JP5447901B1 - SEALING MEMBER, SEALING STRUCTURE AND GAME MACHINE - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
Provided is a sealing member in which a trace of unauthorized access remains reliably.
[Solution]
The cylindrical insertion part by which the sealing member 1 which seals a sealing object location is inserted from a lower end side with respect to a sealing hole by fitting the sealing object location in the sealing hole provided in the inner part. 11, a lid portion 12 that is arranged on the upper end side of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 and covers the sealing hole, and a top portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 that covers only a partial section α in the circumferential direction The coupling portion 13 is coupled to the lower surface of the cylindrical insertion portion 11, and the engaging portion 11 for engaging the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 with the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole is provided on the cylindrical insertion portion 11. It was provided on the outer periphery. It is preferable that the section α in which the connecting portion 13 in the circumferential direction at the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is overlapped with the section β in which the engaging portion 111 in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is provided.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention provides a sealing member for sealing a location to be sealed, a sealing structure for sealing the location to be sealed using this sealing member, and a location to be sealed using this sealing member And a gaming machine in which is sealed.

  Gaming machines can be subject to various cheating activities. For example, a board unit is housed inside a housing of a gaming machine, and a storage device (usually a ROM) in which a program for controlling the gaming machine is recorded is mounted on the board unit. An illegal act of replacing this storage device with a forged one (so-called forged ROM) is known. In order to prevent this type of fraud, each manufacturer of gaming machines has a structure in which the device that is the subject of fraud, such as a board unit, is covered with a cover, and is screwed to close the cover. A measure is taken to make it difficult to access the screwed portion by sealing with a sealing member. Several sealing members used for this countermeasure have been proposed so far. Some have been devised so that the trace remains on the sealing member itself even if access to the screwed portion is allowed.

  For example, FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1 shows a shielding cap 50 (sealing member) made of a resin material, which includes a cylindrical portion 51, a flange portion 52 formed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 51, and a cylindrical portion 51. The flange portion 52 is provided with a rectangular opening 54, and a lid portion 55 is disposed inside the flange portion 52. The lid portion 55 and the flange portion 52 are made thin. What was connected with the connection part 56a and the connection part 56b is described (paragraphs 0025-0026 of the literature). As a result, as shown in FIG. 11 of the same document, unless the lid portion 55 is pushed downward to break the connecting portion 56b and the thin-walled connecting portion 56a is bent and the periphery thereof is not whitened, the screwed portion is accessed. It is said that it becomes possible to make it impossible (paragraph 0032 of the same document).

  However, the shielding cap 50 of Patent Document 1 can be removed from the place where the shielding cap 50 is fitted by pushing the engaging protrusion 53 inward to release the engagement, leaving almost no trace on the shielding cap 50. There was a drawback that it would be possible. That is, as shown in FIG. 10 of the same document, when considering the case where the shielding cap 50 is fitted into the counterbore portion 35 provided in the cover 30 and sealed, the inner peripheral surface of the counterbore portion 35 and the flange portion 52 are sealed. There is a possibility that the shielding cap 50 itself is removed by inserting a flathead screwdriver into the gap with the outer peripheral surface and pushing the engaging projection 53 inward with the tip of the flathead screwdriver. In this case, although some scratches remain on the outer peripheral portion of the flange portion 52, the connecting portion 56b (FIGS. 6 and 10 of the same document) does not break. Therefore, after removing the shielding cap 50 by the above method, releasing the screw fastening, opening the cover 30 and performing an illegal act such as replacing the ROM, the cover 30 is closed and screwed again, and the screwed location Is sealed with the same shielding cap 50, there is a problem that it is difficult to find fraud.

JP 2003-340092 A

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and seals a sealing target portion such as a screwed portion to make it difficult to illegally access the sealing target portion. Even when unauthorized access to a stop target portion is permitted, a trace is surely left, and a sealing member that can easily find that there has been unauthorized access is provided. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sealing structure that seals a portion to be sealed with this sealing member. Furthermore, it is also an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine in which a portion to be sealed is sealed by this sealing member.

  The above-described problem is a sealing member that seals the sealing target portion by fitting the sealing target portion into a sealing hole provided in the back portion, and from the lower end side with respect to the sealing hole A cylindrical insertion portion to be inserted; a lid portion disposed on the upper end side of the cylindrical insertion portion to cover the sealing hole; and a partial section α in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion And an engaging portion for engaging the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion with the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole. The problem is solved by providing a sealing member provided on the outer periphery.

