JP4537991B2 - Slot machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine capable of playing using, for example, a medal as a game medium, and in particular, a game is executed using variable display means such as a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols displayed on an outer peripheral surface. The present invention relates to a slot machine configured as described above.

  Conventionally, as a gaming machine capable of playing using medals, a plurality of (for example, three) variable display means such as reels or drums having a plurality of symbols displayed on the outer peripheral surface are provided, and these variable display means are rotated. A variation display game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed, and a symbol stop display mode when the variation display game is completed is related to forming a predetermined symbol combination mode on a preset active line Thus, there is a slot machine that gives a predetermined game value to a player.

  In such a slot machine, a predetermined number (usually 1 to 3) of game media (for example, medals) by a player, or the number of game media that have been previously inserted and stored by a betting button operation (hereinafter referred to as “the number of game media”). After inputting a predetermined number of bets within the range of credits), the reels are rotated by operating the start lever, and the symbols are displayed in a variable manner. After a certain period of time, the player responds to each reel automatically. Then, by operating the reel stop button provided for each, the rotation of each reel is sequentially stopped to perform the control for determining the symbol combination mode (stop display mode).

  When the reels stop, the symbol combination form formed on the activated line activated in response to the input of the number of bets becomes a predetermined symbol combination mode (winning mode) determined in advance. A winning is established and the number of game media corresponding to the winning type is awarded to the player. Hereinafter, the input of the betting number input by the insertion of the game medium for starting the game by the player and the betting button operation based on the credit is collectively referred to as a bet or a bet input.

  Further, in a general slot machine, the design is configured such that a total of nine symbols can be seen with respect to the display window installed on the front side, with three symbols for each reel. When there is an input of 1 bet (1 bet), the middle horizontal line is set. When there is an input of 2 bets (2 bets), the middle horizontal line, the upper horizontal line, the lower horizontal line A total of 3 lines are set, and in the case of 3 bets (3 bets), the upper, middle and lower horizontal lines, a diagonal line rising to the right, and a diagonal line falling to the right are set as the effective lines. Is done.

  By the way, in a conventional general slot machine, a front door having a display window that allows the reel to be seen from the front side is closed by a hinge or the like so that the entire front opening of the gaming machine main body can be closed or opened. It was configured to be rotatable. This opening / closing mechanism is intended to enable a medal replenishment operation to a medal storage section provided inside the main body by a store clerk in addition to internal maintenance.

  On the other hand, in recent slot machines, in order to reduce the cost of gaming machines, the front door is divided into upper and lower parts, a chassis and medal storage unit having low model dependence, and a lower front door that closes the front of the medal storage part Etc. are left as non-replaceable parts in the game facility's island facilities, and are designed according to the theme of the game control device and reel unit consisting of a reel and its rotation mechanism, which are highly model-dependent when changing to a new gaming machine. Some parts such as the upper front door and the panel that displays the model name can be replaced.

As a prior art related to the present invention, an invention that facilitates the replenishment of medals in a slot machine has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-4-44790

  In a slot machine with a front door of the upper and lower separation type as described above, it is possible to reduce the cost required for model exchange compared to the method of replacing the entire front door, but only the lower door when replenishing medals If it is attempted to open, the upper door protrudes forward from the housing and closes the insertion area above the medal storage part, which makes it difficult to perform replenishment work.

  It is also possible to open both the lower door and the upper door to improve workability when replenishing medals, but each door has a separate key, so it is important to open both doors. In addition to being quite troublesome, it is necessary to hold the door that is open during replenishment work so that it does not close with its own weight.

