JP4913464B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine that uses a game ball as a game medium, and in particular, the game medium flowing from the upper plate is made to wait in a standby unit, and the start lever is operated rather than when the bet switch is operated. The present invention relates to a gaming machine that can change the number of bets without using credits and without paying out by taking in the waiting game medium.

In general, a slot machine (rotating type gaming machine) is known as a gaming machine installed in a game arcade.
In the slot machine, a player inserts a game medium and operates (presses) a rotating rotation start device (start lever) to design a predetermined pattern, character, number, or the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pattern”). A plurality of (usually three) reels displaying the rotation start rotating, and the rotation stop device is activated and rotated by pressing a plurality of (usually three) stop buttons corresponding to each reel at an arbitrary timing. This is a gaming machine in which a reel to be stopped is stopped and a predetermined number of game media are paid out according to the arrangement of symbols of the stopped reels.

Conventional slot machines use medals as game media, but in recent years, machines using game balls (balls) as game media have been proposed.
In a slot machine that uses this game ball to play a game, it is necessary to match the sales of medals, so for example, 5 game balls are made to correspond to one medal. In this case, when a game ball is inserted, a multiple of 5 is bet.

By the way, conventionally, in a gaming machine using a game ball, a game is performed in the procedure as shown in FIG.
When the game ball lent to the player is supplied to the upper plate, the game ball flows into the game machine from the upper plate and waits at the standby unit of the take-in device (accepting / waiting game ball, step 100) ).
When a BET switch (take-in button) is operated by the player and this operation is detected (step 110), the game ball waiting in the standby unit is taken in by the take-in device (step 120). At this time, the number of taken game balls is counted (taken ball count, step 130).

This count value is compared with the BET number (step 140). When the count value satisfies the BET number, the start lever can be accepted (step 150).
When the start lever is operated by the player and this operation is detected (step 160), the reel starts to rotate (rotation rotation start, step 170).
Then, when the operation of the stop button is detected (step 180) and the rotation of the reel is stopped (rotation of rotation of the spinning cylinder, step 190), it is determined whether or not the stop symbol is a winning symbol (step 200), which is a winning symbol. If so, a prize ball corresponding to the winning content is paid out (step 210).
In this way, when the BET switch is pressed, the take-in device quickly takes in a predetermined number of game balls, so that the game can proceed smoothly (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In another conventional example, the standby portion is formed of a transparent cylinder.
Thereby, the player can visually recognize that a predetermined number of game balls have been inserted.
JP 2005-185633 A JP 2004-305543 A

  However, in the conventional gaming machine, when the BET switch is operated, the take-in device takes in the game ball. For this reason, for example, when changing from three bets to one bet, it was necessary to pay out the game balls once and re-bet from the beginning.

  Here, in a conventional gaming machine using medals, the number of BETs can be changed without paying out medals by using the credit function. However, also in this case, when there were 50 credits, it had to be paid out once.

On the other hand, the standby part made of a transparent material is simply made transparent, and is not effectively used any more.
Furthermore, when taking the game ball waiting in the standby part into the inside of the gaming machine, it takes time because it rolls naturally using the slight inclination of the standby part and gravity. .

  The present invention has been considered in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to change the number of bets without using credits and without paying out, and the standby unit formed of a transparent material. The purpose is to provide a gaming machine that can be used effectively.

  In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine of the present invention has a standby means for waiting until a game medium is inserted, a start lever for starting rotation of the spinning cylinder, and a bet switch for determining the number of bets on the game medium. The betting number determination means for changing the bet number when the bet switch is operated in a state where the waiting medium is waiting for the game medium, and the waiting medium is detected by the waiting means. A game medium detection sensor, a standby number calculation means for obtaining the number of waiting game media as a game medium standby number based on a detection signal from the game medium detection sensor, and a game medium standby number determined by the standby number calculation means Is determined to be greater than or equal to the bet number determined by the bet number determining means, and it is determined that the game medium standby number is greater than or equal to the bet number and the start lever is operated. , A configuration equipped with a input control means for inputting game media.

When the gaming machine has such a configuration, the waiting medium can be made to wait on the waiting means until the start lever is operated. That is, the waiting game medium is not taken in until the start lever is operated. For this reason, even when the bet switch is operated many times, for example, when the number of bets is changed from three to one, the number of bets can be changed without paying out.
In addition, since the bet number can be changed in this way, it is not necessary to use a credit for changing the bet number.

Further, when the number of game media waiting on the standby means (game media standby number, standby ball number) is equal to or larger than the bet number (bet number) determined based on the operation of the bet switch, the start lever Is operated, the waiting game medium can be loaded.
On the other hand, if the number of waiting game media is less than the number of bets, the number of throws will be less than the number of bets. It is possible to prevent the medium from being inserted and prevent the game from proceeding further.

  The gaming machine according to the present invention further includes start lever reception control means for enabling or disabling operation of the start lever, and the inserted game medium determining means determines that the number of waiting game media is equal to or greater than the number of bets. The start lever acceptance control means can accept the operation of the start lever, and when the start lever is operated in a state where the start lever can be accepted, the insertion control means can insert the game medium.

  If the gaming machine has such a configuration, it is possible to accept the start lever operation when the number of waiting game media is equal to or more than the number of bets, and then enter the waiting game media based on the detection of the start lever operation. can do. For this reason, for example, when the number of waiting game media is smaller than the number of bets, it is impossible to accept the operation of the start lever, so that the number of game media inserted is less than the number of bets. Can do.

  Further, in the gaming machine of the present invention, when the bet switch is operated after enabling the start lever operation, the betting number determining means changes the betting number of the game medium and the waiting number of the game medium is changed. The inserted game medium determination means determines whether or not the bet number is equal to or greater than the bet number, and when the game medium standby number is determined to be equal to or greater than the changed bet number and the start lever is operated, the input control means A configuration in which a game medium is loaded can also be adopted.

