JP5550811B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

The gaming machine pachinko machine or the like, provided with a handle device to the front portion of the gaming machine main body, which the handle device launchers operates by being operated, the gaming ball is fired on top of the game area There is .

For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the conventional handle device 351 includes a base 353 fixed to the gaming machine main body 352, a front cover 354 that constitutes a front portion of the handle device 351, and the base 353 and the front cover 354. And an operation lever 355 that is pivotally operated when the game ball is launched. The player adjusts the amount of rotation of the operation lever 355 and plays a game while maintaining the posture in which the operation lever 355 is held at the rotation position at which a desired flying distance is achieved.
JP 2006-305079 A

  In the handle device 351, the operation lever 355 is provided so as to cover the peripheral edge of the front end side of the front cover 354 from the outside, and a gap 356 is generated between them. In this configuration, the operation lever 355 is inserted into the gap 356 between the front cover 354 and the operation lever 355 so that the rotation position of the operation lever 355 can be held without manual operation. The act of fixing the to the rotation position has been performed. In this case, the handle device 351 may be damaged or malfunctioned.

On the other hand, for example , when such pinching is prevented, the handle device can be suitably protected. However, since the player needs to hold the handle device at all times, there is a concern that the game motivation may decrease due to fatigue. Is done.

  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 reducing fatigue associated with a handle operation.

The present invention
A handle device operated to launch a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine body,
The handle device is
A base fixed to the gaming machine body;
A front cover fixed to the base and constituting a front portion of the handle device;
An operation member that is provided between the base and the front cover, is rotated when the game ball is launched, and can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the amount of the pivot operation;
A plurality of concave finger-hanging portions that are provided on the front cover and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the same direction as the rotation direction of the operation member;
The surface of the front cover has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the gaming machine,
The finger-hanging portion is a finger-hanging recess that is recessed from the surface of the front cover to the inside of the front cover and that is open to the operation member side, and the depth of the finger-hanging recess is the rotation operation direction. Changes intermittently or continuously,
Spacing both side surfaces defining the width of the finger hanging portion Ru is formed to be wider as the operating member side to the boundary portion between the operating member in said front cover in the turning operation direction in the finger holder Thus, in the front cover portion of the front cover that is configured to have a small distance between both side surfaces, positional deviation of the fingers in the finger hanging portion is suppressed, and the distance between the both side surfaces is set to be large. It is characterized in that the finger position adjustment in the finger-hanging portion is easy at the operation member side portion of the part cover .

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce fatigue associated with a handle operation.

First, the invention that can be extracted from the present embodiment will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary.

  The following means are as follows: “A pachinko machine that is a kind of gaming machine has a handle device on the front surface of the gaming machine main body, and when the handle device is operated, the launching device operates and the upper part of the gaming area 18, a conventional handle device 351 includes a base portion 353 fixed to the gaming machine main body 352, a front cover 354 constituting the front portion of the handle device 351, and these, as shown in FIG. An operation lever 355 is provided between the base 353 and the front cover 354 so as to be rotatable, and is operated to rotate when a game ball is fired, and the player adjusts the amount of rotation of the operation lever 355. Then, the game is performed while maintaining the posture in which the operation lever 355 is held at the rotation position where the desired flying distance is achieved (see, for example, JP-A-2006-305079). The operation lever 355 is provided so as to cover the peripheral edge of the base end side of the front cover 354 from the outside, and a gap 356 is formed between the two. In order to hold the moving position without manual operation, an action is performed in which a coin 357 or the like is inserted into the gap 356 between the front cover 354 and the operating lever 355 to fix the operating lever 355 in the rotating position. In this case, there is a risk of causing damage or failure of the handle device 351. On the other hand, when such pinching is prevented, the handle device can be suitably protected, but the player can handle the handle device 351. Since it is necessary to hold the device at all times, there is a concern that a decrease in the willingness to play due to fatigue may occur. "

Means 1. A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
A front cover (front cover 170) fixed to the base and constituting the front of the handle device;
An operation member (rotation operation) that is provided between the base and the front cover and that is rotated when the game ball is launched, and that can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the amount of the rotation operation. Member 160);
A plurality of concave finger-hanging portions (finger-hanging projections) that are provided on at least one of the base portion and the front cover and that are arranged at predetermined intervals in the same direction as the rotation direction of the operation member and into which a finger enters. Part 190).

  In the gaming machine of means 1, a game ball is launched by rotating the operation member. More specifically, after the player rotates the operation member to a desired position with a hand or a finger, the player keeps the desired game ball firing speed by fixing the operation member. It can be performed. In such a case, the hand or finger is moved by friction with the fixed object by bringing the hand or finger into contact with at least one of the front cover and the base that are fixed objects provided before and after the operation member. (For example, slipping) is suppressed. More specifically, by gripping the operation handle or the like, friction with a fixed object increases, and positional deviation of the finger or hand can be suppressed. Since the operation member is held by a finger or a hand in which the displacement is suppressed, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the operation member from the desired rotation operation position. Thereby, the operation member is fixed as described above.

  When the operating member is fixed at a desired position, the finger is placed in a state where the finger is fitted (more specifically, the hooked portion) provided on the fixed object (base or front cover). The positional deviation of the hand can be suitably suppressed. Specifically, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience that the operation member rotates as the finger or hand slides on the outer surface of the front cover. Since the finger can be fitted in the finger-hanging portion in this way, it is not necessary to suppress the positional deviation depending only on the frictional force between the fixed portion and the finger. That is, the positional deviation can be suppressed without increasing the frictional force depending on the force with which the handle device is gripped. Therefore, the operation member can be fixed while reducing the force for gripping the handle device, so that the burden on the player due to the operation of the handle device can be reduced. That is, it can contribute to the reduction of the fatigue accompanying a game.

  Further, as shown in this means, arranging a plurality of finger hooks in the same direction as the rotation direction of the operation member leads to easily allowing a difference in operation state and gripping method, and as described above by the finger hooks. It is possible to make it easy to exert a special effect. Therefore, it can contribute to the promotion of the use of the finger rest. Further, the amount of rotation of the operation member for realizing the desired movement of the game ball may vary depending on the model of the gaming machine. If it is the structure which provides multiple finger-hook parts as mentioned above, the difference in the amount of rotation operations between each model can be permitted, and it can contribute to the improvement of the versatility of the handle apparatus between those models.

  Mean 2. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the finger hooking portion is provided at least on the front cover.

  According to the means 2, the finger hook is provided on the front cover positioned at least on the near side of the operation member. The front cover constitutes the front part of the handle device, and when the player accesses the operation member from the front of the gaming machine, it is assumed that a finger or a hand is positioned around the front cover. More specifically, when the operation member is accessed from the front of the gaming machine (trying to grip), the player's hand naturally contacts the front cover. For example, even if the handle device is shallowly gripped, it is assumed that the finger and the front cover are likely to be in contact with each other if the operation member can be operated with a finger. As described above, when the operation member is rotated, the finger-hanging portion is provided in a range where the finger is easily located, so that the use of the finger-hanging portion can be promoted.

  On the other hand, in the case where the finger hanging portion is provided in the base portion located on the back side of the operation member, it is necessary to access the finger hanging portion beyond the operation member in order to use the finger hanging portion. For example, it may be difficult for a player with a small hand or the like to use the finger rest. That is, in the case where the finger rest is provided on the base, there is a possibility that the players who can use the finger rest beneficially are limited.

  From the circumstances exemplified above, it is clear that there is a difference in the usage conditions of the finger hanging part depending on whether the finger hanging part is provided on the base part or the front cover, and the finger hanging part should be provided at least on the front cover. It is considered desirable.

  Means 3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the finger-hanging portion is disposed along a boundary portion between the operation member and the front cover.

  When providing a finger-hanging portion, as shown in the present means, it may be arranged along the boundary portion between the front cover and the operation member. Thereby, it becomes possible to arrange | position both a finger | toe part and an operation member closely. When the distance between the finger rest and the operation member is separated, the finger accessing the operation member does not reach the finger rest, that is, it is difficult to realize the above-described finger catching state because the palm is in contact with the finger rest. There is a possibility. In such a case, it is assumed that it is difficult to enjoy the effect of reducing fatigue caused by the steering wheel operation. Such inconvenience can be particularly noticeable for players with short fingers. However, if both the finger rest and the operation member are arranged close to each other, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience that the finger does not reach the finger rest due to a difference in finger length or the like, and to promote the use of the finger rest. . Thereby, the fatigue reduction function at the time of steering wheel operation can be easily secured.

  In general, the outer shape of the front cover tends to be largest around the boundary portion. If it is set as the structure which arrange | positions a finger hook part along this boundary part, it will become possible to set many the finger hook parts arrange | positioned.

Means 4. The operation member has an annular shape and is set to be rotatable within a predetermined range, and has a finger-hanging operation portion (operation surfaces 164a to 166a) protruding outward from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member. And
4. The gaming machine according to means 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the finger hanging portions is included in an angle range in which the operation member rotates when viewed in the direction of the rotation center axis of the operation member.

  In the means 4, the turning operation can be easily performed by pushing in the circumferential direction of the operation member with the finger placed on the finger-hanging operation portion. Further, by providing the finger-hanging operation portion in this way, it is easy to specify the access position for the rotation operation member. In the case of arranging the finger hanging portion, as shown in this means, the finger hanging portion may be arranged within the rotation angle range of the operation member as viewed in the rotation center axis direction of the operation member. The finger that directly contributes to the rotation operation of the operation member, that is, the finger that hits the finger-hanging operation portion is fitted (hooked) on the finger-hanging portion, whereby the displacement of the operation member can be more positively suppressed. Specifically, even when the position of another finger not involved in the operation of the finger-hanging operation unit is shifted, the finger operating the operation member is fitted in the finger-holding unit, so that the position shift of the operation member is preferable. To be suppressed. In other words, even when the operation member is fixed, it is easy to change the arrangement of other fingers and hands. Since the position of the hand or finger can be changed as appropriate while the operation member is fixed in this way, it is possible to suppress a local burden on a part of the hand or finger.

Means 5. The surface of the front cover has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the gaming machine,
The finger hanging portion is a finger hanging concave portion (finger hanging concave portion 242) that is recessed from the surface of the front cover to the inside of the front cover, and the depth of the finger hanging concave portion is intermittently or continuously in the rotation operation direction. The gaming machine according to any one of means 2 to means 4, wherein the game machine is characterized in that it is changed.

  According to the means 5, it is easy to hold the finger in a desired position by fitting the finger into the finger-hanging recess (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the finger-hanging recess). In such a case, since the depth of the finger hanging recess changes intermittently or continuously in the rotation operation direction, it is possible to move the finger along the inner peripheral surface of the finger hanging recess. For this reason, fine adjustment of the finger position and fine adjustment of the amount of rotation operation are possible while maintaining the hooked state between the finger-hanging recess and the finger. Note that when the depth of the finger-hanging recess is intermittently changed, the finger position is likely to be adjusted stepwise. On the other hand, when the depth of the finger hanging recess is continuously changed, the finger position can be adjusted steplessly. Therefore, by changing the depth continuously, it is possible to realize finer finger position adjustment than when the depth is changed intermittently. In other words, it is possible to contribute to the construction of the finger-hanging unit corresponding to a more delicate adjustment of the rotation operation amount.

  Particularly in combination with the means 4 (a configuration in which the operation member has a finger-hanging operation portion and the finger-hanging portion is included in the rotation range of the finger-hanging operation portion), as an index for indicating the rotation operation position on the finger-hanging portion The function of can be provided. Specifically, when the operation member is held at a position desired by the player, the finger operating the finger-hanging operation portion is in a state of being fitted into any of the finger-hanging recesses. When the player stores the finger-hanging recess that is the object of the catch, the player can roughly return to the desired rotation operation position when performing alignment again. Specifically, the previous gaming state can be roughly reproduced by performing a turning operation so that the finger fits into the stored finger-hanging recess. Furthermore, by storing as a feel which position (specifically, the depth position) of the finger-hanging concave portion the finger is in contact with, it is possible to improve the return accuracy to the desired rotation operation position.

  Generally, in the positioning of the operation member, a method is used in which the amount of rotation of the operation member is adjusted while confirming the trajectory of the launched game ball. Thus, when adjusting the amount of rotation operation while visually confirming the game ball that has been launched, it is considered that the adjustment tends to involve a useless ball. Such a waste ball can be generated not only at the start of a game but also at the time of a replay. As described above, if it is possible to return to the desired rotation operation position based on the touch of the finger or the like, it is possible to suppress the generation of useless balls during replay. For example, in a gaming machine including a firing stop switch (shooting stop switch 177) that restricts the launch of a game ball during a turning operation, the launch of the game ball is regulated by the launch stop switch based on the touch of a finger or the like. Then, it is preferable to perform alignment to a desired rotation operation position. Thereafter, by releasing the firing restriction by the firing stop switch, it is possible to resume the game while suppressing the launch of the useless ball.

  Means 6. 6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the finger-hanging recess is open to the operation member side.

