JP7403866B2 - gaming machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

Generally, gaming machines such as reel-type gaming machines (slot machines) and pinball-type gaming machines (pachinko machines) are equipped with a front door that can be opened and closed on the housing. This allows access to the inside of the gaming machine. A gaming machine is known in which the front door is provided with a decorated decorative sheet and a transparent panel that can transmit light, and the decorative sheet is protected by the transparent panel (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-65389

Incidentally, the light-transmitting panel is made of acrylic resin or the like having a predetermined thickness (for example, about 3 mm) so as to be able to withstand a certain degree of impact. However, if it is thick, there is a possibility that it will be possible to look into the outside of the decorative sheet, and there is a possibility that the inside of the front door will be visible. If the inside of the front door is visible in this way, there is a problem in that it not only impairs the aesthetic appearance of the design, but also is not good as a countermeasure against dirt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine in which it is impossible to visually check the inside of the gaming machine through the panel section.

One aspect of the present invention is
A casing and
a front door attached to the housing so that it can be opened and closed;
The state of the front door includes a first state, a second state, and a third state,
In the first state, the front door is closed, the supported part of the front door is supported by the support part of the casing, and there is a gap between the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the casing. The vertical dimension is the first dimension,
In the second state, the front door is open, the supported part of the front door is not in contact with the supporting part of the housing, and the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the housing are in contact with each other. The vertical dimension between is the second dimension,
In the third state, the front door is open, the supported part of the front door is in contact with the supporting part of the casing, and there is a space between the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the casing. The vertical dimension of is the third dimension,
The second dimension is smaller than the first dimension and larger than the thickness of the medal,
The third dimension is smaller than the first dimension and larger than the thickness of the medal,
The first dimension, the second dimension, and the third dimension are smaller than the diameter of the game ball,
In the first state,
The front edge of the top of the case is located higher than the back edge of the front door top.
The front edge of the right side of the case is located to the right of the rear edge of the right side of the front door.
The upper right side formed by the top surface of the casing and the right side surface of the casing is located outward from the rear right apex formed by the top surface of the front door and the right side surface of the front door,
The front door includes a panel portion having translucency,
The panel portion is
a sheet having an image;
a front panel disposed in front of the seat;
The front panel has a textured portion with a texture formed on the front edge,
The grain portion is arranged to cover an edge of the image,
This gaming machine is characterized by:

According to the present invention, it is possible to make it impossible to visually recognize the inside through the panel portion.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the casing of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. It is a figure showing the front door in the 1st state concerning this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the front door in the 2nd state based on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the front door in the 3rd state based on this embodiment. It is a diagram showing medals and game balls according to the present embodiment. 3 is an enlarged view of part C1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of section C2 in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the housing|casing based on this embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the lower panel portion according to the present embodiment. It is a sectional view showing the upper part of the lower panel part concerning this embodiment. It is a front view showing the front panel concerning this embodiment.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below. Note that this embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. In addition, not all of the configurations described in this embodiment are essential components of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, the direction toward the player (front) will be referred to as "front" and the opposite direction will be referred to as "rear", and the top, bottom, left and right of the gaming machine will be defined based on the front view of FIG.

[Overview of gaming machine configuration]
First, the general structure of the gaming machine will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3. The slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a so-called reel-type gaming machine, and is a type of gaming machine that plays games using medals as gaming media. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this slot machine 1 includes a box-shaped housing BX and a front door FD that can be opened and closed with respect to the housing BX.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing BX has an opening BXa on the front surface, and various internal devices are stored inside the opening BXa to enable playing games or performances. has been done. As various internal devices, a reel unit 310 having a plurality of reels R1 to R3 is housed in the housing BX, and a hopper unit 320 as a medal dispensing device is installed at the bottom of the reel unit 310. The upper part of the reel unit 310 houses a control board 10 that is equipped with a CPU, a ROM (an example of an information storage medium), a RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the slot machine 1.

The plurality of reels R1 to R3 described above (the first reel R1 placed on the leftmost side, the second reel R2 placed on the right side of the first reel R1, and the second reel R2 placed on the right side of the second reel R2) The third reel R3) has its outer circumferential surface divided into 20 areas (hereinafter, each area is referred to as a "piece") at regular intervals, and each piece has one of multiple types of symbols arranged. has been done. In addition, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are illuminated from inside by a backlight BL, and are pivotally supported by a stepping motor M as a reel driving means in units of frames (predetermined rotation angle units, predetermined rotation amount units). ) so that it can be stopped.

The front door FD can be opened and closed individually, and has an upper front door UD that can close the upper half of the opening BXa, and a lower front door DD that can close the lower half of the opening. It is divided into parts. These upper front door UD and lower front door DD are attached to the housing BX by hinges HN (see Figure 3) provided on the left side of each, so that they can be opened and closed on the right side with respect to the housing BX. It can be opened and closed, and when closed, it closes off the various internal devices mentioned above from the front. In addition, in this embodiment, when the front door FD is attached to the front door FD and the front door FD is closed with respect to the housing BX, even if the device does not fit inside the housing BX, the front door FD is closed. Devices that cannot be accessed from the outside due to this are referred to as internal devices.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the front upper door UD is provided with a display window DW that allows observation of the rotating states and stopped states of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3. When the first reel R1 to third reel R3 are in a stopped state, out of a plurality of types of symbols arranged at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of each of the first reel R1 to third reel R3, the symbols are continuously arranged on the outer circumferential surface. Three symbols (an upper symbol, a middle symbol, and a lower symbol) can be observed from the front of the slot machine 1 through the display window DW.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, each reel is provided with an upper row, a middle row, and a lower row as display positions for observing the symbols through the display window DW, and the effective line is determined by the combination of the display positions of each reel. It is set. In addition, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the number of medals required for one game, the so-called specified number of inputs, is set to 3 in any game state, and the number of medals corresponding to the specified number of inputs is set to 3. When the reel is inserted, the active line X formed by the middle row of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is activated.

The game result is determined by the symbol combination stopped and displayed on the active line X in the display window DW, and if the symbol combination on the active line X corresponds to a predetermined combination, Assuming that the winning combination has been won, medals are paid out from the hopper unit 320.

A game information display section DS is provided on the front upper door UD. The game information display section DS consists of LEDs, lamps, 7-segment displays, etc., and displays the number of medal credits, the number of medals paid out or acquired in one game, and the total number of medals paid out or the number acquired in the bonus state. Various game information is displayed, such as the total of , information on the winning combination in the current game, and information suggesting how to press the stop buttons B1 to B3 related to the payout of medals.

The game information display section DS includes a main control display device 500 consisting of a 7-segment display, and when a specified number of medals are inserted and the start lever SL is tilted, the information in the current game is displayed. When a notification display, which is a display corresponding to a winning command, which is a control signal created based on winning information, which is information on the winning combination, is displayed, and the first reel R1 to third reel R3 stop after the notification display is displayed. At the end of the notification display, the number of medals paid out or the number of medals acquired is displayed. In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a notification display is executed in which each segment of the main control display device 500 lights up and goes out in a display mode according to the winning command.

The main control display device 500 also includes a 7-segment display dot, which lights up when an advantageous period has started by an advantageous period control means (not shown), and which lights up when an advantageous period has not started, that is, a non-advantageous period. An advantageous period informing section 500A is provided which notifies whether or not an advantageous period has started by turning off the light when the advantageous period has started.

