JP7464228B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an amusement machine.

In general, gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines have a front door that can be opened and closed relative to the cabinet, and the inside of the gaming machine can be accessed by opening and closing this front door. There is a known gaming machine in which such a front door is provided with a decorative sheet and a light-transmitting panel that can transmit light, and the decorative sheet is protected by the light-transmitting panel (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-65389 A

The above-mentioned light-transmitting panel is made of acrylic resin or the like with a certain thickness (for example, about 3 mm) so that it can withstand a certain degree of impact. However, such a thickness may make it possible to look beyond the decorative sheet, and thus make it possible to see inside the front door. If the inside of the front door can be seen in this way, not only does it detract from the aesthetic design, but it also poses the problem of being poor in terms of preventing so-called gouges.

The present invention aims to provide an amusement machine that makes it impossible to see inside through the panel section.

One aspect of the present invention is
A gaming machine including a cabinet and a front door attached to the cabinet so as to be able to open and close, wherein the front door rattles relative to the cabinet when a predetermined external force is applied to the front door in a closed state, the front edge of the cabinet top surface is located above the rear edge of the front door top surface, the front edge of the cabinet right side surface is located to the right of the rear edge of the front door right side surface, the front edge of the cabinet left side surface is located to the left of the rear edge of the front door left side surface, the upper right edge formed by the cabinet top surface and the cabinet right side surface is a first chamfered surface, and the upper left edge formed by the cabinet top surface and the cabinet left side surface is a second chamfered surface, and when the external force is not applied to the closed front door, the first chamfered surface is a chamfered surface between the front door top surface and the front door the front door has a panel portion having a translucent surface, the panel portion having a sheet having an image thereon and a front panel disposed in front of the sheet, the front panel having a embossed portion on the front surface of the front door, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a left surface having an image thereon, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a right surface having an image thereon, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a right surface having an image thereon, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a left surface having an image thereon, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a right surface having an image thereon, the front door having a top surface having an image thereon and a right surface having an image thereon,

According to the present invention, it is possible to make it impossible to see inside through the panel section.

1 is a front view showing the external configuration of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. 2 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the housing of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a front door in a first state according to the embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the front door in a second state according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the front door in a third state according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a medal and a game ball according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C1 in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C2 in FIG. 2 . 1 is a rear perspective view showing the external configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the housing according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lower panel portion according to the embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper portion of the lower panel portion according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a front panel according to the embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment does not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in this embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, the side facing the player (nearby) is referred to as the "front" and the opposite is referred to as the "rear," and the top, bottom, left and right of the gaming machine are defined based on the front view in Figure 1.

[Overview of Gaming Machine Configuration]
First, the schematic configuration of the gaming machine will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The slot machine 1 of this embodiment is a so-called reel type gaming machine, which is a type of gaming machine in which games are played using medals as gaming media. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this slot machine 1 includes a box-shaped cabinet BX and a front door FD that can be opened and closed relative to the cabinet BX.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cabinet BX has an opening BXa on the front side, and various internal devices are housed inside to enable games to be played or to enable performances to be played. As various internal devices, the cabinet BX houses a reel unit 310 having multiple reels R1 to R3, and further houses a hopper unit 320 as a medal payout device below the reel unit 310, and a control board 10 equipped with a CPU, ROM (an example of an information storage medium), RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the slot machine 1 above the reel unit 310.

The above-mentioned multiple reels R1 to R3 (the first reel R1 located on the far left side, the second reel R2 located to the right of the first reel R1, and the third reel R3 located to the right of the second reel R2) have their outer periphery divided into 20 regions (hereinafter, each region will be referred to as a "frame") at regular intervals, and one of several types of patterns is arranged on each frame. In addition, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are illuminated from the inside by a backlight BL, and are supported by a stepping motor M as a reel drive means so that they can be stopped in frame units (in units of a predetermined rotation angle, in units of a predetermined amount of rotation).