  When forming the finger-hanging recess, as shown in this means, a practically preferable configuration can be realized by opening it to the operation member side, that is, to the rear of the gaming machine. If the finger-hanging recess is closed on the operation member side, a finger may straddle the finger-holding recess and the like, and the finger-holding recess may not be sufficiently fitted into the finger-holding recess, resulting in difficulty in realizing the hooked state. In particular, with a finger accessing the operation member, it is assumed that it is difficult to put a part other than the fingertip (for example, the belly of the finger) in the finger-hanging recess. On the other hand, when the finger-hanging recess is opened on the operation member side as described above, the finger is placed in the finger-holding recess by bending the finger along the finger-holding recess, and the hooked state can be easily realized. Can do. Thereby, it is possible to easily secure the finger catching function. For example, the finger-hanging recess may be arranged so as to be wavy along the rear edge of the front cover.

  In particular, in the configuration in which the operation member has an annular shape as shown in the means 4 or the like, it is preferable to suppress the step between the bottom portion of the finger hanging recess and the outer peripheral portion of the operation member and arrange both the bottom portion and the outer peripheral portion on the same curved surface. . As a result, it is possible to suitably suppress the inconvenience that the finger catching function is hardly utilized due to the finger accessing the operation member straddling the finger-hanging recess.

Means 7. The finger hanging recess is formed with both side surface portions (abutment surfaces 244) that define the width of the finger hanging recess in the rotation operation direction,
The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the side surfaces is wider toward the operation member.

  According to the means 7, the side surface part which prescribes | regulates the width | variety of the said finger hanging recessed part is formed in the finger hanging recessed part. When the interval between both side surfaces is set to be larger than the width of the finger, it is possible to fit the finger between the both side surfaces. Especially in this means, each side part is arrange | positioned in the state opened toward the operation member, ie, the state which spreads back. On the near side of the side surface portion, the movement range of the finger is actively narrowed to make it easy to suppress the displacement. On the other hand, on the back side of the side surface portion, the movement range of the finger is actively expanded, and the movement of the finger is easily allowed. This facilitates fine adjustment of the above-described finger position on the back side with a large interval, while actively catching the finger on the near side with a small interval. For example, a finger fitted between the side surface portions can be rotated with the near side of the side surface portion as a fulcrum and in contact with the side surface portion. In this way, the minute operation of the finger is allowed while securing the finger's catching, so that the rotation operation amount of the operation member can be adjusted.

  In addition, since the direction of the finger can be changed while maintaining the fitting state (specifically, the hooked state) of the finger in this way, the handle device is gripped from a direction inclined with respect to the rotation center direction of the operation member. Even in this case, the hooking function of the finger rest is easily secured. That is, the followability of the finger-hanging part with respect to variations in the grip direction of the handle device is ensured.

Means 8. The surface of the front cover has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the gaming machine,
The finger-hanging portion is configured to be sandwiched between a pair of finger-hanging projections (finger-hanging projections 190) that protrude outward from the surface of the front cover. The game machine according to any one of means 2 to means 4, characterized in that the amount of protrusion changes intermittently or continuously in the rotation operation direction.

  According to the means 8, the same effect as the means 5 is obtained. Specifically, the finger is easily held at a desired position by being in a state of being fitted between a pair of finger-hanging projections (specifically, a state of being caught). The finger fitted in the finger-hanging convex portion is movable along the peripheral surface of the finger-hanging convex portion while maintaining the hooked state with the finger-hanging convex portion. As described above, since the movement of the finger is allowed, fine adjustment of the rotation operation amount of the operation member is possible.

  Similarly to the means 5, it is possible to easily reproduce the desired rotation operation position by storing as a feel which position (specifically, the protruding position) of the finger-hanging convex portion is touched by the finger. Can do.

Means 9. On both sides of the finger-hanging convex portion in the rotation direction, contact surface portions (contact surfaces 190a and 190b) that are gradually lowered from the tops of the respective convex portions of the fingers and contact the fingers are formed, respectively.
9. The gaming machine according to claim 8, wherein an interval between the contact surface portions defining a width of the finger hanging portion in the rotation direction is wider toward the operation member side.

  According to the means 9, the same effect as the means 7 described above is obtained. Specifically, a predetermined interval is provided between the contact surface portions provided on the pair of finger-hanging convex portions. When the interval between the contact surface portions is set to be larger than the width of the finger, the finger can be fitted between the contact surface portions. The distance between the contact surfaces gradually increases rearward, and the finger is actively caught on the near side where the distance is small, and the finger position can be finely adjusted on the far side where the distance is large. For example, it is good to each provide the contact surface part which opposes two adjacent finger-hanging convex parts.

  The means 7 and the means 9 are configured such that the interval between the contact surface portions becomes wider from the near side to the far side. Thereby, it is possible to rotate the tip side of the finger with the base side of the finger as the base end. Thus, by setting the base end portion of the rotation to the front side, the amount of rotation operation can be finely adjusted by a small displacement on the base side of the finger. Temporarily, when it is set as the structure which the space | interval between contact surface parts becomes large toward the near side from the back side, the base end part of rotation is set to the back side. For this reason, in order to perform the fine adjustment similar to the rotation operation amount, it is necessary to increase the displacement on the base side of the finger. Also from the above, it is possible to suppress the influence on the position of the hand when finely adjusting the amount of rotation operation when the interval between the contact surface portions is increased from the near side toward the far side. Therefore, it is considered that the contribution to the improvement in operability is high.

Means 10. A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
A front cover (front cover 170) fixed to the base and constituting the front of the handle device;
An annular operation member (rotation) which is provided between the base and the front cover and can be rotated during a game ball discharge operation and can adjust the game ball discharge speed based on the rotation operation amount. Moving operation member 160),
A plurality of finger-hanging operation portions (finger-hanging operation portions 164) that protrude outward from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member and are arranged at a first angle (arrangement angle A1 or the like) in the rotation operation direction. ~ 166),
A plurality of finger-hanging portions (finger-hanging convex portions 190 provided on at least one of the base and the front cover and arranged at a second angle (arrangement angle A2) in the rotation operation direction. )
The gaming machine, wherein the first angle is a non-integer multiple of the second angle.

  In the gaming machine of the means 10, the rotation operation of the operation member can be easily performed by performing the pressing operation with the finger placed on the finger-hanging operation unit. In particular, by providing a plurality of finger-hanging operation units, a load based on the operation is distributed to a plurality of fingers operating the finger-hanging operation unit. Thereby, it is suppressed that the concentrated load arises on one finger. Moreover, the finger | toe position shift by the finger | toe catching can be made still more suitable because the finger | toe which accesses these finger-hanging operation parts is each hooked on a finger hook part.

  When the finger-hanging portion is constituted by a pair of finger-hanging convex portions as shown in the means 8 and 9, the finger fitting (specifically, catching) is not realized when the finger rides on the top of the finger-hanging convex portions. Such inconvenience may occur. Further, when the finger-hanging portion has a concave shape as shown in the means 5 to 7, when the finger is placed at a position deviated from the recessed portion (specifically, between the recessed portion and the recessed portion), the finger fit (detailed) Inconveniences such as not being realized can occur. That is, depending on the position of the finger, there is a possibility that the fitting (hooking) of the finger-hanging portion will not function. These inconveniences can occur in the same manner in a configuration in which a plurality of fingers fit into the finger-hanging portion. More specifically, when the arrangement angle of the finger hanging operation unit is set to be an integral multiple of the arrangement angle of the finger hanging unit, the relative position of each finger hanging operation unit and each finger hanging unit during the rotation operation However, they are considered to be displaced in a synchronized state. In such a case, there is a possibility that all the fingers that are in contact with the finger-hanging operation unit are located in a portion that does not fit into the finger-hanging unit. That is, depending on the amount of rotation operation, there is a possibility that the finger catching function cannot be enjoyed.

  However, as described above, by setting each arrangement angle to a non-integer multiple, the relative positions of each finger corresponding to each operation unit and the finger-hanging unit are displaced in accordance with the rotation of the operation member. That is, the relative position between each finger and the finger rest is less likely to be displaced in a synchronized state. For this reason, at any one of the rotation positions, at least one of the fingers can avoid the position where the above-described finger hook portion does not function. Therefore, regardless of the rotation operation amount of the operation member, the finger hooking function by the finger hooking portion is easily secured, and it is easy to maintain the fixed state of the operation member. Therefore, it is possible to further contribute to the reduction of the burden caused by the steering operation.

Means 11. Ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) for playing and launching a game ball based on the turning operation of the handle device;
A guiding portion (inner rail portion 101 or outer rail portion 102) for guiding the launched game ball to a predetermined game area;
11. A gaming machine according to any one of means 1 to means 10, comprising each gaming component (general winning a prize opening 82 or the like) arranged in the gaming area.

  According to the means 11, a game machine generally called a bullet ball game machine (so-called pachinko machine) can be suitably embodied. In this gaming machine, a game is played by a game ball launched by a turning operation of an operation member being guided to a game area through a guiding portion. In this case, if the operation member can be easily held as described above, it is possible to contribute to the reduction of fatigue associated with the game, and the technical contribution becomes large.

  The technical ideas that can be extracted within the scope of disclosure of the present specification are described below.

(1). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging unit) that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Operation units 164 to 166),
At least a part of the rear portion of the finger-hanging operation portion has a curved surface shape having a component that protrudes toward the gaming machine main body.

  In the gaming machine (1), the operation member can be easily rotated by hooking a finger on the finger-hanging operation unit and pushing it in the rotation operation direction. The firing speed of the game ball is adjusted according to the amount of rotation of the operation member. After the desired firing speed is realized, the operation member is fixed by a hand (specifically, a finger or the like), and the displacement of the operation member is suppressed. This makes it possible to play a game while maintaining a desired firing speed.

  At least a part of the rear portion of the finger-hanging operation portion has a curved surface shape that is convex toward the back side, and is smoothly continuous with the periphery thereof. When the finger is in contact with the curved portion, it is possible to prevent a sharp corner or end from hitting the finger, thereby suppressing an increase in local load on the finger. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the protection of the finger when the operation member is rotated using the finger-hanging operation unit.

  For example, when the finger-hanging operation unit has a facing surface (contact surfaces 164d to 166d) that faces the gaming machine main body, a continuous curved surface (guide surfaces 164b to 166b) is provided that smoothly connects the facing surface and the surrounding surface. Good.

  Note that “a curved surface having a component that is convex toward the gaming machine body” means that the curved surface portion is formed by combining components that are convex in a plurality of directions. It shows that at least one component is convex toward the gaming machine main body side. Specifically, even a curved surface having a component that is convex in the radial direction in the central axis direction of the rotating member may have a component that is convex on the gaming machine body side, It may be a part of a curved surface that is convex.

(2). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging unit) that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Operation units 164 to 166),
At least one rear portion (the guide surfaces 164b to 166b and the contact surfaces 164d to 166d) of the top portion and the side portion of the finger hanging operation portion is gradually inward of the finger hanging operation portion from the front side toward the gaming machine main body side. A gaming machine characterized by having a curved surface that curves in a straight line.

  According to (2), the same effect as (1) described above is obtained. Specifically, when at least one rear part of the top part and the side part of the finger-hanging operation part has a curved shape that curves inward of the finger-hanging operation part, the finger is in contact with the curved part. Further, it is possible to prevent a sharp corner or edge from hitting the finger. Thereby, when operating a finger hanging operation part, it can control that a local load arises to a finger. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the protection of the finger when the operation member is rotated using the finger-hanging operation unit.

(3). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging unit) that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Operation units 164 to 166),
The finger-hanging operation portion has a predetermined width in the turning direction, and the gaming machine main body side has a curved surface shape that protrudes rearward from the maximum width position in the finger-hanging operation portion. Gaming machine.

  According to (3), the same effects as (1) and (2) described above are obtained. Specifically, since the rear side from the maximum width position of the finger-hanging operation portion has a curved surface that protrudes backward, when the finger is in contact with the curved surface, the finger is sharp. It is suppressed that a corner | angular part, an edge part, etc. hit. Thereby, when operating a finger hanging operation part, it can control that a local load arises to a finger. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the protection of the finger when the operation member is rotated using the finger-hanging operation unit.

(4). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging operation) that protrudes from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member to the outside of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Parts 164 to 166),
Abutting surfaces (guide surfaces 164b to 166b) that stand from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member and abut against the finger are formed on the front side of the rotation operation direction in the finger hanging operation unit,
The contact surface has a predetermined width in the rotation axis direction of the operation portion and a component that protrudes toward the gaming machine main body, and has a curved surface that is smoothly continuous over the entire width direction. A gaming machine characterized by making.

  In the gaming machine (4), the operation member can be rotated by pushing the contact surface with a finger. This facilitates the turning operation of the operating member.

