JP5109257B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

As a kind of gaming machine, a gaming machine having a ball tray for storing gaming balls on the front surface of the gaming machine is known. For example, as a gaming machine, a ball-use spinning machine that uses a game ball as a game medium and can play a game similar to a so-called slot machine is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

In the ball-use spinning machine, for example, a take-in start operation switch is disposed on the front side of the ball tray. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 50, which shows the front part of a gaming machine using a conventional ball-cylinder revolving game machine 790, the take-in start operation switch 791 is connected to the ball receiving tray 792 in the receiving base 793 in which the ball receiving tray 792 is received. It is arranged on the front side part. Thereby, the operability of the capture start operation switch 791 is improved. That is, the ball tray 792 and the storage base 793 bulge forward of the gaming machine from the window portion 794 that allows the symbols attached to the reels to be visually recognized, and the take-in start operation switch 791 is disposed at the above position. This is because the switch 791 can be operated at a position closer to the player's seated position.

The take-in start operation switch 791 in the gaming machine 790 corresponds to a bet operation switch for setting a bet for a virtual game medium in the slot machine, and corresponds to the operability of the bet operation switch in the slot machine. The take-in start operation switch 791 is arranged to be pressed from above. Thereby, it is possible for a player to play a game with the same operability as a slot machine.

Here, it is necessary to secure a large storage capacity of the game balls in the ball tray in the gaming machines including the ball-use spinning machine including the ball tray.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-81451

The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances exemplified above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of suitably ensuring a large storage capacity of game balls in a ball tray.

The gaming machine of the present invention is
A storage base that protrudes forward from the front of the gaming machine and is open at the top;
A ball receiving tray in which a ball storage portion for storing a game ball is formed, and the game is stored using the game ball stored in the ball receiving tray as a game medium.
A concave portion is formed in a part of the front portion of the peripheral wall in the ball tray toward the rear,
The support plate portion suspended supporting the capture operation device is pressed by the player in order to start the loading process by capturing device for capturing a game ball that is stored in the ball storage portion at its upper portion, said recess Provided to extend forward from the recess so as to close the upper part of the space formed by, and integrally formed in the recess,
The ball tray is provided with a flange portion extending from the upper end of the front surface of the peripheral wall to the near side,
The storage base is provided with a support portion that supports the flange portion from below,
The front side peripheral edge portion, which is the distal end portion in the extending direction of the support plate portion, constitutes a part of the flange portion, so that the flange portion is formed over the entire left and right direction of the peripheral wall front portion. The support plate portion is formed.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to ensure suitably the storage capacity of the game ball in a ball tray.

First, invention groups that can be extracted from the present embodiment are shown as means n (n = 1, 2, 3,...), And will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for easy understanding, the corresponding configuration in the embodiment of the invention is appropriately shown in parentheses, but is not limited to the specific configuration shown in parentheses.

Means 1. A storage base (bulging portion 27) that protrudes forward from the front portion of the gaming machine and is opened upward;
A ball tray (upper plate 151) in which a ball storage portion (bottom surface portions 221 to 224) that is stored in the storage base and stores game balls is formed;
A take-in device (take-in devices 301 to 303) for taking in game balls stored in the ball storage unit;
A take-in operation device (a bet switch 38) that is pressed to start a take-in process of game balls by the take-in device;
In a gaming machine equipped with
A concave portion (concave portion 195) is formed in a part of the front surface portion of the peripheral wall (front side wall portion 193) toward the rear in the spherical tray,
A gaming machine, wherein a support plate portion (support plate portion 196) for supporting the take-in operation device in a suspended state is integrally formed in the recess so as to close the upper portion of the recess.

In the gaming machine of the means 1, the take-in process of the game ball in the take-in device is started by pressing the take-in operation device. In this case, a concave portion is formed in a part of the front surface portion of the peripheral wall in the ball tray in the rearward direction, and a support plate portion is integrally formed in the concave portion. The take-in operation device is suspended and supported by the support plate portion. That is, the take-in operation device is provided at a position protruding forward of the gaming machine and can be pressed from above. Thereby, the player can perform the pressing operation of the take-in operation device at a position close to the position where the player is seated, and further, the operability of the slot machine is ensured in this gaming machine. With the above configuration, the operability of the capture operation device is improved. In addition, by setting it as the structure which suspends and supports the taking-in operation apparatus to a support plate part, when a taking-in operation apparatus is pressed from upper direction, the load accompanying the pressing operation is received in a support plate part.

Moreover, a spherical storage part can be provided in the side of an intake operation apparatus by setting it as the structure which forms a recessed part in a ball receiving tray as mentioned above, and provides an intake operation apparatus. Thereby, the ball | bowl storage part of a ball receiving tray can be expanded ahead, without increasing the protrusion amount of a storage base. That is, the storage capacity of the game ball in the ball tray can be ensured as much as possible without causing the inconvenience of giving the player a feeling of pressure.

Furthermore, in this configuration, since the take-in operation device is suspended and supported by the support plate provided in the ball tray as described above, the take-in operation of the ball storage portion provided on the side of the take-in operation device is performed. Even if it is expanded to a position close to the front side edge of the device, the support strength of the take-in operation device can be sufficiently ensured. For example, in a configuration in which the support plate portion is provided in the storage base instead of the ball tray, when the ball storage portion provided on the side of the take-in operation device is expanded to a position close to the front side edge portion of the take-in operation device The support plate portion has a shape that greatly extends from the housing base toward the ball tray, and the strength of the base end portion is reduced. On the other hand, since the support plate portion is integrally formed so as to block the upper portion of the recess with respect to the recess of the ball tray, the base end portion is secured wider than when the support plate portion is provided on the storage base. The strength of the base end is increased. Therefore, as described above, the support strength of the take-in operation device can be sufficiently secured.

Mean 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the left and right sides of the concave portion in the ball tray are the ball storage portions.

According to the means 2, the storage capacity of the game ball in the ball tray can be ensured as much as possible. In this case, the structure of the above-mentioned means 1 is provided, and the support plate portion is integrally formed so as to close the recess above the recess. Sufficient support strength of the apparatus can be secured.

Means 3. A gaming machine according to means 1 or 2, wherein the recess is formed such that a dimension in the front-rear direction of the recess is larger than that of the take-in operation device.

According to the means 3, the ball storage part can be expanded forward of the gaming machine by at least the front-rear direction dimension of the take-in operation device. Further, in this case, the structure of the above means 1 is provided, and the support plate portion is integrally formed so as to close the upper portion of the recess portion with respect to the recess portion. Sufficient support strength of the operating device can be ensured.

Means 4. In the means 3, the ball tray is provided with a flange portion (flange 194) extending from the upper end of the front surface portion of the peripheral wall to the front side, and a support portion (opening peripheral edge) for supporting the flange portion from below on the accommodation base. Part 27a),
A gaming machine, wherein the support plate portion is formed such that a front side peripheral portion (front side peripheral portion 196a) of the support plate portion constitutes a part of the flange portion.

According to the means 4, the support structure of the ball tray is simplified by adopting a configuration in which the flange portion provided on the ball tray is supported by the support portion provided on the storage base. In this case, the front side peripheral portion of the support plate portion constitutes a part of the flange portion. Therefore, the load applied to the support plate portion due to the weight of the capture operation device and the pressing operation of the capture operation device is received by the support portion in the storage base, and the support strength of the capture operation device is utilized with a simple configuration. Can be increased.

Means 5. In the means 4, the flange portion is formed continuously over the entire left and right direction of the peripheral wall front portion, and the support portion is formed continuously so as to support the entire flange portion. To play.

According to the means 5, the support strength of the ball tray is increased. In addition, the load applied to the support plate portion in accordance with the weight of the capture operation device and the pressing operation of the capture operation device is received by the entire support portion provided in the left-right direction, and the support strength of the capture operation device. Can be increased.

Means 6. A game machine according to any one of means 1 to 3, wherein a front side peripheral part (front side peripheral part 196a) of the support plate part is supported from below by the accommodation base.

According to the means 6, the load applied to the support plate portion in accordance with the weight of the take-in operation device and the pressing operation of the take-in operation device is received by the storage base, and the support strength of the take-in operation device is increased with a simple configuration. be able to.

Mean 7 In any one of the means 1 to 6, the bottom surface of the ball reservoir is inclined so that the game ball flows down toward the ball outlet (opening 164) to the take-in device by its own weight,
A gaming machine, wherein the concave portion is formed by retreating a part of the front surface of the peripheral wall of the ball tray so as to taper toward the back side.

According to the means 7, since the concave portion is tapered toward the back side, it is possible to prevent the flow of the game ball toward the ball outlet in the ball storage portion from being obstructed by the concave portion.

Means 8. In any one of the means 1 to 7, the support plate portion is formed so that the upper surface of the support plate portion is inclined downward in a predetermined direction, and the upper surface of the take-in operation device is inclined downward in the predetermined direction. A gaming machine characterized by installing a take-in operation device.

According to the means 8, even if the game ball stored in the ball storage part is placed on the support plate part or the take-in operation device, the game ball is inclined on the upper surface of the support plate part or the upper surface of the take-in operation device. It flows down along. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operability of the take-in operation device from deteriorating due to the game ball remaining on the support plate portion or the take-in operation device. In addition, if the take-in operation device is pressed while the game ball remains on the support plate or the take-in operation device, the take-in operation device may be damaged. Accordingly, the occurrence of such inconvenience can be prevented. In particular, in the configuration provided with the above-described means 1 and provided with a ball storage portion on the side of the take-in operation device, the support plate portion is compared to a conventional gaming machine in which the ball storage portion is not provided on the side. Although it becomes easy for the game ball to be placed on the top or on the take-in operation device, the occurrence of the inconvenience can be prevented in such a case.

Means 9. In means 8, a picture display device (reel device 503) for variably displaying a picture, and a window portion provided above the ball tray in the front portion of the gaming machine and allowing the variable display of the picture on the picture display device to be visually recognized ( Transparent panel 22), start operation means (start lever 33) operated to start variable display of the picture, and stop operation means (stop switches 35 to 37) operated to stop variable display of the picture And
When a predetermined number of game balls are taken in by the take-in device and the start operation means is operated, variable display of the picture is started, and according to the stop picture after the stop operation means is operated The game ball is configured to be paid out to the ball tray,
The support plate portion is formed so that the upper surface of the support plate portion faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, and the capture operation device is installed so that the upper surface of the capture operation device faces obliquely upward in the front of the gaming machine A featured gaming machine.

According to the means 9, when a predetermined number of game balls are taken in by the take-in device and the start operation means is operated, the variable display of the picture on the picture display device is started, and the stop operation means is operated. If this happens, the variable display of the picture is stopped. Then, a predetermined number of game balls are paid out to the ball tray according to the stop pattern.

In this case, since the upper surface of the take-in operation device faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, the operability of the take-in operation device can be improved. That is, it is common for a player who plays a game on the gaming machine to sit in front of the gaming machine and play a game. Further, since the game is characterized by operating the stop operation means while visually recognizing the variable display of the picture through the window provided above the ball tray, at least the height of the player's eyes is Generally, it is above the saucer and the height of the player's shoulder is also above the ball saucer. In this case, since the upper surface of the take-in operation device faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, the player pushes the take-in operation device without difficulty by moving his arm diagonally downward toward the take-in operation device. can do.

Means 10. In any one of the means 1 to 9, a payout device (payout device 608) for paying out the game ball to the ball tray when a predetermined condition is satisfied is provided.
While providing a ball entrance (discharge port 163) into which the game ball paid out from the payout device is introduced in the back side wall portion (back side wall portion 191) of the ball tray,
A gaming machine, wherein the concave portion is formed at a position facing the ball entrance.

According to the means 10, even if the game ball is vigorously introduced from the entrance of the ball, the game ball can collide with the recess and decelerate early. Thereby, the behavior of the game ball in the ball storage unit can be stabilized.

Means 11. In the means 10, the ball storage portion of the ball tray is arranged in a back side region (right back bottom surface portion 224) for aligning game balls toward a ball outlet (opening portion 164) to the take-in device, and in the back side region. A front side region (left front bottom surface portion 221 and right front bottom surface portion 222) for guiding the game ball toward the
A gaming machine, wherein the recess is formed in the near side region.

According to the means 11, in the structure provided with the concave portion, the game balls can be aligned toward the ball outlet in the back region irrespective of the concave portion.

Means 12. In any one of the means 1 to 11, the take-in operation device is provided so as to close a housing (case body 271) that extends in the vertical direction and is opened upward, and an upper surface open portion of the housing. A switch part (switch piece 272) to be pressed, an urging means (spring 274) provided in the housing and urging the switch part upward, and provided in the housing, the switch part being pressed Detection means (sensor 275) for detecting that it has been operated,
A gaming machine, wherein a wall portion (arc-shaped wall portion 195a) forming the concave portion is formed by standing upward from a bottom portion of the ball tray.

According to the means 12, since the wall portion forming the concave portion is formed to rise upward from the bottom portion of the ball tray, the take-in operation device having a predetermined thickness in the vertical direction can be installed with a margin. .

Means 13. In any one of means 1 to 12, a picture display device (reel device 503) that variably displays a picture, and a window part (transparent panel 22) that is provided on the front side of the gaming machine and allows the variable display of the picture to be visually recognized. And start operation means (start lever 33) operated to start variable display of the picture, and stop operation means (stop switches 35 to 37) operated to stop variable display of the picture,
When a predetermined number of game balls are taken in by the take-in device and the start operation means is operated, variable display of the picture is started, and a game is played on the ball tray according to the stop picture after the stop. A gaming machine that is configured to pay out a ball.

The present invention is preferably applied to a gaming machine including a start operation means and a stop operation means that are actively operated by a player.

Means 14. In the means 13, an operation region (operation part 30) in which the start operation means and the stop operation means are disposed is provided on the front end surface of the storage base,
A gaming machine, wherein the take-in operation device is installed on the right side of the start operation unit and on the left side of the stop operation unit.

According to the means 14, the operability in the slot machine is ensured in this gaming machine. In such a configuration, the take-in operation device is arranged at a midway position in the left-right direction of the ball tray. Accordingly, a support plate portion is formed so as to close the upper portion of the recess, and the take-in operation device is suspended and supported by the support plate portion, thereby providing a ball storage portion on the side of the take-in operation device in the ball tray. be able to. In particular, in the configuration provided with the means 2 described above, the support plate portion is formed so as to close the upper portion of the recess, and the take-in operation device is suspended and supported by the support plate portion, whereby the take-in operation in the ball tray is performed. Sphere reservoirs can be provided on the left and right sides of the device.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment relating to a revolving gaming machine using a game ball, in which a game is played using a game ball as a game medium, will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The gaming machine in the present embodiment requires taking in a game ball (for example, a game ball similar to a pachinko machine: a pachinko ball) as a predetermined number of game media (game value) in the game, and a predetermined condition is satisfied A plurality of game balls, and in some cases, a large number of game balls are paid out. This game machine is supplied with game balls from the same game ball supply system as the pachinko machine in the game hall, etc., and this game is installed in the existing island facility (pachinko island) where the pachinko machine is installed. It is possible to install a machine.

  First, the outline of the external configuration and internal structure of the gaming machine 1 will be described. Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire gaming machine 1, FIG. 2 is a front view of the gaming machine 1, FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing an internal open state of the gaming machine 1, and FIG. FIG. In the following description, unless otherwise noted, directions such as left, right, up and down are described with reference to the state viewed from the front of the gaming machine 1.

