JP4063340B2 - Medal payout game machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a medal payout game machine such as a slot machine in which a predetermined number of medals are paid out according to a game result or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, a slot machine is a game where medals are used as a game medium, and a medal payout device that sequentially takes in medals contained in a hopper and discharges them from a medal discharge port is incorporated in a box constituting the machine body. It is. This medal payout device operates in response to a payout command or the like according to the game result, and medals discharged from the medal discharge port are guided to a medal tray on the front surface of the machine through a passage member. The passage member and the medal tray are disposed on the side of the door attached to the front opening surface of the box so as to be opened and closed.
[0003]
6 and 7 show a conventional passage member 1 formed using a metal pipe.
A medal receiving port 2 and a medal discharge port 3 are opened at the lower side of the passage member 1. When the door is closed, the medal receiving port 2 becomes a medal discharge port 5 of the medal payout device 4. The passage member 1 is positioned and fixed to the inner surface of the door so as to face the door. When the medal 6 is taken into the passage member 1 from the medal receiving port 2, the medal 6 falls in the passage member 1 and is discharged from the medal discharge port 3 to the medal tray 7. In the figure, 8 is a sensor provided in the medal payout device 4 for confirming the passage of the medal 6, and the number of medals 6 discharged is counted by the sensor output.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The medal payout device 4 discharges the medals 6 one by one from the medal discharge port 5 one after another, but the medal payout device 4 in recent years has improved its performance and the medal discharge speed has been increased. For this reason, the discharged medals 6 jump into the passage member 1 vigorously from the medal receiving port 2 and collide with the opposing inner walls of the passage member 1. The collided medal 6 rebounds in the direction of the medal receptacle 2 as indicated by an arrow a in the figure, and collides with the subsequent medal 6.
[0005]
By the way, since the medal payout device 4 is provided on the box side and the passage member 1 is provided on the door side, a slight gap is generated between the passage member 1 and the medal payout device 4 when the door is closed. For this reason, there is a possibility that the medal 6 colliding with the bounced medal 6 is pushed back and falls from the gap or becomes clogged in the gap. Further, the succeeding medal 6 may be pushed back into the medal discharge port 5 of the medal payout device 4. In this case, not only the medal discharge port 5 is clogged but also the sensor 8 detects the same medal 6 twice. As a result, there is a problem that a counting error occurs.
[0006]
This invention was made paying attention to the above problem, and by devising the internal structure of the passage member so as not to cause collision and contact of medals within the passage member, medals may drop out or become clogged, It is an object of the present invention to provide a medal payout game machine in which there is no risk of counting errors occurring.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The medal payout game machine according to the present invention has a door attached to the front opening of the box so as to be openable and closable, and a medal payout device having a medal discharge port for sequentially discharging medals is incorporated in the box, On the inner surface of the door, a passage member that receives medals discharged from the medal payout device and guides it to a medal tray provided on the outer surface of the door by an internal fall passage, when the door is closed, the medal payout device The medal receiving port opened on the side surface is positioned and fixed so as to face the medal discharging port. A medal that has entered the passage member in a vertical position from a direction that is discharged from the medal discharge port of the medal payout device and perpendicular to the opening surface of the medal receiving port, at a position facing the medal receiving port. The vertical medal colliding surface that collides the medals has an oblique angle with respect to the opening surface of the medal receptacle in the horizontal cross-sectional view so that the medals bounce back in different horizontal directions with respect to the direction in which the medals jumped in. It is formed to make an eggplant.
In the medal payout game machine according to the second aspect of the present invention, the medal receiving port faces the medal discharge port of the medal payout device with a gap.
[0008]
[Action]
The medal that jumps into the passage member from the medal receptacle collides with the medal collision surface, but this medal collision surface makes an oblique angle with respect to the opening surface of the medal receptacle. It does not bounce and does not collide or come into contact with subsequent medals.
[0009]
【Example】
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This slot machine is configured to play a game using medals as a play medium, and a medal insertion slot 10 for inserting medals necessary for the execution of the game is provided on the front of the machine in accordance with a game result or the like. A medal tray 7 that accommodates the released medal is provided.
The medal slot 10 is located at the center of the front of the machine, and the medal tray 7 is positioned below. The medal outlet 3 is opened immediately above the medal tray 7.
[0010]
In the center of the height of the front surface of the machine, there is provided a play surface 12 through which the three reels 11a to 11c can be seen through the glass plate. A start lever 13 and reels 11a to 11a are located below the play surface 12. Stop button switches 14a to 14c corresponding to 11c are arranged.
The start lever 13 is for starting the three reels 11a to 11c all at once, and the three stop button switches 14a to 14c are for stopping the corresponding reels 11a to 11c individually.
