JP4652141B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for mounting an electronic component on a substrate or the like.

  In pachinko machines and other gaming machines, various electronic components are mounted on a control board and a relay board. Conventionally, these electronic components are usually surface-mounted. However, the lamp was mounted by a method of contacting the substrate pattern via the electrode of the lamp holder after being inserted into the lamp holder as shown in FIG. .

Japanese Patent No. 2554673

  In recent years, parts and the like have been recycled in various fields in consideration of the influence on the environment. Even in a gaming machine, it is possible to remove and recycle electronic components from a control board or the like. In particular, in gaming machines, a large number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used, and it is desired to realize this recycling.

  However, when the electronic component is surface-mounted, heating for melting the solder is required at the time of recycling, which causes a problem that energy for heating is wasted. In addition, there is a problem that there is a risk that the parts may be worn by heating. The structure of the lamp holder described in Patent Document 1 can be applied only to relatively large components, and cannot be applied to a wide variety of electronic components including small components such as LEDs.

  The above-mentioned problem is not unique to a gaming machine, but is a common problem in recycling electronic components mounted on a board or the like. In view of these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component mounting technique suitable for recycling.

  In the present invention, the electronic component is mounted on a predetermined mounting member such as a board or a socket using a mounting cover instead of soldering. The mounted component has a structure having a main body portion, a fixing portion, and a pressing portion. Hereinafter, the structure of the mounting cover will be described by taking as an example a state in which the mounting member, the electronic component, and the mounting cover are appropriately arranged from below.

  The main body is a portion that covers at least a part of the electronic component so as to be sandwiched between the mounting member. It is preferable that a part of the main body portion protrudes outside the electronic component in a planar shape. The planar shape can take various shapes such as a rectangle, other polygons, a circle, and an ellipse.

  The fixing portion is a portion for fixing the mounting cover to the mounting member at a portion that is fixed to the main body portion and is not in contact with the electronic component. The fixing part and the main body part may be formed as separate parts, or both may be integrally formed. If it demonstrates taking the above-mentioned arrangement | positioning as an example, a fixing | fixed part can be made into the leg or wall extended below from the bottom face or side surface of a main-body part, for example. From the viewpoint of easy molding, the stretching direction is preferably directly below the main body, but may be stretched in an oblique direction.

  The pressing portion is a portion that is fixed to the main body portion and presses at least a part of the electronic component against the mounting member. The object to be pressed includes an electrode. It is good also as a structure which can press parts other than an electrode collectively. By the pressing portion, the electrode can be pressed against the pattern on the mounting member, and electrical conduction can be ensured. The pressing portion may be formed as a separate part from the main body portion, or both may be integrally formed. The pressing portion can be a leg or a wall extending downward from the bottom surface or side surface of the main body portion, like the fixing portion. From the viewpoint of easy molding, the stretching direction is preferably directly below the main body, but may be stretched in an oblique direction.

  The mounting cover can be fixed to the mounting member by various methods. For example, the fixing portion may be formed of a material that can withstand soldering and soldered to the mounting member. Even if the fixing portion is soldered, the electronic component is not soldered. Therefore, the electronic component can be easily removed by damaging the fixing portion. Further, even when the solder is melted to recycle the mounting cover, heating of the electronic component can be mitigated, and wear of the component can be suppressed.

  As another aspect, the fixing portion of the mounting cover may have a shape that can be mechanically engaged with an engaged portion provided on the mounting member. For example, when the mounting member is a substrate, the fixing portion can be a leg with a protrusion that can be inserted into a hole provided in the substrate and locked to the back surface of the substrate. When the mounting member is a socket, the fixing portion may have a structure provided with a protrusion that can be locked in a recess provided in the socket, or a recess or hole that can be locked in a protrusion provided in the socket. By making the shape mechanically engageable by these methods, there is an advantage that the mounting cover can be easily mounted on the mounting member.