  The gaming machine 1 includes an outer frame 2 as a main body frame, and a gaming machine main body portion 3 attached to the outer frame 2 so as to be rotatable forward. The outer frame 2 is configured by connecting wooden plate members to four sides, and has a rectangular shape as a whole. When the gaming machine 1 is installed in the game hall, the outer frame 2 is attached and fixed to the island facility. The outer frame 2 can be made of a metal such as synthetic resin or aluminum. Although not shown in FIG. 3 or the like, the right side plate material among the four side plate materials constituting the outer frame 2 is provided with locking members (described in detail in FIGS. A hook receiving portion for locking the metal fittings 123 and 124) is provided.

  The gaming machine main unit 3 includes a door block 4 that is a door body unit, a tray block 5 that is a ball tray unit, a face changing block 6 that is a picture display unit, and a payout block 7 that is a game ball payout unit. It is configured. The door block 4 is provided with hinge fittings 8 at two upper and lower portions, and the door block 4 (the gaming machine main body 3) is externally connected by the hinge fitting 8 and the two upper and lower supporting fittings 9 on the outer frame 2 side. The frame 2 is supported so as to be rotatable. In this case, the rotation axis is provided on the left side when the gaming machine 1 is viewed from the front, and the gaming machine main body 3 is opened with the right side as the rotation tip when viewed from the front. When the gaming machine main body 3 is closed with respect to the outer frame 2, the rear surface of the outer peripheral edge of the door block 4 is in contact with the front surface of the outer frame 2.

  The saucer block 5 is detachably attached to the back side of the door block 4. Further, the surface changing block 6 is attached above the saucer block 5 on the back side of the door block 4, and a payout block 7 is attached so as to cover the surface changing block 6 from the back side. The surface changing block 6 and the dispensing block 7 are rotatably supported by a part of the door block 4, and the blocks 6 and 7 can rotate integrally with the door block 4 with respect to the outer frame 2. And has a structure that can be individually rotated with respect to the door block 4.

  When the gaming machine main body 3 is viewed from the back side, a payout block 7 and a tray block 5 are arranged on the back side of the door block 4 so as to be lined up and down.

  Here, the relative positional relationship and the operation state of each member constituting the gaming machine main body 3 will be briefly described. FIG. 6 is a drawing schematically showing the gaming machine main body 3, (a) is a view of the gaming machine main body 3 viewed from the back side, and (b) to (d) are the surface changing blocks 6 for the door block 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an opening operation status of the payout block 7.

  As shown in (a), an axis AX1 for opening the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 with respect to the door block 4 is provided on the right side (left side when viewed from the front). The axis AX1 serves as both an axis for supporting the surface changing block 6 and an axis for supporting the payout block 7. In this case, M1 and M2 shown in the figure are support means for supporting the surface changing block 6, and M3 and M4 are support means for supporting the dispensing block 7. That is, the support means M1 and M2 for the surface changing block 6 are coaxially provided in a pair of upper and lower sides. Further, the support means M3 and M4 for the payout block 7 are also provided in a pair of upper and lower sides so as to sandwich the support means M1 and M2, and are also coaxial with the support means M1 and M2.

  With the above configuration, the operations (b) to (d) can be performed. In (b), the chamfering block 6 and the payout block 7 are integrally opened with respect to the door block 4, and in (c), the payout block with respect to the chamfering block 6 from the state of (b). 7 is opened. Further, in (d), only the payout block 7 is opened from the state in which the surface changing block 6 is closed with respect to the door block 4.

(Description of door block 4)
Next, the door block 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 7, FIG. 8 is a perspective view which isolate | separates the door block 4 and the saucer block 5, and shows them from the front and back. 9 and 10 are perspective views showing the front door body 11 and the inner frame 12 constituting the door block 4 separated from the front and the rear. In the following description of the door block 4, the above-described FIG. 1 and FIG.

  In the door block 4, the front door body 11 has substantially the same size (vertical dimension and horizontal dimension) as the outer frame 2, and an inner frame 12 is attached so as to overlap the back side. The inner frame 12 is formed by, for example, aluminum die casting, and has a role of reinforcing the front door body 11 and also has a role of supporting the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 described in detail later.

(Description of the front door 11)
The front door 11 stores a symbol visual recognition unit that enables visual recognition of a reel symbol, a liquid crystal symbol, and the like, which will be described later, an operation unit that is manually operated by a player when playing a game, and a game ball that is redundant in the upper plate part. The lower plate part is provided.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 9 and the like, a visual recognition window 21 having a substantially trapezoidal shape as a symbol visual recognition portion is formed in the upper half portion of the front door body 11. The viewing window 21 is fitted with a transparent panel 22 made of a flat transparent plate, and the inside thereof can be visually recognized through the transparent panel 22. The transparent panel 22 has two panel parts (an upper panel part 22a and a lower panel part 22b) which are divided into a top and bottom and slightly bent, and the upper panel part 22a is provided in a substantially vertical direction. The portion 22b is provided so as to face slightly upward. The upper panel portion 22a covers the front surface of the liquid crystal display device described later, and a display image of the liquid crystal display device is visually recognized through the upper panel portion 22a. The lower panel portion 22b covers the front surface of the reel device described later, and the design of the reel device is visually recognized through the lower panel portion 22b.

  According to such a relatively large viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22), in addition to being able to give a great impact to the player by the display effect of the image using a large liquid crystal display device, The visibility of the symbol of the reel device as the main display device of the gaming machine 1 is good.

  On the peripheral edge of the front door 11, an enclosure 23 is provided so as to surround the visual recognition window 21 and project forward from the transparent panel 22. The enclosure portion 23 is provided with a central lamp portion 24 and a pair of left and right side lamp portions 25, and speaker portions 26 are provided at the upper right corner portion and the upper left corner portion of the front door body 11. During the game, the lamp units 24 and 25 and the speaker unit 26 perform a lamp effect, a sound effect, and the like according to the game situation each time. In other words, the player is notified of the formation of the winning combination by appropriately changing the light emission color and light emission pattern by the lamp units 24 and 25 or by appropriately changing the sound pattern by the speaker unit 26. Further, it is possible to perform error notification or the like using the lamp units 24 and 25 and the speaker unit 26.

  Incidentally, the viewing window 21 is provided in a range excluding the surrounding portion 23 (left and right side lamp portions 25) with respect to the left and right width of the front door body 11, and thus the viewing window 21 is wide on the left and right. ing. In addition, the visual recognition window 21 is wider than the lateral width of a reel device or a liquid crystal device described later.

  A bulging portion 27 that bulges ahead of the gaming machine from the visual recognition window 21 is formed below the visual recognition window 21, and various operation members and the like operated by the player on the front surface of the bulging portion 27. An operation unit 30 is provided. The operation unit 30 has a horizontally long shape and is slightly arc-shaped as a whole. A start lever 33 is provided at a position toward the left side of the operation unit 30 and stop switches 35, 36, and 37 are provided at the center. ing.

  The start lever 33 is an operation member for starting rotation of each reel (rotating body) of the reel device described later, and constitutes start operation means operated to start rotation of each reel, that is, to start variable display of symbols. To do.

  The stop switches 35 to 37 are provided so as to correspond to the reels to be stopped (left, middle and right three rows of reels), and are operated to stop each of the rotating reels individually. Configure the means. Each of the stop switches 35 to 37 is in a state where it can be stopped when each reel rotates at a constant speed, and a lamp (not shown) is lit and displayed during this state to notify that a stop operation is possible. When the reels stop rotating, they are turned off.

  The operation unit 30 has a notch 42 formed in the lower right portion when viewed from the front. The notch 42 is an installation space for installing an operation lever 188 of a discharge operation transmission device 180 described later.

  The bulging portion 27 is formed with a horizontally long opening 41 that opens upward. The opening 41 is an opening region for arranging the upper plate 151 when the tray block 5 is attached to the front door body 11, and the width dimension in the left-right direction of the opening 41 is the width in the left-right direction of the upper plate 151. The width dimension in the front-rear direction of the opening 41 is slightly shorter than the width dimension in the front-rear direction of the upper plate 151.

  Between the viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22) and the operation unit 30, a long plate-like sub-panel unit 50 extending in the left-right direction is provided. The sub-panel unit 50 includes an information display unit 51 and a renting operation. A portion 52 is provided. The information display unit 51 includes an acquired ball number display unit 53 that displays the number of acquired balls when the small role is established, and a game number that displays, for example, the number of remaining games in a special game state such as a big bonus or a regular bonus. A display unit 54 is provided. Although these display parts 53 and 54 are comprised by the 7 segment display, it is naturally possible to substitute by a liquid crystal display etc. FIG.

  The ball lending operation unit 52 is, for example, a ball lending operation, a card or the like in a state where a bill or a card is inserted into a vertically long card unit (ball lending unit) arranged on the side (for example, the left side) of the gaming machine 1. The return operation and the effectiveness count are confirmed, and a ball lending button 56, a return button 57, and a frequency display section 58 are integrally provided in parallel. In this case, the ball lending button 56 is operated to obtain a lending ball based on information recorded on a card (recording medium) or the like, and the lending ball is paid out as long as the remaining amount exists on the card or the like. . The return button 57 is operated when requesting the return of a card or the like inserted into the card unit. The frequency display unit 58 displays remaining amount information such as a card.

  In the front door body 11, arc-shaped recess portions 61 are provided on the left and right side portions of the information display portion 51 and the lending operation portion 52 so as to recede to the far side as compared with the surrounding enclosure portion 23. The recess 61 has a locking member for locking and unlocking the gaming machine main body 3 (door block 4) with respect to the outer frame 2 (in detail, a key provided on the inner frame 12 described later). A key cylinder installation hole 62 for exposing the cylinder 125) to the front is provided.

  As can be seen in FIG. 1 and the like, the left and right recesses 61 are located immediately above the upper plate 151. Therefore, even if a game ball is lent to the upper plate 151 via a ball rental nozzle (so-called elephant nose) extending from the ball rental unit in the game hall, the interference between the ball rental nozzle and the front door body 11 Can be avoided. Therefore, it is a useful configuration even considering the installation situation in the game hall.

  Further, in the front door body 11, a bulging portion 70 is formed below the operation portion 30 so as to be continuous with the surrounding portion 23 and the concave portion 61, and is surrounded by the bulging portion 70. A lower tray 71 and an ashtray 72 are formed. A lower dish discharge port 74 and a speaker hole 75 are formed in the back wall portion 73 surrounded by the bulging portion 70. When the game ball is fully stored in the upper plate 151 or its upstream passage and the game ball is paid out from the payout device, or for the game ball stored in the upper plate 151 When the ball removal operation is performed, the game ball is discharged to the lower plate 71 through the lower plate discharge port 74.

  An opening is formed in the bottom of the lower plate 71, and an opening / closing plate 76 is provided in the opening. In addition, a ball punching operation piece 77 for a lower dish is provided at a substantially central portion of the bulging portion 70. The ball removal operation piece 77 is an operation piece for discharging the game balls stored in the lower plate 71 to a ball storage box (a so-called dollar box) placed below the lower plate 71, from the normal position shown in the figure. By operating leftward, the opening / closing plate 76 slides to the open position, and the game balls in the lower plate 71 are discharged. In addition, lower plate lamp portions 78 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower plate 71 in the bulging portion 70.

  As shown in FIG. 10, as a configuration on the back side of the front door body 11, lamp accommodation portions 91 that accommodate the side lamp portions 25 are provided on both the left and right sides of the viewing window 21. The lamp accommodating portion 91 has a substantially prismatic shape, and a panel support plate material 92 for supporting the transparent panel 22 from the rear is attached to the inner side surface thereof.

  Relatedly, the procedure for mounting the transparent panel 22 will be described here. A panel receiving groove 93 having a width corresponding to the panel thickness is formed at the lower edge of the viewing window 21, and the transparent panel 22 is inserted into the panel receiving groove 93 from the rear of the front door body 11, The upper end portion is brought into contact with the back surface portion of the front door body 11. In this state, the left and right panel support plate materials 92 are attached with screws or the like. Thereby, attachment to the front door body 11 of the transparent panel 22 is completed.

  On the back side of the front door body 11, a projecting plate 98 is provided below the viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22) so as to project rearward from the rear edge of the opening 41.

(Description of inner frame 12)
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the inner frame 12 has a rectangular shape that is similar to the front door body 11, and the left frame portion 101, the right frame portion 102, and the upper frame portion 103 having substantially the same narrow width. And a lower frame portion 104 wider than them. A portion surrounded by each of the frame portions 101 to 104 is a central opening portion 105, and the central opening portion 105 is formed on the back side of the inner frame 12 within a range excluding a part of the upper edge portion of the lower frame portion 104. A rib 106 having a constant height is formed so as to surround it. Further, in the inner frame 12, a return portion 107 that is bent forward at a right angle is formed at the outer peripheral edge portion. When the inner frame 12 is assembled to the front door body 11, the return portion 107 overlaps the inside of the outer edge portion of the front door body 11, thereby forming a space between the front door body 11 and the inner frame 12. Is done. A lamp device or the like is arranged using this space.

  As described above, the gaming machine 1 has a configuration in which the rotation axis is provided on the left side when viewed from the front, and the hinge bracket 8 is attached to the upper frame portion 103 and the lower frame portion 104 at two upper and lower positions. It has been.

  In addition, a pair of upper and lower shaft brackets 110 and 111 are attached to the left frame portion 101 at a predetermined interval so as to extend rearward from the tip portion of the rib 106. The shaft brackets 110 and 111 are bracket members for rotatably supporting the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7. The shaft brackets 110 and 111 are both substantially U-shaped, and the shaft bracket 110 has upper and lower bearing portions 110a and 110b, and the shaft bracket 111 has upper and lower bearing portions 111a and 111b. A shaft hole is formed in each of the bearing portions 110a, 110b, 111a, 111b of the shaft brackets 110, 111, and the shaft brackets 110, 111 are ribs so that all the shaft holes are arranged on the same axis. 106 is fixed.

  In such a case, the lower bearing portion 110b of the shaft bracket 110 and the upper bearing portion 111a of the shaft bracket 111 correspond to a surface changing block support means for supporting the surface changing block 6, and the upper bearing of the shaft bracket 110 is supported. The portion 110 a and the lower bearing portion 111 b of the shaft fitting 111 correspond to a payout block support means for supporting the payout block 7.

  Further, the right frame portion 102 is provided with a locking device for holding the door block 4 in an unlocked locked state. That is, a base frame 121 extending in the up-down direction is fixed to the back side of the right frame portion 102, and a long shape assembled to the base frame 121 so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the base frame 121. The interlocking rod 122 is provided. The interlocking rod 122 is provided with a pair of upper and lower hook metal fittings 123 and 124 having a hook shape. The intermediate parts of the metal fittings 123 and 124 are pivotally supported on the base frame 121 side, and the distal end hook part moves downward when the interlocking bar 122 moves upward.

  The base frame 121 is provided with a key cylinder 125 as an unlocking operation unit. The key cylinder 125 is provided in a direction extending in the front-rear direction. When the inner frame 12 is assembled to the front door body 11, the front surface of the cylinder (the side where the key insertion hole is installed) is provided on the front door body 11. It will be exposed from the installation hole 62. The locking mechanism including the interlocking rod 122, the key cylinder 125, and an operation key (not shown) inserted into the key cylinder 125 and rotated in a predetermined direction constitute a locking device of the gaming machine 1. The key cylinder 125 may be configured to use Omlock (registered trademark) having a high function of preventing unauthorized unlocking.

