above is inserted with the blade member open, the sliding member is slid from the position that opens the blade member to the position that closes it, and when the frictional contact portion crosses the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread, the tip of which is attached to the game ball, is displaced together with the frictional contact portion and pressed against the edge of the passage member, and when the frictional contact portion rubs against the edge of the passage member, the thread can be cut between the frictional contact portion and the edge of the passage member. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent acts can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the frictional contact portion of the slide member is made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the frictional contact portion) may be made of a metal material. The same applies to the passage member, and the entire passage member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the passage member (the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the frictional contact portion and the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs (the edge of the passage member) are formed as a blade (cutting blade).

A gaming machine G13 is characterized in that, in any one of the gaming machines G1 to G11, it is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the transmission mechanism is provided with a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade members are displaced from the open position to the closed position.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G11, the gaming machine G13 has a transmission mechanism that includes a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade members are displaced from the open position to the closed position, making it possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

For example, one fraudulent act is to glue the tip of a string to a gaming ball, insert the gaming ball through a ball entry port and pass through the passage of a passage member, and when the gaming ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, operate the other end of the string (reel out and reel in) to move the gaming ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent acts, according to the present invention, even if the gaming ball described above is inserted with the blade members open, the blade members are displaced from the opening position to the closing position, and as the pair of cutting members cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the string whose tip is glued to the gaming ball can be pinched between the pair of cutting members and cut. As a result, the fraudulent acts described above can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the pair of cutting members are made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the edges that rub against each other) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the parts of the pair of cutting members that rub against each other are formed as blades (cutting blades).

In the gaming machine G12 or G13, the driving means is formed as a solenoid actuator in which the displacement of the driving shaft in a first direction is performed by electromagnetic force and the displacement of the driving shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction is performed by the elastic recovery force of the biasing means, and the displacement of the wing member from the opening position to the closing position is performed by displacing the driving shaft of the driving means in the first direction. G14 is characterized in that.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G12 or G13, gaming machine G14 displaces the wing member from the open position to the closed position by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction, that is, by using electromagnetic force, so that the drive force can be increased. This makes it easier to cut off illegal objects (e.g., thread) between the frictional contact portion of the slide member and the edge of the passage member.

A gaming machine G15, in any one of the gaming machines G1 to G14, is characterized in that the rotating member has an abutment portion, the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and the one-side abutment portion and the other-side abutment portion are formed approximately in the center in the width direction.

According to the gaming machine G15, in addition to the effects of the gaming machines G1 to G14, the rotating member has an abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing members, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing members, and the one-side abutment portion and the other-side abutment portion are formed at approximately the center in the width direction, which makes it easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the sliding member between the pair of wing members and the rotating member. Therefore, the sliding member can be smoothly slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, and as a result, the wing members can be reliably opened or closed.

That is, when the sliding member is slidably displaced with the rotation of the rotating member to open or close the pair of wing members, if a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of wing members, the posture of the sliding member changes. However, if the sliding member is connected to the pair of wing members at two points and also to the rotating member at two points, it is difficult to allow the posture of the sliding member to change between the pair of wing members and the rotating member, and resistance is generated when the sliding member is slidably displaced (i.e., the rotating member is rotated), which inhibits the opening or closing of the wing members. In contrast, according to the present invention, the sliding member is connected to the pair of wing members at two points and to the rotating member at one point, so that even if a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of wing members, it is easy to allow the posture of the sliding member to change between the pair of wing members and the rotating member.

The approximate center in the width direction where the one-side contact portion and the other-side contact portion are formed refers to a position on an imaginary line that passes through the approximate center between the pair of protruding portions when the pair of wing members are in an open or closed state, and that is aligned with the direction of sliding displacement.

A gaming machine G16, characterized in that the width dimensions of one side and the other side of the abutment part in the gaming machine G15 are set to at least three times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding part.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G15, gaming machine G16 has the width dimensions on one and the other side of the abutment portion set to at least three times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding portion, which makes it easier to tolerate changes in the position of the sliding member between the pair of vane members and the rotating member. It is preferable that the width dimensions on one and the other side of the abutment portion be set to two times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding portion. This is because it makes it easier to tolerate the above-mentioned changes in position.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 930 as an example>
Gaming machine H1 is equipped with a first ball entry port, a first opening and closing member that opens or closes the first ball entry port, a first drive means that drives the first opening and closing member, a second ball entry port, a second opening and closing member that opens or closes the second ball entry port, and a second drive means that drives the second opening and closing member, characterized in that the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged on the back side of the second opening and closing member.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first ball inlet, a first opening/closing member that opens or closes the first ball inlet, a first drive means that drives the first opening/closing member, a second ball inlet, a second opening/closing member that opens or closes the second ball inlet, and a second drive means that drives the second opening/closing member (for example, JP 2011-177416 A). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed on the rear side of the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member, respectively, making it difficult to dispose other members or devices on the rear side of the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member, and making it difficult to effectively utilize the space.

In contrast, with gaming machine H1, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, so that space can be created on the rear side of the first opening/closing member (first ball inlet). In other words, by concentrating the arrangement space for the first drive means and the second drive means on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the first opening/closing member (first ball inlet), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

A gaming machine H2 is characterized in that the frontal projection area of the second opening/closing member is larger than the frontal projection area of the first opening/closing member in the gaming machine H1.

A gaming machine H3, which is a gaming machine H1 or H2, characterized in that the front projection area of the second opening/closing member is larger than the combined front projection area of the first drive means and the second drive means.

In the gaming machine H2 or H3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine H1 or H2, the frontal projection area of the second opening/closing member is made larger than the frontal projection area of the first opening/closing member, or larger than the combined frontal projection area of the first drive means and the second drive means, so that the dead space behind the second ball inlet (second opening/closing member) can be effectively utilized.

Amusement machine H4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine H3, the second opening/closing member is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front with one direction as the longitudinal direction, and the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the second opening/closing member on the rear side of the second ball inlet.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H3, gaming machine H4 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front with one direction as the longitudinal direction, and the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the second opening/closing member on the rear side of the second ball inlet, making it possible to effectively utilize the dead space on the rear side of the second ball inlet (second opening/closing member).

In any of gaming machines H1 to H4, the first drive means and the second drive means include a main body, a drive shaft disposed on one side of the main body, a drive unit that drives the drive shaft and is housed in the main body, and wiring that supplies power to the drive unit and is drawn out from the other side of the main body, and gaming machine H5 is characterized in that the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in an orientation in which the drive shaft faces the second opening and closing member.

According to gaming machine H5, in any of gaming machines H1 to H4, the first drive means and the second drive means include a main body, a drive shaft arranged on one side of the main body, a drive unit that drives the drive shaft and is housed in the main body, and wiring that supplies power to the drive unit and is drawn out from the other side of the main body, and since the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged with the drive shaft facing the second opening and closing member, it is easy to bundle the wiring of the first drive means and the wiring of the second drive means.

A gaming machine H5, characterized in that the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in a position where one of the outer surfaces of the main body, excluding the outer surface on which the drive shaft and wiring are disposed, is substantially flush with each other.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H5, gaming machine H6 has the following advantages: the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape; and the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in a position where one of the outer surfaces of the main body is substantially flush with the other, except for the outer surface on which the drive shaft and wiring are disposed. Therefore, even if the first drive means and the second drive means have different outputs and the main body of each of the first drive means and the second drive means are different in size, the shape of the shield plate for separating the first drive means and the second drive means from other areas can be simplified.

In other words, if the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are formed to be different sizes, a step will be formed between the outer surfaces of one main body and the other main body, making it necessary to form the shield plate by bending it along the step, resulting in a complex shape of the shield plate. In contrast, according to the present invention, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed at a position where one outer surface of the main body is approximately flush with each other, and no step is formed between the outer surfaces, making it possible to form the shield plate in a flat shape. As a result, the shape of the shield plate can be simplified.

The shield plate is a conductive barrier that separates the area where the first and second drive means are located from other areas (e.g., areas where the detection sensor and control board are located) and limits (suppresses) the flow of electromagnetic fields between these two areas, and is formed, for example, as a metal plate.

Among the gaming machines H1 to H6, the gaming machine H7 is characterized in that it comprises a first passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the first ball entrance, a second passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the second ball entrance, and a first transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the first drive means to the first opening and closing member, the first opening and closing member comprises a pair of wing members that are rotatably supported at a position sandwiching the ball entrance and open or close the ball entrance, and the first transmission mechanism comprises a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the first drive means and is disposed between the first and second passage members, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close the pair of wing members.

According to gaming machine H7, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines H1 to H6, the first transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the first drive means and is disposed between the first passage member and the second passage member, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close the pair of wing members. Therefore, compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members are opened and closed only by the rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the first passage member behind the first ball entrance. Also, since there is no need to bend the first passage member toward the second passage side to avoid interference with the rotating member as in conventional products, the first ball entrance can be brought closer to the second ball entrance.

In gaming machine H7, the rotating member includes a first portion extending from the rotating shaft and connected to the slide member, and a second portion extending from the rotating shaft and driven by the first drive means, and the first portion is bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotating shaft. Gaming machine H8.

According to gaming machine H8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine H7, the rotating member has a first portion extending from the rotation axis and connected to the sliding member, and a second portion extending from the rotation axis and driven by the first drive means, and the first portion is bent in a roughly dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, so that the distance between the first drive means and the sliding member can be reduced while ensuring the sliding amount of the sliding member.

That is, if the first part is formed linearly and the length dimension of the first part (the distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member) is set to be equal to the linear distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member in the present invention, the sliding amount of the sliding member can be made equal to that of the present invention, but the distance between the first driving means and the sliding member increases, resulting in an increase in overall size. On the other hand, if the first part is formed linearly and the length dimension of the first part is set shorter than the linear distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member in the present invention, the distance between the first driving means and the sliding member can be made equal to that of the present invention, but the sliding amount of the sliding member becomes smaller.

In contrast, according to the present invention, the first portion is bent in a generally dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, thereby reducing the distance between the first drive means and the sliding member while ensuring the sliding amount of the sliding member.

Gaming machine H9 is characterized in that in gaming machine H8, the second part of the rotating member is formed on the back side of the first part, which is the opposite side to the sliding member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H8, gaming machine H9 has the advantage that the second part of the rotating member is formed on the back side of the first part, which is opposite the slide member, and therefore the space created by bending the first part can be effectively utilized to reduce the size of the rotating member. In other words, the rotating member can be efficiently arranged in the space between the first passage member and the second passage member, thereby achieving an overall reduction in size.

Among any of the gaming machines H1 to H9, gaming machine H10 is characterized in that it is equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the second ball entrance, and at least a portion of the detection sensor is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means.

Gaming machine H10 has the same effects as any of gaming machines H1 to H9, but is also equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the second ball entrance, and at least a portion of the detection sensor is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means. Therefore, for example, if the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball entrance, the first drive means can be hidden by a portion of the detection sensor, making such tampering more difficult.

In this case, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the detection sensor can be destroyed, and tampering can be detected by monitoring the state of the detection sensor. In the present invention, in which the first drive means is disposed on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, even if tampering is performed on the first drive means from the second ball inlet by opening the second opening/closing member, the first drive means is shielded by the second opening/closing member by closing the second opening/closing member, and the location where tampering has been performed cannot be seen. This makes it particularly effective to detect tampering by monitoring the state of the detection sensor described above.

A gaming machine H10, comprising a case member that houses the detection sensor and a screw member that is fastened to the case member, the detection sensor is arranged in pairs, at least a portion of each of the pair of detection sensors is arranged between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means, and the screw member is located between the pair of sensor devices. A gaming machine H11.

According to the gaming machine H11, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine H10, at least a part of each of the pair of detection sensors is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means, and the screw member fastened to the case member is positioned between the opposing parts of the pair of sensor devices. Therefore, when the second opening/closing member is opened and a tampering is performed on the first drive means through the second ball entrance, the screw member can hide the first drive means, making such a tampering more difficult to perform. In other words, it is difficult to cover the entire front surface of the first drive means with the pair of detection sensors, and a gap is likely to form between the opposing pair of detection sensors. Therefore, by setting the screw member fastening position between the opposing pair of detection sensors, the uncovered area on the front surface of the first drive means can be compensated for by the screw member, making it more difficult to perform a tampering act.

The screw member may be used to fasten two members of the case member together, or may be used to fasten another member to the case member. It is also preferable that the screw member is made of metal.

Gaming machine H12 is characterized in that the wiring of the pair of detection sensors in gaming machine H11 is located between the opposing pairs of detection sensors.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H11, gaming machine H12 has the wiring of a pair of detection sensors positioned between the opposing pairs of detection sensors, making it more difficult to commit fraud, for example, by opening the second opening/closing member and tampering with the first drive means through the second ball inlet.

That is, the wiring is relatively easy to damage. Therefore, if a tool such as a drill is used to make holes in order to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the wiring can be easily damaged (broken) as a result of the fraudulent act. Alternatively, it can be made to realize that it is difficult to commit a fraudulent act without damaging (breaking) the wiring, making it easier to deter fraudulent acts.

A gaming machine H13 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine H12, the case member has a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the wiring of the pair of detection sensors is wound around the seat portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H12, gaming machine H13 has a case member with a seat to which a screw member is fastened, and the wiring of a pair of detection sensors is wound around the seat, so that the wiring can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the first drive means. In other words, a wider area in front of the first drive means can be shielded by the wiring. Therefore, for example, when the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball inlet, it becomes more difficult to perform such tampering.

Gaming machine H14 is characterized in that, in gaming machine H12 or H13, the case member has a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the seat portion is formed into a conical shape whose diameter increases as it moves away from the second opening/closing member.

According to gaming machine H14, in addition to the effects of gaming machines H12 and H13, the case member is provided with a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the seat portion is formed in a conical shape that expands in diameter the further it is from the second opening/closing member. Therefore, when a tool such as a drill is used to perform a hole drilling process to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the drill can be displaced (slid) laterally on the outer circumferential surface of the seat portion, making it easier to damage (sever) the wiring.

Gaming machine H15 is any one of gaming machines H12 to H14, characterized in that the wiring of the pair of detection sensors is pulled out to the side opposite the fastening position of the screw member.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines H12 to H14, gaming machine H15 has the wiring of a pair of detection sensors pulled out on the side opposite the fastening position of the screw member, so that such wiring can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the first drive means. In other words, a wider area in front of the first drive means can be shielded by the screw member and wiring. Therefore, for example, when the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball inlet, such tampering can be made more difficult to carry out.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
Gaming machine I1 comprises a game board, a first member disposed on the front side of the game board and having a first passage through which game balls pass, and a second member disposed on the rear side of the game board and having a second passage connected to the first passage of the first member, characterized in that it further comprises a third member having a first engagement portion that engages with the first member and a second engagement portion that engages with the second member.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a gaming board, a first member disposed on the front side of the gaming board and having a first passage through which a gaming ball passes, and a second member disposed on the rear side of the gaming board and having a second passage connected to the first passage of the first member (for example, JP 2012-5783 A). A gaming ball flows down the front side of the gaming board and enters the first passage of the first member, passes through the first passage, then flows into the second passage of the second member, and passes through the second passage on the rear side of the gaming board. This changes the path through which the gaming ball passes in the front-to-rear direction, providing excitement to the player.

In this case, if there is a misalignment (step) at the connection between the first and second passages, the smooth flow of the game balls is hindered, so it is necessary to ensure the positional accuracy of the second member relative to the first member. However, the above-mentioned gaming machine has a problem in that it is difficult to position the second member relative to the first member. That is, since not only the first member but also various members such as other members with passages and decorative members are arranged on the front side of the gaming board, a positioning hole for positioning the first member can be formed in the process of forming a positioning hole in the gaming board for positioning each of these members, but in order to form a positioning hole for positioning the second member on the back side of the gaming board, a separate process of turning the gaming board over and forming a positioning hole only for the second member is required, which is not realistic.

In contrast, gaming machine I1 is provided with a third member having a first engagement portion that engages with the first member and a second engagement portion that engages with the second member, so that the third member can be used to position the second member relative to the first member.

Gaming machine I2 is characterized in that in gaming machine I1, the gaming board has an opening formed therein, the connecting portion between the first passage of the first member and the second passage of the second member is disposed in the internal space of the opening, and the third member is disposed in the internal space of the opening.

According to gaming machine I2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine I1, the gaming board has an opening formed therein, in which the connecting portion between the first passage of the first member and the second passage of the second member is disposed, and the third member is disposed in the internal space of the opening, so there is no need to provide a separate opening for disposing the third member. In other words, the opening for disposing the connecting portion between the first passage and the second passage is also used as the disposing space for the third member, so that the number of processing steps can be reduced, and the product cost can be reduced.

Gaming machine I3 is characterized in that the third member in the gaming machine I1 or I2 is engaged with the first passage of the first member at the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is engaged with the second passage of the second member at the second engagement portion.

According to gaming machine I3, in gaming machine I1 or I2, the third member has a first engagement portion engaged with the first passage of the first member and a second engagement portion engaged with the second passage of the second member, so that the second member can be effectively positioned relative to the first member. That is, the purpose of positioning the second member relative to the first member is to prevent misalignment (step) from occurring at the connecting portion between the first and second passages, and since the target portion (the connecting portion between the first and second passages) can be directly positioned by the third member, the occurrence of misalignment (step) can be effectively prevented compared to when other portions are positioned by the third portion. As a result, gaming balls can be made to flow down smoothly.

Gaming machine I4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I3, a portion of the inner wall of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is formed by the third member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I3, gaming machine I4 has the advantage that a portion of the inner wall of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is formed by the third member, making it easier to tolerate the dimensional tolerances or installation tolerances of the first passage and the second passage.

Gaming machine I5 is any one of gaming machines I1 to I4, characterized in that the first member is formed to be capable of holding the third member.

Gaming machine I5 has the same effects as any of gaming machines I1 to I4, but in addition, the first member is formed to be able to hold the third member. This means that when attaching the first member and the second member to the front and back of the gaming board, respectively, there is no need to attach the third member separately; by attaching the first member, the third member can be attached at the same time. This improves the ease of installation.

Gaming machine I6 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I5, when the third member is held by the first member, the first engagement portion of the third member is engaged with the first member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I5, gaming machine I6 achieves the following: when the third member is held by the first member, the first engaging portion of the third member is engaged with the first member; therefore, after attaching the first member and the third member to the gaming board, there is no need to perform a separate operation to engage the first engaging portion of the third member with the first member. This improves the ease of installation.

Gaming machine I7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I6, when the third member is held by the first member, the second engagement portion of the third member is formed so as to be able to engage with the second member from the side opposite the first member.

According to gaming machine I7, in addition to the effect of gaming machine I6, when the third member is held by the first member, the second engagement portion of the third member is formed so as to be able to engage with the second member from the side opposite the first member. Therefore, by attaching the first member and the third member to the gaming board at the same time, and then attaching the second member to the back of the gaming board, the second engagement portion of the third member can be engaged with the second member at the same time as this attachment operation. This accordingly improves the workability of the attachment work.

Gaming machine I8 is characterized in that in any one of gaming machines I5 to I7, the first member comprises a main body member in which the first passage is arranged and a fixed member fastened to the main body member, and the third member is fixed to or formed integrally with the fixed member.

According to gaming machine I8, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines I5 to I7, the first member comprises a main body member in which the first passage is disposed and a fixing member fastened to the main body member, and the third member is fixed to or integrally formed with the fixing member, so that the third member can be held (disposed) on the first member at the same time as the fixing member is fastened to the main body member. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to attach the third member when attaching the first and second members to the gaming board.

In any of gaming machines I1 to I8, the first member includes a ball entrance opening formed to allow a gaming ball to enter and connected to the first passage, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the ball entrance opening to open or close the ball entrance opening, a drive means for generating a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members, the transmission mechanism including a rotating member rotated by the drive force of the drive means and a sliding member that slides with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close the pair of wing members, and the third member is formed to be able to guide the sliding displacement of the sliding member.

According to gaming machine I9, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines I1 to I8, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member rotated by the driving force of the drive means, and a sliding member that slides with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close a pair of wing members. Compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members are opened and closed only by a rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the first passage behind the ball entrance. In this case, since the third member is formed so as to be able to guide the sliding displacement of the sliding member, it is not necessary to provide a separate member for guiding the sliding displacement of the sliding member. This allows the structure of the first member to be simplified, and product costs to be reduced.

A gaming machine I10 in which the pair of wing members in the gaming machine I9 have protruding portions that protrude toward the slide member, the slide member has a sliding groove through which the protruding portions are slidably inserted, and the third member has a covering surface portion that faces an opening in the sliding groove of the slide member on the opposite side to the wing members.

According to gaming machine I10, in addition to the effects of gaming machine I9, a pair of wing members have protruding portions that protrude toward the slide member, the slide member has a sliding groove through which the protruding portions are slidably inserted, and the third member has a covering surface portion that faces the opening of the sliding groove of the slide member on the side opposite the wing members. Therefore, the covering surface portion of the third member can shield the opening of the sliding groove of the slide member from the outside, preventing dust and foreign matter from entering the sliding groove. As a result, the sliding of the protruding portions is prevented from being hindered by dust or foreign matter that has entered the sliding groove, and the pair of wing members can be stably opened or closed.

<Concept of the invention using the specific winning port unit 950 as an example>
The gaming machine J1 is provided with an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, an opening/closing member for opening and closing the entrance opening, a rolling surface along which the game balls entered the entrance opening roll, and a passage member through which the game balls rolling on the rolling surface flow, characterized in that a plurality of the passage members are arranged at predetermined intervals.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening that allows game balls to enter, an opening/closing member that opens and closes the entrance opening, and a passage member that forms a passage for the game balls that have entered the entrance opening (for example, JP 2015-3092 A). The entrance opening is formed to a size that allows multiple game balls to enter at the same time, and the game balls that enter the entrance opening are collected in the passage member by rolling on the rolling surface, and flow into the passage member one by one. However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, if the entrance opening is made larger, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball from the end of the entrance opening to the passage member becomes longer accordingly. Therefore, it takes time for the game ball to reach the passage member, and there is a problem that over-entry is likely to occur because another game ball enters through the entrance opening before the entrance opening is closed by the opening/closing member.

In contrast, with gaming machine J1, multiple passage members are arranged at a predetermined interval, so even if the ball entrance is enlarged, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball to the passage member can be shortened. This shortens the time it takes for the game ball to reach the passage member, allowing the ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes it, and to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J1, a detection sensor is provided for detecting a gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the detection sensor is disposed at the connection portion between the rolling surface and the passage member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J1, gaming machine J2 is equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the detection sensor is disposed at the connection between the rolling surface and the passage member, so that the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance can be detected more quickly. This makes it possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, and thus makes it possible to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J1 or J2, it is provided with a first guide means having a first inclined surface that is inclined from the ball entrance toward the passage member and is formed so as to be able to abut against a gaming ball rolling on the rolling surface, the ball entrance is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, the rolling surface extends along the longitudinal direction of the ball entrance, and the first guide means is disposed between one longitudinal end of the rolling surface and the passage member.

According to the gaming machine J3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine J1 or J2, it is provided with a first guide means having a first inclined surface formed so as to be inclined from the ball entrance toward the passage member and capable of contacting the game ball rolling on the rolling surface, the ball entrance is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, the rolling surface is extended along the longitudinal direction of the ball entrance, and the first guide means is disposed between one longitudinal end of the rolling surface and the passage member, so that when a game ball enters near the longitudinal end of the ball entrance, the game ball is guided to the passage member by the first inclined surface of the first guide means, making it difficult for the game ball to become stuck at the longitudinal end of the rolling surface. Therefore, the game ball that entered from the ball entrance can be made to flow into the passage member quickly, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entrance is closed by the opening and closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

A gaming machine J4 is characterized in that, among any of the gaming machines J1 to J3, it is provided with a guide groove formed as a recessed groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member.

Gaming machine J4 has the same effects as any of gaming machines J1 to J3, but also has a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entry opening toward the passage member, so that the rolling surface can receive the game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface and guide it to the passage member. In other words, the game ball can be prevented from passing through the passage member as it rolls in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface. This allows the game ball that entered through the ball entry opening to flow quickly into the passage member, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entry opening is closed by the opening/closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

Gaming machine J5 is characterized in that the guide groove in the gaming machine J4 extends linearly in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J4, gaming machine J5 has a guide groove extending linearly in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, which makes it easier for the rolling surface to receive gaming balls rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface into the guide groove, and allows the received gaming balls to be quickly guided (flowed into) the passage member. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Gaming machine J5 is characterized in that the groove width of the guide groove is set to be approximately equal to the diameter of the gaming ball in gaming machine J4 or J5.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines J4 and J5, gaming machine J5 has a groove width of the guide groove set to be approximately equal to the diameter of the gaming ball, so that when multiple gaming balls are received in the guide groove, the gaming balls can be guided to the passage member in an aligned state. This allows each gaming ball to flow quickly into the passage member. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the passage member before the ball entrance is closed by the opening/closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J7 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines J3 to J6, the rolling surface is formed such that a second region, which is on the opposite side of the passage member in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface from a first region in which the first guide means is disposed, is formed so as to slope downward toward the first region.

According to gaming machine J7, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines J3 to J6, the rolling surface is formed with a downward slope toward the first area, which is on the opposite side of the passage member in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface from the first area where the first guide means is disposed. Therefore, a gaming ball that has entered the second area or a gaming ball that has rolled from the first area to the second area can be made to roll quickly toward the passage member by utilizing the downward slope of the second area. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J8 is characterized in that it is equipped with a second guide means protruding from the second region of the rolling surface in the gaming machine J7.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J7, gaming machine J8 is provided with a second guide means protruding from the second region of the rolling surface, so that the gaming ball, whose rolling speed has been increased by the downward inclination of the second region, can be decelerated in front of the passage member. That is, the rolling speed is increased up to the passage member, but the speed is decelerated in front of (just before) the passage member, so that the gaming ball can be prevented from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J9 is characterized in that it is provided with a second guide means arranged in the second region of the rolling surface in the gaming machine J7 or J8 and configured to guide the gaming ball rolling along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface in the second region of the rolling surface toward the passage member toward the ball entrance side.

According to the gaming machine J9, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine J7 or J8, the gaming machine J9 is provided with a second guide means arranged in the second region of the rolling surface and formed to be able to guide the gaming ball rolling along the longitudinal direction of the second region of the rolling surface toward the passage member toward the ball entrance side, so that the gaming ball whose rolling speed has been increased by the downward inclination of the second region can be decelerated in front of the passage member. In other words, the rolling speed is increased up to the passage member, but the speed is decelerated in front of (just before) the passage member, so that the gaming ball can be prevented from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region. Therefore, the gaming ball can be made to flow into the passage member faster. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the passage member before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, and to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J10 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J9, when the ball entrance is open, the opening and closing member is disposed at a position where the gaming ball rolling on the rolling surface can come into contact with the opening.

According to gaming machine J10, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J9, when the ball entrance is open, the opening and closing member is disposed at a position where the ball rolling on the rolling surface can come into contact with it, so that the ball guided to the ball entrance side by the second guiding means can come into contact with the opening and closing member and bounce back toward the passage member. This allows the ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

A gaming machine J11, which is characterized in that the second guide means, in the gaming machine J9 or J10, is inclined in a direction away from the ball entrance as the side edge opposite the first guide means moves away from the first guide means, and the upper surface of the second guide means is inclined downward toward the side edge opposite the first guide means.

In gaming machine J11, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J9 or J10, the second guide means is inclined in a direction away from the ball entrance as the side edge opposite the first guide means moves away from the first guide means, and the upper surface is inclined downward toward the side edge opposite the first guide means, so that the gaming balls can flow quickly into the passage member while being prevented from flying out of the ball entrance.

That is, for game balls that roll in the second region along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface toward the passage member, those with a relatively low (slow) rolling speed are unlikely to fly out of the ball entrance, so by abutting the side edge of the second guide means and guiding the ball toward the ball entrance, it is possible to prevent the ball from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region, and therefore allow the ball to flow into the passage member faster. On the other hand, for game balls with a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, it is possible to make the ball go over the upper surface of the second guide means and guide it to the first region (first guide means). Therefore, the kinetic energy of the game ball is consumed by going over the second guide means and colliding with the first guide member, and it is possible to reliably decelerate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ball from flying out of the ball entrance while allowing it to flow into the passage member quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entrance is closed by the opening and closing member, and to prevent over-entry.

Gaming machine J12 is characterized in that in gaming machine J11, the second guide means has a side edge portion on the side facing the first guide means extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, and the dimension of the side edge portion of the first guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface is larger than the dimension of the side edge portion of the second guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface.

According to gaming machine J12, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J11, the dimension of the side edge of the first guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface is made larger than the dimension of the side edge of the second guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, so that a gaming ball that has climbed over the upper surface of the second guide means can be brought into contact (collided with) the first guide means, reliably slowing down the ball and making it easier to position the ball in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

Gaming machine J13 is characterized in that, in gaming machine J11 or J12, a position spaced from the rolling surface by the radius of the gaming ball is included in the side edge of the second guiding means.

According to gaming machine J13, in addition to the effects of gaming machines J11 and J12, a position spaced from the rolling surface by the radius of the gaming ball is included in the side edge of the second guiding means, so that the gaming ball that has passed over the upper surface of the second guiding means can be made to abut (collide) against the side edge of the first guiding means, thereby ensuring deceleration and making it easier to position the gaming ball in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

Gaming machine J14 is any one of gaming machines J8 to J13, characterized in that the second guide means is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the first inclined surface of the first guide means.

According to gaming machine J14, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines J8 to J13, the second guide means is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the first inclined surface of the first guide means, so that even if the rolling speed of the gaming ball guided by the first inclined surface of the first guide means towards the passage member is relatively high (fast), the gaming ball can be brought into contact (collided with) the second guide means, slowing it down and making it easier to position it in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

A gaming machine J15 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J14, a guide groove is provided in the rolling surface and formed as a concave groove that slopes downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the height dimension from the bottom surface of the guide groove to the top of the second guide means is made larger than the radius of the gaming ball.

Gaming machine J15 has the same effects as gaming machine J14, but is also provided with a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the height dimension from the bottom of the guide groove to the top of the second guide means is made larger than the radius of the gaming ball. Therefore, when the rolling speed of the gaming ball guided toward the passage member by the first sloping surface of the first guide means is relatively high (fast), the gaming ball can be made to come into contact (collide) with the second guide means more easily. This makes it possible to decelerate the gaming ball and to make it easier to position it near the passage member, allowing it to flow into the passage member more quickly.

A gaming machine J16 is characterized in that, in any one of the gaming machines J1 to J15, a guide groove is provided in the rolling surface and formed as a concave groove that slopes downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the groove width of the guide groove becomes smaller as it approaches the passage member.

Gaming machine J16 has the same effects as any of gaming machines J1 to J15, and is provided with a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the groove width of the guide groove becomes smaller toward the passage member, so that a gaming ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface abuts (collides with) the side wall of the guide groove, making it easier to change the rolling direction of the gaming ball to the direction toward the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member more quickly.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
A gaming machine K1 includes an entry unit having an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter and a passage connected to the entry port, and a gaming board on which the entry unit is arranged, wherein an opening is formed in the gaming board in the thickness direction, and the entry unit includes a first unit having the entry port and a first passage connected to the entry port and arranged on the front side of the gaming board, and a second unit arranged on the back side of the first unit through the opening in the gaming board and having a second passage connected to the first passage.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry unit with a ball entry opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter and a passage connected to the ball entry opening, and a gaming board on which the ball entry unit is arranged (for example, JP 2015-131046 A). With such a gaming machine, the specifications of the gaming machine can be changed while reusing (combining) the gaming board by replacing the ball entry unit with another ball entry unit (for example, one with a different number of passages). However, in the above-mentioned gaming machine, since the ball entry unit is arranged in front of the gaming board, it was necessary to reserve a space in front of the gaming board in advance according to, for example, the maximum number of passages. Therefore, when a ball entry unit with a small number of passages is used, there was a problem that space was wasted on the front side of the gaming board.

In contrast, according to the game machine K1, the ball entry unit includes a first unit having a ball entry port and a first passage connected to the ball entry port and disposed on the front side of the game board, and a second unit disposed on the rear side of the first unit through an opening in the game board and having a second passage connected to the first passage. Therefore, it is sufficient to secure a space corresponding to the size of the first unit on the front side of the game board, and there is no need to secure a space corresponding to the maximum number of passages (second passages) on the front side of the game board. Therefore, by replacing the second unit with another second unit (e.g., one with a different number of second passages), the space on the front side of the game board can be effectively utilized when changing the specifications of the game board while reusing (using both) the game board.

A gaming machine K2 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine K1, at least a portion of the first unit is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the second unit is formed to have a smaller outer shape than the first unit and is disposed in a position overlapping the first unit in a front view.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K1, gaming machine K2 has a first unit made of a light-transmitting material, a second unit made smaller in outer shape than the first unit, and arranged in a position overlapping the first unit in a front view, so that the player can see the second unit through the first unit, enhancing the interest of the game. Also, in order to make the second unit visible to the player, it is not necessary to form the gaming board from a light-transmitting material, and it is permissible to form the gaming board from plywood, attach a sticker to the gaming board, or paint the gaming board, for example, thereby increasing the freedom of design.

Gaming machine K3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K2, at least the front side of the second unit in the second passage is made of a light-transmitting material.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K2, gaming machine K3 has the advantage that at least the front side of the second passage of the second unit is made of a light-transmitting material, allowing the player to see the gaming balls flowing down the second passage of the second unit through the first unit, thereby increasing the player's interest in the game.

The first unit may be entirely made of a light-transmitting material. Also, if only a portion of the first unit is made of a light-transmitting material, it is preferable that at least the portion of the second unit that overlaps with the second passage in a front view is made of a light-transmitting material. This is because the flow of the game balls can be seen, which increases the interest of the game.

Gaming machine K4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K3, the first unit is formed from a colorless light-transmitting material, and the second unit is formed from a colored light-transmitting material.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K3, gaming machine K4 has the following advantages: the first unit is made of a colorless light-transmitting material, and the second unit is made of a colored light-transmitting material. When the player sees the second unit through the first unit, the player can easily grasp the relative positions of the first and second units in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the player can easily see how the gaming ball changes position in the front-to-rear direction as it flows down, which increases the player's interest in the game.

Gaming machine K5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K4, information consisting of letters or figures is displayed on the front side of the second passage of the second unit.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K4, gaming machine K5 displays information consisting of letters or figures on the front of the second passage of the second unit, so that even when the second unit is viewed through the first unit, the display can be used as a landmark (reference position) to help the player recognize the position of the second passage (front-rear position). Examples of display formats include printing with ink, attaching a sticker, and two-color molding.

In any one of gaming machines K1 to K5, the second passage includes a second upstream passage connected to the first passage, a plurality of second branch passages branched off from the second upstream passage, and a plurality of second connecting passages connected to each of the plurality of second branch passages, and the second unit includes a second upstream unit disposed on the rear side of the first unit and in which the second upstream passage and the plurality of second branch passages are formed, and a second downstream unit disposed on the second upstream unit and in which the plurality of second connecting passages are formed, and detection sensors for detecting the passage of gaming balls are disposed in the plurality of second branch passages. Gaming machine K6.

According to gaming machine K6, in any of gaming machines K1 to K5, the second unit includes a second upstream unit that is disposed on the rear side of the first unit and in which a second upstream passage and multiple second branch passages are formed, and a second downstream unit that is disposed in the second upstream unit and in which multiple second connecting passages are formed, and detection sensors that detect the passage of gaming balls are disposed in the multiple second branch passages. Therefore, for example, when the second upstream unit is changed to another unit with fewer second branch passages to manufacture a gaming machine with different specifications, it is possible to prevent an operator from making a mistake in the number of detection sensors that are disposed.

In other words, in a structure in which a detection sensor is disposed in the second connecting passage, it is possible to dispose as many detection sensors as there are second connecting passages. For example, when changing a second upstream unit in which two second branch passages are formed to another unit in which only one passage connects the first passage and the second connecting passage, it is possible that a single detection sensor will be sufficient, but detection sensors may be disposed for the number of second connecting passages. In contrast, in a structure in which a detection sensor is disposed in the second branch passage, when changing the second upstream unit to another unit, the number of detection sensors corresponding to the unit will be disposed, which prevents the operator from mistaking the number of sensors to be disposed.

In the gaming machine K6, the first unit is provided with a second ball inlet formed to allow the game ball to enter, a third passage through which the game ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed across the first unit, the second upstream unit, and the second downstream unit, and a detection sensor for detecting the game ball is disposed in the portion of the third passage formed in the second downstream unit. Gaming machine K7.

According to gaming machine K7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine K6, the first unit is provided with a second ball inlet formed to allow the game ball to enter, and a third passage through which the game ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed across each of the first unit, the second upstream unit, and the second downstream unit, and a detection sensor for detecting the game ball is disposed in the portion of the third passage formed in the second downstream unit, so that the detection sensors disposed in the second unit can be dispersed, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the passages.

A gaming machine K8 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine K7, the second unit is positioned relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage, or by directly or indirectly engaging the third passages of the first unit and the second unit with each other.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K7, gaming machine K8 positions the second unit relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage, or by directly or indirectly engaging the third passages of the first and second units, so positioning is possible even when the second upstream unit of the second unit is changed to another unit. In other words, regardless of the form of the other unit, the position where the first and second passages are connected or the position where the third passages are connected is the same, so even if it is a different unit, positioning can be performed relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage or the third passages with each other.

The purpose of positioning the second unit relative to the first unit is to prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring at the connecting portion between the first and second passages or the connecting portion between the third passages. Since it is possible to position the target portion (the connecting portion between the first and second passages or the connecting portion between the third passages), it is possible to effectively prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring compared to when other portions are positioned. As a result, the game balls can flow down smoothly.

A gaming machine K9 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines K6 to K8, a part of the detection sensor disposed in the second branch passage of the second upstream passage protrudes toward the second downstream unit, and a receiving portion for receiving the protruding part of the detection sensor is formed in the second downstream unit.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines K6 to K8, gaming machine K9 has a detection sensor disposed in the second branch passage of the second upstream passage that protrudes part of the detection sensor toward the second downstream unit, and a receiving portion that receives the protruding part of the detection sensor is formed in the second downstream passage. This makes it possible to position the second upstream unit and the second downstream unit by engaging the detection sensor with the receiving portion, while preventing part of the detection sensor from protruding outward, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the second unit as a whole.

In the gaming machines K1 to K6, the first unit has a second ball inlet formed to allow the gaming ball to enter, and a third passage through which the gaming ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed in the second unit at least between the second branch passages.

In addition to the effects of the gaming machines K1 to K9, the gaming machine K10 has a third passage through which the gaming ball that enters the second ball entrance passes, which is formed at least between the second branch passages in the second unit, making it possible to reduce the size of the second unit.

A gaming machine K11, which is any one of the gaming machines K1 to K10, is characterized in that the second passage has a bent portion that is bent from the front to the back of the second unit, and an erect portion is erected from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, and the wall portion on the outer side of the bend is inclined so as to be positioned on the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the gaming ball flows down.

According to the gaming machine K11, in addition to the effects of any one of the gaming machines K1 to K10, a bent portion is formed in the second passageway that is bent from the front to the back of the second unit, and a standing portion is erected from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, and the wall portion on the outer side of the bend is inclined so as to be located on the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows down, so that the game ball flowing down the bent portion of the second passageway can be easily seen by the player. In other words, by erecting the standing portion from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, the rigidity of the passageway is increased to improve durability, and the game ball can be guided along the erected tip of the standing portion to smoothly flow down the bent portion, but since the standing portion is located in front of the game ball when viewed from the front, the game ball is hidden by the standing portion, and the visibility of the game ball is reduced. In response to this, the outer wall of the bend is inclined so that it is positioned toward the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows downward, ensuring rigidity and guiding the game ball while also making the thickness of the erected portion thinner in the front-to-rear direction, ensuring visibility of the game ball.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
Gaming machine L1 is provided with a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass, characterized in that at least the upstream end of the second passage member, a bottom surface upstream end on the bottom surface side and a side surface upstream end on the side surface side, are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game balls.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass (for example, JP 2012-5783 A). However, with such a structure that connects the first passage member and the second passage member, misalignment between the two is unavoidable, and a step is formed at the connection portion between the downstream end of the first passage member and the upstream end of the second passage member, which creates the problem that the smooth flow down of game balls may be hindered.

In contrast, in gaming machine L1, at least the upstream end of the second passage member, the bottom upstream end on the bottom side and the side upstream end on the side side, are formed at different positions in the direction in which the gaming ball passes, so that the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the bottom side (bottom upstream end) can be made to differ from the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the side side (side upstream end). This prevents the gaming ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes their effects, allowing the gaming ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

A gaming machine L2 is characterized in that the upstream end of the side surface includes a position that is spaced from the upstream end of the bottom surface by the radius of the gaming ball in the gaming machine L1.

According to gaming machine L2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine L1, the upstream end of the side surface includes a position spaced from the upstream end of the bottom surface by the radius of the gaming ball, so that when the gaming ball rolls (flows down) from the first passage member to the second passage member, the gaming ball can be inscribed in the upstream end of the side surface. In other words, the position of the step on the bottom surface side that affects the gaming ball and the position of the step on the side surface side can be reliably made different in the passing direction of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the gaming ball from being affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface at the same time, and it is easy to distribute the effects of these, so that the gaming ball can flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Gaming machine L3, in which the downstream end of the first passage member on the bottom side and the downstream end of the side side of the downstream end of the first passage member are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game ball, the first passage member has a protruding piece that protrudes from its downstream end toward the upstream end of the second passage member and the protruding tip is the downstream side end of the side, and the second passage member has a recessed portion recessed in its upstream end to receive the protruding piece and the portion facing the protruding tip of the protruding piece is the upstream end of the side wall.

According to the gaming machine L3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machines L1 or L2, the first passage member has a protruding piece that protrudes from its downstream end toward the upstream end of the second passage member and whose protruding tip is the side downstream end, and the second passage member has a recess that is recessed at its upstream end to receive the protruding piece and whose portion facing the protruding tip of the protruding piece is the side wall upstream end, so that the side downstream end and bottom downstream end of the first passage member can be brought close to the side upstream end and side downstream end of the second passage member. That is, when the side upstream end of the second passage member is formed at a different position downstream of the bottom upstream end in the passing direction of the game ball, the protruding piece of the first passage member can guide the game ball until it reaches the side upstream end of the second passage member. Therefore, the game ball can flow down (pass) smoothly.

On the other hand, the protruding piece has a relatively low rigidity and may break. However, according to gaming machine L3, the protruding piece is formed on the first passage member (i.e., the upstream side in the direction in which the gaming ball passes). Therefore, even if the protruding piece breaks, the bottom upstream end and the side upstream end of the second passage member can be maintained in different positions in the direction in which the gaming ball passes, and the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the bottom side (upstream end of the bottom side) can be made to differ from the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the side side (upstream end of the side side). This prevents the gaming ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes their effects, allowing the gaming ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

In addition, according to the gaming machine L3, the gaming machine protrusion piece is formed in the first passage member, and the recess is formed in the second passage member, so that the side of the recess abuts against the protrusion piece, thereby restricting the upward positional deviation of the second passage member relative to the first passage member. That is, in a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is higher than the downstream end of the first passage member, the gaming ball is likely to bounce up when it runs up, and is therefore more likely to hinder the smooth flow (passage) of the gaming ball compared to the reverse step (a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is lower than the downstream end of the first passage member). Therefore, as in the gaming machine L3, being able to restrict the upward positional deviation of the second passage member relative to the first passage member can suppress the formation of a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is higher than the downstream end of the first passage member, which is particularly effective in the smooth flow down of the gaming ball.

Gaming machine L4 is characterized in that the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member in the gaming machine L3 is formed at an angle with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball.

In game machine L4, in addition to the effects of game machine L3, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed at an incline with respect to the passing direction of the game ball, so that game balls that collide with the upper end surface of the side surface of the second passage member can slide along the incline and are less likely to be bounced back, compared to when the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the game machine. As a result, it is easier for game balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

Gaming machine L5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine L1 or L2, at least the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an angle with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball.

According to gaming machine L5, in addition to the effects of gaming machines L1 or L2, at least the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an incline with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball, so that the upstream side end of the upstream end of the second passage member can be inclined with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball. Therefore, compared to when the upstream side end of the second passage member is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the gaming machine, gaming balls that collide with the upper end surface of the side of the second passage member can slide along the incline and are less likely to be bounced back. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the gaming balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

In this case, according to gaming machine L5, the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an incline, so that the occurrence of stress concentration can be suppressed and the durability of the passage member can be ensured, compared to, for example, a case where the second passage member is formed in a shape (step-like) having a protruding piece or a recess. Also, when the second passage member is made of a resin material, the shape change of the cavity (hollow portion) of the injection molding die can be made gradual, so that air trapping (air entrapment) and filling defects can be suppressed, and moldability can be improved.

Gaming machine L6 is characterized in that, in gaming machine L4 or L5, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed with a downward incline along the passing direction of the gaming machine.

In game machine L6, in addition to the effects of game machines L4 and L5, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed with a downward incline along the passage direction of the game machine, so that game balls that collide with the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member can be pressed against the bottom surface. In other words, game balls can be prevented from bouncing up at the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for game balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

<Concept of the invention using the specific winning port unit 550 as an example>
Gaming machine M1 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine comprising an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a driving means for generating a driving force to rotate the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the pair of wing members, when the pair of wing members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside, the transmission mechanism is formed so as to be able to regulate the displacement of the pair of wing members in the opening direction.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, a pair of wing members arranged on either side of the entrance opening, a drive means that applies a drive force to the pair of wing members to open or close them, and a restricting means that, when the pair of wing members are opened by the drive force of the drive means, is positioned at an allowable position that allows the game ball to enter the entrance opening, and, when the pair of wing members are closed by the drive force of the drive means, is positioned at a restricting position that restricts the game ball from entering the entrance opening (for example, JP 2011-172833 A).

According to this gaming machine, when the pair of feather members are opened by the driving force of the drive means, the restricting means is positioned in a permissive position, so that a gaming ball that has passed between the pair of feather members can be allowed to enter the ball entrance. On the other hand, when the pair of feather members are closed by the driving force of the drive means, the restricting means is positioned in a restricting position, so that if the pair of feather members are forcibly opened from the outside, the gaming ball can be restricted from entering the ball entrance.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the displacement of the restricting means is not restricted. For example, the restricting means can be displaced from the restricting position to the permissible position by forcibly opening a pair of blade members from the outside. This creates a problem in that the effect of restricting the illegal entry of game balls into the ball entry opening is insufficient.

In contrast, according to gaming machine M1, when a pair of feather members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside, the transmission mechanism is configured to be able to regulate the displacement of the pair of feather members in the opening direction, so the feather members can be prevented from being forcibly opened. This makes it easier to regulate the illegal entry of gaming balls into the ball entry opening.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates. A protrusion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protrusion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members. A receiving portion is recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove to receive the protrusion when the sliding member is slid and displaced to a position that closes the wing members. When the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the wing members is restricted. In the gaming machine M2,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, gaming machine M2 has a receiving portion recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove that receives the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted, so that the feather member can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Amusement machine M3 is characterized in that in gaming machine M2, the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine M2, gaming machine M3 has the advantage that the direction of the sliding displacement of the sliding member is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members, so that even if the wing members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside and the external force is transmitted to the sliding member via the protrusion and the receiving portion, it is possible to prevent the sliding displacement component of the sliding member from occurring. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wing members from being forcibly opened.

The slide member can also be arranged approximately parallel to the wing member. As a result, the space required for arranging the wing member and slide member can be reduced, and more space can be secured for arranging other members.

A gaming machine M4 is characterized in that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity in gaming machine M2 or M3, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines M2 and M3, gaming machine M4 has the advantage that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion. This makes it easier to maintain the state in which the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion by utilizing the weight (own weight) of the sliding member.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a slide member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates. A protruding portion is protruding from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members. The rotating member includes an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion. The sliding member is abutted against one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. A gaming machine M5 is provided with a side abutment portion, and an other side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that abuts against the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and when the wing member is in a closed state, one side of the abutment portion abuts against the one side abutment portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, and when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutment portion abuts against the other side abutment portion, the engagement of the protruding portion with the sliding member is released.

According to gaming machine M5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the wing member is closed, one side of the abutting portion abuts against the one-side abutted portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from sliding to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the rotating member is rotated to the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutting portion abuts against the other abutted portion, the engagement between the protruding portion and the sliding member is released, and by rotating the rotating member further to the other side, the sliding member can be slid toward the other side, thereby opening the wing member.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, the rotating member includes an abutment portion and an overhanging portion that overhangs from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member is configured to slide against one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. a one-side abutment portion that abuts against the one-side abutment portion, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that abuts against the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member; when the wing member is in a closed state, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, and when the sliding member is slid from the closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutment portion abuts against one side of the abutment portion, the overhanging portion engages with the sliding member.

According to gaming machine M6, in addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the sliding member is slid from a closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutting portion abuts against one side of the abutting portion, the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from being slid to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so that the sliding member can be slid toward the other side by further rotating the rotating member to the other side, and the wing member can be opened. Here, if the overhanging portion is engaged with the sliding member when the wing member is closed, the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion must be formed into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side, which makes the shape complicated. Therefore, not only does the strength decrease, but there is also a risk that the engagement may become more likely to be released. In contrast, as in the present invention, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so there is no need to form the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side. Therefore, not only can the shape be simplified to ensure strength, but a shape that is easy to maintain engagement can be adopted, making it difficult to release the engagement.

A gaming machine M7 is any one of gaming machines M2 to M6, and is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and when the protrusion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member.

Gaming machine M7 has the same effects as any of gaming machines M2 to M6, but also includes a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance. When the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member. Therefore, even if the protruding portion is cut and the blade member is forcibly opened from the outside, the slide member can restrict the flow of gaming balls that enter the ball entrance from the ball entrance.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 930 as an example>
Gaming machine N1 is characterized in that it comprises an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a driving means for generating a driving force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the pair of wing members, the machine further comprising a passage member which forms a passage for a gaming ball entered into the entry port, and a part of the transmission mechanism crosses the passage of the passage member when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry opening formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the ball entry opening to open or close the ball entry opening, a drive means that generates a drive force to rotate the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members (for example, JP 2010-234009 A). The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and the wing members are opened or closed as the rotating member rotates towards one side or the other.

In this case, for example, a fraudulent act involves gluing the tip of a string to a gaming ball, inserting the gaming ball through a ball entrance and passing it through the passage of a passage member, and when the gaming ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, manipulating (releasing and retracting) the other end of the string to move the gaming ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machines have a problem in that it is difficult to effectively suppress the fraudulent act of gluing the tip of a string to a gaming ball and causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times.

In response to this, with the gaming machine N1, a part of the transmission mechanism crosses the passage of the passage member when the vane member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, so that the transmission mechanism can at least interfere with the middle part of the string whose tip is attached to the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to suppress fraudulent behavior in which the detection sensor detects the game ball multiple times by moving the game ball back and forth.

In the gaming machine N1, the transmission mechanism is characterized in that the slide member crosses the passage of the passage member when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and the slide member has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine N1, gaming machine N2 has a transmission mechanism in which the slide member crosses the passage of the passage member when the blade member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and the slide member has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

In other words, even if the game ball described above is inserted while the vane member is open, the vane member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and when the frictional contact portion of the sliding member crosses the passage of the passage member, the middle portion of the thread, the tip of which is attached to the game ball, is displaced together with the frictional contact portion and pressed against the edge of the passage member, and when the frictional contact portion is brought into friction with the edge of the passage member, the thread can be cut between the frictional contact portion and the edge of the passage member. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the frictional contact portion of the slide member is made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the frictional contact portion) may be made of a metal material. The same applies to the passage member, and the entire passage member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the passage member (the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the frictional contact portion and the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs (the edge of the passage member) are formed as a blade (cutting blade).

In the gaming machine N1, the transmission mechanism is characterized by having a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position. In the gaming machine N3,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine N1, gaming machine N3 has a transmission mechanism that includes a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, making it possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

In other words, even if the game ball described above enters the game ball while the feather members are open, the feather members are displaced from the open position to the closed position, and as the pair of cutting members cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball can be pinched between the pair of cutting members and cut. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the pair of cutting members are made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the edges that rub against each other) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the parts of the pair of cutting members that rub against each other are formed as blades (cutting blades).

In gaming machine N2 or N3, the drive means is formed as a solenoid actuator in which the displacement of the drive shaft in a first direction is performed by electromagnetic force and the displacement of the drive shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction is performed by the elastic recovery force of the biasing means, and the displacement of the wing member from the open position to the closed position is performed by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction. Gaming machine N4.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines N2 and N3, gaming machine N4 has the advantage that the movement of the wing member from the open position to the closed position is achieved by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction, that is, by using electromagnetic force, so that the drive force can be increased. This makes it easier to cut off illegal objects (e.g., thread) between the frictional contact portion of the slide member and the edge of the passage member.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 19930 as an example>
A gaming machine O1 equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the game balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the game balls distributed to the other side pass, characterized in that at least a portion of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is arranged along a direction intersecting the game board.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction, which causes a problem in that the space for arranging other components is reduced accordingly.

According to the gaming machine O1, at least a portion of at least one of the first passageway or the second passageway is arranged along a direction intersecting the game board, so that at least a portion of the passageway can be arranged by utilizing the relatively ample space in the front-to-rear direction (the direction intersecting the game board). Therefore, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

In the gaming machine O1, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the shaft is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board. In the gaming machine O2,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O1, gaming machine O2 has a distribution member that is rotatably supported with its rotation axis aligned along the width of the game board, so that the distribution member can distribute game balls in a direction that intersects the game board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the first passage and the second passage can also be aligned along a direction that intersects the game board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

A gaming machine O3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O2, at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O2, gaming machine O3 has the advantage that at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above, making it possible to reduce the size of the distribution unit in the width direction and thereby secure space for arranging other components.

A gaming machine O4 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O2 or O3, it is provided with a first detection means for detecting the gaming ball passing through the first passage, the first passage includes a first upstream passage extending along a direction intersecting the gaming board and facing rearward from the distribution member, and a first downstream passage extending downward from the first upstream passage, and the first detection means is disposed in the first upstream passage.

According to gaming machine O4, in addition to the effects of gaming machines O2 or O3, the first passage includes a first upstream passage extending in a direction intersecting the game board and facing rearward from the distribution member, and a first downstream passage extending downward from the first upstream passage, and the first detection means is disposed in the first upstream passage, so that the first detection means can be brought closer to the distribution member, making it easier for the player to see the first detection means. In other words, it is easier for the player to see the trajectory of the game balls from when they are distributed to one side by the distribution device until they are detected by the first detection means, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

It is preferable that the first and second passages are made of a light-transmitting material that allows the game balls passing through to be visible from the outside.

A gaming machine O5, in which the first upstream passage of the first passage in the gaming machine O4 is provided with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the distribution member and the first detection means.

Here, when the game balls are sorted by the sorting member, the game balls are likely to move around due to the impact caused by the sorting operation. Therefore, if the first detection means is brought close to the sorting member, there is a risk that chattering will occur.

In contrast, according to gaming machine O5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine O4, the first upstream passage of the first passage is equipped with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the sorting member and the first detection means, so that if the gaming ball becomes disoriented due to the impact caused by the sorting operation of the sorting member, the expansion means can absorb the disoriented state of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to bring the first detection means closer to the sorting member while also suppressing the occurrence of chattering.

An example of the enlargement means is one that increases the cross-sectional area of the first upstream passage of the first passage.

A gaming machine O6 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O5, it has a first branch passage branched off from a first upstream passage of the first passage, and the expansion means is formed by the first branch passage.

Gaming machine O6 has the same effects as gaming machine O5, but also includes a first branch passage branched off from the first upstream passage of the first passage, and an expansion means is formed by the first branch passage. Therefore, when the game ball's movement is relatively small, the expansion means (the internal space of the first branch passage) can suppress the movement of the game ball and prevent chattering, while when the game ball's movement is relatively large, i.e., when the movement is so large that chattering cannot be prevented, the game ball can be discharged through the first branch passage.

In addition, by forming the expansion means by the first branch passage, it is possible to form a form in which the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member pass through the first upstream passage and are detected by the first detection means, or a form in which they are unable to reach the first detection means and are discharged into the first branch passage. This provides a gameplay experience in which the player is made to hope that the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member will not be discharged into the first branch passage and will reach the first detection means. As a result, the interest of the game is increased.

Examples of destinations to which the game ball may be guided by the first branch passage include an outlet, a winning outlet, a game area, etc.

A gaming machine O7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O6, at least the first upstream passage of the first passage is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O6, gaming machine O7 has the following advantages: at least the first upstream passage of the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage, allowing the player to see the gaming balls passing through the first upstream passage, enhancing the enjoyment of the game. In other words, by making it possible to see the gaming balls that are sorted to one side by the sorting member and pass through the first upstream passage, it is possible to provide a gaming experience in which the player hopes that the gaming balls will reach the first detection means without flowing out into the first branch passage. As a result, the enjoyment of the game is enhanced.

In addition, by branching off from the side of the first upstream passage, the area of the display surface for displaying information about the game can be secured on the upper surface of the first upstream passage or the first branch passage. An example of the information about the game is information about the destination of the game ball guided by the first branch passage. An example of the destination is the outlet.

The entire first passage may be made of a light-transmitting material, or the first branch passage may be made of a light-transmitting material.

Gaming machine O8 is characterized in that, in gaming machine O6 or O7, the first upstream passage and the first branch passage merge downstream of the position where the first detection means is disposed.

In gaming machine O8, in addition to the effects of gaming machines O6 and O7, the first upstream passage and the first branch passage merge downstream of the position where the first detection means is disposed, so that the first downstream passage can be used not only as a passage for gaming balls that have passed through the first upstream passage, but also as a passage for gaming balls that have passed through the first branch passage. This allows the sorting unit to be made smaller.

A gaming machine O9 is characterized in that in the gaming machine O8, the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage and is arranged in parallel with the first upstream passage, and the first upstream passage merges with the side of the first branch passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O8, gaming machine O9 has the following advantages: the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage and is arranged parallel to the first upstream passage, and the first upstream passage merges with the side of the first branch passage, so that the first downstream passage can be offset toward the first branch passage with respect to the first upstream passage. This makes it possible to secure space below the first upstream passage for arranging other components.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 20930 as an example>
A gaming machine P1 is provided with a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side, and is characterized in that the gaming machine P1 is provided with an adjustment means that adjusts the difference between the time required for the gaming balls that have reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for the gaming balls to be detected by the second detection means so as to be smaller.

A gaming machine is known that includes a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls to distribute the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side (Patent Document 1: JP 2017-148189 A). However, the conventional gaming machine described above has restrictions on the layout of the passage that guides the distributed gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means, and on the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

In other words, when the detection of game balls by the first detection means and the second detection means is displayed by the display means to notify the player (for example, when the number of detected game balls is displayed as the number of reserved balls), if the time required for a game ball to reach the distribution member and be detected by the first detection means and the time required for a game ball to be distributed to one side by the second detection means differ from the time required for a game ball to be detected by the second detection means depending on the distribution direction, there will be a difference in the time from when the ball reaches the distribution member to when it is displayed, which will reduce the interest of the game.

Therefore, in the conventional gaming machines described above, it was necessary to arrange the passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically on the left and right sides of the sorting member, and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

The gaming machine P1 is equipped with an adjustment means that adjusts the difference between the time required for a gaming ball that has reached the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for the gaming ball to be detected by the second detection means so as to be small, making it unnecessary to arrange passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically with respect to the sorting member and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member. This allows for greater design freedom in terms of the layout of the passages and the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means.

A gaming machine P2 is characterized in that it is provided with a first passageway that guides the gaming balls distributed to one side by the distribution member to the first detection means, and a second passageway that guides the gaming balls distributed to the other side by the distribution member to the second detection means, in which at least one of the first passageway or the second passageway has a recess or a protrusion, and the recess or the protrusion is the adjustment means.

Gaming machine P2 has the same effects as gaming machine P1, but also includes a first passageway that guides gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passageway that guides gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means. At least one of the first or second passageway has a recess or protrusion, and the recess or protrusion serves as an adjustment means. By utilizing the fact that the gaming ball is subjected to resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion and its moving speed is reduced, an adjustment can be reliably made to reduce the difference between the time it takes for a gaming ball that has reached the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time it takes for the ball to be detected by the second detection means. Furthermore, the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified, reducing product costs.

The adjustment means (recesses or protrusions) may be provided in only one of the first and second passages, or in both the first and second passages. In addition, when multiple recesses or protrusions are provided, the size (recess depth, protrusion height, width of recesses or protrusions, etc.) and spacing of the recesses or protrusions may be the same or different.

The first passage and the second passage may be formed symmetrically (with the same shape) with respect to the distribution member, or may be formed asymmetrically. Even if they are formed symmetrically, the speed of the game ball can be reduced by the resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion, making it unnecessary to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the distribution member. In other words, design freedom regarding the arrangement positions of the first detection means and the second detection means can be ensured.

A gaming machine P3, which is a gaming machine P1 or P2, is provided with a first passage that guides the gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passage that guides the gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means, and at least one of the first passage or the second passage has a drop area in which the gaming balls fall freely, and the drop area is the adjustment means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine P1 or P2, gaming machine P3 has a first passage that guides gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passage that guides gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means, and at least one of the first passage or the second passage has a drop area where the gaming balls fall freely, and the drop area is the adjustment means. Therefore, compared to a form in which the gaming balls roll due to frictional resistance from the rolling surface, the gaming balls are less susceptible to frictional resistance, and the movement speed is efficiently increased by maximizing the gravitational acceleration, so that adjustment can be reliably performed to reduce the difference between the time it takes for the gaming balls that reach the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time it takes for them to be detected by the second detection means. In addition, the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified to reduce product costs.

The adjustment means (drop area) may be provided in only one of the first and second passages, or may be provided in both the first and second passages. Furthermore, when multiple drop areas are provided, the lengths of the drop areas may be the same or different.

Gaming machine P4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine P2 or P3, it has a first branch passage that branches off from the first passage, and the recess or protrusion is disposed in the first passage downstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines P2 and P3, gaming machine P4 has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and a recess or protrusion is provided in the first passage downstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off, so that gaming balls can be prevented from flowing into the first branch passage due to the influence of the recess or protrusion.

Gaming machine P5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine P2 or P3, it has a first branch passage that branches off from the first passage, and the recess or protrusion is disposed in the first passage upstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines P2 and P3, gaming machine P5 has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and a recess or protrusion is provided in the first passage upstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off. This makes it easier for the player to visually confirm the direction of the gaming ball, whether it will branch off into the first branch passage or not, by taking advantage of the fact that the gaming ball encounters resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion and its moving speed decreases.

Gaming machine P6 is one of gaming machines P1 to P5, characterized in that the adjustment means makes the time required for the distribution member to distribute gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the distribution member to distribute gaming balls to the other side.

Gaming machine P6 has the same effects as any of gaming machines P1 to P5, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the distribution member to distribute game balls to one side different from the time required for the distribution member to distribute game balls to the other side, so that this time difference can be used to reliably adjust the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means. Furthermore, because the adjustment can be made by the distribution member, it is possible to increase the design freedom for the layout of the aisles and the positions of the first and second detection means.

In the gaming machine P6, the distribution member is supported on a rotatable axis, and the center of gravity is positioned offset to one side or the other side with respect to the rotation axis, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side depending on the offset of the center of gravity. In the gaming machine P7,

According to gaming machine P7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine P6, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft and the center of gravity is positioned offset to one side or the other with respect to the axis of rotation, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side by shifting the position of the center of gravity, so that the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified and product costs can be reduced.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

A gaming machine P8, in which the distribution member in the gaming machine P6 is supported on a shaft so as to be rotatable, and the adjustment means varies the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, thereby making the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side.

According to gaming machine P8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine P6, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the adjustment means varies the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, thereby making the time required for the operation of distributing game balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing game balls to the other side. This makes it possible to reliably make adjustments that reduce the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means.

As a means for varying the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, for example, a one-way gear is interposed, so that when rotating in one direction, the rotation of the distribution member is not transmitted, and when rotating in the other direction, the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to another gear, and the rotational resistance increases by the amount that the other gear is rotated.

In any of the gaming machines P1 to P8, the distribution member includes a one-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the one side, and an other-side receiving surface that is formed in a different manner from the one-side receiving surface and receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side, and the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface are the adjustment means. Gaming machine P9 is characterized in that the distribution member includes a one-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the one side, and an other-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side.

According to gaming machine P9, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines P1 to P8, the distribution member has one side receiving surface that receives the game balls to be distributed to one side, and another side receiving surface that is formed in a manner different from the one side receiving surface and receives the game balls to be distributed to the other side, and since the one side receiving surface and the other side receiving surface are used as adjustment means, it is possible to reliably make an adjustment to reduce the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means by utilizing the difference between the behavior of the game balls received on the one side receiving surface and the behavior of the game balls received on the other side receiving surface.

Examples of differences in the aspects of the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface include differences in the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical direction and differences in the materials (elastic modulus), while examples of differences in the behavior of game balls received on the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface include the ease with which the game ball bounces. For example, if the bounce of a game ball received on the one-side receiving surface is greater than the bounce of a game ball received on the other-side receiving surface, the flow of the game ball can be slowed down by the period during which it is bouncing, thereby gaining the time required for it to be detected by the first detection means.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 24930 as an example>
Gaming machine Q1 is equipped with a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, and an arrangement member on which the distribution member is arranged, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a suppression means that suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member.

There is a known gaming machine that includes a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, and a placement member on which the distribution member is placed (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine has a problem in that when an external force is applied to the placement member, such as when the player hits it, there is a risk that the distribution member will rotate due to the influence of inertia.

In other words, if game balls distributed to one side are guided to a winning hole that is awarded a higher game value than game balls distributed to the other side, there is a risk of fraud being committed by applying an external force to the arrangement member, for example by hitting the gaming machine, causing the distribution member to rotate due to inertia and changing the position of the distribution member (rotating it into a position that allows game balls to be distributed to one side).

The gaming machine Q1 is equipped with a suppression means for suppressing the rotation of the distribution member due to an external force acting on the arrangement member, so that even if an external force acts on the arrangement member, the rotation of the distribution member due to the influence of inertia force can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress fraudulent acts such as rotating the distribution member due to the action of an external force.

The arrangement member includes the first member itself on which the sorting member is supported, but is not limited to the first member, and also includes the second member on which the first member is arranged, and the third member directly or indirectly connected to the second member. An example of the second member is a case member that rotatably supports the sorting member and forms the framework of the sorting unit, and an example of the third member is the game board on which the sorting unit is arranged, as well as various members (e.g., outer frame, inner frame, front frame, glass plate, etc.) that are directly or indirectly connected to the game board.

Another example of an external force is a force input to the gaming machine due to a player hitting or shaking the machine.

In gaming machine Q1, the distribution member has a rotation axis arranged along the width direction of the gaming board. Gaming machine Q2.

In addition to the effects of game machine Q1, game machine Q2 has a distribution member whose rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board, so that the distribution direction of the game balls by the distribution member can be set to a direction intersecting the game board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the passages that guide the game balls distributed to one side or the other by the distribution member can also be arranged along a direction intersecting the game board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit equipped with the distribution member can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other members.

In addition, this configuration in which the rotation axis of the distribution member is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board was not possible with conventional products because when a player hits the front of the gaming machine (the glass plate), the inertial force caused by the action of the external force acts on the distribution member as a force in the direction of rotating the distribution member. However, by providing a suppression means that suppresses the rotation of the distribution member, it has become possible to adopt this configuration for the first time, which makes it possible to secure space for arranging other members while preventing fraud.

In the gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means is arranged so that the center of gravity of the distribution member overlaps the rotation axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q3.

According to gaming machine Q3, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by positioning the center of gravity of the distribution member at a position that overlaps with the rotation axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so that the effect of the inertial force acting on the distribution member (the force component that tends to rotate the distribution member) can be minimized when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. As a result, the distribution member can be suppressed from being rotated by the action of an external force.

In any of the gaming machines Q1 to Q3, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to one side with respect to the vertical direction different from the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to the other side with respect to the vertical direction. Gaming machine Q4 is characterized in that it suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member.

According to gaming machine Q4, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines Q1 to Q3, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to one side with respect to the vertical direction different from the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to the other side with respect to the vertical direction, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

Gaming machine Q5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine Q3 or Q4, the distribution member is formed in a symmetrical shape with a virtual plane including the rotation axis as the symmetry plane.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine Q3 or Q4, gaming machine Q5 has a symmetrical shape with the imaginary plane including the rotation axis as the plane of symmetry, simplifying the shape of the distribution member and reducing manufacturing costs. Also, since directionality is eliminated, assembly is easier.

In the gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means is arranged so that the center of gravity of the distribution member is biased to one side or the other side of the rotation axis, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q6.

According to gaming machine Q6, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 or Q2, the suppression means positions the center of gravity of the distribution member in a position biased to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

Amusement machine Q7 is characterized in that in gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the rotational resistance of the distribution member different depending on the direction of rotation.

According to gaming machine Q7, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 and Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force acts on the arrangement member by making the rotational resistance of the distribution member different depending on the rotation direction, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force acts, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

As a means for varying the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, for example, a one-way gear is interposed, so that when rotating in one direction, the rotation of the distribution member is not transmitted, and when rotating in the other direction, the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to another gear, and the rotational resistance increases by the amount that the other gear is rotated.

In gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means forms an axial hole that supports the rotation shaft of the distribution member into an elongated hole, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q8.

According to gaming machine Q8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force acts on the arrangement member by making the shaft hole that supports the rotation shaft of the distribution member into a long hole shape, so that the distribution member can be prevented from rotating due to the action of an external force. In other words, by setting the angle between the longitudinal direction of the long hole shape and the acting direction of the external force to a predetermined angle or less, the distribution member can be rotated when it receives a game ball, while when an external force (inertial force) acts on the distribution member, the rotation shaft of the distribution member can be slid along the longitudinal direction of the shaft hole to consume the applied energy. As a result, the distribution member can be prevented from rotating due to the action of an external force.

The direction of action of the external force is assumed to be a direction perpendicular to the front of the gaming machine (glass plate) (a direction roughly perpendicular to the vertical direction) when it is assumed that the player hits the front of the gaming machine. In this case, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the long hole shape and the vertical direction (the direction in which the gaming ball falls towards the distribution member) is preferably set to approximately 45 degrees or more, more preferably to approximately 60 degrees or less, and most preferably to an angle roughly perpendicular. This is because when a gaming ball is received, the weight of the gaming ball can reliably cause the distribution member to rotate, while when an external force is applied, the rotation axis of the distribution member can reliably be easily slid along the shaft hole (the longitudinal direction of the long hole).

Gaming machine Q9 is characterized in that the shaft hole in the gaming machine Q8 is inclined downward from one side to the other.

According to gaming machine Q9, in addition to the effects of gaming machine Q8, the shaft hole is tilted downward from one side to the other, thereby increasing energy consumption and returning the distribution member to its initial position. In other words, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (the tilt direction of the shaft hole) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, when an external force (inertia force) is applied to the distribution member, the rotation axis of the distribution member can be slid in the direction of the upward tilt of the shaft hole, increasing the consumption of the applied energy, while thereafter, it can be lowered by the downward tilt of the shaft hole, returning the distribution member to its initial position.

A gaming machine Q10 is any one of the gaming machines Q1 to Q9, and is provided with a first winning opening into which the gaming balls distributed to the one side enter, and a second winning opening into which the gaming balls distributed to the other side enter and which awards a lower gaming value than the winning of the first winning opening, and is characterized in that, when the distribution member is rotated by an external force acting on the arrangement member, the distribution member is in a position to distribute the gaming balls to the other side.

Gaming machine Q10 has the same effects as any of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, but also has a first winning port through which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning port through which gaming balls allocated to the other side win and which awards a lower gaming value than winning through the first winning port. When the distribution member is rotated by an external force acting on the arrangement member, it is in a position to distribute the gaming balls to the other side, so that it is possible to inhibit an action of applying an external force to the arrangement member by, for example, hitting the gaming machine, thereby changing the position of the distribution member (rotating the distribution member).

Gaming machine Q11 is any one of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, and is provided with a first winning opening into which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning opening into which gaming balls allocated to the other side win, and is characterized in that the gaming value awarded for winning into the first winning opening is equal to the gaming value awarded for winning into the second winning opening.

Gaming machine Q11, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, is equipped with a first winning port into which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning port into which gaming balls allocated to the other side win, and the game value awarded for winning into the first winning port is equal to the game value awarded for winning into the second winning port, so that it is possible to inhibit actions such as hitting the gaming machine to apply an external force to the arrangement member and change the position of the distribution member (rotate the distribution member).

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning unit 34930 as an example>
Gaming machine R1 is equipped with an entrance port through which game balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the game balls entered into the entrance port to one side or the other, characterized in that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the entrance port is positioned in a position biased toward the one side or the other from above the vertical direction of the distribution member.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a ball inlet through which gaming balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the gaming balls entered into the ball inlet to one side or the other (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the ball inlet is located vertically above the distribution member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so the manner in which the gaming balls entered the ball inlet reach the distribution member becomes monotonous, resulting in a lack of interest in the game.

According to the gaming machine R1, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball entrance is positioned at a position offset to one side or the other from the vertically upper side of the distribution member, so that it is possible to vary the manner in which a game ball that enters the ball entrance travels until it reaches the distribution member. This can increase the interest of the game.

Gaming machine R2 is characterized in that the configuration in which the game ball that entered the ball entrance after the distribution member has distributed the game ball to one side acts on the game ball until the distribution member distributes the game ball to the other side in gaming machine R1 is different from the configuration in which the game ball that entered the ball entrance after the distribution member has distributed the game ball to the other side acts on the game ball until the distribution member distributes the game ball to one side in gaming machine R2.

Here, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, if the ball inlet is positioned at a position offset to one side or the other from the vertically above the distribution member, even if the distribution member is formed symmetrically, the behavior of the game balls that enter through the ball inlet and are distributed by the distribution member will differ depending on the position of the distribution member (whether it is in a state after distributing the game balls to one side or to the other side), which could cause malfunctions.

For example, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, if the ball entrance is positioned at a position offset from the vertical upper side of the distribution member to one side, the game balls heading from the ball entrance to the distribution member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, so that when the distribution member is in a state after distributing the game balls to one side, the game balls (game balls that also have a velocity component in the direction that rotates the non-distributed balls) collide with the distribution member in the direction that rotates the distribution member, while when the distribution member is in a state after distributing the game balls to the other side, the game balls (game balls that also have a velocity component in the direction that rotates the non-distributed balls) collide with the distribution member in the direction opposite to the direction that rotates the distribution member. Therefore, the behavior of the game balls that enter through the ball entrance and are distributed by the distribution member will differ depending on the attitude of the distribution member.

In contrast, according to gaming machine R2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine R1, the configuration that acts on the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port after the distribution member has distributed the gaming balls to one side until they are distributed to the other side by the distribution member is different from the configuration that acts on the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port after the distribution member has distributed the gaming balls to the other side until they are distributed to one side by the distribution member, so that the behavior of the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port and are distributed by the distribution member can be accommodated depending on the attitude of the distribution member. As a result, the occurrence of malfunctions can be suppressed.

A gaming machine R3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine R2, a guide passage is provided that guides the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance to the distribution member, and when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball entrance is disposed at a position offset from above the distribution member in the vertical direction toward the one side, and the distribution member is disposed at a position offset from below the outlet of the guide passage in the vertical direction toward the other side.

Gaming machine R3 has the same effects as gaming machine R2, but also includes a guide passageway that guides game balls that enter the ball inlet to the distribution member, and when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball inlet is positioned vertically above the distribution member and biased to one side, and the distribution member is positioned vertically below the outlet of the guide passage and biased to the other side. This makes it possible to move the position at which the game balls that enter the ball inlet and flow out from the outlet of the guide passage collide with the distribution member after sorting the game balls to the other side closer to the center of rotation of the distribution member. This reduces the rotational moment acting on the distribution member due to the collision of the game balls, and suppresses damage.

Gaming machine R4 is characterized in that the inclination angle of the distribution member with respect to the vertical direction after the game balls have been distributed to one side in gaming machine R2 or R3 is made larger than the inclination angle of the distribution member with respect to the vertical direction after the game balls have been distributed to the other side.

According to gaming machine R4, in addition to the effects of gaming machines R2 or R3, the inclination angle of the distribution member relative to the vertical after the game balls have been distributed to one side is made larger than the inclination angle of the distribution member relative to the vertical after the game balls have been distributed to the other side. Therefore, when a game ball that enters the ball entrance and flows out from the exit of the guide passage collides with the distribution member in the state after the game balls have been distributed to the other side, the component of the force that the distribution member receives in the direction passing through the rotation axis can be made larger. This reduces the rotational moment acting on the distribution member due to the collision of the game ball, and suppresses damage.

Gaming machine R5 is characterized in that the distribution member in the gaming machine R3 or R4 has a rotational resistance greater than the rotational resistance in the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side than the rotational resistance in the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the one side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines R3 and R4, gaming machine R5 has a distribution member that has a larger rotational resistance when distributing game balls to the other side than when distributing the gaming machine to one side, which prevents damage to the distribution member and ensures reliable distribution.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side, the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the received game ball, and collides at high speed against the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with gaming machine R5, the rotational resistance of the distribution member during the operation of distributing the game balls to the other side is increased, so that the rotational resistance slows down the rotation of the distribution member to the other side, and the impact when the distribution member that has distributed the game balls to the other side collides with the stopper surface can be made gentler. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

On the other hand, after the game balls have been sorted to the other side, the sorting member is hit by game balls with a velocity component in the opposite direction (from one side to the other) to the direction in which the sorting member is rotated to one side. Therefore, if the rotational resistance when the sorting member is rotated to one side is large, the sorting member that receives the game ball cannot rotate with the game ball, and the game ball is likely to bounce off the sorting member. When the game ball bounces off the sorting member, the impact of the collision and the recoil of the rebound cause the sorting member to rotate to one side while the game ball is moving away from the sorting member (bouncing back), and when the game ball that has moved away (bouncing back) falls, there is a risk that the game ball will be sorted to the other side, opposite the direction it was originally meant to be sorted.

In contrast, with the gaming machine R5, the rotational resistance of the distribution member when distributing the gaming machine to one side is smaller than the rotational resistance when distributing the gaming balls to the other side, so that when a gaming ball is received, the distribution member can be easily rotated toward one side together with the gaming ball. This prevents the received gaming ball from bouncing off the distribution member, and ensures that the gaming ball is distributed to one side.

A gaming machine R6 is characterized in that it is equipped with a gear or multiple gears forming a gear train, and a one-way clutch that is interposed between the gear and the distribution member and transmits the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side to the gear, and does not transmit the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the one side to the gear, in the gaming machine R5.

According to the gaming machine R6, a gear or a plurality of gears forming a gear train and a one-way clutch interposed between the gear and the distribution member, which transmits the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side to the gear and does not transmit the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to one side to the gear, so that when the distribution member rotates in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side, the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to the gear via the one-way clutch and the gear is driven. Therefore, the rotational resistance of the distribution member is increased by the amount of the gear being driven. On the other hand, when the distribution member rotates in the direction to distribute the game balls to one side, the rotation of the distribution member is blocked by the one-way clutch and is not transmitted to the gear. In other words, the gear is not driven. Therefore, the rotational resistance of the distribution member is reduced by the amount of the gear not being driven.

In this way, the one-way clutch is used to switch between transmitting and not transmitting rotation to the gears, so in addition to the effects of the gaming machine R5, it is possible to reliably create a difference in rotational resistance in the direction of rotation. Also, because the configuration is relatively simple, with the gears either driven or not, it is possible to reduce product costs and improve reliability and durability.

In particular, the inertial force of the gear when the gear starts to follow the stopped gear can be used to provide rotational resistance to the distribution member, making it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member. In the present invention, where the amount of displacement during the distribution operation of the distribution member is relatively small, this is an effective configuration for preventing damage to the distribution member due to collision with the stopper surface.

The type of one-way clutch is not important as long as it allows the transmission of rotation in one direction and blocks (restricts) the transmission of rotation in the other direction. Examples of one-way clutch types include sprag and cam types. In addition, when the rotating shaft of the distribution member is connected to the inner ring side of the one-way clutch, a gear is connected to the outer ring side of the one-way clutch, and when the rotating shaft of the distribution member is connected to the outer ring side of the one-way clutch, a gear is connected to the inner ring side of the one-way clutch.

Gaming machine R7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine R5 or R6, the distribution member is formed in a symmetrical shape with a virtual plane including the rotation axis as the symmetry plane.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines R5 and R6, gaming machine R7 has a symmetrical shape with the imaginary plane including the rotation axis as the plane of symmetry, simplifying the shape of the distribution member and reducing manufacturing costs. Also, since directionality is eliminated, assembly is easier.

Amusement machine R8 is characterized in that the center of gravity of the distribution member is positioned in a position biased to one side of the rotation axis in the gaming machine R5 or R6.

According to gaming machine R8, the center of gravity of the distribution member is positioned offset to one side relative to the rotation axis, so that when the distribution member is rotated in a direction that distributes game balls to the other side, the center of gravity is raised, and the rotational resistance of the distribution member is increased accordingly. On the other hand, when the distribution member is rotated in a direction that distributes game balls to one side, the center of gravity is lowered, and the rotational resistance of the distribution member is decreased accordingly.

In this way, the center of gravity is set to a predetermined position, which not only achieves the same effects as gaming machines R5 and R6, but also simplifies the design, reducing product costs and improving reliability and durability.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

Among any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member is characterized in that at least the receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis. Among the gaming machines R9,

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member has a receiving surface that receives at least the game balls to be distributed to the other side, and is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis, so that damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side, the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the received game ball, and collides at high speed against the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with gaming machine R9, the receiving surface of the distribution member that receives the game balls is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis, so the received game balls can slide or roll along the curved surface. Therefore, due to this sliding or rolling, the impact when the distribution member that has distributed the game balls to the other side collides with the stopper surface can be made gentler. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

Among any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member is characterized in that the receiving surface for receiving the gaming balls distributed to the other side is inclined less than the receiving surface for receiving the gaming balls distributed to the one side. Gaming machine R10.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member has a receiving surface that receives game balls to be distributed to the other side with a smaller inclination than the receiving surface for game balls to be distributed to one side, so that damage to the distribution member can be suppressed and the distribution operation can be performed reliably.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side (i.e., the receiving surface that receives the game balls to be sorted to the other side), the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the game balls it has sorted, and collides at high speed with the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with the gaming machine R10, the inclination angle of the receiving surface of the distribution member that receives the game balls that are distributed to the other side is small, so the thickness of the part that hits the stopper surface can be increased because the inclination is small. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

On the other hand, after the game balls have been sorted to the other side, the sorting member is hit by game balls with a velocity component in the opposite direction (from one side to the other) to the direction in which the sorting member is rotated to one side, so if the inclination of the receiving surface for the game balls sorted to one side is small, the game balls are likely to bounce off the sorting member. When a game ball bounces off the sorting member, the impact of the collision and the recoil of the ball bouncing off can cause the sorting member to rotate to one side while the game ball is moving away from the sorting member (bouncing off), and when the game ball that has moved away (bouncing off) falls, there is a risk that the game ball will be sorted to the other side, opposite the direction it was originally meant to be sorted.

In contrast, according to gaming machine R10, the sorting member has a receiving surface that receives the game balls to be sorted to one side with a large inclination angle, and the larger inclination allows the game balls that collide with the receiving surface to be given a larger velocity component in the sorting direction. This prevents the caught game ball from bouncing off the sorting member, and makes it easier to rotate the sorting member that has received the game ball toward one side together with the game ball. This ensures that the game balls can be sorted to one side.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 19930 as an example>
A gaming machine S1 equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the game balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the game balls distributed to the other side pass, characterized in that the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction, which causes a problem in that the space for arranging other components is reduced accordingly.

According to the gaming machine S1, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board, so that the distribution direction of the gaming balls by the distribution member can be set to a direction intersecting the gaming board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the first passage and the second passage can also be arranged along a direction intersecting the gaming board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

A gaming machine S2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine S1, a first detection means is provided for detecting the gaming ball passing through the first passage, the first passage is provided with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the distribution member and the first detection means.

Here, when the game balls are sorted by the sorting member, the game balls are likely to move around due to the impact caused by the sorting operation. Therefore, if the first detection means is brought close to the sorting member, there is a risk that chattering will occur.

In contrast, according to gaming machine S2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine S1, the first passage is equipped with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the sorting member and the first detection means, so that if the gaming ball becomes disoriented due to the impact caused by the sorting operation of the sorting member, the expansion means can absorb the disoriented state of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to bring the first detection means closer to the sorting member while also suppressing the occurrence of chattering.

An example of the enlargement means is one that increases the cross-sectional area of the first upstream passage of the first passage.

A gaming machine S3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine S2, it has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and the expansion means is formed by the first branch passage.

Gaming machine S3 has the same effects as gaming machine S2, but is also provided with a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and an expansion means is formed by the first branch passage. Therefore, when the game ball's movement is relatively small, the expansion means (the internal space of the first branch passage) can suppress the movement of the game ball and prevent chattering, while when the game ball's movement is relatively large, i.e., when the movement is so large that chattering cannot be prevented, the game ball can be allowed to flow out through the first branch passage.

In addition, by forming the expansion means by the first branch passage, it is possible to form a form in which the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member pass through the first passage and are detected by the first detection means, or a form in which they are unable to reach the first detection means and are discharged into the first passage. This provides a gameplay experience in which the player is made to hope that the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member will not be discharged into the first branch passage and will reach the first detection means. As a result, the interest of the game is increased.

Examples of destinations to which the game ball may be guided by the first branch passage include an outlet, a winning outlet, and a game area.

Gaming machine S4 is characterized in that in gaming machine S3, the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine S3, gaming machine S4 has the following advantages: the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first passage, allowing the player to see the gaming balls passing through the first passage, enhancing the player's interest in the game. In other words, by making it possible to see the gaming balls that are sorted to one side by the sorting member and pass through the first upstream passage, the player is given the opportunity to hope that the gaming balls will reach the first detection means without flowing out into the first branch passage. As a result, the player's interest in the game is enhanced.

In addition, by branching off from the side of the first passage, the area of the display surface for displaying information about the game can be secured on the first passage or the upper surface of the first branch passage. An example of the information about the game is information about the destination of the game ball guided by the first branch passage. An example of the destination is the outlet.

In addition, only a portion of the first passage may be made of a light-transmitting material, or the first branch passage may be made of a light-transmitting material.

Gaming machine X1 is any one of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10 and S1 to S4, characterized in that the gaming machine is a slot machine. Among them, the basic configuration of a slot machine is "a gaming machine equipped with a variable display means for dynamically displaying a string of identification information consisting of a plurality of identification information and then definitively displaying the identification information, and equipped with a special game state generating means for generating a special game state advantageous to the player, the dynamic display of the identification information being started due to the operation of a start operating means (e.g., an operating lever) and stopped due to the operation of a stop operating means (a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and requiring that the definitive identification information at the time of stopping be a specific identification information." In this case, typical examples of gaming media include coins, medals, etc.

Gaming machine X2 is a pachinko gaming machine in any one of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10, and S1 to S4. Among them, the basic configuration of a pachinko gaming machine includes an operation handle, a ball is launched into a predetermined play area in response to the operation of the operation handle, and the identification information dynamically displayed on the display means is fixed and stopped after a predetermined time, with the necessary condition that the ball enters (or passes through) an operating port arranged at a predetermined position in the play area. In addition, when a special game state occurs, a variable winning device (specific winning port) located at a specific position within the game area opens in a specific manner, allowing balls to win, and a value (including not only prize balls but also data written to a magnetic card, etc.) is awarded according to the number of winning balls.

Gaming machine X3 is a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine in any of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10 and S1 to S4. Among these, the basic configuration of the combined gaming machine is "a gaming machine equipped with a variable display means for dynamically displaying a string of identification information consisting of a plurality of identification information and then definitively displaying the identification information, a gaming machine equipped with a special gaming state generating means for generating a special gaming state advantageous to the player, the dynamic display of the identification information being stopped by the operation of a start operating means (e.g., an operating lever) and stopped by the operation of a stop operating means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, the definitive identification information at the time of stopping being a specific identification information as a necessary condition, the gaming machine using balls as gaming media, requiring a predetermined number of balls to start the dynamic display of the identification information, and configured to pay out a large number of balls when the special gaming state is generated."

10. Pachinko machines (amusement machines)
13 Game board 60, 19060 Base board (game board)
60a, 19060a Through hole (opening)
60c Light transmitting hole (recessed portion)
64 First prize entrance (first passage, ball entrance)
140 2nd winning gate (ball entry gate, 1st ball entry gate, 2nd passage)
65a Specific winning hole (second winning hole)
162 Transmission shaft rod portion (support means)
163 Driven member (displacement means)
175 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
176 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means)
310 Rear case 405 Metal rail (guiding means)
410, 3410 Transmission unit (transmission means)
411 Drive gear (transmission means)
412 Transmission gear (transmission means)
413 End gear (transmission means)
414 Arm member (transmission means)
425 Storage plate portion (support means)
425b Omission (opening)
427 Through hole (restraint means)
428 Closure plate (support means, restraint means)
430 Lifting plate (base means, intermediate means)
433 Cylindrical part (suppression means)
441 Rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
442 Relative displacement member (middle means, tip side means)
444 Auxiliary arm member (foundation means, rotational displacement means)
444a Base end side portion (part, rotating shaft portion)
444b Arc-shaped gear portion (projection portion)
444d Cylindrical part (other part, rotating shaft part)
460 Feather-shaped member (tip side means, displacement means, first displacement means, second displacement means, arrangement displacement means)
464L forming portion (first displacement means, first displacing means)
464R forming portion (second displacement means, second displacing means)
490 Fixed transmission plate (displacement configuration means)
708 Partition member (support plate)
712 Thin film cover member (thin film member)
714 Light guide member (guiding means)
730 Plate-shaped displacement member (displacement means, first displacement means)
735 Small receiving part (first support part, second support part)
736 Large support part (first support part, second support part)
740 Hollow member (second displacement means)
743 Protruding columnar portion (second displacement means)
750 Variable decorative member (second displacement means)
761, 4761 Load member (displacement means, load applying means, transmission means)
761c Vertical rod-shaped extension part (pushing part)
761d Extension (attachment, range setting means)
762 Shaft rod portion (support means)
764 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
765 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means, range setting means)
777 Illumination board (light-emitting board)
DH1 Electrical wiring (electrical supply means)
MT1 Drive motor (drive means)
S1 Contact surface (split surface)
SOL1: Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means)
SOL2 Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means, load applying means, range setting means)
SP21 biasing spring (load applying means)
3441 Arm-equipped rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
930, 19930, 20930, 21930, 22930, 23930, 24930, 25930, 26930, 27930, 28930, 29930, 30930, 31930, 32930, 33930, 34930, 35930, 36930, 37930, 38930, 39930, 40930, 41930 Winning port unit (installation member)
940 Front unit (first member, first unit)
941 Rear base (fixing member)
941g, 19941g First receiving part (ball entrance)
942c Second ball sending section (first passage member)
943, 19943 Front base (main body, ball inlet)
943a Rolling portion (first passage, first passage member)
945 Blade member (first opening/closing member)
945b Protrusion (protruding portion)
951 Plate member (second opening/closing member, opening/closing member)
953a1 Opening (ball entrance)
953a2 rolling surface 953c ring protrusion (seat)
954b Recess (guide groove)
954c Protruding portion (second guide means)
954c2 Side portion 954c3 Side edge portion 954d Standing wall (first guide means)
954d1 Second guide surface (first inclined surface)
954d2 Second side edge (side edge)
955 Passage member (case member)
955a Recessed portion (passage member)
957a1 Main body 957a2 Shaft (drive shaft)
960 Drive unit (third member)
961a Main body portion 961b Shaft portion (drive shaft)
962e Arm portion (second engagement portion)
962f Wall section (covered surface section)
962g Protruding portion (first engaging portion)
140 2nd prize entry gate (ball entry gate, 2nd ball entry gate)
965, 18965 Transmission member (rotating member, first transmission mechanism)
965a Tip portion (first portion)
965b Rotating part (first part)
965c Rotation shaft 965d Protrusion (second portion)
965e Insertion part (contact part)
966, 8966, 11966, 12966, 14966, 18966 Displacement member (slide member, first transmission mechanism)
966a2, 8966a2 Slide groove 966a5 Inclined surface 8966a6 Recess (receiving portion)
966b2 One side abutted part 966b3 Other side abutted part 11968c, 18996g Blade part (rubbing part)
12966c2 Second blade portion (cutting member)
6683 Blade (cutting member)
970 Throwing unit (second unit)
980 Distribution unit (second member, second upstream unit)
981b Side wall portion (second passage, second passage member, third passage)
982b Inclined portion (bent portion)
982h1, 982j1 Guide section (standing section)
985e1, 985f1 inlet passage (second connecting passage)
988b Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
988c Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
900 Passage unit (second downstream unit)
991c1, 991d1 Recessed portion (receiving portion)
19941h Intermediate entrance (second passage)
19980, 20980, 21980, 22980, 23980, 24980, 25980, 26980, 27980, 28980, 29980, 30980, 31980, 32980, 33980, 34980, 35980, 36980, 37980, 38980, 39980, 40980, 41980 Distribution unit 19982a, 19986a, 31986a Side plate (guiding passage)
19982c, 39982c Game ball guide wall (guide passage)
19982d Protruding part (guiding passage)
19983, 24983, 25983, 29983, 30983, 31983, 32983, 33983, 37983, 38983 Distribution member 21981b1 Protrusion (adjustment means, protrusion)
24983a1 Protrusion (adjustment means, suppression means)
26983a2 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
26982a4 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
27982b2 Back side contact part (adjustment means)
28982b2 Back side contact portion (restraint means)
30983f Rubber sheet (adjustment means, one side receiving surface, other side receiving surface)
32983g Center of gravity adjustment unit 32983g (suppression means)
33983b1 Projection surface (adjustment means)
33983b2 Concave surface (adjustment means)
34982c, 34985j Bearing portion (restraint means, shaft hole)
37983h Curved surface (receiving surface)
38983a3, 38983a4 Action part (receiving surface)
TR0: Ball throwing passage (second passage, second upstream passage)
TR1, TR201 First passage (Second passage, Second branch passage, First passage)
TR2, TR202 Second passage (second passage, second branch passage)
TR3 Passage (second passage, adjustment means, drop area)
TR4, TR214, TR224, TR234 Passages (first passage, first upstream passage)
TR5 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR6 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR7 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR8 passage (first passage, first branch passage, first downstream passage)
TR9 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR10 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR11 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR12 passage (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
SE1 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE3 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE4 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE5 Detection device (first detection means, second detection means)
SE6 Detection device (second detection means, first detection means)
HS1 Wiring HS2 Wiring HS3 Wiring SP Spring (elastic member)
S1, S2 Screw C Collar (support wheel)
θ1 First driving range (outer range)
θ2: Second driving range (center range)
U1 opening (first branch passage)
U2 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U3 opening (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
U4 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U5 Opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first downstream passage)
U6 opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first winning port, second winning port)
U7 Opening (second passage, second winning hole, first winning hole)
U8 Opening (ball entrance)
U9 Opening (second passage)
GY3 3rd gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY4 4th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY5 5th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
WG One-way gear (adjustment means, suppression means, one-way clutch)

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

A gaming machine is known that is equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-148189 A

However, the conventional gaming machines described above had the problem of reducing space.

The present invention was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can save space.

To achieve this objective, the gaming machine described in claim 1 is equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass, and at least a portion of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is arranged along a direction that intersects with the gaming board.

The gaming machine described in claim 1 allows space to be secured.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board and the operating unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board and the operating unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the window movable unit taken along line XX in FIG. 2. 4A is a rear view of the window movable unit, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the window movable unit. 4A is a rear view of the window movable unit, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the window movable unit. FIG. 1 is an exploded front oblique view of a game board, an outer edge member, and a metal plate-shaped member. 1 is an exploded rear perspective view of a game board, an outer edge member, and a metal plate-shaped member. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit. 1A is an exploded front perspective view of a first operating unit, and FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of a feather-shaped member and an auxiliary member showing the meshing state of the feather-shaped member and the auxiliary member. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a first operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit; FIG. 2 is a top view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the support plate portion, the vane-shaped member, the auxiliary member, and the fixed transmission plate. FIG. 6A to 6C are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of a first operating unit. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a second operating unit. FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of the second operating unit. FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a second operating unit; FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a second operating unit; FIG. 13 is an exploded rear perspective view of the second operating unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a hollow member 740. 48(a) to 48(c) are cross-sectional views of the light-guiding member, the plate-shaped displacement member, and the hollow member taken along the line XLIX-XLIX in FIG. 47. FIG. 4A and 4B are front views of the drive unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of a second operating unit. 54A is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LVa-LVa in FIG. 53, and FIG. 54B is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LVb-LVb in FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a change in conduction of left and right electromagnetic solenoids over time and a change in the posture of a plate-shaped displacement member. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a change in conduction of left and right electromagnetic solenoids over time and a change in the posture of a plate-shaped displacement member. FIG. 13 is a top view of the second operating unit. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the rotational displacement of a large receiving portion. FIG. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A partial cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. A cross-sectional view of the second operating unit taken along line LXXII-LXXII in Figure 58. 13A and 13B are rear views of a window movable unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view of a first operating unit in the third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first operating unit. 6A to 6C are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of a first operating unit. 13A and 13B are front views of a drive unit of a second operating unit in a fourth embodiment. 54(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the second operating unit of the fifth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to the line LVa-LVa in FIG. 53. A front view of the game board in the sixth embodiment. An exploded oblique front view of the base plate, prize opening unit, and ball throwing unit. 1A is a front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit. 1A is a perspective front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of the prize slot unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the prize slot unit. 1A is a front view of the front unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the front unit. FIG. FIG. 1A is a front view of a displacement member, FIG. 1B is a side view of the displacement member, and FIG. 1C is a perspective front view of the displacement member. A rear view of the prize opening unit and displacement member in range XCI of Figure 87 (b). A rear view of the prize opening unit and displacement member in range XCI of Figure 87 (b). 4A is a side view of the drive unit, FIG. 4B is a top view of the drive unit, and FIG. 4C is a perspective front view of the drive unit. FIG. FIG. 93(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit taken along line XCVI-XCVI in FIG. 93(b). A cross-sectional view of the prize slot unit taken along line XCVII-XCVII in Figure 83. 97(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the winning port unit taken along line XCVIII-XCVIII in FIG. 97. 1A is a front view of a specific winning port unit, FIG. 1B is a rear view of the specific winning port unit, and FIG. 1C is a top view of the specific winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of a specific winning port unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the specific winning port unit 950. 99(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of a specific winning port unit taken along line CII-CII in FIG. 99(c). 13A and 13B are oblique front views of a specific winning port unit. 104(a) is a front view of a specific winning port unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit taken along line CIVb-CIVb in FIG. 104(a). 1A is a top view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the specific winning port unit and a drive unit. 106(a) is a cross-sectional view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit taken along line CVIa-CVIa in FIG. 105(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a specific winning port unit and a drive unit taken along line CVIb-CVIb in FIG. 106(a). 1A is a front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the throwing unit. 1A is an exploded perspective front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective rear view of the throwing unit. 4A is a front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the sorting unit. FIG. FIG. 112(a) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in FIG. 109(a), and FIG. 112(b) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CXIIb-CXIIb in FIG. 112(a). 112(a) and (b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the distribution unit in the range CXIII of FIG. 112(b). 4A is a front view of the passage unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the passage unit. FIG. FIG. 1A is a front view of the replacement unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the replacement unit. 118(a) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit taken along line CXVIIIa-CXVIIIa in FIG. 117(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit taken along line CXVIIIb-CXVIIIb in FIG. 118(a). A cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line CXIXa-CXIXa in Figure 81. 120(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). 120(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the game board in the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). FIG. 23 is a rear view of the front unit and the displacement member in the seventh embodiment. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of a drive unit and a drive shaft according to an eighth embodiment. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of a drive unit and a displacement member according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base and the displacement member in the tenth embodiment. 13A and 13B are rear views of the front unit and the displacement member. FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base and the displacement member in the eleventh embodiment. 13A and 13B are rear views of the front unit and the displacement member. 129(a) is a rear view of the front unit in the twelfth embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit along line CXXIXb-CXXIXb in FIG. 129(a). 130(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the thirteenth embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CXXXb-CXXXb in FIG. 130(a). 131(a) is a cross-sectional view of the prize opening unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the prize opening unit taken along line CXXXIb-CXXXIb in FIG. 131(a). 23A is a side view of the drive unit in the fourteenth embodiment, FIG. 23B is a top view of the drive unit, and FIG. 23C is a perspective front view of the drive unit. FIG. 133(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board, and FIG. 133(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line CXXXIIIb-CXXXIIIb in FIG. 133(a). 15A is a cross-sectional view of a game board according to a fifteenth embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of a game board according to a sixteenth embodiment. 135(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit in the 17th embodiment viewed from the rear, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit taken along line CXXXVb-CXXXVb in Figure 135(a). FIG. 136(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit viewed from behind, and FIG. 136(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIb-CXXXVIb in FIG. 136(a). 137(a) is a schematic diagram of the winning port unit viewed from the rear, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIIb-CXXXVIIb in FIG. 137(a). FIG. 23 is an exploded oblique front view of the game board in the 18th embodiment. 1A is a front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit. 1A is a perspective front view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit. An exploded oblique front view of the prize slot unit. An exploded oblique rear view of the prize slot unit. 143(a) is a front view of the front unit, (b) is a rear view of the front unit, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the front unit taken along line CXLIIIc-CXLIIIc in FIG. 143(a). 1A is a perspective front view of the front unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the front unit. FIG. FIG. 4A is a front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the sorting unit. 4A is a perspective front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 4B is a perspective rear view of the sorting unit. FIG. FIG. 149 , (a) is a side view of the first side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIa in FIG. 149 , (b) is a side view of the first side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIb in FIG. 149 , (c) is a side view of the second side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLIc in FIG. 149 , and (d) is a side view of the second side base as viewed in the direction of arrow CLId in FIG. 149 . A cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CLIIa-CLIIa in Figure 147(a). 152(a) is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit taken along line CLIII-CLIII in FIG. 152(a). 154(a) is a front view of the passage unit, (b) is a top view of the passage unit, (c) is a side view of the passage unit, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the passage unit taken along line CLIVd-CLIVd in FIG. 154(a). 4A is a perspective front view of the passage unit, and FIG. 4B is a perspective rear view of the passage unit. FIG. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLVIII-CLVIII in Figure 139(a), where (a) shows the wing member in a closed state, and (b) shows the wing member in an open state. 139(a) is a partially enlarged view of the winning opening unit in the range CLIXa of FIG. 139(a) when the feather members are in the closed state, and FIG. 139(b) is a side view of the winning opening unit when the feather members are in the closed state. 139(a) is a partially enlarged view of the winning opening unit in the range CLIXa of FIG. 139(a) when the feather members are in the open state, and FIG. 139(b) is a side view of the winning opening unit when the feather members are in the open state. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in a first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in a second position. 162(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLXIIa-CLXIIa in FIG. 161, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit taken along line CLXIIb-CLXIIb in FIG. 162(a). 109(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit in the nineteenth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in FIG. 109(a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the twentieth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 21st embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 22nd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 23rd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 24th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 25th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 26th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 27th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 28th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 29th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. 30(a) is a top view of the prize opening unit in the 30th embodiment, and (b) is a side view of the prize opening unit. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 31st embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 32nd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 33rd embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is displaced forward while maintaining the attitude (angle) arranged in the first position inside the bearing portion described below, and (c) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 34th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 35th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 36th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 37th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the prize winning port unit in the 38th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), where (a) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position, and (b) shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the second position. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the thirty-ninth embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a), and shows the state in which the distribution member is arranged in the first position. This is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit in the 40th embodiment, corresponding to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). 1A is a side view of the winning port unit, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the winning port unit.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to Figs. 1 to 44, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10 will be described. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view of the game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the pachinko machine 10 has an outer frame 11, whose outer shell is formed by wooden frames assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12, which is formed to roughly the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable towards the front, with the side where the hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having numerous nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc. is attached to the inner frame 12 so that it can be detached from the back side. A pinball game is played by balls (game balls) flowing down the front of the game board 13. The inner frame 12 is also fitted with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) that launches balls into the front area of the game board 13, and a launch rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of the game board 13.

On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper front side, and a lower tray unit 15 that covers the lower side. Metal hinges 19 are attached to two places, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), to support the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15, and the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front side, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be released by inserting a special key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts and electrical parts, and has a window 14c formed in a roughly elliptical shape at its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the rear side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

The front frame 14 has an upper tray 17 for storing balls, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top and extends out to the front, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4). In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17. This frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the stage of the performance displayed on the third pattern display device 81 (see Figure 2) or when changing the content of the Super Reach performance.