Further, the slot machine 1 is provided with a performance device 300 that can perform a performance related to the game to assist the game or make the game more exciting. The production device 300 includes a display device 330, a movable accessory device 350, and a plurality of illumination devices 360 provided on the upper front door UD, and a plurality of illumination devices 370 provided on the lower front door. It will be done. The display device 330 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, and executes effects that display various videos and images in accordance with the progress of the game. The movable accessory device 350 is placed in front of the display device 330, for example, and is moved by a drive means such as a motor or a solenoid as the game progresses to cover or expose the screen of the display device 330. Execute the performance. The illumination devices 360 and 370 perform an effect of emitting light according to the progress of the game. The production device 300 also includes a plurality of sound devices 380, 390, and 395 provided at the upper front door UD and the lower front door DD. The sound devices 380, 390, and 395 are arranged in pairs on the left and right at the upper and lower portions of the front door FD, more specifically on the lower panel portion UP which will be described later, and execute performances that output various sounds in accordance with the progress of the game.

The lower front door DD has approximately the same size as the lower front door DD when viewed from the front, and includes an operation section CP for the player to perform operations related to the game, an illumination device 370, sound devices 390 and 395, a lower panel section UP, and medals. Equipped with saucer MP etc. More specifically, the operation part CP is configured to protrude forward at the upper part of the lower front door DD (center part of the front door FD), and the player inserts medals one by one onto the upper surface of the operation part CP. MAX as an input operation means that accepts an input operation to input a specified number of medals from among the credited medals in one operation when the medals are credited (stored). A bet button MB (bet button) is attached.

In addition, on the front of the operation part CP, there are a single bet button BT as a placing operation means, a start lever SL as a start operation means, a plurality of stop buttons B1 to B3 as stop operation means, and a credit card. A settlement button BS for settling the accumulated medals and a cylinder lock CY for opening and closing the front door FD are attached. The single bet button BT accepts an insertion operation for inserting one medal from among the credited medals in a state where the medals are credited. The start lever SL accepts a start operation that triggers the rotation of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3. The stop button B1 to stop button B3 accept a stop operation that causes each of the first reel R1 to third reel R3, which are rotationally driven by the stepping motor M, to stop. The credited medals are stored (stored) in the control board 10 as storage means.

In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, when a player inserts medals into the medal slot MI, or when the number of medals has been credited beyond the specified number of inputs, the player presses the single bet button BT backwards the same number of times as the specified number of inputs. By performing a single bet operation (inserting operation) by pressing down on the max bet button MB or a max bet operation (inserting operation) by pressing down on the max bet button MB, the prescribed number of medals are set to be inserted, and the first reel It is set to a ready state in which rotation control of the R1 to third reels R3 can be started. Then, when the player performs a start operation (tilting operation) to tilt the start lever SL relative to the start lever SL, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are driven by the stepping motor M to start rotating on the control board 10. At the same time, an internal lottery using random numbers is performed, and on the condition that the rotational speed of the first reel R1 to third reel R3 increases to a predetermined speed and becomes steady rotation, the stop button B1 to stop button B3 are pressed. The operation is permitted, that is, the stop operation using the stop buttons B1 to B3 is enabled.

Note that the slot machine 1 of this embodiment sets a waiting time (approximately 4.1 seconds) called a wait (or wait time) when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 start rotating. It is configured as follows. Then, if the start operation is performed again within the period from the setting of the standby time until the elapse of the standby time, the slot machine 1 starts rotating the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 after the standby time has elapsed. It is configured to allow

After that, when the player presses the stop buttons B1 to B3 backward at any timing (hereinafter referred to as "pressing timing"), the built-in buttons for each of the stop buttons B1 to B3 are pressed. The stop switch serving as stop signal output means performs an ON operation to change the reel stop signal output to the control board 10 from an OFF state to an ON state.

Furthermore, when the player releases the pressed stop buttons B1 to B3 at any timing, the stop switches corresponding to each of the stop buttons B1 to B3 turn off, and the reels are output to the control board 10. Change the stop signal from the ON state to the OFF state. Then, the control board 10 responds to the result of the internal lottery based on the change of the reel stop signal from the OFF state to the ON state, the signal state of which changes according to the pressing timing and release timing of the stop buttons B1 to B3. The first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are stopped at the stopped position.

In addition, a medal payout port MO and a medal tray MP are provided at the bottom of the lower front door DD, and the number of medals depending on the result of the game is paid out from the medal payout port MO to the medal tray MP. ing. In addition, when the settlement button BS is pressed while the credited medals are stored in the control board 10, the medal settlement switch built in the settlement button BS is turned on as the settlement button BS is pressed. and changes the medal settlement signal output to the control board 10 from the OFF state to the ON state. The control board 10 controls the hopper unit 320 only when the first reel R1 to third reel R3 are not rotating and no medals are bet as the medal settlement signal changes from the OFF state to the ON state. A settlement process is executed to pay out the number of medals corresponding to the number of credits (the number of credited medals) from , and the medals are paid out from the medal payout port MO to the medal receiving tray MP.

[Lower gap of front door]
Next, the lower clearance of the front door FD (lower front door DD) will be explained based on FIGS. 4 to 7. 4 to 6 are cross-sectional views taken along the line SS shown in FIG. 1. The position of the S-S line is shifted (offset) to the left by a predetermined dimension (for example, a dimension equivalent to the diameter of a medal) from the right end of the gaming machine 1 (the right side of the housing BX). . Details will be described later, but FIG. 4 shows the front door FD in the "first state", FIG. 5 shows the front door FD in the "second state", and FIG. 6 shows the front door FD in the "second state". The case where the door FD is in the "third state" is shown.

As shown in FIG. 4, the right back surface of the front door FD (the left side when the back surface of the front door FD is viewed from the front, the side opposite to the hinge HN) is formed to protrude toward the rear. A supported portion 91 (convex portion) is provided. In addition, in this embodiment, a roller part is provided at the tip of the supported part 91. Further, a support portion 92 is formed on the right side when the inside of the casing BX is viewed from the front, and at a position corresponding to the supported portion 91 when the front door FD is closed. The support portion 92 is formed to be able to support the supported portion 91 from below at the position of the SS line in FIG. 1 above.

In this embodiment, the support part 92 is formed in a plate shape and is arranged so as to have a plate surface that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the up-down direction. The support portion 92 is fixed, for example, to the inner surface of the right side plate of the housing BX by screwing or the like. When moving the front door FD from the open state (open state) to the closed state (closed state), first, the roller part of the supported part 91 contacts (contacts) the near side (front side) of the supporting part 92. ), and then the roller portion of the supported portion 91 rests on (rides on) the support portion 92, and the roller portion moves backward on the support portion 92. The roller section then stops at a predetermined position. When the front door FD is closed, the supported part 91 is supported from below, and when the front door FD is opened, the support from below of the supported part 91 is released (released). The front door FD, which has lost its support from below, is in a state of being lowered by its own weight.

