JP2024066344A - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a gaming machine capable of preventing misidentification of a design even if the printing of multiple color paints is misaligned. [Solution] The slot machine includes a reel having a reel tape T1 on which multiple designs are arranged, and a backlight having LEDs 315 for illuminating the reel from the inside. The design P4 has a leaf part CHha that is green when a light blue paint layer and a yellow paint layer overlap, and a shiny part CHtek2 where a white paint layer is exposed. The yellow area of the edge Fuch2 where the yellow paint layer has seeped into the shiny part CHtek2 is sandwiched between the white area of the shiny part CHtek2 and the green area of the leaf part CHha. The first passage has a shape that can change the direction in which the medal moves, and if a virtual straight line passing through the hopper side opening and the tray side opening is defined as a first virtual straight line, the first virtual straight line is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the first passage. [Selected Figure] Fig. 21

Description

The present invention relates to an amusement machine.

Conventionally, gaming machines (reel gaming machines, slot machines) equipped with multiple reels with symbols arranged on the outer periphery are known. This type of gaming machine provides a fixed gaming value for gaming media such as medals and pachinko balls, and players play to acquire such gaming media. This type of gaming machine also performs an internal lottery and starts the rotation of the multiple reels when the player operates the start lever to start, and controls the multiple reels to stop in a manner according to the result of the internal lottery when the player operates the stop button to stop. The result of the game is determined by the combination of symbols displayed on the winning determination line when the multiple reels are stopped, and medals and the like are paid out according to the result of the game.

This type of gaming machine has a reel tape that is wound around the outer circumference of the reel frame to form the reel, and multiple types of patterns are printed on the reel tape by printing multiple types of paint (each color or transparent) as pattern-forming layers on a transparent base material (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-137428 A

Incidentally, among the multiple types of designs printed on the reel tape described above, some designs, such as the cherry design, have areas where white streaks are applied to create a shiny appearance (hereafter referred to as "shiny areas"). Designs with shiny areas like this are formed by printing a colored paint on the base material in areas other than the shiny areas, and then printing a white paint as a backing to cover the design.

However, if the parts of the pattern other than the shiny parts are mixed colors, multiple colors of paint will be printed multiple times, and if these prints are misaligned, they will be printed misaligned (seeping into) the shiny parts, which may cause players to mistakenly believe that the pattern is different from the original pattern without any misalignment.

The present invention aims to provide an amusement machine that can prevent misidentification of patterns even if the printing of multiple colors of paint is misaligned.

One aspect of the present invention is a game machine comprising a housing, a front door, a reel, and a hopper, the reel having a reel tape on which a plurality of patterns including a specific pattern are arranged, and a light source for illuminating the reel tape from the inside, the reel tape having a red portion printed with red paint, a yellow portion printed with yellow paint, and a white portion printed with white paint, the specific pattern having an orange area where the red portion and the yellow portion overlap to make orange visible, a yellow area where the yellow portion is visible, and a white area where the white portion is visible, the yellow area being in contact with the orange area, the yellow area being in contact with the white area, and the yellow area being sandwiched between the orange area and the white area, the front door being a receiving a tray and a guide passage, the hopper has a launch port from which the game value is launched and a peripheral wall of the launch port, the receiving tray has a bottom and a front wall provided in front of the bottom, the guide passage has a hopper side opening and a receiving tray side opening, and if a passage from the hopper side opening to the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first passage, the first passage can guide the game value launched from the launch port to the receiving tray, the first passage has a shape that can change the direction in which the game value travels, and if a virtual line passing through the hopper side opening and the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first virtual line, the first virtual line is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the first passage.

One aspect of the present invention is a game machine comprising a housing, a front door, a reel, and a hopper, the reel having a reel tape on which a plurality of patterns including a specific pattern are arranged, and a light source for illuminating the reel tape from the inside, the reel tape having a blue portion printed with blue paint, a yellow portion printed with yellow paint, and a white portion printed with white paint, the specific pattern having a green area where the blue portion and the yellow portion overlap to make the green color visible, a yellow area where the yellow portion is visible, and a white area where the white portion is visible, the yellow area being in contact with the green area, the yellow area being in contact with the white area, and the yellow area being sandwiched between the green area and the white area, the front door being a receiving a tray and a guide passage, the hopper has a launch port from which the game value is launched and a peripheral wall of the launch port, the receiving tray has a bottom and a front wall provided in front of the bottom, the guide passage has a hopper side opening and a receiving tray side opening, and if a passage from the hopper side opening to the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first passage, the first passage can guide the game value launched from the launch port to the receiving tray, the first passage has a shape that can change the direction in which the game value travels, and if a virtual line passing through the hopper side opening and the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first virtual line, the first virtual line is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the first passage.

This invention makes it possible to prevent misidentification of the design even if the printing of multiple colors of paint is misaligned.

1 is a front view showing the external configuration of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. 1 is an oblique view showing the internal configuration of the cabinet of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. 2 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the housing of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a front door in a first state according to the embodiment; 13 is a diagram showing the front door in a second state according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the front door in a third state according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a medal and a game ball according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C1 in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C2 in FIG. 2 . 1 is a rear perspective view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the housing according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lower panel portion according to the embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper portion of the lower panel portion according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a front panel according to the embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing a reel of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a reel tape of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the reel tape taken along line AA in FIG. 17 . 13 is a diagram illustrating the colors of each part of the cherry design according to the present embodiment. FIG. 20A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 19, and FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 19. 11 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the cherry design and the LEDs of the backlight according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the receiving tray and the cancel chute in this embodiment, in which (a) shows the receiving tray and the cancel chute in close proximity to each other, and (b) shows the receiving tray and the cancel chute in a state separated from each other. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the cancel chute according to the present embodiment, in which (a) shows the cancel chute as viewed from the front, and (b) shows the cancel chute as viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a front view of the hopper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the rear surface of the lower door according to the embodiment. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the cancel chute according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the cancel chute as viewed from above, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the cancel chute as viewed from the left side. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the cancel chute according to the present embodiment, in which (a) shows a see-through state of the front member of the cancel chute, and (b) shows only the rear member of the cancel chute. 11 is a diagram for explaining a cancel shot according to the present embodiment, showing a first virtual straight line. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a cancel shot according to the present embodiment, showing a second virtual straight line. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a cancel shot according to the present embodiment, showing a third imaginary line. 13 is a diagram for explaining a cancel shot according to the present embodiment, showing one end of a first virtual line. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a cancel shot according to the present embodiment, showing the other end of the first virtual straight line. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment does not unduly limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, the side facing the player (nearby) is described as "front" and the opposite is described as "rear," and the top, bottom, left, and right of the gaming machine are defined based on the front view of Figure 1. In other words, "top and bottom" means that the top side of the slot machine is "top" and the bottom side is "bottom," and "left and right" means that the left hand side of the player playing the slot machine is "left" and the right hand side is "right."

[Overview of Gaming Machine Configuration]
First, the outline of the gaming machine will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. The slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a so-called reel type gaming machine, which is a type of gaming machine that uses medals as gaming media. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the slot machine 1 includes a box-shaped housing BX and a front door FD that can be opened and closed relative to the housing BX. As shown in Fig. 3, the housing BX includes a top plate BXU, a back plate BXH, a bottom plate BXB, and left and right side plates BXL, BXR, and is formed in a box shape with a front opening that opens to the front side of the housing BX. The back plate BXH may be thinner than the top plate BXU, the bottom plate BXB, and the left and right side plates BXL, BXR.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the cabinet BX has an opening BXa on the front side, and various internal devices for making it possible to play games or to make it possible to perform effects are housed inside. As various internal devices, the cabinet BX houses a reel unit 310 having multiple reels R1 to R3, and a hopper unit 320 as a medal payout device is housed in the lower part of the reel unit 310, and a control board 10 equipped with a CPU, ROM (an example of an information storage medium), RAM, etc., and controlling the operation of the slot machine 1 is housed in the upper part of the reel unit 310. Furthermore, a cash box 325 is provided on the right side of the hopper unit 320, from which surplus medals are sent out when the medals stored in the hopper unit 320 reach a certain amount. A power supply unit 340 is provided on the left side of the hopper unit 320. The power supply unit 340 is equipped with a power switch, and when the power switch is turned on, power is supplied from the power supply unit 340 to each component.

Some components may be configured to receive power even when the power supply unit 340 is turned off. The slot machine 1 may be of the so-called separated cabinet type, in which the upper part of the front door FD and the reel unit 310 can be replaced when changing the model at the amusement facility, while the cabinet BX, the lower part of the front door FD, and the power supply unit 340 and hopper unit 320 inside the cabinet BX remain attached to the island equipment of the amusement facility.

The above-mentioned multiple reels R1 to R3 (the first reel R1 located on the far left side, the second reel R2 located to the right of the first reel R1, and the third reel R3 located to the right of the second reel R2) have their outer periphery divided into 20 regions (hereinafter, each region will be referred to as a "frame") at regular intervals, and each frame has one of several types of patterns arranged on it. In addition, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are illuminated from the inside by light from a reel backlight BL (described later), and are supported by a stepping motor M as a reel drive means so that they can be stopped in frame units (units of a predetermined rotation angle, units of a predetermined amount of rotation).

In this embodiment, the first reel R1 is positioned on the leftmost side, the second reel R2 is positioned to the right of the first reel R1, and the third reel R3 is positioned on the rightmost side, but this is not limited to the above, and the first to third reels may be positioned in any order, and there may be a fourth reel other than the first to third reels, and it may be positioned in any position.

The front door FD is divided into an upper front door UD, which can be opened and closed separately, and can close the upper half of the opening BXa, and a lower front door DD, which can close the lower half of the opening. These upper front door UD and lower front door DD are attached to the housing BX so that they can be opened and closed freely by hinges HN (see Figure 4) provided on the left side of each, and the right side can be opened and closed relative to the housing BX, and when closed, they block the various internal devices from the front. In this embodiment, even if a device is attached to the front door FD and does not fit inside the housing BX when the front door FD is closed to the housing BX, the device that becomes inaccessible from the outside when the front door FD is closed is referred to as an internal device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front upper door UD is provided with a display window DW that allows the spinning and stopped states of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 to be observed. When the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are stopped, three patterns (upper row pattern, middle row pattern, and lower row pattern) that are consecutively arranged on the outer periphery of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 among the multiple types of patterns arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 can be observed through the display window DW from the front of the slot machine 1.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, each reel is provided with an upper, middle, and lower display position for observing the symbols through the display window DW, and a winning line is set by combining the display positions of each reel. In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the number of medals required for one game, the so-called specified insertion number, is set to three in any game state, and when medals equivalent to the specified insertion number are inserted, an active line LX formed by the middle of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is activated.

The game result is determined by the symbol combination that is stopped and displayed on the winning line LX in the display window DW, and if the symbol combination on the winning line LX corresponds to a predetermined winning combination, that winning combination is considered to have won, and medals are paid out from the hopper unit 320.

The front upper door UD is provided with a game information display section DS. The game information display section DS is made up of LEDs, lamps, seven-segment displays, etc., and displays various game information such as the number of medal credits, the number of medals paid out or won in one game, the total number of medals paid out or won in a bonus state, information on the winning combination in the current game, and information suggesting how to press stop buttons B1 to B3 related to the payout of medals.

The game information display unit DS includes a main control display device 500 consisting of a seven-segment display, and when a specified number of medals are inserted and the start lever SL is tilted, a notification display is displayed, which is a display corresponding to a winning command, which is a control signal created based on winning information, which is information on the winning combination in this game, and when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 stop after the notification display is displayed, the notification display ends and the number of medals paid out or won is displayed. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a notification display is executed in which each segment of the main control display device 500 lights up and goes out in a display mode corresponding to the winning command.

The main control display device 500 is also provided with a favorable period notification section 500A, which is a dot on a seven-segment display and lights up when a favorable period has been started by a favorable period control means (not shown) and turns off when a favorable period has not been started, i.e., a non-favorable period has been started, thereby notifying whether or not a favorable period has been started.

Furthermore, the slot machine 1 is provided with a performance device 300 capable of performing performance related to the game, such as assisting the game or livening up the game. The performance device 300 includes a display device 330 provided on the front upper door UD so as to cover the display window DW, a plurality of illumination devices 360, and a plurality of illumination devices 370 provided on the front lower door. The display device 330 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display arranged in front of the display window DW (first reel R1 to third reel R3), and performs a performance of displaying various videos and images according to the progress of the game, that is, the slot machine 1 is configured as a so-called full-surface liquid crystal machine. The illumination devices 360, 370 perform a performance of emitting light according to the progress of the game. The performance device 300 also includes a plurality of sound devices 380, 390, 395 provided on the front upper door UD and the front lower door DD. The sound devices 380, 390, and 395 are arranged in pairs on the upper and lower parts of the front door FD, specifically on the lower panel part UP described later, and perform effects that output various sounds according to the progress of the game. In addition, an upper panel 350 with a model-specific design is arranged above the display window DW on the front upper door UD.

The front lower door DD is approximately the same size as the front lower door DD when viewed from the front, and is equipped with an operation section CP where the player performs operations related to the game, an illumination device 370, sound devices 390, 395, a lower panel section UP, a medal receiving tray MP, etc. More specifically, the operation section CP is configured to protrude forward from the upper part of the front lower door DD (the center part of the front door FD), and on its upper surface are attached a medal insertion port MI through which the player inserts medals one by one, and a max bet button MB (bet button) as an insertion operation means that accepts an insertion operation to insert a specified number of medals from the credited medals with one operation when the medals are credited (stored). In addition, a reject button REJ is provided near the medal insertion port MI, which is operated to clear a medal jam that occurs below the medal insertion port MI.

Attached to the front of the operation unit CP are a single bet button BT as an insert operation means, a start lever SL as a start operation means, a plurality of stop buttons B1 to B3 as a stop operation means, a settlement button BS for settling the credited medals, and a cylinder lock CY for opening and closing the front door FD. The single bet button BT accepts an insert operation to insert one medal from among the credited medals when the medals have been credited. The start lever SL accepts a start operation that triggers the rotation of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3. The stop buttons B1 to B3 accept a stop operation that triggers the stopping of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 that are driven to rotate by the stepping motor M. The credited medals are stored (stored) in the control board 10 as a storage means. The front door FD can be unlocked by rotating (twisting) the door key inserted into the cylinder lock CY clockwise from the initial position, and an error can be cleared by rotating (twisting) it counterclockwise.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when a player inserts medals into the medal insertion slot MI, or when medals are credited at or above the specified number, the specified number of medals are inserted by pressing the single bet button BT backward (insertion operation) or pressing the max bet button MB downward (insertion operation) the same number of times as the specified number of medals, and the slot machine is set to a ready state in which rotation control of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 can be started. Then, when the player performs a start operation (tilt operation) of tilting the start lever SL relative to the start lever SL, the control board 10 starts rotating the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 by driving the stepping motor M, and an internal lottery using random numbers is performed. On the condition that the rotation speed of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 increases to a specified speed and reaches a steady rotation, pressing the stop button B1 to the stop button B3 is permitted, that is, the stop operation by the stop button B1 to the stop button B3 is enabled.

The slot machine 1 of this embodiment is configured to set a waiting time (approximately 4.1 seconds) called a wait (or wait time) when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 start to spin. The slot machine 1 is configured to start the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 spinning after the waiting time has elapsed if a start operation is performed again within the period from when the waiting time is set until the waiting time has elapsed.