The front door FD is divided into an upper front door UD, which can be opened and closed separately, and can close the upper half of the opening BXa, and a lower front door DD, which can close the lower half of the opening. These upper front door UD and lower front door DD are attached to the housing BX so that they can be opened and closed freely by hinges HN (see Figure 3) provided on the left side of each, and the right side can be opened and closed relative to the housing BX, and when closed, they block the various internal devices from the front. In this embodiment, even if a device is attached to the front door FD and does not fit inside the housing BX when the front door FD is closed to the housing BX, the device that becomes inaccessible from the outside when the front door FD is closed is referred to as an internal device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front upper door UD is provided with a display window DW that allows the spinning and stopped states of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 to be observed. When the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are stopped, three patterns (upper row pattern, middle row pattern, and lower row pattern) that are consecutively arranged on the outer periphery of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 among the multiple types of patterns arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 can be observed through the display window DW from the front of the slot machine 1.

In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, each reel is provided with an upper, middle, and lower display position for observing the symbols through the display window DW, and a winning line is set by combining the display positions of each reel. In addition, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, the number of medals required for one game, the so-called specified insertion number, is set to three in any game state, and when medals equivalent to the specified insertion number are inserted, an active line X formed by the middle of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is activated.

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

The front upper door UD is provided with a game information display section DS. The game information display section DS is made up of LEDs, lamps, seven-segment displays, etc., and displays various game information such as the number of medal credits, the number of medals paid out or won in one game, the total number of medals paid out or won in a bonus state, information on the winning combination in the current game, and information suggesting how to press stop buttons B1 to B3 related to the payout of medals.

The game information display unit DS includes a main control display device 500 consisting of a seven-segment display, and when a specified number of medals are inserted and the start lever SL is tilted, a notification display is displayed, 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 in this game, and when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 stop after the notification display is displayed, the notification display ends and the number of medals paid out or won 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 corresponding to the winning command.

The main control display device 500 is also provided with a favorable period notification section 500A, which is a dot on a seven-segment display and lights up when a favorable period has been started by a favorable period control means (not shown) and turns off when a favorable period has not been started, i.e., a non-favorable period has been started, thereby notifying whether or not a favorable period has been started.

Furthermore, the slot machine 1 is provided with a performance device 300 capable of performing performances related to the game, such as assisting the game and livening up the game. The performance device 300 includes a display device 330, a movable role device 350, and a plurality of illumination devices 360 provided on the front upper door UD, and a plurality of illumination devices 370 provided on the front lower door. The display device 330 is, for example, composed of a liquid crystal display, and performs a performance of displaying various videos and images according to the progress of the game. The movable role device 350 is, for example, disposed in front of the display device 330, and moves by a driving means such as a motor or a solenoid according to the progress of the game, and performs a performance of shielding or exposing the screen of the display device 330. The illumination devices 360, 370 perform a performance of emitting light according to the progress of the game. The performance device 300 also includes a plurality of sound devices 380, 390, 395 provided on the front upper door UD and the front lower door DD. The sound devices 380, 390, and 395 are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides of the upper and lower parts of the front door FD, more specifically on the lower panel part UP described below, and perform effects that output various sounds according to the progress of the game.

The front lower door DD is approximately the same size as the front lower door DD when viewed from the front, and is equipped with an operation section CP where the player performs operations related to the game, an illumination device 370, sound devices 390, 395, a lower panel section UP, a medal receiving tray MP, etc. More specifically, the operation section CP is configured to protrude forward from the upper part of the front lower door DD (the center part of the front door FD), and on its upper surface are attached a medal insertion port MI through which the player inserts medals one by one, and a max bet button MB (bet button) as an insertion operation means that accepts an insertion operation to insert a specified number of medals from the credited medals with one operation when the medals are credited (stored).

Attached to the front of the operation unit CP are a single bet button BT as an insert operation means, a start lever SL as a start operation means, a plurality of stop buttons B1 to B3 as a stop operation means, a settlement button BS for settling the credited medals, and a cylinder lock CY for opening and closing the front door FD. The single bet button BT accepts an insert operation to insert one medal from among the credited medals when the medals have been 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 buttons B1 to B3 accept a stop operation that triggers the stopping of each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 that are driven to rotate by the stepping motor M. The credited medals are stored (stored) in the control board 10 that serves as a storage means.