  Here, the “sealing target location” refers to a location where it is necessary to perform sealing in order to restrict access thereto. Specifically, taking the above gaming machine as an example, a location that is screwed to close a cover that covers a device that is subject to fraud, such as a storage device in which a program for controlling the gaming machine is recorded Is exemplified. If an example other than a gaming machine is given, the part etc. which were screwed in order to attach the number plate of a car to a vehicle body are illustrated. In addition, the “sealing hole” refers to a hole-like portion having an opening portion serving as an inlet and having a sealing target portion provided in the inner portion thereof. The inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole does not necessarily need to be continuously formed from the entrance to the back of the sealing hole.

  Furthermore, the words “upper” or “lower” in “cylindrical insertion part inserted from the lower end side”, “upper end side of the cylindrical insertion part”, “upper end of the cylindrical insertion part” or “lower surface of the lid part” The direction in which the sealing member is inserted into the sealing hole (the direction from the inlet to the back of the sealing hole) is “downward”, and the direction in which the sealing member is inserted into the sealing hole (sealing When the direction from the back of the hole toward the entrance is “upward”, it is used for convenience to relatively represent the positional relationship of each part of the sealing member, and the sealing member is used. The orientation is not limited. Unless the word “upper” or “lower” expresses the relative position of each part relative to the direction in which the sealing member is inserted, the same applies hereinafter. is there.

  The sealing member of the present invention can easily find out that there has been unauthorized access to a sealing target location. That is, in order to access the sealing target position located at the back of the sealing hole in which the sealing member of the present invention is fitted, a hole is made in the lid portion of the sealing member with a drill or the like. An unauthorized insertion tool (a tool that can be inserted into a narrow gap, such as a flat-blade screwdriver or a square drill, in the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the blind hole and the outer circumferential surface of the lid of the sealing member, and sealed Is inserted for the purpose of unauthorized access to the target part), and the engagement portion is released inward by pushing the engagement portion with the tip of the unauthorized insertion tool, and the sealing member is sealed. Must be pulled out of the hole. However, in the former case, traces (holes) of unauthorized access remain on the lid. On the other hand, in the latter case, when the unauthorized insertion tool is inserted into the gap, a force to lift the lid portion is applied from the unauthorized insertion tool to the lid portion, and the force is also transmitted to the connecting portion. The Since the connecting portion is more fragile than the cylindrical insertion portion and the lid portion, when the above force is transmitted to the connecting portion, the connecting portion breaks before the cylindrical insertion portion and the lid portion. In addition, even if the connecting portion does not break, a visible trace remains around the connecting portion in the sealing member, such as cracking from the connecting portion or local bending of the connecting portion. In particular, as will be described later, when the sealing member is formed of a synthetic resin, the periphery of the connecting portion is whitened due to the cracks and deformation, so that the traces can be further visually recognized. As described above, the sealing member of the present invention cannot access the portion to be sealed without leaving a trace on it.

  In the sealing member of the present invention, the place where the connecting portion is provided is not particularly limited as long as it is the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion and a partial section (section α) in the circumferential direction of the upper end. However, it is preferable that the connecting portion is provided so that the section α overlaps with the section β in which the engaging portion in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion is provided. In other words, the connecting portion is preferably provided at a position that overlaps (overlaps) the engaging portion in the vertical direction (insertion direction of the sealing member with respect to the sealing hole). Hereinafter, disposing the connecting portion so as to overlap the engaging portion in the vertical direction may be expressed as “the overlapping of the connecting portion and the engaging portion”. When the connecting portion is overlapped with the engaging portion, only a part of the connecting portion may be overlapped with the engaging portion (a part of the section α may be overlapped with the section β). Is preferably overlapped with the engaging portion (the entire section α is overlapped with the section β).