The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around its periphery (for example, corners). These light-emitting means change and control the light-emitting state by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a certain reach is reached, and play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. The periphery of the window portion 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating illumination units such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks due to the built-in LEDs lighting up or blinking, thereby notifying that a jackpot is being hit or that a reach is being reached just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left corner of the front frame 14 when viewed from the front (see Figure 1) is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating an illumination unit such as an LED that can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

A small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination section 32 from the back side so that the back side of the front frame 14 can be seen, and the certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. In addition, in order to create a more dazzling appearance, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination sections 29-33 in the pachinko machine 10.

Below the window 14c, a ball lending operation unit 40 is provided. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into the card unit (ball lending unit) (not shown) arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out according to the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and the built-in LED is lit to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on the information recorded on the card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of the card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use a card unit and cash machines.

The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 on the left side that is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top for storing balls that cannot be stored in the upper tray 17. An operating handle 51 is provided on the right side of the lower tray 50, which is operated by the player to shoot the ball into the front of the game board 13.

The operating handle 51 contains a touch sensor 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, a launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of balls while the switch is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) for detecting the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the operating handle 51 is rotated clockwise by the player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in response to the amount of rotation, and the ball is launched with a strength (launch strength) corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, thereby hitting the ball into the front of the game board 13 with a flight amount corresponding to the player's operation. When the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the launch stop switch 51b are turned off.

A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, the bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. This ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray (not shown) is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

As shown in Figure 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails (not shown) and a windmill (not shown) for guiding balls to a base plate 60 cut into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general winning port 63, a first winning port 64, a second winning port 140, a variable winning device 65, a through gate 67, a variable display unit 80, etc., and the peripheral portion is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

The base plate 60 is formed from a wooden plate member. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with tapping screws or the like. The base plate 60 may be made of a light-transmitting resin material. In this case, it becomes possible for the player to see the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side.

The central front portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see Figure 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into an approximately arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13, and an inner rail 61 formed of a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62 is set up inside the outer rail 62. The inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 surround the front outer periphery of the game board 13, and the game board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) surround the front and back, forming a game area in front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. The game area is an area (where prize holes and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) that is partitioned in front of the game board 13 and is formed by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 that connects the rails.

The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4) to the top of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip of the inner rail 61 (upper left in Figure 2), which prevents a ball that has been guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning back into the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip of the outer rail 62 (upper right in Figure 2) at a position corresponding to the maximum flight part of the ball, and a ball launched with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back toward the center while its force is reduced.

At the lower left side of the game area when viewed from the front (lower left side of FIG. 2), the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are provided, each equipped with a plurality of LEDs as light-emitting means and a seven-segment display. The first pattern display devices 37A and 37B display information according to the controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and mainly display the game status of the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the first pattern display devices 37A and 37B are configured to be used differently depending on whether the ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 140. Specifically, when the ball has entered the first winning hole 64, the first pattern display device 37A is activated, whereas when the ball has entered the second winning hole 140, the first pattern display device 37B is activated.

The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B also use LEDs to indicate whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode, whether it is fluctuating, whether the stopped symbol corresponds to a special mode jackpot, a normal jackpot, or a miss, and the number of reserved balls, while the seven-segment display device displays the number of rounds during a jackpot and any errors. The multiple LEDs are configured to emit different colors (e.g., red, green, blue), and the combination of these colors can indicate various game states of the pachinko machine 10 with a small number of LEDs.

In addition, in this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 140. In the lottery, the pachinko machine 10 determines whether or not there is a jackpot (jackpot lottery), and if it determines that there is a jackpot, it also determines the type of jackpot. The types of jackpots that can be determined here include a 15R special jackpot, a 4R special jackpot, and a 15R regular jackpot. The first pattern display devices 37A, 37B not only show whether the result of the lottery is a jackpot or not as the stopping pattern after the fluctuation has ended, but also show a pattern according to the type of jackpot if there is a jackpot.

Here, a "15R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and a "4R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4. A "15R normal jackpot" is a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and is in a time-saving state for a specified number of changes (for example, 100 changes).

The "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot increases after the jackpot as an added value, that is, when the probability is fluctuating (during a probability change), in other words, a state in which it is easy to transition to a special game state. In this embodiment, the high probability state (during a probability change) includes a game state in which the probability of hitting the second symbol, which will be described later, is increased and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 140. The "low probability state" refers to a time when the probability change is not in progress, and refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot is normal, that is, a state in which the probability of a jackpot is lower than in a probability change. In addition, the time-saving state (during time-saving) of the "low probability state" refers to a game state in which the probability of a jackpot is normal and the probability of a jackpot remains the same, only the probability of a jackpot increases, and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 140. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state, which is neither a probability change nor a time-saving state (a state in which neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of a jackpot for the second symbol is increased).

During the special probability period or the time-saving period, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time that the feather member 945 (electric device) attached to the second winning port 140 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal times. When the feather member 945 is in an open state (open state), it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140 than when the feather member 945 is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the special probability period or the time-saving period, it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

In addition, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, instead of changing the opening time of the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140, or in addition to changing the opening time, the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may be increased compared to normal. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the probability of winning the second pattern may not be changed, and at least one of the time the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may be changed. Also, during the probability bonus or time-saving period, the time the feather member 945 associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the feather member 945 opens in one hit may not be changed, and only the probability of winning the second pattern may be changed to be increased compared to normal.

In the play area, there are arranged a plurality of general winning holes 63 through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning hole. In addition, a variable display unit 80 is arranged in the center of the play area. The variable display unit 80 is provided with a third pattern display device 81 consisting of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply abbreviated as "display device") that performs a variable display of a third pattern while synchronizing with the variable display in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, triggered by the winning (initial winning) in the first winning hole 64 and the second winning hole 140, and a second pattern display device (not shown) consisting of an LED that displays a variable display of a second pattern, triggered by the passage of a ball through the through gate 67. In addition, a center frame 86 is arranged in the variable display unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81.

The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 9-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 4), so that, for example, three symbol rows, top, middle, and bottom, are displayed. Each symbol row is configured with a plurality of symbols (third symbols), and these third symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, so that the third symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. The third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment performs decorative display according to the display of the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, while the display of the game state associated with the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4) is performed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B. Note that the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, reels instead of a display device.

The second symbol display device performs a variable display in which a "circle" and an "x" symbol as display symbols (second symbol (not shown)) are alternately lit for a predetermined period of time each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. In the pachinko machine 10, when it is detected that the ball has passed through the through gate 67, a winning lottery is held. If the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "circle" symbol after the second symbol is displayed in a variable manner. If the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "x" symbol after the third symbol is displayed in a variable manner.

The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the variable display in the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a "circle" pattern), the feather member 945 attached to the second winning port 140 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

The time it takes for the second symbol to change and display is set to be shorter during a special probability or time-saving mode than during normal play. As a result, during special probability and time-saving mode, the second symbol changes and displays in a short time, so more winning draws can be held than during normal play. This increases the chances of winning in the winning draw, giving the player more opportunities to have the wing member 945 of the second winning port 140 open. Therefore, during special probability and time-saving mode, it is possible to create a state in which it is easier for the ball to win the second winning port 140.

Note that if the state is such that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning port 140 during a special probability or time-saving period by increasing the probability of winning, increasing the opening time or number of times the feather member 945 opens for one win, or other methods, the time it takes for the second symbol to change display may be constant regardless of the game state. On the other hand, if the time it takes for the second symbol to change display is set shorter during a special probability or time-saving period than during normal times, the probability of winning may be constant regardless of the game state, and the opening time or number of times the feather member 945 opens for one win may be constant regardless of the game state.

The through gates 67 are attached to the game board 13 in the left and right areas of the variable display unit 80, and are configured to allow a portion of the ball launched onto the game board 13 to pass through. When a ball passes through the through gates 67, a winning lottery for the second symbol is held. After the winning lottery, a variable display is performed on the second symbol display device, and if the winning lottery results in a winning lottery, a "○" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display, and if the winning lottery results in a losing lottery, a "X" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display.

The number of times that a ball passes through the through gate 67 can be reserved up to a maximum of four times in total, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the above-mentioned first pattern display devices 37A, 37B, and is also displayed by lighting the second pattern reserved lamp (not shown). There are four second pattern reserved lamps, the maximum number of reserved balls, and they are arranged symmetrically below the third pattern display device 81.

The second pattern change display may be performed by switching on and off a plurality of lamps in the second pattern display device as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first pattern display device 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, the second pattern reserve lamp may be turned on by a part of the third pattern display device 81. The maximum number of reserved balls for the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is not limited to four times, but may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). The number of through gates 67 installed is not limited to two, but may be one, for example. The installation position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the left or right of the variable display unit 80, but may be below the variable display unit 80, for example. Since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display devices 37A, 37B, the second pattern reserve lamp may not be turned on.

A first winning hole 64 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the variable display unit 80. When a ball enters this first winning hole 64, a first winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on. When the first winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37A.

On the other hand, a second winning hole 140 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the first winning hole 64 when viewed from the front. When a ball enters this second winning hole 140, a second winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on, and when the second winning hole switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is held by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37B.

The first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140 are also each one of the winning ports through which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning port. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140 may be different numbers, for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 140 may be five.

The second winning opening 140 is provided with a feather member 945. This feather member 945 is configured to be able to open and close, and is normally in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win the second winning opening 140. On the other hand, when the second pattern display device displays a "○" pattern as a result of the variable display of the second pattern, which is triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the feather member 945 opens (expands), making it easier for the ball to win the second winning opening 140.

As described above, during the special rate and time-saving period, the probability of the second symbol winning is higher than during normal play, and the time it takes for the second symbol to change display is also shorter, so the "○" symbol is more likely to appear in the change display of the second symbol, and the number of times the wing member 945 is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the special rate and time-saving period, the wing member 945 is open for a longer period than during normal play. Therefore, during the special rate and time-saving period, it is possible to create an environment in which the ball is more likely to win the second winning hole 140 than during normal play.

The probability of a jackpot occurring when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 is the same as when a ball enters the second winning slot 140, regardless of whether the probability is low or high. However, the probability of a 15R special jackpot being selected as the type of jackpot occurring when a jackpot occurs is set to be higher when a ball enters the second winning slot 140 than when a ball enters the first winning slot 64. On the other hand, the first winning slot 64 does not have the feather member that the second winning slot 140 has, and the ball is always capable of winning.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, the feather member associated with the second winning opening 140 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning opening 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to aim for the first winning opening 64, which does not have a feather member, by shooting the ball so that it passes to the left of the variable display unit 80 (so-called "left shot"), and by having the ball win at the first winning opening 64, gaining more opportunities for the jackpot lottery and aiming to win the jackpot.

On the other hand, during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, the feather member 945 attached to the second winning port 140 is likely to be opened by passing the ball through the through gate 67, making it easier to win at the second winning port 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning port 140 so that it passes to the right of the variable display device 80 (the so-called "right hit"), passing through the through gate 67 to open the feather member, and aiming for the ball to win at the second winning port 140, resulting in a 15R special bonus jackpot.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, since the game board 13 is configured symmetrically, it is possible to aim for the first winning slot 64 with a "right hit" and for the second winning slot 140 with a "left hit". Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment does not require the player to change the way the ball is shot between "left hit" and "right hit" depending on the game state of the pachinko machine 10 (whether it is in a special mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode). This eliminates the hassle of having to change the way the ball is shot.

A variable winning device 65 (see FIG. 2) is provided below the first winning port 64, and a specific winning port 65a is provided in the approximate center of the device. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery performed due to winning in the first winning port 64 or the second winning port 140 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first pattern display device 37A or the first pattern display device 37B is turned on to show the jackpot stop pattern, and the stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 to indicate the occurrence of a jackpot. After that, the game state transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which balls are more likely to win. In this special game state, the specific winning port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed, or until 10 balls have won).

This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after this closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is taking place is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an addition of game value (game value).

The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when the LED corresponding to the big win is lit in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and while the specific winning opening 65a is open, a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a, triggering the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a to be opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, forming a game state as a special game state. Also, the specific winning opening 65a is not limited to one, and one or more than two (for example, three) may be arranged, and the arrangement position is not limited to the lower right side of the first winning opening 64 or the lower left side of the first winning opening 64, but may be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

The right corner of the lower side of the game board 13 is provided with an attachment space K1 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to the attachment space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

The game board 13 is provided with an outlet 71. Balls that flow down the game area and do not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 640 are guided through the outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The outlets 71 are arranged in pairs on the left and right of the specific winning hole 65a.

The game board 13 has many nails planted in it to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various parts (gimmicks) such as windmills are also arranged on it.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113) and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115) and a card unit connection board 116.

The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92, which forms the protective cover, and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each part, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as necessary.

The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100-104. The board boxes 100-104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

The board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected to the box base and box cover by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened (connected by a crimping structure). A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if you try to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, you can know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

The payout unit 93 is equipped with a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132, which pays out balls using a specified electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 4). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 pays out the required number of balls as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibration to the tank rail 131.

The payout control device 111 is also provided with a state recovery switch 120, the firing control device 112 with a variable resistor control knob 121, and the power supply device 115 with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to clear ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 4). The control knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, which is a one-chip microcomputer that is an arithmetic device. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission/reception circuit. In the main control device 110, the MPU 201 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as the jackpot lottery, the display settings on the first pattern display devices 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81, and the lottery for the display results on the second pattern display device.

In addition, in order to instruct the sub-control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices via a data transmission/reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction, from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices.

RAM 203 has various areas, counters, and flags, as well as a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of MPU 201 and the return addresses of control programs executed by MPU 201 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which various flags, counters, I/O values, etc. are stored. Note that RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from power supply device 115 even after power to pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in RAM 203 is backed up.

When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values of each register at the time of the power outage (including the occurrence of a power outage; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the power turned on when the power outage is resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is performed by main processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is performed during start-up processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned on. Note that the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of MPU 201 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to MPU 201, NMI interrupt processing (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage processing.

The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is connected to an input/output port 205 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the second pattern display device, the second pattern reservation lamp, and solenoids 209 consisting of a large opening solenoid for driving the opening and closing of the specific winning port 65a to the front side around the lower edge of the opening and closing plate as an axis, and a solenoid for driving the blade member are connected to the input/output port 205, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input/output port 205.

The input/output port 205 is also connected to various switches 208, which are made up of a group of switches (not shown) and a group of sensors including a slide position detection sensor S and a rotation position detection sensor R, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115. The MPU 201 executes various processes based on the signals output from the various switches 208 and the RAM erase signal SG2 output from the RAM erase switch circuit 253.

The payout control device 111 drives the payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values of various flags, counters, I/O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. Note that, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is also configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage process.

The MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 is connected to an input/output port 215 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The main control device 110, payout motor 216, launch control device 112, etc. are each connected to the input/output port 215. In addition, although not shown, a prize ball detection switch for detecting the paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that the prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111, but is not connected to the main control device 110.

When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the strength of the ball launch corresponds to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in response to the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51.

The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29-33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and advance notice performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 221, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

An input/output port 225 is connected to the MPU 221 of the voice and lamp control device 113 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the voice output device 226, the lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, etc. The other devices 228 include the drive motor MT1 and the electromagnetic solenoids SOL1 and SOL2.

The voice lamp control device 113 determines the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 based on various commands (variation pattern command, stop type command, etc.) received from the main control device 110, and notifies the display control device 114 of the determined display mode by commands (display variation pattern command, display stop type command, etc.). The voice lamp control device 113 also monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the frame button 22 is operated by the player, instructs the display control device 114 to change the stage displayed on the third symbol display device 81 or change the performance content during a super reach. When the stage is changed, a back image change command including information about the changed stage is sent to the display control device 114 so that the third symbol display device 81 displays a back image corresponding to the changed stage. Here, the back image refers to an image displayed on the back side of the third symbol, which is the main image to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The display control device 114 displays various images on the third symbol display device 81 according to the command sent from this voice lamp control device 113.

The voice lamp control device 113 also receives a command (display command) from the display control device 114 that indicates the display content of the third pattern display device 81. Based on the display command received from the display control device 114, the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a voice corresponding to the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content, and also controls the turning on and off of the lamp display device 227 in accordance with the display content.

The display control device 114 is connected to the sound lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the display of the third pattern display device 81, such as the variable performance of the third pattern, based on commands received from the sound lamp control device 113. The display control device 114 also transmits display commands to the sound lamp control device 113 as appropriate, notifying the display contents of the third pattern display device 81. The sound lamp control device 113 can match the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the sound output from the sound output device 226 by outputting sound from the sound output device 226 in accordance with the display contents indicated by the display commands.

The power supply unit 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruption due to a power failure or the like, and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erase switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltage to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in an externally supplied 24-volt AC voltage, generates a 12-volt voltage for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control unit 111 when the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs a power failure signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. The power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5 volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (not shown) normally.

The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and sends a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

Next, the structure of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300 will be described. Figure 5 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300, and Figure 6 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300. Note that Figure 2 will be referred to as appropriate in the explanation of Figures 5 and 6. Also, the third pattern display device 81 is omitted from Figure 6.

As described above, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails (not shown) and a windmill (not shown) for guiding balls on a base plate 60 machined into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 140, a through gate 67, a variable winning device 65, a variable display unit 80, a pair of left and right window movable units 150, and a ball flow-down unit 290 configured to allow balls discharged from the game area to flow down, and the peripheral portion of the board is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

As mentioned above, the base plate 60 is made of plywood made by overlapping plywood sheets, and is formed so that it can be shielded by the base plate 60 so that the player cannot see the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the base plate 60 has a through hole drilled at approximately the center to accommodate the variable display unit 80, as well as multiple (two in this embodiment) small through holes 60a drilled to pass electrical wiring connected to the through gate 67, multiple (three in this embodiment) mating recesses 60b recessed to allow for concave-convex mating with the front end of the operating unit 300, and multiple (two in this embodiment) light-transmitting holes 60c drilled in the front-rear direction at the lower left and right sides.

The light transmission hole 60c is formed at a position where light irradiated from the operating unit 300 side can pass through, improving the presentation effect of the game board 13 from the perspective of light emission presentation. This will be explained in detail.

On the front side of the light passage hole 60c, the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 made of a light-transmitting resin material are arranged, and the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 are fastened and fixed to the base plate 60 in such a manner that the outer parts 94 of the flow-down surface constituent members 91, 92 cover the light passage hole 60c.

The left and right flow surface component members 91, 92 are configured in an approximately symmetrical shape, except that a covering plate FB is disposed on the front side of the right flow surface component member 92. Therefore, the left flow surface component member 91 will be described in detail, and a description of the right flow surface component member 92 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the flow-down surface component 91 is configured such that the play area is divided by a plate-like portion arranged along the front surface of the base plate 60 and a band-like portion 93 formed in a band of the same width as the inner rail 61, and includes the band-like portion 93, an outer portion 94 which is the outer portion (outer portion when viewed from the front) of the play area divided by the band-like portion 93, and an inner portion 95 which is the inner portion (inner portion when viewed from the front) of the play area divided by the band-like portion 93.

As described above, the outer portion 94 is located outside the play area, and is therefore configured as a portion that is unlikely to affect the flow of the ball downstream. Therefore, since there is no need to consider the effect on the ball caused by the displacement of the outer plate portion 94, the thickness of the outer portion 94 can be designed to be thin.

In addition, even if the thickness of the inner portion 95 becomes thin as a result of designing the outer portion 94 to be thin, the thickness of the base plate 60 is disposed on the back side of the inner portion 95, so that the rigidity of the base plate 60 can be utilized to suppress the fore-and-aft displacement of the inner portion 95 (deformation in the thickness direction). Furthermore, by designing the outer portion 94 and the inner portion 95 to be thin, the fore-and-aft width of the play area can be sufficiently secured.

In this way, the thickness of the outer portion 94 can be designed to be thin without compromising the functionality required of the inner portion 95, and as a result, the light irradiated from the operating unit 300 side and passing through the light transmission hole 60c can be easily seen by the player through the outer portion 94.

In this embodiment, since the base plate 60 is formed from a wooden plate member, it is difficult for the player to see the light irradiated from the back side through the thickness of the base plate 60. On the other hand, by forming a light transmission hole 60c (see FIG. 6) as in this embodiment and arranging a light emitting means on the back side, it is possible to easily change the brightness seen through the base plate 60 while constructing the base plate 60 from a wooden plate member.

For example, when forming a decorative pattern that appears to be continuously connected between the outer portion 94 and other portions when viewed from the front, the appearance of the same decorative pattern can be changed into multiple types by varying the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778 arranged on the illumination board 777 located on the back side of the outer portion 94 and changing the brightness of the outer portion 94.

For example, a decorative member that changes the visible pattern depending on the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778 may be attached to the outer portion 94. In this case, the appearance (image) of the game board 13 can be significantly changed depending on the light emission mode of the light emitting means 778.

The form of the decorative member that changes the visible pattern depending on the light emission form is not limited in any way. For example, it may be a member that is designed to make different patterns visible depending on the angle at which light is shone, such as an illumination plate. Also, for example, it may be a member that is designed to change the visible pattern by changing the light emission color, assuming that a pattern is drawn in multiple colors and multiple colors of light are available for irradiation.

As described above, the inner portion 95 is disposed inside the play area. If the inner portion 95 is displaced (deformed), this may affect the balls flowing down the play area. However, in this embodiment, the flesh of the base plate 60 is arranged on the back side of the inner portion 95 (the light-transmitting hole 60c is arranged to be located on the outer portion 94 side relative to the band-shaped portion 93 when viewed from the front), so the rigidity of the base plate 60 can be used to prevent displacement (deformation) of the inner portion 95. This stabilizes the flow of the balls down the play area.

A general winning opening 63 is provided in the inner portion 95, and the general winning opening 63 is provided in a through hole formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and the flow-down surface component 91 is fixed from the front side of the game board 13 by tapping screws or the like.

The central front portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14c (see Figure 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

As described above, the variable display device unit 80 has a center frame 86 arranged around the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81, and the window movable units 150 are arranged at the upper left and right corners of the center frame 86.

Figure 7 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13. Note that in Figure 7, the lower part of the game board 13 is omitted, and the auxiliary device 160 is exploded and shown from a front perspective.

The window movable unit 150 is equipped with a displacement member 151 that can be rotated and displaced and is configured so that the player can see through the window inside the center frame 86, and an auxiliary device 160 that is disposed on the rear side of the displacement member 151 and generates a driving force to drive the displacement member 151 and irradiates light toward the displacement member 151.

The displacement member 151 is formed in a bifurcated shape when viewed from the front to rear direction, and includes a bifurcated portion 152 that is supported at a base end portion formed near the bent portion, a tip portion 153 that is disposed at both ends of the bifurcated portion 152 and formed in a box shape (bag-like, cup-like) with an open back side, and a protruding portion 154 that protrudes radially from the base end portion of the bifurcated portion 152.

The tip 153 is equipped with a presentation part 153a formed in a box shape (bag-like, cup-like) with the bottom side facing the front and arranged so that it can be seen by the player, and a ring-shaped part 153b fastened and fixed to the open side of the presentation part 153a, the opposite side of the presentation part 153a being narrower than the side of the presentation part 153a.

The performance section 153a has a light-diffusing shape (jagged shape) formed on the inside surface, and can diffuse the light that is irradiated from the back side to the inside of the open section. Therefore, even if the light that is actually irradiated is only irradiated over a narrow range, the entire performance section 153a can be seen to be (faintly) glowing to a player viewing the performance section 153a from the front side.

The projection 154 has a range of displacement in both directions of rotation that is determined by a pair of claws 86a that protrude from the center frame 86. In other words, the displacement member 151 is configured to be rotatably displaceable at an angle (less than 360 degrees) determined by the arrangement of the claws 86a and its relationship with the projection 154.

Figure 8 is an exploded front perspective view of the auxiliary device 160, and Figure 9 is an exploded rear perspective view of the auxiliary device 160. The auxiliary device 160 includes an abutment member 161 arranged at a position where it can abut against the displacement member 151 (see Figure 7), a metal (brass in this embodiment) transmission shaft rod portion 162 whose one end (front end) is connected to the abutment member 161 so as not to rotate relative to the abutment member 161, a driven member 163 connected to the other end (rear end) of the transmission shaft rod portion 162 so as not to rotate relative to the abutment member 161, a known E-ring 164 fitted radially into both ends of the transmission shaft rod portion 162, a support case 170 configured to support the transmission shaft rod portion 162 and configured as a case-shaped support case, and an illumination board 180 disposed inside the support case 170.

The transmission shaft rod portion 162 is a cylindrical member with a perfectly circular outer shape when viewed in the axial direction (front-rear direction) at the middle portion, and both ends are cut into a planar shape from a predetermined radial direction, giving both ends an approximately D-shaped cross section. These both end portions fit into the insertion hole 161b of the abutting member 161 and the insertion hole 163b of the driven member 163, connecting the abutting member 161, the transmission shaft rod portion 162, and the driven member 163 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other (integrally).

The abutment member 161 is made of a resin material and has a base end 161a in which a through hole 161b having a D-shaped cross section is drilled and through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and an arm portion 161c extending outward from the base end 161a and configured to be roughly U-shaped when viewed from the front.

The driven member 163 is made of a resin material and has a base end 163a in which a through hole 163b having a D-shaped cross section is drilled and through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and an arm portion 163c that extends straight outward from the base end 161a and is configured in a generally flat plate shape.

A metal plate member MB1 made of metal (magnetic material) is disposed on the upper surface of the driven member 163. In this embodiment, the metal plate member MB1 is fixed to the driven member 163 by engaging with the elastic claw 163d.

In more detail, rails are provided at both radial ends of the arm 163c to guide the metal plate member MB1 forward and backward, and the rails are formed so that the metal plate member MB1 can be guided only from the front side (only the front side is fully open). When the metal plate member MB1 is slid along the rails, the elastic claws 163d are pressed down by the metal plate member MB1, and when the metal plate member MB1 is slid in this state, the metal plate member MB1 hits the rear side wall of the rails, restricting the sliding, and at this position, the metal plate member MB1 is released from pressing down on the elastic claws 163d (it has risen to a position facing the side of the metal plate member MB1), and the elastic claws 163d engage to restrict the metal plate member MB1 from retracting to the front side.

The method of fixing the metal plate member MB1 to the driven member 163 is not limited to this. For example, the metal plate member MB1 may be fastened to the driven member 163, tied with a cable tie, or attached with adhesive tape, etc.

The support case 170 comprises a rear member 170B, a middle member 170M that is disposed on the front side of the rear member 170B and has a support hole 174 through which the transmission shaft rod portion 162 is inserted, and a front member 170F that is disposed on the front side of the middle member 170M and has a decorative shape (wave pattern) formed on the front side. These multiple (three in this embodiment) plate-shaped members are stacked front to back and fastened together.

The illumination board 180 is formed in a plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the front to match the shape of the front member 170F, and is equipped with a light-emitting means 181 consisting of multiple LEDs etc. that are arranged in a position designed with consideration for the presentation, a connector 182 that is arranged as a part to which electrical wiring is connected, and multiple through holes 183 that are drilled in the illumination board 180 for assembly.

The light emitting means 181 includes a strong light emitting means 181a arranged inside the light transmission hole 177 when viewed from the front, and a weak light emitting means 181b arranged outside the light transmission hole 177 (facing the back surface of the plate of the front member 170F).

The through hole 183 is formed in an elliptical shape that is long along the inclined direction. This makes it easy to assemble the through hole 183 to the protruding cylindrical portion 172, which has a perfect circular outer shape when viewed from the front.

That is, while the orientation of the illumination board 180 is tilted (see FIG. 10), the protruding direction of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 is not tilted (front-to-back), which makes assembly problems (not being able to assemble or coming loose) more likely to occur than when assembling in the same direction. However, in this embodiment, the through hole 183 is formed in a long oval shape along the direction in which the orientation of the illumination board 180 is tilted, so that the through hole 183 can have a larger margin along the tilt direction, making it easier to assemble the through hole 183 to the protruding cylindrical portion 172.

The illuminated board 180 is housed between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M, with the front of the illuminated board 180 facing diagonally downward (the normal line is inclined downward toward the front side). This will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 10.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the window movable unit 150 taken along line X-X in Figure 2. To facilitate understanding, the rear member 170B is omitted from the illustration, and the outline of the displacement member 151 is shown by imaginary lines. Line X-X is positioned to pass through the center of the upper protruding cylindrical portion 172. In the following explanation, Figures 8 and 9 will be referred to as appropriate.

The shape of the wall portion on the front side of the middle member 170M is different between the upper wall portion 170MU and the lower wall portion 170MD. That is, the upper wall portion 170MU is configured as a non-inclined wall portion (with a normal line facing horizontally), and the lower wall portion 170MD is configured as an inclined wall portion (with a normal line facing downward toward the front side).

In this way, the illuminated board 180 is supported so that the back surface of the board is aligned with the lower wall portion 170MD (the normal is inclined downward toward the front side) with respect to the wall portions having different normals. In other words, in the assembled state (see FIG. 2), the direction of the optical axis of the light emitted from the light-emitting means 181 of the illuminated board 180 is inclined downward toward the front side.

The middle member 170M has a protruding frame portion 171 that protrudes in a frame shape toward the front side, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 172 that protrude in a thin cylindrical shape toward the front side inside the protruding frame portion, and wiring holes 173 that are drilled in the front-rear direction in an arrangement surrounding the connector 182 at the left and right outer corners (left side).

The protruding frame 171 abuts against the outer frame of the front member 170F at the front and rear, sealing the entire periphery of the illuminated board 180. This prevents the illuminated board 180 from being visible between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M, and also prevents light leakage from similar positions.

The protruding cylindrical portion 172 has a large diameter seat and a small diameter insertion portion that protrudes further from the seat. By assembling the insertion portion so that it fits into the through hole 183 of the illumination board 180, the back surface of the illumination board 180 is supported by the seat, and the position of the illumination board 180 can be stabilized.

The seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 arranged on the upper wall portion 170MU is higher than the seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 arranged on the lower wall portion 170MD. This allows the illumination board 180, which is assembled in the above-mentioned inclined position, to be stably supported, and also ensures a gap between the upper wall portion 170MU and the illumination board 180.

The protruding tip of the seat of the protruding cylindrical portion 172 is formed as an inclined surface (a surface configured so that the protruding length becomes shorter the further downward) that matches the posture of the illumination board 180. This allows the protruding cylindrical portion 172 to be given not only the function of stabilizing the positioning of the illumination board 180, but also the function of stabilizing the posture of the illumination board 180.

The wiring hole 173 is a through hole for passing electrical wiring connected to the connector 182 of the illumination board 180. The position of the illumination board 180 can be maintained by the load applied to the illumination board 180 via this electrical wiring, so the position of the illumination board 180 can be stably supported without fastening the illumination board 180.

The front member 170F is made of a colored (white in this embodiment) light-transmitting resin material with a shape such that the rear surface is a surface approximately parallel to the lower wall portion 170MD, and is provided with a number of light-transmitting holes 177 drilled in a circular shape in the front-rear direction, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 178 protruding in a thin cylindrical shape toward the rear side, and an L-shaped support portion 179 that is L-shaped when viewed from the left to right direction and connects between the rear surface of the plate and the frame portion that forms the outer periphery.

The light-transmitting hole 177 is formed so as to surround any of the LEDs constituting the light-emitting means 181 in a front view. This causes the light-emitting means 181 arranged on the rear side of the light-transmitting hole 177 and the other light-emitting means 181 to be viewed differently from the front side of the front member 170F. In other words, the inside of the light-transmitting hole 177 can be visually perceived as emitting a stronger light than the other locations.

The protruding cylindrical sections 178 are formed with multiple protruding lengths that are approximately equal. This allows the distance between the main plate section of the front member 170F and the illuminated board 180 to be uniform throughout the entire range in which the illuminated board 180 is arranged, while the illuminated board 180 in an inclined position can be surface-supported at multiple positions, thereby improving the stability of the support for the illuminated board 180 while maintaining the freedom of arrangement of the light-emitting means 181 and suppressing unevenness in the light emission pattern.

In other words, since the illuminated board 180 is inclined with the front of the board facing downward toward the front side, it is preferable to support it from the front side to maintain that position, but if a large-area support part is provided in one place to support the illuminated board 180, the area in which the light-emitting means 181 arranged on the front side of the illuminated board 180 can be arranged tends to be limited. If the area of the support part is reduced in order to prioritize the area in which the light-emitting means 181 can be arranged, the position of the illuminated board 180 will be disrupted, and the distance between the main board part of the front member 170F and the illuminated board 180 will easily vary within the range in which the illuminated board 180 is arranged, which could lead to uneven light emission.

In contrast, in this embodiment, multiple protruding cylindrical sections 178 with similar protruding heights and small diameters are provided, and are configured to support the front of the illuminated board 180 at multiple points simultaneously, so that multiple protruding cylindrical sections 178 supporting the illuminated board 180 can be arranged in multiple small gaps that occur between adjacent light-emitting means 181. This allows the stability of the support of the illuminated board 180 to be improved while maintaining the freedom of positioning of the light-emitting means 181 and suppressing unevenness in the light emission mode.

In the assembled state, the L-shaped support portion 179 is positioned opposite the top and front of the illuminated board 180 and functions to suppress the displacement of the illuminated board 180. In other words, the lower portion of the L-shaped support portion 179, which is positioned opposite the front of the illuminated board 180, supports the board and prevents it from tipping forward under its own weight.

Also, the rear of the L-shaped support part 179, which faces the top surface of the illuminated board 180, is usually positioned with a gap between it and the illuminated board 180, so that the illuminated board 180 can be loosely supported while minimizing the vertical displacement of the illuminated board 180.

In addition, a support portion having the same shape as the L-shaped support portion 179 is also formed on the front side of the lower wall portion 170MD of the inner member 170M (formed in two positions, one on the left and one on the right), and is arranged opposite the underside and backside of the illuminated board 180, and functions to suppress displacement of the illuminated board 180. In other words, in this embodiment, the L-shaped support portions arranged above and below the illuminated board 180 are configured to suppress displacement of the illuminated board 180 in the front-rear and up-down directions.

In this way, in this embodiment, the illuminated board 180 is not directly fastened, but is supported stably by being sandwiched and supported from the front and back between the front member 170F and the middle member 170M. This is a measure to take into account the possibility that the illuminated board 180 may vibrate due to the influence of vibrations generated in the middle member 170M, for example, if the middle member 170M and the illuminated board 180 were fastened and configured as a single rigid body.

In other words, according to this embodiment, the illumination board 180 is not fastened to either the middle member 170M or the front member 170F, so even if vibrations occur in the middle member 170M or the front member 170F, it is easy to maintain the position of the illumination board 180 independently.

Here, it is thought that the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 arranged on the back side of the inner member 170M is likely to be the cause of vibration of the inner member 170M, but in this embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is arranged on the opposite side (back side) of the illumination board 180, across a gap that occurs on the front side of the upper wall-shaped portion 170MU.

With this configuration, the vibration of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is transmitted to the illumination board 180 via the thin-diameter protruding cylindrical portion 172, so that the vibration of the vibration solenoid SOL1 can be mitigated by the deformation of the protruding cylindrical portion 172, and the transmission of vibration to the illumination board 180 can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the direct transmission of vibration from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, which serves as a vibration source, to the illumination board 180.

The middle member 170M is provided with a support hole 174 that is drilled in the front-rear direction with a diameter slightly longer than the diameter of the transmission shaft rod portion 162 and is configured to rotatably support the transmission shaft rod portion 162, a lower restricting portion 175 that is disposed below the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, and an upper restricting portion 176 that is disposed on the opposite side of the support hole 174 with respect to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

The driven member 163 is normally tilted by its own weight (see FIG. 11(a)), but when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, a magnetic force (electromagnetic force) is generated, which attracts the metal plate member MB1 and displaces it upward. That is, in this embodiment, the abutment member 161 and the driven member 163 undergo rotational displacement as the metal plate member MB1 displaces between a raised position, which is located as a result of the metal plate member MB1 rising due to the electromagnetic force, and a lowered position, which is located as a result of the metal plate member MB1 descending due to its own weight after the electromagnetic force disappears. Below, this rotational displacement will be explained with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.

Figure 11(a) is a rear view of the window movable unit 150, and Figure 11(b) is a front view of the window movable unit 150. Also, Figure 12(a) is a rear view of the window movable unit 150, and Figure 12(b) is a front view of the window movable unit 150.

Note that Figures 11(a) and 11(b) show a state in which no electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the driven member 163 is tilted by its own weight (lowered position), while Figures 12(a) and 12(b) show a state in which the metal plate member MB1 and the driven member 163 are raised by the electromagnetic force generated when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 (raised position).

In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, the rear member 170B is omitted from the illustration in Figures 11(a) and 12(a), and the outer shape of the displacement member 151 and the shape of the opening on the rear side are shown by imaginary lines in Figures 11(b) and 12(b).

As shown in Figures 11(a) and 12(a), in the lowered position, the driven member 163 abuts against the cushion portion 175a attached to the upper surface of the lower restricting portion 175, and is restricted from moving downward. In the raised position, the driven member 163 abuts against the cushion portion 176a attached to the lower surface of the upper restricting portion 176, and is restricted from moving upward.

The material of the cushion parts 175a, 176a is not limited in any way. For example, it may be a general-purpose plastic such as polypropylene or polystyrene, an engineering plastic such as polycarbonate, a thermosetting resin such as melamine resin, polyurethane, or epoxy resin, or a rubber material. In addition, the materials of the cushion parts 175a, 176a may be the same or different.

Here, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are configured to have different positions (distance from the transmission shaft rod portion 162) based on the transmission shaft rod portion 162, and the effect that this produces will be explained.

First, the load applied to the lower restricting portion 175 via the driven member 163 is mainly a load caused by the weight of the driven member 163, so the driven member 163 can be stably supported by supporting the center of gravity of the driven member 163. For this reason, the lower restricting portion 175 is disposed at the center of gravity of the driven member 163 (approximately the center position of the arm length).

In contrast, the load applied to the upper regulating portion 176 via the driven member 163 is mainly a load due to the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, so there is little advantage to aligning the position of the upper regulating member 176 with the center of gravity position of the driven member 163. In this embodiment, the upper regulating member 176 is positioned opposite the rotating tip of the driven member 163, thereby reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 via the driven member 163.

In other words, when a force moment of the same magnitude is generated, the load transmitted through the driven member 163 is smaller at a position farther from the rotation axis of the driven member 163 (a position where the arm related to the moment is longer), so the load transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 can be reduced.

As described above, since it is desirable for the load to be transmitted to the upper regulating member 176 at the rotating tip of the driven member 163, in this embodiment, the width dimension (radial width) of the cushion portion 176a is made shorter (shorter than the width dimension of the cushion portion 175a). This makes it possible to avoid the load being transmitted at the middle portion of the driven member 163 and ensure stable load transmission at the rotating tip.

In addition, since the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 continues to be generated in the raised position, it is unlikely that the driven member 163 will bounce back after colliding with the cushion portion 176a.

On the other hand, by making the width dimension (radial width) of the cushion portion 175a of the lower restricting portion 175 longer (longer than the width dimension of the cushion portion 176a), the area of the surface that receives the load can be increased, and the pressure (stress) generated in the cushion portion 175a due to the load caused by the weight of the driven member 163 can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the rebound (bound) of the driven member 163 after colliding with the cushion portion 175a.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load transmitted to the cushion portions 175a and 176a via the driven member 163 during displacement in both the up and down directions while suppressing the rebound of the driven member 163.

A curved protrusion 176b is formed below the upper restricting portion 176 on the rear side of the middle member 170M. The protrusion 176b is disposed opposite the rotation tip of the driven member 163, and guides the rotation of the driven member 163 while keeping contact with the driven member 163 to a small area when the driven member 163 is displaced toward the front side.

As shown in Figures 11(b) and 12(b), the tip 153 of the displacement member 151 is disposed on the front side of the strong light emitting means 181a, which is disposed inside the light transmission hole 177 when viewed from the front. Therefore, the light emitted from the strong light emitting means 181a is visible to the player through the tip 153.

As described above, the internal shape of the presentation unit 153a allows a player viewing the presentation unit 153a from the front to see the entire presentation unit 153a as if it were glowing (faintly), so that even in a situation where the actual position of the strong light emitting means 181a does not change but the displacement member 151 is displaced, changes in the light emission mode of the presentation unit 153a can be suppressed.

In other words, the light viewed through the presentation unit 153a can be visually perceived by the player as displacing in sync with the displacement of the presentation unit 153a, creating the illusion that a light-emitting means such as an LED is disposed inside the presentation unit 153a and displacing in sync with the displacement of the presentation unit 153a.

On the other hand, since the weak light emitting means 181b can be made to appear to emit light at a fixed position, it is possible to adopt a fixedly positioned illumination board 180, while making it possible to make the weak light emitting means 181b arranged on the illumination board 180 appear to emit light at a fixed position, and the strong light emitting means 181a arranged on the illumination board 180 appear to emit light while displacing.

This allows for a lighting effect that is usually achieved by using multiple illuminated boards, with the first board in a fixed position and the second board configured to be movable, to be achieved using a single illuminated board in a fixed position. As a result, the number of illuminated boards can be reduced while still achieving the same effect.

Returning to FIG. 5, the operation unit 300 is disposed on the rear side of the game board 13, and various light emitting means and various operation units are disposed inside.

Figure 13 is an exploded front perspective view of the operating unit 300. The operating unit 300 includes a bottom wall portion 311, an outer wall portion 312 erected from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 311, and a rear case 310 formed in a box shape with the front side open from the outer wall portion 312.

The rear case 310 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front by forming a rectangular opening 311a in the center of the bottom wall portion 311. The opening 311a is formed to a size that corresponds to the outer shape (outer edge) of the display area of the third pattern display device 81 (i.e., capable of dividing the display area of the third pattern display device 81 when viewed from the front).

The operating unit 300 is configured as one unit by housing a first operating unit 400 in the internal space of the rear case 310, in which a movable device is arranged so as to be displaceable along a path including the upper side of the opening 311a, left and right performance units 600 arranged on both the left and right sides of the opening 311a for performing light emission performances, and a second operating unit 700 arranged below the opening 311a.

Specifically, the first operating unit 400 is disposed above the opening 311a, and the second operating unit 700 is disposed below the opening 311a, on the bottom wall 311 of the rear case 310. Note that FIG. 5 illustrates the first operating unit 400 and the second operating unit 700 attached to the rear case 310.

The rear case 310 is provided as a flat plate extending from the front end of the outer wall 312 along the rear surface of the game board 13 (e.g., arranged parallel to the rear surface), and includes a support plate portion 313 that provides surface support for the game board 13 in the assembled state (see FIG. 2).

The support plate portion 313 has a positioning protrusion 313a that protrudes toward the front side and has a shape that can fit into the fitting recess 60b formed in the base plate 60 of the game board 13, and a number of insertion holes 313b that are drilled so that the fastening screws that are fastened to the base plate 60 can be inserted through them.

The rear case 310 is positioned relative to the base plate 60 by fitting the positioning protrusion 313a into the fitting recess 60b (see Figure 6), and the fastening screw is inserted into the insertion hole 313b and screwed into the base plate 60, thereby fixing the game board 13 and the operation unit 300 together, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and the operation unit 300.

The shape of the positioning protrusion 313a is not limited in any way, and various forms are exemplified. For example, it may be a protrusion with an outer shape slightly smaller than the inner shape of the mating recess 60b (circular or oval in this embodiment), or it may be a protrusion with a shape (even smaller outer shape) that increases the mating gap in consideration of workability during assembly. Also, if the inner shape of the mating recess 60b is formed in a rectangular shape, it is naturally assumed that the shape of the positioning protrusion 313a will also be rectangular accordingly.

As shown in Figures 5 and 13, in this embodiment, many support plate portions 313 are densely arranged on the left and upper sides of the rear case 310, and fewer support plate portions 313 are formed on the right and lower sides. This is the result of a design that takes into consideration the balance between improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and operating unit 300 and space efficiency.

In other words, when the base plate 60 of the game board 13 is made of plywood made by overlapping plywood as in this embodiment, the movable members arranged on the back side of the game board 13 cannot be seen through the flesh of the base plate 60, so the entire back side of the area where an opening can be formed (a recess formed on the side) in the base plate 60 of the game board 13 can be used as an area for displaying the movable members so that they can be seen.

In contrast, where the support plate portion 313 is formed, the internal space of the rear case 310 is encroached inward by the area of the support plate portion 313 when viewed from the front, and the area in which the movable member can be arranged is accordingly narrowed. Therefore, if the strength problem can be resolved and maintained even if the support plate portion 313 is omitted, then omitting the support plate portion 313 can avoid limiting the range in which the movable member can be arranged.

In this embodiment, the reason why many support plate portions 313 are arranged on the left and upper sides of the rear case 310 is that this is related to the range of the area in which the player can see the ball that is shot into the play area, etc. In other words, the support plate portions 313 are formed in places other than the range in which the shot ball can be seen.

To explain in more detail, in this embodiment, the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (Figure 4) is introduced into the play area by passing between the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 and through the return ball prevention member 68, and is then configured to flow down the play area. In a pinball game, the location that is thought to attract the most attention is the location where the ball passes, and other outer areas (for example, the area on the opposite side of the outer rail 62 and inner rail 61 from the third pattern display device 81) usually attract less attention.

As a result, players are likely to pay less attention to the lower left and upper left areas based on the left-convex arc formed by the outer rail 62, and the upper left and upper right areas based on the upward-convex arc, which are areas the ball cannot reach.

In addition, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned outer edge member 73 and the block-shaped member 74, which is disposed on the front side of the game board 13 and whose surfaces facing the outer rail 62 at the lower and upper left parts of the outer rail 62 are formed to conform to the outer rail 62, are made of a light-opaque resin material. In addition to the game board 13 being made of plywood, which is difficult for light to transmit, the game board 13 is configured so that the back side of the game board 13 cannot be seen from the front side of the game board 13 through the outer edge member 73 or the block-shaped member 74.

In this embodiment, the support plate portions 313 are preferentially placed in these locations where attention is low or where the support plate portions 313 are not visible. In fact, even on the left side and upper side where many support plate portions 313 are formed, the support plate portions 313 are formed near the corners of the rear case 310, avoiding the center portion that serves as the protruding end portion of the outer rail 62.

In other words, by selecting the areas where space will be eroded by forming the support plate portion 313 from areas that are low in visibility (low performance potential) to begin with, it is possible to ensure the rigidity of the operating unit 300 and the game board 13 as a whole while ensuring a high degree of freedom in the design of the area within the field of view of the player who is focusing on the ball.

In this regard, since there is a common configuration with pachinko machines in which the balls launched by the ball launching unit 112a are rolled along the outer rail 62 and introduced into the play area, areas where the balls do not flow down can be easily arranged in the lower left, upper left, and upper right.

The lower half of the right outer wall 312 is provided with a notch 312a that is cut out toward the rear side. When viewed from the front, this notch 312a is cut out below the band 93 (see FIG. 5) of the game board 13, and forms a gap between the game board 13 in the assembled state (see FIG. 2).

By forming the cutout portion 312a in this manner, the following effects can be achieved. For example, the gap formed by the cutout portion 312a can function as a wiring pass through which the electrical wiring connected to the variable winning device 65 passes to the outside of the rear case 310. This reduces the possibility of the electrical wiring interfering with other components compared to when the wiring is routed up and down.

The gap formed by the cutout 312a can be used as space for arranging components required for the variable winning device 65. Examples of components required for the variable winning device 65 include a solenoid that generates a driving force, a flow path for the balls, a circuit board for the light emission performance, a detection sensor that detects the balls, and other structures.

In addition, by arranging a light-emitting means such as an LED near the cutout portion 312a, the light emitted from the light-emitting means can be more easily seen by the player as light with a blurred outline. In other words, compared to when the entire circumference of the rear case 310 is connected to the game board 13 (when the boundary of the light irradiated from the rear side of the game board 13 is formed along the shape of the rear case 310), the boundary of the light seen through the game board 13 can be made vague. This makes it possible to prevent the boundary of the light seen through the game board 13 from depending on the shape of the rear case 310, and improves the freedom of the light-emitting effects.

Furthermore, compared to a case where the electrical wiring connected to the light-emitting means such as the LED is arranged to extend outside the operating unit 300 along the back surface of the game board 13, a configuration such as this embodiment in which the electrical wiring extends outside the operating unit 300 through the cutout portion 312a reduces the possibility that the electrical wiring will block the light emitted from the LED.

In other words, by configuring the electrical wiring so that it can be routed outside the operating unit 300 without being routed to the front side of the LED, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the electrical wiring will block the light emitted from the LED. This improves the design freedom of the presentation using the light emitted from the light-emitting means such as the LED.

The length (vertical length) of the cutout portion 312a is not limited in any way. For example, the cutout portion 312a may be formed over the entire area (vertical width) between the upper and lower support plate portions 313.

As described above, in this embodiment, fastening and fixing to the game board 13 is omitted on the right side of the rear case 310, so when considering the rigidity of the right side of the game board 13, the rigidity of the operating unit 300 cannot be relied upon.

To address this issue, in this embodiment, a metal plate member 75 made of metal is disposed on the outer edge 73 at a position corresponding to the right end of the game board 13. The metal plate member 75 is described below.

Figure 14 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13, the outer edge member 73, and the metal plate member 75, and Figure 15 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13, the outer edge member 73, and the metal plate member 75. Note that in Figures 14 and 15, for ease of understanding, the game board 13 is illustrated alone, and other members arranged on the game board 13 are omitted from the illustration.

The outer edge member 73 is made of a resin material and includes an arc wall portion 73a that forms the upper portion and has an arc-shaped inner surface, a vertical wall portion 73b that extends downward from the lower end of the arc wall portion 73a in a thin wall shape, and an inclined wall portion 73c that is formed with an upper surface that slopes downward to the left from the lower end of the vertical wall portion 73b. In this way, by forming the outer edge member 73 from a single member that covers almost the entire area in the vertical direction, the number of steps required to assemble the outer edge member 73 to the game board 13 can be reduced compared to when the outer edge member 73 is formed from multiple members that are separated into upper and lower parts.

The vertical wall portion 73b includes a number of plate-like protrusions 73b1 that protrude in a plate shape along the right surface toward the rear side, a number of bent portions 73b2 that are bent in a U-shape when viewed in the up-down direction from the front edge of the right surface, a cylindrical protrusion 73b3 that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the rear side at the joint between the arc wall portion 73a and the inclined wall portion 73c, and a fastening portion 73b4 that is provided next to the cylindrical protrusion 73b3 and is formed so that a fastening screw can be screwed in.

The bent portion 73b2 is disposed at the midpoint of the spacing between the plate-shaped protruding portions 73b1. This allows the retention force of the metal plate-shaped member 75 relative to the vertical wall portion 73b to be improved while limiting the number of seam penetration portions 75c formed in the metal plate-shaped member 75, as described below.

In other words, compared to resisting the bending of the metal plate member 75 with only the three plate-shaped protrusions 73b1, the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1 and the bent portions 73b2 can generate resistance to the bending of the metal plate member 75, so the load generated at one location can be reduced. In addition, by arranging the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1 and the bent portions 73b2 at equal intervals, the load generated when the metal plate member 75 bends can be evenly distributed, preventing excessive load from being generated at any one location.

The metal plate member 75 is provided with a main body plate portion 75a which is folded back multiple times in the short direction but is formed without any creases in the long direction, a bent portion 75b which is bent leftward at the rear side edge of the main body plate portion 75a, a plurality of joint penetration portions 75c which are formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction at the joint between the main body plate portion 75a and the bent portion 75b, through holes 75d which are formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction at the upper and lower ends of the bent portion 75b, and an insertion hole 75e which is drilled in the plate portion where the through holes 75d are formed and which is stepped toward the front side so that a fastening screw can be inserted.

The metal plate member 75 generates particularly strong resistance to bending in the longitudinal direction because the bent portions 75b are formed in the vertical direction in addition to the way the folds are formed in the main plate portion 75a. Therefore, by arranging the metal plate member 75 integrally with the vertical wall portion 73b, which is easily bent in the longitudinal direction, the vertical wall portion 73b can be efficiently reinforced.

The joint penetration portion 75c is formed to a size that allows the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 of the vertical wall portion 73b to be inserted therethrough. In this embodiment, the joint penetration portion 75c is formed so that the vertical wall portion 73b and the metal plate-shaped member 75 can be integrated by inserting the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 through the joint penetration portion 75c.

When the metal plate member 75 is assembled so as to be integrated with the vertical wall portion 73b, the front side edge of the main body plate portion 75a is sandwiched between the bent portion 73b2 and the outer surface of the vertical wall portion 73b, and the cylindrical protrusion portion 73b3 is inserted into the through hole 75d. In this manner, the metal plate member 75 and the vertical wall portion 73b are positioned relative to each other at multiple points in the vertical direction. In this state, the outer edge member 73 and the metal plate member 75 can be fastened and fixed by threading the fastening screw inserted into the insertion hole 75e into the fastening portion 73b4.

With the above configuration, the metal plate member 75 is disposed above and below the vertical wall portion 73b, so that the entire vertical wall portion 73b can be reinforced. Here, the plate-shaped protrusion portion 73b1 and the cylindrical protrusion portion 73b3 of the vertical wall portion 73b pass through the metal plate member 75 and extend to the back side, and their tips engage with the game board 13. The engagement between the metal plate member 75 and the game board 13 will be explained below.

The game board 13 has a number of recesses 13e recessed into the right edge of the front surface to receive the plate-shaped protrusions 73b1, and a number of positioning holes 13f recessed into the upper and lower sides of the recesses 13e as depressions capable of receiving the cylindrical protrusions 73b3.

When the outer edge member 73 and the metal plate-like member 75 are assembled together and attached to the game board 13, the plate-like protrusion 73b1 is received in the recess 13e, and the circular protrusion 73b3 is received in the positioning hole 13f, and positioned accordingly. In other words, the plate-like protrusion 73b1 and the circular protrusion 73b3 are used not only for positioning with the metal plate-like member 75, but also for positioning with the game board 13. This makes it possible to reduce the number of positioning pieces.

In this embodiment, as described above, the metal plate member 75 is assembled to suppress the curvature of the vertical wall portion 73b, so there is no need to provide sufficient rigidity to the vertical wall portion 73b alone, and the vertical wall portion 73b can be formed thin enough that it easily curves in the left-right direction alone.

Furthermore, the rigidity of the metal plate member 75 can suppress deformation of the game board 13 (improve rigidity), so that even if a gap occurs between the game board 13 and the rear case 310, the shape of the game board 13 can be maintained.

Returning to Figs. 5 and 13, the explanation will be given. The first operation unit 400 is disposed above the third pattern display device 81 of the operation unit 300. The first operation unit 400 is equipped with a light-emitting performance device LA1 that can be displaced from the state shown in Figs. 5 and 13 to a position in front of the third pattern display device 81, and is a device that visually entertains the player by controlling the displacement to be synchronized with the display of the third pattern display device 81, or to be synchronized with the operation of the frame button 22 that can be operated by the player. The first operation unit 400 will be described in detail below.

Figures 16 and 17 are partial front views of the operating unit 300. Figure 16 illustrates a retracted state in which each component of the first operating unit 400 retracts to the upper side of the third pattern display device 81, and Figure 17 illustrates a protruding state in which each component of the first operating unit 400 protrudes (lowers) toward the third pattern display device 81 more than in the retracted state.

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the interior shape of the rear case 310 is not symmetrical. In particular, the upper wall (ceiling surface) is lower on the right side as viewed from the front compared to the left side as viewed from the front due to its relationship with the shape of the tank 130 of the dispensing unit 93 (see Figure 3). In other words, the tank 130 is disposed on the upper right side of the operating unit 300, and in order to secure the area for its placement, the upper wall of the rear case 310 is disposed at a position lower on the right side compared to the left side (disposed along the wall schematic line UL).

As such, since it is easier to secure a larger area on the left side inside the rear case 310 compared to the right side (there is more room in the ceiling height), in this embodiment, auxiliary devices such as the drive motor MT1 and coil spring SP1 that do not directly affect the appearance of the presentation (are not intended to be visible to the player) are placed on the left side.

This allows the drive motor MT1 and coil spring SP1 to be positioned by effectively utilizing the recess (gap) created by the asymmetric shape of the top wall of the rear case 310, and allows the lower edge of the first operating unit 400 to be moved as far upward as possible while still maintaining a symmetrical shape, making it easier to ensure a large vertical dimension of the visible area of the display of the third pattern display device 81.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shape of the feather-shaped member 460 (see FIG. 16) of the first operating unit 400, which faces the upper wall of the rear case 310 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, is designed to match the asymmetric shape of the upper wall of the rear case 310. That is, the feather-shaped member 460 on the left side is designed to protrude more toward the upper wall of the rear case 310 than the feather-shaped member 460 on the right side.

The feather-shaped members 460 are configured to combine and be seen as a single unit when the first operating unit 400 changes state from the retracted state to the extended state, and are designed to have a symmetrical shape in this state, making it difficult for players to notice that the left and right feather-shaped members 460 are asymmetrical.

In this embodiment, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the asymmetrical portion of the feather-shaped member 460 (the upper side edge that abuts when combined) is hidden by the game board 13 (see Figure 2), making it difficult for the player to notice that the left and right feather-shaped members 460 are configured in an asymmetrical shape.

Figures 18 and 19 are front perspective views of the first operating unit 400, and Figures 20 and 21 are rear perspective views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 18 and 20 show the first operating unit 400 in a retracted state, and Figures 19 and 21 show the first operating unit 400 in an extended state.

When the drive motor MT1 of the first operating unit 400 is driven to rotate, the arm member 414 rotates and moves via multiple gears interposed therebetween, and the lift plate 430 moves up and down in synchronization with the rotational movement.

The lift plate 430 is supported by a metal rail 405, which is arranged at approximately the center from left to right and is configured to be vertically extendable and retractable, and an auxiliary arm member 444, which is arranged on the left and right opposite side of the arm member 414.

A relative displacement member 442 that is displaced vertically in synchronization with the change in position of the auxiliary arm member 444 is disposed on the lift plate 430, and multiple feather-shaped members 460 that are symmetrically displaced in rotation are displaced in synchronization with the displacement of the relative displacement member 442.

The components of the first operating unit 400 are therefore displaced between a retracted state and an extended state in a displacement mode that combines lifting and rotation as the drive motor MT1 is driven. This allows the components to be displaced in multiple directions despite only using a single drive motor MT1, improving the presentation effect.

As shown in FIG. 20, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper end position of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to protrude above the upper edge of the lifting plate 430. When the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 is shielded by the base plate 60 of the game board 13 (see FIG. 2) and is difficult to see, making it difficult for a player to notice that the arc-shaped gear portion 444b protrudes from the upper edge of the lifting plate 430.

On the other hand, the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates in conjunction with the downward displacement of the lifting plate 430 from the retracted state of the first operating unit 400 to the extended state, so that the arc-shaped gear portion 444b, which protrudes above the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 in the retracted state (see FIG. 27), is displaced downward as the lifting plate 430 is displaced downward, and is hidden below the upper edge of the lifting plate 430 (see FIG. 28).

In this way, the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 is allowed to protrude (stick out) from the lift plate 430 in a location that is blocked by the base plate 60, and the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be displaced so that the protruding portion is hidden on the back side of the lift plate 430 until the lift plate 430 is displaced to a position where it is not blocked by the base plate 60. This improves the design freedom of the auxiliary arm member 444 and the lift plate 430 compared to a configuration in which the auxiliary arm member 444 is always hidden on the back side of the lift plate 430.

For example, the upper edge of the lift plate 430 can be positioned lower, making it easier to avoid interference between the upper edge of the lift plate 430 and the upper outer wall portion 312 of the rear case 310 (see FIG. 16).

In addition, by configuring the auxiliary arm member 444 to rotate and displace, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the rack gear-shaped portion (the portion having gear teeth formed along a straight line) is maintained protruding toward the third pattern display device 81, while ensuring a sufficient protruding length of the lifting plate 430 toward the third pattern display device 81.

In other words, even if a fixed rack gear-shaped portion is formed on the lift plate 430 side of the main plate 401 and configured to mesh with the rotating gear 441, the relative displacement member 442 can be displaced up and down relative to the lift plate 430 in accordance with the up and down displacement of the lift plate 430, but in this case, the fixed rack gear-shaped portion must always be arranged along the position where the lift plate 430 is located. Therefore, if a configuration in which most of the lift plate 430 protrudes downward from the lower edge of the main plate 401, as in the lift plate 430 of this embodiment, is used, it would be necessary to form the fixed rack gear-shaped portion protruding from the lower edge of the main plate 401 toward the third pattern display device 81.

Therefore, there is a risk of problems such as poor visibility of the third pattern display device 81 due to the third pattern display device 81 being blocked by the fixed rack-gear-shaped part, or reduced design freedom of the lifting plate 430 due to the need to hide the rack-gear-shaped part with the lifting plate 430 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state.

In contrast to this, according to this embodiment, instead of a fixed rack-gear-shaped portion, a variable auxiliary arm member 444 is used, so that the auxiliary arm member 444 can be positioned on the rear side (so as to be hidden) of the lifting plate 430 in accordance with the displacement of the lifting plate 430. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the rack-gear-shaped portion remains protruding toward the third pattern display device 81, while ensuring a sufficient protruding length (amount of displacement) of the lifting plate 430 toward the third pattern display device 81.

22(a) and 23 are exploded front perspective views of the first operating unit 400, FIG. 22(b) is a front perspective view of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 showing the meshing state of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470, and FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 are exploded rear perspective views of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in Figures 22(a), 23, 24 and 25, the first operation unit 400 is made of a resin material and has a long plate shape in the left and right directions. The main plate part 401 is fastened to the bottom wall part 311 of the rear case 310 (see Figure 16), a transmission unit 410 composed of multiple members rotatably supported on the main plate part 401, a rear arrangement plate 420 composed of multiple plate-shaped parts arranged on the same plane including a connecting plate part 421 connected to the tip of the arm member 414 of the transmission unit 410, a lifting plate 430 arranged on the front side of the rear arrangement plate 420 and fastened to the rear arrangement plate 420, and a synchronous operation unit 440 supported between the lifting plate 430 and the storage plate part 425 of the rear arrangement plate 420 (see Figures 23 and 25).

In addition, the first operating unit 400 includes a plate-shaped support plate portion 450 fastened to the lift plate 430, a pair of left and right vane-shaped members 460 that are rotatably supported by the support plate portion 450 and rotate under the load applied by the displacement of a fixed transmission plate 490 fastened to the front side of the synchronous operating unit 440, and an auxiliary member 470 that rotates synchronously with the vane-shaped members 460 (see Figures 22(a), 22(b) and 24).

The main body plate 401 is provided with a shaft support 402 that supports the transmission gear 412, an end support 403 located at the lower right and supporting the end gear 413, an arm support 404 that is a pillar-shaped part that supports the arm member 414, a metal rail 405 located in the left-right center and to which the rear side is fixed so that the front side can be displaced up and down, a long hole 406 that is drilled as a long opening on the left and right side of the metal rail 405, a cover 407 formed in a plate shape from a light-transmitting resin material and that covers the area where the long hole 406 is formed from the rear side, and a detection sensor SC1 for detecting the state.

The end support section 403 includes a shaft support section 403a formed in the same shape as the shaft support section 402, an annular projection 403b projecting along a circle centered on the shaft support section 403a, and a stopper section 403c projecting in a fan shape toward the front side at a position between the annular projection 403b and the shaft support section 403a. The stopper section 403c is formed by general compression molding, and the opposite side of the projection is formed as a recessed section.

The lid 407 closes the area where the long hole 406 is formed. In this embodiment, as described later, the electrical wiring DH1 that passes through the wiring through hole 401a formed through the main plate 401 from the front side of the main plate 401 and reaches the rear side of the long hole 406 is guided to the front side through the long hole 406. Therefore, in a situation where the lid 407 is not present and the rear side is open, the electrical wiring DH1 protrudes to the rear side, and there is a risk that it will be pinched between the bottom wall 311 (see FIG. 13) of the rear case 310 and the main plate 401 during assembly work. In contrast, in this embodiment, the area where the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged is partitioned by the lid 407, so that the electrical wiring DH1 can be prevented from being pinched between the bottom wall 311 and the main plate 401.

This allows the first operating unit 400 to be assembled to the rear case 310 without checking the placement of the electrical wiring DH1, making the assembly process more efficient.

The transmission unit 410 includes a drive gear 411 that is non-rotatably connected to the rotating shaft of the drive motor MT1, a transmission gear 412 that is meshed with the drive gear 411 and rotatably supported by the shaft support section 402, an end gear 413 that is meshed with the transmission gear 412 and rotatably supported by the shaft support section 403a, and an arm member 414 that is supported by the arm support section 404 so that its posture can be changed as the end gear 413 rotates.

The terminal gear 413 includes an annular protrusion 413a that protrudes toward the rear side in an annular shape with an inner diameter slightly longer than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 403b, a stoppered portion 413b that protrudes in a fan shape similar to the stopper portion 403c with a gap between it and the inner surface of the annular protrusion 413a, a cylindrical protrusion 413c that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the front side at an eccentric position away from the shaft support portion 403a, and a detected portion 413d that extends in a fan shape toward the outer diameter direction from a flange portion formed in a flange shape on the front side of the gear portion.

The annular protrusion 413a is disposed so that its shaft side surface faces the annular protrusion 403b, sandwiching the annular protrusion 403b between itself and the stopped portion 413b. In other words, the annular protrusion 403b serves as a guide rail that guides the rotation of the terminal gear 413.

The stopped portion 413b is formed by general compression molding, and the opposite side of the protruding portion is formed as a recessed portion. The stopped portion 413b interferes with the stopper portion 403c in the rotation direction. That is, in this embodiment, the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is limited by the circumferential dimensions of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b. That is, the terminal gear 413 rotates and displaces at a rotation angle of less than 360 degrees.

When designing the shapes of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b, the rotation angle required for the terminal gear 413 is calculated, and the shape of the stopper portion 403c and the stopped portion 413b is designed at an angle obtained by dividing the remaining angle (the angle obtained by subtracting the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 from 360 degrees) in half. This makes it possible to prevent either the stopper portion 403c or the stopped portion 413b from becoming weak in strength, thereby extending the service life of the first operating unit 400.

The cylindrical extension 413c is a brass metal rod that is fitted and fixed to the resin terminal gear 413. A ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction and a well-known E-ring E1 are arranged at the tip of the extension, and the arm member 414 is connected and supported by the cylindrical extension 413c so that it cannot fall off.

The detected portion 413d is formed with a thickness that allows it to pass through the detection gap of the detection sensor SC1, and when the detected portion 413d is detected by the detection sensor SC1, the MPU 221 of the voice lamp control device 113 can determine that the first operating unit 400 is in a retracted state.

The arm member 414 includes an annular portion 414a rotatably supported by the arm support portion 404, a plate-shaped portion 414b extending radially from the front side of the annular portion 414a, an intermediate plate portion 414c arranged in parallel to the rear side of the plate-shaped portion 414b and connected to the extended end of the plate-shaped portion 414b, a long hole portion 414d drilled in the intermediate plate portion 414c in the shape of a long hole, a tip plate portion 414e arranged in parallel to the rear side of the intermediate plate portion 414c and connected to the extended end of the intermediate plate portion 414c, and a cylindrical protrusion portion 414f protruding in a cylindrical shape from the extended tip of the tip plate portion 414e to the front side.

The long hole portion 414d is formed with a size that allows the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c of the terminal gear 413 to be inserted, and the driving force of the drive motor MT1 is transmitted through this long hole portion 414d.

The cylindrical extension 414f is a brass metal rod that is fitted and fixed to the resin tip plate 414e. A ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction and a well-known E-ring E1 are arranged at the tip of the cylindrical extension 414f, and the connecting plate 421 of the rear mounting plate 420 is connected and supported by the cylindrical extension 414f so that it cannot fall off.

Figure 26 is a top view of the first operating unit 400. In Figure 26, the second intermediate position of the first operating unit 400 is illustrated, and for ease of understanding, the coil spring SP1, the fixed pulley that guides the coil spring SP1, the drive motor MT1, and the base plate to which the drive motor MT1 is fastened are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 26, in this embodiment, the shape of the arm member 414 is designed to ensure a large area on the front side of the arm member 414. In other words, by forming the arm member 414 in a shape that is bent forward and backward, interference with other members can be functionally avoided. This will be explained below.

The plate-shaped portion 414b is positioned in front of the detection sensor SC1 to avoid interference with the detection sensor SC1. In other words, the restriction on the front-rear position of the plate-shaped portion 414b is due to its relationship with the detection sensor SC1, so the front-rear position can be designed freely in places not related to the detection sensor SC1 (places on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with the detection sensor SC1 as the reference).

In this embodiment, the intermediate plate portion 414c, which is disposed on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with respect to the detection sensor SC1, is disposed on the rear side compared to the plate-shaped portion 414b. This makes it possible to narrow the front-to-rear distance between the plate front surface of the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414, and allows the load to be transmitted to the arm member 414 at the base side of the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c, thereby preventing the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c from deforming when the load is transmitted, thereby preventing a decrease in the load transmission efficiency.

Furthermore, since the front-to-rear position of the intermediate plate portion 414c depends on its relationship with the terminal gear 413, the front-to-rear position can be designed arbitrarily in the area not related to the terminal gear 413 (the area on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with the terminal gear 413 as the reference).

In this embodiment, the tip plate portion 414e, which is disposed on the opposite side of the rotation axis (arm support portion 404) with respect to the terminal gear 413 as a reference, is disposed on the rear side compared to the intermediate plate portion 414c. This allows a large space to be secured on the front side of the tip plate portion 414e, making it easier to secure the front-to-rear dimensions of components such as the rear arrangement plate 420 and synchronous operation unit 440, which are disposed in front of the tip plate portion 414e and on the rear side of the lift plate 430.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the shape of the arm member 414 is set with the aim of avoiding interference with other members, but it also has other structural effects. For example, by forming the arm member 414 with a stepwise bend, it is possible to prevent the load generated in the arm member 414 from concentrating locally (at one point) (stress concentration can be alleviated), and the durability of the arm member 414 can be improved.

Furthermore, by providing the minimum necessary gap to avoid interference with other components, a large gap can be provided on the opposite side of the arm member 414 from the other components that secure that gap, and this gap can be used to run electrical wiring (electrical wiring different from electrical wiring DH1) or to install additional performance components (such as an illumination board).

Also, as shown in FIG. 26, in this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1, which is arranged to reach the light-emitting performance device LA1 from the main body plate portion 401 side, is configured to be able to prevent it from being unintentionally pinched by the feather-shaped member 460 or caught in the gear teeth of the rotating gear 441 or the relative displacement member 442. This will be explained below. In this explanation, FIG. 25 will be referred to as appropriate.

The electrical wiring DH1 is first guided from the main body plate portion 401 side through the long hole portion 406 to the auxiliary arm member 444. At this time, the electrical wiring DH1 is passed through the through hole 448a of the end side plate 448 and is passed to the inside of the extension portion 444c.

Inside the extension portion 444c, the electrical wiring DH1 is guided to the base end portion 444a while being prevented from falling off by the retaining portion 444c1. The electrical wiring DH1 is then guided from the base end portion 444a to the rear side of the storage plate portion 425, and passes through an L-shaped area partitioned by a frame portion protruding toward the rear side of the storage plate portion 425 and a blocking plate 428 to reach the through hole 427.

The frame portion protruding from the rear side of the storage plate portion 425 has an omitted portion 425b in which the protrusion is omitted over approximately half the circumference centered on the insertion hole 425a. The omitted portion 425b allows the electrical wiring DH1 to be guided to the front side of the closure plate 428 at an angle of 180 degrees. This reduces the possibility that the electrical wiring DH1 will bend near the insertion hole 425a when the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates.

The electrical wiring DH1 is passed through the through hole 427 to the front side, and is guided through the cylindrical portion 433 formed at a position overlapping the through hole 427 at the front and rear to the front side of the lift plate 430, where it is temporarily fastened to the fastening portion 451 of the support plate portion 450 with a cable tie or the like, and connected to a connector arranged on the electric display board of the light-emitting performance device LA1.

In this way, the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged inside the components (auxiliary arm member 444 and rear mounting plate 420) for most of its path, which reduces the possibility of the electrical wiring DH1 colliding with other moving parts and receiving a load, compared to conventional pachinko machines in which the electrical wiring is exposed for most of its path.

In addition, in this embodiment, the guide path of the electrical wiring DH1 is separated from the relative displacement member 442 that undergoes sliding displacement. In other words, deformation such as bending or curving in the electrical wiring DH1 can only be caused by the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 (rotational displacement accompanied by sliding displacement of the rotation axis).

As a result, even if the vertical displacement speed of the lift plate 430 and the displacement speed of the relative displacement member 442 are configured to be significantly different, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the electrical wiring DH1 from becoming large by breaking the relationship between the deformation of the electrical wiring DH1 and the displacement speed of the relative displacement member 442.

Referring back to Figures 22(a), 23, 24 and 25, the rear arrangement plate 420 includes a plate-shaped connecting plate portion 421 that is connected to the cylindrical protruding portion 414f of the arm member 414 and fastened to the lift plate 430, a storage plate portion 425 that is disposed on the right side of the connecting plate portion 421 and fastened to the lift plate 430 and to which the front side member of the metal rail 405 is fastened, and an L-shaped blocking plate 428 that is fastened to the storage plate portion 425 and partially blocks the rear side portion of the storage plate portion 425.

The connecting plate portion 421 includes a long through hole 422 that is drilled in the main plate portion in the left-right direction and is formed to allow the cylindrical protrusion portion 414f to pass through, and a support box portion 423 that is formed below the long through hole 422 and has a box shape with the front side and top side open.

The support box portion 423 is formed long downward based on the insertion slot 422, so that the rigidity of the storage plate portion 425 can be reinforced by using the support box portion 423. That is, the support box portion 423 is arranged opposite the support wall portion 426 on the left and right, and if the support wall portion 426 is significantly deflected to the left and comes into contact with the support box portion 423, the rigidity of the support box portion 423 can suppress the deformation.

The storage plate 425 has a support wall 426 that protrudes toward the front side from the left edge of the main plate in the vertical direction, and a through hole 427 drilled on the front side of the closure plate 428.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is inserted into the through hole 427. That is, the through hole 427 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the connector disposed at the end of the electrical wiring DH1 to be inserted therethrough.

The blocking plate 428 is formed so that its front surface abuts against a frame portion that protrudes in a frame shape from the rear side of the storage plate portion 425, and is configured to separate the area between the storage plate portion 425 and the blocking plate 428. In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is configured to be arranged only inside the frame portion of the storage plate portion 425 (the front side of the blocking plate 428). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electrical wiring DH1 from entering the metal rail 405 side (to the left of the frame portion).

A special hole 428a is formed through the closure plate 428 so that the temporary fastening portion 425c, which is a U-shaped protrusion toward the rear side at a position closer to the through hole 427 than the omitted portion 425b, can be seen from the rear.

The irregular hole 428a is formed from a horizontally elongated portion whose width is slightly longer than the width of the temporary fastening portion 425c, and a vertically elongated portion that intersects with the horizontally elongated portion to ensure an area through which the cable tie can pass.

The temporary fastening portion 425c serves as a fastening portion for the cable tie. By temporarily fastening the electrical wiring DH1 with the cable tie, the position of the electrical wiring DH1 can be stabilized. In this case, by tightening the cable tie, the path of the electrical wiring DH1 guided from the auxiliary arm member 444 to the blocking plate 428 can be moved toward the blocking plate 428, so that a gap can be provided between the edge portion of the semicircular plate portion centered on the insertion hole 425a of the storage plate portion 425 and the electrical wiring DH1 (see Figures 25 and 26). This prevents the electrical wiring DH1 from rubbing against the edge portion of the storage plate portion 425, thereby extending the service life of the electrical wiring DH1.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the cable tie that temporarily fastens the electrical wiring DH1 (see FIG. 26) guided between the omitted portions 425b can be exposed from the irregular hole 428a of the closure plate 428, so that the cable tie can be replaced or installed without removing the closure plate 428.

This allows the electrical wiring DH1 to be temporarily fastened at a position between the receiving plate 425 and the blocking plate 428, where the position of the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the components of the first operating unit 400 is fixed (i.e., where the electrical wiring DH1 overlaps with the path from the light-emitting device LA1 to which one end of the electrical wiring DH1 is connected to the base end side portion 444a of the auxiliary arm member 444, which is the first portion that displaces the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the lift plate 430, along the path of the electrical wiring DH1), while the cable tie can be replaced without removing the blocking plate 428. This allows the service life of the electrical wiring DH1 to be improved, and the maintainability of the cable tie associated with the electrical wiring DH1 to be improved.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 is routed along the front side of the blocking plate 428 in accordance with the shape of the blocking plate 428, but since the blocking plate 428 is L-shaped when viewed from the rear, the electrical wiring DH1 curves along a first plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction on the front side of the blocking plate 428, while curving along a second plane (a plane perpendicular to the first plane) perpendicular to the left-to-right direction near the through hole 427. This improves the holding force that holds the electrical wiring DH1 to the blocking plate 428 and the receiving plate 425, and stabilizes the position of the electrical wiring DH1.

The lift plate 430 includes a fastening section 431 consisting of multiple parts for fastening the rear arrangement plate 420, a support section 432 consisting of multiple parts for supporting the synchronous operation unit 440, a cylindrical section 433 formed to allow the electrical wiring DH1 to pass through, a fastening section 434 consisting of multiple parts for fastening the support plate section 450, multiple counter parts 435 formed on the main plate section to prevent interference between the components, and a decorative section 436 with a roughly symmetrical pattern on the front of the plate.

The fastening portion 431 has at least a pair of gourd-shaped protrusions 431a that are arranged at the lower end of the lift plate 430 and support the vertical displacement of the relative displacement member 442 (slide rack). The gourd-shaped protrusions 431a are the part that supports the relative displacement member 442, but also have a female screw shape formed at their tip, into which a fastening screw that fastens and fixes the storage plate portion 425 to the lift plate 430 is screwed. In other words, they are used both as a part related to fastening and fixing the rear arrangement plate 420 and as a part related to supporting the synchronous operation unit 440.

The cylindrical portion 433 extends toward the rear side through the gap between the components of the synchronous operation unit 440, and its rear end abuts against the front surface of the storage plate portion 425, and in this abutting state, the through hole 427 and the inside of the cylindrical portion 433 are continuously connected. Electrical wiring DH1 is inserted forward and backward through this continuously connected portion.

Examples of the countermeasure portion 435 include a notch portion 435a cut upward from the lower edge of the main body plate portion to avoid interference with the connecting portion between the fixed transmission plate 490 and the relative displacement member 442 (in this embodiment, the raised fastening portion arranged vertically side by side), and a recessed portion 435b recessed into a wall portion formed in a wall shape to protect the upper side of the axis of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b of the auxiliary arm member 444 and formed to avoid interference with the arc-shaped gear portion 444b.

The decorative portion 436 is disposed on the rear side of the feather-shaped member 460 and is configured to work in conjunction with the feather-shaped member 460 to allow a series of patterns to be visually recognized as the feather-shaped member 460 is displaced, as will be described in more detail below.

The synchronous operation unit 440 includes a pair of rotating gears 441 that mesh with each other, a relative displacement member 442 that meshes with one of the rotating gears 441 and is formed so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, a pair of elongated holes 443 drilled in the relative displacement member 442, an auxiliary arm member 444 that has rotating gear teeth that mesh with the other rotating gear 441, and an end side plate 448 that is fastened and fixed to the rotating tip of the auxiliary arm member 444 from the back side.

The gourd-shaped protrusion 431a is inserted into the long hole 443. The longitudinal direction of the gourd shape and the longitudinal direction of the long hole 443 are arranged approximately parallel to each other, so that the posture of the relative displacement member 442 can be stabilized.

In addition, the area of contact with the long hole 443 can be made smaller than when the gourd-shaped protrusion 431a is formed in an oval shape, so the frictional resistance generated between the gourd-shaped protrusion 431a and the relative displacement member 442 can be reduced.

The auxiliary arm member 444 includes a ring-shaped base end side portion 444a that is supported by the large diameter protrusion 432a of the support portion 432, an arc gear portion 444b in which gear teeth are formed concentrically with the ring shape of the base end side portion 444a, an extension portion 444c that extends radially from the base end side portion 444a of the ring shape, and a cylindrical member 444d that is disposed at the extended tip portion of the extension portion 444c and is formed in a roughly semi-cylindrical shape, with the open portion on the inside of the cylinder being configured to be continuously connected to the open portion of the extension portion 444c.

When the base end side portion 444a is inserted into the large diameter protrusion 432a, its movement toward the rear side is restricted by the storage plate portion 425 having an insertion hole 425a through which a fastening screw is inserted and threaded into a female thread portion formed at the tip of the large diameter protrusion 432a. In other words, the base end side portion 444a is pivotally supported by the lift plate 430 and the storage plate portion 425 in a manner that faces the front and rear so that it cannot fall off.

The extension portion 444c is formed in a box shape with an open back side, and is provided with a retaining portion 444c1 that extends from one side in the short side direction to the other side on the back side and has a gap between the other side that is slightly longer than the short side dimension (width dimension) of the electrical wiring DH1. This retaining portion 444c1 has the role of preventing the electrical wiring DH1, which is arranged inside the extension portion 444c after the electrical wiring DH1 has been passed between the extension portion 444c and the other side in the short side direction, from falling off thereafter.

The form of the retaining portion 444c1 is not limited to this. For example, the gap between the extension portion 444c and the retaining portion 444c1 may be configured to be shorter than the short-side dimension (width dimension) of the electrical wiring DH1. In this case, when assembling (inserting) the electrical wiring DH1 into the gap between the extension portion 444c and the retaining portion 444c1, it is necessary to bend the retaining portion 444c1 to widen the gap, but this can improve the effect of preventing the electrical wiring DH1 from falling off after assembly.

As long as the electrical wiring DH1 is disposed inside the extension portion 444c, the expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 during the raising and lowering displacement of the first operating unit 400 can be minimized, but details will be described later with reference to Figures 27 to 30.

The cylindrical member 444d is designed so that its outer diameter is slightly shorter than the short dimension of the long hole portion 406, and when inserted into the long hole portion 406, it allows the auxiliary arm member 444 to slide along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the long hole portion 406 and to rotate.

The end side plate 448 has a through hole 448a through which the electrical wiring DH1 can be inserted. The electrical wiring DH1 inserted into the through hole 448a passes through the inside of the cylindrical portion 444d inserted into the long hole portion 406, passes through the inside of the extension portion 444c, is guided to the back side of the base end side portion 444a, and enters between the closure plate 428 and the storage plate portion 425. It is then guided to the front side through the through hole 427 and the cylindrical portion 433.

Because the electrical wiring DH1 is passed through in this manner, the inner shape of the through hole 448a is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the connector that is connected to the end of the electrical wiring DH1. In other words, the through hole 448a is formed to be large enough to allow the connector to be inserted therethrough.

The through hole 448a is formed not only in the center of the end side plate 448 but also in an irregular shape including an eccentric region on the radially outer side, and is particularly large on the extension portion 444c side. Therefore, regardless of the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444, the electrical wiring DH1 can be moved toward the extension portion 444c side, and it is possible to prevent the position of the electrical wiring DH1 relative to the auxiliary arm member 444 from changing significantly (moving wildly) as the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444 changes.

In addition, the through hole 448a is extended counterclockwise in rear view from the extension portion 444c side on the outer diameter side of the end side plate 448. This extension allows the opening range of the through hole 448a to be expanded to the right when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, thereby reducing the left-right displacement width required for the electrical wiring DH1.

In this case, even in the configuration of this embodiment in which the end side plate 448 is displaced left and right when the lift plate 430 is lifted and displaced, the direction of the through hole 448a can be changed to function to mitigate the left and right displacement of the end side plate 448. Therefore, the displacement width required for the electrical wiring DH1 can be made shorter compared to the displacement width of the end side plate 448, so that the excess length of the wiring set in consideration of the displacement of the electrical wiring DH1 can be shortened, and the load applied from the end side plate 448 to the electrical wiring DH1 can be reduced.

A fixed transmission plate 490 is fastened and fixed to the front side of the relative displacement member 442. That is, in the same way that the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442 are displaced relative to each other, the support plate portion 450 fastened and fixed to the lift plate 430 and the fixed transmission plate 490 fastened and fixed to the relative displacement member 442 are displaced relative to each other.

The support plate 450 is a plate-like member to which the light-emitting performance device LA1, which is formed in a disk shape and has a light-emitting substrate disposed on the rear side, is fastened and fixed to the front side, and is provided with a number of fastening parts 451 into which fastening screws inserted into the lifting plate 430 are screwed, a pair of left and right fastening shaft support parts 452 which are fitted into the cylindrical part 461 of the vane-shaped member 460 and into which fastening screws inserted into the lifting plate 430 are screwed, a pair of left and right through-holes 453 drilled below the fastening shaft support parts 452, and a support part 454 which hooks and supports the upper protrusion LA1b of the light-emitting performance device LA1.

The light-emitting performance device LA1 has a pair of fastening parts LA1a at the bottom into which fastening screws are threaded to be inserted into the support plate part 450, and a pair of protruding pieces LA1b at the top that protrude so as to be inserted into the support part 454. In this way, the bottom of the light-emitting performance device LA1 is supported by fastening and fixing, while the top is supported by engagement, thereby ensuring sufficient support strength and avoiding the shadow of the fastening screws on the upper back side of the electric board.

A three-dimensional or two-dimensional decorative pattern that is visible to the player is applied to the front of the light-emitting performance device LA1. This decorative pattern is configured so that it can be seen as a decoration integrated with the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 when it is visible and not hidden by the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 (see FIG. 34).

In this embodiment, the shapes of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 are modeled after shells (e.g., scallop shells), and the light-emitting performance device LA1 placed between them is formed into a roughly circular shape when viewed from the front, which can be visually recognized as a pearl. In other words, by making the light-emitting performance member LA1, feather-shaped member 460, and auxiliary member 470 visible as a single unit, it is possible to create an appearance that evokes the series of concepts of "a pearl placed inside an open shell."

The feather-shaped member 460 is composed of a plurality of members supported by the fastening shaft support part 452, and includes a cylindrical part 461 rotatably supported by the fastening shaft support part 452, an arc-shaped gear 462 formed in an arc shape centered on the cylindrical part 461 and meshing with each other, an extension part 463 extending from the cylindrical part 461 to the opposite side of the arc-shaped gear 462 in a plate shape, formation parts 464L, 464R formed on the extension end side of the extension part 463 and plated to be able to strongly reflect light by applying plating to the plate front part, a downstream gear 465 formed on the front side of the arc-shaped gear 462 along an arc with a smaller diameter than the arc-shaped gear 462, a flange part 466 formed in a flange shape covering the back side of the arc-shaped gear 462, and a cylindrical protrusion part 467 protruding in a cylindrical shape from the extension end part to which the flange part 466 is extended in the outer direction toward the back side.

The arc-shaped gear 462 is formed as gear teeth formed on an arc of the same diameter that mesh with the pair of cylindrical parts 461 at the midpoint. In other words, the rotation angles of the multiple (left and right) feather-shaped members 460 that rotate due to the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 are the same (symmetrical).

The extension portion 463 has a recessed portion 463a formed only on the right side. The recessed portion 463a is shaped to easily avoid interference with the electrical wiring that passes through the cylindrical portion 433 and is guided to the front side of the lift plate 430, and will be described in detail later.

The forming parts 464L, 464R are combined when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, and are configured as a series of roughly semicircular (roughly semi-elliptical) decorative bodies (see FIG. 17). On the other hand, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, they are arranged separately on the left and right, and their sizes are asymmetrical (see FIG. 16).

In more detail, the lower side is formed symmetrically, while the shape of the upper side that comes into contact when combined is such that the left forming part 464L is formed to protrude in the rotational direction compared to the right forming part 464R, making it larger. In other words, when the first operating unit 400 is in the protruding state, the contact surface S1 of the forming parts 464L, 464R is positioned toward the right side (see FIG. 17).

The shapes of the upper ends of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R that are arranged facing each other differ depending on the distance from the cylindrical portion 461. That is, the side closer to the cylindrical portion 461 (the side closer to the rotation axis, the inner diameter side) is shaped to have an interference portion 464a that is positioned offset in the direction of the rotation axis of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R so that the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R can overlap each other in a front view when they are closest to each other.

In this embodiment, the side closer to the cylindrical portion 461 corresponds to the portion where the decorative pattern is formed, which is visible as a continuous pattern when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other. The interference portion 464a described above prevents a gap from appearing on the contact surface S1 of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other, so that the decorative pattern can be viewed by the player without any sense of discomfort.

On the other hand, on the side farther from the cylindrical portion 461 (the side farther from the rotation axis, the outer diameter side), the abutment surfaces are shaped to be positioned at positions that coincide in the direction of the rotation axis of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R so that the rotation of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R can be stopped by abutment.

By providing the portion of the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R where the load is generated by contact when the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R are stopped at the outermost diameter portion where the arm length is the longest in the force moment calculation, the load generated on the blade-shaped members 464L, 464R by contact can be minimized.

In this way, by changing the shape of the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R depending on the distance from the cylindrical portion 461, the player can see the series of decorative patterns that are formed when the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R are closest to each other without feeling strange, and the load that may be generated on the feather-shaped members 464L, 464R when they are closest to each other can be minimized.

The flange portion 466 serves both to suppress the positional deviation of the arc-shaped gear 462 in the front-rear direction and to separate the arc-shaped gear 462 from the fixed transmission plate 490. This allows the meshing state of the arc-shaped gear 462 to be optimized, and prevents the arc-shaped gear 462 from coming into contact with and getting caught on the fixed transmission plate 490, causing excessive resistance.

The cylindrical projection 467 is inserted into the long hole 491 of the fixed transmission plate 490, and a ring-shaped collar C1 for reducing friction is inserted into the projection tip. In addition, a female thread is formed at the projection tip, and a fastening screw is inserted into the collar C1 and has a head portion larger than the inner diameter of the collar C1. This connects the fixed transmission plate 490 to the cylindrical projection 467 so that it cannot fall off.

The auxiliary member 470 is composed of a pair of left and right plate-shaped members that are rotatably supported, and includes a supported portion 471 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, a metal rod 472 made of metal that is passed through the through hole 453 and inserted into the supported portion 471 and fitted non-rotatably, and a gear portion 473 that is non-rotatably fitted to the end of the metal rod 472 and has gear teeth formed on an arc centered on the metal rod 472.

A female thread is formed in the radial direction on the front side of the inserting metal rod 472, and a through hole is formed at the corresponding position of the supported part 471, through which the threaded part of the fastening screw that is screwed into the female thread can be inserted. After inserting the inserting metal rod 472 into the supported part 471, the fastening screw can be screwed into the female thread through the through hole, thereby preventing the inserting metal rod 472 from falling off the supported part 471.

The gear portion 473 is supported so as to be rotatable about the through hole 453 as the inserted metal rod 472 is supported in the through hole 453. The gear portion 473 is meshed with the downstream gear 465 (see FIG. 22(b)), and therefore rotates in synchronization with the rotation angle of the feather-shaped member 460.

The fixed transmission plate 490 comprises a plate-shaped portion that is fastened to the front side of the relative displacement member 442, a long hole portion 491 that is drilled as a curved long hole in the plate-shaped portion, a metal rod 492 that is a metal rod-shaped member that is non-rotatably supported at the lower end of the plate-shaped portion and protrudes toward the front side, and a decorative portion 493 that is non-rotatably fixed to the protruding tip of the metal rod 492.

The long hole portion 491 has a vertical portion 491a formed along the vertical direction, and a curved portion 491b formed by being bent in the left-right direction more than the vertical portion 491a. By dividing the long hole portion 491 into sections in this way, it is possible to provide a shift in the synchronization state between the vertical displacement of the fixed transmission plate 490 and the associated rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 rather than completely synchronizing them, as will be described in detail later.

The connection and fixation between the metal rod 492 and the decorative part 493 is the same as the connection between the inserted metal rod 472 and the supported part 471 described above. This makes it possible to prevent the metal rod 492 from falling off the decorative part 493.

Next, the operation of the first operating unit 400 will be described. Figures 27, 28, 29, and 30 are rear views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 27 to 30 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates. Figure 27 shows the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 28 shows a first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400 in which the lift plate 430 has been lowered from the retracted state by a distance slightly longer than the vertical deviation dimension of the wall schematic line UL (see Figure 16), Figure 29 shows a second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400 in which the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary arm member 444 faces the left-right direction, and Figure 30 shows the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 27, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the detected portion 413d enters the detection gap of the detection sensor SC1, thereby determining the posture of the terminal gear 413. In this embodiment, the state detected by the detection sensor SC1 is only the retracted state, and the other states (first intermediate state, second intermediate state, extended state) are states after a preset displacement amount from the retracted state, and are not detected by the detection sensor SC1.

As shown in FIG. 27, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the straight line connecting the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413 and the cylindrical protrusion 413c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long hole 414d of the arm member 414 (the radial direction of the rotation of the arm member 414). As a result, the load applied from the arm member 414 to the terminal gear 413 occurs along a straight line passing through the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413, so that the posture of the arm member 414 can be maintained even when the power of the drive motor MT1 is cut off (use of the dead point).

The tip plate portion 414e of the arm member 414 is disposed outside the arc MXS that circumscribes the disk portion of the terminal gear 413 with the rotation axis of the arm member 414 as the center. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the tip plate portion 414e and the terminal gear 413 during the rotational displacement of the arm member 414.

The auxiliary arm member 444 functions to prevent the right side of the lift plate 430 from descending. Although the auxiliary arm member 444 is supported so as to be able to slide in the long hole portion 406, it is not a resistance-free member, and movement resistance is generated by contact friction generated between the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) and the long hole portion 406. In other words, the action of this movement resistance allows the right side of the lift plate 430 to be supported by the auxiliary arm member 444.

As shown in FIG. 28, the lift plate 430 is displaced downward as the arm member 414 rotates and displaces accordingly, and the relative displacement member 442 is displaced downward by an amount that exceeds the amount of displacement of the lift plate 430 as the rotating gear 441 that meshes with the auxiliary arm member 444 rotates accordingly.

Although it has a complex shape, the driving force is transmitted from the auxiliary arm member 444 to the relative displacement member 442 by gear meshing, so there is a one-to-one correspondence between the amount of displacement of the relative displacement member 442 relative to the lift plate 430 and the rotation angle of the auxiliary arm member 444.

As shown in FIG. 28, while the arm member 414, the auxiliary arm member 444, the lift plate 430, and the relative displacement member 442 are displaced as described above, the feather-shaped member 460 maintains the same position as in the retracted state.

In other words, according to this embodiment, a time lag occurs between the timing at which the lift plate 430 starts to descend from the retracted state of the first operating unit 400 and the timing at which the vane-shaped member 460 starts to rotate. The cause of this time lag will be described later.

In this embodiment, the lift plate 430 descends by the vertical dimension of the wall schematic line UL (see FIG. 16) before the vane-shaped member 460 starts to rotate, which makes it easier to prevent the vane-shaped member 460 from colliding with the upper wall of the rear case 310 as it rotates.

In other words, the displacement mode in which the feather-shaped member 460 rotates after descending by the vertical dimension of the wall schematic line UL is the same as the displacement mode (conventional displacement mode) in which the feather-shaped member 460 rotates simultaneously with the descent of the lift plate 430 when the upper wall portion of the rear case 310 is formed so that there is no height discrepancy between the left and right. Therefore, the operation of the first operating unit 400 of this embodiment can be realized by utilizing the operating conditions (parameters such as gear ratio and displacement amount) of the conventional displacement mode. This makes it possible to reduce the cost required for design.

As shown in FIG. 27, the arm member 414, which is hidden behind the lift plate 430 in the retracted state, displaces so as to protrude above the lift plate 430 as the lift plate 430 descends, as shown in FIG. 28.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the feather-shaped member 460 is configured to be displaceable relative to the lift plate 430 so as to hide the arm member 414 (see FIG. 29). In other words, the feather-shaped member 460 not only serves as a presentation device that allows the player to view the decorative pattern formed on the surface side to create an effect that livens up the game, but also functions as a shielding device that, together with the lift plate 430, hides the arm member 414 for drive transmission.

In particular, in this embodiment, the forming portion 464L of the feather-shaped member 460 on the side where the arm member 414 having the function of transmitting driving force is arranged is made larger in shape than the forming portion 464R of the feather-shaped member 460 on the opposite side, making it easier to hide the arm member 414 from the player's view.

Similarly, the forming portion 464R is configured to hide the auxiliary arm member 444 (see FIG. 30). In this embodiment, due to this configuration, in the second intermediate state, the arm member 414 protrudes above the lifting plate 430, while the auxiliary arm member 444 is still hidden behind the lifting plate 430. In other words, the arm member 414 protrudes above the lifting plate 430, and then the auxiliary arm member 444 protrudes above the lifting plate 430 (see FIG. 30).

Therefore, even when using forming portion 464R, which is smaller in shape than forming portion 464L (the amount of upward projection of lift plate 430 at the same time is smaller than forming portion 464L), the auxiliary arm member 444 can be hidden from the player's view without any problems.

As shown in FIG. 29, when the cylindrical extension 414f is slightly farthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, the auxiliary arm member 444 assumes a position in which its longitudinal direction faces the left-right direction. When the cylindrical extension 414f is farthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, the rightward load applied from the arm member 414 to the lift plate 430 tends to increase, but in contrast, if the auxiliary arm member 444 applies a leftward load to the lift plate 430 at the same time, the displacement resistance of the lift plate 430 increases.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the auxiliary arm member 444 is tilted slightly past the position where the cylindrical extension portion 414f is furthest to the left from the rotation axis of the arm member 414, and the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) is positioned at the right end of the long hole portion 406, so that a load in the leftward direction can be applied to the lift plate 430 via the auxiliary arm member 444. This makes it possible to suppress the lift plate 430 from being displaced in the left-right direction due to the left-right load applied to the lift plate 430 while suppressing the displacement resistance of the lifting and lowering displacement of the lift plate 430.

In the state shown in FIG. 29, the cylindrical protrusion 413c of the terminal gear 413 is positioned outside the arc MXS, but since the tip plate portion 414e has already gone too far below the cylindrical protrusion portion 413c, interference between the tip plate portion 414e and the terminal gear 413 can be avoided.

In other words, the arc MXS is defined merely as a guideline position, and the design of the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414 is carried out by dynamically examining whether interference will occur when the terminal gear 413 and the arm member 414 are actually linked together.

As shown in FIG. 30, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the terminal gear 413 rotates with the position where the stopped portion 413b of the terminal gear 413 abuts against the stopper portion 403c of the main body plate portion 401 as the end point. Note that, as a control, the drive motor MT1 is driven so that the terminal gear 413 stops at a position slightly before the position where the stopped portion 413b abuts against the stopper portion 403c. This makes it possible to structurally prevent the terminal gear 413 from over-rotating while avoiding early damage to the stopped portion 413b and the stopper portion 403c.

As shown in FIG. 30, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the straight line connecting the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413 and the cylindrical extension portion 413c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long hole portion 414d of the arm member 414 (the radial direction of the rotation of the arm member 414). As a result, the load applied from the arm member 414 to the terminal gear 413 occurs along a straight line passing through the rotation axis of the terminal gear 413, so that the posture of the arm member 414 can be maintained even when the power of the drive motor MT1 is cut off (use of the dead point).

The posture is maintained in both directions along the rotational direction of the arm member 414. In other words, it is possible to prevent not only displacement in the direction of gravity, but also upward displacement of the first operating unit 400 from the extended state to the retracted state.

This prevents the lift plate 430 connected to the arm member 414 from bouncing upward after reaching the extended state, and prevents the components downstream of the lift plate 430 (the synchronous operation unit 440, the feather-shaped member 460, the auxiliary member 470, etc.) from being displaced as a transmission path for the driving force. This makes it easier to maintain the contact state of the feather-shaped member 460.

The auxiliary arm member 444 functions to prevent the right side of the lift plate 430 from rising. Although the auxiliary arm member 444 is supported so as to be able to slide in the long hole portion 406, it is not a resistance-free member, and movement resistance is generated due to contact friction generated between the cylindrical portion 444d (see FIG. 25) and the long hole portion 406. In other words, the action of this movement resistance allows the right side of the lift plate 430 to be supported by the auxiliary arm member 444.

In addition, the auxiliary arm member 444 suspends and supports the lift plate 430. This prevents the position of the lift plate 430 from becoming unstable on the left and right sides of the metal rail 405, even though the driving force from the drive motor MT1 and the biasing force from the coil spring SP1 are generated only on one side (the left side).

Here, we will explain that, as described above, as long as the electrical wiring DH1 is arranged inside the extension portion 444c, the expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 during the elevation and lowering displacement of the lift plate 430 of the first operating unit 400 can be kept to a minimum.

When the path of the electrical wiring DH1 is traced from the light-emitting performance device LA1 side, it is fixed to the lifting plate 430 until it reaches the auxiliary arm member 444, and the path becomes variable only at the auxiliary arm member 444. On the other hand, the extension portion 444c in which the electrical wiring DH1 is disposed has a fixed shape even while the lifting plate 430 is displaced up and down, which reduces the possibility of expansion and contraction displacement occurring in the electrical wiring DH1.

At the position where the electrical wiring DH1 exits the through hole 448a on the rear side, a left-right displacement occurs in the electrical wiring DH1 due to the left-right displacement of the end side plate 448. In this way, the displacement that may cause expansion and contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 is limited to that caused by the displacement of the end side plate 448, so in this embodiment, the left-right displacement of the end side plate 448 is measured, the necessary excess length is calculated, and this excess length is added to the electrical wiring DH1 in the path from the fixed position of the electrical wiring DH1 to the end side plate 448 (in a state where the electrical wiring DH1 is loosened), and the electrical wiring DH1 is fixed to the main body plate portion 401.

In other words, the location where expansion or contraction of the electrical wiring DH1 may occur due to the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 can be limited to the vicinity of the end side plate 448, and in addition, the amount of displacement that causes expansion or contraction can be kept to less than half the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430.

Furthermore, as described above, the shape of the through hole 448a of the end side plate 448 allows the displacement width of the electrical wiring DH1 to be reduced compared to the displacement width of the end side plate 448, so that the excess length of the electrical wiring DH1 can be shortened.

Figures 31, 32, 33, and 34 are front views of the first operating unit 400. Figures 31 to 34 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates, with Figure 31 showing the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 32 showing the first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 33 showing the second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, and Figure 34 showing the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 31, the lower edge of the feather-shaped member 460 is formed symmetrically. Therefore, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the first operating unit 400, which enters the field of view in which the third pattern display device 81 is viewed, can be visually recognized by the player as a movable member with a symmetrical shape.

As shown in FIG. 32, when the lift plate 430 is slightly displaced downward, the position of the feather-shaped member 460 is maintained. Therefore, even in the state shown in FIG. 32, the first operating unit 400, which enters the field of view in which the third pattern display device 81 is viewed, can still be visually recognized by the player as a movable member with a symmetrical shape.

In the first intermediate state shown in FIG. 32, the position of the feather-shaped member 460 does not change compared to the retracted state shown in FIG. 31, but as the lift plate 430 descends, the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 are displaced downward by the same amount, and the decorative part 493 is displaced downward by an amount that exceeds the amount of downward displacement.

Therefore, when the first operating unit 400 is changed from the retracted state to the first intermediate state, the player viewing the lift plate 430 can see not only the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 alone, but also the vertical displacement of the decorative part 493, which is displaced by an amount different from the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430, thereby improving the presentation effect.

As shown in FIG. 33, in the second intermediate state, the difference between the amount of displacement of the lift plate 430 and the amount of displacement of the decorative part 493 increases compared to the first intermediate state, and in addition, the posture of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 changes.

Figure 34 shows the state in which the feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other in opposing positions. The feather-shaped members 460 are a pair of left and right members that are combined together to appear as if they were a single decorative member with a roughly semicircular (semi-elliptical) shape, and the abutment surface S1 is formed in a position shifted to the right from the center position in the left-right direction where the metal rail 405 is disposed.

In this embodiment, the upper edge side of forming portion 464L is configured to be larger on the forming portion 464R side than the upper edge side of forming portion 464R, so that the contact surface S1 in the protruding state is offset from the left-right center.

When the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, the upper edge of the forming portions 464L, 464R is disposed in a position that is shielded by the base plate 60 of the game board 13 (see FIG. 2), making it difficult for the player to notice that the forming portions 464L, 464R are configured with an asymmetrical shape. This makes it possible to avoid giving the player a feeling of discomfort due to the asymmetrical shape of the forming portions 464L, 464R.

In addition, since the contact surface S1 is offset from the metal rail 405 when viewed from the front, even if the feather-shaped member 460 bounces back due to the impact of contact and a gap is created again, it is possible to prevent the rail member 405 from being seen through the gap, and the decorative shape formed on the front surface of the main plate portion 401 can be seen.