In the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when a player inserts medals into the medal insertion slot MI, or when medals are credited at or above the specified number, the specified number of medals are inserted by pressing the single bet button BT backward (insertion operation) or pressing the max bet button MB downward (insertion operation) the same number of times as the specified number of medals, and the slot machine is set to a ready state in which rotation control of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 can be started. Then, when the player performs a start operation (tilt operation) of tilting the start lever SL relative to the start lever SL, the control board 10 starts rotating the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 by driving the stepping motor M, and an internal lottery using random numbers is performed. On the condition that the rotation speed of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 increases to a specified speed and reaches a steady rotation, pressing the stop button B1 to the stop button B3 is permitted, that is, the stop operation by the stop button B1 to the stop button B3 is enabled.

The slot machine 1 of this embodiment is configured to set a waiting time (approximately 4.1 seconds) called a wait (or wait time) when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 start to spin. The slot machine 1 is configured to start the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 spinning after the waiting time has elapsed if a start operation is performed again within the period from when the waiting time is set until the waiting time has elapsed.

After that, when the player presses stop buttons B1 to B3 backwards at any timing (hereinafter referred to as "press timing"), the stop switches built into each of stop buttons B1 to B3 as stop signal output means turn ON, changing the reel stop signal output to the control board 10 from OFF to ON.

When the player releases any of the pressed stop buttons B1 to B3 at any time, the stop switches corresponding to the stop buttons B1 to B3 turn OFF, changing the reel stop signal output to the control board 10 from ON to OFF. The control board 10 then stops the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 at a stop position according to the results of an internal lottery based on the change from OFF to ON of the reel stop signal, the signal state of which changes depending on when the stop buttons B1 to B3 are pressed and released.

In addition, a medal payout outlet MO and a medal receiving tray MP are provided at the bottom of the front lower door DD, and medals in a number according to the game results are paid out from the medal payout outlet MO to the medal receiving tray MP. 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 into the settlement button BS turns ON in response to the pressing of the settlement button BS, and changes the medal settlement signal output to the control board 10 from OFF to ON. In response to the change of the medal settlement signal from OFF to ON, the control board 10 executes a settlement process to pay out a number of medals equivalent to the number of credits (the number of credited medals) from the hopper unit 320, and pays out the medals from the medal payout outlet MO to the medal receiving tray MP, only when the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are not spinning and no medals have been bet.

[Gap at bottom of front door]
Next, the lower gap of the front door FD (front lower door DD) will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. Figs. 4 to 6 are cross-sectional views taken along line S-S shown in Fig. 1. The position of line S-S is a position shifted (offset) to the left by a predetermined dimension (e.g., a dimension equivalent to about the diameter of a medal) from the right end of the gaming machine 1 (the right side surface of the cabinet BX). Details will be described later, but Fig. 4 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "first state", Fig. 5 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "second state", and Fig. 6 shows a case where the front door FD is in a "third state".

As shown in FIG. 4, the right-side 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 opposite side from the hinge HN) is provided with a supported portion 91 (convex portion) that is formed to protrude rearward. In this embodiment, a roller portion is provided at the tip of the supported portion 91. Also, on the right side when the inside of the housing BX is viewed from the front, a support portion 92 is formed at a position that corresponds to the supported portion 91 when the front door FD is closed. The support portion 92 is formed so as to be able to support the supported portion 91 from below.

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 approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. The support part 92 is fixed, for example, by screwing to the inner surface of the right side plate of the housing BX. When the front door FD is moved from an open state (open state) to a closed state (closed state), first, the roller part of the supported part 91 contacts (abuts) the front side (front side) of the support part 92, then the roller part of the supported part 91 rests (rides up) on the support part 92, and the roller part moves backward on the support part 92. Then, the roller part 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 open, the support from below of the supported part 91 is released (released). The front door FD, which has lost support from below, is lowered by its own weight.