  In such a case, when the operation key is rotated clockwise with the operation key inserted into the key cylinder 125, the interlocking rod 122 moves upward (when viewed from the back of the door, the rotating portion of the key cylinder 125 is opposite). To turn clockwise). As a result, when the front hooks of the hooks 123 and 124 of the interlocking hook 122 move downward and the door block 4 is closed with respect to the outer frame 2, the hooks 123 and 124 and the hooks on the outer frame 2 side. The locked state (that is, the locked state) with the receiving portion is released. The door block 4 can be opened with respect to the outer frame 2.

  The lower frame portion 104 is provided with a communication port 131 that communicates with a lower tray discharge port 74 provided in the front door body 11 and a speaker 132 that is exposed forward from the speaker hole 75. In addition, the lower frame portion 104 is provided with protruding column portions 133 and 134 protruding rearward.

  Fixing means for fixing the tray block 5 and the dispensing block 7 attached to the back side of the door block 4 are provided at a plurality of locations on the back side of the inner frame 12. That is, a total of five metal fittings (metal fittings 136a, 136b, 136c, 136d, 136e) are provided as fixing means for the saucer block 5. Further, as a fixing means for the payout block 7, a total of four metal fittings (metal fittings 137a, 137b, 137c, 137d) are provided.

  The inner frame 12 is attached and fixed to the front door body 11 using a fastener such as a screw. The state is shown in FIG. In this case, a space portion extending in the left-right direction is formed between the protruding plate 98 provided on the back side of the front door body 11 and the upper end portion of the lower frame portion 104 of the inner frame 12. An upper plate 151 of the receiving block 5 is incorporated.

(Description of saucer block 5)
Next, the tray block 5 will be described. 11 is a front view of the saucer block 5, FIG. 12 is a plan view of the saucer block 5, FIG. 13 is a rear view of the saucer block 5, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are exploded perspective views of the saucer block 5 (FIG. 14 is viewed from the front). FIG. 15 is a view from the rear).

  The saucer block 5 includes an upper plate 151 having a function of temporarily storing game balls that are sequentially taken in, and a ball path forming body having a function of distributing game balls supplied from a payout device or the like to the upper plate or the lower plate. 152 and a take-in unit 153 having a game ball take-in function, and in addition, a payout control unit 155 having a power supply device 156 and a payout control device 157 as an electrical configuration. Yes.

(Description of the upper plate 151)
The upper plate 151 constitutes a plate member for temporarily storing game balls lent out from the ball lending device of the island facility and game balls paid out from the payout device. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper plate 151 and members provided therewith, and FIG. 17 is a plan view of the upper plate 151.

  The upper plate 151 is formed in a horizontally long bowl shape, and includes a bottom plate portion 161 and a peripheral wall portion 162 surrounding the peripheral edge portion. A game ball storage area is formed by being surrounded by the bottom plate portion 161 and the peripheral wall portion 162. A discharge port 163 is provided on the back side wall portion 191 of the peripheral wall portion 162 at a position on the left side when viewed from the front. In addition, the bottom plate portion 161 is provided with an opening 164 at a position on the right side when viewed from the front.

  The bottom plate part 161 is formed in two stages in the front and rear, and the respective areas in the front and rear are formed in two stages on the left and right. Specifically, the bottom plate portion 161 includes a left front bottom surface portion 221 that is a front left side region, a right front bottom surface portion 222 that is a front right region, a left back bottom surface portion 223 that is a rear left region, It is comprised by the right back bottom face part 224 which is a right side area | region. The left front bottom part 221, the left back bottom part 223, and the right back bottom part 224 are inclined downward from the discharge port 163 toward the opening 164. The right front bottom surface portion 222 is inclined downward toward the left front bottom surface portion 221. Further, the back bottom surface portions 223 and 224 are not inclined in the front-rear direction, and the front bottom surface portions 221 and 222 are inclined downward toward the rear side. Note that the right front bottom surface portion 222 has a step with respect to the right front bottom surface portion 222, and the stepped guide portion 165 converges on the boundary line between the right front bottom surface portion 222 and the right back bottom surface portion 224. Is formed. The stepped guide portion 165 divides the right front bottom surface portion 222 and the right back bottom surface portion 224 and restricts the traffic of game balls on both bottom surface portions, and the game ball that has flowed into the right front bottom surface portion 222 flows into the left front bottom surface portion 221. I am guiding you to do. Further, in the right back bottom surface portion 224, the width dimension with respect to the descending inclination direction is set by the step-shaped guide portion 165, and is a size capable of arranging three game balls.

  Based on the above configuration, the flow of game balls in the upper plate 151 will be described. First, the game ball discharged toward the front side from the discharge port 163 flows into the left front bottom surface portion 221 through the left back bottom surface portion 223. Since the left front bottom surface portion 221 is inclined downward toward the right rear side, the game ball discharged toward the front side from the discharge port 163 is called the left back bottom surface portion 223 → the left front bottom surface portion 221 → the right back bottom surface portion 224. It can flow downstream in the path. Next, the game ball discharged from the discharge port 163 toward the right front bottom surface portion 222 flows into the right front bottom surface portion 222 through the left back bottom surface portion 223 and the left front bottom surface portion 221. Since the right front bottom surface portion 222 is inclined downward toward the left rear side, the flow of the game ball thereafter is the left front bottom surface portion 221 or the right back bottom, which is a downstream region adjacent to the right front bottom surface portion 222. A route to the surface portion 224 is conceivable. However, since there is a step-shaped guide portion 165 in the right front bottom surface portion 222, the game ball does not flow into the right back bottom surface portion 224. Further, as described above, since the left front bottom surface portion 221 is inclined downward toward the right rear side, the game ball flowing into the right front bottom surface portion 222 is the right front bottom surface portion 222 → the left front bottom surface portion 221 → the right. It flows downstream through a path called the back bottom surface portion 224. Further, the game balls discharged from the discharge port 163 without rushing flow into the left back bottom surface portion 223. Since the left back bottom surface portion 223 is inclined downward toward the right side, the left back bottom surface portion 223 flows downstream along a route of the left back bottom surface portion 223 → the right back bottom surface portion 224. In FIG. 17, the movement of the paid out game ball is indicated by a two-dot chain line. According to the above configuration, the path of the game ball flowing into the right back bottom surface portion 224 is limited to two patterns from the left back bottom surface portion 223 and the left front bottom surface portion 221, and therefore flows from the right front bottom surface portion 222 into the right back bottom surface portion 224. Compared to the case, the disturbance of the game ball in the right back bottom surface portion 224 can be reduced.

  Two partition portions 167 and 168 are provided on the bottom right bottom surface portion 224 of the upper plate 151, and three rows of guide passages 171, 172, and 173 are formed by being partitioned by the partition portions 167 and 168. . Each of these guide passages 171 to 173 is provided so as to communicate with the opening 164, and constitutes an alignment passage portion that aligns the game balls in each row.

  A cover member 175 is attached to the upper plate 151 so as to cover the opening 164 and a part of each of the guide passages 171 to 173 from above. The cover member 175 is a member for restricting the height dimension of each of the guide passages 171 to 173 to approximately one game ball. By attaching the cover member 175 to the upper plate 151, each guide passage 171 is provided. At 173, game balls are taken one by one. The cover member 175 is formed of a transparent material so that the presence or absence of a game ball below it can be visually recognized.

  The peripheral wall 162 is integrally formed with the bottom plate 161 so as to rise upward from the periphery of the bottom plate 161. A series of flanges 194 extending outward from the upper edge of the peripheral wall 162 are integrally formed on the left and right side walls 192a and 192b and the front side wall 193. The entirety of the flange 194 is in contact with an opening peripheral portion 27 a formed integrally with the bulging portion 27 of the front door body 11. That is, the flange 194 is supported from below by the opening peripheral edge portion 27a. Thereby, the load of the upper plate 151 is received by the bulging part 27 (front door body 11).

  A concave portion 195 formed by retreating in an arc shape is provided at a position in the middle of the front side wall portion 193 in the left-right direction and facing the discharge port 163 formed in the back side wall portion 191. The arcuate wall portion 195a forming the concave portion 195 is formed so as to be continuous from the front side of the bottom plate portion 161, and the space formed by the concave portion 195 is not blocked by the bottom plate portion 161 and is opened downward. (See FIG. 19). A support plate 196 is integrally formed on the upper edge of the recess 195 so as to extend forward from the entire upper edge, and the bed switch 38 is supported by the support plate 196 in a suspended manner. The arcuate wall portion 195a is inclined downward toward the back side.

  Here, the support plate 196 and the bet switch 38, and the configuration relating to these will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a configuration relating to installation of the bet switch 38. As shown in FIG.

  The bet switch 38 allows the player to set a bet (the number of bets), and a predetermined number of game balls stored in the upper plate 151 are taken in by the pressing operation. In the present embodiment, a so-called MAX bet switch is provided as the bet switch 38, and game balls equivalent to 3 bets (for 15 pieces) are taken in by one effective pressing operation. The bet switch 38 constitutes an input command means for instructing input of a game ball as an investment value.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the bet switch 38 includes a case body 271 that extends in the vertical direction. The case body 271 is opened upward, and a switch piece 272 is provided so as to close the upper open portion. The switch piece 272 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and an interlocking member 273 that moves integrally with the movement of the switch piece 272 is provided in the case body 271 below the switch piece 272. . A spring 274 that biases the interlocking member 273 upward is provided in the case body 271, and the interlocking member 273 and the switch piece 272 are restricted upward by the biasing force of the spring 274. Further, the inner wall of the case body 271 is provided with a stepped portion 271a, and the locking piece 273a provided on the interlocking member 273 comes into contact with the stepped portion 271a, so that the interlocking member 273 and the switch piece 272 are moved upward. Movement is restricted. With the above configuration, when the bet switch 38 is not operated, the switch piece 272 is in a predetermined position biased by the spring 274 and resists the biasing force of the spring 274 when pressed by the player. The switch piece 272 moves downward. In this case, a sensor 275 for detecting the downward movement of the switch piece 272 is provided in the case body 271, and it is detected by the sensor 275 that the switch piece 272 has been pressed.

  The support plate portion 196 is formed with a through hole 197 penetrating vertically (see FIG. 18), and the bet switch 38 is installed through the through hole 197. In this case, the case body 271 of the bet switch 38 is integrally formed with a sandwiching portion 271b on the upper portion of the side wall thereof, and the betting is performed by sandwiching the peripheral portion of the through hole 197 in the support plate portion 196 by the sandwiching portion 271b. The switch 38 is fixed with respect to the support plate portion 196. A switch piece 272 projects upward from the through hole 197, and a case body 271 projects downward from the through hole 197. That is, the bet switch 38 is supported by being suspended by the support plate portion 196 so that the case body 271 is accommodated in the accommodation region S formed by the recess 195.

  In the above configuration, the front-rear direction dimension of the recess 195 and the front-rear direction dimension of the support plate part 196 are set larger than those of the bet switch 38. Further, the front side peripheral edge portion 196 a of the support plate portion 196 constitutes a part of the flange 194 of the upper plate 151. That is, the bet switch 38 is installed so as to enter the ball storage region side of the upper plate 151, and the ball storage region (the left front bottom surface portion 221) is located on both the left and right sides of the bet switch 38. Thereby, the expansion | swelling of the bulb | ball storage area | region of the upper plate 151 is achieved, without making the bulging part 27 in the front door body 11 bulge forward extremely.

  In a configuration in which the bet switch 38 is installed so as to enter the ball storage area side of the upper plate 151, there is a possibility that game balls stored in the upper plate 151 may be placed on the bet switch 38 or the support plate 196. . In this case, the game ball does not stay on the bet switch 38 or the support plate 196. That is, as shown in FIG. 19, the support plate portion 196 is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the front end so that the upper surface thereof faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, and the bet switch 38 is a switch The piece 272 is installed so as to be inclined so that the upper surface of the piece 272 faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine. Therefore, even if a game ball is placed on the bet switch 38 or the support plate 196, the game ball descends along the inclination and does not stay at the place where it is placed. For example, if the game ball stays on the bet switch 38 or the support plate 196, there is a risk that the operability of the bet switch 38 may be deteriorated or the bet switch 38 may be damaged. Therefore, the occurrence of such inconvenience can be prevented.

  In addition, the operability of the bet switch 38 is improved by adopting a configuration in which the upper surface of the switch piece 272 of the bet switch 38 faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine. That is, a player who plays a game on the gaming machine 1 generally sits in front of the gaming machine 1 to play a game, and the height of the player's eyes and shoulders is higher than the upper plate 151. is there. In such a case, since the upper surface of the switch piece 272 faces diagonally upward in front of the gaming machine, the player can forcefully press the switch piece 272 by moving his arm diagonally downward toward the switch piece 272. Because it can.

  As described above, the position where the recess 195 is provided is a position facing the discharge port 163. Therefore, even if the game ball is discharged with great force when the game ball is discharged to the upper plate 151, the game ball is decelerated early by colliding with the recess 195 located close to the discharge port 163. Since the recess 195 is in the above position, the bet switch 38 is located on the right side of the start lever 33 and on the left side of the stop switches 35 to 37 as shown in FIG. As a result, the player can play the game machine 1 with the same operability as an existing general slot machine.

  Such operability will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20A is a perspective view showing the entirety of the gaming machine 1, and FIG. 20B is a perspective view showing the whole of a general slot machine 750.

  First, the slot machine 750 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The slot machine 750 is provided with a reel device in the same manner as the gaming machine 1, and the rotation of the reel is started based on the operation of the start lever 751, and the stop switches 752, 753, 754 are operated, whereby the reel The rotation is stopped. In this case, a medal is used as a game medium in the slot machine 750, and a bet setting by the player is performed by inserting a medal into the insertion slot 755 or as a virtual game medium. Is stored in the slot machine 750, the bet switch 756 is operated. In this configuration, the bet switch 756 is disposed so as to be pressed from above at a position to the right of the start lever 751 and to the left of the stop switches 752 to 754. Therefore, when virtual game media are stored, the player presses the bet switch 756 from above, then moves the arm to the lower left and strikes the start lever 751, and then moves the arm to the right. The stop switches 752 to 754 are pressed and operated.

  On the other hand, in this gaming machine 1, as shown in FIG. 20 (a), the bet is made so as to be pressed from above at a position to the right of the start lever 33 and to the left of the stop switches 35 to 37. A switch 38 is provided. Therefore, the player presses the bet switch 38 from above, and then moves the arm to the lower left and strikes the start lever 33, and then moves the arm to the right and presses the stop switches 35 to 37. That is, the operability of the various operation members in the gaming machine 1 is the same as the operability of the various operation members when a virtual game medium is stored in a general slot machine 750.