  When the gaming machine has such a configuration, even when the bet switch is operated a plurality of times and the bet number is changed, it is determined that the game medium standby number is greater than or equal to the bet number and the start lever is further operated. In addition, the waiting game medium can be taken in.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention is a gaming machine provided with a waiting means for waiting until a game medium is inserted, the waiting game medium displaying means for displaying the waiting game medium on the waiting means, and the waiting game. A display control means for controlling display or non-display of the game medium in the medium display means may be provided.
If the gaming machine has such a configuration, it is possible not only to display the waiting game medium on the waiting means, but also to control display / non-display of the game medium. For this reason, for example, by performing control such that a game medium is displayed under a certain condition and is not displayed when the condition is not satisfied, a standby unit formed of a transparent material can be used more effectively.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention may be configured such that the standby game medium display means includes an electro-optical device capable of switching between display and non-display of game media.
When the gaming machine has such a structure, a gaming medium can be displayed or hidden by using a function of an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal shutter or an EL (electroluminescence) element.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention may be configured such that the display control means controls the standby game medium display means so as to display or hide the game media by the number of bets.
If the gaming machine has such a configuration, the current bet number based on the operation of the bet switch can be transmitted to the player.
For example, when the number of bet switch operations is one, the range for five game media is displayed or hidden, and when the number of bet switch operations is two, ten game media are displayed. When the number of operations is 3, the range for 15 game media can be displayed or hidden.

Furthermore, since the number of game media to be captured from now on becomes clear, it is possible to eliminate a player's distrust.
For example, in a conventional gaming machine, a waiting game medium is taken in a case that the player cannot see, so that the player takes in the game medium by the amount of operation of the BET switch. I couldn't confirm whether it was done, and sometimes I felt distrust.
In addition, even if a window for viewing the waiting game media is formed, it is not easy to accurately count many game media such as 10 or 15 while playing a game. The distrust could not be wiped away completely.
In contrast, according to the present invention, the number of game media for the number of bets is displayed or hidden, and since it can be confirmed that these game media are being taken in, it gives the player a sense of security and eliminates distrust. be able to.

In the gaming machine of the present invention, the standby game medium display means has a plurality of unit display sections for displaying the minimum number of game media that can be bet on one game, and the display control means has a game for each unit display section. It can also be set as the structure which controls the display or non-display of a medium.
When the gaming machine has such a configuration, the gaming media can be displayed or hidden for each minimum number of gaming media that can be bet on one game.

Further, the gaming machine of the present invention includes an internal lottery means for performing an internal lottery, and the display control means controls the display content of the standby game medium display means according to the lottery result of the internal lottery means. You can also.
If the gaming machine has such a configuration, the result of the internal lottery can be notified to the player using the standby game medium display means. In other words, the standby game medium display means can also be used as the notification means, and as a result, the lottery result can be sufficiently notified to the player by the notification function of the standby game medium display means.

  In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention operates the start lever for starting the rotation of the spinning cylinder, the bet switch for determining the number of betting of the game medium, and the bet switch operated in a state where the waiting medium is waiting for the game medium. The bet number determining means for changing the bet number, a game medium detection sensor for detecting the waiting game medium in the waiting means, and the number of waiting game media based on the detection signal from the game medium detection sensor. Standby number calculating means for obtaining the number of waiting for game media, and input game medium determining means for determining whether or not the number of waiting for game media determined by the number of waiting means calculating means is equal to or greater than the number of bets determined by the betting number determining means; The game medium standby number may be determined to be equal to or greater than the bet number, and when the start lever is operated, an insertion control means for inserting a game medium may be provided.

If the gaming machine has such a configuration, even if the player operates the bet switch several times to change the number of bets many times, the changed number of bets is inserted without paying out. It can be. For this reason, the number of bets can be determined smoothly without the player's trouble of paying out.
Further, the standby game medium display means can visually recognize a change in the number of bets. This eliminates the need to count the number of bet switch operations. That is, the bet number can be determined by operating the bet switch while viewing the display on the standby game medium display means.
Therefore, when the bet switch is operated a plurality of times, the bet number can be determined smoothly and surely by visually confirming the bet number without paying out.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention may have a configuration in which the standby unit includes a rolling assist unit that pushes the game medium in the downstream direction and a rolling assist control unit that operates the rolling assist unit.
When the gaming machine has such a configuration, the time for the game medium to roll in the standby unit can be shortened.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention may be configured such that the rolling assist control means operates the rolling assist means when the start lever is operated.
If the gaming machine has such a configuration, a gaming medium taken into the gaming machine can be quickly rolled.

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of bets can be changed without using credits and without paying out.
Further, it is possible to effectively use the standby portion formed of a transparent material.
Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the time required for the game medium waiting in the standby section to roll.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Game machine (slot machine) body)
First, an embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 to 3 are external views showing the configuration of the main body of the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a left side view, and FIG. It is a perspective view.
In the present embodiment, a slot machine using a game ball will be described as a game machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the gaming machine (slot machine) 1 according to the present embodiment rotates a plurality of reels 31-1, 31-2, and 31-3 provided in the slot machine 1. A revolving game machine capable of acquiring a prize-winning game medium is configured.
Specifically, in the slot machine 1, a control unit 40 including a microcomputer and necessary machines and devices are disposed at predetermined positions on the front surface or the back surface of the front frame 10. The front frame 10 is pivotally attached to an outer frame (not shown) having the same shape as the pachinko machine arranged upright on the game island of the game hall via a hinge member 19, and the front surface of the outer frame. The opening is covered.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front frame 10 includes a front panel 11 and other devices and constitutes a main body of the slot machine 1.
The front panel 11 is provided with a display window 12 substantially at the center, and a part of the symbols of the reels 31-1 to 31-3 can be visually recognized from the outside.
The display window 12 is usually made of a colorless transparent or colored transparent resin panel or the like, and among a plurality of symbols drawn around each of the three reels 31, a plurality of adjacent (usually three) ) Can be visually recognized and identified.

Below the front panel 11 and in the substantially central portion of the front frame 10, buttons such as a start lever 13, a stop button 14, a 1BET switch 15, and a MAXBET switch 16 are provided for the player to operate. .
The start lever 13 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 31. When the start lever 13 is pressed by a player's operation, a start signal is output to the control means 40, and the inside of the main body is The reels 31-1 to 31-3 are rotated simultaneously (or sequentially).
Further, when a start signal is input by depressing the start lever 13, the control means 40 performs an internal lottery.

The stop button 14 is a stop means for stopping the rotating reel 31. Three stop buttons 14 are provided corresponding to the three reels (left) 31-1, the reel (middle) 31-2, and the reel (right) 31-3. Two stop buttons (left) 14-1, a stop button (middle) 14-2, and a stop button (right) 14-3 are provided. When these stop buttons 14-1, 14-2, 14-3 are pressed at a player's arbitrary timing, a stop signal is output to the control means 40, and the corresponding reels 31-1, 31-2. , 31-3 is stopped.
Therefore, when the player operates the start lever 13 and the stop button 14, the three reels 31-1 to 31-3 are rotated and stopped, and the symbols attached to the reels 31-1 to 31-3. Can be played in a slot machine game in which a predetermined winning arrangement is arranged.