  The above-mentioned invention of the prior application is intended to facilitate the replenishment of medals, but relates to a slot machine in which the front door is not separated vertically, and has a technical idea different from that of the present invention.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a slot machine capable of replenishing medals relatively easily by opening only the lower door even when the front door is divided vertically. Objective.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an invention according to claim 1 includes a housing having an open front surface, a front door that can be opened and closed attached to the front surface of the housing to close the opening, and upper and lower surfaces of the housing. A shelf member that is arranged substantially in the center in the direction and divides the inside of the housing into an upper space and a lower space, and a reel that is disposed in the upper space and is fixed to the shelf member and capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols. A slot machine comprising a plurality of reel units, and medal payout means capable of paying out medals stored in a medal storage unit arranged in the lower space and capable of storing medals as game media, The front door is configured to be divided into an upper front door and a lower front door, and the upper front door is configured to be able to open and close an opening on the front side of the upper space located at the upper front of the housing. The front door is the front of the housing It is configured to be capable of opening and closing the opening on the front side of the lower space by rotating independently of the upper front door and acting on the medal payout means in connection with the opening operation of the lower front door. A medal insertion area enlarging means capable of enlarging a medal insertion area for inserting medals into the medal storage section, and the medal insertion area enlarging means is located at a predetermined set position when the lower front door is closed. The medal payout means is moved to a position protruding from the front opening of the housing in association with the opening operation of the lower front door, and the medal payout means is stored in the medal payout means. A medal storage amount detection means for detecting the amount of medals stored, and when the medal storage amount detected by the medal storage amount detection means is greater than a predetermined amount, And charged region growing inhibiting means for inhibiting that the medal region is enlarged, is obtained as comprising a.

  According to the above-mentioned means, in the slot machine in which the front door is separated into the upper front door and the lower front door, the entire medal paying means is moved forward in conjunction with the opening operation of the lower front door, and the medal paying means The medal insertion area above is expanded. The medal storage unit may be a case that simply stores medals to be paid out as prizes, or may be a so-called medal unit configured integrally with a mechanism for paying out medals as prizes.

Further, the amount of protrusion from the front opening when the medal paying means moves forward can be set to an amount that protrudes about 1/3 to 1/2 instead of the amount that the entire medal paying means protrudes. As a configuration that allows the medal payout means to move back and forth, for example, a slide rail or the like can be considered. The slide rail may be provided on the lower surface of the medal payout means or on the side wall.
Further, when the amount of medals stored in the medal payout means is large, the medal insertion area can be prevented from being enlarged when the lower front door is open. As the insertion area expansion prohibiting means, a stopper that is operated by a solenoid and prevents expansion by the medal insertion area expansion means can be considered.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the medal payout means is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and further provided with an urging means for urging the medal payout means forward, on the back surface of the lower front door. Is provided with a pressing member at a position corresponding to the medal payout means, and when the lower front door is open, the urging means moves the medal payout means forward to enlarge the medal insertion area, and the lower front face In conjunction with the closing operation of the door, the medal payout means is moved backward against the urging force of the urging means by the pressing member by the force in the closing direction of the lower front door to reduce the medal insertion area. It is comprised as follows. There is a compression spring as the biasing means.

  According to the above means, when the lower front door is opened, the urging means moves the medal paying means forward to enlarge the medal insertion area, and when the lower front door is closed, the medal paying means is The medal insertion area is reduced by moving backward. The medal insertion area enlarging means is a broad concept including a control means for controlling the drive source in the case of including an electrical drive source in addition to the physical configuration.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect , the medal insertion area expanding means includes an open / close detecting means for detecting an open / closed state of the lower front door, and the open / close detecting means and the medal storage amount detecting means. The throwing area expansion prohibiting means is controlled based on the detection signal from.

  According to the above-described means, it is possible to control whether or not to enlarge the medal insertion area according to the open / closed state of the lower front door and the amount of medals stored in the medal payout means. This control can be realized by using a part of the function of the control device when it is provided with a control device composed of a CPU or the like for performing game control of the slot machine.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect , the insertion area expansion prohibiting means prohibits the movement of the medal payout means when the opening / closing detection means detects that the lower front door is closed. It is what you do. Thereby, it is possible to prohibit the medal insertion area from expanding when the lower front door is closed.

In the invention according to claim 1, the whole medal payout means is moved forward in conjunction with the opening operation of the lower front door, and the medal insertion area above the medal payout means is expanded, so that the front door is Even when the front door and the lower front door are separated from each other, the medal replenishment work to the medal storage part can be performed relatively easily. Also, it is not necessary to open the upper front door when replenishing medals, and only the lower front door can be opened to easily replenish medals.
Further, when the amount of medals stored in the medal payout means is large, the medal insertion area can be prevented from being enlarged when the lower front door is open. Thereby, when the lower front door is opened, it is possible to prevent the medal insertion area expanding means from expanding the medal insertion area and spilling medals in the medal payout means to the outside.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the lower front door is opened, the urging means moves the medal payout means forward to enlarge the medal insertion area, and when the lower front door is closed, the medal payout means. Is moved backward to reduce the medal insertion area. As a result, the medal insertion area above the medal payout means can be expanded with a relatively small number of parts and a simple configuration change, so that medals can be easily replenished.

