JP7321011B2 - game machine - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a game machine having a structure capable of stably maintaining the accuracy of a game ball shooting operation over a long period of time.

A pinball game machine such as a pachinko machine is equipped with a pattern starting port provided on a game board, a pattern display section for displaying a series of pattern variations by a plurality of display patterns, and a prize winning port in which an opening/closing plate is opened and closed. configured as follows. When the detection switch provided at the symbol start port detects the passage of the game ball, the winning state is entered, and after the game ball is paid out as a prize ball, the displayed symbols are changed in the symbol display unit for a predetermined period of time. After that, when the symbols stop in a predetermined manner such as 7, 7, 7, etc., a big hit state is entered, and the big winning opening is repeatedly opened to generate a game state advantageous to the player.

Whether or not to generate a big win game state is determined by a big win lottery that is executed on the condition that a game ball has entered the symbol start port, and the above-mentioned symbol variation operation is based on the results of this lottery. It has become. For example, when the lottery result is a winning state, a performance operation called reach action is executed for about 20 seconds, and then the special symbols are arranged.

By the way, in this type of gaming machine, the lottery process is not executed unless a game ball wins the symbol starting hole. A game ball is fired by pressing the button. Specifically, a game ball guided to a shooting position in response to the operation of a ball feed solenoid is shot by a hitting mallet that operates in response to the shooting solenoid (Patent Literature 1, Patent Literature 2).

For example, in the configuration of Cited Document 2, a receiving operation of receiving a game ball that should follow the game ball at the launch position to the standby position, and moving the game ball from the standby position to the launch position while preventing movement of the following game ball. The outflow operation is switched based on the energization of the ball feed solenoid. In addition, in Cited Document 1, a solenoid ON operation (Fig. 11(a)) that moves only the most advanced game ball to the shooting position in a state in which movement of subsequent game balls is blocked, and movement of the most advanced game ball Solenoid OFF operation (FIG. 11(b)) that permits the subsequent movement of the game ball while preventing the movement of the game ball.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-36600 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-289580

As described above, the accuracy of the game ball shooting motion is extremely important for this type of game machine, and a one-to-one relationship is essential between the rotational position of the shooting handle and the impact strength of the hammer to the game ball. Therefore, there must be no variation in the landing position of the game ball.

However, if the large power consumption accelerates deterioration of the ball feed solenoid, accurate ball feed operation cannot be maintained for a long period of time.

Also, if a large current exceeding the set value flows through the power line or ground line due to deterioration of the ball feed solenoid, the voltage drop in the power line or ground line will increase, and the drive voltage supplied to the firing solenoid will decrease. Inability to maintain accurate firing motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a game machine capable of stably maintaining the accuracy of the game ball shooting operation over a long period of time.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a game machine having a ball feeding solenoid and a shooting control unit for shooting a game medium toward a game area by appropriately operating a ball feeding solenoid and a shooting solenoid, wherein the ball A first switch circuit, a current limiting resistor connected in parallel to the current path of the first switch circuit, and a second switch circuit are arranged in the current path of the feed solenoid. a guiding operation of guiding the game medium to a predetermined shooting position; and a shooting operation of hitting the game medium at the shooting position based on the operation of the shooting solenoid after the game medium is guided to the shooting position. The induction operation includes a starting operation of supplying a specified current to the ball feed solenoid, a holding operation of causing the ball feed solenoid to function at a current lower than the specified current after the completion of the starting operation, During the activation operation, the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are turned ON, while during the holding operation, the first switch circuit is kept ON while the second switch circuit is kept ON. The circuit is configured to operate OFF .

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to realize a game machine that can stably maintain the accuracy of the game ball shooting operation over a long period of time.

It is a perspective view showing the pachinko machine of the present embodiment. It is a schematic front view of the game board of the present embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the whole circuit structure of a present Example. It is a circuit block diagram showing the main part of the main control board and the payout control board. It is drawing explaining the electric power distribution to a payout control board from a power supply board. It is drawing explaining the isolation line of a payout control board. Fig. 3 illustrates a firing control circuit element and a touch sensor; FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a main part of a firing control circuit element; 4 is a time chart for explaining the count operation of the firing control circuit element; 4 is a time chart illustrating the solenoid control operation of the firing control circuit element; It is a time chart explaining the modification operation example of a ball feed solenoid and a discharge solenoid.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the pachinko machine GM of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a front view of the game board 5. As shown in FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall circuit configuration of the pachinko machine GM, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configurations of the main control board 21 and payout control board 24 in some detail.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine GM can be opened and closed via a rectangular wooden outer frame 1 detachably attached to the island structure and a hinge 2 fixed to the wooden outer frame 1. It is composed of a pivotally attached front frame 3.

A game board 5 is detachably attached to the front frame 3 not from the back side but from the front side using a one-touch connector. is worn. Here, the one-touch connector means a connection connector C1 to C3 (see FIG. 3) in which a plurality of contacts are connected by one attachment operation and separated by one separation operation.

Illuminated lamps such as LED lamps are arranged in a substantially C shape around the outer periphery of the glass door 6 . On the other hand, below the glass door 6, a speaker is arranged.

An upper plate 8 for storing game balls to be shot is attached to the front plate 7, and a lower plate 9 for storing game balls overflowing or extracted from the upper plate 8 and a shooting handle are provided at the lower part of the front frame 3. 10 are provided. A game ball is shot from the shooting handle 10 by a hitting mallet that operates with strength corresponding to its rotation angle.

Here, the hammer is driven by the firing solenoid SLe (Fig. 3), and the ball feed solenoid SLf (Fig. 3) functions to prepare for firing until the hammer functions. Although the specific operation is not particularly limited, for example, in response to the ON operation of the ball feed solenoid SLf, the cutting edge game ball is received at the standby position while blocking the subsequent movement of the game ball, and then the ball In response to the OFF operation of the feed solenoid SLf, the game ball at the standby position moves to the shooting position.