After that, when the player presses stop buttons B1 to B3 backwards at any timing (hereinafter referred to as "press timing"), the stop switches built into each of stop buttons B1 to B3 as stop signal output means turn ON, changing the reel stop signal output to the control board 10 from OFF to ON.

When the player releases any of the pressed stop buttons B1 to B3 at any time, the stop switches corresponding to the stop buttons B1 to B3 turn OFF, changing the reel stop signal output to the control board 10 from ON to OFF. The control board 10 then stops the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 at a stop position according to the results of an internal lottery based on the change from OFF to ON of the reel stop signal, the signal state of which changes depending on when the stop buttons B1 to B3 are pressed and released.

In addition, a medal payout outlet MO and a medal receiving tray MP are provided at the bottom of the front lower door DD, and medals in a number according to the game results are paid out from the medal payout outlet MO to the medal receiving tray MP. In addition, when the settlement button BS is pressed while the credited medals are stored in the control board 10, the medal settlement switch built into the settlement button BS turns ON in response to the pressing of the settlement button BS, and changes the medal settlement signal output to the control board 10 from OFF to ON. In response to the change of the medal settlement signal from OFF to ON, the control board 10 executes a settlement process to pay out a number of medals equivalent to the number of credits (the number of credited medals) from the hopper unit 320, and pays out the medals from the medal payout outlet MO to the medal receiving tray MP, only when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are not spinning and no medals have been bet.

[Gap at bottom of front door]
Next, the lower gap of the front door FD (front lower door DD) will be explained with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Figs. 5 to 7 are cross-sectional views taken along line S-S shown in Fig. 1. The position of line S-S is a position shifted (offset) to the left by a predetermined dimension (e.g., a dimension equivalent to about the diameter of a medal) from the right end of the gaming machine 1 (the right side surface of the cabinet BX). Details will be described later, but Fig. 5 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "first state", Fig. 6 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "second state", and Fig. 7 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "third state".

As shown in FIG. 5, the right-side back surface of the front door FD (the left side when the back surface of the front door FD is viewed from the front, the opposite side from the hinge HN) is provided with a supported portion 91 (convex portion) that is formed to protrude rearward. In this embodiment, a roller portion is provided at the tip of the supported portion 91. Also, on the right side when the inside of the housing BX is viewed from the front, a support portion 92 is formed at a position that corresponds to the supported portion 91 when the front door FD is closed. The support portion 92 is formed so as to be able to support the supported portion 91 from below.

In this embodiment, the support part 92 is formed in a plate shape and is arranged so as to have a plate surface that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. The support part 92 is fixed, for example, by screwing to the inner surface of the right side plate of the housing BX. When the front door FD is moved from an open state (open state) to a closed state (closed state), first, the roller part of the supported part 91 contacts (abuts) the front side (front side) of the support part 92, then the roller part of the supported part 91 rests (rides up) on the support part 92, and the roller part moves backward on the support part 92. Then, the roller part stops at a predetermined position. When the front door FD is closed, the supported part 91 is supported from below, and when the front door FD is open, the support from below of the supported part 91 is released (released). The front door FD, which has lost support from below, is lowered by its own weight.

The states (positions) of the front door FD include a first state, a second state, and a third state.
(First state)
5, the first state is a state in which the front door FD is closed and a supported portion 91 of the front door FD is supported by a support portion 92 of the housing BX (closed state, closed state). In this embodiment, the supported portion 91 is applying a load to the support portion 92. It can also be said that the support portion 92 is lifting the supported portion 91 upward.
(Second state)
As shown in Figure 6, the second state is a state in which the front door FD is open and the supported portion 91 of the front door FD is not in contact with the support portion 92 of the housing BX (a spaced state, open state).
(Third state)
As shown in FIG. 7, the third state is a state in which the front door FD is open and the supported portion 91 of the front door FD abuts (contacts) the support portion 92 of the housing BX. It can also be said that the supported portion 91 abuts the support portion 92 and the front door FD is open without being completely closed. It can also be said that the front door FD abuts the support portion 92 but the supported portion 91 is not supported by the support portion 92 and the front door FD is open without being completely closed (half-open state: slightly open state). Note that the third state may be a state in which (only) the tip portion of the support portion 92 supports the supported portion 91 (the supported portion 91 may be supported by (only) the tip portion of the support portion 92). It can also be said that the third state is a state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is smaller than that of the second state. That is, the opening angle of the front door FD in the third state is smaller than the maximum opening angle of the front door FD. The opening angle of the front door FD is, for example, the angle formed between the front surface of the housing BX and the rear surface of the front door FD.

The bottom surface (lower surface) BXb of the gaming machine (cabinet BX) is the surface that comes into contact with the opposing member (island equipment, etc.). Hereinafter, this bottom surface BXb will be referred to as the mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX. The mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX is flush with the upper surface of the installation base (stand). The installation base is formed to extend from the rear side to the front side, and is also located (present) below the medal receiving tray MP. Hereinafter, when referring to the mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX, it may refer to the entire surface (including the upper surface of the installation base) that is flush with the mounting surface Z. Note that players can place beverages, etc., in the space above the stand, for example to the left of the medal receiving tray MP.

The bottom end (lower surface) of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) is located above the bottom surface BXb (mounting surface Z) of the cabinet BX. As shown in FIG. 5, in the first state (closed state), the dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap from the bottom end (lower edge, rear edge of the lower surface of the front door FD) Y1 of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) to the mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX is the first dimension L1 (it is designed to be the first dimension L1). The first dimension L1 is approximately 3 to 5 mm.

As shown in Figure 6, in the second state (open state), the dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap from the bottom end (bottom surface, rear edge of the bottom surface of the front door FD) Y2 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX is the second dimension L2, which is smaller than the first dimension L1 (it is designed to be the second dimension L2). The second dimension L2 is approximately 2 to 3 mm.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the third state, the dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap from the bottom end (bottom surface, rear edge of the bottom surface of the front door FD) Y3 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX is a third dimension L3 that is smaller than the first dimension L1 (it is designed to be the third dimension L3). The third dimension L3 is approximately 2 to 3 mm.

The first dimension L1 to the third dimension L3 can also be considered as the vertical distance (difference) between the bottom end (lower surface) of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the bottom surface BXb (mounting surface Z) of the cabinet BX. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the medal receiving tray MP is a surface that slopes upward from the rear to the front in the front-to-rear direction (a surface that slopes downward from the front side to the rear side of the gaming machine 1). Therefore, the first dimension L1 to the third dimension L3 are the vertical distance between the rear end (lowest end) of the bottom surface of the medal receiving tray MP and the bottom surface BXb (mounting surface Z) of the cabinet BX. The thickness of the bottom plate BXB of the cabinet BX is approximately 15 mm.

As shown in FIG. 8, the diameter of the medal M is dimension L4. The thickness of the medal M is dimension L5. The medal M used in a game on the gaming machine according to this embodiment has dimension L4 of Φ25 (diameter approximately 25 mm) and dimension L5 of approximately 1.6 mm. However, the medal M may have dimension L4 of Φ30 (diameter approximately 30 mm) and dimension L5 of approximately 1.7 mm. The diameter of the game ball B is dimension L6. Dimension L6 is approximately 11 mm.

The first dimension L1 shown in FIG. 5 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (it is designed to be larger).
The second dimension L2 shown in FIG. 6 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (it is designed to be larger).
The third dimension L3 shown in FIG. 7 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (it is designed to be larger).

As described above, when the front door FD is closed (first state), the supported portion 91 is supported from below. On the other hand, when the front door FD is open (second and third states), the support from below of the supported portion 91 is released (opened). Therefore, the front door FD in the open state, which has lost support from below, is slightly lowered (downward) due to its own weight. In other words, the lower end Y2 (second state) and the lower end Y3 (third state) are located lower than the lower end Y1 (first state), and the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 are smaller than the first dimension L1. In other words, the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) is closer to the top surface of the table (the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX) in the open state than in the closed state.

(Relationship with the thickness of the medal M)
When the gaming machine of this embodiment is placed on the placement surface Z, no matter what state the front door FD is in, a gap (first dimension L1, second dimension L2, and third dimension L3) larger than the thickness of the medal M is formed between the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the placement surface Z. In other words, the first dimension L1, the second dimension L2, and the third dimension L3 are larger than the thickness (dimension L5) of the medal M. For this reason, even if the front door FD is opened and closed in a state in which the medal M has entered between the lower side of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the base present below the medal receiving tray MP (the medal M is hidden), the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the medal M will not come into contact with each other. In other words, the medal M hidden in the gap between the medal receiving tray MP and the base will not hinder the opening and closing of the front door FD. For this reason, even if the medal M is present on the upper surface (placement surface Z) of the base, the front door FD can be opened and closed smoothly. Furthermore, if the lower end of the front door FD comes into contact with a medal M when the front door FD is opened, the medal M will be pushed out and fall from the base, resulting in the trouble of searching for the medal M, but according to this embodiment, such trouble can be prevented.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the table) of the cabinet BX without overlapping, the front door FD is not prevented (not prevented, not impeded) from changing from the second state (open state) to the first state (closed state) by the medals M. A store attendant at an amusement facility (hall) may open the front door FD to resolve an empty error caused by a shortage (running out) of medals M in the hopper, but when closing the open front door FD, even if a medal M is placed on the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX, the medal M can be closed without the front door FD coming into contact with the front door FD. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be closed due to a medal M being caught in the gap between the front door FD and the cabinet BX (front surface of the cabinet BX), or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by the impact of the medal M being caught.

In addition, when medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the table) of the cabinet BX without overlapping, the front door FD is not prevented from changing from the first state (closed state) to the second state (open state) by the medals M. When an amusement parlor (hall) clerk opens the closed front door FD to eliminate the cause of an empty error caused by a shortage (running out) of medals M in the hopper, even if a medal M is placed on the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX, the front door FD can be opened without the medal M coming into contact with the front door FD. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be opened because the medal M is stuck in the gap between the front door FD and the placement surface Z (top surface of the table), or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by forcibly opening the front door FD with the medal M stuck in it. Furthermore, the second dimension L2 is smaller than the first dimension L1, and the gap between the bottom end of the front door FD and the placement surface Z of the housing BX when the front door FD is open is narrower than the gap when the front door FD is closed. Therefore, when the front door is open, it becomes more difficult to insert a member or the like through the gap. Therefore, fraudulent acts can be suppressed. In other words, fraud prevention performance can be improved.

(Relationship with Game Ball B)
For example, consider a case where a slot machine and a pachinko game machine are installed close to each other, and a game ball B is present near the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP). Even if the game ball B rolls under the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) when the front door FD is closed (first state), the first dimension L1 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B, so the game ball B does not enter the back side (rear side) under the medal receiving tray MP. The lower surface of the medal receiving tray MP is inclined so that it faces upward toward the front, but the game ball B abuts (comes into contact with) the inclined surface and stops before reaching the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP). Then, when the front door FD is opened in this state, the game ball B is pushed toward the front side and falls from the top of the table. In addition, since the game ball B falls in this way, it does not interfere with closing the open front door FD. The same can be said if the game ball B rolls under the front door FD (medal tray MP) when the front door FD is in the second or third state. That is, the game ball B comes into contact with the inclined surface and stops before reaching the bottom end of the front door FD (medal tray MP), and when the front door FD is opened in that state, the game ball B is pushed forward and falls. And because the game ball B falls, it does not interfere with closing the open front door FD.

The gap (first dimension L1 to third dimension L3) between the bottom end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the placement surface Z is smaller than the diameter L6 (approximately 11 mm) of the game ball B, but it is more preferable that it is equal to or smaller than the thickness of two medals M (the thickness of two medals M stacked on top of each other). The thickness of two medals M is approximately 3.2 mm. In this case, it is possible to more reliably prevent the game ball B from getting under the medal tray MP.

In this embodiment, the first dimension L1 is greater than the third dimension L3, the third dimension L3 is greater than the second dimension L2, and the second dimension L2 is greater than the dimension L5 (the thickness of the medal M). In other words, the following relationship is established.
L1>L3>L2>L5
The third dimension L3 may be equal to or greater than the second dimension L2 (L3≧L2). The third dimension L3 may be substantially equal to the second dimension L2 (L3≈L2). "Substantially equal" means that the difference between the two is within 1 mm, for example.

In the state shown in FIG. 7 (third state), the gap from the right side (right end) of the front door FD to the right side (right end) of the housing BX (the distance (minimum distance) between the right side of the front door FD and the right side of the housing BX) is the fourth dimension L7. The fourth dimension L7 may be the opening dimension of the right end of the front door FD in the third state. Note that while the fourth dimension L7 is shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of line S-S shown in FIG. 1, and does not strictly refer to the distance (dimension) between the right end of the front door FD and the right end of the housing BX. The fourth dimension L7 is approximately 33 mm. This fourth dimension L7 is larger (designed to be larger) than the diameter dimension L4 of the medal M (L7>L4).

In this embodiment, the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 are designed to be larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M. However, due to the precision (variation) of the part dimensions, deterioration of the quality (durability) of the hinge HN (see FIG. 4), assembly errors, etc., the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 may be equal to or smaller than the thickness L5 of the medal M. Even in this case, in the process of the front door FD moving from the third state (FIG. 7) to the first state (FIG. 5), the supported portion 91 of the front door FD is supported so as to rest (ride up) on the support portion 92 of the housing BX (the supported portion 91 is supported so as to rest on the support portion 92), and a dimension equivalent to the thickness of the medal M is secured between the lower end of the front door FD and the placement surface Z (bottom surface BXb). Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be closed or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by being pinched by the medal M.

(Modification)
The second state (open state) shown in Fig. 6 includes a 21st state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is a first opening angle, and a 22nd state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is a second opening angle that is larger than the first opening angle. The first opening angle is a predetermined angle of 10° (ten degrees) or less. In addition, in the 21st state, the distance (gap) between the end (right end) of the front door FD and the end (right end) of the housing BX on the opposite side to the rotation shaft side (hinge HN side) of the front door FD is the distance between one end and the other end when two to three medals are lined up in a row on a horizontal plane (the distance of two to three medals, for example, about 50 mm to about 75 mm). In this modified example, in the 21st state, the bottom end (bottom end on the right side) of the front door FD approaches the placement surface Z, and the second dimension L2 becomes smaller than the first dimension (first state: closed state) (in other words, the second state includes the 21st state in which the second dimension L2 becomes smaller than the first dimension L1). However, in the 21st state, the second dimension is larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M.

In this modified example, when the opening angle of the front door FD is greater than the first opening angle, the larger the opening angle, the more gradually the lower end (lower end on the right side) of the front door FD moves away from the placement surface Z. In this case, if the vertical dimension between the lower end on the right side (opposite the rotation shaft side) of the front door FD and the placement surface Z is the second dimension L2, in the 22nd state (for example, when the opening angle of the front door FD is at its maximum), the second dimension L2 is greater than the first dimension.

[Exterior damage prevention structure]
Next, a configuration for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be described. The exterior of the slot machine 1 is composed of the above-mentioned front door FD and cabinet BX, and even when the front door FD is closed, it may come into contact with an obstacle during transportation of the gaming machine or installation in a hall, and may be damaged. In particular, since the worker carries the slot machine 1 by holding the gripping portion 400 (see FIG. 2) formed on the side of the cabinet BX, the corners of the front door FD and cabinet BX are most likely to come into contact with an obstacle, and are also prone to being scratched due to their shapes that tend to concentrate stress. In the following, a configuration for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be described.