  In this way, by overlapping the connecting portion with the engaging portion, the unauthorized insertion tool is inserted into the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole and the outer peripheral surface of the lid portion of the sealing member, thereby engaging the engaging portion. When trying to release the joint, it becomes possible to leave a more conspicuous trace around the connection part (making the connection part easier to break). This is because a person who inserts an unauthorized insertion tool into the gap and releases the engagement of the engagement portion is close to the engagement portion in the gap (a book in which the coupling portion overlaps the engagement portion). (In the configuration, note that the position is close to the connecting portion.) In order to insert the unauthorized insertion tool into the gap, the lid generated when the unauthorized insertion tool is inserted into the gap is lifted. The force to be applied is the largest on the side where the unauthorized insertion tool is inserted in the lid, that is, the position located directly above the connecting portion, and the connecting portion located directly below the lid portion has a larger force. This is because the force is transmitted and the connecting portion is more easily broken.

  In addition, by overlapping the connecting portion with the engaging portion, when the sealing member is fitted into the sealing hole while pushing the upper surface of the lid portion downward with a finger or the like (when the sealing operation is performed), the tubular shape It is also possible to make the lid part less likely to wobble with respect to the insertion part. Therefore, when performing the sealing operation, it is possible to prevent breakage, cracking, bending, or the like of the connecting portion in the sealing operation by preventing an excessive force from being applied to the connecting portion. In order to appropriately provide the sealing member of the present invention with a function as a seal (a function that makes it possible to discover the fact that there has been unauthorized access), traces are likely to remain on the sealing member during unauthorized access. On the other hand, it is required to be easy to break (easy to break), but at the time of sealing work, it is required to make it difficult for traces to remain on the sealing member (hard to break). To meet these seemingly contradictory requirements.

  The sealing member of the present invention may be a combination of a plurality of separately formed parts. In this case, not only the manufacturing cost is increased, but the sealing member is disassembled into each part. Then, when it is removed from the sealing hole and an unauthorized access is made to the portion to be sealed, the trace may be difficult to understand. For this reason, it is preferable that at least the cylindrical insertion portion, the lid portion, and the connecting portion (more preferably the engaging portion) of the sealing member are integrally formed of the same material. The type of material used for molding the sealing member is not particularly limited, but a synthetic resin is suitable in consideration of the possibility of leaving an improper access trace, ease of molding, acquisition cost, and the like. In particular, it is preferable to use a synthetic resin having translucency. Here, “having translucency”, in other words, having transparency (not completely opaque), typically means being transparent or translucent. When the sealing member is molded with a synthetic resin having translucency, the translucency (transparency) of the synthetic resin is whitened due to cracking or bending around the connecting portion in the sealing member. It is sufficient that the whitened portion is visible from the upper surface side of the lid portion. This makes it possible to find a trace of unauthorized access from the upper surface side of the lid.

  In the sealing member of the present invention, the connecting portion is not particularly limited in its specific form as long as the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion is connected to the lower surface of the lid portion only in a partial section α in the circumferential direction. However, it is preferable that the corner formed by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion and the lower surface of the lid portion has an acute angle. Specifically, it is preferable to incline the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion so that the upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion is in a position that is inward of the lower end. Thereby, it becomes possible to make it easy to produce the crack which makes the said corner | angular part the starting point around the connection part in a sealing member. Therefore, when an unauthorized insertion tool is inserted into the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole and the outer peripheral surface of the lid portion of the sealing member and the engagement of the engaging portion is released, the connecting portion is further facilitated. It is also possible to break it. Further, even if the connecting portion does not break, it is possible to cause a large crack (crack) starting from the corner portion around the connecting portion, and to make the crack more conspicuous. Moreover, although the area of the cross section perpendicular | vertical to the up-down direction of a connection part may be fixed (regardless of an up-down position, the thickness of a connection part may be constant), it approaches the lower surface of a cover part from the upper end of a cylindrical insertion part. It is preferable to make it smaller as it becomes smaller (tapered from the lower end to the upper end of the connecting portion). As a result, the vicinity of the upper end of the connecting portion (particularly, the connecting portion of the connecting portion with the lid portion) is further weakened, and the connecting portion can be more easily broken at the weakened portion. This configuration can be suitably combined with the above configuration in which the corner formed by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion and the lower surface of the lid portion is an acute angle.