  In general, such an operation is performed as follows. That is, first, an arm is arranged on the rotation center axis of the operation member, and a finger is attached to the handle device. Next, the finger is placed on the operation member (specifically, the contact surface), and the tip of the elbow is rotated in that state. As a result, the contact surface is pushed by the finger, and the entire operation member rotates. Then, after the rotation operation amount is adjusted, the position of the hand is fixed by grasping the handle device. Thereby, the position shift of an operation member is suppressed. When the operation is performed as described above, the positional relationship between the contact surface and the finger hitting the contact surface is kept the same regardless of the change in the rotation operation amount. That is, the contact portion between the contact surface and the finger is difficult to change. For this reason, it is difficult for the inconvenience that the finger and the end portion, the corner portion, and the like of the finger-hanging operation portion locally contact each other due to the change in the rotation operation amount. On the other hand, when the turning operation is performed in a state where the handle device is obliquely gripped from the position deviating from the turning center axis, the contact portion between the finger and the contact portion is likely to vary. More specifically, since the handle device (specifically, the operation member) is accessed from the front side of the handle device, the rotation center axis direction of the operation member and the gripping direction vary, so that the finger can easily hit the rear part of the contact surface. Become. Furthermore, when a rotation operation is performed from a position deviated from the rotation center axis line, the finger and the contact surface increase as the rotation operation amount increases, specifically, the contact surface push-in operation amount increases. It is considered that the contact area with the slab becomes easy to move backward.

  Particularly in (4), the contact surface has a convex component toward the gaming machine body and has a curved surface that is smoothly continuous over the entire width direction. When the gripping direction of the handle device varies, the contact position between the finger and the contact surface gradually moves backward as the amount of pressing operation of the contact surface increases. In other words, the finger slides on the contact surface. Since the contact surface has a curved surface shape as described above, it is difficult to cause inconvenience that a sharp corner or end contacts the finger due to the displacement of the contact position. In this way, local contact of the corner of the finger or the like is suppressed, and the finger is protected, so that the variation in the gripping direction of the handle device, more specifically, the local load exerted on the finger by the variation in the contact position between the contact surface and the finger. The effect of the increase is suppressed. That is, even if the handle device is operated from various directions, the local load on the finger is hardly increased.

  In addition, the finger moves along the contact surface while maintaining the contact state between itself and the contact surface. As a result, the contact feeling between the contact surface and the finger during the turning operation, that is, the operation feeling of the finger-hanging operation portion is hardly changed. In other words, it is possible to suppress a sudden change in the contact sensation of the finger that is in contact with the contact surface in accordance with the turning operation. Thereby, the operability of the handle device is improved (specifically, smooth operation).

(5). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging operation) that protrudes from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member to the outside of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Parts 164 to 166),
When the operation member is rotated in a predetermined direction, the game ball is set to increase the firing speed,
A contact surface (guide surfaces 164b to 166b) that is formed on the near side of the predetermined rotation operation direction in the finger-hanging operation portion, stands up from the outer peripheral portion of the operation member and contacts the finger;
The gaming machine is characterized in that the contact surface is curved toward the predetermined operation direction toward the gaming machine main body side.

  According to (5), the same effect as the above (4) is obtained. Specifically, the operation member can be easily rotated by pressing the contact surface with a finger. As shown in (4), even when the gripping direction of the handle device varies, the contact position between the finger and the contact surface is increased as the amount of rotation of the operation member in the predetermined direction increases. It moves to the gaming machine main body side (that is, backward) along the contact surface. Since the contact surface has a curved shape and does not have sharp corners or ends, it is difficult to cause inconvenience such as a corner hitting a finger due to displacement of the contact position.

  In addition, since the finger moves along the contact surface while maintaining the contact state between itself and the contact surface, the contact feeling between the contact surface and the finger during the rotation operation is difficult to change. Thereby, the operability of the handle device is improved (specifically, smooth operation).

(6). The finger-hanging operation portion has a facing surface facing the gaming machine main body at the rear portion of the finger-hanging operation portion,
The gaming machine according to (4) or (5), wherein the facing surface and the contact surface are smoothly connected as a continuous curved surface.

  According to (6), since the facing surface and the contact surface are smoothly continuous, even when the finger hits the back side of the contact surface, the edge of the contact surface is The inconvenience of hitting locally is suppressed. Thereby, finger protection can be further improved.

  (7). The gaming machine according to any one of (4) to (6), wherein the contact surface is disposed in front of a boundary portion between the operation member and the base portion.

  According to (7), the contact surface is disposed in front of the boundary portion. If the contact surface extends rearward from the boundary part, the contact part with the finger can be displaced rearward from the boundary part in accordance with the turning operation. In such a case, the contact portion of the finger with the contact surface also easily moves to the fingertip side. It is considered that a burden generated at the base of the finger is increased due to the contact portion moving away from the base of the finger. More specifically, it is assumed that the stress generated at the base of the finger increases when the contact surface is pushed with the finger.

  However, if the curved surface is arranged in front of the boundary portion, the contact portion with the curved surface can be easily gathered at a position closer to the base of the finger. Thereby, the local load which generate | occur | produces in the base of a finger | toe can be suppressed by operating a curved surface.

  Especially in the combination with (6) (a configuration in which the facing surface and the contact surface are smoothly continuous), the width of the contact surface in the front-rear direction is positively reduced. It is assumed that the finger is likely to hit near the boundary part. However, the boundary portion between the two is smoothly continuous, and sharp corners and the like are excluded. For this reason, the problem that a local load arises in the contact part with the finger-hanging operation part in a finger can be controlled suitably.

  Moreover, it is good to set it as the structure further provided with the front cover fixed in the state which pinched | interposed the operation member between the operation members and the base. In such a case, it is possible to suitably suppress the positional deviation of the finger by bringing the base side of the finger into contact with the front cover and bringing the tip side into contact with the base. In this state, by pressing a finger-hanging operation portion (specifically, a contact surface) between both contact portions, a load can be shared and received at the tip and base of the finger. Therefore, the local load generated on the finger can be more suitably suppressed.

  In the gaming machine described in (1) to (7) described in detail above, the outer peripheral surface of the handle device may be configured to be substantially spherical. More specifically, in a handle device including a base, a rotation operation member, and a front cover, a single spherical surface (specifically, curvature of curvature) is defined by the outer peripheral surfaces of the base, the rotation operation member, and the front cover. A continuous spherical surface may be formed. In the present invention, it is difficult to cause a change in operation feeling of the operation member due to variations in the gripping direction of the handle device and an increase in a burden on a finger or the like due to local contact. In such a case, if the handle device has a spherical shape as described above, it is possible to more suitably tolerate variations in the gripping direction, contributing to improved operability.

  In addition, it is good to set it as the structure which not only the contact surface but the whole finger-hanging operation part is located ahead of the said boundary part. That is, it is preferable that the entire finger-hanging operation unit suppresses the protrusion from the boundary portion. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the formation of a space in which a coin or the like can be inserted between the base portion and the finger-hanging operation portion, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience that the operation member is fixed.

(8). When the operation member is rotated in a predetermined direction, the game ball is set to have a high firing speed,
A biasing member that biases the operation member toward a direction opposite to the predetermined direction;
The gaming machine according to any one of (4) to (7), wherein the contact surface is formed on at least a rear portion of a side surface of the finger-hanging operation unit facing the biasing direction.

  Many of the handle devices of gaming machines include a biasing member that biases the operation member in a direction opposite to the rotation operation direction. A game ball is launched by rotating the operation member against the urging force of the urging member. In such a configuration, when the operation member is rotated, the finger-hanging operation portion (specifically, the contact surface) is pushed against the urging force. For this reason, it is considered that the load based on the urging force tends to concentrate on the finger hooked on the finger-hanging operation unit. Further, when the operation member is fixed at a desired rotation position, the operation member tries to return to the original position by the biasing force. The operation member is held at a desired position by generating with the finger a force opposite to the force to return. In such a case, it is considered that a burden is easily generated on the finger in contact with the finger-hanging operation unit.

  If the sharp corner or end of the finger-hanging operation unit and the finger are in contact with each other locally, the load is concentrated on the local area of the finger due to the urging force, causing the player to feel uncomfortable. There is a risk of giving. However, in (8), it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as a finger becoming painful by making it possible to avoid a local contact between the finger and the finger-hanging operation unit. Specifically, as shown in (1) to (8), the finger-hanging operation portion is provided with an abutting surface on which the finger comes into contact, and the finger comes into contact with the surface during the rotation operation. It is possible to move along. Since this contact surface does not have sharp corners or edges, it is possible to avoid a finger from hitting the corners locally. In particular, even if the contact portion with the finger moves backward with the rotation operation, the finger is less likely to hit the corner or the like locally. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience that the load concentrates locally on the finger due to the applied urging force.

(9). A handle device (handle device 41) operated to fire a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine main body (game machine main part 12),
The handle device is
A base (handle base 150) fixed to the gaming machine body;
An annular operation member (rotation operation member 160) which is provided in front of the base and is rotated when the game ball is launched, and which can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the rotation operation amount; ,
A finger-hanging operation unit (finger-hanging unit) that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the operation member and is operated in the rotation direction when the finger is hooked when the rotation operation is performed. Operation units 164 to 166),
A gaming machine, wherein the entire surface of the finger-hanging operation portion has a smooth curved surface without stepped portions and corner portions.

  According to (9), the same effects as the above (1) are obtained, and the following special effects are further obtained. The operation member can be easily rotated by pushing or pulling in the rotation direction with a finger hooked on the finger-hanging operation unit. In such a case, there is a possibility that the contact position between the finger and the finger-hanging operation unit may vary due to variations in the gripping method of the handle device. Even if the contact position varies as described above, the entire surface of the finger-hanging operation portion has a smooth curved surface with no stepped portions and corner portions, so that inconveniences such as local contact between the finger and the finger-hanging operation portion are less likely to occur. ing. Thereby, a finger can be suitably protected without depending on how to operate the finger hanging operation unit.

  (10). (1) to (9) provided with a front cover (front cover 170) which is fixed to the base and is disposed in front of the operation member and constitutes a front portion of the handle device. ) A gaming machine according to any one of the above.

  In order to construct the handle device, as shown in (10), a front cover may be provided in front of the operation member. Thereby, a practically preferable configuration can be realized. Specifically, when performing a turning operation, a part of the weight of the arm or hand can be deposited in the handle device by placing the hand on the front cover. Thereby, it can suppress that the weights, such as an arm, concentrate on the finger which is operating the operation member. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce suitably the burden which a finger | toe produces with operation.

  Each gaming machine of (1) to (10) can be implemented in any combination with any one of the means 1 to means 11. The technical ideas shown in (1) to (10) may be combined with the above-described means, and the outer peripheral surface of the handle device may be configured to be substantially spherical. More specifically, in a handle device including a base, a rotation operation member, and a front cover, a single spherical surface may be formed by the outer peripheral surfaces thereof. In the invention shown in each of the above means, it is easy to secure finger catching when the handle device is operated. In particular, according to the means 7 or the like, it is easy to secure a finger catching function due to variations in the gripping direction. In such a case, if the handle device has a spherical shape as described above, it is possible to more suitably tolerate variations in the gripping direction, contributing to improved operability. In such a configuration, even if the gripping direction varies, if the finger-holding portion facilitates the holding of the finger at the rotation operation position and further avoids local contact with the finger-hanging operation portion, The burden which arises can be reduced suitably. Thereby, substantial limitation of the gripping direction can be suppressed, and the degree of freedom such as how to grip when the player operates the handle device can be improved.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as “pachinko machine”), which is a type of gaming machine, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10, FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the main configuration of the pachinko machine 10, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10. FIG. In FIG. 2, the configuration in the game area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted for convenience.

  The pachinko machine 10 includes an outer frame 11 that forms an outer shell of the pachinko machine 10, and a gaming machine main part 12 that is rotatably attached to the outer frame 11. The outer frame 11 is configured by connecting wooden plates to four sides and has a rectangular frame shape. The pachinko machine 10 is installed in the game hall by attaching and fixing the outer frame 11 to the island facility.

  The gaming machine main part 12 includes a main body frame 13 as a base body, a front door frame 14 disposed in front of the main body frame 13, and a back pack unit 15 disposed behind the main body frame 13. . The main body frame 13 of the gaming machine main part 12 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the outer frame 11. Specifically, the main body frame 13 can be rotated forward with the left side as the rotation base end side and the right side as the rotation front end side in front view.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a front door frame 14 is rotatably supported on the main body frame 13, and can be rotated forward with the left side as a rotation base end side and the right side as a rotation front end side in a front view. It is said that. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the backpack unit 15 is rotatably supported on the main body frame 13, and when viewed from the front, the left side is the rotation base end side and the right side is the rotation front end side. It is possible to move.

  Next, the front door frame 14 will be described. In the following description, reference is made to FIGS.