This ball feeding operation is repeated at an operation cycle of about 600 ms. When the ball feeding solenoid SLf is turned on, the shooting solenoid SLe is turned on, so that about 100 game balls are shot from the shooting position per minute. will be

Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the firing handle 10 has a firing strength volume VR capable of adjusting the firing strength of the firing solenoid SLe and a touch panel for detecting whether or not the player is touching the firing handle 10. A sensor TCH and a firing stop switch STOP for the player to instruct to stop firing are arranged.

A firing intensity signal VR indicating the rotational position of the firing handle 10, a touch sensor signal TCH from the touch sensor TCH, and a stop switch signal STOP, which are outputs of the firing intensity volume VR, are output from the firing control circuit of the payout control board 24. It is configured to be transmitted to the element SH (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

A chance button 11 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper plate 8. - 特許庁The chance button 11 is provided at a position where it can be operated with the player's left hand, and the player can operate the chance button 11 without releasing the right hand from the shooting handle 10.例文帳に追加The chance button 11 does not function normally, but when the game state becomes the button chance state, the built-in lamp lights up and becomes operable. Note that the button chance state is a game state provided as necessary.

On the right side of the upper plate 8, an operation panel 12 for ball lending operation for the card-type ball lending machine is provided. A ball lending switch for instructing the lending of game balls and a return switch for instructing the card to be returned at the end of the game are provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the surface of the game board 5, a guide rail 13 consisting of a metal outer rail and an inner rail is provided in an annular shape, and a central opening HO extending to the back side is provided substantially in the center thereof. It is A display device DS composed of a liquid crystal color display is arranged at the bottom of the central opening HO.

In addition, in the space formed in front of the display device DS, an effect movable body AMU (movable accessory) is arranged so as to be able to move up and down. The effect movable body AMU is composed of a fixed member FIX that is held by an elevating mechanism ALV and raised and lowered, and a rotating member ROT that is supported and rotated by the fixed member FIX.

The lifting motion of the lifting mechanism ALV and the rotating motion of the rotating member ROT are realized by the rotation of performance motors M1 to Mn which are configured by stepping motors. In addition, normally, the effect movable body AMU is on standby while being lifted by the lifting mechanism ALV.

A symbol start opening 15, a large winning opening 16, a normal winning opening 17, and a gate 18 are arranged at proper places in the game area. Each of these winning holes 15 to 18 has a detection switch inside so that the passage of a game ball can be detected.

The display device DS is a device that variably displays specific symbols related to a big hit state and also displays a background image, various characters, and the like in an animated manner. The display device DS has special symbol display portions Da to Dc in the central portion and a normal symbol display portion 19 in the upper right portion. Then, in the special symbol display portions Da to Dc, a ready-to-win effect is executed to expect the arrival of a big hit state, and in the special symbol display portions Da to Dc and its surroundings, a notice effect, etc., is executed to indefinitely notify the result of winning or failing. be done.

A normal pattern display part 19 displays a normal pattern, and when a game ball passing through a gate 18 is detected, the normal pattern changes for a predetermined time, and a lottery extracted when the game ball passes through the gate 18.例文帳に追加It is designed to display a stop symbol determined by a random number and then stop.

The pattern starting port 15 is configured to be opened and closed by an electric tulip provided with a pair of left and right opening and closing claws, and when the stop pattern after the change of the normal pattern display part 19 is displayed as a winning pattern, the opening and closing claws are set to a predetermined value. It is open only for a certain period of time or until a predetermined number of game balls are detected.

The electric tulip is opened when the control signal CLT2 becomes L level, and the second solenoid SL2 is energized via the switch circuit PS by the power transistor (see FIG. 4). Although different from the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when the normal winning opening 17 is configured to be openable/closable, the normal winning opening is opened/closed by the third solenoid SL3 controlled by the control signal CTL3.

When the game ball enters the pattern starting port 15, the display patterns of the special pattern display parts Da to Dc fluctuate for a predetermined time, and are determined based on the lottery result according to the winning timing of the game ball entering the pattern starting port 15.例文帳に追加Stop at the stop symbol. In the special symbol display portions Da to Dc and their surroundings, there is a case where an advance notice effect is executed between a series of symbol effects. Also, as a kind of advance notice effect, the effect movable body AMU may descend to the position of the central opening HO. Then, the effect movable body AMU that has descended rises to its original position after rotating clockwise or counterclockwise.

The big winning opening 16 is controlled to be opened or closed by an opening/closing plate 16a that can be opened forward, for example. ” is started, and the opening/closing plate 16a is opened. The opening/closing plate 16a is opened when the first solenoid SL1 is energized at the timing when the control signal CTL1 becomes L level (see FIG. 4).

After the opening/closing plate 16a of the big winning hole 16 is opened, the opening/closing plate 16a closes when a predetermined time elapses or when a predetermined number (for example 10) of game balls wins. Such an action continues the special game up to, for example, 15 times, and is controlled in a state advantageous to the player. In addition, when the stop symbol after the change of the special symbol display parts Da to Dc is a specific symbol among the special symbols, a privilege that the game after the end of the special game will be in a high probability state is given.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall circuit configuration of the pachinko machine GM that realizes the above operations, and shows a gaming machine that is connected to the hall computer HC and the ball lending machine LEN and operates on AC 24V. there is Various game information INF and abnormality information are transmitted to the hall computer HC, and various information is transmitted and received between the ball lending machine LEN and the gaming machine GM during the ball lending operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, this game machine GM receives AC24V and outputs three types of DC voltages (5V, 12V, 35V) to two systems, and a power supply board 20, and plays a central role in game control operations. A main control board 21, an effect control board 22 for executing a lamp effect, a sound effect, etc. based on a control command CMD received from the main control board 21, and a display device based on a control command CMD' received from the effect control board 22. It mainly consists of an image control board 23 for driving the DS and a payout control board 24 for controlling the payout motor Mo to pay out game balls based on the control command SYO received from the main control board 21 .

The control command CMD output by the main control board 21 is first transmitted to the effect control board 22, and the control command CMD' output from the effect control board 22 is transmitted to the image interface board 37 together with the 1-bit strobe signal STB. is transmitted to the image control board 23 via. On the other hand, the prize ball control command SYO output by the main control board 21 is transmitted to the payout control board 24 via the main board relay board 34 .