[0011]
Each of the reels 11a to 11c has a plurality of symbols represented in a row on the outer peripheral surface, and rotates in one direction using a stepping motor as a drive source. When the stop button switches 14 a to 14 c are sequentially pressed after the rotation, the corresponding reels 11 a to 11 c are rotated so that three symbols are positioned on the five stop lines L represented on the play surface 12. Stop.
In this embodiment, the three reels are physically rotated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the three reels are displayed as images on the screen and the respective symbols are moved. The present invention can also be applied to a slot machine of such a system. Furthermore, the present invention can of course be applied to game machines other than slot machines as long as medals are used as game media.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 2, the slot machine having the above-described structure has a structure in which a door 16 is attached to the front opening of a box-type box 15 so as to be openable and closable. Each component such as a medal slot 10, a play surface 12, a start lever 13, and stop button switches 14a to 14c is provided, and a passage member 1 described later is provided on the inner surface of the door 16. Each of the reels 11a to 11c is accommodated in the box 15 and positioned and fixed in accordance with the height of the playing surface 12.
[0013]
Inside the box 15, the medal payout device 4 is accommodated and disposed at a position below the reels 11 a to 11 c. 2, only the medal payout device 4 and the reels 11a to 11c are shown for convenience of explanation. In addition to this, a control circuit for controlling the operation of the machine in series, a control circuit, and each component part are shown. Needless to say, a lead wire or the like for connecting is also incorporated into the box 15.
[0014]
The medal payout device 4 includes a hopper 17 having an upper surface opening having a capacity capable of accommodating a large number of medals, and a medal sending mechanism 18 for taking the medal in the hopper 17 from the lower surface opening and discharging the medal from the medal discharge port 5. ing. This medal delivery mechanism 18 is of a type in which a rotating plate (not shown) is driven to rotate by using a motor 19 as a driving source, and medal is taken out one by one in a medal engaging groove formed around the rotating plate. Go to 5, and discharge this one after another. Since the medal payout device 4 is a known device called a so-called hopper device or the like, detailed illustration of the structure and detailed description thereof are omitted here.
[0015]
FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the passage member 1 that characterizes the present invention together with other components in the vicinity thereof.
The passage member 1 is attached to the inner surface of the door 16. When the door 16 is closed, the passage member 1 is close to the medal payout device 4 (not shown) and is opposed to the medal payout device 4 with a slight gap. The passage member 1 in the illustrated example is formed of a metal pipe having a rectangular cross section. For example, if the passage member 1 is attached so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the door 16, the passage member 1 has a bowl shape with an open side surface. May be.
[0016]
The passage member 1 has a hollow interior serving as a medal dropping passage. A medal receiving port 2 is opened on a side surface of the medal payout device 4, and the medal receiving port 2 is positioned below the medal receiving tray 7. The medal discharge port 3 is opened on the side surface of. When the door 16 is closed, the passage member 1 is arranged on the inner surface of the door 16 so that the medal receiving port 2 faces the medal discharge port 5 of the medal payout device 4 as shown in FIG. Positioning is fixed.
[0017]
The lower end opening of the passage member 1 is closed by a guide plate 20 that inclines downward toward the medal tray 7, and the upper end opening 21 communicates with the lower end openings of other passage members 22 constituting the medal return passage. The upper end of the passage member 22 communicates with the medal insertion slot 10. For example, when a medal is inserted when a medal cannot be received, such as during a game, or when an inappropriate medal is inserted, These medals are returned to the medal tray 7.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 4, a direction changing plate 23 made of a flat metal plate is disposed inside the passage member 1 at a position facing the medal receiving port 2. The direction changing plate 23 is configured to insert the medal 6 that has jumped from the medal receiving port 2 into the passage member 1 from the direction indicated by the arrow b in the drawing, that is, from the direction perpendicular to the opening surface of the medal receiving port 2 as the direction b. Is for rebounding in a different direction c, and the front surface of the direction change plate 23 is formed as a medal collision surface 24 with which the medal 6 collides, and the medal collision surface 24 forms an oblique angle θ with respect to the opening surface of the medal receptacle 2. It is attached to the inside of the passage member 1 to make.
[0019]
The angle θ is an opening angle in the horizontal direction with respect to the opening surface of the medal receptacle 2, and if this is set to 45 degrees, it is desirable that the rebounding direction c is perpendicular to the direction b in which it jumps. The angle does not necessarily have to be 45 degrees. In short, the angle may be set so that the medal 6 rebounds in such a direction that it does not contact the succeeding medal 6.
[0020]
Further, in this embodiment, considering that the passage member 1 communicates with another passage member 22 constituting a medal return passage, the direction change plate 23 is oriented vertically and the horizontal angle θ is set. Although it is attached to the inner surface of the passage member 1, for example, when the medal return passage is formed independently, the direction change plate 23 is oriented sideways with an angle θ (desirably 45 degrees) in the vertical direction. You may attach to the inner surface of the channel | path member 1. FIG. In this case, when the medal 6 collides with the medal collision surface 24 of the direction change plate 23, it bounces downward.