The 1BET switch 15 is a switch for determining the number of game balls to be inserted, and a minimum number bet that can insert the minimum number of balls (usually 5) that can be inserted into one game per press. This is the input number determination button.
Similar to the 1BET switch 15, the MAXBET switch 16 is a switch for determining the number of game balls to be inserted. However, the MAXBET switch 16 is an insertion number determination button for maximum number betting that can insert the maximum number of balls (usually 15 balls) that can be inserted into one game when pressed once.

  When the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is pressed, a bet signal is output to the control means 40, and a number of game balls corresponding to the type of the pressed BET switch or the number of times are used in the game. . The control when the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is pressed will be described in detail in “Operation of the gaming machine”.

In this embodiment, the 1BET switch 15 and the MAXBET switch 16 are given as examples of the BET switch. However, the present invention is not limited to these. For example, a bet other than an nBET switch, 3 medals, and 15 gaming balls is used. Includes MAXBET switch with number as maximum bet.
The nBET switch is a BET switch that is bet n by one operation. Here, n is an integer of 2 or more. For this reason, for example, an 8BET switch, a 15BET switch, and the like are also included in the nBET switch.
An nBET switch can also be provided for each bet number. That is, a 1 BET switch, a 2 BET switch, a 3 BET switch, a 4 BET switch,.
On the other hand, the MAXBET switch here is a BET switch when the maximum bet number of one game is 2 or 4 or more for medals and 14 or less or 16 or more for game balls.

  Note that the start lever 13, the stop button 14, the 1BET switch 15, the MAXBET switch 16, and the like are arranged at various locations such as the upper surface and the front surface of the operation console 20 formed below the front surface of the front frame 10. The operation table 20 is a convex player operation table that protrudes further forward from the front lower side of the front frame 10, and main operation buttons are concentratedly attached so that the player can easily operate the operation table 20. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the operation console 20 further includes a settlement switch 22, a return switch 23, a ball lending switch 24, and the like.
The payment switch 22 is a ball removal operation means that is operated when the game balls stored in the upper plate 21 or the take-in device 70 are adjusted (withdrawn and discharged to the lower plate 17).
The return switch 23 is a switch operated when returning a prepaid card being accepted to a card unit (not shown).
The ball lending switch 24 is a switch that is operated when a game ball is lent within the range of the remaining value of the value displayed on the remaining amount indicator.
An upper plate 21 is formed on the upper surface of the operation console 20, and details of the upper plate 21 will be described later.

A lower plate 17 is provided on the front surface of the front frame 10 below the operation console 20. A speaker 18 is provided above the front surface of the front frame 10.
The lower plate 17 is a ball storage unit that stores balls that have been paid out by a payout device (not shown) and balls that have moved from the upper plate 21 when the checkout switch 22 is operated.
The speaker 18 generates various sounds such as a melody sound and a message sound to the player. For example, when the internal lottery is performed by the control means 40 and the player hits a predetermined jackpot or small role In addition, when winning symbols are arranged and a big win or a small role is won, a predetermined production sound, a sound for notifying the internal winning, or the like is generated.

As shown in FIG. 2, a drum unit 30 for rotating and stopping the three reels 31-1 to 31-3, other machines, devices, and the like are provided near the center of the rear surface of the front frame 10.
The drum unit 30 includes three reels 31 (31-1, 31-2, 31-3), a motor drive circuit 32, a stepping motor 33 (33-1 to 33-3), and a rotation position detection unit 34. have.

The reel 31 is composed of a cylindrical portion having a plurality of (usually 21) patterns and characters, etc. drawn on the outer periphery in the same manner as in an existing slot machine. Three rotating reels (left) 31-1, a reel (middle) 31-2, and a reel (right) 31-3 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction (left and right in the drawing) (see FIG. 1). .
The symbols drawn on each reel 31-1 to 31-3 are arranged at equal intervals for each reel. For example, characters such as “cherry”, “BAR”, “replay”, slot machine characters, fruits, etc. Are displayed in a predetermined order, and usually 21 symbols are displayed on each reel.
The symbols on the reels 31-1 to 31-3 are stopped in a predetermined combination along the winning line of the display window 12 described above by pressing the corresponding stop buttons 14-1 to 14-3. As a result, winning is determined.

The motor drive circuit 32 rotatably holds the three reels 31-1 to 31-3 and rotates the stepping motor 33 corresponding to each reel 31-1 to 31-3 to thereby rotate each reel 31-1. Control of start, constant speed rotation and stop of rotation of ˜31-3.
The spinning position detection unit 34 detects the stop positions of the stopped reels 31-1 to 31-3 and outputs position signals (pulse (drive) signals) to the control means 40.

When the reel 31 is stopped, the stop position of the reel 31 is controlled according to the result of the internal lottery performed by the control means (CPU 45), that is, regardless of the timing when the player presses the stop button 14, that is, Even if the depressing timing of each of the stop buttons 14-1 to 14-3 is deviated, the symbols of the corresponding reels 31-1 to 31-3 within a certain range (usually within the range of four symbols) are the specific arrangement. Thus, the reel 31 is controlled to stop.
As a result, the control unit 40 performs internal drawing in response to the start signal from the start lever 13, and the drum unit 30 is controlled by the control signal from the control unit 40, so that the stop button 14 is pressed. Instead, each reel 31-1, 31-2, 31-3 is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the result of the internal lottery within a certain range.

(Top plate)
Next, the structure of the upper plate in the slot machine of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, the upper plate 21 is a portion recessed on the upper surface of the operation console 20 and is a ball housing portion for storing (waiting) a ball used for the game.

  The upper plate 21 may be configured such that a game ball is supplied via a ball discharge nozzle of a ball lending machine (not shown) installed adjacent to the slot machine 1, The CR machine may be configured to lend a desired number of game balls from the inside of the main body within the limit of the number of remaining balls recorded on the card. Alternatively, a game ball rented by the player himself can be directly put into the upper plate by hand.