This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in the presentation effect compared to when the inorganic metal rail 405 (in other words, a component that is essential for realizing the displacement of the movable props and is not intended as decoration) is visible through the gap.

The abutment surface S1 is also positioned at a position offset from the left-right center position that a player would typically expect to see as the gap between a pair of movable members that abut and move away from each other on the left and right. In other words, by not creating a gap in the location (left-right center position) that a player would expect to see and by locating the abutment surface S1 where a gap may occur at a position offset from that location, even if a gap does occur, it is possible to make the gap less noticeable.

As shown in Figures 31 to 34, the visibility of the decorative part 436 changes depending on the arrangement of the feather-shaped member 460. That is, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state (see Figure 31) to the second intermediate state (see Figure 33), the outer shape of the decorative part 436 is hidden by the feather-shaped member 460, making it difficult for the player to grasp its entire appearance.

On the other hand, when the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state (see FIG. 34), the outer shape of the decorative part 436 arranged on the underside of the feather-shaped member 460 is visible, and the outer shape is formed so as to be continuous with the outer shape of the feather-shaped member 460 when viewed from the front.

In other words, the decorative portion 436 is formed so that the series of decorative shapes (in this embodiment, a "shell" shape) that are visible when the pair of feather-shaped members 460 are in the extended state of the first operating unit 400 extend further downward from the lower edge. Therefore, it is possible to form a series of decorative shapes that are larger than the series of decorative shapes (see FIG. 38) that are formed by combining the pair of feather-shaped members 460, and this can be visually recognized by the player.

As described above, in this embodiment, the process of displacement of the feather-shaped members 460 to form a series of decorative shapes is not the same. That is, the first displacement process is a process in which a pair of feather-shaped members 460, which are one component of a series of decorative shapes, are displaced close to each other and united to form a series of decorative shapes.

On the other hand, the second displacement process is a process in which the feather-shaped member 460 and the decorative part 436, which are one component of a series of decorative shapes, overlap front to back when viewed from the front when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state, and as the first operating unit 400 approaches the extended state, the feather-shaped member 460 is displaced in a direction in which the overlap becomes smaller (the direction in which the feather-shaped member 460 moves away from the decorative part 436), thereby forming a series of decorative shapes.

Through these different processes, the displacement of the feather-shaped members 460 itself is a simple displacement pattern of proximity displacement, while the shapes can be connected at both end edges along the displacement direction of the feather-shaped members 460, forming a series of decorative shapes. Therefore, while the shapes of the feather-shaped members 460 that displace individually can be kept small, the series of decorative shapes that are formed by combining in the extended state of the first operating unit 400 can be made large in comparison to their size.

Figures 35, 36, 37, and 38 are rear views of the support plate portion 450, the vane-shaped member 460, the auxiliary member 470, and the fixed transmission plate 490. Figures 35 to 38 show how each component is displaced as the drive motor MT1 rotates, with Figure 35 showing the retracted state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 36 showing the first intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, Figure 37 showing the second intermediate state of the first operating unit 400, and Figure 38 showing the extended state of the first operating unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 35, the rear side of the light-emitting performance device LA1 has a plurality of through-holes LA1c that are distributed along an arc shape, and light is configured to leak out through these through-holes LA1c to the rear side. When the first operating unit 400 is in the extended state, the feather-shaped member 460 is positioned to cover the rear side of the through-holes LA1c, so that the light leaking out from the through-holes LA1c can be reflected to the front side by the forming portions 464L, 464R of the feather-shaped member 460.

The rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 will be described with reference to Figures 35 to 38. The rotational displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 occurs due to the relationship between the cylindrical protrusion 467 and the long hole portion 491 of the fixed transmission plate 490, so this part will be described in particular detail.

From the retracted state shown in FIG. 35 to the first intermediate state shown in FIG. 36, the direction in which the vertical portion 491a of the long hole portion 491 through which the cylindrical extension portion 467 is inserted is opened (vertical direction) is the same as the displacement direction of the fixed transmission plate 490, so that the vane-shaped member 460 can be prevented from being rotated and displaced by the load applied to the cylindrical extension portion 467.

In this embodiment, there is no separate member for biasing the feather-shaped member 460 toward the retracted state, but the shape of the forming portions 464L and 464R means that the center of gravity is positioned to the left and right of the axis of rotation, and the retracted position is maintained by its own weight.

In the second intermediate state shown in FIG. 37, the cylindrical protrusion 467 enters the curved change portion 491b, generating a left-right load on the cylindrical protrusion 467, causing the feather-shaped member 460 to begin to rotate. From the perspective of the drive force transmission path, the drive force of the drive motor MT1 is transmitted from the fixed transmission plate 490 via the cylindrical protrusion 467 to the left feather-shaped member 460, and then to the right feather-shaped member 460. In other words, compared to the right feather-shaped member 460, the left feather-shaped member 460 is upstream in the drive force transmission path.

In this embodiment, the forming portion 464L of the left feather-shaped member 460, which is the upstream side in the transmission path of the driving force, is formed slightly larger (heavier) than the forming portion 464R, so that the movable members can be arranged so that they become lighter in sequence toward the downstream side in the transmission path of the driving force. This allows for good transmission of the driving force and also prevents each component from bouncing back after it has been displaced to its terminal position.

One of the reasons why the cylindrical portion 433, which serves as a guide path for the electrical wiring DH1, is located on the forming portion 464R side is the difference in weight between the forming portions 464L and 464R. In more detail, the positions of the forming portions 464L and 464R after displacement are determined by the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 and the abutment of the opposing surfaces of the forming portions 464L and 464R, but the positions of the forming portions 464L and 464R after displacement may change slightly due to errors in the meshing of the arc-shaped gear 462 and aging deformation of the long hole portion 491, which determines the rotation angle of the feather-shaped member 460.

In this case, the change in position after the displacement is largely due to the weight balance of forming portions 464L and 464R. In other words, there is a high possibility that forming portion 464L will be pushed down so that forming portion 464L rests on forming portion 464R.

In consideration of this, in this embodiment, the extension portion 463 of the feather-shaped member 460 is disposed below the cylindrical portion 433 through which the electrical wiring DH1 passes. In addition, a recessed portion 463a is provided to reduce overlap between the cylindrical portion 433 and the extension portion 463. This reduces the possibility of interference between the electrical wiring DH1 and the forming portion 464L, even if the forming portion 464L is unintentionally pushed down.

In addition, since it is possible to predict the side on which deformation is likely to occur in the forming portion 464L, it is possible to design the cylindrical portion 433 and the recessed portion 463 at a position where they partially interfere with each other when viewed from the rear (see FIG. 38). This allows for greater freedom in design.

In this embodiment, the formation range of the recessed portion 463a is set to a range that can particularly open the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 433. This makes it possible to minimize the difference in shape between the pair of left and right extension portions 463 while avoiding contact between the electrical wiring DH1, which is prone to sagging due to its own weight inside the cylindrical portion 433, and the extension portion 463.

In other words, it is possible to prevent the recessed portion 463 from getting too close to the forming portion 464, and as a result, when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted state or the first intermediate state, the recessed portion 463a can be positioned on the rear side of the auxiliary member 470, and the recessed portion 463a can be configured to be partially hidden by the auxiliary member 470 (see FIG. 31).

This allows the recessed portion 463a to be partially hidden by the auxiliary member 470 in any state of the first operating unit 400, from the retracted state to the extended state. This makes it easier to view the extension portions 463 and the lower edges of the forming portions 464L, 464R of the pair of left and right feather-shaped members 460 symmetrically, thereby avoiding the player feeling uncomfortable due to the asymmetrical configuration of members that displace symmetrically.

The driving force is transmitted from the fixed transmission plate 490 to the cylindrical extension 467 by the fixed transmission plate 490 being displaced downward away from the tubular portion 461 of the feather-shaped member 460. As the driving force is transmitted, the cylindrical extension 467 is pulled by the fixed transmission plate 490 and rotates about the tubular portion 461, but the cylindrical extension 467 is configured not to displace at a constant speed (it is configured so that the angular velocity changes) when it is assumed that the fixed transmission plate 490 displaces at a constant speed.

In more detail, since the initial position of the cylindrical projection 467 is set near the left or right of the tubular portion 461 (see FIG. 35), if we assume that the curved change portion 491b is a long hole extending horizontally (left and right), the more the cylindrical projection 467 is displaced downward, the larger the angle of rotational displacement of the cylindrical projection 467 relative to the vertical displacement range becomes. Therefore, when the fixed transmission plate 490 is displaced at a constant speed, the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical projection 467 gradually increases.

Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a pair of feather-shaped members 460 decelerate during displacement, it is possible to create a powerful effect in which the feathers displace and combine at high speed.

On the other hand, the gradual increase in the angular velocity of the cylindrical protrusion 467 leads to an increase in the speed of the pair of feather-like members 460 just before they approach and combine. However, if the speed increases too much, the pair of feather-like members 460 may bounce back significantly due to the impact of combining, which may reduce the dramatic effect of this embodiment, which is to combine the pair of feather-like members 460 to create a series of decorative patterns.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the curved change portion 491b is formed as a long hole that extends in a direction that is inclined upward toward the rotation axis of the feather-shaped member 460 (the feather-shaped member 460 on the left side) that has the cylindrical protrusion 467 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction). This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical protrusion 467.

The degree of suppression corresponds to the amount of upward displacement (hereinafter also referred to as the "upward correction amount") of the curved change portion 491b relative to the long hole parallel to the horizontal direction (left-right direction) at the location where the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is located.

When the curved change portion 491b is configured as a long hole extending in a direction that inclines upward toward the rotation axis side as in this embodiment, the more the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is displaced downward (the closer the pair of feather-shaped members 460 are to being joined), the greater the amount of upward correction described above becomes. Therefore, the degree to which the increase in the speed (angular velocity) of the rotational displacement of the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is suppressed (the reduction range) can be gradually increased as the position of the cylindrical protrusion portion 467 is changed downward.

Therefore, compared to a configuration exemplified by a brake structure that maintains the same friction state, the speed increase can be moderately suppressed. The actual displacement speed of the feather-shaped member 460 will be described later.

Figures 39(a) to 39(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of the first operating unit 400. In Figures 39(a) to 39(c), the horizontal axis shows the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413, and in Figure 39(a), the vertical axis shows the downward displacement amount of the lift plate 430, in Figure 39(b), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the auxiliary arm member 444, and in Figure 39(c), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the feather-shaped member 460.

Here, let us consider a case where the drive motor MT1 rotates at a constant speed. In this case, while the terminal gear 413 rotates at a constant speed, the rotational movement of the arm member 414 does not rotate at a constant speed, and the lifting and lowering displacement of the lifting plate 430 also does not occur at a constant speed.

In other words, a discrepancy occurs between the control mode of the drive motor MT1 (e.g., constant speed rotation) and the control mode of the lift plate 430 (non-uniform speed displacement), and the displacement mode downstream of the lift plate 430 in the transmission path of the driving force is affected by this discrepancy. Therefore, even if the drive motor MT1 is rotated at a constant speed, it is difficult to displace the components located downstream in the transmission path at a constant speed.

For example, even if a fixed rack gear-like portion is formed on the main body plate portion 401 and configured to mesh with the rotating gear 441 of the synchronous operation unit 440, the lifting and lowering displacement of the relative displacement member 442 depends on the lifting and lowering displacement mode of the lifting and lowering plate 430, and therefore does not result in a uniform displacement.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the lifting and lowering displacement of the relative displacement member 442 is not determined by a fixed rack gear-like portion, but rather the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 is converted into the lifting and lowering displacement (vertical displacement) of the relative displacement member 442 in the same way that the rotational displacement of the arm member 414 is converted into the lifting and lowering displacement (vertical displacement) of the lift plate 430.

In other words, by applying a predetermined rule (for example, a conversion formula that converts the numerical value on the horizontal axis of FIG. 39(a) into the numerical value on the vertical axis) for converting the rotational displacement of the terminal gear 413 into the lifting displacement of the lifting plate 430 accompanying the vertical displacement of the cylindrical protrusion 414f of the arm member 414 in reverse to convert the lifting displacement of the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 accompanying the vertical displacement of the lifting plate 430 into the rotational displacement of the rotating gear 441, the deviation in the displacement pattern can be partially offset, and the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 and the displacement pattern of the rotating gear 441 can be approximated.

In other words, the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430 begins to deviate from the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 when the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is around 90 degrees or 140 degrees (see FIG. 39(a)). On the other hand, the rotation angle of the auxiliary arm member 444 is prevented from deviating from the displacement pattern of the terminal gear 413 when the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 is between 30 degrees and around 170 degrees (see FIG. 39(b)).

As a result, for example, by rotating the drive motor MT1 and the terminal gear 413 at a constant speed, the auxiliary arm member 444 can be rotated at a constant speed in most parts (see FIG. 39(b)), so that the relative displacement member 442 can be displaced up and down at a substantially constant speed relative to the lift plate 430.

This makes it easier to link the speed control of the drive motor MT1 to the displacement mode of the relative displacement member 442, making it easier to set the speed of the drive motor MT1 by calculating backwards from the displacement mode that you want the first operating unit 400 to execute as a drive performance that is visually recognized by the player.

In addition, the configuration of this embodiment can reduce the impact on the tip side of the transmission path of the driving force, which is a configuration that produces advantageous effects only on the drive device side of the transmission path. Here, the drive motor MT1 side will be described as the drive device side of the transmission path, with the lift plate 430 as the reference, and the opposite side as the tip side of the transmission path.

On the drive device side of the transmission path, suppressing the rotation angle of the arm member 414 relative to the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413 when the first operating unit 400 is in the retracted or extended state is preferable from the perspective of quickly starting and stopping the arm member 414, but on the tip side of the transmission path, the speed of the arm member 414 becomes extremely small just before it reaches the retracted or extended state, which creates a problem in that the displacement tends to become slow.

From this perspective, in order to configure the displacement mode at the tip end of the transmission path so as not to be affected by the deceleration of the arm member 414, it is possible to deal with this by changing the operating speed of the drive motor MT1 before the arm member 414 reaches the displacement end, or by controlling the arm member 414 to stop before deceleration occurs (sufficiently before it reaches the retracted or extended state).

However, the former requires complex control, and the latter has the problem that the rotation angle of the arm member 414 that can be used to displace the tip end of the transmission path is small, narrowing the range of possible displacement patterns.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the displacement mode at the tip of the transmission path can be approximated to the displacement mode of the drive motor MT1 and the terminal gear 413, making it easier to reduce the degree to which the relative displacement member 442 of the synchronous operation unit 440 decelerates just before reaching the retracted state or the extended state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the displacement of the relative displacement member 442 (and the feather-shaped member 460 and auxiliary member 470 arranged downstream thereof) arranged at the tip of the transmission path becoming slow, while making maximum use of the rotation angle of the arm member 414.

What is visible to the player is the displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470. As shown in FIG. 39(c), when the terminal gear 413 is rotated at a constant speed, the rotational angular velocity of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 tends to increase (at or above a constant speed) until just before they stop, at which point they decelerate in accordance with the shape of the curved change portion 491b of the long hole portion 491 described above.

This allows the displacement of the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 to be more rapid and rapid compared to when the displacement mode of the lift plate 430 is determined, resulting in a more powerful displacement and improved presentation effect.

On the other hand, by providing a section in which the rotational angular velocity of the feather-shaped members 460 and the auxiliary member 470 is decelerated immediately before the feather-shaped members 460 are combined, rather than stopping the rotational angular velocity while it is increasing (combining the feather-shaped members 460), it is possible to prevent the feather-shaped members 460 from bouncing and displacing after they are combined.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the displacement mode of the lift plate 430, which is displaced in series by the driving force of the drive motor MT1, can be made different from the displacement modes of the relative displacement member 442, fixed transmission plate 490, vane member 460, and auxiliary member 470 of the synchronous operation unit 440, which are displaced downstream of the lift plate 430.

In particular, the displacement pattern that has changed once while moving downstream along the drive force transmission path can be changed back to the original state. This allows a unique displacement pattern to be created in a configuration in which multiple members are displaced in synchronous fashion.

Although the control mode of the drive motor MT1 has been described as being displaced from the retracted state to the extended state, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be controlled so as to reverse at an intermediate position. That is, for example, the rotation direction of the drive motor MT1 may be controlled to reverse so that the first operating unit 400 moves back and forth (repeatedly moves back and forth) between the retracted state and the first intermediate state.

In this case, the lift plate 430 is raised and returned to the retracted state after it starts to descend and before the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 start to rotate, so that the displacement of the first operating unit 400 that is visible to the player is limited to vertical displacement and rotational displacement is eliminated.

Even when displacing to the first intermediate state, the fixed transmission plate 490 and the decorative part 493 displace relative to the lift plate 430 in the vertical direction, making it easier to change the appearance of the first operating unit 400.

Figure 40 is an exploded front perspective view of the operation unit 300. In Figure 40, the game board 13 is removed from the operation unit 300 and placed on the front side, and the operation unit 300 and the upper part of the game board 13 are not shown. Also, in Figure 40, the outline of the transparent cover member 790, which is arranged along the lower edge of the third pattern display device 81 and is made of colorless, light-transmitting resin, is shown in imaginary lines, and the structure below it is visible.

When the game board 13 and the operating unit 300 are fastened and fixed together and used for play, the light-guiding member 714 and the upper surface of the second operating unit 700 are arranged so as to be visible on the lower front side of the display area of the third pattern display device 81 through a window section defined in the center frame 86 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the light emitted to the front side by the illumination board 777 passes through the light-transmitting hole 60c and is therefore visible from the front side of the base plate 60.

Figure 41 is a front perspective view of the second operating unit 700, and Figure 42 is a rear perspective view of the second operating unit 700. As shown in Figures 41 and 42, the second operating unit 700 includes a plurality of light-guiding members 714 (eight in this embodiment) arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and an illumination board 777 arranged on the left and right.

Each of the light-guiding members 714 is configured to be able to guide the light irradiated from below, and transmits the irradiated light from the upper end. The illumination board 777 is equipped with a light-emitting means 778 such as an LED that is configured to be able to irradiate light to the front side. In this way, the second operating unit 700 can emit light to the upper side via the light-guiding members 714, and emit light to the front side via the illumination board 777.

Figures 43 and 44 are exploded front perspective views of the second operating unit 700, and Figure 45 is an exploded rear perspective view of the second operating unit 700. Figure 43 shows a view looking down from above, and Figures 44 and 45 show a view looking up from below. Also, Figure 45 shows an enlarged view of the protruding retainer 724.

As shown in Figures 43, 44 and 45, the second operating unit 700 includes a base member 701 fastened to the bottom wall portion 311 of the rear case 310 (see Figure 40), a cover member 720 that is placed from above the base member 701 and fastened to the base member 701, a plate-shaped displacement member 730 that is sandwiched between the cover member 720 and the base member 701 and pivotally supported so as to be rotatable (rotatable at a rotation angle of about 6 degrees), and a hollow member that is placed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and is capable of being displaced at least vertically. It is equipped with multiple (eight in this embodiment) hollow members 740 that are configured to be movable, multiple (three in this embodiment) variable decorative members 750 that are placed on the top surface of the plate-like displacement member 730 on the front side of the hollow members 740 and are configured to be at least vertically displaceable, a pair of drive units 760 that are arranged on the left and right lower sides of the base member 701 and are configured to be approximately linearly symmetrical with respect to a straight line along the vertical direction and are configured to apply a load to the plate-like displacement member 730, and a transparent cover member 790 (see Figure 40).

The transparent cover member 790 is a colorless, transparent resin member shaped to cover the top and front surfaces of the cover member 720 of the second operating unit 700, and acts to prevent dust and fine particles from reaching the cover member 720, and to prevent collisions between the first operating unit 400 and the cover member 720 and the light-guiding member 714 even if any of the components of the first operating unit 400 malfunctions.

The top surface of the transparent cover 790 is inclined downward toward the rear side, so that a portion of the light emitted directly upward from the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 can be refracted toward the rear side. This makes it easier for the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to be reflected in the third pattern display device 81, so that even if the player is looking at the third pattern display device 81, it is easier for the player to notice changes in the lighting state of the light-guiding member 714 (including changes in brightness, vibrations of the light, and changes based on the displacement of the hollow member 740).

Note that the transparent cover member 790 is omitted from illustration in Figures 43, 44, and 45. First, the base member 701 that forms the framework of the second operating unit 700 will be described with reference to Figure 46.

Figure 46 is an exploded front perspective view of the base member 701. As shown in Figure 46, the base member 701 includes a plate-shaped member 702 formed to have sufficient strength, an illumination board 705 fastened to the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 702 facing the upper surface of the illumination board 705, a partition member 708 arranged facing the upper surface of the plate of the illumination board 705 and fastened to the plate-shaped member 702, a thin-film cover member 712 formed of a resin in a thin film shape that is placed on the partition member 708, a plurality of light-guiding members 714 (eight in this embodiment) that are placed in contact with the thin-film cover member 712, and a displacement restriction member 716 that is a plate-shaped member that is placed from above the light-guiding members 714 and restricts the upward movement and horizontal displacement of the light-guiding members 714.

The plate-shaped member 702 includes an engaging portion 702a formed to be able to engage with the hook-shaped portion 721c of the cover member 720, a pair of receiving recesses 702b formed on the left and right sides of the plate-shaped member 702 and recessed to be able to pivotally support the pivotally supported portion 731 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a restricting protrusion 702c protruding upward from the front edge and formed to be able to restrict the rotation of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a number of fastening portions 703a formed so that fastening screws can be screwed in, a number of columnar protrusions 703b protruding upward beyond the fastening portions 703a and formed so that fastening screws can be screwed into the protruding tips, and a number of through holes 704 drilled in the vertical direction.

The multiple fastening parts 703a are fastened by fastening screws inserted into the illumination board 705, and are formed in three locations: the center on the left and right and at both ends. In particular, the fastening parts 703a at both ends are provided with protruding pins for positioning.

By positioning the illumination board 705 so that the protruding pins are inserted into the through holes drilled in the illumination board 705 corresponding to the positioning protruding pins, the through holes drilled in the illumination board 705 for inserting the fastening screws are continuously connected to the fastening portion 703a, so that the illumination board 705 can be fastened and fixed to the plate-like member 702 by passing and screwing the fastening screws through the through holes.

The columnar protrusion 703b is a portion into which a fastening screw is inserted, which is inserted through the displacement restriction member 716, the thin film cover member 712, and the partition member 708 in that order, and the base end side is formed in a platform-like incline. This makes it easier to position the illumination board 705 in the appropriate position.

The through hole 704 is drilled to a size that allows the passage of a connector (not shown) arranged on the underside of the illumination board 705 and the electrical wiring connected to the connector. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electrical wiring connected to the illumination board 705 is arranged on the underside of the illumination board 705 and does not protrude above the illumination board 705. This allows the entire upper surface of the illumination board 705 to be used as an area where light-emitting means 706 such as LEDs can be arranged.

The illuminated board 705 has a plurality of light-emitting means 706 composed of LEDs or the like, and an open portion 707 that is formed so as to leave a small gap between the columnar protrusion portion 703b and the base member 701 when it is in an assembled state (see FIG. 43).

The light emitting means 706 includes a plurality of individual light emitting means 706a (eight in this embodiment) arranged along a straight line facing the left-right direction, and a plurality of overall light emitting means 706b arranged in positions different from the individual light emitting means 706a.

The opening 707 is formed at a position corresponding to the columnar protrusion 703b, and the protruding end position of the columnar protrusion 703b is set above the position where the illumination board 705 is positioned in the assembled state. Therefore, when the illumination board 705 is displaced downward to the position where it is positioned in the assembled state, the opening 707 advances along the columnar protrusion 703b.

In this embodiment, the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b is formed in a circular shape when viewed from above and a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, narrowing toward the top, so that the side surface of the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b is inclined in the vertical direction. When the illuminated board 705 is displaced downward, if it is significantly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction from the position in which it is positioned in the assembled state, the misalignment of the illuminated board 705 can be corrected by following the inclination of the side surface of the base end side of the columnar protrusion 703b, making it easier to position the illuminated board 705 in the desired position.

The partition member 708 is formed from a colored (black in this embodiment) hard resin material that is difficult for light to transmit, and includes a plurality of light-transmitting holes 709 drilled at positions corresponding to the individual light-emitting means 706a, a plurality of through holes 710a drilled with an inner diameter that allows the tip of the columnar protrusion 703b to be inserted, a plurality of fastening portions 710b formed so that a fastening screw inserted into the displacement restriction member 716 can be screwed in, and a plurality of receiving portions 710c recessed (or drilled) to receive protruding pins 716b protruding from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 at positions shifted in the front-rear direction from the fastening portions 710b.

The light-transmitting holes 709 are formed with a long crystal-shaped (approximately oval or tortoiseshell) cross section from front to back, with the long dimension facing in different directions depending on the position from the left and right center. That is, the closer the light-transmitting holes 709 are to the center, the smaller the deviation between the long dimension and the front-to-back direction (in this embodiment, they are the same), and the closer to the left and right ends, the more the long dimension is inclined toward the front and toward the left and right center.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting hole 709 is set in a direction that is inclined toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (about 5 degrees).

The thin film cover member 712 is a thin, colorless, transparent resin member with low rigidity, which is formed so that the center is raised and the underside is open, and is equipped with a pair of large through holes 712a drilled vertically at the left and right ends of the upper base, a number of middle through holes 712b drilled vertically laterally inward from the outer through holes 712a, and a number of small through holes 712c drilled vertically and offset in the front-rear direction from the middle through holes 712b.

The large through hole 712a is formed with a diameter longer than the diameter of the protruding portion 716e (see FIG. 72) that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 in a ring shape surrounding the insertion hole 716a. The protruding portion 716e that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 protrudes with a protruding length that exceeds the thickness of the thin film cover member 712, so that it is possible to avoid the generation of a load (fastening load) on the edge portion of the large through hole 712a during assembly.

One of the through holes 712b is disposed at a position corresponding to the columnar protrusion 703b at the center of the front side, and the other is disposed at a position corresponding to the fastening portion 710b.

The small through hole 712c is positioned in a forward/rearward direction relative to the middle through hole 712b, which is positioned at a position corresponding to the fastening portion 710b, and is formed with a size that allows the insertion of a protruding pin 716b that protrudes from the underside of the displacement restriction member 716 and is received in the receiving portion 710c of the partition member 708.

Therefore, the partition member 708 is covered with the thin film cover member 712, and the displacement restriction member 716 is placed on top of it, and then the fastening screws are screwed into each part to fasten and fix each part. Since the protruding pin 716b protruding from the underside of the partition member 716 is inserted into the small through hole 712c and the receiving part 710c, the thin film cover member 712 and the displacement restriction member 716 can be easily (simultaneously) aligned with the partition member 708 before the fastening screw is screwed in, and the efficiency of the work of screwing in the fastening screw thereafter can be improved.

The light guide member 714 is made of a colorless, light-transmitting resin material and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape with a bottom at the top. It comprises a main body 714a whose outer shape when viewed from above is formed into an elongated crystal shape (roughly oval or tortoiseshell shape) from front to back, a protruding edge 714b that protrudes from the lower edge to the left and right and forward, and an inclined surface 714c that slopes downward as it approaches the front side at the upper end of the main body 714a.

The upper outer surface of the main body 714a is textured, so that when the light emitted from the single individual light emitting means 706a travels through the light guide member 714 and reaches the upper end, it appears to the player as if it is being emitted from a surface, rather than as a point emission.

On the other hand, the main body 714a is not textured in any part (such as the middle part) other than the upper outer surface, and a smooth surface is formed. This makes it possible to prevent diffuse reflection when light traveling inside the light-guiding member 714 is incident on the inner wall surface of the main body 714a, and makes it easier to direct the light toward the upper end of the main body 714a by total reflection on the smooth surface, thereby reducing the energy loss of light at intermediate positions in the main body 714a.

The longitudinal direction of the main body 714a of each light-guiding member 714 when viewed from above follows the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting hole 709 described above. That is, the closer to the center the light-guiding member 714 is, the smaller the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction (in this embodiment, they are aligned), and the closer to the left or right end, the more the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center of the left and right.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member 714 is set in a direction that is inclined toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (approximately 5 degrees).

By configuring it in this way, the front end of the light-guiding member 714 in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above (the part that irradiates light towards the player and is the part closest to the player) can be made to face the player side (center of the front left and right) compared to the central position in the longitudinal direction. In other words, it is possible to make the player feel as if the light irradiated from the light-guiding member 714 towards the player side is gathering towards the player.

The protruding edge portion 714b is formed with a constant thickness from top to bottom and functions as a part for stabilizing the position and posture of the light-guiding member 714, and the inclined surface portion 714c functions to emit light that enters from below the light-guiding member 714 toward the front side, as will be described in detail later.

The displacement restriction member 716 is formed from a colored (black in this embodiment) hard resin material that is difficult for light to transmit, and includes a number of insertion holes 716a drilled to allow fastening screws to be inserted therethrough, a number of protruding pins 716b protruding from the underside, a number of receiving tube portions 716c formed in a cylindrical shape that penetrates vertically at a position corresponding to the light-guiding member 714, and a number of recessed portions 716d recessed with a step to expand the inner shape of the lower edge of the receiving tube portions 716c and configured in a shape that can receive the protruding edge portion 714b of the light-guiding member 714.

The receiving tube 716c has an inner shape that is approximately the same as the inner shape of the light-transmitting hole 709 when viewed from above, and the light-guiding member 714 is inserted inside. In addition, the recess depth of the recess 716d is set to be equal to the thickness dimension of the protruding edge 714b of the light-guiding member 714, so that in the assembled state of the second operating unit 700 (see FIG. 40), the protruding edge 714b can be sandwiched between the upper surface of the thin film cover member 712 and the lower surface of the displacement restriction member 716 (the lower surface of the recess 716d) and stably supported by the surface.

The protruding edge portion 714b is formed to protrude on the left and right sides and the front side, and is omitted from being formed on the rear side. Correspondingly, the recessed portion 716d of the displacement restriction member 716 is also recessed on the left and right sides and the front side, and is omitted from being recessed on the rear side. This makes it possible to prevent the light guide member 714 from being assembled in the front-to-reverse orientation.

In other words, even if the light-guiding member 714 is arranged in the reversed front-to-back direction and the displacement-regulating member 716 is attached, the recessed portion 716d and the protruding edge portion 714b are misaligned, so the protruding edge portion 714b cannot be inserted into the recessed portion 716d, and the protruding edge portion 714b protrudes from the underside of the displacement-regulating member 716. A gap of the thickness of the protruding edge portion 714b is created between the thin film cover member 712 and the displacement-regulating member 716, making it difficult to fasten them together, and this makes it possible to alert the assembly worker (or the automated assembly machine) that the light-guiding member 714 is arranged in the reversed front-to-back direction.

When the base member 701 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 43), the protruding edge portion 714b is sandwiched between the recessed portion 716d and the thin film cover member 712 in the vertical direction, thereby stably fixing the position and orientation of the light-guiding member 714.

The procedure for assembling the base member 701 will now be described. First, the illuminated board 705 is placed in the fastening position through the columnar protrusion 703b and fastened to the plate-shaped member 702. Next, the various components are placed above the illuminated board 705 in the following order: partition member 708, thin film cover member 712, light guide member 714, and displacement restriction member 716.

At this time, the partition member 708 is positioned on the plate-like member 702 by passing the tip of the columnar protrusion 703b through the through hole 710a of the partition member 708, and the displacement restriction member 716 and the thin film cover member 712 are positioned on the partition member 708 by passing the protrusion pin 716b through the receiving portion 710c and the small through hole 712c. In addition, the light guide member 714 is positioned on the displacement restriction member 716 by passing the main body portion 714a through the receiving tube portion 716c. In this way, the components are positioned relative to each other before the fastening screws are screwed in, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the work of screwing in the fastening screws.

Finally, the fastening screws are inserted into the insertion holes 716a and screwed into the fastening portions 710b and the columnar protrusions 703b, thereby fastening and fixing each component. According to this embodiment, after each component placed above the illumination board 705 is placed in the appropriate position, multiple fastening screws can be screwed in all at once, simplifying the work process. In addition, the process of screwing in the fastening screws can be automated (using an automatic screwdriver).

In this embodiment, the partition member 708 cannot be removed when the fastening screw inserted through the insertion hole 716a is screwed into the columnar protrusion 703b, but the partition member 708 can be moved closer to the displacement restriction member 716 by screwing the fastening screw inserted through the insertion hole 716a into the fastening portion 710b.

As a result, although the light-guiding member 714 is placed on the thin film cover member 712, this can be essentially regarded as being the same as the light-guiding member 714 being placed on the partition member 708, and the rigidity of the partition member 708 supports the light-guiding member 714 from below, thereby stabilizing the support of the light-guiding member 714.

In addition, by sandwiching the thin film cover member 712, the vertical separation dimension between the displacement restriction member 716 and the partition member 708 can be reduced, thereby preventing light leakage from between the displacement restriction member 716 and the partition member 708.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the cover member 720 is made of a colored (blue in this embodiment) light-transmitting resin material and is fastened to the base member 701. The cover member 720 includes a plurality of connecting portions 721 disposed on the peripheral portion when viewed from below and used for connecting to the base member 701, a plurality of rear through holes 722 drilled in a shape larger than the light guide member 714 corresponding to the position of the light guide member 714 of the base member 701, a plurality of front through holes 723 drilled in a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) as a set of through holes in a pair on the left and right on the front side of the rear through holes 722, and a plurality of protruding retaining portions 724 protruding downward from the left and right outer portions on the rear side and the left and right inner portions on the front side of the rear through holes 722.

The connecting portion 721 has a number of insertion holes 721a through which fastening screws can be inserted from above, a number of fastening portions 721b into which fastening screws are screwed that are inserted from below into the base member 701, and a number of hook-shaped portions 721c formed in a hook shape on the left and right outer back portions and engaged with the base member 701.

The rear through-holes 722 have four locations near the center and four locations on the left and right sides, with the upper and lower edges positioned differently. In this embodiment, the locations closer to the center are formed higher. This is due to the design of the top surface shape of the cover member 720. In other words, in order to give the top surface shape of the cover member 720 a three-dimensional appearance, the portions closer to the center are curved upward so that they appear raised, and the upper and lower edges of the rear through-holes 722 are adjusted accordingly.

The length of the protruding retainer 724 is adjusted to partially offset the difference in the vertical position of the lower edge of the rear through hole 722. In other words, the protruding length of the protruding retainer 724 arranged closer to the center is made longer, so that the vertical displacement width of the hollow member 740 is adjusted equally on the left and right. Note that the protruding retainer 724 on the front side and the protruding retainer 724 on the back side are both arranged at positions that overlap the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 when viewed in the vertical direction, so that even if the posture of the hollow member 740 is distorted, the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 can be prevented from falling off the small receiving portion 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In this embodiment, the vertical position of the lower end of the protruding retainer 724 on the rear side is positioned lower than the vertical position of the lower end of the protruding retainer 724 on the front side. This allows the posture of the hollow member 740 to lean backward even when the hollow member 740 abuts against the protruding retainer 724. This makes it easier for a player looking down from the front side at the hollow member 740 to see the shape and pattern on the front side of the cylindrical main body 741 of the hollow member 740.

The plate-shaped displacement member 730 is made of a colorless, light-transmitting resin material, and is rotatably supported by the receiving recesses 702b formed in a pair on the left and right sides of the plate-shaped member 702 and the underside of the cover member 720. The plate-shaped displacement member 730 is provided with a pair of supported shaft parts 731 that protrude from both the left and right ends with a circular cross section on the same axis, light-transmitting holes 732 that are drilled in the vertical direction at multiple locations, a pair of loaded parts 733 that are extended in a plate-like manner toward the front side from the supported shaft parts 731 and receive a push-up load from below, a plurality of light-guiding insertion holes 734 that are drilled in the vertical direction with a size that allows the light-guiding member 714 of the base member 701 to be inserted therethrough, a plurality of small receiving parts 735 that are arranged in pairs on the diagonal of the light-guiding insertion holes 734 and protrude in a ring shape when viewed from above, and a plurality of large receiving parts 736 that are located in the center of the front through hole 723 of the cover member 720 when viewed from above and protrude in a ring shape when viewed from above.

Figure 47 is a top view of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The loaded portion 733 is disposed on the front side of the rotation axis passing through the center of the supported portion 731, and a separate drive unit 760 corresponds to each of the left and right sides, and a load is applied from below.

The plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates about the bearing part 731 in different ways depending on the type of load applied to the load-bearing part 733 (for example, whether the load is applied to only one side or both sides, whether the load is applied for a short time interval or a continuous load, etc.), but details will be given later.

As shown in FIG. 47, the shape of the light guide hole 734 is formed following the shape of the above-mentioned light transmitting hole 709. That is, the light guide hole 734 is drilled in a long crystal shape (approximately oval or tortoise shell shape) from front to back, and its long direction faces in different directions depending on the position from the center of the left and right.

In other words, the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction is smaller for the light guide insertion holes 734 closer to the center (in this embodiment, they are aligned), and the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center as it approaches the left and right ends.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the light guide insertion hole 734 is set in a direction that inclines toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (about 5 degrees).

The small receiving portions 735 are portions that support the hollow member 740 while allowing for rattling, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line CL1 that passes through the center position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the left-right direction, and their relationship to the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding insertion hole 734 (the spacing between the pair of small receiving portions 735 and the angle between the straight line connecting the pair of small receiving portions 735 and the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding insertion hole 734) is maintained.

This allows the hollow members 740 arranged on one side of the center line CL1 to have the same shape (while being symmetrical to the hollow members 740 arranged on the other side), while allowing the postures of the hollow members 740 to be different when the second operating unit 700 is in the assembled state (see Figure 40).

In other words, similar to the shape of the light guide insertion hole 734, the deviation between the longitudinal direction and the front-to-rear direction is smaller the closer to the center of the hollow member 740, and the closer to the left or right end, the more the longitudinal direction is inclined toward the front and toward the center of the left and right.

That is, the longitudinal direction of the hollow member 740 is set in a direction that inclines toward the center on the left and right side toward the front side, and the angle of inclination is designed to become larger the closer it is to the left or right end. In this embodiment, it is configured so that the increment of the inclination angle is constant (approximately 5 degrees).

The pair of small receiving portions 735 includes a front receiving portion 735a that is disposed on the front side of the reference O1 and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section and a bottom, and a rear receiving portion 735b that is disposed on the rear side of the reference O1 and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section and a bottom.

In this embodiment, the diameter of the inner tube of the rear small receiving part 735b is designed to be longer than the diameter of the inner tube of the front small receiving part 735a. Specifically, the cross-sectional diameter of the protruding columnar part 743 of the hollow member 740 is designed to be 3 mm, the diameter of the inner tube of the front small receiving part 735a is designed to be 4.8 mm, and the diameter of the inner tube of the rear small receiving part 735b is designed to be 5.0 mm.

In other words, the gap dimension between the front small receiving portion 735a and the protruding columnar portion 743 in the opposing direction between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743 is smaller than the gap dimension between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743.

This allows for order in the displacement of the hollow member 740, which is supported while allowing for rattling. In other words, in this embodiment, rotational displacement around the front small receiving portion 735a is more likely to occur than rotational displacement around the rear small receiving portion 735b.

In other words, the arrangement of the hollow member 740 can be easily maintained near the front small receiving portion 735a, while the arrangement of the hollow member 740 can be easily shifted near the rear small receiving portion 735b, so that the direction of displacement of the hollow member 740 accompanying the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 described below can be adjusted to a direction that spreads outward to the left and right toward the rear side.

The large receiving portion 736 is a portion that supports the variable decorative member 750 while allowing for rattling. Compared to the large receiving portion 736 that is positioned on the center line CL1, the large receiving portions 736 that are positioned on both the left and right sides are spaced longer from the rotation axis that passes through the center of the supported portion 731, and are also formed at different vertical positions; details will be given later.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the hollow members 740 are configured with a symmetrical shape, with four identically shaped members arranged side by side on the left side and four identically shaped members arranged side by side on the right side. Therefore, the hollow member 740 arranged on the right side will be described in detail, and the description of the hollow member 740 arranged on the left side will be omitted.

Figure 48 is a front perspective view of the hollow member 740. As shown in Figure 48, the hollow member 740 is arranged to surround the front, back, left and right of the light-guiding member 714, blocking the light leaking from the front, back, left and right of the light-guiding member 714 so that it is not visible (difficult to see) to the player, and is configured to focus the player's gaze on the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 where the light is easily visible. The hollow member 740 is provided with a cylindrical main body 741 formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer frame designed in a long crystal shape (approximately oval shape, approximately tortoise shell shape) from the front to the back, a flat plate extension part 742 extending in a flat plate shape in the front, back, left and right directions from the lower edge part of the cylindrical main body 741, and a pair of protruding columnar parts 743 protruding in a columnar shape downward from the plate underside of the flat plate extension part 742.

The outer shape of the cylindrical main body 741 as viewed from above is slightly smaller than the inner shape of the rear through-hole 722 of the cover member 720 as viewed from above, while the outer shape of the flat extension 742 as viewed from above is larger than the inner shape of the rear through-hole 722 of the cover member 720 as viewed from above. That is, in the assembled state of the second operating unit 700 (see FIG. 40), the hollow member 740 is inserted into the rear through-hole 722 and is vertically displaceable, but is restricted from being pulled out upward of the cover member 720.

The upper edge of the cylindrical main body 741 is lowered as it approaches the front side. This allows the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 to be emitted in a concentrated manner toward the upper front side. On the other hand, most of the light that travels toward the upper rear side is blocked by the cylindrical main body 741. This allows the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 to be delivered to the player's eyes effectively, and prevents the light that reaches the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 from being reflected in large amounts into the third pattern display device 81, thereby reducing the visibility of the display.

The flat plate extension 742 also functions as a portion whose upward displacement is restricted by the protruding retainer 724 (see FIG. 45). That is, the protruding retainer 724 is formed at a position corresponding to the protruding columnar portion 743 on the back side, and restricts the hollow member 740 from being displaced upward. In this way, by forming the protruding retainer 724 and the protruding columnar portion 743 at corresponding positions, even if the hollow member 740 changes its posture, the protruding columnar portion 743 can be prevented from coming out of the small receiving portion 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and the hollow member 740 can be stably supported.

The protruding columnar portion 743 has a hemispherical protruding tip, is arranged to match the spacing of the small receiving portions 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (see FIG. 43), and is received by the small receiving portions 735 when the second operating unit 700 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 40).

The pair of protruding columnar portions 743 and the cylindrical main body portion 741 are configured so as not to be rotationally symmetrical. This allows the positional relationship with the light guide member 714 to be changed when assembled backwards, preventing incorrect installation. The hollow members 740, four on each side, are formed to have a bilaterally symmetrical shape, so that the hollow members 740 assembled to the left of the bilateral center position can be prevented from being assembled to the right (preventing incorrect installation).

The small receiving portion 735 rotates about a rotation axis facing left and right in the same manner as the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while the protruding columnar portion 743 is mainly displaced by the vertical displacement allowed by the hollow member 740. However, since the protruding tip of the protruding columnar portion 743 is formed in a hemispherical shape, the hollow member 740 can be displaced with little resistance. Here, the displacement mode of the hollow member 740 accompanying the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be described.

Figures 49(a), 49(b) and 49(c) are cross-sectional views of the light-guiding member 714, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 taken along the line XLIX-XLIX in Figure 47. Figure 49(a) illustrates the lower end position (initial position) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, Figure 49(b) illustrates the horizontal position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and Figure 49(c) illustrates the upper end position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The horizontal position corresponds to a position in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 has rotated (upwardly displaced) by approximately 2.1 degrees from the lower end position around the reference O1, and the upper end position corresponds to a position in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 has rotated (upwardly displaced) by approximately 4 degrees from the horizontal position around the reference O1.

As shown in FIG. 49(a), when the drive unit 760 is not operating, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is stably supported in a position (lower end position (initial position)) inclined forward by approximately 2.1 degrees from the horizontal position. In this embodiment, the rear small receiving portion 735b is recessed deeper than the front small receiving portion 735a, thereby suppressing the vertical deviation between the support position (bottom) of the front small receiving portion 735a and the support position (bottom) of the rear small receiving portion 735b in the lower end position (initial position) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

This makes it possible to prevent the posture of the hollow member 740 supported by the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the lower end posture (initial posture) from tilting forward. In addition, because the surfaces of the support positions (bottoms) of the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b are configured to be inclined downward toward the front side in the same manner as the inclination of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, even if the hollow member 740 is displaced toward the rear side, the hollow member 740 can be returned to the front side by sliding it using the inclination of the support position (bottom).

Therefore, even if the hollow member 740 is displaced due to the load generated when opening and closing the front frame 14, the position of the hollow member 740 can be stably maintained at a position closer to the front (initial position) even before the drive unit 760 is operated.

As shown in FIG. 49(b), when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in a horizontal position, the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 can secure a sufficient gap with the small receiving portion 735 in both the front and rear. Therefore, for example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 vibrates slightly in a position close to the horizontal position, there is no significant difference in the vibration state inside the small receiving portion 735 of the protruding columnar portion 743 between the front and rear protruding columnar portions 743, and the hollow member 740 is likely to be displaced in a disorderly manner in the front-back and left-right directions.

As shown in FIG. 49(c), in the process of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 being displaced to the upper end position, the front protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 abuts against the front small receiving portion 735a and is pushed toward the rear side.

Therefore, for example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 vibrates slightly with the upper end position as a reference (near the upper end position), the hollow member 740 is likely to rotate and displace around the protruding columnar portion 743 supported by the front small receiving portion 735a. In other words, the hollow member 740 is configured to be able to change the displacement mode that is likely to occur in response to the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 that is the reference for the small vibration.

The hollow member 740 has a light guide member 714 inserted inside a cylindrical main body 741, and is supported by a pair of protruding columnar sections 743 being received in the small receiving section 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Therefore, the displacement of the hollow member 740 corresponds to the displacement of the small receiving section 735, so the displacement mode of the small receiving section 735 will be described first.

Since the small receiving portion 735 is part of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, it displaces following the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Since the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates and displaces around the reference O1, which is a straight line (a straight line facing in the left-right direction) connecting the supported shaft portions 731, the small receiving portion 735 does not displace in the reference O1 direction (left-right direction), but displaces on a plane perpendicular to the reference O1. Accordingly, the degree of inclination of the straight line connecting the pair of small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right of the light guide member 714 with respect to the center line CL1 changes. Therefore, the hollow member 740 is also prompted to change its degree of inclination with respect to the center line CL1.

The hollow member 740 supported by the pair of small receiving portions 735 is allowed to not only move on a plane perpendicular to the reference O1, but also to move forward, backward, left, right, and horizontally (horizontally) and change its posture as the degree of inclination changes.

The arrangement of the small receiving portions 735 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1, and therefore the change in the degree of inclination described above is also symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1, so that the displacement or change in posture of the hollow member 740 in the front-back and left-right directions (horizontal direction) can be caused to occur symmetrically.

The change in the degree of inclination with respect to the center line CL1 corresponds to the arrangement of the pair of small receiving parts 735 in the state before the change, so the change in the degree of inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the side closer to the center line CL1 (center side) is different from the change in the degree of inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the side farther from the center line CL1 (left and right outer sides). In this embodiment, since the displacement in the direction parallel to the center line CL1 is maintained, the degree of change in the inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the left and right outer sides, which have a larger inclination angle with respect to the center line CL1 in the state before the change, is larger than the degree of change in the inclination of the pair of small receiving parts 735 on the center side (see FIG. 47). This allows the amount of change in the posture of the hollow member 740 when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced in a certain manner to be changed depending on whether it is closer to the center line CL1 or farther from it.

The relationship between hollow member 740 and light-guiding member 714 when displacement occurs will be described below. In order to suppress resistance when hollow member 740 is displaced, the arrangement of small receiving portion 735, the shape of hollow member 740, and the shape of light-guiding member 714 are designed to have a dimensional relationship that creates a gap between the inner surface of hollow member 740 and the outer surface of light-guiding member 714.

Here, the designed gap is different between the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member 714 when viewed from above and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In other words, the gap in the longitudinal direction is larger than the gap in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, the greater the inclination angle of the light-guiding member 714 relative to the center line CL1 in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above (the closer it is disposed to the left or right outside), the narrower the gap in the front-to-rear direction between the inner surface of the hollow member 740 and the outer surface of the light-guiding member 714.

Therefore, if the hollow members 740 were to be displaced in the front-rear direction by the same amount in response to the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right outer sides would be pressed against the light-guiding member 714, causing friction or making it easier for a large load to be applied, which could result in damage. On the other hand, if a countermeasure to this is taken by setting a large gap in the front-rear direction between the inner surface of the hollow member 740 and the outer surface of the light-guiding member 714, the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 would be too far apart, which would reduce the effect of blocking all parts of the light-guiding member 714 except for its tip with the hollow member 740 and drawing the player's attention to the tip of the light-guiding member 714.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the amount of longitudinal displacement of the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right outer sides is configured to be smaller than the amount of longitudinal displacement of the hollow members 740 arranged on the left and right central sides.

In other words, in this embodiment, in a configuration in which multiple small receiving portions 735 are arranged on the same plane parallel to the reference O1, the small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right outer sides are arranged so that the front-to-rear distance between the front small receiving portion 735 and the reference O1 is shorter than the small receiving portion 735 arranged on the left and right central sides.

As a result, the front small receiving portion 735 is displaced rearward in accordance with the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and the amount of forward and backward displacement of the hollow member 740 that is pushed forward and displaced rearward can be geometrically determined so that the amount of forward and backward displacement of the members disposed on the left and right outer sides is slightly smaller than the amount of displacement of the members disposed on the left and right central sides.

In the initial position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the gap between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 is configured to be approximately equal in the front, back, left and right directions, and is set to such an extent that the gap between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 is not filled even if the hollow member 740 moves in parallel in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its initial position (the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is in a non-excited state), even if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when a player strikes or tries to shake the pachinko machine 10, causing the hollow member 740 to displace, the displacement is kept below the gap dimension between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740. Therefore, the load transmitted between the light-guiding member 714 and the hollow member 740 can be reduced.

As the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotates and displaces, the distance between the pair of small receiving portions 735 arranged on the left and right of the light-guiding hole 734 changes when viewed from above. Therefore, it is unlikely that the hollow member 740 will displace in the front-rear direction while the center of the small receiving portion 735 and the center of the protruding columnar portion 743 of the hollow member 740 remain aligned.

At least, the position of the protruding columnar portion 743 relative to the small receiving portion 735 changes in the gap between the small receiving portion 735 and the protruding columnar portion 743, and this change may cause the hollow member 740 to be displaced left and right and its posture to change.

The manner in which the hollow member 740 is pushed forward will now be described. As shown in FIG. 49, during the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the front side of the inner surface of the front small receiving portion 735a (the small receiving portion 735 on the side with the larger forward/rearward displacement) begins to come into contact with the front side of the protruding columnar portion 743, and is pushed forward toward the rear side.

At this time, due to the above-mentioned dimensional relationship, a gap is maintained between the front part of the inner surface of the rear small receiving part 735b and the front part of the protruding columnar part 743. Therefore, rattle in the rotational direction around the protruding columnar part 743 supported by the front small receiving part 735a is permitted. It is configured to be able to accommodate changes in the distance between the small receiving parts 735 when viewed from above by displacement utilizing this rattle.

In this way, the small receiving portion 735 is configured to displace the hollow member 740 toward the rear side, and is configured to provide a play between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743 that allows rotational displacement around the axis of the front protruding columnar portion 743. Therefore, even if the hollow member 740 and the light guiding member 714 collide during the displacement of the hollow member 740 based on the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 driven by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the load generated between the hollow member 740 and the light guiding member 714 can be kept small, so that the hollow member 740 or the light guiding member 714 can be prevented from cracking or chipping.

Referring back to Figures 43, 44, and 45, the variable decorative member 750 comprises a bifurcated support member 751 supported between the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and a decorative member 756 fastened and fixed to the bifurcated support member 751 and disposed on the upper side of the cover member 720.

The bifurcated support member 751 includes a columnar protrusion 752 that protrudes downward in a columnar shape from the underside of the center of the plate-like main body, which is formed in a long plate shape on both sides, a pair of cylindrical protrusions 753 (of different lengths) that protrude upward in a cylindrical shape from both the left and right ends of the plate-like main body, and a plate-like extension 754 that extends in a plate shape from the center of the plate-like main body to the back side.

The protruding tip of the columnar protrusion 752 is formed in a hemispherical shape and is received in the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. The cylindrical protrusion 753 of the bifurcated support member 751 is formed so that it can be inserted into the front through-hole 723, which allows the bifurcated support member 751 to be displaced in the vertical direction, while the large receiving portion 736 is rotated and displaced around an axis passing through the center of the supported portion 731. Therefore, although the directions of displacement are different, the protruding tip of the columnar protrusion 752 is formed in a hemispherical shape, so that the variable decorative member 750 can be displaced with little resistance in response to the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The plate-shaped extension 754 acts to position the center of gravity of the variable decorative member 750 toward the rear side from the center of the columnar protrusion 752. In other words, the position in which the variable decorative member 750 is stable under its own weight can be set to a backward tilted position. This allows the contact position between the columnar protrusion 752 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its initial position to be closer to the front side than when the variable decorative member 750 is upright without tilting, making it possible to increase the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 near the start of the position change of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The decorative member 756 has a pair of protruding legs 757 that protrude downward in correspondence with the cylindrical protrusion 753, and a female screw is formed at the tip of the protruding legs 757. The protruding legs 757 are inserted into the inside of the cylindrical protrusion 753.

The plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 has an insertion hole through which a fastening screw can be inserted, aligned along the center position of the cylindrical protrusion 753. The bifurcated support member 751 and the decorative member 757 are fastened together by inserting the fastening screw into the insertion hole and screwing it into the female thread at the tip of the protrusion leg 757.

The assembly process of the second operating unit 700 will be described. First, the variable decorative member 750 is attached to the cover member 720. That is, the cylindrical protrusion 753 of the bifurcated support member 751 is passed through the front through hole 723 of the cover member 720 from below, the protruding leg 757 of the decorative member 756 is inserted into the cylindrical protrusion 753, and a fastening screw is screwed into the female thread at the tip of the protruding leg 757.

Next, the plate-shaped displacement member 730, hollow member 740, and cover member 720 are placed on the base member 701 in that order, and the cover member 720 is fastened and fixed to the base member 701. When assembling the cover member 720 to the base member 701, the hook-shaped portion 721c is engaged with the engagement portion 702a formed on the back side of the plate-shaped member 702, and a fastening screw is inserted from above into the insertion hole 721a to fasten and fix the cover member 720 and the base member 701, and then the cover member 720 is turned upside down and the fastening screw is screwed into the fastening portion 721b.

This allows multiple components to be arranged unfixed between the base member 701 and the cover member 720, and fastening screws are screwed into multiple locations from the underside, but it is possible to prevent each component from falling out from between the base member 701 and the cover member 720 during assembly.

Finally, the drive unit 760 is placed below the base member 701 and fastened by screwing in a fastening screw from below. When the second operating unit 700 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 40), the direction of the fastening screw screwed in from below interferes with the outer wall portion 312 of the rear case 310, making it difficult to remove the fastening screw while the second operating unit 700 is housed in the rear case 310. Therefore, if the front side of the operating unit 300 is illegally opened, it is possible to prevent the drive unit 760 from being independently removed from the rear case 310.

Furthermore, a fastening portion 766 is formed on the rear side of the drive unit 760, where a fastening screw is fastened to be inserted into the bottom wall portion 311 of the rear case 310. Therefore, if the second operating unit 700 is assembled to the rear case 310 without the drive unit 760 being assembled, there will be a location where the fastening screw cannot be fastened at the stage of inserting the fastening screw into the bottom wall portion 311 to fasten and fix the second operating unit 700, so the worker can be made aware that the drive unit 760 is missing. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the drive unit 760.

Figure 50 is an exploded front perspective view of the drive unit 760. Figure 50 illustrates the drive unit 760 disposed on the right side as viewed from the front. Although the drive units 760 differ slightly in appearance, the components are symmetrical, so the drive unit 760 on the right side will be described in detail and the description of the drive unit 760 on the left side will be omitted.

The drive unit 760 includes a load member 761 configured to apply a load to the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a cylindrical shaft rod portion 762 made of metal (brass in this embodiment) that rotatably supports the base end side of the load member 761, a support case 763 to which the shaft rod portion 762 is fixed and which is configured as a case as a whole, an electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 disposed inside the support case 763, a front cover member 770 disposed on the front side of the support case 763 and fastened to the support case 763, and an illumination board 777 fastened to the front side of the front cover member 770.

The load member 761 is made of a resin material and includes a base end 761a in which a through hole through which the axial rod portion 762 is inserted is formed, a rod-shaped extension portion 761b extending outward from the base end 761a and bent in a generally dogleg shape, a vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c formed in a rod shape that bends upward from the extension tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b toward the front side, a protruding portion 761d that protrudes from the extension tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b in the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, and an opposing curved portion 761e that is formed in an arc shape centered on the axial rod portion 762 at the boundary between the protruding portion 761d and the rod-shaped extension portion 761b and is arranged opposite the curved protrusion portion 774 of the front cover member 770.

A metal plate member MB2 made of metal (magnetic material) is disposed on the upper surface of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. In this embodiment, the metal plate member MB2 is fixed to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b by engaging with the elastic claws, similar to the metal plate member MB1 described above.

In more detail, rails are provided on both longitudinal sides of the rod-shaped extension 761b to guide the metal plate member MB2 in sliding back and forth, and these rails are formed so that the metal plate member MB2 can be guided only from the rear side (only the rear side is fully open). When the metal plate member MB2 is slid along the rails, the elastic claws are pressed down by the metal plate member MB2, and when the metal plate member MB2 is slid in this state, the metal plate member MB2 hits the front side wall of the rails, restricting the sliding, and at this position the metal plate member MB2 no longer presses down on the elastic claws (they have risen to a position facing the side of the metal plate member MB1), and the elastic claws engage to restrict the metal plate member MB2 from retracting to the rear side.

The method of fixing the metal plate member MB2 to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b is not limited to this. For example, the metal plate member MB2 may be fastened to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, or may be fastened with a cable tie, or may be attached with adhesive tape, etc.

The front cover member 770 is provided with a protruding frame portion 771 that protrudes in a frame shape toward the front side, a number of protruding cylindrical portions 772 that protrude in a thin cylindrical shape toward the front side inside the protruding frame portion 771, a wiring recess 773 that is recessed at the lower edge so that electrical wiring connected to the illumination board 777 or a connector connected to the end of the electrical wiring can be passed through, and a curved protruding portion 774 that protrudes in a curved plate shape from the back surface of the plate along an arc shape centered on the shaft rod portion 762.

The protruding frame portion 771 is formed to face the periphery of the illumination board 777, and is a part that prevents loads from being applied to the illumination board 777 from the top, bottom, left, and right directions.

The protruding cylindrical portion 772 has a gourd-shaped seat portion when viewed from the front and a small-diameter insertion portion that protrudes further from the seat portion. By assembling the insertion portion so that it fits into the through hole 779 of the illumination board 777, the back surface of the plate of the illumination board 777 is supported by the seat portion, and the position of the illumination board 777 can be stabilized. The seat portion has a female threaded portion adjacent to the insertion portion into which a fastening screw can be screwed, and the illumination board 777 is fastened and fixed to the front cover member 770 by the fastening screw that is screwed into the female threaded portion.

The illumination board 777 is provided with a light emitting means 778 consisting of a number of LEDs etc. arranged at positions designed with the presentation in mind, and a number of through holes 779 drilled in the illumination board 777 for installation.

The through holes 779 are formed in a plurality of locations (two locations in this embodiment) with each pair of circular through holes corresponding to the insertion portion and female thread portion of the protruding cylindrical portion 772.

In this embodiment, the illumination board 777 is directly fastened to the front cover member 770. That is, this corresponds to a case where the front cover member 770, which is arranged close to the front side of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the illumination board 777 are configured as a single rigid body. Therefore, the illumination board 777 can be made to vibrate easily due to the vibrations generated by the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the optical axis of the light irradiated from the light emitting means 778 can be vibrated due to the vibrations generated by the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this embodiment, a curved protrusion 774 is disposed between the load member 761, which is displaced by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the plate rear surface of the front cover member 770. In other words, the load member 761, which is the vibration source, and the front cover member 770 are separated by at least the width dimension of the curved protrusion 774, so that excessive transmission of vibrations can be prevented.

The width dimension of the curved protrusion 774 can be set arbitrarily. Therefore, the width dimension of the curved protrusion 774 can be changed depending on whether it is desired to vibrate the optical axis of the light emitted from the light emitting means 778 or to keep it without vibrating. If it is the former, the width dimension can be shortened, and if it is the latter, the width dimension can be lengthened.

The support case 763 includes a lower regulating portion 764 disposed below the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, an upper regulating portion 765 disposed on the opposite side of the shaft portion 762 from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and a fastening portion 766 (see FIG. 45) into which a fastening screw is screwed that is inserted into the bottom wall portion 311 (see FIG. 6) of the rear case 310.

The load member 761 is normally tilted by its own weight (see FIG. 51(a)), but when electricity is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, a magnetic force (electromagnetic force) is generated, which attracts the metal plate member MB2 and displaces it upward.

In other words, in this embodiment, as the metal plate member MB2 moves between a raised position, which is located as a result of it being raised by electromagnetic force, and a lowered position, which is located as a result of it being lowered by its own weight after the electromagnetic force is eliminated, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (see FIG. 43), which receives a load from the load member 761, is displaced in a rotational direction about the supported shaft portion 731. Below, this rotational displacement will be described with reference to FIG. 51.

Figures 51(a) and 51(b) are front views of the drive unit 760. Note that in Figures 51(a) and 51(b), the front cover member 770 and the illumination board 777 are omitted except for the curved protrusion 774, and the outline of the curved protrusion 774 is shown by imaginary lines.

In addition, FIG. 51(a) shows a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 761 is placed in a lowered position due to its own weight, and FIG. 51(b) shows a state in which the metal plate member MB2 is attracted by the electromagnetic force generated when current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 761 is placed in an elevated position.

As shown in Figures 51(a) and 51(b), in the lowered position, the load member 761 abuts against the lower regulating portion 764, so that its downward displacement is restricted, and in the raised position, the load member 761 abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, so that its upward displacement is restricted.

The lower restricting portion 764 and the upper restricting portion 765 are configured to have different positions (distance from the shaft rod portion 762) based on the shaft rod portion 762, and the effect that results from this will be explained.

First, the load applied to the lower restricting portion 764 via the load member 761 is mainly a load caused by the weight of the load member 761 itself, so the load member 761 can be stably supported by supporting the center of gravity of the load member 761. For this reason, the lower restricting portion 764 is disposed at the center of gravity of the load member 761.

In the above description of the window movable unit 150, it was stated that the driven member 163 is formed in a straight rod shape, and therefore the center of gravity is located approximately in the center of the member. However, since the load member 761 is bifurcated into a vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c and a protruding portion 761d that extend from the extended tip side of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, the center of gravity is located closer to the extended tip side than approximately in the center of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Taking this into consideration, in this embodiment, the lower restriction portion 764 is positioned toward the extension tip side of the approximate center position of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, which corresponds to the center of gravity position of the load member 761.

In contrast, the load applied to the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761 is mainly a load due to the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, so there is little advantage to aligning the position of the upper regulating portion 765 with the center of gravity position of the load member 761. In this embodiment, the upper regulating portion 765 is positioned opposite the rotating tip of the load member 761, thereby reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761.

In other words, when a moment of force of the same magnitude is generated, the load transmitted through the load member 761 is smaller at a position farther from the rotation axis of the load member 761 (a position where the arm related to the moment is longer), so the load transmitted to the upper regulating part 765 can be reduced.

As described above, since it is desirable for the load to be transmitted to the upper regulating member 765 at the rotating tip of the load member 761, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 761d protrudes further from the extending tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b toward the outer diameter side of the circle centered on the shaft portion 762, and the protruding portion 761d is configured to abut against the upper regulating member 765. This makes it possible to avoid load transmission at the middle portion of the load member 761 and ensure stable load transmission at the rotating tip side.

In this embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is configured not to push the load member 761 forward, but to pull it up by its attraction force. In other words, the magnetic force generated in the iron core disposed in the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 attracts the metal plate member MB2, thereby pulling up the load member 761.

With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the load member 761 is pushed forward by a member that moves by electromagnetic force, even if the load member 761 is displaced by the load applied to the load member 761, an overload (local load) is unlikely to occur, making it easier to avoid damage to the configuration of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2. As a result, even in a configuration in which the load member 761 is subjected to a fluctuating load, as in this embodiment, the useful life of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 can be extended.

As shown in FIG. 51(b), when the load member 761 is in a state (raised position) receiving an attractive force from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the upper surface of the metal plate member MB2 is in surface contact (contacting the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 at multiple points on a predetermined plane), while a gap is provided between the metal plate member MB2 and the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (the part that houses the coil), and the upper regulating portion 765 and the protruding portion 761d are in surface contact on a plane parallel to the above-mentioned surface contact.

This prevents the load member 761 from colliding with the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, thereby preventing the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 from being overloaded, while dispersing and receiving the load caused by the electromagnetic force at the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the lower surface (contact surface) of the upper regulating portion 765. This makes it possible to avoid the generation of a large load locally.

In addition, when the load member 761 is in the raised position, a gap may be provided not only between the main body of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2, but also between the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2, so that the load from the load member 761 is received only by the upper regulating portion 765. In this case, the physical load transmission between the load member 761 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 can be blocked, thereby improving the durability of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this case, the load is likely to concentrate on the protruding portion 761d of the load member 761, so the protruding portion 761d will be damaged (broken) first. However, even if the protruding portion 761d is damaged (broken), the metal plate member MB2 is configured to abut against the lower edge of the metal case of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 at multiple points on a specified plane, so that the load can be prevented from concentrating on one point.

Furthermore, in this case, if the protrusion 761d is damaged (broken), the metal plate member MB2 comes into contact with the lower edge of the metal case at multiple points, and by separately configuring a detection sensor to detect this contact, it is possible to easily determine whether the protrusion 761d has been damaged (broken).

In addition, since the magnetic force (electromagnetic force) from the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 continues to be generated in the raised position, it is unlikely that the load member 761 will bounce back after colliding with the upper regulating portion 765. Therefore, the arrangement and posture of the upper regulating portion 765 can be designed with only consideration given to the efficiency of reducing the load transmitted to the upper regulating portion 765 (the angle between the line passing through the center of the shaft rod portion 762 and the line along the width direction of the upper regulating portion 765 can be designed to be small).

On the other hand, the straight line along the width direction of the lower restricting portion 764 is inclined with respect to the straight line rL1 that passes through the lower restricting portion 764 and the center of the shaft rod portion 762, so that the direction in which the repulsive force occurs can be dispersed (force resolution) compared to when the straight line along the width direction of the lower restricting portion 764 and the straight line rL1 are parallel or collinear. This makes it possible to suppress the rebound (bound) of the load member 761 after colliding with the lower restricting portion 764.

In addition, the lower restricting portion 764 is formed with a relatively long width dimension (diametric width), which ensures a large surface area for receiving the load, thereby reducing the pressure (stress) generated in the lower restricting portion 764 due to the load caused by the weight of the load member 761.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load transmitted to the lower regulating portion 764 and the upper regulating portion 765 via the load member 761 during displacement in both the up and down directions, while suppressing the rebound (bound) of the load member 761.

The material of the upper regulating portion 765 and the lower regulating portion 764 is not limited in any way. For example, they may be general-purpose plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene, engineering plastics such as polycarbonate, thermosetting resins such as melamine resin, polyurethane, and epoxy resin, or rubber materials. Furthermore, the upper regulating portion 765 and the lower regulating portion 764 may be made of the same material or different materials.

For example, if the upper regulating portion 765 is to have the function of suppressing the positional deviation in the forward/rearward direction that may occur in the load member 761 due to the load that the load member 761 may receive from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the raised position, the upper regulating portion 765 may be made of a material or structure that has excellent frictional resistance as well as damping properties.

In this case, it is easy to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the front-rear direction (axial direction) due to the load applied to the load member 761 from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, particularly in the state where the protruding portion 761d and the upper regulating portion 765 are in contact with each other.

When the load member 761 is displaced, the opposing curved portion 761e displaces the back side of the curved protrusion 774. Since the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 are both formed in an arc shape centered on the shaft portion 762, even if the load member 761 is misaligned toward the front side and the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 are in contact with each other, the opposing curved portion 761e and the curved protrusion 774 only slide along the rotational direction, so the resistance to the rotational displacement can be reduced.

In addition, by forming the opposing curved portion 761e at the lower end of the load member 761, it is possible to ensure sufficient space above it. In this embodiment, the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c is disposed in this ensured space.

The vertical rod-shaped extension 761c extends above the opposing curved portion 761e, but unlike the opposing curved portion 761e, which is curved, it extends straight when viewed from the front. In other words, when the load member 761 is in the raised position, it is formed like a rod that extends in the vertical direction when viewed from the front.

This prevents the load member 761 from bending left and right due to the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stably pushed up even in a configuration in which the tip of the load member 761 is displaced upward while shifting slightly left and right, as in this embodiment. The load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the support mode will be described later.

The vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is formed as a rod that extends straight up and down when viewed from the front, but is bent (at an obtuse angle) midway (to the left of the shaft rod 762) so that the upper end is positioned closer to the front than the lower end when viewed from the side.

This allows the area occupied by the load member 761 below the vicinity of the shaft rod portion 762 to be moved toward the rear side, ensuring the area for the components arranged on the front side. In other words, since the arrangement position of the illumination board 777 can be moved toward the rear side, increasing the distance between the game board 13 (see Figure 40) and the illumination board 777 makes it easier to see the light irradiated from the light-emitting means 778 and seen through the flow-down surface components 91, 92 as a spreading light. In other words, rather than point emission seen as a size about the outer shape of the LED, it is easier to see it as surface emission where the light reaches in a circle centered on the optical axis and shines in a plane.

Furthermore, since the load member 761 can be easily deformed forward and backward due to the load received from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, even if a local overload occurs when a single load member 761 supports the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the load member 761 can be deformed to flex and release the load. This can improve the durability of the load member 761.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, by making the load member 761 more flexible in the front, back, left and right directions, it is possible to achieve the effect of improving the stability of the pushing up of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the durability of the load member 761.

When the load member 761 is in the raised position, it is stably supported by the upward electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the downward load generated between the shaft rod portion 762 and the upper regulating portion 765 at both the left and right ends of the load member 761.

Therefore, as described below, even when a load is applied to the load member 761 from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the base end portion 761a to the protruding portion 761d is still stably supported, so the range in which deflection occurs due to the load can be limited to the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c.

This makes it possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the front-rear direction as a whole due to the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and coming into contact with the support case 763 or the front cover member 770. In other words, it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from rubbing against other members, causing damage to the members, or requiring additional driving force to drive the load member 761.

<Function of the second operation unit 700>
The operation mode of the second operating unit 700 will be described. In the second operating unit 700, the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 differs depending on the driving mode of the driving units 760 arranged on the left and right, and therefore the displacement of the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 supported on the plate-shaped displacement member 730 also differs accordingly. Below, the displacement mode of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be first described, and then the displacement modes of the variable decorative member 750 and the hollow member 740 will be described.

Figures 52, 53, and 54 are front views of the second operating unit 700. Figure 52 illustrates a state in which the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are both arranged in the lowered position, Figure 53 illustrates a state in which only the load member 761 of the left drive unit 760 is arranged in the lowered position and the load member 761 of the right drive unit 760 is displaced upward from the lowered position to the raised position, and Figure 54 illustrates a state in which the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are both arranged in the raised position.

The state shown in Figure 52 corresponds to a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see Figure 50) of the left and right drive units 760 (non-excited state). In this state, the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is not in contact with the load member 761, and the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position) that is maintained by contact with the base member 701.

The state shown in Figure 53 corresponds to a state (one-sided excitation state) in which current is controlled to flow through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see Figure 50) of the drive unit 760 on one side (the right side). In this state, the load member 761 on the right side pushes up the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, causing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to change position in the rising direction and assume an intermediate position. In this embodiment, in the intermediate position, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced by approximately 1.3 degrees from the horizontal position.

In the state shown in Figure 53, the load due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is concentrated on the right-side load member 761. In this embodiment, the load member 761 is formed in a thin rod shape and is bent in the front-to-rear direction, so that it is easily flexible in the short direction (front-to-rear direction), and is formed with a strength (rigidity) that allows it to bend and deform due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it.

In this embodiment, the load due to the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is applied in a direction including a front-to-rear component at the contact position with the load member 761 (see Figure 55), so the load member 761 is configured to be easily flexed and deformed, and this flexing deformation allows the load to be released. In other words, the state shown in Figure 53 corresponds to a state in which the load member 761 is flexed and deformed.

The difference in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the rising direction between the state shown in FIG. 53 and the state shown in FIG. 54 described below can be explained as being due to the degree of bending of the load member 761. In other words, the difference in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be designed by appropriately setting the elastic coefficient of the load member 761. The elastic coefficient of the load member 761 may be designed to be equal on the left and right, or may be different.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shapes of the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are symmetrical, so even if a current is passed through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the left drive unit 760 and no current is passed through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the right drive unit 760, which is the left-right reverse of the state shown in FIG. 53, the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 will be equivalent to the posture shown in FIG. 53. Therefore, hereinafter, the state shown in FIG. 53 will be referred to as a one-sided excitation state, and a description of the state in which the excitation relationship of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is symmetrical will be omitted.

In the state shown in FIG. 54, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported by both the left and right drive units 760. Therefore, the load of the plate-shaped displacement member 730's own weight applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is reduced by half, so that the deflection displacement of the load member 761 can be reduced.

In other words, in the state shown in FIG. 54, in comparison with the state shown in FIG. 53, the load member 761 on the left side is positioned in a raised position, and in addition, the degree of deflection of the load member 761 due to the load applied via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is approximately half.

Figure 55(a) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LVa-LVa in Figure 53, and Figure 55(b) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LVb-LVb in Figure 54.

As shown in FIG. 55(b), when a pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 are excited, the load applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is divided into two, so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be displaced upward with little bending deformation of the load member 761 (bending deformation is approximately half).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 55(a), when one side of the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 is in an excited state, the load applied to the load member 761 via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is concentrated on the load member 761 on one side. Since this load increases the bending deformation caused in the load member 761, even if the rotation angle of the load member 761 is the same, the amount of upward displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is reduced by the amount of the bending deformation.

In this embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is configured to rotate around the reference O1. When the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported by the restricting protrusion 702c (initial position, shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 55(a)), the normal extending from the contact surface (lower surface) of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 extends downward in the rear direction and contacts the load member 761 of the drive unit 760.

In other words, the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the load member 761 via the loaded portion 733 occurs along the extension direction of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c, so the bending deformation occurring in the load member 761 is kept small. Therefore, in this state, the driving force transmitted via the load member 761 is mainly used for the upward displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

On the other hand, in the intermediate position (see FIG. 55(a)), the plate-shaped displacement member 730 abuts against the load member 761 of the drive unit 760 at a position lower in the front direction than the reference O1, with the normal extending from the abutment surface (lower surface) of the loaded portion 733 extending downward in the front direction.

That is, near the intermediate position (see FIG. 55(a)) where the displacement of the load member 761 is large and the amount of bending deformation of the load member 761 is likely to be large, the load applied to the load member 761 through the lower surface of the loaded portion 733 has a front component and a downward component. In this embodiment, since the load member 761 is formed in a rod shape that extends in a direction that inclines upward as it approaches the front, the load having a front component and a downward component acts as a load that bends the load member 761. Therefore, in this state, the driving force transmitted through the load member 761 is used not only for the rising displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 but also for the bending deformation of the load member 761 (the proportion used for the bending deformation of the load member 761 gradually increases).

In this way, according to this embodiment, the ease with which the load member 761 is deflected by the load applied to the load member 761 changes with the change in posture of the plate-like displacement member 730. That is, in the posture in which the load member 761 starts to apply a load to the loaded portion 733 (the lower terminal posture (initial posture)), a rear load is generated in a direction in which the load member 761 is less likely to deflect, and from the horizontal posture, a load (a downward load or a front load) is generated in a direction in which the load member 761 is more likely to deflect than the direction of the rear load.

As a result, even if the arrangement of the drive unit 760, the displacement width of the load member 761, and the generated force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 are the same, the timing at which the load member 761 is likely to bend (the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730) and the amount of bending deformation can be adjusted depending on the shape of the load member 761 (particularly the shape of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c) and the design of the loaded portion 733, so that the operating mode of the second operating unit 700 when the drive unit 760 is driven can be designed to be different.

In this embodiment, the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is shaped to extend upward while overhanging the front side, so that bending deformation can be generated in the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c at an early stage. That is, even when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in a horizontal position and a vertically downward load is applied to the load member 761, the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c can be bent (deformed in a forward tilting direction) by the load. In other words, the load of the plate-shaped displacement member 730's own weight transmitted via the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can start to be used for bending deformation of the load member 761 before the plate-shaped displacement member 730 reaches the horizontal position.

In this way, by configuring the use of the driving force transmitted to the plate-shaped displacement member 730 via the load member 761 to be balanced between the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the deformation of the load member 761, it is possible to reduce fluctuations in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 even if the load member 761 is displaced too much or too little.

For example, if the load member 761 hardly flexes, differences in the amount of displacement of the load member 761 and differences in the height of the upper end of the load member 761 directly affect the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Therefore, unless the load member 761 is precisely designed so that there is no deviation in the amount of displacement or the height of the upper end of the load member 761, the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 cannot be stabilized. In this case, high precision is required both in the manufacturing stage and in the assembly stage of the member, which increases manufacturing costs.

On the other hand, when the load member 761 flexes and deforms, even if there is a slight difference in the amount of displacement of the load member 761 or in the height of the upper end of the load member 761, the change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stabilized by designing it so that the flexural deformation of the load member 761 offsets this. Therefore, the precision required in the manufacturing and assembly stages to stabilize the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be kept low, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

This does not only apply to the load member 761 alone, but also applies to the displacement of the left and right load members 761 combined. In other words, in the case where the load members 761 of the left and right drive units 760 are configured with symmetrical shapes as in this embodiment, even if there is a slight difference in the amount of displacement of the load members 761 or the height of the upper ends of the load members 761 between the left and right drive units 760, that difference can be used for the flexural deformation of the load members 761.

This allows the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the one-sided excitation state to be stabilized in an intermediate position regardless of which of the left and right drive units 760 is being driven to cause the one-sided excitation state.

In addition, the direction of deflection of the load member 761 caused by the load applied to the load member 761 via the loaded portion 733 can be limited to the front side. This direction coincides with the direction of the forward/rearward positional deviation set for the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c relative to the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. This allows the load that causes deflection deformation in the load member 761 to be configured to face in a direction away from the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Therefore, most of the load applied from the loaded portion 733 toward the loading member 761 can be absorbed by the flexural deformation of the loading member 761, and the effect of the load applied from the loaded portion 733 on the rod-shaped extension portion 761b can be reduced. In other words, the effect on the loading member 761 can be limited to the vicinity of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c.

That is, it is possible to suppress rubbing and deformation occurring in other contact portions of the load member 761 (for example, the base end portion 761a and the shaft rod portion 762, the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the curved protrusion portion 774 and the opposing curved portion 761e, etc.). This makes it easier to predict the manner in which the load member 761 will flex and deform, making it easier to design the structure of the load member 761 and the displacement manner of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, assuming that the load member 761 will flex and deform.

In addition, the direction of deflection occurring in the load member 761 can be limited to the front side (it is possible to prevent the same part from deflecting both to the front side and to the rear side depending on the situation), so that a one-to-one relationship can be established between the position of the loaded part 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the amount of deflection of the load member 761, and the durability of the load member 761 can be improved compared to when it can deflect both to the front and rear.

In Figures 55(a) and 55(b), the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes depending on the degree of deformation of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c, and both load members 761 are in the raised position (see Figure 51(b)).

Therefore, as described above, the forward/rearward displacement of the load member 761 caused by the load applied to the load member 761 due to the flexural deformation of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c can be suppressed by the friction generated between the protrusion portion 761d and the upper regulating portion 765.

Therefore, even when the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c is controlled to repeatedly bend and release (for example, a control mode in which one electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is maintained in an excited state and the other electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is repeatedly switched between an excited state and a non-excited state), it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced in the forward/rearward direction as a whole.

This can be achieved well by the configuration in this embodiment in which the load member 761 is supported not only by the shaft rod portion 762 but also by the shaft rod portion 762 and the upper regulating portion 765. More specifically, this can be achieved well because the load member 761 is fixed in the elevated position and receives the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, rather than being placed between the lowered position and the elevated position and receiving the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In other words, if the load member 761 is supported only by the axial rod portion 762, the base end portion 761a and the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, which are the parts on the axial rod portion 762 side, will resist the forward/backward component of the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730. However, if the rod-shaped extension portion 761b is twisted or shifted in the forward/backward direction due to the load from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, a gap may occur between the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

When the gap between the metal plate member MB2 and the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 exceeds the distance at which an electromagnetic force is effectively generated, the electromagnetic force rapidly weakens, making it difficult to maintain the load member 761 in the raised position. As a countermeasure, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b or to increase the resistance between the shaft rod portion 762 and the load member 761, but in the former case, the load member 761 becomes heavier, leading to an increase in the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and in the latter case, an excessively large driving force is required to rotate the load member 761, leading to an increase in the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, which is not preferable.

In contrast, in this embodiment, when bending of the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c occurs, the load member 761 is stably supported not only by the axial rod 762 but also by both the axial rod 762 and the upper regulating portion 765, both of which are at both the left and right ends. This not only makes it possible to suppress torsional deformation of the rod-shaped extension 761b compared to when it is supported on only the left or right side, but also makes it possible to suppress axial displacement of the load member 761 by the frictional resistance generated between the rod-shaped extension 761b and the upper regulating portion 765.

Therefore, when controlling the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c to repeatedly flex and release, it is possible to prevent the load member 761 from being displaced overall in the forward and backward directions without increasing the size of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In this embodiment, due to the support mode of the metal plate member MB2, the metal plate member MB2 functions as a reinforcing material for the rod-shaped extension portion 761b (see FIG. 51). In other words, the rigidity of the metal plate member MB2 can prevent torsional deformation of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b.

Returning to FIG. 54, the explanation is given. The state shown in FIG. 54 corresponds to a state (excited state) in which current flows through the electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the left and right drive units 760. In this state, the left and right load members 761 push up the left and right loaded portions 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, changing the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the upright direction to the upper end position. In this embodiment, in the upper end position, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced by about 2.7 degrees from the mid-position (about 6.1 degrees from the lower end position, and about 4 degrees from the horizontal position).

In the state shown in Figure 54, compared to the state shown in Figure 53, the load caused by the weight of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the hollow member 740 and variable decorative member 750 placed on it is divided between the load members 761 on both the left and right sides, thereby mitigating the deflection that occurs in the load members 761.

For the sake of convenience, FIG. 54 illustrates the left and right load members 761 as being so small that the deflection is indistinguishable. In other words, they are illustrated with the same shape as the load members 761 illustrated in FIG. 52.

As shown in Figures 52 to 54, in this embodiment, the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be switched between multiple positions (at least three positions) by switching the electrical conduction state of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (see Figure 50).

To switch the position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 from FIG. 53 to FIG. 54, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the left-side drive unit 760 can be excited while maintaining the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (see FIG. 50) of the right-side drive unit 760, so that the position can be easily and smoothly switched.

Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the change over time in the conduction of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 and the change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b), the upper timing chart shows the conduction state of the left electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the middle timing chart shows the conduction state of the right electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, and the lower timing chart shows the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

Note that, due to the configuration, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not displace at the same time as electricity is turned on to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 (there is a slight time difference), but for the sake of ease of understanding, in Figures 56 and 57, it is illustrated as if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced at the same time as electricity is turned on to the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 56(a) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 53 are alternately switched. The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 56(b) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 53 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched. The conduction mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 57(a) is the same as the mode in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched.

The conduction state of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 shown in FIG. 57(b) is the same as the state in which the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 53 are alternately switched to, and the state shown in FIG. 52 and the state shown in FIG. 54 are alternately switched to, repeatedly.

In this way, the state switching patterns described above in Figures 52 to 54 are not one-way, but occur in multiple ways by changing the combination of the conduction modes of the left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2.

Therefore, since there are multiple patterns for changing the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, there are multiple patterns for the displacement of the hollow member 740 placed on the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the variable decorative member 750 (see Figure 43), but this will be described in more detail later.

Note that in Figures 56(a), 56(b), 57(a) and 57(b), for convenience, the short-term conduction length and conduction interval of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 are shown as constant, but this is merely one example. For example, the short-term conduction interval may be set to vary, or may be configured to gradually become longer or shorter, and can be set arbitrarily.

In addition, by shortening the short-term conduction length of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to instantaneously (pulse-like) change the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while by lengthening the conduction length, it is possible to maintain the posture change for a sufficient length of time. Furthermore, by shortening the conduction interval of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to change the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 as if it were vibrating.

Figure 58 is a top view of the second operating unit 700. As shown in Figure 58, the second operating unit 700 is formed in a generally bilaterally symmetrical shape when viewed from above. In the following, the part to the right of the axis of symmetry will be described in detail, and a description of the part to the left will be omitted.

Figures 59, 60, 61 and 62 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along the line LIX-LIX in Figure 58. Figures 59, 60, 61 and 62 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 59 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), Figure 60 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the horizontal position, Figure 61 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the mid-way position, and Figure 62 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position.

In Figures 59 to 62, a straight line connecting the centers of a pair of supported shafts 731 (see Figure 43) is shown as reference O1, which serves as the axis of rotation for the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Reference O1 is shown in the same way in the subsequent drawings. In Figures 59 to 62, a cross section at the center in the left-right direction of the center variable decorative member 750 is shown.

The variable decorative member 750 in the center of the left and right is allowed to move up and down through the front through hole 723 (see Figure 43), and is allowed to move front to back and left to right through the gap between the front through hole 723 and the cylindrical protrusion 753. It is supported by the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and is displaced as the large receiving portion 736 is displaced due to changes in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The following describes the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 (at the center in the left-right direction) that accompanies the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. Note that, for ease of understanding, the change in posture of the variable decorative member 750 in the direction of gravity is omitted in the illustration.

In the state changes shown in Figures 59, 60, and 61, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 has not displaced (has not retreated) to a position where it abuts against the side of the columnar protrusion 752 of the variable decorative member 750. In other words, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 is limited to displacement in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the state change between Figures 61 and 62, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 is displaced (moved back) to a position where it abuts against the front side of the columnar protrusion portion 752 of the variable decorative member 750, and load is transmitted in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the variable decorative member 750 is displaced not only in the up-down direction but also in the front-to-rear direction.

Therefore, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) accompanying the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is composed of a first stage that occurs mainly in the vertical direction (a stage in which the change in posture from the initial posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is small, see Figures 59, 60, and 61), and a second stage that occurs in a direction that is a combination of the vertical direction and the front-rear direction (a stage in which the change in posture from the initial posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is large, see Figures 61 and 62). This makes it possible to increase the variety of displacement modes of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction).

Here, the state shown in FIG. 61 corresponds to the one-sided excitation state, and the state shown in FIG. 62 corresponds to the excitation state, so by switching the drive mode of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) can be switched between multiple variations.

As shown in FIG. 62, a gap is maintained between the upper surface of the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 and the lower end of the tubular portion that constitutes the front through-hole 723. Therefore, since the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 are not in a position to sandwich the variable decorative member 750 from above and below, the generation of load is suppressed and the position of the variable decorative member 750 can be maintained in an unstable state.

Figures 63, 64, 65, and 66 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXIII-LXIII in Figure 58. Figures 63, 64, 65, and 66 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 63 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its lower end position (initial position), Figure 64 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its horizontal position, Figure 65 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its intermediate position, and Figure 66 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its upper end position. Figures 63 to 66 show cross-sections at the center in the left-right direction of the right-side variable decorative member 750.

The variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are allowed to move up and down through the front through-holes 723 (see Figure 43), and are allowed to move front-back and left-right through the gap between the front through-holes 723 and the cylindrical protrusions 753. They are supported by the large receiving portion 736 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, and are displaced as the large receiving portion 736 is displaced due to changes in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

The large receiving portions 736 on the left and right sides are positioned closer to the reference O1 in the up-down direction and farther from the reference O1 in the front-to-back direction compared to the large receiving portion 736a in the center.

The following describes the displacement of the variable decorative members 750 (on both the left and right sides) that accompanies the change in posture of the plate-like displacement member 730. Note that, for ease of understanding, the change in posture of the variable decorative members 750 in the direction of gravity is omitted in the illustrations.

In the state changes shown in Figures 63, 64, and 65, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 has not been displaced (has not retreated) to a position where it abuts against the side of the columnar protrusion 752 of the variable decorative member 750. In other words, the displacement of the variable decorative member 750 is limited to displacement in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the state change between Figures 65 and 66, the front side of the large receiving portion 736 is displaced (retracted) to the extent that it abuts against the front side of the columnar protrusion portion 752 of the variable decorative member 750, but it does not push forward any further, and the transmission of load in the front-to-rear direction is suppressed.

In other words, the load applied to the variable decorative member 750 by the large receiving portion 736 is mainly composed of loads in the vertical direction only, and when comparing only the vertical component of the displacement, the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 on both sides in the horizontal direction is greater than the amount of displacement of the variable decorative member 750 in the center in the horizontal direction.

In this way, the variable decorative member 750 (in the center in the left-right direction) is displaced in a different direction for each stage as the plate-shaped displaceable member 730 changes its position, while the variable decorative members 750 on both sides in the left-right direction displace mainly in the up-down direction. This makes it possible to differentiate the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 in the center in the left-right direction from that of the variable decorative members 750 on both sides in the left-right direction depending on the degree of change in position of the plate-shaped displaceable member 730.

As described above, the vertical displacement of the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides is ensured to a large extent, so as shown in FIG. 66, the gap between the upper surface of the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 and the lower end of the tubular part that constitutes the front through hole 723 that exists when focusing on the variable decorative member 750 in the center of the left and right direction disappears, and in the front-to-rear position as it is, the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 is dimensionally inserted into the tubular part that constitutes the front through hole 723.

Figure 66 shows the state after the bifurcated support member 751 comes into contact with the lower end of the tubular portion that constitutes the front through hole 723 and moves in parallel to the rear side, assuming that the plate-shaped main body of the bifurcated support member 751 does not deform.

As a result, the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730 sandwich the variable decorative member 750 from above and below, and a load is applied to the variable decorative member 750 in the vertical compression direction from the cover member 720 and the plate-shaped displacement member 730. This increases the force with which the variable decorative member 750 can maintain its position, stabilizing the position of the variable decorative member 750.

Therefore, when the drive units 760 on both the left and right sides are in an excited state and the plate-shaped displacement members 730 are in their upper end positions, the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right are supported in an unstable state (see Figure 62), while the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are supported stably. This makes it possible to make the appearance of the multiple variable decorative members 750 different after the plate-shaped displacement members 730 are in their upper end positions.

In other words, the variable decorative members 750 in the center of the left and right are configured (loosely supported) to allow slight displacement as a remnant of the change in posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, while the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides are configured (firmly supported) to suppress displacement, thereby drawing the player's attention to the variable decorative members 750 in the center of the left and right.

As mentioned above, the vertical displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 due to the change in posture is greater for the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides compared to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right. Therefore, in terms of vertical displacement, the player's attention is more likely to be drawn to the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides, whereas when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is maintained in the upper end posture, the player's attention is more likely to be drawn to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right.

Therefore, if the drive state of the drive unit 760 is set so that the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not reach the upper end position or repeats position changes so as not to be held (stopped) in the upper end position, the player's gaze can be easily drawn to the variable decorative members 750 on both the left and right sides, and if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is set so as to be held slightly in the upper end position, the player's gaze can be easily drawn to the variable decorative members 750 in the center on the left and right.

As a result, when there is a particular light-guiding member 714 among the multiple light-guiding members 714 that the player is particularly interested in, the drive unit 760 can be controlled to drive in a manner that will easily draw the player's attention to the variable decorative member 750 near that light-guiding member 714 (by controlling the light-emitting mode of the light-guiding member 714 in relation to the drive mode of the drive unit 760), thereby making it possible to draw the player's attention to that particular light-guiding member 714.

Figure 67 is a schematic diagram showing the rotational displacement of the large receiving portion 736. In Figure 67, the view from the direction of reference O1 is shown, and the arrangement of the central large receiving portion 736a and the left and right outer left large receiving portions 736b in the horizontal position and the upper end position of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is shown.

The central large receiving portion 736a is positioned above the front side of the reference O1, so that when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated and displaced by a small angle (approximately 4 degrees), the forward/backward displacement is greater than the upward/downward displacement.

The left and right large receiving parts 736b are farther away from the reference O1 than the central large receiving part 736a, so the displacement caused by the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is greater than that of the central large receiving part 736a. On the other hand, the left and right large receiving parts 736b are positioned directly in front of the reference O1 (positioned on a horizontal line), so at the slight angle (about 4 degrees) at which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated, the vertical displacement is greater than the forward/backward displacement.

In this way, according to this embodiment, by rotating and displacing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 around the reference O1, the displacement mode of the central large receiving portion 736a can be made different from the displacement mode of the left and right large receiving portions 736b. Therefore, the displacement mode of the variable decorative member 750 that is displaceably supported by the large receiving portion 736 can be made different between the member located in the left and right center and the member located on the left and right outer sides.

Figures 68, 69, 70, and 71 are partial cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXVIII-LXVIII in Figure 58. Figures 68, 69, 70, and 71 show the displacement of the second operating unit 700 in chronological order, with Figure 68 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), Figure 69 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the horizontal position, Figure 70 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the intermediate position, and Figure 71 showing the state in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position.

68 to 71 show a cross section at the center in the left-right direction of the light-guiding member 714. As described above, the front part of the inner surface of the front small receiving part 735a does not come into contact with the front side part of the protruding columnar part 743 until the plate-shaped displacement member 730 reaches the intermediate position (see FIG. 70), and the displacement of the hollow member 740 is mainly in the vertical direction.

Meanwhile, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 moves from the mid-position to the upper end position, the front part of the inner surface of the front small receiving portion 735a comes into contact with the front side of the protruding columnar portion 743, and after the contact, the hollow member 740 is pushed toward the rear side in accordance with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this way, a time difference can be provided between the start timing of the vertical displacement of the hollow member 740 caused by being pushed forward in accordance with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the horizontal displacement.

As shown in Figures 68 and 71, the effect of changing the width of the light refracted through the upper end of the light-guiding member 714 as the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced will be described.

When the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the lower end position (initial position), the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to the player side is width LH1a, whereas when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in the upper end position, the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to the player side changes to width LH1b (LH1a>LH1b).

On the other hand, even if the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is displaced, the width of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 toward the third pattern display device 81 (back side) is maintained at width LH2. Therefore, as the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes, the balance between the amount of light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 toward the player and the amount of light emitted toward the back side can be changed.

In other words, by driving the drive unit 760 and changing the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to its upper end position, the light directed toward the player is weaker than when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is in its lower end position (initial position), making it easier to look directly at the light-guiding member 714 (easier to see), and by the same token, the light directed toward the third pattern display device 81 is stronger, making it easier for the light emitted from the light-guiding member 714 to be reflected by the third pattern display device 81. This makes it possible to draw the player's gaze toward the light-guiding member 714 when the player is paying attention to the third pattern display device 81.

Figure 72 is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit 700 taken along line LXXII-LXXII in Figure 58. As described above, a gap is formed between the partition member 708 and the illumination board 705, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 72, the light emitted from the light emitting means 706 is prevented from leaking through this gap.

In other words, in this embodiment, there is a slight gap between the partition member 708 and the illumination board 705, and the dimension of this gap is shorter than the height dimension of the emission surface (upper end surface) of the LED that constitutes the light-emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705, so that the light irradiated from the individual light-emitting means 706a in particular can be directed toward the light-guiding member 714 with almost no leakage (see the enlarged view in Figure 72).

The light emitted from each individual light-emitting means 706a is directed toward a separate light-guiding member 714, but is configured to be prevented from traveling toward other light-guiding members 714 (when focusing on one individual light-emitting means 706a, light-guiding members 714 other than the light-guiding member 714 located directly above it). That is, the light-guiding members 714 are separated from each other at the base end by the displacement restriction member 716, so that light can be prevented from traveling through the inside of the light-guiding member 714 toward other light-guiding members 714 (see the enlarged view in FIG. 72).

The light-guiding members 714 are indirectly connected to each other via the thin-film cover members 712. However, because the thin-film cover members 712 are thin-walled along the optical axis direction (up-down direction) of the individual light-emitting means 706a, it is possible to prevent the light irradiated from the individual light-emitting means 706a from reaching other light-guiding members 714.

Therefore, when creating an effect in which the color or intensity of the light irradiated from each individual light-emitting means 706a is different, it is possible to prevent the light from reaching other light-guiding members 714 and affecting the appearance of the other light-guiding members 714. In other words, it is possible to prevent an unintended light-guiding member 714 from emitting light, or to prevent light irradiated from separate individual light-emitting means 706a from being mixed and being viewed through the light-guiding member 714.

In addition, if the light emitted from the individual light-emitting means 706a leaks out from the gap between the illumination board 705 and the partition member 708, the light can be mixed with the light from the overall light-emitting means 706b and made visible to the player.

As described above, the second operating unit 700 is displaced in different manners by varying the drive modes (see Figures 56 and 57) of the drive units 760 disposed below the left and right sides of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

For example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is repeatedly displaced, as a first displacement mode, one of the drive units 760 is repeatedly operated to displace the plate-shaped displacement member 730 back and forth between the lower end position and the mid-position. As a second displacement mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, and the other drive unit 760 is repeatedly operated to displace the plate-shaped displacement member 730 back and forth between the mid-position and the upper end position.

For example, when the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is stopped in a position different from the lower end position (initial position), as a first stopping mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, thereby stopping the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in an intermediate position. As a second stopping mode, one of the drive units 760 is maintained in an excited state, and then the other drive unit 760 is maintained in an excited state, thereby stopping the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in an upper end position.

In particular, in this embodiment, the left and right drive units 760 are not structurally different from each other, but rather the attitude of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is adjusted by the deflection of the load member 761 caused by the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the load member 761 when only one of the drive units 760 is in an excited state (see FIG. 55(a)).

Therefore, in the first displacement mode (stop mode) or the second displacement mode (stop mode) described above, one drive unit 760 and the other drive unit 760 are not fixed as either the left or right drive unit 760, but can be swapped depending on the situation.

Therefore, unlike when one drive unit 760 and the other drive unit 760 are fixed as either the left or right drive unit 760, the drive unit 760 that is maintained in an excited state and the drive unit 760 that is repeatedly operated can be alternately switched depending on the number of operations or switched for each period, thereby making it possible to match (adjust) the degree of fatigue of the constituent materials of the pair of left and right drive units 760. This allows the replacement times of the left and right drive units 760 to be matched, which ultimately makes it possible to maintain a long service life for the second operating unit 700.

The degree of deflection in the load member 761 is merely one example and can be set arbitrarily, regardless of the magnitude of the deflection, as long as the deflection occurs. In other words, it is sufficient if the configuration can produce even a slight difference between driving and controlling one of the drive units 760 or both.

The second operation unit 700 is positioned so as to be visible from the player's line of sight, between the third symbol display device 81 and the first winning opening 64, through a window section defined by the center frame 86 (see FIG. 2). The control mode of the second operation unit 700 can be set arbitrarily, but for example, it may be controlled to correspond the entry of game balls into the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the specific winning opening 65a to the control mode of the drive unit 760 and the control mode of the lighting state of the light emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705.

For example, in order to correspond to the control mode of the lighting state, when multiple game balls enter the first winning opening 64, the individual light-emitting means 706a located on the left side may be controlled to light up in accordance with the number of balls reserved for change, and when multiple game balls enter the second winning opening 140, the individual light-emitting means 706a located on the right side may be controlled to light up in accordance with the number of balls reserved for change.

In this case, the player can be configured to know the number of reserved balls by checking the light emission state of the light-guiding member 714. Then, by associating the entrance of the game ball with the control state of the drive unit 760, the player's line of sight can be focused on the light-guiding member second operation unit 700.

For example, when a game ball enters the first winning hole 64, the drive unit 760 is driven and controlled in the first displacement mode described above, whereas when a game ball enters the second winning hole 140, which is often more advantageous for the player than a ball entering the first winning hole 64, the drive unit 760 is driven and controlled in the second displacement mode described above. This allows the player to easily determine whether the game ball has entered the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 140 from the difference in the displacement mode of the second operating unit 700.

As another example of associating the entry of a game ball with the control mode of the drive unit 760, the drive unit 760 may be controlled in relation to the upper limit of the number of reserved balls. That is, for example, if a game ball enters the first winning opening 64 when the number of reserved balls in the first winning opening 64 is at the upper limit, the player will receive a prize ball, but will not have the opportunity for fluctuation, which is disadvantageous to the player. Therefore, when the number of reserved balls in the first winning opening 64 is close to the upper limit, it is desirable to notify the player of this.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 of the second operating unit 700 can be displaced by controlling the drive unit 760, and the appearance of the second operating unit 700 can be changed, so that it can attract the attention of the player. Therefore, by controlling the drive unit 760 when the number of reserved balls in the first winning slot 64 is close to the upper limit (or is the upper limit value), the player can easily notice that the number of reserved balls is close to the upper limit (or is the upper limit value).

As another example of associating the entry of a game ball with the control mode of the drive unit 760 or the control mode of the lighting state of the light-emitting means 706 of the illumination board 705, it may be associated with the entry of a game ball into a specific winning hole 65a.

In this case, for example, it may correspond to a game ball entering the specific winning port 65a, or it may correspond to a number of game balls entering the specific winning port 65a that exceeds the number of balls expected to enter when the specific winning port 65a is opened (the maximum count number per jackpot round) (a so-called over-entry).

By visually checking the state of the second operating unit 700, the player can understand that a game ball has entered the specific winning hole 65a, or that a greater number of game balls than expected have entered the specific winning hole 65a.

The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 73. In the first embodiment, the adhesive force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 acts in the vertical direction, but in the second embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 of the window movable unit 2150 is configured so that the adhesive force acts in the horizontal direction. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 73(a) and 73(b) are rear views of the window movable unit 2150 in the second embodiment. Figure 73(a) shows the state in which the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is energized and electromagnetic force is generated, and Figure 73(b) shows the state in which the solenoid is de-energized and the electromagnetic force disappears.

The window movable unit 2150 includes an abutment member 2190 that is supported coaxially with the auxiliary device 160 and is arranged to be able to abut against the driven member 163 in the rotational direction, and a biasing spring SP21 that biases the abutment member 2190.

A weight portion W21 for adjusting the center of gravity is formed at the upper end of the arm portion 163c of the driven member 163, and the driven member 163 is configured to rotate and displace under its own weight when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in a non-excited state (see FIG. 73(b)).

The abutment member 2190 includes a cushion portion 175a that is arranged to be able to abut against the driven member 163, and a rotating member 2191 that supports the cushion portion 175a.

The rotating member 2191 is disposed opposite the biasing spring SP21, and the biasing force of the biasing spring SP21 is generated in a direction that pushes the rotating member 2191 back toward the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

The following describes the displacement of the driven member 163 and the rotating member 2191. When the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in an excited state, the driven member 163 is maintained in a state in which it is attracted by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

On the other hand, when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is in a non-excited state, the driven member 163 rotates and displaces under its own weight, and through the state shown in FIG. 73(b), rotates and displaces the rotating member 2191 against the biasing force of the biasing spring SP21. That is, the driven member 163 displaces alone up to the state shown in FIG. 73(b), and from the state shown in FIG. 73(b), the driven member 163 and the rotating member 2191 are displaced together. That is, the displacement speed of the driven member 163 can be changed from the state shown in FIG. 73(b).

In addition, in this embodiment, after the state of FIG. 73(b), the driven member 163 can be vibrated and displaced by the varying biasing force. This allows the variation in the displacement of the driven member 163 to be increased.

The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 74 to 78. In the first embodiment, the lift plate 430 is displaced up and down in conjunction with the rotational displacement of the arm member 414. However, the first operating unit 3400 in the third embodiment is provided with a transmission means 3410 (e.g., a rack-and-pinion transmission mechanism, not shown) that transmits a driving force so that the lift plate 430 is displaced up and down at a constant speed. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 74 to 77 are front views of the first operating unit 3400 in the third embodiment. Figures 74 to 77 show the downward displacement of the lift plate 430 in chronological order.

Figures 78(a) to 78(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating the displacement relationship of the first operating unit 3400. In Figures 78(a) to 78(c), the horizontal axis shows the rotation angle of the terminal gear 413, the vertical axis shows the downward displacement amount of the lift plate 430 in Figure 78(a), the vertical axis shows the rotation amount (angle change) of the auxiliary arm member 444 in Figure 78(b), and the vertical axis shows the displacement amount of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 in Figure 78(c).