  The front door frame 14 is provided so as to cover the entire front side of the main body frame 13. A window portion 21 is formed on the front door frame 14 so that almost the entire gaming area described later can be viewed from the front. The window portion 21 has a substantially oval shape and is fitted with a transparent glass 22. Around the window portion 21, light emitting means such as various lamps are provided. For example, an annular illumination part 23 incorporating a light emitting means such as an LED is provided along the periphery of the window part 21. In the annular illumination part 23, lighting or blinking is performed in accordance with a change in the gaming state at the time of a big hit or a predetermined reach. In addition, an error display lamp unit 24 that is turned on at the time of a predetermined error is provided at the center of the annular illumination unit 23 and at the uppermost part of the pachinko machine 10, and a prize that is turned on while the prize ball is being paid out on the left and right sides. A ball lamp portion 25 is provided. In addition, a speaker unit 26 is provided at a position close to the left and right prize ball lamp units 25 to output a sound effect corresponding to the gaming state.

  Below the window portion 21 in the front door frame 14, an upper bulging portion 31 and a lower bulging portion 32 that bulge to the near side are provided side by side. An upper pan 33 that opens upward is provided inside the upper bulging portion 31, and a lower pan 34 that also opens upward is provided inside the lower bulging portion 32. The upper plate 33 has a function of temporarily storing game balls paid out from a payout device described later and guiding them to the game ball launching mechanism described later while aligning them in a line. In addition, the lower tray 34 has a function of storing game balls that become surplus in the upper tray 33.

  A handle device 41 is provided on the right side of the lower bulging portion 32 so as to protrude to the near side. When the handle device 41 is operated, a game ball is launched from a game ball launch mechanism described later. The configuration of the handle device 41 will be described in detail later.

  Next, the main body frame 13 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a front view of the main body frame 13.

  The main body frame 13 is mainly composed of a resin base 51 whose outer shape is substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11. A substantially elliptical window hole 52 is formed at the center of the resin base 51. A game board 61 is detachably attached to the resin base 51. The game board 61 is made of plywood, and a game area formed on the front surface of the game board 61 is exposed to the front side of the main body frame 13 through the window hole 52 of the resin base 51.

  Here, the structure of the game board 61 is demonstrated based on FIG. The game board 61 has a plurality of large and small openings penetrating in the front-rear direction by being subjected to router processing. Each opening is provided with a general winning port 62, a variable winning device 63, an operating port 64, a through gate 65, a variable display unit 66, and the like. A total of four general winning ports 62 are provided on the left and right. When a game ball enters the general winning port 62, the variable winning device 63, and the operation port 64, it is detected by a detection switch described later, and a predetermined number of award balls are paid out based on the detection result. In addition, an out port 67 is provided at the lowermost part of the game board 61, and game balls that have not entered various winning ports etc. are discharged from the game area through the out port 67. The game board 61 is provided with a large number of nails 68 in order to disperse and adjust the falling direction of the game ball as appropriate, and various members (instruments) such as a windmill.

  The variable display unit 66 is provided with a symbol display device 71 for variably displaying symbols with a winning at the operation port 64 as a trigger. The variable display unit 66 is provided with a center frame 72 so as to surround the symbol display device 71. A first specific lamp portion 73 and a second specific lamp portion 74 are provided on the center frame 72. Reservation lamp portions 75 and 76 are provided at the upper and lower portions of the center frame 72, respectively. The lower holding lamp unit 75 corresponds to the symbol display device 71 and the first specific lamp unit 73, and the number of times that the game ball has passed through the operation port 64 is held up to four times, and the holding lamp unit 75 is turned on. The number of reserved items is displayed. The upper holding lamp unit 76 corresponds to the second specific lamp unit 74, and the number of times that the game ball has passed through the through gate 65 is held up to four times, and the number of holdings is displayed by lighting the holding lamp unit 76. It has become so.

  The symbol display device 71 is configured as a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal display, and display contents are controlled by a display control device described later. In the symbol display device 71, for example, symbols are displayed side by side on the left, middle, and right, and these symbols are variably displayed as they are scrolled up and down. When a predetermined combination of symbols is stopped and displayed on a preset active line, a special gaming state (hereinafter referred to as a jackpot) occurs.

  In the first specific lamp unit 73, the emission color is switched in a predetermined order using a winning at the operation port 64 as a trigger, and if the display is stopped in a predetermined color, a big hit occurs. In the second specific lamp unit 74, the emission color is switched in a predetermined order triggered by the passage of the game ball through the through gate 65, and when the stop color is displayed in a predetermined color, the operation port 64 is displayed. The accompanying electric accessory is opened for a predetermined time.

  The variable winning device 63 is normally in a closed state in which a game ball cannot be won or difficult to win, and is switched to a predetermined open state in which a game ball is easy to win in the case of a big win. As an opening mode of the variable winning device 63, the variable winning device 63 is repeated with a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) or a predetermined number (for example, 10) of winnings as one round and a plurality of rounds (for example, 15 rounds) as an upper limit. What is opened is common.

  An inner rail portion 53 and an outer rail portion 54 are attached to the game board 61, and a guide rail is constituted by the inner rail portion 53 and the outer rail portion 54, and the game board 61 is fired from a game ball launching mechanism described later. A game ball is guided to the upper part of the game area.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the game ball launching mechanism 80 is attached below the window hole 52 in the resin base 51. The game ball launching mechanism 80 includes an electromagnetic solenoid 81, a launching rail 82, and a ball feed mechanism 83, and the output shaft of the solenoid 81 moves in the expansion / contraction direction by the input of an electrical signal to the solenoid 81. Then, the game ball placed on the launch rail 82 is launched by the ball feed mechanism 83 toward the game area. The electric actuator of the game ball launch mechanism 80 is not limited to the solenoid 81, and a launch motor or the like may be used.

  Next, the configuration of the back surface of the game board 61 will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the game board 61 as viewed from the rear. A main controller unit 90 and an audio lamp controller unit 100 are mounted on the back of the game board 61.

  The main controller unit 90 has a synthetic resin mounting base 91, and the main controller 92 is mounted on the mounting base 91. The main control device 92 includes a main control board having a function (main control circuit) that controls the main control of the game and a function (power failure monitoring circuit) that monitors the power source, and the main control board is a transparent resin material. It is configured to be accommodated in a substrate box 93 made of or the like.

  The sound lamp control device unit 100 includes a sound lamp control device 101 and a mounting base 102, and the sound lamp control device 101 is mounted on the mounting base 102. The sound lamp control device 101 includes a sound lamp control board that controls sound and lamp display and control of a display control device (not shown) according to an instruction from the main control device 92. The sound lamp control board is made of a transparent resin material or the like. The board box 103 is configured to be accommodated.

  Next, the back pack unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The back pack unit 15 includes a back pack 111, and a payout mechanism portion 112 and a control device assembly unit 113 are attached to the back pack 111. The back pack 111 is formed of a transparent synthetic resin, and includes a base portion 121 to which the payout mechanism portion 112 and the like are attached, and a protective cover portion 122 that protrudes rearward from the pachinko machine 10 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  The base part 121 is provided with an external terminal plate 123 at the upper right part thereof. The external terminal board 123 is provided with various output terminals, and various signals are output to the management control device on the game hall side through these output terminals.

  In the base part 121, a payout mechanism part 112 is disposed so as to bypass the protective cover part 122. That is, a tank 131 that opens upward is provided at the uppermost portion of the back pack 111, and the game balls supplied from the island facilities of the game hall are sequentially replenished to the tank 131. A tank rail 132 that is gently inclined toward the downstream side is connected to the lower side of the tank 131, and a case rail 133 that extends in the vertical direction is connected to the downstream side of the tank rail 132. A payout device 134 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 133. The game balls paid out from the payout device 134 are discharged to the upper plate 33 or the lower plate 34 through a payout passage (not shown) provided on the downstream side of the payout device 134.

  A backpack substrate 135 is installed in the payout mechanism 112. The back pack substrate 135 is supplied with, for example, a main power of AC 24 volts, and is turned on or off by a switching operation of the power switch 135a.

  A control device assembly unit 113 is attached to the lower end portion of the base portion 121. The control device assembly unit 113 has a horizontally long mounting base 141, and a payout control device 142 and a power source and launch control device 143 (hereinafter also referred to as a power source device 143 or a launch control device 143) are mounted on the mount base 141. Has been. The payout control device 142 and the power supply device 143 are arranged so as to overlap each other so that the payout control device 142 is behind the pachinko machine 10.

  In the payout control device 142, a payout control board for controlling the payout device 134 is accommodated in the board box 144. The payout command signal from the payout control device 142 to the payout device 134 is relayed by the backpack substrate 135 described above. The payout controller 142 is provided with a state return switch 145. For example, when the state return switch 145 is pressed when a payout error occurs, such as a ball jam in the payout device 134, the ball jam is eliminated.

  In the power supply device 143, a power supply and launch control board is housed in a board box 146, and predetermined power required by various control devices and the like is generated and output by the board, and the player operates the handle device 41. Control of game ball launching accompanying this is performed (see FIG. 14). Further, the power and launch control device 143 is provided with a RAM erase switch 147. This pachinko machine 10 has a function to store and store various data so that even if a power failure occurs, it maintains the state at the time of the power failure, and when it recovers from the power failure, it can be restored to the state at the time of the power failure. It has become.

  Next, the configuration of the handle device 41 will be described. 8 is a perspective view of the handle device 41 as seen from the front, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the handle device 41 as seen from the rear, FIG. 10 is a side view of the handle device 41, and FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the handle device 41. .

  The handle device 41 includes a handle base 150 attached to the front door frame 14, a turning operation member 160 that is turned when the game ball is launched, and a front cover 170 that forms the front side of the handle device 41. It has.

  The handle base 150 has an attachment base 151 as an object to be attached to the front door frame 14. The mounting base 151 is screwed to the front door frame 14, so that the handle device 41 is fixed to the front door frame 14. The mounting base 151 has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, and a hemispherical enlarged portion 152 having a substantially hemispherical shape is formed at the front end edge thereof.

  A rotating operation member 160 is disposed in front of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152. The rotation operation member 160 has an outer ring part 161 that constitutes an outer shell thereof, and an inner ring part 162 as an attachment part to the handle base 150. A shaft portion 153 extending in front of the pachinko machine 10 is formed in the center of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152, and a bearing portion 163 corresponding to the shaft portion 153 is formed in the inner ring portion 162. Since the shaft portion 153 is inserted into the bearing portion 163, that is, the rotation operation member 160 is pivotally supported by the shaft portion 153, the rotation operation member 160 is attached to the handle base 150 at the central axis of the shaft portion 153. It is mounted in a rotatable state with respect to. The outer ring portion 161 is formed with outwardly raised finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166, and the operability of the rotation operation member 160 is improved by hooking the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166. It has been.

  A plurality of bosses 154 extending in the same direction as the central axis direction of the shaft portion 153 are formed inside the hemispherical enlarged portion 152 (see FIG. 11). The rotation operation member 160 is provided with a long hole-shaped rotation restricting portion 167 through which the boss 154 is inserted, and the rotation operating member 160 is within a predetermined range by the boss 154 and the rotation restricting portion 167. It is restricted to be rotatable.

  The handle device 41 includes a biasing member (spring) (not shown). The rotation operation member 160 is urged counterclockwise by the urging member when the pachinko machine 10 is viewed from the front. The non-operating rotation operation member 160 remains in a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as an initial position) within the rotation range by the urging force of the urging member.

  A front cover 170 is disposed in front of the rotation operation member 160. The front cover 170 is fixed with the rotation operation member 160 sandwiched between the front cover 170 and the handle base 150. Specifically, a communication hole 155 that communicates with a hollow boss 154 is formed in the handle base 150, and the front end portion of the screw 156 inserted into the boss 154 from the rear of the pachinko machine 10 is the front cover 170. It is screwed on. This prevents the turning operation member 160 from coming off the handle base 150. Further, the front cover 170 is formed with a hemispherical gripping portion 171 protruding forward of the pachinko machine 10. When operating the rotation operation member 160, a part of the weight of the hand or arm can be deposited on the handle device 41 by placing the hand on the grip 171. Thereby, the stability improvement at the time of operation and the reduction of fatigue are achieved.

  In addition, gear parts 175 and 176 and a variable resistor for detecting the amount of rotation operation of the rotation operation member 160 are installed inside the hemispherical enlarged portion 152. The resistance value of the variable resistor is changed according to the rotation of the gear parts 175 and 176, and the resistance value is output to the firing control device 143, so that the firing control device 143 grasps the rotation operation amount. It has a configuration. Further, inside the hemispherical enlarged portion 152, a firing switch 177 for stopping the launch of the game ball in a state in which the rotation operation member 160 is operated, and a push sensor 178 for detecting the operation state of the firing switch 177, Is installed. By detecting the detection signal of the push sensor 178 to the firing control device 143, it is determined whether or not the firing stop switch 177 is operated in the firing control device 143. Furthermore, the handle base 150 has a built-in touch sensor that detects that the rotation operation member 160 is actually touched by a hand, and a detection signal of the touch sensor is output to the firing control device 143. Thus, it is grasped by the launch control device 143 whether or not the rotation operation member 160 is touched by hand.