  The bottom 25 of the upper plate 21 is slightly inclined, and usually has a gradient (generally 8%) that gradually decreases from the left to the right. For this reason, the balls stored in the upper plate 21 naturally roll and gather toward the downstream (right side).

A standby ball display means 60 is attached to a joint portion between the bottom 25 and the back side surface 26 of the upper plate 21.
The standby ball display means 60 is a window for displaying the game balls staying in the standby unit 71-1 of the capture device 70. The configuration of the standby ball display means 60 will be described later.

At the downstream end of the upper plate 21, an inflow port 27 for taking a game ball into the housing of the gaming machine 1 is formed.
Next, the configuration of the intake device 70 provided further inside the inflow port 27 will be described.

(Capture device)
Next, the capture device will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the structure of the take-in device, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the take-in device 70 includes a ball passage 71, solenoid stoppers 72 (72-1 to 72-4), a standby ball detection sensor 73 (73-1 to 73-3), and a passing ball. A detection sensor 74 and discharge switching means 75 are provided.

The ball passage 71 is a tube-shaped passage through which the game balls flowing into the inflow port 27 are arranged in a line.
The length of the ball passage 71 is a length that can accommodate at least the maximum number of balls (for example, 15) that can be bet on one game.
A portion of the ball passage 71 that waits until the game ball that has flowed into the inflow port 27 is subsequently inserted is referred to as a standby unit (standby unit) 71-1. Specifically, the standby unit 71-1 can bet on at least one game with a lower end of a position where a stop member 72-11 (described later) of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 protrudes into the ball passage 71. The range in which the number of balls can be accommodated.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a visual recognition window 71-2 is formed in the standby unit 71-1.
The viewing window portion 71-2 is formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the player can visually recognize the game ball waiting in the standby portion 71-1 via the standby ball display means 60. .
The visual recognition window portion 71-2 may be the entire standby portion 71-1, or a part thereof. In some cases, the side of the standby unit 71-1 that faces the standby sphere display means 60 can be used as the viewing window unit 71-2.

The solenoid stopper 72 is a ball stop / release means for holding a predetermined number of game balls in the standby portion 71-1 of the ball passage 71, and in this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) A first solenoid stopper 72-1, a second solenoid stopper 72-2, a third solenoid stopper 72-3, and a fourth solenoid stopper 72-4) are provided in order from the downstream side of the ball passage 71.
These solenoid stoppers 72 protrude into the ball passage 71 to stop the game ball 72-x1 (72-11 to 72-41) and the ball stop member 72- in response to a control signal from the control means 40. drive means 72-x2 (72-12 to 72-42) for reciprocating x1.

These solenoid stoppers 72 are respectively attached to the following positions.
The first solenoid stopper 72-1 has at least “(the diameter of the ball) × (the maximum number of balls that can be bet on a single game (starting from the entrance of the ball passage 71). For example, it is attached at a position downstream of the length of 15))).
The second solenoid stopper 72-2 is configured such that the ball stop member 72-21 starts from the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. The minimum number of balls (e.g., 5) that can be bet on the game is attached upstream.

In the third solenoid stopper 72-3, the ball stop member 72-31 starts from the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. The minimum number of balls that can be bet on this game (for example, 5 balls) × 2 ”is attached upstream.
The fourth solenoid stopper 72-4 is configured such that the ball stop member 72-41 starts from the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. The minimum number of balls that can be bet on this game (for example, 5) × 3 ”is attached upstream.

Although four solenoid stoppers 72 are provided in FIG. 4, the number is not limited to four, and one, two, three, or five or more solenoid stoppers may be provided.
For example, in the case of a 15-BET limited machine, the number of bets on the ball is only 15, and the case of 5 or 10 is not assumed, so there are two solenoid stoppers 72 (first solenoid stopper 72-1 and Only the fourth solenoid stopper 72-4) is required.

  The waiting ball detection sensor 73 (first waiting ball detection sensor 73-1 to third waiting ball detection sensor 73-3) has a game ball in front of the position where the waiting ball detection sensor 73 is attached in the ball passage 71. When it is detected that it is contained, a detection signal is sent to the control means 40. Thereby, the control means 40 can determine whether or not a predetermined number of game balls are accommodated in the ball passage 71 based on the detection signal from each standby ball detection sensor 73.

In this embodiment, three standby ball detection sensors 73 are provided.
The first standby ball detection sensor 73-1 is attached to a position where the fifth game ball is accommodated from the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. .
The second standby ball detection sensor 73-2 is attached to a position where the tenth game ball from the starting point is accommodated.
The third standby ball detection sensor 73-3 is attached to a position where the fifteenth game ball from the starting point is accommodated.

  With such an arrangement, the control means 40 can grasp the number of game balls accommodated in the ball passage 71 based on the detection signal from each standby ball detection sensor 73. For example, when a detection signal is received from the first standby ball detection sensor 73-1, it can be seen that at least five game balls are accommodated in the ball passage 71. Further, when a detection signal is received from the second standby ball detection sensor 73-2, it can be seen that at least 10 game balls are accommodated in the ball passage 71. Further, when a detection signal is received from the third standby ball detection sensor 73-3, it can be seen that the ball passage 71 contains 15 or more game balls.

For example, a proximity sensor can be used as the standby ball detection sensor 73. However, the type is not limited to the proximity sensor, and any type can be used as long as it can detect a sphere.
Further, the standby ball detection sensor 73 has a function as a “game medium detection sensor” because the standby ball 71-1 detects a game ball that is waiting. The “game medium detection sensor” may include a passing ball detection sensor 74 that detects a game ball that has been waiting in the standby unit 71-1.

  The passing ball detection sensor 74 detects the game ball when the stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is pulled back and the game ball flows further downstream. At this time, the passing ball detection sensor 74 transmits a detection signal to the control means 40. Thereby, the control means 40 can count the number of game balls thrown in (or the number of game balls discharged to the lower tray 17).

The discharge switching means 75 is a switching device for discharging the game ball that has passed through the ball passage 71 to either the external discharge port 71-3 or the lower tray discharge port 71-4.
The discharge switching means 74 includes a switching valve 75-1 attached to a branch point between the external discharge port 71-3 and the lower tray discharge port 71-4, and a switching drive unit that switches the switching valve 75-1. 75-2.
Here, the game ball sent to the external discharge port 71-3 is bet on the game. On the other hand, the game ball sent to the lower tray discharge port 71-4 is paid out to the lower tray 17 and returned to the player.