The first operating unit 3400 has an L-shaped (integrated rectangle with long sides perpendicular to each other) long hole 3406 formed through the main body plate 401. The long hole 3406 is formed with an opening large enough to allow the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 to be displaced in the up, down, left and right directions.

In FIG. 74, the cylindrical portion 444d is disposed at the upper end position of the vertically long opening of the long hole portion 3406, and the vertically long opening is displaced downward by the displacement to FIG. 75. In other words, the lateral position of the cylindrical portion 444d does not change in the displacement from FIG. 74 to FIG. 75, so no rotation occurs in the auxiliary arm member 444.

On the other hand, in Figures 75 to 77, the auxiliary arm member 444 is rotationally displaced in conjunction with the downward displacement of the lift plate 430. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to configure a section in which the auxiliary arm member 444 is rotationally displaced in conjunction with the vertical displacement of the lift plate 430, and a section in which the posture of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even if the lift plate 430 is vertically displaced.

By configuring a section in which the attitude of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even if the lift plate 430 is displaced in the vertical direction, it is possible to block the transmission of the driving force to the downstream side of the driving force transmission with the auxiliary arm member 444 as the reference, and this role is the same as that of the vertical portion 491a of the fixed transmission plate 490 described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 35). According to this embodiment, the vertical portion 491a can be omitted from the fixed transmission plate 490, so the vertical dimension of the fixed transmission plate 490 can be reduced (the design freedom of the fixed transmission plate 490 can be improved).

This allows for greater freedom in designing the fixed transmission plate 490 while maintaining the effect of being able to shift the timing at which the lift plate 430 and the blade-shaped member 460 start operating.

In this embodiment, the transmission means 3410 makes it easy to vertically displace the lift plate 430 with uniform linear motion (see FIG. 78(a)). In this case, if the configuration of the synchronous motion unit 440 described above in the first embodiment is used as is, the speed of the rotational displacement of the auxiliary arm member 444 will change significantly during the displacement.

In more detail, the angular velocity of the rotational displacement of the first operating unit 4300 near the second intermediate state is slower than the angular velocity of the rotational displacement of the first operating unit 3400 near the retracted state or near the extended state (the amount of angular change relative to the amount of displacement of the base end side portion 444a is smaller).

As a result, it becomes impossible to displace the relative displacement member 442 at a substantially constant speed relative to the lift plate 430. In response to this, in this embodiment, a rotating gear with arm 3441 is provided as a replacement for the lower left rotating gear 441. The rotating gear has a gear with the same gear ratio as the arc-shaped gear portion 444d, meshes with the upper right rotating gear 441, and has an extension portion that is connected to the relative displacement member 442. This partially offsets the change in angular velocity of the auxiliary arm member 444, and eliminates the difference in the displacement mode between the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442.

In other words, unlike the configuration of the first embodiment in which the relative displacement member 442 is displaced up and down in response (proportional) to the amount of angular change relative to the amount of vertical displacement of the base end side portion 444a, the amount of angular change relative to the amount of vertical displacement of the base end side portion 444a is converted back into the amount of vertical displacement of the arm tip of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441, and the relative displacement member 442 is displaced up and down in response to the amount of vertical displacement of the arm tip, thereby partially eliminating (offsetting) the difference in the displacement mode between the lift plate 430 and the relative displacement member 442.

Therefore, the displacement mode of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 can be made to match the displacement mode of the lift plate 430.

In this embodiment, the electrical wiring DH1 may be configured to pass through the rotation axis of the armed rotating gear 3441 and be guided to the relative displacement member 442. In other words, by forming the path of the electrical wiring DH1 in a continuous manner in the order of the auxiliary arm member 444, the lift plate 430, the armed rotating gear 3441, and the relative displacement member 442, it is possible to prevent the path length of the electrical wiring DH1 from fluctuating significantly due to the displacement of the first operating unit 3400.

In this case, the electrical wiring DH1 can be easily connected to the decorative part 493, so that an electric lighting board can be arranged on the decorative part 493, making it easy to create a lighting effect using light-emitting means such as LEDs.

The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 79. In the first embodiment, a case was described in which a detection sensor for detecting the state of the second operating unit 700 was not provided, but the second operating unit 4700 of the fourth embodiment is provided with a detection device 4780 for detecting the state of the drive unit 4760. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 79(a) and 79(b) are front views of the drive unit 4760 of the second operating unit 4700 in the fourth embodiment. Note that in Figures 79(a) and 79(b), the front cover member 770 and the illumination board 777 are omitted except for the curved protrusion 774, and the outline of the curved protrusion 774 is shown by imaginary lines.

In addition, FIG. 79(a) shows a state in which no current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the load member 4761 is placed in a lowered position due to its own weight, and FIG. 79(b) shows a state in which a current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the metal plate member MB2 is attracted by the generated electromagnetic force, causing the load member 4761 to be placed in an elevated position.

As shown in Figures 79(a) and 79(b), in the lowered position, the load member 4761 abuts against the lower regulating portion 764, and its downward displacement is restricted, and in the raised position, the load member 4761 abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, and its upward displacement is restricted.

The load member 4761 has the same configuration as the load member 761 described in the first embodiment, except that the protrusion 761d has been changed to a thick protrusion 4761f and a thin protrusion 4761g.

The thick-walled protruding portion 4761f is a portion that protrudes from the extended tip of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b along the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b with a thickness (front-to-back width) equivalent to that of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b, and corresponds to the portion that abuts against the upper regulating portion 765 and receives the load when the load member 4761 is positioned in the raised position.

The thin-walled protruding portion 4761g is a plate-like portion that is thinner (shorter in front-to-back width) than the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f and protrudes from the protruding tip of the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f along the extension direction of the rod-shaped extension portion 761b. The upper and lower surfaces of the thin-walled protruding portion 4761g (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protruding direction) and the upper and lower surfaces of the thick-walled protruding portion 4761f (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protruding direction) are formed flush with each other.

The thin-walled protrusion 4761g is configured to come into contact with the upper regulating portion 765 in the same manner as the thick-walled protrusion 4761f when the load member 4761 is placed in the raised position. However, since it is thinner than the thick-walled protrusion 4761f, it is more likely to break than the thick-walled protrusion 4761f due to the accumulation of fatigue caused by repeatedly exciting the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

From this viewpoint, it is not necessary that the upper and lower surfaces of the thin protrusion 4761g (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protrusion direction) and the thick protrusion 4761f (upper and lower surfaces parallel to the protrusion direction) are flush with each other; it is sufficient that at least the upper surface is flush, and the position of the lower surface can be set arbitrarily. For example, by making the vertical width of the thin protrusion 4761g shorter than the vertical width of the thick protrusion 4761f, the number of repeated excitations of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 until the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged can be reduced, thereby adjusting the period until the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged.

The drive unit 4760 includes a detection device 4780. The detection device 4780 includes a printed circuit board 4781 that is fixed to the bottom of the support case 763, and a detection sensor 4782 that is disposed on the printed circuit board 4781 and that is disposed in a detection groove such that the thin-walled protrusion 4761g can be inserted and removed.

The detection sensor 4782 is a photocoupler type detection device, and when the load member 4761 is in the lowered position, the thin protrusion 4761g blocks the detection light (see FIG. 79(a)), and when the load member 4761 is in the raised position, the thin protrusion 4761g is positioned upward so as not to block the detection light (see FIG. 79(b)).

The function of the detection sensor 4782 will now be described. Normally, the detection result of the detection sensor 4782 corresponds to the position of the load member 4761, so it is possible to check whether the load member 4761 is operating properly using the detection result of the detection sensor 4782. This check is performed by the MPU 221 (see FIG. 4), and if it determines that there is a malfunction, it can generate an alarm or display an error on the display device, making it easier for players and hall staff to notice the malfunction of the second operating unit 4700.

In addition, if the thin-walled protrusion 4761g breaks (breaks) and falls, the thin-walled protrusion 4761g and the load member 4761 will no longer operate in sync, and the position change of the load member 4761 will no longer correspond to the detection result of the detection sensor 4782. If the position change of the load member 4761 no longer corresponds to the detection result of the detection sensor 4782, an alarm can be generated in the MPU 221 (see FIG. 4) or an error message can be displayed on the display device, making it easier for players and hall staff to notice that the thin-walled protrusion 4761g has broken (broken).

In this way, according to this embodiment, the detection sensor 4782 can be used both as a position detection means for detecting the position of the load member 4761 and as a damage detection means for detecting damage (fracture) of the load member 4761.

In addition, according to this embodiment, even if the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged, the thick protrusion 4761f abuts against the upper regulating portion 765, thereby stopping the load member 4761 at the raised position, and the load member 4761 can be displaced in the same manner as before the thin protrusion 4761g was damaged. Therefore, even if the thin protrusion 4761g is damaged, there is no need to immediately stop playing and put the machine into a maintenance state, and play can be continued for a while, thereby avoiding causing an unexpected disadvantage to the player.

In this way, among the parts that come into contact with the upper restricting portion 765, a part that is preferentially damaged (broken) is provided, and the damage (breakage) is detected by the detection sensor 4782, so that the load member can be replaced before fatigue accumulates to the extent that the thick protruding portion 4761f is damaged (broken).

The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 80. In the first embodiment, the case where the bending deformation occurs in relation to the rigidity of the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c itself was described, but the second operating unit 5700 of the fifth embodiment is equipped with a bending adjustment device 5780 that applies a load to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c and adjusts the bending deformation. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 80(a) and 80(b) are cross-sectional views of the second operating unit 5700 of the fifth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to the line LVa-LVa in Figure 53. The deflection adjustment device 5780 includes a box-shaped base member 5781 with a built-in metal coil, and an adjustment member 5782, which is an iron bar supported by the base member 5781 so as to be movable up and down, and which is positioned to protrude above the base member 5781.

As shown in FIG. 80(b), even if the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 are in a one-sided excited state, the deflection adjustment device 5780 is driven to change the state to a state where the deflection deformation of the load member 761 is small (a state where the deflection deformation is about half). In other words, the deflection adjustment device 5780 is adopted as an alternative to the configuration in the first embodiment where the pair of left and right electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 (both) are excited to change the plate-shaped displacement member 730 to the upper end position.

That is, while the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 is kept in a one-sided excitation state (see FIG. 80(a)), a metal coil (not shown) built into the base member 5781 of the deflection adjustment device 5780 is arranged so as to wrap around the adjustment member 5782, and electricity is passed through the metal coil to form an electromagnet, and the adjustment member 5782 is driven upward, so that a load in the direction of returning (restoring) the deflection of the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c can be applied to the vertical rod-shaped extension portion 761c (see FIG. 80(b)).

In this way, according to this embodiment, by cooperatively driving the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 on either the left or right side of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 and the adjustment device 5780 arranged on the side of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, it is possible to maintain the plate-shaped displacement member 730 in the lower end position (initial position), mid-position, and upper end position.

This allows the positioning of the drive means to be more compact than when it is necessary to arrange the electromagnetic solenoids SOL2 in a pair on the left and right. For example, the positioning of the electrical wiring connected to each device of the drive means can be more compact, so it is possible to avoid the area required for the wiring to be distributed to various places (e.g., left and right).

Next, the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 81 to 121. In the sixth embodiment, the first winning port 64, the second winning port 140, and the specific winning port 65a are formed in a winning port unit 930 that is configured as one unit. The same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Furthermore, in the following, as in the first embodiment, the up-down direction of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as the direction of gravity, the left-right and rearward directions of the pachinko machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 as the left-right direction, the front side of the paper of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 as the front side (or front), and the rear side of the paper of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 as the back side (or rear).

First, with reference to Figures 81 and 82, the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 arranged on the base plate of the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment will be described. Figure 81 is a front view of the game board 13 in the sixth embodiment. Figure 82 is an exploded oblique front view of the game board 13. Note that in Figure 82, units other than the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 arranged on the base plate 60 (such as the center frame 86 (see Figure 81)) are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in Figure 82, a through hole 60a is formed in the base plate 60 by router processing on the lower side (lower side in Figure 82) of the central opening in the direction of gravity where the center frame 86 (see Figure 81) is attached, which penetrates through the base plate 60 in the thickness direction.

The through hole 60a is formed slightly smaller than the external shape of the front unit 940 when viewed from the front, which will be described later, and the drive unit 960 and the specific winning port unit 950 arranged in the front unit 940 are inserted inside.

On the base plate 60, a winning port unit 930 is arranged from the playing area (front side), and a ball throwing unit 970 is arranged from the opposite side (back side) of the playing area, and each is fastened and fixed with tapping screws or the like. The detailed configuration of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described later.

Next, the overall configuration of the winning port unit 930 will be described with reference to Figures 83 to 86. Figure 83(a) is a front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 83(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 930. Figure 84(a) is a perspective front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 84(b) is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit 930. Figure 85 is an exploded perspective front view of the winning port unit 930, and Figure 86 is an exploded perspective rear view of the winning port unit 930.

As shown in Figures 83 to 86, the winning port unit 930 is mainly formed by a front unit 940, a specific winning port unit 950 arranged on the rear side (the front side of the page in Figure 83 (b)) of the front unit 940, a drive unit 960 arranged on the rear side (the front side of the page in Figure 83 (b)) of the specific winning port unit 950, and a displacement member 966 arranged between the drive unit 960 and the front unit 940.

As described above, the front unit 940 is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is larger than the through hole 60a of the base plate 60. Therefore, by disposing the winning hole unit 930 (front unit 940) on the base plate 60, the opening of the through hole 60a can be blocked. This makes it possible to prevent game balls flowing down the playing area of the game board 13 from passing through the through hole 60a from spaces other than the game ball passage paths (first winning hole 64, second winning hole 140, and specific winning hole 65a) formed in the front unit 940 described below.

The specific winning hole unit 950 is partially inserted inside the specific winning hole 65a formed in the front unit 940, and game balls can be sent through the specific winning hole 65a to the inside of the specific winning hole unit 950. A detailed explanation of the specific winning hole unit 950 will be given later.

The drive unit 960 is disposed on the rear side of the specific winning port unit 950, and a part of it (the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965) is connected via a displacement member 966 to the feather member 945 disposed in the front unit. This allows the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 to be operated to rotate and displace the feather member 945. The operation of the feather member 945 will be described in detail later.

Next, the front unit 940 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 87 to 89. Figure 87(a) is a front view of the front unit 940, and Figure 87(b) is a rear view of the front unit 940. Figure 88 is an exploded oblique front view of the front unit 940, and Figure 89 is an exploded oblique rear view of the front unit 940. Note that in Figures 87(a) and 87(b), the outer shape of the wing member 945 is shown by a dashed line.

As shown in Figures 87 to 89, the front unit 940 is mainly formed with a rear base 941 that is fastened to the base plate 60, a front base 943 that is disposed on the rear base 941 at a distance greater than the diameter of a game ball, and two (a pair) of wing members 945 that are rotatably disposed between the opposing rear base 941 and front base 943.

The rear base 941 is formed from a plate-like body with a predetermined thickness and has an external shape that is roughly a vertically inverted T shape when viewed from the front. The rear base 941 is also formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and when the prize winning port unit 930 (front unit 940) is arranged on the base plate 60, the inside of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 can be seen through the rear base 941.

The rear base 941 mainly comprises a first outlet 71 cut out on the downstream side of the game ball (the lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 87 (b))), a specific winning opening 65a located above the first outlet 71 (upper side in Figure 87 (b)) and formed as a long rectangle in the horizontal direction, a second winning opening 140 formed above the specific winning opening 65a, and a first winning opening 64 cut out on the edge opposite the first outlet 71.

The rear base 941 also has a number of through holes 941a penetrating the outer edge in the plate thickness direction. The through holes 941a are formed of a first through hole 941a1 that narrows in diameter from the front side (near side of the paper in FIG. 87(a)) to the rear side (near side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)), and a second through hole 941a2 that narrows in diameter from the rear side to the front side.

The first through hole 941a1 is a hole through which a tapping screw is inserted to fasten the rear base 941 (prize-winning port unit 930) to the base plate 60, and the inner diameter is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion of the tapping screw. As described above, the first through hole 941a1 is formed with a smaller diameter from the front side to the rear side, so that the head of the tapping screw can be accommodated in the enlarged diameter portion on the front side. This prevents the head of the tapping screw from protruding into the play area. Furthermore, a positioning protrusion 942a is formed near the first through hole 941a1, protruding cylindrically from the rear of the rear base 941.

The positioning protrusion 942a is formed at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 60b (see FIG. 82) formed around the through hole 60a of the base plate 60, and is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the positioning hole 60b. This allows the rear base 941 (prize winning port unit 930) to be positioned relative to the base plate 60.

The second through hole 941a2 is a hole through which a screw for fastening the rear base 941 and the front base 943 is inserted from the rear base 941 side, and the inner diameter is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the screw-threaded portion. In other words, the front base 943 is fastened with a screw from the rear side of the rear base 941. In this case, the operation of removing the front base 943 from the rear base 941 must be performed after the prize winning port unit 930 has been removed from the base plate 60. This prevents a player from cheating and removing only the front base 943 from the front side (play area side) of the game board 13.

As described above, the second through hole 941a2 is formed with a smaller diameter from the rear side to the front side, so the head of the screw can be accommodated in the larger diameter portion on the rear side. This prevents the head of the screw from protruding into the rear side of the rear base 941. As a result, when the specific winning port unit 950 described later is disposed on the rear side of the rear base 941, the head of the screw can be prevented from abutting against the specific winning port unit 950.

The outer shape of the lower end of the rear base 941 in the direction of gravity (lower side in FIG. 87(b)) is formed along the inner edge of the inner rail 61 (see FIG. 81) of the game board 13. The first outlet 71 is formed so that the edge of the cutout bottom (upper edge in the direction of gravity) is spaced apart from the inner edge of the inner rail 61 by at least the diameter of the game ball. This allows game balls that flow down the game area formed on the front of the game board 13 (base plate 60) and do not flow into any of the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, the specific winning opening 65a, or the general winning opening 63 () to be sent to the rear side of the game board 13 (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the page in FIG. 87(b))) via the first outlet 71.

The first winning opening 64 is formed by cutting out a semicircular shape from the end portion on the upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 87 (b)) opposite the first outlet 71. The first winning opening 64 is also formed so that the inner edge dimension is larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 941g (described later) to be sent through the first winning opening 64 to the back side (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the paper in Figure 87 (b)).

The edge of the first winning opening 64 is formed with a first receiving portion 941g that protrudes toward the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(a)) and is cup-shaped, and a first ball throwing portion 942g that protrudes with a U-shaped cross section on the side opposite the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(b)).

The first receiving portion 941g is formed to be large enough to receive one game ball inside. This allows the game ball flowing down the game area from the upper side of the first receiving portion 941g (first winning port 64) in the direction of gravity to flow inside the first receiving portion 941g.

The first receiving portion 941g is formed with a bottom surface that slopes downward toward the rear side (the opposite side of the play area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))). This allows the game ball that flows into the first receiving portion 941g to be sent downward through the first winning opening 64 to the rear side (the side of the first ball sending portion 942g).

The first receiving portion 941g further includes a guide portion 941g1 that is inclined outward in the short side direction of the base plate 60 from the upper end portions of both ends of the short side direction (left and right direction in FIG. 87) of the base plate 60 toward the second winning port side (the lower side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 87(a))). The guide portion 941g1 is formed into a plate-like body with a predetermined thickness, and the side surface opposite the play area (the rear side) is connected to the front side of the rear base 941. This increases the rigidity of the first receiving portion 941g, and prevents game balls flowing down the flow area from colliding with the first receiving portion 941g and damaging the first receiving portion 941g.

In addition, if the first winning hole 64, the second winning hole 140, and the specific winning hole 65 are integrally formed on the rear base 941, there will not be enough game nails to change the direction of the game ball flowing down the play area, making it difficult to change the direction of the game ball. Therefore, there is a risk that the player's interest will be lost, but by having the game ball collide with the guide portion 941g1, the direction of the game ball flowing down can be changed, preventing the player's interest from being lost.

Furthermore, the guide portion 941g1 is formed at an incline toward the outside of the short side of the base plate 60 (both left and right sides in FIG. 87(a)) toward the second winning opening 140, so that the game ball that collides with the guide portion 941g1 can be guided horizontally outside the rear base 941. This allows the game ball to collide again with the game nails (not shown) arranged on the base plate 60, making it easier to change the direction in which the game ball flows down. This prevents the player's interest from being diminished.

The first ball throwing section 942g is formed in a U-shape that opens upward in the direction of gravity, and the distance between the opposing inner edges is greater than the diameter of the game ball. The bottom surface of the first ball throwing section 942g is formed with a downward incline toward the rear side (the side opposite the game area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))), and the protruding tip side abuts against the edge of the inlet 982d of the ball throwing unit 970 described later. This allows the game ball that is thrown from the inside of the first receiving section 941g through the first winning port 64 to the first ball throwing section 942g to roll toward the rear side and be thrown to the ball throwing unit 970.

The first ball throwing section 942g has a first notch 942g1 cut into a rectangular shape in side view at the upper end of the protruding tip. The first notch 942g1 is a notch on which the second protrusion 982d1 of the ball throwing unit 970 described below is placed, and is notched to a size approximately the same as the shape of the second protrusion 982d1 in side view. The arrangement of the first ball throwing section 942g and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described in detail later.

The second winning opening 140 is formed in a generally D-shape with a curved upper portion when viewed from the front, and the inner edge is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball sent between the opposing vane members 945 (described later) to be sent through the second winning opening 140 to the back side (the opposite side of the game area (the front side of the page in Figure 87 (b))).

The second winning port 140 has a front side wall portion 941b that protrudes toward the front side (the side of the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(a))) at its edge, and a second ball throwing portion 942c that protrudes toward the rear side (the side opposite the playing area (the front side of the page in Figure 87(b))).

The front side wall portion 941b is formed along both side edges of the second winning opening in the short direction of the base plate 60. The front side wall portion 941b is set to a size such that its protruding tip surface abuts against the ball sending guide portion 943d of the front base 943 described later.

The second ball sending section 942c is formed by bending in an approximately L-shape when viewed from behind at both ends of the lower edge of the second winning opening 140. The dimension of the second ball sending section 942c in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in Figure 87 (b)) is set to be larger than the radius of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling on the rolling section 943a of the front base 943 (described later) from falling from the upper surface of the rolling section 943a.

The pair of second ball sending sections 942c are set so that the distance between them in the short side direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in FIG. 87(b)) is set to be approximately the same as the length dimension of the rolling section 943a of the front base 943 described later in the short side direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in FIG. 87(b)), and the rolling section 943a is disposed on the inside. In addition, the second ball sending section 942c is formed by cutting out a second recessed section 942c1 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 87(b))) of the protruding tip. The second recessed section 942c1 is the portion on which the protrusion 981b1 of the passage unit described later is placed on the inside, and a detailed explanation of this will be given later.

The rear base 941 is formed with a first shaft hole 941d recessed in two circular locations from the play area side of the rear base 941 toward the opposite side of the play area on the other side of the gravity direction near the second winning opening 140 (the first winning opening 64 side (upper side of Figure 87 (b))), two first openings 941e curved around the axis of the first shaft hole 941d and formed through the rear base 941, a first guide wall 942b located outside the opposing direction of the two first openings 941e and protruding toward the rear side, and a protrusion 941c protruding between the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140.

The first shaft hole 941d is capable of supporting the shaft member 945a that supports the blade member 945 described below, and is formed with an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft member 945a. This allows one end of the shaft member 945a to be inserted into the first shaft hole 941d and supported.

The first opening 941e is opened in an arc shape with the center of the first shaft hole 941d as its axis. The first opening 941e is also designed to allow the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 to be inserted therethrough, and is set to be larger than the maximum width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 945b from contacting the inner surface of the first opening 941e when the feather member 945 rotates.

The protrusion 941c is formed in an isosceles triangular shape in front view, and the corners of the isosceles connecting parts are located on approximately the same plane as the center position between the opposing feather members 945 described later. The unequal sides of the protrusion 941c are formed extending parallel to the opposing direction of the feather members 945, and the length dimension is set to be slightly larger than the opposing dimension of the feather members 945 in the closed state. Furthermore, the protrusion 941c is formed at a position where the shortest distance from the feather members 945 in the closed state is smaller than the diameter of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball from being sent to the second winning hole 140 (between the opposing pair of feather members 945) when the feather members 945 are in the closed state. A detailed explanation of the closed state of the feather members 945 will be given later.

The pair of first guide walls 942b are walls that guide the displacement of the displacement member 966 when the displacement member 966 described below is displaced, and the distance dimension between the pair of opposing first guide walls 942b is set to be slightly larger than the distance dimension in the short direction of the displacement member 966.

The pair of first guide walls 942b are formed in a generally L-shape when viewed from the rear, and extend in a direction in which the bent portions approach each other. This allows the protrusion 966a of the displacement member 966 to abut against the bent portions of the first guide walls 942b, thereby regulating the displacement distance of the displacement member 966.

The specific winning opening 65a is formed as a long rectangular opening in the opposing direction of the pair of blade members 945 (left and right direction in Figure 87 (b)), and a plate member 951 of the specific winning opening unit 950 described later can be inserted inside the opening. This allows a game ball flowing down the game area to be sent to the inside of the specific winning opening unit 950 via the specific winning opening 65a.

In addition, the rear base 941 includes an upright portion 942f that surrounds the specific winning opening 65a and stands on the rear side (the side opposite the play area), and recesses 941h that are recessed from the rear side at both longitudinal ends of the specific winning opening 65a.

The shape of the inner edge of the erected portion 942f is set to be approximately the same as the shape of the specific winning port unit 950, described below, when viewed from the front. This makes it easy to position and arrange the specific winning port unit 950 inside the erected portion 942f.

The recess 941h is formed at a position corresponding to the wall portion 953d into which the rod member 952, which serves as the rotation axis of the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950, is inserted when the specific winning port unit 950 is disposed on the rear base 941. This allows the end face of the rod member 952 to abut against the inner edge of the recess 941h, preventing the rod member 952 from coming out of the plate member 951 when the rod member 952 is displaced in a direction coming out of the plate member 951.

Furthermore, the front base 942 has a bulging portion 942h that bulges out between the standing portion 942f and the second ball sending portion 942c, and a second guide wall 942d that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the standing portion 942f toward the first guide wall 942b (upper side in FIG. 87(b)).

The bulging portion 942h bulges toward the rear side of the rear base 941 and is connected to the erected portion 942f and the second ball sending portion 942c. This allows a predetermined gap to be formed between the displacement member 966 (see FIG. 90) described below and the rear side of the rear base 941 when the displacement member 966 is disposed on the rear side of the rear base 941 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)). As a result, when the displacement member 966 is displaced, the frictional (sliding) resistance of the displacement member 966 can be reduced.

The second guide wall 942d is a wall surface that guides the displacement of the lower end portion of the displacement member 966, and the distance between the pair of opposing second guide walls 942d is set to be slightly larger than the distance in the short direction of the displacement member 966. Therefore, when the displacement member 966 is disposed between the pair of opposing second guide walls 942d, the displacement distance of the lower end portion of the displacement member 966 in the short direction of the displacement member 966 can be regulated.

The rear base 941 is provided with a second outlet 941f formed by cutting out a semicircular shape toward one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) at the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of both ends of the specific winning port 65a in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in Figure 87 (b)). The second outlet 941f is a cutout for sending the game ball that has flowed into the third receiving portion 944a formed in the front base 943 to the rear side of the base plate 60 (opposite the game area), and is formed in a shape larger than the diameter of the game ball.

The edge of the second outlet 941f is formed with a third ball throwing section 942e that is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear and protrudes toward the rear side. This allows the game ball that is thrown to the rear side via the inside of the second outlet 941f to be thrown to the inside of the third ball throwing section 942e.

The third ball throwing section 942e is formed with a U-shaped curved portion (lower portion) when viewed from the rear, tilted downward in the direction of gravity as it protrudes toward the rear side, and can cause the game ball thrown from the second outlet 941f to roll toward the rear side. A detailed explanation of the game ball rolling on the inner surface of the third ball throwing section 942e will be given later.

The front base 943 is formed in a roughly upside-down T-shape, with an outer shape smaller than that of the rear base when viewed from the front. The front base 943 is also formed from a colorless and transparent plate. This allows the player to visually see the game balls flowing down between the opposing front base 943 and rear base 941.

The front base 943 is formed mainly with a second receiving portion 943c and a third receiving portion 944a that protrude from positions corresponding to the second winning opening 140 and the second outlet 941f, respectively, of the above-mentioned rear base 941.

The second receiving portion 943c is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, and the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941 is located on the inside when viewed from the front. A pair of wing members 945 (described later) are disposed on the open side (the open side of the U-shape) of the second receiving portion 943c. Furthermore, the protruding distance of the second receiving portion 943c toward the rear base 941 is set to be greater than the diameter of the game ball. Thus, the game ball can be sent between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943, and the game ball can be prevented from flowing into the second winning opening 140 from outside the area between the opposing pair of wing members 945 (described later).

The second receiving portion 943c also includes a ball guide portion 943d that protrudes inward from its inner edge, a first recess 943ca that is recessed in a circular shape from the rear base 941 side (the front side of the paper in Figure 87 (b)), and a rolling portion 943a that protrudes from the inside of the curved portion toward the rear base side.

The ball throwing guide portions 943d are formed as a pair on the lower side of the pair of feather members 945 in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 87 (b)). The pair of ball throwing guide portions 943d are also formed at positions corresponding to the front side wall portions 941b of the rear base 941, and when the rear base 941 and the front base 943 are combined, their end faces abut against each other. This allows a game ball that has flowed between the opposing feather members 945 to be thrown between the opposing ball throwing guide portions 943d.

The rolling portion 943a is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) between the pair of opposing ball-throwing guide portions 943d, and the end surface 943a1 on the upper side in the direction of gravity is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the rear base 941. Also, as described above, when the rear base 941 and the front base 943 are fastened (combined), the rolling portion 943a is disposed inside the recess 941j, and the tip protrudes toward the rear side of the rear base 941 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)).

This allows the game ball sent between the pair of opposing ball sending guide parts 943d to be sent to the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part, and the game ball can be rolled on the upper part of the end surface 943a1 and sent to the rear side of the rear base 941.

The front base 943 also has a ring-shaped protrusion 943b that protrudes from the opening side (upward in the direction of gravity) of the second receiving portion 943c at a position opposite the first shaft hole 941d of the rear base 941. The ring-shaped protrusion 943b has a second shaft hole 943b1 on its inner edge, and the other end of the shaft member 945a that supports the blade member 945 described later can be inserted into the inside of the second shaft hole 943b1. As described above, one end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the first shaft hole 941d of the rear base 941. Therefore, the shaft member 945a can be supported by being sandwiched between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943.

The third receiving portion 944a is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, with the second outlet 941f of the rear base 941 located on the inside of it. This allows game balls flowing down the play area of the game board 13 to flow into the inside of the third receiving portion 944a, and game balls that have flowed into the third receiving portion 944a can be sent to the rear side (the side opposite the play area) via the second outlet 941f.

The second receiving portion 943c and the third receiving portion 944a have a first recess 943ca and a second recess 944a1 recessed in a circular shape from the rear base 941 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 87(b)). The first recess 943ca and the second recess 944a1 are fastened portions into which the screw inserted into the above-mentioned second through hole 941a2 is screwed, and are formed coaxially with the axis of the second through hole 941a2 of the rear base 941. This allows the rear base 941 and the front base 943 to be fastened together.

When viewed from the front, the feather members 945 are arranged in pairs, sandwiching the second winning opening 140 formed in the rear base 941. The feather members 945 are made of a colored translucent material and are visible to the player through the front base 943.

The wing member 945 is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from the front, and is formed to a thickness smaller than the distance between the rear base 941 and the front base 943. The wing member 945 mainly comprises an insertion hole 945c formed through in the thickness direction (from the rear base 941 side to the front base 943 side) and a protrusion 945b protruding from the surface on the rear base 941 side (rear face).

The insertion hole 945c is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 945a supported between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943. Therefore, when fastening (assembling) the rear base 941 and the front base 943, the shaft member 945a is inserted into the insertion hole 945c, so that the wing member 945 can be disposed between the opposing rear base 941 and the front base 943 in a rotatable state. This allows the wing member 945 to be displaced between a closed state in which the opposing side surfaces are parallel to the direction of gravity, and an open state in which one side of the side surface is displaced outward in the opposing direction.

The protrusion 945b is a transmission part that is connected to the displacement member 966 described below and transmits the drive of the drive unit 960 to the blade member 945, and is sized so that its tip protrudes through the first opening 941e of the rear base 941 to the rear side (opposite the play area) of the rear base 941 on which the displacement member 966 is disposed. A detailed explanation of the connection state between the protrusion 945b and the displacement member 966 will be given later.

Next, the displacement member 966 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 90. Figure 90(a) is a front view of the displacement member 966, Figure 90(b) is a side view of the displacement member 966, and Figure 90(c) is a perspective front view of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 is formed from a plate-like body that is vertically long and rectangular when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left and right direction in Figure 90 (b)) at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the shape of the inner edge of the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941 described above, and the second winning opening 140 is disposed on the inside. This makes it possible to prevent game balls sent to the opposite side of the game area through the second winning opening 140 from colliding with the inner edge of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 has a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction (left-right direction in FIG. 90(a)) from one end side (upper side in FIG. 90(a)) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 90(a)), and a bulging portion 966b that bulges from the other end side in the longitudinal direction (lower side in FIG. 90(b)) toward the rear side (toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85)).

The protrusion 966a has a sliding groove 966a2 formed by penetrating the displacement member 966 in the plate thickness direction, and a contact portion 966a1 located on both outer sides of the displacement member 966 in the short side direction and extending in the longitudinal direction.

The sliding groove 966a2 is an elongated hole into which the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 described above is inserted, and is formed as an elongated hole that is long in the short direction of the displacement member 966. The width dimension of the sliding groove 966a2 is set to be larger than the width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This prevents the protrusion 945b from contacting both inner surfaces facing each other in the width direction of the sliding groove 966a2 when the feather member 945 rotates, thereby preventing the movement of the feather member 945 from being restricted.

The contact portion 966a1 is formed to bulge on both the front side (front base 943 side (see FIG. 85)) and the rear side (rear base 941 side). This reduces the area of contact between the displacement member 966 and the front base 943 and the drive unit 960 (described later). As a result, the resistance when the displacement member 966 is driven can be reduced.

The bulging portion 966b is formed to bulge out toward the rear side (the rear base 941 side), and a horizontally long rectangular connecting hole 966b1 is formed in the inner portion when viewed from the rear. The connecting hole 966b1 is an opening into which the tip (insertion portion 965e) of the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 described below is inserted, and the shape of the inner edge is set to be larger than the outer shape of the tip of the transmission member 965. The connection state between the connecting hole 966b1 and the transmission member 965 will be described in detail later.

The connecting hole 966b1 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the short direction of the displacement member 966, and has a one-side abutment portion 966b2 on the inner circumferential surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 90(a))) and a other-side abutment portion 966b3 on the inner circumferential surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 90(a))).

The one-side abutment portion 966b2 is a surface that abuts against the bulging portion 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965, which will be described later. The displacement member 966 can displace the wing member 945 to the open state (see FIG. 92) by the bulging portion 965e1 abutting against the one-side abutment portion 966b2 and being slidably displaced.

The other-side abutment portion 966b3 is a surface that abuts against the side surface opposite the bulge portion 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 described below. The displacement member 966 can displace the wing member 945 to the closed state (see FIG. 91) by sliding the side surface opposite the bulge portion 965e1 abutting against the other-side abutment portion 966b3.

Next, the connection state between the displacement member 966 and the feather member 945 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 91 and 92. Figures 91 and 92 are rear views of the winning port unit 930 and the displacement member 966 in range XCI of Figure 87(b). Note that in Figures 91 and 92, the outline of the feather member 945 is shown by a dotted line. Also, Figure 91 shows the closed state of the feather member 945, and Figure 92 shows the open state of the feather member 945.

As shown in Figures 91 and 92, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is formed in a roughly triangular shape when viewed from behind, and mainly comprises a first surface 945b1 formed parallel to the opposing surfaces of the pair of feather members 945 in the closed state, a third surface 945b3 connected to the first surface 945b1 and located on one side in the direction of gravity (the side of the specific winning opening 65a), and a second surface 945b2 connected to the first surface 945b1 and the third surface 945b3.

The sliding groove 966a2 is provided with a lower inner surface 966a4 located on one side in the direction of gravity (the connecting hole 966b1 side) and abutting against the protrusion 945b to displace the wing member 945 to an open state, an upper inner surface 966a3 facing the lower inner surface 966a4 and abutting against the protrusion 945b to displace the wing member 945 to a closed state, and an inclined surface 966a5 that inclines from the outside in the short direction of the displacement member 966 (left-right direction in Figure 91) toward the lower inner surface 966a4 toward the inside in the short direction of the displacement member 966.

The displacement member 966 is disposed so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction in FIG. 91) relative to the rear base 941 by the transmission member 965 described later. The wing member 945 is in a closed state when the displacement member 966 is displaced toward the specific winning opening 65a (lower side in FIG. 91), and is in an open state when the displacement member 966 is displaced toward the second winning opening 140 (upper side in FIG. 91).

Next, the connection between the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 and the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 will be described. As described above, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is positioned inside the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member.

As shown in FIG. 91, when the feather member 945 is in the closed state, the protrusion 945b is positioned on the inclined surface 966a5 side of the sliding groove 966a2 (outside the short side of the displacement member 966). When the displacement member 966 is displaced from this state toward the second winning opening 140 side (the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 91)), the lower inner surface 966a4 of the displacement member 966 abuts against the third surface 945b3 of the protrusion 945b, displacing the protrusion 945b. This allows the feather member 945 to be rotationally displaced.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported at positions sandwiching the entrance opening to open or close the entrance opening, a drive means that generates a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members. The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and one end side of the rotating member is connected to a protruding portion that protrudes from the back surface of the pair of wing members. In detail, one end side of the rotating member is formed with opposing portions that face each other at a predetermined interval above and below, and the protruding portion of the wing member is inserted between the opposing opposing portions. Therefore, when the rotating member is rotated, the opposing portion of the rotating member pushes up or down the protruding portion of the wing member, thereby opening or closing the wing member.

However, in conventional gaming machines, the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts must be set large, which causes a problem of unstable opening and closing of the feather member. That is, when the rotating member is rotated to open and close the feather member, the orientation of the opposing parts is tilted relative to the protruding parts. If the opposing distance between the opposing parts is the same as the outer shape of the protruding parts, the protruding parts will interfere with the opposing parts and the rotating member will not be able to rotate. For this reason, it is necessary to set the opposing distance between the opposing parts to a size that does not cause the protruding parts to interfere, and the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts will become larger accordingly. As a result, the feather member is prone to rattling, which causes unstable opening and closing of the feather member.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a transmission member 965 that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means (drive unit 960) and a displacement member 966 that is slidably displaced with the rotation of the transmission member 965. A pair of wing members 945 are provided with protrusions 945b protruding therefrom, and a sliding groove 966a2 through which the protrusions 945b are slidably inserted is recessed in the displacement member 966, so that the groove width of the sliding groove 966a2 can be suppressed. That is, the displacement of the displacement member 966 is a sliding displacement, and the attitude of the sliding groove 966a2 is not inclined relative to the protrusions 945b, so there is no need to avoid interference with the protruding portion when rotating as in the conventional product. Therefore, the groove width of the sliding groove 966a2 can be approximated to the size of the protrusions 945b, and the groove width can be suppressed, so that the gap between the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusions 945b can be reduced. As a result, the rattling of the wing member 945 can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945 can be stabilized. In addition, since the direction of displacement of the displacement member 966 is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945, the displacement member 966 can be disposed substantially parallel to the feather members 945. As a result, the space required for disposing the feather members 945 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced, and the space for disposing other members can be secured accordingly. In other words, when the displacement member 966 is displaced, the displacement member 966 does not displace in the direction of the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945, so the space required for disposing the displacement member in the direction of the rotation axis of the pair of feather members 945 can be reduced. As a result, the space for disposing other members can be secured.

In contrast to conventional products in which a rotating member is directly connected to a pair of wing members, in the present invention, a displacement member 966 is interposed between the wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. Therefore, when the displacement member 966 is moved in a direction to slide and displace it upward in the direction of gravity (the other side in the direction of gravity), the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, and the inertial force increases, so that the driving force required for the driving means (solenoid 610 described later) increases. Therefore, it becomes difficult to smoothly perform the initial operation when starting to drive the wing members 945, which are in a stopped state, and displacing them to the open state or closed state.

In contrast, in this embodiment, when the pair of wing members 945 are in the closed state, the protrusion 945b is positioned on the lower side in the direction of gravity (one side in the direction of gravity) of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the wing member 945. That is, the position of the protrusion 945b when the displacement member 966 starts to slide toward the upper side in the direction of gravity (the other side in the direction of gravity) is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member 945. This makes it possible to increase the displacement component of the protrusion 945b pushed up against the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 91) and decrease it in the direction of gravity (downward direction in FIG. 91). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, the drive of the wing member 945 in the stopped state (closed state) can be started and the initial operation when opening or closing can be performed smoothly.

The center of gravity of the feather member 945 is set on the opposite side of the protrusion 945b across the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c). As a result, when the feather member 945 is displaced from the closed state to the open state, the feather member 945 can be displaced to the open state by utilizing the weight of the feather member 945. That is, when the displacement member 966 starts to slide toward the upper side in the direction of gravity (one side in the direction of gravity), the feather member 945 is rotated in the direction to be opened, so that the feather member 945 can be rotated by its weight (its own weight). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the displacement member 966 is added, the drive of the feather member 945 in the stopped state (closed state) can be started, and the initial operation when opening can be performed smoothly.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned inclined surface 966a5 is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 91)) of the rotation axis (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. As a result, even if the position of the protrusion 945b is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the feather member 945, the protrusion 945b can be guided along the inclination direction of the inclined surface 966a5, and the sliding displacement of the displacement member 966 toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) can be smoothly initiated.

In addition, by forming an inclined surface 966a5 on the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2, not only can the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b be reduced accordingly, but the abutment of the protrusion 945b against the inclined surface 966a5 can regulate the displacement of the protrusion 945b in the horizontal direction as well as in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier to suppress the rattling of the feather member 945 when in the closed state. In other words, even when affected by vibrations caused by the game ball flowing downstream, the feather member 945 can be easily maintained in the open or closed position.

As shown in FIG. 92, when the feather member 945 is displaced from an open state to a closed state, the displacement member 966 is displaced from the second winning opening 140 side to the specific winning opening 65a side (one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in FIG. 92)). As a result, the upper inner surface 966a3 of the displacement member 966 abuts against the first surface 945b1 of the protrusion 945b, displacing the protrusion 945b. This allows the feather member 945 to be rotationally displaced.

The displacement direction of the displacement member 966 from the second winning opening 140 side to the specific winning opening 65a side is set to the direction of gravity (downward in FIG. 92). This allows the feather member 945 to be displaced by utilizing the weight of the displacement member 966 when closing the feather member 945. As a result, it is easy to displace the feather member 945 from an open state to a closed state.

Next, the drive unit 960 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 93 to 95. Figure 93(a) is a side view of the drive unit 960, Figure 93(b) is a top view of the drive unit 960, and Figure 93(c) is a perspective front view of the drive unit 960. Figure 94 is an exploded perspective front view of the drive unit 960, and Figure 95 is an exploded perspective rear view of the drive unit 960.

As shown in Figures 93 to 95, the drive unit 960 is mainly formed with a first storage section 962 and a second storage section 963 that are formed in a box shape and arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 that is arranged in the space between the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 that is connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 that is journaled on the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963 and is connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 93(a)) and a guide portion 962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The covering portion 962a is formed in a generally box shape with the solenoid 610 side (lower side in FIG. 93(a)) and the guide portion 962b side open. The covering portion 962a also includes an engaged portion 962c formed by cutting out a portion of the opposing wall surface, and a fastening portion 962d protruding in a direction facing the outside of the opposing wall surface.

The engaged portion 962c is a notch that engages with the engaging portion 963c of the second housing portion 963 described below, and is cut out to have a shape larger than the outer shape of the engaging portion 963c in a side view. This allows the engaging portion 963c to engage with the engaged portion 962c before fastening the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963, improving the workability of fastening the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963.

The fastening portion 962d is formed at a position facing the fastening hole 963b1 of the second housing portion 963 when the drive unit 960 is assembled, and has a through hole 962da that penetrates toward the second housing portion 963 side (the lower side in FIG. 93(a)).

The through hole 962da is a hole through which a screw (not shown) is inserted to be screwed into the fastening hole 963b1 of the second housing 963, and is formed coaxially with the fastening hole 963b1 and has a larger inner diameter than the fastening hole 963b1. This allows the first housing 962 and the second housing 963 to be fastened and fixed together.

The guide portion 962b is formed with a pair of arms 962e that are connected to the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a and are formed in a roughly L-shape when viewed from the side, a wall portion 962f that is connected to the pair of arms 962e and is formed in a gate shape when viewed from the front, and a protruding portion 962g that protrudes from the wall portion 962f on the side opposite the covering portion 962a (the rear base 941 side (see Figure 85)).

The arm portions 962e protrude from each of the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) and are formed in a generally L-shape in side view with the protruding tip side bent toward the other side in the direction of gravity (the side opposite the solenoid 610). The dimension between the pair of arms 962e is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension between both horizontal ends of the side wall portion 981b (see FIG. 109(a)) of the sorting unit 980 described later, and the side wall portion 981b is inserted between them.

The wall portion 962f is formed by connecting the side surfaces of the tip side (bent side) of the arm portion 962e described above, and its shape in front view is formed to be larger than the shape in front view of the displacement member 966 described above. In addition, the wall portion 962f has an outer distance dimension L3 (see FIG. 93(b)) in the facing direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) set to be approximately the same as the outer distance dimension L4 (see FIG. 91) in the facing direction of the pair of first guide walls 942b of the rear base 941 described above (L3=L4). Furthermore, the wall portion 962f has a distance dimension L5 (see FIG. 93(a)) in the gravity direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(a)) set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension L6 (see FIG. 91) from the upper end surface of the first guide wall 942b of the rear base 941 to the outer surface of the erected portion 942f (L5=L6). This allows the displacement member 966 to be disposed between the opposing wall portion 962f and the rear base 941, and the displacement member 966 can be accommodated between the opposing first guide walls 942b. Furthermore, the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 disposed between the opposing wall portion 962f and the rear base 941 can be positioned in that opposing space.

The protruding portion 962g is formed to protrude from the outside of the pair of arm portions 962e of the wall portion 962f in the opposing direction (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) to the opposite side of the arm portions 962e, and its protruding dimension is set to be approximately the same as the protruding dimension of the first guide wall 942b of the rear base 941. In addition, the inner dimension L7 in the opposing direction of the protruding portion 962g (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) is set to be slightly larger than the outer dimension L8 (see FIG. 91) in the opposing direction of the pair of second guide walls 942d of the rear base 941. Furthermore, the dimension of the protruding portion 962g in the gravity direction is set to be approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing first guide wall 942b and the standing portion 942f.

As a result, when the drive unit 960 in the assembled state is disposed on the rear base 941 (front unit 940), the drive unit 960 can be positioned relative to the rear base 941 by inserting the second guide wall 942d between the opposing protruding portions 962g and inserting the protruding portion 962g between the opposing first guide wall 942b and the standing portion 942f.

The second storage section 963 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed into a box-like body that covers the other side (lower side in FIG. 93(a)) of the solenoid 610. The second storage section 963 is formed into a rectangular shape that is long in the driving direction of the solenoid 610 (left and right direction in FIG. 93(b)) when viewed from above. The second storage section 963 is also formed with recessed portions 963e recessed at multiple locations on both wall portions extending in the longitudinal direction, an engagement portion 963c protruding toward the first storage section 962 side from between the multiple recessed portions 963e, a protrusion portion 963b protruding in the lateral direction from both wall portions extending in the longitudinal direction, and a bearing portion 963d recessed in the wall portion on one side (the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 85)) extending in the lateral direction.

The protrusion 963b is formed to protrude in a semicircular arc shape outward in the short direction of the second housing 963, and has a fastening hole 963b1 coaxial with the through hole 962da of the first housing 962. This allows the first housing 962 and the second housing 963 to be fastened and fixed together by threading a screw inserted from the through hole 962da side of the first housing 962 into the fastening hole 963b1.

The recessed portion 963e is an opening that allows air to circulate in the space formed between the opposing first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963. By circulating air through the recessed portion 963e, the solenoid 610 disposed between the opposing first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963 can be cooled.

The engaging portion 963c protrudes toward the first storage portion 962 from between the multiple recessed portions 963e arranged side by side, and its tip is formed into a hook shape that bends inward in the short direction of the second storage portion 963. As described above, the engaging portion 963c is formed at a position corresponding to the engaged portion 962c of the first storage portion 962, and when the first storage portion 962 and the second storage portion 963 are combined, the engaging portion 963c is disposed inside the engaged portion 962c, and the bent portion of the engaging portion 963c engages with one side end face of the first storage portion 962.

In addition, since the engaging portion 963c is formed between the recessed portions 963e, the distance from the base end to the tip end of the engaging portion 963c can be increased. Therefore, when the engaging portion 963c is disposed in the first storage portion 962, the engaging portion 963c can be easily deflected, and the engaging portion 963c can be easily engaged with the first storage portion 962.

The bearing portion 963d is a recess that accommodates the rotating shaft 965c of the transmission member 965 described later, and is recessed in a shape larger than the outer shape of the rotating shaft 965c. In addition, the end face of the bearing portion 963d on the first housing portion 962 side is covered by a side surface on one side in the gravity direction of the first housing portion 962, and when the first housing portion 962 and the second housing portion 963 are combined, the rotating shaft 965c accommodated in the bearing portion 963d can be prevented from coming off to the outside of the bearing portion 963d.

The solenoid 610 includes a body 961a formed in a rectangular parallelepiped, a shaft 961b inserted inside the body 961a and displaceable relative to the body 961a, a ring 961c disposed at the end of the shaft 961b opposite the body 961a, and a coil spring SP1 disposed between the ring 961c and the body 961a.

The main body 961a is a coil portion that generates magnetism when power is applied (supplied), and this magnetism allows the shaft 961b inserted into the main body 961a to be pulled inward and inserted.

The shaft portion 961b is formed from a magnetic metal material and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 961b is arranged so that its axial direction faces the rear base 941 side, and a part of the rear base 941 side protrudes from the main body portion 961a.

The annular portion 961c is disposed at the end of the shaft portion 961b protruding from the main body portion 961a. A connecting member 964, which will be described later, is connected to the annular portion 961c. As a result, when the shaft portion 961b is displaced relative to the main body portion 961a, the displacement is transmitted from the annular portion 961c to the connecting member 964, and the connecting member 964 can be displaced.

The coil spring SP1 is a spring member wound in a spiral shape multiple times. The coil spring SP1 is disposed around the shaft portion 961b, and is disposed in a slightly compressed state between the opposing annular portion 961c and the main body portion 961a. This allows the annular portion 961c to be biased in a direction away from the main body portion 961a. Therefore, when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a, the annular portion 961c can be maintained in a state separated from the main body portion 961a. Furthermore, after power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a, when the application (supply) of power is cut off, the annular portion 961c can be quickly separated from the main body portion 961a.

The connecting member 964 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The connecting member 964 is formed with a base portion 964a formed in a plate-like body parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and an erected portion 964b bent from the other side of the base portion 964a in the direction of gravity toward the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 85).

The base portion 964a is a portion that is connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and includes a first recessed portion 964c that is recessed from the end face on one side in the direction of gravity (the rear side of the paper in Figure 93 (b)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 961c, and a second recessed portion 964d that is located on the solenoid 610 side of the first recessed portion 964c and recessed with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 961b.

The first recessed portion 964c is a groove into which the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with one side open in the direction of gravity. The groove width of the first recessed portion 964c is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 961c. This allows the annular portion 961c to be inserted into the first recessed portion 964c.

The second recess 964d is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 961b and the base 964a when the annular portion 961c is disposed inside the first recess 964c as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on the bottom when viewed from behind, and is formed to open from the first recess 964c side to the solenoid 610 side.

The erected portion 964b has an insertion hole 964e that penetrates in the direction of gravity, and a protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 described later is inserted into the insertion hole 964e. As a result, when the connecting member 964 is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 610, the protrusion 965d abuts against the inner edge of the insertion hole 964e, and the transmission member 965 is displaced. The displacement of the transmission member 965 will be described in detail later.

The transmission member 965 is bent in side view and is made up of a tip portion 965a that extends in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion 965b that is connected to the tip portion 965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

The rotating portion 965b is formed so that the width dimension in the short side direction of the second storage portion 963 (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) is smaller than the dimension between the opposing bearing portions 963d formed in a pair in the second storage portion 963. The rotating portion 965b also includes a rotating shaft 965c that protrudes cylindrically on both sides of the short side direction of the second storage portion 963 (vertical direction in FIG. 93(b)) at the end on the 964 side, and a protruding portion 965d that protrudes radially from the rotating shaft 965c and toward one end in the direction of gravity.

As described above, the rotating shaft 965c is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the groove width of the bearing portion 963d. In addition, the distance between the protruding tips of the pair of rotating shafts 965c is set to be greater than the distance between the opposing bearing portions 963d formed in the second housing portion 963. This allows the pair of rotating shafts 965c to be inserted and arranged inside the bearing portions 963d. Therefore, by inserting the rotating shafts 965c into the bearing portions 963d and fastening the second housing portion 963 and the first housing portion 962, the transmission member 965 can be supported in a state in which it can rotate around the rotating shafts 965c.

As described above, the protrusion 965d is a protrusion inserted into the through hole 964e of the connecting member 964, and its outer shape is set smaller than the inner edge shape of the through hole 964e when viewed from above. In addition, the protrusion 965d is set such that the width dimension in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 is sufficiently larger than the width dimension of the through hole 964e in the state before the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 is displaced (power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 961a) (in this embodiment, the width dimension of the through hole 964e is set to be twice the width dimension of the protrusion 965d). As a result, when the transmission member 965 is rotationally displaced around the rotation shaft 965c, the protrusion 965d on both end faces in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b abuts against the through hole 964e, and the rotation of the transmission member 965 is prevented from being restricted.

The tip portion 965a is formed so that its width in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 965a is also formed with an insertion portion 965e at its tip that is inserted into the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966 described above, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connecting side with the rotating portion 965b toward one side in the direction of gravity.

The insertion portion 965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and is disposed by being inserted into the inside of the connecting hole 966b1. As a result, when the transmission member 965 is rotationally displaced, the insertion portion 965e comes into contact with the connecting hole 966b1, displacing the displacement member 966. Note that the displacement of the transmission member 965 and the displacement member 966 will be described in detail later.

Next, the displacement operation of the drive unit 960 will be described with reference to Figure 96. Figures 96(a) and 96(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 960 taken along line XCVI-XCVI in Figure 93(b). Note that Figure 96(a) illustrates the state before the solenoid 610 is operated, and Figure 96(b) illustrates the state after the solenoid 610 is operated. Also, in Figures 96(a) and 96(b), the outer shape of the rotation shaft 965c of the transmission member 965 is illustrated by a dashed line.

As shown in Figure 96(a), when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, the annular portion 961c is moved away from the main body 961a by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1 disposed between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c. This causes the connecting member 964 connected to the annular portion 961c to be pushed in a direction away from the main body 961a (left side of Figure 96(a)).

When the connecting member 964 is pushed out in a direction away from the main body 961a, the surface of the protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 on the solenoid 610 side (right side in FIG. 96(a)) comes into contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 964e of the connection member 964 on the solenoid 610 side. As a result, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is pushed down to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in FIG. 96(a)) around the rotation shaft 965c. In addition, the displacement of the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to one side in the direction of gravity is restricted by the contact portion 965g coming into contact with the second storage portion 963.

As shown in FIG. 96(b), when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, the magnetic force generated in the main body 961a draws the shaft 961b into the main body 961a, bringing the annular portion 961c and the main body 961a closer together (than when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a). As a result, the connecting member 964 connected to the annular portion 961c is displaced in a direction approaching the main body 961a (to the right in FIG. 96(a)).

When the connecting member 964 is displaced in a direction approaching the main body 961a, the surface of the protrusion 965d of the transmission member 965 opposite the solenoid 610 (left side of FIG. 96(b)) comes into contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 964e of the connection member 964 opposite the solenoid 610 (left side of FIG. 96(b)). As a result, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is pushed up to the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 96(b)) around the rotating shaft 965c. In addition, the displacement of the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to the other side in the direction of gravity is restricted by the connection portion between the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 and the rotating part 965b coming into contact with the first storage part 962.

Therefore, by displacing the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 to either the other side in the direction of gravity or one side in the direction of gravity, the transmission member 965 can be brought into contact with either the first storage section 962 or the second storage section 963. This makes it possible to prevent players from engaging in fraudulent behavior.

For example, if a player inserts a piano wire or the like into the gap between the transmission member 965 and the first storage section 962 or the second storage section 963 from the player side (play area side) to the solenoid 610, the displacement distance of the transmission member 965 can be reduced by the thickness of the piano wire. Therefore, an abnormality will occur in the displacement operation of the feather member 945 displaced by the transmission member 965, making it easier for the store operator to discover the fraud.

As described above, the transmission member 965 includes a tip portion 965a and a rotating portion 965b that extend from the rotating shaft 965c and are connected to the displacement member 966, and a protrusion 965d that extends from the rotating shaft 965c and is connected to the solenoid 610. The tip portion 965a and the rotating portion 965b are bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, so that the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced while ensuring the amount of displacement of the displacement member 966.

In other words, if the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are formed in a straight line when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, and the length dimension distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is set to be approximately equal to the combined distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b in this embodiment, the sliding displacement amount of the displacement member 966 can be made the same as in this embodiment, but the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 increases, resulting in an overall larger size.

On the other hand, if the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are formed in a straight line when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, and the length dimension distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension from the insertion part 965e to the rotating shaft 965c in this embodiment (the distance between the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b is shortened), the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be made the same as in this embodiment, but the amount of displacement of the displacement member 966 will be smaller.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b are bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c, so that the distance between the solenoid 610 and the displacement member 966 can be reduced while ensuring the amount of sliding displacement of the displacement member 966. In addition, the protrusion 965d is formed on the rear side (right side of FIG. 96(a)) of the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b, which is the opposite side to the displacement member 966. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the space created by bending the tip 965a and the rotating part 965b, thereby making the transmission member 965 smaller. In other words, the transmission member 965 can be efficiently arranged in the space between the rolling part 943a of the front unit 940 (the ball throwing unit 970 described later) and the passage member 955 of the specific winning port unit 950, thereby making it possible to reduce the overall size.

Next, the connection between the drive unit 960 and the displacement member 966 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 97 and 98. Figure 97 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line XCVII-XCVII in Figure 83. Figures 98(a) and 98(b) are cross-sectional views of the winning port unit 930 taken along line XCVIII-XCVIII in Figure 97. Note that Figure 98(a) illustrates the state before the solenoid 610 is operated, and Figure 98(b) illustrates the state after the solenoid 610 is operated.

As shown in Figures 97 and 98, when the drive unit 960 and the front unit 940 are assembled, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is inserted into the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966.

Therefore, as described above, when the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 is driven and the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in FIG. 98(a)), the bulge 965e1 of the insertion portion 965e abuts against the abutment portion 966b2 on one side of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, causing the displacement member 966 to slide and displace to the other side in the direction of gravity, as shown in FIG. 98(a) and FIG. 98(b).

As described above, when the displacement member 966 is slid toward the other side in the direction of gravity (toward the second winning port 140), the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is displaced, and the feather member 945 is opened. That is, the feather member 945 is opened by applying power to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610.

On the other hand, when the application (supply) of power to the body 961a of the solenoid 610 is cut off, the tip 965a of the transmission member 965 is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 98(a)) by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1 arranged in the solenoid 610 as described above. As a result, as shown in FIG. 98(a), the opposite surface of the bulge 965e1 comes into contact with the other side abutment portion 966b3 of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and the displacement member 966 is slid and displaced to one side in the direction of gravity.

As described above, when the displacement member 966 is slid toward one side in the direction of gravity (the specific winning port 65a side), the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is displaced, and the feather member 945 is closed. In other words, the feather member 945 is closed by cutting off the application (supply) of power to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610.

In this case, the feather member 945 can be in a closed state with the power supply to the main body 961a cut off, so if the wiring of the main body 961a is broken or if the wiring of the main body 961a is cut due to a player's fraudulent behavior, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being in an open state that would allow game balls to easily flow into the second winning opening 140.

The rotational displacement of the transmission member 965 is transmitted to the displacement member 966 through a connecting hole 966b1 formed at approximately the middle position in the short side direction of the displacement member 966. This makes it easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the displacement member between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. Therefore, the displacement member 966 can be smoothly slid and displaced as the transmission member rotates. As a result, the wing members 945 can be reliably opened or closed.

In other words, when a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of feather members 945 during the operation of slidingly displacing the displacement member 966 and opening or closing the pair of feather members 945 in conjunction with the rotation of the transmission member 965, the posture of the displacement member 966 changes. However, if the displacement member 966 is connected to the pair of feather members 945 at two points and is also connected to the transmission member 965 at two points, it is difficult to tolerate a change in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of feather members 945 and the transmission member 965, and resistance is generated when slidingly displacing the displacement member 966 (i.e., when the transmission member 965 is rotated), which inhibits the opening or closing of the feather members. In contrast, according to the present invention, the displacement member 966 is connected to the pair of feather members 945 at two points and to the transmission member 965 at one point, so that even if a load from the game ball acts on only one of the pair of feather members 945, it is easy to tolerate a change in the position of the displacement member 966 between the pair of feather members 945 and the transmission member 965.

Furthermore, the width dimension D1 (see FIG. 98(a)) of the contact surface between the one-side contacted portion 966b2 and the other-side contacted portion 966b3 of the insertion portion 965e is set to be smaller than three times the maximum outer dimension D2 (see FIG. 98(a)) of the protrusion 945b. This makes it easier to tolerate a change in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965. In other words, if the width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e is set large, when the posture of the displacement member 966 changes between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965, the insertion portion 965e and the connecting hole 966b1 are more likely to come into contact, and the posture change of the displacement member 966 is restricted. However, by setting the width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e to be smaller than three times the maximum outer dimension D2 of the protrusion 945b, the restriction of the posture change of the displacement member 966 can be suppressed. As a result, it is easier to allow the displacement member 966 to change its position between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965.

The width dimension D1 of the insertion portion 965e is preferably set to be smaller than twice the maximum outer dimension D2 of the protrusion 945b. This makes it easier to prevent the insertion portion 965e from coming into contact with the connecting hole 966b1 when the posture of the displacement member 966 changes. As a result, it is easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the displacement member 966 between the pair of wing members 945 and the transmission member 965.

Next, the specific winning port unit 950 will be described with reference to Figures 99 to 101. Figure 99(a) is a front view of the specific winning port unit 950, Figure 99(b) is a rear view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 99(c) is a top view of the specific winning port unit 950. Figure 100 is an exploded oblique front view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 101 is an exploded oblique rear view of the specific winning port unit 950.

As shown in Figures 99 to 101, the specific winning port unit 950 is formed with a ball entry member 953 formed in a box-like body that opens toward the player (the front side of the paper in Figure 99), a plate member 951 arranged to cover the open portion of the ball entry member 953, a passage member 955 arranged on the opposite side of the plate member 951 across the ball entry member 953, and a drive unit 957 that operates the plate member 951.

The plate member 951 is formed from a colored translucent resin material, and allows the player to see the game ball flowing down the ball entry member 953 side through the plate member 951. The plate member 951 is formed with a main body portion 951a formed as a horizontally elongated rectangular plate-like body when viewed from the front, an axial hole 951b recessed into a cylindrical shape on both longitudinal outer sides of the main body portion 951a, a protrusion 951c protruding from one longitudinal end of the main body portion 951a toward the ball entry member 953 side, and an engagement portion 951d protruding from the other longitudinal end of the main body portion 951a toward the ball entry member 953 side.

The main body 951a is formed to a size sufficient to cover the open side of the ball entry member 953 described below when viewed from the front, and is shaped to be slightly smaller than the inner edge shape of the specific winning opening 65a of the front unit 940 described above.

The axial hole 951b is formed on one side of the main body 951a in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), and both ends in the longitudinal direction are set coaxially. The axial hole 951b is also formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rod member 952 described below, allowing the rod member 952 to be inserted inside. Therefore, by supporting the rod member 952 on the ball-entry member 953 while it is inserted into the axial hole 951b, the plate member 951 can be supported relative to the ball-entry member 953.

The protrusion 951c is formed to protrude from one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 951a. This makes it possible to prevent game balls that have flowed down the main body 951a from falling from one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 951a when the plate member 951 is rotated about the shaft hole 951b by the drive of the drive unit 957 described later and the other side of the plate member 951 in the direction of gravity is tilted toward the play area.

The engagement portion 951d has a recessed portion 951d1 that is partially recessed at the protruding tip. The tip portion 958c of the transmission member 958 described later is connected to the inside of the recessed portion 951d1, and the operation of the drive unit 957 is transmitted. In addition, when the plate member 951 is rotated around the shaft hole 951b, a portion of the engagement portion 951d protrudes toward the flow-down area, thereby preventing the game balls that have flowed down to the main body portion 951a from falling from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 951a.

The ball-entering member 953 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The ball-entering member 953 is composed of a main body 953a formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular box shape when viewed from the front, an erected wall 953b erected on the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, an engagement portion 953f protruding from the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, a ring-shaped protrusion 953c protruding in a ring shape from the surface opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and a plate member 951 extending from both outer longitudinal sides of the edge of the open side of the main body 953a. It is formed with a wall portion 953d protruding from the side, an insertion hole 953e penetrating from the passage member 955 side to the plate member 951 side on the other longitudinal side of the main body portion 953a, protrusions 953g protruding from both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 953a, a protrusion 953h protruding from the open side edge of the main body portion 953a to the plate member 951 side, and two inlet ports 953j formed through the bottom surface of the main body portion 953a.

The main body 953a is formed in a size that allows a game ball to be inserted into the inner part of the box shape, and is formed with an opening 953a1 that opens to the plate member 951 side, and a rolling surface 953a2 that rolls the game ball that flows in from the opening 953a1. In addition, the outer shape of the main body 953a when viewed from the front is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner edge shape of the standing portion 942f of the front unit 940 described above. This allows the main body 953a (ball entry member 953) to be inserted inside the standing portion 942f and fastened and fixed to the front unit 940. A detailed explanation of the inner shape of the main body 953a will be given later.

The longitudinal dimension of the main body 953a is set to be greater than the outer separation distance in the opposing direction of the pair of wing members 945 described above. This allows the game ball to flow into the main body 953a through the specific winning opening 65a even if the game ball flowing down the game area collides with the outer peripheral surface of the pair of wing members 945.

The opening 953a1 has an inner edge shaped to be larger than the diameter of the game ball, and when the plate member 951 is in the open state, the game ball can flow into the inside of the main body portion 953a through the opening 953a1.

The rolling surface 953a2 is the inner edge of the main body 953a on the lower side in the direction of gravity, and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above. In addition, the dimension in the direction (short side) from the back side (passage member 955 side) to the front side (plate member 951 side) is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Therefore, the game ball sent from the opening 953a1 to the inside of the main body 953a can be rolled on the rolling surface 953a2.

The erected wall 953b is a wall that holds the detection device SE1 disposed on the side opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and is formed large enough to surround the outer periphery of the detection device SE1 in three directions, which is formed in a roughly horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from behind.

The engagement portion 953f is formed along the outer periphery of the detection device SE1 except for the three directions surrounded by the standing wall 953b. This allows the detection device SE1 to be disposed inside the portion surrounded by the standing wall 953b and the engagement portion 953f. In addition, the tip portion of the engagement portion 953f, which is separated from the base end by a distance equivalent to the thickness of the detection device SE1, is bent toward the standing wall 953b. Therefore, the detection device SE1 and the engagement portion 953f engage with each other, preventing the detection device SE1 disposed on the main body portion 953a from falling off.

The detection device SE1 is a device that detects the passage of a game ball, and has a detection hole SE1a with an inner diameter slightly larger than the game ball formed through it in the thickness direction. The detection hole SE1a is formed biased to one side or the other of the longitudinal direction of the detection device SE1, which is arranged in a horizontally elongated rectangular state when viewed from behind, and a detection board SE1b that controls the detection device SE1 is arranged on the other side or one side of the longitudinal direction where the detection hole SE1a is not formed. The detection hole SE1a is also positioned at a position corresponding to the inlet 953j described below, and allows the game ball flowing into the inlet 953j to pass through.

The annular projection 953c is formed in a circular shape protruding from multiple points on the side opposite the open side of the main body 953a, and a screw that fastens the passage member 955 and the ball insertion member 953 is screwed into the inner edge of the projection.

A pair of wall portions 953d are formed on both longitudinal outer sides of the main body portion 953a, and the distance between them is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the plate member 951. This allows the plate member 951 to be disposed between the pair of opposing wall portions 953d.

The wall portion 953d is formed with an axial hole 953d1 that penetrates the main body portion 953a in a circular shape in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 99(a)). The axial hole 953d1 is formed to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the axial hole 951b of the plate member 951. Therefore, after the plate member 951 is placed between the pair of opposing wall portions 953d, the rod member 952 can be inserted into the axial hole 953d1 and the axial hole 951b from both longitudinal outsides of the plate member 951, so that the plate member 951 can be axially supported by the ball entry member 953.

Furthermore, the wall portion 953d is formed with a protruding dimension smaller than the recessed distance of the recess 941h formed in the back base 941 of the front unit 940 described above. Therefore, by combining the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950, the wall portion 953d can be accommodated inside the recess 941h. This makes it possible to prevent the rod member 952 inserted into the shaft hole 953d1 and shaft hole 951b from slipping out.

The insertion hole 953e is a hole through which a part of the transmission member 965 arranged in the passage member 955 described later is inserted into the plate member 951 side, and is formed at a position corresponding to the transmission member 965 arranged in the passage member 955.

The protrusion 953g is formed to protrude on the axis of the connecting protrusion 942j of the front unit 940. In addition, when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are combined, the inner circle 942j1 of the connecting protrusion 942j and the insertion hole 953g1 formed through the protrusion 953g are arranged coaxially, and the protrusion 953g and the connecting protrusion 942j are abutted. As a result, the specific winning port unit 950 and the front unit 940 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the insertion hole 953g1 from the specific winning port unit 950 side into the inner circle 942j1.

The protrusion 953h is formed to protrude toward the plate member 951. This makes it difficult for a game ball to become caught between the plate member 951 and the edge of the main body 953a when the plate member 951 is displaced by the drive unit 957 described below.

The protrusion 953h is formed at approximately the same position in the longitudinal direction of the plate member 951 (left-right direction in FIG. 99(a)) of the plate member 951's protrusion 951c and the engagement portion 951d. This makes it difficult for the game ball to roll toward the protruding side of the protrusion 953h. As a result, when the plate member 951 is displaced, the game ball is less likely to become pinched between the plate member 951 and the protrusion 951c.

The inlet 953j is formed opening from the plate member 951 side to the passage member 955 side with an inner edge shape larger than the diameter of the game ball. The inlet 953j is a hole that sends the game ball that has flowed inside the main body 953a to the passage member 955, and is formed in a pair in the longitudinal direction of the main body 953a.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed so that gaming balls can enter, an opening/closing member that opens and closes the entrance opening, and a passage member that forms a passage for the gaming balls that have entered the entrance opening. The entrance opening is formed to a size that allows multiple gaming balls to enter at the same time, and the gaming balls that enter the entrance opening are collected in the passage member by rolling on the rolling surface, and flow into the passage member one by one. However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, if the entrance opening is made larger, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the gaming ball from the end of the entrance opening to the passage member becomes longer accordingly. Therefore, it takes time for the gaming ball to reach the passage member, and there is a problem that over-entry is likely to occur because another gaming ball enters through the entrance opening before the entrance opening is closed by the opening/closing member.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the inlets 953j are formed as a pair (at two locations) with a predetermined distance between them, so that even if the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a is enlarged, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball to the inlet 953j can be shortened. This shortens the time it takes for the game ball to reach the inlet 953j, allowing the game ball to flow into the inlet 953j in a short time. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the game ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the detection device SE1, which detects the inflow of game balls into the ball entry member 953, is disposed at the connection between the inlet 953j and the recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955 described below. This allows the game ball that has entered the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a to be detected in a shorter time. This prevents another game ball from entering the ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, and prevents over-entry.

In addition, the inlet 953j is formed at a position that does not overlap with the pair of wing members 945 in the closed state in the direction of gravity when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are fastened. In other words, the pair of wing members 945 in the closed state are positioned between the pair of inlets 953j.

Here, as described above, the specific winning port unit 950 is disposed below the second winning port 140 (the pair of feather members 945) in the direction of gravity. In addition, since the pair of feather members 945 are disposed in the game area, it is difficult for the game balls flowing down the game area to flow down the pair of feather members 945 in the direction of gravity. Therefore, a bias occurs in the inflow position of the game balls flowing into the ball entry member 953 of the specific winning port unit 950. In this embodiment, as described above, the inflow port 953j is formed at a position that does not overlap with the pair of feather members 945 in the closed state in the direction of gravity, so that the inflow port 953j can be brought closer to a position where a large number of game balls flow into the ball entry member 953. This allows the game balls flowing into the ball entry member 953 to flow into the inflow port 953j in a short time. As a result, over-entry of game balls into the ball entry member 953 can be suppressed.

The passage member 955 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and its outer shape in a front view is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape in a front view of the above-mentioned ball entry member 953. The passage member 955 is also formed with a pair of recessed portions 955a recessed at a position opposite the detection hole SE1a of each detection device SE1, a second opening 955b located on the other side of the longitudinal direction and formed to penetrate from the drive unit 957 side to the ball entry member 953 side, a pair of third openings 955c formed to penetrate from the drive unit 957 side to the ball entry member 953 side at both ends of the longitudinal direction, a rolling portion 955d recessed on the other side of the third opening 955c in the direction of gravity, and a second recessed portion 955f located between the pair of recessed portions 955a and recessed from the drive unit 957 side.

The recessed portion 955a is a passage that guides the game ball that passes through the detection hole SE1a, and the recessed dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 and on the drive unit 957 side are set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball.

The second opening 955b is a space in which a connecting member 957c of the drive unit 957 and a transmission member 958, which will be described later, are disposed. In addition, a shaft portion 955b1 (see FIG. 102(a)) that protrudes cylindrically in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second opening 955b. The shaft portion 955b1 is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the shaft hole 958b of the transmission member 958, and the transmission member 958 can be supported by inserting the shaft portion 955b1 into the shaft hole 958b.

The third opening 955c is a space in which the detection device SE2 is disposed, with the insertion direction of the detection hole SE1a parallel to the direction of gravity, and is set to be approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE2 when viewed from the front. This allows the detection device SE2 to be disposed inside the third opening 955c. Furthermore, when the detection device SE2 is disposed inside the third opening 955c, the detection hole SE1 protrudes toward the ball entry member 953.

In addition, an engagement portion 955e protrudes toward the drive unit 957 at the edge of the third opening 955c. The protruding tip of the engagement portion 955e is bent toward the inside of the third opening 955c. When the detection device SE2 is disposed in the third opening 955c, the bent portion of the engagement portion 955e engages with the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE2. This makes it possible to prevent the detection device SE2 inserted inside the third opening 955c from slipping out toward the drive unit 957.

The rolling portion 955d is curved in an arc shape. In addition, when the front unit 940 and the specific winning port unit 950 are combined, the end of the rolling portion 955d on the plate member 951 side is connected to the third ball sending portion 942e of the front unit 940. This allows a game ball flowing into the second outlet 941f of the front unit 940 to be sent to the rolling portion 955d of the specific winning port unit 950.

The other end of the rolling portion 955d is positioned on the other side in the direction of gravity of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE2 disposed in the third opening 955c. This allows the game balls rolling on the rolling portion 955d to fall from the other end and pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE2. This allows the number of game balls that have flowed into the second outlet 941f to be counted by the detection device SE2.

The second recessed portion 955f is formed between a pair of recessed portions 955a which serve as a passage for the game ball as described above. The second recessed portion 955f is a recess in which the drive unit 960 described above is disposed, and the distance dimension in the longitudinal direction of the passage member 955 (left-right direction in FIG. 99(c)) is set to be greater than the distance dimension in the lateral direction of the second storage portion 963 of the drive unit 960 described above (up-down direction in FIG. 93(b)).

The second recess 955f has an insertion hole 955h formed at the longitudinal center position of the passage member 955 and a protrusion 955g protruding toward the drive unit 957. The insertion hole 955h is a hole through which a screw that fastens the ball insertion member 953 and the passage member 955 is inserted, and is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the screw.

The protrusion 955g is formed in a cylindrical shape, with a fastening hole 955g1 recessed in a circular shape in the center. The fastening hole 955g1 is a hole into which a screw is screwed to fasten the drive unit 960 and the passage member 955 (specific winning port unit 950), and is formed in a position opposite the long hole 963f formed in the second storage section 963 of the drive unit 960. This allows the drive unit 960 and the passage member 955 (specific winning port unit 950) to be fastened and fixed.

The drive unit 957 is formed with a solenoid 957a, a case member 957b that covers the solenoid 957a, and a connecting member 957c that is disposed in the displacement portion of the solenoid 957a.

The solenoid 957a includes a main body 957a1 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped, a shaft 957a2 inserted inside the main body 957a1 and displaceable relative to the main body 957a1, a ring 957a3 disposed at the end of the shaft 957a2 opposite the main body 957a1, and a coil spring SP2 disposed between the ring 957a3 and the main body 957a1.

The main body 957a1 is a coil portion that generates magnetism when power is applied (supplied), and the magnetism causes the shaft 957a2, which is inserted into the main body 957a1, to be pulled toward the inside of the main body 957a1, making it possible to insert it.

The shaft portion 957a2 is formed from a magnetic metal material and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 957a2 is arranged so that its axial direction faces the passage member 955, and a portion of the shaft portion 957a2 on the rear base 941 side protrudes from the main body portion 957a1.

The annular portion 957a3 is disposed at the end of the shaft portion 957a2 protruding from the main body portion 957a1. A connecting member 957c (described later) is connected to the annular portion 957a3. As a result, when the shaft portion 957a2 is displaced relative to the main body portion 957a1, the displacement is transmitted from the annular portion 957a3 to the connecting member 957c, displacing the connecting member 957c.

The coil spring SP2 is a spring member wound in a spiral shape multiple times. The coil spring SP2 is disposed around the shaft portion 957a2 and disposed in a slightly compressed state between the annular portion 957a3 and the main body portion 957a1. This allows the annular portion 957a3 to be biased in a direction away from the main body portion 957a1. Therefore, when power is not applied (supplied) to the main body portion 957a1, the annular portion 957a3 can be maintained in a state separated from the main body portion 957a1. Furthermore, when power is applied (supplied) to the main body portion 957a1 and then the application (supply) of power is cut off, the annular portion 957a3 can be quickly separated from the main body portion 957a1.

The case member 957b is formed in a box shape that covers the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a, and one side into which the shaft 957a2 is inserted is open. The case member 957b is also formed with an insertion hole 957b1 that penetrates in the axial direction of the shaft 957a2, and an opening 957b2 that penetrates the side opposite the open side.

The through hole 957b1 is a screw hole through which a screw that fastens the passage member 955 and the case member 957b (drive unit 957) is inserted, and is formed larger than the outer shape of the tip of the screw. In addition, the screw inserted through the through hole 957b1 is screwed into the passage member 955.

The opening 957b2 is formed on the opposite side of the shaft portion 957a2. This allows the wiring HS1 (see FIG. 105) to be connected to the main body portion 957a1 via the opening 957b2.

The connecting member 957c is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material. The connecting member 957c is formed in a plate-like body parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the annular portion 957a3 of the solenoid 957a. The connecting member 957c has a first recessed portion 957c1 recessed from the end face on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in FIG. 99(b)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 957a3, a second recessed portion 957c2 located on the solenoid 957a side of the first recessed portion 957c1 and recessed with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 957a2, and an engagement portion 957c3 protruding toward the ball receiving member 953 side.

The first recessed portion 957c1 is a groove into which the annular portion 957a3 of the solenoid 957a is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with one side open in the direction of gravity. The groove width of the first recessed portion 957c1 is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 957a3. This allows the annular portion 957a3 to be inserted into the first recessed portion 957c1.

The second recess 957c2 is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 957a2 and the connecting member 957c when the annular portion 957a3 is disposed inside the first recess 957c1 as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on one side in the direction of gravity when viewed from behind, and is formed to open from the first recess 957c1 side to the solenoid 957a side.

The engaging portion 957c3 is bent in a generally L-shape when viewed from the side. A connecting portion 958a of the transmission member 958 (described later) is disposed on the inside of the bent portion of the engaging portion 957c3. As a result, when the connecting member 957c is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 957a, the connecting portion 958a comes into contact with the inner edge of the engaging portion 957c3, displacing the transmission member 958. The displacement of the transmission member 958 will be described in detail later.

The transmission member 958 is formed as a plate-like body having a generally triangular shape in a side view. The transmission member 958 is formed with an axial hole 958b that penetrates in a circular shape in the plate thickness direction, a connecting portion 958a that protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the plate thickness direction from the end portion on the connecting member 957c side, and a tip portion 958c that protrudes toward the plate member 951 side.

As described above, the shaft hole 958b is a through hole into which the shaft portion 955b1 (see FIG. 102(a)) is inserted. The inner diameter of the shaft hole 958b is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 955b1. This allows the transmission member 958 to be rotatably supported by the passage member 955.

As described above, the connecting portion 958a is disposed inside the bent portion of the engaging portion 957c3. As a result, when the connecting member 957c is operated by the displacement of the solenoid 957a, the connecting portion 958a abuts against the inner edge of the engaging portion 957c3, and the transmission member 958 is rotated around the shaft hole 958b.

The tip 958c is inserted into the recess 951d1 of the plate member 951. Therefore, when the solenoid 957a is operated and the transmission member 958 is rotated around the axis of the shaft hole 958b, the tip 958c is displaced, pushing up the engagement portion 951d. This allows the plate member 951 to rotate.

Next, the displacement of the plate member 951 will be described with reference to Figures 102 and 103. Figures 102(a) and 102(b) are cross-sectional views of the specific winning port unit 950 taken along line CII-CII in Figure 99(c). Figures 103(a) and 103(b) are oblique front views of the specific winning port unit 950.

Note that Figures 102(a) and 103(a) show the closed state of plate member 951, while Figures 103(a) and 103(b) show the open state of plate member 951. The closed state of plate member 951 is a state in which main body portion 951a covers the opening of main body portion 953a of ball-entering member 953, and the open state of plate member 951 is a state in which main body portion 951a is separated from the opening of main body portion 953a of ball-entering member 953.

As shown in Figures 102(a) and 103(a), when the application (supply) of power to the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a is cut off, the urging force of the coil spring SP2 causes the shaft 957a2 to protrude toward the plate member 951 (left side of Figure 102(a)). As a result, the connecting member 957c disposed on the shaft 957a2 (annular portion 957a3) is also disposed on the plate member 951 side, away from the main body 957a1 side.

In this case, as described above, the connecting portion 958a (see FIG. 101) of the transmission member 958 is disposed inside the engaging portion 957c3 of the connection member 957c, so that the connecting portion 958a is pushed toward the plate member 951. As a result, a force is transmitted to the tip portion 958c of the transmission member 958 in a direction rotating around the shaft hole 958b toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 102(a)).

When the tip 958c is pushed down to one side in the direction of gravity, the tip 958c comes into contact with the recessed portion 951d1, and the body portion 951a of the plate member 951 rotates in a direction approaching the opening 953a1 of the body portion 953a of the ball-entering member 953. This allows the plate member 951 to be maintained in a closed state.

When the plate member 951 is in the closed state, the surface of the connecting member 957c facing the plate member 951 and the surface of the transmission member 958 facing the solenoid 957a are in contact with each other. As a result, if a player performs tampering to force the plate member 951 into the open state, the surface of the connecting member 957c facing the plate member 951 can be pushed out by the surface of the transmission member 958 facing the solenoid 957a, preventing the force of tampering from being applied to the coupling portion 958a or the engagement portion 957c3. As a result, damage to the coupling portion 958a or the engagement portion 957c3 can be prevented.

As shown in Figures 102(b) and 103(b), when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 957a1 of the solenoid 957a, the shaft 957a2 is pulled (attracted) into the inside of the main body 957a1. As a result, the connecting member 957c disposed on the shaft 957a2 (annular portion 957a3) is also disposed on the main body 957a1 side.

In this case, as described above, the connecting portion 958a (see FIG. 101) of the transmission member 958 is disposed inside the engaging portion 957c3 of the connecting member 957c, and is displaced toward the main body portion 958a1 (right side in FIG. 102(b)) in conjunction with the displacement of the connecting member 957c. As a result, a force is transmitted to the transmission member 965 in a direction that rotates the tip portion 958c around the shaft hole 958b toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in FIG. 102(b)).

When the tip 958c is pushed up in the other direction of gravity, the tip 958c comes into contact with the recessed portion 951d1, and the body portion 951a of the plate member 951 rotates in a direction away from the opening side of the body portion 953a of the ball-entering member 953. This allows the plate member 951 to be in an open state.

In addition, when the plate member 951 is displaced from the closed state to the open state, the plate member 951 can be displaced in the opening direction by utilizing the weight of the plate member 951, so that the application of force to the connecting portion 958a or the engaging portion 957c3 can be suppressed. As a result, the connecting portion 958a or the engaging portion 957c3 can be suppressed from being damaged.

Next, referring to Figure 104, the inner portion of the main body 953a of the ball entry member 953 will be described. Figure 104(a) is a front view of the specific winning port unit 950, and Figure 104(b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 taken along line CIVb-CIVb in Figure 104(a). Note that Figure 104(a) illustrates the state in which the plate member 951 has been removed, and Figure 104(b) illustrates the state in which the plate member 951 has been attached. Also, Figures 104(a) and 104(b) illustrate the closed state of the plate member 951.

As shown in FIG. 104, the inside of the main body 953a is formed with an inclined surface 954a that inclines from the middle position in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 104(a)) of the main body 953a toward one side in the direction of gravity toward the outside, a recess 954b recessed into the end of the inclined surface 954a, a protruding portion 954c protruding from the connecting portion of the inclined surface 954a and the recess 954b, and an erected wall 954d erected and connected to each surface at both ends in the longitudinal direction and the surface on the passage member 955 side.

The inclined surface 954a is a rolling surface for game balls that roll the game balls that flow between the pair of opposing inlets 953j toward the inlet 953j, and is formed with a downward incline toward the inlet 953j. This allows the game balls that flow between the pair of opposing inlets 953j to roll toward the inlet 953j.

The recess 954b is located in front of the inlet 953j (below in FIG. 104(b)) and is recessed toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). The recess 954b is formed with a recessed tip surface that slopes downward toward the inlet 953j, and can receive a game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2 of the main body 953a and guide it to the inlet 953j (recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955). Therefore, the game ball that entered through the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a can flow into the recessed portion 955a of the passage member 955 in a short time, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The recess 954b extends linearly in a direction (up-down direction in FIG. 104(b)) approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. This makes it easier for the rolling surface 953a2 to receive a game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 (left-right direction in FIG. 104(b)) into the recess 954b, and allows the received game ball to be guided (flowed into) the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the width dimension L9 (see FIG. 104(b)) of the recess 954b in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game balls to flow quickly into the passage member 955 while aligned when multiple game balls are received in the recess 954b. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

In addition, the width dimension of the recess 954b in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is reduced from the passage member 955 side toward the opening 953a1 side (plate member 951 side). This makes it easier for the game ball to flow toward the passage member 955 side when the game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2 in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is received in the recess 954b. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the game ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The second inclined surface 954e is formed on the opposite side of the rolling surface 953a2 with the recess 954b in between, in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2, and is formed with a downward inclination toward the inlet 953j (passage member 955). This allows a game ball that has entered the second inclined surface 954e to roll in front of the inlet 953j by utilizing the downward inclination of the second inclined surface 954e, and to quickly roll toward the passage member 955. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the ball before the plate member 951 closes the opening 953a1, thereby preventing over-entry.

The erected wall 954d is formed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the second inclined surface 954e, and is provided with a second guide surface 954d1 on the inlet 953j (passage member 955) side to guide the rolling direction of the game ball flowing into the second inclined surface 954e.

The second guide surface 954d1 is an end surface on the opening 953a1 side, and is formed inclined from the opening 953a1 side toward the inlet 953j side toward the recess 954b side in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. That is, the second guide surface 954d1 is formed so as to be inclined from the opening 953a1 toward the passage member 955 so as to be able to abut against the game ball rolling on the rolling surface 953a2, and is disposed between the longitudinal end of the rolling surface 953a2 and the passage member 955. This allows the game ball flowing into the main body 953a from the longitudinal end of the opening 953a1 to be quickly rolled toward the passage member 955. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protruding portion 954c is formed at both ends of the rolling surface 953a2 of the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction, and is protruded toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity). This allows the rolling speed of the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a toward the outside in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 (left and right direction in FIG. 104 (b)) to be decelerated before the recess 954b (passage member 955). That is, the rolling speed of the game ball is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball is decelerated before (just before) the recess 954b, so that the game ball can be prevented from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 can prevent another game ball from entering the opening 953a1 until the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protrusion 954c is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from above, with one side connected to the side opposite the opening 953a1, and one of the remaining two sides is formed with the side edge 954c3 on the recess 954b side connected to the side of the recess 954b, and the guide surface 954c1 of the remaining side is formed inclined toward the opening 953a1 toward the rolling direction of the game ball on the inclined surface 954a of the game ball (the longitudinal outward direction of the rolling surface 953a2). This allows the rolling speed of the game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 on the inclined surface 954a to be decelerated in front of the recess 954b (passage member 955).

That is, the rolling speed of the game ball in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is decelerated just before (just before) the recess 954b, thereby preventing the game ball from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be caused to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, preventing over-entry.

As described above, the axis of rotation of the plate member 951 is formed between both ends of the opening 953a1 of the main body 953a in the short direction, so that when the plate member 951 is in an open state, the end of the plate member 951 can be positioned on the one end side in the direction of gravity (above the direction of gravity) of the rolling surface 953a2. This makes it possible to prevent game balls that have flown inside the main body 951a from flying out from the opening 953a1 side of the main body 951a when the plate member 951 is in an open state.

Furthermore, since the game ball guided to the opening 953a1 side by the guide surface 954c1 can be brought into contact with the plate member 951, the rolling speed of the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 can be decelerated before the recess 954b (passage member 955). That is, the rolling speed of the game ball is increased up to the recess 954b, while the rolling speed of the game ball is decelerated before (just before) the recess 954b, so that the game ball can be prevented from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 can prevent another game ball from entering the opening 953a1 until it is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The guide surface 954c1 is formed in a downwardly sloping shape from the connecting portion between the side edge portion 954c3 and the inlet 953j to the side edge portion 954c2 of the connecting portion with the inclined surface 954a. This allows the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 to flow into the inlet 953j (passage member 955) in a short time while preventing the game ball from flying out of the opening 953a1.

That is, for game balls that roll along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 on the inclined surface 954a toward the passage member 955, those with a relatively low (slow) rolling speed are unlikely to fly out of the opening 933a1, so by abutting against the guide surface 954c1 and guiding them toward the opening 953a1 side, it is possible to suppress the ball from rolling from the inclined surface 954a through the recess 954b to the second inclined surface 954e, and to allow the ball to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. On the other hand, for game balls with a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, it is possible to make the ball go over the guide surface 954c1 and guide it to the standing wall 954d formed on the second inclined surface 954e side. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the game ball is consumed by going over the guide surface 954c1 and colliding with the standing wall 954d, and the ball can be decelerated reliably. Therefore, the game ball rolling on the inclined surface 954a in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 can be prevented from flying out of the opening 953a1 and can flow quickly into the inlet 953j (passage member 955). As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the game ball before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

In addition, the side edge portion 954c3 of the end face of the protruding portion 954c facing the standing wall 954d extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. The second side edge portion 954d2 of the end face of the standing wall 954d facing the protruding portion 954c extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. The length dimension L30 (see FIG. 104 (b)) of the side edge portion 954c3 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2 is set to be smaller than the length dimension L31 of the second side edge portion 954d2 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface 953a2. This allows the game ball that has overcome the guide surface 954c1 to abut against the second side edge portion 954d2 of the standing wall 954d, reliably decelerating it, and making it easier to position it in the vicinity of the passage member 955. This allows the game balls to flow into the passage member quickly. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

Furthermore, the vertical wall 954d has a distance L32 (see FIG. 104(a)) between the middle position in the thickness direction and the second inclined surface 954e set to be approximately the same as the radius of the game ball. This allows the game ball that has climbed over the guide surface 954c1 to come into contact with the second side edge 954d2 of the vertical wall 954d, ensuring deceleration. This allows the game ball to flow quickly into the passage member. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, preventing over-entry.

The protrusion 954c is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the second guide surface 954d1 of the erected wall 954d, and even if the rolling speed of the game ball guided by the second guide surface 954d1 toward the recess 954b (passage member 955) is relatively high (low), the game ball can be brought into contact with the protrusion 954c and decelerated. Therefore, the game ball can be made to flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

The protruding portion 954c is set such that the distance dimension L33 (see FIG. 104(a)) from the recessed surface of the recess 954b to the protruding tip is greater than the radius of the game ball. As described above, the protruding portion 954c is formed to be continuous with the side surface of the recess 954b, so that even if the game ball guided toward the passage member 955 by the second guide surface 954d1 of the erected wall 954d has a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, the game ball can be easily brought into contact with the protruding portion 954c. This allows the game ball to be decelerated and flow into the passage member 955 in a short time. As a result, the plate member 951 prevents another game ball from entering the passage member 955 before the opening 953a1 is closed, thereby preventing over-entry.

Next, the assembled state of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 will be described with reference to Figures 105 and 106. Figure 105(a) is a top view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960, and Figure 105(b) is a side view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960. Figure 106(a) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 taken along line CVIa-CVIa in Figure 105(a), and Figure 106(b) is a cross-sectional view of the specific winning port unit 950 and the drive unit 960 taken along line CVIb-CVIb in Figure 106(a).

In addition, in Figures 105(a) and 105(b), a portion of the wiring HS1 connected to the solenoid 957a that operates the plate member 951 and a portion of the wiring HS2 connected to the solenoid 610 that operates the pair of blade members (see Figure 83(a)) are shown. Also, in Figure 106(b), a portion of the wiring HS3 connected to the detection device SE1 that detects the number of game balls that have flowed into the specific winning opening 65a is shown.

As shown in Figures 105 and 106, the drive unit 960 that drives the wing members 945 (see Figure 83 (a)) of the winning port unit 930 is formed in a position where it partially overlaps with the specific winning port unit 950 when viewed from the front. This allows a space to be formed on the opposite side (back side) of the play area of the second winning port 140 (pair of wing members 945).

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a second winning opening 140, a pair of blade members 945 that open or close the second winning opening 140, a first drive means that drives the pair of blade members 945, a specific winning opening 65a, a plate member 951 that opens or closes the specific winning opening 65a, and a second drive means that drives the plate member 951. However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the first drive means and the second drive means are respectively disposed on the back side of the pair of blade members 945 and the plate member 951, making it difficult to dispose other members or devices on the back side of the pair of blade members 945 and the plate member 951, and making it difficult to effectively utilize the space.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of feather members 945 is disposed on the rear side of the plate member 951, so that space can be created on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (see FIG. 97). In other words, by consolidating the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of feather members and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 on the rear side of the plate member 951 (specific winning port 65a), space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning port 140), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

In addition, by arranging the operating means (drive unit 960) of the blade member 945, which is disposed near the central opening (where the center frame 86 is disposed) formed in the base plate 60 (see Figure 82), on the back side of the plate member 951 (specific winning port unit 950) disposed away from the central opening, the movable body of the operating unit, which is visible to the player through the inside of the central opening (center frame 86), can be retreated to the back side of the base plate 60 (the opposite side to the playing area), making it difficult for the player to see.

That is, the movable body of the operating unit is arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 during normal (retracted) operation, making it difficult for players to see, and when movable (extending), it is made easier for players to see by extending inside the central opening (center frame 86) of the base plate 60. By arranging the operating means (drive unit 960) of the wing member 945 arranged near the central opening in a position that overlaps horizontally with the specific winning port unit 950 located far from the central opening, it is possible to easily position the movable body away from the central opening during retraction. Therefore, it is possible to make the movable body of the operating unit difficult for players to see during normal (retracted) operation. As a result, when the movable body is operated to extend, it is easy to provide interest to the player.

The plate member 951 is also set so that its projected area in front view is larger than that of the pair of wing members 945. This allows for effective use of the dead space behind the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951). That is, in a game board 13 having two displacement members (plate member 951 and pair of wing members 945), the respective drive means (drive unit 957 and drive unit 960) are disposed on the back of the side with the larger projected area in front view (plate member 951 side), making it easier to dispose the respective drive means on the back of one displacement member (plate member 951), and allowing space to be formed on the back side of the other displacement members (pair of wing members 945).

Furthermore, the projected area of the plate member 951 in a front view is larger than the projected area of the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 in a front view, so that the dead space on the back side of the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951) can be effectively utilized.

As shown in FIG. 105(a), the drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the plate member 951 (left and right direction in FIG. 105(a)). This allows for effective use of the dead space on the back side of the specific winning opening 65a (plate member 951).

In this case, as described above, the plate member 951 (specific winning port unit 950) is disposed at a position farther away from the central opening of the base plate 60 (see FIG. 81) than the pair of feather members 945, and is disposed with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of separation. This makes it easier to secure space on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945. As a result, the space on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 can be effectively utilized.

As described above, the rolling portion 943a is formed on the front base 943 of the front unit 940, the rolling portion 943a is disposed through the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941, and the drive unit 960 is connected to the rear base 941, so that the rear base 941 can be fastened and fixed to the front base 943 while the drive unit 960 can be held (disposed) on the front base 943 at the same time. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to attach the drive unit 960 when attaching the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 to the base plate 60 (game board 13).

The solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 and the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 are set at approximately the same end position on the side opposite the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950 (back side), and the wiring HS1 and wiring HS2 connected to the solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 and the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 are connected from the end on the side opposite the plate member 951 of the specific winning port unit 950 (back side). This makes it easier to bundle the wiring of the solenoid 957a and the solenoid 610. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wiring from coming undone on the side opposite the play area of the game board 13 (back side), and to prevent the wiring HS1 and HS2 from interfering with other devices and accessories.

That is, the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960 that drives the blade member 945 and the solenoid 957a of the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are arranged in such a manner that the axial directions of the shaft portion 961b and the shaft portion 957a2 face in the same direction, and the wiring HS1 and the wiring HS2 are connected (drawn out) to the side of the main body portion 961a and the shaft portion 957a2 opposite the shaft portions 961b and 957a2. This makes it easier to bundle the wiring HS1 of the drive unit 960 and the wiring HS2 of the drive unit 957.

The drive unit 960 that drives the pair of blade members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are disposed in a position where both side surfaces in the direction of gravity are substantially flush with each other. This simplifies the shape of the partition member (not shown) that partitions the drive unit 957 and the drive unit 960 and limits the flow of an electromagnetic field in the area where the drive unit 957 and the drive unit 960 are disposed.

In other words, if the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 are formed to be different sizes, or if the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 in the direction of gravity are positioned at different positions in the direction of gravity, a step will be formed between the side surfaces of the main body 961a of the drive unit 960 and the main body 957a1 of the drive unit 957 in the direction of gravity, and a partition member will need to be formed to match the step, resulting in a complex shape of the partition member.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the drive unit 960 and the drive unit 957 are disposed at a position where both side surfaces of the main body portion 961a and the main body portion 957a1 in the direction of gravity are substantially flush with each other, and no step is formed between the outer surfaces, so the partition member can be made flat. As a result, the shape of the partition member can be simplified.

The partition member is a conductive barrier that separates the area where the drive units 960 and 957 are installed from other areas and restricts the flow of electromagnetic waves between the two areas, and is made of a metal plate.

The transmission member 965 is disposed between the passage member 955 of the specific winning port unit 950 and the rolling portion 943a of the front unit 940 (see FIG. 97), and a displacement member 966 that slides and displaces with the rotation of the transmission member 965 to open and close the pair of wing members 945 is disposed at its tip (insertion portion 965e). Compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members 945 are opened and closed only by a rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the rolling portion 943a on the back side of the second winning port 140. In addition, since there is no need to bend the ball sending path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning port 140 toward the specific winning port unit 950 to avoid interference with the rotating member as in conventional products, the second winning port 140 can be brought closer to the specific winning port 65a.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 106(a) and 106(b), the drive unit 960 is arranged in a position overlapping with the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE2 that is arranged in a pair with the specific winning port unit 950 when viewed from the front. In other words, the detection device SE2 is arranged between the plate member 951 and the drive unit 960. As a result, for example, if the plate member 951 is opened to tamper with the drive unit 960 through the specific winning port 65a, the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE1 can hide the drive unit 960, making such tampering more difficult to perform.

As described above, if the drive means (drive unit 960) for driving the feather member 945 is disposed on the rear side of the specific winning port unit 950, and a hole is formed in the ball entry member 953 from the playing area side to the drive unit 960 with a drill or the like in order to insert a piano wire or the like through a gap in the pachinko machine 10 in order to illegally operate the gaming machine, there is a risk that it may be difficult for store staff to detect the illegal activity.

In other words, because the plate member 951 is disposed on the playing area (player) side of the ball entry member 953, the ball entry member 953 is hidden by the plate member 951, making it difficult for store staff to discover any fraudulent acts being performed on the ball entry member 953.

In contrast, in this embodiment, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole to secure a path from the specific winning opening 65a to the first drive means, the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE1 can be destroyed, and thus fraudulent activity can be detected by monitoring the state of the detection device SE1. As described above, in this embodiment, even if the plate member 951 is opened and fraudulent activity is committed on the drive unit 960 from the specific winning opening 65a, the plate member 951 can be closed to block the drive unit 960, making it impossible to see the location where fraudulent activity was committed, so that monitoring the state of the detection device SE1 is particularly effective in detecting fraudulent activity.

In addition, because detection device SE1 is the same reused item (off-the-shelf product) as detection devices that detect other game balls (e.g., detection device SE2 and detection device SE3), there is no flexibility in the size of its external shape. As a result, gaps are formed between opposing detection devices SE1. Therefore, if a player were to aim for the gap and drill a hole in ball entry member 953 with a drill or the like, there is a risk that the player's fraudulent behavior will not be notified to the store clerk.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring HS3 is connected to the opposing sides of the pair of detection devices SE1. This allows the wiring HS3 to be arranged in the gap formed between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. Therefore, when a player aims a drill or the like at the gap between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1, the drill can break the wiring HS3. This allows the pachinko machine 10 to recognize a detection failure, and the pachinko machine 10 can report an error, making it easier for store clerks to discover fraud.

That is, the wiring is relatively easy to damage. Therefore, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole in order to secure a path from the specific winning port 65a to the drive unit, the wiring HS3 can be easily damaged (broken) as a result of the fraudulent act. Alternatively, it can be made to realize that it is difficult to commit a fraudulent act without damaging (breaking) the wiring HS3, making it easier to deter fraudulent acts.

In addition, a ring protrusion 953c is formed between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1, into which a screw that fastens the ball entrance member 953 and the passage member 955 is screwed. As a result, if the plate member 951 is opened and tampering is performed on the drive unit 960 from the open side of the ball entrance member 953 (the lower side of E10(a)), the drive unit 960 can be hidden by the screw screwed into the ring protrusion 953c, making such tampering more difficult to perform. That is, as described above, it is difficult to cover the front of the front of the drive unit 960 with the pair of detection devices SE1, and a gap is likely to form between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. By setting such a gap as the fastening position of the screw, the uncovered area on the front of the drive unit 960 can be supplemented by the screw, making it more difficult to perform tampering.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 106(b), the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c of the ball entrance member 953. This allows the wiring HS3 to be routed (positioned) over a wider range of the gap formed between the opposing pair of detection devices SE1. In other words, a wider range of the front of the drive unit 960 can be shielded by the wiring HS3. Therefore, for example, when opening the plate member 951 and tampering with the drive unit 960 from the open side of the ball entrance member 953, it is possible to make such tampering more difficult. Alternatively, it is possible to make it easier to recognize that it is difficult to tamper without damaging (disconnecting) the wiring HS3, making it easier to deter tampering.

Therefore, when a player aims a drill or the like at the gap between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1, the drill can easily break the wiring HS3. This allows the pachinko machine 10 to recognize a detection failure, and the pachinko machine 10 can report an error, making it easier for store staff to discover fraud.