The control command CMD and the control command CMD' are parallel data of 16-bit length, and are transmitted in parallel from the main control board 21 to the image control board 23 in two batches of 8-bit length. Therefore, the command transmission path from the main control board 21 to the image control board 23 has a total length of 9 bits including the strobe signal STB.

On the other hand, the control command CMD' transmitted from the performance control board 22 to the image control board 23 is parallel-transmitted in 16-bit length. Therefore, the command transmission path from the effect control board 22 to the image control board 23 has a total length of 17 bits including the strobe signal STB', but even if a large number of control commands are continuously transmitted and received, they can be processed quickly. You have the advantage of being able to finish.

In this embodiment, the control command (prize ball command) SYO transmitted from the main control board 21 to the payout control board 24 is composed of 8-bit serial data. This prize ball command SYO has a total of 10 bits by adding a start bit START and a stop bit STOP, and is serially transmitted in an asynchronous manner without transmitting a transmission clock.

The main control board 21, effect control board 22, image control board 23, and payout control board 24 are equipped with computer circuits including one-chip microcomputers MCOM1 to MCOM4, respectively. Therefore, in this specification, the circuits mounted on the control boards 21 to 24 and the interface board 37, and the operations realized by the circuits are collectively functionally referred to as the main control unit 21, the effect control unit 22, the image They may be referred to as a control section 23 and a payout control section 24 . That is, in this embodiment, the image control board 23 and the image interface board 37 constitute the image control section 23 . All or part of the effect control unit 22, the image control unit 23, and the payout control unit 24 are sub-control units.

<Componentized Power Board 20>
First, in this embodiment, the circuit configuration of the power supply board 20 is simplified, and the power supply board can be made into a component that does not require public inspection. Specifically, the power supply board 20 includes a rectifier circuit that rectifies AC 24V, a power factor correction circuit that receives the output of the rectifier circuit, and three types of DC voltages (35V, 12V, 5V) that receive the output of the power factor correction circuit. ), and does not output a power reset signal RST indicating power on/off and a power failure signal ABN.

Corresponding to this configuration, in this embodiment, the power reset signal RST (RST1 to RST3) is based on the DC voltage distributed to the payout control board 24, the main control board 21, and the effect control board 22 respectively. generated. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 4, in the payout control board 24 and the main control board 21, each DC In the determination circuits JG1 and JG2, power reset signals RST1 and RST2 are generated to power reset the internal circuits.

Similarly, the effect control board 22 and the image control board 23 also generate a power reset signal RST3 based on the two types of distributed DC voltages (12V, 5V), Power reset the circuit.

In addition, the DC determination circuit JG1 of the payout control board 24 generates a power interruption signal ABN based on the AC voltage AC24V distributed to the payout control board 24, and the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 and the one-chip of the main control board 21 It is transmitted to the microcomputer MCOM1.

Thus, in the embodiment, since the power supply reset signal RST and the power interruption signal ABN that affect the game control operation are not output from the power supply board 20, there is practically no fear of abuse or modification of the power supply board 20, and public Confirmation inspection by a public institution becomes unnecessary.

<Backup power supply board 27>
In addition, in this embodiment, the backup power supply board 27 on which the electric double layer capacitor Cbk is arranged is provided separately from the power supply board 20 and the payout control board 24, and the payout control board 24 receives the DC voltage from the power supply board 20. VBB (5 V) is supplied to the backup power supply board 27 through the power supply line VBB to charge the electric double layer capacitor Cbk (see FIG. 4). After the power failure, the charging voltage VBB of the electric double layer capacitor Cbk functions as a backup power supply VBB for the one-chip microcomputers MCOM4 and MCOM1 mounted on the payout control board 24 and the main control board 21. The storage contents of the built-in RAM are reliably maintained.

<Power distribution path from power supply board>
Next, the power distribution path of the DC voltage generated by the power supply substrate 20 will be organized. FIG. 5 shows only the portion related to the payout control section 24 in the internal configuration of the power supply board 20, omitting the power factor correction circuit. The power supply board 20 is further provided with three sets of power supply circuits similar to those shown in the figure, and the three types of DC voltages 35, 12V, and 5V generated by the three sets of power supply circuits (not shown) are connected to the connector C2. Power is distributed to the performance control board 22 via the power relay board 35 . Two types of DC voltages (12V, 5V) are distributed to the image control board 23 via the effect control board 22 and the image interface board 37 .

Based on the above, the description of power distribution from the power supply board 20 to the payout control unit 24 will be continued. As shown in FIG. For the payout control board 24, three sets of power supply circuits composed of DC/DC converters DC/DC1 to DC/DC3 and LC filter circuits LC1 to LC2 are arranged.

Then, the DC voltages 35, 12V, and 5V generated by the respective power circuits are distributed to the payout control board 24 together with the AC 24V. In addition, the three types of DC voltages 35, 12V, and 5V distributed to the payout control board 24 pass through the payout control board 24, and then pass through the connector C1 and the main board relay board 34 to the main control board 21. (see Figures 3 and 4).

Here, the power supply lines for the three types of DC voltages of 35V, 12V, and 5V and the corresponding ground lines are each distributed by a plurality of wiring cables to reduce the line impedance. 4, the DC voltage 35V is specialized for driving the ball feeding solenoid SLf, the firing solenoid SLe, and the solenoids SL1 to SL3 of the main control unit 21. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, only the solenoid driving current flows through the power supply line and the ground line of DC voltage 35V, and the computer circuits (MCOM1, MCOM4) of the main control unit 21 and the payout control unit 24 having the power supply voltage of DC voltage 5V (MCOM1, MCOM4), The solenoid drive voltage (35V) is prevented from fluctuating without being affected by the logic circuit and the motor driver DR using DC 12V as the power supply voltage. In addition, the influence of changes in the solenoid drive current flowing through the 35V DC power supply line and ground line on the computer circuits (MCOM1, MCOM4) is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 4, DC 12V is used as the power supply voltage not only for the motor driver DR for driving the payout motor Mo for paying out game balls, but also for the counting switch for counting the number of games paid out and the ball for lending operation. A rental repeater unit LK1 is also included.