1, the outer shape (periphery) of the front door FD is formed by the upper surface (top surface) FDu, the lower surface (bottom surface) FDb, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr, and the outer shape (periphery) of the cabinet BX is similarly formed by the upper surface (top surface) BXu, the lower surface (bottom surface) BXb, the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr, and the back surface BXh (see FIG. 11). In the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the outer shape of the front door FD is formed smaller than the outer shape of the cabinet BX, and the outer shape of the cabinet BX is the maximum outer shape of the slot machine 1. That is, in this embodiment, the upper surface FDu, the lower surface FDb, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD are formed to be located inside the upper surface BXu, the lower surface BXb, and the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX, respectively, when viewed from the front.

In other words, the left-right dimension of the top surface BXu of the cabinet BX (width direction of the gaming machine) is larger than the left-right dimension of the top surface FDu of the front door FD, and the top surface FDu of the front door FD is arranged to fit within the left-right dimension of the top surface BXu of the cabinet BX. The left-right dimension of the bottom surface BXb of the cabinet BX is larger than the left-right dimension of the bottom surface FDb of the front door FD, and the bottom surface FDb of the front door FD is arranged to fit within the left-right dimension of the bottom surface BXb of the cabinet BX. The up-down dimension (height direction of the gaming machine) of the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX is larger than the up-down dimension of the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD are arranged to fit within the up-down dimension of the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX.

Therefore, the four corners of the front door FD are configured so that none of them protrude outward from the corresponding corners of the housing BX. For example, FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of C1 part (upper right corner of the mating surface S1 between the front door FD and the housing BX) in FIG. 2, where (a) is an enlarged side view of C1 part, (b) is an enlarged plan view of C1 part, and (c) is an enlarged front view of C1 part. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and (c), the top surface FDu of the front door FD is also located inward (lower) than the top surface BXu of the housing BX in C1 part. Therefore, the front edge 601 of the top surface (top surface of the housing) BXu of the housing BX is located above the rear edge 701 of the top surface (top surface of the front door) FDu of the front door FD. Also, as shown in FIGS. 9(b) and (c), the right side surface FDr of the front door FD is located inward (leftward) than the right side surface BXr of the housing BX. Therefore, the front edge 602 of the right side surface (right side surface of the housing) BXr of the housing BX is located to the right of the rear edge 702 of the right side surface (right side surface of the front door) FDr of the front door FD.

The edge 700 where the top surface FDu of the front door FD and the right side surface FDr of the front door FD intersect is located inside the edge 600 where the top surface BXu of the housing BX and the right side surface BXr of the housing BX intersect. In other words, the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX formed by the top surface BXu of the housing BX and the right side surface BXr of the housing BX is located outside (upper right in this embodiment) the upper right edge 700 of the front door FD formed by the top surface FDu and the right side surface FDr. In other words, when the edge formed by the above two planes is considered to be a corner, the corner 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 600 of the housing BX.

Furthermore, when comparing the vertices where the three sides intersect as corners, it is clear that the apex on the rear side of the upper right edge 700 of the front door FD (the apex where the upper right edge 700 intersects with the rear edge of the top surface FDu (the left and right edges on the rear side of the top surface FDu) 701, and the rear edge of the right side surface FDr (the top and bottom edges on the rear side of the right side surface FDr) 702; hereinafter also referred to as simply the right rear apex or the upper right rear apex of the front door FD) 710) is located more inside than the apex on the front side of the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX (the apex where the upper right edge 600 intersects with the front edge of the top surface BXu (the left and right edges on the front side of the top surface BXu) 601, and the front edge of the right side surface BXr (the top and bottom edges on the front side of the right side surface BXr) 602; hereinafter also referred to as simply the right front apex or the upper right front apex of the housing BX) 610). In other words, the right front vertex 610 is located outward (upper right in this embodiment) than the right rear vertex 710. In other words, the corner 710 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 610 of the housing BX.

When configured as described above, the upper right edge 600 of the cabinet BX constitutes the maximum outer shape of the slot machine 1, and is the part most likely to come into contact with an obstacle. For this reason, in this embodiment, the upper right edge 600 is chamfered. More specifically, in this embodiment, the angle between the top surface BXu and the right side surface BXr of the cabinet BX that form the upper right edge 600 is configured to be an obtuse angle. When chamfered in this way, the upper right edge 600 of the cabinet BX is located outward (upper right) from the right rear vertex 710 of the front door FD. In addition, the upper right front vertex 610 of the cabinet BX is also chamfered (corner cut).

Because of this configuration, when the cabinet BX comes into contact with an obstacle, the upper right edge (corner) 600 (610) of the cabinet BX comes into contact before the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD, which prevents scratches on the exterior of the front door FD, where various presentation devices 300 are arranged and which is easily visible to players. In addition, because the corner 600 (610) of the cabinet BX is chamfered, even if the corner 600 (610) of the cabinet BX comes into contact with an obstacle, there is less stress concentration compared to a right-angled corner, and it is less likely to be scratched.

The upper right edge 600 of the housing BX is formed by a chamfered surface, so in terms of external shape it can also be said to be the upper right surface of the housing BX. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper right surface 600 has an upper edge 600u and a lower edge 600l on the upper side. In this embodiment, the upper edge 600u is located above and to the left of the corner of the front door FD (upper right edge 700/upper right vertex 710), and the lower edge 600l is located above and to the right of the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD.

In this embodiment, the front edge 601 of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX is also chamfered to form a chamfered surface similar to the upper right edge 600. As shown in FIG. 9(c), this chamfered surface 601 has an upper edge 601u and a lower edge 601l, and is formed so that the lower edge 601l is located higher in the vertical direction than the rear edge 701 (right rear vertex 710) of the front door upper surface FDu. In other words, the vertical dimension from the housing upper surface BXu to the rear edge 701 (right rear vertex 710) of the front door upper surface FDu is larger than the lower edge (front edge) 601l of the chamfered surface 601 from the housing upper surface BXu. This prevents an unnecessary gap from being generated between the front door FD and the housing BX due to the chamfered surface.

In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion in the vertical direction, which has looser dimensional restrictions than the width direction (left-right direction) in which the slot machines 1 are arranged, is made larger. That is, the amount of protrusion of the upper surface BXu of the cabinet BX from the upper surface FDu of the front door FD is made larger than the amount of protrusion of the right side surface BXr of the cabinet BX from the right side surface FDr of the front door FD. As a result, the positional relationship described above is obtained, but the positional relationship between the upper side 600u and the lower side 600l and the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD is not limited to this, as long as the upper right surface 600 of the cabinet BX is positioned outward from the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD. For example, the upper side 600u may be positioned above and to the right of the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD, and the lower side 600l may be positioned below and to the right of the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD.

In this embodiment, the corners 700 of the front door FD are also chamfered. The upper right edge 700 (upper surface FDu) of the front door FD may have a draft angle that slopes downward from the front side to the rear side. Furthermore, the upper right edge 700 may be formed by a part of the front door FD that constitutes the front side of the performance device 300, etc., and a rear side part that forms the mating surface S1, and the above-mentioned slope may be formed only on the rear side that forms the right rear vertex 710. In this embodiment, the entire upper right edge 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude from the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX, but it is sufficient that at least the right rear vertex 710 of the front door FD is located inside the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX.

Furthermore, as described above, the front door FD of the slot machine 1 has some rattling due to the tolerance and deterioration of the hinge HN. Also, even when the front door FD is closed relative to the cabinet BX, there is a clearance between the cabinet BX and the front door FD. For this reason, even when the front door FD is in a closed state (closed state), the front door FD has rattling in a predetermined direction (up/down, left/right, front/rear). Therefore, the corners of the front door FD are more likely to protrude outward on the side where the hinge HN is not provided (the right side in this embodiment) than on the side where the hinge HN is provided (the left side in this embodiment). However, in this embodiment, not only at the upper right corner (see FIG. 9), but also at the lower right corner as shown in FIG. 10, the corner 900 (910) of the front door FD is located inside the corner 800 (810) of the housing BX, so that the corner 900 (910) of the front door FD does not protrude from the corner 800 (810) of the housing BX. In addition, the lower right side 800 and lower right front vertex 810 of the housing BX are chamfered in the same way as the upper right side 600 and upper right front vertex 610.

The edge 900 of the front door FD is the lower right edge where the bottom surface FDb of the front door FD intersects with the right side surface FDr of the front door FD, and the apex 910 is the lower right rear vertex where the bottom right edge 900 intersects with the rear side of the bottom surface FDb (the left and right sides of the rear side of the bottom surface FDb) and the rear side of the right side surface FDr (the upper and lower sides of the rear side of the right side surface FDr). The edge 800 of the housing BX is the lower right edge where the bottom surface BXb of the housing BX intersects with the right side surface BXr, and the apex 810 is the lower right front vertex where the bottom right edge 800 intersects with the front side of the bottom surface BXb (the left and right sides of the front side of the bottom surface BXb) and the front side of the right side surface BXr (the upper and lower sides of the front side of the right side surface BXr).

This prevents the corners 710 (700)/910 (900) of the front door FD from protruding from the chamfered corners 600/800 of the cabinet BX on the side opposite the hinge HN, even if the front door FD is tilted in the closed state due to the rattling. Even if the front door FD is gripped when moving the slot machine 1, for example, from a normal state (no rattling, first state) in which no external force is applied to the front door FD, and the front door FD is rattled within the clearance range (a state in which it has moved outward from the normal state, second state), the corners 600/800 of the cabinet BX are positioned inside the corners 710 (700)/910 (900) of the front door FD.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned sides 600 and 800, the cabinet BX also has sides 920-970, as shown in FIG. 11, which are corners that form the outermost shape of the slot machine 1, and these sides are also chamfered because they are easily damaged. Similarly, in addition to the apexes 610 and 810, the apexes 1010-1060 are also chamfered (corner-removed). For example, the front edge (not shown) of the left side BXl of the cabinet is located to the left of the rear edge (not shown) of the left side FDl of the front door, and the upper left edge 920 of the cabinet BX is chamfered and is located outward from the apex 730 on the rear side of the upper left edge 720 of the front door FD.

The top 730 of the front door FD is formed by the top surface FDu of the front door FD and the left side surface FDl of the front door FD, and more specifically, it is the top (left rear vertex, upper left rear vertex of the front door FD) where the upper left edge 7200, the rear edge of the top surface FDu (left and right edges on the rear side of the top surface FDu) 740, and the rear edge of the left side surface FDl (upper and lower edges on the rear side of the left side surface FDl, not shown) intersect. The upper left edge of the housing BX is formed by the top surface BXu and left side surface BXl of the housing BX. Side 930 is the lower left edge of the housing BX and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and left side surface BXl of the housing BX (see FIG. 1). Side 940 is the rear edge of the top surface BXu of the housing BX and is formed by the top surface BXu and back surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 950 is the rear edge of the bottom surface BXb of the housing BX, and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 960 is the rear edge of the right side surface BXr of the housing BX, and is formed by the right side surface BXr and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 970 is the rear edge of the left side surface BXl of the housing BX, and is formed by the left side surface BXl and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX.

Furthermore, apex 1010 is the upper right rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1020 is the lower right rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1030 is the upper left front vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1040 is the lower left front vertex of cabinet BX (see FIG. 1). apex 1050 is the upper left rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1060 is the lower left rear vertex of cabinet BX. As described above, in the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the corners of the front door FD and the corners of the cabinet DX are configured to be less susceptible to damage. Therefore, when reusing the slot machine 1, the exterior is less likely to be damaged, and the slot machine 1 can be reused smoothly.

In the above-described embodiment, all four corners of the front door FD are configured to be more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX, but it is sufficient that any corner of the front door FD is more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX. For example, it is also possible to configure only the right and upper corners of the front door FD to be more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX. Also, it is more preferable that the corners of the front door FD are located more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX, but for example, the corners of the front door FD and the corners of the housing BX may be configured to overlap (be in the same position) when viewed from the front.

Similarly, it is not necessary to chamfer all corners of the cabinet BX that form the outermost shape of the slot machine 1. For example, only the sides 600, 920, 940, 960, 970 and the tops 610, 1010, 1050 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the side 940 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 9), 602 (see FIG. 9), 920, 940, 960, 970, 800, 950 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 9), 602 (see FIG. 9), 920, 940, 960, 970 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, "chamfering" includes both C-chamfering, where the corner is cut at an angle, and R-chamfering, where the corner is rounded. The angle of the corner refers to the angle of the beveled surface in the case of C-chamfering, and the angle of the R of the corner in the case of R-chamfering. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, "chamfering" does not only mean chamfering as a post-processing, but refers to the state in which the corner angle is an obtuse angle. That is, for example, in the case of a one-piece resin molded product such as the above-mentioned housing BX, it is sufficient that the radius of the corner or the angle of the surface is an obtuse angle that is designed in advance. Furthermore, the housing BX does not necessarily have to be produced as a one-piece molded product, but may be an assembly type in which a box shape is formed from multiple parts, and the material may be, for example, wood.

Specifically, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a modified example in which the housing is configured to have a top plate, a bottom plate, and left and right side plates assembled together, and is an enlarged perspective view of the upper right portion of the housing BX2 relating to the modified example. As shown in FIG. 12, the housing BX2 is formed of a top plate BXu2 and a right side plate BXr2, which are separate members. The top plate BXu2 is formed with a chamfered upper right edge 6002 and a front upper edge 6012, which respectively constitute the upper right edge of the housing BX2 and the front edge of the top surface BXu of the housing BX. Similarly, the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is also chamfered, and this right front edge 6022 constitutes the front edge of the right side surface of the housing BX.

Here, in this embodiment, the front surface BXr21 of the right side plate BXr2 is located approximately 1 mm forward of the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. The right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that the position of the right end L forming the front edge of the right side surface BXr22 of the housing BX2 is aligned with the position of the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. That is, the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that the end position at the boundary L with the right side surface BXr22 of the housing BX is aligned with the position of the corner 6102 where the front surface BXu21 and the right side surface BXu22 of the top plate BXu2 intersect. In other words, the chamfering is performed so that the dimension of the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is not 1 mm less rearward from the position of the front surface BXr21. In this way, by matching the chamfering dimensions of the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 to the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2, the corner 6102 of the bottom surface of the top plate BXu2 is prevented from protruding. Note that in FIG. 12, the upper right part of the housing BX2 is used as an example for explanation, but the upper left, lower right, and lower left parts of the housing BX2 are not limited to the upper right part, and also have a similar configuration to the upper right part described above.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the mating surface S1 between the front door FD and the cabinet BX is inclined so that the lower part is further forward than the upper part in a side view, reducing the force that tends to cause the front door FD to fall forward when it is opened, but the mating surface S1 does not necessarily have to be inclined. Furthermore, in the above description, the front door FD is configured as an upper and lower part, but it may be configured as one piece. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to gaming machines such as pachinko machines. In addition, the inventions described in the above-described embodiment may be combined in any way.

[Lower panel configuration]
Next, the lower panel part UP arranged on the front lower door DD of the front door FD in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 13, 14, and 15. As shown in Figures 1 and 13, the lower panel part UP is arranged between the operation part CP of the front lower door DD and the medal receiving tray MP.

As shown in FIG. 13, the lower panel section UP is provided with a lower panel frame 81 that forms part of the front door FD and constitutes the exterior of the slot machine 1, a front panel 82 that constitutes the exterior of the slot machine 1, a decorative sheet 83 having an image 85 (see FIG. 14) arranged on the back side of the front panel 82, and a rear panel 88 that holds the decorative sheet 83 together with the front panel 82.