In the invention according to claim 3 , it is possible to control whether or not to enlarge the medal insertion area according to the open / closed state of the lower front door and the amount of medals stored in the medal payout means. If a mechanism that operates so as to expand or not expand the medal insertion area according to the amount of medals is realized only by a mechanism, the configuration becomes very complicated, but the insertion area is based on the detection signal from the detection means. By controlling the enlargement prohibiting means, it is possible to easily realize a mechanism for enlarging or not expanding the medal insertion area.

The invention according to claim 4 can prohibit the medal insertion area from expanding when the lower front door is closed.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a preferred slot machine to which the present invention is applied.
In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a front door attached to the front surface of the housing of the slot machine. In this embodiment, the front door 2 is divided vertically along the one-dot chain line AA shown in FIG. The upper front door 2A and the lower front door 2B can be opened and closed. When replacing the model, only the upper front door 2A is replaced, and the lower front door 2B is left as it is, so that the cost can be reduced. Yes.

  A display window portion 20 is provided at approximately the center of the upper front door 2A for allowing the player to visually recognize symbols that are displayed in a variable manner by the rotation of the reels 4a, 4b, and 4c as the variable display means. From the display window 20, three symbols can be visually recognized from among the symbol rows displayed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the reels 4a, 4b, and 4c while the reels 4a, 4b, and 4c are stopped. Yes. That is, in a state where the reels 4a, 4b, and 4c are stopped, a total of nine symbols can be visually recognized from the display window portion 20.

  Above the display window section 20, a display device 5 including a liquid crystal display device or the like on which various information is displayed is provided. The display device 5 is controlled by an effect control device inside the housing, and is notified of the type of winning prize won by the internal lottery. On the left side of the display window 20 is provided a bet line display unit 13 for displaying bet lines activated in accordance with the number of medals inserted by the player or the number of bets placed from credits (up to 3). It has been.

  For example, when the bet number is one, the bet line display unit 13 indicates that “1” in the center of the bet line display unit 13 is lit and only the middle horizontal line is an active line, and the medal bet number is 2 In the case of the number of cards, “1” in the center of the bet line display portion 13 and “2” positioned above and below it are lit, indicating that the three horizontal lines in the upper, middle and lower rows are valid lines, When there are three, “1”, “2”, and “3” in the bet line display section 13 are all lit, and three horizontal lines and two diagonal lines that go down to the right and up to the right are a total of five active lines. It shows that.

  On the right side of the display window 20, a gaming state display unit 14 for displaying various gaming states is provided. The game state display unit 14 displays, for example, an “INSERT_MEDALS” display indicating that the gaming machine is in a state where the game can be executed and suggesting the insertion of a medal, that the replay winning is obtained, and that the game currently being performed receives the replay winning “REPLAY” display indicating that the replay game has been acquired, “WAIT” display indicating that there is a waiting time until the reel starts rotating after the player inserts a medal and operates the start lever, The player operates the reel stop button to stop the reel, or “GAME_OVER” is displayed to indicate that the reel is automatically stopped after a predetermined time and the game is ended.

  Below the display window section 20, a payout display section 8 that displays the number of payouts when the player wins various prizes and receives a payout of medals, a game progress display section that displays the number of remaining BB and RB games, etc. 11. A credit number display section 12 for displaying the number of credits of medals is provided side by side. In addition, each of these display parts 8, 11, and 12 can be comprised using 7 segment LED and a liquid crystal device. A translucent front cover member 25 is mounted on the upper portion of the front door 2, and a sound output including a decorative display device including a light emitting element such as a lamp and an LED, a speaker, and the like is provided on the back of the front cover member 25. A device is provided.

  An inclined portion 22 is formed at the upper end of the lower front door 2B. The inclined portion 22 is provided with a medal insertion slot 15 into which a medal is inserted. A player can play a game by inserting a medal into the insertion slot. It becomes like this. The inclined portion 22 has a 1-bet button 10 that can bet medals one by one from the number of credits (credit data) by a pressing operation, and a betable number (for example, the number of credits is calculated from the number of credits by one pressing operation). There is a max bet button 9 for betting medals by 3 bets if there are 3 or more and 2 bets if the number of credits is 2). With the medal bet buttons 9 and 10, medals can be bet within the credit amount displayed on the credit amount display unit 12 without inserting medals from the medal insertion slot 15. Is set.