By the way, in the following description, for convenience, the ground with a DC voltage of 35V is sometimes referred to as the first ground plane A_GND, and the other grounds are sometimes referred to as the second ground plane D_GND. is connected to the common ground terminal COM of the power supply substrate 20 as shown in FIG. However, in this embodiment, in the payout control board 24 and the main control board 21, the first ground plane A_GND and the second ground plane D_GND are completely separated, and the current of one affects the other. never

<General circuit configuration of game machine>
Next, returning to FIG. 3, the game machine GM is roughly divided into a frame-side member GM1 surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. . The frame-side member GM1 and the board-side member GM2 are electrically connected by connectors C1 to C3 centrally arranged in one place. Each of the connectors C1 to C3 has a plurality of contacts, and the contacts of all of these C1 to C3 are one-touch connectors that are connected by one attachment operation and separated by one separation operation.

The frame-side member GM1 includes a front frame 3 to which a glass door 6 and a front plate 7 are pivotally attached, and a wooden outer frame 1 on the outside thereof, so that the game hall can be used for a long time regardless of model changes. fixedly installed in the On the other hand, the board-side member GM2 is replaced in response to the model change, and the new board-side member GM2 is attached to the frame-side member GM1 instead of the original board-side member. In addition, everything except the frame side member GM1 is the board side member GM2.

<Board side member GM2>
First, the board-side member GM2 will be explained. On the back of the game board 5, as the board-side member GM2, a main control board 21, an effect control board 22, an image control board 23, and an image interface board 37 are mounted on the display device DS. and other circuit boards.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main control board 21 is connected to an initialization switch INI operated by a staff member. Initialization switch INI is a switch for determining whether or not to initialize the work area of the built-in RAM of the one-chip microcomputers MCOM1 and MCOM4 of the main control unit 21 and the payout control unit 24. A RAM clear signal CLR indicating that the initialization switch INI has been turned on is commonly transmitted to the one-chip microcomputer MCOM1 of the main control unit 21 and the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 of the payout control unit 24 (FIG. 4 reference).

Also, the main control unit 21 is connected to each game component of the game board 5 via the game board relay board 33 . Then, while receiving switch signals from detection switches built into the winning holes 15 to 18 on the game board, solenoids SL1 to SL3 such as electric tulips are driven.

As described above, the power supply voltage for the solenoids SL1 to SL3 is generated by the power supply board 20 and distributed via the payout control section 24. As shown in FIG. 4, power switches PS to PS are connected to each of the solenoids SL1 to SL3, and each power switch PS includes a built-in power transistor that operates ON/OFF based on the control signals CTL1 to CTL3. ing. Then, the one-chip microcomputer MCOM1 appropriately controls the control signals CTL1 to CTL3, so that the solenoids SL1 to SL3 open and close the electric tulip and the big prize opening 16 appropriately.

As shown in FIG. 3, the production control board 22 includes a one-chip microcomputer MCOM2 for controlling production operations such as sound production, lamp production, and movable production by the production movable body, and audio signals based on instructions from the one-chip microcomputer MCOM2. a speech synthesis circuit (speech processor) SND that reproduces and outputs a speech signal, a speech memory that stores compressed speech data that is the original data of the speech signal to be reproduced, and a digital speech signal from the speech synthesis circuit SND that is received and amplified by class D A digital amplifier AMP and the like are arranged.

In addition, the effect control board 22, the lamp drive board 38, is connected to the lamp motor drive board 39, the lamp group and the motor group M1~Mx connected to each drive board 38, 39 are appropriately driven. By doing so, a lamp effect and a movable effect are realized.

On the other hand, the image control board 23 has a one-chip microcomputer MCOM3 that receives a control command CMD' from the effect control board 22, and based on instructions from the one-chip microcomputer MCOM3, generates image data for one frame of the display device DS. and an image processor VDP for outputting images, and a CG memory for storing basic data for image rendering. The one-chip microcomputer MCOM3 controls the image processor VDP based on the control command CMD', thereby realizing image effects synchronized with the lamp effects, sound effects, and movable effects in the effect control unit 22. - 特許庁

<Frame side member GM1>
Next, the frame-side member GM1 will be explained. As shown in the dashed frame in FIG. 3, the frame-side member GM1 includes a power supply board 20, a payout control board 24, a signal relay board 25, a firing relay board 26, a backup power supply board 27, and an external terminal board 28. , a frame relay board 31 and a lamp drive board 32, which are fixed to the front frame 3 at appropriate locations. The power supply board 20 and the backup power supply board 27 are as described above.

The external terminal board 28 is a circuit board that relays game information INF to be transmitted to the hall computer HC. It is connected to the external terminal board 28 via the control board 24 (see FIG. 4).

A plurality of LEDs are connected to the lamp drive board 32, and drive data for driving these LED groups is transmitted as a serial signal from the one-chip microcomputer MCOM2 of the effect control board 22→frame relay board 36→connector C3→ It is transmitted to a plurality of LED drivers mounted on the lamp drive board 32 via the frame relay board 31 . Similarly, an audio signal for sound effects generated by the effect control board 22 is also supplied to a plurality of speakers via the frame relay board 36→connector C3→frame relay board 31. FIG.

In addition, the frame relay board 31 receives a switch signal from the chance button 11, and outputs the one-chip microcomputer of the effect control board 22 via the connection connector C3 to the frame relay board 36 as a serial signal combined with other signals. It is transmitted to MCOM2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the payout control board 24 includes a one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 containing an 8-bit processing unit CPU, and a power-related circuit 29 that generates a power reset signal RST1 and a power interruption signal ABN. , a motor driver DR that rotationally drives the payout motor Mo, a launch control circuit element SH that generates drive signals for the ball feed solenoid SLf that controls the launch of the game ball and the launch solenoid SLe, and the like, and a step-down stabilized power supply circuit REG. , and a ball lending relay unit LK1 for realizing the ball lending operation are mounted.