As shown in FIG. 5, illumination means 76 is provided in the vicinity of the standby section 71-1 of the ball passage 71.
The illumination means 76 irradiates light to the waiting game ball on the standby unit 71-1. Thereby, the image of the game ball can be clearly displayed on the standby ball display means 60.
The lighting unit 76 is controlled to be turned on by an illumination control circuit 51 (described later) of the control unit 40.
If the game ball can be sufficiently displayed on the standby ball display means 60 without the illumination means 76, the illumination means 76 can be omitted.

Further, a lens (not shown) for enlarging the image of the waiting game ball can be provided between the standby unit 71-1 and the standby ball display means 60.
Thereby, the game ball displayed on the waiting ball display means 60 can be made easier to see.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a blocking member 83 can be erected on the bottom 25 of the upper plate 21.
The blocking member 83 is a partition member for preventing the game ball staying on the upper plate 21 from riding on the standby ball display means 60 and losing the view of the game ball displayed on the standby ball display means 60. is there.
The blocking member 83 can be erected in the vicinity of the standby sphere display means 60 in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the standby sphere display means 60.
In addition, when it has a structure where a game ball does not get on the waiting ball display means 60 (for example, when the waiting ball display means 60 is attached to the front surface of the operation console 20), the blocking member 83 is omitted. it can.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the ball passage 71 can be provided with rolling assist means 77.
The rolling assist means 77 is an assisting means for assisting the game ball accommodated in the ball passage 71 to roll downstream.
The rolling assist means 77 includes a feed member 77-1 that directly applies a force to the game ball, a first solenoid 77-2 that moves the feed member 77-1 in the vertical direction, and a roll of the feed member 77-1. And a second solenoid 77-3 that moves in the direction.

The first solenoid 77-2 and the second solenoid 77-3 are controlled based on the drive signal sent from the rolling assist means control circuit 52 under the control of the CPU 45.
For example, when the start lever 13 is operated and the solenoid stopper 72 is driven and a game ball is inserted, the rolling assist means 77 is operated to promote the rolling of the game ball and take in the game ball. Can do.

The installation position of the rolling assist means 77 is not particularly limited. For example, upstream of the position where the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth game balls from the downstream in the standby unit 71-1 wait. Each can be installed near the side.
Alternatively, only one of the standby solenoids 71-1 may be installed in the vicinity of the upstream, and the second solenoid 77-3 may be operated to move the feed member 77-1 from the upstream to the downstream.

In FIG. 6, the feeding member 77-1 is configured to protrude from the bottom surface of the ball passage 71, but is not limited to the bottom surface, and may be protruded from the side surface or the top surface.
In FIG. 6, the feed member 77-1 is operated using two solenoids. However, the feed member 77-1 is operated so that the game ball rolls when the feed member 77-1 hits. 6 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

(Standby ball display means)
Next, the configuration of the standby ball display means will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 7 shows a display example when the standby ball display means is constituted by one display board, FIG. 8 shows a display example when it is constituted by three display boards, and FIG. 9 shows a display example such as a bonus notification. Each is shown.

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the standby ball display means (standby game medium display means) 60 can be constituted by, for example, one display board.
Here, the game ball is waiting in the standby unit 71-1, but when the 1BET switch 15 and the MAXBET switch 16 are not yet operated, it is possible to bet on one game as shown in FIG. The maximum number of balls that can be played (15 in the figure (a)) is displayed in a standby state in the standby unit 71-1.

For example, when the specified number is three and the 1BET switch 15 is operated once, as shown in FIG. 5B, the display parts for three game balls are switched and those games are played. The sphere disappears and characters such as “3” are displayed in that part.
When the specified number is five and the 1BET switch 15 is operated once, as shown in FIG. 5C, the display portion for five game balls is switched and the game balls are displayed. It disappears and characters such as “5” are displayed in the area.
As described above, when the 1BET switch 15 is operated, the display board is displayed and controlled so that the shutter is closed and the game ball becomes invisible within a range corresponding to the operation content. It can be shown to the player as if it was taken in, and can be substituted for the bet lamp.

  In addition, the display content of the waiting ball display means 60 is not limited to these. For example, it is possible to simply close the shutter without displaying characters such as “three”. It is also possible to display characters such as “three” while the game ball can be seen without closing the shutter. Furthermore, it is possible to initially control all 15 game balls to be in a non-display state and display the game balls for the number of bets based on the operation details of the 1BET switch 15 and the MAXBET switch 16.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, the standby ball display means 60 can be constituted by, for example, three display boards.
Here, a predetermined number (5 in the figure) of game balls are displayed on one display board. The predetermined number can be, for example, the minimum number (for example, five) of game balls that can be bet on one game. In this case, each of the display boards is referred to as a unit display unit 61 (61-1 to 61-3).

  The game ball is waiting in the standby unit 71-1, but when the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is not yet operated, the maximum ball that can be bet on one game as shown in FIG. A number (15 in the figure (a)) of game balls are displayed in a standby state in the standby unit 71-1. That is, game balls are displayed on all three unit display portions 61.

For example, when the specified number is five and the 1BET switch 15 is operated once, as shown in FIG. 5B, one unit display unit 61 is switched to five game balls. Cannot be seen, and characters such as “1” are displayed on the unit display section.
When the 1BET switch 15 is operated twice, as shown in FIG. 5C, the unit display section 61 of the first and second sheets is switched, and ten game balls cannot be seen. “1” is displayed on the unit display unit 61, and “2” is displayed on the second unit display unit 61.

When the 1BET switch 15 is operated three times, as shown in FIG. 4D, all the unit display sections 61 from the first to the third sheet are switched, and 15 game balls cannot be seen. “1” is displayed on the first unit display unit 61, “2” is displayed on the second unit display unit 61, and “3” is displayed on the third unit display unit 61. The
When the 1BET switch 15 is operated four times, the second and third unit display portions 61 are switched so that ten game balls in that portion can be seen as shown in FIG. Thus, “1” is displayed only on the unit display section 61 of the first sheet.

  In this way, by controlling the display of the unit display unit 61 so that when the 1BET switch 15 is operated, the shutter is closed and the game ball is not visible, the game is as if the game ball was taken into the game machine 1. Can be shown to a person and can be used instead of a bet lamp.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the standby ball display means 60 can display contents corresponding to the result of the lottery in the internal lottery means (described later). For example, when a big bonus game is won by an internal lottery, a character such as “GOGO CHANCE” or a design that emphasizes the character can be displayed. Thereby, the notification regarding the result of the internal lottery can be performed using the standby ball display means 60, and a new effect that has not existed before can be achieved.