  The lower front door 2B is provided with a rectangular decorative panel 19. In this embodiment, the decorative panel 19 is configured to be replaceable. By replacing this decorative panel 19 with a model name display or a design designed according to the model theme, it reduces the discomfort of the appearance and gives the impression that the bag has replaced the entire front door. Can do.

  Furthermore, above the decorative panel 19 of the lower front door 2B, a credit selection button 18 that can be selectively switched between a credit state in which medals can be stored as credits and a non-credit state in which medals cannot be stored, A start lever 6 for starting the rotation of the reels 4a, 4b, 4c and reel stop buttons 7a, 7b, 7c for stopping the rotation of the reels 4a, 4b, 4c are provided.

  Each of the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b, and 7c has a built-in stop button lamp for notifying whether or not the reel stop button is operable. For example, the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b, and 7c cannot be operated while these stop button lamps are not lit, and the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b, and 7c can be operated after the lamps are lit. Further, whether or not the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b, and 7c are operable can be notified by the lighting color of the operation information lamp.

  Cover members 24 and 24 having translucency are mounted on the left and right sides of the decorative panel 19, and lamps, LEDs, and the like are disposed on the back portions of the cover members 24 and 24. Also, below the decorative panel 19, a tray 23 and an ashtray 21 that can store medals paid out from a medal unit (FIG. 2) on the back of the lower front door 2B are provided.

2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lower front door 2B of the slot machine of the embodiment is opened, and FIG. 3 is a sectional side view.
2 and 3, reference numeral 30 denotes a slot machine housing. As shown in FIG. 3, a shelf member 27 that divides the inside of the housing into an upper space and a lower space is provided at a substantially vertical center inside the housing 30. The reel unit 4 is placed on the shelf member 27 and fixed so as to be positioned in the upper space, and the lower space inside the housing 30 partitioned by the shelf member 27, that is, the back portion of the lower front door 2B. In this space, a medal unit 40 for paying out medals as prizes is arranged.

  An upper portion of the medal unit 40 is opened to constitute a medal storage unit 41. In this embodiment, a displacement member 42 that can be tilted forward is provided on the upper front wall of the main body case of the medal unit 40. When the lower front door 2B is opened, the displacement member 42 tilts forward and the medal unit 40 The area of the upper opening is configured to be enlarged. Thereby, the medals can be easily replenished to the medal storage section simply by opening the lower front door 2B.

  4 shows a more detailed configuration of the medal unit 40, and FIG. 5 shows the shape of the displacement member 42. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the medal unit 40, and the left side corresponds to the front side of the slot machine.

  The displacement member 42 has fan-shaped flanges 42a and 42b on the left and right sides, a pin hole 42c is formed in a portion corresponding to the center of the fan, and a stopper piece 42d protruding sideways at the tip of one flange 42a. However, on the front wall of the displacement member 42, a spring locking piece 42e protruding forward is formed on one side, and the body case of the medal unit 40 can be tilted by a pin 43 inserted through the pin hole 42c. 44 is attached to the upper part of the front wall. On the other hand, a spring locking piece 44a protruding forward is also formed on one side of the front wall of the main body case 44 of the medal unit 40, and a tension spring 45 is interposed between these spring locking pieces 42e and 44a. It is stretched.

  A stopper solenoid 46 is fixed to the side wall of the main body case 44 of the medal unit 40 at a position corresponding to the stopper piece 42d when the displacement member 42 is rotated in a direction to reduce the area of the upper opening of the case. Yes. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, as the stopper solenoid 46, a double latch solenoid that can be excited and driven in both directions and maintains the state at that time even when the current is cut off is used.

  In the medal unit 40 of this embodiment, when the amount of medals in the medal storage section of the medal unit 40 decreases, the solenoid 46 is excited to retract the stopper 46a at the tip of the solenoid to release the stopper piece 42d. Then, the displacement member 42 is tilted forward by the pulling force of the tension spring 45, and the opening is enlarged. A pressing member 29 protruding rearward is provided at a position corresponding to the displacement member 42 on the back surface of the lower front door 2B. When the lower front door 2B is closed, the pressing member 29 contacts the displacement member 42. The displacement member 42 is rotated backward against the spring force of the tension spring 45. In addition, this press member displaces the displacement member 42 to the back side (direction which becomes a normal state), and the site | part which contacts the displacement member of this press member becomes a contact part, and functions as an operation means.