The state (position) of the front door FD includes a first state, a second state, and a third state.
(first state)
As shown in FIG. 4, the first state is a state in which the front door FD is closed (closed) and the supported part 91 of the front door FD is supported by the support part 92 of the casing BX (closed state). , closed state). In this embodiment, the supported part 91 is in a state where a load is applied (loaded) to the support part 92. It can also be said that the support portion 92 lifts the supported portion 91 upward.
(Second state)
As shown in FIG. 5, the second state is a state in which the front door FD is open and the supported part 91 of the front door FD is not in contact with the support part 92 of the casing BX (separated). open state).
(Third state)
As shown in FIG. 6, the third state is a state in which the front door FD is open and the supported portion 91 of the front door FD is in contact with the support portion 92 of the housing BX. This can also be said to be a state in which the supported part 91 is in contact with the support part 92 and the front door FD is not completely closed but is open. In addition, although the supported part 91 is in contact with the supporting part 92, the supported part 91 is not supported by the supporting part 92, and the front door FD is open without being completely closed (half-open state: slightly opened). It can also be said to be a state of being. Note that the third state may be a state in which (only) the tip of the support part 92 supports the supported part 91 (the supported part 91 is supported by (only) the tip of the support part 92). ). Further, the third state can also be said to be a state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is smaller than that in the second state. That is, the opening angle of the front door FD in the third state is smaller than the maximum opening angle of the front door FD. Note that the opening angle of the front door FD is, for example, the angle formed by the front surface of the housing BX and the back surface of the front door FD.

The bottom surface (lower surface) BXb of the gaming machine (casing BX) is a surface that comes into contact with a mating member (such as island equipment). Hereinafter, this bottom surface BXb will be referred to as the mounting surface Z of the housing BX. The mounting surface Z of the casing BX is flush with the top surface of the installation stand (base). The installation stand is formed to extend from the rear side to the front side, and is also located (exists) below the medal tray MP. Hereinafter, the mounting surface Z of the housing BX may refer to the entire surface that is flush with the mounting surface Z (including the top surface of the installation base). It should be noted that the player can place a drink or the like in the space above the stand on the left side of the medal tray MP, for example.

The lower end (lower surface) of the front door FD (medal tray MP) is located above the bottom surface BXb (placing surface Z) of the housing BX. As shown in FIG. 4, in the first state (closed state), the distance from the lower end (lower side, rear side of the lower surface of the front door FD) Y1 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the mounting surface Z of the housing BX is The dimension of the gap (vertical dimension) is the first dimension L1 (designed to be the first dimension L1). The first dimension L1 is about 3 to 5 mm.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the second state (open state), the distance from the lower end (lower surface, rear side of the lower surface of the front door FD) Y2 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the mounting surface Z of the housing BX is The dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap is a second dimension L2 smaller than the first dimension L1 (designed to be the second dimension L2). The second dimension L2 is about 2 to 3 mm.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the third state, the dimension of the gap from the lower end (lower surface, rear side of the lower surface of the front door FD) Y3 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the mounting surface Z of the housing BX ( The vertical dimension) is a third dimension L3 smaller than the first dimension L1 (designed to be the third dimension L3). The third dimension L3 is about 2 to 3 mm.

The first dimension L1 to the third dimension L3 can also be said to be the distance (difference) in the vertical direction between the lower end (lower surface) of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the bottom surface BXb (placing surface Z) of the casing BX. In this embodiment, the lower surface of the medal tray MP is a surface that slopes upward from the rear toward the front in the front-rear direction (a surface that slopes downward from the front side to the back side of the gaming machine 1). Therefore, the first dimension L1 to the third dimension L3 are the distances in the vertical direction between the rear end (lowest end) of the lower surface of the medal tray MP and the bottom surface BXb (placing surface Z) of the housing BX. Note that the thickness of the bottom plate BXL of the housing BX is approximately 15 mm.

As shown in FIG. 7, the diameter of the medal M is defined as a dimension L4. Further, the thickness of the medal M is defined as a dimension L5. The medal M used in the game in the gaming machine according to this embodiment has a dimension L4 of Φ25 (diameter approximately 25 mm) and a dimension L5 of approximately 1.6 mm. However, the medal M may have a dimension L4 of Φ30 (diameter approximately 30 mm) and a dimension L5 of approximately 1.7 mm. Further, the diameter of the game ball B is assumed to be a dimension L6. Dimension L6 is approximately 11 mm.

The first dimension L1 shown in FIG. 4 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (designed to be larger).
The second dimension L2 shown in FIG. 5 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (designed to be larger).
The third dimension L3 shown in FIG. 6 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B and larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M (designed to be larger).

As described above, when the front door FD is closed (first state), the supported portion 91 is supported from below. On the other hand, when the front door FD is open (second state and third state), support from below of the supported portion 91 is released (released). Therefore, the front door FD in the open state, which has lost support from below, is slightly lowered (downward) due to its own weight. In other words, the lower end Y2 (second state) and the lower end Y3 (third state) are located lower than the lower end Y1 (first state), and the second dimension L2 and third dimension L3 are lower than the first dimension L1. is also smaller. In other words, the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) is closer to the top surface of the stand (placing surface Z of the housing BX) in the open state than in the closed state.

(Relationship with thickness of medal M)
When the game machine of this embodiment is placed on the placement surface Z, no matter which state the front door FD is in, the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the placement surface Z A gap (first dimension L1, second dimension L2, and third dimension L3) larger than the thickness of the medal M is formed between them. In other words, the first dimension L1, the second dimension L2, and the third dimension L3 are larger than the thickness of the medal M (dimension L5). Therefore, if the medal M gets stuck between the lower side of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the stand located below the medal tray MP (the medal M is hidden), Even when the front door FD is opened and closed, the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the medal M do not come into contact with each other. In other words, the medals M hidden in the gap between the medal tray MP and the stand do not interfere with opening and closing of the front door FD. Therefore, even if the medal M is present on the top surface of the stand (placing surface Z), the front door FD can be smoothly opened and closed. In particular, as described above, the first dimension L1, second dimension L2, and third dimension L3 in this embodiment are each at the lower right end of the front door FD (the position of the SS line shown in FIG. 1). This is the dimension between the lower end Y1 of the front door FD and the mounting surface Z of the housing BX. The front door FD has some wobbling with respect to the housing BX. Therefore, when the front door FD is opened (when the supported part 91 is no longer supported by the support part 92 of the housing BX), the front door FD tilts downward to the left and right due to its own weight around the hinge HN. Sometimes. In this state, the lower clearance of the front door FD becomes smaller toward the lower right end of the front door FD. In this embodiment, all of the dimensions L1 to L3 of the lower gap at the lower right end of the front door FD are larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M. Therefore, even if the rattling of the front door FD is taken into account, the opening and closing of the front door FD will not be hindered by the medal M. Furthermore, if the lower end of the front door FD comes into contact with the medal M when the front door FD is opened, the medal M will be pushed out and fall from the top of the stand, causing trouble such as searching for the medal M. According to this method, such trouble can be prevented from occurring.

Further, according to the present embodiment, when the medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the stand) of the housing BX without overlapping, the front door FD changes from the second state (open state) to the second state. 1 state (closed state) is not prevented (not prevented, not hindered) by the medal M. A clerk at a game hall (hall) may open the front door FD in order to eliminate the cause of an empty error that occurs due to a shortage of medals M in the hopper. When closing the front door FD, even if the medal M is placed on the placement surface Z of the housing BX, the front door FD can be closed without the medal M coming into contact with the front door FD. As a result, the front door FD may be damaged due to the shock caused by the medal M being caught in the gap between the front door FD and the housing BX (the front of the housing BX), and the front door FD cannot be closed. This situation can be avoided.