The power-related circuit 29 includes an AC detection circuit DET that receives 24V AC from the power supply board 20 and a DC determination circuit JG1 that receives 12V and 5V DC from the power supply board 20 . Here, the AC detection circuit DET is a circuit that detects whether the AC power supply is on or off. On the other hand, the DC determination circuit JG1 is as described above with respect to the power supply board 20, and generates the power reset signal RST1 based on the DC voltage (12V, 5V) and also detects that the AC power supply (24V AC) has been cut off. It detects and generates a power failure signal ABN.

In this embodiment, the drive signals Φ1 to Φ4 for rotationally driving the payout motor Mo are generated by the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 and transmitted to the motor driver DR having a DC voltage of 12V as a power supply voltage. On the other hand, the firing solenoid SLe and the ball feed solenoid SLf are not based on the control of the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4, but based on the fixed set value to the lead terminal of the firing control circuit element SH and the output signal of the firing intensity volume VR. , its energization time, energization timing, energization cycle, etc. are controlled by the launch control circuit element SH.

However, in order for the launch control circuit element SH to start the launch control operation, (1) the ball lending machine LEN is normally connected, and (2) the launch permission signal SHOOT is received from the main control unit 21. is the operation start condition. Further, when (3) the player releases the shooting handle 10 or (4) the player instructs to stop shooting, the shooting control circuit element SH naturally stops the shooting operation (operation stop condition).

In relation to the operation start condition described above, the launch control circuit element SH is connected to the ball lending machine LEN via the ball lending relay part LK1 and the relay board LK2, and checks the connection state with the ball lending machine LEN. energization signal POUT shown in FIG. Also, the firing control circuit element SH is circuit-connected to receive a firing enable signal SHOOT from the one-chip microcomputer MCOM1 of the main control section 21 .

By the way, this firing control circuit element SH is composed of a SIP (Single Inline Package) type single element in which a large number of electronic elements related to firing control are incorporated (FIG. 6). However, there is no particular limitation, and a DIP (Dual Inline Package) type single element may be used.

In any case, the circuit components of the payout control board 24 that realize the above configuration are not of the surface mounting type but of the through-hole mounting type. The lead terminals of each circuit component are inserted from the substrate surface and soldered from the back side. Therefore, by adopting a flow soldering method or the like, the soldering work can be completed quickly. In addition, since there is no circuit component on the back side of the payout control board 24, not only can the payout control unit 24 be made thinner, but also the inspection processing at the inspection agency can be speeded up.

Solid ground planes are formed on the front surface and the rear surface of the payout control board 24, respectively. Here, the solid ground plane refers to the ground plane of the entire circuit board surface, excluding the signal patterns that connect components and the power supply pattern that supplies the power supply voltage, and realizes low impedance. At the same time, noise resistance is improved.

Furthermore, the solid ground planes on the front surface and the rear surface of the payout control board 24 are each divided into a first ground plane A_GND and a second ground plane D_GND by an isolation line, and flow through the two ground planes A_GND and D_GND. Countermeasures are taken so that the return current is not mixed. This point is as described above, and only the return current of the solenoid drive voltage (DC voltage of 35V) flows through the first ground plane A_GND.

In addition, (1) all circuit components are standardized through-hole mounting type, and are inserted from the front side of the board and soldered from the back side, (2) there are no circuit components on the back side of the board, and ( 3) The fact that the solid ground plane is divided into the first ground plane A_GND and the second ground plane D_GND by the isolation line applies not only to the payout control board 24 but also to the main control board 21 .

Continuing the description of the payout control board 24 based on the above, as shown in FIG. 4, the firing control circuit element SH is supplied with two types of power supply voltages, a DC voltage of 35V and a DC voltage of 5V.

Here, the DC voltage of 5V supplied to the firing control circuit element SH is distinguished from the power supply voltage of 5V for the one-chip microcomputers MCOM1 and MCOM4 and their associated logic circuits. It is generated by the power supply circuit REG. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the logical operation of the firing control circuit element SH from adversely affecting the one-chip microcomputer of the main control unit 21, the payout control unit 24, and other circuit elements via the 5V power supply line. be done.

Corresponding to the configuration of the payout control board 24, the signal relay board 25 transfers the driving signals Φ1 to Φ4 received from the motor driver DR to the payout motor Mo to rotationally drive the payout motor Mo (see FIG. 3). ). Further, the signal relay board 25 receives detection signals from various detection sensors and transfers them to the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 of the payout control board 24 .

The detection signal received by the signal relay board 25 is not particularly limited. a ball clogging detection signal indicating that there are no game balls to be paid out, a supply shortage detection signal indicating that there are no game balls to be paid out, and a count switch detection signal indicating that the game ball payout has been detected.

Next, the firing relay board 26 supplies the drive signal received from the firing control circuit element SH to the ball feed solenoid SLf, thereby achieving firing control operation together with the firing solenoid SLe. In addition, the firing relay board 26 includes a firing stop switch STOP for instructing the firing stop of the game ball with respect to the firing handle 10 operated by the player, a touch sensor TCH indicating that the player is touching the firing handle 10, and a touch sensor TCH. , a signal from the firing intensity volume VR indicating the rotational position of the firing handle 10 is received, and each received signal is transferred to the one-chip microcomputer MCOM4 of the payout control board 24.

FIG. 6 illustrates the solid ground surface of the payout control board 24, and schematically shows the upper left corner on the front side of the payout control board 24. FIG. As described above, the solid ground planes formed on the front and back surfaces of the payout control board 24 are separated by an isolation line and divided into the first ground plane A_GND and the second ground plane D_GND indicated by hatching in FIG. ing. The solid line defining the boundary between the shaded portion and the other blank portion is the isolation line. Although FIG. 6 shows the front side of the payout control board 24, the area corresponding to the shaded portion on the front side is also the first ground plane A_GND on the back side.

FIG. 6 shows a first connector CN1 that receives three types of DC voltages (35V, 12V, 5V) from the power supply board, and a second connector CN2 that drives the ball feed solenoid SLf and receives various signals for firing control. , a third connector CN3 that drives the firing solenoid SLe, a firing control circuit element SH, a stabilized power supply circuit REG, and the like. For the sake of convenience, the connection point to the first ground plane A_GND and the connection point to the second ground plane D_GND are represented by different earth symbols.