The lower panel frame 81 is formed of a colored synthetic resin, and the outer surface is painted, plated, metal-deposited, etc., so as to have light-shielding properties, i.e., configured as a light-shielding cover, and is attached to the front lower door DD of the front door FD and fixed integrally with the front door FD to form the appearance of the front lower door DD. The lower panel frame 81 has an opening 81a that exposes the front panel 82 to the outside, and makes the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 described below visible through the front panel 82. The opening 81a is configured to be smaller than the front panel 82, i.e., the lower panel frame 81 has the function of pressing the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 from the front, and restricting the position of the front panel 82 in the left-right and up-down directions by the restricting plate 81b (see FIG. 14) that extends backward in a plate-like shape, and fixing it integrally with the front door FD. The lower panel frame 81 may be formed integrally with other exterior components in the front lower door DD of the front door FD, and the front panel 82, decorative sheet 83, and rear panel 88 may be inserted and attached from the rear. In this case, an opening may be formed in the front lower door DD of the front door FD to allow the image 85 on the decorative sheet 83 to be visible.

The lower panel frame 81 has a roughly rectangular main frame 81mf, and on the inside of this main frame 81mf, side protrusions 81si, 81si that protrude in the left and right directions, and an under protrusion 81un that protrudes upward from below, are formed. For this reason, the opening 81a is configured in a complex, non-rectangular shape. Note that the side protrusions 81si, 81si and the under protrusion 81un are formed so as not to overlap with the acoustic device 395 in the front-rear direction.

The front panel 82 is made of a synthetic resin with high translucency (transparent in this embodiment) and is formed of a rectangular plate-like member. The front panel 82 has a grained portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of its front surface 82FS, which is a grained portion having grains (wrinkles) as described later. The front panel 82 is disposed facing the front of the decorative sheet 83 and covers and protects the front side of the decorative sheet 83. As shown in FIG. 14, the outer edge portion of the rear surface of the front panel 82 is formed with an outer edge protrusion 82a that protrudes forward and a protrusion 82b that is disposed at a position that forms a rectangular shape when viewed from the rear. The front panel 82 is positioned relative to the lower panel frame 81 by fitting the outer edge protrusion 82a to the rear side of the lower panel frame 81, and the decorative sheet 83 and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 described later are inserted and fitted inside the protrusion 82b of the front panel 82, thereby being positioned relative to the front panel 82.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 13, the front panel 82 has a number of holes 82h formed in positions that overlap the acoustic device 395 when viewed from the front, so that the sound output from the acoustic device 395 can be easily heard in the front (outside). Note that the decorative sheet 83 and rear panel 88, which are located behind these many holes 82h and will be described later, may also have holes formed in positions that overlap in the front-to-rear direction, so that the sound output from the acoustic device 395 can be even more easily heard.

As shown in FIG. 13, the decorative sheet 83 has a base material 83a formed into a substantially rectangular sheet from a synthetic resin with high light transmission (transparent in this embodiment), and images 85 (see FIG. 14) such as the product name of the slot machine 1 and related characters, or images for decorating the exterior of the slot machine 1, are printed (applied) on the back side of the base material 83a using colored paint, forming a decorative image surface.

The decorative sheet 83 is sandwiched between the rear panel 88 arranged on the back side and the front panel 82, so that the player can see the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 from the front through the front panel 82. The rear panel 88 is made of a synthetic resin with high light transmission (transparent in this embodiment) and is formed in a plate shape so that the surface 88a is smooth, and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 is formed to be approximately the same size as the decorative sheet 83 (image 85). In other words, the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 and the decorative sheet 83 (image 85) are smaller than the size of the front panel 82, and more specifically, are configured to be larger than the inner edge (transparent area 82T) of the embossed portion 82S described later. Note that the rear panel 88 is not limited to being transparent, and may be formed, for example, with unevenness or the like that diffuses light on the front or back, so that the light that passes through is diffused.

As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the rear panel 88 has a protruding plate 88b extending outward from the outer edge of the surface 88a, and the protruding plate 88b restricts the position of the rear panel 88 in the left-right and up-down directions relative to the restricting plate 81b of the lower panel frame 81, and also sandwiches the front panel 82 between the lower panel frame 81 and the rear panel 88. As shown in Fig. 14, a leg 88c is formed on the back side of the rear panel 88 so as to extend rearward, and is restricted so as to abut against a component of the front lower door DD and to be positioned in the front-back direction between the rear panel frame 81 and the lower panel frame 81. Furthermore, the side surface 88d, which is the outer edge of the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, is inserted inside the protruding portion 82b of the front panel 82, and the left-right and up-down positions of the rear panel 88 relative to the front panel 82 are restricted. Therefore, with these configurations, the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 are positioned in the left-right and up-down directions relative to the front lower door DD.

The back side of the rear panel 88 is provided with a backlight board 95 having a number of LEDs 95a, and a reflector 89 that reflects light from the LEDs 95a. In this embodiment, the backlight board 95 is disposed on the back side of the reflector 89, and light from the LEDs 95a is irradiated forward from the opening of the reflector 89. Note that the front lower door DD may be provided with a light-emitting source such as a fluorescent lamp or lamp, such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube, instead of a backlight board having LEDs. The reflector 89 is formed from a material that has light-blocking properties and is easy to reflect light, such as a white synthetic resin.

Therefore, the lower panel section UP of the front lower door DD configured as described above allows the decorative sheet 83 illuminated by the light of the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 through the rear panel 88 to be visible from the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 through the front panel 82. The rear panel 88, decorative sheet 83, and front panel 82 are arranged on the front lower door DD of the front door FD so as to be in front of the various internal devices described above (particularly the reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral components of the backlight board 95, etc.), and therefore have the function of making the internal devices invisible, particularly by the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83.

[Details of the embossed part]
Next, the details of the embossed portion 82S according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figs. 1, 13, 14, and 15, the front panel 82 according to this embodiment has the embossed portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the front surface 82FS. In detail, the embossed portion 82S is formed by applying embossing to a range that extends from the outer edge of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 to the inside of the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 by a predetermined distance d1 (see Figs. 14 and 15). In other words, the embossed portion 82S is formed on the front surface 82FS so that it is at least partially overlapped with the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 when viewed from the front, covering the edge of the image 85 and being located outside the image 85. In this embodiment, the embossing is formed by imparting wrinkles (fine irregularities) to the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 due to the shape of the mold used to manufacture the front panel 82. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the entire front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 may be formed smooth, and then chemically treated by etching or sandblasting may be performed in a subsequent process.

As shown in FIG. 15, the textured portion 82S has two regions: a first region 82Sh that overlaps with the rear side of the lower panel frame 81 and is hidden and cannot be seen when viewed from the front, and a second region 82Sx that extends inside the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 and is exposed and can be seen when viewed from the front. Therefore, the textured portion 82S is arranged on the outer periphery of the transparent region 82T, while a transparent region 82T that allows the image 85 to be clearly seen inside the opening 81a is secured. This transparent region 82T is smaller than the outer edge of the image 85.

The first region 82Sh also includes a region 82Shmf behind the main frame 81mf (see Figures 1 and 13) of the lower panel frame 81, two regions 82Shsi, 82Shsi behind the side protrusions 81si, 81si (see Figures 1 and 13) of the lower panel frame 81, and a region 82Shun behind the under protrusion 81un (see Figures 1 and 13) of the lower panel frame 81.

The second region 82Sx has a region 82Sxup in the upper portion of the opening 81a that extends below the main frame 81mf by a predetermined distance d1, regions 82Sxsi, 82Sxsi in the lateral portion of the opening 81a that extend a predetermined distance d1 inward in the left-right direction from the side protrusions 81si, 81si, and a region 82Sxun in the lower portion of the opening 81a that extends a predetermined distance d1 above the under protrusion 81un.

By forming the embossed portion 82S in this manner, the inner edge of the second region 82Sx is similar to and smaller than the opening 81a, and is located at a position that protrudes inward from the opening 81a by a predetermined distance d1 at all points, that is, the embossed portion 82S protrudes inward from the opening 81a in a band shape that is approximately the width of the predetermined distance d1. As described above, the front panel 82 has multiple holes 82h (see FIG. 1) formed in a position corresponding to the front of the acoustic device 395, but the embossed portion S is formed so as not to overlap these holes 82h, in other words, the multiple holes 82h are positioned at a distance of at least the predetermined distance d1 from the inside of the opening 81a.

14, the thickness d2 of the front panel 82 is formed to be, for example, about 3 mm so as to be able to withstand external impacts. Meanwhile, the textured portion 82S is formed so that the predetermined distance d1 that protrudes from the opening 81a is, for example, about 5 mm, that is, the distance that the textured portion 82S protrudes from the opening 81a is longer than the thickness d2 of the front panel 82. In particular, in this embodiment, the predetermined distance d1 is set so that, for example, even if a player tries to look inside through the front panel 82, the outer edge of the image 85 cannot be seen even when the line of sight is at an angle of 45 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the textured portion 82S, while taking into consideration the refractive index of light in the front panel 82, etc. Therefore, the embossed portion 82S, which is a predetermined distance d1 longer than the thickness d2 of the front panel 82, blocks the view outside the outer edge of the image 85, and the rear panel 88 and the internal equipment beyond it (particularly the reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral components of the backlight board 95, etc.) are not visible.

In this way, in the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the embossed portion 82S is formed in the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 in a range from the opening 81a to a predetermined distance d1 inward from the opening 81a so as to extend a predetermined distance d1 from the inside of the opening 81a. In other words, the embossed portion 82S is formed on the edge of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, and is formed so as to cover the edge of the image 85 on the decorative sheet 83. Therefore, the embossed portion 82S is positioned so as to straddle between the opening 81a and the edge of the image 85. This makes it impossible to see the inside of the front door FD (internal equipment) through the front panel 82.

If the size of the image 85 formed on the decorative sheet 83 is, for example, about 5 mm larger than the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 (the same applies if the opening 81a is relatively smaller than the image 85), the internal equipment can be hidden even without the embossed portion 82S. However, it is difficult to make the decorative sheet 83 larger due to its positional relationship with the surrounding components, and if the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 is made smaller, the visible range of the image 85 will be smaller, which may result in the slot machine 1 losing its design impact. Therefore, by providing the embossed portion 82S as in this embodiment, it is possible to avoid interference between the image 85 and the surrounding components and also improve the design of the slot machine 1.

In addition, by providing an opaque portion instead of the embossed portion 82S, it is possible to make the internal equipment invisible. However, since the light from the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 is no longer transmitted, there is a risk that dark areas will be created in the lower panel unit UP, resulting in a poor appearance. Therefore, by providing the embossed portion 82S with transparency as in this embodiment, the light from the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 is transmitted, ensuring the brightness of the lower panel unit UP and improving its appearance.

[Modification of the embossed portion]
In this embodiment, the embossed portion 82S is described as being embossed in the first region 82Sh from the outer edge of the front panel 82 and in the second region 82Sx inside the first region 82Sh, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first region 82Sh may be embossed only in a part, or the first region 82Sh may not be embossed. In other words, if the second region 82Sx is embossed, the embossing is arranged in the range from the opening 81a to a predetermined distance d1 inside the opening 81a, so that it is possible to make it impossible to see the inside of the front door FD through the front panel 82. Even in this case, a gap may occur between the lower panel frame 81 and the front panel 82 due to tolerance, so it is preferable that the embossing is arranged so that it overlaps the opening 81a even slightly when viewed from the front.

In addition, in this embodiment, the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 is embossed to form the embossed portion 82S, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a separate embossed sheet may be attached to the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82.

In this embodiment, the opening 81a is surrounded on all sides by the lower panel frame 81, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper side of the frame forming the opening 81a may be formed by the operation unit CP on which the start lever SL and the stop buttons B1 to B3 are arranged, or the left and right sides of the frame forming the opening 81a may be formed by the illumination device 370. In other words, it is sufficient that the opening 81a is formed in the front door FD so that the image 85 can be seen. In addition, the lower panel frame 81 and the members forming these openings 81a may be made of a colored resin such as black, a resin with a colored surface that is painted or plated, or metal, in other words, they may be opaque so that the internal devices cannot be seen.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower panel portion UP is described as having a lower panel frame 81, but this is not limiting, and the lower panel frame may be a component that constitutes part of the front door, meaning that the lower panel frame may not be unitized as part of the lower panel portion. In this case, the lower panel frame may be structured to support the lower panel portion (front panel, decorative sheet, rear panel).

In addition, in this embodiment, the embossed portion 82S is described as extending from the opening 81a by a predetermined distance d1 all around, but this is not limited to this, and the distance by which the embossed portion 82S extends from the opening 81a may vary depending on the part of the embossed portion 82S. In particular, since it is easier for players to look into the lower part and the left and right parts compared to the upper part, the distance by which the embossed portion extends from the opening 81a may be longer than the predetermined distance d1. Furthermore, the inner edge of the embossed portion 82S is described as having a similar shape to the shape of the inner edge of the opening 81a with a predetermined distance d1 inward, but this is not limited to this, and the distance by which it extends from the opening 81a does not necessarily have to be constant, for example, it may be to match a shape related to the design of the image 85.

In addition, in this embodiment, the embossing applied to the embossed portion 82S has been described as forming unevenness on the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, but this is not limited thereto, and the embossing may be such that only convex portions are formed on the front surface 82FS, or such that only concave portions are formed on the front surface 82FS.

In addition, in this embodiment, the numerous holes 82h in the front panel 82 that overlap the acoustic device 395 do not overlap the embossed portion 82S, but this is not limiting, and some or all of these holes 82h may overlap the embossed portion 82S.

In addition, in this embodiment, the image 85 is printed over the entire back surface of the decorative sheet 83, but this is not limited thereto. As long as it is arranged so as to overlap an area larger than the embossed portion 82S, it may be printed in an area smaller than the back surface of the decorative sheet 83, particularly in an area that fits inside the opening 81a.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower panel portion UP is described as having an embossed portion 82S, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a panel disposed between the operation portion CP and the display window DW or above the display window DW may also be configured to have a similar embossed portion.

In addition, in this embodiment, the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 of the lower panel portion UP, the decorative sheet 83, the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, etc. are described as being flat, but this is not limiting, and any surface shape may be used, such as a curved shape with the left and right centers bulging out more than the ends. In particular, in a configuration in which the center bulges out, the angle between the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 and the line of sight at the ends becomes small, which may make it easier to see the internal equipment, so the specified distance d1 that protrudes from the opening 81a of the embossed portion 82S may be made longer than other portions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the outer edge shapes of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 are described as being rectangular, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be similar in shape to the opening 81a, or may be any shape, such as a shape that follows the opening only on the left and right, or a shape that follows the opening only on the top and bottom.

[Reel unit details]
Next, the reel unit 310 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 16, the reel unit 310 has a stepping motor M provided for each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 for rotating and driving each reel, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 supported by the drive shaft of each stepping motor M, and a reel sensor 26 (see Fig. 16) which is a transmission type optical sensor provided corresponding to each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 for detecting the rotational position of each reel. In addition, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 of the reel unit 310 has a reel backlight BL provided for each of the reels to illuminate each reel from the inside toward the front, and a reflector RL which reflects light from the reel backlight BL and guides it forward. The reel backlight BL has a plurality of light source LEDs consisting of LEDs (light emitting diodes) and a backlight board 316 on which the plurality of light source LEDs are mounted. A total of six LEDs 315 (315-11 to 315-23) are arranged on the backlight board 316 in three columns and two rows from each opening of the reflector RL (see FIG. 21).