The standby ball display means 60 can be configured using an electro-optical device capable of switching display. The electro-optical device is a device that can control light emission, light reflection, and light transmission using electric energy as a driving source. The electro-optical device includes, for example, a liquid crystal shutter and an EL (Electroluminescence) element.
The liquid crystal shutter is a liquid crystal display device having a function of switching between display and non-display for all or part of the display portion.
An EL element refers to an element that emits light when excited by application or collision of an electric field using a phosphor material as an excitation source.
By using these liquid crystal shutters or EL elements, display / non-display of the game ball can be easily controlled.

In the present embodiment, the number of unit display units is one in FIG. 7 and three in FIGS. 8 and 9, but is not limited to one or three, and is two or four. It can also be more than one.
In the present embodiment, 15 game balls are initially displayed on the standby ball display means 60, and the game balls for the number of bets are hidden. However, on the contrary, for example, First, all the game balls may be hidden and the game balls for the number of bets may be displayed.

(Control means)
Next, the configuration of the control means will be described with reference to FIG. This figure is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the gaming machine.
The control means 40 includes a sound circuit 41, a lamp drive circuit 42, a ROM 43, a RAM 44, a CPU 45, a clock generation circuit 46, a random number generation circuit 47, a solenoid stopper drive circuit 48, and a switching drive control circuit 49. , A standby ball display control circuit 50, an illumination control circuit 51, and a rolling assist means control circuit 52.

The sound circuit 41 causes the speaker 18 to output a sound effect, a payout sound, a voice message, and the like in response to a signal (command) from the CPU 45.
The lamp driving circuit 42 lights and blinks the lamp L in response to a signal (command) from the CPU 45.
The ROM 43 stores a predetermined program, and the CPU 45 is operated according to this program.
The RAM 44 stores various data relating to the game.

The CPU 45 inputs signals from the start lever 13, stop buttons 14-1 to 14-3, 1 BET switch 15, MAXBET switch 16, settlement switch 22, return switch 23, ball lending switch 24, tank ball break sensor 71, etc. Based on these input signals, the drum unit 30, the sound circuit 41, the lamp driving circuit 42, the storage tank 70, and the like are controlled.
Further, the CPU 45 determines the betting number of the game balls based on the operation contents of the 1BET switch 15 and the MAXBET switch 16. For this reason, the CPU 45 has a function as “betting number determination means”.
Further, the CPU 45 has a function as a “start lever reception control means” in order to control whether or not the operation of the start lever 13 can be accepted based on the operation of the start lever 13, 1 BET switch 15, MAXBET switch 16, and the like. is doing.

Further, the CPU 45 sends a signal to the solenoid stopper drive circuit 48, the switching drive control circuit 49, the standby ball display control circuit 50, and the illumination control circuit 51 according to the progress of the game, and will be described in the “operation procedure” described later. Such a predetermined operation is performed.
In particular, the CPU 45 keeps the game ball in the standby unit 71-1 until the start lever 13 is operated, and when the start lever 13 is operated, sends a signal to the solenoid stopper drive circuit 48 to send the game ball. Therefore, the solenoid stopper driving circuit 48 and the function of “closing control means” are provided.

Further, the CPU 45 calculates the number of game balls staying in the ball passage 71, that is, the number of standby balls, based on the detection signal from the standby ball detection sensor 73.
Specifically, for example, when a detection signal is received from the standby ball detection sensor 73, a number (here, “1”) based on this detection signal is added to the already calculated number of standby balls (count value). The sum obtained as a result of is used as a new number of waiting balls.
As described above, the CPU 45 calculates the number of waiting game balls (the number of waiting game media, the number of waiting balls) based on the detection signal from the waiting ball detection sensor (game medium detection sensor) 73. It has a function as “means”.
Further, the CPU 45 has a function as “inserted game medium determination means” because it compares the number of waiting balls with the number of bets and determines whether or not the number of waiting balls is equal to or more than the number of bets.

Further, the CPU 45 calculates the number of inserted game balls, that is, the number of inserted balls, based on the detection signal from the passing ball detection sensor 74.
Specifically, for example, when a detection signal is received from the passing ball detection sensor 74, a number based on this detection signal (here, “1”) is added to the already calculated number of inserted balls, and the result of this addition is obtained. Is the new number of thrown balls.

The random number generation circuit 47 generates a random number used in the internal lottery and sends it to the CPU 45.
Here, the CPU 45 performs an internal lottery using the random number from the random number generation circuit 47. For this reason, the CPU 45 has a function as “internal lottery means”.

The solenoid stopper drive circuit 48 operates each solenoid stopper 72 in response to a signal from the CPU 45.
The switching drive control circuit 49 operates the switching drive unit 75-2 of the discharge switching means 75 in accordance with a signal from the CPU 45.

The standby sphere display control circuit 50 controls the display of the standby sphere display means 60 in accordance with a signal from the CPU 45.
Thus, the standby ball display control circuit 50 controls the display or non-display of the game ball in the standby ball display means 60, and thus has a function as a “display control means” together with the CPU 45.

The illumination control circuit 51 performs lighting control of the illumination unit 76 in accordance with a signal from the CPU 45.
For example, the lighting control can be performed so that the light is lit between the stop of the rotation of the reel 31 and the operation of the start lever 13 in the next game and is turned off while the reel 31 is rotating. Moreover, it can also be made to always light.

The rolling assist means control circuit 52 controls the driving of the rolling assist means 77 (first solenoid 77-2, second solenoid 77-3) in accordance with a signal from the CPU 45.
As described above, the rolling assist means control circuit 52 operates the rolling assist means 77 and thus has a function as a “rolling assist control means” together with the CPU 45.

(Machine machine operation)
Next, the operation of the gaming machine of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
This figure is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the gaming machine of the present embodiment.
First, since there are no game balls waiting in the ball passage 71, the control means 40 sets both the betting number count value and the waiting ball count value to “0” (reset, step 10). .