Furthermore, the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c. This makes it difficult for shear forces to act on the connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS. In other words, if the wiring HS3 is not wound around the annular protrusion 953c and is discharged outside the specific winning port unit 950, the wiring HS3 is pulled in the discharge direction by the specific winning port unit 950, causing a shear force to act on the connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS. The connection between the detection device SE1 and the wiring HS3 is formed by an insertable connector, and is therefore easily cut by a shear force.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring HS3 is wound around the annular protrusion 953c, so that when the wiring HS3 is pulled in the ejection direction of the specific winning port unit 950, the direction of the force acting on the connection portion with the detection device SE1 can be made to act in the direction in which the wiring HS3 is connected. As a result, the wiring HS3 can be prevented from being cut at the connection portion with the detection device SE1.

In addition, the annular protrusion 953c formed between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1 is formed at a position biased toward the end of the wiring HS3 of the detection device SE1 opposite the discharge side. Therefore, since the wiring HS3 of the pair of detection devices SE1 is pulled out to the side opposite the screw engagement position (annular protrusion 953c), such wiring HS3 can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the drive unit 960. In other words, a wider area in front of the drive unit 960 can be shielded by the screws and wiring. Therefore, for example, when cheating on the drive unit 960 by opening the plate member 951 through the specific winning opening 65a, such cheating can be made more difficult to carry out.

Next, the overall configuration of the ball throwing unit 970 will be described with reference to Figures 107 and 108. Figure 107(a) is a front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 107(b) is a side view of the ball throwing unit 970. Figure 108(a) is an exploded perspective front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 108(b) is an exploded perspective rear view of the ball throwing unit 970.

As shown in Figures 107 and 108, the ball sending unit 970 is formed with a distribution unit 980 that is arranged on the player side (play area side) and has a space inside through which game balls can be inserted, and a passage unit 990 that is arranged on the opposite side of the distribution unit 980 from the play area.

The distribution unit 980 has an opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) that is connected to the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 of the winning opening unit 930 described above, and can receive game balls sent from the opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) to the opposite side of the game area via the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140. A detailed explanation of the distribution unit 980 will be given later.

The passage unit 990 is disposed on the other end side (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the sorting unit 980. The passage unit 990 has a plurality of openings (first through hole 991a to second through hole 991d) on the surface facing the sorting unit 980, and game balls sent inside the sorting unit 980 can be received through these openings. A detailed explanation of the passage unit 990 will be given later.

Next, the configuration of the sorting unit 980 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 109 to 112. Figure 109(a) is a front view of the sorting unit 980, and Figure 109(b) is a side view of the sorting unit 980. Figure 110 is an exploded oblique front view of the sorting unit 980, and Figure 111 is an exploded oblique rear view of the sorting unit 980. Figure 112(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line CXIIa-CXIIa in Figure 109(a), and Figure 112(b) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line CXIIb-CXIIb in Figure 112(a).

As shown in Figures 109 to 112, the distribution unit 980 is formed mainly by comprising a rear base 985, a front base 981 arranged on the player side of the rear base 985, a distribution section 983 arranged in a rotatable state between the front base 981 and the rear base, and a cover member 987 arranged on the rear side of the rear base 985 in a position corresponding to the distribution section 983.

The rear base 985 is formed from a colored translucent (blue in this embodiment) resin material, and is mainly composed of a base portion 985a formed into a plate-like body, a number of openings (openings 985b to 985g) penetrating the base portion 985a in the thickness direction, a recess 985h recessed into the other side of the openings in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a storage portion 986b and a protruding portion 986e protruding from the opposite surface of the recess 985h.

The base portion 985a is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is formed with a plurality of fastening holes 986c and 986d that penetrate the outer edge in a circular shape, and an inclined surface 986a that inclines toward one side in the direction of gravity on the side opposite the front base 981. The fastening hole 986c is a hole into which a screw that is inserted through the front base 981 (described later) is screwed. This allows the front base 981 and the rear base 985 to be fastened and fixed. The fastening hole 986d is a hole into which a screw that is inserted through the passage unit 990 (described later) is screwed. This allows the rear base 985 (distribution unit 980) and the passage unit 990 to be fastened and fixed.

The inclined surface 986a is formed at a position overlapping with a portion of the other side of the openings 985b to 985f (described below) in the direction of gravity. The inclined surface 986a is also formed at a position facing the inclined portion 982b of the front base 981 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This makes it possible to guide the flow direction of game balls flowing down in the direction of gravity toward the openings 985b to 985f. As a result, it becomes easier for game balls to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

The recess 985h is recessed toward the opposite side of the front base 981 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 109(b)) and is formed at approximately the center of the short side of the base 985a (the left-right direction in FIG. 109(b)). The recess 985h is formed with a size that can accommodate a part of the distribution section 983 (described later) on the inside, and is provided with a bearing section 985j that protrudes in an annular shape on the bottom surface. The bearing section 985j is a hole into which one end of the shaft member 988a that supports the distribution section 983 is inserted, and is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

Openings 985b and 985c are formed at both ends of the base portion 985a in the short direction, and the dimensions of the inner edges are set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, openings 985b and 985c are formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) slopes downward as it heads toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows the game ball flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll to the side opposite the front base 981 side.

Opening 985d is formed in approximately the center of the short side of base portion 985a (left-right direction in FIG. 109(b)), and its position in the direction of gravity (up-down direction in FIG. 109(b)) is set to approximately the same position as openings 985b and 985c. Also, like openings 985b and 985c, opening 985d is formed with an inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) sloping downward as it heads toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows game balls flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll to the side opposite the front base 981 side.

The opening 985e is formed between the openings 985b and 985d, and the opening 985f is formed between the openings 985c and 985d. The openings 985e and 985f are mainly formed with inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 of the space that open to the front base 981 side, outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3 of the space that open to the side opposite the front base 981 side, and intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 that extend in the direction of gravity and communicate the inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3.

The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 formed between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 described below, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

The intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed by extending in the direction of gravity, and the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) is connected to the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls passing through the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 to flow into the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2.

The intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 also have recessed portions 985f4 formed in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the throwing direction of the game ball (the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 985f4 are cutouts for disposing the detection device SE3, which will be described later, inside thereof, and are set to be approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3 when viewed from the rear. This allows the detection device SE3 to be inserted and disposed from the rear side of the base portion 985a (the side opposite the front base 981).

The detection device SE3 is also arranged such that the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a is set parallel to the extension direction of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2, and the internal space of the detection hole SE1a and the space of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are approximately aligned. This allows the game ball to pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 when it flows down from the other side of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). This allows the game ball passing through the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to be detected.

In addition, the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 is formed parallel to the direction of gravity, so that the weight of the game ball can be easily utilized when sending the game ball to the detection hole SE1a. As a result, the game ball can be prevented from getting caught in the connection between the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 and the detection hole SE1a. Note that the detailed configuration of the detection device SE3 is the same as that of the detection device SE1 described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The recessed portions 985e4, 985f4 are formed so as to be continuous with the spaces of the inlet passages 985e1, 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3, 985f3. That is, the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed using the detection device SE3. This makes it possible to prevent the length dimension of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity from becoming large. As a result, it is possible to prevent the rear base 985 from becoming large in the direction of gravity.

The discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to one side of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. In addition, the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to the third insertion hole 991c and the fourth insertion hole 991d of the passage unit 990 described below when the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls passing through the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 to flow into the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 and to be sent to the passage unit 990 by passing through the space.

Opening 985g is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of opening 985d. Also, like opening 985d, opening 985g is formed with the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) sloping downward toward the side opposite the front base 981. This allows the game balls flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll toward the side opposite the front base 981.

The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 formed between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 described below, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

The storage section 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings. The storage section 986b is a portion that stores the magnetic body 988b described later inside, and its inner diameter is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b formed in a cylindrical body. The protruding dimension of the storage section 986b is set to be larger than the axial dimension of the magnetic body 988b. This allows the magnetic body 988b to be stored inside the storage section 986b. Since the storage section 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings, the magnetic body 988b can be disposed by elastically deforming the pair of semicircular rings even if the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b is formed slightly larger due to manufacturing errors.

The protruding portion 986e is cylindrically protruding from a position on the opposite side of the bearing portion 985j and the base portion 985a described above. The protruding portion 986e also has a fastening hole recessed in a circular shape on its axis. The fastening hole is a hole into which the tip of a screw that passes through the cover member 987 described below is screwed, and the cover member 987 can be fastened and fixed to the back base 985 by screwing the screw with the cover member 987 in contact.

The magnetic body 988b is made of a magnet, and by being disposed in the housing portion 986b, it is possible to generate a magnetic field on the front base 981 side via the base portion 985a. This makes it possible to repel the magnetic body 988c disposed in the distribution portion 983 described later, making it easier to displace the distribution portion 983.

The front base 981 is formed from a colored translucent resin material (blue in this embodiment). The front base 981 is formed in a generally rectangular shape larger than the rear base 985 when viewed from the front, and is formed mainly with a base plate 981a and a bulge portion 982 that bulges out from the base plate 981a toward the player (the side opposite the rear base 986).

The base plate 981a is formed as a plate member having a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a plurality of insertion holes 981g penetrating in the plate thickness direction on its outer peripheral edge, a first guide wall 981f and a second guide wall 981d protruding toward the rear base 985 side, a second insertion hole 981e penetrating in the vicinity of the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d, and a through hole 981c penetrating in the plate thickness direction on one side of the bulge portion 982 in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction).

The insertion hole 981g is a hole through which a screw (not shown) is inserted to fasten the assembled ball throwing unit 970 to the base plate 60 (see FIG. 82), and is set to an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the screw.

The first guide wall 981f is formed in a semicircular ring shape, and is formed as a pair in the short side direction with a bulge portion 982 (described later) sandwiched between them. The first guide wall 981f is also formed with the semicircular open portion facing approximately the center of the base plate 981a in the short side direction.

The second guide wall 981d is formed in an annular shape and is formed at two locations in the short direction of the base plate 981a. The second guide wall 981d is also formed below the bulge portion 982 (described later) in the direction of gravity, and a through hole 981c is formed between the two locations.

The first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d are formed so that their inner edge shapes are substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 986c of the rear base 985 described above. This allows the wall portion around the fastening hole 986c to be inserted inside the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined, and allows the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d to be positioned.

The second insertion hole 981e is formed at the center of the semicircle of the first guide wall 981f and the center of the second guide wall 981d. When the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are assembled, the second insertion hole 981e is formed coaxially with the fastening hole 986c, and the front base 981 and the rear base 985 can be fastened together by inserting a screw from the front base 981 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 986d.

The through hole 981c is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of the game ball. The through hole 981c is also formed with a side wall portion 981b erected along its edge on the opposite side to the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in Figure 109 (a)). The through hole 981c is also a portion that communicates with the second winning opening 140 of the above-mentioned winning opening unit 930, and is formed in a position that overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the second winning opening 140 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

The side wall portion 981b is formed with dimensions such that the erected tip surface abuts the second ball throwing section 942c of the winning opening unit 930 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60. In addition, the side wall portion 981b is formed so that the rolling surface 981c1 on the inner surface on the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) is positioned closer to the other end side in the direction of gravity than the end surface 943a1 of the rolling section 943a, and is inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side.

Furthermore, the side wall portion 981b has a protrusion 981b1 protruding from the upright tip surface. The protrusion 981b1 is formed at a position radially spaced from the rolling surface 981c1 in the direction of gravity. This makes it difficult for the game ball to get caught between the rolling portion 943a and the through hole 981c when the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c. A detailed explanation of the case where the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c will be given later.

The bulge 982 is formed in a dome shape that bulges out from the base plate 981a, and is set to a size that allows a game ball to pass through inside it. It is formed with a ball sending passage TR0 through which the game ball flowing in from the inlet 982d passes, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 that branch off from the ball sending passage TR0. The bulge 982 is formed in a vertically long rectangle when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with an inlet 982d formed by cutting out the upper end in the direction of gravity, an erect wall 982a that is bent toward the rear base 985 side at a roughly central position when viewed from the front, and recesses 982e to 982j recessed at multiple locations on the other side in the direction of gravity.

The inlet 982d is cut out to have a generally U-shape when viewed from the front. The inlet 982d is formed at a position where the inner edge of the inlet 982d overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the first winning opening 64 of the winning opening unit 930 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

The inlet 982d also has a second protrusion 982d1 that protrudes from the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) opposite the rear base 985. The second protrusion 982d1 is formed in the shape of the inner edge of the first recess 942g1 of the prize winning port unit 930 described above, and when the prize winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are arranged on the base plate 60, the second protrusion 982d1 abuts against the inner edge of the first recess 942g1.

In addition, the distance dimension L34 (see FIG. 109(a)) from the second protrusion 982d1 to the end face of the inlet 982d on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is set to be greater than the distance dimension L35 (see FIG. 87(b)) from the inner edge of the first recess 942g1 to the inner edge of the first ball throwing section 942g on one side in the direction of gravity. This makes it possible for the game ball sent to the first ball throwing section 942g through the first winning opening 64 to be less likely to become pinched between the inlet 982d (bulge 982) and the first ball throwing section 942g as it flows into the inlet 982d.

The erected wall 982a is formed in a rectangular shape with a predetermined distance from the outer edge shape of the bulge portion 982 when viewed from the front. The erected wall 982a is formed on the lower side of the inlet 982d in the direction of gravity, and is formed with an abutment portion 982a1 formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the erected direction on the upper side in the direction of gravity.

The vertical wall 982a is spaced from the inner edge of the outer periphery of the bulge 982 by a horizontal distance L36 (see FIG. 112(b)) that is greater than the diameter of the game ball, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 are formed between the opposing sides, allowing the game ball to pass through.

The first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are formed downstream of the distribution section 983 described below, and game balls passing through the distribution section 983 are sent to one of them. The distribution section 983 is set up so that game balls flowing into the inlet 982d can be sent alternately to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. This makes it possible to prevent the sending of game balls flowing into the first winning port 64 from becoming monotonous. As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's interest from being lost.

A bearing portion 982c is formed on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the erected wall 982a, protruding in an annular shape from the inner surface of the bulge portion 982 toward the rear base 985. The bearing portion 982c is a portion that supports the other end side of the shaft member 988a that axially supports the distribution portion 983 described below, and its inner diameter is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. Therefore, by inserting the shaft member 988a into the bearing portion 982c, the other end side of the shaft member 988a can be supported.

As described above, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j of the rear base 985. When combining the front base 981 and the rear base 985, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j and the other end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c, so that the shaft member 988a can be supported between the front base 981 and the rear base 985.

The contact portion 982a1 is formed on the rotation trajectory of the allocating portion 983 described later, and the amount of rotational displacement of the allocating portion 983 is restricted by the contact of the action portion 983a of the allocating portion 983. The contact state between the contact portion 982a1 and the allocating portion 983 will be described in detail later.

The recesses 982e and 982f are recessed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 from the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge 982. In addition, inside the recesses 982e and 982f, a first branch passage BK1 or a second branch passage BK2 is formed as a space that communicates with the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2.

The first branch passage BK1 is connected to the opening 985b of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first branch passage BK1 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, and is also able to allow the received game balls to flow into the opening 985b of the rear base 985.

The second branch passage BK2 is connected to the opening 985c of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the second branch passage BK2 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the second passage TR2, and the received game balls can flow into the opening 985c of the rear base 985.

The recesses 982h and 982j are recessed from the inner surface of the bulge 982 on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) in the direction in which the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 extend. That is, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 extend to one side in the direction of gravity by the amount of the recesses 982h and 982j.

The first passage TR1 is connected to the opening 985e of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first passage TR1 receives game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985e of the rear base 985.

The second passage TR2 is connected to the opening 985f of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first passage TR1 receives the game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985e of the rear base 985.

The recess 982g is formed between the recess 982h and the recess 982j, and the recess direction is set parallel to the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. In addition, inside the recess 982g, a third branch passage BK3 is formed as a space that communicates with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, since the third branch passage BK3 that communicates with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 is formed between the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2, the distribution unit 980 can be made smaller.

The third branch passage BK3 is connected to the opening 985d of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the third branch passage is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage or the second passage, and the received game balls can flow into the opening 985d of the rear base 985.

The inclined portion 982b is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge portion 982, and is extended at an angle toward the rear base 985 toward that side in the direction of gravity. The inclined portion 982b is formed at a position facing the opening 985b and the opening 985f when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, the second passage TR2, the first branch passage BK1, the second branch passage BK2, and the third branch passage BK3 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b, guiding the flowing game balls toward the openings 985b to 985f and making it easier for them to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

Guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and guide portion 982j1 are connected to recesses 982h and 982j and to inclined portion 982b, and the erected end faces are inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 109(b)). This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the erected end faces of guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and guide portion 982j1, and to be guided toward openings 985e and 985f, making it easier for them to flow into openings 985e and 985f.

In addition, the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 are formed in connection with the inclined portion 982b. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b and be guided toward the rear base 985 while colliding with the guide portions 982h1, 982j1, making it easier for the game balls to flow into the openings 985e and 985f. Furthermore, the inclination of the inclined portion 982b allows the erection distance of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 to be reduced, thereby increasing the rigidity of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and improving their durability.

As described above, the distribution unit 980 (ball throwing unit 970) is visible to the player through the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930) disposed on the player side. Therefore, the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are difficult to see from the player side due to the front unit 940. Furthermore, when the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 are erected on the front side of the openings 985e and 985f, there is a problem in that the thickness of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 makes it difficult for the player to see the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 are formed in connection with the inclined portion 982b, so that the erected dimensions of the inclined portion 982b can be made small. Therefore, the game balls sent to the openings 985e and 985f (the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2) can be easily seen even when passing through the front unit 940. That is, in this embodiment, the inclined portion 982b is inclined so as to be positioned toward the rear base 985 as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows down, so that the thickness of the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 in the front-to-rear direction can be made thin while ensuring rigidity and guiding the game ball, and visibility of the game ball can be ensured.

The distribution section 983 is set to a thickness slightly smaller than the dimension between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985, and is formed in a roughly T-shape when viewed from the front. The distribution section 983 is mainly formed with an action section 983a on one side of the T-shape, an intermediate plate 983b protruding from approximately the center position in the extension direction of the action section 983a, a through hole 983c penetrating the connecting portion of the action section 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, a contact section 983d that bulges out in a circular shape around the axis of the through hole 983c, and a wall section 983e formed by connecting the action section 983a and the intermediate plate 983b to the rear base 985 side.

The through hole 983c is a hole into which the shaft member 988a supported between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985 is inserted, and is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. As a result, when assembling the front base 981 and rear base 985, the shaft member 988a is inserted into the through hole 983c of the distribution part 983, so that the distribution part 983 is disposed between the opposing front base 981 and rear base 985 in a rotatable state.

The intermediate plate 983b is formed by extending radially outward from the through hole 983c, and when the displacement of the distribution section 983 is restricted by rotation to one side or the other, the distance L37 (see FIG. 112(b)) from its tip to the inside of the intermediate plate 983b is set to a dimension smaller than the diameter of the game ball. This restricts the throw of the game ball to one side or the other of the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2. In addition, the intermediate plate 983b can be switched from a state in which the throw of the game ball is restricted to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which the throw of the game ball is restricted to the other side of the second passage TR2 by rotating the distribution section 983 around the through hole 983c.

The action portion 983a is formed to extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the intermediate plate 983b when viewed from the front. In addition, the connection position of the action portion 983a with the abutment portion 983d is set on the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower in the direction of gravity) than the connection position with the abutment portion 983d of the intermediate plate 983b. As a result, the game ball sent to the distribution portion 983 through the inlet 982d is placed in a state where a load is applied to the action portion 983a side. As a result, the distribution portion 983 is rotationally displaced around the through hole 983c.

The wall portion 983e is connected to the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, and is formed in a substantially semicircular plate shape when viewed in the axial direction of the through hole 983c. The wall portion 983e is formed to protrude outward from the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the through hole 983c, and the thickness dimension is set to be smaller than the recessed dimension of the recess 985h of the back base 985 described above. Therefore, in a state in which the distribution portion 983 is disposed between the opposing back base 985 and the front base 981, the wall portion 983e can be disposed inside the recess 985h. This prevents the game ball sent from the inlet 982d to the inside of the distribution unit 980 from getting caught inside the recess 985h, thereby preventing the flow of the game ball from being hindered.

The wall portion 983e is provided with a housing portion 983e1 on the rear side of the intermediate plate 983b, recessed toward the intermediate plate 983b at the radially outer end from the through hole 983c. The housing portion 983e1 is a portion that houses the magnetic body 988c formed in a cylindrical body inside, and is recessed in a circular shape with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988c. The housing portion 983e1 is recessed from the rear base 985 side toward the front base 981 side, and the magnetic body 988c is housed inside from the rear base 985 side.

The magnetic body 988c is made of a magnet and is arranged in a state where it repels the magnetic body 988b arranged on the rear base 985. As a result, the magnetic force acts on the magnetic body 988c from the magnetic body 988b arranged on the rear base 985, and the distribution section 983 can rotate around the through hole 983c as an axis, causing the extension direction of the action section 983a to be tilted to one side or the other.

In addition, the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are arranged in a state where they are repelled, and the storage section 983e1 is recessed toward the front side, so that the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1 can be prevented from slipping out of the storage section 983e1. In other words, since there is no need for a part to lock the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1, the structure of the sorting section 983 can be simplified, and the magnetic body 988c can be easily arranged in the sorting section 983.

The magnetic force of magnetic body 988b and magnetic body 988c is set to a magnetic force smaller than the load of the game ball. This prevents the game ball sent inside the sorting unit 980 from being magnetically attracted to magnetic body 988b and magnetic body 988c and from stagnating inside the sorting unit 980.

The cover member 987 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from above, and is disposed on the side opposite the front base 981 side of the recess 985h of the rear base 985. The cover member 987 is also formed with two recesses, a first recess 987a and a second recess 987b, which are recessed side by side in the direction of gravity and have a circular shape when viewed from the front.

The first recess 987a is a portion that houses the housing portion 986b of the rear base 985 described above on the inside, and is set to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the housing portion 986b. Therefore, by housing the tip of the housing portion 986b in the first recess 987a with the magnetic body 988b housed inside the housing portion 986b as described above, it is possible to prevent the magnetic body 988b housed inside the housing portion 986b from slipping out of the housing portion 986b.

The second recess 987b has a through hole 987b1 on the bottom surface of the recess for fastening to the rear base 985. The inner shape of the recessed portion of the second recess 987b is formed to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985 described above. This allows the cover member 987 to be positioned by accommodating the second recess 987b in the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985, and in the positioned state, a screw can be fastened to the fastening hole of the protruding portion 986e through the through hole 987b1.

Next, referring to FIG. 113, the operation of the distribution section 983 when a game ball flows into the distribution unit 980 from the inlet 982d will be described. FIGS. 113(a) and 113(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the distribution unit 980 in range CXIII of FIG. 112(b). Note that, below, only the case where the action section 983a of the distribution section 983 is displaced from a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to the other side of the second passage TR2 will be described, and a description of the case where it restricts the throwing of the game ball to one side of the first passage TR1 from a state in which it restricts the throwing of the game ball to the other side of the second passage TR2 will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 113(a) and 113(b), before the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 (before the game ball abuts against the action section 983a), as described above, the magnetic body 988c arranged in the distribution section 983 repels the magnetic body 988b (see Figure 110), causing the intermediate plate 983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c to be inclined toward the second passage TR2 side. Note that the action section 983a on the second passage TR2 side abuts against the abutment section 982a1 of the front base 981, thereby restricting the amount of rotation (see Figure 113(a)).

When the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 in this state, the game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 983b and the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side. As described above, the connection position of the action section 983a with the abutment section 983d is set to the other end side in the direction of gravity (lower in the direction of gravity) than the connection position with the abutment section 983d of the intermediate plate 983b, so that the weight of the game ball can be applied to the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 113(b), the distribution portion 983 is rotated around the through hole 983c as an axis, and the intermediate plate 983b radially outward from the through hole 983c is tilted toward the first passage TR1 side. The amount of rotation is restricted by the action portion 983a on the first passage TR1 side abutting against the abutment portion 982a1 of the front base 981. In this case, the repulsive direction of the magnetic body 988c is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 983b radially outward from the through hole 983c acts toward the second passage TR2 side to a state in which the magnetic body 988c acts toward the first passage TR1 side.

The distribution unit 983 can therefore use the load of the game ball and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the through hole 983c. In addition, because the direction of the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c changes, the distribution unit 983 can maintain the rotated state. Each time a game ball is sent, the distribution unit 983 can send the game balls one by one to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 by changing the tilt direction of the intermediate plate 983b.

Next, the configuration of the passage unit 990 will be described with reference to Figures 114 to 116. Figure 114(a) is a front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 114(b) is a side view of the passage unit 990. Figure 115 is an exploded perspective front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 116 is an exploded perspective rear view of the passage unit 990.

As shown in Figures 114 to 116, the passage unit 990 is formed mainly by comprising a first passage member 991 having a plurality of openings that open on the distribution unit 980 side, a second passage member 992 arranged in the first passage member 991 and sending game balls that pass through the first passage member 991, a third passage member 993 arranged in the second passage member 992 and sending game balls that have passed through the second passage member 992, and a detection device SE4 arranged between the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993.

The first passage member 991 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in front view and has a predetermined width on the second passage member 992 side. The first passage member 991 is mainly formed with a first insertion hole 991a formed through on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) of the sorting unit 980 side, a second insertion hole 991b formed through on one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction) of the first insertion hole 991a, a third insertion hole 991c and a fourth insertion hole 991d formed through on both sides in the horizontal direction of the second insertion hole 991b, and a plurality of through holes 991f formed in a circular shape around the outer periphery in front view.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985d to be received by the first insertion hole 991a.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is connected to the outer periphery with a ring-shaped protrusion 991g having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985g to be received by the second insertion hole 991b.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

The third insertion hole 991c is formed as a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, with the width dimension in the short direction set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the third insertion hole 991c is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985b of the distribution unit 980 is connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (first passage TR1) and pass through the opening 985e to be received by the third insertion hole 991c.

The third insertion hole 991c also has recessed portions 991c1 recessed on both horizontal sides on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 991c1 are portions that house the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed with dimensions that are approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3. This allows the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 to be protected by the recessed portions 991c1, and also prevents the detection device SE3 from being improperly operated from the outside when combined with the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

Furthermore, when combining the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990, the detection substrate SE1b of the detection device SE3 disposed in the distribution unit 980 can be received inside the recessed portion 991c1 of the passage unit 990, so that the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 can be positioned. This prevents a portion of the detection device SE3 from protruding outward, and allows the overall size of the ball throwing unit 970 to be reduced.

The third insertion hole 991c has a protrusion 991c2 on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side that protrudes from the second insertion hole 991b side, and the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is formed with a downward inclination in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second insertion hole 991b. This allows the game ball that flows into the third insertion hole 991c to collide with the protrusion 991c2 and to roll in a direction away from the second insertion hole 991b (leftward in Figure 114 (a)).

The fourth insertion hole 991d is formed as a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, with the width dimension in the short direction set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the fourth insertion hole 991d is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985b of the distribution unit 980 is connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (second passage TR2) and pass through the opening 985f to be received in the fourth insertion hole 991d.

The fourth insertion hole 991d also has recessed portions 991d1 recessed on both horizontal sides on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity). The recessed portions 991d1 are portions that house the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed with dimensions that are approximately the same as the external shape of the detection device SE3. This allows the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 to be protected by the recessed portions 991d1, and also prevents the detection device SE3 from being improperly operated from the outside when combined with the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

Furthermore, the fourth insertion hole 991d has a protrusion 991c2 that protrudes from the second insertion hole 991b on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side, and the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is formed with a downward inclination in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second insertion hole 991b. This allows the game ball that flows into the fourth insertion hole 991d to collide with the protrusion 991d2 and to roll in a direction away from the second insertion hole 991b (to the right in Figure 114 (a)).

The second passage member 992 is formed in a roughly T-shaped plate that is upside down when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a fifth insertion hole 922 that penetrates to the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a sixth insertion hole 992c that penetrates to one side in the direction of gravity of the fifth insertion hole 922 (lower side in the direction of gravity), and an erected wall 992a that is erected on the inner peripheral edge of the fifth insertion hole 922.

The fifth insertion hole 922 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of a game ball. Furthermore, the fifth insertion hole 991e is formed at a position where the internal space of the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 is connected when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows a game ball passing through the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 to be received in the fifth insertion hole 922.

The erected wall 992a is erected from the entire edge of the fifth insertion hole 922 toward the third passage member 993. The erected wall 992a is also formed such that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the third passage member 993. This allows the game ball sent to the fifth insertion hole 922 to roll toward the third passage member 993 (the right side in Figure 114 (b)).

The outer peripheral surface of the standing wall 992a is formed with an engagement portion 992d that protrudes horizontally and a protruding wall 992e that protrudes horizontally from the end on the first passage member 991 side. The engagement portion 992d protrudes horizontally and is formed in an L-shape with its tip bent toward the third passage member 993 side. The wiring of the detection device SE4, which will be described later, and the detection device SE3 arranged in the distribution unit 980 are inserted between the engagement portion 992d and the standing wall 992a. This allows the wiring of the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4 to be locked, thereby preventing the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4 from slipping out of the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

The protruding walls 992e are formed to protrude in a semicircular shape when viewed from the front on both sides of the standing wall 992a in the horizontal direction, and have through holes 992e1 that penetrate the axis of the semicircle. In addition, when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined, the protruding walls 992e are formed at a position facing the annular protrusion 991g of the first passage member 991, and the through holes 992e1 are positioned coaxially with the fastening holes 991g1. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed by inserting a screw into the through hole 992e1 from the second passage member 992 side and screwing the screw into the fastening hole 991g1.

The sixth insertion hole 992c is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the sixth insertion hole 992c is formed in a position where its internal space communicates with the internal space of the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows a game ball passing through the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 to be received in the sixth insertion hole 992c.

A guide wall 992c1 is formed around the sixth insertion hole 992c, facing the third passage member 993. The guide wall 992c1 is formed of a first wall portion 992c2 that stands on one side of the sixth insertion hole 992c in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and a second wall portion 992c3 that is connected to the end of the first wall portion 992c2 in the extension direction and extends in the direction of gravity.

The first wall portion 992c2 and the second wall portion 992c3 are wall surfaces that determine the position of the detection device SE4, and the dimension between the erected wall 993e formed in the third passage member 993 and the engaging portion 993d is set to be approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing portions of the detection device SE4.

The detection device SE4 is also positioned at a position where the internal space of the detection hole SE1a is connected to the internal space of the sixth insertion hole 992c. As a result, the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c passes through the detection hole SE1a and is detected by the detection device SE4, and is sent to the third passage member 993 side.

The second passage member 992 also has a ring projection 992f that protrudes toward the third passage member 993 at a position spaced horizontally (left-right direction in FIG. 114(a)) from the sixth insertion hole 992c. The ring projection 992f has a circular fastening hole 992f1 on its axis. The fastening hole 992f1 is a hole into which a screw inserted through the third passage member 993 is screwed, thereby allowing the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed together.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985d to be received by the first insertion hole 991a.

The first insertion hole 991a is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is formed with a ring-shaped protrusion 991g connected to the outer periphery, the protrusion having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. Furthermore, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the internal space is connected to the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows game balls that flow down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and pass through the opening 985g to be received by the second insertion hole 991b.

The second insertion hole 991b is formed so that the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

The third passage member 993 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular plate shape when viewed from the front. The third passage member 993 is mainly formed with a seventh insertion hole 993a formed through at approximately the middle position in the longitudinal direction, a guide wall 993b erected from the edge of the seventh insertion hole 993a, an erect wall 993e erected from the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity towards the second passage member 992, an engagement portion 993d protruding in the longitudinal direction, and a recess 993c recessed into the side surface on the second passage member 992 side.

The seventh insertion hole 993a is formed in a square shape with one side longer than the diameter of the game ball when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the seventh insertion hole 993a is formed in a position that communicates with the internal space of the detection device SE4 disposed in the second passage member 992 when the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined. This allows a game ball that has passed through the seventh insertion hole 993a of the second passage member 992 and the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4 to be received in the seventh insertion hole 993a.

The guide wall 993b is erected from the edges of the seventh insertion hole 993a in three directions excluding the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992. The guide wall 993b is also formed such that the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined upward toward the second passage member 992 (inclined downward toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992). This allows the game ball sent to the seventh insertion hole 992g to roll toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992 (the right side in Figure 114 (b)).

As shown in FIG. 114(b), the third passage member 993 is disposed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in FIG. 114(b)) of the erected wall 992a of the second passage member 992. As described above, the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in FIG. 114(b)) of the third passage member 993 is open, so that the third passage member 993 can be disposed closer to the erected wall 992a. As a result, the opening 985d and the opening 985g of the above-mentioned sorting unit 980 can be brought closer to each other, and the external dimensions of the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 in the direction of gravity can be reduced in size.

When the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the distance dimension between the erected wall 993e and the first wall portion 992c2 of the second passage member 992 is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension on the short side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the direction of gravity.

In addition, a first wall portion 992c2 is formed on the upstream side (the second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent, which positions the detection device SE4 below in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier for the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c to be inserted into the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4.

In other words, the detection hole SE1a is formed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball in order to prevent cheating by the player, so that even a slight misalignment in the height of the rolling surface of the game ball would prevent the game ball from being inserted inside it. However, in this embodiment, a first wall portion 992c2 that positions the lower side of the detection device SE4 in the direction of gravity is formed on the upstream side (second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent, so that the height misalignment between the sixth insertion hole 992c, the detection hole SE1a, and the rolling surface can be suppressed. As a result, it becomes easier to insert a game ball that passes through the sixth insertion hole 992c into the detection hole SE1a.

The engagement portion 993d is formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the third passage member 993, and is provided at its protruding tip with a bent portion 993d1 that bends toward the second passage member 992. When the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the distance dimension between the bent portion 993d1 and the second wall portion 992c3 of the second passage member 992 is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension on the longitudinal side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the horizontal direction.

The recess 993c is formed at a position facing the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 when the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, and is formed with an inner edge shape larger than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 992f. The recess 993c also has a through hole 993c1 formed coaxially with the fastening hole 992f1 of the annular protrusion 992f on the bottom surface of the recess. This allows the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed by inserting the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 into the recess 993c and inserting a screw through the through hole 993c1 from the third passage member 993 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 992f1.

According to the ball throwing unit 970 configured as described above, the ball throwing unit 970 is formed from a unit different from the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140, and is disposed on the back side (opposite the playing area) of the front unit 940 which includes the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140. Therefore, by replacing the ball throwing unit 970 (distribution unit 980) and disposing a different unit, a different playing style can be achieved without affecting the flow of the game balls flowing down the playing area.

With reference to Figures 117 and 118, another unit (replacement unit 1980) of the sorting unit 980 will be described. Figure 117(a) is a front view of the replacement unit 1980, and Figure 117(b) is a rear view of the replacement unit 1980. Figure 118(a) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit 1980 taken along line CXVIIIa-CXVIIIa in Figure 117(a), and Figure 118(b) is a cross-sectional view of the replacement unit 1980 taken along line CXVIIIb-CXVIIIb in Figure 118(a). Note that parts that are the same as those in the sorting unit 980 described above are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 117 and 118, the replacement unit 1980 is mainly formed with a front base 1981 arranged on the playing area side and a rear base 1985 arranged on the opposite side of the front base 1981 from the playing area side.

The front base 1981 is formed from a colored translucent resin material. The front base 1981 is formed so that its external shape when viewed from the front is substantially the same as that of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980. The front base 1981 is formed mainly with a base plate 981a and a bulging portion 1982 that bulges out from the base plate 981a toward the player (the side opposite the rear base 1985).

The front base 1981 is also formed from a material whose color (yellow in this embodiment) is different from the color of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980. This makes it easier for the player to recognize whether the sorting unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is installed on the game board 13.

In other words, if a game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) with a distribution unit 980 and a game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) with a replacement unit 1980 are installed in the same store, as described below, the shape of the play area (front of the game board 13) is the same for both specifications, making it difficult for the player to determine which specification it is. However, by making the color scheme of the distribution unit 980 and the replacement unit 1980 different, it is possible to make it easier for the player to recognize which specification the game board 13 (pachinko machine 10) is.

The base plate 1981a is set so that its external shape in a front view is approximately the same as that of the base plate 981a of the sorting unit 980. Therefore, when the sorting unit 980 is replaced with the replacement unit 1980 (the specifications are changed), the front base 1981 (replacement unit 1980) can be disposed on the base plate 60 without changing the shape of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60. Therefore, there is no need to change the shape of the base plate 60 when the specifications are changed by replacing the sorting unit 980 with the replacement unit 1980, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

The bulge 1982 is formed in a dome shape that bulges out from the base plate 1981a, and is set to a size that allows a game ball to be inserted inside. The bulge 1982 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is formed with an inlet 982d that is formed by cutting out the upper end in the direction of gravity.

The horizontal width dimension of the bulge 1982 is set to a size that allows only one game ball to pass through, and the game ball flowing in from the inlet 982d can pass through its inside and flow down. In addition, the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulge 1982 is set at approximately the same position in the direction of gravity as the inner surface of one side in the direction of gravity of the opening 985d formed in the rear base 1985. This allows the game balls that flow into the replacement unit 1980 from the inlet 982d to be sent to the opening 985d in the order in which they flow into the inlet 982d.

The rear base 1985 has an outer shape in a front view that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the rear base 985 of the sorting unit 980, and is formed with an opening 985d that communicates with the internal space of the bulge 1982 and an opening 985g that communicates with the internal space of the through hole 981c.

As described above, with the replacement unit 1980 configured as above, the external shape of the base plate 1981a in a front view is substantially the same as that of the base plate 981a of the sorting unit 980, so that the sorting unit 980 can be easily replaced (the specifications can be changed) with the replacement unit 1980.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry unit with a ball entry opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter and a passage connected to the ball entry opening, and a gaming board on which the ball entry unit is arranged. With such a gaming machine, the specifications of the gaming machine can be changed while reusing (combining) the gaming board by replacing the ball entry unit with another ball entry unit (e.g., one with a different number of passages). However, in the above-mentioned gaming machine, since the ball entry unit is arranged in front of the gaming board, it was necessary to reserve a space in front of the gaming board in advance according to, for example, the maximum number of passages. Therefore, when a ball entry unit with a small number of passages is used, there was a problem that space was wasted on the front side of the gaming board.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the distribution unit 980 (ball entry unit) has an inlet 982d and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 connected to the inlet 982d, a prize winning port unit 930 arranged on the front side of the game board 13, and a passage unit 990 arranged on the back side of the prize winning port unit 930 through the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 and connected to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, it is sufficient to secure a space corresponding to the size of the prize winning port unit 930 on the front side of the game board 13, and there is no need to secure a space corresponding to the maximum number of passages on the front side of the game board. Therefore, by replacing the distribution unit 980 with the replacement unit 1980, the game board 13 (base plate 60 and front unit 940) can be reused (combined) while the space on the front side of the game board 13 can be effectively utilized when changing the specifications of the game board 13.

As described above, the front unit 940 is formed from a colorless and transparent (light-transmitting material) resin material, and the allocation unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed with an outer shape smaller than the winning port unit and is disposed in a position overlapping the front unit 940 when viewed from the front. This allows the player to see the allocation unit 980 through the front unit 940, which increases the interest of the game. In addition, in order to allow the player to see the allocation unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980, it is not necessary to form the base plate 60 from a light-transmitting material. For example, the base plate 60 can be formed from a plywood board or a sticker can be attached to the base plate 60. Alternatively, it is permissible to paint the base plate 60, which increases the freedom of design.

Furthermore, since the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed from a colored translucent (light-transmitting) resin material, the player can see the game balls flowing down the inside (passage) of the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 through the front unit 940, which increases the interest of the game.

In addition, since the front unit 940 is formed from a colorless, transparent (light-transmitting) resin material, and the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 is formed from a colored, semi-transparent (light-transmitting) resin material, the player can easily understand the positional relationship between the distribution unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980 in the front-to-back direction (overlapping direction) through the front unit 940. In other words, the player can easily see the manner in which the game balls change position in the front-to-back direction as they flow down, which increases the interest of the game.

The ball passage of the distribution unit 980 is formed with a ball sending passage TR0 that is connected to the inlet 982d, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 that branch off from the ball sending passage TR0. The distribution unit 980 is also provided with a detection device SE3 that detects game balls passing through the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, when changing from a distribution unit 980 with many ball passage paths to a replacement unit 1980 with fewer ball passage paths to manufacture a game machine with different specifications, it is possible to prevent workers from making a mistake in the number of detection devices SE3 that are installed.

In other words, in a structure in which the detection device SE3 is disposed in the passage unit 990 disposed downstream of the sorting unit 980 or the replacement unit 1980, the detection device SE3 can be disposed for the number of passages of the sorting unit 980. However, when changing from the sorting unit 980, which has two flow passages, to the replacement unit 1980, which has one flow passage, it is possible that the detection device SE3 is disposed for the number of flow passages of the sorting unit 980, even though one detection sensor is sufficient to be disposed in the passage unit 990. In contrast, in a structure in which the detection device SE3 is disposed in a passage branching from the ball throwing passage TR0, when changing the sorting unit 980 to the replacement unit 1980, the number of detection devices SE3 corresponding to the unit is disposed, which prevents the operator from mistaking the number of the devices to be disposed.

On the other hand, the detection device SE4 that detects the flow of game balls into the second winning port 140 is arranged in the passage unit 990 as described above. Therefore, the detection devices arranged in the distribution unit 980 and the exchange unit 1980 can be distributed, thereby increasing the freedom of passage arrangement.

The replacement unit 1980 is also formed with a side wall portion 981b that sends the game balls flowing in from the second winning port 140 at the same position as the distribution unit 980. Therefore, similar to the distribution unit 980, when the replacement unit 1980 is disposed in the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930), the side wall portion 981b can be used to position the replacement unit 1980. That is, regardless of the form of the replacement unit 1980, the position at which the rolling portion 943a and the side wall portion 981b are connected is the same, so by positioning the side wall portion 981b relative to the rolling portion 943a, even the replacement unit 1980 can be positioned relative to the front unit 940.

Furthermore, the positioning of the replacement unit 1980 relative to the front unit 940 is aimed at preventing misalignment (steps) at the connecting portion between the rolling portion 943a and the side wall portion 981b, just like the sorting unit 980, and since the target portion can be positioned, the occurrence of misalignment (steps) can be effectively prevented compared to when other portions are positioned. As a result, the game balls can be made to flow down smoothly.

Next, the arrangement of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described with reference to Figure 119. Figure 119 is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line CXIXa-CXIXa in Figure 81.

As shown in FIG. 119, the connection between the passages of the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 is in a state of abutment in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 119), and the convex portion formed on the ball throwing unit 970 is inserted into the protrusion formed on the front unit 940.

To explain in more detail, the first ball throwing section 942g and the inlet 982d are arranged such that the second protrusion 982d1 formed on the inlet 982d is disposed inside the first recess 942g1 formed on the first ball throwing section 942g. In addition, the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b are arranged such that the protrusion 981b1 formed on the side wall section 981b is disposed inside the second recess 942c1 formed on the second ball throwing section 942c.

The second ball sending section 942c of the front unit 940 and the side wall section 981b of the sorting unit 980 are disposed in an internal space surrounded by the arm section 962e and wall section 962f formed on the drive unit 960.

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a gaming board, a first member disposed on the front side of the gaming board and having a first passage through which a gaming ball passes, and a second member disposed on the rear side of the gaming board and having a second passage connected to the first passage of the first member. A gaming ball flows down the front side of the gaming board and into the first passage of the first member, passes through the first passage, then flows into the second passage of the second member, and passes through the second passage on the rear side of the gaming board. This changes the path through which the gaming ball passes in the front-to-rear direction, providing excitement to the player.

In this case, if there is a misalignment (step) at the connection between the first and second passages, the smooth flow of the game balls is hindered, so it is necessary to ensure the positional accuracy of the second member relative to the first member. However, the above-mentioned gaming machine has a problem in that it is difficult to position the second member relative to the first member. That is, since not only the first member but also various members such as other members with passages and decorative members are arranged on the front side of the gaming board, a positioning hole for positioning the first member can be formed in the process of forming a positioning hole in the gaming board for positioning each of these members, but in order to form a positioning hole for positioning the second member on the back side of the gaming board, a separate process of turning the gaming board over and forming a positioning hole only for the second member is required, which is not realistic.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, a pair of second guide walls 942d of the front unit 940 are inserted between the opposing protruding portions 962g of the drive unit 960. When the throwing unit 970 is disposed on the front unit 940, the side wall portion 981b of the sorting unit 970 is inserted between the opposing arm portions 962e from which the protruding portions 962g protrude.

That is, the drive unit 960 has a protrusion 962g (guide portion 962b) that engages with the second guide wall 942d of the front unit 940, and an arm portion 962e (guide portion 962b) that engages with the side wall portion 981b of the throwing unit 970. This allows the front unit 940 and the throwing unit 970 to be positioned using the guide portion 962b of the drive unit 960.

The arm 962e of the guide portion 962b is positioned outside the pair of second ball throwing portions 942c of the front unit 940 in the opposing direction. As a result, the arm 962e of the guide portion 962b engages with the second guide wall 942d of the front unit 940 at the protrusion 962g and with the side wall 981b of the ball throwing unit 970 at the arm 962e, so that the positioning of the ball throwing unit 970 relative to the front unit 940 can be effectively performed. That is, the purpose of positioning the throwing unit 970 relative to the front unit 940 is to prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring at the connection between the second throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b. The target section (the connection between the second throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b) can be directly positioned by the guide section 962b (arm section 962e), so misalignment (steps) can be effectively prevented compared to when other sections are positioned by the guide section 962b.

The drive unit 960 having the guide portion 962b is disposed in the internal space of the through hole 60a of the base plate 60 while being disposed in the front unit 940. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate opening for disposing the drive unit 960. In other words, the through hole 60a for disposing the connecting portion between the second ball sending portion 942c of the front unit 940 and the side wall portion 981b can also be used as the disposing space, which reduces the number of processing steps and reduces the product cost.

As described above, the drive unit 960 with the guide portion 962b is disposed (formed so as to be able to be held) on the front unit 940 with the second ball throwing portion 942c, so that when the front unit 940 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the front and back of the game board 13, respectively, there is no need to attach the drive unit 960 separately; by attaching the front unit 940, the drive unit 960 can be attached at the same time. This improves the ease of installation.

In addition, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, the protrusion 962g and arm 962e of the drive unit 960 engage with the second guide wall 942d and second ball throwing section 942c, respectively. Therefore, after attaching the front unit 940 and the drive unit 960 to the base plate 60, there is no need to perform a separate task of engaging the protrusion 962g and arm 962e of the drive unit 960 with the second guide wall 942d and second ball throwing section 942c, respectively. This accordingly improves the ease of installation.

Furthermore, when the drive unit 960 is disposed on the front unit 940, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 is formed so that it can engage with the throwing unit 970 from the side opposite the front unit 940. Therefore, by attaching the front unit 940 and drive unit 960 to the base plate 60 at the same time, and then attaching the drive unit 960 to the back surface of the base plate 60, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 can be engaged with the throwing unit 970 at the same time as this attachment operation. This accordingly improves the workability of the attachment work.

As described above, the wall portion 962f is connected between the pair of opposing arms 962e, and when the front unit 940 and the drive unit 960 are combined, the above-mentioned displacement member 966 is disposed between the opposing arms 962e and wall portion 962f and the rear base 941 of the front unit 940. This eliminates the need to provide a separate member for guiding the displacement of the displacement member 966. This allows the structure of the front unit 940 to be simplified, and product costs to be reduced.

In this case, the wall 962f of the guide portion 962b is disposed at a position facing the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 into which the protrusions 945b of the pair of blade members 945 are inserted, in the opening direction. Therefore, the wall 962f of the drive unit 960 blocks the opening of the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 966 from the outside, preventing dust and foreign matter from entering the sliding groove. As a result, the sliding of the protrusion 966a is prevented from being hindered by dust or foreign matter that has entered the sliding groove 966a2, and the pair of blade members can be stably opened or closed.

Next, referring to Figures 120 and 121, the connection state will be explained using the connection between the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b as a representative example. Figures 120(a) and 121(a) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the game board 13 in the range CXXa of Figure 119, and Figures 120(b) and 121(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the game board 13 along the line CXXb-CXXb of Figure 120(a). Note that Figures 121(a) and 121(b) show a state in which the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are spaced a predetermined distance from the positions shown in Figures 120(a) and 120(b).

As shown in Figures 120 and 121, the projection 981b1 and the second recess 942c1 are spaced from the rolling surface 981c1 by a distance L38 that is set to be approximately the same as the radius of the game ball.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass. However, with such a structure that connects the first passage member and the second passage member, misalignment between the two is unavoidable, and a step is formed at the connection portion between the downstream end of the first passage member and the upstream end of the second passage member, which creates the problem that the smooth flow down of game balls may be hindered.

As described above, the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are fastened and fixed to both sides of the base plate 60. Therefore, if there is an error in the thickness dimension of the base plate 60 (if the thickness is increased), the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 may become separated in the thickness direction of the base plate 60 (left and right direction in Figure 120 (a)). In that case, a gap may be formed between the second ball throwing section 942c and the side wall section 981b, which may hinder the smooth flow of the game balls.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 981b and the upstream end of the protrusion 981b1 are formed at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of these, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

That is, as shown in FIG. 121, the gap K1 of the space formed between the game ball rolling portion 943a of the second ball sending portion 942c and the game ball rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 981b, and the gap K2 of the space formed between the second recessed portion 942c1 of the second ball sending portion 942c and the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b are formed at different positions in the game ball rolling direction (left-right direction in FIG. 121 (a)). This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling from the second ball sending portion 942c to the side wall portion 981b from entering both the gap K1 and the gap K2. Therefore, the gap formed at the connecting portion of the second ball sending portion 942c and the side wall portion 981b can reduce the maximum resistance that the game ball receives. As a result, it is possible to prevent the game ball from stopping in the gap between the second ball sending portion 942c and the side wall portion 981b.

Next, referring to FIG. 122, the displacement member 8966 of the seventh embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the sliding groove 966a2 is formed in a straight line. However, the sliding groove 8966a2 of the displacement member 8966 of the seventh embodiment has recesses 8966a6 recessed toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity (upward in FIG. 122)) on both outer sides in the short direction of the displacement member 8966, and is formed in a substantially L-shape in rear view. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figure 122 is a rear view of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 8966 in the seventh embodiment. Note that Figure 122 corresponds to Figure 91. As shown in Figure 122, the displacement member 8966 in the seventh embodiment is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular plate when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed in the plate thickness direction at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the shape of the inner edge of the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 941, and when the displacement member 8966 is arranged in the front unit 940, the second winning opening 140 is arranged inside it.

The displacement member 8966 is formed with a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction (left and right direction in FIG. 122) from one end side (upper side in FIG. 122) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 122), and a bulging portion 966b that bulges from the other end side in the longitudinal direction (lower side in FIG. 122) toward the back side (near side of the paper in FIG. 122).

The protrusion 966a has a sliding groove 8966a2 formed by penetrating the displacement member 8966 in the plate thickness direction, and a contact portion 966a1 located on both outer sides of the displacement member 8966 in the short side direction and extending in the longitudinal direction.

The sliding groove 8966a2 is a hole into which the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 is inserted, and extends in the short direction of the displacement member 966. A recess 8966a6 is recessed on the outside of the short direction toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 122)).

The width dimension of the recess 8966a6 in the short direction is set to be larger than the maximum dimension between the opposing outer peripheral surfaces of the protrusion 945b. In addition, the side surface on the moving side of the protrusion 945b extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the protrusion 945b (left-right direction in FIG. 122), and the extending direction is parallel to the first surface 945b1 of the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 in the closed state.

Therefore, when the wing member 945 is in a closed state, at least a portion of the protrusion 945b can be accommodated inside the recess 8966a6, and when the wing member 945 is rotated, the first surface 945b1 can be brought into contact with the inner surface of the recess 8966a6 to restrict the displacement of the protrusion 945b.

On the other hand, when drive is transmitted from the transmission member 965 (solenoid 610) side, the displacement member 8966 is slid and displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 can be pulled out from the inside of the recess 8966a6. This causes the protrusion 945b to come into contact with the inner surface of the sliding groove 8966a2, displacing the protrusion 945b.

In other words, when the drive is transmitted from the feather member 945, the drive can be restricted from being transmitted to the transmission member 965 side, and when the drive is transmitted from the transmission member 965 side, the engagement between the protrusion 945b and the recess 8966a6 can be released, allowing the protrusion 945b to be displaced. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Furthermore, when the pair of wing members 945 are in a closed state, the displacement member 8966 is slidably displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). Also, the recess 8966a6 is recessed toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the protrusion 945b can be received in conjunction with the sliding displacement of the displacement member 8966. Therefore, the weight (own weight) of the displacement member 8966 can be utilized to easily maintain the state in which the protrusion 945b is received in the recess 8966a6.

Next, referring to FIG. 123, the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 of the eighth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 is disposed inside the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966. However, in the eighth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 protrudes from the connecting hole 966b1. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figures 123(a) and 123(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 8960 and the displacement member 966 in the eighth embodiment. Note that Figures 123(a) and 123(b) correspond to Figure 96(a). Also, Figure 123(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, while Figure 123(b) illustrates an engaged state in the middle of displacing the wing member 945 from the closed state to the open state due to unauthorized operation (forced opening) by the player.

As shown in FIG. 123, the transmission member 9965 in the eighth embodiment is bent in side view and is made up of a tip portion 9965a extending in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion 965b that is connected to the tip portion 9965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

As in the sixth embodiment, the width of the tip portion 9965a in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 9965a is also formed with an insertion portion 9965e at its tip that is inserted into the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connecting side with the rotating shaft 965c to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

The insertion portion 9965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966, and is inserted into the inside of the connecting hole 966b1 with its tip end protruding from the connecting hole 966b1. The insertion portion 9966e is also formed with an engagement portion 9965e3 that protrudes from the connecting hole 966b1 to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and a bulging portion 965e1 that bulges from the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) toward the inner surface of the connecting hole 966b1.

The engagement portion 9965e3 is formed to protrude in the displacement direction (gravity direction) of the displacement member 966, and the abutment surface 9965e4 on the side surface on the rotating shaft 965c side is formed at a position where there is a slight gap between the front surface of the displacement member 966. As a result, as shown in FIG. 123(b), when the displacement member 966 is displaced in the direction of arrow Y (the other side of the gravity direction), the front surface of the displacement member 966 and the abutment surface 9965e4 come into contact with each other, thereby restricting the displacement of the transmission member 9965.

To explain in more detail, when the displacement member 966 is displaced in the direction of the arrow Y, the abutment portion 966b2 on one side of the connecting hole 966b1 abuts against the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965, and the transmission member 9965 is rotationally displaced. In this case, the insertion portion 9965e of the transmission member 9965 is displaced in the direction of the arrow Y by the rotational displacement and is also displaced toward the rotation shaft 965c. Therefore, the displacement of the insertion portion 9965e toward the rotation shaft 965c can cause the abutment surface 9965e4 to abut against the front surface of the displacement member 966. This restricts the displacement of the transmission member 9965, and thus the displacement of the displacement member 966 in the direction of the arrow Y is also restricted.

On the other hand, when the drive is transmitted from the solenoid 610 (the connecting member 964 is displaced), the transmission member 965 rotates before the displacement member 966, thereby preventing the insertion portion 9965e from coming into contact with the displacement member 966. Therefore, the transmission member 965 can be rotationally displaced to displace the displacement member 966.

As described above, the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are connected to the displacement member 966. Therefore, when drive is transmitted from the feather member 945 side, the displacement member 966 comes into contact with the abutment surface 9965e4, restricting the rotation of the transmission member 9965. This prevents the feather member 945 from being forcibly opened from the outside.

That is, the transmission member 9965 in the eighth embodiment includes an insertion portion 9965e and an engagement portion 9965e3 that protrudes from the tip of the insertion portion 9965e. When the displacement member 966 is displaced and one side of the insertion portion 9965e abuts against the other side abutment portion 966b3 of the displacement member 966 with the feather member 945 in a closed state, the engagement portion 9965e3 engages with the displacement member 966. Therefore, when the feather member 945 is forcibly opened from the outside, the engagement portion 9965e3 can be engaged with the displacement member 966. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Next, the transmission member 10965 and the displacement member 10966 in the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 124. In the sixth embodiment, the tip of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 is only disposed inside the connecting hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966. In the ninth embodiment, however, the tip of the insertion portion 10965e of the transmission member 10965 engages with the connecting hole 10966b. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 124(a) and 124(b) are cross-sectional views of the drive unit 10960 and the displacement member 10966 in the ninth embodiment. Note that Figure 124(a) corresponds to Figure 96(a), and Figure 124(b) corresponds to Figure 96(b). Also, Figure 124(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 124(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in FIG. 124, the transmission member 10965 in the ninth embodiment is bent in side view and is formed of a tip portion 10965a that extends in the displacement direction of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610, and a rotating portion that is connected to the tip portion 10965a and extends toward the connecting member 964.

As in the sixth embodiment, the width of the tip portion 10965a in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 965c decreases as it moves away from the solenoid 610. The tip portion 10965a is also formed with an insertion portion 10965e at its tip that is inserted into a connection hole 10966b of a displacement member 10966, which will be described later, and an erection portion 965f that protrudes from the connection side with the rotating shaft 965c to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

The insertion portion 10965e is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is smaller than the inner edge shape of the connecting hole 10966b of the displacement member 10966, and is inserted and disposed inside the connecting hole 10966b. The insertion portion 10965e is also formed with an engagement portion 10965e3 that protrudes from one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and a bulging portion 964d1 that bulges from the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) toward the inner surface of the connecting hole 966b1.

The engagement portion 10965e3 is formed in a plate shape curved around the axis of the rotating shaft 965c, and is disposed inside a recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 described later when the feather member 945 is in a closed state. The displacement member 10966 also has an abutment surface 10965e4 on the side (inner surface) on the rotating shaft 965c side. The abutment surface 10966d4 is disposed opposite the abutment surface 10966dc of the displacement member 10966 described later across a predetermined gap when the feather member 945 is in a closed state.

The displacement member 10966 is formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left and right direction in FIG. 124(a)) at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The second opening 966c is formed so that the shape of the inner edge when viewed from the front is larger than the second winning opening 140 and the second ball throwing section 942c (see FIG. 88) of the rear base 941, and is positioned with the second ball throwing section 942c inserted inside. This makes it possible to prevent game balls sent to the opposite side of the play area through the second winning opening 140 from colliding with the inner edge of the displacement member 966.

In addition, the displacement member 10966 mainly comprises a protruding portion 966a that protrudes in the short direction from one longitudinal end, a bulging portion 966b that bulges out from the other longitudinal end toward the rear side, and a recessed portion 10966d recessed into the surface opposite the bulging portion 966b.

The recess 10966d is recessed to be connected to the other abutment portion 966b3 of the connecting hole 966b1, and has an abutment surface 10966d1 on the side of the bulge 966b. When the blade member 945 is closed, the abutment surface 10966d1 is curved around the axis of the rotation shaft 965c of the transmission member 10965 described above, and is disposed opposite the abutment surface 10965e4 of the transmission member 10965 with a small gap between them. The abutment surface 10966d1 also has an inclined surface 10966d2 at the end that connects to the connecting hole 966b1.

The inclined surface 10966d2 is formed so as to be inclined toward the rear side toward the one-side abutment portion 966b2. The inclined surface 10966d2 is also formed radially inward from the abutment surface 10966d1 centered on the rotation shaft 965c.

In the ninth embodiment, the distance between the other-side abutment portion 966b3 and the one-side abutment portion 966b2 of the connecting hole 966b1 is set to be larger than the width dimension L39 (see FIG. 124(a)) in the gravity direction of the insertion portion 10965e when viewed from the front with the wing member 945 closed. This prevents the abutment surface 10965e4 from being displaced toward the rear side when the transmission member 10965 is rotated, preventing the abutment surface 10965e4 and the abutment surface 10966d1 from abutting against each other and restricting the rotation of the transmission member 10965.

According to the drive unit 10960 and the displacement member 10966 configured as above, when the solenoid 610 is driven to displace the wing member 945 to the open state, the drive is transmitted from the connecting member 964 to the transmission member 10965. This causes the transmission member 10965 to rotate around the rotation shaft 965c. As described above, the abutment surface 10965e4 of the transmission member 10965 and the abutted surface 10966d1 of the displacement member 10966 are curved around the axis of the rotation shaft 965c, so that when the transmission member 10965 rotates around the rotation shaft 965c, the abutment surface 10965e4 is displaced while maintaining a slight gap between the abutment surface 10966d1 and the abutment surface 10966d1. In other words, the abutment surface 10965e4 and the abutted surface 10966d1 are displaced without interfering with each other.

As described above, the distance between the other-side abutment portion 966b3 and the one-side abutment portion 966b2 of the connecting hole 966b1 is greater than the width dimension L36 of the transmission member 10965, so that by rotating the transmission member 10965, the insertion portion 10965e arranged inside the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 can be moved to the outside of the recess 10966d. This allows the bulge portion 965e1 of the transmission member 10965 to abut against the other-side abutment portion 10966b3, thereby sliding and displacing the displacement member 10966. Therefore, the pair of wing members 945 can be displaced to the open state.

In addition, when the pair of wing members 945 are displaced from an open state to a closed state, the tip of the engagement portion 10965e3 of the transmission member 10965 is slid along the inclined surface 10966d2 formed on the abutment surface 10966d1, thereby displacing the displacement member 10966 to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and displacing the engagement portion 10965e3 inward of the recess 10966d.

On the other hand, when the pair of feather members 945 are displaced to the open state, when the drive is transmitted from the pair of feather members 945, the drive is transmitted from the displacement member 10966 to the transmission member 10965. In this case, the displacement member 10966 is slidably displaced with the engagement portion 10965e3 of the transmission member 10965 disposed inside the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966. Therefore, the transmission member 965 is rotated and displaced with the sliding displacement of the displacement member 10966, and the engagement portion 10965e3 is displaced to the rear side by the rotational displacement. Therefore, the abutment surface 10965e4 of the engagement portion 10965e3 is abutted against the abutted surface 10966d1 of the recess 10966d, and the rotational displacement of the transmission member 10965 is restricted. As a result, the feather member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

That is, the transmission member 10965 in the ninth embodiment includes an insertion portion 10965e and an engagement portion 10965e3 that protrudes from the tip of the insertion portion 10965e. When the wing member 945 is closed, one side of the insertion portion 10965e in the direction of gravity abuts against the one-side abutment portion 966b2, the engagement portion 10965e3 engages with the displacement member 10966, and when the transmission member 10965 is rotated to the other side in the direction of gravity to a position where the other side of the insertion portion 10965e in the direction of gravity (the bulging portion 965e1) abuts against the other-side abutment portion 966b3, the engagement of the engagement portion 10965e3 with the displacement member 10966 is released, so that the displacement member 10966 is prevented from sliding toward the other side in the direction of gravity without rotating the transmission member 10965. Therefore, the wing member 945 can be prevented from being forcibly removed from the outside.

On the other hand, when the transmission member 10965 is rotated to a position where the engagement portion 10965e3 comes out from the inside of the recess 10966d of the displacement member 10966 to the outside, the engagement portion 10965e3 is released from engagement with the displacement member 10966. Therefore, by further rotating the transmission member 10965 to the other side in the direction of gravity, the displacement member 10966 can be slid and displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity, and the feather member 945 can be released.

Next, the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 125 and 126. In the sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not disposed in the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment is disposed on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 125 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base 941 and the displacement member 11966 in the tenth embodiment. Figures 126(a) and 126(b) are rear views of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 11966. Note that Figure 126(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 126(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in Figures 125 and 126, the front unit 940 in the tenth embodiment has a pair of second guide walls 11942b extending in the direction of gravity on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. Also, in the tenth embodiment, the tip position of the rolling portion 943a arranged between the opposing second ball throwing portions 942c is set to be approximately the same as the protruding tip position of the second ball throwing portions 942c.

The pair of second guide walls 11942b have a first tooth surface 11942b1 of the gear tooth surface formed on the opposing side surfaces. In addition, the pair of second guide walls 11942b are set such that the separation distance between them is set to be greater than the width dimension in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 126(a)) of the displacement member 11966 described later, and the displacement member 11966 is disposed between them.

The first tooth surface 11942b1 is engaged with the first gear GY1, which is journalled on the displacement member 11966 described below. As a result, the first gear GY1, which is engaged with the first tooth surface 11942b1, can be rotated by sliding the displacement member 11966.

The displacement member 11966 is formed with a first member 11967 formed into a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a second member 11968 arranged in a displaceable state on the first member 11967, and a first gear GY1 journaled on the first member 11967 and meshed with the second member 11968.

The first member 11967 has a second opening 966c formed in the thickness direction at approximately the center when viewed from the front. The first member 11967 is also formed with a pair of sliding grooves 966a2 extending along the longitudinal direction of the displacement member 11966 on the other side (upper side) of the second opening 966c in the direction of gravity, and a support portion 11966d and a sliding protrusion 11966e protruding in an annular shape on both sides in the lateral direction of the second opening 966c.

The support portion 11966d protrudes toward the first member 11967, and its tip is inserted into the shaft hole of the first gear GY1. This allows the first gear GY1 to be supported in a rotatable state on the first member 11967.

The sliding protrusion 11966e protrudes toward the first member 11967, and its tip is inserted into the inside of the sliding groove 11968b of the second member 11968. This allows the second member 11968 to be disposed on the first member 11967.

The second member 11968 is formed of a metal material into a plate-like body that is generally gate-shaped when viewed from the front, and is provided with a second tooth surface 11968a1 of the gear tooth surface on both end surfaces in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 126(a)), a sliding groove 11968b that is formed in the shape of a long hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1 (up-down direction in FIG. 126(a)), and a blade portion 11968c that is inclined in the plate thickness direction on the end surface that extends horizontally of the inner edge formed in the gate shape.

The pair of second tooth surfaces 11968a1 are each meshed with the first gear GY1. This allows the rotation of the first gear GY1 to be transmitted from both horizontal side surfaces of the second member 11968 on which the second tooth surfaces 11968a1 are formed.

As described above, the sliding groove 11968b is formed in the shape of a long hole along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1, and the sliding protrusion 11966e of the first member 11967 is inserted into the inside. Therefore, the second member 11968 can slide relative to the first member 11967 by the amount of the gap between the sliding groove 11968b and the sliding protrusion 11966e.

Therefore, as described above, when the pair of first gears GY1 are rotationally displaced by the displacement of the first member 11967, the rotation of the first gear GY1 is transmitted from the second tooth surface 11968a1 to the second member 11968, and the second member 11968 is displaced in the extension direction of the second tooth surface 11968a1.

The blade portion 11968c is formed with a downward incline toward the first member 11967, and its lower end is positioned on the other end side in the direction of gravity than the inner surface of the other end side in the direction of gravity of the second ball sending portion 942c when the feather member 945 is closed. This allows the tip of the blade portion 11968c to be positioned on the other end side in the direction of gravity than the rolling surface of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

The protruding distance of the second ball throwing section 942c is set to a length that allows it to abut against the rear side of the second member 11968. As described above, in the tenth embodiment, the tip position of the rolling section 943a arranged between the opposing second ball throwing sections 942c is set to a position that is approximately the same as the tip position of the second ball throwing section 942c. This allows the end of the rolling surface flowing in from the second winning opening 140, the blade section, and 11968c to cut off any foreign object inserted into the inside of the second winning opening 140.

According to the displacement member 11966 configured as described above, when the feather member 945 is in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 126(a), the blade portion 11968c of the second member 11968 can be positioned lower in the direction of gravity than the tip of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c. Therefore, when the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is cut off by tampering and the protrusion 945b is forcibly opened while no drive is being transmitted from the solenoid 610 of the drive unit 960, the flow down of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 can be restricted by the displacement member 11966.

On the other hand, when the feather member 945 is in the open state, the first member 11967 of the displacement member 11966 is displaced upward by the transmission member 965, thereby displacing the second member 11968. The displacement amount of the first member 11967 is set to be greater than the radius of the game ball. As a result, the second member 11968 is set to a displacement amount twice as large as that of the first member 11967 with respect to the rear base 941 as described above, so that it can be separated from the rolling portion 943a, which is the rolling surface of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140, by a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the feather member 945 is in the open state, it is possible to allow the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 to flow down.

In other words, the second member 11968 has a blade portion that crosses the path of the game ball flowing down from the second winning opening 140 when the displacement member 11966 is slid from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and rubs against the edge of the path (the end of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c), so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140.

For example, one fraudulent act is to attach the tip of a string to a gaming ball, and then have the gaming ball enter the second winning opening 140 and pass through the rolling section 943a. When the gaming ball reaches detection device SE4 (see Figure 114) which detects its passage, the other end of the string is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to make the gaming ball go back and forth, causing detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent behavior, according to the tenth embodiment, even if the game ball described above is inserted with the feather member 945 open, the displacement member 11966 (second member 11968) is slid from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and when the blade portion 11968c crosses the passage of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball is displaced together with the blade portion 11968c and pressed against the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c, and when the blade portion 11968c rubs against the edge of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the thread can be cut between the blade portion 11968c and the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

Next, the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 127 and 128. In the sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not positioned on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment is positioned on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 127 is an exploded perspective rear view of the rear base 941 and the displacement member 12966 in the eleventh embodiment. Figures 128(a) and 128(b) are rear views of the front unit 940 and the displacement member 12966. Note that Figure 128(a) illustrates the closed state of the wing member 945, and Figure 128(b) illustrates the open state of the wing member 945.

As shown in Figures 127 and 128, the front unit 940 in the 11th embodiment has a pair of second guide walls 12942b extending in the direction of gravity on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. Also, in the 11th embodiment, the protruding distances of the second ball sending section 942c and the rolling section 943a are set short, and the protruding tip surfaces are set in a position where they abut against the front surface of the first member 12967 of the displacement member 12966 described later.

In addition, the front unit 940 has a first support portion 12942k1 and a second support portion 12942k2 that protrude toward the displacement member 12966 on both horizontal outer sides of the second winning opening 140. The first support portion 12942k1 and the second support portion 12942k2 are inserted through the shafts of the first gear GY1 and the second gear GY2, respectively, to support the first gear GY1 and the second gear GY2.

Abutment portions 12942b2 are provided on the opposing side surfaces of the pair of second guide walls 12942b, protruding in the opposing direction from one end side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). The distance between the opposing pair of abutment portions 12942b2 is set to be slightly larger than the width dimension in the short direction of the first member 12967 described below. This allows the first member 12967 to be disposed between the opposing pair of abutment portions 12942b2, and also allows the sliding displacement of the first member 12967 to be guided.

The displacement member 12966 is mainly composed of a first member 12967 formed from a vertically elongated rectangular plate-like body when viewed from the front, a second member 12968 arranged in a displaceable state on the first member 12967, a first gear GY1 journaled on the rear base 941 and meshed with the first member 12967, and a second gear GY2 journaled on the rear base 941 and meshed with the second member 12968.

The first gear GY1 is a gear with a toothed surface on its outer circumferential surface, and as described above, is journaled on the first support portion 12942k1 of the rear base 941, and its toothed surface meshes with the first member 12967 and the second gear GY2.

The second gear GY2 is a multi-stage gear consisting of two stages of gears of different sizes, and is formed with a small diameter gear GY2a on the small diameter side and a large diameter gear GY2b on the large diameter side. As described above, the second gear GY2 is journaled on the second support portion 12942k2 of the rear base 941, and the tooth surface of the small diameter gear GY2a meshes with the first gear GY1, and the tooth surface of the large diameter gear GY2b meshes with the second member 12968.

The first member 12967 is made of a metal material, and a second opening 12966c is formed in the thickness direction at a substantially central position when viewed from the front. The first member 12967 is also formed with a pair of sliding grooves 966a2 extending along the short side of the first member 12967 on the other side of the second opening 12966c in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), sliding protrusions 12966e protruding in an annular shape on both sides in the short side direction sandwiching the second opening 12966c, and third tooth surfaces 12966f of the gear tooth surface on both sides extending in the longitudinal direction.

The second opening 12966c has an inner edge shape in a front view that is larger than the inner edge shape of the second winning hole 140 of the rear base 941 described above. In addition, the second opening 12966c has a second blade portion 12966c2 on the inner surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity).

The second blade portion 12966c2 is formed with a downward incline from the rear base 941 side toward the second member 12968 side described later. When the pair of feather members 945 are closed, the second blade portion 12966c2 is disposed on the rolling path of the game ball flowing into the second winning opening 140, and when the pair of feather members 945 are open, the second blade portion 12966c2 is disposed outside the rolling path of the game ball flowing into the second winning opening 140.

The sliding protrusion 12966e protrudes toward the second member 12968, and its tip is inserted into the inside of the sliding groove 12968b of the second member 12968. This allows the second member 12968 to be disposed on the first member 12967.

The pair of third tooth surfaces 12966f are each meshed with the first gear GY1. As a result, the first member 12967 of the first gear GY1 is slidably displaced in accordance with the rotational displacement of the transmission member 965, thereby rotating the first gear GY1. As described above, the small diameter gear GY2a of the second gear GY2 is meshed with the first gear GY1, thereby rotating the second gear GY2.

The second member 12968 is made of a metal material and is formed into a plate-like body that is approximately H-shaped when viewed from the front, and is arranged with a pair of extension parts facing the direction of gravity (vertical direction in FIG. 128(a)). The second member 12968 is also formed with a second tooth surface 12968a of the gear tooth surface on the outer side of the opposing direction of the pair of extension parts, a sliding groove 12968b formed in the shape of a long hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 12968a (vertical direction in FIG. 128(a)), and a blade portion 6683 on the end surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the connecting portion that connects the pair of extension parts.

As described above, the sliding groove 12968b is formed in an elongated hole shape along the extension direction of the second tooth surface 12968a, and the sliding protrusion 12966e of the first member 12967 is inserted inside the sliding groove 12968b. Therefore, the second member 12968 can slide and displace in the direction of gravity relative to the first member 12967 by the gap between the sliding groove 12968b and the sliding protrusion 12966e.

The pair of second tooth surfaces 12968a are meshed with the large diameter gear GY2b of the second gear GY2. Thus, when the second gear GY2 is rotated, the second member 12968 is slidably displaced. As described above, the second gear GY2 is rotated by the first member 12967 being slidably displaced by the transmission member 965. Thus, the second member 12968 can be displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the first member 12967.

The first member 12967 and the second member 12968 are set to have opposite sliding displacement directions, and the amount of displacement of the second member 12968 is set to be larger by the amount that passes through the small-diameter second gear GY2.

The blade portion 6683 is formed with an upward incline toward the first member 12967, and its upper end is positioned on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the second ball sending portion 942c when the feather member 945 is closed. In other words, the second member 12968 is positioned so that the blade portion 6683 overlaps with the first member 12967 when viewed from the front with the feather member 945 closed.

Therefore, when the pair of blade members 945 are displaced from the open position to the closed position, the first member 12967 and the second member 12968 (displacement member 12966) are provided with the second blade portion 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683 that cross the rolling path of the game ball of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c and rub against each other's edges, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the path from the second winning opening 140.

For example, there is a fraudulent act of gluing the tip of a thread to a game ball, causing the game ball to enter through the second winning opening 140 and pass through the game ball rolling path of the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c, and when the game ball reaches the detection position of the detection device SE4, operating (releasing and pulling) the other end of the thread to move the game ball back and forth, thereby causing the detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such a fraudulent act, according to the present invention, even if the game ball described above enters with the pair of feather members 945 open, the pair of feather members 945 are displaced from the open position to the closed position, and when the second blade portion 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683 cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread whose tip is glued to the game ball can be sandwiched and cut between the pair of second blade portions 12966c2 and the blade portion 6683. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent act can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the feather members 945 are open, the blade portion 6683 of the second member 12968 is positioned on the other side of the direction of gravity than the rolling surface (rolling portion 943a) of the game ball that has entered the second winning opening 140. As described above, when the feather members 945 are open, the second blade portion 12966c2 of the first member 12967 is positioned outside the rolling path of the game ball that flows into the second winning opening 140. Therefore, when the pair of feather members 945 are open, the game ball that flows into the second winning opening 140 can pass between the blade portion 6683 and the second blade portion 966c2.

In addition, in the eleventh embodiment, the first member 12967 and the second member 12968 can block the rolling path of the game balls entering the second winning opening 140, so the displacement distance of the second member 12968 can be made smaller than that of the second member 11968 in the tenth embodiment. As a result, the rolling path of the game balls entering the second winning opening 140 can be closed in a short time, and the game balls entering at the time when the pair of wing members 945 are closed can be prevented from flowing into the rolling path.

Next, the drive unit 13960 in the 12th embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 129. In the above-mentioned sixth embodiment, the transmission of drive from the solenoid 610 to the feather member 945 is performed via three members, the connecting member 964, the transmission member 965, and the displacement member 966. However, in the 12th embodiment, the transmission of drive from the solenoid 610 to the feather member 945 is performed via one member. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figure 129(a) is a rear view of the front unit 940 in the twelfth embodiment, and Figure 129(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along the line CXXIXb-CXXIXb in Figure 129(a). In Figure 129(b), only the outline of the specific winning port unit 950 is shown in dashed lines to facilitate understanding. In the twelfth embodiment, when the shaft portion 961b is retracted into the main body portion 961a, the pair of feather members 945 are in a closed state, and when the shaft portion 961b protrudes from the main body portion 961a, the pair of feather members 945 are in an open state.

As shown in FIG. 129, the drive unit 13960 in the 12th embodiment is disposed on the rear side (right side in FIG. 129(b)) of the specific winning port unit 950, and is disposed with the axis of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 facing the direction of gravity (up and down in FIG. 129(b)). In addition, a transmission member 13965 is connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610.

The transmission member 13965 is formed with a base 7658 extending from the solenoid 610 side toward the front unit 940 side, and an engagement portion 13965j erected from the end of the base 7658 on the front unit 940 side toward the protrusion 945b side of the blade member 945.

The annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is connected to the end of the base 7658 opposite the engagement portion 13965j side. This allows the transmission member 13965 to be slidably displaced by driving the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 in its axial direction.

The engaging portion 13965j is formed at a position where it overlaps with the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 129(a)) in a rear view (or a front view). In addition, the erecting dimension of the engaging portion 13965j is set to a length that exceeds the length of the protrusions 945b of the wing members 945, and it is in a state where it overlaps with the protrusions 945b in a front view.

The engaging portion 13965j has a support portion 13965j1 that is generally C-shaped in side view protruding from its upright tip. The supporting portion 13965j1 has a dimension between the opposing sides of the opening that is set to be larger than the maximum dimension of the outer shape of the protrusion 945b. The width dimension of the supporting portion 13965j1 in the opposing direction of the pair of engaging portions 13965j (left and right direction in FIG. 129(a)) is set to be larger than the displacement distance of the protrusion 945b. Therefore, the protrusion 945b can be disposed inside the opening of the supporting portion 13965j1.

Therefore, as described above, when the connecting portion 10965h is slid and displaced in the direction of gravity, the engaging portion 9965j is slid and displaced in the direction of gravity, and the protrusion 945b is displaced in conjunction with this displacement. By displacing the protrusion 945b, the wing member 945 can be displaced to the open state.

According to the drive unit 13960 configured as described above, the drive unit 13960 that drives the pair of feather members 945 and the drive unit 957 that drives the plate member 951 are disposed on the rear side of the plate member 951, so that space can be formed on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning opening 140). In other words, by concentrating the arrangement space of the drive unit 13960 and the drive unit 957 on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945, space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the pair of feather members 945 (second winning opening 140), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

Next, the displacement member 14966 in the thirteenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 130 and 131. In the sixth embodiment, the inner edge shape of the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 966 is slightly larger than the outer shape of the insertion portion 965e of the transmission member 965 in a front view. In the thirteenth embodiment, however, the inner edge shape of the connection hole 966b1 of the displacement member 14966 is sufficiently larger than the outer shape of the transmission member 965. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

Figures 130(a) and 131(a) are rear views of the winning port unit 930 in the thirteenth embodiment. Figure 130(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXb-CXXXb in Figure 130(a), and Figure 131(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXIb-CXXXIb in Figure 131(a).

In addition, in Figures 130(a) and 131(a), the outer shape of the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated by a dashed line. Also, in Figures 130(a) and 130(b), the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated in a closed state, and in Figures 131(a) and 131(b), the pair of feather members 945 is illustrated in an open state when the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are cut off. Furthermore, in the thirteenth embodiment, the specific winning opening 65a is formed at a position farther away from the second winning opening 140 than in the sixth embodiment.

As shown in Figures 130(a) and 130(b), the displacement member 14966 in the thirteenth embodiment is formed in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular plate when viewed from the front, and a second opening 966c is formed at the approximate center when viewed from the front, penetrating the plate in the thickness direction (left-right direction in Figure 130(b)).

The displacement member 14966 has a protruding portion 966a that protrudes from one end (upper side in FIG. 130(a)) in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 130(a)) in the lateral direction (left and right direction in FIG. 130(a)), and a bulging portion 14966b that bulges from the other end (lower side in FIG. 130(b)) in the longitudinal direction toward the rear side (toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85)).

The bulging portion 14966b is formed to bulge out toward the rear side (the rear base 941 side), and a horizontally long rectangular connecting hole 14966b1 is formed in the inner portion in rear view. The connecting hole 14966b1 is an opening into which the tip (insertion portion 965e) of the transmission member 965 of the drive unit 960 described later is inserted, and the shape of the inner edge is set to be larger than the outer shape of the tip of the transmission member 965.

The connecting hole 14966b1 has an inner edge with a substantially square shape when viewed from the front, and includes a one-side abutment portion 966b2 on the inner circumferential surface on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity (upper side in Figure 130(a))) and a other-side abutment portion 966b3 on the inner circumferential surface on the one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity (lower side in Figure 90(a))).

The connecting hole 14966b1 is formed so that the separation distance L40 between the opposing sides in the direction of gravity (from the other-side abutted portion 966b3 to the one-side abutted portion 14966b2) is sufficiently larger than the width dimension L41 in the direction of gravity of the insertion portion 965e, and when the pair of wing members 945 is in the closed state, the insertion portion 965e abuts against the other-side abutted portion 966b3.

The connecting hole 14966b1 is set so that the distance L40 between the opposing sides in the direction of gravity (from the other-side abutment portion 966b3 to the one-side abutment portion 14966b2) minus the width dimension L41 in the direction of gravity of the insertion portion 965e is greater than the distance L42 from the end face 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the inner edge of the second opening 966c of the displacement member 14966 minus the diameter of the game ball (L40-L41)>(L42-diameter of the game ball). As a result, when the displacement member 14966 falls to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), the edge of the displacement member 14966 can block the rolling path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

Next, referring to Figures 131(a) and 131(b), a case where the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 are cut will be described. As described above, the separation distance L40 of the connecting hole 14966b1 is formed sufficiently larger than the width dimension L41 of the insertion portion 965e in the direction of gravity, and when the pair of wing members 945 are in the closed state, the insertion portion 965e abuts against the other side abutment portion 966b3. Therefore, as shown in Figures 131(a) and 131(b), when the protrusions 945b of the pair of wing members 945 are cut, the displacement member 14966 falls freely to one side in the direction of gravity by the amount of the gap between the one side abutment portion 966b2 and the insertion portion 965e.

As described above, the dimension of the connecting hole 14966b1 obtained by subtracting the width dimension L41 from the separation distance L40 is set to be greater than the dimension obtained by subtracting the diameter of the game ball from the separation distance L42, (L40 - L41) > (L42 - diameter of the game ball). Therefore, when the displacement member 14966 falls freely, the edge of the displacement member 14966 can block the rolling path of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140.

In other words, in the thirteenth embodiment, when the pair of feather members 945 are not connected to the sliding groove 966a2 of the displacement member 14966 (as shown in Figures 131(a) and 131(b)), a part of the displacement member 14966 is positioned in the passage of the game ball flowing in from the second winning opening 140. Therefore, even if the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 is cut to forcibly open the feather member 945 from the outside, the flow of the game ball entering from the second winning opening 140 can be restricted by the displacement member 14966.

Next, the drive unit 15960 in the fourteenth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 132 and 133. In the sixth embodiment, the arm 962e of the drive unit 960 is positioned on the outside of the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980, but in the fourteenth embodiment, the second arm 15962j is positioned on the inside of the side wall 981b. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 132(a) is a side view of the drive unit 15960 in the fourteenth embodiment, Figure 132(b) is a top view of the drive unit 15960, and Figure 132(c) is a perspective front view of the drive unit 15960. Figure 133(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13, and Figure 133(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line CXXXIIIb-CXXXIIIb in Figure 133(a). Note that Figure 133(a) corresponds to Figure 120(a).

First, referring to FIG. 132, the drive unit 15960 in the 14th embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 132, the drive unit 15960 in the 14th embodiment is formed in a box shape and is mainly provided with a first storage section 15962 and a second storage section 963 arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 arranged in the space between the first storage section 15962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 supported by the first storage section 15962 and the second storage section 963 and connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 15962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 132(a)) and a guide portion 15962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The drive unit 15960 is mainly comprised of a first storage section 962 and a second storage section 963 that are formed in a box shape and arranged opposite each other, a solenoid 610 that is arranged in the space between the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963, a connecting member 964 that is connected to the solenoid 610, and a transmission member 965 that is journaled on the first storage section 962 and the second storage section 963 and is connected to the connecting member 964.

The first housing portion 962 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and includes a covering portion 962a that covers one side of the solenoid 610 (upper side in FIG. 93(a)) and a guide portion 15962b that protrudes from the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85).

The guide portion 15962b is mainly formed with a pair of arms 15962e formed in a roughly L-shape in side view, a wall portion 962f connected to the pair of arms 15962e and formed in a gate shape in front view, a protruding portion 962g protruding from the wall portion 962f on the side opposite the covering portion 962a (the rear base 941 side (see FIG. 125)), a second arm 15962j located on the other side of the pair of arms 15962e in the direction of gravity and protruding from the wall portion 962f, and a third arm 15962h protruding on the opposite side of the second arm 15962j across the wall portion 962f.

The arm 15962e protrudes from each of the opposing wall surfaces of the covering portion 962a toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) and is formed in a generally L-shape in a side view with the protruding tip bent toward the other side in the direction of gravity (the side opposite the solenoid 610). In addition, the protruding position of the arm 15962e in the direction of gravity is set below the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980 when the drive unit 15960 and the sorting unit 970 are combined.

The second arm 15962j is connected to the inner edge of the wall 962f, and the distance dimension L43 between the pair of opposing arms is set smaller than the width dimension between the pair of opposing arms 962e and larger than the diameter of the game ball. The distance dimension of the second arm 15962j in the gravity direction is set smaller than the dimension between the opposing sides of the side wall 981b of the sorting unit 980 in the gravity direction, and the second arm 15962j is inserted inside the side wall 981b when the drive unit 15960 and the sorting unit 980 are combined.

The pair of second arms 15962j are set so that the outer distance dimension in the opposing direction is approximately the same as the distance dimension between the opposing side walls 981b in the horizontal direction. This allows the distribution unit 980 (ball throwing unit 970) to be positioned in the winning port unit 930 by placing the second arms 15962j inside the side walls 981b.

The distance dimension between the opposing third arms 15962h is set to be approximately the same as the distance dimension between the opposing arms 15962e. In addition, the third arm 15962h is formed with a protrusion 15962h1 that is connected to the end of the second arm 15962j on the rear base 941 side.

The protruding portion 15962h1 is set such that the protruding distance from the end of the second arm portion 15962j toward the rear base 941 (see FIG. 85) is set to be approximately the same as the recessed dimension of the second recess 942c1. In addition, the protruding portion 15962h1 is formed at a position corresponding to the second recess 942c1 when the front unit 940 and the drive unit 15960 are combined, and is positioned inside the second recess 942c1.

As a result, the upstream end of the protrusion 15962h1 and the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall 981b are formed at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of both, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Therefore, in the 14th embodiment, the drive unit 15960 can be used to position both the front unit 940 and the distribution unit 980, and also becomes part of the passage path for the game balls that flow in from the second winning opening 140. Therefore, the distribution unit 980 side can also more easily tolerate dimensional effects or installation tolerances.

Next, referring to FIG. 134(a), the side wall portion 16981b of the sorting unit 980 and the second ball throwing portion 16942c of the winning port unit 930 in the fifteenth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment described above, the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b is positioned inside the second recess 942c1 of the second ball throwing portion 942c, but in the fifteenth embodiment, the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball throwing portion 16942c is positioned inside the recess 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b. The same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 134(a) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 in the 15th embodiment. Note that Figure 134(a) corresponds to Figure 120(a). As shown in Figure 134(a), the side wall portion 16981b of the sorting unit 980 in the 15th embodiment is formed to a dimension such that the erected tip surface abuts against the tip of the second ball throwing portion 16942c of the winning port unit 930 when the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the base plate.

The side wall portion 16981b also has a recessed portion 16981b2 recessed into the upright tip surface toward the upright base end. The recessed portion 16981b2 is formed at a position radially spaced apart from the rolling surface 981c1 in the direction of gravity, and its recessed shape in side view is set to be substantially the same as the side view shape of the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball sending portion 16942c described below.

This makes it difficult for the game ball to get caught between the rolling part 943a and the through hole 981c when the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c. A detailed explanation of the case where the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling part 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c will be given later.

The recess 16981b2 is recessed in a generally trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side, and the inner surface of the upright base end of the side wall 16981b is formed with a downward inclination along the rolling direction of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball rolling on the rolling surface of the through hole 981c from bouncing upward at the changeover portion of the rolling path of the game ball.

In other words, in the fifteenth embodiment, the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2 is formed with a downward inclination along the passing direction of the game ball, so that the game ball that collides with the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2 can be pressed against the rolling surface 981c1 (bottom surface). This prevents the game ball from bouncing up and bouncing off the recessed tip surface of the recessed portion 16981b2. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly.

The protrusion 16942c2 is formed to protrude from the protruding tip surface of the second ball sending section 16942c, and its outer shape in a side view is set to be approximately the same as the recessed portion 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b. This makes it possible to prevent a game ball rolling on the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a of the winning opening unit 930 from being caught inside the recessed portion 16981b2 of the sorting unit 980 when the game ball is sent to the rolling surface 981c1 of the sorting unit 980. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly from the rolling portion 943a of the winning opening unit 930 to the rolling surface 981c1 of the sorting unit 980.

In addition, in the fifteenth embodiment, the recess 16981b2 of the side wall portion 16981b and the upstream end of the rolling surface 981c1 are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game ball, so that the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the bottom surface side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes through the step on the side surface side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface side, and distributes the effects of these, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Furthermore, according to the fifteenth embodiment, a recess 16981b2 is formed downstream in the rolling direction of the game ball, and a protrusion 16942c2 is formed upstream, so that the downstream end of the side surface of the second ball sending section 942c and the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling section 943a can be brought close to the upstream end of the side surface and the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall section 16981b. That is, when the upstream end of the side surface of the second ball sending section 942c is formed at a different position downstream in the passing direction of the game ball from the upstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling section 943a, the protrusion 16942c2 of the second ball sending section 942c can guide the game ball until it reaches the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall section 16981b. Therefore, the game ball can be smoothly flowed down (passed through).

On the other hand, the protrusion 16942c2 has a relatively low rigidity and may break. However, according to the fifteenth embodiment, the protrusion 16942c2 is formed on the upstream side of the direction in which the game ball passes. Therefore, even if the protrusion 16942c2 breaks, the bottom upstream end of the side wall portion 16981b and the side upstream end can be maintained at different positions in the direction in which the game ball passes, and the timing at which the game ball passes the step on the bottom side can be made to differ from the timing at which the game ball passes the step on the side side. This prevents the game ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes the effects of both, allowing the game ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

In addition, since the protrusion 16942c2 is formed on the winning port unit 930 side and the recessed portion 16981b2 is formed on the sorting unit 980 side, the side of the recessed portion 16981b2 abuts against the protrusion 16942c2, and the positional deviation of the sorting unit 980 in the direction of gravity relative to the rolling portion 943a can be restricted. That is, in a step where the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall portion 16981b is higher than the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling portion 943a, the game ball is likely to be bounced up when it runs up. Compared to the reverse step, it is more likely to hinder the smooth flow (passage) of the game ball. Therefore, being able to restrict the upstream end of the bottom surface of the side wall portion 16981b from being shifted upward in the direction of gravity relative to the downstream end of the bottom surface of the rolling portion 943a is particularly effective in preventing the game ball from flowing down smoothly.

Next, referring to FIG. 134(b), the side wall portion 17981b of the sorting unit 980 and the second ball throwing portion 17942c of the winning port unit 930 in the 16th embodiment will be described. In the above sixth embodiment, the protrusion 981b1 of the side wall portion 981b and the end of the second recess 942c1 of the second ball throwing portion 942c are formed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the rolling direction of the game ball in a side view. However, in the 16th embodiment, the end of the second ball throwing portion 17942c and the end of the side wall portion 17981b are formed at an angle in a side view. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same symbols and their description will be omitted.

Figure 134(b) is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 in the 16th embodiment. Note that Figure 134(b) corresponds to Figure 120(a). As shown in Figure 134(b), the side wall portion 17981b of the sorting unit 980 in the 16th embodiment has a tip surface 17981b3 at its upright tip that is inclined downward from the base end side toward the tip side. In other words, the tip surface 17981b3 is inclined upward along the rolling direction of the game ball on the rolling surface 981c1 of the side wall portion 17981b.

On the other hand, the second ball sending section 17942c of the winning opening unit 930 has a tip end surface 17942c3 of its protruding tip surface formed with an upward inclination along the rolling direction of the game ball of the rolling section 943a. In addition, when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate, the tip end surface 17942c3 of the second ball sending section 17942c is disposed in a state that is approximately parallel to the tip end surface 17981b3 of the protruding tip of the above-mentioned side wall section 17981b.

Therefore, since the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b (tip surface 17981b3) can be inclined with respect to the passing direction of the game ball, compared to the case where the upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the game ball (sixth embodiment), the game ball that collides with the upper end surface of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b can slide along the incline and is less likely to be bounced back. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game ball to pass (flow down) smoothly.

In addition, since the entire upstream end of the side surface of the side wall portion 17981b (tip surface 17981b3) is formed at an incline, the occurrence of stress concentration can be suppressed and the durability of the side wall portion 17981b can be ensured, compared to the case where the side wall portion 17981b is formed into a shape having a recessed portion 16981b2, for example, as in the fifteenth embodiment. In addition, when the side wall portion 17981b is formed from a resin material, the shape change of the cavity (hollow portion) of the injection molding die can be made gentle, so that air trapping (air entrapment) and filling defects can be suppressed, improving moldability.

Next, the displacement member 18966 in the 17th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 135 to 137. In the above-mentioned sixth embodiment, the displacement member 966 is not positioned on the rolling path of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140, but the displacement member 18966 in the 18th embodiment is positioned on the rolling path of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 135(a), 136(a) and 137(a) are schematic diagrams of the winning port unit 930 in the seventeenth embodiment as viewed from the back, and Figure 135(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVb-CXXXVb in Figure 135(a). Figure 136(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIb-CXXXVIb in Figure 136(a). Figure 137(b) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the winning port unit 930 taken along line CXXXVIIb-CXXXVIIb in Figure 137(a).

In addition, FIG. 135 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in a closed state, FIG. 136 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in an open state, and FIG. 137 illustrates the pair of feather members 945 in a forcibly opened state. Also, in FIG. 135(a), FIG. 136(a) and FIG. 137(a), only the pair of feather members 945, the displacement member 18966 and the second winning opening 140 are illustrated. In FIG. 135(b), FIG. 136(b) and FIG. 137(b), only the pair of feather members 945, the rear base 941, the front base 943, the displacement member 18966, the transmission member 19958 and the solenoid 961 are illustrated in a schematic manner.

As shown in FIG. 135, the displacement member 18966 in the seventeenth embodiment is formed with an outer shape larger in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 135(a)) than the displacement member 966 in the sixth embodiment. The sliding groove 18966a of the displacement member 18966 is formed in a shape that is bent into a substantially L-shape when viewed from the rear, and includes a non-transmitting portion 18966a6 that extends in the direction of gravity, and a transmitting portion 18966a7 that is bent and extends from the lower end of the non-transmitting portion 18966a6 in the direction of gravity toward the center in the left-right direction.

In addition, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, the displacement member 18966 is arranged so that the through hole 966c1 is located lower in the direction of gravity than the second winning opening 140. As a result, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, it is possible to restrict a game ball passing through the second winning opening 140 from flowing from the rolling portion 943a into the through hole 981c of the ball sending unit 970.

The displacement member 18966 further includes a blade portion 1896g that is inclined toward the front side as it approaches downward on the inner peripheral edge on the upper side in the direction of gravity of the through hole 966c1. The front side of the blade portion 1896g abuts against the protruding tip portion of the rolling portion 943a and the protruding tip portion of the second ball throwing portion 942c. In other words, when the pair of wing members 945 are in a closed state in rear view, the blade portion 1896g is positioned so as to overlap with the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c.

In addition, the transmission member 18958 in the 17th embodiment has a larger rotation range on the tip end 965a side when the solenoid 961 is driven, compared to the first embodiment. In other words, the displacement dimension in the direction of gravity on the tip end 965a side is set to be larger, and this displacement dimension is set to be larger than the opening dimension in the direction of gravity of the second winning opening 140.

As shown in FIG. 136, when the solenoid 961 is actuated, the blade portion 1896g can be positioned above the second winning hole 140, and the opening of the second winning hole 140 can be positioned inside the through hole 966c1 of the displacement member 18966 when viewed from behind.

In addition, the displacement member 18966 is displaced in the direction of gravity due to the displacement of the transmission member 18958, so that the protrusion 945b slides inside the sliding groove 18966a. The protrusion 945b slides inside the sliding groove 18966a first inside the non-transmission part 18966a6, and then inside the transmission part 18966a7. In this case, since the extension direction of the non-transmission part 18966 and the displacement direction of the displacement member 18966 are set to be approximately the same, when the protrusion 945b slides on the non-transmission part 18966a6, it slides inside the non-transmission part 18966a6 without changing its position relative to the back base 942. On the other hand, when the protrusion 945b slides on the transmission part 18966a7, it is pushed out by the inner peripheral edge of the transmission part 18966a7 and displaced (rotated). This causes the pair of wing members 945 to shift to an open state.

Therefore, when the pair of blade members are in an open state, a game ball passing through the second winning opening 140 can be allowed to flow from the rolling portion 943a into the through hole 981c of the ball sending unit 970.

On the other hand, when the pair of feather members 945 are changed from an open state to a closed state, the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 slides on the transmission part 18966a7, causing the feather member 945 to rotate. In this case, as described above, the blade part 18966g of the displacement member 18966 is positioned lower in the direction of gravity than the inner periphery of the second winning opening 140, and the front side surface abuts against the protruding tip of the rolling part 943a and the protruding tip of the second ball sending part 942c. As a result of the movement of displacing downward in the direction of gravity, the force-applied object inserted on the rolling path of the game ball from the second winning opening 140 can be cut between the blade part 18966g and the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c.

In other words, when the displacement member 18966 is slid from a position that opens the pair of wing members 945 to a position that closes them, the displacement member 18966 crosses the path of the game ball flowing down from the second winning opening 140 and is equipped with a blade portion 18966g that rubs against the edge of the path (the end of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball sending portion 942c), so that it is possible to cut off a force-applying object that has been illegally inserted from the second winning opening 140 into the path through which the game ball flows.

For example, one fraudulent act is to attach the tip of a string to a gaming ball, and then have the gaming ball enter the second winning opening 140 and pass through the rolling portion 943a. When the gaming ball reaches detection device SE4 (see Figure 114) which detects its passage, the other end of the string is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to make the gaming ball go back and forth, causing detection device SE4 to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent behavior, according to the seventeenth embodiment, even if the game ball described above is entered with the feather member 945 open, the displacement member 18966 slides from the position that opens the feather member 945 to the position that closes it, and when the blade portion 18966g crosses the passage of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball is displaced together with the blade portion 18966g and pressed against the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c, and when the 18966g rubs against the edge of the rolling portion 943a and the second ball throwing portion 942c, the thread can be cut between the 18966g and the edge of the rolling portion 943a or the second ball throwing portion 942c. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 137, if the protrusions 945b of the pair of feather members 945 are cut (broken) due to a player's fraudulent behavior, the through hole 966c1 of the displacement member 18966 is positioned below the second winning opening 140 in the direction of gravity. This allows the displacement member 18966 to restrict the flow of the game ball entering through the second winning opening 140 when the player forcibly opens the pair of feather members 945.

In this case, the transmission member 18965 is biased by the coil spring SP1 (see FIG. 94) of the solenoid 961 in a direction in which the tip 18965a side is displaced downward in the direction of gravity. In other words, the displacement member 18966 is biased in a direction in which it blocks the second winning opening 140. Therefore, if the pair of feather members 945 are forcibly opened due to the player's fraudulent behavior, the displacement member 18966 can be prevented from being forcibly opened in the same way. As a result, the player's fraudulent behavior can be prevented.

Next, the winning port unit 19930 in the 18th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 138 to 162. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is farther from you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

First, referring to FIG. 138, the winning port unit 19930 arranged on the base plate 19060 of the game board 13 in the 18th embodiment will be described. FIG. 138 is an exploded perspective front view of the game board 13 in the 18th embodiment. Note that units other than the winning port unit 19930 arranged on the base plate 19060 (such as the center frame 86 (see FIG. 81)) are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 138, a through hole 19060a is formed by router processing on the base plate 19060 on the lower side (lower side in FIG. 138) of the center opening to which the center frame 86 (see FIG. 81) is attached, the through hole 19060a penetrating the thickness direction of the base plate 19060.

The through hole 19060a is formed slightly smaller than the outer shape of the front unit 19940, described below, when viewed from the front.

On the base plate 19060, a front unit 19940 (described later) is arranged from the front (front) side, and a distribution unit 19980 and a passage unit 19990 (described later) are arranged from the rear (back) side, and the front unit 19940, distribution unit 19980, and passage unit 19990 are fastened and fixed with tapping screws or the like.

Next, the overall configuration of the winning port unit 19930 will be described with reference to Figures 139 to 142. Figure 139(a) is a front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 139(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 19930. Figure 140(a) is a perspective front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 140(b) is a perspective rear view of the winning port unit 19930. Figure 141 is an exploded perspective front view of the winning port unit 19930, and Figure 142 is an exploded perspective rear view of the winning port unit 19930.

As shown in Figures 139 to 142, the winning slot unit 19930 is mainly formed with a front unit 19940, a distribution unit 19980 arranged on the rear side of the front unit 19940 (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b)), and a passage unit 19990 arranged on the rear side of the front unit 19940, on one side of the distribution unit 19980 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity).

The front unit 19940 is formed so that its outer shape in a front view is larger than the through hole 19060a (see FIG. 138) of the base plate 19060. Therefore, by disposing the front unit 19940 on the base plate 19060, the opening of the through hole 19060a can be blocked. This makes it possible to prevent game balls flowing down the front side of the game board 13 from passing through the through hole 19060a from spaces other than the game ball passage path (first winning hole 64, second winning hole 140) formed in the front unit 19940.

The distribution unit 19980 has an opening U8 that is connected to the first winning opening 64 of the front unit 19940, which will be described later, and can receive game balls sent from the opening U8 through the first winning opening 64 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b)) (see Figure 138). A detailed explanation of the distribution unit 19980 will be given later.

The passage unit 19990 can receive balls sent from an opening U9 (described later) through the second winning port 140 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the front side of the page in FIG. 139(b)) (see FIG. 138). A detailed explanation of the passage unit 19990 will be given later.

Next, the front unit 19940 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 143 to 146. Figure 143(a) is a front view of the front unit 19940, Figure 143(b) is a rear view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 143(c) is a cross-sectional view of the front unit 19940 taken along the line CXLIIIc-CXLIIIc in Figure 143(a). Figure 144(a) is a perspective front view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 144(b) is a perspective rear view of the front unit 19940. Figure 145 is an exploded perspective front view of the front unit 19940, and Figure 146 is an exploded perspective rear view of the front unit 19940.

As shown in Figures 143 to 146, the front unit 19940 is mainly formed with a rear base 19941 fastened to a base plate 19060 (see Figure 138), a front base 19943 arranged on the rear base 19941 at a distance greater than the diameter of a game ball, and two (a pair) of wing members 945 arranged in a rotatable state between the opposing rear base 19941 and the front base 19943.

The rear base 19941 is formed with a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed from the front, and is formed from a plate-like body with a predetermined plate thickness. The rear base 19941 is also formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and when the front unit 19940 is disposed on the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), the inside of the through hole 19060a (see FIG. 138) of the base plate 19060 can be seen through the rear base 19941.