As shown in FIG. 16, the first reel R1 has a reel frame FR1, a thin strip-shaped reel tape T1 on which multiple patterns are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction) Y, and an index section 27. The second reel R2 has a reel frame FR2, a thin strip-shaped reel tape T2 on which multiple patterns are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction) Y, and an index section 27. The third reel R3 has a reel frame FR3, a thin strip-shaped reel tape T3 on which multiple patterns are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction) Y, and an index section 27. The index section 27 is held by the reel frames FR1 to FR3 so as to be able to block the optical axis of the reel sensor 26, and the reel sensor 26 detects the rotational position of each reel depending on the timing at which the index section 27 blocks and transmits the optical axis of the reel sensor 26.

Each of the reel frames FR1 to FR3 has a hub portion 24 attached to the rotating shaft of the stepping motor M, a first rim portion 21 and a second rim portion 22, a number of connection portions 23 connecting the first and second rim portions 21, 22, and a number of spoke portions 25, and is integrally formed from a synthetic resin with high translucency (transparent in this embodiment).

The first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22 are formed in an annular shape concentric with the rotation axis of the stepping motor M, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction (axial direction), i.e., in the short direction (width direction) X perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y of the reel tapes T1 to T3. The connection portions 23 are provided at multiple different positions on the circumference of the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22, and extend along the short direction X to bridge between the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22, connecting the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22.

The reel frame may not have a connecting portion, and the first and second rim portions may be formed independently, with the first and second rim portions being connected via the reel tape. The reel frame may also be formed from a colored synthetic resin, and when it is formed from a colored synthetic resin (e.g., a black synthetic resin), it becomes possible to form the above-mentioned index portion integrally with the reel frame.

The spoke portions 25 are provided at different circumferential positions on either the first rim portion 21 or the second rim portion 22, connect either the first rim portion 21 or the second rim portion 22 to the hub portion 24, and transmit the rotational force of the stepping motor from the hub portion 24 to the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22. In this embodiment, the spoke portions 25 connect the hub portion 24 to the second rim portion 22.

The outer circumference of each of the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22 is formed with a cylindrical end support surface 21a, 22a that is formed with a predetermined width in the left-right direction (for example, approximately 3.5 mm to 6.5 mm) and abuts against the back surface (inner surface) of the reel tape T1 to reel tape T3 to support the left and right ends of the reel tape T1 to reel tape T3 in the radial direction of the reel. In this embodiment, the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22 are formed so that the width of the end support surface 21a and the width of the end support surface 22a in the short direction X are approximately the same dimension. Note that the first rim portion and the second rim portion may be formed so that the widths of the end support surfaces are different dimensions.

The first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22 also have flange portions 21b, 22b that are located outside the end support surfaces 21a, 22a in the left-right direction and can abut against the short-side X-direction ends of the reel tapes T1 to T3. The flange portions 21b, 22b are formed to have a width of, for example, about 0.7 mm to 1.5 mm in the left-right direction, and regulate the left-right positions of the reel tapes T1 to T3.

The connection portion 23 is formed with a connection support surface 23a that is continuous with the end support surfaces 21a, 22a of the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22 and that supports the reel tapes T1 to T3 in the radial direction of the reel between the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22. This connection support surface 23a and the above-mentioned end support surfaces 21a, 22a form a support surface FRa that supports the reel tapes T1 to T3 in the radial direction of the reel.

[Reel tape mounting structure]
Next, the mounting structure of the reel tape T1 to reel tape T3 will be described with reference to Figures 16, 17, and 18. Since the mounting structures of the reel tape T1 to reel tape T3 are similar, the mounting structure of the reel tape T1 will be described below as an example, and details of the mounting structures of the reel tape T2 and reel tape T3 will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 16, 17, and 18, adhesive regions are formed on the back surface of both ends of the reel tape T1 in the short-side direction X, where adhesive members 65, 65 such as double-sided tape are affixed to adhere the reel tape T1 to the end support surface 21a of the first rim portion 21 and the end support surface 22a of the second rim portion 22. When the reel tape T1 is viewed from the front side, the adhesive regions include a right adhesive region within a distance b inward from the right end T1c in the short-side direction X of the reel tape T1, and a left adhesive region within a distance b inward from the left end (edge on the X2 side) T1d in the short-side direction X of the reel tape T1. For example, the distance b is set to a distance in the range of 4 mm to 6 mm, and it is desirable to form the end support surfaces 21a, 22a larger in the left-right direction (short-side direction X) by about 1 mm (for example, 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm).

The reel tape T1 wound (wound) around the reel frame FR1 is held in the reel frame FR1 by the adhesive member 65, with the right adhesive area formed on the inner surface (back surface) adhered to the end support surface 21a and the left adhesive area formed on the inner surface adhered to the end support surface 22a.

As described above, the reel tape T1 is formed so that its length in the longitudinal direction Y is longer than the circumferential length (circumferential length) of the end support surfaces 21a, 22a, and is wound (wound) around the reel frame FR1 so that one end (starting end) T11 on one side in the longitudinal direction Y and the other end (terminating end) T12 on the other side overlap from the outside in the radial direction of the reel. When the reel tape T1 is wound around the reel frame FR1, the transparent portion 63 and the pattern P6, which is the pattern (pattern No. 19) located on the other side in the longitudinal direction Y, overlap in the radial direction of the reel. In other words, when the reel tape T1 is wound around the reel frame FR1, the outer surface (front surface, outer periphery) of the transparent portion 63 is covered by the other end T12 in the longitudinal direction Y.

In addition, when the reel tape T1 is wound around the reel frame FR1, the other end T12, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction Y of the reel tape T1, and the one end T11, which is the one end, are adhered by an adhesive member 66 such as a double-sided tape. This adhesive member 66 extends inward from the other end T1b along the short direction X within a distance c. The adhesive member 66 enables the reel tape T1 to maintain a state in which the back surface of the other end T12 and the front surface of the one end T11 are in close contact with each other. Note that the distance c is set to a distance in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm, for example. In addition, the adhesive members 65 and 66 are preferably made of a double-sided tape or the like made of a material that is easily transparent to light from the reel backlight BL, such as white, milky white, or transparent, but may also be made of an adhesive applied to the back surface of the reel tape T1.

[Reel tape details]
As shown in Figure 16, the reel tape T1 (as well as the reel tape T2 and reel tape T3) is wound around the support surface FRa of the reel frame FR1 (reel frame FR2, reel frame FR3) in a cylindrical (endless) shape, with one end T11 on the Y1 side in the longitudinal direction Y overlapping the other end T12 on the Y2 side in the longitudinal direction Y from the outside.

Figure 17 is a view of reel tape T1 from its front side (the outer surface side when wound around reel frame FR1 (see Figure 16)). As shown in Figure 17, the multiple designs arranged on reel tape T1 to reel tape T3 are composed of, for example, numbers, character strings, fruits, characters, etc., designed specifically for each model, or combinations of these, and these multiple designs include, for example, design P1 (design "red 7"), design P2 (design "blue 7"), design P3 (design "BAR"), design P4 (design "cherry"), design P5 (design "watermelon"), design P6 (design "bell"), design P7 (design "replay"), design P8A (design "blank A"), design P8B (design "blank B"), etc. Note that the actual pattern P4 (pattern "cherry") has the shape shown in FIG. 19, but pattern P4 (pattern "cherry") in FIG. 17 etc. is shown in a simplified form for the sake of convenience.

Pattern P1 (red 7), P2 (blue 7), and P3 (BAR) are designed to be at least as wide in the short direction X as the other patterns, making them more visible. They are patterns that can be displayed on the pay line or in the display window DW when the stop button is operated at a predetermined timing according to the results of the internal lottery, etc., and are patterns that compose a pattern combination that will trigger a transition to a state advantageous to the player, such as a bonus state or an AT state (assist state).

The specific symbols P4 (cherry symbol) and P5 (watermelon symbol) can be displayed on the pay line or in the display window DW when the stop button is pressed at a predetermined timing depending on the results of the internal lottery, and are symbols that form a symbol combination of a chance role (a so-called rare role) that will trigger a lottery advantageous to the player, or a symbol combination that will trigger a special bonus to the player.

Pattern P6 ("bell") and pattern P7 ("replay") are patterns that can be displayed on the winning line or in the display window DW regardless of when the stop button is pressed depending on the results of the internal lottery, etc., and are used to form a combination of symbols for minor wins and replays when a win occurs.

Pattern P8A ("blank A") and pattern P8B ("blank B") are patterns that can be displayed on the pay line or in the display window DW when the stop button is operated at a predetermined timing according to the result of the internal lottery, etc., and are patterns for forming a losing combination, etc., even if they are aligned in a straight line on the pay line or in the display window DW, they do not constitute a winning combination. In addition, when pattern P8A ("blank A") and pattern P8B ("blank B") stop in a straight line or in a predetermined shape (such as a mountain shape or L-shape), they are used as patterns that do not win a prize depending on the machine, but can be used as a chance role to trigger a lottery that is advantageous to the player, or to notify the player that a situation is advantageous to the player. In addition, pattern P8A ("blank A") and pattern P8B ("blank B") may be used as a special small role (such as a 1-piece role) in a pattern combination combined with other patterns.

Each of the above-mentioned patterns P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, and P7 has edge portions P1a, P2a, P3a, P4a, P5a, P6a, and P7a that form the outer edge (contour) of the pattern by printing paint as described below in detail, and colored portions P1b, P2b, P3b, P4b, P5b, P6b, and P7b that are colored inside the edge portions P1a, P2a, P3a, P4a, P5a, P6a, and P7a. The colored portion P4b of the pattern P4 (pattern "cherry") will be described in detail later.

When viewed from the radial direction, the above-mentioned patterns P1, P2, and P3 are arranged such that edge portions P1a, P2a, and P3a partially overlap the first rim portion 21, the second rim portion 22, and the adhesive members 65, 65 in the short-side direction X, and colored portions P1b, P2b, and P3b do not overlap either the first rim portion 21 or the second rim portion 22. This allows the light from the reel backlight BL that passes through colored portions P1b, P2b, and P3b to be unobstructed by the first rim portion 21 and the second rim portion 22, making the patterns P1, P2, and P3 appear larger in the short-side direction X.

Meanwhile, each of the above-mentioned patterns P8A and P8B has edge portions P8Aa and P8Ba that form the edges of the outer shape of the pattern, and pattern portions P8Ab and P8Bb that form a pattern inside the edge portions P8Aa and P8Ba. Note that in the patterns P8A and P8B, the edge portions P8Aa and P8Ba and the pattern portions P8Ab and P8Bb are drawn by lines, and the other parts are printed inside the patterns with a background forming layer 61 that forms the background portion H, which will be described in detail later, and thus has the same color as the background portion H of the patterns P8A and P8B.

When the reel tape T1 is wound around the reel frame FR1 (i.e., the other end T12 overlaps the transparent portion 63), one of the patterns P1 to P8B is arranged in each of 20 virtual areas that are virtually equally divided into 20 in the longitudinal direction Y. The numbers on the left side of the reel tape T1 shown in FIG. 17 indicate the pattern number, with the side closest to the one end T11 being pattern 0, and from there, in the Y2 direction, one of the patterns P1 to P8B is arranged in the order shown in FIG. 17 as pattern 2, pattern 3, ..., pattern 19. Note that in the reel tape T2 and reel tape T3, one of the patterns P1 to P8B is similarly arranged in the virtual areas as pattern 0 to 19 in an arrangement different from that of the reel tape T1 shown in FIG. 17.

In addition, in this embodiment, the patterns arranged in each virtual area are arranged so that the center of the virtual area where the center line of the virtual area in the X direction (width direction) and the center line of the virtual area in the Y direction (circumferential direction) intersect with the center line of the virtual area in the X direction (width direction) of each pattern and the center line of the virtual area in the Y direction (circumferential direction) of each pattern coincide with the center of the virtual area. However, this is not limited to this, and the center of the pattern may be arranged to be shifted from the center of the virtual area depending on the shape and arrangement of the pattern. In this embodiment, the adhesive member 66 is arranged so that the adhesive member 66 overlaps the edge portion 6a of the pattern P6 and does not overlap the colored portion P6b, so that the colored portion P6b does not become dark and is configured to be beautiful and easy to see as the pattern P6. For example, if the height distance of the pattern P6 in the Y direction (circumferential direction) is even greater, the center of the pattern can be shifted in the Y1 direction relative to the center of the virtual area to prevent the shadow of the adhesive member 66 from making it difficult to see the colored portion P6b of the pattern P6.

Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 17. Reel tapes T1 to T3 differ in the arrangement of patterns (type of pattern, number of specific patterns, order of patterns, etc.) and in the identification markings 70 for identifying them, but other configurations are similar, so the following description will be given using reel tape T1 as an example, and descriptions of the configurations of reel tape T2 and reel tape T3 that are similar to reel tape T1 will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the reel tape T1 is constructed by laminating printed layers that are silk-screened with multiple types of paints with different colors and transparencies on the back surface of a transparent synthetic resin substrate 60. For example, from the side closest to the back surface of the substrate 60, a pattern forming layer (pattern portion) 67 that forms multiple patterns, a background forming layer 61 that forms a background portion H that is an area that extends around the patterns when viewed from the front side, and a diffusion layer 64 for diffusing light from the reel backlight BL are layered on top of each other, and each layer is formed by screen printing or the like.

The background forming layer 61 includes a first background forming layer (background portion) 61A printed on the side closer to the back surface of the substrate 60, and a second background forming layer 61B printed on the opposite side of the substrate 60 across the first background forming layer 61A. A transparent portion 63 is formed at one end T11 on one side in the longitudinal direction Y of the reel tape T1 (the Y1 direction side, the lower side shown in FIG. 17), where none of the pattern forming layer 67, background forming layer 61, or diffusion layer 64 is formed. The transparent portion 63 (one end T11) is arranged so as to overlap and be hidden by the other end T12 when the reel tape T1 is wound around the reel frame FR1; in other words, the background portion H is formed so as to be connected at least once around.

As described later in detail, the pattern forming layer 67 is formed by layering paints of multiple colors or transparent paints, etc., and the shape (design) of each pattern is formed when viewed from the surface of the reel tape T1. The pattern forming layer 67 is printed with a single color or multiple colors in layers in the order of a black paint (K: key plate) layer (edge portion described later), a blue paint (C: cyan) layer (blue portion), a red paint (M: magenta) layer (red portion), a yellow paint (Y: yellow) layer (yellow portion), and a transparent paint layer, in the order of roughly low to high brightness colors as the four primary colors of a printed matter, for example, from the side closer to the back surface of the substrate 60. In particular, in this embodiment, at least six colors of paint are printed in layers, including a light blue paint (paint with a high cyan content) that is a type of blue paint between the blue paint and the red paint, and a pink paint (paint with a high magenta content) that is a type of red paint between the red paint and the yellow paint. As described below, after these pattern forming layers 67, a background forming layer 61, which is a layer of white paint (white part), is printed.

In this embodiment, the pattern forming layer 67 is described as having a layer of light blue paint and a layer of pink paint as intermediate colors to improve the design of the pattern, but it may be formed without these and be formed with layers of only the four primary colors of the print, or it may even be formed with additional layers of other intermediate colors. In the following description of this embodiment, the light blue paint layer is treated as a type of blue paint and is also treated as a blue part, and the pink paint layer is treated as a type of red paint and is also treated as a red part.