Here, the ground terminal GND of the second connector CN2 is connected to the second ground plane D_GND, and all other connector terminals are connected to the lead terminals of the firing control circuit element SH via signal traces on the circuit board. It is Lead terminals of the launch control circuit element SH are connected to first power supply terminals T1 and T2 to which a DC voltage of 35V is distributed, a second power supply terminal T9 to which a DC voltage of 5V is distributed, and a first ground plane A_GND. There is a first ground terminal T7 and a second ground terminal T14 connected to the second ground plane D_GND. As shown, 5V output from the stabilized power supply circuit REG is distributed to the second power supply terminal T9.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an electrolytic capacitor C1 is arranged between the power supply line of DC voltage 35V and the first ground plane A_GND. This DC voltage of 35 V is directly supplied to the first power supply terminals T1 and T2 of the firing control circuit element SH, and is also supplied to the lead terminal T3 of the firing control circuit element SH via the current limiting resistor RS. (See Figure 8). A signal from the touch sensor TCH is transmitted to the lead terminal T8 of the emission control circuit element SH, and is connected to the first ground plane A_GND via the surge absorber SA (see FIG. 8).

The surge absorber SA is an element that normally maintains a high resistance value so that almost no current flows, but changes to a low resistance when receiving a surge voltage (abnormal voltage). Then, when a player who is highly charged with static electricity touches the shooting handle 10, the surge voltage is absorbed by the first ground plane A_GND from the touch sensor TCH via the surge absorber SA. Destruction and deterioration of SH are prevented. In addition, since the surge current caused by the charged static electricity does not flow into the second ground plane D_GND, there is no danger of the computer circuit malfunctioning.

The top left corner of the payout control board 24 has the circuit configuration described above. 6, the isolation line is formed to bisect the first connector CN1, the second connector CN2, and the firing control circuit element SH. That is, in the first connector CN1, a first power supply terminal to which a DC voltage of 35V is distributed and a ground terminal corresponding thereto are located above the first ground plane A_GND, and the remaining terminals are located on the second ground plane D_GND. is located on top of

Also, in the second connector CN2, only the drive terminal pair that transmits the drive signal to the ball feed solenoid SLf is located above the first ground plane A_GND, and the remaining terminals are located above the second ground plane D_GND. . The third connector CN2 is located above the first ground plane A_GND.

On the other hand, for the firing control circuit element SH, a pair of drive terminals T5 and T6 for outputting a drive signal to the firing solenoid SLe, a pair of drive terminals T3 and T4 for outputting a drive signal to the ball feed solenoid SLf, and a first terminal receiving a DC voltage of 35V. The power terminals T1, T2 and the ground terminal T7 connected to the first ground plane A_GND are located above the first ground plane A_GND and the remaining terminals are located above the second ground plane D_GND. .

Therefore, even if the emission control circuit element SH, the first to third connectors CN2, and other circuit components are mounted through holes, the ground wiring can be finished appropriately. Also, the power pattern and signal pattern corresponding to the first ground plane A_GND are not complicated.

Next, FIG. 7A is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the firing control circuit element SH. As shown, the firing control circuit element SH includes an AND circuit that receives the energization signal POUT, the logic-inverted firing enable signal SHOOT, the logic-inverted stop switch signal STOP, and the touch sensor signal TCH. ing.

Further, the firing control circuit element SH outputs a current corresponding to the voltage level of the signal that has passed through the negative feedback amplifier AMP, the current cutoff section CUT that cuts off or passes through the output of the negative feedback amplifier AMP, and the current that has passed through the cutoff section CUT. A current amplification transistor Tr2 is built in. The negative feedback amplifier AMP operates by receiving the emission intensity signal VR and the output of the current detection resistor Rr, and the current amplification transistor Tr2 is configured to output a current corresponding to the emission intensity signal VR.

The launch control circuit element SH includes an oscillator OSC, a frequency divider DV that divides the output of the oscillator OSC so that the frequency matches the shooting operation of the game ball, and a clock pulse CK output by the frequency divider DV. A counting octal counter CT is built in. FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the clock pulse CK, its inverted signal CE clock (denoted as CE bar), and the outputs Q0 to Q7 of the counter CT. As shown, the outputs Q0 to Q7 of the counter CT change according to the accumulated number of CE clocks after the clear signal CLR changes to inactive (L).

Although not limited in any way, in the case of the embodiment, the period of the CE bar signal is set to about 75 mS and the duty ratio is set to 50%. Therefore, the period of outputs Q0 to Q7 of the octal counter is approximately 8×75=600 mS. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the shooting cycle and the ball feeding cycle are also about 600 ms, and about 100 game balls are shot per minute.

Outputs Q0 to Q7 of the counter CT are supplied to the energization cutoff section CUT, the energization control transistor Tr1, and the energization control switch SW via appropriate logic circuits. The energization control transistor Tr1 receives the signal Q1*CE and is turned on to output DC 35V to the ball feed solenoid SLf. Further, the energization control switch SW receives the Q1+Q2 signals and turns ON to receive the return current from the ball feeding solenoid SLf. In the above operation, the '*' symbol means logical product, and the '+' symbol means logical sum, and the following description is the same.

On the other hand, the energization cutoff section CUT operates in response to the Q2*CE bar signal, passes the output of the negative feedback amplifier AMP only at the timing when the Q2*CE bar signal is at H level, and cuts off the energization at other timings. By turning ON the section CUT, the output of the negative feedback amplifier AMP is short-circuited to the second ground plane D_GND.

Also, when the connection with the ball lending machine LEN is established, the energization signal becomes POUT=H, when the main control unit 21 permits firing, the launch permission signal becomes SHOOT=H, and when the stop switch is not operated, the stop switch signal is output. STOP=H, and when the player touches the shooting handle 10, the touch sensor signal becomes TCH=L.

Therefore, when evaluating the logic levels of the lead terminals T12, T13, T10, and T9 of the firing control circuit element SH, when POUT=H, SHOOT=L, STOP=L, and TCH=L, the ball feed solenoid SLf and Firing operation by the firing solenoid SLe will be permitted.