  The mounting cover can be made of various materials, but the pressing portion is preferably formed of a non-conductive elastic material. By using a non-conductive material, a short circuit between electrodes of an electronic component can be avoided. However, it is not necessary to make the entire pressing portion non-conductive, and at least only the contact portion with the electrode may be made non-conductive. In addition, by using an elastic material, the electrode can be more reliably pressed against the mounting member by the elastic force, and contact failure can be avoided. Examples of such a material include rubber and resin. In addition to the pressing portion, the fixing portion and the main body portion may also be configured as an elastic material. By carrying out like this, the above-mentioned effect can be improved more.

  When the pressing portion is formed of an elastic material, the structure for attaching the pressing portion to the main body is preferably a structure that can ensure a degree of freedom within a predetermined range with respect to the pressing portion. For example, when the pressing portion is attached to the bottom surface of the flat plate-like main body portion, the degree of freedom of the pressing portion is ensured by providing a cutout in the main body portion around the attaching portion. By adopting these structures, even if the gap between the mounting member and the end of the pressing part is less than the electrode thickness of the electronic component, the dimensional error is compensated by the degree of freedom of the pressing part. It becomes possible to do. In addition to the elastic force of the pressing part itself, there is also an advantage that the electronic component can be more reliably mounted on the mounting member by the elastic force generated at the attaching part of the pressing part.

  The present invention can target various electronic components, and can also target light emitting components such as LEDs. In such a case, it is preferable to provide a light transmission part that transmits light emitted from the electronic component in the main body part. The transmission part may be simply provided with a hole that does not hinder the light emission from the electronic component, or the main body part may be formed using a transparent member at least in a part through which light passes.

  You may form the recessed part for inserting and fixing an electronic component in the main-body part of a mounting cover. In this way, the electronic component can be mounted on the mounting member after being fixed to the mounting cover once, so that the mounting efficiency of the electronic component can be improved. For example, a method of forming a recess by providing a side wall on the bottom surface side of the main body can be employed. The recess does not necessarily need to be in continuous contact with the entire outer periphery of the electronic component, and may be in contact with a part of the outer periphery of the electronic component. From the viewpoint of fixing the electronic component, it is preferable that the shape of the recess is slightly smaller than the planar shape of the electronic component within a range in which the electronic component can be fitted, thereby making the fit tight. For example, if the concave portion is not configured to cover the entire outer periphery of the electronic component continuously, but has a structure composed of a plurality of independent side walls separated by corners, the degree of freedom of deformation is ensured in the concave portion. There is an advantage that the allowable error range is relaxed in relation to the match. Further, from the viewpoint of relaxing the tolerance range of dimensions, the inner wall surface of the recess may be tapered like a draft.

  The mounting cover of the present invention does not have to have all the above-described features, and may be configured by omitting a part or appropriately combining them. Moreover, you may comprise this invention as the mounting method of the electronic component using the above-mentioned mounting cover other than the aspect as a mounting cover.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order taking application to a gaming machine as an example.
A. Game machine configuration:
B. Implementation method:
C1. First modification:
C2. Second modification:
D. Second embodiment:

A. Game machine configuration:
FIG. 1 is a front view of a gaming machine as an embodiment. An example of a pachinko machine is shown. A symbol display unit 40 is provided near the center of the gaming machine. The accessory is a mechanism that draws a lottery and displays the result when a game ball enters the start winning opening during the game. An LED is mounted inside the accessory, and various effects are performed during the lottery and the result display depending on the lighting state. The symbol display section 40 is not limited to the seven-segment display section shown in the figure, and can take various configurations.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of LEDs constituting the symbol display unit 40. As illustrated, a large number of LEDs are mounted on the substrate 40a. The LEDs in the group A surrounded by the broken line correspond to the central 7-segment display part of the symbol display part 40. Groups B and C correspond to the right and left 7-segment display sections, respectively. Groups D and E are the backgrounds of the 7-segment display on the right and left sides, respectively. Groups F1, F2, and F3 are decorative displays around the symbol display unit 40, respectively. In this embodiment, these LEDs are mounted without using solder by using a mounting cover described below.

  For convenience of explanation, a state in which a mounting cover is mounted on a mounted LED, that is, an LED as an electronic component, is referred to as an LED unit. Hereinafter, an LED mounting method will be described by taking the LED unit 10 in the drawing as an example.