  Thereby, the area of the upper opening of the medal unit 40 is reduced. When the lower front door 2B is closed, the solenoid 46 is excited in a direction opposite to the above based on a signal from a sensor for detecting the lower door 2B, and the stopper 46a at the tip of the solenoid is projected to engage the stopper piece 42d. The displacement member 42 can be prevented from tilting. Instead of providing the pressing member 29 on the back surface of the lower front door 2B, a contact member protruding forward is provided on the front surface of the displacement member 42, and a flat surface that slides in contact with the corresponding contact member on the back surface of the lower front door 2B. A contact surface may be provided. The stopper piece 42d functions as insertion area expansion prohibiting means for prohibiting expansion of the medal insertion area.

  In FIG. 4, 47 is an overflow outlet for allowing a medal that has reached a predetermined amount to flow out of the case, and 48 is a detection piece that detects whether or not the medal in the main body case 44 has reached an allowable amount. The detection piece 48 is composed of, for example, two parallel conductive metal pieces separated by a predetermined distance, and a detector (not shown) detects that the metal pieces are electrically connected with each other by storing the medal. Medal storage amount detection means for detecting the amount is configured. In the embodiment, the detection piece 48 is provided at the uppermost part so as to detect medals accumulated in the case without flowing out from the overflow outlet, but the detection piece may be provided at a lower position. good.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a control system of the slot machine of the embodiment.
The main control device 50 of this embodiment includes a CPU 51, a read-only ROM 52, a read / write RAM 53, an input / output interface (I / F) 54, a random number generator 55, and the like. In addition to performing various arithmetic controls by the control unit and the arithmetic unit, the CPU 51 permits the reels 4a, 4b, 4c to be stopped so that a predetermined symbol combination mode is formed on the reel 4 by the lottery means. An internal lottery to determine whether or not. Specifically, the lottery means performs an internal lottery using a random number generated by a random number generator (random number generating IC) 55 and output as a random number for internal lottery. Instead of the random number generator 55, an internal lottery random number may be generated by software processing of the CPU 51.

  The main control device 50 includes pull-in stop control means for performing stop control of the reel 4 so that a predetermined symbol combination mode is formed (or not formed) based on the lottery result of the lottery means. Further, the pull-in stop control unit includes a pull-in stop control switching unit and a pull-in frame number increase control unit described later. The ROM 52 stores control programs and control data, as well as determination values for internal lottery. The RAM 53 stores a random number storage area for internal lottery generated by the random number generator 55, a storage area for other various data (for example, medal credit number, medal bet number, winning prize type, etc.), and CPU 51. It has a work area.

  The input / output interface (I / F) 54 is connected to a inserted medal detection sensor 15S, a start lever switch 6S, reel stop switches 7Sa, 7Sb, 7Sc, reel position detection sensors 31a, 31b, through a low-pass filter and a buffer gate (not shown). 31c, 1-bet switch 10S, max-bet switch 9S, credit selection switch 18S, payout medal detection sensor 3S, probability setting device 32, reset switch 33, upper front door and lower front door open detection switches 34a and 34b, in the medal unit Various detection signals output from the medal amount detection sensor 35 and the like are input to the CPU 51.

  Here, the inserted medal detection sensor 15S is a sensor for detecting a medal inserted from the medal slot 15, the start lever switch 6S is a switch for detecting that the start lever 6 is operated, a reel stop switch 7Sa, 7Sb and 7Sc are provided for each of the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b and 7c, and switches for detecting that the reel stop buttons 7a, 7b and 7c are operated. The reel position detection sensors 31a, 31b and 31c are reels. A sensor provided for each of 4a, 4b, and 4c for detecting the stop position of each reel 4a, 4b, and 4c, and a 1-bet switch 10S are switches for detecting that the 1-bet button 10 has been pressed.