  At the bottom of the upper plate 151, a discharge operation transmission device 180 for operating a discharge gate member 340 of the take-in unit 153, which will be described later, to discharge the stored balls in the upper plate 151 to the lower plate 71 is attached. Here, the configuration of the discharge operation transmission device 180 will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

(Description of discharge operation transmission device 180)
As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, in the discharge operation transmission device 180, the case body 181 is provided with two shaft portions 182 and 183, and the shaft portions 182 and 183 have first link pieces 184 and 184, respectively. The second link piece 185 is rotatably supported. The first and second link pieces 184 and 185 are partially connected to each other, and the second link piece 185 rotates in conjunction with the first link piece 184. The first link piece 184 is provided with a tension spring 186, and the first link piece 184 is always urged in the same direction (counterclockwise direction in the drawing) by the spring force of the tension spring 186. In addition, an operation lever 188 that is movable in the left-right direction is provided on the front end surface of the case body 181, and a support column part 188 a that is provided integrally with the operation lever 188 is provided on the first link piece 184. It is inserted through the hole 184a. Therefore, the first link piece 184 rotates around the shaft portion 182 as the operating lever 188 is slid.

  In the discharging operation transmission device 180 having the above-described configuration, the operation lever 188 is slid to the left (P1 direction in FIG. 22) from the illustrated position by a player or the like, whereby the first link piece 184 is the spring of the tension spring 186. The second link piece 185 rotates counterclockwise (P3 direction in FIG. 22) while rotating in the clockwise direction (P2 direction in FIG. 22) against the force. Thereby, the rotation front-end | tip part of the 2nd link piece 185 moves to back side (P4 direction of FIG. 22). When the operation lever 188 is released, the first link piece 184 is rotated counterclockwise by the spring force of the tension spring 186 and the second link piece 185 is rotated clockwise. To do. Thereby, the discharge operation transmission device 180 returns to the original state. By such an operation of the discharge operation transmission device 180, a discharge gate member 340 of the take-in unit 153, which will be described later, is operated, and game balls are discharged via the take-in unit 153 (actually, the game balls are discharged to the lower plate 71). ) Is to be performed.

(Description of the ball passage forming body 152)
Next, the ball path forming body 152 will be described. 23 and 24 are exploded perspective views showing the ball passage forming body 152 and members provided therewith.

  On the back side of the ball passage forming body 152, a lower tray discharge passage 201 for discharging the game ball to the lower tray 71, and an external discharge passage for discharging the game ball to the outside of the gaming machine (island facility of the game hall). 202 are formed in parallel. The lower tray discharge passage 201 communicates with a discharge port 203 provided on the front side of the ball passage forming body 152, and the game balls flowing down the lower plate discharge passage 201 are discharged to the lower plate 71 through the discharge port 203. Will be. In addition, a discharge passage 204 that communicates with the discharge port 163 of the upper plate 151 is formed in the vicinity of the most upstream portion of the lower plate discharge passage 201 and the external discharge passage 202.

  A passage cover member 206 is attached to the rear side of the ball passage forming body 152 so as to block the lower dish discharge passage 201 and the external discharge passage 202, and a game ball is provided at the most upstream portion of each of the passages 201 and 202. A game ball distribution member 210 for distributing the game ball to any one of the lower tray discharge passage 201, the external discharge passage 202, and the discharge passage 204 is attached. The game ball distribution member 210 is provided with three passages 211, 212, and 213, and when the game ball distribution member 210 is attached to the ball passage formation body 152, the passage 211 is connected to the lower dish discharge passage 201. The passage 212 communicates with the external discharge passage 202, and the passage 213 communicates with the discharge passage 204.

  A substantially square-shaped opening 215 for accommodating the take-in unit 153 is formed in the ball passage forming body 152 at a position ahead of the most downstream portion of the lower dish discharge passage 201. Below the opening 215, a ball discharge chamber 216 is formed to be discharged after the game ball is taken in by the take-in unit 153. The ball discharge chamber 216 communicates with the external guide passage 217, and the game ball discharged into the ball discharge chamber 216 is further discharged to the outside of the game ball (the island facility of the game hall) through the external guide passage 217. In addition, a discharge guide passage 218 for guiding a game ball discharged in accordance with a discharge operation by the player (a lever operation of the discharge operation transmission device 180) to the discharge port 203 is formed on the side of the ball discharge chamber 216. ing.

  A ball stopper 240 is provided on the front side of the ball passage forming body 152 so as to overlap the bottom surface of the upper plate 151. FIG. 25 is a plan view showing a single structure of the ball-clamping device 240, and FIG. 26 is a rear view showing the state where the ball-clamping device 240 is mounted on the ball path forming body 152 from the rear side. In addition, as an operation state of the ball retainer 240, FIG. 25 (a) corresponds to FIG. 26 (a), and FIG. 25 (b) corresponds to FIG. 26 (b).

  The ball fastening device 240 includes a main body part 241 fixed to the ball passage forming body 152, a movable part 242 mounted on the main body part 241 and capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction in FIG. 25, and the movable part 242 in the left-right direction. And an operation lever portion 243 that is rotated to reciprocate. And this ball stopper 240 is assembled | attached to the ball channel | path formation body 152 so that the operation lever part 243 may become a back side.

  The movable portion 242 is formed with three arm portions 244, 245, 246 so as to be aligned in the same direction. Each of the arm portions 244 to 246 is bifurcated, and two rising portions 247, 248, and 249 are formed at the tip of the arm portions 247, 248, and 249. ing. The intervals between the arm portions 244 to 246 formed in the movable portion 242 match the three guide passages 171 to 173 formed in the upper plate 151, and the openings 164 leading to the respective guide passages 171 to 173 Upright portions 247 to 249 of the arm portions 244 to 246 appear.

  The operation lever portion 243 has a shaft portion 251 supported by the main body portion 241 and can be rotated within an angle range of approximately 90 degrees. Projection pieces 252a and 252b extending radially at an angle of 90 degrees from the shaft center are formed on the shaft portion 251, and the protrusion pieces 252a and 252b are accommodated in a gap 253 formed in the movable portion 242. Yes. The width in the left-right direction of the gap 253 is a dimension that is approximately the sum of the diameter of the shaft portion 251 and the length of the protruding piece 252a or 252b. In this case, in the state of FIG. 26A, the tip of one projection piece 252b hits the inner wall of the gap 253, and when the operation lever portion 243 is turned to the state of FIG. The tip of the piece 252a hits the inner wall of the gap 253. Thereby, the movable part 242 moves in the left-right direction. In FIG. 25, due to the movement of the movable portion 242 in the left-right direction, the protruding amounts of the tips of the arm portions 244 to 246 of the movable portion 242 are different between (a) and (b). In (a), the tip protrusion amount = L1, whereas in (b), the tip protrusion amount = L2 (L1 <L2).

  The operation lever portion 243 is provided with a holding plate piece 254 for holding the take-in unit 153 attached to the opening 215 of the ball passage forming body 152 in the attached state. The hold plate piece 254 has a tongue shape extending from the axial center of the shaft portion 251. When the operation lever portion 243 is rotated, the hold plate piece 254 is moved to the position shown in FIGS. ) Are operated at the positions shown in FIG.

  Here, the mutual relationship between the operation position of the operation lever portion 243 and the take-in unit 153 will be described. When the operation lever portion 243 is in the state shown in FIG. 26A, the rotating tip portion of the hold plate piece 254 provided integrally with the operation lever portion 243 is in contact with the back surface of the take-in unit 153. This is the take-in unit holding position (lock position). In this state, the take-in unit 153 is held in a state where it is mounted on the ball passage forming body 152, and the take-in unit 153 cannot be removed. On the other hand, when the operation lever portion 243 shifts to the state shown in FIG. 26B, the state in which the rotating tip portion of the hold plate piece 254 hits the back surface of the take-in unit 153 is released. This is the take-in unit removal position (unlock position). Thereby, the take-in unit 153 can be removed (a state where the take-in unit 153 is removed is shown in FIG. 26B).

  FIG. 27 shows the relationship between the operation state of the ball stopper 240 and the flow of the game ball. In FIG. 27, (a) shows a normal gaming state, and this state corresponds to (a) of FIG. 26 and (a) of FIG. Further, (b) and (c) show the detachable state and the post-removal state of the take-in unit 153, which correspond to (b) in FIG. 26 and (b) in FIG. .

  In the state of FIG. 27 (a), as shown in FIG. 25 (a), the protruding amount of the tip of each arm portion 244 to 246 of the movable portion 242 is relatively small. The flow of game balls supplied from 173 is not blocked. Therefore, game balls are successively sent to the take-in unit 153 side.

  On the other hand, in the state of FIG. 27 (b), as shown in FIG. 25 (b), the protruding amounts of the tips of the arm portions 244 to 246 of the movable portion 242 are relatively large. The flow of the game ball supplied from the guide passages 171 to 173 is blocked by the tip portions (standing portions 247 to 249) of the arm portions 244 to 246. In this state, since the game ball is not sent to the take-in unit 153 side, as shown in (c), even if the take-in unit 153 is removed, the game ball in the upper plate 151 may fall. Is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, on the back side of the ball passage forming body 152, mounting fixing means (lock members 261a, 261b, 261c, 261d, 261e) are provided at a plurality of locations. That is, the locking members 261a to 261e are provided at a total of five locations corresponding to the metal fittings 136a to 136e (see FIG. 10) of the inner frame 12, and are locking pieces that are respectively engaged with the metal fittings 136a to 136e. It is comprised. In this case, the receiving block 5 is mounted and fixed to the door block 4 by setting the locking pieces of the lock members 261a to 261e to the locked state with respect to the metal fittings 136a to 136e, and the locked state is released. The saucer block 5 can be removed from the door block 4.

  On the front side of the ball passage forming body 152, column support portions 263 and 264 for receiving the protruding column portions 133 and 134 provided on the inner frame 12 are formed. Further, a horizontally long thin plate-like sheet plate 265 is attached to the upper part of the ball passage forming body 152. The sheet plate 265 is attached to the upper part of the ball passage forming body 152 in a state where the upper plate 151 is mounted on the ball passage forming body 152.

  According to the sheet plate 265, an upper lid is provided on a part of the back side of the upper plate 151 (see FIG. 7 and the like). The covered portion of the upper plate 151 by the sheet plate 265 corresponds to a portion where the upper plate 151 is hidden inside the door block 4 in a state where the receiving block 5 is mounted on the door block 4. That is, in the state where the saucer block 5 is attached to the door block 4, the width dimension (A) in the front-rear direction of the opening 41 provided in the door block 4 (front door body 11) and the width dimension in the front-rear direction of the upper plate 151 ( B) and A <B (A and B are dimensional comparisons in the same place in the left-right direction), so that part of the back side of the upper plate 151 is immersed inside the door block 4. In this case, if the portion of the upper plate 151 that has entered the inside of the door block 4 remains open upward, fingers or unauthorized tools placed from the front side of the upper plate 151 to the back side will open upward on the back side of the upper plate 151. There is a concern that it will be inserted into the gaming machine through the part and illegal activities will be performed inside the gaming machine. In this regard, by providing the sheet plate 265 as described above, it is possible to suppress an illegal act by inserting a finger, an unauthorized tool, or the like into the gaming machine through the upper plate 151. In short, the sheet plate 265 is a shielding member that shields between the upper plate 151 and the space inside the gaming machine (the inner region of the front door body 11).

  Note that the sheet plate 265 is formed of a transparent plate. Therefore, even if a part of the upper plate 151 is hidden by the sheet plate 265, it is easy to confirm the inside of the upper plate 151 (including confirmation of dirt, damage, etc.).

(Description of capture unit 153)
The take-in unit 153 constitutes take-in means for taking in a predetermined number of game balls based on an operation by the player, and each time a game is taken in by taking in a predetermined number of game balls by the take-in unit 153. The (game) start condition is satisfied, and preparations for starting the game are made.

  28 is a perspective view of the capture unit 153 as viewed from the front side, FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the capture unit 153 as viewed from the rear side, and FIGS. 30 and 31 are exploded perspective views of the capture unit 153. . The capture unit 153 is provided with three capture devices 301, 302, and 303 that overlap each other, and the capture unit 153 has a substantially cubic shape as a whole (in the following description, in FIG. The capture device 301 located on the front side is the “first capture device”, the capture device 302 located on the center is the “second capture device”, and the capture device 303 located on the far side is the “third capture device”. Also referred to as a device).

  On the upper surface of each of the capture devices 301 to 303, inlet passages 305, 306, and 307 are formed in three rows so as to be opened upward and exposed to the outside. These inlet passages 305 to 307 constitute a game ball inlet portion in the take-in unit 153, and in the completed state as the tray block 5, the game balls supplied from the upper plate 151 are first entered into the inlet passages 305 to 307. And then sequentially taken in a line. In the completed state, the inlet passages 305 to 307 are visible from above through an opening 164 (see FIG. 17) provided in the upper plate 151. A coupling plate 308 for coupling the respective capture devices 301 to 303 is attached to the side surface of the capture unit 153.

(Description of capture devices 301-303)
Next, the configuration of each of the capture devices 301 to 303 will be described. However, since each of the capture devices 301 to 303 has a substantially similar configuration, the first capture device 301 is basically described as an example here. FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the capture device 301, and FIGS. 33 and 34 are exploded perspective views of the capture device 301. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the vertical and horizontal directions are described in the state shown in FIG.

  The take-in device 301 includes a pair of front and back housing members 311 and 312 made of a synthetic resin molded product. These two housings 311 and 312 are connected by screws or the like to form a substantially square box-shaped housing, and a game ball passage to be described later is formed in the internal space, and an opening / closing gate for opening and closing the passage The mechanism is accommodated. Each housing 311, 312 is molded from a black resin material containing carbon. For convenience of explanation, the housing member 311 is also referred to as a “first housing”, and the housing member 312 is also referred to as a “second housing”.

  Incidentally, each housing 311 and 312 may be formed of a transparent resin material. By making each housing 311, 312 transparent, it is possible to visually recognize game balls stored in the passage in addition to the game ball passage and the open / close gate mechanism inside the take-in device, without disconnecting the housings 311, 312. Will be able to.

  Passage walls 313 and 314 are respectively formed on the upper surface portions of the first housing 311 and the second housing 312, and the housings 311 and 312 are coupled to each other so that the passage walls 313 and 314 are opposed to each other. An inlet passage 305 is formed. The bottom surface of the entrance passage 305 is inclined downward toward the left side of FIG.

  The passage wall 313 on the first housing 311 side is formed with an arc-shaped recess 313a, while the passage wall 314 on the second housing 312 side is formed with a triangular mountain-shaped projection 314a at a position facing the recess 313a. Is formed. The recess 313a and the projection 314a of each of the passage walls 313 and 314 constitute a rectifying unit for adjusting the flow of the game ball to a constant level. When the game ball that flows downstream through the inlet passage 305 reaches the flow straightening portion, it first collides with the projection 314a and then collides with the inner wall of the recess 313a to change the flow direction (the course). Thus, by changing the direction of the flow of the game ball in the flow straightening portion (the recessed portion 313a and the projection 314a) of the inlet passage 305, the momentum of the flow of the game ball is reduced, and the subsequent flow speed is reduced. Therefore, detection errors at the time of game ball detection described later after passing through the rectifying unit are reduced. In addition, when a large number of game balls are connected in a daisy chain and taken into the take-in device 301, when passing through the rectifying unit, a space can be created between adjacent game balls due to a speed difference. There is no problem of erroneous detection as a game ball. In other words, the presence of the rectifying unit ensures the detection of the game ball after the passage.