  In the sealing member of the present invention, the specific structure of the engaging portion is not particularly limited as long as it can be engaged with the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole. As an engaging part, the convex part which protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical insertion part (In this case, this convex part is engaged with the recessed part provided in the inner peripheral part of the sealing hole), A concave portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion (in this case, the concave portion is engaged with a convex portion provided on the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole), or a combination of the convex portion and the concave portion. Etc. are exemplified. However, in order to make the sealing operation easier, the engaging portion is formed by a convex portion protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion, and the convexity on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion is formed. The engaging section provided with the portion is structured to be separated from other sections around the engaging section on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion, except for either the upper part or the lower part of the engaging section. Is also preferable. Thereby, it becomes possible to make it the structure which can push an engagement division in the surrounding wall of a cylindrical insertion part inside with respect to another division. That is, when performing the sealing operation of fitting the sealing member into the sealing hole, the projection is until the projection reaches an engagement position (a position overlapping the recess provided on the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole). Makes it possible to reduce the frictional resistance applied from the inner peripheral part of the sealing hole to the outer peripheral part of the cylindrical insertion part by elastically pressing the convex part inwardly. Therefore, the sealing member can be made more difficult to break during the sealing operation. When the convex portion reaches the engagement position, the convex portion returns from the position pushed inward to the initial position, and is engaged with a concave portion provided in the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole. It becomes a state.

  By the way, the said subject is solved also by providing the sealing structure which seals a sealing object location by said sealing member (sealing member of this invention). In the sealing structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the sealing member is made of a material having lower strength (particularly bending strength) than the member in which the sealing hole is formed. As a result, when an unauthorized insertion tool is inserted into the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole and the outer peripheral surface of the lid portion of the sealing member, the sealing is performed before the member in which the sealing hole is formed. It becomes possible to make the member break. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the member in which the sealing hole is formed by leaving a trace of unauthorized access only on the sealing member.

  As described above, according to the present invention, not only is it possible to seal a portion to be sealed such as a screwed portion so that unauthorized access to the portion to be sealed is difficult, but also to allow unauthorized access to the portion to be sealed. Even in such a case, it is possible to provide a sealing member that ensures that the trace remains and can easily find out that there has been unauthorized access. In addition, it is possible to provide a sealing structure that seals a portion to be sealed by this sealing member. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a gaming machine in which a sealing target portion is sealed by the sealing member.

It is the perspective view which showed the whole sealing member which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured and showed the part of the cover part of the sealing member of FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the sealing member of FIG. 1 in the surface parallel to xz plane and including the centerline of a cylindrical insertion part. It is sectional drawing which showed the periphery of the sealing hole by which the sealing member of FIG. 1 was engage | inserted. It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured and showed the part of the cover part of the sealing member of another embodiment. It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured and showed the part of the cover part of the sealing member of another embodiment. It is the perspective view which showed the whole game machine. It is the perspective view which expanded and showed the board | substrate unit in the gaming machine of FIG.

  A preferred embodiment of the sealing member of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire sealing member 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sealing member 1 of FIG. 1 with a part of the lid 12 cut away. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the sealing member 1 of FIG. 1 is cut along a plane parallel to the xz plane and including the center line L of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the sealing hole 21 in which the sealing member 1 of FIG. 1 is fitted. The sealing member 1 of the present invention is composed of a cylindrical insertion portion 11, a lid portion 12 and a connecting portion 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and as shown in FIG. The sealing target portion A is sealed by fitting the stopping target portion A into the sealing hole 21 provided in the inner portion.

  Although the kind of material of the sealing member 1 is not particularly limited, as described above, it is preferable that the cylindrical insertion portion 11, the lid portion 12, and the connecting portion 13 are integrally formed with a synthetic resin having translucency. Examples of the synthetic resin having translucency include polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, ABS resin, and acrylic. Moreover, it is preferable that the sealing member 1 is formed of a material having a lower strength than the member in which the sealing hole 21 is formed (the cover 2 in the example of FIG. 4). In other words, the member in which the sealing hole 21 is formed is preferably formed of a material having higher strength than the sealing member 1. Examples of the material of the member in which the sealing hole 21 is formed include synthetic resin and metal. In this embodiment, the entire sealing member 1 is integrally molded (injection molding) with a transparent ABS resin, and the cover 2 is integrally formed with polycarbonate known to have excellent mechanical strength. Molded (injection molded).

  Hereinafter, the cylindrical insertion part 11, the cover part 12, and the connection part 13 which comprise the sealing member 1 of this invention are demonstrated in detail.