  The max bet switch 9S is a switch for detecting that the max bet button 9 is pressed, the credit selection switch 18S is a switch for detecting that the credit selection button 18 is pressed, and the payout medal detection sensor 3S is The sensor detects the number of medals paid out from the medal payer (medal paying unit) 3. The probability setting device 32 is a slot machine setting (settings 1 to 6 having different winning probabilities for each winning are prepared, and the winning probability becomes higher as the setting probability becomes the lowest and the setting value increases, for example, winning There are six probability tables for each setting), a reset switch 33 is a switch for resetting the gaming state of the slot machine, and a front frame opening detection switch 34 is a switch for detecting that the front door 2 is opened. (Opening / closing detection means).

  The input / output interface (I / F) 54 sends a control signal output from the CPU 51 via an output port and a driver (not shown) to an effect control device (sub control means) 60, a medal payout unit 3, and a reel motor. 4Ma, 4Mb, 4Mc, the external signal output unit 38, the stop button lamp 39, the stopper solenoid 46 of the medal unit 40, etc.

  The effect control device 60 as sub-control means includes a control CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like, and performs overall control of information display and sound output related to the effect of the display device 5. Further, during a special game state where a special prize is won and a flashy presentation is performed, if the game is not executed for a certain period of time, the presentation display of the display device 5 and the output from the sound output unit 26 are reduced or stopped. Control is also performed. In addition, control signals are output to the bet line display unit 13, the credit number display unit 12, the payout number display unit 8, the game progress display unit 11, the game state display unit 14, the decoration display unit 37, and the like.

  The display device 5 displays the effect mode corresponding to the gaming state based on the control signal transmitted from the effect control device 60. In addition, the fact that the second pull-in stop control is being performed is informed by changing the effect display at the time of reel stop to a specific effect display different from the normal time. The sound output unit 26 outputs a sound effect corresponding to the gaming state based on the sound control signal transmitted from the effect control device 60. Further, the fact that the second pull-in stop control is performed is notified by setting the stop sound of the reel to a stop sound different from the normal time.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a control procedure of the stopper solenoid 46 by the control device 50. This control is executed during the main control.
When the control device 50 checks the state of the opening detection switch 34b of the lower front door 2B in step S1 and determines that the door is opened, the control device 50 proceeds to step S2 and checks the signal of the medal amount detection sensor 49 to determine the medal amount. If it is determined that there is a large amount, the state of the stopper solenoid 46 is determined by a flag (step S3). If the stopper solenoid 46 is not on the side where the stopper functions, the solenoid is operated on the side where the stopper functions, and the flag is set. Set and return to the main control (steps S4, S5). If it is determined in step S2 that the medal amount is small, the state of the stopper solenoid 46 is determined by a flag (step S6). If the stopper solenoid 46 is not on the non-functional side, the solenoid functions as a stopper. It is operated to the side that does not, and the flag is reset to return to the main control (steps S7, S8).

  On the other hand, if the control device 50 determines in step S1 that the lower front door 2B is closed, the control device 50 proceeds to step S3 to determine the state of the stopper solenoid 46 by a flag, and the stopper solenoid 46 is the side on which the stopper functions. If not, the solenoid is operated to the side where the stopper functions, the flag is set, and the main control is restored (steps S4 and S5).

  FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the medal unit 40. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the medal unit 40 as viewed from above, and the lower side corresponds to the front side of the slot machine. The same parts and components as those in the embodiment of FIG.

  In this embodiment, the medal unit 40 can be slid in the front-rear direction by a pair of slide rails 71a and 71b, and the compression springs 72a and 72b are provided between the rear surface of the medal unit 40 and the rear wall of the housing 30 of the slot machine. When the medal unit 40 is always urged forward by opening the lower front door 2B, the medal unit 40 is moved forward by the compression springs 72a and 72b, and the area of the upper opening is increased. This facilitates the medal supply operation.

  Reference numeral 29 denotes a pressing member 29 provided at a position corresponding to the medal unit 40 on the back surface of the lower front door 2B. When the lower front door 2B is closed, the pressing member 29 comes into contact with the medal unit 40 and compresses springs 72a and 72b. The medal unit 40 is moved backward against the spring force. In this embodiment, a slip-off prevention stopper 73 is provided for preventing or allowing the medal unit 40 to move forward. The stopper 73 is manually operated, but can be configured to be operated by a solenoid as in the embodiment of FIG.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the displacement member 42 and the medal unit 40 are displaced using the spring force of the tension spring 45 and the compression springs 71a and 71b to enlarge the medal insertion area. An appropriate link mechanism or the like is provided between 2B and the medal unit 40 so that when the lower front door 2B is opened, the opening force is used to enlarge the medal insertion area, or a motor is provided to displace the medal insertion area. It is also possible to configure as described above.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a slot machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a gaming machine that uses a medal as a game medium and plays a medal as a prize. Generally applicable.