  Next, the operation of the handle device 41 when playing a game will be briefly described. The player adjusts the firing speed of the game ball by rotating the rotation operation member 160. Specifically, the rotation speed of the game ball is increased by rotating the rotation operation member 160 against the biasing force of the biasing member, and the discharge speed of the game ball is decreased by returning to the biasing direction. Become. Hereinafter, the direction in which the firing speed of the game sphere increases is referred to as an increasing direction, and the direction in which the game sphere firing speed decreases is distinguished as a decreasing direction. The resistance value of the variable resistor changes based on the rotation operation amount of the rotation operation member 160, and the resistance value is output to the firing control device 143. In the launch control device 143, the launch speed of the game ball in the game ball launch mechanism 80 (specifically, the solenoid 81) is set based on the resistance value. Thus, the game ball launched from the game ball launching mechanism 80 at a predetermined speed passes between the inner and outer rail portions 53 and 54 shown in FIG. 6 and reaches the game area in which the operation port 64 and the nail 68 are provided. To do. Normally, the game ball that has reached the game area is easily guided toward the operation port 64 while the flow path varies appropriately by the nail 68 or the like. More specifically, the nails 68 and the like are appropriately distributed in the game area, and the frequency with which the nails 68 are guided toward the operation port 64 may change depending on the momentum of the game ball. Such a change in the flow path of the game ball depends exclusively on the launch speed (that is, the arrival position) of the game ball. Since the winning of a game ball to the operation port 64 is used as a trigger to determine a big hit or the like, the game ball firing speed is adjusted so as to guide more game balls to the operation port 64. After the rotation operation amount of the rotation operation member 160 is adjusted and a desired firing speed is realized, the rotation operation member 160 is held so that the rotation operation member 160 is not displaced from the rotation position. . Thereby, a game can be continued in the state which maintained the desired firing speed. If the hand is released from the handle device 41 during the game, the rotation operation member 160 returns to the initial position by the urging force of the urging member. For this reason, in the re-game, the operation of the rotation operation member 160 described above is performed again.

  Here, the appearance of the handle device 41 will be described in more detail. The outer shape of the handle device 41 is spherical at least in the contact range of the hand when the player grasps the handle device 41 (excluding the protrusion of the finger-hanging operation portion 164 and the like). Specifically, almost the entire outer periphery excluding the attachment base 151 of the handle base 150 is spherical. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, one virtual spherical surface G is formed by a plurality of divided spherical surfaces, that is, by the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152, the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161, and the outer surface of the grip portion 171. Is configured.

  The gap size at the boundary between the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152 and the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161 is set to such a degree that foreign matter such as coins can be prevented from entering (about 0.1 mm in the present embodiment). The clearance dimension at the boundary portion between the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161 and the outer surface of the grip portion 171 is also set to be approximately the same as the above-described size. By providing each boundary part on the same phantom spherical surface G and reducing the gap size, the occurrence of a step in these boundary parts is suppressed. Specifically, the generation of a step in the radial direction of the virtual spherical surface G is suppressed. In addition, since the clearance dimension in each boundary part is set smaller than the thickness dimension etc. of a coin, the inconvenience that a coin etc. are inserted | pinched in these boundary parts and the rotation operation member 160 is fixed is avoided.

  Thus, by forming the outer shape of the handle device 41 so as to form a single spherical surface without a step, it is easy to allow variation in the gripping direction with respect to the handle device 41. More specifically, the handle device 41 is often set so as to be easily held when gripped straight from the front of the pachinko machine 10 along the central axis of the rotation operation member 160. However, in reality, it is considered that the gripping direction varies depending on the player, or the gripping direction changes due to a change in the posture or the like during the game. As described above, since a step or curvature change is not provided at the portion where the hand contacts, the inconvenience that the gripping state of the handle device 41 changes due to variations in the gripping direction can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress a decrease in operability of the handle device 41 due to variations in the gripping direction.

  In the present embodiment, annular step portions 181 and 182 that are recessed inward are formed at the ends of the handle base 150 and the front cover 170 on the side of the rotation operation member 160. The annular step portions 181 and 182 are opposed to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 161. In other words, the rotation operation member 160, the handle base 150, and the front cover 170 overlap each other when the rotation operation member 160 is viewed in the radial direction. Thereby, the inconvenience that foreign matters such as dust enter the inside of the handle device 41 due to the opening of the boundary portion in the vertical direction can be suppressed. Further, even if a coin or the like is forcibly inserted into the boundary portion, the end of the coin or the like immediately hits the annular step portions 181 and 182, so that it is difficult to maintain the insertion state. ing.

  Next, the finger hooking operation parts 164 to 166 of the rotation operation member 160 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 are arranged apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the outer ring portion 161. More specifically, the rotation operation member 160 is arranged in the order of the first finger-hanging operation unit 164, the second finger-hanging operation unit 165, and the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 in the increasing direction with a predetermined interval therebetween. ing. Since each of these finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 has the same configuration, the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 will be described first with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 and FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (c). The configuration of the finger operation units 164 and 165 will be briefly described. 12A is a partial end view taken along line AA in FIG. 10, FIG. 12B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 12C is a partial end view taken along line CC in FIG. It is.

  The third finger-hanging operation part 166 protrudes from the outer surface of the outer ring part 161 in the radial direction. The outer periphery of the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 has a closed curved surface shape and does not have a corner (for example, a sharp corner or a step). More specifically, the outer periphery of the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 is composed of a continuous surface having a continuous curvature. As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, a third operation surface 166a that can be pushed and operated by being hooked with a finger (for example, the middle finger M) during the rotation operation is provided on the front side in the increasing direction of the third finger operation unit 166. Yes. That is, the third operation surface 166a is provided on the second finger hanging operation unit 166 side on the second finger hanging operation unit 165 side. The third operation surface 166a rises from the outer ring portion 161 and has a predetermined width in the central axis direction (see FIG. 12A). As shown in FIG. 12B and the like, the third operation surface 166a has a curved surface shape that gently protrudes in the decreasing direction when viewed in the width direction (that is, viewed in the direction of the central axis). A third guide surface 166b is provided at the rear part of the third operation surface 166a. Specifically, the third guide surface 166b is gradually curved in an increasing direction from the front to the rear.

  The third finger-hanging operation portion 166 is formed with a ridge line portion 166c extending in a ridge shape from the third operation surface 166a in the increasing direction. As shown in FIG. 12C and the like, a third contact surface 166d that continues smoothly from the third guide surface 166b is provided on the back side of the ridge line portion 166c. That is, it has a configuration that does not have a sharp corner or the like at the boundary portion between the ridge line portion 166c and the third contact surface 166d. The third contact surface 166d has no sharp corners or the like even at the boundary portion with the ridge line portion 166c, and is smoothly continuous with the front surface of the third finger hooking operation portion 166 via the ridge line portion 166c. The third contact surface 166d is gently curved from the ridge line portion 166c toward the boundary portion with the handle base 150. That is, the protruding amount of the ridge line portion 166 c in the radial direction of the rotation operation member 160 gradually decreases in the increasing direction of the rotation operation member 160.

  Even if the finger touches the back side of the third finger-hanging operation unit 166, that is, the third contact surface 166d in the gripping state of the handle device 41, the third contact surface 166d is not angular, so that it is local to the finger. The load is less likely to occur. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, even when the ring finger R and the little finger L are placed on the third finger-hanging operation unit 166, the local burden on the finger is reduced. Further, the third finger-hanging operation portion 166 can be held between the ring finger R and the little finger L by grasping the ring finger R and the little finger L along the third contact surface 166d. Thereby, holding | maintenance of the rotation operation member 160 becomes still easier.

  In addition, the front side of the ridgeline part 166c in the third finger-hanging operation part 166 has an arc shape that gently curves from the ridgeline part 166c toward the boundary with the front cover 170, and is not provided with corners, dents, or the like. . Thereby, the appearance is improved.

  Here, the positional relationship between the finger and the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 when the rotation operation member 160 is rotated based on FIGS. 9 and 12 will be described in detail. The rotation operation member 160 rotates in the increasing direction when the third operation surface 166a is pushed by a finger (for example, the middle finger M). When the entire arm is rotated while holding the handle device 41 along the central axis of the rotation operation member 160, the rotation operation is performed while keeping the contact position between the third operation surface 166a and the middle finger M the same. It can be performed. For example, the state of the middle finger M1 shown in FIG. 12B is maintained regardless of the amount of rotation operation. On the other hand, when the third operation surface 166a is pushed by bending the middle finger M or the like instead of pushing the third operation surface 166a by rotating the entire arm, the middle finger M and the third operation surface The contact position with 166a is displaced according to the amount of rotation operation. Specifically, with the rotation in the increasing direction, the contact position moves rearward along the third guide surface 166b. For example, the state of the middle finger M1 shown in FIG. 12B is displaced to the state of the middle finger M2. Even in such a case, the contact position of the finger smoothly moves in accordance with the curvature of the third guide surface 166b. That is, the middle finger M hits the corner of the third operation surface 166a (specifically, the third guide surface 166b) and the operation feeling does not change, and the rotation amount with respect to the pushing amount does not change, and smooth operation is possible. ing.

  Similarly, the first finger hanging operation portion 164 and the second finger hanging operation portion 165 have operation surfaces 164a and 165a, guide surfaces 164b and 65b, ridge line portions 164c and 165c, and contact surfaces 164d and 165d, and their outer circumferences. Is composed of continuous surfaces with continuous curvature. For this reason, local contact of each finger-hanging operation unit 164, 165 and the finger is suppressed.

  In addition, when viewed in the radial direction of the rotation operation member 160, the entire finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 overlap with the outer ring unit 161. That is, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 are configured not to protrude toward the front cover 170 side and the handle base 150 side. For this reason, the inconvenience that foreign matter such as coins is inserted and the rotation operation member 160 is fixed between the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 and the handle base 150 and the front cover 170 as shown in FIG. 18 is suppressed. Yes.

  Next, the front cover 170 will be described in detail. On the outer peripheral surface of the grip portion 171 in the front cover 170, a plurality of finger-hanging convex portions 190 protruding from the outer peripheral surface are formed. The finger-hanging convex portion 190 is disposed at a site where the finger is supposed to come into contact with the grip portion 171 held by the player. Specifically, the finger-hanging convex portions 190 are arranged at the rear end portion of the grip portion 171, that is, around the periphery of the grip portion 171. When the player grasps the grip portion, the contact between the palm and the finger-hanging convex portion 190 is suppressed, which contributes to improvement in the followability of the grip portion 171 to the palm. Thereby, even if it is the structure in which the holding part 171 has the finger hooking convex part 190, the ease of gripping of the holding part 171 is ensured.

  The finger-hanging convex portion 190 is disposed along the rear end edge of the grip portion 171, that is, along the boundary portion with the rotation operation member 160. As shown in FIG. 13 and the like, the finger hooking protrusions 190 are arranged in an annular shape, and the adjacent finger hooking protrusions 190 are in a state of being separated by a predetermined interval. Specifically, the interval between adjacent finger-hanging protrusions 190 is set to be approximately the same as the width dimension of the finger, and a finger can be placed between these finger-hanging protrusions 190. Hereinafter, a region sandwiched between these finger-hanging projections 190 is referred to as a finger placement region 200.

  Here, the configuration of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 will be described based on the partially enlarged view of FIG. 8 and FIGS. 12 (c) and 12 (d). FIG. 12D is a partial end view taken along the line DD in FIG.

  The finger-hanging convex portion 190 protrudes radially from the outer peripheral surface of the grip portion 171, and has a predetermined width in the central axis direction of the rotation operation member 160. The finger-hanging convex portion 190 is formed with contact surfaces 190a and 190b that restrict the movement of the finger by hitting the finger. The contact surfaces 190 a and 190 b are arranged on both sides in the circumferential direction of the outer ring portion 161 of the finger hanging convex portion 190 with the top portion 190 c of the finger hanging convex portion 190 as a boundary. More specifically, the contact surface 190a of one finger-hanging projection 190 and the contact surface 190b of the other finger-hanging projection 190 of the adjacent finger-hanging projections 190 are opposed to each other. The contact surface 190a has a curved surface that is gently curved, and the height position of the grip portion 171 from the outer peripheral surface gradually increases in the increasing direction. On the other hand, the contact surface 190b has a curved surface that is gently curved like the contact surface 190a, and the height position from the outer peripheral surface of the grip portion 171 gradually increases in the decreasing direction. And these contact surfaces 190a and 190b are smoothly continuing via the top part 190c (refer FIG.12 (d)).

  Further, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 8, the distance between adjacent finger-hanging protrusions 190, that is, the distance between the contact surfaces 190 a and 190 b that face each other gradually increases toward the rotation operation member 160. Is getting bigger. That is, the contact surface 190a and the contact surface 190b are opened rearward, and the finger placement area 200 is expanded on the rotating operation member 160 side. A support portion 210 for supporting a finger is provided in the vicinity of the front end portion of the contact surface 190a and the contact surface 190b, that is, in a portion where the distance between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b is small. A finger placed in the finger placement area 200 can be rotated with the support portion 210 as a base end. More specifically, it is rotatable within a range sandwiched between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b.