The rear base 19941 is notched at the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) and mainly comprises a first winning opening 64 formed through at a position connected to an opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980 described later, an intermediate opening 19941h formed through at a position connected to an opening U7 of the distribution unit 19980 described later below the first winning opening 64 (lower side of Figure 143 (b)), and a second winning opening 140 formed through at a position connected to an opening U9 described later below the intermediate opening 19941h.

The rear base 19941 also has a number of through holes 941a penetrating the outer edge in the plate thickness direction. Furthermore, a positioning protrusion 942a is formed in the vicinity of the first through hole 941a1 of the through holes 941a, protruding in a cylindrical shape from the rear surface of the rear base 19941.

The rear base 19941 also has a number of fastening holes 19941i and 19941j formed on the distribution unit 19980 and passage unit 19990 sides (see FIG. 142) around the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140. The fastening holes 19941i are holes into which screws are threaded to pass through the distribution unit 19980 described below, thereby allowing the front unit 19940 and the distribution unit 19980 to be fastened together. The fastening holes 19941j are holes into which screws are threaded to pass through the passage unit 19990 described below, thereby allowing the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 to be fastened together.

The first winning opening 64 is formed in a roughly U-shape with the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) open when viewed from behind. The first winning opening 64 is also formed with an inner edge dimension that is larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front base 19943 (described later) to be sent to the rear side of the game board 13 (the right side in Figure 143 (c)) through the first winning opening 64 (see Figure 138).

The middle opening 19941h is formed to have a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the rear, and the dimensions of its inner edge are formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball sent through the opening U8 and the middle opening 19941h described below to be sent to the front side of the game board 13 (the left side of Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 138).

The second winning opening 140 is formed in a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the dimensions of its inner edge are formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. The second winning opening 140 is also disposed between the opposing feather members 945. This allows the game ball sent between the opposing feather members 945 described below to be sent through the second winning opening 140 to the rear side of the game board 13 (the right side of Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 138).

The second winning hole 140 has a first opening 19941e formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the first shaft hole 19941d described later on one side of the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of each edge on both short sides (both left and right sides in FIG. 143(b)). In addition, the first opening 19941e is designed to accommodate the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945, and is set larger than the maximum width dimension of the protrusion 945b in the radial direction of the rotation shaft (insertion hole 945c) of the feather member 945. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 945b from abutting against the inner surface of the first opening 19941e when the feather member 945 rotates.

The rear base 19941 is formed with first shaft holes 19941d formed in two circular locations on the outer short side (outer left-right side in FIG. 143(b)) near the second winning opening 140.

The front base 19943 is formed so that its external shape when viewed from the front is a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape. The front base 19943 is also formed from a colorless, transparent plate-like body. This allows the player to visually see the game ball flowing down between the opposing front base 19943 and rear base 19941.

The front base 19943 is formed mainly with a first receiving portion 19941g, an intermediate receiving portion 19943e, and a second receiving portion 19943c, which are protruded toward the rear base 19941 at positions corresponding to the first winning opening 64, the intermediate opening 19941h, and the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 19941 described above.

The first receiving portion 19941g is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the rear, with the first winning opening 64 of the rear base 19941 located on the inside when viewed from the front. The first receiving portion 19941g is also formed to be large enough to receive one game ball on the inside. This allows a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (left side in Figure 143 (c)) from the other side of the first receiving portion 19941g (first winning opening 64) in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) can flow into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g (see Figure 138).

The first receiving portion 19941g has a protruding portion 19941g1 formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) that protrudes downward toward the rear base 19941, and the connecting portion of the upper surface of the protruding portion 19941g1 to the front base 19943 side (left side in Figure 143 (c)) is curved. When the game ball that flows in with a velocity component toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) comes into contact with the protruding portion 19941g1 inside the first receiving portion 19941g, the game ball acquires a velocity component toward the rear side (right side in Figure 143 (c)). As a result, the game ball is sent through the first winning opening 64 to the opening U8 arranged on the rear side of the first winning opening 64 (right side in Figure 143 (c)) (see Figure 161).

The opening surrounded by the ends of the front base 19943 and the pair of first receiving parts 19941g on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) is the ball entry port through which the game ball enters the winning port unit 19930.

The intermediate receiving portion 19943e is formed from a plate-like body that protrudes to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the first receiving portion 19941g, and the lower surface 19943e1 of the intermediate receiving portion 19943e is curved toward the first receiving portion 19941g side (the upper side in Figure 143 (b)). This allows the game ball that passes through the intermediate opening 19941h to be sent to one side in the direction of gravity via the passage TR3.

The second receiving portion 19943c is formed in a generally U-shape when viewed from the rear, and when the rear base 19941 and the front base 19943 are fastened (combined), the upper surfaces 19943c2 of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 of the second receiving portion 19943c are disposed inside the second winning opening 140 of the rear base 19941 (the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) from the lower edge of the second winning opening 140). In addition, a pair of feather members 945, which will be described later, are disposed on the outer side of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 in the opposing direction (outside in the left-right direction in FIG. 143(b)). In addition, the distance between the outer surfaces of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the upper surfaces 19943c2 of the pair of standing walls 19943c1 are formed to be inclined downward toward the rear base 19941 side (right side in FIG. 143(c)).

The distance from the edge of the second winning port 140 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) of the rear base 19941 to the upper surface 19943c2 of a pair of vertical walls 19943c1 of the front base 19943 is made larger than the outer diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball flowing down between a pair of wing members 945 (described later) to be sent to the upper surface 19943c2 of the pair of vertical walls 19943c1, and the game ball can be rolled on the upper surface 19943c2 and sent to the rear side of the rear base 19941 (right side in Figure 143 (c)).

The front base 19943 also has an annular protrusion 943b that protrudes in an annular shape at a position facing the first shaft hole 19941d of the rear base 19941 on the outer side of the pair of vertical walls 19943c1 in the opposing direction (outer side in the left-right direction in FIG. 143(b)). As described above, one end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the first shaft hole 19941d of the rear base 19941, and the other end of the shaft member 945a is inserted into the second shaft hole 943b1 of the annular protrusion 943b of the front base 19943. Thus, the shaft member 945a can be supported by being sandwiched between the opposing rear base 19941 and front base 19943.

Next, referring to Figures 147 to 153, we will provide a detailed explanation of the allocation unit 19980.

First, we will explain the configuration of the distribution unit 19980 with reference to Figures 147 to 150.

Figure 147(a) is a front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 147(b) is a side view of the sorting unit 19980. Figure 148(a) is a perspective front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 148(b) is a perspective rear view of the sorting unit 19980. Figure 149 is an exploded perspective front view of the sorting unit 19980, and Figure 150 is an exploded perspective rear view of the sorting unit 19980.

As shown in Figures 147 to 150, the sorting unit 19980 is mainly formed by a sorting member 19983, a first side base 19981, a second side base 19985 arranged on the opposite side of the first side base 19981 to a first cover member 19987 described later in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, a sorting member 19983 arranged in a rotatable state between the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985, a first cover member 19987 arranged on the opposite side of the first side base 19981 to the second side base 19985, a second cover member 19988 arranged on the opposite side of the second side base 19985 to the first side base 19981, a detection device SE5, and a plurality of (two in this embodiment) magnetic bodies 988b.

The arrangement member on which the distribution member 19983 is arranged includes the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member) themselves, but is not limited to the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member), and also includes the second member on which the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 (first member) are arranged, and the third member directly or indirectly connected to the second member. For example, the second member is the winning hole unit 19930, and the third member is the game board 13 on which the winning hole unit 19930 is arranged, as well as various members directly or indirectly connected to the game board 13 (for example, the outer frame 11, the inner frame 12, the glass unit 16, etc.).

The distribution member 19983 is mainly formed with a pair of action parts 19983a, an intermediate plate 19983b formed between the pair of action parts 19983a, a through hole 983c, a contact part 19983d, a wall part 19983e, and a magnetic body 988c.

In this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is formed with a pair of action parts 19983a and an intermediate plate 19983b arranged at a substantially right angle, and is symmetrical with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 147(a)).

Now, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 will be described with reference to FIG. 151. FIG. 151(a) is a side view of the first side base 19981 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIa in FIG. 149, FIG. 151(b) is a side view of the first side base 19981 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIb in FIG. 149, FIG. 151(c) is a side view of the second side base 19985 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLIc in FIG. 149, and FIG. 151(d) is a side view of the second side base 19985 as viewed in the direction of the arrow CLId in FIG. 149.

The first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is made up of an upper panel 19981a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a lower panel 19981b formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, and arranged facing the upper panel 19981a on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) at a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball, a front panel 19981c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and arranged to be connected to the ends of the upper panel 19981a and the lower panel 19981b on the player side (left side in Figure 151 (a)), and It is mainly composed of a back panel 19981d formed of a plate-like body that is elongated and roughly rectangular in rear view and that is connected to the ends of the board 19981a and the bottom panel 19981b on the side opposite the player (right side of Figure 151 (a)), a central panel 19981e formed of a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular in side view and that is connected to the top panel 19981a and the bottom panel 19981b at approximately the center in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983, and a bulge 19982 that is arranged on the player side of the front panel 19981c (left side of Figure 151 (a)).

Note that the player side refers to the front side of the pachinko machine 10, and the side opposite the player refers to the rear side of the pachinko machine 10. The same applies below.

The upper plate 19981a is formed with circular fastening holes 19981f and 19981g on its upper surface (upper side of FIG. 151(a)), and a protrusion 19981h formed by protruding from the lower surface of the upper plate 19981a toward the upper surface. The fastening hole 19981f is a hole into which a screw inserted through the second side base 19985 described later is screwed. This allows the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 to be fastened and fixed. The fastening hole 19981g is a hole into which a screw inserted through the first cover member 19987 described later is screwed. This allows the first side base 19981 and the first cover member 19987 to be fastened and fixed.

The protrusion 19981h is formed approximately in the center between the front plate 19981c and the rear plate 19981d, slanting toward the rear plate 19981d (right side in FIG. 151(a)) as it approaches the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a recess 19981h1 is formed in which part of the detection device SE5 is disposed. A notch is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 19981h to allow wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE5 to pass through.

The lower panel 19981b is formed with a recess 19981i recessed from the upper surface of the lower panel 19981b toward the lower surface. The recess 19981i is formed in the approximate center between the front panel 19981c and the rear panel 19981d, inclined toward the front panel 19981c side (left side in FIG. 151(a)) as it approaches one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), and is formed in a shape in which a part of the detection device SE5 can be disposed. In addition, an opening U1 is formed on the rear panel 19981d side (left side in FIG. 151(b)) on the first cover member 19987 side (near the paper surface in FIG. 151(b)) from the central panel 19981e described later. The opening U1 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball, and is formed in a position connected to the passage TR7 of the passage unit 19990 described later.

The front plate 19981c is formed closer to the first cover member 19987 (the front side of the page in FIG. 151(b)) than the center plate 19981e.

The central plate 19981e is formed with its rear end connected to the front of the rear plate 19981d, and a recess 19981j is formed from the protrusion 19981h of the upper plate 19981a to the recess 19981i of the lower plate 19981b, in which part of the detection device SE5 is disposed. An opening U2 is also formed closer to the front plate 19981c (left side of Figure 151 (a)) than the recess 19981j. The opening U2 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball.

In addition, a protruding portion 19981e1 is formed between the upper plate 19981a and the lower plate 19981b, connecting the central plate 19981e and the rear plate 19981d and protruding toward the second side base 19985 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 151(a)). The protruding portion 19981e1 is curved in an arc shape toward the central plate 19981e and the rear plate 19981d when viewed from above (see FIG. 153).

The bulge 19982 is mainly composed of a side panel 19982a formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a side view, a lower panel 19982b connected to one side of the side panel 19982a in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a top view, a game ball guide wall 19982c connected to the rear panel 19981d side of the side panel 19982a (right side of Figure 151 (a)), a protrusion 19982d protruding from the side of the side panel 19982a toward the second side base 19985 side (front side of the page in Figure 151 (a)), and a protrusion 19982e and a storage section 986b formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in a vertically elongated shape in a front view and protruding from the side of the side panel 19982a toward the first cover member 19987 side (front side of the page in Figure 151 (b)).

The side panel 19982a is formed mainly with fastening holes 19981f on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), fastening holes 19981g on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), and a recess 19982f formed by recessing into the first cover member 19987.

The recess 19982f is a portion in which the wall portion 19983e of the distribution member 19983 is disposed, and is provided with a bearing portion 982c that protrudes in an annular shape toward the second side base 19985 side (the front side of the page in FIG. 151(a)).

The lower panel 19982b has a front contact portion 19982b1 and a rear contact portion 19982b2 for restricting the rotation of the distribution member 19983. The front contact portion 19982b1 is formed so as to be inclined toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the rear panel 19981d (right side in FIG. 151(a)), and the rear contact portion 19982b2 is formed so as to be inclined toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the rear panel 19981d.

The game ball guide wall 19982c is formed of a first curved wall 19982c1 arranged on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) and a second curved wall 19982c2 arranged on one side in the direction of gravity of the first curved wall 19982c1 (lower side in the direction of gravity) and connected to the first curved wall 19982c1, the first curved wall 19982c1 being curved toward the opposite side to the player (right side in Figure 151 (a)), and the second curved wall 19982c2 being formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the bearing portion 982c.

The underside of the protrusion 19982d is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the bearing portion 982c.

The protruding portion 19982e is formed with a guide wall 19982e1 and a fastening hole 19982e2 (see FIG. 147(a)). The guide wall 19982e1 is formed in a circular ring shape, and the shape of the inner edge is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19941i of the rear base 19941 described above (see FIG. 143(b)).

The second side base 19985 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and comprises an upper panel 19985a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a lower panel 19985b formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, and disposed facing the upper panel 19985a on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) at a distance greater than the diameter of the game ball, a front panel 19985c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and disposed in connection with the ends of the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b on the player side (left side in Figure 151 (d)), and It is mainly composed of a rear panel 19985d formed of a plate-like body that is elongated horizontally and roughly rectangular in rear view and is arranged by connecting the ends of the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b on the side opposite the player (left side of Fig. 151 (c)), a side panel 19985e formed of a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular in side view and is arranged by connecting the upper panel 19985a and the lower panel 19985b to the end on the first side base 19981 side (front side of the paper in Fig. 151 (c)), and a bulge 19986 arranged on the player side of the front panel 19985c (right side of Fig. 151 (c)).

The upper plate 19985a is formed with a circular through hole 19985f and a fastening hole 19985g on its upper surface (upper side of FIG. 151(a)), and a protrusion 19985h formed by protruding from the lower surface of the upper plate 19985a toward the upper surface. As described above, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19985f into the first side base 19981. In addition, the fastening hole 19985g is a hole into which a screw inserted through the second cover member 19988 described later is screwed. This allows the second side base 19985 and the second cover member 19988 to be fastened and fixed.

The protrusion 19985h is formed at a position corresponding to the protrusion 19981h of the first side base 19981, and is formed so as to be inclined toward the rear plate 19985d (left side in FIG. 151(c)) as it approaches the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity). The protrusion 19985h also includes a recess 19985h1 in which a part of the detection device SE5, which will be described later, is disposed.

The lower plate 19985b is formed with a recess 19985i recessed from the upper surface of the lower plate 19985b toward the lower surface.

The recess 19985i is formed at a position corresponding to the recess 19981i of the first side base 19981, and is formed so as to incline towards the front plate 19985c (right side in Figure 151 (c)) as it approaches one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). The recess 19985i is also formed in a shape in which a part of the detection device SE5, which will be described later, can be disposed. An opening U3 is also formed on the rear plate 19981d side (right side in Figure 151 (d)). The opening U3 is formed larger than the diameter of the game ball, and is formed at a position that connects to the passage TR8 of the passage unit 19990, which will be described later.

The front plate 19985c is formed with a circular fastening hole 19985g on its front side (left side of Figure 151 (d)).

The side plate 19985e has a recess 19985k formed in a position corresponding to the recess 19981j formed in the central plate 19981e of the first side base 19981 for arranging a part of the detection device SE5.

In addition, an opening U4 is formed closer to the front panel 19985c than the recess 19985k (right side in FIG. 151(c)), and an opening U5 is formed closer to the rear panel 19985d than the recess 19985k (left side in FIG. 151(c)). Openings U4 and U5 are each formed larger than the diameter of a game ball.

The bulge 19986 is mainly formed by a side panel 19986a formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and generally rectangular in side view, and a protruding portion 19986e formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and generally rectangular in front view and that protrudes from the side of the side panel 19986a toward the second cover member 19988 (the right side of FIG. 147(a)).

The side panel 19986a is formed mainly with through holes 19985f on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) and the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a fastening hole 19985g on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), and a bearing portion 985j that protrudes in an annular shape toward the first side base 19981 side (the front side of the page in Figure 151 (c)).

The protruding portion 19986e is formed with a guide wall 19982e1 and a fastening hole 19982e2 (see FIG. 147(a)).

Returning to FIG. 150, the explanation will be made from FIG. 147. The first cover member 19987 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed of a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in side view. It is mainly formed with a circular through hole 19987a around both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a protruding portion 19987b that is approximately rectangular in front view and is disposed in contact with the back surface of the front plate 19981c of the first side base 19981 toward the first side base 19981 side (the right side of FIG. 147(a)). As described above, the first side base 19981 and the first cover member 19987 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19987a into the first side base 19981.

The protrusion 19987b on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 19981 (right side in FIG. 147(b)) is curved in an arc toward the opposite side to the first side base 19981 (left side in FIG. 147(a)).

The second cover member 19988 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in side view. It is mainly formed with a circular through hole 19988a around both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a protruding portion 19988b that is approximately rectangular in front view and is disposed in contact with the back surface of the front plate 19985c of the second side base 19985 toward the second side base 19985 side (left side of FIG. 147(a)). As described above, the second side base 19985 and the second cover member 19988 can be fastened and fixed by screwing a screw inserted through the through hole 19988a into the second side base 19985.

The protrusion 19988b on the rear plate 19985d side of the second side base 19985 (right side in FIG. 147(b)) is curved in an arc toward the opposite side to the second side base 19985 (right side in FIG. 147(a)).

Next, the internal configuration of the sorting unit 19980 will be described with reference to Figures 152 and 153.

Figures 152(a) and 152(b) are cross-sectional views of the distribution unit 19980 taken along line CLIIa-CLIIa in Figure 147(a), and Figure 153 is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit 19980 taken along line CLIIII-CLIII in Figure 152(a). In addition, FIG. 152(a) illustrates a state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a position (hereinafter referred to as the "first position") where the underside of the action portion 19983a of the distribution member 19983 abuts against the rear side abutment portion 19982b2 of the lower plate 19982b formed on the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 described below, and FIG. 152(b) illustrates a state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a position (hereinafter referred to as the "second position") where the underside of the action portion 19983a of the distribution member 19983 abuts against the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the lower plate 19982b formed on the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 described below.

152 and 153, when the sorting unit 19980 is assembled, an opening U6 is formed from the upper plate 19981a, the lower plate 19981b, the side plate 19982a of the bulging portion 19982 of the first side base 19981, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985. 2b, the protrusion 19982d, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985 form an opening U7, and on the other side of the opening U7 in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), an opening U8 is formed from the side plate 19982a of the bulging portion 19982 of the first side base 19981, the protrusion 19982d, the game ball guide wall 19982c, and the side plate 19986a of the bulging portion 19986 of the second side base 19985. As described above, the opening U7 is disposed at a position connected to the middle opening 19941h of the back base 19941, and the opening U8 is disposed at a position connected to the first winning opening 64 of the back base 19941.

In addition, on the rear panel 19981d side of the first side base 19981 (right side of FIG. 152(a)) of the opening U6, a passage TR4 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19981a, lower panel 19981b, central panel 19981e of the first side base 19981 and the side panel 19985e of the second side base 19985, a passage T5 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19981a, lower panel 19981b, central panel 19981e and first cover member 19987 of the first side base 19981, and a passage T6 is formed which is surrounded by the upper panel 19985a, lower panel 19985b, side panel 19985e and second cover member 19988 of the second side base 19985. Passages TR4, TR5 and TR6 are formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of a game ball. Additionally, passages TR4, TR5, and TR6 are formed such that the back panel 19981d side (the side opposite the player) of the first side base 19981 slopes downward to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and extends from the player side (the left side of Figure 152 (a)) to the side opposite the player.

In addition, detection device SE5 is arranged in the area surrounded by recess 19981h1 formed in protrusion 19981h of first side base 19981, recess 19981i formed in bottom plate 19981b, recess 19981j formed in central plate 19981e, recess 19985h1 formed in protrusion 19985h of second side base 19985, recess 19985i formed in bottom plate 19985b, and recess 19985k formed in side plate 19985e, with detection hole SE1a positioned within passage TR4. As described above, the installation area of the detection device SE5 is formed with a downward incline toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) on the side opposite the player (right side of Figure 152 (a)), so the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is inclined upward toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) on the player side (left side of Figure 152 (a)), and the extension direction of the passage TR4 and the axis direction of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 are arranged in the same direction.

The sorting member 19983 is disposed inside the sorting unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 152(a)).

In addition, with the shaft member 988a inserted into the through hole 983c, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j, and the other end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c, so that the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported between the side plate 19982a (first side base 19981) of the bulge portion 19982 and the side plate 19986a (second side base 19985) of the bulge portion 19986. Therefore, the distribution member 19983 can distribute the game balls that are thrown in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 152(a)).

As described above, the wall portion 19983e of the distribution member 19983 is disposed inside the recess 19982f of the side panel 19982a. This prevents the game balls that flow into the distribution unit 19980 from abutting against the side of the wall portion 19983e, and prevents the flow of the game balls from being obstructed.

Inside the storage section 986b, the magnetic body 988b is arranged on the movement trajectory of the magnetic body 988c on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) relative to the bearing section 982c of the recess 19982f, in a state in which the magnetic body 988b repels the magnetic body 988c of the distribution member 19983.

As shown in FIG. 152(a), when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the distance dimension L44 from the tip of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 to the second curved wall 19982c2 of the game ball guide wall 19982c is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. Also, the distance dimension L45 from the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 19983 to the underside of the protruding portion 19982d is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the game ball that has flowed into the distribution unit 19980 can be prevented from passing through the opening U6, and the distribution member 19983 can rotate to allow the game ball to pass through the opening U7.

In addition, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the first position, the magnetic body 988c arranged in the distribution member 19983 is arranged closer to the opening U6 side (the right side of FIG. 152(a)) than the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage section 986b (first side base 19981). As described above, since the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are arranged in a repelling state, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to rotate from the magnetic body 988b side to the opening U6 side with the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis. Therefore, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to maintain the state arranged in the first position. As a result, even if an external force that rotates the distribution member 19983 toward the second position is applied, the distribution member 19983 can be prevented from rotating toward the second position.

As shown in FIG. 152(b), when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the second position, the distance dimension L46 from the tip of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 to the underside of the protruding portion 19982d is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. Also, the distance dimension L47 from the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 19983 to the second curved wall 19982c2 of the game ball guide wall 19982c is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the second position, the game balls that flow into the distribution unit 19980 can be prevented from passing through the opening U7, and the distribution member 19983 can rotate to allow the game balls to pass through the opening U6.

In addition, when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position, the magnetic body 988c disposed in the distribution member 19983 is disposed closer to the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 152(b)) than the magnetic body 988b disposed in the storage section 986b (first side base 19981). As described above, the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are disposed in a repelling state, so that a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to rotate from the magnetic body 988b side to the opening U7 side with the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis. Therefore, a force acts on the distribution member 19983 to maintain the state disposed in the second position. As a result, even if an external force that rotates the distribution member 19983 toward the first position is applied, the distribution member 19983 can be prevented from rotating toward the first position.

Next, the configuration of the passage unit 19990 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 154 to 157.

Figure 154(a) is a front view of the passage unit 19990, Figure 154(b) is a top view of the passage unit 19990, Figure 154(c) is a side view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 154(d) is a cross-sectional view of the passage unit 19990 taken along line CLIVd-CLIVd in Figure 154(a). Figure 155(a) is a perspective front view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 155(b) is a perspective rear view of the passage unit 19990. Figure 156 is an exploded perspective front view of the passage unit 19990, and Figure 157 is an exploded perspective rear view of the passage unit 19990.

As shown in FIG. 154 to FIG. 157, the passage unit 19990 is mainly formed by a first passage member 19991, a solenoid holding member 19992 arranged on the side of the first passage member 19991 opposite to the player (the right side of FIG. 154(d)), a second passage member 19993 arranged on the other side of the solenoid holding member 19992 in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a solenoid 610 arranged inside the solenoid holding member 19992, a transmission member 19965 connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, a displacement member 19966 connected to a first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965 described later, and a detection device SE6. The number of prize balls paid out when the detection device SE5 detects the game balls is set to be less than the number of prize balls paid out when the detection device SE6 described above detects the game balls.

The first passage member 19991 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and is mainly composed of a bottom panel 19991a formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above, a pair of side panels 19991b connected to both longitudinal ends of the bottom panel 19991a and formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the side, a back panel 19991c formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and connected to the side of the bottom panel 19991a opposite the player (right side of Figure 154 (d)), a detection device housing section 19991d arranged a certain distance away on the other side of the bottom panel 19991a in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), and a pair of guide panels 19991e formed from a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the side and connected to the side of the back panel 19991c opposite the player.

A first fastening portion 19991b1 and a second fastening portion 19991b4 are formed on the outer surfaces of the pair of side plates 19991b. In addition, a protrusion 19991b7 is formed on the back surface of each of the pair of side plates 19991b, protruding toward the solenoid holding member 19992 (right side in FIG. 154(d)).

The first fastening portion 19991b1 is formed with a first guide wall 19991b2 and a circular first through hole 19991b3. The inner edge shape of the first guide wall 19991b2 is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19941j of the rear base 19941 described above. As described above, the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 can be fastened and fixed by threading a screw inserted through the first through hole 19991b3 into the fastening hole 19941j.

The second fastening portion 19991b4 is formed with a second guide wall 19991b5 and a circular second through hole 19991b6. The inner edge shape of the second guide wall 19991b5 is formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992 described later. The second through hole 19991b6 is a hole for inserting a screw that screws into the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992 described later. This allows the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992 to be fastened and fixed.

The detection device housing section 19991d is formed in a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes a recessed section 19991d1 recessed from the solenoid holding member 19992 side (right side of FIG. 154(d)) toward the player side (left side of FIG. 154(d)). The detection device SE6, which will be described later, is disposed in the recessed section 19991d1.

The player side of the detection device housing 19991d (the front side of the paper in Fig. 154(a)) is opened so that wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be inserted. The upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d is formed to be inclined to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the solenoid holding member 19992 side (the right side of Fig. 154(d)), and a game ball guide portion 19991d3 is formed to protrude from the edge of the upper surface 19991d2 in a roughly U-shape when viewed from above, with the player side open. The inner edge of the game ball guide portion 19991d3 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the game ball.

In addition, an opening with dimensions larger than the diameter of the game ball is formed on the upper surface 19991d2 and the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d on the solenoid holding member 19992 side (right side of FIG. 154(d)) of the back plate 19991c. This allows the game ball flowing down the upper surface 19991d2 to be sent to a pair of guide plates 19991e described below.

The pair of guide plates 19991e are formed so that the distance between their opposing faces is greater than the diameter of the game ball, and the game ball passing through the opening formed on the underside of the detection device housing section 19991d can flow down to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and be discharged from the passage unit 19990 (prize winning opening unit 19300).

The solenoid holding member 19992 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is mainly composed of a storage section 19992a that is roughly rectangular when viewed from above, a restricting section 19992b that is formed from a plate-like body that is roughly rectangular and elongated in a front view on the player side of the storage section 19992a, and a pair of side panels 19992c that are formed from plate-like bodies that are roughly rectangular and elongated in a side view.

The storage section 19992a is a portion for disposing the solenoid 610 (described later) inside, and the storage section 19992a and the solenoid 610 are fastened and fixed with screws. In addition, an opening is formed on the player side of the storage section 19992a (left side of Figure 154 (d)), which allows the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 to be positioned closer to the player than the storage section 19992a.

The restricting portion 19992b is a portion for restricting the displacement of the transmission member 19965, which will be described later. When the restricting portion 19992b and the transmission member 19965 come into contact with each other, the displacement of the transmission member 19965 to the side opposite the player (the right side in FIG. 154(d)) is restricted.

The side panel 19992c is formed with a fastening hole 19992c1 on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), a fastening portion 19992c2 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), and a notch portion 19992c5 on the player side (left side in Figure 154 (c)).

The fastening hole 19992c1 is a hole into which the screw inserted through the first passage member 19991 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992 to be fastened and fixed.

The fastening portion 19992c2 is formed with a guide wall 19992c3 and a circular through hole 19992c4. The guide wall 19992c3 has an inner edge shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the periphery of the fastening hole 19993a of the second passage member 19993 described below. The through hole 19992c4 is a hole through which a screw that is screwed into the second passage member 19993 described below is inserted. This allows the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993 to be fastened and fixed.

The second passage member 19993 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, and is formed as a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above. The second passage member 19993 is provided with passages TR7 and TR8 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and is formed with fastening holes 19993a on the player side of the passages TR7 and TR8 (the lower side in FIG. 154(b)).

Paths TR7 and TR8 are formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball. In addition, paths TR7 and TR8 are extended in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 154(d)) and are formed at positions that connect to openings U1 and U3 formed in the sorting unit 19980 described above.

The fastening hole 19993a is a hole into which the screw inserted through the solenoid holding member 19992 described above is screwed. This allows the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993 to be fastened and fixed.

The transmission member 19965 is mainly formed with a pair of first engagement parts 19965a formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and generally rectangular in side view, a second engagement part 19965b formed between the pair of first engagement parts 19965a and that is formed from a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in rear view, and a pair of connecting parts 19965c that connect the pair of first engagement parts 19965a and the pair of second engagement parts 19965b.

The distance between the inner opposing surfaces of the pair of first engagement parts 19965a is greater than the distance between the outer sides of the pair of main body parts 19966g of the displacement member 19966 described later. The pair of first engagement parts 19965a also has a through hole 19965a1 that is horizontally elongated and generally rectangular in side view on the player side (lower side of FIG. 154(b)). The inside of the through hole 19965a1 is formed so that the transmission part 19966e of the displacement member 19966 described later can be disposed therein, and a notch part 19965a2 is formed on the player side of the through hole 19965a1 that is notched on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity).

The second engagement portion 19965b is a portion for connecting the transmission member 19965 and the solenoid 610, and includes a first recessed portion 19965b1 recessed from the end face on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610, and a second recessed portion 19965b2 recessed on the solenoid 610 side of the first recessed portion 19965b1 (right side in Figure 154 (d)) with a dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 961b.

The first recessed portion 19965b1 is a groove into which the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is inserted, and is formed in a generally U-shape in cross section with the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in the direction of gravity) open. The groove width of the first recessed portion 19965b1 is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the annular portion 961c. This allows the annular portion 961c to be inserted into the first recessed portion 19965b1.

The second recess 19965b2 is a notch that prevents interference between the shaft 961b and the second engagement portion 19965b when the annular portion 961c is disposed inside the first recess 19965b1 as described above, and is formed in a roughly U-shape that is open on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) when viewed from behind, and is formed with an opening on the solenoid 610 side (right side in Figure 154 (d)).

The connecting portion 19965c is a portion that connects the first engaging portion 19965a and the second engaging portion 19965b, thereby allowing the displacement of the second engaging portion 19965b to be transmitted to the first engaging portion 19965a.

The displacement member 19966 is mainly formed with a pair of main body portions 19966g formed from a plate-like body having a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the side, a protrusion portion 19966a formed to protrude from the pair of main body portions 19966g toward the player (the lower side of FIG. 154(b)), a rotation shaft 19966d, a transmission portion 19966e, and a connecting portion 19966f that connects the pair of main body portions 19966g.

The distance between the pair of body portions 19966g and the inner opposing surfaces of the protrusion portion 19966a is formed to be greater than the dimension in the short direction (left-right direction in FIG. 154(b)) of the detection device housing portion 19991d of the first passage member 19991 described above.

The protrusion 19966a is formed with a recess 19966a1 that is recessed on the solenoid 610 side (upper side in FIG. 154(b)), and is formed so that the protrusion 945b of the feather member 945 can be disposed in the recess 19966a1 (see FIG. 159(b)).

The rotating shaft 19966d is formed in an annular shape that protrudes outward in the opposing direction from the side surfaces of the pair of main body portions 19966g. At the connecting portion of the rotating shaft 19966d with the main body portions 19966g, a base portion 19966d1 is formed with dimensions larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 19966d.

The transmission portion 19966e is a portion for transmitting the displacement of the transmission member 19965 described above to the displacement member 19966, and is formed in a horizontally elongated, generally rectangular shape in a side view, protruding outward in the opposing direction from the side of the pair of main body portions 19966g on the other side (upper side in the gravity direction) of the rotation shaft 19966d in the gravity direction.

The connecting portion 19966f is a portion for connecting the pair of main body portions 19966g, and includes a side portion 19966f1 formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular in side view on the underside of the pair of main body portions 19966g, and a bottom portion 19966f2 formed from a plate-like body that is horizontally elongated and approximately rectangular in top view and connected to one end of the pair of side portions 19966f1 in the direction of gravity.

The connecting portion 19966f connects a pair of main body portions 19966g, thereby preventing one main body portion 19966g from displacing relative to the other main body portion 19966g.

When assembling the passage unit 19990, as described above, the inner edge shape of the second guide wall 19991b5 of the first passage member 19991 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19992c1 of the solenoid holding member 19992, and the inner edge shape of the guide wall 19992c3 of the solenoid holding member 19992 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19993a of the second passage member 19993. This makes it easy to position the first passage member 19991 and the solenoid holding member 19992, and to position the solenoid holding member 19992 and the second passage member 19993. This makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the passage unit 19990.

When the passage unit 19990 is assembled, the detection device SE6 is disposed inside the recessed portion 19991d1 of the first passage member 19991, and the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6 is disposed in a position that communicates with the openings formed on the upper surface 19991d2 and the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d. This allows the game ball flowing down the upper surface 19991d2 of the first passage member 19991 to pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6.

In addition, a passage TR9 is formed that is surrounded by the back plate 19991c of the first passage member 19991, the pair of guide plates 19991e, and the regulating portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992. The passage TR9 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball.

As described above, the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is formed to protrude outward in the opposing direction from the side surface of the main body portion 19966g, and is disposed inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965, so that the game ball sent to the passage TR9 can flow down the passage TR9.

The annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is disposed inside the first recessed portion 19965b1 of the transmission member 19965, and a spring (not shown) disposed between the solenoid 610 and the second engagement portion 19965b of the transmission member 19965 applies a biasing force to the transmission member 19965 to displace it toward the player (left side of FIG. 154(d)). Here, the displacement of the transmission member 19965 toward the player (left side of FIG. 154(d)) is restricted by the abutment between the second engagement portion 19965b of the transmission member 19965 and the restricting portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992.

The rotating shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966 is rotatably disposed in an area surrounded by the side plate 19991b of the first passage member 19991, the protrusion 19991b7, and the notch 19992c5 of the side plate 19992c of the solenoid holding member 19992, and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is disposed in the through hole 19965a1 of the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

The solenoid holding member 19992 is disposed on the opposite side of the first passage member 19991 from the player (the right side in FIG. 154(d)). Therefore, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the opposite side of the player from the detection device housing portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991.

When power is applied (supplied) to the main body 610a of the solenoid 610, the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 and the transmission member 19965 connected to the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 are displaced away from the player (right side of FIG. 154(d)), and as described above, the displacement of the transmission member 19965 is restricted by the contact between the regulating portion 19992b of the solenoid holding member 19992 and the transmission member 199965. When the transmission member 19965 is displaced away from the player, the inner surface of the through hole 19965a1 of the transmission member 19965 and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 come into contact, and a rotational force is applied to the displacement member 19966.

Returning to FIG. 142 from FIG. 139, the explanation will be given. In the situation where the winning port unit 19930 is assembled, as described above, the inner edge shape of the guide wall 19982e1 of the distribution unit 19980 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19941i of the front unit 19940, and the inner edge shape of the first guide wall 19991b2 of the passage unit 19990 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 19941j of the front unit 19940, so that the positioning of the front unit 19940 and the distribution unit 19980, and the positioning of the front unit 19940 and the passage unit 19990 can be easily performed. This makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the winning port unit 19930.

When the winning port unit 19930 is assembled, an opening U9 is formed from the lower plate 19982b of the bulge 19982 formed on the first side base 19981 of the sorting unit 19800, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d formed on the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and the protrusion 19966a formed on the displacement member 19966. As described above, the first winning port 64 of the front unit 19940 and the opening U8 of the sorting unit 19980 are formed in a position where they are connected, the middle opening 19941h of the front unit 19940 and the opening U7 of the sorting unit 19980 are arranged in a position where they are connected, and the second winning port 140 of the front unit 19940 and the opening U9 are formed in a position where they are connected.

The upper surface 19943c2 of the second receiving portion 19943c of the front unit 19940 is formed on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) than the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device accommodating portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990.

In addition, a passage TR10 is formed, surrounded by the lower plate 19981b formed on the first side base 19981 of the sorting unit 19800, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d formed on the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and a pair of game ball guide portions 19991d3. The passage TR10 is formed slightly larger than the outer shape of the game ball, and as described above, the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing 19991d is formed to be inclined toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the side opposite the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)). In addition, the detection device housing 19991d is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from above, and thus the passage TR10 is formed by extending from the player side (the back side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)) to the side opposite the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)). This allows the game ball sent to passage TR10 to flow down the opposite side to the player.

As described above, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the opposite side of the passage TR10 (detection device housing portion 19991d) from the player (the front side of the paper in FIG. 139(b)), so that the passage TR10 formed on the inside of the opposing surfaces of the pair of first engagement portions 19965a of the transmission member 19965 and the pair of main body portions 19966g of the displacement member 19966 can be shortened.

In addition, openings U1 and U3 of sorting unit 19980 and passages TR7 and TR8 of passage unit 19990 are formed in a position where they are connected to each other. As a result, a passage TR11 extending in the direction of gravity is formed by a part of passage TR5 (a part of the opposite side to the player (a part of the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (b))) arranged on the other side of the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) across opening U1 and passage TR7 arranged on one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction). In addition, a passage TR12 extending in the direction of gravity is formed by a part of passage TR6 (a part of the opposite side to the player) arranged on the other side of the gravity direction across opening U3 and passage TR8 arranged on one side in the gravity direction. Therefore, passage TR11 is formed closer to the first cover member 19987 of the sorting unit 19980 than passage TR4 (right side in FIG. 139(b)), and passage TR12 is formed closer to the second cover member 19988 of the sorting unit 19980 than passage TR4 (left side in FIG. 139(b)).

As a result, the game ball sent to the first winning port 64 of the front unit 19940 passes through the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980 and is sent to the inside of the distribution unit 19980. Inside the distribution unit 19980, the game ball sent to the player side (the front side of the paper in Figure 139 (a)) by the rotation of the distribution member 19983 is sent to the middle port 19941h of the front unit 19940 by passing through the opening U7. Also, the game ball sent to the second winning port 140 of the front unit 19940 is sent to the inside of the passage unit 19990 by passing through the opening U9.

In addition, the game balls sent to the openings U1 and U3 of the distribution unit 19980 flow down the passages TR11 and TR12 formed in the winning port unit 19930, and are discharged from the winning port unit 19930.

Now, with reference to Figures 158 to 160, the rotational movement of the wing member 945 caused by the rotational movement of the displacement member 19966 will be described.

Figure 158 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 at the line CLVIII-CLVIII in Figure 139(a), where Figure 158(a) shows the closed state of the feather member 945, and Figure 158(b) shows the open state of the feather member 945. Figure 159(a) is a partial enlarged view of the winning port unit 19300 in the range CLIXa of Figure 139(a) when the feather member 945 is closed, and Figure 159(b) is a side view of the winning port unit 19300 when the feather member 945 is closed. Figure 160(a) is a partial enlarged view of the winning port unit 19300 in the range CLIXa of Figure 139(a) when the feather member 945 is open, and Figure 160(b) is a side view of the winning port unit 19300 when the feather member 945 is open. In addition, in Figures 159(a) and 160(a), the front base 19943 of the front unit 19940 is omitted, and in Figures 159(b) and 160(b), only the blade member 945, the solenoid 610, the transmission member 19965, and the displacement member 19966 are shown.

As shown in Figures 158 to 160, when the prize-winning port unit 19300 is assembled, the protrusion 945b of the wing member 945 arranged on the front unit 19940 is arranged inside the recessed portion 19966a1 formed in the protrusion 19966a of the displacement member 19966 arranged on the passage unit 19990.

When the vane member 945 is closed, power is not applied (supplied) to the main body 961a of the solenoid 610, and the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 is separated from the main body 961a. Thus, the transmission member 19965 connected to the solenoid 610 is displaced toward the player (left side of FIG. 159(b)), and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is positioned on the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 159(b)) inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

Next, the open state of the feather member 945 will be described. In this state, power is applied (supplied) to the main body 610a of the solenoid 610, and the annular portion 961c and the main body 961a of the solenoid 610 are in close proximity. Thus, the transmission member 19965 connected to the solenoid 610 is displaced to the side opposite the player (right side in FIG. 160(b)), and the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 is positioned on the player side (left side in FIG. 160(b)) inside the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965.

Here, a notch 19965a2 is formed on the player side of the through hole 19965a1 formed in the first engagement portion 19965a of the transmission member 19965, on one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), so that the transmission portion 19966e of the displacement member 19966 can rotate around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966. This displaces the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 961b, and the displacement member 19966 can rotate. In other words, the displacement member 19966 can rotate due to the simple configuration of the solenoid 610 and the transmission member 19965, and the manufacturing costs of the winning port unit 19930 can be reduced.

In addition, since the displacement member 19966 rotates around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966, the displacement (rotation) area of the displacement member 19966 within the passage unit 19990 can be reduced. This allows the prize opening unit 19930 to be made smaller.

Next, referring to Figures 161 and 162, we will explain the flow of the game ball sent to the winning port unit 19930.

Figure 161 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a), with Figure 161(a) showing the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a first position, and Figure 161(b) showing the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in a second position. Figure 162(a) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXIIa-CLXIIa in Figure 161, and Figure 162(b) is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 19930 taken along line CLXIIb-CLXIIb in Figure 162(a).

As shown in FIG. 161(a), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning hole 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980, and is sent to the distribution member 19983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) of the distribution unit 19980. As described above, the connection position of the action portion 19983a with the abutment portion 19983d is set to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) from the connection position with the abutment portion 19983d of the intermediate plate 19983b, so that the load of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 161(b), the distribution member 19983 is rotated and displaced around the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis, and when the intermediate plate 19983b radially outward from the through hole 983c reaches a position exceeding the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)), the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is sent to the opening U7. The distribution member 19983 continues to rotate and displace, and the intermediate plate 19983b is tilted toward the opening U7 side of the distribution unit 19980 (left side in FIG. 161(b)), and the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position. The rotation of the distribution member 19983 is restricted by the abutment of the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side and the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the first side base. In this case, the repulsive direction acting on the magnetic body 988c arranged on the distribution member 19983 by the magnetic force of the magnetic body 988b arranged on the first side base 19981 is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 19983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c acts toward the opening U6 side (the right side of FIG. 161(b)) to a state in which the repulsive direction acts toward the opening U7 side.

The distribution member 19983 can therefore use the load of the game balls and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the axis of the through hole 983c as the axis of rotation. In addition, the direction of the repulsive force acting on the magnetic body 988c can be switched, so that the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(b)) of the distribution member 19983 can be maintained in contact with the front side contact portion 19982b1 of the first side base.

As shown in FIG. 161(b), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 19980, and is sent to the distribution member 19893. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(b)). As described above, the connection position of the action portion 19983a with the abutment portion 19983d is set to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) from the connection position with the abutment portion 19983d of the intermediate plate 19983b, so that the load of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 161(a), the distribution member 19983 is rotated and displaced around the axis of the through hole 983c as the rotation axis, and when the intermediate plate 19983b radially outward from the through hole 983c reaches a position exceeding the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)), the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is sent to the opening U6. The distribution member 19983 continues to rotate and displace, and the intermediate plate 19983b is tilted toward the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side in FIG. 161(a)), and the distribution member 19983 is placed in the first position. The rotation of the distribution member 19983 is restricted by the contact between the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side and the rear side contact portion 19982b2 of the first side base 19981. In this case, the repulsive direction acting on the magnetic body 988c arranged on the distribution member 19983 by the magnetic force of the magnetic body 988b arranged on the first side base 19981 is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 19983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c acts toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) to a state in which the repulsive direction acts toward the opening U6 side.

The distribution member 19983 can therefore use the load of the game ball and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c to rotate around the axis of the through hole 983c as the axis of rotation. In addition, the direction of the repulsive force acting on the magnetic body 988c can be switched, so that the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 161(a)) of the distribution member 19983 can maintain a state of abutment with the rear side abutment portion 19982b2 of the first side base 19981. The distribution member 19983 can therefore displace the inclination direction of the intermediate plate 19983b each time a game ball is sent, sending one game ball at a time to the opening U7 and the opening U6.

When the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the first position, the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the thickness center of the intermediate plate 19983b is the same as the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the thickness center of the intermediate plate 19983b when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the second position. Therefore, the first and second positions of the sorting member 19983 are disposed symmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 161(a)) when viewed from the side.

The game ball passing through the opening U7 passes through the middle opening 19941h of the front unit 19940 and is sent to the passage TR3. When the game ball sent to the passage TR3 abuts against the middle receiving part 19943e, the ball's sending direction is changed from the player side (left side of FIG. 161(b)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and flows down the passage TR3. When the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 abuts against the upper surface 19943c2 of the second receiving part 19943c, the ball's sending direction is changed from one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) to the opposite side from the player (right side of FIG. 161(b)) and the ball is sent to the second winning port 140.

The game ball passing through the second winning port 140 passes through the opening U9 formed by the distribution unit 19980 and the passage unit 19990, and is sent to the passage TR10. The game ball flowing down the passage TR10 in the opposite direction to the player (the right side of FIG. 161(b)) abuts against the game ball guide portion 19991d3 of the detection device housing portion 19991d formed in the first passage member 19991 of the passage unit 19990, and the ball's sending direction is changed from the opposite direction to the player to one side in the direction of gravity (the downward direction of gravity), and the game ball is sent to the opening formed in the upper surface 19991d2 of the detection device housing portion 19991d, the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, and the opening formed on the lower surface of the detection device housing portion 19991d.

The game ball sent to the opening formed on the underside of the detection device housing section 19991d passes through the passage TR9 and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930. Here, as the game ball passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, the number of game balls that have passed through the second winning port 140 can be counted by the detection device SE6.

The passages TR3, TR7, and TR9 through which the game balls distributed by the above-mentioned distribution member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the "fifth passage" below.

Here, when a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) comes into contact with various components (gimmicks) such as numerous nails (not shown) or windmills arranged on the front side of the game board 13, or when a game ball is sorted by the sorting action of the sorting member 19983, the game ball may flow down with a velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 (vertical to the page of FIG. 161 (b)). If the flowing game ball does not have or has only a small velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 does not come into contact with the vane member 945. On the other hand, the velocity component of the game ball in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is large, and the game ball flowing down the passage TR3 comes into contact with the vane member 945, is displaced outside the passage of the passage TR3, and does not pass through the second winning hole 140, so the number of game balls is not counted by the detection device SE6.

Next, referring to Figure 162, the flow of game balls that have passed through opening U6 will be described. If a game ball flows down the front side of the game board 13 (see Figure 138) and is sorted by the sorting action of the sorting member 19983, and has no or only a small velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 (up and down direction in Figure 162 (a)), the game ball will not come into contact with the opening end of opening U2 or opening U4 and will flow down passage TR4.

When the game ball flows down with a velocity component in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 (vertical direction in FIG. 162(a)) that is greater than the velocity component when the game ball does not come into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4. When the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, causing the flowing game ball to bounce toward the passage TR4 side relative to the opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball flows down the passage TR4. On the other hand, when the game ball comes into contact with the opening end of the opening U2 or opening U4, causing the flowing game ball to bounce toward the opposite side of the passage TR4 relative to the opening U2 or opening U4, in other words, toward the passage TR5 side or the passage TR6 side, the flowing game ball passes through the opening U2 or opening U4 and is sent to the passage TR5 or passage TR6.

When a game ball does not pass through the opening U2 or U4 and flows down the passage TR4, the game ball abuts against the protruding portion 19981e1 formed on the central plate 19981e of the first side base 19981, changing the direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player (right side of FIG. 162(a)) to the second cover member 19988 side (lower side of FIG. 162(a)), and is sent to the opening U5. The game ball that passed through the opening U5 flows down the passage TR12 formed in the winning hole unit 19930, and is discharged from the winning hole unit 19930. Here, the game ball that flows down passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 arranged in the passage TR4, and the number of game balls that have passed through the opening U6 and flow down the passage TR4 without passing through the opening U2 or U3 can be counted by the detection device SE5.

The passage TR4 and passage TR12 through which the game balls distributed by the above-mentioned distribution member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the "fourth passage" below.

As shown in FIG. 161, passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed at approximately the same position in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 161(a)). In other words, passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed at positions that overlap when viewed from above.

As a result, the prize slot unit 19300 can be made smaller in size in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 161(a)), which allows more space to be secured for arranging other components.

As described above, the first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that the player can recognize the detection device SE5 disposed in the distribution unit 19980. Furthermore, because the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is disposed along the extension direction of the passage TR4, the player can visually confirm that the game ball passes through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, which enhances the enjoyment of the game. In addition, as shown in FIG. 161(a), the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is arranged with an upward incline toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) on the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)). Therefore, when the prize winning hole unit 19930 (see FIG. 138) is arranged on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) of the base plate 19060, the player can easily see the game ball passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 arranged in the sorting unit 19980.

In addition, because the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 is disposed within the passage TR4 that forms the upstream side of the fourth passage, it can be brought close to the distribution member 19983. In other words, it is possible for the player to easily visually confirm that the game balls distributed to the distribution member 19983 pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5. This can increase the interest of the game.

The game ball that passes through the opening U2 and is sent to the passage TR5 abuts against the curved portion formed in the protruding portion 19987b of the first cover member 19987, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the first cover member 19987 side (upper side of FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side of the player (right side of FIG. 162(a)), and flows down the passage TR5. The game ball flowing down the passage TR5 is sent to the passage TR11, and abuts against the back panel 19981d of the first side base 19981, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). The game ball flows down the passage TR11 formed in the winning port unit 19930, and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930.

The game ball that passes through the opening U4 and is sent to the passage TR6 abuts against the curved portion formed on the protruding portion 19988b of the second cover member 19988, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the second cover member 19988 side (the lower side of FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side of the player (the right side of FIG. 162(a)), and flows down the passage TR6. The game ball that flows down the passage TR6 is sent to the passage TR12, and abuts against the back panel 19985d of the second side base 19985, changing the sending direction of the game ball from the opposite side of the player to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). The game ball flows down the passage TR12 formed in the prize winning port unit 19930, and is discharged from the prize winning port unit 19930.

As described above, among game balls flowing down the fourth passage, game balls flowing down passage TR4 on the opposite side of the detection device SE5 from the player (the right side of FIG. 162(a)) are sent to passage TR12, and game balls flowing down passage TR6 are sent to passage TR12, which is part of the fourth passage, and are discharged from the winning port unit 19930. In other words, passage TR6, which branches off from the fourth passage upstream of detection device SE5, merges with the fourth passage downstream of detection device SE5. Therefore, passage TR12 can be used both as a passage for sending game balls that have flowed down passage TR4 and as a passage for sending game balls that have flowed down passage TR6.

This allows the arrangement of flow passages for game balls to be reduced in the distribution unit 19980 (prize winning port unit 19930) in which multiple flow passages are formed, and allows the distribution unit 19980 (prize winning port unit 19930) to be made smaller.

As described above, since passage TR12 is formed on the second cover member 19988 side (lower side in Figure 162 (a)) of passage TR4, space can be secured to arrange other components on one side of passage TR4 in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) on the opposite side of passage TR10 from the player (right side in Figure 162 (a)), in this embodiment space can be secured to arrange solenoid 610, and passage unit 19990 (prize winning port unit 19930) can be made smaller.

Here, the fourth and fifth passages formed on both sides of the distribution direction (left and right direction in FIG. 162(a)) of the distribution member 19983 do not have passages in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 (up and down direction in FIG. 162(a)). Therefore, the fourth and fifth passages are formed at the same position with respect to the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983. In this embodiment, a part of the fifth passage is formed on one side of the fourth passage in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), in other words, the fourth and fifth passages are formed overlapping each other when viewed from above. Also, as described above, the passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and the passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed by extending from the player side (left side in FIG. 162(a)) to the opposite side to the player (right side in FIG. 162(a)). In addition, passages TR5 and TR6, which are formed on both sides of the axial direction of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 of passage TR4, are formed by extending in the direction opposite to the player side, similar to passage TR4.

As described above, the first side base 19981 and the second side base 19985 are formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that the player can visually see whether the game ball will be sent to passage TR4, passage TR5, or passage TR6, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

The top plate 19981a of the first side base 19981 and the top plate 19985a of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 148) are formed from a plate-like body that is vertically elongated and approximately rectangular when viewed from above. Therefore, information related to the game, such as "out exit", can be displayed on the top plate 19981a of the first side base 19981 and the top plate 19985a of the second side base 19985 on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) of passage TR5, which is formed in the left-right direction of passage TR4 (up-down direction in FIG. 162(a)) and communicates with passage TR4 through opening U2, and passage TR6, which is communicated with passage TR4 through opening U4.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines are known that are equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the passages are arranged along the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction of the base plate, which causes a problem that the space for arranging other components is reduced.

In contrast, in the distribution unit 19800 of this embodiment, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is arranged in the width direction of the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), and as shown in FIG. 161, the game balls distributed by the distribution member 19983 are sent to the fifth passage formed on the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) or the fourth passage formed on the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 161(a)). As described above, the passage TR4 (part of the fourth passage) and the passage TR10 (part of the fifth passage) are formed by extending from the player side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) to the opposite side to the player (right side of FIG. 161(a)), so that the distribution unit 19980 can be made smaller in size in the width direction of the base plate 19060 compared to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 (see FIG. 112) formed in the distribution unit 980 described above.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the sorting unit 19800 is formed so that the fourth passage and a portion of the fifth passage overlap when viewed from above, which allows the sorting unit 19980 to be further miniaturized in the width direction of the base plate 19060.

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the opposite side of the player (the right side of Figure 161 (a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 19980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 19980 has a velocity component in the opposite direction to the player.

As shown in FIG. 161(a), when the sorting member 19983 is placed in the first position, a game ball flowing down with a velocity component toward the opening U6 side of the sorting unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(a)) bounces off the intermediate plate 19983b of the sorting member 19983, or flows down over the intermediate plate 19983b, changing the velocity component of the game ball from the opening U6 side of the sorting unit 19980 to the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 161(a)) and comes into contact with the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side of the sorting unit 19980. This causes the sorting member 19983 to rotate, and the game ball is sent to the fifth passage.

As shown in FIG. 161(b), when the distribution member 19983 is placed in the second position, a game ball flowing down with a velocity component toward the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 (right side of FIG. 161(a)) abuts against the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side of the distribution unit 19980 while maintaining a velocity component toward the opposite side to the player. This causes the distribution member 19983 to rotate, and the game ball is sent to the fourth passage.

Therefore, when the distribution member 19983 is disposed at the first position and when it is disposed at the second position, the angle θ3 between the middle line TL and the horizontal line HL is the same, so the distribution member 19983 can send the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 19980 to the fourth passage faster than to the fifth passage. In other words, the game balls distributed by the distribution member 19983 can have different sending times to the flow-down passages depending on the distribution direction. This provides a sense of play for the player, which in turn increases the enjoyment of the game.

In addition, conventionally, when a game ball flows down a passageway that is formed larger than the outer shape of the game ball, it flows down the passageway with a velocity component that is different from the axial direction of the detection hole of the detection device disposed in the passageway, and this can cause the game ball to collide with the side wall of the passageway and move in an uneven direction (hereinafter referred to as "game ball going wild"). When a game ball goes through the detection hole of the detection device in a wild state, the detection device can mistakenly recognize that multiple game balls have passed through the detection hole (hereinafter referred to as "chattering").

In contrast, in the distribution unit 19800 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 162, an opening U2 and an opening U4 are formed in the passage TR4 on the distribution member 19983 side (left side of FIG. 162(a)) of the detection device SE5. When a game ball is sent to the passage TR4 in a violent state, the game ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 in a state where the violent movement has subsided by abutting against the opening end of opening U2 or opening U4, thereby preventing chattering from occurring.

In addition, by passing a portion of the game ball through opening U2 or opening U4, the game ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5 in a state where the game ball's wildness has subsided, and chattering can be prevented from occurring. In other words, because openings U2 and U4 are formed in passage TR4, the cross-sectional area of passage TR4 can be increased when viewed from the front. That is, because openings U2 and U4 are formed in prize-winning port unit 19930, the displacement area of the game ball in the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 (vertical direction in FIG. 162(a)) can be expanded.

Therefore, by expanding the area where friction (resistance) caused by sliding or rolling along passage TR4 acts, the game ball's wildness can be contained. This not only suppresses the occurrence of chattering, but also makes it easier for the player to visually confirm that the game ball is passing through detection hole SE1a of detection device SE5 by arranging detection device SE5 in a position close to distribution member 19983. This increases the interest of the game.

Also, in the past, there was a problem that when an external force is applied to the arrangement member, such as by a player hitting it, there was a risk that the distribution member would rotate due to the influence of inertia. In other words, if game balls distributed to one side are guided to a winning hole that is awarded a higher game value than game balls distributed to the other side, there was a risk that fraud could be committed by applying an external force to the arrangement member, for example by hitting the gaming machine, causing the distribution member to rotate due to inertia and changing the position of the distribution member (rotating it into a position that allows game balls to be distributed to one side).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball passes through opening U2 or opening U4 and through passage TR5 or passage TR6, in other words, is discharged from the distribution unit 19980 (winning hole unit 19930) without passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, thereby preventing chattering from occurring in the detection device SE5.

While passage TR4 is equipped with a detection device, passage TR5 and passage TR6 are not equipped with detection devices. Therefore, after passing through opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, it is possible to create a mode in which the game ball flows down passage TR4 and is detected by detection device SE5, and a mode in which the game ball flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6 after passing through opening U2 or opening U4, and is discharged from the winning opening unit 19930 without being detected by the detection device.

As a result, the winning port unit 19930 has a gameplay characteristic in which the player is made to expect that after the game ball is distributed to the opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, the game ball will not pass through the opening U2 or the opening U4 and will be detected by the detection device SE5. As a result, the interest in the game can be increased.

The destination of the game ball that flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6 and is discharged from the winning port unit 19930 may be, for example, the out port, the winning port, the game area, etc.

Here, we will explain the game area in this embodiment. The game area refers to an area where game balls can pass (flow down, roll) and can be detected by a detection device.

For example, downstream of the distribution member 19983 of the winning port unit 19930, the area of the passage TR4 upstream of the detection device SE5, passage TR3 and passage TR10 are formed as the game area. In other words, downstream of the distribution member 19983 of the winning port unit 19930, the detection devices SE5, SE6, opening U2 and opening U4 are formed as the boundaries of the game area.

As described above, the first side base 19981 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, so that after the game ball is distributed to the opening U6 by the distribution member 19983, the game ball does not pass through the opening U2 or opening U4 and can be visually confirmed by the player to be detected by the detection device SE5. Therefore, the winning opening unit 19930 has a playability that makes the player expect the game ball to be detected by the detection device SE5. As a result, the interest in the game can be increased.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 161, the sorting unit 19980 is arranged in a state in which the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage portion 986b formed in the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981 and the magnetic body 988c arranged in the sorting member 19983 repel each other, so that the sorting member 19983 can maintain a state in which it is arranged in the first position or the second position even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 is struck.

As described above, in this embodiment, the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the width direction of the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), so that the sorting member 19983 is displaced from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as when a player strikes the glass unit 16, the inertial force generated in the distribution member 19983 acts toward the player (left side of FIG. 161(a)), and when the distribution member 19983 is located in the first position, the distribution member 19983 is improperly displaced from the first position to the second position.

As described above, the number of prize balls paid out when game balls are detected by detection device SE5 is set to be less than the number of prize balls paid out when game balls are detected by detection device SE6. Therefore, when a player strikes glass unit 16 and illegally displaces distribution member 19983 from the first entry to the second position, distribution member 19983 placed in the second position sends game balls flowing into distribution unit 19980 to passage TR4, and the game balls are detected by detection device SE5. In other words, the state changes from one in which game balls are detected by detection device SE6 to one in which game balls are detected by detection device SE5, and the number of prize balls paid out decreases.

This prevents a player from striking the glass unit 16 and illegally displacing the sorting member 19983 from the first position to the second position.

The number of prize balls dispensed when game balls are detected by detection device SE6 and the number of prize balls dispensed when game balls are detected by detection device SE5 may be set to the same number. In this case, the number of prize balls dispensed by illegally displacing the distribution member 19983 does not change. This prevents a player from striking the glass unit 16 and illegally displacing the distribution member 19983.

In addition, in this embodiment, the winning port unit 19930 is divided by the distribution member 19983, and a detection device is provided on both paths through which the game balls flow down. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and a detection device may be provided on only one of the paths.

This allows the player to continue playing the game even after the game ball has been sent to the winning slot unit 19930. As a result, the player's interest in the game can be enhanced.

Also, it is not necessary to provide detection devices in both flow passages. In this case, the game ball discharged from the winning port unit 19930 may or may not be sent to the outlet.

As a result, a detection device is not provided in the winning port unit 19930, and game balls discharged from the winning port unit 19930 are not sent to the outlet, but the passage TR9, passage TR11, or passage TR12 formed in the winning port unit 19930 is formed toward the front side (left side of FIG. 161(a)), and game balls discharged from the winning port unit 19930 are sent to the front side of the base plate 19060, so that the winning port unit 19930 can be used as a game area. In other words, the game area formed in the pachinko machine 10 can be made larger by the amount that the winning port unit 19930 has passages in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction of FIG. 161(a)), and the player can enjoy the game. As a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is described as being disposed in the distribution unit 19980, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the distribution member 19983 may be disposed in any position within the play area described above.

This allows players to enjoy the game, which in turn increases their interest in the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is disposed inside the distribution unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 161(a)), and the game ball being thrown is distributed in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 161(a)), but this is not necessarily limited to the above. The distribution member 19983 may be disposed inside the distribution unit 19980 with the axis of the shaft member 988a oriented in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 161(a)), and the game ball being thrown may be distributed in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 161(a)).

This allows the game balls sent to the distribution unit 19980 to be distributed in various directions, providing the player with a sense of fun. As a result, the game becomes more interesting.

In addition, in this embodiment, the passage TR4 and passage TR12 through which the game balls sorted by the sorting member 19983 pass are collectively referred to as the fourth passage, but the passage TR6 and passage TR12 formed on one side of passage TR4 in the left-right direction may be collectively referred to as the sixth passage. In this case, passage TR4 merges with the side of the sixth passage.

As a result, the game ball flowing down passage TR4 is offset from passage TR4 to passage TR6 (the lower side of Figure 162 (a)) when viewed from the front, and is sent to one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). This makes it possible to secure space to arrange the solenoid 610 of the passage unit 19990 on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of passage TR4.

Next, referring to FIG. 163, the winning port unit 20930 in the 19th embodiment will be described. In the 6th embodiment, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are formed toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) (see FIG. 112). In the 19th embodiment, however, a portion of the first passage TR201 and the second passage TR202 are formed with a depth passage extending from the front base 20981 side (left side in FIG. 163) toward the rear base 20985 side (right side in FIG. 163). Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is farther from you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 163 is a cross-sectional view of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section along line CXIIa-CXIIa in Figure 109(a). In Figure 163, the second passage TR2 in the sixth embodiment is shown by a dashed line. Also, since the first passage TR201 and the second passage TR202 are formed symmetrically with respect to the shaft member 988a of the distribution section 983, only the second passage TR202 will be described, and a description of the first passage TR201 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 163, the second passage TR202 of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment is formed with a depth passage TR202a extending from the front base 20981 side (left side of FIG. 163) toward the rear base 20985 side (right side of FIG. 163) downstream of the distribution section 983. Thus, while in the sixth embodiment the second passage TR2 is connected to the front base 981 side of the inflow passage 985f1 (see FIGS. 110 to 112), the second passage TR202 of the distribution unit 20980 in the 19th embodiment is connected to the other side of the inflow passage 985f1 in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity).

The second passage TR202 is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the game ball, and the extension dimension of the depth passage TR202a toward the opposite side from the player is formed to be at least twice the diameter of the game ball.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines are known that are equipped with a distribution unit that has a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the game board, which causes the distribution unit to become larger in the width direction, resulting in a problem of reduced space available for arranging other components.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball that passes through the depth passage TR202a is sent toward the rear base 20985 side (right side in FIG. 163) rather than the base plate 19060 (see FIG. 138), and then sent to the inflow passage 985f1. Therefore, the depth passage TR202a can be arranged by utilizing the space in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 163), where there is relatively more space. Therefore, the distribution unit 20980 can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

Next, with reference to FIG. 164, the winning port unit 21930 in the 20th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the lower surface of the passage TR4 (lower panel 19981b formed on the first side base of the distribution unit 19980) was formed as a flat surface (see FIG. 161), but in the 20th embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower panel 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), reducing the flow speed of the game balls. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 164 is a cross-sectional view of the prize slot unit 21930 in the twentieth embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a).

As shown in FIG. 164, in the sorting unit 21980 of the winning port unit 21930 in the 20th embodiment, a passage TR214 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 21981 (right side of FIG. 164) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 19981a, lower plate 21981b, and central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 and the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 153). In the range where the passage TR214 is formed, the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 has multiple protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) that protrude toward the upper plate 19981a between the opening U6 and the detection device SE5.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section, and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981.

This ensures that the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and the game ball's flow speed decreases as the game ball comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1.

The protrusion 21981b1 disposed downstream is disposed inside the opening U2 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 164). Therefore, when the game ball comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 while the game ball is moving wildly, the protrusion 21981b1 can displace the game ball in the up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 164) or left-to-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 164).

This allows the game ball to pass through opening U2 or opening U4, and then through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), and the distribution member 19983 allows the player to enjoy the game even after the ball has passed through opening U6. As a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

In particular, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 disposed on the downstream side is disposed inside the opening U2 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 164), so that the game ball, which is displaced left-to-right (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) by contact with the protrusion 21981b1, can be prevented from contacting the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985, and damage to the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 can be prevented (see FIG. 153).

In addition, since the game ball can pass through opening U2 or opening U4 and through passage TR5 or passage TR6 without coming into contact with the central plate 19981e of the first side base 21981 or the side plate 19985e of the second side base 19985 (see FIG. 153), the passing speed of the game ball can be increased, making the game more interesting.

Here, the projection 21981b1 formed on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is formed with a projection dimension toward the upper plate 19981a side (upper side of Figure 164) that is approximately one-tenth the diameter of the game ball. This allows the game ball flowing down the passage TR214 to climb over the projection 21981b1 and flow down within the passage TR214. In other words, the game ball and the projection 21981b1 come into contact with each other, preventing the flow of the game ball down within the passage TR214 from being restricted.

The distance between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 arranged on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is formed to be approximately equal to the diameter of the game ball. As a result, the game ball that has overcome the upstream protrusion 21981b1, which has a protrusion dimension on the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 that is approximately one-tenth the diameter of the game ball, abuts against the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b again, and is prevented from passing over the downstream protrusion 21981b1 without abutting against the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b. Therefore, the protrusion 21981b1 can reliably reduce the flow speed of the game ball.

As described above, the distribution member 19983 sends the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to the opening U6 (fourth passage) faster than it sends the game balls to the opening U7 (fifth passage).

Therefore, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be distributed to opening U6 and detected by detection device SE5 arranged in the fourth passage is shorter than the time taken for a gaming ball to be distributed to opening U7 and detected by detection device SE6 arranged in the fifth passage. In other words, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 is different from the time taken for a gaming ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, the distance that the game ball travels from opening U6 to detection device SE5, which is disposed in the fourth passage (passage TR214), is set to be shorter than the distance that the game ball travels from opening U7 to detection device SE6, which is disposed in the fifth passage (between passages TR9 and TR10).

Therefore, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be distributed to opening U6 and detected by detection device SE5 arranged in the fourth passage is shorter than the time taken for a gaming ball to be distributed to opening U7 and detected by detection device SE6 arranged in the fifth passage. In other words, the time taken for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 is different from the time taken for a gaming ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

Here, conventionally, there is known a gaming machine that includes a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls to distribute the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side. However, the conventional gaming machines described above have restrictions on the layout of the passage that guides the distributed gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means, and on the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means, resulting in a problem of low freedom of design.

In other words, when the detection of game balls by the first detection means and the second detection means is displayed by the display means to notify the player (for example, when the number of detected game balls is displayed as the number of reserved balls), if the time required for a game ball to reach the distribution member and be detected by the first detection means and the time required for a game ball to be distributed to one side by the second detection means differs from the time required for a game ball to be detected by the second detection means depending on the distribution direction, there will be a difference in the time from when the game ball reaches the distribution member to when it is displayed, depending on the distribution direction, and this will reduce the interest of the game.

Therefore, in the conventional gaming machines described above, it was necessary to arrange the passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically on the left and right sides of the sorting member, and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the lower surface of passage TR214 (lower surface plate 21981b formed on the first side base 21981 of distribution unit 21980) is formed with a protrusion 21981b1. Therefore, the flow speed of the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) is reduced, and the time from when the game ball flows into the distribution unit 21980 until it is detected by detection device SE5 can be extended. Therefore, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced.

In addition, since passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage) is extended in the direction of gravity (up and down in FIG. 164), the game balls fall freely down passage TR3. Therefore, the flow speed of the game balls can be increased compared to when the game balls roll down the passage. This can reduce the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6.

Therefore, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or even if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing the interest of the game from being diminished and ensuring freedom of design.

In this embodiment, the protrusions 21981b1 are described as being formed in two pieces, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and one protrusion 21981b1 or three or more protrusions 21981b1 may be formed.

When one protrusion 21981b1 is formed, the distribution member 19983 allows the player to enjoy the game even after the ball has passed through opening U6, and prevents the game ball from passing through opening U2 or opening U4 excessively and passing through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), preventing the player's interest in the game from being diminished.

When three or more protrusions 21981b1 are formed, the speed at which the game ball flows down the fourth passage (passage TR214) can be further slowed down, and the difference between the time it takes for the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, by adjusting the number of protrusions 21981b1 formed, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be adjusted, which increases the interest of the game. Furthermore, this adjustment can be achieved by the protrusions 21981b1, which can be easily formed, and the product cost can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 is described as having two protrusions 21981b1 of the same shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and each protrusion 21981b1 may be formed in a different shape.

For example, if the protrusion dimension of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 is greater than the protrusion dimension of the upstream protrusion 21981b1, the probability that the game ball will pass through opening U2 or opening U4 and pass through passage TR5 or passage TR6 due to the abutment of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 with the game ball is higher than the abutment of the upstream protrusion 21981b1 with the game ball (see FIG. 153). In other words, as the game ball approaches the detection device SE5, the probability that the game ball will pass through opening U2 or opening U4, i.e., will not pass through detection device SE5, increases, making the game more interesting.

In addition, for example, if the protrusion dimension of the downstream protrusion 21981b1 is smaller than the protrusion dimension of the upstream protrusion 21981b1, it is possible to suppress the game ball from moving wildly in a position close to the detection device SE5, and to suppress the occurrence of chattering, and to reduce the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6, thereby suppressing a loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The protrusion 21981b1 may be formed intermittently in the left-right direction, or the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed inclined in the front-rear direction (left-right direction of FIG. 164).

When the protrusions 21981b1 are formed intermittently in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164), the game ball comes into contact with the end of the protrusion 21981b1 in the left-right direction, and the game ball is displaced in the left-right direction. As a result, the game ball can pass through the opening U2 or opening U4 and the passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153), which can increase the interest of the game.

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) on the upper surface of the lower plate 21981b of the first side base 21981 and is formed so as to incline toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 164) as it progresses to the left (toward the back of the paper surface of FIG. 164), a game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and be displaced to the left, making it easier for it to pass through opening U2 and then through passage TR5.

If the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline toward the rear (right side of FIG. 164) as it progresses to the right (near the page in FIG. 164), the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and be displaced to the right, making it easier for it to pass through opening U4 and then through passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline rearward (to the right in FIG. 164) as it moves from the center to both ends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 164) of the bottom panel 21981b of the first side base 21981, a game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and will be displaced left-right, passing through opening U2 or opening U4, and more easily passing through passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

Therefore, the distribution member 19983 allows the player to continue playing the game even after the ball has passed through the opening U6. As a result, the player's interest in the game can be enhanced.

When the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline forward (left side of FIG. 164) as it moves from the center to both ends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 164) of the bottom plate 21981b of the first side base 21981, the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR214) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, and is displaced toward the center in the left-right direction. With the ball's movement contained, the ball can pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE5, preventing chattering from occurring.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed in a semicircular shape in cross section. In this case, damage to the protrusion 21981b1 due to contact with the game ball can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a recess may be formed. This prevents game balls from getting stuck in the passage TR214, that is, prevents game balls from coming into contact with the protrusion 21981b1 and the upper plate 19981a of the first side base 19981, preventing the game balls from flowing down, even if the dimensions of the passage TR214 in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 164) are small.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, when the distribution member 19983 distributes in two directions, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 21980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 21980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, referring to FIG. 165, the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment will be described. In the 20th embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR214 and the detection device SE5 (see FIG. 164), but in the 21st embodiment, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 of the passage TR224 (part of the fourth passage) and the detection device SE5. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 165 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section along the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). As shown in Figure 165, in the distribution unit 22980 of the winning port unit 22930 in the 21st embodiment, a passage TR224 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 22981 (right side of Figure 165) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 22981a, lower plate 22981b, central plate 22981e and side plate of the second side base. A plurality of protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) protruding toward the upper plate 19981a are formed on the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981 between the openings U2 and U4 (see Figure 153) of the passage TR224 and the detection device SE5. The spacing between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 is the same as that in the 20th embodiment, so a description of this will be omitted.

By forming the protrusion 21981b1 between the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) and the detection device SE5, i.e., on the rear side of the sorting unit 22980 (right side in FIG. 165), the protrusion 21981b1, which is not related to the game, can be formed in a position far away from the player. This makes it difficult for the player to see the protrusion 21981b1, improving the appearance of the pachinko machine 10.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 165) on the upper surface of the lower plate 22981b of the first side base 22981, and the protrusion 21981b1 and the central plate 22981e are molded integrally.

This prevents the central plate 22981e from bending due to contact between the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR224) and the central plate 22981e, thereby preventing damage to the central plate 22981e.

When a game ball that does not pass through opening U2 or opening U4 (see FIG. 153) but flows down passage TR224 comes into contact with protrusion 21981b1, the flow speed of the game ball decreases, and the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into distribution unit 22980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced.

As a result, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 22980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) and the detection device SE5, so that the game ball can be prevented from passing through the openings U2 or U4 and being sent to the passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153) due to contact between the game ball and the protrusion 21981b1.

In this embodiment, passage TR224 is equipped with a detection device SE5, whereas passages TR5 and TR6 (see FIG. 153) are not equipped with a detection device. Therefore, the game result differs when the game ball flows down passage TR224 from when it flows down passage TR5 or passage TR6. This prevents the game ball sorted by sorting member 19983 to the opening U6 side from coming into contact with protrusion 21981b1, resulting in a different game result.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is described as being formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 165) on the upper surface of the lower plate 22981b of the first side base 22981, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed inclined in the front-rear direction (left-right direction of FIG. 165) in the left-right direction.

If the protrusion 21981b1 is formed so as to incline toward the rear (right side of FIG. 165) as it progresses to the left (rear of the page in FIG. 165) or to the right (front of the page in FIG. 165), the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR224) will come into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, causing it to be displaced to the left or right, and the game ball will come into contact with the center plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base.

Therefore, the frictional force generated between the game ball and the central plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base reduces the flow speed of the game ball, thereby reducing the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the sorting unit 22980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, the game ball is displaced to the left (toward the page in FIG. 165) or to the right (toward the page in FIG. 165) and comes into contact with the center plate 22981e of the first side base 22981 or the side plate of the second side base, preventing the game ball from moving wildly. This helps prevent chattering from occurring.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, when the distribution member 19983 distributes in two directions, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 22980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower panel 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 22980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, referring to FIG. 166, the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment will be described. In the 21st embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the openings U2 and U4 of the passage TR224 (part of the fourth passage) and the detection device SE5 (see FIG. 165), but in the 22nd embodiment, the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 (part of the fourth passage) and the openings U2 and U4. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 166 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section at the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139 (a). As shown in Figure 166, in the distribution unit 23980 of the winning port unit 23930 in the 22nd embodiment, a passage TR234 is formed on the rear plate 19981d side of the first side base 23981 (right side of Figure 166) from the opening U6, surrounded by the upper plate 23981a, lower plate 23981b, center plate 23981e and side plate of the second side base. A plurality of protrusions 21981b1 (two in this embodiment) protruding toward the upper plate 23981a are formed on the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981 between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 and the openings U2 and U4. The spacing between the multiple protrusions 21981b1 is the same as that in the 20th embodiment, so a description of this will be omitted.

The protrusion 21981b1 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section and is formed uniformly and continuously in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 166) on the upper surface of the lower plate 23981b of the first side base 23981, and the protrusion 21981b1 and the central plate 23981e are molded integrally.

This prevents the central plate 23981e from bending due to contact between the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR234) and the central plate 23981e, thereby preventing damage to the central plate 23981e.

When the game ball flowing down the fourth passage (passage TR234) comes into contact with the protrusion 21981b1, the flow speed of the game ball decreases, and the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced.

As a result, even if the distribution member 19983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 19983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing the enjoyment of the game from being diminished while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the flow speed of the game ball is reduced by the protrusion 21981b1, the game ball flows down toward the area where the openings U2 and U4 (see FIG. 153) of the passage TR234 are formed, making it easier for the player to visually confirm that the game ball is flowing down the passage TR234 or being sent to passage TR5 or passage TR6 (see FIG. 153).

In addition, a protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the opening U6 of the passage TR234 and the openings U2 and U4, i.e., an arrangement space for forming the protrusion 21981b1 is formed between the detection device SE5, the openings U2 and U4, and the distribution member 19983, which prevents the player from being unable to see the game ball due to the distribution member 19983, and allows the player to see which passage the game ball will pass through, among passage TR234, passage TR5, or passage TR6.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 23980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 2981b1 is formed on the lower surface (lower plate 21981b) of the passage TR214 (part of the fourth passage), but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the protrusion 21981b1 may be formed on the lower surface (second receiving portion 19943c) of the passage TR3 (part of the fifth passage). In this case, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 23980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be made even more different (see FIG. 161), and as a result, the interest of the game can be increased.

Next, with reference to Figure 167, the winning port unit 24930 in the 23rd embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the center of gravity is located on the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 (see Figure 161), but in the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 is different. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 167 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 24930 in the 23rd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 167(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 167(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 167(a), the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 167(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 167(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity). In other words, the distribution member 24983 is formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action part 19983a and the action part 24983a (direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action part 24983a side (left side of FIG. 167(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

In addition, the front side abutment portion 24982b1 of the lower plate 24982b formed on the bulge portion 24982 of the first side base 24981 has a recess 24982b3 formed in a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983. As a result, the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983 is positioned inside the recess 24982b3, and the distribution member 24983 can be positioned in the second position.

In other words, the distribution member 24983 can form an inclined state similar to the second position of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, whereby the game ball placed between the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 167 (a)) and the intermediate plate 19983b can be distributed from the distribution member 24983 to the front unit 19940 side (left side of Figure 167 (a)), and sent to the passage TR3 through the opening U7 and the intermediate opening 19941h.

The protrusion 24983a1 is formed sufficiently small compared to the intermediate plate 19983b. Therefore, when the distribution member 24983 is arranged in the first position, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the front-rear direction is located on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 167(a)) relative to the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. This allows the distribution member 24983 to maintain a state in which it is arranged in the first position.

Also, as shown in FIG. 167(b), when the distribution member 24983 is arranged in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning port 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 24980, and is sent to the distribution member 24983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 167(a)), and the weight of the game ball can be applied to the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side.

As a result, the distribution member 24983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 167(a), and the distribution member 24983 is placed in the first position.

As described above, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action portion 19983a and the action portion 24983a (the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action portion 24983a (left side of FIG. 167(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b, so the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 displacing from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 displacing from the first position to the second position is larger than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 24980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 24980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 24983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 24980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, since the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 24980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be adjusted by the distribution member 24983, the structure of the distribution unit 24980 can be simplified to reduce product costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 167(b), when the sorting member 24983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (arrow F2 direction in FIG. 167(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 24983 (direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 24983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983 (arrow F2 direction in FIG. 167(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 167(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the distributing member 24983 has an action portion 24983a on which a protrusion 24983a1 is formed, and is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a weight member may be provided on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 24983.

That is, in the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, the protrusion 24983a1 is integrally formed with the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 167(a)), while the weight member may be removably arranged. The weight member may be arranged to protrude from the underside of the action portion 24983a, as with the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, or may be embedded inside the action portion 24983a.

By replacing the weight member, the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see Figure 161) can be easily adjusted.

When the weight member is embedded, the recess 24982b3 is prevented from being disposed in the front contact portion 24982b1, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the weight member is prevented from protruding from the underside of the action portion 24983a, thereby preventing damage to the distribution member 24983 during assembly.

In the present embodiment, the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1 is formed to have a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 formed on the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 24983, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the recess 24982b3 may be formed to be sufficiently larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1. In addition, the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1 may have a through hole formed to have a width larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1.

As a result, even if dust or the like accumulates in the recess 24982b3 of the front contact portion 24982b1, the lower surface of the action portion 24983a (lower side in FIG. 167(a)) can come into contact with the upper surface of the front contact portion 24982b1 (upper side in FIG. 167(a)), and the distribution member 24983 can be positioned in the second position.

Next, referring to FIG. 168, the winning port unit 25930 in the 24th embodiment will be described. In the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 is different (see FIG. 167). In the 24th embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a, and when an external force acts on the distribution member 25983, the distribution member 25983 is prevented from rotating. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 168 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 25930 in the 24th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 168(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 25983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 168(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 25983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 168(a), the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 168(a)) of the distribution member 25983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower side in FIG. 168(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). In other words, the distribution member 25983 is formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 in the direction connecting the action part 19983a and the action part 24983a (direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action part 24983a side (right side in FIG. 168(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

In addition, the rear side abutment portion 25982b2 of the lower plate 25982b formed on the bulge portion 25982 of the first side base 25981 has a recess 24982b3 formed in a shape slightly larger than the shape of the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 25983. As a result, the protrusion 24983a1 protruding from the action portion 24983a of the distribution member 25983 is positioned inside the recess 24982b3, and the distribution member 25983 can be positioned in the first position.

In other words, the distribution member 25983 can form an inclined state similar to the first position of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, whereby the game ball positioned between the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 168 (a)) and the intermediate plate 19983b can be distributed from the distribution member 25983 to the detection device SE5 side (right side of Figure 168 (a)), and sent through the opening U6 to the passage TR4.

The protrusion 24983a1 is formed sufficiently small compared to the intermediate plate 19983b, so that when the sorting member 24983 is positioned in the second position, as shown in FIG. 168(b), the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 in the front-to-rear direction is located closer to the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 168(b)) than the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. This allows the sorting member 25983 to remain positioned in the second position.

In addition, the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is located closer to the opening U6 (to the right in FIG. 168(a)) than the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 168(a), when the distribution member 25983 is arranged in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 25983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983.

In addition, the protrusion 24983a1 is formed to protrude from the lower surface of the action part 24983a (the lower side in FIG. 168(a)) toward one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 25983 is located toward one side in the direction of gravity relative to the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 25983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 25983 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)) is made smaller compared to the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. In addition, the distance between the axial center of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 25983 can be made smaller.

This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 25983, and also reduces the moment acting on the distribution member 25983 due to the inertial force.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 25983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 168(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 25983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In addition, it is relatively easy to form the protrusion 24983a1 on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 25983, and this reduces the production cost compared to methods that reduce the inertial force acting on the distributing member 25983, such as using anti-vibration rubber.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. That is, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster when the distribution member 25983 distributes in two directions. In this case, the rotation speed of the distribution member 25983 displaced from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), and the rotation speed of the distribution member 25983 displaced from the first position to the second position is larger than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. Therefore, the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 25983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 25980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring design freedom (see FIG. 161).

In addition, since the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 25980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 can be adjusted by the distribution member 25983, the structure of the distribution unit 25980 can be simplified to reduce production costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

Next, referring to FIG. 169, the winning port unit 26930 in the 25th embodiment will be described. In the 23rd embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 is biased toward one of the action parts 24983a (see FIG. 167), but in the 25th embodiment, a magnetic body 26983a2 is disposed on one of the action parts 26983a, thereby making the rotation speed of the distribution member 24983 different. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 169 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 26930 in the 25th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 169(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 169(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 169(a), the action portion 26983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983 in the 25th embodiment has a magnetic body 26983a2 embedded inward from its underside.

Furthermore, a magnetic body 26982b4 is embedded in the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed in the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981 from its upper surface toward the inside. When the distribution member 26983 is in the first position, the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed in a position facing the magnetic body 26983a2 disposed in the action portion 26983a. Furthermore, the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed in a state where it repels the magnetic body 26983a2 disposed in the action portion 26983a.

Here, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear contact portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a is formed to be smaller than the resultant force of gravity acting on the sorting member 26983 located in the first position and the repulsive force between the magnetic body 988c arranged on the sorting member 26983 and the magnetic body 988b arranged in the storage portion 986b (see FIG. 150). Therefore, when the sorting member 26983 is arranged in the first position, it remains in the first position.

In this embodiment, due to the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear contact portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a, the action portion 26983a of the distribution member 26983 does not come into contact with the rear contact portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge 26982 of the first side base 26981, but the action portion 26983a of the distribution member 26983 and the rear contact portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge 26982 of the first side base 26981 approach each other, and the state in which the forces acting on the distribution member 26983 are balanced is referred to as the first position.

When the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 26980, and is sent to the distribution member 26983, whereupon it is rotated and displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the axis of rotation, and the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position.

As described above, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a acts on the sorting member 26983, so the rotation speed of the sorting member 26983 displaced from the first position to the second position is greater than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 169(b), when the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 26980, and is sent to the distribution member 26983. The ball is then rotated and displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and the distribution member 26983 is disposed in the first position.

As described above, the repulsive force between the magnetic body 26982b4 arranged on the rear side abutment portion 26982b2 and the magnetic body 26983a2 arranged on the action portion 26983a acts on the sorting member 26983, so the rotation speed of the sorting member 26983 displaced from the second position to the first position is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 26980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 26983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 is embedded inward from the lower surface of the action portion 26983a, and the magnetic body 26982b4 is embedded inward from the upper surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2. In other words, the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26983a2 and the lower surface of the action portion 26983a form the same surface, and the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26982b4 and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2 form the same surface. However, this is not necessarily limited to this.

For example, the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26983a2 may be formed on the inside of the bottom surface of the action portion 26983a (upper side in FIG. 169(a)), and the exposed surface of the magnetic body 26982b4 may be formed on the inside of the top surface of the rear contact portion 26982b2 (lower side in FIG. 169(a)).

This prevents magnetic body 26983a2 from coming into contact with magnetic body 26982b4, and prevents magnetic body 26983a2 or magnetic body 26982b4 from being damaged.

In addition, due to variations in dimensional tolerances, it is possible to prevent the exposed surface of magnetic body 26983a2 from being formed outside the bottom surface of action portion 26983a (lower side in FIG. 169(a)), or the exposed surface of magnetic body 26982b4 from being formed outside the top surface of rear surface abutment portion 26982b2 (upper side in FIG. 169(a)), thereby preventing magnetic body 26983a2 and magnetic body 26982b4 from abutting against each other.

This can prevent damage to magnetic body 26983a2 or magnetic body 26982b4. It can also prevent the sorting member 26983 from being rotated sufficiently and not being positioned in the first position.

In addition, by inserting a spacer or the like between the magnetic body 26983a2 and the action portion 26983a, or between the magnetic body 26982b4 and the rear side abutment portion 26982b2, the distance between the magnetic body 26983a2 and the magnetic body 26982b4 can be adjusted when the sorting member 26983 is positioned in the first position.

This allows the magnitude of the force acting on the distribution member 26983 to be adjusted, and the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be easily adjusted.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 26983's distribution in two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 26980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 and the magnetic body 26982b4 are arranged in a repulsive state, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and they may be arranged in an attractive state.

As a result, when the sorting member 26983 is positioned in the first position, even if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 26983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10, the sorting member 26983 can be prevented from displacing from the first position to the second position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the magnetic body 26983a2 is disposed on the action portion 26983a disposed on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983, and the magnetic body 26982b4 is disposed on the back side abutment portion 26982b2 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The magnetic body 26983a2 may be disposed on the action portion 19983a disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 169(a)) of the distribution member 26983, and the magnetic body 26982b4 may be disposed in a state of being attracted to the front side abutment portion 19982b1 of the lower plate 26982b formed on the bulge portion 26982 of the first side base 26981.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 169(b), when the sorting member 26983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 26983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 26983 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 26983 (in the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 26983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 26983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 169(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 26983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

Next, referring to FIG. 170, the winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage and the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage are arranged at the same angle (see FIG. 161). In the 26th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage and the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage are arranged at different angles. In addition, parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is farther from you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 170 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 170(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 170(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 27930 in the 26th embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the back contact portion 27982b2 of the lower panel 27982b formed on the bulge 27982 of the first side base 27981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 170 (a)), and the upper surface of the back contact portion 27982b2 is formed to protrude upward (upward direction in Figure 170 (a)) beyond the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1.

As a result, the angle θ4 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the first position is greater than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

Therefore, when the distribution member 19983 is arranged at the first position, the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fifth passage (opening U7), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 170 (a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), can be smaller than the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 19983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fourth passage (opening U6), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 170 (a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) when the distribution member 19983 is arranged at the second position.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 27980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 19983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the sorting unit 27980 can easily adjust the difference between the time until detection by the detection device SE5 and the time until detection by the detection device SE6 by adjusting the position of the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1 that protrudes upward (upward in FIG. 170(a)).

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 27980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 171, the winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment will be described. In the 26th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage is smaller than the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage (see FIG. 170). In the 27th embodiment, the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the first position and to send the game ball to the fifth passage is larger than the angle at which the distribution member 19983 is rotated to send the game ball to the distribution member 19983 arranged at the second position and to send the game ball to the fourth passage. In addition, parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 171 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 171(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 171(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 28930 in the 27th embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the rear contact portion 28982b2 of the lower panel 28982b formed on the bulge 28982 of the first side base 28981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 171 (a)), and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 27982b2 is formed recessed below the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1 (downward direction in Figure 170 (a)).

As a result, the angle θ5 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the first position is smaller than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 19983 is disposed in the second position.

In addition, the position of the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) with the axis of the shaft member 988a as the center of rotation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 171(a), when the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by hitting the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axis position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 (in the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 19983 is smaller than that of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This reduces the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the distribution member 19983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 171(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 19983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 28980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 172, the winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to a symmetrical plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (see FIG. 147). In the 28th embodiment, the distribution member 29983 is formed in an asymmetrical shape with respect to a symmetrical plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 172 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 172(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 29983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 172(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 29983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 29930 in the 28th embodiment, the angle θ6 between the line of action SL connecting the pair of action parts 19983a of the distribution member 29983 on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 172 (a)) and the intermediate line TL is formed to be smaller than the angle θ7 between the line of action SL and the intermediate line TL on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 172 (a)). In other words, the distribution member 29983 is arranged with the intermediate plate 19983b tilted relative to the pair of action parts 19983a, and is formed into an asymmetric shape with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 172 (a)).

Therefore, when the distribution member 29983 is arranged at the first position, the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 29983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fifth passage (opening U7), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 172(a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), can be smaller than the rotation angle by which the game ball sent to the distribution member 29983 is rotated to the position where it is sent to the fourth passage (opening U6), i.e., the position where the tip of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 172(a)) faces one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), when the distribution member 29983 is arranged at the second position.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 29980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 29983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 29983's distribution in two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 29980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 173, the winning port unit 30930 in the 29th embodiment will be described. In the 29th embodiment, the contact surface of the distribution member 30983 with the game balls is formed differently when the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position and when it is disposed in the second position. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 173 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 30930 in the 29th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 173(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 173(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 173(b), when the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 30980, and is sent to the distribution member 30983. The game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(b)). As a result, the distribution member 30983 is rotationally displaced with the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 173(a), and the distribution member 30983 is disposed in the first position.

Here, a rubber sheet 30983f made of a rubber-like elastic material is disposed on the side of the middle plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. Therefore, a game ball that abuts against the rubber sheet 30983f bounces back and is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity).

When the game ball displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) comes into contact with the distribution member 30983 again due to its own weight, the member 30983 is rotated from the second position to the first position due to the load of the game ball, and the game ball is sent to the fourth passage (passage TR4). In other words, the game ball is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), which can delay the sending of the game ball to the fourth passage (passage TR4).

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 30983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, by changing the thickness or shape of the rubber sheet 30983f, or by disposing a rubber sheet having a different elastic modulus, the difference between the time until detection by the detection device SE5 and the time until detection by the detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted.

In addition, a rubber sheet 30983f formed from a rubber-like elastic material is disposed on the side of the intermediate plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side, so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 30983 is located closer to the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 173(a)) than the center of gravity of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 173(a), when the sorting member 30983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 30983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 30983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 30983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 30983 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 30983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 30983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 173(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 30983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the rubber sheet 30983f is provided on the distribution member 30983, so that the game ball is displaced (bounced) to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), but this is not necessarily limited to this. The game ball may come into contact with the rubber sheet 30983f, reducing the velocity component of the game ball.

For example, if the rubber sheet 30983f has viscosity, the speed component toward the opening U6 side (the right side of Figure 173 (a)) is reduced as the game ball slides or rolls on the rubber sheet 30983f.

In addition, for example, when the gaming ball comes into contact with the rubber sheet 30983f and causes it to deform significantly (the gaming ball sinks), the frictional force acting between the gaming ball and the rubber sheet 30983f reduces the velocity component toward the opening U6 side (the right side of Figure 173(a)).

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a gaming ball flowing into the distribution unit 30980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 30983's two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 30980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

In addition, in this embodiment, the rubber sheet 30983f is described as being formed from a rubber-like elastic body, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, materials with different materials (elastic modulus) such as a resin film, a gel-like sheet, or a metal plate can be used.

In addition, in this embodiment, a rubber sheet 30983f formed from a rubber-like elastic body is arranged on the side of the intermediate plate 19983b and the abutment portion 19983d of the distribution member 30983 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(a)) and on the upper surface of the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and protrusions formed with dimensions smaller than the game ball may be formed on the surfaces of the intermediate plate 19983b, the abutment portion 19983d, and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side. As a result, the frictional force acting between the game ball and the protrusions reduces the velocity component toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 173(a)).

Next, referring to FIG. 174, the prize-winning port unit 31930 in the 30th embodiment will be described. The distribution member 31983 in the 30th embodiment is formed so that the rotational resistance varies depending on the direction of rotation. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

The distribution member 31983 in this embodiment has the same configuration as the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment, except that the shaft member 31988a extends in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 174(a)) relative to the shaft member 988a. A pair of action parts 19983a and the intermediate plate 19983b are arranged at a substantially right angle, and are formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to a symmetry plane that passes through the center of the thickness of the intermediate plate 19983b and extends left-right (see FIG. 161).

Figure 174 (a) is a top view of the winning port unit 31930, and Figure 174 (b) is a side view of the winning port unit 31930. In the winning port unit 31930 in the 30th embodiment, the side plate 31986a formed in the bulge 31986 of the second side base 31985 has a bearing portion 31985j that protrudes in an annular shape toward the first side base 19981 side (left side of Figure 174 (a)), and the inside of the bearing portion 31985j is formed to penetrate in the axial direction.

One end of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983 passes through the bearing portion 31985j and is disposed outside the second cover member 31988 (to the right in FIG. 174(a)), and the other end of the shaft member 31988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c (see FIG. 151) of the side plate 19982a formed in the bulge portion 19982 of the first side base 19981. Thus, the shaft member 31988a is disposed rotatably by the bearing portion 31985j and the bearing portion 982c. In addition, one end of the shaft member 31988a is formed into a roughly D-shape when viewed in the axial direction, and the one-way gear WG described later is disposed thereon.

The one-way gear WG is formed as a cam-type one-way clutch with a roller and spring between the inner and outer rings. A gear that meshes with the third gear GY3 is engraved on the outer periphery of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG. In addition, the shaft hole of the one-way gear WG is formed in a shape that is approximately the same as the D-shape of one end of the axially visible shaft member 31988a.

The distribution member 31983 and the shaft member 31988a are fastened together with a set screw (not shown). This allows the rotation of the distribution member 31983 to be transmitted to the inner ring of the one-way gear WG.

When the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3 is not rotated. On the other hand, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3 is rotated.

The second cover member 31988 has a third gear GY3 at a position where it meshes with the one-way gear WG, a fourth gear GY4 at a position where it meshes with the third gear GY3, and a fifth gear GY5 at a position where it meshes with the fourth gear GY4.

Therefore, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 do not rotate. On the other hand, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel, and the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG rotates, causing the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 to rotate.

Here, when the rotation of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the third gear GY3 and the outer ring of the one-way gear WG and the third gear GY3 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the outer ring of the one-way gear WG and the third gear GY3.

Similarly, when the rotation of the third gear GY3 is transmitted to the fourth gear GY4 and the third gear GY3 and the fourth gear GY4 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the third gear GY3 and the fourth gear GY4, and when the rotation of the fourth gear GY4 is transmitted to the fifth gear GY5 and the fourth gear GY4 and the fifth gear GY5 rotate, friction occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the fourth gear GY4 and the fifth gear GY5.

Therefore, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 rotate, i.e., when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is slower than when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 do not rotate, i.e., when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is not transmitted to the outer ring of the one-way gear WG.

Therefore, when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG, i.e., when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is slower than when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is not transmitted to the outer wheel of the one-way gear WG, i.e., when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), and the difference between the distribution time of the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to the fourth passage and the distribution time to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to be detected by detection device SE5 (see FIG. 161) and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, this ensures freedom of design, i.e., even when the distribution member 31983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, it is possible to reduce the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6, thereby preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the sorting member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 174(b)), friction (resistance) is generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 174(b)), the distribution member 31983 can be prevented from displacing from the second position to the first position.

In addition, the one-way gear WG is configured to switch between transmitting and not transmitting rotation to the third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, so differences in rotational resistance in the rotational direction can be reliably created.

In addition, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 are arranged outside the second cover member 31988, and can be easily removed. This reduces the time required to adjust the detection time difference.

In addition, the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can be configured relatively simply so that they can be driven or not, thereby reducing product costs and improving reliability and durability.

In particular, the inertial force generated when the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, which are in a stopped state, begin to rotate can be used to provide rotational resistance for the distribution member 31983. This makes it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member 31983, and is effective as a configuration that reduces the difference in distribution time for the distribution member 31983 in the present invention, in which the amount of displacement in the distribution operation of the distribution member 31983 is relatively small.

In this embodiment, the number of gears arranged is three, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the number of gears may be two or less or two or more. By increasing or decreasing the number of gears, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted (see FIG. 161).

In addition, in this embodiment, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG does not rotate due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG does not transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG rotates due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 (see FIG. 161). However, the one-way gear WG may be configured to act in the opposite manner.

In other words, when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the one-way gear WG may be configured not to transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

In this case, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 161), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position.

Next, referring to FIG. 175, the winning port unit 32930 in the 31st embodiment will be described. In the 31st embodiment, the center of gravity of the distribution member 32983 is formed at the same position as the axial center position of the shaft member 988a. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 175 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 32930 in the 31st embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along the line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). As shown in Figure 175, the distribution member 32983 in the 31st embodiment is formed with a pair of action portions 19983a and a center of gravity adjustment portion 32983g that protrudes from the opposite side of the intermediate plate 19983b of the abutment portion 19983d (the lower side of Figure 175) when viewed in the axial direction of the shaft member 988a. The center of gravity adjustment portion 32983g is a portion for arranging the center of gravity of the distribution member 32983 at the same position as the axis of the shaft member 988a, and is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 175, when the sorting member 32983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the center of gravity of the sorting member 32983 and the axial center position of the shaft member 988a are disposed in the same position, so the inertial force acting on the sorting member 32983 does not generate a moment.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the distribution member 32983 can be prevented from displacing from the first position to the second position.

In addition, even when the sorting member 32983 is disposed in the second position and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 32983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the opposite direction to the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the inertial force acting on the sorting member 32983 similarly does not generate a moment.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 32983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the opposite direction to the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 175), the displacement of the distribution member 32983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

The distribution member 32983 is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. This simplifies the shape of the distribution member 32983, reducing production costs. In addition, the distribution member 32983 has no directionality, improving assembly.

Next, referring to FIG. 176, the winning port unit 33930 in the 32nd embodiment will be described. In the 32nd embodiment, the shape of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution member 33983 is formed differently on the opening U6 side and the opening U7 side. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 176 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 33930 in the 32nd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 176(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 176(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position.

As shown in Fig. 176(a), the opening U6 side (right side of Fig. 176(a)) of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution member 33983 is formed with a protruding surface 33983b1 formed by curving in an arc protruding toward the opening U6 side, and the opening U7 side (left side of Fig. 176(a)) of the intermediate plate 33983b is formed with a concave surface 33983b2 formed by curving in an arc recessed toward the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 33983. In addition, the action portion 33983a of the distribution member 33983 on the opening U7 side is formed to protrude toward the intermediate plate 33983b (upper side of Fig. 176(a)) as it advances toward the shaft member 988a side (right side of Fig. 176(a)), and the upper surface of the action portion 33983a and the concave surface 33983b2 form a uniform surface. In other words, the boundary between the upper surface of the action portion 33983a and the concave surface 33983b2 is formed on the same plane.

When the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 33980, and is sent to the distribution member 33983. The game ball is sent to the concave surface 33983b2 of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution unit 33980 and the action portion 33983a on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 176(a)). As a result, the distribution member 33983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the axis of rotation, as shown in FIG. 176(b), and the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position.

The concave surface 33983b2 of the intermediate plate 33983b is curved in an arc concave toward the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 33983, and forms a uniform surface with the upper surface of the action portion 33983a. Therefore, the velocity components of the game ball sent to the distribution unit 33980 toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) and the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)) can be changed to velocity components toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 176(b)) to send the game ball to the opening U7. In other words, since the game ball can be given a velocity component toward the opening U7 side, it can be sent in a shorter time than the sending to the opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the time it takes for the distribution member 33983 to send the game ball to passage TR3 (fifth passage) can be made shorter than the time it takes in the 18th embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 176(b), when the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning hole 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 33980, and is sent to the distribution member 33983. The game ball is sent to the projection surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b of the distribution unit 33980 and the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)). As a result, the distribution member 33983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 176(a), and the distribution member 33983 is disposed in the first position.

Here, the protruding surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b is curved in an arc protruding toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 176(b)), so compared to the side of the intermediate plate 19883b formed in a straight line in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161), the sliding or rolling distance on the protruding surface 33983b1 of the intermediate plate 33983b can be made larger.

In addition, the game ball slides or rolls on the protruding surface 33983b1, thereby approaching the axis of the shaft member 988a, thereby reducing the moment acting on the distribution member 33983. This makes it possible to slow down the rotation time of the distribution member 33983 from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, the time it takes for the distribution member 33983 to send the game ball to passage TR4 (fourth passage) can be made longer than the time in the 18th embodiment.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 33980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6.

In addition, even if the distribution member 33983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game and ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 33983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 33980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to Figure 177, the winning port unit 34930 in the 33rd embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported (see Figure 161), but in the 33rd embodiment, the distribution member 19983 is rotatably supported and is arranged so that it can be displaced in the front-rear and up-down directions. Note that the same parts as in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 177 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 34930 in the 33rd embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 177(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position, Figure 177(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in Figure 177(b)) while maintaining the attitude (angle) of the distribution member 19983 disposed in the first position inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j described below, and Figure 177(c) shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the second position. Note that, for ease of understanding, in the enlarged view shown in Figure 177, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are shown in solid lines, and the distribution member 19983 is shown in dashed lines.