In addition, when the medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the stand) of the housing BX without overlapping, the front door FD changes from the first state (closed state) to the second state (open state). The medal M does not prevent this from happening. In order to eliminate the cause of the empty error that occurs due to a shortage of medals M in the hopper, a clerk at a game hall (hall) opens the closed front door FD by opening the case BX. Even when the medal M is placed on the placement surface Z, the front door FD can be opened without the medal M coming into contact with the front door FD. This may cause a situation where the medal M is stuck in the gap between the front door FD and the mounting surface Z (the top surface of the stand) and the front door FD cannot be opened, or the front door may be forcibly opened with the medal M caught. By opening the FD, it is possible to avoid a situation where the front door FD is damaged. Furthermore, the second dimension L2 is smaller than the first dimension L1, and when the front door FD is open, the gap between the lower end of the front door FD and the mounting surface Z of the casing BX The gap is narrower than the gap in the closed state. Therefore, when the front door is open, it becomes more difficult to insert a member or the like through the gap. Therefore, fraudulent acts can be suppressed. In other words, the anti-fraud performance can be improved.

(Relationship with game ball B)
For example, consider a case where a slot machine and a pachinko game machine are installed nearby, and a game ball B is present near the front door FD (medal tray MP). When the front door FD is closed (first state), even if the game ball B rolls under the front door FD (medal tray MP), the first dimension L1 is larger than the diameter L6 of the game ball B. Since it is small, the game ball B does not enter to the back side (rear side) under the medal tray MP. The lower surface of the medal tray MP is inclined upward toward the front, but the game ball B comes into contact with the inclined surface before reaching the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP). and stop. Then, when the front door FD is opened in this state, the game ball B is pushed forward and falls from the top of the table. Moreover, since the game ball B falls in this way, it does not become an obstacle when closing the opened front door FD. The same thing can be said when the game ball B rolls under the front door FD (medal tray MP) when the front door FD is in the second or third state. That is, before the game ball B reaches the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP), it comes into contact with the slope and stops, and when the front door FD is opened in this state, the game ball B moves toward the front side. It gets pushed out and falls. Since the game ball B falls, it does not become an obstacle when closing the opened front door FD.

In addition, the gap between the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) and the placement surface Z (first dimension L1 to third dimension L3) was made smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B (approximately 11 mm). It is more preferable that the thickness is equal to or less than the thickness of two medals M (thickness of two stacked medals M). The thickness of two medals M is approximately 3.2 mm. In that case, it is possible to more reliably prevent the game balls B from getting under the medal tray MP.

Further, in this embodiment, the first dimension L1 is larger than the third dimension L3, the third dimension L3 is larger than the second dimension L2, and the second dimension L2 is the dimension L5 (thickness of the medal M). It is larger than. In other words, the relationship is as follows.
L1>L3>L2>L5
Note that the third dimension L3 may be greater than or equal to the second dimension L2 (L3≧L2). Further, the third dimension L3 may be substantially the same as the second dimension L2 (L3≈L2). "Substantially the same" means, for example, that the difference between the two is within 1 mm.

In the state shown in FIG. 6 (third state), the gap from the right side (right end) of the front door FD to the right side (right end) of the housing BX (distance between the right side of the front door FD and the right side of the housing BX) The minimum distance) is defined as the fourth dimension L7. The fourth dimension L7 may be the opening dimension of the right end portion of the front door FD in the third state. Although the fourth dimension L7 is shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line SS shown in FIG. 1, and strictly speaking, the distance between the right end of the front door FD and the right end of the housing BX It does not refer to (dimensions). The fourth dimension L7 is approximately 33 mm. This fourth dimension L7 is larger (designed to be larger) than the diameter dimension L4 of the medal M (L7>L4).

In addition, in this embodiment, the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 are designed to be larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M, but the accuracy (variation) of the component dimensions, the hinge HN (Fig. There may be cases where the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 are equal to or less than the thickness L5 of the medal M due to a decrease in quality (durability) of the medal M (see 3), an assembly error, etc. Even in that case, in the process of moving the front door FD from the third state (FIG. 6) to the first state (FIG. 4), the supported part 91 of the front door FD is placed above the support part 92 of the housing BX. The medal M is supported so that it rests on (rides on) (supported so that the supported part 91 is loaded on the support part 92), and the thickness of the medal M is between the lower end of the front door FD and the placing surface Z (bottom surface BXb). The appropriate dimensions are ensured. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the front door FD cannot be closed or a situation where the front door FD is damaged due to the medal M being caught.

(Modified example)
In the second state (open state) shown in FIG. 5, there is a 21st state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is the first opening angle, and a second opening angle in which the opening angle of the front door FD is larger than the first opening angle. The 22nd state is assumed to be included. The first opening angle is a predetermined angle of 10 degrees (10 degrees) or less. In the 21st state, the distance between the end (right end) of the front door FD and the end (right end) of the housing BX on the side opposite to the rotation axis side (hinge HN side) of the front door FD ( The gap) is the distance between one end and the other end when two to three medals are arranged in a row on a horizontal surface (distance of two to three medals, for example, about 50 mm to about (approximately 75 mm). In this modification, in the 21st state, the lower end (lower end on the right side) of the front door FD approaches the mounting surface Z, and the second dimension L2 becomes smaller than the first dimension (first state: closed state) ( In other words, the second state includes a twenty-first state in which the second dimension L2 is smaller than the first dimension L1). However, in the 21st state, the second dimension is larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M.

In this modification, when the opening angle of the front door FD is larger than the first opening angle, the lower end (lower end on the right side) of the front door FD gradually separates from the mounting surface Z as the opening angle increases. In this case, if the vertical dimension between the lower end of the right side of the front door FD (opposite to the rotating shaft side) and the mounting surface Z is the second dimension L2, then the 22nd state (for example, the open state of the front door FD) is assumed to be the second dimension L2. When the angle is at its maximum, the second dimension L2 is larger than the first dimension.

[Exterior damage prevention configuration]
Next, a structure for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be explained. The exterior of the slot machine 1 is composed of the above-mentioned front door FD and housing BX, and even when the front door FD is closed, there are no obstacles when transporting the gaming machine or installing it in the hall. may come into contact with and be damaged. In particular, since the operator carries the slot machine 1 by grasping the grip part 400 (see FIG. 2) formed on the side surface of the housing BX, the corners of the front door FD and the housing BX are When coming into contact with an obstacle, there is a problem that the corner portion is most likely to come into contact with the object and is easily damaged due to the shape that tends to cause stress concentration. In the following description, a configuration for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external shape (outer periphery) of the front door FD is formed by an upper surface (top surface) FDu, a lower surface (bottom surface) FDb, and left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr. Similarly, the external shape (outer circumference) of is formed by an upper surface (top surface) BXu, a lower surface (bottom surface) BXb, left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr, and a back surface BXh (see FIG. 10). In the slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the outer shape of the front door FD is smaller than the outer shape of the casing BX, and the outer shape of the casing BX is the largest outer shape of the slot machine 1. ing. That is, in the present embodiment, the upper surface FDu, the lower surface FDb, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD are lower than the upper surface BXu, the lower surface BXb, and the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the housing BX, respectively, when viewed from the front. It is formed so that it is located inside.