[Cylinder insertion part]
As shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is a portion that is inserted into the sealing hole 21 from the lower end side. The specific form of the cylindrical insertion part 11 is appropriately determined according to the form of the sealing hole 21 and the like. As a form of the cylindrical insertion part 11, in addition to the form which the surrounding wall consists only of a curved surface part like a cylinder or an elliptical cylinder, and the form where the surrounding wall consists only of a plane part like a polygonal cylinder, The form etc. which a curved surface part and a plane part coexist are illustrated. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical insertion portion 11 has a peripheral wall formed by a pair of flat surface portions 11a and a pair of curved surface portions 11b. In addition, the term “tubular” in the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is used to mean “a form having a hollow portion extending in the vertical direction at the center thereof”, and only means that the thickness (diameter) is constant. do not do. For this reason, the cylindrical insertion part 11 may differ in thickness depending on the vertical position. In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface in the vicinity of the lower end of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is formed in a tapered shape so that the lower end of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 can be easily inserted into the sealing hole 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an engaging portion 111 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the engaging portion 111 is a portion for engaging the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 with the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole 21. As described above, the specific structure of the engaging portion 111 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, the protruding portion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is the engaging portion 111. When the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21, the convex portion (engaging portion 111) engages with a concave portion (engaged portion 21 a) provided in the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole 21. It is supposed to be. The outer peripheral surface of the convex part (engagement part 111) is formed in a taper shape whose diameter increases from the lower end to the upper end. For this reason, when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21, the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is smoothly inserted without the convex portion (engaging portion 111) being caught on the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole 21. It can be done.

  The engaging portion 111 may be another member different from the cylindrical insertion portion 11, but in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the engagement portion 111 is integrated with the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. Provided. The vertical position of the engaging portion 111 is not particularly limited, but is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 in this embodiment. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, even if the unauthorized insertion tool T is inserted into the gap S between the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the lid portion 12, the unauthorized insertion tool T is engaged with the engaging portion 111. It is possible to make it difficult to reach. 1 and 2 are shown on the side edges of the engaging section on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion section 11 (the section provided with the engaging section 111 on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion section 11; the same applies hereinafter). As described above, a pair of separation grooves 112 reaching the lower end of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is provided. For this reason, the engaging part 111 has a structure separated from the other part in the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion part 11 except for the location along the upper edge (connecting part 113). In other words, the engaging portion 111 has a structure connected to the other portion of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 only by the connecting portion 113. As a result, when an inward external force is applied to the engaging portion 111, the periphery of the connecting portion 113 is elastically deformed, and the engaging portion 111 is relative to other portions of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. It is designed to be pushed inward. Therefore, when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance applied from the inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole 21 to the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. On the other hand, when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21 and the engaging portion 111 reaches the engaging position (position overlapping the engaged portion 21a), it is pushed inward until then. The engaging portion 111 is brought into close contact with the engaged portion 21a by the elastic force when the engaged engaging portion 111 returns to the outside, and the engaging force between the engaging portion 111 and the engaged portion 21a can be increased. It is possible.

  The same effect as this can also be realized by providing a separation groove in a “U” shape so as to surround the engagement section in the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of separation grooves 112 are provided on the side edge of the engagement section (engagement portion 111) on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11, and the engagement on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is performed. This can also be realized by providing a separation groove 114 connecting the lower ends of the pair of separation grooves 112 at the lower edge of the partition (engagement portion 111). FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the sealing member 1 with a part of the lid 12 cut away. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, a pair of separation grooves 112 are provided on the side edges of the engagement section (engagement portion 111) on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11, and the engagement on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is provided. This can also be realized by providing a separation groove 115 connecting the upper ends of the pair of separation grooves 112 at the upper edge of the partition (engagement portion 111). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the sealing member 1 of still another embodiment with a part of the lid 12 broken away. These configurations can be suitably employed when the engaging portion 111 is provided at a position away from the lower end of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11.

  The engaging portion 111 may be provided at least at one place with respect to one sealing member 1, but is preferably provided at a plurality of places. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, when the unauthorized insertion tool T is inserted into the gap S to release the engagement of the engagement portion 111, the plurality of engagement portions 111 must be released. It becomes possible to take time and effort. There is no particular upper limit to the number of the engaging portions 111, but if the number is too large, the shape of the sealing member 1 becomes too complicated, and not only the initial investment cost increases but also the manufacturing itself may be difficult. is there. For this reason, the number of the engaging portions 111 is usually 10 or less, preferably 6 or less, and more preferably 4 or less.