The color of each part, which will be described in detail later, refers to the color that has the highest proportion of paint of that color, and refers to a color that can be commonly recognized as being that color. Specifically, for example, the color of the blue part refers to the color that has the highest proportion of blue-based paint among the four primary colors of the printed matter, and refers to a color that can be commonly recognized as blue. For example, cyan is a light blue with a slight greenish tint, a blue-green color close to light blue, etc., and is commonly considered to be a blue and a cool color.

The pattern forming layer 67 formed by printing each color of paint in layers in this way is formed by overlapping a border forming layer 67a that forms the border of the pattern (P1a, P2a, P3a, P4a, P5a, P6a, P7a, P8Aa, P8Ba), a color forming layer 67b that forms a colored portion of at least a part of the inner region of the border, and a light-transmitting layer 67c that, depending on the pattern, forms a colored portion of at least a part of the inner region of the border that is easily light-transmitting.

The edges (P1a, P2a, P3a, P4a, P5a, P6a, P7a, P8Aa, P8Ba) form the outer shape (contour) of the pattern. The edge forming layer 67a is formed in black with the above-mentioned black-based paint, and is formed so that light (visible light) from the reel backlight BL is less likely to pass through, that is, so that the brightness is low. Note that the edge forming layer 67a only needs to form at least the edge of the pattern, and a part of the internal area of the edge may be formed with the same paint as the paint that forms the edge. In addition, the edge forming layer 67a is not limited to being formed with the same paint between each pattern, but may be formed with different paint between each pattern. In addition, the edges of this embodiment are described as being formed in black with black-based paint, but may be dark gray, dark navy blue, etc.

The color forming layer 67b is formed, for example, from paints such as the above-mentioned blue, light blue, red, pink, and yellow colors, which are colored to have higher saturation and brightness than the border forming layer 67a (black) and to allow light to pass through more easily. Note that in FIG. 18, the color forming layer 67b is shown as a single layer because it is a single color and shows the red part of the pattern P1 (pattern "Red 7"), but this is not limited to this, and as will be described in detail later, the paint that forms the color forming layer 67b may be paints of multiple colors that differ for each pattern, that is, color forming layers of multiple colors may be formed by layering them. Details of this color forming layer 67b will be described later.

The light-transmitting layer 67c is formed, for example, from a paint that is colored with higher saturation and brightness than the colored layer 67b, making it easier for light to pass through. The paint forming the light-transmitting layer 67c is made of paint of multiple colors that differ for each design, and may be a paint of a color with higher saturation and brightness than the colored layer 67b, or a paint mixed with a transparent paint, in which a colored layer and a transparent layer are layered, or a plurality of transparent layers are layered.

The first background forming layer 61A of the background forming layer 61 is formed in white with a paint that is more transparent to light from the reel backlight BL and has a higher saturation and brightness than the border forming layer 67a and the color forming layer 67b, for example a white paint. The first background forming layer 61A is formed around each pattern in the region from the end 61Aa (the other end (the edge in the Y2 direction) of the transparent portion 63) of the first background forming layer 61A in the longitudinal direction Y to the other end (the edge in the Y2 direction) T1b of the reel tape T1 so as to overlap with the border forming layer of each pattern and not overlap with the color forming layer and the translucent forming layer, that is, it is formed on almost the entire surface except for the transparent portion 63 and each pattern.

The second background forming layer 61B of the background forming layer 61 is formed as a so-called backing layer (backing portion) printed on the opposite side of the first background forming layer 61A with respect to the substrate 60, and is formed in white with the same paint as the first background forming layer 61A. The second background forming layer 61B is formed around the translucent portions of each pattern so as to overlap the border forming layer 67a and the color forming layer 67b of each pattern and not overlap the translucent forming layer 67c in the region from the end 61Ba of the second background forming layer 61B in the longitudinal direction Y (the other end (the edge in the Y2 direction) of the transparent portion 63, which is at the same position as the end 61Aa of the first background forming layer 61A) to the other end (the edge in the Y2 direction) T1b of the reel tape T1, that is, it is formed on almost the entire surface except for the translucent portions. In this way, the second background forming layer 61B is backed on the back of the first background forming layer 61A, so that even if air bubbles are generated when the first background forming layer 61A is silk-printed and the air bubbles are crushed to form gaps such as pinholes, the second background forming layer 61B closes the gaps and prevents light from leaking out of the reel backlight BL. Also, the first background forming layer 61A is formed to the extent that it overlaps with the border forming layer 67a of each pattern, and the second background forming layer 61B is formed to overlap the border forming layer 67a and the color forming layer 67b, so that the end of the first background forming layer 61A is formed on the border forming layer 67a of each pattern, but the second background forming layer 61B covers the end, so that the unevenness on the back surface can be reduced compared to when the printing areas of the first background forming layer 61A and the second background forming layer 61B are reversed.

The diffusion layer 64 is what is called a "crinkle" and in this embodiment, it is formed so as to cover the area where the pattern forming layer 67 is formed in the pattern P1 (pattern "red 7") and pattern P2 (pattern "blue 7") from the back side, that is, to the area outside the edge of each pattern. The diffusion layer 64 is formed by, for example, applying a thick layer of transparent ultraviolet-curing paint and curing and shrinking the paint by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, thereby forming fine irregularities on the back side. As a result, when light from the reel backlight BL passes through the area where the diffusion layer 64 is formed, it is possible to diffuse the light by irregularly refracting and reflecting it, and the light of the LED 315 (see FIG. 4) that transmits through the transparent and colored parts of the pattern is diffused, and for example, the light of the LED 315, which has a high linearity, is concentrated and so-called point light is generated, which suppresses the poor appearance.

In this embodiment, the diffusion layer 64 is formed to cover the entire pattern from the back side, even beyond the edges of each pattern, but this is not limited thereto. As long as it is arranged to cover at least the translucent parts of each pattern, it is possible to diffuse the light passing through the translucent parts, and prevent the light from the LEDs 315 of the reel backlight BL from becoming point light.

[Details of the colored part of the cherry design]
Next, the color arrangement of each part in the colored portion P4b of the cherry design P4 and the trapping process in the shiny portion will be described with reference to Fig. 19 and Fig. 20. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining the colors of each part of the cherry design according to this embodiment, and Fig. 20 is a diagram showing a cross section of a reel tape, where (a) is a cross section taken along the line B-B in Fig. 19, and (b) is a cross section taken along the line C-C in Fig. 19.

19, in pattern P4, which is a cherry design, multiple colored portions P4b are formed inside edge portion P4a, which is formed in black, including a branch portion CHeda in brown representing a branch, a leaf portion CHha in green representing a leaf, and three solid portions CHmi in red representing three fruits, and edge portion P4a forms the outer edges of each of branch portion CHeda, leaf portion CHha, and solid portion CHmi, and also divides them. Inside leaf portion CHha, a vein portion CHhamya in black representing a vein is formed, and inside solid portion CHmi, a shadow portion CHkage in reddish black representing a shadow is formed. The branch part CHeda has a shiny part CHteka1 that exhibits a so-called shine, the leaf part CHha has a shiny part CHteka2 that also exhibits a shine, and the two real parts CHmi each have a shiny part CHteka3A and a shiny part CHteka3B that also exhibit a shine.

In the branch portion CHeda, a layer of pink paint (a type of red portion) is printed on the base material 60 as the colored formation layer 67b so that the area excluding the shiny portion CHteka1 is visible as brown, and then a layer of yellow paint (yellow portion) is printed on the back side of the pink paint, and further, in the area of the shiny portion CHteka1, for example, a layer of white paint (white portion) formed together with the background portion H is printed so that it is overlaid on the yellow paint layer. In other words, the shiny portion CHteka1 is formed so that the white paint layer is exposed while adjacent to the branch portion CHeda, making it visible as white. When printing the branch portion CHeda in this way, a layer of pink paint and a layer of yellow paint are printed separately, but because thousands or tens of thousands of copies are printed depending on the number of units to be shipped, there is a risk of errors in the position of the print. For example, if the pink paint seeps into the shiny portion CHteka1, not only will the design be compromised, but it may also be mistaken for a different pattern compared to the correctly printed cherry pattern.

In this embodiment, therefore, a region (yellow region) in which a yellow layer is printed is set so that at least a portion of the layer of yellow paint, which is lighter, brighter, and closer to white than pink, seeps into the region of edge Fuch1 corresponding to the outer edge of shiny portion CHteka1; that is, the trapping process is set so that the region of the yellow layer is larger than the region in which the pink layer is printed by an amount corresponding to the region of edge Fuch1. In other words, the yellow region is formed so as to be sandwiched between the white region in shiny portion CHteka1, which is white, and the brown region in branch portion CHeda, which is brown. This allows yellow, which is less noticeable than pink, to seep into shiny portion CHteka1, and even if the printing of the pink paint layer and the yellow paint layer is misaligned, it is possible to prevent the pink color from seeping into shiny portion CHteka1, thereby preventing misidentification of the design.

Similarly, in the leaf portion CHha, as shown in FIG. 20(a), a layer of light blue paint (blue portion) 67bC is printed on the substrate 60 as a colored layer 67b so that the area excluding the shiny portion CHteka2 (green area) is visible as green, and then a layer of yellow paint (yellow portion) 67bY is printed on the back side so as to be overlaid, and further, in the shiny portion CHteka2 area, for example, a layer of white paint (white portion) 61 formed together with the background portion H is printed so as to be overlaid after the yellow paint layer. In other words, the shiny portion CHteka2 is formed so that the white paint layer is exposed while adjacent to the leaf portion CHha and visible as white. In this embodiment, the area where the yellow paint layer (yellow part) 67bY is printed is set so that at least a part of the yellow paint layer 67bY, which is lighter, brighter, and closer to white than light blue, seeps into the area of the edge Fuch2 corresponding to the outer edge of the shiny part CHteka2, that is, the trapping process is set so that the area of the yellow paint layer 67bY is larger than the area where the light blue paint layer 67bC is printed by an amount corresponding to the edge Fuch2. In other words, the yellow area is formed so as to be sandwiched between the white area in the shiny part CHteka2, which is white, and the green area in the leaf part CHha, which is green. This allows yellow, which is less noticeable than light blue, to seep into the shiny part CHteka2, and even if the printing of the light blue paint layer and the yellow paint layer is misaligned, it is possible to prevent the light blue from seeping into the shiny part CHteka2, and to prevent misidentification of the pattern.

As shown in FIG. 20(a), the width d of the edge Fuch2, which is set so that the yellow paint layer 67bY extends beyond the light blue paint layer 67bC, i.e., the width d of the yellow region, is set to, for example, 1 mm in design in this embodiment. The width d of this edge Fuch2 is set to a width narrower than the narrowest width (for example, 2 mm) of the edge P4a (see FIG. 19) so as to be inconspicuous.

Similarly, in the above-mentioned real portion CHmi, a layer of black paint (black portion) 67bK is printed on the substrate 60 as a colored formation layer 67b in dots with a non-printed area of 30% and a printed area of 70%, as shown in FIG. 20(b), so that the areas excluding the shiny portions CHteka3A and CHteka3B are visible as red, and the area of the shadow portion CHkage (black-red area) is visible as black-red, and then a layer of red paint (red portion) 67bM is printed on the back side so as to be superimposed thereon, and further, in the areas of the shiny portions CHteka3A and CHteka3B, a layer of white paint (white portion) 61 formed together with, for example, the background portion H is printed so as to be superimposed after the layer of red paint 67bM. In other words, the shiny part CHteka3A and the shiny part CHteka3B are formed so that they are adjacent to the shadow part CHkage and expose the white paint layer to be visible as white. In this embodiment, the area (red area) where the red paint layer 67bM is printed is set so that at least a part of the red paint layer 67bM, which is lighter in color, has higher brightness, and is closer to white than black, seeps into the area of the edge Fuch3A and the edge Fuch3B corresponding to the outer edge of the shiny part CHteka3A and the shiny part CHteka3B, that is, the trapping process is set so that the area of the red paint layer is larger than the area where the black (70%) paint layer is printed by the amount corresponding to the edge Fuch3A and the edge Fuch3B. In other words, the red area is formed so as to be sandwiched between the white area in the shiny part CHteka3A that is white and the black-red area in the shadow part CHkage that is black-red. This solid portion CHmi is originally formed in red, but it is possible to prevent black (70%) from seeping into the shiny portion CHteka3A, particularly in areas where the shiny portion CHteka3A and the shadow portion CHkage are close to each other (the boundary between the shiny portion CHteka3A and the shadow portion CHkage), thereby preventing misidentification of the pattern.

As shown in FIG. 20(b), the width d of the edge Fuch3A, which is set so that the red paint layer 67bM extends beyond the black paint layer 67bK, i.e., the width d of the red area, is also set to, for example, 1 mm in design in this embodiment. Similarly, the width d of this edge Fuch3A is set to a width narrower than the narrowest width (for example, 2 mm) of the edge P4a (see FIG. 19) so as to be inconspicuous.

In the above description, the cherry pattern P4 is set so that yellow seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with yellow and pink (brown), yellow seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with yellow and light blue (green), and red seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with red and black (black-red). However, this is not limited to the above. For example, a trapping process may be performed so that yellow (yellow portion) seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with yellow (yellow portion) and blue (blue portion) (visible as green or dark green), yellow (yellow portion) seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with yellow (yellow portion) and red (red portion) (visible as orange (orange area)) when it is used for a pattern representing vegetables or fruits, and light blue seeps into the shiny portion when it is combined with light blue and dark blue (visible as light blue) when it is used for a replay pattern or plum pattern.

In addition, in the cherry design P4, the yellow and red areas are sandwiched between the white area and the outer periphery of each shiny part, but depending on the design, the yellow and red areas do not necessarily form only the edges of the shiny parts. In other words, at least a part of the yellow area may be sandwiched between the green or brown area and the white area, or at least a part of the red area may be sandwiched between the black-red area and the white area, etc.

In addition, the above-mentioned shiny portions CHteka1 to CHteka3B have been described as being printed with white paint as the colored forming layer 67b, but they may also be printed in white using the first background forming layer 61A or the second background forming layer 61B.

[Positional relationship between the shining part and the backlight LED]
Next, the positional relationship between the shining portion and the LEDs 315 of the reel backlight BL will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the cherry symbol and the LEDs of the backlight when, for example, a typical player looks at the cherry symbol. Note that the state shown in Fig. 21 may deviate slightly depending on the player's height (sitting height) and errors in the reel stop positions, but it is an example that shows that such a state may occur with a certain probability. Also, the hyphens "-11" to "-23" in the symbols of each LED 315 are used to distinguish the positions, and when there is no need to distinguish them, they are simply called LEDs 315.

As shown in FIG. 4, the backlight board 316 of the reel backlight BL is arranged so that a total of six LEDs 315 in three columns and two rows are exposed from each opening of the reflector RL. For example, when reel R1 (as well as reel R2 and reel R3) is stopped, the six LEDs 315 are arranged so that they illuminate one pattern on reel tape T1 (as well as reel tape T2 and reel tape T3) with respect to the opening of the reflector RL, that is, illuminate one pattern with the optical axis of the LEDs 315 as the central axis.

As shown in FIG. 21, when the reel R1 (reel tape T1) is stopped, six LEDs 315-11, 315-12, 315-13, 315-21, 315-22, and 315-23 may be located behind the cherry pattern P4. In this state, LED 315-12 overlaps with a part of the shiny part CHteka2 described above, so that the shiny part CHteka2 and the edge Fuch2 are illuminated by light passing through the central axis of LED 315-12. For this reason, although yellow paint has seeped into the edge Fuch2 part of the shiny part CHteka2 described above, it is brightly irradiated by light passing through the central axis of LED 315-12, making the yellow of the edge Fuch2 brighter than the green of the leaf part CHha, and the brightness approaches the white of the shiny part CHteka2, making it less noticeable, thereby preventing misidentification of the pattern.