In other words, the dimension of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX in the left-right direction (width direction of the gaming machine) is larger than the dimension in the left-right direction of the upper surface FDu of the front door FD, and the upper surface FDu of the front door FD can be said to be arranged so as to fit within the horizontal dimension of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX. The horizontal dimension of the lower surface BXb of the housing BX is larger than the horizontal dimension of the lower surface FDb of the front door FD, so that the lower surface FDb of the front door FD is within the horizontal dimension of the lower surface BXb of the housing BX. It can be said that it is located in The vertical dimensions of the left and right side surfaces BXl and BXr of the housing BX are larger than the vertical dimensions of the left and right side surfaces FDl and FDr of the front door FD. It can be said that the side surfaces FDl and FDr are arranged so as to fit within the vertical dimensions of the left and right side surfaces BXl and BXr of the housing BX.

Therefore, none of the four corners of the front door FD is configured to protrude outward from the corresponding corner of the housing BX. For example, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the C1 section (the upper right corner of the mating surface S1 of the front door FD and the housing BX) in FIG. 2, where (a) is an enlarged side view of the C1 section, and (b) is (c) is an enlarged front view of the C1 section. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C, also in the C1 section, the upper surface FDu of the front door FD is located inside (lower) than the upper surface BXu of the housing BX. Therefore, the front side 601 of the top surface of the casing BX (the top surface of the casing) BXu is located higher than the rear side 701 of the top surface of the front door FD (the top surface of the front door) FDu. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8(b) and (c), the right side surface FDr of the front door FD is located inside (to the left) of the right side surface BXr of the housing BX. Therefore, the front side 602 of the right side surface of the housing BX (the right side surface of the housing) BXr is located to the right of the rear side 702 of the right side surface of the front door FD (the right side surface of the front door) FDr.

The side 700 where the top surface FDu of the front door FD intersects with the right side FDr of the front door FD is located inside the side 600 where the top surface BXu of the casing BX and the right side BXr of the casing BX intersect. There is. In other words, the upper right side 600 of the housing BX formed by the upper surface BXu of the housing BX and the right side surface BXr of the housing BX is closer to the upper right side 700 of the front door FD formed by the upper surface FDu and the right side surface FDr. is also located outward (in the present embodiment, to the upper right). In other words, when the side formed by the two planes is defined as a corner, the corner 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 600 of the housing BX.

Also, even if we compare the apexes where the three sides intersect as corners, it is obvious that the top of the rear side of the upper right side 700 of the front door FD (the upper right side 700 and the rear side of the top surface FDu (the left and right sides of the rear side of the top surface FDu) The apex (hereinafter also simply referred to as the right rear apex or the upper right rear apex of the front door FD) 710 is the intersection of the right side FDr side) 701 and the rear side (the upper and lower sides on the rear side of the right side FDr) 702. , the top of the front side of the upper right side 600 of the housing BX (the upper right side 600, the front side of the top surface BXu (the front left and right sides of the top surface BXu) 601, the front side of the right side BXr (the front side of the right side BXr) The upper and lower sides of the housing BX) 602 intersect with each other (hereinafter also simply referred to as the right front apex or the upper right front apex of the housing BX) 610. In other words, the front right apex 610 is located further outward (upper right in this embodiment) than the rear right apex 710. That is, the corner 710 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 610 of the housing BX.

When the above-described configuration is adopted, the upper right side 600 of the housing BX constitutes the maximum external shape of the slot machine 1, and is a part that is likely to come into contact with an obstacle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upper right side 600 (hereinafter also referred to as "upper right surface 600") is chamfered as a first chamfered surface. More specifically, in this embodiment, the angle between the top surface BXu and the right side surface BXr of the casing BX forming the upper right side 600 is an obtuse angle. In this chamfered state, the upper right side 600 of the housing BX is located further outward (upper right) than the rear right vertex 710 of the front door FD. Furthermore, the upper right front vertex 610 of the housing BX is also chamfered (cornered).

Because of this configuration, when contacting an obstacle, the upper right side (corner) 600 (610) of the housing BX comes into contact before the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD, For example, it is possible to prevent damage to the exterior of the front door FD, where various presentation devices 300 are arranged and which is easily noticed by players. In addition, since the corners 600 (610) of the housing BX are chamfered, even if the corners 600 (610) of the housing BX come into contact with an obstacle, it will be more difficult to handle than a right-angled corner. It is difficult to concentrate stress, making it difficult to get scratched.

Note that since the upper right side 600 of the housing BX is formed by a chamfered surface, it can also be said to be the upper right surface of the housing BX in terms of external shape. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper right surface 600 includes an upper side 600u and a lower side 600l. In this embodiment, the upper side 600u is located above and to the left of the corner of the front door FD (upper right side 700/upper right apex 710), and above the rear side 702 of the right side FDr of the front door FD. and is located on the left side. Further, the lower side 600l is located above and to the right of the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD.

As described above, the upper side 600u has a sufficient amount of chamfering (the cut to be chamfered) so that it is located above and to the left of the corner of the front door FD (upper right side 700 / upper right vertex 710 / rear side 702). quantity) has been applied. With such a sufficient amount of chamfering, the safety of the worker with respect to the upper right side 600 of the case BX can be ensured, for example, when the worker is transporting the case BX. Even though there is a sufficient amount of chamfering, the corner 700 of the front door FD, the upper right vertex 710, is located inside the right side 600 (chamfered surface), and the corner (upper right vertex 710) The safety of workers has also been ensured.

Further, in this embodiment, the front side 601 of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX is also chamfered, forming a chamfered surface similarly to the upper right side 600. This chamfered surface 601 has an upper side 601u and a lower side 601l, as shown in FIG. It is formed to be located above. That is, the vertical dimension from the top surface BXu of the casing to the rear edge 701 (right rear apex 710) of the top surface FDu of the front door is larger than the bottom edge (front side) 601l of the chamfered surface 601 from the top surface BXu of the casing. . This prevents an unnecessary gap from being generated between the front door FD and the housing BX due to the chamfered surface.

In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion in the vertical direction, where dimensional restrictions are looser, is made larger than in the width direction (horizontal direction) in which the slot machines 1 are lined up. That is, the amount by which the upper surface BXu of the housing BX projects from the upper surface FDu of the front door FD is made larger than the amount by which the right side surface BXr of the housing BX projects from the right side surface FDr of the front door FD. As a result, the above-mentioned positional relationship is obtained, but if the upper right surface 600 of the housing BX maintains the positional relationship located outward from the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD, then the upper side The positional relationship between 600u and the lower side 600l and the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD is not limited to this. For example, the upper side 600u is located above and to the right of the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD, and the lower side 600l is located below and to the right of the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD. You can also do it.

In addition, in this embodiment, the corner 700 of the front door FD is also chamfered. Further, the upper right side 700 (upper surface FDu) of the front door FD may have a draft slope that is downwardly inclined from the front side toward the rear side, for example. Furthermore, the upper right side 700 may be formed by a portion of the front door FD that constitutes the front side portion of the presentation device 300, etc., and a rear side portion that forms the mating surface S1, and the above-mentioned slope is It may be formed only on the rear side forming the rear apex 710. Further, in this embodiment, the entire upper right side 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude from the upper right side 600 of the housing BX, but at least the rear right apex 710 of the front door FD is connected to the housing BX. It suffices if it is located inside the upper right side 600 of .