  The intake device 301 is provided with an intake passage 315 and a discharge passage 316 on the downstream side of the inlet passage 305 so as to be surrounded by the first housing 311 and the second housing 312. Similar to the entrance passage 305, the intake passage 315 and the discharge passage 316 have passage widths sufficient to allow the game balls to pass through in a row. The intake passage 315 is provided continuously to the inlet passage 305 and is formed so as to be bent in the vertical direction in the middle thereof. When a predetermined game start operation is performed by the player, a predetermined number of game balls, which are conditions for starting each game, are taken in through the take-in passage 315. Further, the discharge passage 316 is provided so as to be branched from the bent portion (corner portion) of the intake passage 315 from the intake passage 315. At the time of payment accompanying the end of the game, the game balls remaining on the take-in device 301 and the upper plate 151 are returned to the player through the discharge passage 316 (that is, the upper plate 151 and the like are removed). )

  The first housing 311 and the second housing 312 have different thickness dimensions, and most of the inlet passage 305, the intake passage 315, and the discharge passage 316 are formed on the first housing 311 side. It has come to be. As a result, the path where the game balls actually come into contact with each other is a part deviated from the boundary part (joint part) between the housings 311 and 312, and the flow of the game ball is obstructed by dust, dust, etc. accumulated in the boundary part. Inconvenience is to be avoided.

  The first and second housings 311 and 312 are provided with a straight protrusion 317 along the inlet passage 305 and the intake passage 315. The protruding portion 317 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the game ball passing through the entrance passage 305 and the intake passage 315 (in the entrance passage 305, the central portion in the height direction, the intake portion). In the passage 315, it is provided in the central portion in the left-right width direction. The height of the protruding portion 317 (projecting dimension to the inside of the passage) is about 0.5 mm, so that the passage widths of the inlet passage 305 and the intake passage 315 are narrowed. That is, the entrance passage 305 and the intake passage 315 basically have a passage width of about 12 mm, but the provision of the protrusion 317 narrows the substantial passage width to about 11.5 mm. Thereby, the clearance gap (play) between the inner wall of the entrance passage 305 and the intake passage 315 and the game ball can be reduced, and the game ball flows down in a stable state. In particular, in the take-in passage 315, game ball detection, which will be described later, is performed, so that detection errors can be reduced. However, the protrusion 317 may be configured to be provided only on one of the first and second housings 311 and 312. Installation of the protrusion 317 in the rectifying unit is arbitrary.

  A take-in gate member 320 is provided on the side of the take-in passage 315 in the housing internal space so as to follow the vertical direction portion of the take-in passage 315. The take-in gate member 320 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 321, and the claw portion 320 a provided at the distal end portion of the take-in gate member 320 is taken in by turning about the support shaft 321. Invade with respect to the passage 315. At this time, a passage notch 322 is formed in the passage wall of the take-in passage 315, and the claw portion 320 a of the take-in gate member 320 goes in and out through the passage notch 322. When the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320 protrudes from the take-in passage 315, the game ball is prevented from passing through the take-in passage 315. Further, when the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320 is immersed in the take-in passage 315, the game ball is allowed to pass through the take-in passage 315.

  In such a case, since the protruding and retracting position of the claw portion 320a of the intake gate member 320 is a position immediately downstream of the corner portion in the intake passage 315, in other words, the passage notch portion 322 is immediately downstream of the corner portion in the intake passage 315. Therefore, in the state where the claw portion 320a of the intake gate member 320 protrudes into the passage (passage prevention state), the game ball flowing to the corner portion of the intake passage 315 is in the intake passage 315. It has a configuration that does not flow into the vertical part.

  A solenoid 325 is disposed in the housing internal space as a drive source for the take-in gate member 320. The solenoid 325 includes a main body 326 and an output shaft 327 as main components. When the main body 326 is energized, the output shaft 327 moves in the expansion / contraction direction. The solenoid 325 is disposed on the right side of the take-in gate member 320 so that the output shaft 327 protrudes downward. The solenoid 325 is provided with a coil spring 328 for holding the output shaft 327 in an extended state. The solenoid 325 is fixed to the first housing 311 by a solenoid cover 329.

  A guide 331 is attached to the tip of the solenoid output shaft 327. A part of the rotating piece 332 is engaged with the guide 331, and the other part of the rotating piece 332 is drivingly connected to the rear end portion of the take-in gate member 320. Reference numeral 333 is a support shaft that is provided substantially at the center of the rotating piece 332 and rotatably supports the rotating piece 332.

  According to this configuration, when the solenoid 325 is not energized, the output shaft 327 is extended by the urging force of the coil spring 328 as shown, and the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320 is taken in the take-in passage. It is in a state of protruding into 315. Thereby, the intake passage 315 is closed. On the other hand, when the solenoid 325 is energized, the output shaft 327 moves in the contracting direction against the biasing force of the coil spring 328. Accordingly, the take-in gate member 320 is turned through the guide 331 and the turning piece 332 (turned in the clockwise direction in FIG. 32), and the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320 is outside the take-in passage 315. Retracted. Thereby, the intake passage 315 is opened. When the energization of the solenoid 325 is stopped, the output shaft 327 is extended by the urging force of the coil spring 328, and the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320 returns to the state in which it protrudes into the take-in passage 315.

  On the other hand, through holes 337 and 338 are respectively provided at the inlet positions of the discharge passage 316 in the first and second housings 311 and 312, and the discharge gates pass through the through holes 337 and 338 in the front-rear direction. A member 340 is provided. The discharge gate member 340 is not provided individually to the capture devices 301 to 303 but is provided in common to all the capture devices 301 to 303. Depending on the operating state of the discharge gate member 340, each In the take-in devices 301 to 303, the discharge (ball removal) of the game balls is allowed or prevented at the same time.

  Here, details of the discharge gate member 340 will be described with reference to FIG. The discharge gate member 340 has a substantially rectangular shape as a whole, and substantially square openings 341, 342, 343 are formed at three locations. These openings 341 to 343 respectively correspond to the discharge passages 316 provided in the respective intake devices 301 to 303, and are provided at regular intervals. The openings 341 to 343 constitute a part of the discharge passage 316. In this case, when the discharge gate member 340 moves in the longitudinal direction (the front-rear direction of the take-in unit 153), the discharge passage 316 is closed or opened. 36, when the discharge gate member 340 is in the position shown in FIG. 36A, the discharge passages 316 of the respective intake devices 301 to 303 are closed by the wall plate portion of the discharge gate member 340. The discharge of the game ball through the passage 316 is prevented. Further, when the discharge gate member 340 moves to the position shown in (b), the discharge passages 316 of the intake devices 301 to 303 are simultaneously opened by the openings 341 to 343 of the discharge gate member 340, and the passage through the passage 316. Game balls are allowed to be discharged.

  Ball guide protrusions 344, 345, and 346 are formed below the openings 341 to 343, respectively. The upper surfaces of the ball guide protrusions 344 to 346 are continuously provided at the same angle as the upper surfaces of the bottoms of the openings 341 to 343, and the angle matches the inclination angle of the inlet portion of the discharge passage 316. . Accordingly, when the game ball flows into the discharge passage 316 through the openings 341 to 343, the game ball passes while rolling on the ball guide protrusions 344 to 346, and the game ball flows into the discharge passage 316. Will be performed smoothly.

  A spring receiving portion 347 is formed at one end of the discharge gate member 340, and a rod portion 348 is formed at the other end. In this case, as shown in FIG. 30 and the like, a cover member 351 is provided in the third take-in device 303, and a coil spring 252 is incorporated between the cover member 351 and the spring receiving portion 347 of the discharge gate member 340. Reference numeral 353 denotes a spring accommodating portion for accommodating the coil spring 352. Reference numeral 354 is a relay board that collects the electrical wiring and the like in the take-in unit 153 in a lump and can be electrically connected to the main controller and the like.

  The discharge gate member 340 is always urged in one direction by the urging force of the coil spring 352. At this time, the discharge gate member 340 is actually held in the state shown in FIG. 36A by the biasing force of the coil spring 352, and when the force is applied from the rod portion 348, the discharge gate member 340 becomes the biasing force of the coil spring 352. Accordingly, the state shifts to the state shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 28 and the like, a rod portion 348 protrudes on the first capture device 301 side in the capture unit 153. The distal end portion of the rod portion 348 comes into contact with the second link piece 185 (see FIG. 21) of the discharge operation transmission device 180 described above, and the operation lever 188 is operated in the discharge operation transmission device 180. When the link pieces 184 and 185 are moved accordingly, the movement is transmitted to the rod portion 348. Thereby, the discharge gate member 340 operates.

  At one end of the discharge gate member 340, a projection 355 extending in the longitudinal direction of the discharge gate member 340 is formed below the spring receiving portion 347. Further, a discharge gate detection sensor 356 is provided on the cover member 351 provided on one end side of the discharge gate member 340 (see FIG. 30). In this case, in the state where the discharge gate member 340 is always urged in one direction by the urging force of the coil spring 352 as described above, the protrusion 355 is not detected by the discharge gate detection sensor 356. On the other hand, the discharge gate member 340 moves against the urging force of the coil spring 352, so that the protrusion 355 is detected by the discharge gate detection sensor 356. That is, the discharge gate detection sensor 356 constitutes a discharge operation detection means for detecting the operation state (operation position) of the discharge gate member 340.

  Further, the first take-in device 301 is provided with a sensor unit 370 that detects the passage of a game ball in the take-in passage 315. The configuration of the sensor unit 370 will be described with reference to FIGS. This sensor unit 370 constitutes a game ball counting means for counting the number of game balls passing through the take-in passage 315, and includes a known optical sensor composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element.

  The sensor unit 370 has a substantially U-shape and is assembled so as to straddle the first and second housings 311 and 312. Specifically, the sensor unit 370 includes a sensor body 371 extending in the thickness direction of the take-in device 301, and from both ends of the sensor body 371 toward the take-in passage 315 along the outer wall surfaces of the housings 311 and 312. And extending arm portions 372 and 373. A sensor circuit board (not shown) is accommodated in the sensor body 371, and a connector hole 371a for exposing a connector terminal 374 provided on the sensor circuit board to the outside is provided on the back surface of the sensor body 371. Is formed.

  A light emitting element is accommodated in one of the arm portions 372 and 373, and a light receiving element is accommodated in the other. In addition, a pair of upper and lower sensor detection holes 376 and 377 are formed at the inner portions of the distal ends of the arm portions 372 and 373. In this case, two light emitting elements and two light receiving elements are accommodated in the arm portions 372 and 373, and these elements emit and receive light through the sensor detection holes 376 and 377.

  Fitting grooves 378 and 379 for installing the arm portions 372 and 373 of the sensor unit 370 are formed on the outer wall surfaces of the first and second housings 311 and 312. The fitting grooves 378 and 379 are formed with a pair of upper and lower through holes 378a and 379a. The through holes 378a and 379a are arranged to face each other in a state where the first and second housings 311 and 312 are joined. When the sensor unit 370 is assembled to each of the housings 311 and 312 in the housing joined state, the sensor unit 370 is fitted so that the arm portions 372 and 373 are fitted in the corresponding fitting grooves 378 and 379, respectively. It is assembled to the housings 311 and 312. In this state, the positions of the sensor detection holes 376 and 377 provided at the distal ends of the arm portions 372 and 373 and the positions of the through holes 378a and 379a provided in the fitting grooves 378 and 379 of the housings 311 and 312 are determined. They are aligned and placed so that they face each other.

  As shown in FIG. 32, in the housing, the through hole 378a is provided at a position slightly offset from the center in the intake passage 315 (not shown, but the through hole 379a is also the same). The position of the through hole 378a (379a) is a game ball detection position by the sensor unit 370. In this case, in particular, the through hole 378a (379a) is provided at a position directly below the claw portion 320a formed at the distal end portion of the intake gate member 320 (the right offset position of the intake passage 315 in FIG. 32). A game ball is not detected by the sensor unit 370 unless the claw portion 320a of the gate member 320 moves to the immersive side. If it is assumed that the through hole 378a (379a) is provided on the opposite side of the intake passage 315 (the left offset position of the intake passage 315 in FIG. 32), the claw portion 320a of the intake gate member 320 is in the protruding position. In order to prevent erroneous detection of a game ball in a state in which it is located (including erroneous detection of a game ball when discharging a game ball through the discharge passage 316), it is necessary to lower the position of the through hole 378a (379a) below the illustrated position. However, according to the above-described configuration of the gaming machine 1, the through hole 378a (379a) can be disposed in the vicinity of the claw portion 320a of the take-in gate member 320. Therefore, it is possible to quickly detect a game ball that flows down due to the opening of the intake gate member 320.

  When a game ball is taken in with the take-in gate member 320 opened, in the upper and lower sensor elements (light emitting element + light receiving element) in the sensor unit 370, the game ball is first detected by the upstream sensor element, Thereafter, the game ball is detected by the sensor element on the downstream side. Detection signals from these sensor elements are sequentially output to a main controller 505 described later that manages the taking-in of game balls. In this case, main controller 505 determines whether or not a game ball has been normally taken in based on a game ball detection signal from each sensor element. Specifically, it is determined that the game ball has been normally taken in only when the game ball is detected in the order of the upstream sensor element → the downstream sensor element within a predetermined specified time. The

  If the required time from the detection of the game ball by the upstream sensor element to the detection of the game ball by the downstream sensor element is longer than the specified time, or contrary to normal, the downstream sensor element → the upstream sensor When the game balls are detected in the order of the elements, it is regarded as abnormal, the fact is notified, and the subsequent games are stopped. Therefore, for example, by attaching a string or the like to a game ball or other dummy object to be moved up and down, it is possible to prevent cheating as if a plurality of game balls were taken in.

  As described above, in the sensor unit 370, one of the arm portions 372 and 373 is a light emitting portion and the other is a light receiving portion, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are provided integrally. Accordingly, the alignment accuracy between the light emitting element and the light receiving element can be increased, and the detection accuracy of the gaming machine can be improved. In addition, a sensor circuit board is provided in the sensor main body 371 that connects the arm parts 372 and 373, and the connector terminal 374 provided on the sensor circuit board enables electrical connection to an external board. In addition, the signal lines connected to the light receiving element can be integrated and integrated, and the wiring can be easily connected to the external substrate.

  Further, a downstream side intake sensor 380 is provided at the most downstream portion of the intake passage 315 for detecting the game ball that has passed through the intake gate member 320 by the sensor unit 370 and then detecting the game ball again. ing. This downstream side intake sensor 380 is configured by a magnetic detection type proximity sensor, and detects the passage of the game ball by the change of the magnetic field accompanying the passage of the game ball. That is, the plate-shaped sensor main body 381 is provided with a through hole 381a, and the sensor main body 381 detects a change in magnetic field when a game ball passes through the through hole 381a and outputs it as an electrical signal. The through hole 381 a has a substantially perfect circle shape, and its diameter substantially matches the width dimension of the intake passage 315. A connector terminal 382 is provided on the sensor main body 381.

  Similar to the detection signal of the sensor unit 370, the detection signal from the downstream intake sensor 380 is output to the main controller 505 described later. In this case, the main controller 505 detects the current game ball uptake detection result (result of uptake determination by the sensor unit 370) based on the detection signal of the sensor unit 370 and the detection signal of the downstream uptake sensor 380. Is determined to be legitimate, i.e., not fraudulent. Specifically, the ball game ball count number by the sensor unit 370 (for example, the game ball count number by the detection result of one sensor element) is compared with the game ball count number by the downstream side intake sensor 380, and each count When the numbers match, it is determined that the detection result of the current game ball uptake (result of the uptake determination by the sensor unit 370) is normal. On the other hand, when the count numbers do not match, it is determined that the detection result of the current game ball capture (the result of the capture determination by the sensor unit 370) is not a regular one but is due to an illegal act. .