In the prize winning port unit 34930 in the thirty-third embodiment, the bearings 34982c, 34985j are formed in an elliptical shape that extends at an angle to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as they approach the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 177 (a)). Here, the elliptical shape refers to a shape in which both ends are formed in an arc shape with a radius equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a, and the pair of both ends are connected by a pair of straight lines. In addition, the pair of straight lines are arranged in parallel, and the distance between them is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

Therefore, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 can be displaced within the bearings 34982c and 34985j. In other words, the distribution member 19983 is arranged rotatably within the distribution unit 34980, and is arranged so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 177(a)) and up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 177(a)).

As shown in FIG. 177(a), when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the first position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)). In this case, the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983 acts forward (left side in FIG. 177(a)), and the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(b)) inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j, as shown in FIG. 177(b). That is, the sorting member 19983 is displaced forward by the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983.

In addition, the forward displacement of the distribution member 19983 generates friction between the shaft member 988a and the bearings 34982c and 34985j, allowing the kinetic energy imparted to the distribution member 19983 by an external force to be consumed.

In addition, as the distributing member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), it is displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the kinetic energy imparted to the distributing member 19983 by an external force can be converted into potential energy.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 19983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side of FIG. 177(b)), the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side of the distribution member 19983 (right side of FIG. 177(b)) can maintain contact with the rear side contact portion 19982b2 of the lower panel 19982b formed on the bulge 34982 of the first side base 34981. This allows the distribution member 19983 to maintain the attitude (angle) of being disposed in the first position.

When the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(b)), i.e., when the shaft member 988a is displaced to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), the shaft member 988a is displaced rearward (right side in FIG. 177(a)) inside the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j due to gravity, i.e., displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), as shown in FIG. 177(a), the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the distribution member 19983 can be maintained in the first position.

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), the distance between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e of the front unit 19940, and the intermediate opening 19941h of the distribution member 19983 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball.

Therefore, when a game ball is sent to the distribution unit 34980 with the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 displaced forward (left side in Figure 177 (b)), and the distribution member 19983 displaces from the first position to the second position, there is a risk that the game ball will become caught between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e or the intermediate opening 19941h of the front unit 19940, and the distribution member 19983.

In contrast, the bearings 34982c and 34985j in this embodiment are formed in an elliptical shape that inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 177(a)), in other words, it is formed in an elliptical shape that inclines toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)). Therefore, the distribution member 19983 is displaced toward the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)) and the one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) by the force acting on the distribution member 19983 in the direction of gravity due to its own weight and the contact between the distribution member 19983 and the game ball flowing down inside the distribution unit 34980, and the game ball that has been released from the jammed state can be sent to the fifth passage (passage TR3).

As shown in FIG. 177(b), when the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced forward (to the left in FIG. 177(b)), the distance between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e of the front unit 19940, and the intermediate opening 19941h of the distribution member 19983 may be greater than the diameter of the game ball.

When a game ball flowing down the front side of the game board 13 (see Figure 138) flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g of the front unit 19940, passes through the first winning opening 64 and the opening U8 of the distribution unit 34980, and is sent to the distribution member 19983, the game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 19983b and the action portion 19983a on the opening U7 side of the distribution unit 19980 (left side of Figure 177 (a)).

As described above, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 19980 has a velocity component toward the rear side (the right side of FIG. 177(a)), so the sending direction of the game ball and the extension direction of the bearing parts 34982c, 34985j have the same directional component in that the game ball moves toward one side of the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) as it moves toward the rear side.

Thus, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 remains disposed on one side of the inner side of the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity), i.e., on the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(a)), while the distribution member 19983 is rotated around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and is disposed in the second position as shown in FIG. 177(c).

When an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) with the distributing member 19983 disposed in the second position, and an inertial force acts on the distributing member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), the shaft member 988a of the distributing member 19983 displaces the inside of the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j toward the front side (left side in FIG. 177(a)), i.e., toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), in the same way as when the distributing member 19983 is disposed in the first position, and the distributing member 19983 can be prevented from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

As a result, the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 remains disposed on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) inside the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j, i.e., on the rear side (right side in Figure 177 (c)), and when the game ball is thrown, the distribution member 19983 is rotationally displaced around the axis of the shaft member 988a as the rotation axis, and is disposed in the first position as shown in Figure 177 (a).

In addition, in this embodiment, the bearings 34982c, 34985j are formed in an elliptical shape that extends and inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 177(a)). Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see Figure 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in Figure 177(a)), the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 is displaced within the bearings 34982c, 34985j, thereby preventing the distribution member 19983 from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

In addition, the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983, which is displaced forward (left side in FIG. 177(a)) on the inside of the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j, i.e., to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), is disposed in the first position by the action of gravity, so there is no need for a driving means such as an actuator to displace the sorting member 19983 to the first position. This makes it possible to reduce product costs. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sorting member 19983 from being maintained in a state displaced forward due to poor control of the driving means, etc.

In addition, even if an external force is continuously applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force is continuously acting on the distribution member 19983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 177(a)), gravity is applied, allowing the distribution member 19983 to maintain its state of being disposed in the first position.

In this embodiment, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are described as being formed in an oval shape that extends and inclines to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 177(a)). However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and the bearings may be formed in an oval shape that extends and inclines to the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 177(a)).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 177(c), when the sorting member 19983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 19983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 177(c)). The inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983 acts toward the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(c)), and the shaft member 988a of the sorting member 19983 is displaced toward the rear side (the right side in FIG. 177(c)) inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j. That is, the sorting member 19983 is displaced toward the rear side due to the inertial force generated in the sorting member 19983.

In addition, the rearward displacement of the distribution member 19983 generates friction between the shaft member 988a and the bearings 34982c and 34985j, allowing the kinetic energy imparted to the distribution member 19983 by an external force to be consumed.

In addition, as the distributing member 19983 is displaced rearward (to the right in FIG. 177(b)), it is displaced toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity), so that the kinetic energy imparted to the distributing member 19983 by an external force can be converted into potential energy.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 19983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 177(c)), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 19983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the bearings 34982c and 34985j are described as being formed in an elliptical shape that extends and inclines toward the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) as it approaches the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 177(a)), but this is not necessarily limited to this.

For example, the portion connecting the pair of ends may be curved, or may be formed from both a curved shape and a straight shape. In this way, by forming the bearing portions 34982c, 34985j in a shape that corresponds to the external force applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), it is possible to prevent the distribution member 19983 from being improperly rotated from the second position to the first position.

In addition, although the pair of linear shapes is described as being arranged in parallel, this is not necessarily limited thereto, and the pair of linear shapes may be arranged non-parallel.

For example, the opposing distance may be increased from the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 177(a)) toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 177(a)). This allows the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983, which is displaced toward the opening U7 side, to rotate and displace inside the bearing portions 34982c and 34985j.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 177(b), even when a game ball is sent to the distribution unit 34980 with the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 displaced forward (left side of FIG. 177(b)) and the distribution member 19983 is displaced from the first position to the second position, the game ball can be prevented from getting caught between the protrusion 19982d of the distribution unit 34980, the intermediate receiving portion 19943e or the intermediate opening 19941h of the front unit 19940, and the distribution member 19983.

In order to displaceably displace the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 19983 inside the bearings 34982c and 34985j, it is preferable that the lower surfaces of the inner sides of the bearings 34982c and 34985j are formed in a straight line shape.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 19983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 34980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 178, the prize opening unit 35930 in the 34th embodiment will be described. In the 34th embodiment, the distribution member 31983 is positioned offset in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the position of the opening U10. Note that parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 178 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 35930 in the 34th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section at line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 178(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 178(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position. Note that in Figure 178, for ease of understanding, only the outlines of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 are shown by dashed lines.

In the prize winning port unit 35930 of the thirty-fourth embodiment, the front contact portion 19982b1 and the rear contact portion 35982b2 of the lower panel 35982b formed on the bulge 35982 of the first side base 35981 are formed asymmetrically in the vertical direction (up and down direction in FIG. 178(a)), and the upper surface of the rear contact portion 35982b2 is formed to protrude upward (upward direction in FIG. 178(a)) beyond the upper surface of the front contact portion 19982b1.

As a result, the angle θ4 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 31983 is disposed in the first position is greater than the angle θ3 between the horizontal line HL and the intermediate line TL when the dividing member 31983 is disposed in the second position.

In addition, when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is not transmitted to the outer wheel, and when the distributing member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 161), the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel.

Here, conventionally, gaming machines are known that include an entrance port through which gaming balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the gaming balls that enter the entrance port to one side or the other. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the entrance port is located vertically above the distribution member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so the process of the gaming balls that enter the entrance port until they reach the distribution member becomes monotonous, resulting in a lack of interest in the game.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, the prize winning port unit 35930 has the distribution member 31983 positioned rearward (to the right in FIG. 178(a)) from the first prize winning port 64, so that the game ball entering the first prize winning port 64 is displaced in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 178(a)) before it reaches the distribution member 31983. This allows a player who is viewing a game ball flowing downward (downward in FIG. 178(a)) or left-to-right (perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 178(a)) on the front side of the game board 13 (see FIG. 138) to be able to see the game ball displace in a different direction (front-to-back) than before. This can increase the player's interest in the game.

In particular, in this embodiment, the distribution member 31983 is arranged biased in approximately the same direction as the direction of the velocity component of the game ball relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning port 64 (the up-down direction (up-down direction in Figure 178 (a)) and the front-rear direction (left-right direction in Figure 178 (a))), so that the game ball abuts against the distribution member 31983 while maintaining the velocity component. Therefore, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the game ball can be displaced quickly, further increasing the interest of the game.

As shown in FIG. 178(a), the axial center position of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 178(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 178(a)). Therefore, when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position, the game ball abuts against the intermediate plate 19983b on the axial center side of the shaft member 31988a of the distribution member 31983. Therefore, the moment acting on the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 due to the collision of the game ball can be reduced, and damage to the intermediate plate 19983b (distribution member 19983) can be suppressed.

In addition, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the rotation of the inner wheel of the one-way gear WG is transmitted to the outer wheel.

Therefore, the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position can be slower than the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even when design freedom is ensured, that is, when the distribution member 31983 is arranged in such a way that the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring design freedom.

In addition, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5 are located outside the second cover member, so they can be easily removed. This reduces the time required to adjust the detection time difference.

In particular, the inertial force generated when the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5, which are in a stopped state, begin to rotate can be used to provide rotational resistance for the distribution member 31983. This makes it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member 31983, and is effective as a configuration that reduces the difference in distribution time for the distribution member 31983 in the present invention, in which the amount of displacement in the distribution operation of the distribution member 31983 is relatively small.

In this embodiment, the number of gears arranged is three, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the number of gears may be two or less or two or more. By increasing or decreasing the number of gears, the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 31980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 can be easily adjusted (see FIG. 161).

As shown in FIG. 178(a), when the distributing member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(a)) comes into contact with the distributing member 31983, the game ball loses its velocity component toward the rear side due to the contact between the game ball and the distributing member 31983. Next, the game ball is displaced to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity) due to its own weight, and displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position by coming into contact with the action part on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 178(a)).

As shown in FIG. 178(b), when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 31983, and the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side.

As a result, the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position is different from the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position. Note that in this embodiment, the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position is faster than the displacement (rotation) speed at which the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position.

In other words, the displacement (rotation) speed of the distribution member 31983 when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the first position is slower than the displacement (rotation) speed of the distribution member 31983 when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position.

Therefore, the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side of the distribution member 31983 (right side in FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the rear side contact portion 35982b2 at high speed, which may cause damage to the action portion 19983a (distribution member 31983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the rotation of the distribution member 31983 is transmitted to the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, causing friction (resistance) on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

This allows the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the second position to the first position to be slowed down, thereby preventing damage to the action portion 19983a (distribution member 31983).

Here, when the rotation of the distribution member 31983 due to the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the first position to the second position is transmitted to the one-way gear WG, friction (resistance) occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, so that the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 31983 from the first position to the second position is slowed down. Therefore, when a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) collides with the distribution member 31983, the distribution member 31983 cannot displace (rotate) together with the game ball due to the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth, and the distribution member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position with the game ball bouncing back (separated). Therefore, while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, and when the distribution member 31983 is positioned in the second position, the game ball that bounced (moved away) falls and comes into contact with the distribution member 31983, which may cause the game ball to be sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it was originally intended to be distributed.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the one-way gear WG is configured such that when the distributing member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 31983 is not transmitted to the one-way gear WG. As a result, no friction (resistance) occurs on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and the distributing member 31983 can be quickly displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 178(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 31983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 31983, the distribution member 31983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

As a result, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 31983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 31983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 31983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, preventing the game ball from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, when the distribution member 31983 is disposed in the second position, if an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (in the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 178(b)), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the second position to the first position.

The one-way gear WG allows the rotation of the gear formed on the outer ring to be switched between being transmitted and not transmitted, so a difference in rotational resistance in the direction of rotation can be reliably created. Also, because the gear can be relatively simply configured to be either driven or not, product costs can be reduced and reliability and durability can be improved.

In addition, because the distribution member 31983 is formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, the shape of the distribution member 31983 can be simplified, reducing product costs. Also, ease of assembly can be improved.

In this embodiment, when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG does not rotate due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG does not transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the outer ring of the one-way gear WG rotates due to the displacement (rotation) of the sorting member 31983 from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5. However, the one-way gear WG may be configured to act in the opposite manner.

In other words, when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the one-way gear WG transmits the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5, and when the sorting member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the one-way gear WG may be configured not to transmit the rotation of the sorting member 31983 to the third gear GY3, the fourth gear GY4, and the fifth gear GY5.

In this case, when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 31983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 178(a)), the friction (resistance) generated on the meshing surfaces of the gear teeth of the one-way gear WG, third gear GY3, fourth gear GY4, and fifth gear GY5 can prevent the distribution member 31983 from displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the distribution member 31983's two directions may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 31980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 179, the prize opening unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment will be described. In the 35th embodiment, the distribution member 24983 is positioned offset in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the position of the opening U10. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 179 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 179(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 179(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 24983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 36930 in the 35th embodiment, a distribution member 24983 is provided. As described above, the center of gravity of the distribution member 24983 in the direction connecting the action portion 19983a and the action portion 24983a (the direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the action portion 24983a side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b, by the amount that the protrusion 24983a protrudes.

Therefore, when the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) against gravity, so the displacement can be slowed down. On the other hand, when the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the sorting member 24983 is displaced (rotated) using gravity, so the displacement (rotation) can be made faster.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 36980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161).

In addition, even if the distribution member 24983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 36980 are detected by detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, since the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 36980 is detected by detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161) can be adjusted by the distribution member 24983, the structure of the distribution unit 36980 can be simplified to reduce product costs, and design freedom can be increased with respect to the layout of the fourth or fifth passage and the installation position of detection device SE5 or detection device SE6.

As described above, the game ball flowing into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 36980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 36980 has a velocity component toward the rear side. Also, the bias direction of the distribution member 24983 relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning opening 64 and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball are formed in approximately the same direction.

As shown in FIG. 179(b), when the distributing member 24983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 24983, so that the distributing member 24983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)). Therefore, the action portion 19983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) of the distributing member 24983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 36982b2 at high speed, which may damage the action portion 19983a (distributing member 24983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the action part 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity), so that the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be slowed down, thereby preventing damage to the action part 19983a (distribution member 24983).

The axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 24983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 179(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 179(a)).

Here, if the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U6 side of the distribution member 24983 (right side of FIG. 179(a)) is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its underside (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity), the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the first position to the second position is slowed down by the amount of the protrusion 24983a1. Therefore, when a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) collides with the distribution member 24983, the distribution member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position with the game ball bouncing back (moving away). Therefore, the sorting member 24983 cannot displace (rotate) together with the game ball, and if the sorting member 24983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), and the bouncing (moving away) game ball falls while the sorting member 24983 is positioned in the second position and comes into contact with the sorting member 24983, there is a risk that the game ball will be sent to opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it is normally sorted.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the action portion 24983a disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)) of the distribution member 24983 is formed with a protrusion 24983a1 that protrudes from its lower surface (lower surface of FIG. 179(a)) to one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity). Therefore, when displacing (rotating) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 24983 from the first position to the second position can be performed quickly.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 24983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 24983, the distribution member 24983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 24983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 24983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 24983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 24983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, when the sorting member 24983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 24983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 24983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 24983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 24983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 179(b)), the displacement of the distribution member 24983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the distributing member 24983 has an action portion 24983a on which a protrusion 24983a1 is formed, and is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a weight member may be provided on the action portion 24983a of the distributing member 24983.

That is, in the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, the protrusion 24983a1 is integrally formed with the action portion 24983a arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 179(a)), while the weight member may be arranged so as to be removable. The weight member may be arranged to protrude from the underside of the action portion 24983a, as with the distribution member 24983 of this embodiment, or may be embedded inside the action portion 24983a.

By replacing the weight member, the difference between the time until detection by detection device SE5 and the time until detection by detection device SE6 (see Figure 161) can be easily adjusted.

When the weight member is embedded, the recess 24982b3 is prevented from being disposed in the front contact portion 36982b1, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the weight member is prevented from protruding from the underside of the action portion 24983a, thereby preventing damage to the distribution member 24983 during assembly.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 24983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 180, the winning port unit 37930 in the 36th embodiment will be described. In the 36th embodiment, the receiving surface of the distribution member 37983 that receives the game balls is formed as a curved surface 37983h that protrudes toward the axis of the shaft member 988a. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 180 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 37930 in the 36th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 180(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 180(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 37930 of the 36th embodiment, the axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 37983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 180(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 180(a)).

As shown in FIG. 180(a), both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 37983b of the distribution member 37983 are curved in an arc protruding toward the axis of the shaft member 988a.

The acting portion 37983a of the distribution member 37983 is formed to protrude toward the intermediate plate 37983b (upper side in FIG. 180(a)) as it advances toward the shaft member 988a (right side in FIG. 180(a)), and the upper surface of the acting portion 37983a and both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 37983b form a uniform curved surface 37983h.

The axial center position of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 37983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 180(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 180(a)).

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (the right side of FIG. 180(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 37980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 37980 has a velocity component toward the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 180(b), when the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the second position and a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 37983, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distributing member 37983, so that the game ball is sent to the opening U6 while maintaining or increasing the velocity component toward the rear side. In other words, of the forces acting on the distributing member 37983 due to the game ball coming into contact with it, the force component that displaces (rotates) the distributing member 37983 can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 180(b), when the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 37983, so that the distributing member 37983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side. Therefore, the action portion 37983a on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) of the distributing member 37983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 37982b2 at high speed, which may damage the action portion 37983a (distributing member 37983).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distribution member 37983, and therefore, among the forces acting on the distribution member 37983 when the game ball comes into contact with it, the force component that displaces (rotates) the distribution member 37983 can be reduced, and therefore, the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 37983 from the second position to the first position can be slowed down, thereby suppressing damage to the action portion 37983a (distribution member 37983).

As shown in FIG. 180(a), when the distribution member 37983 is disposed in the first position, if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 37983, the game ball slides or rolls on the curved surface 37983h of the distribution member 37983, and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball is converted into a velocity component toward the front side (right side of FIG. 180(b)) and sent to the opening U7.

This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage.

As a result, even if the distribution member 37983 is disposed at a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or even if the length of the ball path from the distribution member 37983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball path to the detection device SE6 (see FIG. 161), the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth passage is longer than the fourth passage, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the fifth passage may be shorter than the fourth passage. In other words, the fifth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls slower of the two directions of distribution of the distribution member 37983 may be shorter than the fourth passage formed on the side that distributes the game balls faster. In this case, the difference between the time until the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 37980 are detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until they are detected by the detection device SE6 can be adjusted (see FIG. 161), which can increase the interest of the game.

Next, referring to FIG. 181, the winning port unit 38930 in the 37th embodiment will be described. In the 37th embodiment, the angles between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surfaces of the action parts 38983a3 and 38983a4 are different. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 181 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 38930 in the 37th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 181(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 38983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 181(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 38983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 38930 of the 37th embodiment, the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 38983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 181(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 181(a)).

As described above, the game ball flowing into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 38980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 38980 has a velocity component toward the rear side. Also, the bias direction of the distribution member 24983 relative to the first receiving portion 19941g and the first winning opening 64 and the velocity component toward the rear side of the game ball are formed in approximately the same direction.

The action portion 38983a3 disposed on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 181(a)) is formed to have a smaller thickness dimension than the tip of the action portion 19983a in the 18th embodiment as it moves from the shaft member 988a side (right side of FIG. 181(a)), which is the connection portion with the abutment portion 19983d, toward the tip.

Therefore, the angle θ8 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action part 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 181 (a)) is made larger than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (see Figure 161).

The action portion 38983a4 disposed on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 181(a)) is formed to a constant thickness dimension from the shaft member 988a side (left side in FIG. 181(a)), which is the connection portion with the abutment portion 19983d, toward the tip.

Therefore, the angle θ9 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action part 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 181 (a)) is smaller than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action part 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (see Figure 161).

Therefore, the tip of the action part 38983a4 is formed to have a greater thickness than the tip of the action part 19983a (see Figure 161).

As a result, the distribution member 38983 is formed in an asymmetric shape with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the center of gravity of the distribution member 38983 in the direction connecting the action part 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 181(a)) and the action part 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) (a direction perpendicular to the erection direction of the intermediate plate 19983b) is located closer to the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 181(a), when the sorting member 38983 is disposed in the first position, and an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by striking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 38983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)), the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 38983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 38983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 38983 (the direction of the arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 25983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distribution member 38983 toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 181(a)), the displacement of the distribution member 38983 from the first position to the second position can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 181(b), when the distributing member 38983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 38983, so that the distributing member 38983 is disposed in the first position with a velocity component toward the rear side. Therefore, the action portion 38983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) of the distributing member 38983 comes into contact with the rear side abutment portion 38982b2 at high speed, and there is a risk that the action portion 38983a4 (distributing member 38983) will be damaged.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the angle θ9 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 and the upper surface of the action portion 38983a4 arranged on the opening U6 side (right side of Figure 181 (a)) is smaller than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U6 side (see Figure 161). In other words, the tip of the action portion 38983a4 is formed to be thicker than the tip of the action portion 19983a (see Figure 161), so that damage to the action portion 38983a4 (distribution member 38983) can be suppressed.

Here, the tip of the action part 38983a4 is formed to have a greater thickness than the tip of the action part 19983a (see FIG. 161), so the displacement (rotation) of the distribution member 38983 from the first position to the second position is slower.

Therefore, when a game ball with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 181(b)) hits the distributing member 38983, the distributing member 38983 cannot displace (rotate) with the game ball, and distributing member 38983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away). Therefore, while the distributing member 38983 is displaced (rotating) from the first position to the second position while the game ball is bouncing (moving away), the game ball that bounced (moved away) falls while the distributing member 38983 is positioned at the second position, and comes into contact with the distributing member 38983, which may result in the game ball being sent to opening U6 in the opposite direction to the direction it was originally intended to be distributed.

In contrast, the angle θ8 between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983 in this embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 38983a3 arranged on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 181 (a)) is larger than the angle between the side surface of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 19983 in the 18th embodiment and the upper surface of the action portion 19983a arranged on the opening U7 side (see Figure 161), so the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a greater velocity component heading toward the opening U7 than the velocity component heading toward the opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

In other words, the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a large velocity component in the same direction as the rotation direction of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983. In other words, the distribution member 38983 can impart to the game ball a small velocity component in a direction that deviates from the rotation area of the intermediate plate 19983b of the distribution member 38983.

Therefore, even if a game ball having a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 179(b)) comes into contact with the distribution member 38983 and the game ball bounces off the distribution member 38983, the distribution member 38983 can displace (rotate) from the first position to the second position together with the game ball, and the game ball can be sent to the opening U7.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 38983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 38983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 38983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 38983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In addition, since the game ball is given a greater velocity component heading toward opening U7 than the velocity component heading toward opening U7 in the 18th embodiment, when the distribution member 31983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the distribution member 38983 can send the game ball to opening U7 in a shorter time than the time it takes to send the ball to opening U7 in the 18th embodiment.

This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the time it takes for game balls flowing into the distribution unit 38980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for them to be distributed to the fifth passage.

As a result, even if the distribution member 38983 is disposed in a position where the distribution time of the game balls differs depending on the distribution direction, or if the length of the ball sending path from the distribution member 38983 to the detection device SE5 is different from the length of the ball sending path to the detection device SE6, the difference between the time until the game ball flowing into the distribution unit 38980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 is reduced (see FIG. 161), preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

Next, referring to FIG. 182, the winning port unit 39930 in the 38th embodiment will be described. In the 38th embodiment, the lower end of the first curved wall 39982c1 of the game ball guide wall 39982c of the bulge portion 39982 formed in the first side base 39981 of the sorting unit 39980 is formed to protrude toward the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)). Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 182 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 39930 in the 38th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 182(a) shows the state in which the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the first position, and Figure 182(b) shows the state in which the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the second position.

In the prize winning port unit 39930 of the 38th embodiment, the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 39983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 182(a)) from the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 182(a)).

In addition, the action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) of the distribution member 39983 and the action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) are formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, and the action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side is formed longer than the action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side.

Therefore, even when the axis of the shaft member 988a of the distribution member 39983 is disposed rearward (to the right in FIG. 182(a)) of the center position of the opening U10 in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 182(a)), the action portion 39983a3 of the distribution member 39983 disposed in the first position is disposed in the area through which the game ball passes, and the game ball can come into contact with the action portion 39983a3 of the distribution member 39983. This allows the distribution member 39983 to be displaced from the first position to the second position.

The first curved wall 39982c1 of the game ball guide wall 39982c is curved so as to protrude toward the rear side (the right side of FIG. 182(a)), and the lower end of the first curved wall 39982c1 is formed with a protruding portion 39982c3 that protrudes further toward the opening U10 than the first curved wall 19982c1 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161).

As described above, the game ball that flows into the inside of the first receiving portion 19941g by the protrusion 19941g1 is sent to the rear side (the right side of FIG. 182(a)) and is sent to the distribution unit 39980 by passing through the first winning opening 64. Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 39980 has a velocity component toward the rear side.

Therefore, the game ball sent to the distribution unit 39980 with a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) slides or rolls on the first curved wall 39982c1 and abuts against the protruding portion 39982c3, whereby it is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component toward the front side (left side of FIG. 182(a)). In addition, as gravity acts on the game ball, it is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component toward one side in the direction of gravity (downward in the direction of gravity).

In other words, the game ball is sent to the distribution member 39983 with a velocity component in the same direction as the rotational displacement of the action part 19983a on the opening U7 side (left side of Figure 182 (a)) of the distribution member 39983, whose axis is the axis of rotation of the shaft member 988a.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 182(a), when the distributing member 39983 is disposed in the first position and a game ball having a velocity component toward the front side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) comes into contact with the distributing member 39983 and the distributing member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 39983 can be made faster than when the game ball has a velocity component toward the rear side (right side of FIG. 182(a)).

In addition, the acting portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side in FIG. 182(a)) of the distribution member 39983 is formed longer than the acting portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side in FIG. 182(a)), so that the center of gravity of the distribution member 39983 is located closer to the acting portion 39983a3 side (left side in FIG. 182(a)) than the intermediate plate 19983b.

Therefore, when the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position, the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) against its own weight, so the displacement can be slowed down. On the other hand, when the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the first position to the second position, the distributing member 39983 is displaced (rotated) using its own weight, so the displacement (rotation) can be made faster.

As shown in FIG. 182(b), when the distributing member 39983 is disposed in the second position, a game ball having a velocity component toward the player (left side of FIG. 182(b)) comes into contact with the distributing member 39983, and the distributing member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the second position to the first position. Since the velocity component of the game ball toward the player and the displacement (rotation) direction of the distributing member 39983 are formed in opposite directions, the displacement (rotation) of the distributing member 39983 can be slowed down.

Therefore, the difference between the time it takes for the game balls flowing into the distribution unit 39980 to be distributed to the fourth passage and the time it takes for the game balls to be distributed to the fifth passage can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 39980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, when the sorting member 39983 is disposed in the second position, an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10, such as by shaking the glass unit 16 of the pachinko machine 10 back and forth (see FIG. 1), and an inertial force acts on the sorting member 39983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)). In this case, the angle between the direction connecting the axial center position of the shaft member 988a and the center of gravity of the sorting member 39983 (the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the sorting member 39983) and the direction of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 39983 (the direction of the arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)) is smaller than that of the sorting member 19983 in the 18th embodiment (see FIG. 161). This makes it possible to reduce the rotational component of the inertial force acting on the sorting member 39983.

Therefore, even when an external force is applied to the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1) and an inertial force acts on the distributing member 39983 toward the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 (the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 182(b)), the displacement of the distributing member 39983 from the second position to the first position can be suppressed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 182(a), when the distribution member 39983 is disposed in the first position, the velocity component of the game ball toward the player and the displacement (rotation) direction of the distribution member 39983 are formed in approximately the same direction, so that the game ball can be prevented from moving away from the distribution member 39983 (bouncing back) due to a collision between the game ball and the distribution member 39983.

Therefore, while the game ball is moving away from the distribution member 39983 (bouncing back), the distribution member 39983 displaces (rotates) from the first position to the second position, the game ball comes into contact with the distribution member 39983 arranged at the second position, and the distribution member 39983 is displaced (rotated) from the second position to the first position together with the game ball, and the game ball is prevented from being sent to the opening U6 in the opposite direction to the original distribution direction.

In the present embodiment, the dividing member 39983 is described as having an action portion 39983a3 on the opening U7 side (left side of FIG. 182(a)) and an action portion 39983a4 on the opening U6 side (right side of FIG. 182(a)) formed asymmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and the action portions 39983a3 and 39983a4 may be formed symmetrically with respect to the intermediate plate 19983b.

In this case, the configuration of the distribution member 39983 can be simplified, reducing production costs.

Next, referring to FIG. 183, the winning port unit 40930 in the 39th embodiment will be described. In the 18th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is disposed between aisles TR10 and TR9 (see FIG. 161), but in the 39th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is disposed in aisle TR3. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 183 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 40930 in the thirty-ninth embodiment, which corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a), and shows the state in which the distribution member 19983 is disposed in the first position.

In the winning port unit 40930 of the 39th embodiment, the detection device SE6 is arranged in the passage TR3, so that the difference between the time until a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 40980 is detected by the detection device SE5 and the time until it is detected by the detection device SE6 can be reduced.

This reduces the difference between the time it takes for a game ball flowing into the distribution unit 40980 to be detected by detection device SE5 and the time it takes for it to be detected by detection device SE6, preventing loss of interest in the game while ensuring freedom of design.

In addition, the front base 40943 of the front unit 40940 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, so the player can visually see the game ball passing through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE6, enhancing the enjoyment of the game.

In the winning port unit 19930 in the 18th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the side of the detection device SE6 opposite the player, so the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 must be disposed on the front side (left side of Figure 183(b)) and then folded back towards the rear side (left side of Figure 183(b)), which results in a longer wiring (not shown) for the detection device SE6.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be arranged on the rear side (right side of Figure 183 (a)), simplifying the assembly of the prize slot unit 40930 and reducing production costs.

In addition, the wiring (not shown) connected to the detection device SE6 can be arranged on the rear side (right side of FIG. 183(a)), i.e., in a position far away from the player, which makes it possible to prevent the detection device SE6 from being operated improperly.

Next, the winning port unit 41930 in the 40th embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 184 and 185. In the 18th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on the side of the passage TR10 opposite the player (see Figure 161), but in the 40th embodiment, the solenoid 610 is disposed on one side of the passage TR10 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity). Note that parts that are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the front side (or forward), and the side of the pachinko machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 that is closest to you is referred to as the back side (or rear). The direction of gravity (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vertical direction of the pachinko machine 10, and the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 when viewed from the front (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the horizontal direction.

Figure 184 is a cross-sectional view of the winning port unit 41930 in the 40th embodiment, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line CLXI-CLXI in Figure 139(a). Figure 185(a) is a side view of the winning port unit 41930, and Figure 185(b) is a rear view of the winning port unit 41930. Note that Figure 185 only shows the blade member 945 arranged in the front unit 19940, the solenoid 610 arranged in the passage unit 41990, the transmission member 41965, and the displacement member 41966.

As shown in Figures 184 and 185, the solenoid 610 is disposed on one side of the passage TR10 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) with the axis of the shaft portion 961b of the solenoid 610 aligned along the direction of gravity (the up-down direction in Figure 184). Therefore, the displacement direction of the protrusion 945b associated with the opening and closing operation of the blade member 945 can be made to coincide with the displacement direction of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610.

Here, in order to open and close the blade member 945, the displacement member 19966 in the 18th embodiment needs to be rotationally displaced (see FIG. 160) around the axis of the rotation shaft 19966d of the displacement member 19966. That is, it is necessary to convert the linear displacement of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 into a displacement in the rotational direction.

In contrast, the displacement member 41966 in this embodiment can open and close the wing member 945 by displacing it linearly in the direction of gravity (the up and down direction in FIG. 184). In other words, the displacement direction of the annular portion 961c of the solenoid 610 can be aligned with that of the displacement member 41966 without converting the linear displacement of the annular portion 961c, simplifying the configuration of the displacement member 41966 and reducing production costs.

In addition, the dimensions of the prize winning port unit 41930 in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 184) can be reduced, making the prize winning port unit 41930 more compact.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is in no way limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the configuration in one embodiment may be combined with or replaced with some or all of the configuration in another embodiment to form another embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are arranged to face each other in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 may be arranged to face the driven member 163 in the radial direction of the rotational displacement of the driven member 163, or may be arranged to face the driven member 163 in the rotational axis direction (a direction intersecting the plane in which the driven member 163 is displaced). In this case, a frictional force is generated between the driven member 163 and the driven member 163 can be decelerated by the frictional force.

In the first embodiment, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are always arranged to face each other in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, at least one of the lower regulating portion 175 or the upper regulating portion 176 may be configured to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the driven member 163, and may be configured to face the driven member 163 in the displacement direction of the driven member 163 when it is desired to decelerate the driven member 163, and to retract outside the displacement trajectory of the driven member 163 at other times. This allows multiple types of displacement modes of the driven member 163 to be configured.

In the first embodiment, an example of the arrangement of the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 is described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, they may be arranged in a position where they overlap when viewed in the displacement direction of the driven member 163, or the upper regulating portion 176 may be arranged closer to the rotation axis of the driven member 163 than the lower regulating portion 175.

In addition, the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 are not limited to being disposed on either the left or right side of the rotation shaft of the driven member 163, and one of the lower regulating portion 175 and the upper regulating portion 176 may be disposed on the left side and the other on the right side.

In the above first embodiment, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 exerts an electromagnetic force in a direction to lift the driven member 163, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 may be disposed below the driven member 163 and configured to generate an upward electromagnetic force. Also, instead of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1, a rotary motor may be used to drive the driven member 163.

In the above first embodiment, the light emitting means 181 is configured with an LED, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be a miniature light bulb, a laser, an illumination plate, or a small liquid crystal display screen.

In the above first embodiment, a gap is formed between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 to suppress the transmission of vibrations to the illumination board 180, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, instead of filling the gap, a highly damping resin material may be filled into the area between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180. In this case, the arrangement space for the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 can be narrowed while suppressing the transmission of vibrations.

Conversely, the gap between the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 and the illumination board 180 may be narrowed and the filling with resin material may be omitted. In this case, the transmission of vibrations to the illumination board 180 when the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1 is driven can be promoted, so that the illumination board 180 can be made to vibrate in response to the vibrations, creating an effect in which the light irradiated from the light emitting means 181 fluctuates.

In the first embodiment, the light transmission hole 60c is configured as one large opening, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured with multiple through holes, such as punched metal.

In the first embodiment, the outer portion 94 is configured as a thin plate, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an opening may be formed partially. In this case, by forming an opening at a position that matches the arrangement of the light-emitting means 181 when viewed from the front, it is possible to prevent the plate portion of the illumination board 180 from being visible while exposing the light-emitting means 181 when viewed from the front.

In the above first embodiment, the driving force is transmitted to the lift plate 430 by the arm member 414, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the driving force may be transmitted by an endless gear belt or a cam mechanism.

In the above first embodiment, the rotation angle width of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be symmetrical above and below the horizontal, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be asymmetrical above and below, or it may be configured to have a rotation angle width only above or below the horizontal.

In the above first embodiment, the long hole portion 406 is described as being a long hole that is long in the horizontal direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be a long hole that extends at an angle to the horizontal direction, a curved long hole, or a long hole that has a portion that extends in the vertical direction. This improves the design freedom of the auxiliary arm member 444.

In the first embodiment, a pair of feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other to form a symmetrical shape has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a slight gap may be provided from the design stage. This can reduce fatigue that accumulates in the feather-shaped members 460 due to abutment, compared to when the feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other, and can increase the durability of the feather-shaped members 460. Note that the pattern formed on the back side of the gap and the light emitted from the light-emitting means may be visible to the player through this gap.

In the first embodiment, the pair of feather-shaped members 460 have the same displacement amount and displacement speed, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the pair of feather-shaped members 460 may be configured to have different displacement amounts and displacement speeds by adjusting the gear ratio by making the sizes of the arc-shaped gears 462 of the feather-shaped members 460 different on the left and right. This allows the abutment surface S1 to be shifted from the center position on the left and right even when the shapes of the sides where the pair of feather-shaped members 460 abut against each other are symmetrical.

In the first embodiment, the feather-shaped member 460 is visually perceived as having a symmetrical shape when in contact, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured so that most of the parts are symmetrical while some parts are different. For example, it may be configured so that some parts are asymmetrical in shape, the pattern drawn on the front side is asymmetrical, or the colors are asymmetrical. Even in this case, since most of the shape of the feather-shaped member 460 is symmetrical, the player can be made to believe that the feather-shaped member 460 has a symmetrical shape.

In the above first embodiment, a case has been described in which the abutting feather-shaped members 460 undergo rotational displacement, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a pair of feather-shaped members 460 may be configured to move in parallel in the left-right direction to abut against each other. In this case, in comparison with the shape of the rear case 310, the left feather-shaped member 460 can be formed with a larger area than the right feather-shaped member 460.

In the first embodiment, the feather-shaped members 460 supported and displaced by the lift plate 430 form a continuous shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the feather-shaped members 460 may be combined with a fixed, specified member (e.g., the center frame 86 of the game board 13) to form a symmetrical shape when viewed from the front. This allows the player to visually distinguish between a shape that is completed by the feather-shaped members 460 alone and a shape that is completed by other specified members and the feather-shaped members 460, thereby improving the presentation effect of the feather-shaped members 460.

In the first embodiment, the light-emitting performance member LA1, the feather-shaped member 460, and the auxiliary member 470 are used to evoke the concept of "shells and pearls," but this is not necessarily limited to the present invention. For example, the light-emitting performance member LA1 may be given a decorative pattern representing a bullet hole in a wall, and the feather-shaped member 460 and the auxiliary member 470 may be configured with a shape representing the momentum of a bullet. In this case, this can be achieved by reusing the shape of the feather-shaped member 460, and configuring the light-emitting performance member LA1 and the auxiliary member 470 from separate members with different decorations or shapes. In other words, some of the components can be reused to configure a new operating unit, thereby reducing development costs.

In the above first embodiment, the lift plate 430 is described as slidingly displaced in a linear direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 may be configured to be supported by a fixed axis, and the lift plate 430 may be configured to be displaceable in an arc trajectory centered on this axis.

Also, when the cylindrical portion 444d of the auxiliary arm member 444 is configured to be pivotally supported in a fixed position, the lift plate 430 may still be configured to be displaced in one direction. In this case, the relative displacement member 442 may also be configured to be slidable in the left-right direction so that the left-right displacement of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b can be absorbed by the relative displacement member 442. For example, by providing a biasing means or electromagnetic solenoid that biases the relative displacement member 442 toward the arc-shaped gear portion 444b in the left-right direction, the meshing between the arc-shaped gear portion 444b and the relative displacement member 442 can be stabilized.

In addition, the arc-shaped gear portion 444b may be made of a flexible resin material used for gear belts, etc., rather than being made of a highly rigid resin material. In this case, the deformation of the material can absorb the left-right displacement of the arc-shaped gear portion 444b.

In the above first embodiment, the window section defined in the center of the game board 13 by the center frame 86 is configured in a generally symmetrical shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the inner shape of the center frame 86 may be asymmetrical depending on the size of the vane-shaped members 460. This provides the game board 13 with the function of concealing the rear side by shielding it, and the function of improving the freedom of the shape of the game area.

In the first embodiment, the illumination board 777 is disposed on the rear side of the light-transmitting hole 60c, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the illumination board 777 may be disposed inside the light-transmitting hole 60c. In this case, the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 and the outer portion 94 of the flow-down surface component 91 can be brought close to each other, and by forming the outer portion 94 thin, it is possible to produce an effect in which the outer portion 94 vibrates (waves) in response to the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2.

In other words, the part that is displaced by the actuation of the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2 of the second operating unit 700 and is visible to the player can be positioned not only inside the window section defined by the center frame 86, but also outside the window section.

In the first embodiment, the recessed portions of the base plate 60 located on the front side of the illumination board 777 are located on the left and right lower sides of the game area, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, they may be located inside the center frame 86, below the outer rail 62, or inside the opening of the specific winning hole 65a, as long as they do not affect the flow of the game balls downward.

In the above first embodiment, the partition member 708 is formed from a resin material with little deflection (high rigidity resin material), but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the partition member 708 may be formed from a rubbery resin material. In this case, the elastic deformation of the partition member 708 allows the partition member 708 to be tightly attached to the illumination board 705 and the thin film cover member 712, preventing light leakage.

In the above first embodiment, the distance between the reference O1 and the positions where the left and right load members 761 abut against the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is the same, and the left and right load members 761 are disposed in front of the reference O1. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the distance between the reference O1 and the positions where the left and right load members 761 abut against the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be different, or the positions of the left and right load members 761 relative to the reference O1 may be different.

In the first embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the forward inclined portion of the load member 761 is configured so as not to collide with the front cover member 770, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the load member 761 may be configured in a positional relationship in which the upper wall of the front cover member 770 and the front surface of the load member 761 come into contact with each other as the load member 761 is displaced toward the front side. In this case, even if the load member 761 is displaced toward the front side due to the load applied from the plate-shaped displacement member 730, the load applied from the front cover member 770 can return the position of the load member 761 to the rear side.

In the above first embodiment, the left and right drive units 760 are described as being approximately symmetrical in shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the flexibility of the load members 761 may be changed by (locally) changing the density, thickness, or material of the vertical rod-shaped extensions 761c of the left and right load members 761. This makes it possible to change the posture in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 stops when the left and right drive units 760 are in a one-sided excitation state, depending on which of the left and right drive units 760 is driven. In other words, it is possible to increase the number of postures in which the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be stopped.

Even if the left and right drive units 760 are configured to be approximately symmetrical on the left and right, the same effect can be achieved by making the shape of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 asymmetrical (for example, by providing extra thickness on the lower base side of the loaded portion 733 on one side).

In the above first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotationally displaced, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be configured to displace up and down while maintaining its posture, while the load member 761 may be configured to change its posture. This makes it possible to configure a state (posture) in which the load member 761 is easy to bend and a state (posture) in which the load member 761 is difficult to bend, even when the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 does not change.

In the first embodiment, the protrusion 761d is configured integrally with the load member 761, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the protrusion 761d and the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c may be configured separately, with the protrusion 761d being configured to be able to be assembled to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c by fastening, engaging, fitting, fitting, clamping, or other assembly methods. In this case, even if the protrusion 761d is damaged, the load member 761 up to the vertical rod-shaped extension 761c can be reused, and only the protrusion 761d needs to be replaced, so the size of the maintenance members can be reduced compared to when the entire load member 761 is replaced.

In the first embodiment, the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b are misaligned in the direction of the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the centers of the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b may be positioned so as to overlap with the same plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In this case, the direction of the change in the spacing between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b based on the rotational displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 can be made perpendicular to the rotation axis of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, so that the change in the spacing between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b can be used to change the holding force of the hollow member 740, rather than to change the posture of the hollow member 740.

In other words, the increase in the inclination angle of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 mechanically narrows the gap between the front small receiving portion 735a and the rear small receiving portion 735b, which can be used to pinch the pair of front and rear protruding columnar portions 743 of the hollow member 740 from the front and rear. Therefore, the holding state (ease of vibration) of the hollow member 740 can be changed as the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 changes.

In this case, the clearance between the front small receiving portion 735a and the protruding columnar portion 743 and the clearance between the rear small receiving portion 735b and the protruding columnar portion 743 may be configured to be equal. In this case, the holding force of the front and rear protruding columnar portions 743 increases similarly, making it easier to suppress changes in the posture of the hollow member 740 compared to when the side with the larger clearance is allowed to rotate around the side with the smaller clearance as an axis.

In the above first embodiment, the small receiving portions 735 supporting the pair of protruding columnar portions 743 of the hollow member 740 are arranged separately in front of and behind the reference O1 on the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a pair may be arranged together in front of or behind the reference O1.

In the first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is rotated, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be configured to slide left and right, and the small receiving portion 735 may be configured as a long groove that is long in a direction inclined relative to the sliding direction. In this case, by providing the inclination of the front small receiving portion 735a and the inclination of the rear small receiving portion 735b on opposite sides of the sliding direction, the clearance between the protruding columnar portion 743 and the small receiving portion 735 can be changed in accordance with the sliding displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. This allows the holding mode (ease of vibration) of the hollow member 740 to be changed.

In the first embodiment, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 is supported on a left-right axis and displaced, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be supported in a manner that allows it to rotate on a front-rear axis (for example, supported by a ball joint).

The plate body (a long plate extending in the left-right direction) of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 may be supported as a separate body on the upper side of the loaded portion 733 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this case, a combination of rotation about the left-right axis and rotation about the front-rear axis can be generated in the plate body of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 depending on the driving mode of the drive unit 760.

The pivot support may also be configured as a vertically long hole shape to allow vertical displacement of the pivotally supported portion 731 of the plate-shaped displacement member 730. In this case, not only can the plate-shaped displacement member 730 rotate, but one of the left and right pivotally supported portions 731 can be displaced vertically compared to the other, resulting in a change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730 (corresponding to a rotational displacement about an axis in the front-to-rear direction), making it possible to further diversify the displacement modes of the hollow member 740 and the variable decorative member 750 associated with the displacement of the plate-shaped displacement member 730.

In the first embodiment, the deflection of the load member 761 is caused by a change in the load direction based on a change in the posture of the plate-shaped displacement member 730, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a core material extending along the displacement direction of the load member 761 may be configured to pass through the load member 761, and the length of the core that enters the load member 761 may change as the load member 761 is displaced (the core material may be configured to slip out). In this case, the stiffness of the load member 761 changes based on the presence or absence of the core material, and the load member 761 may be deflected in response to this change in stiffness.

In the second embodiment described above, a case has been described in which one of the parts that decelerates the driven member 163 is configured to be displaceable, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, both parts that decelerate the driven member 163 may be configured to be displaceable. In this case, both decelerating parts (lower regulating portion 175 and upper regulating portion 176) may be configured from the same material.

In the above second embodiment, the biasing spring SP21 does not directly contact the driven member 163, but applies a biasing force via the abutment member 2190, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the biasing spring SP21 may be configured to directly contact the driven member 163.

In this case, the arrangement (contact points) of the biasing spring SP21 with respect to the driven member 163 can be set arbitrarily. For example, multiple contact points may be provided between the (single or multiple) biasing spring SP21 and the driven member 163, and the contact points may be divided between the rotating shaft side and the rotating tip side, sandwiching the electromagnetic solenoid SOL1.

In the above third embodiment, the shape of the long hole portion 3406 is extended in the displacement direction of the lift plate 430 to form a section in which the attitude of the auxiliary arm member 444 is maintained even during the displacement of the lift plate 430, thereby blocking the transmission of driving force to the downstream side of the auxiliary arm member 444 in that section. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a slipping portion (an angular region in which the gear teeth are not engaged) may be provided between the arc-shaped gear portion 444b and the rotating gear 441 to form a section in which the rotating gear 441 does not rotate even when the arc-shaped gear portion 444b rotates, thereby blocking the transmission of driving force to the downstream side of the auxiliary arm member 444.

In the above third embodiment, a case was described in which the displacement width of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 corresponds to the vertical position of the arm tip of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441 may not be a gear with gear teeth formed all around, but may be configured to have a partial protrusion that can function as a cam, and the protrusion may be configured to displace the relative displacement member 442 by applying a load to the relative displacement member 442. In this case, the displacement mode (displacement speed, displacement width) of the relative displacement member 442 with respect to the lift plate 430 can be designed as desired depending on the design of the protrusion of the arm-equipped rotating gear 3441 and the relative displacement member 442.

In the above fourth embodiment, the detection sensor 4782 is configured to detect the thin protruding portion 4761g, which is part of the load member 4761 and is easily damaged, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be configured to detect the thick protruding portion 4761f.

In the above fifth embodiment, the adjustment member 5782 protrudes upward from the underside of the load member 761 and presses the front side of the load member 761, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the adjustment member 5782 may be configured to protrude forward from the rear side of the load member 761.

For example, an opening may be formed on the inner side of the load member 761, and the adjustment member 5782 may enter the opening and function as a core. In this case, the degree to which the adjustment member 5782 enters the opening can change the degree to which the load member 761 bends.

In the above first and fifth embodiments, the load member 761 is driven by the electromagnetic solenoid SOL2, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the drive device that drives the load member 761 may be configured with a motor such as a DC motor. This allows the load member 761 to be driven without being limited to an instantaneous drive mode.

In the sixth embodiment, the protrusion 945b is formed in a generally triangular shape when viewed from the rear, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the protrusion 945b may be formed in a circular shape when viewed from the rear. In this case, rattling of the wing member 945 during opening and closing operations can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operations of the wing member 945 can be stabilized.

That is, when the protrusion 945b is formed in a different shape when viewed from the rear or the sliding groove 966a2 is formed in a curved shape, the protrusion 945b slides along the sliding groove 966a2, changing the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b. Therefore, when the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b is increased, the protrusion 945b becomes easier to move by that amount, and the blade member 945 becomes more likely to rattle.

In response to this, the protrusion 945b is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the rear, and the sliding groove 966a2 is linearly extended on the displacement member 966, so that the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove 966a2 and the protrusion 945b during the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945 can always be kept constant. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the wing member 945, and to stabilize the opening and closing operation of the wing member 945.

Furthermore, since the sliding groove 966a2 extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the displacement member 966, the extension length of the sliding groove 966a2 can be minimized. As a result, the amount of weight reduction associated with the recessing of the sliding groove 966a2 can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the displacement member 966 can be improved.

In the sixth embodiment, the screw that is screwed into the annular protrusion 953c formed between the pair of opposing detection devices SE1 is used to fasten the ball entry member 953 and the passage member 955 together, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the screw may be used to fasten the specific winning port unit 950 and the front unit 940 together.

In the sixth embodiment, the annular protrusion 953c formed between a pair of opposing detection devices SE1 of the specific winning port unit 950 is formed to protrude in a circular ring shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the annular protrusion 953c formed between a pair of opposing detection devices SE1 may be formed in a conical shape whose diameter increases as it moves away from the ball entry member 953 toward the passage member 955.

In this case, when a tool such as a drill is used to perform drilling or the like to secure a path from the specific winning port 65a to the drive unit 960, the direction of travel of the drill can be shifted (slid sideways) laterally (in the direction moving radially outward from the axis of the annular protrusion 953c) on the outer circumferential surface of the annular protrusion 953c (the outer circumferential surface of the enlarged portion), making it easier to damage (sever) the wiring HS3.

In the sixth embodiment described above, a case was described in which the playing area (front) side of the front base 981 of the sorting unit 980 is visible to the player, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and a sticker displaying information consisting of letters or figures may be attached to the playing area (front) side of the sorting unit 980.

In this case, information consisting of letters or figures is displayed on the play area (front) side of the ball sending passage TR0, first passage TR1, and second passage TR2 of the distribution unit 980, so that even when the distribution unit 980 is viewed through the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930), the display can be used as a landmark (reference position) to make it easier for the player to recognize the position of the distribution unit 980. Note that the form of information display is not limited to the attachment of a sticker, and may also be ink printing or two-color formation.

In the above tenth embodiment, the displacement member 11966 is formed from two members, a first member 11967 and a second member 11968, and the blade portion 11968c is formed in the second member 11968, which has a larger displacement amount than the first member 11967. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The displacement member 11966 may be formed from a single member, the displacement amount of the transmission member 965 of that single member (displacement member 11966) may be increased, and the blade portion 11968c may be formed in the through hole 966c1 of the single member.

In the above eleventh embodiment, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, the shaft portion 961b of the drive unit 960 is in a state of being protruded from the main body portion 961a by the biasing force of the coil spring SP1, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the pair of feather members 945 are in the closed state, power may be applied to the main body portion 961a so that the shaft portion 961b of the drive unit 960 is in a state of being retracted inside the main body portion.

In this case, the displacement members 11966, 12966 can use the electromagnetic force of the drive unit 960 (solenoid 610) to cut the illegal object (thread) inserted inside the rolling path of the rolling ball of the rolling part 943a and the second ball sending part 942c with the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2. That is, the displacement of the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2 in the cutting direction (clamping direction) is performed using electromagnetic force, so the driving force can be made large. This makes it easier for the blade part 11968c, 6683 and the second blade part 12966c2 to cut the illegal object.

In the above eleventh embodiment, the coil spring SP1 is arranged in a compressed state between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c of the drive unit 960, and when power is applied (supplied) to the main body 961a, the annular portion 961c is displaced toward the main body 961a (the shaft portion 961b is pulled into the main body 961a), but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a spring in a stretched state may be arranged between the main body 961a and the annular portion 961c of the drive unit 960, and when power is applied to the main body 961a, the annular portion 961c may be displaced in a direction away from the main body 961a.

In this case, as in the above, the blades 11968c, 6683 and the second blade 12966c2 are displaced in the cutting direction (clamping direction) using electromagnetic force, so the driving force can be increased. This makes it easier for the blades 11968c, 6683 and the second blade 12966c2 to cut illegal objects.

The present invention may be implemented in a type of pachinko machine or the like different from the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly called a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which the expected value of a jackpot is increased until a jackpot state occurs multiple times (for example, two or three times) including the first jackpot. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game in which the player is given a predetermined game value after the jackpot pattern is displayed, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters a predetermined area. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a winning device with a special area such as a V zone, and the special game state is entered with the necessary condition being that the ball enters the special area. Furthermore, in addition to pachinko machines, it may be implemented as various gaming machines such as arepachi, mahjong ball, slot machines, and gaming machines that are a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

Slot machines are well known in that, for example, after inserting a coin and determining the effective line of symbols, the operation lever is operated to change the symbols, and the stop button is operated to stop and finalize the symbols. Therefore, the basic concept of a slot machine is "a slot machine that has a display device that displays a variable display of a string of identification information consisting of multiple identification information and then displays the finalized identification information, in which the variable display of the identification information is started due to the operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the variable display of the identification information is stopped and finalized due to the operation of a stop operation means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and a special game that gives a predetermined game value to the player is generated, provided that the combination of identification information at the time of the stop is a specific one." In this case, typical examples of the game medium include coins, medals, etc.

An example of a gaming machine that combines a pachinko machine and a slot machine is one that has a display device that displays a pattern sequence consisting of multiple patterns in a variable manner and then displays the pattern in a fixed manner, but does not have a handle for shooting balls. In this case, after a specified amount of balls are inserted based on a specified operation (button operation), the pattern starts to change due to, for example, the operation of an operating lever, and the pattern change is stopped due to, for example, the operation of a stop button or after a specified time has passed, and a special game is generated in which a specified gaming value is awarded to the player, provided that the fixed pattern at the time of the stop is a so-called jackpot pattern, and a large number of balls are paid out to the player in a receiving tray at the bottom. If such a gaming machine is used instead of a slot machine, the gaming hall can handle only the balls as the gaming value, which can eliminate problems seen in current gaming halls where pachinko machines and slot machines are mixed, such as the burden on facilities due to the separate handling of medals and balls as the gaming value, and the restrictions on the location of gaming machines.

Below, we will explain the gaming machine of the present invention as well as the various invention concepts included in the above-mentioned embodiments.

<Prevents solenoids from crashing. Uses a cushion>
A gaming machine A1 comprising: a displacement means configured to be displaceable; a drive means arranged on a predetermined direction side of the displacement means and configured to generate a drive force for driving the displacement means in the predetermined direction; and a resistance means configured to generate resistance to the displacement of the displacement means in the predetermined direction, wherein the resistance means is configured to reduce the load applied from the displacement means to the drive means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, are configured to displace a displacement member using an electromagnetic solenoid (see, for example, JP 2015-231434 A). However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machines, the point that receives the load from the displacement member is limited to the electromagnetic solenoid, and the electromagnetic solenoid is subject to excessive load, which causes the electromagnetic solenoid to be prone to early failure. In other words, there is a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of improving the durability of gaming machines.

In contrast, according to the gaming machine A1, the resistance means generates resistance to the displacement of the displacement means in a predetermined direction (towards the drive means) and is configured to be able to reduce the load applied from the displacement means to the drive means, so that it is possible to prevent the drive means from receiving an excessive load. This makes it possible to improve the durability of the gaming machine.

The manner in which the load applied to the driving means can be reduced is not limited in any way. For example, the load can be reduced by dispersing it by increasing the number of points that receive the load, the transmission of the load can be blocked by configuring the resistance means to provide a gap between the displacement means and the driving means, or the surface area over which the resistance means acts on the displacement means can be increased to reduce the load per unit area.

A gaming machine A2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A1, a support means for supporting the displacement means is provided, and the drive means is disposed closer to the support means than the resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A1, gaming machine A2 can prevent the load on the resistance means from becoming excessive by shortening the arm length (arm length of the force moment) between the support means and the drive means.

A gaming machine A3 is characterized in that in the gaming machine A2, the support means supports the displacement means so that the displacement means can rotate about a predetermined axis, and the predetermined axis is disposed on the predetermined direction side relative to the resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A2, gaming machine A3 can prevent the load generated between the specified axis and the displacement means from being reversed in a direction intersecting the specified direction (left-right direction), and the side on which friction occurs in the part covering the rotating axis can be limited to one side (avoiding slight displacement to the left and right), so that the part that needs to be made thick can be limited.

A gaming machine A4 is characterized in that it comprises a first resistance means for generating a load against displacement in the predetermined direction and a second resistance means for generating a load against displacement in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction in the gaming machine A3, the first resistance means and the second resistance means have misalignment parts that are positioned at different positions when viewed in the predetermined direction, and the first resistance means is positioned farther away from the predetermined axis than the second resistance means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A3, gaming machine A4 can reduce the load applied from the first resistance means to the displacement means. In other words, the magnitude of the load can be reduced by lengthening the arm length of the force moment generated in the displacement means by the load from the first resistance means.

In addition, by separating the location where the load occurs between the first resistance means and the displacement means from the location where the load occurs between the second resistance means and the displacement means, it is possible to avoid concentration of the load, thereby improving the durability of the displacement means.

Gaming machine A5 is characterized in that in gaming machine A3 or A4, the displacement means includes a transmission section for transmitting a driving force to a predetermined displacement means and an attached section extending radially outward from the transmission section, and the first resistance means is disposed so as to be able to abut against the attached section.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines A3 and A4, gaming machine A5 can transmit the driving force to the displacement means even if the accessory is damaged, so that the displacement means can continue to be displaced by drive control until maintenance is required.

The type of the transmission unit is not limited in any way, and various types are exemplified. For example, it may be configured in a position close to the drive means, or it may be configured on the axially opposite side to the side where the drive means is located, based on a shaft member arranged along a specific axis.

In addition, the aspect of the axially opposite side on which the drive means is disposed is not limited in any way with respect to the shaft member as a reference, and various aspects are exemplified. For example, the drive means and the transmission unit may be configured at positions opposite each other with respect to a plane perpendicular to a specific portion of the shaft member, or even if the positions with respect to the plane are not opposite each other, the transmission unit may be configured on the opposite side of the drive means across the shaft member in the transmission path of the drive force via the shaft member.

A gaming machine A6 is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A5, and is characterized by having a load applying means for applying a load to the displacement means in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines A1 to A5, gaming machine A6 can quickly return and displace the displacement means from the drive displacement side.

A gaming machine A7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A6, the load applying means are arranged on both sides of the drive means along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A6, gaming machine A7 can avoid imbalances in the attitude of the load applying means and the load that is generated due to the influence of the driving force.

A gaming machine A8 is any one of the gaming machines A1 to A7, characterized in that the resistance means is configured to be capable of applying a reaction force when in contact with the displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines A1 to A7, gaming machine A8 can generate frictional force at the contact surface between the displacement means and the resistance means. This makes it possible to prevent the displacement means from shifting in a direction other than the predetermined direction.

A gaming machine A9 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine A8, the displacement means is configured to be able to receive an external force, and the contact surface between the displacement means and the resistance means is arranged parallel to at least one directional component of the external force.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine A8, gaming machine A9 can prevent the displacement means from being displaced by external forces through frictional resistance.

<Rack, pinion, gear arm (irregular double rack)>
Gaming machine B1 comprises a base means, an intermediate means supported on the base means so as to be slidably displaceable, a tip end means supported on the intermediate means so as to be displaceable, and a displacement configuration means supported on the intermediate means and configured so that the tip end means can be displaced relative to the intermediate means as the intermediate means displaces relative to the base means, characterized in that the base means is configured so as to be displaceable in a manner not corresponding to the displacement mode of the intermediate means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, have a structure in which a pinion is sandwiched between multiple racks (see, for example, JP 2016-153095 A). With this structure, the racks are displaced in opposite directions as the pinion rotates, so the displacement speed of one rack relative to the other can be increased, making it possible to create a performance that displaces at high speed.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, a separate shielding member had to be provided to hide the fixed rack, which posed a problem in that it could reduce the design freedom of the presentation.

In contrast, according to gaming machine B1, the base means is configured to be displaceable, so that the base means can be displaced in accordance with the displacement of the tip side means and intermediate means, thereby hiding the base means with the tip side means and intermediate means. This eliminates the need to provide a separate shielding member, and improves the design freedom of the tip side means.

Gaming machine B2 is characterized in that in gaming machine B1, the base means is configured to be rotatable.

When both components sandwiching the pinion (the base means and the tip side means) are racks that slide in parallel and are arranged on the same plane, the pinion cannot be arranged in a position that overlaps with the rack when viewed in the direction of rack displacement in order to avoid interference between the components. This means that the space required to arrange the rack increases in a direction that intersects with the pinion's rotation axis, making it difficult to design it compact.

In addition, because it is necessary to provide support parts at multiple points to maintain the rack's position and optimize the meshing with the pinion, there is a risk that the component structure will become more complicated and the number of assembly steps will increase. In other words, there is room for improvement in terms of saving space and simplifying the structure.

In the retracted position, the protruding portion of the base means and the recessed portion of the tip means overlapped in the direction of slide displacement, so the shielding width in the retracted position was bulky.

In contrast, according to gaming machine B2, the base means is configured to rotate and displace, so the base means and the displacement configuration means can be positioned so that they overlap when viewed in the direction of sliding displacement of the intermediate means, thereby saving space, and the base means only needs to be provided with a configuration for pivoting, which simplifies the structure.

In addition, the protruding portion on the foundation means side can be positioned toward the back by utilizing the curvature, making it possible to narrow the shielding width in the retracted position.

Gaming machine B3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B2, a portion of the base means is rotatably supported by the intermediate means, and by rotating around another portion as a fulcrum, the position of the base means is reversed along the sliding displacement direction of the intermediate means, and the other portion is configured to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the sliding displacement direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B2, gaming machine B3 stabilizes the load transmission between a portion of the base means and the displacement component means because both the portion of the base means and the displacement component means are supported by the intermediate means.

In addition, by displacing the other part of the foundation means in a direction intersecting the sliding displacement direction, the displacement can be balanced by the displacement of the part and other part of the foundation means, and the amount of displacement of the entire foundation means (both up, down, left and right) can be suppressed.

A gaming machine B4 is characterized in that, in any of the gaming machines B1 to B3, when the tip side means is positioned at the end position on one side (the extension side) of the displacement range, the base means receives a load to maintain its position from a direction intersecting the direction of the sliding displacement.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines B1 to B3, gaming machine B4 can reduce the load required for sliding displacement compared to when the load for maintaining the position is applied in the direction of the sliding displacement. Furthermore, by utilizing the fact that the position of the base means is maintained with the tip side means positioned at one end position, the position of the intermediate means and the tip side means can be stabilized.

A gaming machine B5, which is any of the gaming machines B1 to B4, is characterized in that when the tip side means is positioned at the other end position (retreat side) of the displacement range, the base means assumes a position in which the load applied from the intermediate means faces the direction in which the base means can be displaced.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines B1 to B4, gaming machine B5 can smooth the start-up of the base means, intermediate means, and displaceable means.

Gaming machine B6 is characterized in that, in any of gaming machines B1 to B5, when the tip side means is positioned at the other (retreat side) terminal position of the displacement range, the base means has a protruding portion that protrudes further toward the retracted position than the intermediate means.

Gaming machine B6, in addition to the effects of gaming machines B1 to B5, employs a configuration in which the protruding portion protrudes from the intermediate means at the other end position (retreat side) that is less visible to the player, making it possible to configure the intermediate means to conceal the foundation means at one end position (protruding side) while keeping the vertical dimensions of the intermediate means below the dimensions of the foundation means.

Gaming machine B7 is any one of gaming machines B1 to B6, characterized in that a portion of the base means is rotatably supported by the intermediate means, and at least one of the intermediate means or the tip side means is connected to electrical wiring that is guided to the base means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines B1 to B6, gaming machine B7 can easily ensure a path for electrical wiring and reduce the load on the electrical wiring by utilizing the fact that displacement of one side of the base means is suppressed.

Gaming machine B8 is characterized in that, in gaming machine B7, the tip side means is configured to be slidably displaceable, and the electrical wiring is arranged outside the tip side means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B7, gaming machine B8 can reduce the load on the electrical wiring compared to when the electrical wiring is connected to a tip-side means that is displaced by a sliding displacement, which tends to place a load on the electrical wiring.

This makes it possible to increase the amount of deviation (position deviation, speed difference, etc.) that occurs in the operation of the tip side means and the intermediate means while keeping the load on the electrical wiring small. For example, it is possible to configure separate drive means that drives the intermediate means based on the base means and drive means that drives the tip side means based on the intermediate means while keeping the load on the electrical wiring small.

Gaming machine B9 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines B1 to B8, the displacement configuration means is configured to be able to displace the tip side means relative to the intermediate means by a predetermined amount corresponding to the amount of displacement of the intermediate means.

Gaming machine B9 has the same effect as any of gaming machines B1 to B8, and can also stably displace the tip means at high speed (higher than the middle means).

<A pair of left and right members are configured asymmetrically>
A gaming machine C1 is provided with a plurality of displacement means configured to be capable of displacing a first relative position and a second relative position that is located farther away from the first relative position, the plurality of displacement means being configured to be visually recognized as a series of predetermined shapes at at least one of the first relative position or the second relative position, and the plurality of displacement means being provided with a first displacement means and a second displacement means that is smaller than the first displacement means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, have multiple operating parts of roughly the same shape arranged in close proximity to form a continuous shape (see, for example, JP 2016-153095 A). With this structure, a large performance body can be easily constructed by combining small operating parts, and because the operating parts themselves are roughly the same in configuration, the difficulty of assembly work can be reduced.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the shapes of the operating parts are configured to be approximately the same, and the space required to realize the displacement of each operating part is common to each operating part, which means there is room for improvement in terms of increasing design freedom so that limited space can be utilized.

For example, when the operating unit displaces the right side of a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device placed in the center of the play area, the side closer to the display device attracts more attention from the player, but the space required for the operating unit to displace is symmetrical with respect to the operating unit, so there is a problem in that the amount of possible displacement of the left side of the operating unit (the side that attracts more attention from the player) is limited by the amount of displacement allowable on the right side of the operating unit.

In contrast, according to gaming machine C1, the first displacement means and the second displacement means, which are visually recognized as a single shape, are configured with different sizes. Therefore, even if the displacement amount of the first displacement means and the second displacement means is the same, the space required to realize the displacement can be made different, making it possible to make good use of limited space and improving design freedom.

Gaming machine C2 is characterized in that in gaming machine C1, the first displacement means and the second displacement means have their outer shapes set according to the arrangement possible area at the second relative position.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine C1, gaming machine C2 can improve the design freedom of the shape that is visually recognized by the first displacement means and the second displacement means at the first relative position, regardless of the difference in size of the arrangement possible area at the second relative position.

In addition, decorativeness can be improved when the decoration of the area at the second relative position is substituted by the first displacement means and the second displacement means, such as when the game board is made of a light-transmitting resin.

Gaming machine C3 is characterized in that it is provided with a guide means arranged on the rear side of the plurality of displacement means and guides the displacement of the plurality of displacement means in gaming machine C1 or C2, and that the guide means and the position between the displacement means are configured to be misaligned when viewed in a predetermined direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines C1 and C2, gaming machine C3 can prevent the guide means from being visible through the gaps between the multiple displacement means. This allows the gaps to be effectively utilized, for example by allowing decorative parts other than the guide means to be visible through the gaps.

Gaming machine C4 is characterized in that in gaming machine C3, the guide means is configured to be displaceable in a predetermined direction, and the positions between the multiple displacement means are positioned at positions offset from a reference line that passes through the center of the guide means and runs along the predetermined direction, when viewed in the predetermined direction.

In gaming machine C4, in addition to the effects of gaming machine C3, the area where the player expects the guide means for guiding the multiple displacement means to be located (corresponding to the reference line) is hidden by the multiple displacement means, taking into consideration load balance, etc., and is configured so that it is difficult for the player to see, thereby avoiding a decrease in design.

Gaming machine C5 is any one of gaming machines C1 to C4, and is equipped with a driving means for generating a driving force, the first displacement means being disposed at a predetermined position in the driving force transmission path of the driving means, and the second displacement means being disposed downstream of the predetermined position in the driving force transmission path.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C4, gaming machine C5 is configured so that the components become smaller the further downstream in the drive force transmission path, preventing excessive loads from being placed locally in the drive force transmission path.

Gaming machine C6 is characterized in that in gaming machine C5, the drive means and the transmission means for transmitting the drive force are disposed in the upper left part of the rear case, and the first displacement means and the second displacement means are configured such that the first displacement means disposed in the upper left part is larger than the second displacement means disposed in a position different from the upper left part.

Gaming machine C6 has the same effects as gaming machine C5, and because of the configuration and layout of the payout device, the drive means and transmission means, which are located in the upper left corner where it is easier to secure a larger area as the internal area of the rear case compared to the upper right corner, can be easily hidden by the first displacement means, which is also located in the upper left corner, making it difficult for the player to see the drive means and transmission means. This makes it unnecessary to construct a separate cover to hide the drive means and transmission means.

Gaming machine C7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine C5 or C6, the first displacement means is in a position where gravity acts in a tilting direction on the first relative position side, and is configured to approach the second displacement means by tilting displacement.

Gaming machine C7 has the same effects as gaming machines C5 and C6, and in addition, the first and second displacement means are set with a dimensional relationship that allows them to come into contact with each other. However, if there is a positional misalignment that fits within the clearance required to allow displacement (play between meshing gear teeth, gap between the guide rail and the guided portion, etc.), the first displacement means tilts and displaces due to gravity, making it easier to fill the gap.

This makes it possible to avoid maintaining a gap between the first displacement means and the second displacement means, thereby improving the design when the first displacement means and the second displacement means come into contact to form a continuous shape.

Gaming machine C8 is any one of gaming machines C5 to C7, characterized in that electrical wiring passes on the second displacement means side between the first displacement means and the second displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines C5 to C7, gaming machine C8 passes electrical wiring through the second displacement means, which is less susceptible to excessive displacement, and can reduce the load on the electrical wiring when the first displacement means and the second displacement means cause excessive displacement.

A gaming machine C9, which is any one of gaming machines C1 to C8, is characterized in that the predetermined shape is configured as a symmetrical shape, and the parting surface component that configures the parting surface that separates the first displacement means and the second displacement means is located on the side farther from the center position of the play area.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines C1 to C8, gaming machine C9 has an asymmetrically shaped split surface arranged on the side farther from the field of view (the side less visible to the player), which makes it possible to avoid a loss of appearance for the first and second displacement means.

Furthermore, by making the shape of the opposite side, the central position of the game area (the side closest to the field of vision, the side that is easy for the player to see), symmetrical, the appearance of the multiple displacement means can be improved.

A gaming machine C10, which is one of the gaming machines C1 to C9, is characterized in that the multiple displacement means are arranged so that the sides that limit the dimensions of the arrangement area in the second relative position are opposed to each other in the first relative position.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C9, gaming machine C10 makes it easy to visually recognize multiple displacement means that are asymmetric in shape as a series of symmetric shapes at the first relative position.

A gaming machine C11 is characterized in that in any one of gaming machines C1 to C10, the plurality of displacement means are configured such that the displacement from the second relative position to the first relative position is composed of a first displacement consisting of a downward displacement and a second displacement different from the first displacement, and the second displacement does not occur for a predetermined period from the start of the displacement.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines C1 to C10, gaming machine C11 can increase the player's interest by making the displacement modes of the multiple displacement means more complex.

In addition, if the upper inner surface of the rear case is vertically misaligned from left to right due to the shape of the dispensing device, the multiple displacement means are lowered an amount (corresponding to a specified range) that is not affected by the vertical misalignment of the rear case before starting the second displacement, so that the area in which the multiple displacement means are allowed to displace can be formed equally without being affected by the vertical misalignment of the upper inner surface of the rear case, making it easier to avoid the multiple displacement means colliding with the rear case even when the displacement modes of the multiple displacement means are the same.

<Movable props that change relative displacement depending on placement>
A gaming machine D1 comprising a first displacement means configured to be displaceable and a plurality of second displacement means supported to be displaceable by the first displacement means, wherein the first displacement means comprises a first support portion supporting one of the second displacement means and a second support portion supporting the other of the second displacement means, and wherein a displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means that occurs in the second displacement means supported by the first support portion as a predetermined displacement occurs in the first displacement means is different from a displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means that occurs in the second displacement means supported by the second support portion as a predetermined displacement occurs in the first displacement means.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, are configured so that the second displacement means (353) is displaced in response to the displacement of a predetermined first displacement means (351 and 352) (see, for example, JP 2015-231434 A). However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the displacement between the first displacement means and the second displacement means is monotonous, and there is a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of presentation effects.

In contrast, according to gaming machine D1, the second displacement means, which displaces in conjunction with the displacement of the first displacement means, can have a different displacement pattern relative to the first displacement means depending on whether it is supported by the first support portion or the second support portion, so that the displacement patterns of the first displacement means and the second displacement means can be made more complex, improving the presentation effect.

A gaming machine D2 is characterized in that in the gaming machine D1, the gap between one of the second displacement means and the first support portion is configured to be smaller than the gap between the other second displacement means and the second support portion, and the first displacement means is configured to have a larger displacement amount on the first support portion side than on the second support portion side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D1, gaming machine D2 can be configured so that the gap in the first support part is eliminated by the displacement of the first displacement means, thereby making it possible to increase the difference in the displacement mode.

Gaming machine D3 is characterized in that it is equipped with a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means in gaming machine D1 or D2, the first displacement means is supported at one side in a predetermined direction and configured so that the amount of displacement of the one side is different from the amount of displacement of the other side, the load applying means is configured to apply a load to the other side of the first displacement means, and the second displacement means comprises a one-side second displacement means arranged on the one side and an other-side second displacement means arranged on the other side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines D1 and D2, gaming machine D3 can vary the displacement of the second displacement means depending on whether it is placed on one side or the other, regardless of where the load application means applies a load to the first displacement means.

Gaming machine D4 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D3, and is provided with a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means, the load applying means being arranged at a plurality of positions, each configured to be able to apply a load independently to the first displacement means.

Gaming machine D4 achieves the same effects as any of gaming machines D1 to D3, and does not require an auxiliary drive means for displacing the load applying means.

Gaming machine D5 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D4, and is characterized in that it includes a load applying means configured to apply a load to the first displacement means, a light-emitting substrate having a light-emitting surface, and the load applying means is at least partially blocked by the light-emitting substrate when viewed in a predetermined direction.

Gaming machine D5, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines D1 to D4, can hide the load-imparting means with a light-emitting board. That is, the light-emitting board required for the light-emitting performance can be used to prevent the load-imparting means from being seen by the player. In this case, by irradiating a strong light from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting board, the visibility near the light-emitting board can be reduced, so that other parts of the load-imparting means that are not covered by the light-emitting board when viewed in a specified direction can also be made less visible to the player.

In addition, when the light-emitting substrate and the load-applying means are disposed close to each other, the electrical wiring that supplies electricity to a drive device (e.g., an electromagnetic solenoid) that drives the load-applying means can be passed through the electrical wiring path connected to the light-emitting substrate, making it unnecessary to create a separate gap to pass the electrical wiring through.

Gaming machine D6 is characterized in that in gaming machine D5, the light-emitting substrate is disposed on the rear side of the gaming board, and the gaming board has a recessed portion that is recessed on the opposite side at a position facing the light-emitting substrate.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D5, gaming machine D6 can secure an area between the gaming board and the light-emitting substrate, and can prevent the load from the load applying means from being transmitted to the gaming board.

Gaming machine D7 is characterized in that the recessed portion in gaming machine D6 is disposed outward relative to the external shape of the gaming area when viewed from the front.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D6, gaming machine D7 can prevent the displacement of the membrane member formed in front of the recessed portion from affecting the play area.

Gaming machine D8 is any one of gaming machines D1 to D7, and is characterized in that it is provided with a guide means for guiding the displacement of the second displacement means, and the guide means is disposed on the one side of the first displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines D1 to D7, gaming machine 8 can regulate the displacement of the second displacement means with the guide means, and can reduce the amount of displacement of the first displacement means near the guide means compared to when the guide means is disposed closer to the other side, thereby suppressing friction between the first displacement means and the guide means.

A gaming machine D9 is characterized in that it comprises a support plate that supports the guiding means in the gaming machine D8, a thin film member that is fixed to the support plate at a predetermined area, and a light-emitting substrate having a light-emitting portion that is disposed on the opposite side of the support plate from the thin film member, and the thin film member is configured to separate the guiding means from the light-emitting substrate without any gaps.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D8, gaming machine D9 can prevent abrasive powder from the guiding means from entering the light-emitting substrate by separating the guiding means from the light-emitting substrate with a thin film member.

Gaming machine D10 is characterized in that the thin film member in gaming machine D9 is configured with dimensions that allow contact with other displacement means to be avoided.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine D9, gaming machine D10 does not require the rigidity of the thin-film member to be ensured, so by making it as thin as possible, it is possible to minimize the degree to which the light from the light-emitting substrate is weakened by the thin-film member.

<Utilizing deflection. The key is in transmission>
A gaming machine E1 comprising a displacement means configured to be displaceable, a drive means for generating a drive force that displaces the displacement means, and a transmission means for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the displacement means, the transmission means being configured to be able to change its state so as to change the transmission mode of the drive force.

In some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, a transmission means for transmitting a driving force is inserted into a deformation groove of a displacement means, and the transmission means displaces the deformation groove, thereby displacing the displacement means (see, for example, JP 2010-234152 A). In this gaming machine, the deformation groove is formed to extend along the displacement trajectory of the transmission means, so that some excess displacement of the transmission means can be absorbed. However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, since the deformation groove is configured to absorb the excess displacement of the transmission means, extra thickness and dimensional length are required to constitute the deformation groove, which places significant restrictions on the shape of the displacement means. This has led to a problem that there is room for improvement in terms of the configuration of the displacement means.

In contrast, gaming machine E1 is configured so that the mode of transmission of the driving force can be changed by changing the state of the transmission means, so that excessive displacement of the transmission means can be absorbed by changing the state of the transmission means. Therefore, there is no need to add extra configuration to the displacement means, and the configuration of the displacement means can be improved.

The change in the transmission mode is not limited in any way, and various modes are exemplified. For example, the transmission efficiency of the driving force may be changed by changing the rigidity of the transmission means or by adjusting the direction of the load applied to the transmission means, or the change may occur by increasing or decreasing the transmission means.

A gaming machine E2 is characterized in that in the gaming machine E1, the change in the state of the transmission means occurs while the displacement means is displacing.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine E1, gaming machine E2 can generate a load from the displacement means to change the state of the transmission means. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a separate load generating source to change the state of the transmission means.

The manner in which the state of the transmission means changes is not limited in any way. For example, the change may be due to deformation of the transmission means or due to a change in the rigidity (strength) of the transmission means.

Examples of deformation of the transmission means include elastic (continuous) deformation such as bending, flexure, and twisting, and deformation that creates boundaries such as bending and displacement. Examples of changes in rigidity (strength) include changes in the thickness of the transmission means and the core inserted in the transmission means coming out.

In gaming machine E2, the transmission means is configured with a shape that varies in its bending tendency depending on the direction, and the angle between the direction of the reaction force received from the displacement means and the bending tendency changes before and after the displacement means passes a predetermined reference position as it is displaced. Gaming machine E3.

In addition to the effect of gaming machine E2, gaming machine E3 can utilize the change in the direction of the reaction force received from the displacement means during the displacement of the displacement means to change the shape of the transmission means, so that a range in which the driving force mainly displaces the displacement means and a range in which the transmission means is mainly flexed and deformed by the driving force can be separated by a predetermined reference position.

Gaming machine E4 is characterized in that in gaming machine E3, the displacement means is driven to stop in a predetermined intermediate position, and the transmission means is configured so that when the displacement means is in the intermediate position, the direction of the reaction force from the displacement means is along the direction in which the displacement means is likely to bend.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E3, gaming machine E4 makes it easier to keep the displacement means in an intermediate position due to the flexure of the transmission means, so that even if the amount of driving force generated by the drive means and the period of generation are roughly set, it is easier to keep the displacement means in an intermediate position.

Gaming machine E5 is characterized in that in gaming machine E4, the driving means is controlled to generate a driving force such that the pushing portion of the transmission means that pushes the displacement means passes through the abutment position in the intermediate position of the displacement means before it is deflected.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E4, gaming machine E5 can retain drive energy even after the displacement means has reached an intermediate position, and can use this energy to vibrate the displacement means.

In other words, because the transmission means is in a position that allows it to bend easily, it is possible to generate vibrations in the transmission means by utilizing the bending, without the driving force of the driving means being generated in a manner that generates vibrations. This makes it possible to generate vibrations using a simple mechanism.

Gaming machine E6 is one of gaming machines E1 to E5, and is characterized by having a range setting means configured to be able to set the range within which the state of the transmission means changes.

In game machine E6, in addition to the effect of any of game machines E1 to E5, the range in which the state of the transmission means changes can be set by the range setting means, so that the degree of change in the state of the transmission means can be adjusted depending on the situation.

Gaming machine E7 is characterized in that in gaming machine E6, the range setting means is configured to limit the range in which the state of the transmission means changes to the downstream side of the transmission path of the driving force with respect to a predetermined position.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine E6, gaming machine E7 can limit the range in which the state of the transmission path changes to the range opposite the drive means, thereby preventing a decrease in transmission efficiency upstream of the transmission path of the driving force.

In addition, by narrowing the range in which the state changes, the degree of state change occurring in the transmission means can be reduced, and the effect on the displacement mode of the displacement means can be reduced. Therefore, even if the drive means cannot be precisely controlled, deviations in the displacement mode of the displacement means (e.g. deviations in the stop position) can be kept small.

<Wiring route for movable parts>
A gaming machine F1 comprising a rotational displacement means configured to be rotationally displaceable, and an electrical supply means arranged along a line connecting the rotational axis and the radial outside of the rotational displacement means and configured to supply electricity, characterized in that the electrical supply means comprises a mounted portion that is placed on the rotational axis portion of the rotational displacement means.

In some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, electrical wiring is fixed to a rotatably supported arm-shaped member, and the electrical wiring is connected to a displacement member that is connected to the arm-shaped member (see, for example, JP 2012-157474 A). However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the electrical wiring is only loosely held in place when the arm-shaped member is rotated and displaced, and there is a risk that the electrical wiring will expand and contract as the arm-shaped member is rotated and displaced, leaving room for improvement in terms of reducing the load on the electrical wiring.

In contrast, with the gaming machine F1, the mounted portion of the electrical supply means (electrical wiring) is disposed on the rotational shaft portion of the rotational displacement means, so that the relative displacement of the mounted portion with respect to the rotational displacement means when a rotational displacement of the rotational displacement means occurs can be suppressed, and the load on the electrical wiring can be suppressed.

A gaming machine F2 is characterized in that it is provided with a displaceable arrangement means disposed near the electricity supply means in the gaming machine F1, and a suppression means for suppressing the displacement of the electricity supply means in a direction approaching the arrangement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F1, gaming machine F2 can improve the freedom of placement of the placement displacement means, thereby shortening the distance between the placement displacement means and the electrical wiring.

Gaming machine F3 is characterized in that the mounting displacement means in gaming machine F2 is configured to easily move away from the electrical supply means in the event of an unexpected displacement.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F2, gaming machine F3 can improve the freedom of placement of the placement displacement means, thereby shortening the distance between the placement displacement means and the electrical wiring.

In the gaming machine F3, the arrangement displacement means includes a first arrangement displacement means that is displaced toward the electricity supply means and stops, and a second arrangement displacement means that is displaced toward the electricity supply means and stops at a position farther away from the electricity supply means than the stop position of the first arrangement displacement means, and the first arrangement displacement means and the second arrangement displacement means come into contact with each other by displacing toward the electricity supply means, and the gaming machine F4 is configured to apply a load to each other in a direction away from the electricity supply means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F3, gaming machine F4 can avoid placing a load on the electrical supply means even if the first and second displacing means are displaced too far.

A gaming machine F5 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine F4, the first placement displacement means is configured to have a smaller inertia than the second placement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine F4, gaming machine F5 can reduce the load on the electricity supply means when the first arrangement means unintentionally comes into contact with the electricity supply means.

The manner in which the magnitude of inertia is determined is not limited in any way. For example, the magnitude of inertia may be determined by configuring the first displacing means to be lighter and smaller than the second displacing means, or the magnitude of inertia may be determined by varying the manner of the support part to generate a difference in displacement resistance.

A gaming machine F6 is any one of the gaming machines F1 to F5, and is provided with a support means for supporting the rotational displacement means, the support means having an opening that opens along the circumferential direction of a predetermined rotation axis of the rotational displacement means, and the electrical supply means passes through the opening.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F1 to F5, gaming machine F6 can reduce the axial width of the rotational displacement means compared to when the electrical supply means is passed through the inside of a specified rotating shaft.

A gaming machine F7 is characterized in that, among the gaming machines F1 to F6, it is provided with a displaceable arrangement displacement means disposed near the electric power supply means, and a driving means that generates a driving force to drive the arrangement displacement means, and the driving means is disposed on the side where the rotation displacement means is not disposed.

Gaming machine F7 can achieve the same effects as any of gaming machines F2 to F6, as well as improved layout efficiency.

A gaming machine F8 is any one of the gaming machines F1 to F7, characterized in that the rotational displacement means is configured to be capable of transmitting a driving force to the placement displacement means.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines F1 to F7, gaming machine F8 has the ability to transmit driving force in the means for guiding the electrical wiring, allowing components to be shared and reducing the number of components.

<Concept of the invention using the drive unit 600 as an example>
A gaming machine G1 comprising an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a drive means for generating a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a rotating member rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and a slide member which is slidably displaced as the rotating member rotates, and wherein a protrusion protrudes from the slide member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protrusion is slidably inserted is recessed into the slide member or the other of the pair of wing members.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter, a pair of wing members that are rotatably supported at positions sandwiching the entrance opening and open or close the entrance opening, a drive means that generates a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members (for example, JP 2010-234009 A). The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and one end side of the rotating member is connected to a protruding portion that protrudes from the back surface of the pair of wing members. In detail, one end side of the rotating member is formed with opposing portions that face each other at a predetermined distance from each other vertically, and the protruding portion of the wing member is inserted between the opposing opposing portions. Therefore, when the rotating member is rotated, the opposing portions of the rotating member push up or down the protruding portions of the wing member, thereby opening or closing the wing member.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts must be set large, which causes a problem in that the opening and closing operation of the feather member is unstable. That is, when the rotating member is rotated to open and close the feather member, the orientation of the opposing parts is tilted relative to the protruding parts. If the opposing distance between the opposing parts is equal to the external shape (thickness) of the protruding parts, the protruding parts will interfere with the opposing parts and the rotating member will not be able to rotate. Therefore, it is necessary to set the opposing distance between the opposing parts to a size that does not cause the protruding parts to interfere, and the gap between the opposing parts and the protruding parts will be larger accordingly. As a result, the feather member is prone to rattling, which causes the opening and closing operation of the feather member to be unstable.

In contrast, according to the gaming machine G1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member rotated by the driving force of the driving means and a sliding member that is slidably displaced with the rotation of the rotating member, and a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed into the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, so that the groove width of the sliding groove can be suppressed. In other words, since the displacement of the sliding member is a sliding displacement and the attitude of the sliding groove is not inclined relative to the protruding portion, there is no need to avoid interference with the protruding portion when rotating as in the conventional product. Therefore, for example, the groove width of the sliding groove can be set to be equal to the size (thickness) of the protruding portion, and therefore the groove width can be suppressed, so that the gap between the sliding groove and the protruding portion can be reduced. As a result, the rattling of the wing member can be suppressed, and the opening and closing operation of the wing member can be stabilized.

The sliding groove may be a concave groove (recess) or a through groove (opening). In other words, the sliding groove may be formed so that the inserted protrusion can slide along the extension direction of the sliding groove (direction perpendicular to the groove width direction).

Amusement machine G2 is characterized in that in amusement machine G1, the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G1, gaming machine G2 has the advantage that the direction of sliding displacement of the slide member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members, so the slide member can be arranged approximately parallel to the wing members. As a result, the space required for arranging the wing members and slide member can be reduced, and more space can be secured for arranging other members.

Amusement machine G3, which is characterized in that in the gaming machine G1 or G2, the protrusion protrudes from the wing member, and the sliding groove is recessed into the sliding member and extends linearly along a direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines G1 and G2, gaming machine G3 has a protruding portion protruding from the feather member and a sliding groove recessed into the slide member and extending linearly, so that the gap between the inner wall of the sliding groove and the protruding portion during the opening and closing operation of the feather member can always be kept constant. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the feather member and stabilize the opening and closing operation of the feather member. Also, because the sliding groove extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding displacement of the slide member, the extension length of the sliding groove can be minimized. As a result, the amount of material removed due to the recessing of the sliding groove can be suppressed, improving the rigidity of the slide member.

A gaming machine G4 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines G1 to G3, the protrusion protrudes from the wing member, the sliding groove is recessed into the slide member, and the position of the protrusion when the slide member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member.

In contrast to conventional products in which the rotating member is directly connected to the wing member, in the present invention, a sliding member is interposed between the wing member and the rotating member. Therefore, when the sliding member is moved in a direction to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the weight of the sliding member is added, and the inertial force increases, so the driving force required for the driving means increases. This makes it difficult to start driving the wing member, which is in a stopped state, and to smoothly perform the initial operation when opening or closing it.

In contrast, according to gaming machine G4, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines G1 to G3, a protrusion protrudes from the wing member, a sliding groove is recessed into the slide member, and the position of the protrusion when the slide member begins to slide upward in the direction of gravity is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the wing member, so that the displacement component of the protrusion pushed up by the inner wall of the sliding groove can be made large in the horizontal direction and small (minimized) in the gravitational direction. Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the slide member is added, the drive of the wing member in a stopped state can be started and the initial operation when opening or closing can be performed smoothly.

A gaming machine G5 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine G4, when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the wing member is rotated in the direction to open.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G4, gaming machine G5 has the advantage that when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the wing member rotates in the direction of opening, so the wing member can be rotated by its weight (its own weight). Therefore, even in the present invention in which the weight of the sliding member is added, the wing member can be driven from a stopped state (closed position) and the initial operation of opening can be performed smoothly.

Amusement machine G6, which is characterized in that in the gaming machine G4 or G5, an inclined surface is formed on the inner wall of the sliding groove with which the protrusion abuts when the sliding member begins to slide upward in the direction of gravity, the inclined surface including the rotation axis of the vane member and inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

According to gaming machine G6, in either gaming machine G4 or G5, when the sliding member starts to slide upward in the direction of gravity, an inclined surface is formed on the inner wall of the sliding groove with which the protruding portion abuts, which is inclined with respect to a plane that includes the rotation axis of the feather member and is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Therefore, even if the position of the protrusion is set downward along the direction of gravity of the rotation axis of the feather member, the protruding portion can be guided along the inclination direction of the inclined surface, and the sliding member can smoothly start to slide upward in the direction of gravity.

In addition, by forming an inclined surface on the inner wall of the sliding groove, not only can the gap between the inner wall and the protruding portion be reduced accordingly, but the abutment of the protruding portion against the inclined surface can regulate the displacement of the protruding portion in the horizontal direction as well as in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier to suppress rattling of the feather member when in an open or closed stopped state. In other words, even when affected by vibrations caused by game balls flowing downstream, the feather member can be easily maintained in the open or closed position.

A gaming machine G7, which is any one of the gaming machines G1 to G6, is characterized in that the inner wall of the sliding groove has a receiving portion recessed therein for receiving the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G6, the gaming machine G7 has a receiving portion recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove that receives the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted, so that the feather member can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

A gaming machine G8 is characterized in that the sliding member of the gaming machine G7 is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received by the receiving portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G7, gaming machine G8 has the advantage that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion. This makes it easier to maintain the state in which the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion by utilizing the weight (own weight) of the sliding member.

A gaming machine G9, in which the rotating member of any one of the gaming machines G1 to G8 has an abutment portion and a protruding portion protruding from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and when the wing member is in a closed state, one side of the abutment portion abuts against the one-side abutment portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, and when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutment portion abuts against the other-side abutment portion, the engagement of the protruding portion with the sliding member is released.

According to gaming machine G9, in addition to the effects of any one of gaming machines G1 to G8, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the wing member is closed, one side of the abutting portion abuts against the one-side abutted portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from sliding to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the rotating member is rotated to the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutting portion abuts against the other abutted portion, the engagement between the protruding portion and the sliding member is released, and by rotating the rotating member further to the other side, the sliding member can be slid toward the other side, thereby opening the wing member.

In the gaming machines G1 to G8, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, the rotating member includes an abutment portion and an overhanging portion that overhangs from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member is displaced from the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. A gaming machine G10 that is provided with a one-side contacted portion that contacts one side, and an other-side contacted portion that is disposed opposite the one-side contacted portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that contacts the other side of the contact portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and that is characterized in that when the wing member is in a closed state, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, and when the sliding member is slid from the closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side contacting portion contacts one side of the contacting portion, the overhanging portion engages with the sliding member.

According to the gaming machine G10, in addition to the effects of any one of the gaming machines G1 to G8, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the sliding member is slid from a closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutting portion abuts against one side of the abutting portion, the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from being slid to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, and the rotating member can be further rotated to the other side to slide the sliding member toward the other side and open the wing member. Here, if the overhanging portion is engaged with the sliding member when the wing member is closed, the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion must be formed to a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate to the other side, which makes the shape complicated. This not only reduces the strength, but also makes it easier for the engagement to be released. In contrast, as in the present invention, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so there is no need to form the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate to the other side. This not only simplifies the shape and ensures strength, but also makes it possible to adopt a shape that is easy to maintain the engagement and makes it difficult for the engagement to be released.

A gaming machine G11 is any one of gaming machines G1 to G10, and is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and is characterized in that when the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member.

Gaming machine G11 has the same effects as any of gaming machines G1 to G10, but also includes a passage member that forms a passage for game balls that enter the ball entrance. When the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member. Therefore, even if the protruding portion is cut and the blade member is forcibly opened from the outside, the slide member can restrict the flow of game balls that enter the ball entrance from the ball entrance.

A gaming machine G12 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines G1 to G11, it is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and the slide member is provided with a frictional contact portion that crosses the passage of the passage member and rubs against the edge of the passage member when the slide member is slid from a position that opens the wing member to a position that closes the wing member.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G11, the gaming machine G12 has a sliding member that crosses the passage of the passage member and has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member when the sliding member is slid from a position that opens the wing member to a position that closes the wing member, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

For example, there is a fraudulent act in which the tip of a thread is attached to a game ball, the game ball is inserted through the ball entrance and passed through the passage of the passage member, and when the game ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, the other end of the thread is operated (reeled out and reeled in) to move the game ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent acts, according to the present invention, even if the game ball described above is inserted with the blade member open, the sliding member is slid from the position that opens the blade member to the position that closes it, and when the frictional contact portion crosses the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread, the tip of which is attached to the game ball, is displaced together with the frictional contact portion and pressed against the edge of the passage member, and when the frictional contact portion rubs against the edge of the passage member, the thread can be cut between the frictional contact portion and the edge of the passage member. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent acts can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the frictional contact portion of the slide member is made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the frictional contact portion) may be made of a metal material. The same applies to the passage member, and the entire passage member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the passage member (the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the frictional contact portion and the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs (the edge of the passage member) are formed as a blade (cutting blade).

A gaming machine G13 is characterized in that, in any one of the gaming machines G1 to G11, it is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the transmission mechanism is provided with a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade members are displaced from the open position to the closed position.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines G1 to G11, the gaming machine G13 has a transmission mechanism that includes a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade members are displaced from the open position to the closed position, making it possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

For example, one fraudulent act is to glue the tip of a string to a gaming ball, insert the gaming ball through a ball entry port and pass through the passage of a passage member, and when the gaming ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, operate the other end of the string (reel out and reel in) to move the gaming ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. In response to such fraudulent acts, according to the present invention, even if the gaming ball described above is inserted with the blade members open, the blade members are displaced from the opening position to the closing position, and as the pair of cutting members cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the string whose tip is glued to the gaming ball can be pinched between the pair of cutting members and cut. As a result, the fraudulent acts described above can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the pair of cutting members are made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the edges that rub against each other) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the parts of the pair of cutting members that rub against each other are formed as blades (cutting blades).

In the gaming machine G12 or G13, the driving means is formed as a solenoid actuator in which the displacement of the driving shaft in a first direction is performed by electromagnetic force and the displacement of the driving shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction is performed by the elastic recovery force of the biasing means, and the displacement of the wing member from the opening position to the closing position is performed by displacing the driving shaft of the driving means in the first direction. G14 is characterized in that.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G12 or G13, gaming machine G14 displaces the wing member from the open position to the closed position by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction, that is, by using electromagnetic force, so that the drive force can be increased. This makes it easier to cut off illegal objects (e.g., thread) between the frictional contact portion of the slide member and the edge of the passage member.

A gaming machine G15, in any one of the gaming machines G1 to G14, is characterized in that the rotating member has an abutment portion, the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and the one-side abutment portion and the other-side abutment portion are formed approximately in the center in the width direction.

According to the gaming machine G15, in addition to the effects of the gaming machines G1 to G14, the rotating member has an abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion against which one side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing members, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion and against which the other side of the abutment portion abuts when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing members, and the one-side abutment portion and the other-side abutment portion are formed at approximately the center in the width direction, which makes it easier to tolerate changes in the posture of the sliding member between the pair of wing members and the rotating member. Therefore, the sliding member can be smoothly slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, and as a result, the wing members can be reliably opened or closed.

That is, when the sliding member is slidably displaced with the rotation of the rotating member to open or close the pair of wing members, if a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of wing members, the posture of the sliding member changes. However, if the sliding member is connected to the pair of wing members at two points and also to the rotating member at two points, it is difficult to allow the posture of the sliding member to change between the pair of wing members and the rotating member, and resistance is generated when the sliding member is slidably displaced (i.e., the rotating member is rotated), which inhibits the opening or closing of the wing members. In contrast, according to the present invention, the sliding member is connected to the pair of wing members at two points and to the rotating member at one point, so that even if a load from a game ball is applied to only one of the pair of wing members, it is easy to allow the posture of the sliding member to change between the pair of wing members and the rotating member.

The approximate center in the width direction where the one-side contact portion and the other-side contact portion are formed refers to a position on an imaginary line that passes through the approximate center between the pair of protruding portions when the pair of wing members are in an open or closed state, and that is aligned with the direction of sliding displacement.

A gaming machine G16, characterized in that the width dimensions of one side and the other side of the abutment part in the gaming machine G15 are set to at least three times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding part.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine G15, gaming machine G16 has the width dimensions on one and the other side of the abutment portion set to at least three times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding portion, which makes it easier to tolerate changes in the position of the sliding member between the pair of vane members and the rotating member. It is preferable that the width dimensions on one and the other side of the abutment portion be set to two times the maximum outer dimension of the protruding portion. This is because it makes it easier to tolerate the above-mentioned changes in position.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 930 as an example>
Gaming machine H1 is equipped with a first ball entry port, a first opening and closing member that opens or closes the first ball entry port, a first drive means that drives the first opening and closing member, a second ball entry port, a second opening and closing member that opens or closes the second ball entry port, and a second drive means that drives the second opening and closing member, characterized in that the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged on the back side of the second opening and closing member.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first ball inlet, a first opening/closing member that opens or closes the first ball inlet, a first drive means that drives the first opening/closing member, a second ball inlet, a second opening/closing member that opens or closes the second ball inlet, and a second drive means that drives the second opening/closing member (for example, JP 2011-177416 A). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed on the rear side of the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member, respectively, making it difficult to dispose other members or devices on the rear side of the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member, and making it difficult to effectively utilize the space.

In contrast, with gaming machine H1, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, so that space can be created on the rear side of the first opening/closing member (first ball inlet). In other words, by concentrating the arrangement space for the first drive means and the second drive means on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, space for arranging other members and devices can be secured on the rear side of the first opening/closing member (first ball inlet), and the space can be utilized more effectively.

A gaming machine H2 is characterized in that the frontal projection area of the second opening/closing member is larger than the frontal projection area of the first opening/closing member in the gaming machine H1.

A gaming machine H3, which is a gaming machine H1 or H2, characterized in that the front projection area of the second opening/closing member is larger than the combined front projection area of the first drive means and the second drive means.

In the gaming machine H2 or H3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine H1 or H2, the frontal projection area of the second opening/closing member is made larger than the frontal projection area of the first opening/closing member, or larger than the combined frontal projection area of the first drive means and the second drive means, so that the dead space behind the second ball inlet (second opening/closing member) can be effectively utilized.

Amusement machine H4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine H3, the second opening/closing member is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front with one direction as the longitudinal direction, and the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the second opening/closing member on the rear side of the second ball inlet.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H3, gaming machine H4 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front with one direction as the longitudinal direction, and the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the second opening/closing member on the rear side of the second ball inlet, making it possible to effectively utilize the dead space on the rear side of the second ball inlet (second opening/closing member).

In any of gaming machines H1 to H4, the first drive means and the second drive means include a main body, a drive shaft disposed on one side of the main body, a drive unit that drives the drive shaft and is housed in the main body, and wiring that supplies power to the drive unit and is drawn out from the other side of the main body, and gaming machine H5 is characterized in that the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in an orientation in which the drive shaft faces the second opening and closing member.

According to gaming machine H5, in any of gaming machines H1 to H4, the first drive means and the second drive means include a main body, a drive shaft arranged on one side of the main body, a drive unit that drives the drive shaft and is housed in the main body, and wiring that supplies power to the drive unit and is drawn out from the other side of the main body, and since the first drive means and the second drive means are arranged with the drive shaft facing the second opening and closing member, it is easy to bundle the wiring of the first drive means and the wiring of the second drive means.

A gaming machine H5, characterized in that the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in a position where one of the outer surfaces of the main body, excluding the outer surface on which the drive shaft and wiring are disposed, is substantially flush with each other.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H5, gaming machine H6 has the following advantages: the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape; and the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed in a position where one of the outer surfaces of the main body is substantially flush with the other, except for the outer surface on which the drive shaft and wiring are disposed. Therefore, even if the first drive means and the second drive means have different outputs and the main body of each of the drive means and wiring are different in size, the shape of the shield plate for separating the first drive means and the second drive means from other areas can be simplified.

In other words, if the main body of the first drive means and the main body of the second drive means are formed to be different sizes, a step will be formed between the outer surfaces of one main body and the other main body, making it necessary to form the shield plate by bending it along the step, resulting in a complex shape of the shield plate. In contrast, according to the present invention, the first drive means and the second drive means are disposed at a position where one outer surface of the main body is approximately flush with each other, and no step is formed between the outer surfaces, making it possible to form the shield plate in a flat shape. As a result, the shape of the shield plate can be simplified.

The shield plate is a conductive barrier that separates the area where the first and second drive means are located from other areas (e.g., areas where the detection sensor and control board are located) and limits (suppresses) the flow of electromagnetic fields between these two areas, and is formed, for example, as a metal plate.

Among the gaming machines H1 to H6, the gaming machine H7 is characterized in that it comprises a first passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the first ball entrance, a second passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the second ball entrance, and a first transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the first drive means to the first opening and closing member, the first opening and closing member comprises a pair of wing members that are rotatably supported at a position sandwiching the ball entrance and open or close the ball entrance, and the first transmission mechanism comprises a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the first drive means and is disposed between the first and second passage members, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close the pair of wing members.