It is a front view of the slot machine of the embodiment to which the present invention is applied. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the lower front door of the slot machine of an Example. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows the state which opened the lower front door of the slot machine of an Example. It is a side view which shows the more detailed structure of a medal unit, (A) shows the state which the displacement member is not tilting, (B) shows the state which the displacement member tilted, respectively. It is a perspective view which shows the specific example of a displacement member. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the control procedure of the stopper solenoid performed by a control apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control system of the slot machine of an Example. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the medal unit, where (A) shows a state where the medal unit is at a set position, and (B) shows a state where the medal unit has moved forward.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main-body part 2 Front door 2A Upper front door 2B Lower front door 4 Reel unit 5 Display device 6 Start lever 7 Reel stop button 8 Discharge display part 9 Max bet button 10 1 bet button 12 Credit number display part 13 Bet line display part 14 Game state display section 15 Medal slot 18 Credit selection button 19 Cosmetic panel 20 Display window section 21 Ash tray 22 Inclined section 23 Medal storage tray 24 Front cover member 25 Front cover member 26 Sound output section 27 Shelf member 29 Press member (contact member) )
30 Slot machine casing 35 Medal amount detection sensor 36 Sound control device 40 Medal unit 41 Medal storage part 42 Displacement member 43 Pin shaft 44 Medal unit main body 45 Tension spring (biasing means)
46 Stopper (Means for restricting the input area)
47 Overflow outlet 48 Medal detection piece 50 Game control device 60 Production control device (sub control means)
71a, 71b Slide rail 72a, 72b Compression spring (biasing means)
100 slot machine

Claims (4)

A housing with an open front, a front door that can be opened and closed attached to the front of the housing to close the opening, and an upper portion of the housing that is disposed at a substantially vertical center of the housing A shelf member that divides into a space and a lower space; a reel unit that is disposed in the upper space and has a plurality of reels that are fixed to the shelf member and are capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols; and disposed in the lower space. A medal payout means capable of paying out medals stored in a medal storage unit capable of storing medals as game media;
The front door is configured to be divided into an upper front door and a lower front door, and the upper front door is configured to be able to open and close an opening on the front side of the upper space located at the upper front of the housing. The front door is located at the lower front of the housing and is configured to be able to open and close the opening on the front side of the lower space by rotating independently of the upper front door.
In relation to the opening operation of the lower front door, the medal payout means acts on the medal payout means, and a medal insertion area expansion means capable of expanding a medal insertion area for inserting a medal into the medal storage section,
The medal insertion area expanding means includes:
The medal insertion area is moved by moving the medal payout means located at a predetermined position in the closed state of the lower front door to a position protruding from the front opening of the housing in relation to the opening operation of the lower front door. Moving means for enlarging ,
Medal storage amount detection means for detecting the amount of medals stored in the medal payout means;
Insertion area expansion prohibiting means for prohibiting the expansion of the medal insertion area in the open state of the lower front door when the medal storage amount detected by the medal storage amount detection means is larger than a predetermined amount;
Slot machine, characterized in that it comprises a. The medal payout means is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and includes a biasing means for biasing the medal payout means forward,
A pressing member is provided on a back surface of the lower front door at a position corresponding to the medal payout means,
In the open state of the lower front door, the urging means moves the medal payout means forward to enlarge the medal insertion area, and in the closing direction of the lower front door in conjunction with the closing operation of the lower front door 2. The medal payout unit is configured to reduce the medal insertion region by moving the medal payout unit backward against the urging force of the urging unit by the pressing member by force. Slot machine. The medal insertion area expanding means includes:
Comprising an open / close detecting means for detecting an open / closed state of the lower front door;
3. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the insertion area expansion prohibiting means is controlled based on detection signals from the open / close detection means and the medal storage amount detection means. 4. The slot according to claim 3 , wherein the insertion area expansion prohibiting unit prohibits the movement of the medal paying unit when the opening / closing detection unit detects that the lower front door is closed. Machine.

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