  As a fraudulent act on the capture device 301, it is conceivable to attach a fraudulent device that emits light so as to cause the sensor unit 370 to erroneously detect the passage of a game ball. For example, an illegal device comprising two light emitters that blinks regardless of the actual game ball take-in is attached to the take-in device 301, and the game balls pass by flashing these light emitters in a predetermined order. Is misdetected. When such an illegal act is performed, it is difficult to avoid erroneous detection of the game ball due to the illegal act only by the detection of the game ball by the sensor unit 370. In this regard, it is possible to avoid erroneous detection of a game ball due to fraudulent action by fraud confirmation based on the detection signal of the downstream intake sensor 380 as described above.

  Since two sensor devices (sensor unit 370 and downstream side intake sensor 380) having different detection methods are provided in the intake passage 315, it is difficult to erroneously detect a game ball in any of the sensor devices. It will be something. Therefore, countermeasures against fraud in the capture device 301 are desirable.

  Each component of the intake device 301 described above (excluding the discharge gate member 340, the intake gate member 320, the gate drive mechanism including the solenoid 325, the sensor unit 370, etc.) is a corner between the inlet passage 305 and the intake passage 315. It is arranged in a concentrated manner in the inner region of the part. Thereby, each structural member can be efficiently arrange | positioned within the limited area | region, As a result, size reduction (including thickness reduction) of the capture device 301 is realizable.

  Next, referring to FIG. 37, an actual game ball take-in operation by the first take-in device 301 will be described. In FIG. 37, (a) shows an initial state, (b) shows a game ball taking-in state, and (c) shows a game ball discharging state. In the actual game, game balls successively enter the entrance passage 305, but only five game balls are shown in FIGS. 37 (a) to (c).

  In the initial state shown in FIG. 37A, the solenoid 325 is not energized, and the claw portion 320 a of the take-in gate member 320 protrudes into the take-in passage 315. Further, since the discharge gate member 340 is in a non-operating state, the inlet of the discharge passage 316 is closed by the discharge gate member 340. That is, the intake passage 315 and the discharge passage 316 are closed by the intake gate member 320 and the discharge gate member 340, thereby preventing the passage of the game ball. In this case, of the game balls that have entered the take-in device 301, the top game ball is held in a state where it hits both the take-in gate member 320 and the discharge gate member 340.

  Also, in the game ball taking-in state shown in FIG. 37 (b), the claw portion 320 a of the take-in gate member 320 is retracted from the take-in passage 315 by energization of the solenoid 325. Thereby, the passage of the game ball in the take-in passage 315 is permitted, and the game ball is taken in sequentially. When the game ball is taken in, the game ball that has entered the take-in passage 315 from the entrance passage 305 collides with the discharge gate member 340 in the passage closed state, and the momentum of the flow is reduced due to the collision. It flows to the downstream side of the entrance passage 315. At this time, the front and rear game balls flow down in a state of being separated from each other in the intake passage 315, and the passage of the game balls is reliably detected by the sensor unit 370.

  Further, in the game ball discharge state shown in FIG. 37 (c), the discharge gate member 340 is operated by the discharge operation (actually the operation lever 188 of the discharge operation transmission device 180) by the player, and the passage is opened. (However, at this time, the solenoid 325 is in a non-energized state). Thereby, the passage of the game ball in the discharge passage 316 is allowed, and the game ball is discharged (ball removal). When the game ball is discharged, the entrance portion of the vertical portion of the intake passage 315 is closed by the claw portion 320a of the intake gate member 320 and the ball guide protrusion 344 of the discharge gate member 340, and these claw portions 320a. The game ball passes over the ball guide protrusion 344. At this time, the game ball flows smoothly and the game ball is suitably discharged.

  In the take-in unit 153 in which the take-up devices having the above-described configuration are provided in a triple manner, game balls are supplied to the take-in devices 301 to 303 from the guide passages 171 to 173 of the upper plate 151, respectively, and the bet switch on the front of the game machine In accordance with operation 37, each of the capture devices 301 to 303 captures a game ball. Specifically, for example, when 15 (maximum bet) game balls are taken in, the take-in gate member 320 is simultaneously operated to the open position in all the take-in devices 301 to 303, and the take-in of game balls is performed all at once. To begin. At this time, each of the take-in devices 301 to 303 takes in five game balls.

  However, if any of the three capture devices 301 to 303 is not filled with a game ball, or if any of the capture devices does not operate normally due to a malfunction of the solenoid 325, etc. The game balls are taken in by the remaining take-in devices that can perform normal take-in operations. For example, when the first take-in device 301 is not filled with a game ball or when the solenoid 325 of the take-in device 301 is out of order, the take-in devices other than the first take-in device 301 (second, second, 15 game balls are taken in by the 3 take-in devices 302 and 303).

  On the other hand, when the game balls remaining on the take-in devices 301 to 303 and the upper plate 151 are discharged to the lower plate 71, the discharge gate member 340 is operated in accordance with the operation of the operation lever 188 on the front side of the gaming machine, and each take-off device 340 is operated. The game balls are discharged all at once by the insertion devices 301 to 303.

(Description of payout control unit 155)
Next, the payout control unit 155 will be described. FIG. 38 is an exploded perspective view of the payout control unit 155. The completed state as the payout control unit 155 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 38 and the like, the payout control unit 155 is configured by arranging a power supply device 156 and a payout control device 157 side by side, and connecting these devices 156 and 157 with a connector 401.

  Specifically, the power supply device 156 includes a power supply board (not shown) and a board box 402 that accommodates the power supply board. The substrate box 402 is formed of a synthetic resin material, and in particular, is a transparent box so that the inside (power supply substrate) can be visually recognized. Slit-like notches are formed in the corners of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate box 402, and the notch forms a flexible plate portion 403 and a projection 404 is formed on the flexible plate portion 403. However, FIG. 38 shows only the upper flexible plate portion and the protrusion. Thereby, the flexible plate part 403 and the protrusion 404 are bent and deformed by the action of a force from above (or below).

  The payout control device 157 includes a payout control board (not shown) and a board box 405 that houses the payout control board. The board box 405 is formed of a synthetic resin material, and in particular is a transparent box so that the inside (payout control board) can be visually recognized. Slit-like notches are formed at the corners of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate box 405, and a flexible plate portion 406 is formed by the notches, and a protrusion 407 is formed on the flexible plate portion 406. However, FIG. 38 shows only the upper flexible plate portion and the protrusion. Thereby, the flexible plate part 403 and the protrusion 407 are bent and deformed by the action of a force from above (or below). In each of the board boxes 402 and 405 of the power supply device 156 and the payout control device 157, their height dimension (vertical dimension) and thickness dimension (front-rear dimension) are the same.

  The connector 401 is substantially U-shaped, and includes an intermediate plate portion 401a, an upper plate portion 401b, and a lower plate portion 401c. The middle plate portion 401a has substantially the same length (vertical size) as the height of the substrate boxes 402 and 405 of the power supply device 156 and the payout control device 157, and the upper plate portion 401b and the lower plate portion 401c. Has the same length dimension (dimension in the front-rear direction) as the thickness dimension of the substrate boxes 402 and 405. Two holes 408 and 409 are formed in each of the upper plate portion 401b and the lower plate portion 401c.

  By engaging the projections 404 and 407 provided on the substrate boxes 402 and 405 of the power supply device 156 and the dispensing control device 157 with the holes 408 and 409 of the connection tool 401, the power supply device 156 and A payout control device 157 is connected. In a state where the power supply device 156 and the dispensing control device 157 are connected, the substrates in the devices 156 and 157 are all directed in the same direction (the rear side as the tray block 5). In this state, the power supply device 156 and the payout control device 157 are arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween. Then, as shown in FIG. 15 and the like, the payout control unit 155 is configured such that the back surface side of the power supply device 156 and the payout control device 157 (the middle plate portion 401a side of the connector 401) faces the ball path forming body 152. Is attached to the ball passage forming body 152.

(Description of operation as the saucer block 5)
FIG. 7 (overall perspective view), FIG. 17 (plan view of the upper plate 151), FIG. 24 (perspective view of the ball passage forming body 152), FIG. 32 (configuration sectional view of the take-in device 301) ) And the like.

  In the tray block 5 configured as described above, in a state where a large number of game balls are stored in the upper plate 151, the game balls are aligned in a row in the guide passages 171 to 173 which are the most downstream portions of the upper plate 151. In this aligned state, they are guided to the inlet passages 305 to 307 of the intake devices 301 to 303 corresponding to the respective guide passages 171 to 173. At this time, a transparent cover member 175 is attached to a part of each of the guide passages 171 to 173 and above the entrance passages 305 to 307, and the game balls flow down through the respective guide passages 171 to 173 and the entrance passages 305 to 307. Is easily visible.

  At the time of taking in the game balls in each of the take-in devices 301 to 303 of the take-in unit 153, the take-in gate member 320 of each of the take-in devices 301 to 303 is opened and game balls are sequentially taken in through the take-in passage 315. . The taken game balls flow in the order of the ball discharge chamber 216 provided in the ball passage forming body 152 → the external guide passage 217 and are discharged to the outside (the island facility of the game hall). Further, when the game ball is discharged (when the ball is removed) by operating the discharge gate member 340, the game ball flows in the order of the discharge passage 316 → the discharge guide passage 218 → the discharge port 203 of each of the intake devices 301 to 303. Thus, it is discharged to the lower plate 71.

  On the other hand, when a game ball is supplied to the game ball distribution member 210 from a payout device or the like, which will be described later, the game balls are distributed by the passages 211 to 213 provided in the game ball distribution passage 210 so that the game balls are placed in the upper plate 151 and the lower plate. It is distributed to either the discharge passage 201 or the external discharge passage 202.

(Description of the face change block 6)
Next, the surface changing block 6 will be described. FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the surface changing block 6 as seen from the oblique front, FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the surface changing block 6 as seen from the oblique rear, and FIG. 42 and 43 are exploded perspective views of the surface changing block 6. FIG.

  The face change block 6 is mainly composed of a front frame 501 made of synthetic resin, a metal base plate 502 attached to the back side of the front frame 501, a reel device 503 as a symbol display device, and an auxiliary effect device. As a liquid crystal display device 504, a main control device 505 that performs various main controls relating to games, and a display control device 506 that performs subordinate display control based on commands from the main control device 505. In this case, the face change block 6 is configured to include all the main parts that determine the game contents of the gaming machine 1, and if the model change is performed in a game hall or the like, the face change block 6 is displayed. The model can be switched by replacing the model with a new model. That is, the surface changing block 6 is an exchange unit when the model is changed.

(Description of front frame 501)
Details of the front frame 501 will be described with reference to FIG. 44A is a perspective view of the front frame 501 viewed from the front, and FIG. 44B is a perspective view of the front frame 501 viewed from the rear.

  The front frame 501 has a substantially square shape when viewed from the front, and a window frame 512 is formed in a three-dimensional manner so as to protrude forward from a flange 511 provided at the peripheral edge. The window frame portion 512 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, and has a shape and a size that substantially match the viewing window 21 of the front door body 11.

  Further, the front portion of the window frame portion 512 is provided with two upper and lower openings each having a horizontally long rectangular shape, which are an upper display window 513 and a lower display window 514, respectively. Each of the display windows 513 and 514 is provided at a substantially central portion in the left-right direction on the front surface of the window frame portion 512, and the lower display window 514 is formed to be larger when compared with each other. The upper display window 513 corresponds to a liquid crystal image display unit for displaying a display image by the liquid crystal display device 504, and the lower display window 514 is a reel for displaying reel symbols attached to the outer periphery of the reel device 503. It corresponds to the symbol display section.

  The front surface of the window frame portion 512 (that is, the portion other than the display windows 513 and 514) is generally a flat surface. However, when the peripheral portion of the upper display window 513 and the peripheral portion of the lower display window 514 are compared in the window frame portion 512, their installation angles are different, and the peripheral portion of the upper display window 513 is provided in a substantially vertical direction. On the other hand, the peripheral portion of the lower display window 514 is provided so as to face slightly upward. The front angle of the window frame 512 is in accordance with the transparent panel 22 provided in the viewing window 21 of the front door body 11. Therefore, assuming that the surface changing block 6 is mounted on the door block 4, the peripheral portion of the upper display window 513 is provided in a substantially vertical direction like the upper panel surface 22 a of the transparent panel 22, and the lower display window 514. As with the lower panel surface 22b of the transparent panel 22, the peripheral portion is provided so as to face slightly upward.

  In a state where the surface changing block 6 is mounted on the door block 4, the flange portion 511 of the front frame 501 contacts the panel support plate material 92 (see FIG. 8) of the door block 4. At this time, however, the length of the front frame 501 from the flange portion 511 to the front surface of the window frame portion 512 (the width in the front-rear direction) is compared with the length in the front-rear direction of the panel support plate material 92. It has become. Accordingly, in the mounted state, a gap is formed between the front surface of the window frame portion 512 and the transparent panel 22.

  Since the window frame portion 512 and the viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22) on the door block 4 side have substantially the same size, the window frame portion 512 and the viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22) are not provided in the front region F of the window frame portion 512 (that is, other than the display windows 513 and 514). If various information and decorations related to the gaming machine 1 are given, the various information and decorations can be viewed from the front of the gaming machine through the viewing window 21 (transparent panel 22). In this case, since the front area F of the window frame portion 512 is a substantially flat surface as described above, a seal or the like can be attached to the front area.

(Description of base plate 502)
Next, details of the base plate 502 will be described with reference to FIG. 45A is a perspective view of the base plate 502 as viewed from the front, and FIG. 45B is a perspective view of the base plate 502 as viewed from the rear.

  The base plate 502 has substantially the same size as the front frame 501, and the base plate 502 has two upper and lower openings (upper opening 521, lower opening 522) each having a rectangular shape. Is formed. Among these, the upper opening 521 is an opening for mounting the liquid crystal display device 504, and the lower opening 522 is an opening for mounting the reel device 503. The base plate 502 is attached to the front frame 501 at the side portions of the openings 521 and 522. The openings 521 and 522 are provided corresponding to the display windows 513 and 514 of the front frame 501, respectively, and are slightly larger than the display windows 513 and 514.

  On the back side of the base plate 502, the opening edge between the upper and lower openings 521 and 522 and the lower opening edge of the lower opening 522 are respectively long for supporting the reel device 503. Shaped reel support members 525 and 526 are provided. The upper reel support member 525 is provided with holes 525a and 525b at two locations on the left and right. The lower reel support member 526 is provided with holes 526a and 526b at two positions on the left and right sides, and a return portion 527 for placing a support fixing portion 546 of a case member 540 described later.

  On the back side of the base plate 502, prismatic column portions 531 and 532 are attached to the left and right edges, respectively. Among them, a support fitting 533 is attached to the right column portion 531 when viewed from the back side. The support fitting 533 is provided with a pair of upper and lower support shafts 534a and 534b. The support shafts 534a and 534b of the support fitting 533 constitute support means for rotatably supporting the surface changing block 6 on the door block 4, and the support shafts 534a and 534b are provided on the door block 4. The shaft fittings 110 and 111 are inserted into the shaft holes (see FIG. 8 and the like) of the bearing portions 110b and 111a. The bearing portions 110b and 111a on the door block 4 side and the support shafts 534a and 534b on the surface changing block 6 side correspond to the “support means M1 and M2 for the surface changing block 6” shown in FIG.