  Next, the solenoid stopper 72 is brought into a standby state (a state in which a game ball is made to wait in the standby portion 71-1 of the ball passage 71 to prepare for insertion). That is, the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is projected into the ball passage 71 (closed state). On the other hand, the ball stop member 72-21 of the second solenoid stopper 72-2, the ball stop member 72-31 of the third solenoid stopper 72-3, and the ball stop member 72-41 of the fourth solenoid stopper 72-4 are pulled back. Is set to the open state (open state) (step 11).

When a game ball is lent to a player to play a game (step 12), the rented game ball is stored in the upper plate 21.
The game ball stored in the upper plate 21 rolls downstream due to the inclination of the bottom 25 and stays in the vicinity of the downstream, and flows into the ball passage 71 of the take-in device 70 from the inlet 27. Then, the game balls are accommodated in a line with the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 protruding into the ball passage 71 (game ball reception / waiting, step 13).

When the player operates the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16, a bet signal is output from the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16, and the bet signal is received by the CPU 45 of the control means 40. As a result, the CPU 45 detects the operation of the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 (step 14).
Here, the CPU 45 determines the number of game balls bet on the game (the number of bets) based on the bet signal (step 15).
For example, when the 1BET switch 15 is operated once, the betting number of game balls is determined as “specified number × 1” (if the specified number is 5, five). When the MAXBET switch 16 is operated once, the betting number of game balls is determined to be the maximum number (for example, 15) that can be bet on one game.

Subsequently, the waiting game ball in the ball passage 71 is detected by the waiting detection sensor 73, and a detection signal is sent to the control means 40. The CPU 45 of the control means 40 obtains the number of game balls accommodated in the ball passage 71 based on the detection signal (detection / counting of standby balls, step 16).
For example, when a detection signal is received from all of the first standby ball detection sensor 73-1, the second standby ball detection sensor 73-2, and the third standby ball detection sensor 73-3, the ball passage 71 has 15 or more. Game balls are housed.
Further, for example, although the detection signal is received from the first standby ball detection sensor 73-1 and the second standby ball detection sensor 73-2, the detection signal is not received from the third standby ball detection sensor 73-3. In this case, it is assumed that 10 or more and less than 15 game balls are accommodated in the ball passage 71.

Further, for example, although a detection signal is received from the first standby ball detection sensor 73-1, no detection signal is received from the second standby ball detection sensor 73-2 and the third standby ball detection sensor 73-3. In this case, it is assumed that 5 or more and less than 10 game balls are accommodated in the ball passage 71.
When no detection signal is received from all of the first standby sphere detection sensor 73-1, the second standby sphere detection sensor 73-2, and the third standby sphere detection sensor 73-3, there are five in the ball passage 71. It is assumed that less than game balls are contained.

Further, the CPU 45 compares the number of game balls waiting in the standby unit 71-1 (the number of standby balls) with the number of game balls bet (step 17).
As a result of the comparison, when the number of waiting balls is smaller than the number of bets, the process is ended unless a game ball is supplied to the upper plate 21 (step 29).
On the other hand, when the number of waiting balls is equal to or larger than the number of bets, the display of the waiting ball display means 60 is controlled (step 18). A specific example of this display control is as described above.
Then, the operation of the start lever 13 can be accepted (step 19).

Subsequently, when the operation of the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is further detected (step 20), the operation of the start lever 13 cannot be accepted (step 21).
The CPU 45 determines the number of bets based on the bet signal from the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 (step 15).
For example, when the 1BET switch 15 is operated twice, the betting number of game balls is determined to be “specified number × 2” (or 10 when the specified number is 5). Note that if the MAXBET switch 16 is operated once or more, the betting number of game balls is determined to be the maximum number (for example, 15) that can be bet on one game.

Then, detection and counting of standby balls (step 16), comparison between the number of standby balls and the number of bets (step 17), display control of the standby ball display means 60 (step 18), and acceptability control of the start lever 13 (step 19) ) Is executed.
The processing of these steps 15 to 21 is executed every time the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is operated.
When the 1BET switch 15 is operated three times, it is determined that the number of game balls bet is “specified number × 3” (if the specified number is 5, 15). However, since the maximum number of game balls that can be bet on one game is fifteen, when the 1BET switch 15 is operated four times, the bet number of game balls is “specified number × 1” ( When the specified number is 5, it is determined that 5).

Thereafter, when the operation of the start lever 13 is detected without detecting the operation of the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 (step 22), the rotation of the reel 31 is started (step 23).
Further, when the start lever 13 is operated, a signal is sent from the control means 40 to each driving means 72-x2 of the solenoid stopper 72, and the stop state of the game ball by the ball stop member 72-x1 is released and is inserted. A state is set (game ball insertion processing, step 24). Thereby, the game balls stored in the ball passage 71 are bet on the game.

Specifically, in this game ball insertion process, the solenoid stopper 72 is controlled as follows.
For example, when the number of bets is 5, the ball stopping member 72-21 is pushed out by the driving of the driving means 72-22 of the second solenoid stopper 72-2 and protrudes into the ball passage 71 (closed state). Thereafter, the ball stopping member 72-11 is pulled back from the ball passage 71 by the driving of the driving means 72-12 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 (open state). As a result, the five pieces housed from the position where the ball stop member 72-21 of the second solenoid stopper 72-2 is attached to the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached are stored. A game ball flows further downstream of the ball passage 71 to bet on the game.

  For example, when the number of bets is 10, the ball stopping member 72-31 is pushed out by the driving of the driving means 72-32 of the third solenoid stopper 72-3 and protrudes into the ball passage 71 (closed state). Thereafter, the ball stopping member 72-11 is pulled back from the ball passage 71 by the driving of the driving means 72-12 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 (open state). As a result, the ten pieces that have been accommodated from the position where the ball stop member 72-31 of the third solenoid stopper 72-3 is attached to the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. A game ball flows further downstream of the ball passage 71 to bet on the game.

  Further, for example, when the number of bets is 15, the ball stopping member 72-41 is pushed out by the driving of the driving means 72-42 of the fourth solenoid stopper 72-4 and protrudes into the ball passage 71 (closed state). Thereafter, the ball stopping member 72-11 is pulled back from the ball passage 71 by the driving of the driving means 72-12 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 (open state). As a result, the fifteen pieces accommodated from the position where the ball stop member 72-41 of the fourth solenoid stopper 72-4 is attached to the position where the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 is attached. A game ball flows further downstream of the ball passage 71 to bet on the game.