Next, FIG. 7(b) shows the internal configuration of the touch sensor. When the player is holding the shooting handle 10, the sense transistor Qs is ON and the touch sensor signal TCH=L. becomes. Then, when evaluated by the logic level of the signal supplier, the output of the AND circuit is H under the conditions of the energization signal POUT=H, the firing permission signal SHOOT=H, the stop switch signal STOP=H, and the touch sensor signal TCH=L. level, the frequency dividing operation of the frequency divider DV is permitted, and game balls are intermittently launched at a legally prescribed period (about 600 mS in the embodiment) determined by the frequency of its output signal.

On the other hand, if any of the above conditions are not met, the game ball will not be shot. The shooting operation of the game ball is realized by intermittently energizing the shooting solenoid SLe. controlled. Also, the ball feed solenoid SLf is energized corresponding to the firing cycle, and the ball to be fired is set at a predetermined firing position.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the output section of the firing control circuit element SH that realizes the above operation, and FIG. 10 is a time chart explaining the operation of the firing control circuit element SH.

As illustrated, the output section of the firing control circuit element SH is mainly composed of an energization control transistor Tr1 that supplies drive current to the ball feed solenoid SLf, and a current amplification transistor Tr2 that supplies drive current to the firing solenoid SLe. ing. Also, the firing control circuit element SH includes a damper that absorbs the back electromotive force generated at timing Ti2 in FIG. Diodes D1 and D2 are built in.

First, the conduction control transistor Tr1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the conduction control transistor Tr1 is ON/OFF operated based on the ON/OFF operation of the control transistor Tr3 which receives the Q1*CE bar signal. Here, the Q1*CE bar signal is as shown in FIG. 10(f), becomes H level only during the period from timing Ti1 to Ti2, and maintains L level at other timings.

Therefore, the control transistor Tr3 is ON only during the period from timing Ti1 to Ti2, and current flows through the path of power supply voltage 35 V→resistor R4→resistor R3→second ground. As a result, the conduction control transistor Tr1 composed of a P-channel MOS is turned on based on the voltage across the bias resistor R4.

On the other hand, the energization control switch SW receives the Q1+Q2 signal shown in FIG. 10(e) and performs the ON/OFF operation, and is in the ON operation state during the period of timings Ti1 to Ti3. Therefore, the ON current flowing from the source terminal S to the drain terminal D of the energization control transistor Tr1 in the ON state flows into the ground terminal of the energization control switch SW via the ball feeding solenoid SLf.

When the ball feed solenoid (electromagnetic solenoid) SLf is turned on, it functions as an electromagnet, and a part of the ball feed member (not shown) is attracted to the electromagnet, thereby moving the ball to the leading position among the series of game balls. is received at the standby position (see FIG. 10(i)). FIG. 10(i) shows the potential V1 of the lead terminal T4 of the firing control circuit element SH, which is zero at this timing Ti1. Also, at this reception timing Ti1, the game ball at the standby position has moved to the shooting position at the shooting position located downstream of the standby position when the preceding ball feed solenoid SLf is turned off.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 8, the emitter terminal of the control transistor Tr3 is connected to the second ground plane D_GND, and the ground terminal of the energization control switch SW is connected to the first ground plane A_GND. Here, the first ground plane A_GND and the second ground plane D_GND are electrically isolated on the payout control board 24, but the potentials of the two ground planes A_GND and D_GND are connected to the COM terminal (Fig. 5) is made common, so there is no problem with the above operation.

The operation at timings Ti1 and Ti2 has been described above. After timing Ti2, the Q1*CE bar signal becomes L level (see FIG. 10(f)), and the current flowing through the resistor R4 ceases, causing the control transistor Tr3 to , is turned off. However, the energization control switch SW, which turns ON/OFF in response to the Q1+Q2 signal, maintains the ON state during timings Ti1 to Ti3. Also, in this embodiment, a current limiting resistor RS is arranged between the terminals T1 and T2 of the firing control circuit element SH.

Therefore, between timings Ti2 and Ti3, the drive current continues to flow through the path of power supply voltage 35 V→current limiting resistor RS→ball feed solenoid SLf→energization control switch SW→first ground. However, this driving current is at a suppression level limited by a current limiting resistor RS of about 270Ω, for example.

The current value of this suppression level is appropriately set, but since part of the ball feeding member has already been attracted to the electromagnet by the ON operation of the ball feeding solenoid SLf at timings Ti1 to Ti2, this state of attraction is canceled. A current that can be maintained is sufficient. That is, a certain amount of attraction torque (starting torque) is required to attract the ball feed member in the separated state, but not so much torque is required to maintain the attraction state. enough current.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, a starting torque current of about 490 mA, for example, flows in the starting torque section of Ti1 to Ti2, while a holding current of about 100 mA flows in the holding torque period of Ti2 to Ti3. Designed to flow. According to the study of the present inventor, the holding current should be at least less than 1/2 of the starting torque current, preferably 1/3 or less, and more preferably 1/4.5 to 1/ It is confirmed that it should be 5.5. In this specification, the symbol "-" includes both ends of the numerical range.

In any case, in the present embodiment, after the attracting operation is realized by the starting torque current, the driving current is suppressed, so that wasteful power consumption can be avoided and wasteful heat generation can be prevented. Thermal damage and deterioration can be prevented. Further, in the present embodiment in which the operation timing (Ti1 to Ti3) of the ball feed solenoid SLf and the operation timing of the firing solenoid SLe partially overlap, at the firing timing, a large current does not flow through the ball feed solenoid SLf. The line voltage drop is suppressed, ensuring that the drive voltage supplied to the firing solenoid SLe remains at its design value.

More specifically, in relation to each of the above effects, first, in this embodiment, by providing a starting torque period with a current value of 490 mA and a holding torque period with a current value of 100 mA, the current effective value is reduced. Power consumption is reduced by suppressing to about 141mA. In addition, it has been confirmed that the starting torque interval should be 35mS to 55mS in the measured value affected by the inductance of the ball-feeding solenoid SLf in order to suppress the power consumption and ensure the ball-feeding operation. It should be noted that the ratio of the period between the starting torque period and the holding torque period is preferably in the range of 1:1.5 to 1:3.5 in the measured value affected by the inductance of the ball feed solenoid SLf, ignoring the inductance. As shown in FIG. 10, the designed value is preferably 1:3.