  A metal plate 535 is attached to the left column 532 as viewed from the back side, and the metal plate 535 is provided with a pair of upper and lower flanges 536a and 536b. The flanges 536 a and 536 b function as a fixing means for fixing the payout block 7 to the surface changing block 6.

  An external terminal plate 537 is attached between the upper opening 521 and the column portion 531 on the back side of the base plate 502.

(Description of reel device 503)
FIG. 46 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the reel device 503. The reel device 503 includes a metal case member 540 and three reels 541, 542, and 543 on the left, middle, and right that are accommodated in the case member 540. The case member 540 has three reels 541 to 543 rotatably accommodated therein, and a part of the reels 541 to 543 appears forward. In the case member 540, a support fixing portion 545 formed by bending upward is provided at the front end portion of the upper surface portion, and a support fixing portion 546 formed by bending downward is provided at the front end portion of the lower surface portion. It has been. These support fixing portions 545 and 546 constitute attachment means for attaching the reel device 503 to the base plate 502.

  The support fixing portions 545 and 546 are provided with holes 545a, 545b, 546a, and 546b at two positions on the left and right sides, respectively. , 546b are screwed into the upper and lower reel support members 525, 526 (holes 525a, 525b, 526a, 526b) of the base plate 502.

  As can be seen in FIG. 40 and the like, a reel relay substrate 548 for electrical connection between the reel device 503 and a control system such as the main control device 505 is installed on the upper portion of the case member 540. Further, on the lower part of the case member 540, protrusions 549 that are contact portions with the floor or the like when the surface changing block 6 is placed on the floor or the like are provided at two places on the left and right.

  The configuration of each of the reels 541 to 543 is well known, and although detailed illustration is omitted here, the configuration will be briefly described. Each of the reels 541 to 543 includes a cylindrical skeleton member that forms a cylindrical cage, and a belt-like belt wound around the outer periphery thereof. On the outer peripheral surface of the belt, a number of symbols as identification information are printed at equal intervals (for example, 21 symbols). A stepping motor as a drive source is provided at the center of each of the reels 541 to 543, and the reels 541 to 543 are driven to rotate individually, that is, independently, by driving the stepping motor. The reel device 503 is provided with a reel index sensor (rotational position detection sensor) for detecting the rotational position of each of the reels 541 to 543 as another configuration. Further, a backlight (rear light emitting means) made of a fluorescent lamp or the like is provided on the inner peripheral side of each reel 541 to 543, and each symbol attached to the outer peripheral surface of the reel is brighter than the rear by this backlight. Illuminated. By the light emission of the backlight, it is possible to improve the visibility of each symbol attached to the outer peripheral surface of the reel and to diversify the auxiliary effects in the game.

(Description of main controller 505, etc.)
Next, the configuration of the main controller 505, the display controller 506, etc. will be described with reference to FIG.

  The main control device 505 includes a main control board 561 on which electronic components such as a CPU and a memory are mounted, and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case member (a case base 562 and a case cover 563) for housing the main control board 561. It is configured. The case base 562 and the case cover 563 are formed of a transparent synthetic resin material, and the main control board 561 inside the case base 562 and the case cover 563 is visible. On the case base 562, attachment portions 564 and 565 for attaching the main control device 505 to the base plate 502 are formed at two places in the upper and lower parts of the figure.

  The case base 562 and the case cover 563 are provided with a sealing portion (so-called caulking portion) (not shown) as sealing means for connecting these members. The seal part allows the case member to be opened by breaking, etc., and the member that has been broken remains as the opening history after opening, so the opening history can be confirmed by the opening history Yes. Thereby, in the case where the case member is unlawfully opened, for example, it is possible to find an unauthorized act by confirming the seal portion.

  The display control device 506 includes a display control board 571 on which electronic components such as a CPU and a memory are mounted, and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case member (a case base 572 and a case cover 573) for housing the display control board 571. It is configured. The case base 572 and the case cover 573 are formed of a transparent synthetic resin material, and the display control board 571 inside the case base 572 and the case cover 573 is visible. On the case base 572, attachment portions 574 and 575 for attaching the display control device 506 to the base plate 502 are formed at two places on the left and right in the drawing.

  The liquid crystal display device 504 includes a liquid crystal panel 581 and a liquid crystal driver 582 that drives the liquid crystal panel 581.

(Explanation of completed state as changeable block 6)
The completed state of the surface changing block 6 will be described again with reference to FIGS. As the face change block 6, a reel device 503 is attached from the back to the integrated front frame 501 and base plate 502, and a liquid crystal display device 504 is attached above the reel device 503. A main control device 505 is attached to the side of the reel device 503, and a display control device 506 is attached above the reel device 503.

  In the face change block 6, the entire panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 581 can be visually recognized from the upper display window 513 of the front frame 501. Further, from the lower display window 514 of the front frame 501, a part of each of the reels 541 to 543 of the reel device 503 can be visually recognized. At this time, out of many symbols (21 in this embodiment) attached to the outer circumference of each of the reels 541 to 543, three symbols for each reel can be visually recognized through the lower display window 514. Yes.

(Description of payout block 7)
Next, the payout block 7 will be described. FIG. 47 is a perspective view of the payout block 7, and FIG. 48 is a rear view of the payout block 7.

  The payout block 7 is configured by integrating a back cover member 601 integrally formed of a synthetic resin material and a payout mechanism 602 for paying out game balls. The back cover member 601 includes a substantially flat base portion 603 and a protective cover portion 604 that protrudes rearward (backward of the gaming machine 1) and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protective cover portion 604 has a shape in which the left and right and upper and lower surfaces and the back surface are closed, and has a size sufficient to accommodate at least the reel device 503 of the surface changing block 6. Although illustration is omitted, a large number of ventilation holes are provided on the back surface of the protective cover portion 604.

  The payout mechanism 602 is attached to the base portion 603 of the back cover member 601 so as to bypass the protective cover portion 604. That is, a tank 605 that opens upward is provided at the uppermost portion of the back cover member 601, and game balls supplied from the island facilities of the game hall are sequentially replenished to the tank 605. Below the tank 605, for example, a tank rail 606 that has two rows (two rows) of ball passages in the horizontal direction and that is gently inclined toward the downstream side is connected. The tank rail 606 extends in the vertical direction downstream of the tank rail 606. Case rail 607 is connected.

  The payout device 608 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 607, and the payout motor 609 is driven by a control signal from the payout control device 157 provided in the tray block 5 so that a required number of game balls are paid out appropriately. The game balls paid out from the payout device 608 are supplied to the upper plate 151 through a payout passage (not shown) or the like. Although illustration is omitted, a tank ball absence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a game ball supplied from the tank 605 or the tank rail 606 is provided upstream of the case rail 607. Also, the payout device 608 is provided with a payout rotation sensor that detects the rotation of the payout motor 609 and a payout count switch that counts the number of game balls to be paid out.

  The payout mechanism 602 is provided with a payout relay board 611 that relays a payout command signal from the payout control device 157 to the payout device 608. In addition, the payout mechanism 602 is provided with a power switch board (not shown) for taking in the main power from the outside.

  Both the tank and the passage members in the dispensing mechanism 602 are formed of a conductive synthetic resin material such as a conductive polycarbonate resin, and are grounded at a part thereof. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the noise by charging of a game ball is suppressed.

  The back cover member 601 is provided with a pair of upper and lower support shafts 621a and 621b at the right end when viewed from the back side. The support shafts 621 a and 621 b constitute support means for rotatably supporting the payout block 7 on the door block 4. The support shafts 621 a and 621 b are provided on the door block 4. , 111 are inserted into shaft holes (see FIG. 8 and the like) of the bearing portions 110a, 111b. The bearing portions 110a and 111b on the door block 4 side and the support shafts 621a and 621b on the payout block 7 side correspond to the “support means M3 and M4 for the payout block 7” shown in FIG.

  In addition, the back cover member 601 is provided with mounting fixing means (lock members 625a and 625b) for fixing the payout block 7 to the surface changing block 6 at a plurality of locations. Mounting fixing means (locking members 627a, 627b, 627c, 627d) for fixing in a state of being mounted on are provided at a plurality of locations.

  That is, a total of two lock members 625a and 625b for the surface changing block 6 are provided at positions corresponding to the flange portions 536a and 536b (see FIG. 40) of the metal plate 535 provided in the surface changing block 6, respectively. It has the latching piece latched by the collar parts 536a and 536b. In this case, the payout block 7 is attached and fixed to the surface changing block 6 by releasing the locking state by setting the locking pieces of the lock members 625a and 625b to the locking state with respect to the flange portions 536a and 536b. Thus, the payout block 7 can be removed from the surface changing block 6.

  Further, the lock members 627a to 627d for the door block 4 are provided at a total of four positions at positions corresponding to the metal fittings 137a to 137d (see FIG. 8) of the front door body 11 (door block 4). It has the latching piece latched by 137a-137d, and is comprised. In this case, by setting the locking pieces of the lock members 627a to 627d to the locked state with respect to the metal fittings 137a to 137d, the payout block 7 is attached and fixed to the door block 4, and the locked state is released. The payout block 7 can be removed from the door block 4.

(Description of replacement work of the surface changing unit 6)
As described above, the replacement block 6 is a replaceable unit. Here, the replacement operation of the replacement block 6 at the time of model change in the game hall will be described.

  First, the locked state of the door block 4 with respect to the outer frame 2 is released using a prescribed operation key, and the door block 4 is opened to the front side. At this time, the face changing block 6 and the payout block 7 are integrally operated together with the door block 4. This is the state shown in FIG. After that, the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 can be rotated with respect to the door block 4 by operating the lock members 627a to 627d provided on the back cover member 601 of the payout block 7 in an unlocked state with a finger or the like. Further, by operating the lock members 625a and 625b in an unlocked state with a finger or the like, the payout block 7 can be rotated (can be opened) with respect to the surface changing block 6. When the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 are rotated in this state, the state shown in FIG. 4 is obtained. In this state, electrical wiring between the blocks is removed as appropriate.

  Then, in the state of FIG. 4, the surface changing block 6 is removed from the door block 4 so as to be lifted upward. At this time, the support shafts 534a and 534b provided on the surface changing block 6 side are pulled out from the bearing portions 110b and 111a of the shaft fittings 110 and 111 provided on the door block 4 side, and the surface changing block 6 is removed from the door block 4. To be separated.

  Thereafter, the new surface changing block 6 is mounted in the reverse operation procedure from that for removal. That is, a new surface changing block 6 is attached to the door block 4 and connection such as electric wiring is appropriately executed. Then, the lock members 625a and 625b are operated to the locked state with a finger or the like in a state where the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 are overlapped. In addition, the integrated body of the surface changing block 6 and the payout block 7 is overlapped on the door block 4, and in this state, the lock members 627a to 627d are operated to be locked with a finger or the like. Finally, when the door block 4 is closed with respect to the outer frame 2, the replacement of the gaming machine 1 is completed.

  When exchanging the surface changing block 6 described above, no special tool or the like is required except for unlocking the door block 4 with an operation key, and the exchanging operation is facilitated.

(Explanation of electrical configuration)
Next, the electrical configuration of the gaming machine 1 will be described based on the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 49, each electrical component is divided into a door block 4, a saucer block 5, a surface changing block 6, and a payout block 7. In addition, a supply line of power supplied from the power supply device 156 is indicated by a double line arrow, and a signal line is indicated by a solid line arrow.

  In FIG. 49, the main control device 505, the display control device 506, and the payout control device 157 are all configured by a logical operation device having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and the CPU of each control device is a ROM. Various controls relating to the game are executed based on a calculation program stored in advance. Each of these control devices is connected via a signal line, a relay board, and the like, and in the game, the game progresses by exchanging commands and the like between the control devices.

  Specifically, in the surface changing block 6, the reel device 503 and the external terminal plate 537 are connected to the main controller 505 via the reel relay board 548, and the display controller 506 is connected via the sub relay board 701. It is connected. In the reel device 503, the rotation of each reel 541 to 543 is controlled based on a command from the main control device 505. The external terminal board 537 is a relay device connected to a hall management device (so-called hall computer) installed in a game hall or the like. Through this external terminal board 537, the game situation (the number of games, the number of hits, etc.) is changed. Output to the management device. The display control device 506 receives various commands related to the auxiliary effects of each game from the main control device 505, and performs the auxiliary effects by the liquid crystal display device 504 according to the commands, and the door upper relay board provided in the door block 4 The driving of speakers and lamps is controlled via 703.

  Although description by illustration etc. was abbreviate | omitted, this game machine 1 is provided with the door switch for detecting that the game machine main body 3 (door block 4) was open | released with respect to the outer frame 2, and this The door switch detection signal is input to the main controller 505 via the reel relay board 548.

  In main controller 505, a backup area in which a backup voltage is supplied from power supply device 156 and data can be retained (backed up) even after power-off of game machine 1 is provided in a part of the RAM. ing. Therefore, when the power is shut down due to the occurrence of a power failure or the like, the various data at the time of power shut-off are stored and retained in the RAM backup area, and the gaming machine 1 at the next power-on (including power-on due to power failure cancellation) Can be restored to the state before the power was shut off.

  In addition, the saucer block 5 is provided with a saucer block relay board 702, and the main controller 505 of the surface changing block 6 and the payout controller 157 of the saucer block 5 and the take-out block 702 are connected via the saucer block relay board 702. Is connected to the control unit 153. In addition, the main controller 505 of the surface changing block 6 and the door block relay board 704 of the door block 4 are connected via a tray block relay board 702.

  In this case, when various operation members (the bet switch 38, the start lever 33, and the stop switches 35 to 37) of the door block 4 are operated by the player, the operation is detected by the operation detection unit built in these operation members. Each operation detection signal is input to the main controller 505 via the door block relay board 704 and the saucer block relay board 702. For example, when an operation detection signal associated with the operation of the bet switch 38 is input to the main controller 505, the main controller 505 outputs an acquisition control signal to the acquisition unit 153 via the tray block relay board 702. By this take-in control signal, the solenoid 325 in each take-in device 301 to 303 of the take-in unit 153 is driven, and game balls are taken in sequentially. The detection signal of the game ball take-in detection sensor (sensor unit 370, downstream take-in sensor 380) at the time of taking in the game ball is also input to the main controller 505 via the saucer block relay board 702.

  In addition, a stop symbol (three upper and lower symbols visible from the visual window 21 of the door block 4 and a combination of the symbols) of each reel of the reel device 503 is a predetermined game ball paying combination (small role symbol, bonus symbol). If it matches, the main control unit 505 sets the number of game balls to be paid out according to each winning combination, and issues a payout control signal corresponding to the number of payouts via the tray block relay board 702. To 157. As a result, the payout control device 157 drives the payout device 608 (the payout motor 609) to pay out the game ball.

  In the payout control device 157, a part of the RAM retains data by being supplied with a backup voltage from the power supply device 156 even after the game machine 1 is turned off, like the RAM of the main control device 505. There is a backup area that can be used. Therefore, when the power is shut down due to the occurrence of a power failure or the like, the various data at the time of power shut-off are stored and retained in the RAM backup area, and the gaming machine 1 at the next power-on (including power-on due to power failure cancellation) Can be restored to the state before the power was shut off.