  When the engaging portions 111 are provided at a plurality of locations, it is preferable to dispose the engaging portions 111 so that the engaging portions 111 are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. Thus, by arranging the engaging portions 111 in a well-balanced manner, the sealing member 1 is prevented from tilting when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21 as shown in FIG. It becomes possible. Therefore, it becomes possible to make it harder to damage the periphery of the connection part 13 in the sealing member 1 in the sealing work. Also in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the two engaging portions 111 are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 (180 ° rotational symmetry). The part 111 is arranged. At this time, the engaging portion 111 may be provided on the flat surface portion 11 a on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11, but in this embodiment, it is provided on the curved surface portion 11 b on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent the fraudulent act using the illegal insertion tool T in which the front-end | tip part was formed in plate shape like a minus driver. This is because the unauthorized insertion tool T whose tip is formed in a plate shape is difficult to insert into a curved gap.

[Cover]
As shown in FIG. 4, the lid portion 12 is disposed on the upper end side of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 and serves as a portion for covering the sealing hole 21. The specific form of the lid 12 is appropriately determined according to the form of the sealing hole 21 and the like. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid portion 12 includes a flat plate portion 12 a having a plan view shape that is slightly larger than the cylindrical insertion portion 11, and an annular upright that rises upward from the periphery of the flat plate portion 12 a. It is formed by the part 12b. The upright portion 12b not only functions as a reinforcing rib that increases the strength of the lid portion 12 but also functions as a portion that is pinched with a finger or the like when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21. It also has a function of making it difficult to insert the unauthorized insertion tool T from S. If the portion located on the upper side of the engaging portion 111 in the outer peripheral portion of the lid portion 12 is curved as in the present embodiment, an unauthorized insertion tool whose tip is formed in a plate shape like a flathead screwdriver is used. It becomes possible to prevent the cheating used. Since the flat plate portion 12a of the lid portion 12 has a function of closing the sealing hole 21, it is generally formed into a continuous surface shape having no through hole.

[Connecting part]
As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 13 is a portion for connecting the upper end of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 to the lower surface of the lid portion 12 only in a partial section α in the circumferential direction. The connecting portion 13 is a thin and fragile portion that partially connects the cylindrical insertion portion 11 and the lid portion 12. When an excessive force is applied to the lid portion 12, other portions ( It is a location that breaks or deforms before the cylindrical insertion portion 11 and the lid portion 12).

  Although the connection part 13 should just be provided in at least 1 place with respect to the one sealing member 1, it is preferable when it is provided in multiple places. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the connecting portions 13 so that the connecting portions 13 are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line L of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. It is preferable that the number of the connecting portions 13 is equal to the number of the engaging portions 111. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two connecting portions 13 are provided. The section α where the connecting portion 13 is provided is preferably overlapped with the section β where the engaging portion 111 in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is provided. In the present embodiment, the entire section α provided with the connecting portion 13 is overlapped with the section β. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when trying to insert the unauthorized insertion tool T into the gap S, it is easy to leave a trace around the connecting portion 13, and the sealing member 1 against the sealing hole 21. It is possible to satisfactorily make the sealing member 1 difficult to break when fitting. Therefore, the sealing member 1 can suitably exhibit the function as a seal.

  Although the specific form of the connection part 13 is not specifically limited, In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, it forms in the taper shape from the lower end of the connection part 13 to an upper end. The tapered connecting portion 13 is formed by gradually shortening (thinning) the length (connecting thickness) of the connecting portion 13 with respect to the radial direction of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 from the lower end to the upper end of the connecting portion 13, or the cylindrical insertion portion. 11 is gradually shortened (narrower) from the lower end to the upper end of the connecting portion 13 with respect to the circumferential direction of the connecting portion 13, or both the connecting thickness and the connecting width of the connecting portion 13 are connected. 13 can be realized by gradually shortening the length from the lower end to the upper end. In this embodiment, while the connection width of the connection part 13 is constant, the connection part 13 is tapered by gradually reducing the connection thickness of the connection part 13 from the lower end to the upper end of the connection part 13.