In addition, when reel R1 (reel tape T1) is rotating, LED315-11 and LED315-21 in the same row as pattern P4 move relative to each other so as to pass through virtual line LED-L1 shown virtually in Figure 21, LED315-12 and LED315-22 in the same row move relative to each other so as to pass through virtual line LED-L2, and LED315-13 and LED315-23 in the same row move relative to each other so as to pass through virtual line LED-L3. Of these, virtual line LED-L1 overlaps with shiny portion CHteka3B, and virtual line LED-L2 overlaps with shiny portion CHteka2. In other words, the shining portion CHteka3B is positioned so as to overlap the LED315-11 and LED315-21 (at least one of the multiple LEDs) in the short direction X (width direction), and the shining portion CHteka2 is positioned so as to overlap the LED315-12 and LED315-22 (at least one of the multiple LEDs) in the short direction X (width direction). Therefore, when the reel R1 (reel tape T1) is rotating, the shining portion CHteka3B is illuminated by light passing through the central axes of the LED315-11 and LED315-21, and the shining portion CHteka2 is illuminated by light passing through the central axes of the LED315-12 and LED315-22.

Therefore, when the reel R1 (reel tape T1) is rotating, red paint seeps into the edge Fuch3B in the area close to the shadow area CHkage in the shiny area CHteka3B, but it is illuminated brightly by the light passing through the central axis of LED315-11 and LED315-21, making the red of the edge Fuch3B brighter than the black of the shadow area CHkage, and the brightness approaches the white of the shiny area CHteka3B, making it less noticeable. Similarly, when the reel R1 (reel tape T1) is rotating, yellow paint seeps into the edge Fuch2 of the shiny area CHteka2, but it is illuminated by the light of LED315-12 and LED315-22, making the yellow of the edge Fuch brighter than the green of the leaf area CHha, and the brightness approaches the white of the shiny area CHteka2, making it less noticeable.

Note that in the explanation using Figure 21, reel R1 (reel tape T1) is described as being in a rotating state, but depending on the position where reel R1 (reel tape T1) stops and the player's line of sight, it is possible that LED315-11 overlaps with shiny portion CHteka1 or shiny portion CHteka3B, and even in such cases, the effect of making edge Fuch1 or edge Fuch3B less noticeable is the same.

[Modifications of reel tape]
In the present embodiment described above, the background portion H is described as having a background color formed by the white paint of the first background forming layer 61A, but the present invention is not limited to this and the background color may be any color, and in particular a white-based background color is preferable, and it may be one that contains, for example, a luster pigment.

In addition, in this embodiment, a white shiny portion is formed in the pattern, but this is not limited to this, and it may be configured as a so-called highlight area such as one that represents the light and dark of an object, or one that represents water droplets, etc. Furthermore, the color of such a highlight area is not limited to white, and can be any color as long as it is brighter than the color of the surrounding area.

In addition, in this embodiment, the edges of each pattern are described as being formed with a paint of low brightness (paint of black, dark gray, navy blue, etc.), but it is preferable to use paint of a similar color for each pattern. Note that similar colors include colors that are the same color as well as similar colors, such as magenta for red, cyan for blue, and gray for black. Specifically, similar colors are colors with a small color difference (ΔE ^* ab), preferably a color difference of less than 10, and more preferably less than 5.0. This ΔE ^* ab is a value expressed by ΔE ^* ab=√((ΔL ^* ) ²⁺ (Δa ^* ) ²⁺ (Δb ^* ) ² ), and the larger the value, the greater the difference in color when viewed visually.

In addition, in this embodiment, the symbol design P3 (design "BAR") has been described as not having a light-transmitting portion, but this is not limited thereto, and design P3 (design "BAR"), design P4 (design "cherry"), design P6 (design "bell"), etc. may have a light-transmitting portion. In this case, it is preferable that the design having a light-transmitting portion also has a diffusion layer 64.

In addition, in this embodiment, the color forming layer 67b is described as a single layer of paint of various colors that forms the colored portion inside the pattern, or a mixed color of multiple layers, but this is not limited to this, and it may be something that expresses shades with dots, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, the slot machine 1 has been described as a so-called full-screen LCD machine equipped with a display device 330 that is a liquid crystal display covering the display window DW, but this is not limited to the above, and the display device 330 may be located in a different place from the display window DW. Even in this case, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 can be brightened by adding transparent paint to the background portion H of the reel tape T1 to the reel tape T3 to allow the illumination of the reel backlight BL to pass through easily, which, together with the ease of viewing the patterns, improves the appearance.

[Medal guide passage structure]
As shown in Fig. 1, a medal receiving tray MP and a medal payout outlet MO are provided below the front door FD. Also, as shown in Fig. 22(a), a cancel chute 40 is provided behind the medal receiving tray MP. Although not shown, a hopper unit 320 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is disposed behind (on the back side of) the cancel chute 40.

Figure 22 (b) shows the state in which the medal tray MP and the cancel chute 40 are separated. The medal tray MP is formed in a generally square (rectangular) dish that is long in the left-right direction. The medal tray MP mainly comprises a bottom MP1, an edge (wall) MP2 that is formed (standing) upright to surround the bottom MP1, and a medal payout outlet MO formed in the rear edge MP2. Note that in this embodiment, the medal tray MP has a concave storage section MP3 that can store medals, etc., but the storage section MP3 does not have to be provided. In other words, the storage section MP3 may not be provided and the bottom MP1 may be larger.

The edge MP2 has the function of preventing medals dispensed from the medal payout outlet MO from spilling out of the medal tray MP. The edge MP2 is made up of a front edge (front wall MP2a) located in front of the bottom MP1, a right edge located on the right side of the bottom MP1, a left edge located on the left side of the bottom MP1, and a rear edge located on the rear side of the bottom MP1. In this embodiment, the height of the front edge (height from the bottom MP1) is the lowest, but this height is equal to or greater than the diameter of the medal.

The cancel chute 40 is formed to have a space on the inside (interior), allowing medals to pass (be guided) through the inside. The cancel chute 40 functions as a medal passage (guide passage) that guides medals that have entered the interior to the medal tray MP. In this embodiment, the cancel chute 40 may be referred to as a "medal passage." The cancel chute 40 has multiple openings (described below). In other words, the cancel chute 40 has an entrance section and an exit section for the medals. In this embodiment, the cancel chute 40 is composed of two members, a first member (front member) and a second member (rear member) from the front and rear, but is not limited to this and may be composed of one member, or may be composed of two or more members.

The medal passage (i.e., the cancel chute 40) is required to be shaped to allow medals to flow (pass) smoothly in order to prevent medals from clogging within the passage. However, if the medal passage is shaped in such a way that the smooth flow of medals is given too much priority in order to prevent medal clogging, it will cause the problem that it will be easier to commit fraud against the hopper unit 320 located at the rear (deteriorating anti-fraud performance). Furthermore, if the medal passage is shaped in a complex way in order to improve anti-fraud performance, it will be difficult to achieve the smooth flow of medals, and furthermore, the complex shape will cause the problem of interfering with the installation (positioning) of other components on the front door FD (reducing the installation space for other components).

In this embodiment, we will explain the shape of the medal passage that can achieve a good balance between allowing the medals to flow smoothly, improving anti-fraud performance, and preventing interference with the installation of other components.

(Second opening 4002)
As shown in FIG. 22(b), the cancel chute 40 has a second opening 4002 (receiving tray side opening) that opens in the front-rear direction at the lower front side. FIG. 23(a) is a view of the cancel chute 40 seen from the front side. The second opening 4002 has a substantially rectangular shape when seen from the front. As shown in FIG. 22(a), the second opening 4002 is in contact with the medal payout outlet MO of the medal receiving tray MP. In addition, "in contact" includes a case where the medal payout outlet MO is close to the medal payout outlet MO and a case where the medal payout outlet MO is abutted against the medal payout outlet MO. The second opening 4002 is provided at a position corresponding to (opposing) the medal payout outlet MO. It can also be said that the second opening 4002 and the medal payout outlet MO are formed to overlap in the front-rear direction. The second opening 4002 is an outlet for medals from the cancel chute 40.

The cancel chute 40 is located between the medal receiving tray MP and the hopper unit 320 (Figure 3) in the front-rear direction, and is capable of guiding medals sent out from the hopper unit 320 to the medal receiving tray MP (details will be described later).

Figure 24 is a view of the hopper unit 320 as seen from the front side. A medal payout outlet 321 (payout section, launch port section) is provided on the front side (front surface) of the hopper unit 320. The medal payout outlet 321 is formed to allow medals to pass through, and medals are sent out (launched) from the medal payout outlet 321 when, for example, a small winning combination is achieved or when the settlement button BS is pressed with credited medals present. The opening of the medal payout outlet 321 is roughly rectangular, and slopes diagonally downward to the right when viewed from the front.

A peripheral wall 322 is provided around the medal payout outlet 321. The peripheral wall 322 is a portion (wall portion) of a predetermined range of the front surface of the hopper unit 320 around the medal payout outlet 321. The predetermined range is at least a range that faces the first opening 4001 (opening area of the first opening 4001) described next (for example, the range inside the dashed line W in FIG. 24). The peripheral wall 322 is a surface that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction.

(First opening 4001)
FIG. 23B is a view of the cancel chute 40 as seen from the rear side (back side). A first opening 4001 (hopper side opening) that opens in the front-rear direction is provided on the rear side of the cancel chute 40. The first opening 4001 is substantially rectangular and slopes downward to the left when viewed from the rear (downward to the right when viewed from the front). The first opening 4001 contacts the medal payout outlet 321 of the hopper unit 320 when the front door FD is closed. Note that contact includes being close to and being in contact with each other.

When the front door FD is closed, the first opening 4001 and the medal payout outlet 321 face each other. The opening size of the first opening 4001 is larger than that of the medal payout outlet 321. The first opening 4001 is provided at a position corresponding to (opposing) the medal payout outlet 321. It can also be said that the first opening 4001 and the medal payout outlet 321 are formed to overlap in the front-to-rear direction. The first opening 4001 serves as the entrance (first entrance) for medals into the cancel chute 40.

Figure 25 is a view of the front door FD (lower door) from the rear side. Below the medal insertion port MI (see Figure 1) on the front door FD, a medal selector (selector) 200 is provided. The medal selector 200 is provided above the cancel chute 40. The medal selector 200 has the function of selecting medals inserted through the medal insertion port MI. For example, if the inserted medal is not a genuine medal or if the timing of inserting the medal is not appropriate, the medal selector 200 guides the inserted medal downward to the cancel chute 40 (drops the medal toward the cancel chute 40 downward).

(Third opening 4003)
FIG. 26(a) is a view of the cancel chute 40 as seen from above. A third opening 4003 (selector side opening) is provided on the upper side (upper right side) of the cancel chute 40. The third opening 4003 opens in the vertical direction. The third opening 4003 contacts the lower end of the medal selector 200. Note that contact includes being close to the medal selector 200 and being in contact with the medal selector 200. The third opening 4003 is substantially rectangular in shape. The third opening 4003 serves as an entrance (second entrance) for medals into the cancel chute 40.

(Positional relationship of each opening)
FIG. 26(b) is a view of the cancel chute 40 as seen from the left side (left side view). The first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 are provided at different heights (shifted heights) in the vertical direction. The first opening 4001 is provided above the second opening 4002. The third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002 are provided at different heights in the vertical direction. The third opening 4003 is provided above the second opening 4002. The first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 are provided at different heights in the vertical direction. The third opening 4003 is provided above the first opening 4001.

Medals fired from the medal payout outlet 321 of the hopper unit 320 enter the interior of the cancel chute 40 (medal passage) through the first opening 4001. The cancel chute 40 then leads (guides) the medals that have entered the interior from the first opening 4001 forward. The medals that have entered the interior of the cancel chute 40 from the first opening 4001 pass through (flow down, slide) the interior of the cancel chute 40 and exit the cancel chute 40 from the second opening 4002.

Furthermore, the medal sent out from the medal selector 200 (that has passed through the medal selector 200) enters the interior of the cancel chute 40 via the third opening 4003. The cancel chute 40 then leads (guides) the medal that has entered the interior through the third opening 4003 downward. The medal that has entered the interior of the cancel chute 40 from the third opening 4003 passes through the interior of the cancel chute 40 and exits the cancel chute 40 from the second opening 4002.

Figure 27 (a) is a view of the cancel chute 40 from the front, with the components constituting the front side of the cancel chute 40 seen through (transparent). The first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 are provided at different positions (displaced positions) in the left-right direction. The first opening 4001 is provided to the left of the second opening 4002. The third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002 are provided at different positions (displaced positions) in the left-right direction. The third opening 4003 is provided to the right of the second opening 4002. The first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 are provided at different positions (displaced positions) in the left-right direction.

In this embodiment, the left end of the first opening 4001 is located to the left of the left end of the second opening 4002, but the right end of the first opening 4001 is located between the left end of the second opening 4002 and the right end of the second opening 4002. The first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 have a relatively small amount of misalignment in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, but a relatively large amount of misalignment in the up-down direction (height direction), so there is no overlapping area (overlapping portion) when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, the first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 are located at positions where they do not overlap when viewed from the front.

The left end of the third opening 4003 is located to the right of the right end of the second opening 4002. The third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002 are relatively largely offset in the left-right and up-down directions (height directions), and there is no overlapping area (overlapping portion) when viewed from the front. The third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002 have different opening directions (opening orientations). In this embodiment, the third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002 are located in positions where they do not overlap when viewed from the front.

The first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 are relatively largely offset in the left-right and up-down directions (height directions), and there is no overlapping area (overlapping portion) when viewed from the front. The first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 have different opening directions (opening orientations). In this embodiment, the first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 are provided in positions where they do not overlap when viewed from the front.

Figure 27 (b) is a diagram showing (only) the components that make up the rear side of the cancel chute 40. The inner surface of the cancel chute 40 (the surface that makes up the medal passage) includes a first inclined surface 4011, a second inclined surface 4012, and a third inclined surface 4013.

The first inclined surface 4011 is a surface that slopes downward in the left-right direction toward the right (a surface that slopes downward to the right). The first inclined surface 4011 is formed so that it can come into contact with a medal that enters through the first opening 4001, and when a medal comes into contact with it, it guides the medal to the lower right (the second inclined surface 4012).

The third inclined surface 4013 is a surface that slopes downward in the left-right direction (a surface that slopes downward to the left). The third inclined surface 4013 is formed so that it can come into contact with a medal that enters through the third opening 4003, and when a medal comes into contact with it, it guides the medal to the lower left (the second inclined surface 4012).

The second inclined surface 4012 is provided below the first inclined surface 4011 and the third inclined surface 4013. The second inclined surface 4012 is inclined downward in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the second inclined surface 4012 is made up of two inclined surfaces with different gradients (inclinations), and the inclined surface on the front side has a greater gradient (inclination with respect to the horizontal plane) than the inclined surface on the rear side.

The second inclined surface 4012 is formed so that it can come into contact with a medal falling from above, and guides the medal that comes into contact with it forward (i.e., the second opening 4002). The second inclined surface 4012 is formed so that it continues to the second opening 4002, and the medal that travels down the slope and reaches the second opening 4002 is discharged from the second opening 4002 to the outside (i.e., the medal tray MP).