At timing Ti2 in FIG. 10, when the driving current of the ball feed solenoid SLf suddenly decreases (to 1/4.9 in the embodiment), a large back electromotive force is generated. Since the voltage is absorbed, there is no possibility that the conduction control transistor Tr1 will be damaged.

Incidentally, when the damper diode D1 is not provided, at timing Ti2, the potential of the source terminal S of the energization control transistor Tr1 is +35 V, while the drain terminal D has the energization control switch SW in the ON state. Since a large negative reverse voltage is applied, an excessive voltage may be applied between the source terminal S and the drain terminal D (between SD) of the conduction control transistor Tr1. This also applies to the damper diode D2 in the sense that the excessive voltage across SD of the current amplifying transistor Tr2 is absorbed.

Next, the operation of the current amplification transistor Tr2 will be described. In the lower part of FIG. 8, there are an energization cutoff unit CUT that permits/prohibits passage of the current control signal SG corresponding to the firing intensity volume VR, and a front unit that receives the current control signal SG that has passed through the energization cutoff unit CUT and operates linearly. Transistor Tr4 and current amplifying transistor Tr2 are shown which supply a current corresponding to the linear operation of pre-transistor Tr4 to firing solenoid SLe.

The energization cutoff unit CUT operates in response to the Q2*CE bar signal shown in FIG. 10(d), and when the Q2*CE bar signal is at L level, it is ON and short-circuits the input signal SG to the ground. , the transmission of the current control signal SG is prohibited. On the other hand, when the Q2*CE bar signal changes to H level, the energization cutoff unit CUT transitions from the ON state to the OFF state, canceling the short circuit of the current control signal SG to the ground. SG is transmitted to the front transistor Tr4.

Here, the level of the current control signal SG corresponds to the firing intensity volume VR, and the current corresponding to the current control signal SG is: DC voltage 35V→bias resistor R8→collector resistor R7→front transistor Tr4→second Flow through the ground path. A voltage across the bias resistor R8 is applied between the source terminal S and the gate terminal G of the current amplification transistor Tr2 composed of a P-channel MOS. will be output.

This drive current flows in the following route: power supply voltage 35 V→current amplification transistor Tr2→emission solenoid SLe→current detection resistor Rr→first ground. FIG. 10(h) shows the potential V2 (=Vr) of the lead terminal T6 of the firing control circuit element SH, and the voltage Vr across the current detection resistor Rr is fed back to the negative feedback amplifier AMP. Thus, the drive current is maintained at a predetermined level corresponding to the firing intensity signal VR.

Then, the shooting solenoid SLe functions in response to this drive current, so that the game ball at the shooting position is hit and shot with a predetermined shooting torque. In this way, the firing torque is defined by the level of the drive current supplied to the firing solenoid SLe. (2) lower the impedance of the power supply line and ground line from the power supply board 20 to the dispensing control board 24; and (3) isolate the first ground plane A_GND from the second ground plane D_GND. and (4) since the driving current of the ball feed solenoid SLf is suppressed prior to the firing timing, the driving current to the firing solenoid SLe does not fluctuate.

For example, if the potential difference between the 35V power supply line and its ground line fluctuates, the feedback path cannot immediately follow the fluctuation of the potential difference (predetermined response time is required), the drive current of the launch solenoid SLe is not stabilized, and the arrival position of the game ball may not be stabilized.

In this embodiment, the driving current of the ball feed solenoid SLf is suppressed prior to the firing timing. Accurate firing behavior may not be maintained due to ground line voltage drop. That is, since the drive current of the ball feed solenoid SLf is not subjected to constant current control, the drive current changes in accordance with the heat generated by the circuit elements and the ball feed solenoid SLf, and the power supply voltage of 35 V and the power line. , the potential difference with the ground line may promote fluctuation.

Although the embodiment capable of realizing an accurate shooting operation has been described in detail above, the specific description does not particularly limit the present invention, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the above embodiment, the driving current is supplied to the firing solenoid SLf (Ti1 to Ti3) to move the game ball to the standby position, and then the driving current of the firing solenoid SLf is stopped, so that the standby position Although the game ball was moved to the shooting position, it is not limited at all.

That is, as shown in FIG. 11, a drive current is supplied to the ball feed solenoid SLf to move only the game ball at the leading position to the shooting position (period (a)), and then a drive current is supplied to the ball feed solenoid SLf. is stopped (period (b)), the movement of the game ball may be stopped.

In FIG. 11, the firing solenoid SLe is turned on while the drive current to the ball feed solenoid SLf is stopped. The discharge solenoid SLe may be activated at the end of the energization of the feed solenoid SLf.

By the way, in the above embodiment, a pinball game machine that actually pays out game balls to a player has been described. The present invention can be suitably applied. In the enclosed game machine, the game value corresponding to the prize ball to the player is stored in an IC card or the like (giving the game value), thereby avoiding the actual action of the prize ball.

SLf Ball feed solenoid SLe Launch solenoid Ti1-Ti2 Starting operation Ti2-Ti3 Holding operation

Claims (1)

A gaming machine having a shooting control unit that shoots a game medium toward a game area by appropriately operating a ball feeding solenoid and a shooting solenoid,
A first switch circuit, a current limiting resistor connected in parallel to the current path of the first switch circuit, and a second switch circuit are arranged in the current path of the ball feed solenoid,
a guiding operation for guiding the game medium to a predetermined shooting position based on the operation of the ball feed solenoid; and a game at the shooting position based on the operation of the shooting solenoid after the game medium is guided to the shooting position. a firing action to strike a medium;
The induction operation includes a starting operation of supplying a specified current to the ball feed solenoid;
and a holding operation that causes the ball feed solenoid to function at a current lower than the specified current after finishing the starting operation,
During the startup operation, the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are turned on,
The gaming machine is characterized in that, during the hold operation, the first switch circuit is turned off while the second switch circuit maintains the on operation.

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