According to gaming machine H7, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines H1 to H6, the first transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the first drive means and is disposed between the first passage member and the second passage member, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates to open and close the pair of wing members. Therefore, compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members are opened and closed only by the rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the first passage member behind the first ball entrance. Also, since there is no need to bend the first passage member toward the second passage side to avoid interference with the rotating member as in conventional products, the first ball entrance can be brought closer to the second ball entrance.

In gaming machine H7, the rotating member includes a first portion extending from the rotating shaft and connected to the slide member, and a second portion extending from the rotating shaft and driven by the first drive means, and the first portion is bent in an approximately dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotating shaft. Gaming machine H8.

According to gaming machine H8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine H7, the rotating member has a first portion extending from the rotation axis and connected to the sliding member, and a second portion extending from the rotation axis and driven by the first drive means, and the first portion is bent in a roughly dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, so that the distance between the first drive means and the sliding member can be reduced while ensuring the sliding amount of the sliding member.

That is, if the first part is formed linearly and the length dimension of the first part (the distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member) is set to be equal to the linear distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member in the present invention, the sliding amount of the sliding member can be made equal to that of the present invention, but the distance between the first driving means and the sliding member increases, resulting in a larger overall size. On the other hand, if the first part is formed linearly and the length dimension of the first part is set shorter than the linear distance from the rotating shaft to the part connected to the sliding member in the present invention, the distance between the first driving means and the sliding member can be made equal to that of the present invention, but the sliding amount of the sliding member becomes smaller.

In contrast, according to the present invention, the first portion is bent in a generally dogleg shape when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, thereby reducing the distance between the first drive means and the sliding member while ensuring the sliding amount of the sliding member.

Gaming machine H9 is characterized in that in gaming machine H8, the second part of the rotating member is formed on the back side of the first part, which is the opposite side to the sliding member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H8, gaming machine H9 has the advantage that the second part of the rotating member is formed on the back side of the first part, which is opposite the slide member, and therefore the space created by bending the first part can be effectively utilized to reduce the size of the rotating member. In other words, the rotating member can be efficiently arranged in the space between the first passage member and the second passage member, thereby achieving an overall reduction in size.

Among any of the gaming machines H1 to H9, gaming machine H10 is characterized in that it is equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the second ball entrance, and at least a portion of the detection sensor is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means.

Gaming machine H10 has the same effects as any of gaming machines H1 to H9, but is also equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the second ball entrance, and at least a portion of the detection sensor is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means. Therefore, for example, if the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball entrance, the first drive means can be hidden by a portion of the detection sensor, making such tampering more difficult.

In this case, if a tool such as a drill is used to make a hole to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the detection sensor can be destroyed, and tampering can be detected by monitoring the state of the detection sensor. In the present invention, in which the first drive means is disposed on the rear side of the second opening/closing member, even if tampering is performed on the first drive means from the second ball inlet by opening the second opening/closing member, the first drive means is shielded by the second opening/closing member by closing the second opening/closing member, and the location where tampering has been performed cannot be seen. This makes it particularly effective to detect tampering by monitoring the state of the detection sensor described above.

A gaming machine H10, comprising a case member that houses the detection sensor and a screw member that is fastened to the case member, the detection sensor is arranged in pairs, at least a portion of each of the pair of detection sensors is arranged between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means, and the screw member is located between the pair of sensor devices. A gaming machine H11.

According to the gaming machine H11, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine H10, at least a part of each of the pair of detection sensors is disposed between the second opening/closing member and the first drive means, and the screw member fastened to the case member is positioned between the opposing parts of the pair of sensor devices. Therefore, when the second opening/closing member is opened and a tampering is performed on the first drive means through the second ball entrance, the screw member can hide the first drive means, making such a tampering more difficult to perform. In other words, it is difficult to cover the entire front surface of the first drive means with the pair of detection sensors, and a gap is likely to form between the opposing pair of detection sensors. Therefore, by setting the screw member fastening position between the opposing pair of detection sensors, the uncovered area on the front surface of the first drive means can be compensated for by the screw member, making it more difficult to perform a tampering act.

The screw member may be used to fasten two members of the case member together, or may be used to fasten another member to the case member. It is also preferable that the screw member is made of metal.

Gaming machine H12 is characterized in that the wiring of the pair of detection sensors in gaming machine H11 is located between the opposing pairs of detection sensors.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H11, gaming machine H12 has the wiring of a pair of detection sensors positioned between the opposing pairs of detection sensors, making it more difficult to commit fraud, for example, by opening the second opening/closing member and tampering with the first drive means through the second ball inlet.

That is, the wiring is relatively easy to damage. Therefore, if a tool such as a drill is used to make holes in order to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the wiring can be easily damaged (broken) as a result of the fraudulent act. Alternatively, it can be made to realize that it is difficult to commit a fraudulent act without damaging (breaking) the wiring, making it easier to deter fraudulent acts.

A gaming machine H13 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine H12, the case member has a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the wiring of the pair of detection sensors is wound around the seat portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine H12, gaming machine H13 has a case member with a seat to which a screw member is fastened, and the wiring of a pair of detection sensors is wound around the seat, so that the wiring can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the first drive means. In other words, a wider area in front of the first drive means can be shielded by the wiring. Therefore, for example, when the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball inlet, it becomes more difficult to perform such tampering.

Gaming machine H14 is characterized in that, in gaming machine H12 or H13, the case member has a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the seat portion is formed into a conical shape whose diameter increases as it moves away from the second opening/closing member.

According to gaming machine H14, in addition to the effects of gaming machines H12 and H13, the case member is provided with a seat portion to which the screw member is fastened, and the seat portion is formed in a conical shape that expands in diameter the further it is from the second opening/closing member. Therefore, when a tool such as a drill is used to perform a hole drilling process to secure a path from the second ball inlet to the first drive means, the drill can be displaced (slid) laterally on the outer circumferential surface of the seat portion, making it easier to damage (sever) the wiring.

Gaming machine H15 is any one of gaming machines H12 to H14, characterized in that the wiring of the pair of detection sensors is pulled out to the side opposite the fastening position of the screw member.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines H12 to H14, gaming machine H15 has the wiring of a pair of detection sensors pulled out on the side opposite the fastening position of the screw member, so that such wiring can be routed (positioned) over a wider area in front of the first drive means. In other words, a wider area in front of the first drive means can be shielded by the screw member and wiring. Therefore, for example, when the second opening/closing member is opened to tamper with the first drive means through the second ball inlet, such tampering can be made more difficult to carry out.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
Gaming machine I1 comprises a game board, a first member disposed on the front side of the game board and having a first passage through which game balls pass, and a second member disposed on the rear side of the game board and having a second passage connected to the first passage of the first member, characterized in that it further comprises a third member having a first engagement portion that engages with the first member and a second engagement portion that engages with the second member.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a gaming board, a first member disposed on the front side of the gaming board and having a first passage through which a gaming ball passes, and a second member disposed on the rear side of the gaming board and having a second passage connected to the first passage of the first member (for example, JP 2012-5783 A). A gaming ball flows down the front side of the gaming board and enters the first passage of the first member, passes through the first passage, then flows into the second passage of the second member, and passes through the second passage on the rear side of the gaming board. This changes the path through which the gaming ball passes in the front-to-rear direction, providing excitement to the player.

In this case, if there is a misalignment (step) at the connection between the first and second passages, the smooth flow of the game balls is hindered, so it is necessary to ensure the positional accuracy of the second member relative to the first member. However, the above-mentioned gaming machine has a problem in that it is difficult to position the second member relative to the first member. That is, since not only the first member but also various members such as other members with passages and decorative members are arranged on the front side of the gaming board, a positioning hole for positioning the first member can be formed in the process of forming a positioning hole in the gaming board for positioning each of these members, but in order to form a positioning hole for positioning the second member on the back side of the gaming board, a separate process of turning the gaming board over and forming a positioning hole only for the second member is required, which is not realistic.

In contrast, gaming machine I1 is provided with a third member having a first engagement portion that engages with the first member and a second engagement portion that engages with the second member, so that the third member can be used to position the second member relative to the first member.

Gaming machine I2 is characterized in that in gaming machine I1, the gaming board has an opening formed therein, the connecting portion between the first passage of the first member and the second passage of the second member is disposed in the internal space of the opening, and the third member is disposed in the internal space of the opening.

According to gaming machine I2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine I1, the gaming board has an opening formed therein, in which the connecting portion between the first passage of the first member and the second passage of the second member is disposed, and the third member is disposed in the internal space of the opening, so there is no need to provide a separate opening for disposing the third member. In other words, the opening for disposing the connecting portion between the first passage and the second passage is also used as the disposing space for the third member, so that the number of processing steps can be reduced, and the product cost can be reduced.

Gaming machine I3 is characterized in that the third member in the gaming machine I1 or I2 is engaged with the first passage of the first member at the first engagement portion and the second passage of the second member at the second engagement portion.

According to gaming machine I3, in gaming machine I1 or I2, the third member has a first engagement portion engaged with the first passage of the first member and a second engagement portion engaged with the second passage of the second member, so that the second member can be effectively positioned relative to the first member. That is, the purpose of positioning the second member relative to the first member is to prevent misalignment (step) from occurring at the connecting portion between the first and second passages, and since the target portion (the connecting portion between the first and second passages) can be directly positioned by the third member, the occurrence of misalignment (step) can be effectively prevented compared to when other portions are positioned by the third portion. As a result, gaming balls can be made to flow down smoothly.

Gaming machine I4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I3, a portion of the inner wall of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is formed by the third member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I3, gaming machine I4 has the advantage that a portion of the inner wall of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is formed by the third member, making it easier to tolerate the dimensional tolerances or installation tolerances of the first passage and the second passage.

Gaming machine I5 is any one of gaming machines I1 to I4, characterized in that the first member is formed to be capable of holding the third member.

Gaming machine I5 has the same effects as any of gaming machines I1 to I4, but in addition, the first member is formed to be able to hold the third member. This means that when attaching the first member and the second member to the front and back of the gaming board, respectively, there is no need to attach the third member separately; by attaching the first member, the third member can be attached at the same time. This improves the ease of installation.

Gaming machine I6 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I5, when the third member is held by the first member, the first engagement portion of the third member is engaged with the first member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine I5, gaming machine I6 achieves the following: when the third member is held by the first member, the first engaging portion of the third member is engaged with the first member; therefore, after attaching the first member and the third member to the gaming board, there is no need to perform a separate operation to engage the first engaging portion of the third member with the first member. This improves the ease of installation.

Gaming machine I7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine I6, when the third member is held by the first member, the second engagement portion of the third member is formed so as to be able to engage with the second member from the side opposite the first member.

According to gaming machine I7, in addition to the effect of gaming machine I6, when the third member is held by the first member, the second engagement portion of the third member is formed so as to be able to engage with the second member from the side opposite the first member. Therefore, by attaching the first member and the third member to the gaming board at the same time, and then attaching the second member to the back of the gaming board, the second engagement portion of the third member can be engaged with the second member at the same time as this attachment operation. This accordingly improves the workability of the attachment work.

Gaming machine I8 is characterized in that in any one of gaming machines I5 to I7, the first member comprises a main body member in which the first passage is arranged and a fixed member fastened to the main body member, and the third member is fixed to or formed integrally with the fixed member.

According to gaming machine I8, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines I5 to I7, the first member comprises a main body member in which the first passage is disposed and a fixing member fastened to the main body member, and the third member is fixed to or integrally formed with the fixing member, so that the third member can be held (disposed) on the first member at the same time as the fixing member is fastened to the main body member. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to attach the third member when attaching the first and second members to the gaming board.

In any of gaming machines I1 to I8, the first member includes a ball entrance opening formed to allow a gaming ball to enter and connected to the first passage, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the ball entrance opening to open or close the ball entrance opening, a drive means for generating a drive force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members, the transmission mechanism including a rotating member rotated by the drive force of the drive means and a sliding member that slides with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close the pair of wing members, and the third member is formed to be able to guide the sliding displacement of the sliding member.

According to gaming machine I9, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines I1 to I8, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member rotated by the driving force of the drive means, and a sliding member that slides with the rotation of the rotating member to open and close a pair of wing members. Compared to conventional products in which the pair of wing members are opened and closed only by a rotating member, space can be secured on both sides (sides) of the first passage behind the ball entrance. In this case, since the third member is formed so as to be able to guide the sliding displacement of the sliding member, it is not necessary to provide a separate member for guiding the sliding displacement of the sliding member. This allows the structure of the first member to be simplified, and product costs to be reduced.

A gaming machine I10 in which the pair of wing members in the gaming machine I9 have protruding portions that protrude toward the slide member, the slide member has a sliding groove through which the protruding portions are slidably inserted, and the third member has a covering surface portion that faces an opening in the sliding groove of the slide member on the opposite side to the wing members.

According to gaming machine I10, in addition to the effects of gaming machine I9, a pair of wing members have protruding portions that protrude toward the slide member, the slide member has a sliding groove through which the protruding portions are slidably inserted, and the third member has a covering surface portion that faces the opening of the sliding groove of the slide member on the side opposite the wing members. Therefore, the covering surface portion of the third member can shield the opening of the sliding groove of the slide member from the outside, preventing dust and foreign matter from entering the sliding groove. As a result, the sliding of the protruding portions is prevented from being hindered by dust or foreign matter that has entered the sliding groove, and the pair of wing members can be stably opened or closed.

<Concept of the invention using the specific winning port unit 950 as an example>
The gaming machine J1 is provided with an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, an opening/closing member for opening and closing the entrance opening, a rolling surface along which the game balls entered the entrance opening roll, and a passage member through which the game balls rolling on the rolling surface flow, characterized in that a plurality of the passage members are arranged at predetermined intervals.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening that allows game balls to enter, an opening/closing member that opens and closes the entrance opening, and a passage member that forms a passage for the game balls that have entered the entrance opening (for example, JP 2015-3092 A). The entrance opening is formed to a size that allows multiple game balls to enter at the same time, and the game balls that enter the entrance opening are collected in the passage member by rolling on the rolling surface, and flow into the passage member one by one. However, in the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine, if the entrance opening is made larger, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball from the end of the entrance opening to the passage member becomes longer accordingly. Therefore, it takes time for the game ball to reach the passage member, and there is a problem that over-entry is likely to occur because another game ball enters through the entrance opening before the entrance opening is closed by the opening/closing member.

In contrast, with gaming machine J1, multiple passage members are arranged at a predetermined interval, so even if the ball entrance is enlarged, the rolling distance (length of the rolling surface) of the game ball to the passage member can be shortened. This shortens the time it takes for the game ball to reach the passage member, allowing the ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes it, and to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J1, a detection sensor is provided for detecting a gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the detection sensor is disposed at the connection portion between the rolling surface and the passage member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J1, gaming machine J2 is equipped with a detection sensor that detects a gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance, and the detection sensor is disposed at the connection between the rolling surface and the passage member, so that the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance can be detected more quickly. This makes it possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, and thus makes it possible to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J1 or J2, it is provided with a first guide means having a first inclined surface that is inclined from the ball entrance toward the passage member and is formed so as to be able to abut against a gaming ball rolling on the rolling surface, the ball entrance is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, the rolling surface extends along the longitudinal direction of the ball entrance, and the first guide means is disposed between one longitudinal end of the rolling surface and the passage member.

According to the gaming machine J3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine J1 or J2, a first guide means is provided with a first inclined surface that is inclined from the ball entrance toward the passage member and is formed so as to be able to abut against a game ball rolling on the rolling surface, the ball entrance is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, the rolling surface is extended along the longitudinal direction of the ball entrance, and the first guide means is disposed between one longitudinal end of the rolling surface and the passage member, so that when a game ball enters near the longitudinal end of the ball entrance, the game ball is guided to the passage member by the first inclined surface of the first guide means, making it difficult for the game ball to become stuck at the longitudinal end of the rolling surface. Therefore, the game ball that entered from the ball entrance can be made to flow quickly into the passage member, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entrance is closed by the opening and closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

A gaming machine J4 is characterized in that, among any of the gaming machines J1 to J3, it is provided with a guide groove formed as a recessed groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member.

Gaming machine J4 has the same effects as any of gaming machines J1 to J3, but also has a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entry opening toward the passage member, so that the rolling surface can receive the game ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface and guide it to the passage member. In other words, the game ball can be prevented from passing through the passage member as it rolls in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface. This allows the game ball that entered through the ball entry opening to flow quickly into the passage member, and as a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entry opening is closed by the opening/closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

Gaming machine J5 is characterized in that the guide groove in the gaming machine J4 extends linearly in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J4, gaming machine J5 has a guide groove extending linearly in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, which makes it easier for the rolling surface to receive gaming balls rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface into the guide groove, and allows the received gaming balls to be quickly guided (flowed into) the passage member. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Gaming machine J5 is characterized in that the groove width of the guide groove is set to be approximately equal to the diameter of the gaming ball in gaming machine J4 or J5.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines J4 and J5, gaming machine J5 has a groove width of the guide groove set to be approximately equal to the diameter of the gaming ball, so that when multiple gaming balls are received in the guide groove, the gaming balls can be guided to the passage member in an aligned state. This allows each gaming ball to flow quickly into the passage member. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the passage member before the ball entrance is closed by the opening/closing member, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J7 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines J3 to J6, the rolling surface is formed such that a second region, which is on the opposite side of the passage member in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface from a first region in which the first guide means is disposed, is formed so as to slope downward toward the first region.

According to gaming machine J7, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines J3 to J6, the rolling surface is formed with a downward slope toward the first area, which is on the opposite side of the passage member in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface from the first area where the first guide means is disposed. Therefore, a gaming ball that has entered the second area or a gaming ball that has rolled from the first area to the second area can be made to roll quickly toward the passage member by utilizing the downward slope of the second area. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J8 is characterized in that it is equipped with a second guide means protruding from the second region of the rolling surface in the gaming machine J7.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine J7, gaming machine J8 is provided with a second guide means protruding from the second region of the rolling surface, so that the gaming ball, whose rolling speed has been increased by the downward inclination of the second region, can be decelerated in front of the passage member. That is, the rolling speed is increased up to the passage member, but the speed is decelerated in front of (just before) the passage member, so that the gaming ball can be prevented from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

Amusement machine J9 is characterized in that it is provided with a second guide means arranged in the second region of the rolling surface in the gaming machine J7 or J8 and configured to guide the gaming ball rolling along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface in the second region of the rolling surface toward the passage member toward the ball entrance side.

According to the gaming machine J9, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine J7 or J8, the gaming machine J9 is provided with a second guide means arranged in the second region of the rolling surface and formed to be able to guide the gaming ball rolling along the longitudinal direction of the second region of the rolling surface toward the passage member toward the ball entrance side, so that the gaming ball whose rolling speed has been increased by the downward inclination of the second region can be decelerated in front of the passage member. In other words, the rolling speed is increased up to the passage member, but the speed is decelerated in front of (just before) the passage member, so that the gaming ball can be prevented from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region. Therefore, the gaming ball can be made to flow into the passage member faster. As a result, it is possible to prevent another gaming ball from entering the passage member before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, and to prevent over-entry.

A gaming machine J10 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J9, when the ball entrance is open, the opening and closing member is disposed at a position where the gaming ball rolling on the rolling surface can come into contact with the opening.

According to gaming machine J10, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J9, when the ball entrance is open, the opening and closing member is disposed at a position where the ball rolling on the rolling surface can come into contact with it, so that the ball guided to the ball entrance side by the second guiding means can come into contact with the opening and closing member and bounce back toward the passage member. This allows the ball to flow into the passage member more quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another ball from entering the ball entrance before the opening and closing member closes the ball entrance, thereby preventing over-entry.

A gaming machine J11, which is characterized in that the side edge portion of the second guide means opposite the first guide means is inclined in a direction away from the ball entrance as it moves away from the first guide means, and the upper surface of the second guide means is inclined downward toward the side edge portion opposite the first guide means.

In gaming machine J11, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J9 or J10, the second guide means is inclined in a direction away from the ball entrance as the side edge opposite the first guide means moves away from the first guide means, and the upper surface is inclined downward toward the side edge opposite the first guide means, so that the gaming balls can flow quickly into the passage member while being prevented from flying out of the ball entrance.

That is, for game balls that roll in the second region along the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface toward the passage member, those with a relatively low (slow) rolling speed are unlikely to fly out of the ball entrance, so by abutting the side edge of the second guide means and guiding the ball toward the ball entrance, it is possible to prevent the ball from rolling from the second region through the passage member to the first region, and therefore allow the ball to flow into the passage member faster. On the other hand, for game balls with a relatively high (fast) rolling speed, it is possible to make the ball go over the upper surface of the second guide means and guide it to the first region (first guide means). Therefore, the kinetic energy of the game ball is consumed by going over the second guide means and colliding with the first guide member, and it is possible to reliably decelerate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ball from flying out of the ball entrance while allowing it to flow into the passage member quickly. As a result, it is possible to prevent another game ball from entering before the ball entrance is closed by the opening and closing member, and to prevent over-entry.

Gaming machine J12 is characterized in that in gaming machine J11, the second guide means has a side edge portion on the side facing the first guide means extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, and the dimension of the side edge portion of the first guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface is larger than the dimension of the side edge portion of the second guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface.

According to gaming machine J12, in addition to the effects of gaming machine J11, the dimension of the side edge of the first guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface is made larger than the dimension of the side edge of the second guide means in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface, so that a gaming ball that has climbed over the upper surface of the second guide means can be brought into contact (collided with) the first guide means, reliably slowing down the ball and making it easier to position the ball in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

Gaming machine J13 is characterized in that, in gaming machine J11 or J12, a position spaced from the rolling surface by the radius of the gaming ball is included in the side edge of the second guiding means.

According to gaming machine J13, in addition to the effects of gaming machines J11 and J12, a position spaced from the rolling surface by the radius of the gaming ball is included in the side edge of the second guiding means, so that the gaming ball that has passed over the upper surface of the second guiding means can be made to abut (collide) against the side edge of the first guiding means, thereby ensuring deceleration and making it easier to position the gaming ball in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

Gaming machine J14 is any one of gaming machines J8 to J13, characterized in that the second guide means is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the first inclined surface of the first guide means.

According to gaming machine J14, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines J8 to J13, the second guide means is located on an extension of the inclination direction of the first inclined surface of the first guide means, so that even if the rolling speed of the gaming ball guided by the first inclined surface of the first guide means towards the passage member is relatively high (fast), the gaming ball can be brought into contact (collided with) the second guide means, slowing it down and making it easier to position it in the vicinity of the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member quickly.

A gaming machine J15 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine J14, a guide groove is provided in the rolling surface and formed as a concave groove that slopes downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the height dimension from the bottom surface of the guide groove to the top of the second guide means is made larger than the radius of the gaming ball.

Gaming machine J15 has the same effects as gaming machine J14, but is also provided with a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the height dimension from the bottom of the guide groove to the top of the second guide means is made larger than the radius of the gaming ball. Therefore, when the rolling speed of the gaming ball guided toward the passage member by the first sloping surface of the first guide means is relatively high (fast), the gaming ball can be made to come into contact (collide) with the second guide means more easily. This makes it possible to decelerate the gaming ball and to make it easier to position it near the passage member, allowing it to flow into the passage member more quickly.

A gaming machine J16 is characterized in that, in any one of the gaming machines J1 to J15, a guide groove is provided in the rolling surface and formed as a concave groove that slopes downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the groove width of the guide groove becomes smaller as it approaches the passage member.

Gaming machine J16 has the same effects as any of gaming machines J1 to J15, and is provided with a guide groove formed as a concave groove recessed in the rolling surface and sloping downward from the ball entrance toward the passage member, and the groove width of the guide groove becomes smaller toward the passage member, so that a gaming ball rolling in the longitudinal direction of the rolling surface abuts (collides with) the side wall of the guide groove, making it easier to change the rolling direction of the gaming ball to the direction toward the passage member. This allows the gaming ball to flow into the passage member more quickly.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
A gaming machine K1 includes an entry unit having an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter and a passage connected to the entry port, and a gaming board on which the entry unit is arranged, wherein an opening is formed in the gaming board in the thickness direction, and the entry unit includes a first unit having the entry port and a first passage connected to the entry port and arranged on the front side of the gaming board, and a second unit arranged on the back side of the first unit through the opening in the gaming board and having a second passage connected to the first passage.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry unit with a ball entry opening formed so that a gaming ball can enter and a passage connected to the ball entry opening, and a gaming board on which the ball entry unit is arranged (for example, JP 2015-131046 A). With such a gaming machine, the specifications of the gaming machine can be changed while reusing (combining) the gaming board by replacing the ball entry unit with another ball entry unit (for example, one with a different number of passages). However, in the above-mentioned gaming machine, since the ball entry unit is arranged in front of the gaming board, it was necessary to reserve a space in front of the gaming board in advance according to, for example, the maximum number of passages. Therefore, when a ball entry unit with a small number of passages is used, there was a problem that space was wasted on the front side of the gaming board.

In contrast, according to the game machine K1, the ball entry unit includes a first unit having a ball entry port and a first passage connected to the ball entry port and disposed on the front side of the game board, and a second unit disposed on the rear side of the first unit through an opening in the game board and having a second passage connected to the first passage. Therefore, it is sufficient to secure a space corresponding to the size of the first unit on the front side of the game board, and there is no need to secure a space corresponding to the maximum number of passages (second passages) on the front side of the game board. Therefore, by replacing the second unit with another second unit (e.g., one with a different number of second passages), the space on the front side of the game board can be effectively utilized when changing the specifications of the game board while reusing (using both) the game board.

A gaming machine K2 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine K1, at least a portion of the first unit is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the second unit is formed to have a smaller outer shape than the first unit and is disposed in a position overlapping the first unit in a front view.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K1, gaming machine K2 has a first unit made of a light-transmitting material, a second unit made smaller in outer shape than the first unit, and arranged in a position overlapping the first unit in a front view, so that the player can see the second unit through the first unit, enhancing the interest of the game. Also, in order to make the second unit visible to the player, it is not necessary to form the gaming board from a light-transmitting material, and it is permissible to form the gaming board from plywood, attach a sticker to the gaming board, or paint the gaming board, for example, thereby increasing the freedom of design.

Gaming machine K3 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K2, at least the front side of the second unit in the second passage is made of a light-transmitting material.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K2, gaming machine K3 has the advantage that at least the front side of the second passage of the second unit is made of a light-transmitting material, allowing the player to see the gaming balls flowing down the second passage of the second unit through the first unit, thereby increasing the player's interest in the game.

The first unit may be entirely made of a light-transmitting material. Also, if only a portion of the first unit is made of a light-transmitting material, it is preferable that at least the portion of the second unit that overlaps with the second passage in a front view is made of a light-transmitting material. This is because the flow of the game balls can be seen, which increases the interest of the game.

Gaming machine K4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K3, the first unit is formed from a colorless light-transmitting material, and the second unit is formed from a colored light-transmitting material.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K3, gaming machine K4 has the following advantages: the first unit is made of a colorless light-transmitting material, and the second unit is made of a colored light-transmitting material. When the player sees the second unit through the first unit, the player can easily grasp the relative positions of the first and second units in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the player can easily see how the gaming ball changes position in the front-to-rear direction as it flows down, which increases the player's interest in the game.

Gaming machine K5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine K4, information consisting of letters or figures is displayed on the front side of the second passage of the second unit.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K4, gaming machine K5 displays information consisting of letters or figures on the front of the second passage of the second unit, so that even when the second unit is viewed through the first unit, the display can be used as a landmark (reference position) to help the player recognize the position of the second passage (front-rear position). Examples of display formats include printing with ink, attaching a sticker, and two-color molding.

In any one of gaming machines K1 to K5, the second passage includes a second upstream passage connected to the first passage, a plurality of second branch passages branched off from the second upstream passage, and a plurality of second connecting passages connected to each of the plurality of second branch passages, and the second unit includes a second upstream unit disposed on the rear side of the first unit and in which the second upstream passage and the plurality of second branch passages are formed, and a second downstream unit disposed on the second upstream unit and in which the plurality of second connecting passages are formed, and detection sensors for detecting the passage of gaming balls are disposed in the plurality of second branch passages. Gaming machine K6.

According to gaming machine K6, in any of gaming machines K1 to K5, the second unit includes a second upstream unit that is disposed on the rear side of the first unit and in which a second upstream passage and multiple second branch passages are formed, and a second downstream unit that is disposed in the second upstream unit and in which multiple second connecting passages are formed, and detection sensors that detect the passage of gaming balls are disposed in the multiple second branch passages. Therefore, for example, when the second upstream unit is changed to another unit with fewer second branch passages to manufacture a gaming machine with different specifications, it is possible to prevent an operator from making a mistake in the number of detection sensors that are disposed.

In other words, in a structure in which a detection sensor is disposed in the second connecting passage, it is possible to dispose as many detection sensors as there are second connecting passages. For example, when changing a second upstream unit in which two second branch passages are formed to another unit in which only one passage connects the first passage and the second connecting passage, it is possible that a single detection sensor will be sufficient, but detection sensors may be disposed for the number of second connecting passages. In contrast, in a structure in which a detection sensor is disposed in the second branch passage, when changing the second upstream unit to another unit, the number of detection sensors corresponding to the unit will be disposed, which prevents the operator from mistaking the number of sensors to be disposed.

In the gaming machine K6, the first unit is provided with a second ball inlet formed to allow the game ball to enter, a third passage through which the game ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed across the first unit, the second upstream unit, and the second downstream unit, and a detection sensor for detecting the game ball is disposed in the portion of the third passage formed in the second downstream unit. Gaming machine K7.

According to gaming machine K7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine K6, the first unit is provided with a second ball inlet formed to allow the game ball to enter, and a third passage through which the game ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed across each of the first unit, the second upstream unit, and the second downstream unit, and a detection sensor for detecting the game ball is disposed in the portion of the third passage formed in the second downstream unit, so that the detection sensors disposed in the second unit can be dispersed, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the passages.

A gaming machine K8 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine K7, the second unit is positioned relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage, or by directly or indirectly engaging the third passages of the first unit and the second unit with each other.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine K7, gaming machine K8 positions the second unit relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage, or by directly or indirectly engaging the third passages of the first and second units, so positioning is possible even when the second upstream unit of the second unit is changed to another unit. In other words, regardless of the form of the other unit, the position where the first and second passages are connected or the position where the third passages are connected is the same, so even if it is a different unit, positioning can be performed relative to the first unit by directly or indirectly engaging the second passage with the first passage or the third passages with each other.

The purpose of positioning the second unit relative to the first unit is to prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring at the connecting portion between the first and second passages or the connecting portion between the third passages. Since it is possible to position the target portion (the connecting portion between the first and second passages or the connecting portion between the third passages), it is possible to effectively prevent misalignment (steps) from occurring compared to when other portions are positioned. As a result, the game balls can flow down smoothly.

A gaming machine K9 is characterized in that, in any one of gaming machines K6 to K8, a part of the detection sensor disposed in the second branch passage of the second upstream passage protrudes toward the second downstream unit, and a receiving portion for receiving the protruding part of the detection sensor is formed in the second downstream unit.

In addition to the effects of any of gaming machines K6 to K8, gaming machine K9 has a detection sensor disposed in the second branch passage of the second upstream passage that protrudes part of the detection sensor toward the second downstream unit, and a receiving portion that receives the protruding part of the detection sensor is formed in the second downstream passage. This makes it possible to position the second upstream unit and the second downstream unit by engaging the detection sensor with the receiving portion, while preventing part of the detection sensor from protruding outward, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the second unit as a whole.

In the gaming machines K1 to K6, the first unit has a second ball inlet formed to allow the gaming ball to enter, and a third passage through which the gaming ball entered the second ball inlet passes is formed in the second unit at least between the second branch passages.

In addition to the effects of the gaming machines K1 to K9, the gaming machine K10 has a third passage through which the gaming ball that enters the second ball entrance passes, which is formed at least between the second branch passages in the second unit, making it possible to reduce the size of the second unit.

A gaming machine K11, which is any one of the gaming machines K1 to K10, is characterized in that the second passage has a bent portion that is bent from the front to the back of the second unit, and an erect portion is erected from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, and the wall portion on the outer side of the bend is inclined so as to be positioned on the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the gaming ball flows down.

According to the gaming machine K11, in addition to the effects of any one of the gaming machines K1 to K10, a bent portion is formed in the second passageway that is bent from the front to the back of the second unit, and a standing portion is erected from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, and the wall portion on the outer side of the bend is inclined so as to be located on the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows down, so that the game ball flowing down the bent portion of the second passageway can be easily seen by the player. In other words, by erecting the standing portion from the inner surface of the wall portion on the outer side of the bend in the bent portion, the rigidity of the passageway is increased to improve durability, and the game ball can be guided along the erected tip of the standing portion to smoothly flow down the bent portion, but since the standing portion is located in front of the game ball when viewed from the front, the game ball is hidden by the standing portion, and the visibility of the game ball is reduced. In response to this, the outer wall of the bend is inclined so that it is positioned toward the back side of the second unit as it moves in the direction in which the game ball flows downward, ensuring rigidity and guiding the game ball while also making the thickness of the erected portion thinner in the front-to-rear direction, ensuring visibility of the game ball.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 as examples>
Gaming machine L1 is provided with a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass, characterized in that at least the upstream end of the second passage member, a bottom surface upstream end on the bottom surface side and a side surface upstream end on the side surface side, are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game balls.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a first passage member through which game balls pass, and a second passage member whose upstream end is connected to the downstream end of the first passage member and through which game balls flowing down from the first passage member pass (for example, JP 2012-5783 A). However, with such a structure that connects the first passage member and the second passage member, misalignment between the two is unavoidable, and a step is formed at the connection portion between the downstream end of the first passage member and the upstream end of the second passage member, which creates the problem that the smooth flow down of game balls may be hindered.

In contrast, in gaming machine L1, at least the upstream end of the second passage member, the bottom upstream end on the bottom side and the side upstream end on the side side, are formed at different positions in the direction in which the gaming ball passes, so that the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the bottom side (bottom upstream end) can be made to differ from the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the side side (side upstream end). This prevents the gaming ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes their effects, allowing the gaming ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

A gaming machine L2 is characterized in that the upstream end of the side surface includes a position that is spaced from the upstream end of the bottom surface by the radius of the gaming ball in the gaming machine L1.

According to gaming machine L2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine L1, the upstream end of the side surface includes a position spaced from the upstream end of the bottom surface by the radius of the gaming ball, so that when the gaming ball rolls (flows down) from the first passage member to the second passage member, the gaming ball can be inscribed in the upstream end of the side surface. In other words, the position of the step on the bottom surface side that affects the gaming ball and the position of the step on the side surface side can be reliably made different in the passing direction of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the gaming ball from being affected by the step on the bottom surface side and the step on the side surface at the same time, and it is easy to distribute the effects of these, so that the gaming ball can flow down (pass) more smoothly.

Gaming machine L3, in which the downstream end of the first passage member on the bottom side and the downstream end of the side side of the downstream end of the first passage member are formed at different positions in the passing direction of the game ball, the first passage member has a protruding piece that protrudes from its downstream end toward the upstream end of the second passage member and the protruding tip is the downstream side end of the side, and the second passage member has a recessed portion recessed in its upstream end to receive the protruding piece and the portion facing the protruding tip of the protruding piece is the upstream end of the side wall.

According to the gaming machine L3, in addition to the effects of the gaming machines L1 or L2, the first passage member has a protruding piece that protrudes from its downstream end toward the upstream end of the second passage member and whose protruding tip is the side downstream end, and the second passage member has a recess that is recessed at its upstream end to receive the protruding piece and whose portion facing the protruding tip of the protruding piece is the side wall upstream end, so that the side downstream end and bottom downstream end of the first passage member can be brought close to the side upstream end and side downstream end of the second passage member. That is, when the side upstream end of the second passage member is formed at a different position downstream of the bottom upstream end in the passing direction of the game ball, the protruding piece of the first passage member can guide the game ball until it reaches the side upstream end of the second passage member. Therefore, the game ball can flow down (pass) smoothly.

On the other hand, the protruding piece has a relatively low rigidity and may break. However, according to gaming machine L3, the protruding piece is formed on the first passage member (i.e., the upstream side in the direction in which the gaming ball passes). Therefore, even if the protruding piece breaks, the bottom upstream end and the side upstream end of the second passage member can be maintained in different positions in the direction in which the gaming ball passes, and the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the bottom side (upstream end of the bottom side) can be made to differ from the timing at which the gaming ball passes through the step on the side side (upstream end of the side side). This prevents the gaming ball from being simultaneously affected by the step on the bottom side and the step on the side side, and distributes their effects, allowing the gaming ball to flow down (pass) more smoothly.

In addition, according to the gaming machine L3, the gaming machine protrusion piece is formed in the first passage member, and the recess is formed in the second passage member, so that the side of the recess abuts against the protrusion piece, thereby restricting the upward positional deviation of the second passage member relative to the first passage member. That is, in a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is higher than the downstream end of the first passage member, the gaming ball is likely to bounce up when it runs up, and is therefore more likely to hinder the smooth flow (passage) of the gaming ball compared to the reverse step (a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is lower than the downstream end of the first passage member). Therefore, as in the gaming machine L3, being able to restrict the upward positional deviation of the second passage member relative to the first passage member can suppress the formation of a step where the upstream end of the second passage member is higher than the downstream end of the first passage member, which is particularly effective in the smooth flow down of the gaming ball.

Gaming machine L4 is characterized in that the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member in the gaming machine L3 is formed at an angle with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball.

In game machine L4, in addition to the effects of game machine L3, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed at an incline with respect to the passing direction of the game ball, so that game balls that collide with the upper end surface of the side surface of the second passage member can slide along the incline and are less likely to be bounced back, compared to when the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the game machine. As a result, it is easier for game balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

Gaming machine L5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine L1 or L2, at least the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an angle with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball.

According to gaming machine L5, in addition to the effects of gaming machines L1 or L2, at least the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an incline with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball, so that the upstream side end of the upstream end of the second passage member can be inclined with respect to the passing direction of the gaming ball. Therefore, compared to when the upstream side end of the second passage member is formed perpendicular to the passing direction of the gaming machine, gaming balls that collide with the upper end surface of the side of the second passage member can slide along the incline and are less likely to be bounced back. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the gaming balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

In this case, according to gaming machine L5, the entire upstream end of the second passage member is formed at an incline, so that the occurrence of stress concentration can be suppressed and the durability of the passage member can be ensured, compared to, for example, a case where the second passage member is formed in a shape (step-like) having a protruding piece or a recess. Also, when the second passage member is made of a resin material, the shape change of the cavity (hollow portion) of the injection molding die can be made gradual, so that air trapping (air entrapment) and filling defects can be suppressed, and moldability can be improved.

Gaming machine L6 is characterized in that, in gaming machine L4 or L5, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed with a downward incline along the passing direction of the gaming machine.

In game machine L6, in addition to the effects of game machines L4 and L5, the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member is formed with a downward incline along the passage direction of the game machine, so that game balls that collide with the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member can be pressed against the bottom surface. In other words, game balls can be prevented from bouncing up at the upstream end of the side surface of the second passage member. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for game balls to pass (flow down) smoothly.

<Concept of the invention using the specific winning port unit 550 as an example>
Gaming machine M1 is characterized in that, in a gaming machine comprising an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a driving means for generating a driving force to rotate the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the pair of wing members, when the pair of wing members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside, the transmission mechanism is formed so as to be able to regulate the displacement of the pair of wing members in the opening direction.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes an entrance opening formed to allow game balls to enter, a pair of wing members arranged on either side of the entrance opening, a drive means that applies a drive force to the pair of wing members to open or close them, and a restricting means that, when the pair of wing members are opened by the drive force of the drive means, is positioned at an allowable position that allows the game ball to enter the entrance opening, and, when the pair of wing members are closed by the drive force of the drive means, is positioned at a restricting position that restricts the game ball from entering the entrance opening (for example, JP 2011-172833 A).

According to this gaming machine, when the pair of feather members are opened by the driving force of the drive means, the restricting means is positioned in a permissive position, so that a gaming ball that has passed between the pair of feather members can be allowed to enter the ball entrance. On the other hand, when the pair of feather members are closed by the driving force of the drive means, the restricting means is positioned in a restricting position, so that if the pair of feather members are forcibly opened from the outside, the gaming ball can be restricted from entering the ball entrance.

However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, the displacement of the restricting means is not restricted. For example, the restricting means can be displaced from the restricting position to the permissible position by forcibly opening a pair of blade members from the outside. This creates a problem in that the effect of restricting the illegal entry of game balls into the ball entry opening is insufficient.

In contrast, according to gaming machine M1, when a pair of feather members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside, the transmission mechanism is configured to be able to regulate the displacement of the pair of feather members in the opening direction, so the feather members can be prevented from being forcibly opened. This makes it easier to regulate the illegal entry of gaming balls into the ball entry opening.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates. A protrusion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protrusion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members. A receiving portion is recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove to receive the protrusion when the sliding member is slid and displaced to a position that closes the wing members. When the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the wing members is restricted. In the gaming machine M2,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, gaming machine M2 has a receiving portion recessed in the inner wall of the sliding groove that receives the protrusion when the sliding member is slid to a position where the feather member is closed, and when the protrusion is received in the receiving portion, the rotation of the feather member is restricted, so that the feather member can be prevented from being forcibly opened from the outside.

Amusement machine M3 is characterized in that in gaming machine M2, the direction of sliding displacement of the sliding member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine M2, gaming machine M3 has the advantage that the direction of the sliding displacement of the sliding member is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pair of wing members, so that even if the wing members are displaced in the opening direction from the outside and the external force is transmitted to the sliding member via the protrusion and the receiving portion, it is possible to prevent the sliding displacement component of the sliding member from occurring. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wing members from being forcibly opened.

The slide member can also be arranged approximately parallel to the wing member. As a result, the space required for arranging the wing member and slide member can be reduced, and more space can be secured for arranging other members.

A gaming machine M4 is characterized in that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity in gaming machine M2 or M3, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines M2 and M3, gaming machine M4 has the advantage that the sliding member is slid downward in the direction of gravity, so that the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion. This makes it easier to maintain the state in which the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion by utilizing the weight (own weight) of the sliding member.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a slide member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates. A protruding portion is protruding from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members. The rotating member includes an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion. The sliding member is abutted against one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. A gaming machine M5 is provided with a side abutment portion, and an other side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that abuts against the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, and when the wing member is in a closed state, one side of the abutment portion abuts against the one side abutment portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, and when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutment portion abuts against the other side abutment portion, the engagement of the protruding portion with the sliding member is released.

According to gaming machine M5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the wing member is closed, one side of the abutting portion abuts against the one-side abutted portion and the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from sliding to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the rotating member is rotated to the other side at least to a position where the other side of the abutting portion abuts against the other abutted portion, the engagement between the protruding portion and the sliding member is released, and by rotating the rotating member further to the other side, the sliding member can be slid toward the other side, thereby opening the wing member.

In the gaming machine M1, the transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the driving force of the driving means, and a sliding member that is slid and displaced as the rotating member rotates, a protruding portion is protruded from the sliding member or one of the pair of wing members, and a sliding groove through which the protruding portion is slidably inserted is recessed in the sliding member or the other of the pair of wing members, the rotating member includes an abutment portion and an overhanging portion that overhangs from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member is configured to slide against one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member. a one-side abutment portion that abuts against the one-side abutment portion, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of the sliding displacement and that abuts against the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member; when the wing member is in a closed state, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, and when the sliding member is slid from the closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutment portion abuts against one side of the abutment portion, the overhanging portion engages with the sliding member.

According to gaming machine M6, in addition to the effects of gaming machine M1, the rotating member has an abutment portion and a protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the abutment portion, and the sliding member has a one-side abutment portion that abuts one side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward one side to close the wing member, and an other-side abutment portion that is disposed opposite the one-side abutment portion at a predetermined distance in the direction of sliding displacement and that abuts the other side of the abutment portion when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side to open the wing member, so that when the rotating member is rotated toward one side, the one-side abutment portion is pushed by one side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward one side, closing the wing member, while when the rotating member is rotated toward the other side, the other-side abutment portion is pushed by the other side of the abutment portion as the sliding member is slid toward the other side, opening the wing member.

In this case, when the sliding member is slid from a closed state of the wing member to a position where the one-side abutting portion abuts against one side of the abutting portion, the protruding portion engages with the sliding member, so that the sliding member is restricted from being slid to the other side without rotating the rotating member. This makes it possible to prevent the wing member from being forcibly opened from the outside.

On the other hand, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so that the sliding member can be slid toward the other side by further rotating the rotating member to the other side, and the wing member can be opened. Here, if the overhanging portion is engaged with the sliding member when the wing member is closed, the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion must be formed into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side, which makes the shape complicated. Therefore, not only does the strength decrease, but there is also a risk that the engagement may become more likely to be released. In contrast, as in the present invention, when the wing member is closed, the overhanging portion is disengaged from the sliding member, so there is no need to form the shape of the overhanging portion and the one-side abutting portion into a shape that allows the rotating member to rotate toward the other side. Therefore, not only can the shape be simplified to ensure strength, but a shape that is easy to maintain engagement can be adopted, making it difficult to release the engagement.

A gaming machine M7 is any one of gaming machines M2 to M6, and is provided with a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance, and when the protrusion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member.

Gaming machine M7 has the same effects as any of gaming machines M2 to M6, but also includes a passage member that forms a passage for gaming balls that enter the ball entrance. When the protruding portion is not inserted into the sliding groove, a part of the slide member is positioned within the passage of the passage member. Therefore, even if the protruding portion is cut and the blade member is forcibly opened from the outside, the slide member can restrict the flow of gaming balls that enter the ball entrance from the ball entrance.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 930 as an example>
Gaming machine N1 is characterized in that it comprises an entry port formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the entry port to open or close the entry port, a driving means for generating a driving force for rotating the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the pair of wing members, the machine further comprising a passage member which forms a passage for a gaming ball entered into the entry port, and a part of the transmission mechanism crosses the passage of the passage member when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position.

Here, a gaming machine is known that includes a ball entry opening formed to allow a gaming ball to enter, a pair of wing members rotatably supported on either side of the ball entry opening to open or close the ball entry opening, a drive means that generates a drive force to rotate the pair of wing members, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive means to the pair of wing members (for example, JP 2010-234009 A). The transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that is rotated by the drive force of the drive means, and the wing members are opened or closed as the rotating member rotates towards one side or the other.

In this case, for example, a fraudulent act involves gluing the tip of a string to a gaming ball, inserting the gaming ball through a ball entrance and passing it through the passage of a passage member, and when the gaming ball reaches the detection position of the detection sensor, manipulating (releasing and retracting) the other end of the string to move the gaming ball back and forth, causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times. However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machines have a problem in that it is difficult to effectively suppress the fraudulent act of gluing the tip of a string to a gaming ball and causing the detection sensor to detect it multiple times.

In response to this, with the gaming machine N1, a part of the transmission mechanism crosses the passage of the passage member when the vane member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, so that the transmission mechanism can at least interfere with the middle part of the string whose tip is attached to the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to suppress fraudulent behavior in which the detection sensor detects the game ball multiple times by moving the game ball back and forth.

In the gaming machine N1, the transmission mechanism is characterized in that the slide member crosses the passage of the passage member when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and the slide member has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine N1, gaming machine N2 has a transmission mechanism in which the slide member crosses the passage of the passage member when the blade member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and the slide member has a frictional contact portion that rubs against the edge of the passage member, so that it is possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

In other words, even if the game ball described above is inserted while the vane member is open, the vane member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, and when the frictional contact portion of the sliding member crosses the passage of the passage member, the middle portion of the thread, the tip of which is attached to the game ball, is displaced together with the frictional contact portion and pressed against the edge of the passage member, and when the frictional contact portion is brought into friction with the edge of the passage member, the thread can be cut between the frictional contact portion and the edge of the passage member. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the frictional contact portion of the slide member is made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the frictional contact portion) may be made of a metal material. The same applies to the passage member, and the entire passage member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the passage member (the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the frictional contact portion and the part against which the frictional contact portion rubs (the edge of the passage member) are formed as a blade (cutting blade).

In the gaming machine N1, the transmission mechanism is characterized by having a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the wing member is displaced from the open position to the closed position. In the gaming machine N3,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine N1, gaming machine N3 has a transmission mechanism that includes a pair of cutting members that cross the passage of the passage member and rub against each other's edges when the blade member is displaced from the open position to the closed position, making it possible to cut off any illegal object that has been illegally inserted into the passage from the ball entrance.

In other words, even if the game ball described above enters the game ball while the feather members are open, the feather members are displaced from the open position to the closed position, and as the pair of cutting members cross the passage of the passage member, the middle part of the thread whose tip is attached to the game ball can be pinched between the pair of cutting members and cut. As a result, the above-mentioned fraudulent behavior can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the pair of cutting members are made of a metal material. In this case, the entire slide member may be made of a metal material, or only a part of the slide member (the edges that rub against each other) may be made of a metal material. It is also preferable that the parts of the pair of cutting members that rub against each other are formed as blades (cutting blades).

In gaming machine N2 or N3, the drive means is formed as a solenoid actuator in which the displacement of the drive shaft in a first direction is performed by electromagnetic force and the displacement of the drive shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction is performed by the elastic recovery force of the biasing means, and the displacement of the wing member from the open position to the closed position is performed by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction. Gaming machine N4.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines N2 and N3, gaming machine N4 has the advantage that the movement of the wing member from the open position to the closed position is achieved by displacing the drive shaft of the drive means in the first direction, that is, by using electromagnetic force, so that the drive force can be increased. This makes it easier to cut off illegal objects (e.g., thread) between the frictional contact portion of the slide member and the edge of the passage member.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 19930 as an example>
A gaming machine O1 equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the game balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the game balls distributed to the other side pass, characterized in that at least a portion of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is arranged along a direction intersecting the game board.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction, which causes a problem in that the space for arranging other components is reduced accordingly.

According to the gaming machine O1, at least a portion of at least one of the first passageway or the second passageway is arranged along a direction intersecting the game board, so that at least a portion of the passageway can be arranged by utilizing the relatively ample space in the front-to-rear direction (the direction intersecting the game board). Therefore, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

In the gaming machine O1, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the shaft is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board. In the gaming machine O2,

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O1, gaming machine O2 has a distribution member that is rotatably supported with its rotation axis aligned along the width of the game board, so that the distribution member can distribute game balls in a direction that intersects the game board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the first passage and the second passage can also be aligned along a direction that intersects the game board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

A gaming machine O3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O2, at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O2, gaming machine O3 has the advantage that at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above, making it possible to reduce the size of the distribution unit in the width direction and thereby secure space for arranging other components.

A gaming machine O4 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O2 or O3, it is provided with a first detection means for detecting the gaming ball passing through the first passage, the first passage includes a first upstream passage extending along a direction intersecting the gaming board and facing rearward from the distribution member, and a first downstream passage extending downward from the first upstream passage, and the first detection means is disposed in the first upstream passage.

According to gaming machine O4, in addition to the effects of gaming machines O2 or O3, the first passage includes a first upstream passage extending in a direction intersecting the game board and facing rearward from the distribution member, and a first downstream passage extending downward from the first upstream passage, and the first detection means is disposed in the first upstream passage, so that the first detection means can be brought closer to the distribution member, making it easier for the player to see the first detection means. In other words, it is easier for the player to see the trajectory of the game balls from when they are distributed to one side by the distribution device until they are detected by the first detection means, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

It is preferable that the first and second passages are made of a light-transmitting material that allows the game balls passing through to be visible from the outside.

A gaming machine O5, in which the first upstream passage of the first passage in the gaming machine O4 is provided with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the distribution member and the first detection means.

Here, when the game balls are sorted by the sorting member, the game balls are likely to move around due to the impact caused by the sorting operation. Therefore, if the first detection means is brought close to the sorting member, there is a risk that chattering will occur.

In contrast, according to gaming machine O5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine O4, the first upstream passage of the first passage is equipped with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the sorting member and the first detection means, so that if the gaming ball becomes disoriented due to the impact caused by the sorting operation of the sorting member, the expansion means can absorb the disoriented state of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to bring the first detection means closer to the sorting member while also suppressing the occurrence of chattering.

An example of the enlargement means is one that increases the cross-sectional area of the first upstream passage of the first passage.

A gaming machine O6 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O5, it has a first branch passage branched off from a first upstream passage of the first passage, and the expansion means is formed by the first branch passage.

Gaming machine O6 has the same effects as gaming machine O5, but also includes a first branch passage branched off from the first upstream passage of the first passage, and an expansion means is formed by the first branch passage. Therefore, when the game ball's movement is relatively small, the expansion means (the internal space of the first branch passage) can suppress the movement of the game ball and prevent chattering, while when the game ball's movement is relatively large, i.e., when the movement is so large that chattering cannot be prevented, the game ball can be discharged through the first branch passage.

In addition, by forming the expansion means by the first branch passage, it is possible to form a form in which the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member pass through the first upstream passage and are detected by the first detection means, or a form in which they are unable to reach the first detection means and are discharged into the first branch passage. This provides a gameplay experience in which the player is made to hope that the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member will not be discharged into the first branch passage and will reach the first detection means. As a result, the interest of the game is increased.

Examples of destinations to which the game ball may be guided by the first branch passage include an outlet, a winning outlet, a game area, etc.

A gaming machine O7 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine O6, at least the first upstream passage of the first passage is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O6, gaming machine O7 has the following advantages: at least the first upstream passage of the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage, allowing the player to see the gaming balls passing through the first upstream passage, enhancing the enjoyment of the game. In other words, by making it possible to see the gaming balls that are sorted to one side by the sorting member and pass through the first upstream passage, it is possible to provide a gaming experience in which the player hopes that the gaming balls will reach the first detection means without flowing out into the first branch passage. As a result, the enjoyment of the game is enhanced.

In addition, by branching off from the side of the first upstream passage, the area of the display surface for displaying information about the game can be secured on the upper surface of the first upstream passage or the first branch passage. An example of the information about the game is information about the destination of the game ball guided by the first branch passage. An example of the destination is the outlet.

The entire first passage may be made of a light-transmitting material, or the first branch passage may be made of a light-transmitting material.

Gaming machine O8 is characterized in that, in gaming machine O6 or O7, the first upstream passage and the first branch passage merge downstream of the position where the first detection means is disposed.

In gaming machine O8, in addition to the effects of gaming machines O6 and O7, the first upstream passage and the first branch passage merge downstream of the position where the first detection means is disposed, so that the first downstream passage can be used not only as a passage for gaming balls that have passed through the first upstream passage, but also as a passage for gaming balls that have passed through the first branch passage. This allows the sorting unit to be made smaller.

A gaming machine O9 is characterized in that in the gaming machine O8, the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage and is arranged in parallel with the first upstream passage, and the first upstream passage merges with the side of the first branch passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine O8, gaming machine O9 has the following advantages: the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first upstream passage and is arranged parallel to the first upstream passage, and the first upstream passage merges with the side of the first branch passage, so that the first downstream passage can be offset toward the first branch passage with respect to the first upstream passage. This makes it possible to secure space below the first upstream passage for arranging other components.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 20930 as an example>
A gaming machine P1 is provided with a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side, and is characterized in that the gaming machine P1 is provided with an adjustment means that adjusts the difference between the time required for the gaming balls that have reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for the gaming balls to be detected by the second detection means so as to be smaller.

A gaming machine is known that includes a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls to distribute the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to one side, and a second detection means that detects the gaming balls distributed to the other side (Patent Document 1: JP 2017-148189 A). However, the conventional gaming machine described above has restrictions on the layout of the passage that guides the distributed gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means, and on the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

In other words, when the detection of game balls by the first detection means and the second detection means is displayed by the display means to notify the player (for example, when the number of detected game balls is displayed as the number of reserved balls), if the time required for a game ball to reach the distribution member and be detected by the first detection means and the time required for a game ball to be distributed to one side by the second detection means differ from the time required for a game ball to be detected by the second detection means after reaching the distribution member will differ depending on the distribution direction, and interest in the game will be diminished.

Therefore, in the conventional gaming machines described above, it was necessary to arrange the passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically on the left and right sides of the sorting member, and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member, resulting in a problem of low design freedom.

The gaming machine P1 is equipped with an adjustment means that adjusts the difference between the time required for a gaming ball that has reached the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for the gaming ball to be detected by the second detection means so as to be small, making it unnecessary to arrange passages that guide the sorted gaming balls to the first detection means or the second detection means symmetrically with respect to the sorting member and to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the sorting member. This allows for greater design freedom in terms of the layout of the passages and the positions of the first detection means and the second detection means.

A gaming machine P2 is characterized in that it is provided with a first passageway that guides the gaming balls distributed to one side by the distribution member to the first detection means, and a second passageway that guides the gaming balls distributed to the other side by the distribution member to the second detection means, in which at least one of the first passageway or the second passageway has a recess or a protrusion, and the recess or the protrusion is the adjustment means.

Gaming machine P2 has the same effects as gaming machine P1, but also includes a first passageway that guides gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passageway that guides gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means. At least one of the first or second passageway has a recess or protrusion, and the recess or protrusion serves as an adjustment means. By utilizing the fact that the gaming ball is subjected to resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion and its moving speed is reduced, an adjustment can be reliably made to reduce the difference between the time it takes for a gaming ball that has reached the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time it takes for the ball to be detected by the second detection means. Furthermore, the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified, reducing product costs.

The adjustment means (recesses or protrusions) may be provided in only one of the first and second passages, or in both the first and second passages. In addition, when multiple recesses or protrusions are provided, the size (recess depth, protrusion height, width of recesses or protrusions, etc.) and spacing of the recesses or protrusions may be the same or different.

The first passage and the second passage may be formed symmetrically (with the same shape) with respect to the distribution member, or may be formed asymmetrically. Even if they are formed symmetrically, the speed of the game ball can be reduced by the resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion, making it unnecessary to arrange the first detection means and the second detection means at the same distance from the distribution member. In other words, design freedom regarding the arrangement positions of the first detection means and the second detection means can be ensured.

A gaming machine P3, which is a gaming machine P1 or P2, is provided with a first passage that guides the gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passage that guides the gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means, and at least one of the first passage or the second passage has a drop area in which the gaming balls fall freely, and the drop area is the adjustment means.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine P1 or P2, gaming machine P3 has a first passage that guides gaming balls sorted to one side by the sorting member to the first detection means, and a second passage that guides gaming balls sorted to the other side by the sorting member to the second detection means, and at least one of the first passage or the second passage has a drop area where the gaming balls fall freely, and the drop area is the adjustment means. Therefore, compared to a form in which the gaming balls roll due to frictional resistance from the rolling surface, the gaming balls are less susceptible to frictional resistance, and the movement speed is efficiently increased by maximizing the gravitational acceleration, so that adjustment can be reliably performed to reduce the difference between the time it takes for the gaming balls that reach the sorting member to be detected by the first detection means and the time it takes for them to be detected by the second detection means. In addition, the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified to reduce product costs.

The adjustment means (drop area) may be provided in only one of the first and second passages, or may be provided in both the first and second passages. Furthermore, when multiple drop areas are provided, the lengths of the drop areas may be the same or different.

Gaming machine P4 is characterized in that, in gaming machine P2 or P3, it has a first branch passage that branches off from the first passage, and the recess or protrusion is disposed in the first passage downstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines P2 and P3, gaming machine P4 has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and a recess or protrusion is disposed in the first passage downstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off, so that gaming balls can be prevented from flowing into the first branch passage due to the influence of the recess or protrusion.

Gaming machine P5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine P2 or P3, it has a first branch passage that branches off from the first passage, and the recess or protrusion is disposed in the first passage upstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines P2 and P3, gaming machine P5 has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and a recess or protrusion is provided in the first passage upstream of the branch position where the first branch passage branches off. This makes it easier for the player to visually confirm the direction of the gaming ball, whether it will branch off into the first branch passage or not, by taking advantage of the fact that the gaming ball encounters resistance when passing through the recess or protrusion and its moving speed decreases.

Gaming machine P6 is one of the gaming machines P1 to P5, characterized in that the adjustment means makes the time required for the distribution member to distribute gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the distribution member to distribute gaming balls to the other side.

Gaming machine P6 has the same effects as any of gaming machines P1 to P5, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the distribution member to distribute game balls to one side different from the time required for the distribution member to distribute game balls to the other side, so that this time difference can be used to reliably adjust the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means. Furthermore, because the adjustment can be made by the distribution member, it is possible to increase the design freedom for the layout of the aisles and the positions of the first and second detection means.

In the gaming machine P6, the distribution member is supported on a rotatable axis, and the center of gravity is positioned offset to one side or the other side with respect to the rotation axis, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side depending on the offset of the center of gravity. In the gaming machine P7,

According to gaming machine P7, in addition to the effects of gaming machine P6, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft and the center of gravity is positioned offset to one side or the other with respect to the axis of rotation, and the adjustment means makes the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side by shifting the position of the center of gravity, so that the structure of the adjustment means can be simplified and product costs can be reduced.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

A gaming machine P8, in which the distribution member in the gaming machine P6 is supported on a shaft so as to be rotatable, and the adjustment means varies the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, thereby making the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side.

According to gaming machine P8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine P6, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the adjustment means varies the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, thereby making the time required for the operation of distributing game balls to one side different from the time required for the operation of distributing game balls to the other side. This makes it possible to reliably make adjustments that reduce the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means.

As a means for varying the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, for example, a one-way gear is interposed, so that when rotating in one direction, the rotation of the distribution member is not transmitted, and when rotating in the other direction, the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to another gear, and the rotational resistance increases by the amount that the other gear is rotated.

In any of the gaming machines P1 to P8, the distribution member includes a one-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the one side, and an other-side receiving surface that is formed in a different manner from the one-side receiving surface and receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side, and the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface are the adjustment means. Gaming machine P9 is characterized in that the distribution member includes a one-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the one side, and an other-side receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side.

According to gaming machine P9, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines P1 to P8, the distribution member has one side receiving surface that receives the game balls to be distributed to one side, and another side receiving surface that is formed in a manner different from the one side receiving surface and receives the game balls to be distributed to the other side, and since the one side receiving surface and the other side receiving surface are used as adjustment means, it is possible to reliably make an adjustment to reduce the difference between the time required for a game ball that has reached the distribution member to be detected by the first detection means and the time required for it to be detected by the second detection means by utilizing the difference between the behavior of the game balls received on the one side receiving surface and the behavior of the game balls received on the other side receiving surface.

Examples of differences in the aspects of the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface include differences in the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical direction and differences in the materials (elastic modulus), while examples of differences in the behavior of game balls received on the one-side receiving surface and the other-side receiving surface include the ease with which the game ball bounces. For example, if the bounce of a game ball received on the one-side receiving surface is greater than the bounce of a game ball received on the other-side receiving surface, the flow of the game ball can be slowed down by the period during which it is bouncing, thereby gaining the time required for it to be detected by the first detection means.

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning port unit 24930 as an example>
Gaming machine Q1 is equipped with a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, and an arrangement member on which the distribution member is arranged, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a suppression means that suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member.

There is a known gaming machine that includes a distribution member that operates based on the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, and a placement member on which the distribution member is placed (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machine has a problem in that when an external force is applied to the placement member, such as when the player hits it, there is a risk that the distribution member will rotate due to the influence of inertia.

In other words, if game balls distributed to one side are guided to a winning hole that is awarded a higher game value than game balls distributed to the other side, there is a risk of fraud being committed by applying an external force to the arrangement member, for example by hitting the gaming machine, causing the distribution member to rotate due to inertia and changing the position of the distribution member (rotating it into a position that allows game balls to be distributed to one side).

The gaming machine Q1 is equipped with a suppression means for suppressing the rotation of the distribution member due to an external force acting on the arrangement member, so that even if an external force acts on the arrangement member, the rotation of the distribution member due to the influence of inertia force can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress fraudulent acts such as rotating the distribution member due to the action of an external force.

The arrangement member includes the first member itself on which the sorting member is supported, but is not limited to the first member, and also includes the second member on which the first member is arranged, and the third member directly or indirectly connected to the second member. An example of the second member is a case member that rotatably supports the sorting member and forms the framework of the sorting unit, and an example of the third member is the game board on which the sorting unit is arranged, as well as various members (e.g., outer frame, inner frame, front frame, glass plate, etc.) that are directly or indirectly connected to the game board.

Another example of an external force is a force input to the gaming machine due to a player hitting or shaking the machine.

In gaming machine Q1, the distribution member has a rotation axis arranged along the width direction of the gaming board. Gaming machine Q2.

In addition to the effects of game machine Q1, game machine Q2 has a distribution member whose rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board, so that the distribution direction of the game balls by the distribution member can be set to a direction intersecting the game board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the passages that guide the game balls distributed to one side or the other by the distribution member can also be arranged along a direction intersecting the game board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit equipped with the distribution member can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other members.

In addition, this configuration in which the rotation axis of the distribution member is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board was not possible with conventional products because when a player hits the front of the gaming machine (the glass plate), the inertial force caused by the action of that external force acts on the distribution member as a force in the direction of rotating the distribution member. However, by providing a suppression means that suppresses the rotation of the distribution member, it has become possible to adopt this configuration for the first time, which makes it possible to secure space for arranging other members while preventing fraud.

In the gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means is arranged so that the center of gravity of the distribution member overlaps the rotation axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q3.

According to gaming machine Q3, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by positioning the center of gravity of the distribution member at a position that overlaps with the rotation axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so that the effect of the inertial force acting on the distribution member (the force component that tends to rotate the distribution member) can be minimized when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. As a result, the distribution member can be suppressed from being rotated by the action of an external force.

In any of the gaming machines Q1 to Q3, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to one side with respect to the vertical direction different from the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to the other side with respect to the vertical direction. Gaming machine Q4 is characterized in that it suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member.

According to gaming machine Q4, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines Q1 to Q3, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to one side with respect to the vertical direction different from the inclination angle of the distribution member rotated to the other side with respect to the vertical direction, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

Gaming machine Q5 is characterized in that, in gaming machine Q3 or Q4, the distribution member is formed in a symmetrical shape with a virtual plane including the rotation axis as the symmetry plane.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine Q3 or Q4, gaming machine Q5 has a symmetrical shape with the imaginary plane including the rotation axis as the plane of symmetry, simplifying the shape of the distribution member and reducing manufacturing costs. Also, since directionality is eliminated, assembly is easier.

In the gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means is arranged so that the center of gravity of the distribution member is biased to one side or the other side of the rotation axis, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q6.

According to gaming machine Q6, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 or Q2, the suppression means positions the center of gravity of the distribution member in a position biased to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side or the other with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

Amusement machine Q7 is characterized in that in gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member by making the rotational resistance of the distribution member different depending on the direction of rotation.

According to gaming machine Q7, in addition to the effects of gaming machines Q1 and Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force acts on the arrangement member by making the rotational resistance of the distribution member different depending on the rotation direction, so that the force required to rotate the distribution member can be made greater in one state than in the other state. Therefore, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (distribution direction) according to the direction in which the external force acts, it is possible to suppress the distribution member from being rotated by the action of an external force.

As a means for varying the rotational resistance of the distribution member depending on the direction of rotation, for example, a one-way gear is inserted so that the rotation of the distribution member is not transmitted when the member rotates in one direction, and the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to another gear when the member rotates in the other direction, increasing the rotational resistance by the amount that the other gear is rotated.

In gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means forms an axial hole that supports the rotation shaft of the distribution member into an elongated hole, thereby suppressing the rotation of the distribution member when an external force is applied to the arrangement member. Gaming machine Q8.

According to gaming machine Q8, in addition to the effects of gaming machine Q1 or Q2, the suppression means suppresses the rotation of the distribution member when an external force acts on the arrangement member by making the shaft hole that supports the rotation shaft of the distribution member into a long hole shape, so that the distribution member can be prevented from rotating due to the action of an external force. In other words, by setting the angle between the longitudinal direction of the long hole shape and the acting direction of the external force to a predetermined angle or less, the distribution member can be rotated when it receives a game ball, while when an external force (inertial force) acts on the distribution member, the rotation shaft of the distribution member can be slid along the longitudinal direction of the shaft hole to consume the applied energy. As a result, the distribution member can be prevented from rotating due to the action of an external force.

The direction of action of the external force is assumed to be a direction perpendicular to the front of the gaming machine (glass plate) (a direction roughly perpendicular to the vertical direction) when it is assumed that the player hits the front of the gaming machine. In this case, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the long hole shape and the vertical direction (the direction in which the gaming ball falls towards the distribution member) is preferably set to approximately 45 degrees or more, more preferably to approximately 60 degrees or less, and most preferably to an angle roughly perpendicular. This is because when a gaming ball is received, the weight of the gaming ball can reliably cause the distribution member to rotate, while when an external force is applied, the rotation axis of the distribution member can reliably be easily slid along the shaft hole (the longitudinal direction of the long hole).

Amusement machine Q9 is characterized in that the shaft hole in the gaming machine Q8 is inclined downward from one side to the other.

According to gaming machine Q9, in addition to the effects of gaming machine Q8, the shaft hole is tilted downward from one side to the other, thereby increasing energy consumption and returning the distribution member to its initial position. In other words, by setting the orientation of the distribution member (the tilt direction of the shaft hole) according to the direction in which the external force is applied, when an external force (inertia force) is applied to the distribution member, the rotation axis of the distribution member can be slid in the direction of the upward tilt of the shaft hole, increasing the consumption of the applied energy, while thereafter, it can be lowered by the downward tilt of the shaft hole, returning the distribution member to its initial position.

A gaming machine Q10 is any one of the gaming machines Q1 to Q9, and is provided with a first winning opening into which the gaming balls distributed to the one side enter, and a second winning opening into which the gaming balls distributed to the other side enter and which awards a lower gaming value than the winning of the first winning opening, and is characterized in that, when the distribution member is rotated by an external force acting on the arrangement member, the distribution member is in a position to distribute the gaming balls to the other side.

Gaming machine Q10 has the same effects as any of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, but also has a first winning port through which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning port through which gaming balls allocated to the other side win and which awards a lower gaming value than winning through the first winning port. When the distribution member is rotated by an external force acting on the arrangement member, it is in a position to distribute the gaming balls to the other side, so that it is possible to inhibit an action of applying an external force to the arrangement member by, for example, hitting the gaming machine, thereby changing the position of the distribution member (rotating the distribution member).

Gaming machine Q11 is any one of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, and is provided with a first winning opening into which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning opening into which gaming balls allocated to the other side win, and is characterized in that the gaming value awarded for winning into the first winning opening is equal to the gaming value awarded for winning into the second winning opening.

Gaming machine Q11, in addition to the effects of any of gaming machines Q1 to Q9, is equipped with a first winning port into which gaming balls allocated to one side win, and a second winning port into which gaming balls allocated to the other side win, and the game value awarded for winning into the first winning port is equal to the game value awarded for winning into the second winning port, so that it is possible to inhibit actions such as hitting the gaming machine to apply an external force to the arrangement member and change the position of the distribution member (rotate the distribution member).

<Concept of the invention using the prize-winning unit 34930 as an example>
Gaming machine R1 is equipped with an entrance port through which game balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the game balls entered into the entrance port to one side or the other, characterized in that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the entrance port is positioned in a position biased toward the one side or the other from above the vertical direction of the distribution member.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a ball inlet through which gaming balls enter, and a distribution member that distributes the gaming balls entered into the ball inlet to one side or the other (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the ball inlet is located vertically above the distribution member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, so the manner in which the gaming balls entered the ball inlet reach the distribution member becomes monotonous, resulting in a lack of interest in the game.

According to the gaming machine R1, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball entrance is positioned at a position offset to one side or the other from the vertically upper side of the distribution member, so that it is possible to vary the manner in which a game ball that enters the ball entrance travels until it reaches the distribution member. This can increase the interest of the game.

Gaming machine R2 is characterized in that the configuration in which the game ball that entered the ball entrance after the distribution member has distributed the game ball to one side acts on the game ball until the distribution member distributes the game ball to the other side in gaming machine R1 is different from the configuration in which the game ball that entered the ball entrance after the distribution member has distributed the game ball to the other side acts on the game ball until the distribution member distributes the game ball to one side in gaming machine R2.

Here, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, if the ball inlet is positioned at a position offset to one side or the other from the vertically above the distribution member, even if the distribution member is formed symmetrically, the behavior of the game balls that enter through the ball inlet and are distributed by the distribution member will differ depending on the position of the distribution member (whether it is in a state after distributing the game balls to one side or to the other side), which could cause malfunctions.

For example, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, if the ball entrance is positioned at a position offset from the vertical upper side of the distribution member to one side, the game balls heading from the ball entrance to the distribution member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, so that when the distribution member is in a state after distributing the game balls to one side, the game balls (game balls that also have a velocity component in the direction that rotates the non-distributed balls) collide with the distribution member in the direction that rotates the distribution member, while when the distribution member is in a state after distributing the game balls to the other side, the game balls (game balls that also have a velocity component in the direction that rotates the non-distributed balls) collide with the distribution member in the direction opposite to the direction that rotates the distribution member. Therefore, the behavior of the game balls that enter through the ball entrance and are distributed by the distribution member will differ depending on the attitude of the distribution member.

In contrast, according to gaming machine R2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine R1, the configuration that acts on the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port after the distribution member has distributed the gaming balls to one side until they are distributed to the other side by the distribution member is different from the configuration that acts on the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port after the distribution member has distributed the gaming balls to the other side until they are distributed to one side by the distribution member, so that the behavior of the gaming balls that enter the ball entrance port and are distributed by the distribution member can be accommodated depending on the attitude of the distribution member. As a result, the occurrence of malfunctions can be suppressed.

A gaming machine R3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine R2, a guide passage is provided that guides the gaming ball that has entered the ball entrance to the distribution member, and when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball entrance is disposed at a position offset from above the distribution member in the vertical direction toward the one side, and the distribution member is disposed at a position offset from below the outlet of the guide passage in the vertical direction toward the other side.

Gaming machine R3 has the same effects as gaming machine R2, but also includes a guide passageway that guides game balls that enter the ball inlet to the distribution member, and when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution member, the ball inlet is positioned vertically above the distribution member and biased to one side, and the distribution member is positioned vertically below the outlet of the guide passage and biased to the other side. This makes it possible to move the position at which the game balls that enter the ball inlet and flow out from the outlet of the guide passage collide with the distribution member after sorting the game balls to the other side closer to the center of rotation of the distribution member. This reduces the rotational moment acting on the distribution member due to the collision of the game balls, and suppresses damage.

Gaming machine R4 is characterized in that the inclination angle of the distribution member with respect to the vertical direction after the game balls have been distributed to one side in gaming machine R2 or R3 is made larger than the inclination angle of the distribution member with respect to the vertical direction after the game balls have been distributed to the other side.

According to gaming machine R4, in addition to the effects of gaming machines R2 or R3, the inclination angle of the distribution member relative to the vertical after the game balls have been distributed to one side is made larger than the inclination angle of the distribution member relative to the vertical after the game balls have been distributed to the other side. Therefore, when a game ball that enters the ball entrance and flows out from the exit of the guide passage collides with the distribution member in the state after the game balls have been distributed to the other side, the component of the force that the distribution member receives in the direction passing through the rotation axis can be made larger. This reduces the rotational moment acting on the distribution member due to the collision of the game ball, and suppresses damage.

Gaming machine R5 is characterized in that the distribution member in the gaming machine R3 or R4 has a rotational resistance greater than the rotational resistance in the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the other side than the rotational resistance in the operation of distributing the gaming balls to the one side.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines R3 and R4, gaming machine R5 has a distribution member that has a larger rotational resistance when distributing game balls to the other side than when distributing the gaming machine to one side, which prevents damage to the distribution member and ensures reliable distribution.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side, the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the received game ball, and collides at high speed against the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with gaming machine R5, the rotational resistance of the distribution member during the operation of distributing the game balls to the other side is increased, so that the rotational resistance slows down the rotation of the distribution member to the other side, and the impact when the distribution member that has distributed the game balls to the other side collides with the stopper surface can be made gentler. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

On the other hand, after the game balls have been sorted to the other side, the sorting member is hit by game balls with a velocity component in the opposite direction (from one side to the other) to the direction in which the sorting member is rotated to one side. Therefore, if the rotational resistance when the sorting member is rotated to one side is large, the sorting member that receives the game ball cannot rotate with the game ball, and the game ball is likely to bounce off the sorting member. When the game ball bounces off the sorting member, the impact of the collision and the recoil of the rebound cause the sorting member to rotate to one side while the game ball is moving away from the sorting member (bouncing back), and when the game ball that has moved away (bouncing back) falls, there is a risk that the game ball will be sorted to the other side, opposite the direction it was originally meant to be sorted.

In contrast, with the gaming machine R5, the rotational resistance of the distribution member when distributing the gaming machine to one side is smaller than the rotational resistance when distributing the gaming balls to the other side, so that when a gaming ball is received, the distribution member can be easily rotated to one side together with the gaming ball. This prevents the received gaming ball from bouncing off the distribution member, and ensures that the gaming ball is distributed to one side.

A gaming machine R6 is characterized in that it is equipped with a gear or multiple gears forming a gear train, and a one-way clutch that is interposed between the gear and the distribution member and transmits the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side to the gear, and does not transmit the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the one side to the gear, in the gaming machine R5.

According to the gaming machine R6, a gear or a plurality of gears forming a gear train and a one-way clutch interposed between the gear and the distribution member, which transmits the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side to the gear and does not transmit the rotation of the distribution member in the direction to distribute the game balls to one side to the gear, so that when the distribution member rotates in the direction to distribute the game balls to the other side, the rotation of the distribution member is transmitted to the gear via the one-way clutch and the gear is driven. Therefore, the rotational resistance of the distribution member is increased by the amount of the gear being driven. On the other hand, when the distribution member rotates in the direction to distribute the game balls to one side, the rotation of the distribution member is blocked by the one-way clutch and is not transmitted to the gear. In other words, the gear is not driven. Therefore, the rotational resistance of the distribution member is reduced by the amount of the gear not being driven.

In this way, the one-way clutch is used to switch between transmitting and not transmitting rotation to the gears, so in addition to the effects of the gaming machine R5, it is possible to reliably create a difference in rotational resistance in the direction of rotation. Also, because the configuration is relatively simple, with the gears either driven or not, it is possible to reduce product costs and improve reliability and durability.

In particular, the inertial force of the gear when the gear starts to follow the stopped state can be used to provide rotational resistance to the distribution member, making it easier to ensure rotational resistance immediately after a game ball collides with the distribution member. In the present invention, where the amount of displacement during the distribution operation of the distribution member is relatively small, this is an effective configuration for preventing damage to the distribution member due to collision with the stopper surface.

The type of one-way clutch is not important as long as it allows the transmission of rotation in one direction and blocks (restricts) the transmission of rotation in the other direction. Examples of one-way clutch types include sprag and cam types. In addition, when the rotating shaft of the distribution member is connected to the inner ring side of the one-way clutch, a gear is connected to the outer ring side of the one-way clutch, and when the rotating shaft of the distribution member is connected to the outer ring side of the one-way clutch, a gear is connected to the inner ring side of the one-way clutch.

Gaming machine R7 is characterized in that, in gaming machine R5 or R6, the distribution member is formed in a symmetrical shape with a virtual plane including the rotation axis as the symmetry plane.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines R5 and R6, gaming machine R7 has a symmetrical shape with the imaginary plane including the rotation axis as the plane of symmetry, simplifying the shape of the distribution member and reducing manufacturing costs. Also, since directionality is eliminated, assembly is easier.

Gaming machine R8 is characterized in that the center of gravity of the distribution member is positioned in a position biased to one side of the rotation axis in gaming machines R5 or R6.

According to gaming machine R8, the center of gravity of the distribution member is positioned offset to one side relative to the rotation axis, so that when the distribution member is rotated in a direction that distributes game balls to the other side, the center of gravity is raised, and the rotational resistance of the distribution member is increased accordingly. On the other hand, when the distribution member is rotated in a direction that distributes game balls to one side, the center of gravity is lowered, and the rotational resistance of the distribution member is decreased accordingly.

In this way, the center of gravity is set to a predetermined position, which not only achieves the same effects as gaming machines R5 and R6, but also simplifies the design, reducing product costs and improving reliability and durability.

Examples of a method for shifting the center of gravity of the distribution member to one side with respect to the rotation axis include attaching a weight to the distribution member or making the shape asymmetric with respect to the rotation axis.

Among any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member is characterized in that at least the receiving surface that receives the gaming balls to be distributed to the other side is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis. Among the gaming machines R9,

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member has a receiving surface that receives at least the game balls to be distributed to the other side, and is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis, so that damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side, the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the received game ball, and collides at high speed against the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with gaming machine R9, the receiving surface of the distribution member that receives the game balls is formed as a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis, so the received game balls can slide or roll along the curved surface. Therefore, due to this sliding or rolling, the impact when the distribution member that has distributed the game balls to the other side collides with the stopper surface can be made gentler. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

Among any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member is characterized in that the receiving surface for receiving the gaming balls distributed to the other side is inclined less than the receiving surface for receiving the gaming balls distributed to the one side. Gaming machine R10.

In addition to the effects of any of the gaming machines R2 to R8, the distribution member has a receiving surface that receives game balls to be distributed to the other side with a smaller inclination than the receiving surface for game balls to be distributed to one side, so that damage to the distribution member can be suppressed and the distribution operation can be performed reliably.

In other words, because the game balls flowing down toward the sorting member have a velocity component in the direction from one side to the other, when such a game ball is received by the sorting member after sorting the game balls to one side (i.e., the receiving surface that receives the game balls to be sorted to the other side), the sorting member rotates toward the other side together with the game balls it has sorted, and collides at high speed with the stopper surface (the surface that abuts against the sorting member after sorting the game balls to the other side and restricts the displacement of the sorting member to the other side). As a result, there is a risk that the sorting member will be damaged.

In contrast, with the gaming machine R10, the inclination angle of the receiving surface of the distribution member that receives the game balls that are distributed to the other side is small, so the thickness of the part that hits the stopper surface can be increased because the inclination is small. As a result, damage to the distribution member can be suppressed.

On the other hand, after the game balls have been sorted to the other side, the sorting member is hit by game balls with a velocity component in the opposite direction (from one side to the other) to the direction in which the sorting member is rotated to one side, so if the inclination of the receiving surface for the game balls sorted to one side is small, the game balls are likely to bounce off the sorting member. When a game ball bounces off the sorting member, the impact of the collision and the recoil of the ball bouncing off can cause the sorting member to rotate to one side while the game ball is moving away from the sorting member (bouncing off), and when the game ball that has moved away (bouncing off) falls, there is a risk that the game ball will be sorted to the other side, opposite the direction it was originally meant to be sorted.

In contrast, according to gaming machine R10, the sorting member has a receiving surface that receives the game balls to be sorted to one side with a large inclination angle, and the larger inclination allows the game balls that collide with the receiving surface to be given a larger velocity component in the sorting direction. This prevents the caught game ball from bouncing off the sorting member, and makes it easier to rotate the sorting member that has received the game ball toward one side together with the game ball. This ensures that the game balls can be sorted to one side.

<Concept of the invention using the winning port unit 19930 as an example>
A gaming machine S1 equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of game balls and distributes the game balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the game balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the game balls distributed to the other side pass, characterized in that the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board.

There is a known gaming machine equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (JP Patent Publication 2017-148189). However, in the conventional gaming machine described above, the passages are arranged in a direction parallel to the gaming board, so the distribution unit becomes larger in the width direction, which causes a problem in that the space for arranging other components is reduced accordingly.

According to the gaming machine S1, the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the gaming board, so that the distribution direction of the gaming balls by the distribution member can be set to a direction intersecting the gaming board (front-to-back direction). Therefore, the first passage and the second passage can also be arranged along a direction intersecting the gaming board (front-to-back direction). As a result, the distribution unit can be made smaller in the width direction, and space can be secured for arranging other components.

A gaming machine S2 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine S1, a first detection means is provided for detecting the gaming ball passing through the first passage, the first passage is provided with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the distribution member and the first detection means.

Here, when the game balls are sorted by the sorting member, the game balls are likely to move around due to the impact caused by the sorting operation. Therefore, if the first detection means is brought close to the sorting member, there is a risk that chattering will occur.

In contrast, according to gaming machine S2, in addition to the effects of gaming machine S1, the first passage is equipped with an expansion means for expanding the area in which the gaming ball can be displaced, and the expansion means is disposed between the sorting member and the first detection means, so that if the gaming ball becomes disoriented due to the impact caused by the sorting operation of the sorting member, the expansion means can absorb the disoriented state of the gaming ball. As a result, it is possible to bring the first detection means closer to the sorting member while also suppressing the occurrence of chattering.

An example of the enlargement means is one that increases the cross-sectional area of the first upstream passage of the first passage.

A gaming machine S3 is characterized in that, in the gaming machine S2, it has a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and the expansion means is formed by the first branch passage.

Gaming machine S3 has the same effects as gaming machine S2, but also includes a first branch passage branched off from the first passage, and an expansion means is formed by the first branch passage. Therefore, when the game ball's movement is relatively small, the expansion means (the internal space of the first branch passage) can suppress the game ball's movement and prevent chattering, while when the game ball's movement is relatively large, i.e., when the game ball moves too much to prevent chattering, the game ball can be discharged through the first branch passage.

In addition, by forming the expansion means by the first branch passage, it is possible to form a form in which the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member pass through the first passage and are detected by the first detection means, or a form in which they are unable to reach the first detection means and are discharged into the first passage. This provides a gameplay experience in which the player is made to hope that the game balls sorted to one side by the sorting member will not be discharged into the first branch passage and will reach the first detection means. As a result, the interest of the game is increased.

Examples of destinations to which the game ball may be guided by the first branch passage include an outlet, a winning outlet, a game area, etc.

Gaming machine S4 is characterized in that in gaming machine S3, the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first passage.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine S3, gaming machine S4 has the following advantages: the first passage is made of a light-transmitting material, and the first branch passage branches off from the side of the first passage, allowing the player to see the gaming balls passing through the first passage, enhancing the enjoyment of the game. In other words, by making it possible to see the gaming balls that are sorted to one side by the sorting member and pass through the first upstream passage, it is possible to provide the player with the enjoyment of hoping that the gaming balls will reach the first detection means without flowing out into the first branch passage. As a result, the enjoyment of the game is enhanced.

In addition, by branching off from the side of the first passage, the area of the display surface for displaying information about the game can be secured on the first passage or the upper surface of the first branch passage. An example of the information about the game is information about the destination of the game ball guided by the first branch passage. An example of the destination is the outlet.

In addition, only a portion of the first passage may be made of a light-transmitting material, or the first branch passage may be made of a light-transmitting material.

Gaming machine X1 is any one of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10 and S1 to S4, characterized in that the gaming machine is a slot machine. Among them, the basic configuration of a slot machine is "a gaming machine equipped with a variable display means for dynamically displaying a string of identification information consisting of a plurality of identification information and then definitively displaying the identification information, and equipped with a special game state generating means for generating a special game state advantageous to the player, the dynamic display of the identification information being started due to the operation of a start operating means (e.g., an operating lever) and stopped due to the operation of a stop operating means (a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and requiring that the definitive identification information at the time of stopping be a specific identification information." In this case, typical examples of gaming media include coins, medals, etc.

Gaming machine X2 is a pachinko gaming machine in any one of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10, and S1 to S4. Among them, the basic configuration of a pachinko gaming machine includes an operation handle, a ball is launched into a predetermined play area in response to the operation of the operation handle, and the identification information dynamically displayed on the display means is fixed and stopped after a predetermined time, with the necessary condition that the ball enters (or passes through) an operating port arranged at a predetermined position in the play area. In addition, when a special game state occurs, a variable winning device (specific winning port) located at a specific position within the game area opens in a specific manner, allowing balls to win, and a value (including not only prize balls but also data written to a magnetic card, etc.) is awarded according to the number of winning balls.

Gaming machine X3 is a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine in any one of gaming machines A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C11, D1 to D10, E1 to E7, F1 to F8, G1 to G16, H1 to H15, I1 to I10, J1 to J16, K1 to K11, L1 to L6, M1 to M7, N1 to N4, O1 to O9, P1 to P9, Q1 to Q11, R1 to R10, and S1 to S4. In particular, the basic configuration of the combined gaming machine is "a gaming machine equipped with a variable display means which dynamically displays an identification information string consisting of a plurality of identification information and then definitively displays the identification information, variation of the identification information is started due to operation of a start operation means (e.g., an operation lever), the dynamic display of the identification information is stopped due to operation of a stop operation means (e.g., a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and which generates a special gaming state advantageous to the player, with the necessary condition that the definitive identification information at the time of stopping is a specific identification information, and which uses balls as gaming media, requires a predetermined number of balls to start the dynamic display of the identification information, and is configured so that a large number of balls are paid out when the special gaming state is generated."
＜Other＞
There is known a gaming machine equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass (for example, Patent Document 1: JP 2017-148189 A).
However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machines have a problem of reduced space.
The present technical idea has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and has an object to provide a gaming machine that can secure space.
<Means>
In order to achieve this objective, the gaming machine of technical idea 1 is equipped with a distribution unit having a distribution member that operates according to the weight of the gaming balls and distributes the gaming balls to one side or the other, a first passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the one side pass, and a second passage through which the gaming balls distributed to the other side pass, and at least a portion of at least one of the first passage or the second passage is arranged along a direction that intersects with the gaming board.
The gaming machine of Technical Concept 2 is the gaming machine according to Technical Concept 1, in which the distribution member is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the rotation shaft is disposed along the width direction of the game board.
A gaming machine according to a third technical concept is the gaming machine according to the second technical concept, in which at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap each other in a top view.
＜Effects＞
According to the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 1, space can be secured.
According to the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 2, in addition to the effect achieved by the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 1, space can be secured.
According to the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 3, in addition to the effect achieved by the gaming machine described in Technical Concept 2, space can be secured.
<Code>
10. Pachinko machines (amusement machines)
13 Game board
60, 19060 Base plate (game board)
60a, 19060a Through hole (opening)
60c Light transmitting hole (recessed portion)
64 First prize entrance (first passage, ball entrance)
140 2nd winning gate (ball entry gate, 1st ball entry gate, 2nd passage)
65a Specific winning hole (second winning hole)
162 Transmission shaft rod portion (support means)
163 Driven member (displacement means)
175 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
176 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means)
310 Rear case
405 Metal rail (guiding means)
410, 3410 Transmission unit (transmission means)
411 Drive gear (transmission means)
412 Transmission gear (transmission means)
413 End gear (transmission means)
414 Arm member (transmission means)
425 Storage plate portion (support means)
425b Omission (opening)
427 Through hole (restraint means)
428 Closure plate (support means, restraint means)
430 Lifting plate (base means, intermediate means)
433 Cylindrical part (suppression means)
441 Rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
442 Relative displacement member (middle means, tip side means)
444 Auxiliary arm member (foundation means, rotational displacement means)
444a Base end side portion (part, rotating shaft portion)
444b Arc-shaped gear portion (projection portion)
444d Cylindrical part (other part, rotating shaft part)
460 Feather-shaped member (tip side means, displacement means, first displacement means, second displacement means, arrangement displacement means)
464L forming portion (first displacement means, first displacing means)
464R forming portion (second displacement means, second displacing means)
490 Fixed transmission plate (displacement configuration means)
708 Partition member (support plate)
712 Thin film cover member (thin film member)
714 Light guide member (guiding means)
730 Plate-shaped displacement member (displacement means, first displacement means)
735 Small receiving part (first support part, second support part)
736 Large support part (first support part, second support part)
740 Hollow member (second displacement means)
743 Protruding columnar portion (second displacement means)
750 Variable decorative member (second displacement means)
761, 4761 Load member (displacement means, load applying means, transmission means)
761c Vertical rod-shaped extension part (pushing part)
761d Extension (attachment, range setting means)
762 Shaft rod portion (support means)
764 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
765 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means, range setting means)
777 Illumination board (light-emitting board)
DH1 Electrical wiring (electrical supply means)
MT1 Drive motor (drive means)
S1 Contact surface (split surface)
SOL1: Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means)
SOL2 Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means, load applying means, range setting means)
SP21 biasing spring (load applying means)
3441 Arm-equipped rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
930, 19930, 20930, 21930, 22930, 23930, 24930, 25930, 26930, 27930, 28930, 29930, 30930, 31930, 32930, 33930, 34930, 35930, 36930, 37930, 38930, 39930, 40930, 41930 Winning port unit (installation member)
940 Front unit (first member, first unit)
941 Rear base (fixing member)
941g, 19941g First receiving part (ball entrance)
942c Second ball sending section (first passage member)
943, 19943 Front base (main body, ball inlet)
943a Rolling portion (first passage, first passage member)
945 Blade member (first opening/closing member)
945b Protrusion (protruding portion)
951 Plate member (second opening/closing member, opening/closing member)
953a1 Opening (ball entrance)
953a2 Rolling surface
953c Circular protrusion (seat)
954b Recess (guide groove)
954c Protruding portion (second guide means)
954c2 Side part
954c3 Side edge
954d Standing wall (first guide means)
954d1 Second guide surface (first inclined surface)
954d2 Second side edge (side edge)
955 Passage member (case member)
955a Recessed portion (passage member)
957a1 Main body
957a2 Shaft (drive shaft)
960 Drive unit (third member)
961a Main body
961b Shaft (drive shaft)
962e Arm portion (second engagement portion)
962f Wall section (covered surface section)
962g Protruding portion (first engaging portion)
140 2nd prize entry gate (ball entry gate, 2nd ball entry gate)
965, 18965 Transmission member (rotating member, first transmission mechanism)
965a Tip portion (first portion)
965b Rotating part (first part)
965c Rotating shaft
965d Protrusion (second portion)
965e Insertion part (contact part)
966, 8966, 11966, 12966, 14966, 18966 Displacement member (slide member, first transmission mechanism)
966a2, 8966a2 sliding groove
966a5 Inclined surface
8966a6 Recess (receiving part)
966b2 One side abutment part
966b3 Other side abutment part
11968c, 18996g Blade part (rubbing part)
12966c2 Second blade portion (cutting member)
6683 Blade (cutting member)
970 Throwing unit (second unit)
980 Distribution unit (second member, second upstream unit)
981b Side wall portion (second passage, second passage member, third passage)
982b Inclined portion (bent portion)
982h1, 982j1 Guide section (standing section)
985e1, 985f1 inlet passage (second connecting passage)
988b Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
988c Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
900 Passage unit (second downstream unit)
991c1, 991d1 Recessed portion (receiving portion)
19941h Intermediate entrance (second passage)
19980,20980,21980,22980,23980,24980,25980,26980,27980,28980,29980,30980,31980,32980,33980,34980,35980,36980,37980,38980,39980,40980,41980 Allocation unit
19982a, 19986a, 31986a Side plate (guide passage)
19982c, 39982c Game ball guide wall (guide passage)
19982d Protruding part (guiding passage)
19983, 24983, 25983, 29983, 30983, 31983, 32983, 33983, 37983, 38983 Distribution member
21981b1 Protrusion (adjustment means, protrusion)
24983a1 Protrusion (adjustment means, suppression means)
26983a2 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
26982a4 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
27982b2 Back side contact part (adjustment means)
28982b2 Back side contact portion (restraint means)
30983f Rubber sheet (adjustment means, one side receiving surface, other side receiving surface)
32983g Center of gravity adjustment unit 32983g (suppression means)
33983b1 Projection surface (adjustment means)
33983b2 Concave surface (adjustment means)
34982c, 34985j Bearing portion (restraint means, shaft hole)
37983h Curved surface (receiving surface)
38983a3, 38983a4 Action part (receiving surface)
TR0: Ball throwing passage (second passage, second upstream passage)
TR1, TR201 First passage (Second passage, Second branch passage, First passage)
TR2, TR202 Second passage (second passage, second branch passage)
TR3 Passage (second passage, adjustment means, drop area)
TR4, TR214, TR224, TR234 Passages (first passage, first upstream passage)
TR5 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR6 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR7 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR8 passage (first passage, first branch passage, first downstream passage)
TR9 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR10 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR11 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR12 passage (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
SE1 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE3 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE4 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE5 Detection device (first detection means, second detection means)
SE6 Detection device (second detection means, first detection means)
HS1 Wiring
HS2 Wiring
HS3 Wiring
SP: Spring (elastic member)
S1, S2 Screw
C Collar (support wheel)
θ1 First driving range (outer range)
θ2: Second driving range (center range)
U1 opening (first branch passage)
U2 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U3 opening (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
U4 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U5 Opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first downstream passage)
U6 opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first winning port, second winning port)
U7 Opening (second passage, second winning hole, first winning hole)
U8 Opening (ball entrance)
U9 Opening (second passage)
GY3 3rd gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY4 4th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY5 5th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
WG One-way gear (adjustment means, suppression means, one-way clutch)

10. Pachinko machines (amusement machines)
13 Game board 60, 19060 Base board (game board)
60a, 19060a Through hole (opening)
60c Light transmitting hole (recessed portion)
64 First prize entrance (first passage, ball entrance)
140 2nd winning gate (ball entry gate, 1st ball entry gate, 2nd passage)
65a Specific winning hole (second winning hole)
162 Transmission shaft rod portion (support means)
163 Driven member (displacement means)
175 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
176 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means)
310 Rear case 405 Metal rail (guiding means)
410, 3410 Transmission unit (transmission means)
411 Drive gear (transmission means)
412 Transmission gear (transmission means)
413 End gear (transmission means)
414 Arm member (transmission means)
425 Storage plate portion (support means)
425b Omission (opening)
427 Through hole (restraint means)
428 Closure plate (support means, restraint means)
430 Lifting plate (base means, intermediate means)
433 Cylindrical part (suppression means)
441 Rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
442 Relative displacement member (middle means, tip side means)
444 Auxiliary arm member (foundation means, rotational displacement means)
444a Base end side portion (part, rotating shaft portion)
444b Arc-shaped gear portion (projection portion)
444d Cylindrical part (other part, rotating shaft part)
460 Feather-shaped member (tip side means, displacement means, first displacement means, second displacement means, arrangement displacement means)
464L forming portion (first displacement means, first displacing means)
464R forming portion (second displacement means, second displacing means)
490 Fixed transmission plate (displacement configuration means)
708 Partition member (support plate)
712 Thin film cover member (thin film member)
714 Light guide member (guiding means)
730 Plate-shaped displacement member (displacement means, first displacement means)
735 Small receiving part (first support part, second support part)
736 Large support part (first support part, second support part)
740 Hollow member (second displacement means)
743 Protruding columnar portion (second displacement means)
750 Variable decorative member (second displacement means)
761, 4761 Load member (displacement means, load applying means, transmission means)
761c Vertical rod-shaped extension part (pushing part)
761d Extension (attachment, range setting means)
762 Shaft rod portion (support means)
764 Lower regulating portion (second resistance means)
765 Upper regulating portion (resistance means, first resistance means, range setting means)
777 Illumination board (light-emitting board)
DH1 Electrical wiring (electrical supply means)
MT1 Drive motor (drive means)
S1 Contact surface (split surface)
SOL1: Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means)
SOL2 Electromagnetic solenoid (driving means, load applying means, range setting means)
SP21 biasing spring (load applying means)
3441 Arm-equipped rotating gear (displacement configuration means)
930, 19930, 20930, 21930, 22930, 23930, 24930, 25930, 26930, 27930, 28930, 29930, 30930, 31930, 32930, 33930, 34930, 35930, 36930, 37930, 38930, 39930, 40930, 41930 Winning port unit (installation member)
940 Front unit (first member, first unit)
941 Rear base (fixing member)
941g, 19941g First receiving part (ball entrance)
942c Second ball sending section (first passage member)
943, 19943 Front base (main body, ball inlet)
943a Rolling portion (first passage, first passage member)
945 Blade member (first opening/closing member)
945b Protrusion (protruding portion)
951 Plate member (second opening/closing member, opening/closing member)
953a1 Opening (ball entrance)
953a2 rolling surface 953c ring protrusion (seat)
954b Recess (guide groove)
954c Protruding portion (second guide means)
954c2 Side portion 954c3 Side edge portion 954d Standing wall (first guide means)
954d1 Second guide surface (first inclined surface)
954d2 Second side edge (side edge)
955 Passage member (case member)
955a Recessed portion (passage member)
957a1 Main body 957a2 Shaft (drive shaft)
960 Drive unit (third member)
961a Main body portion 961b Shaft portion (drive shaft)
962e Arm portion (second engagement portion)
962f Wall section (covered surface section)
962g Protruding portion (first engaging portion)
140 2nd prize entry gate (ball entry gate, 2nd ball entry gate)
965, 18965 Transmission member (rotating member, first transmission mechanism)
965a Tip portion (first portion)
965b Rotating part (first part)
965c Rotation shaft 965d Protrusion (second portion)
965e Insertion part (contact part)
966, 8966, 11966, 12966, 14966, 18966 Displacement member (slide member, first transmission mechanism)
966a2, 8966a2 Slide groove 966a5 Inclined surface 8966a6 Recess (receiving portion)
966b2 One side abutted part 966b3 Other side abutted part 11968c, 18996g Blade part (rubbing part)
12966c2 Second blade portion (cutting member)
6683 Blade (cutting member)
970 Throwing unit (second unit)
980 Distribution unit (second member, second upstream unit)
981b Side wall portion (second passage, second passage member, third passage)
982b Inclined portion (bent portion)
982h1, 982j1 Guide section (standing section)
985e1, 985f1 inlet passage (second connecting passage)
988b Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
988c Magnetic material (adjustment means, suppression means)
900 Passage unit (second downstream unit)
991c1, 991d1 Recessed portion (receiving portion)
19941h Intermediate entrance (second passage)
19980, 20980, 21980, 22980, 23980, 24980, 25980, 26980, 27980, 28980, 29980, 30980, 31980, 32980, 33980, 34980, 35980, 36980, 37980, 38980, 39980, 40980, 41980 Distribution unit 19982a, 19986a, 31986a Side plate (guiding passage)
19982c, 39982c Game ball guide wall (guide passage)
19982d Protruding part (guiding passage)
19983, 24983, 25983, 29983, 30983, 31983, 32983, 33983, 37983, 38983 Distribution member 21981b1 Protrusion (adjustment means, protrusion)
24983a1 Protrusion (adjustment means, suppression means)
26983a2 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
26982a4 Magnetic material (adjustment means)
27982b2 Back side contact part (adjustment means)
28982b2 Back side contact portion (restraint means)
30983f Rubber sheet (adjustment means, one side receiving surface, other side receiving surface)
32983g Center of gravity adjustment unit 32983g (suppression means)
33983b1 Projection surface (adjustment means)
33983b2 Concave surface (adjustment means)
34982c, 34985j Bearing portion (restraint means, shaft hole)
37983h Curved surface (receiving surface)
38983a3, 38983a4 Action part (receiving surface)
TR0: Ball throwing passage (second passage, second upstream passage)
TR1, TR201 First passage (Second passage, Second branch passage, First passage)
TR2, TR202 Second passage (second passage, second branch passage)
TR3 Passage (second passage, adjustment means, drop area)
TR4, TR214, TR224, TR234 Passages (first passage, first upstream passage)
TR5 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR6 Passage (expansion means, first branch passage)
TR7 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR8 passage (first passage, first branch passage, first downstream passage)
TR9 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR10 Passage (2nd Passage)
TR11 Passage (First Branch Passage)
TR12 passage (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
SE1 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE3 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE4 Detection device (detection sensor)
SE5 Detection device (first detection means, second detection means)
SE6 Detection device (second detection means, first detection means)
HS1 Wiring HS2 Wiring HS3 Wiring SP Spring (elastic member)
S1, S2 Screw C Collar (support wheel)
θ1 First driving range (outer range)
θ2: Second driving range (center range)
U1 opening (first branch passage)
U2 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U3 opening (first passage, first downstream passage, first branch passage)
U4 Opening (expansion means, first branch passage)
U5 Opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first downstream passage)
U6 opening (first passage, first upstream passage, first winning port, second winning port)
U7 Opening (second passage, second winning hole, first winning hole)
U8 Opening (ball entrance)
U9 Opening (second passage)
GY3 3rd gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY4 4th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
GY5 5th gear (adjustment means, suppression means, gear)
WG One-way gear (adjustment means, suppression means, one-way clutch)

Claims (3)

A gaming machine having a distribution unit including a distribution member that operates according to the weight of a gaming ball and distributes the gaming ball to one side or the other side, a first passage through which the gaming ball distributed to the one side passes, and a second passage through which the gaming ball distributed to the other side passes,
A gaming machine, characterized in that at least a portion of at least one of the first passage and the second passage is disposed along a direction intersecting the gaming board. The gaming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the distribution member is rotatably supported, and the rotation axis is arranged along the width direction of the game board. The gaming machine according to claim 2, characterized in that at least a portion of the first passage and at least a portion of the second passage overlap when viewed from above.

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