Further, as described above, the front door FD of the slot machine 1 has some wobbling due to tolerances and deterioration of the hinge HN. Further, even when the front door FD is in a closed state with respect to the housing BX, there is a clearance between the housing BX and the front door FD. Therefore, even if the front door FD is in a closed state (closed state), the front door FD has rattling in a predetermined direction (up, down, left, right, front and rear directions). Therefore, the corner of the front door FD is more external on the side where the hinge HN is not provided (the right side in this embodiment) than on the side where the hinge HN is provided (the left side in this embodiment). It is easy to protrude in the direction. However, in the present embodiment, the corner 900 (910) of the front door FD is connected to the housing not only at the upper right corner (see FIG. 8) but also at the lower right corner as shown in FIG. It is located inside the corner 800 (810) of the housing BX so that the corner 900 (910) of the front door FD does not protrude from the corner 800 (810) of the housing BX. Further, the lower right side 800 and the lower right front apex 810 of the housing BX are chamfered similarly to the upper right side 600 and the upper right front apex 610.

Note that the side 900 of the front door FD is the lower right side where the lower surface FDb of the front door FD intersects with the right side FDr of the front door FD, and the top 910 is the lower right side where the lower surface FDb of the front door FD intersects with the right side FDr of the front door FD. This is the lower right rear vertex where the left and right sides on the rear side intersect with the rear side of the right side FDr (the upper and lower sides on the rear side of the right side FDr). The side 800 of the housing BX is the lower right side where the lower surface BXb and the right side BXr intersect, and the top 810 is the lower right side where the lower surface BXb and the right side BXr intersect. This is the lower right front vertex where the front side of the right side BXr (the upper and lower sides on the front side of the right side BXr) intersect.

As a result, even if the front door FD is tilted in the closed state due to the above-mentioned rattling, the corners 710 (700)/910 (900) of the front door FD are chamfered on the side opposite to the hinge HN. It can be prevented from protruding from the corner portions 600/800 of the housing BX. In addition, when the front door FD is gripped when moving the slot machine 1 from the normal state (no rattling state, first state) in which no external force is applied to the front door FD, the front door FD may be moved within the clearance range. Even if the front door FD is in a rattled state (a state in which it has moved outward from the above normal state, the second state), the corners 600/800 of the casing BX are still in the corner 710 of the front door FD. (700)/910(900).

Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned sides 600 and 800, the housing BX includes sides 920 to 970 as shown in FIG. Because it is easy to use, it is chamfered. Similarly, in addition to the top portions 610 and 810, the top portions 1010 to 1060 are also formed with chamfers (corners). For example, the front side (not shown) of the left side surface BXl of the case is located to the left of the rear side (not shown) of the left side surface FDl of the front door, and the top surface BXu of the case BX and the left side surface BXl are located to the left. The upper left side 920, which is chamfered as a second chamfered surface so that the angle between them is an obtuse angle, is located outward from the top 730 on the rear side of the upper left side 720 of the front door FD.

The top portion 730 of the front door FD is formed by the top surface FDu of the front door FD and the left side surface FDl of the front door FD. This is the top (the left rear apex, the upper left rear apex of the front door FD) where the left and right sides) 740 intersect with the rear side of the left side FDl (the upper and lower sides of the rear side of the left side FDl, not shown). . The upper left side of the housing BX is formed by the upper surface BXu and the left side surface BXl of the housing BX. The side 930 is the lower left side of the housing BX, and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and the left side surface BXl of the housing BX (see FIG. 1). The side 940 is the rear side of the top surface BXu of the housing BX, and is formed by the top surface BXu and the back surface BXh of the housing BX. The side 950 is the rear side of the bottom surface BXb of the housing BX, and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and the back surface BXh of the housing BX. The side 960 is the rear side of the right side surface BXr of the housing BX, and is formed by the right side surface BXr and the back surface BXh of the housing BX. The side 970 is the rear side of the left side surface BXl of the casing BX, and is formed by the left side surface BXl and the back surface BXh of the casing BX.

Further, the top portion 1010 is the upper right rear apex of the housing BX. The top portion 1020 is the lower right rear apex of the housing BX. The top portion 1030 is the upper left front vertex of the housing BX. The top portion 1040 is the lower left front apex of the housing BX (see FIG. 1). The top portion 1050 is the upper left rear vertex of the housing BX. The top portion 1060 is the lower left rear apex of the housing BX. As described above, the slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the corners of the front door FD and the corners of the housing DX are not easily damaged. Therefore, when reusing the slot machine 1, there are few scratches on the exterior, so the slot machine 1 can be reused smoothly.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, all of the four corners of the front door FD are configured to be inside the corresponding corners of the casing BX, but the corners of any one of the front doors FD It suffices if it is located inside the corner of the corresponding casing BX. For example, it may be configured such that only the right or upper corner of the front door FD is located inside the corresponding corner of the casing BX. Furthermore, it is more desirable that the corner of the front door FD be located inside the corresponding corner of the housing BX, but for example, the corner of the front door FD and the corner of the housing BX may overlap when viewed from the front. (at the same position).

Similarly, it is not necessary to chamfer the corners of all the casings BX forming the outermost shape of the slot machine 1. For example, only the sides 600, 920, 940, 960, 970 and the top portions 610, 1010, 1050 of the housing BX may be chamfered. Alternatively, only the side 940 of the housing BX may be chamfered. Alternatively, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 8), 602 (see FIG. 8), 920, 940, 960, 970, 800, and 950 of the housing BX may be chamfered. Alternatively, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 8), 602 (see FIG. 8), 920, 940, 960, and 970 of the housing BX may be chamfered.

In the above-described embodiment, "chamfering" includes both so-called C-chamfering, in which a corner is cut diagonally, and R-chamfering, in which the corner of the corner is rounded. In the case of R chamfering, the angle of the obliquely cut surface is defined as the angle of the R of the corner. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, "chamfering" does not mean only chamfering as a post-processing process, but refers to the state in which the angle of the corner becomes an obtuse angle. That is, for example, in the case of an integrally molded resin product like the above-mentioned casing BX, it is sufficient that the corner radius or surface angle designed in advance is an obtuse angle. Furthermore, the casing BX does not necessarily have to be produced as an integrally molded product, and may be an assembled type in which a box shape is formed by a plurality of parts, and the material may be, for example, wood.

Specifically, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example in which the casing is configured to include a top plate, a bottom plate, and left and right side plates, and is an enlarged perspective view of the upper right portion of the casing BX2 according to the modified example. It is a diagram. As shown in FIG. 11, in the case BX2, a top plate BXu2 and a right side plate BXr2 are formed of separate members. The top plate BXu2 is configured by chamfering the upper right side 6002 and the upper front side 6012, and the upper right side 6002 and the upper front side 6012 constitute the upper right side of the housing BX2 and the front side of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX, respectively. are doing. Similarly, the right front side 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is also chamfered, and this right front side 6022 constitutes the front side of the right side surface of the housing BX.