Here, the medal passage from the first opening 4001 to the second opening 4002 (connecting the first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002) is referred to as the first passage F1, and the medal passage from the third opening 4003 to the second opening 4002 (connecting the third opening 4003 and the second opening 4002) is referred to as the second passage F2.

The first passage F1 has a shape that allows the direction in which the medal moves (travel direction) to be changed. It can also be said that the first passage F1 has at least one bent portion (bent portion). In other words, the first passage F1 is crank-shaped.

The second passage F2 has a shape that allows the direction in which the medal moves (travel direction) to be changed. It can also be said that the second passage F2 has at least one bent portion (curved portion). In other words, the second passage F2 is crank-shaped.

The first passage F1, which runs from the first opening 4001 to the second opening 4002, is a passage that, as shown by the arrow F1, proceeds from the rear to the front, turns at a bend (first bend) to proceed to the right side (lower right side), and then turns at the next bend (second bend) to proceed to the front side (lower front side).

A medal launched from the rear to the front through the first opening 4001 may collide with the flat front surface of the passage (surface marked with the symbol V in FIG. 31). A metal plate (buffer member) may be arranged on the front surface with which the medal collides to cushion the impact of the medal collision. In other words, a part (of the inner surface) of the medal passage may be formed from a metal plate. By arranging the metal plate, it is possible to prevent the inner surface of the passage from being deformed or damaged by the medal collision. The metal plate may be, for example, a stainless steel plate with a thickness of about 0.4 mm. Note that rubber (elastic body) may be used as the buffer member instead of a metal plate.

In this embodiment, the medal launched from the rear to the front collides with a flat front surface in the passage, but this is not limiting, and the medal may collide with a curved front surface in the passage. In other words, the front surface may be curved. A curved surface may be, for example, a shape that is concave (recessed) toward the front. When the front surface that the medal collides with is curved, the impact of the medal collision is mitigated compared to when it is flat. This allows the medal to be guided more smoothly into the medal tray MP.

The second passage F2, which runs from the third opening 4003 to the second opening 4002, is a passage that, as shown by the arrow F2, proceeds from top to bottom, turns at a bend (third bend) to proceed to the left (lower left), and then turns at the next bend (second bend) to proceed forward (lower front).

The passage from the third opening 4003 to the first opening 4001 is referred to as the third passage F3. Although not shown in the figure, the third passage F3 has at least one bend, similar to the first passage F1 and the second passage F2.

If the first passage F1 and the second passage F2 were not shaped in a way that could change the direction in which the medals travel, but were straight (without any curved sections), it would be easy for a player to insert a tool (rod-shaped member) or the like to commit fraud (pranks). In this embodiment, as described above, the first passage F1 and the second passage F2 are shaped in a way that could change the direction in which the medals travel (because they have curved sections), making it difficult for a player to insert a tool (member) or the like. This makes it possible to improve fraud prevention performance. Note that being able to improve fraud prevention performance includes reducing the risk of parts being damaged by the insertion of a tool or the like.

As shown in FIG. 28, a virtual line that passes through (goes through) the first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 is defined as the first virtual line VL1. In this embodiment, it is possible to draw (draw) the first virtual line VL1 without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage (first passage F1). In other words, the first virtual line VL1 is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage. In further other words, the first opening 4001 and the second opening 4002 can be connected by a straight line (first virtual line VL1) that does not contact the inner surface of the medal passage.

With this configuration, the medal passage (first passage F1) has a shape (a shape with a linearly connected space) that allows the first virtual straight line VL1 to be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage, allowing for smooth passage (dispensing) of medals. Also, compared to a medal passage (first passage) with a shape so complex that it is impossible to draw the first virtual straight line VL1, this simple shape prevents it from interfering with the installation of other components.

As shown in FIG. 29, a virtual line that passes through (goes through) the first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 is the third virtual line VL3. In this embodiment, it is impossible to draw (draw) the third virtual line VL3 without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage (third passage F3). In other words, the third virtual line VL3 is a line that cannot be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage. In further other words, it is impossible to connect the first opening 4001 and the third opening 4003 with a line (third virtual line VL3) that does not contact the inner surface of the medal passage. It can also be said that the third virtual line VL3 contacts the inner surface of the medal passage (the inner surface of the medal passage exists on that line).

With this configuration, the medal passage (third passage F3) has a shape that makes it impossible to draw the third virtual straight line VL3, so it is difficult to insert an implement (rod-shaped member) or the like through the third opening 4003 to access the first opening 4001 (medal payout outlet 321). This improves fraud prevention performance. In addition, because the shape makes it impossible to draw the third virtual straight line VL3 (because it is not linear), it is possible to prevent irregular movement of medals that enter the cancel chute 40 from the third opening 4003, such as flowing down toward the first opening 4001.

As shown in FIG. 30, a virtual line that passes through (goes through) the second opening 4002 and the third opening 4003 is defined as the second virtual line VL2. In this embodiment, it is impossible to draw (draw) the second virtual line VL2 without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage (second passage F2). In other words, the second virtual line VL2 is a line that cannot be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the medal passage. In further other words, it is impossible to connect the second opening 4002 and the third opening 4003 with a straight line (second virtual line VL2) that does not contact the inner surface of the medal passage. It can also be said that the second virtual line VL2 contacts the inner surface of the medal passage (the inner surface of the medal passage exists on that straight line).

With this configuration, the medal passage (second passage F2) is shaped in such a way that the second virtual straight line VL2 cannot be drawn, making it difficult to insert an implement (rod-shaped member) or the like through the second opening 4002 to access the third opening 4003 (medal selector 200). This improves fraud prevention capabilities.

In this embodiment, medals pass through the first passage F1 more frequently than through the second passage F2. The first passage F1 has a shape that allows the drawing of the first virtual straight line VL1 while strengthening fraud prevention measures, taking into account the high frequency of medals passing through it, and realizing the smooth passage of medals. On the other hand, the second passage F2 has a shape that makes it impossible to draw the second virtual straight line VL2, as medals pass through it less frequently, and thus has stronger fraud prevention measures.

As shown in FIG. 31, the front (near) end of the first imaginary straight line VL1 is one end VL1a (one end). The first imaginary straight line VL1 can be drawn so that one end VL1a does not come into contact with the front edge (front wall MP2a) of the medal receiving tray MP, but comes into contact with the bottom MP1 of the medal receiving tray MP. In other words, the first imaginary straight line VL1 is a line that can have one end VL1a come into contact with the bottom MP1 of the medal receiving tray MP without coming into contact with the front wall MP2a of the medal receiving tray MP.

With this configuration, one end VL1a contacts the bottom MP1 instead of the front wall MP2a, so that medals that pass through the medal passage contact the bottom MP1 instead of the front wall MP2a. This more reliably prevents medals from climbing over the front wall MP2a and spilling out of the medal tray MP.

In addition, when the end VL1a contacts the bottom MP1 (where the end VL1a is located further back) rather than when the end VL1a contacts the front wall MP2a, it becomes more difficult to insert an implement (rod-shaped member) or the like into the first passage from the front side because the bottom MP1 becomes an obstacle. This improves fraud prevention performance.

As shown in FIG. 32, the rear end (deeper side) of the first virtual straight line VL1 is the other end VL1b (other end). The first virtual straight line VL1 can be drawn so that the other end VL1b does not come into contact with the medal payout outlet 321 of the hopper unit 320, but comes into contact with the peripheral wall portion 322 (FIG. 24). In other words, the first virtual straight line VL1 is a line that can come into contact with the peripheral wall portion 322 without coming into contact with the medal payout outlet 321 of the hopper unit 320.

With this configuration, the other end VL1b contacts the peripheral wall portion 322 instead of the medal payout outlet 321, so even if an instrument (rod-shaped member) or the like is inserted into the first passage F1, it is difficult for the tip of the instrument to contact the medal payout outlet 321 (to access the medal payout outlet 321) (to be inserted into the medal payout outlet 321). This further improves fraud prevention performance.

(Component G)
Here, a rod-shaped member having a predetermined diameter (e.g., about 5 mm) and a predetermined length is defined as member G. The predetermined length is, for example, a length longer than the linear distance from the third opening 4003 to the second opening 4002.

When the front door FD is open and the member G is inserted into the first opening 4001 from the rear side, the member G can be inserted into the first passage F1 without coming into contact with the inner surface of the first passage F1, and the tip of the member G coming out of the second opening 4002 comes into contact with the bottom MP1 of the medal tray MP.

In addition, when the front door FD is closed and the medal receiving tray MP is not present, if a member G is inserted into the second opening 4002, the member G can be inserted into the first passage F1 without coming into contact with the inner surface of the first passage F1, and the tip of the member G protruding from the first opening 4001 comes into contact with the peripheral wall portion 322 of the hopper unit 320. Note that in practice, it is difficult to insert the member G into the first passage F1 from the front side, as the presence of the medal receiving tray MP gets in the way.

In addition, when the front door FD is open and a member G is inserted into the third opening 4003 on the rear side, the tip of the member G cannot be ejected from the second opening 4002. In other words, the member G cannot be inserted into the second passage F2.

In addition, when the front door FD is closed and the medal tray MP is not present, if the member G is inserted into the second opening 4002, the tip of the member G cannot be ejected from the third opening 4003. In other words, the member G cannot be inserted into the second passage F2.

In addition, when the front door FD is open and a member G is inserted into the third opening 4003 on the rear side, the tip of the member G cannot be ejected from the first opening 4001. In other words, the member G cannot be inserted into the third passage F3.

According to the present embodiment described above, the first passage F1 has a shape that allows the direction in which the game value (medals) advance to be changed, making it difficult for players to insert tools or the like. This improves fraud prevention capabilities. In other words, the risk of parts being damaged by the insertion of tools or the like can be reduced.

The first passage F1 is also capable of drawing the first virtual straight line VL1 without contacting the inner surface of the first passage F1. This allows for smooth passage of the game value (medals). The first passage F1 also has a simple shape compared to a shape that is so complex that it is not possible to draw the first virtual straight line VL1. This prevents the first passage F1 from interfering with the installation of other components.

The first virtual straight line VL1 can be drawn so that one end VL1a contacts the bottom MP1 and the other end VL1b contacts the peripheral wall 322. With this configuration, the game value (medals) that pass through the guide passage (cancel chute 40) contacts the bottom MP1 instead of the front wall MP2a. This more reliably prevents the game value (medals) from climbing over the front wall MP2a and spilling out of the medal tray MP. Also, because the bottom MP1 acts as an obstacle, it becomes more difficult to insert tools or the like into the first passage F1 from the front side. This can further improve fraud prevention performance.

In addition, even if an instrument or the like is inserted into the first passage F1, the tip of the instrument will contact the surrounding wall, not the launch port. This makes it difficult for the tip to contact the medal payout outlet 321 (to access the launch port) (to be inserted into the launch port). This further improves fraud prevention capabilities.

The second virtual straight line VL2 is a line that cannot be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the second passage F2. In other words, the second passage F2 cannot draw the second virtual straight line VL2 without contacting the inner surface of the second passage F2. This makes it difficult to insert an instrument or the like through the second opening 4002, which is the tray side opening, to access the third opening 4003, which is the selector side opening. This improves fraud prevention performance.

The third virtual straight line VL3 is a line that cannot be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the third passage F3. In other words, the third passage F3 cannot draw the third virtual straight line VL3 without contacting the inner surface of the third passage F3. For this reason, for example, it is difficult to insert an instrument or the like through the third opening 4003, which is the selector side opening, and access the first opening 4001 (medal payout outlet 321), which is the hopper side opening. This can improve fraud prevention performance.

In addition, the third passage F3 has a shape that does not allow the third virtual straight line VL3 to be drawn (because it is not linear), so it is possible to prevent irregular movement of the game value (medals) that enters the guide passage (cancel chute 40) from the third opening 4003, which is the selector side opening, from flowing down toward the first opening 4001, which is the hopper side opening.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the components can be freely combined, any components can be modified, any components can be omitted, etc., without departing from the gist of the invention. In other words, the configuration of the gaming machine is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to slot machines, and can be applied to other gaming machines such as managed slot machines (medalless gaming machines) that are structured so that players can play without using gaming medals.

1... Game machine (slot machine) / 40... Guide passage (cancel chute) / 67aM... Red part (red paint layer) / 67aC... Blue part (light blue paint layer) / 67aY... Yellow part (yellow paint layer) / 61... White part (background forming layer) / 315... Light source (LED) / 320... Hopper (hopper unit) / 321... Launching port part (medal payout port) / 322... Peripheral wall part / 4001... Hopper side opening Mouth (first opening) / 4002... tray side opening (second opening) / BX... case / CHha... green area (leaf part) / CHteka2... white area (shiny part) / F1... first passage / FD... front door / Fuch2... yellow area (edge) / MP... tray (medal tray) / MP1... bottom / MP2a... front wall / P4... specific design (design) / R1-R3... reel / T1-T3... reel tape / VL1... first imaginary straight line

Claims (2)

The device includes a housing, a front door, a reel, and a hopper.
The reel has a reel tape on which a plurality of patterns including a specific pattern are arranged, and a light source that illuminates the reel tape from the inside,
the reel tape has a red portion printed with red paint, a yellow portion printed with yellow paint, and a white portion printed with white paint,
The specific pattern has an orange area where the red area and the yellow area overlap to make the orange color visible, a yellow area where the yellow area is visible, and a white area where the white area is visible,
the yellow region is in contact with the orange region,
the yellow region is in contact with the white region,
The yellow region is sandwiched between the orange region and the white region,
The front door includes a receiving tray and a guide passage.
The hopper includes a launch port portion from which the game value is launched, and a peripheral wall portion of the launch port portion,
The tray includes a bottom portion and a front wall portion provided on a front side of the bottom portion,
The guide passage includes a hopper side opening and a tray side opening,
If the passage from the hopper side opening to the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first passage,
The first passage is capable of guiding the game value shot from the shot port to the tray,
The first passage has a shape capable of changing a direction in which the game value advances,
If a virtual line passing through the hopper side opening and the tray side opening is defined as a first virtual line,
A gaming machine, wherein the first virtual straight line is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the first passage. The device includes a housing, a front door, a reel, and a hopper.
The reel has a reel tape on which a plurality of patterns including a specific pattern are arranged, and a light source that illuminates the reel tape from the inside,
the reel tape has a blue portion printed with blue paint, a yellow portion printed with yellow paint, and a white portion printed with white paint,
The specific pattern has a green area where the blue area and the yellow area overlap to make the green color visible, a yellow area where the yellow area is visible, and a white area where the white area is visible,
the yellow region is in contact with the green region,
the yellow region is in contact with the white region,
The yellow region is sandwiched between the green region and the white region,
The front door includes a receiving tray and a guide passage.
The hopper includes a launch port portion from which the game value is launched, and a peripheral wall portion of the launch port portion,
The tray includes a bottom portion and a front wall portion provided on a front side of the bottom portion,
The guide passage includes a hopper side opening and a tray side opening,
If the passage from the hopper side opening to the receiving tray side opening is defined as a first passage,
The first passage is capable of guiding the game value shot from the shot port to the tray,
The first passage has a shape capable of changing a direction in which the game value advances,
If a virtual line passing through the hopper side opening and the tray side opening is defined as a first virtual line,
A gaming machine, wherein the first virtual straight line is a line that can be drawn without contacting the inner surface of the first passage.

Images