  Hereinafter, the positional relationship between the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 and the finger-hanging convex portion 190 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the arrangement of the finger operation units 164 to 166 will be described in detail. The finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 are arranged at a predetermined interval in a range that is approximately half of the entire circumference of the outer ring portion 161. These finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 are provided corresponding to different fingers, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 13A, the first finger-hanging operation portion 164 is disposed on the rotation base end side of the front door frame 14 at the initial position of the rotation operation member 160. . A third finger-hanging portion 166 is disposed on the opposite side of the center axis of the rotation operation member 160, and a second finger-hanging operation portion 165 is disposed between these finger-hanging portions 164 and 166. The first finger-hanging operation unit 164 corresponds to the thumb T, and the first operation surface 164a is configured to be operated by the thumb T. The second finger-hanging operation unit 165 corresponds to the index finger I, the second operation surface 165a is operated by the index finger I, the third finger-hanging operation unit 166 corresponds to the middle finger M, and the third operation surface 166a is the middle finger M. It is the structure operated by. The rotation operation range of the rotation operation member 160 is restricted by the boss 154 and the rotation restriction portion 167 (100 ° in the present embodiment), and within the rotation range, the operation surfaces 164a to 166a and The contact state with the fingers T, I, and M is maintained (see FIG. 13B).

  As described above, the positions of the fingers T, I, and M are determined by contacting the operation surfaces 164a to 166a. The angle A1 between the thumb T and the index finger I with the central axis of the rotation operation member 160 as the base end, that is, the arrangement angle A1 between the first operation surface 164a and the second operation surface 165a is the arrangement angle A2 of the finger hooking projection 190. It is set to be a non-integer multiple of. For this reason, when the rotation operation member 160 is fixed at a position desired by the player, each finger T, I rides on the top 190c of the finger hooking projection 190 or the like, and the finger is not normally caught. It can be avoided. That is, even if one of the fingers T and I is not positioned in the finger placement area 200 or the like by riding on the top portion 190c or the like, the other is located in the finger placement area 200. Yes. Therefore, the finger hooking function in the finger hooking projection 190 or the like is secured.

  Furthermore, the angle A3 between the index finger I and the middle finger M with the central axis of the rotation operation member 160 as the base end, that is, the arrangement angle A3 between the second operation surface 165a and the third operation surface 166a is the arrangement angle of the finger-hanging convex portion. It is set to be a non-integer multiple of A2. For this reason, even if one of the fingers I and M is not positioned in the finger placement area 200 or the like by riding on the top portion 190c or the like, the other is located in the finger placement area 200. Similarly, the angle A4 obtained by adding the angles A1 and A3 is set to be a non-integer multiple of the angle A2. From the above, even when the rotation operation member 160 is rotated to any position, at least two of the fingers T, I, and M are positioned in the finger placement region 200 and the like, The finger holding function of the part 190 or the like is further ensured.

  Hereinafter, a positioning operation to a desired position of the rotation operation member 160 and a method for reproducing the position will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the thumb T, the index finger I, and the middle finger M are attached to the operation surfaces 164a to 166a in a state where the rotation operation member 160 is in the initial position. In this state, each finger T, I, M is fitted in the finger placement area 200. The fingers T, I, and M are transferred between the finger placement areas 200 by rotating the rotation operation member 160 clockwise (in the increasing direction) in the front view of the pachinko machine 10. When the game ball firing speed approaches a desired speed, the rough alignment by the turning operation is completed, and the movement of the fingers T, I, and M between the finger placement areas 200 is completed. . Next, in the finger placement area 200 in which the finger is fitted, the finger is rotated along the contact surface with the support portion 210 as the base end. Along with this, the positions of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a are slightly moved, so that the firing speed of the game ball can be adjusted more finely (for example, the state shown in FIG. 13B). Here, the number of finger placement areas 200 through which each finger T, I, M has passed until reaching such a state, and the portion of each of the contact surfaces 190a, 190b in contact with each finger T, I, M are as follows. Memorized by the player.

  In order to fix the rotation operation member 160 to a desired position after the game is interrupted, the operation is performed according to the following procedure. That is, first, the rotation operation member 160 is rotated so that each finger T, I, M fits into the finger placement area 200 stored in advance in a state where the release of the game ball is stopped by the shooting stop switch 177. To do. In such a case, the finger placement area 200 that has passed from the initial position is counted, and the rotation operation is temporarily stopped when the number matches the number stored in advance. Next, the respective contact states of the contact surfaces 190a and 190b and the fingers T, I and M are reproduced based on the senses of the fingers. That is, by rotating the fingers T, I, and M along the contact surfaces 190a and 190b, the fingers T, I, and M are carried to positions close to the feeling stored in advance. Thereby, the rotation operation member 160 is guided to a desired position, and the same state as the state where the game was played before is reproduced. Then, the game is resumed by releasing the restriction of launching by the firing stop switch 177.

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

  As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, a finger hooking convex portion 190 is provided on a front cover 170 as a fixed body. When the rotation operation member 160 is fixed at a desired position, the finger is prevented from being displaced by fitting the finger into the finger placement region 200 formed between the finger-hanging projections 190. Thereby, it can contribute to facilitation of fixation of the rotation operation member 160 in the desired position. In the present embodiment, in particular, since the rotation operation member 160 is prevented from being fixed by inserting a coin or the like, the player needs to fix the rotation operation member 160 with his / her hand. In such a case, there is a possibility that the willingness to play will be reduced due to the burden on the player's fingers, hands and arms. However, by contributing to facilitating the fixing of the rotation operation member 160 as described above, it is possible to reduce fatigue caused by the game, and to suitably suppress the decrease in game motivation.

  Usually, there are individual differences in how to handle the handle device 41 and the size of the hand. For this reason, a difference may arise in an effect depending on arrangement of a finger hanging convex part. Specifically, due to the arrangement of the finger-hanging projections, there is a possibility that finger catching cannot be expected sufficiently. For example, when the handle base 150 is provided with a finger-hanging convex portion, a player with a small hand or a player who prefers a shallow grip may not enjoy the benefits of the finger-hanging convex portion because the finger does not reach the finger-hanging convex portion. is there. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the finger hooking convex portion 190 is provided on the front cover 170 of the handle base 150 and the front cover 170 as a fixed body. That is, the finger hooking convex portion 190 is arranged in front of the rotation operation member 160. When accessing the rotation operation member 160, the finger straddles the finger-hanging convex portion 190, so that the finger and the finger-hanging convex portion 190 are in a natural contact state. That is, when a game is being performed, it is inevitably possible to hook the finger on the finger-hanging projection 190. For this reason, it is possible to provide the pachinko machine 10 that allows variations in the gripping method of the handle device 41, the size of the hand, and the like, and easily uses the finger-hanging convex portion 190.

  The arrangement range of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 is set wider than the rotation range of all the operation surfaces 164a to 166a. For this reason, if a finger is hung on at least one of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a, it is possible to expect an effect of suppressing the displacement of the hand by the finger hooking convex portion 190.

  Particularly in the present embodiment, the arrangement angles A1 and A3 between the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 (specifically, the operation surfaces 164a to 166a) are set to be a non-integer multiple of the arrangement angle A2 of the finger-hanging convex portion 190. . For this reason, the inconvenience that all the fingers accessing the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 ride on the top portions 190c to 199c of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 is suppressed. That is, when the finger is accessing at least two of the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166, the finger-hooking function by the finger-hanging convex portion 190 is ensured.

  In addition, when the rotation operation member 160 is fixed at a position desired by the player, in which area of the finger placement area 200 each finger operating the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 is placed. It becomes easy to memorize | store the rotation position of the rotation operation member 160 by grasping | ascertaining. That is, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 also has a function as an index for storing the rotation position of the rotation operation member 160. More specifically, in the finger placement region 200, it is determined whether the finger touches which part of the first contact surfaces 190a to 199a and the second contact surface 190b hits or none of them. By grasping by this, the grasping accuracy of the turning position of the turning operation member 160 can be further improved. Thereby, the repositioning of the rotation operation member 160 after a game interruption becomes easy. Specifically, when the hand is released from the handle device 41 due to the game interruption, the rotation operation member 160 returns to the initial position. Thereafter, when the game is started again, the positioning of the rotation operation member 160 is easily realized by reproducing the contact state between the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger.

  Generally, in the alignment of the rotation operation member 160, a method is used in which the rotation operation amount of the rotation operation member 160 is adjusted while confirming the trajectory or the like of the launched game ball. Thus, when adjusting the amount of rotation operation while visually confirming the game ball that has been launched, it is considered that the adjustment tends to involve a useless ball. Such a waste ball can be generated not only at the start of a game but also at the time of a replay. As described above, if it is possible to return to the desired rotation operation position based on the feeling of the finger or the like, it is possible to suppress the generation of useless balls when starting the game again. For example, in a state where the launching of the game ball is restricted by the firing stop switch 177, it is preferable to perform alignment to a desired rotational operation position based on the feeling of a finger or the like. Thereafter, by canceling the firing restriction by the firing stop switch 177, it is possible to resume the game while suppressing the launch of the waste ball.

  When the rotation operation member 160 is operated, the contact position between each finger and the operation surfaces 164a to 166a is smoothly displaced along the guide surfaces 164b to 166b according to the amount of rotation operation. For this reason, even if the operation is performed by bending a finger or the like instead of performing the rotation operation with the entire arm, the finger is less likely to touch the corners or ends of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a. This makes it difficult for a local burden to occur on the finger. For this reason, even if it is a case where the handle apparatus 41 is continued to be gripped for a long time, the problem that a finger etc. become painful can be suppressed suitably. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the handle device 41 is disposed at a corner of the pachinko machine 10, that is, at a position away from the front of the player. For this reason, depending on the player, there is a possibility that the arm is extended obliquely from the center side of the gaming machine toward the handle device 41 and the rotation operation is performed from a direction inclined with respect to the rotation center axis of the handle device 41. Even in such a case, it is difficult to touch the finger and the corners of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a, so that the operation can be performed comfortably. That is, by providing the guide surfaces 164b to 166b, the handle device 41 that can be comfortably operated from directions other than the rotation center axis direction is realized.

  In addition, it is assumed that the fingers get over the guide surfaces 164b to 166b and go around the dorsal side of the finger hooking operation portions 164 to 166, that is, the contact surfaces 164d to 166d. Since there are no sharp corners or steps at the boundaries between the operation surfaces 164a to 166a and the contact surfaces 164d to 166d, even if the finger contact position is extremely rearwardly displaced as described above, an edge or corner It is possible to suppress a load from being locally increased by hitting a part or the like.

  Since the entire handle device 41 has a spherical configuration, variations in operability due to the gripping direction of the handle device 41 can be suppressed. Specifically, the outer surface of the gripping portion 171, the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161, and the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged diameter portion 152 have the same curvature, and steps at the boundary portions are suppressed. For this reason, it is difficult for a change in grip feeling due to a change in the catch due to a step or a change in curvature depending on the grip direction. Thereby, for example, even when gripping from a direction different from the rotation center axis direction of the handle device 41, it is easy to ensure operability by suppressing a change in gripping feeling.

  The finger placement area 200 is expanded on the rotation operation member 160 side. Even in the configuration in which the variation in the gripping direction of the handle device 41 is allowed as described above, the gripping direction shift is ensured while securing the catch by rotating the finger within the finger placement region 200 with the support portions 210 to 219 as the base ends. Can follow.

(Second Embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the configuration relating to the front cover is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the configuration of the front cover will be described in detail below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description of the same configuration will be basically omitted. 15 is a side view of the handle device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, in the present embodiment, a handle base 150 and a rotation operation member 160 are provided as in the first embodiment. Since the structure regarding the handle base 150, the rotation operation member 160, and the like is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the outer peripheral surface of the gripping portion 241 has a hemispherical shape, and its outer surface is outside the virtual spherical surface G including the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161 and the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152. Is set. The grip portion 241 of the front cover 240 is provided with a plurality of finger hook recesses 242 that are recessed inward of the front cover 240 in place of the finger hook protrusion 190. The finger-hanging recess 242 is disposed along the rear end edge of the grip portion 241 and the rear portion thereof, that is, the rotation operation member 160 side is opened. When the fingers are fitted in these finger-hanging recesses 242, the positional deviation of the fingers from the state in which the rotation operation member 160 is fixed is suppressed.

  The bottom surface 243 of the finger hanging recess 242 is disposed on the virtual spherical surface G. That is, the bottom surface 243 has the same curvature as the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161 and the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged diameter portion 152. In addition, at the boundary portion between the bottom surface 243 and the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161, the step in the radial direction of the phantom spherical surface G is almost zero.

  The rear end portion of the finger-hanging recess 242, that is, the rotation operation member 160 side is opened rearward. For this reason, the occurrence of inconvenience that the finger strides over the finger-hanging recess 242 and becomes difficult to fit into the finger-holding recess 242 is suppressed. In addition, it is possible to bend the finger fitted in the finger hanging recess 242 along the bottom surface 243, the outer ring portion 161, and the hemispherical enlarged diameter portion 152. The ease of gripping the device 41 (specifically, the rotation operation member 160 and the front cover 240) is not easily impaired.