B. Implementation method:
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the LED mounting method. A state where the LED unit 10 is mounted on the substrate 40a is shown below the figure. The LED 20 is shown in the center of the figure, and the mounting cover 30 is shown in the upper part of the figure.

  As illustrated, in this embodiment, the LED 20 is mounted on the substrate 40a by covering the mounting cover 30. That is, the LED 20 is fixed to the substrate 40 a so as to be pressed by the mounting cover 30. There is no need to solder the LED 20 itself.

  Although the structure of the mounting cover 30 will be described later, in the present embodiment, the mounting cover 30 is fixed by locking the tip portion of the leg in a hole provided in the substrate 40a. A method of fixing the tip of the leg by soldering or bonding to the substrate 40a may be adopted.

  FIG. 4 is a trihedral view and a cross-sectional view showing the mounting cover of the embodiment. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG. 4C is a right side view. 4A shows an AA cross section of the mounting cover shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B shows a BB cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the mounting cover 30 is U-shaped when viewed from the front. Legs 32 extend vertically downward from both ends of the main body 31 corresponding to the top plate. A protrusion 32 a is provided at the tip of the leg 32. The protrusion 32a has an effect of locking the mounting cover 30 to the substrate 40a by being locked to the back side of the substrate 40a in a state where the legs 32 are inserted into the holes of the substrate 40a at the time of mounting.

  In the center of the main body 31, a hole 33 for allowing the light of the mounted LED 20 to pass therethrough is provided. A transparent member may be used for the hole 33. When the main body 31 is formed of a transparent member, the hole 33 can be omitted. In this embodiment, the LED mounting cover is illustrated, but when used for mounting an electronic component that does not emit light, the hole 33 may be omitted.

  Around the hole 33, a side wall 34 for holding the LED is formed. As will be described later, it is possible to fix the LED by fitting it into the recess formed by the side wall 34. In order to make it possible to fix the LED firmly, it is preferable that the area surrounded by the side wall 34 is slightly smaller than the outer dimension of the LED within a range in which the LED can be fitted and the fit is tight. Although an example in which the side wall 34 is continuous so as to cover the entire outer periphery of the LED is illustrated, the side wall 34 may be divided by a corner CN to form four independent side walls. In this way, even if the position of the side wall is designed so that the fit with the LED is tight, it is easy to fit the LED because the degree of freedom of deformation of the side wall is secured. In this sense, the allowable range of dimensional error required for the position and shape of the side wall 34 can be relaxed. The height of the side wall 34 may be arbitrarily set to a value that can sufficiently hold the LED according to the shape of the LED. The hole 33 is preferably smaller than the outer dimension of the LED. By doing so, there is an advantage that when the LED is fitted, the main body 31 functions as a stopper and the LED is easily fitted.

  In FIG. 4A, pressing portions 36 for pressing the electrodes of the LEDs are formed on the left and right sides of the hole 33. The pressing part 36 extends vertically downward from the main body part 31. Holes 35 are opened in three directions around the pressing portion 36. The operation of the hole 35 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, since the mounting cover 30 sandwiches and holds the LED with the substrate 40a, the material of the mounting cover 30, particularly the material of the pressing portion 36, is preferably an elastic material. Examples of the elastic material include resin, rubber, metal, and the like. However, since the pressing part 36 is a part in contact with the electrode of the LED, at least the pressing part 36 is required to be a non-conductive material. When the mounting cover 30 is formed of a metal, it is preferable to attach a nonconductive material such as rubber or resin at least on the tip of the pressing portion 36.

  In this embodiment, the mounting cover 30 is formed by integral molding of resin. The material of the resin is not limited, but for example, a resin such as ABS or POM is suitable. In the present embodiment, since the side wall 34 and the pressing portion 36 extend vertically downward from the main body portion 31, there is an advantage that the mounting cover 30 can be easily removed from the mold at the time of injection molding.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view and a front view showing the LED mounting state. FIG. 5A shows a plan view, and FIG. 5B shows a front view. Although these drawings are not sectional views, the LEDs 20 are shown with hatching to make the drawings easy to see.