  Moreover, in the sealing member 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner surface (inner peripheral surface) of the connecting portion 13 is smoothly (forms the same curved surface) as the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. In this way, the outer surface (outer peripheral surface) of the connecting portion 13 is inclined with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion 11. For this reason, the corner | angular part (corner part represented by angle (theta) in FIG. 3) which the outer peripheral surface of the connection part 13 and the lower surface of the cover part 12 make has an acute angle. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, when an unauthorized insertion tool T is inserted into the gap S, cracks K (cracking) starting from the apex P of the corners are formed around the connecting portion 13. The visible traces are likely to remain on the sealing member 1. The specific value of the angle θ formed by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 13 and the lower surface of the lid portion 12 is not particularly limited. However, if the angle θ is too small, it may be difficult to form the sealing member 1. For this reason, the angle θ is usually 10 ° or more. The angle θ is preferably 30 ° or more, and more preferably 50 ° or more. On the other hand, if the angle θ is too large, there is a risk that the crack K starting from the apex P of the corner portion will not easily occur. For this reason, the corner portion θ is usually set to 80 ° or less. The corner portion θ is preferably 70 ° or less. In the present embodiment, the corner θ is about 60 °.

  The connection width of each connection part 13 (the length of the connection part 13 with respect to the circumferential direction of the cylindrical insertion part 11) is the number of connection parts 13 provided or the connection thickness of the connection parts 13 (the diameter of the cylindrical insertion part 11). The length of the connecting portion 13 with respect to the direction is not particularly limited. However, if the connecting width of the connecting portion 13 is too narrow, the connecting portion 13 becomes too fragile, and the connecting portion 13 is broken or deformed when the sealing member 1 is fitted into the sealing hole 21. May be easier. For this reason, when the total perimeter of the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion 11 is C and the connection width of each connection portion 13 is W, the ratio obtained by W ÷ C × 100 [%] (“connection width ratio Is represented by 2 / N% or more, where N is the number of connecting portions 13. The connection width ratio is preferably 4 / N% or more, and more preferably 6 / N% or more. On the other hand, if the connecting width ratio is too high, the connecting portion 13 is not easily broken or deformed, and there is a risk that a trace will not remain around the connecting portion 13 when there is an unauthorized access. For this reason, the connection width ratio is usually 60 / N% or less. The connection width ratio is preferably 40 / N% or less, and more preferably 20 / N% or less. In the sealing member 1 of the present embodiment in which the number of connecting portions 13 is two, the connecting width ratio is about 4 to 5%.

[how to use]
As shown in FIG. 4, the sealing member 1 described above is used by fitting a sealing target portion A into a sealing hole 21 provided at the back. In a state where the sealing member 1 is fitted in the sealing hole 21, in order to access the sealing target location A, a hole is made in the lid portion 12, or the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole 21 and the lid portion 12 must be inserted into the gap S with the outer peripheral surface of 12 to release the engagement of the engaging portion 111, and the sealing member 1 must be pulled out from the sealing hole 21. However, in the former case, a trace (hole) of unauthorized access remains on the lid 21. On the other hand, in the latter case, when the unauthorized insertion tool T is inserted into the gap S, the connecting portion 13 breaks, cracks start from the periphery of the connecting portion 13, or the connecting portion 13 is locally Since it is bent and whitened, a visible trace remains around the connecting portion 13. In this embodiment, since the sealing member 1 is entirely formed of a transparent synthetic resin, the trace can be visually recognized from the upper surface side of the lid portion 13. Thus, the sealing member 1 of the present invention can easily find out that there was unauthorized access to the sealing target location A.