  Opposing contact surfaces 244 are formed on both sides of the bottom surface 243 in the rotational direction with the bottom surface 243 interposed therebetween. The movement of the finger fitted in the finger-holding recess 242 is restricted by hitting both contact surfaces 244. The distance between the contact surfaces 244 increases toward the open portion on the rotation operation member 160 side. That is, both contact surfaces 244 are open toward the back of the pachinko machine 10.

  A guide inclined surface 245 that connects the bottom surface 243 and the outer surface of the gripping portion 241 and guides the finger on the gripping portion 241 to the finger catching recess 242 is formed at the front end of the bottom surface 243. The guide inclined surface 245 is smoothly continuous with both contact surfaces 244, and the distance between the contact surfaces 244 is the smallest at the boundary with the guide inclined surface 245.

  In the state where the finger is fitted in the finger-holding recess 242, the positional deviation of the finger is positively suppressed at the front side portion where the distance between the contact surfaces 244 is kept small. On the other hand, finger position adjustment is easy in the back side portion where the distance between the contact surfaces 244 is set large. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to finely adjust the amount of rotation operation while ensuring that the finger is caught.

  The depth of the finger-hanging recess 242 is gradually displaced in the rotation operation direction. Specifically, among the side surfaces formed with the bottom surface 243 sandwiched therebetween, the side surface on the increasing direction side of the game ball firing speed has a gradually decreasing depth toward the increasing direction, On the side surface on the speed decreasing direction side, the depth gradually decreases in the decreasing direction. That is, the contact surface 244 has a narrowed shape that gradually expands in the radial direction of the front cover 240. Thus, the finger position can be adjusted in a state where the finger and the contact surface 244 are in contact with each other in a state where the finger is fitted in the finger-hanging recess 242. In addition, since the finger-hanging concave portion 242 is a portion that comes into contact with the finger, it is considered that dirt and the like are likely to adhere. As described above, since the finger-hanging recess 242 is expanded in the radial direction, maintenance such as cleaning is easy.

  The finger hanging recesses 242 described in detail above are arranged at equal intervals along the rear edge of the front cover 240, and have a wave shape in which adjacent finger hanging recesses 242 are smoothly continuous. More specifically, the contact surfaces 242 of the adjacent finger hanging portions 242 are smoothly continuous on the side facing the rotation operation member 160. Therefore, when the finger rotates in the finger-hanging recess 242 or moves between the finger-hanging recesses 242, the fingers and the corners and ends of the front cover 240 (specifically, the finger-holding recess 242) locally contact each other. Such inconveniences are suitably suppressed.

  The finger fitted in the finger-hanging concave portion 242 comes into contact with both the contact surfaces 244 and the guide inclined surface 245. In this case, the finger can be rotated within a range limited by the contact surface 244 with a portion where the distance between the contact surfaces 244 is minimized as a base end. More specifically, the finger rotates along the bottom surface 243 and can rotate within the range of the spread angle set by the contact surface 244.

  According to the second embodiment described in detail above, similarly to the first embodiment, when the rotation operation member 160 is fixed at a desired position, the positional deviation can be suitably suppressed. it can. In addition, by allowing the finger to rotate within the finger hanging recess 242, the position of the rotation operation member 160 in a state where the finger is supported can be finely adjusted. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to give a function as an index for storing the operation position of the rotation operation member 160 to the finger-hanging recess 242.

  When the rotation operation member 160 is operated, the contact position between each finger and the operation surfaces 164a to 166a is smoothly displaced along the guide surfaces 164b to 166b according to the amount of rotation operation. For this reason, even if the operation is performed by bending a finger or the like instead of performing the rotation operation with the entire arm, the finger is less likely to touch the corners or ends of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a. This makes it difficult for a local burden to occur on the finger. For this reason, even if it is a case where the handle apparatus 41 is continued to be gripped for a long time, the problem that a finger etc. become painful can be suppressed suitably. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the handle device 41 is disposed at a corner of the pachinko machine 10, that is, at a position away from the front of the player. For this reason, depending on the player, there is a possibility that the arm is extended obliquely from the center side of the gaming machine toward the handle device 41 and the rotation operation is performed from a direction inclined with respect to the rotation center axis of the handle device 41. Even in such a case, it is difficult to touch the finger and the corners of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a, so that the operation can be performed comfortably. That is, by providing the guide surfaces 164b to 166b, the handle device 41 that can be comfortably operated from directions other than the rotation center axis direction is realized.

  In addition, it is assumed that the fingers get over the guide surfaces 164b to 166b and go around the dorsal side of the finger hooking operation portions 164 to 166, that is, the contact surfaces 164d to 166d. Since there are no sharp corners or steps at the boundaries between the operation surfaces 164a to 166a and the contact surfaces 164d to 166d, even if the finger contact position is extremely rearwardly displaced as described above, an edge or corner It is possible to suppress a load from being locally increased by hitting a part or the like.

  Since the entire handle device 41 has a spherical configuration, variations in operability due to the gripping direction of the handle device 41 can be suppressed. Specifically, the outer surface of the grip portion 241, the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161, and the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152 have the same curvature, and a step at the boundary portion is suppressed. For this reason, it is difficult for a change in grip feeling due to a change in the catch due to a step or a change in curvature depending on the grip direction. Thereby, for example, even when gripping from a direction different from the rotation center axis direction of the handle device 41, it is easy to ensure operability by suppressing a change in gripping feeling.

  The finger-hanging recess 242 is expanded on the rotating operation member 160 side. As described above, even in the configuration in which the gripping direction of the handle device 41 is allowed to vary, the finger rotates in the finger-hanging recess 242 with the guide inclined surface 245 side as the base end, thereby following the shift in the gripping direction while ensuring the catch. can do.

(Third embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the configuration relating to the front cover is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the configuration of the front cover will be described in detail below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description of the same configuration will be basically omitted. FIG. 17 is a front view of the handle device in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 17, in the present embodiment, a handle base 150 (not shown) and a rotation operation member 160 are provided, as in the first embodiment. Since the structure regarding the handle base 150, the rotation operation member 160, and the like is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, only the arrangement of the finger-hanging projection 190 and the finger placement area 200 provided on the front cover 170 is different. In the first embodiment, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger placement region 200 are arranged along the entire circumference of the rear end edge of the grip portion 171. That is, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger placement region 200 are arranged in an annular shape. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger placement region 200 arranged in an annular shape are deleted in a part of the range. That is, end portions are set in the arrangement range of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger placement region 200, and the arrangement is such that they form an arc shape.

  Hereinafter, the arrangement range of the finger placement area 200 will be described in detail.

As described above, when the turning operation member 160 is turned in the increasing direction, the game ball is launched toward the rail portions 53 and 54. When the rotation operation member 160 is operated by a predetermined amount,
The game ball is guided to the game area of the game board 61, and the game becomes effective. In this way, the finger placement area 200 is arranged corresponding to the rotation operation position at which the game ball can flow down the game area. That is, as shown in FIG. 17A, the finger placement area 200 is assumed to overlap with the thumb T accessing the first operation surface 164a in a state where the predetermined amount of rotation operation is performed. It is arranged at the site. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17B, the finger placement area 200 is also arranged at a position corresponding to the middle finger M in the maximum rotation state of the rotation operation member 160. That is, the finger placement area 200 is disposed at a site where it is assumed that the finger placement area 200 overlaps the middle finger M accessing the third operation surface 166a. The other finger placement areas 200 are arranged at equal intervals so as to form an arc shape with these two finger placement areas 200 as both ends. These finger placement areas 200 are arranged on the side where the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 are provided.

  Note that in a gaming machine provided with a stopper portion on the upper right portion of the game board 61 that suppresses the rightward movement of the game ball jumping out from the rail portions 53 and 54, the turning operation is performed and the game ball reaches the stopper portion. The finger placement area 200 may be arranged at a rotation position to be obtained, and the finger placement area 200 may be arranged within a range in which the game ball is guided to the game area and its movement is restricted by the stopper portion.

  According to the third embodiment described in detail above, the following special effects are produced in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment. Particularly in the present embodiment, the arrangement range of the finger placement area 200 is limited. As described above, the finger placement region 200 (specifically, the finger-hanging convex portion 190) has a function as an index for storing the finger position when the turning operation member 160 is turned. By making the arrangement of the finger placement area 200 correspond to the initial position of the first operation surface 164a, it becomes easier to store a desired state by visual observation. For example, in a state where the rotation operation member 160 is held at a desired position, it is stored that the thumb T accessing the first operation surface 164a is present at the second position counted from the initial position. By placing the thumb T on the second finger placement area 200 during replaying, it is possible to make it easier to reproduce the desired rotation operation position.

  Further, by rotating the thumb T until it reaches the finger placement area 200, the game ball can be guided to the game area. Therefore, the player does not need to adjust the amount of rotation so that the game ball reaches the game area while visually confirming the launch of the game ball. Thereby, the complexity accompanying adjustment at the time of rotation operation can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to easily adjust the rotation operation amount when starting the game. The third embodiment described in detail above can also be combined with the second embodiment (the configuration having the finger hanging recess 242).

  In addition, it is not limited to the description content of embodiment mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows.

  (A) In each of the above embodiments, the contact surfaces 190a and 190b are curved. However, it is possible to change the contact surfaces 190a and 190b to have a planar shape. It is.

  (B) In each of the above-described embodiments, the opposing contact surfaces 190a and 190b are configured such that the height or depth is displaced in the same direction as the rotation direction of the rotation operation member 160. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the height and depth are not displaced in the same direction. In other words, the contact surfaces 190a and 190b may have a planar shape that is orthogonal to the rotation direction. Note that the contact surface facing away from the rotation direction biased by the biasing member may finely adjust the amount of rotation operation by displacing the contact position with the finger. It is desirable that the height or depth be displaced.

  (C) In each of the above-described embodiments, the distance between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b is increased at the rear of the gaming machine. However, it is possible to change the distance between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b so that the distance is constant. is there.

  It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the distance dimension increases in front of the gaming machine. However, such changes are considered to affect the operability during the turning operation. As described above, when the distance dimension is increased rearward, the rotation base end portion of the finger in the finger placement region 200 is likely to be the back side of the finger placement region 200, that is, the tip side of the finger. As described above, when the distance between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b is large at the rear of the gaming machine, if the amount of displacement on the finger base when adjusting the amount of rotation operation is the amount of displacement D1, both When the distance between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b is increased in front of the gaming machine, the amount of displacement D2 on the finger base side necessary for performing the same fine adjustment as the amount of rotation operation is greater than the amount of displacement D1. Is also expected to grow. That is, when the interval dimension is configured to be increased in front of the gaming machine, it is likely that it is necessary to change the position of the entire hand when performing fine adjustment of the rotation operation amount. From the above, the configuration in which the gap dimension between the contact surfaces 190a and 190b increases from the near side to the far side suppresses the influence on the position of the hand when finely adjusting the rotation operation amount. Therefore, it is considered that the contribution to the improvement of operability is high. The same change can be made for the distance between the contact surfaces 242 facing each other.

  (D) In each of the above-described embodiments, only one of the finger hanging convex portion 190 protruding from the outer surface of the gripping portions 171 and 241 and the finger hanging concave portion 242 recessed inward is provided as the “finger hanging portion”. It is also possible to provide a concave finger-hanging portion.

  (E) In each of the above-described embodiments, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 and the finger-hanging concave portion 242 are arranged on the front cover 170. However, it is possible to change this and arrange it on the handle base 150. For example, it may be arranged along the front end edge of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152.

  (F) In each of the embodiments described above, a total of three finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 as “operation units” are provided, but the number is not limited to this. One operation unit may be provided, two may be provided, or four or more may be provided. For example, it is possible to provide one operation unit corresponding to each finger.

  In addition, it is not always necessary to arrange the finger hanging portions corresponding to the movement ranges of all the finger hanging operation portions 164 to 166, and the finger hanging portions are arranged corresponding to at least one movement range of the finger hanging operation portions 164 to 166. Is also possible.

  (G) In each of the above-described embodiments, all the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 are configured to have the same shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each shape can be different. . For example, the size of the operation surfaces 164a to 166a is changed according to the fingers T, I, and M to which the respective finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 correspond, and the overall size of the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 is based on this change. You may change the height.

  (H) In the first embodiment, all the finger-hanging protrusions 190 are configured with the same shape, but may be configured with different shapes individually. For example, you may change the protrusion amount of a finger hook convex part individually.

  (I) In the first embodiment, the protruding amount of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 is reduced on the rotating operation member 160 side. However, this may be changed as follows. That is, the protruding amount of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 may be increased on the rotating operation member 160 side. Moreover, you may comprise so that the protrusion amount of the finger hook convex part 190 may become fixed.

  (J) In the first and third embodiments, the phantom spherical surface G is configured by the outer surface of the gripping portion 171, the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161, and the outer surface of the hemispherical enlarged portion 152, but is not limited thereto. It is not something. For example, the outer surfaces may have different curvatures, or a step in the radial direction may be formed at the boundary portion between the outer surfaces.