  A pattern 22 for connecting LEDs is formed on the surface of the substrate 40a. The electrode 21 of the LED 20 is pressed against the pattern 22 by the pressing portion 36 of the mounting cover 30. Although only one is illustrated in the figure, the same applies to the other electrodes.

  In order for the pressing portion 36 to press the electrode 21 of the LED 20, the distance D between the tip of the pressing portion 36 of the mounting cover 30 and the upper surface of the protrusion 32 a at the tip of the leg 32 is determined by the substrate 40 a, the pattern 22, and the electrode. It is preferable to make it smaller than the total thickness of 21 (hereinafter simply referred to as “total thickness”). By making D smaller than this total thickness, when the mounting cover 30 is mounted, the pressing portion 36 is distorted, and the electrode 21 can be pressed by the elastic force F1.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the hole 35 is formed around the pressing portion 36. This hole 35 also contributes to the improvement of the action of pressing the electrode 21 as shown below. Consider a case where the distance D is sufficiently small with respect to the total thickness described above. In this case, the difference between the total thickness and the distance D cannot be absorbed only by the distortion of the pressing portion 36. Since the hole 35 is formed around the pressing portion 36, the pressing portion 36 has a degree of freedom of displacement in the vertical direction. Accordingly, when the mounting cover 30 is mounted, the root A of the pressing portion 36 is displaced upward as indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing. As a result, a bending moment M is generated in the attaching portion of the pressing portion 36 in the direction in which the pressing portion 36 is returned downward, that is, in the direction shown in the drawing. Since the pressing force due to the bending moment M acts on the electrode 21, it becomes possible to hold the electrode more firmly. Due to the above-described action, when the hole 35 is provided, there is an advantage that the allowable range of the dimensional error with respect to the distance D is larger than when the hole 35 is not provided. However, the hole 35 is not an essential structure, and since the LED 20 can be held only by the elastic force of the pressing portion 36, the mounting cover 30 may have a structure without the hole 35.

  According to the embodiment described above, since the LED 20 is mounted by the method of pressing with the mounting cover 30, it is not necessary to solder the LED 20. Therefore, it is possible to easily remove the LED 20 without heating for melting the solder.

C1. First modification:
FIG. 6 is a three-side view showing a mounting cover as a first modification. As in the embodiment, the mounting cover 30A presses the LED 20 from above the substrate 40a. Unlike the example, the legs 37 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the LEDs 20. A protrusion 37a is formed at the tip of the leg 37, and the mounting cover 30A is locked to the back surface of the substrate 40a by the protrusion 37a. By providing the leg 37 at such a position, a force for fixing the mounting cover 30A to the substrate 40a acts in the vicinity of the pressing portion 36A as compared with the structure of the embodiment. Therefore, it becomes easy to absorb the reaction of the elastic force that presses the electrode 21, and the electrode can be pressed more firmly.

  Further, the mounting cover 30A has a form in which the pressing portion 36A extends obliquely downward from the main body portion 31A. Before mounting, the shape is shown by a two-dot chain line in the figure, but by mounting, distortion occurs at the position shown by the solid line, and an elastic force that presses the electrode is generated. According to this shape, since the degree of freedom of deformation of the pressing portion 36A is relatively large, there is an advantage that the allowable range of dimensional errors can be set relatively large. That is, even when the distance D between the upper surface of the protrusion 37a and the end of the pressing portion 36A is small, the mounting cover 30A can be sufficiently mounted on the substrate 40a.

C2. Second modification:
FIG. 7 is a three-side view showing a mounting cover as a second modification. It is a structural example for mounting | wearing LED20a of the shape different from an Example. The principle of mounting by pressing the LED 20a against the board 40a by the mounting cover 130 is common. The point that the mounting cover 130 is locked to the substrate 40a by the protrusion 132a provided at the tip of the leg 132 is also the same as the embodiment.

  Unlike the LED 20 of the embodiment, the LED 20a does not extend from the main body. In the second modification, the pressing portion 136 has a structure that presses the main body of the LED 20a and indirectly presses the electrode against the pattern 22a. In addition to being pressed by the pressing portion 136, the LED 20a is also held by two side walls 134 extending vertically downward from the main body portion 131. As shown in the figure, the side wall 134 does not surround the entire outer periphery of the LED 20a. However, by keeping the distance between the two side walls 134 slightly smaller than the width of the LED 20a, the LED 20a can be sufficiently held. Is possible.