In this embodiment, the front surface BXr21 of the right side plate BXr2 is located approximately 1 mm ahead of the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. The front right side 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that the position of the right end L forming the front side of the right side BXr22 of the housing BX2 is aligned with the position of the front side BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. That is, the right front side 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 has an end position aligned with the corner 6102 where the front side BXu21 and the right side BXu22 of the top plate BXu2 intersect at the boundary L with the right side surface BXr22 of the housing BX. It is chamfered like this. In other words, the right front side 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that its dimension decreases by 1 mm from the position of the front surface BXr21 toward the rear. In this way, by matching the dimensions of the chamfer of the right front side 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 to the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2, the corner 6102 of the lower surface of the top plate BXu2 is prevented from protruding. In addition, in FIG. 11, the explanation was given using the upper right part of the housing BX2 as an example, but the housing BX2 is not limited to the upper right part, but also has the same configuration as the upper right part described above. It becomes.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the mating surface S1 of the front door FD and the housing BX is configured to be inclined so that the lower part is more forward than the upper part in side view, and when the front door FD is opened, Although the force that tends to cause it to fall is alleviated, the mating surface S1 does not necessarily have to be inclined. Furthermore, in the above description, the front door FD is constructed by being divided into upper and lower parts, but it may be constructed in one piece. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to gaming machines such as pachinko machines. In addition, the inventions described in the embodiments described above may be combined in any way.

[Lower panel configuration]
Next, the lower panel portion UP disposed on the lower front door DD of the front door FD in this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1, 12, 13, and 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, a lower panel portion UP is disposed between the operating portion CP of the lower front door DD and the medal tray MP.

As shown in FIG. 12, the lower panel portion UP includes a lower panel frame 81 that constitutes a part of the front door FD and the exterior of the slot machine 1, and a front panel 82 that constitutes the exterior of the slot machine 1. A decorative sheet 83 as a sheet having an image 85 (see FIG. 13) arranged on the back side of the front panel 82, and a rear panel 88 that sandwich the decorative sheet 83 together with the front panel 82 are provided.

The lower panel frame 81 is made of colored synthetic resin, and the outer surface is coated with paint, plating, metal vapor deposition, etc. so as to have a light-blocking property, that is, it is configured as a light-blocking cover, and covers the front surface of the front door FD. It is attached to the lower door DD and is integrally fixed with the front door FD to form the appearance of the front lower door DD. The lower panel frame 81 has an opening 81a that exposes the front panel 82 to the outside, and allows an image 85 of a decorative sheet 83, which will be described later, to be visible through the front panel 82. The opening 81a is configured to be smaller than the front panel 82. In other words, the lower panel frame 81 holds down the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 from the front, and extends rearward in a plate shape. The plate 81b (see FIG. 13) has the function of regulating the position of the front panel 82 in the horizontal and vertical directions and fixing it integrally with the front door FD. Note that the lower panel frame 81 may be formed integrally with other exterior parts of the lower front door DD of the front door FD, and the front panel 82, decorative sheet 83, and rear panel 88 may be installed by inserting them from the rear. In this case, an opening that makes the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 visible may be formed in the lower front door DD of the front door FD.

The lower panel frame 81 has a main frame 81mf having a generally rectangular shape, and inside the main frame 81mf, there are side protrusions 81si, 81si that protrude in the left and right directions, and an underside that protrudes upward from below. A protrusion 81un is formed. Therefore, the opening 81a has a complicated non-rectangular shape. Note that the side protrusions 81si, 81si and the under protrusion 81un are formed so as not to overlap with the acoustic device 395 in the front-rear direction.

The front panel 82 is made of a highly translucent (transparent in this embodiment) synthetic resin, and is formed of a rectangular plate member. Further, the front panel 82 has a textured portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the front surface 82FS, which is a textured portion in which wrinkles (wrinkles), which will be described in detail later, are formed. . The front panel 82 is disposed opposite to the front of the decorative sheet 83 to cover and protect the front side of the decorative sheet 83. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer edge portion of the rear surface of the front panel 82 is formed with an outer edge protrusion 82a that protrudes forward, and a protrusion 82b that is arranged in a rectangular position when viewed from the rear. There is. The front panel 82 is positioned in the lower panel frame 81 by fitting an outer edge protrusion 82a into the rear side of the lower panel frame 81, and the decorative sheet 83 and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, which will be described later, are aligned with the front panel 82. It is positioned relative to the front panel 82 by being inserted and fitted inside the protrusion 82b.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the front panel 82 has a large number of holes 82h formed at positions overlapping the acoustic device 395 when viewed from the front, so that the sound output from the acoustic device 395 is directed forward. It is configured so that it can be easily heard by the outside world. It should be noted that holes may also be provided in the decorative sheet 83 and rear panel 88, which will be described later, located behind the large number of holes 82h so as to overlap with each other in the front-rear direction so that the sound output from the audio device 395 can be more easily heard. good.

As shown in FIG. 12, the decorative sheet 83 has a base material 83a formed in a substantially rectangular sheet shape from a highly translucent (transparent in this embodiment) synthetic resin. An image 85 (see FIG. 13), such as an image of the product name of the slot machine 1, a related character, an image decorating the outside of the slot machine 1, etc. (see FIG. 13) is printed (applied) with colored paint on the back side of the slot machine 1. , constitutes a decorative image surface.

The decorative sheet 83 is held between a rear panel 88 and a front panel 82 arranged on the back side, and the player can view the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 from the front through the front panel 82. It is visible. The rear panel 88 is formed into a plate shape using a highly translucent (transparent in this embodiment) synthetic resin so that the surface 88a is smooth, and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 is decorated. It is formed to have approximately the same size as the sheet 83 (image 85). That is, the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 and the decorative sheet 83 (image 85) are configured to have a size smaller than the size of the front panel 82 and larger than the inner edge (transparent area 82T) of the textured portion 82S, which will be described in detail later. There is. Note that the rear panel 88 is not limited to being transparent; for example, the rear panel 88 may be formed to have unevenness on the front or back surface to diffuse light, thereby diffusing the transmitted light.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the rear panel 88 has a protruding plate 88b extending outward from the outer edge of the surface 88a, and this protruding plate 88b allows the lower panel frame to be The position of the rear panel 88 is regulated in the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the regulating plate 81b of 81, and the front panel 82 is sandwiched and held between the lower panel frame 81. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, a leg portion 88c is formed on the back side of the rear panel 88 so as to extend rearward, and the leg portion 88c abuts against a component of the lower front door DD and connects with the lower panel frame 81. It is regulated to be positioned in the front-rear direction between the two. Further, a side surface 88d, which is the outer edge of the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, is inserted inside the projection 82b of the front panel 82, and the position of the rear panel 88 in the left-right and up-down directions with respect to the front panel 82 is regulated. Therefore, with these configurations, the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 are positioned in the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the lower front door DD.

A backlight board 95 having a plurality of LEDs 95a and a reflector 89 that reflects light from the LEDs 95a are provided on the back side of the rear panel 88. In this embodiment, a backlight board 95 is arranged on the back side of the reflector 89, and the light from the LED 95a is irradiated forward from the opening of the reflector 89. Note that the lower front door DD may be provided with a light emitting source such as a fluorescent lamp such as a cold cathode tube or a lamp instead of the backlight board having the LED. The reflector 89 is made of a material that has a light shielding property and easily reflects light, such as a white synthetic resin.