  (K) In the second embodiment, a part of the phantom spherical surface G is configured by the bottom surface 243 of the finger hanging recess 242. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the bottom surface 243 may be configured to have a mortar shape (specifically, projecting inward), or may be configured to have a planar shape. It is also possible to arrange the bottom surface 243 so as to be outside the virtual spherical surface G.

  (L) In the second embodiment, the open portion is provided at the rear portion of the finger hanging recess 242. However, the open portion may not be provided. However, in the case where the open portion is not provided, the finger does not fully fit in the finger-hanging recess 242 and the catching function may be lowered. For this reason, it is considered necessary to take measures such as enlarging the finger hanging recess 242 to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience that the finger straddles the finger hanging recess.

  (M) In the second embodiment described above, the guide inclined surface 245 is provided in the finger-hanging concave portion 242, but this can be omitted.

  (N) The finger-hanging projections 190 in the first and third embodiments may have different colors. For example, each finger-hanging convex portion 190 may be painted with a different color. Thereby, identification of each finger hanging convex part 190 is facilitated, and the function as an index can be improved.

  (O) In the third embodiment, the end portion of the arrangement range of the finger hooking convex portion 190 is arranged in accordance with the initial position of the first operation surface 164a. However, this can be changed as follows. It is. For example, the size of the finger-hanging convex portion 190 arranged in accordance with the initial position of the first operation surface 164a may be different from that of the other finger-hanging convex portions 190. Further, it is possible to change the shape and color instead of changing the size. Furthermore, the specific finger-hanging projection 190 may be differentiated by a combination of size, shape, and color.

  (P) In the first and third embodiments, the arrangement intervals of the finger hanging projections 190 are constant, but the intervals between the finger hanging projections 190 may be individually different. For example, the interval between the finger-hanging convex portions 190 may be increased or decreased toward the direction in which the shooting speed of the game ball increases.

  Moreover, it is also possible to reduce the arrangement interval of the finger-hanging convex portions 190 within a range where the frequency of use is assumed to be high, that is, to make the finger-hanging convex portions 190 dense. For example, the finger-hanging convex portion 190 corresponds to a rotation operation position where it is assumed that the game ball easily reaches the vicinity of the nail 68 disposed on the rails 53 and 54 side of the game board 61 (so-called bump). It is good to arrange it closely. In addition, when it is necessary to hit the game balls on the right side and the left side of the game area according to the game situation, the arrangement of the finger-hanging convex portions 190 may be made dense in accordance with each rotation operation position.

  Note that it is possible to apply a change similar to the above-described change to the finger hanging recess 242 in the second embodiment.

  (Q) In the first and third embodiments described above, both the contact surface 190a of the adjacent one of the finger-hanging convex portions 190 and the contact surface 190b of the other finger-hanging convex portion 190 are the rotation operation member. Although it was set as the structure which curves so that the space | interval may spread on the 160 side, you may change this as follows. For example, the contact surface 190b may be a flat surface extending in the rotation center axis direction, and the contact surface 190a may be curved so as to spread from the contact surface 190b on the rotation operation member 160 side.

  (R) In each of the above embodiments, both the guide surfaces 164b to 166b and the contact surfaces 164d to 166d are curved, but only one of them can be curved. For example, the other can be planar. However, in general, the guide surfaces 164b to 166b are portions that are easily touched by a finger when the rotation operation member 160 is operated. For this reason, the guide surfaces 164b to 166b are preferably curved.

  (S) In each of the embodiments described above, the ridge line portions 164c to 166c are arranged at intermediate positions in the front-rear direction of the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ridge line portions 164c to 166c can be arranged at the front end portions of the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166. However, if the ridge line portions 164c to 166c are arranged at the front end in this way, it is difficult to maintain the front curved surface of the finger hooking operation portions 164 to 166. It is assumed that a finger accessing the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 easily comes into contact with the front surfaces of the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166. Therefore, it is desirable that the ridge line portions 164c to 166c be arranged within a range in which a gentle curved surface can be maintained in front of the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166.

  (T) The outer shapes of the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 may be hemispherical protruding in the radial direction from the outer surface of the outer ring portion 161. Moreover, it is also possible to make the external shape of the finger-hanging operation parts 164 to 166 into a quadrispherical shape protruding in the radial direction from the outer surface of the outer ring part 161. In such a case, it is desirable that the spherical portion is disposed rearward and the end surface portion is directed forward.

  Further, the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 may be formed in a columnar shape extending in the radial direction of the rotation operation member 160. As described above in detail, when the finger-hanging operation unit is configured to be symmetric on the near side and the far side in the increasing direction, the contact surfaces may be set on both the near side and the far side. In such a case, it is easy to stabilize the hooking between the finger-hanging operation part and the finger by operating with one finger-holding operation part sandwiched between two fingers. In particular, when the finger-hanging operation part has a hemispherical shape or a cylindrical shape, that is, when the finger-holding operation part is symmetrized on the front side and the back side of the pachinko machine 10, The contact portion of the finger is smoothly displaced along the surface of the finger-hanging operation portion. That is, the finger is smoothly displaced without coming into contact with the end portion or the like of the finger hanging operation unit. Thereby, it is possible to easily avoid local contact between the finger-hanging operation portion and the finger while improving the stability of the hooking operation portion and the finger caught during the turning operation.

  (U) In each of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12B and the like, in the front view of the pachinko machine 10, the portions where the operation surfaces 164a to 166a protrude most in the decreasing direction are the front cover 170 and the handle base. Although it has been arranged so as to be approximately in the middle of each boundary portion between 150 and the rotation operation member 160, it can be changed as follows. In other words, the most protruding portion of the operation surface can be disposed at the boundary portion between the front cover 170 and the rotation operation member 160.

  (V) In each of the embodiments described above, the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 are configured to fit between the boundary portions of the front cover 170 and the handle base 150 and the rotation operation member 160. It is also possible to change this. That is, the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 may be configured to exceed at least one of the boundary portions. For example, the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 may be configured to extend rearward from the boundary portion between the handle base 150 and the rotation operation member 160.

  (W) In each of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12B, the curvatures of the guide surfaces 164b to 166b are configured to gradually decrease on the handle base 150 side. It is also possible to configure the curvature of ˜166b to be constant. For example, the operation surfaces 164a to 166a and the contact surfaces 164d to 166d may be connected by a guide surface having a certain radius. However, as described above, when the curvature of the guide surface is made constant, it is considered that it is difficult to ensure the size of the guide surface in the front-rear direction (that is, “width”) as compared with the case where the curvature is gradually reduced. For this reason, it is assumed that the movement range of the finger along the guide surface is inevitably narrow, and it is difficult to secure a contact area with the finger. In such a case, the contact of a sharp corner or the like with the finger can be suppressed, but the contact area between the finger and the guide surface is reduced, which may weaken the local load reduction function. Therefore, it is preferable that the curvature of the guide surface is set so as to gradually decrease in the rear, and the contact area with the finger is made as large as possible.

  (X) In each of the above embodiments, a total of three finger hooking operation units 164 to 166 are provided, but the number is not limited to three. For example, it is possible to provide only one finger hooking operation unit. However, in such a case, it is considered that the burden on the finger operating the finger-hanging operation unit is less likely to be distributed than when a plurality of finger-hanging operation units are operated with a plurality of fingers. As described above, it is assumed that the burden is not distributed and the burden is concentrated on a specific finger, and it is likely to cause inconvenience such as fatigue and pain of the finger. Therefore, it is preferable to set a plurality of finger hooking operation units. For example, a total of five finger-hanging operation units corresponding to the respective fingers may be provided.

  (Y) In each of the above-described embodiments, the finger-hanging operation units 164 to 166 have the same outer shape. However, this is changed so that the size and shape of each change depending on the corresponding finger or the like. It is good. As shown in FIG. 13 and the like, the finger-hanging operation unit 164 corresponds to the thumb T, the finger-hanging operation unit 165 corresponds to the index finger I, and the finger-hanging operation unit 166 corresponds to the middle finger M. For example, the finger-hanging operation units 165 and 166 can be made smaller than the finger-hanging operation unit 164. More specifically, the operation surfaces 165a and 166a and the guide surfaces 165d and 166d can be made smaller than the operation surface 164a and the guide surface 164d.

  (Z) In each of the above embodiments, the rotation operation member 160 is composed of one member, but it may be configured by changing this and combining a plurality of members. More specifically, the rotation operation member 160 is configured to have an annular shape by one member, but may be configured to have an annular shape by a plurality of members. For example, you may comprise the rotation operation member which makes a ring as a whole by fixing two semi-annular members mutually.

  (Aa) In each of the above embodiments, the game ball launching handle 41 as the “handle device” is provided on the rotating front end side of the game machine main part 12 as the “game machine main body”. The ball launching handle 41 may be provided on the rotation base end side.

  (Ab) In each of the above-described embodiments, when the pachinko machine 10 is viewed from the front, the rotation speed of the game operation ball 160 is increased by rotating the rotation operation member 160 clockwise. Further, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the firing speed of the game ball is increased by rotating the rotation operation member 160 counterclockwise.

  (Ac) Although the front cover 170 is fixed to the mounting base 151 in each of the above embodiments, it can be changed and fixed to the rotating operation member 160. In such a case, the front cover 170 also rotates as the rotation operation member 160 rotates. Further, the rotation operation member 160 and the front cover 170 are not necessarily separate from each other, and both can be integrally formed.

  (Ad) In each of the above embodiments, the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 are integrally formed with the rotation operation member 160 (specifically, the outer ring portion 161), but this is changed and the finger-hanging operation portions 164 to 166 are separated. After being formed, the rotating operation member 160 (specifically, the outer ring portion 161) may be attached.

  (Ae) The present invention can also be applied to other types of ball and ball game machines different from the above-described embodiments, for example, game machines such as pachinko machines, arrange ball machines, and sparrow balls provided with other objects.

  A configuration in which the configurations in the embodiments described in detail above and the configurations in the different examples of (a) to (ae) are arbitrarily combined may be employed. For example, the third embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment, or the configuration of each embodiment may be combined with a plurality of other examples.

It is a front view which shows the pachinko machine in one embodiment. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the main structures of a pachinko machine. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the main structures of a pachinko machine. It is a rear view which shows the structure of a pachinko machine. It is a front view which shows the structure of a main body frame. It is a front view which shows the structure of a game board. It is a perspective view which shows the back surface structure of a game board. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a handle apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a handle apparatus. It is a side view which shows the structure of a handle apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a handle apparatus. 10A is a partial end view taken along line AA in FIG. 10, FIG. 10B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, FIG. 10C is a partial end view taken along line CC in FIG. FIG. 10 is a partial end view taken along line DD of FIG. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the handle apparatus from the front. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a pachinko machine. It is a side view which shows the structure of another front cover. It is the EE line | wire partial end elevation of FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure of another front part cover. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating background art and a subject.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pachinko machine as a gaming machine, 13 ... Main part of gaming machine as a gaming machine body, 41 ... Handle device, 150 ... Handle base, 151 ... Mounting base as a base, 152 ... Hemispherical diameter expansion part, 160 ... Operation Rotating operation member as a member, 161 ... outer ring part, 164 to 166 ... finger hooking operation part, 164a to 166a ... operation surface, 164b to 166b ... guide surface, 164d to 166d ... contact surface, 170 ... front cover, 171 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Grasping part, 190 ... Finger-hanging convex part, 190a, 190b ... Contact surface as a contact surface part, 200 ... Finger placement area, 210 ... Supporting part, 240 ... Front cover, 241 ... Grasping part, 242 ... Finger-hanging concave part 243... Bottom surface, 244... Contact surface as a side surface portion.

Claims (1)

A handle device operated to launch a game ball toward the game area is provided on the front surface of the game machine body,
The handle device is
A base fixed to the gaming machine body;
A front cover fixed to the base and constituting a front portion of the handle device;
An operation member that is provided between the base and the front cover, is rotated when the game ball is launched, and can adjust the launch speed of the game ball based on the amount of the pivot operation;
A plurality of concave finger-hanging portions that are provided on the front cover and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the same direction as the rotation direction of the operation member;
The surface of the front cover has a curved shape that protrudes forward of the gaming machine,
The finger-hanging portion is a finger-hanging recess that is recessed from the surface of the front cover to the inside of the front cover and that is open to the operation member side, and the depth of the finger-hanging recess is the rotation operation direction. Changes intermittently or continuously,
Spacing both side surfaces defining the width of the finger hanging portion Ru is formed to be wider as the operating member side to the boundary portion between the operating member in said front cover in the turning operation direction in the finger holder Thus, in the front cover portion of the front cover that is configured to have a small distance between both side surfaces, positional deviation of the fingers in the finger hanging portion is suppressed, and the distance between the both side surfaces is set to be large. A gaming machine, wherein the finger position adjustment of the finger-hanging portion is easy at the operation member side portion of the part cover .

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