As described above, when the start lever 13 is pressed after the 1BET switch 15 or the MAXBET switch 16 is operated, a game ball is inserted according to the type or number of times of the operated BET switch.
Subsequently, when the stop button 14 is pressed by the player and this operation is accepted (step 25), the rotation of the reel 31 is stopped (rotating the spinning cylinder, step 26), and winning is determined (step 27). When winning, a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out according to the contents (step 28).

  Subsequently, when a game is played (step 29), drive control is performed so that the solenoid stopper 72 is in a standby state (step 11). That is, the ball stop member 72-11 of the first solenoid stopper 72-1 protrudes into the ball passage 71, the ball stop member 72-21 of the second solenoid stopper 72-2, and the ball stop member of the third solenoid stopper 72-3. 72-31 and the ball stop member 72-41 of the fourth solenoid stopper 72-4 are retracted from the ball passage 71, respectively. Then, when the game balls are lent out (step 12) and stored in the upper plate 21, they flow into the ball passage 71 (game ball receiving / waiting process, step 13).

Thereafter, the processes of Step 14 to Step 29 and Step 11 to Step 13 are repeated.
When the game is ended and the payment is made (NO in step 29), the payment switch 22 is pressed. Thereby, the game balls stored in the upper plate 21 and the game balls stored in the ball passage 71 are extracted and discharged to the lower plate 17.
Further, the rental of game balls (step 12) can be omitted in the second and subsequent games.

As described above, according to the gaming machine of the present embodiment, the waiting ball of the take-in device is taken in when the start lever is operated, not when the BET switch is operated. Even if the number of bets is changed by multiple operations, the number of bets can be changed without paying out and without using credits.
Furthermore, the waiting game ball can be displayed on the standby ball display means provided at the bottom of the upper plate in the standby section, and display / non-display of the game ball on the standby ball display means can be controlled according to the number of bets. By doing so, it is possible to inform the player of the current bet number.
In addition, by providing a rolling assist means in the standby unit, it is possible to support the rolling of the game ball taken in from the standby unit and to realize quick capture.

The preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention has been described above, but the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the standby ball display means 60 is provided between the bottom 25 and the back side surface 26 of the upper plate 21, but is not limited to the upper plate 21. It can also be provided on the upper surface or the front surface.

Further, the standby ball display means 60 displays the game ball waiting on the standby unit 71-1 as it is. However, the standby ball display means 60 is not limited to displaying the game ball as it is. It is also possible to display the image on the standby sphere display means 60.
According to this, since it is not necessary to provide the standby part 71-1 behind the standby ball display means 60, structural restrictions are reduced.

  The standby ball display means 60 can also display the game ball as a moving image. That is, based on the detection result of the standby ball detection sensor 73-3, the CPU 45 calculates the number of game balls waiting in the standby unit 71-1, and displays the calculated number of game balls in the standby ball display means 60 as an image. Can be displayed. In this case, for example, when the start lever 13 is operated, it is possible to display on the standby ball display means 60 a state in which the waiting game ball is taken in.

  Since the present invention is an invention relating to a game media take-in procedure, a structure of a standby unit of a take-in device, and the like, it can be used for a gaming machine that takes in game media.

It is a front external view which shows the front structure of the game machine of this invention. It is a left view which shows the side structure of the game machine of this invention. It is an upper perspective view which shows the structure of the front surface and side surface of the game machine of this invention. It is front sectional drawing which shows the structure of a taking-in apparatus. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of an upper plate and a taking-in apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a rolling assistance means. It is a front view which shows the example of a display of a waiting ball display means. It is a front view which shows the other example of a display of a waiting ball | bowl display means. It is a front view which shows the other example of a display of a waiting ball display means. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control means. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the game machine of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the conventional game machine.

Explanation of symbols

1 gaming machine (slot machine)
13 Start lever 14 Stop button 15 1 BET switch 16 MAXBET switch 20 Operation table 21 Upper plate 27 Inlet port 40 Control means 45 CPU
48 Solenoid Stopper Drive Circuit 50 Standby Ball Display Control Circuit 51 Illumination Control Circuit 60 Standby Ball Display Means 61 Liquid Crystal Shutter 70 Capture Device 71 Ball Path 71-1 Standby Unit 71-2 Visual Window 72 Solenoid Stopper 73 Standby Ball Detection Sensor 74 Passing ball detection sensor 76 Illuminating means 77 Rolling auxiliary means 80 Blocking member

Claims (4)

A gaming machine comprising standby means for waiting until game media is inserted, a start lever for starting rotation of the spinning cylinder, and a bet switch for determining the number of bets on the game media,
When the bet switch is operated in a state where the waiting medium is waiting for the gaming medium, the waiting medium is not moved and the gaming medium is not taken in and out without being moved. Bet number determination means for changing the bet number;
A game medium detection sensor for detecting a game medium waiting in the waiting means;
Waiting number calculating means for obtaining the number of waiting game media as the number of waiting game media based on a detection signal from the game media detection sensor;
Inserted game medium determining means for determining whether or not the game medium standby number determined by the standby number calculating means is equal to or greater than the bet number determined by the betting number determining means;
When it is determined that the number of waiting game media is equal to or greater than the number of bets, and the start lever is operated, insertion control means for inserting the game media;
Start lever reception control means for enabling or disabling the operation of the start lever, and
When the inserted game medium determining means determines that the number of waiting game media is equal to or greater than the number of bets, the start lever reception control means can accept the operation of the start lever, and is in a state where this acceptance is possible When the start lever is operated, the insertion control means inputs the game medium,
When the bet switch is operated after enabling the operation of the start lever, the betting number determining means takes in the game medium and moves it without moving the waiting game medium to the standby means. The betting number of the game medium is changed without paying out, the inserted game medium determining means determines whether or not the gaming medium standby number is equal to or greater than the changed betting number, and the gaming medium standby number is When it is determined that the number of bets after the change is greater than or equal to and the start lever is operated, the insertion control means moves the game medium and inserts the game medium . Standby game medium display means for displaying the waiting game medium on the standby means;
Display control means for controlling display or non-display of game media in this standby game media display means,
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls the standby game medium display means so as to display or hide the game media by the number of bets. The standby game medium display means has a plurality of unit display units for displaying the minimum number of game media that can be bet on one game,
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls display or non-display of the game medium for each unit display unit. Equipped with an internal lottery means for internal lottery,
The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display control means controls the display content of the standby game medium display means in accordance with the lottery result of the internal lottery means.

Images