[0021]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, a flat metal plate is used as the direction change plate 23, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a curved metal plate as shown in FIG. 5 may be used. In this case, it is desirable to set the angle θ formed by the tangent d drawn to the medal collision position on the medal collision surface 24 and the opening surface of the medal receiving port 2 to be 45 degrees.
[0022]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the medal collision surface 24 is formed by attaching the direction changing plate 23 with an angle θ inside the passage member 1, but the inner wall surface facing the medal receiving port 2 is the medal receiving port 2. By using a metal pipe having a shape having an oblique angle θ with respect to the opening surface as the passage member 1, the inner wall surface itself of the passage member 1 may be used as the medal collision surface 24.
[0023]
4 and 5, reference numeral 8 denotes a sensor for confirming the passage of medals, and the sensor output is input to the control circuit to count the number of medals released. The number of medals released is displayed on a display 25 provided on the front of the machine.
[0024]
Next, the operation of the slot machine configured as described above will be described.
First, when a medal is inserted into the medal insertion slot 10 and the start lever 13 is operated, the three reels 11a to 11c start to rotate all at once. When the stop button switches 14a to 14c for each reel are sequentially pressed, the corresponding reels are sequentially stopped. When a predetermined symbol of each reel 11a to 11c is aligned with the activated stop line L, the game is won. Then, the medal payout device 4 is operated and the medal releasing operation is executed.
[0025]
The medal payout device 4 discharges the medals 6 one by one from the medal discharge port 5 at a high speed. The discharged medals 6 jump into the passage member 1 from the medal receiving port 2 of the passage member 1, and the direction change plate 23 It collides with the medal collision surface 23. Since the medal collision surface 23 has an oblique angle θ with respect to the opening surface of the medal receiving port 6, the medal 6 colliding with the medal collision surface 23 does not bounce toward the medal receiving port 2 and collides with the subsequent medal 6. Or never touch. As a result, the subsequent medal 6 is not pushed back and falls from the gap between the medal payout device 4 and the passage member 1 or is not clogged with the gap. Further, the succeeding medal 6 is not pushed back into the medal discharge port 5 of the medal payout device 4, so that the medal clogging occurs in the medal discharge port 5 or the sensor 8 detects the same medal twice. There is no risk of miscounting.
The bounced medal 6 falls downward along the falling passage inside the passage member 1 and is discharged from the medal discharge port 3 to the medal tray 7.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the medal that has jumped into the passage member for guiding the medal discharged from the medal paying device to the medal tray in a vertical posture from the direction perpendicular to the opening surface of the medal receiving port. The vertical medal collision surface that collides with the medal is formed so as to form an oblique angle with respect to the opening surface of the medal receptacle in a horizontal cross-sectional view, so that a medal that collides with the medal collision surface rebounds toward the medal receptacle. There is no collision or contact with subsequent medals. Therefore, subsequent medals pushed back inside the medal discharge port of the medal payout device are not clogged, and occurrence of counting errors can be prevented. Further, even if the medal receiving port faces the medal discharging port of the medal payout device with a gap, there is no possibility that a subsequent medal pushed back through the gap falls or the medal is clogged in the gap.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an internal structure of the slot machine.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a passage member 1 together with other configurations in the vicinity thereof.
FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a passage member showing a mounting structure for a direction change plate.
FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a passage member showing another embodiment of the direction changing plate.
FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a conventional passage member.
FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional passage member.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Passage member 2 Medal receiving port 4 Medal dispensing device 7 Medal tray 23 Direction change plate 24 Medal collision surface

Claims (2)

A door is attached to the front opening of the box so that the door can be opened and closed, and a medal payout device including a medal discharge port for sequentially discharging medals is incorporated in the box, and the inner surface of the door includes a medal payout device. A passage member that receives discharged medals to a medal tray provided on the outer surface of the door by a falling passage inside the door has a medal outlet that opens on a side surface of the medal dispensing device when the door is closed. in medal payout game machine comprising fixedly positioned so as to exit the opposite position, wherein the interior of the passage member, the position facing the medal receptacle, the opening of the medal payout device medals receptacle is discharged from the medal discharge outlet of the vertical Medals impact surface impinging medals jumped in a posture of vertically from a direction perpendicular to the plane, write jumping medals As bounce medals horizontally different directions with respect to possible directions, medal payout game machine comprising formed at an angle oblique to the opening face of the medal receiving opening in the horizontal direction of the cross section.   The medal payout game machine according to claim 1, wherein the medal receiving port faces the medal discharge port of the medal payout device with a gap.

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