  The mounting cover of the present embodiment can take various structures as in the first and second modifications described above. Further different structures may be realized by combining the features of the structures shown in the embodiments and the first and second modifications. The illustrated dimensions and shapes are merely examples, and it is natural that the dimensions and shapes can be designed in accordance with the dimensions of the mounted LEDs.

D. Second embodiment:
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the LED mounting method in the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the mounting method for mounting the LED on the substrate is shown. In the second embodiment, a case where the LED 20 is mounted in a dedicated socket 210 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 8A shows an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 8B shows a mounted state. As shown in FIG. 8A, the LED 20 is mounted on the socket 210 by being placed on the socket 210 and covered with the mounting cover 220 from above. The mounting cover 220 is fixed by locking the hole 232 a of the leg 232 with a protrusion provided on the side surface of the socket 210. The structure of the portion where the mounting cover 220 presses the electrode of the LED 20 is as shown in the embodiment.

  As described above, the mounting cover can be applied not only when the LED is directly mounted on the substrate but also when the LED is mounted on the socket 210. Since the LED itself is mounted not by soldering but by a mounting cover, it can be easily removed. According to this method, since components can be mounted on the substrate by soldering as usual, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to change the conventional production line.

  As mentioned above, although the various Example of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to these Examples, and can take a various structure in the range which does not deviate from the meaning. In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the mounting of the LED has been described as an example. However, the mounting cover of the embodiment can be applied not only to the LED but also to mounting various electronic components including an IC. The mounting method of the present embodiment is suitable as a mounting method for equipment with relatively little vibration because it does not fix electronic components as firmly as soldering. Once installed, the gaming machine is not frequently moved, and since the gaming machine itself is fixed during the game, there is relatively little vibration and the mounting method of this embodiment is applied. It corresponds to one of the devices that are suitable for.

It is a front view of the gaming machine as an embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of LED which comprises an accessory. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the mounting method of LED. It is the 3rd page figure and sectional drawing which show the mounting cover of the Example. It is the top view and front view which show the mounting state of LED. It is a three-view figure which shows the mounting cover as a 1st modification. It is a three-view figure which shows the mounting cover as a 2nd modification. It is a perspective view which shows the mounting method of LED in 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... LED unit 20 ... LED
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Electrode 22, 22a ... Pattern 30, 30A ... Mounting cover 31, 31A ... Main-body part 32a ... Protrusion 32 ... Leg 33 ... Hole 34 ... Side wall 35 ... Hole 36, 36A ... Pressing part 37 ... Leg 37a ... Protrusion 40a ... Substrate DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 130 ... Installation cover 131 ... Main-body part 132 ... Leg 132a ... Protrusion 134 ... Side wall 136 ... Pressing part 210 ... Socket 220 ... Installation cover 232 ... Leg 232a ... Hole

Claims (5)

A gaming machine in which electronic components are mounted on a predetermined mounting member,
A mounting cover for mounting an electronic component on a predetermined mounting member is provided,
The mounting cover is
A main body that covers at least a part of the electronic component so as to be sandwiched between the mounting member; and
A fixing portion for fixing the mounting cover to the mounting member at a portion that is fixed to the main body portion and is not in contact with the electronic component;
Is fixed to the main body portion, possess a pressing portion for pressing at least a part of the electronic component comprising an electrode on the mounting member, smaller than the electrode thickness of the electronic component a gap between the mounting member and the pressing portion end Then, by forming a notch-shaped hole in at least a part of the periphery of the portion where the pressing portion of the main body portion is fixed, the force that the pressing portion presses against the mounting member is applied to the electrode. It is characterized by
Gaming machine. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion has a shape that can be mechanically engaged with an engaged portion provided on the mounting member. The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the pressing portion is formed of a non-conductive elastic material. The electronic component is a component for light emission,
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the main body portion includes a light transmission portion that transmits light emitted from the electronic component. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a recess for fitting and fixing the electronic component is formed in the main body.