  The application of the sealing member 1 of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be used for various types having a sealing hole 21 provided with a sealing target portion A at the back thereof. Specifically, locations that need to be sealed to prevent fraud in gaming machines, locations that need to be sealed to prevent modification of equipment and devices that are prohibited from being modified, Examples of the parts that need to be sealed in order to prevent replacement of the license plate are illustrated. Below, the case where the sealing member 1 of this invention is used for a spinning cylinder type game machine (slot machine) is demonstrated. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the entire gaming machine 5. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the board unit 55 in the gaming machine 5 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the general spinning-type gaming machine 5 includes a reel 52, a hopper device 53, a power supply unit 54, and a board unit 55 inside a housing 51 including a main body 51 a and a front door 51 b. In addition, various devices such as the liquid crystal unit 56 and the connector unit 57 are accommodated. Among these devices, the board unit 55 has a board on which a storage device (ROM) in which a program for controlling the gaming machine 5 is recorded is mounted. If this storage device is replaced with a counterfeit one, a malicious player is allowed to play an illegal game, such as making a big hit every time a specific operation is performed. For this reason, the board unit 55 is required not to replace the storage device, or to leave a trace even if the storage device is replaced.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the substrate unit 55 often has a structure in which a unit holder 55a in which a substrate on which a storage device is mounted is accommodated via a substrate cover 55c is covered with the unit cover 55b. The unit cover 55b can be fixed to the unit holder 55a by screwing a screw into a screw hole 551 provided at a predetermined location. The sealing member 1 of the present invention can be suitably used for sealing the screw hole 551. FIG. 4 which has already been described also illustrates the case where the sealing member 1 is fitted into the screw hole 551 (sealing hole 21) provided in the unit cover 55b (cover 2) (cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 8). (Shown). This makes it possible to prevent the unit cover 55b from being removed from the unit holder 55a without leaving a trace on the sealing member 1.

  By the way, in the spinning cylinder type gaming machine 5 shown in FIG. 7, the liquid crystal unit 56, the connector unit 57, and the like are also subject to fraud. Therefore, the liquid crystal unit 56 and the connector unit 57 can adopt the same configuration as the substrate unit 55.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sealing member 11 Cylindrical insertion part 11a Plane part 11b Curved surface part 111 Convex part (engagement part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 112 Separation groove 113 Connection part 114 Separation groove 115 Separation groove 12 Lid part 12a Flat plate part 12b Standing part 13 Connection part 2 Cover (member provided with sealing hole)
21 Sealing hole 21a Engagement part 3 Unit holder (member which fixes a cover)
4 Screw 5 Game machine 51 Housing 51a Main body 51b Front door 52 Reel 53 Hopper device 54 Power supply unit 55 Substrate unit 55a Unit holder 55b Unit cover 55c Substrate cover 56 Liquid crystal unit 57 Connector unit A Sealing target part K Crack (crack)
L The center line of the cylindrical insertion portion P The apex of the corner portion formed by the outer peripheral surface of the coupling portion and the lower surface of the lid portion S The gap between the inner peripheral surface of the sealing hole and the outer peripheral surface of the lid portion T Illegal insertion tool α Cylindrical shape Section provided with connecting portion in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the insertion portion β Section provided with engaging portion in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion θ Angle formed by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion and the lower surface of the lid portion

Claims (10)

A sealing member that seals the location to be sealed by fitting the location to be sealed in a sealing hole provided in the back,
A cylindrical insertion portion inserted from the lower end side with respect to the sealing hole;
A lid portion arranged on the upper end side of the cylindrical insertion portion to cover the sealing hole;
The upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion is configured with a connection portion for connecting to the lower surface of the lid portion only in a partial section α in the circumferential direction,
A sealing member, wherein an engagement portion for engaging an outer peripheral portion of a cylindrical insertion portion with an inner peripheral portion of the sealing hole is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion.   The sealing according to claim 1, wherein a section α provided with a connecting portion in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion overlaps with a section β provided with an engaging portion in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical insertion portion. Element.   The sealing member according to claim 2, wherein the entire section α overlaps with the section β.   The sealing member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cylindrical insertion portion, the lid portion, and the connection portion are integrally formed of a synthetic resin having translucency.   The sealing member according to claim 1, wherein a corner formed by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion and the lower surface of the lid portion is an acute angle.   The sealing member according to claim 5, wherein an area of a cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the connecting portion is reduced from the upper end of the cylindrical insertion portion toward the lower surface of the lid portion. The engaging portion is formed by a convex portion protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion portion,
The engagement section provided with the convex portion on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion is a part around the engagement section on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical insertion portion, except for either the upper part or the lower part of the engagement section. The sealing member as described in any one of Claims 1-6 made into the structure spaced apart from the division of this.   The sealing structure which seals a sealing object location with the sealing member as described in any one of Claims 1-7.   The sealing structure according to claim 8, wherein the sealing member is formed of a material having lower strength than a member in which the sealing hole is formed.   A gaming machine in which a portion to be sealed is sealed by the sealing member according to claim 1.

Images