Therefore, the lower panel part UP of the lower front door DD configured as above allows the decorative sheet 83 illuminated by the light of the LED 95a of the backlight board 95 via the rear panel 88 to be inserted through the front panel 82. It is visible through the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81. These rear panel 88, decorative sheet 83, and front panel 82 are located in front of the various internal devices described above (particularly the reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral members of the backlight board 95, etc.). Since it is arranged on the front lower door DD of the front door FD, it has a function of making the internal equipment invisible, especially by the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83.

[Details of the grained part]
Next, details of the textured portion 82S according to this embodiment will be explained. The front panel 82 according to the present embodiment has a textured portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the front surface 82FS, as shown in FIGS. 1, 12, 13, and 14. Specifically, the textured portion 82S is textured in an area that protrudes a predetermined distance d1 (see FIGS. 13 and 14) from the outer edge of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 to the inside of the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81. It is formed by applying In other words, the textured portion 82S is a range that at least partially overlaps with the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83, covers the edge of the image 85, and extends to the outside of the image 85 when viewed from the front. It is formed on the front surface 82FS so that it becomes like this. Note that the texture processing in this embodiment is formed by adding wrinkles (fine irregularities) to the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 depending on the shape of the mold used to manufacture the front panel 82. However, the entire front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 may be formed smooth, and then chemical treatment such as etching, sandblasting, etc. may be performed in a subsequent process.

As shown in FIG. 14, the grained portion 82S includes a first region 82Sh that overlaps the rear side of the lower panel frame 81 and is hidden from view when viewed from the front side, and an opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 when viewed from the front side. It has two regions: a second region 82Sx that protrudes inside and is visibly exposed. Therefore, the textured portion 82S is arranged around the outer periphery of the transparent region 82T, with the transparent region 82T that makes the image 85 clearly visible inside the opening 81a secured. This transparent area 82T is smaller than the outer edge of the image 85.

The first region 82Sh also includes a region 82Shmf that is the rear of the main frame 81mf (see FIGS. 1 and 12) of the lower panel frame 81, and side protrusions 81si and 81si of the lower panel frame 81 (see FIGS. 1 and 12). ) and a region 82Shun behind the under protrusion 81un of the lower panel frame 81 (see FIGS. 1 and 12).

The second region 82Sx includes a region 82Sxup extending a predetermined distance d1 below the main frame 81mf in the upper portion of the opening 81a, and a predetermined region 82Sxup extending a predetermined distance d1 below the main frame 81mf in the upper portion of the opening 81a, and a predetermined inner side of the side protrusions 81si in the left-right direction than the side protrusions 81si in the lateral portion of the opening 81a. It has regions 82Sxsi, 82Sxsi that protrude by a distance d1, and a region 82Sxun that protrudes a predetermined distance d1 above the under protrusion 81un in the lower part of the opening 81a.

By forming the textured portion 82S in this way, the inner edge of the second region 82Sx has a similar shape to the opening 81a and is smaller than the opening 81a, and protrudes a predetermined distance d1 inward from the opening 81a at any part. In other words, the textured portion 82S protrudes inside the opening 81a in the form of a band having a width of approximately a predetermined distance d1. As described above, a plurality of holes 82h (see FIG. 1) are formed in the front panel 82 at positions corresponding to the front of the acoustic device 395, but the textured portion S overlaps with these holes 82h. In other words, the plurality of holes 82h are arranged at least a predetermined distance d1 from the inside of the opening 81a.

As shown in FIG. 13, the thickness d2 of the front panel 82 is, for example, approximately 3 mm so as to withstand external impacts. On the other hand, the textured portion 82S is formed such that a predetermined distance d1 protruding from the opening 81a is, for example, about 5 mm. It is formed to have a longer distance. In particular, in this embodiment, even if the player tries to look into the interior through the front panel 82, for example, while taking into account the refractive index of light of the front panel 82, etc., The predetermined distance d1 is set so that the outer edge of the image 85 cannot be seen even with a line of sight at an angle of 60 degrees to 60 degrees. Therefore, the textured portion 82S having a predetermined distance d1, which is longer than the thickness d2 of the front panel 82, blocks the image 85 from being visible beyond the outer edge, and the rear panel 88 and the internal devices (especially (reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral members of backlight board 95, etc.) are not visible.

As explained above, in the slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment, in the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81, a predetermined distance is set from the opening 81a to the inside of the opening 81a so as to protrude from the inside of the opening 81a by a predetermined distance d1. The textured portion 82S is formed in the range up to the distance d1. In other words, the textured portion 82S is formed at the edge of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, and is formed to cover the edge of the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83. Therefore, the textured portion 82S is arranged so as to straddle between the opening 81a and the edge of the image 85. This makes it impossible to visually recognize the inside of the front door FD (internal equipment) through the front panel 82.

By the way, if the size of the image 85 formed on the decorative sheet 83 is, for example, about 5 mm larger than the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 (the same is true even if the opening 81a is relatively smaller than the image 85), Even without the textured portion 82S, the internal equipment can be hidden from view. However, it is difficult to make the decorative sheet 83 larger due to its positional relationship with surrounding parts, and if the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 is made smaller, the visibility range of the image 85 will be reduced, which will have an impact on the design of the slot machine 1. There is a risk that it will be lacking. Therefore, by providing the textured portion 82S as in this embodiment, interference between the image 85 and surrounding parts can be avoided, and the design of the slot machine 1 can also be improved.

Further, by providing an opaque portion in place of the textured portion 82S, internal devices can be hidden from view. However, since the light from the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 is no longer transmitted, a dark portion may appear in the lower panel portion UP, which may result in poor appearance. Therefore, by providing the textured portion 82S having transparency as in this embodiment, the light from the LED 95a of the backlight board 95 is transmitted, ensuring the brightness of the lower panel portion UP and improving the appearance. be able to.

1...Game machine (slot machine)
82...Front panel 82FS...Front surface 82S...Grained part (textured part)
83... Sheet (decorative sheet)
85...Image BX...Casing FD...Front door UP...Panel part (lower panel part)

Claims (1)

A casing and
a front door attached to the housing so that it can be opened and closed;
The state of the front door includes a first state, a second state, and a third state,
In the first state, the front door is closed, the supported part of the front door is supported by the support part of the casing, and there is a gap between the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the casing. The vertical dimension is the first dimension,
In the second state, the front door is open, the supported part of the front door is not in contact with the supporting part of the housing, and the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the housing are in contact with each other. The vertical dimension between is the second dimension,
In the third state, the front door is open, the supported part of the front door is in contact with the supporting part of the casing, and there is a space between the rear side of the lower surface of the front door and the mounting surface of the casing. The vertical dimension of is the third dimension,
The second dimension is smaller than the first dimension and larger than the thickness of the medal,
The third dimension is smaller than the first dimension and larger than the thickness of the medal,
The first dimension, the second dimension, and the third dimension are smaller than the diameter of the game ball,
In the first state,
The front edge of the top of the case is located higher than the back edge of the front door top.
The front edge of the right side of the case is located to the right of the rear edge of the right side of the front door.
The upper right side formed by the top surface of the casing and the right side surface of the casing is located outward from the rear right apex formed by the top surface of the front door and the right side surface of the front door,
The front door includes a panel portion having translucency,
The panel portion is
a sheet having an image;
a front panel disposed in front of the seat;
The front panel has a textured portion with a texture formed on the front edge,
The grain portion is arranged to cover an edge of the image,
A gaming machine characterized by:

Images