  Although not shown, the payout control device 157 manages the information display board for managing the display contents of the information display unit 51 provided in the door block 4 and the payout of game balls lent out from the ball lending unit. A ball rental unit connection board or the like is connected.

  The power supply device 156 takes in AC 24 volt power supplied from the outside, generates + 12V power for driving various switches, motors, etc., + 5V power for logic, backup power for RAM backup, and the like. + 5V power and backup power are supplied to the main controller 505, the payout controller 157, and the like.

(Outline explanation of the game)
Next, an outline of the game performed by the player for the gaming machine 1 configured as described above will be briefly described.

  At the start of the game, when the player presses the bet switch 38 in a situation where there are enough game balls on the upper plate 151, each of the take-in devices 301 to 303 of the take-in unit 153 takes in the game balls. Done. When the start lever 33 is operated after a predetermined number (for example, 15) of game balls corresponding to the number of bets has been taken in, the reels 541 to 543 of the reel device 503 are simultaneously or in a predetermined order. Start spinning. When the start lever 33 is operated, the main control unit 505 performs an internal lottery regarding a small role, replay (replay), bonus game, and the like. When the reels 541 to 543 are rotated, the symbols attached to the outer peripheral surface thereof are visually recognized in such a manner as to move from top to bottom through the viewing window 21.

  Thereafter, when the player operates the stop switches 35 to 37 in an arbitrary order, the rotation of the corresponding reels 541 to 543 is stopped in accordance with the operation timing of each of the stop switches 35 to 37. At this time, when the reels 541 to 543 are stopped, pull-in stop control for stopping a predetermined symbol at a specific position is appropriately performed. For example, when a small combination is established by an internal lottery, the stop symbols can be slid up to 4 symbols from the operation timing of the stop switches 35 to 37 so that the combination of the stop symbols in which the small combination is established (Stop symbol sliding is performed). Incidentally, after the start of the rotation of the reels 541 to 543, when the specified time elapses without the stop switches 35 to 37 being operated, the rotation of the reels 541 to 543 is stopped at that time.

  When the reels 541 to 543 are stopped (when the symbols are stopped), when the stopped symbols and the combinations thereof match the small role symbols and bonus symbols, the number of game balls corresponding to the winning combination at that time is paid out. In this case, the game ball is paid out to the upper plate 151 by driving the payout device 608.

  According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

  A part of the front side wall portion 193 of the peripheral wall portion 162 of the upper plate 151 is retreated to form a recess 195, and the support plate portion closes above the accommodation region S formed by the recess 195 in the recess 195. The bed switch 38 is suspended and supported by the support plate 196 so that the case body 271 is accommodated in the accommodation area S. And the right and left sides of the recessed part 195 in the upper plate 151 were used as the sphere storage area. Thereby, the ball | bowl storage area | region of the upper plate 151 can be expanded ahead, without increasing the amount of swelling of the bulging part 27 in which the upper plate 151 is accommodated ahead of a game machine. In other words, the storage capacity of the game balls in the upper plate 151 can be ensured as much as possible without causing the inconvenience of giving the player a feeling of pressure.

  Further, in this configuration, in order to secure the ball storage area as large as possible, the dimension of the support plate portion 196 in the front-rear direction is set larger than that of the bet switch 38, and the ball storage areas provided on the left and right sides of the bet switch 38. Is expanded to the vicinity of the front edge of the bulging portion 27. In this case, since the bet switch 38 is suspended and supported by the support plate 196 provided on the upper plate 151, the ball storage areas provided on the left and right sides of the bet switch 38 are located near the front edge of the bulging portion 27. The support strength of the bet switch 38 can be sufficiently secured in the configuration extended to the above. For example, in a configuration in which the support plate portion 196 is provided in the bulging portion 27 instead of the upper plate 151, when the ball storage areas on the left and right sides of the bet switch 38 are expanded to the vicinity of the front edge of the bulging portion 27, the support plate A part will become the shape extended greatly from the bulging part 27, and the intensity | strength of the base end part will become low. On the other hand, since the support plate portion 196 is integrally formed so as to block the upper portion of the concave portion 195 with respect to the concave portion 195 of the upper plate 151, compared to the case where the support plate portion 196 is provided in the bulging portion 27. The base end portion is widely secured, and the strength of the base end portion is increased. Therefore, as described above, the support strength of the bet switch 38 can be sufficiently ensured.

  By adopting a configuration in which the flange 194 provided on the upper plate 151 is supported by the opening peripheral edge portion 27a of the bulging portion 27 from below, the support structure of the upper plate 151 is simplified. In this case, the front side peripheral edge portion 196 a of the support plate portion 196 constitutes a part of the flange 194. Therefore, the load applied to the support plate portion 196 due to the weight of the bet switch 38 and the pressing operation of the bet switch 38 is received by the opening peripheral edge portion 27a of the bulging portion 27, and the support strength of the bet switch 38 is simplified. It can be enhanced by using it. In particular, the flange 194 is continuously formed at least over the entire lateral wall of the front side wall 193 of the upper plate 151, and the entire flange 194 is supported by the opening peripheral edge 27a. Therefore, the weight of the bet switch 38 and the load applied to the support plate portion 196 in accordance with the pressing operation of the bet switch 38 are received by the entire opening peripheral edge portion 27a provided in the left-right direction. Can be increased.

  The wall portion 195a constituting the recess 195 has an arc shape toward the back side. That is, the concave portion 195 is tapered toward the back side. Thereby, it can suppress that the flow of the game ball toward the opening part 164 in a ball | bowl storage area | region is inhibited by the recessed part 195.

  The support plate portion 196 was formed so that the upper surface of the support plate portion 196 faced obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, and the bet switch 38 was installed so that the upper surface of the bet switch 38 faced obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine. Thereby, even if the game ball stored in the ball storage area is placed on the support plate portion 196 or the bet switch 38, the game ball follows the inclination of the upper surface of the support plate portion 196 or the upper surface of the bet switch 38. Flow down. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operability of the bet switch 38 from being lowered due to the game ball remaining on the support plate 196 or the bet switch 38. In addition, if the bet switch 38 is pressed while the game ball remains on the support plate 196 or the bet switch 38, the bet switch 38 may be damaged. The occurrence of such inconvenience can be prevented. In particular, in the configuration in which the ball storage areas are provided on both the left and right sides of the bet switch 38 as described above, compared to the conventional gaming machine in which the ball storage areas are not provided on the left and right sides, the bet switch 38 and the bet switch 38 are provided. The game ball can be easily placed on the top, but in such a case, the occurrence of the inconvenience can be prevented.

  Further, since the upper surface of the bet switch 38 faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, the operability of the bet switch 38 can be improved. That is, it is general that a player who plays a game on the gaming machine 1 sits in front of the gaming machine 1 and plays a game. Further, since the game is characterized by operating the stop switches 35 to 37 while visually recognizing the variable display of the symbols through the transparent panel 22 provided above the upper plate 151, at least the eyes of the player In general, the height is above the upper plate 151, and the shoulder height of the player is generally higher than the upper plate 151. In this case, since the upper surface of the bet switch 38 faces obliquely upward in front of the gaming machine, the player can operate the bet switch 38 without difficulty by moving his arm diagonally downward toward the bet switch 38. it can.

  The concave portion 195 was formed at a position facing the discharge port 163 that is an inlet for playing balls to the ball storage area in the upper plate 151. Thereby, even if a game ball is vigorously introduced from the discharge port 163, the game ball can collide with the concave portion 195 and decelerate early. Thereby, the behavior of the game ball in the ball storage area can be stabilized. Further, by forming the recess 195 at a position facing the discharge port 163 as described above, the bet switch 38 is located to the right of the start lever 33 and to the left of the stop switches 35 to 37. Thereby, in this gaming machine 1, the operability in the slot machine is secured.

  The concave portion 195 was formed so as not to protrude from the front bottom surface portions 221 and 222 of the upper plate 151 to the back side. Therefore, in the configuration provided with the recess 195, the game balls can be aligned at the left back bottom surface portion 224 regardless of the recess 195.

  In addition to the embodiment described above, for example, the following may be implemented.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the ball storage areas are provided on the left and right sides of the bet switch 38 in the upper plate 151. However, the ball storage areas may be provided on either the left or right side. Even in this case, the storage capacity of the game ball in the upper plate 151 can be as large as possible without increasing the bulge amount of the bulge portion 27.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the wall portion 195a forming the recess 195 is formed in an arc shape, but may be formed in a square shape. That is, the wall portion 195a of the recess 195 may be configured by two surfaces or three or more surfaces. Even in this configuration, the concave portion 195 is tapered toward the back side, whereby the flow of the game ball in the ball storage area can be prevented from being inhibited by the concave portion 195.

  (3) Although the flange 194 is formed continuously in the above embodiment, the flange 194 may be formed intermittently. Even in such a configuration, the weight of the bet switch 38 and the load when the bet switch 38 is pressed are reduced by forming the support plate 196 so that the front peripheral edge 196a forms part of the flange 194. It is received by the opening peripheral part 27a of the bulging part 27, and the support strength of the bed switch 38 can be increased with a simple configuration.

  Alternatively, the flange 194 may not be provided. Also in such a configuration, the support strength of the bet switch 38 can be increased with a simple configuration by supporting the front side peripheral portion 196a of the support plate portion 196 from below by the opening peripheral portion 27a of the bulging portion 27.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the recess 195 is formed so that the longitudinal dimension of the recess 195 is larger than that of the bet switch 38. However, the longitudinal dimension of the recess 195 may be slightly smaller than that of the bet switch 38. .

  (5) Although the support plate portion 196 is formed so as to extend from the upper end of the arcuate wall portion 195a in the above embodiment, it may be formed so as to extend from a position lower than that. This prevents the game ball from being placed on the support plate portion 196 by a portion of the arcuate wall portion 195a that is higher than the support plate portion 196.

  (6) In the above embodiment, the support plate portion 196 is formed so that the upper surface of the support plate portion 196 is inclined downward toward the front, but for example, it may be formed to be inclined downward toward the rear. Good. Even with this configuration, it is possible to prevent the game ball from staying on the support plate 196 or the bet switch 38.

  (7) In the above embodiment, the bet switch 38 is arranged on the right side of the start lever 38 and on the right side of the stop switches 35 to 37 by forming the recess 195 at a position facing the discharge port 163. This may be changed. For example, the bet switch 38 may be disposed at the center position or the right position of the upper plate 151 in the left-right direction.

  (8) In the said embodiment, it is good also as a structure which does not unitize the upper plate 151 as the saucer block 5. FIG. For example, the upper plate unit may be assembled to the door block 4 as an upper plate unit by assembling the cover member 175, the discharge operation transmission device 180, and the ball stopper device 240 to the upper plate 151.

  (9) The lower plate 71 may be eliminated from the gaming machine 1 and only the upper plate 151 may be provided. In this case, a sufficient amount of game balls can be stored and held as the gaming machine 1 by increasing the capacity of the upper plate 151 and the payout passage behind it.

  (10) The number of games balls inserted per bet (predetermined number), the maximum number of games inserted, the number of payouts, etc. of the game balls in the above embodiment are merely examples, and are not particularly limited to the above numerical values.

  (11) This gaming machine 1 does not necessarily have to be installed on Pachinko Island. In this case, the outer frame may not be a requirement, and the gaming machine main body 3 may be supported by a housing or the like. Further, the game ball is not limited to a pachinko ball, and may be a metal ball other than a pachinko standard. Other than the metal sphere, for example, a ceramic sphere may be used.

It is a perspective view showing the whole gaming machine in one embodiment. It is a front view of a gaming machine. It is a perspective view which shows the internal open state of a gaming machine. It is a perspective view which shows the internal open state of a gaming machine. It is a rear view of a gaming machine. It is a figure which shows typically the outline | summary of a game machine main body and its opening / closing operation | movement. It is a perspective view which isolate | separates and shows a door block and a saucer block. It is a perspective view which isolate | separates and shows a door block and a saucer block. It is a perspective view which isolate | separates and shows the front door body and inner frame which comprise a door block. It is a perspective view which isolate | separates and shows the front door body and inner frame which comprise a door block. It is a front view of a saucer block. It is a top view of a saucer block. It is a rear view of a saucer block. It is a disassembled perspective view of a saucer block. It is a disassembled perspective view of a saucer block. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an upper plate and the member provided accompanying it. It is a top view of an upper plate. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure regarding installation of a bet switch. It is a figure for demonstrating the operativity of this game machine. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a discharge operation transmission apparatus. It is a top view which shows the structure of the discharge operation transmission apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the ball channel | path formation body and the member provided accompanying it. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the ball channel | path formation body and the member provided accompanying it. It is a top view which shows the structure of the single-piece | unit of a ball stopper. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the ball passage formation body with the ball stopper. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the operation state of a ball stopper and the flow of a game ball. It is a perspective view of an intake unit. It is a perspective view of an intake unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of an intake unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of an intake unit. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a taking-in apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of a taking-in apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of a taking-in apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a discharge gate member. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a discharge gate member. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a taking-in apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of a payout control unit. It is a perspective view of a surface change block. It is a perspective view of a surface change block. It is a front view of a surface change block. It is a disassembled perspective view of a surface change block. It is a disassembled perspective view of a surface change block. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a front frame. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a base board. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a reel apparatus. It is a perspective view of a payout block. It is a rear view of a payout block. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the electrical structure of a game machine. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating a subject.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Gaming machine, 3 ... Gaming machine main-body part, 4 ... Door block, 5 ... Receptacle block, 6 ... Replacement block, 7 ... Discharge block, 11 ... Front door body, 22 ... Transparent panel as window part, 27 ... A bulging portion as a housing base, 27a ... an opening peripheral portion as a support portion, 33 ... a start lever as a starting operation means, 35-37 ... a stop switch as a stopping operation means, 38 ... a bet switch as a take-in operation device 41 ... an opening, 151 ... an upper plate as a ball tray, 163 ... a discharge port as a ball inlet, 164 ... an opening as a ball outlet, 191 ... a back side wall, 193 ... a front side wall as a peripheral wall front, 194 ... Flange, 195 ... Recessed part, 195a ... Arc-shaped wall part, 196 ... Support plate part, 196a ... Front side peripheral edge part, 221 to 224 ... Bottom part as a ball storage part, 271 ... As a housing ,..., Switch piece, 274... Spring as biasing means, 275... Sensor as detection means, 301 to 303... Take-in device, 503 .. reel device as picture display device, 608. ... containment area.

Claims (2)

A storage base that protrudes forward from the front of the gaming machine and is open at the top;
A ball receiving tray in which a ball storage portion for storing a game ball is formed, and the game is stored using the game ball stored in the ball receiving tray as a game medium.
A concave portion is formed in a part of the front portion of the peripheral wall in the ball tray toward the rear,
The support plate portion suspended supporting the capture operation device is pressed by the player in order to start the loading process by capturing device for capturing a game ball that is stored in the ball storage portion at its upper portion, said recess Provided to extend forward from the recess so as to close the upper part of the space formed by, and integrally formed in the recess,
The ball tray is provided with a flange portion extending from the upper end of the front surface of the peripheral wall to the near side,
The storage base is provided with a support portion that supports the flange portion from below,
The front side peripheral edge portion, which is the front end portion in the extending direction of the support plate portion, constitutes a part of the flange portion so that the flange portion is formed over the entire left and right direction of the peripheral wall front portion. A gaming machine , wherein the support plate portion is formed.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising payout means for paying out a game ball toward the ball tray.

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