The states (positions) of the front door FD include a first state, a second state, and a third state.
(First state)
4, the first state is a state in which the front door FD is closed and a supported portion 91 of the front door FD is supported by a support portion 92 of the housing BX (closed state, closed state). In this embodiment, the supported portion 91 is applying a load (loading) to the support portion 92. It can also be said that the support portion 92 is lifting the supported portion 91 upward.
(Second state)
As shown in Figure 5, the second state is a state in which the front door FD is open and the supported portion 91 of the front door FD is not in contact with the support portion 92 of the housing BX (a spaced state, 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 abuts (contacts) the support portion 92 of the housing BX. It can also be said that the supported portion 91 abuts the support portion 92 and the front door FD is open without being completely closed. It can also be said that the front door FD abuts the support portion 92 but the supported portion 91 is not supported by the support portion 92 and the front door FD is open without being completely closed (half-open state: slightly open state). Note that the third state may be a state in which (only) the tip portion of the support portion 92 supports the supported portion 91 (the supported portion 91 may be supported by (only) the tip portion of the support portion 92). It can also be said that the third state is a state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is smaller than that of 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. The opening angle of the front door FD is, for example, the angle formed between the front surface of the housing BX and the rear surface of the front door FD.

The bottom surface (lower surface) BXb of the gaming machine (cabinet BX) is the surface that comes into contact with the opposing member (island equipment, etc.). Hereinafter, this bottom surface BXb will be referred to as the mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX. The mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX is flush with the upper surface of the installation base (stand). The installation base is formed to extend from the rear side to the front side, and is also located (present) below the medal receiving tray MP. Hereinafter, when referring to the mounting surface Z of the cabinet BX, it may refer to the entire surface (including the upper surface of the installation base) that is flush with the mounting surface Z. Note that players can place beverages, etc., in the space above the stand, for example to the left of the medal receiving tray MP.

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

As shown in Figure 5, in the second state (open state), the dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap from the bottom end (bottom surface, rear edge of the bottom surface of the front door FD) Y2 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX is the second dimension L2, which is smaller than the first dimension L1 (it is designed to be the second dimension L2). The second dimension L2 is approximately 2 to 3 mm.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the third state, the dimension (vertical dimension) of the gap from the bottom end (bottom surface, rear edge of the bottom surface of the front door FD) Y3 of the front door FD (medal tray MP) to the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX is a third dimension L3 that is smaller than the first dimension L1 (it is designed to be the third dimension L3). The third dimension L3 is approximately 2 to 3 mm.

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

As shown in FIG. 7, the diameter of the medal M is dimension L4. The thickness of the medal M is dimension L5. The medal M used in a game on the gaming machine according to this embodiment has dimension L4 of Φ25 (diameter approximately 25 mm) and dimension L5 of approximately 1.6 mm. However, the medal M may have dimension L4 of Φ30 (diameter approximately 30 mm) and dimension L5 of approximately 1.7 mm. The diameter of the game ball B is 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 (it is 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 (it is 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 (it is 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 and third states), the support from below of the supported portion 91 is released (opened). 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 the third dimension L3 are smaller than the first dimension L1. In other words, the lower end of the front door FD (medal tray MP) is closer to the top surface of the table (the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX) in the open state than in the closed state.

(Relationship with the thickness of the medal M)
When the gaming machine of this embodiment is placed on the placement surface Z, no matter what state the front door FD is in, a gap (first dimension L1, second dimension L2, and third dimension L3) larger than the thickness of the medal M is formed between the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the placement surface Z. In other words, the first dimension L1, the second dimension L2, and the third dimension L3 are larger than the thickness (dimension L5) of the medal M. For this reason, even if the front door FD is opened and closed in a state in which the medal M has entered between the lower side of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the base present below the medal receiving tray MP (the medal M is hidden), the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) and the medal M will not come into contact with each other. In other words, the medal M hidden in the gap between the medal receiving tray MP and the base will not hinder the opening and closing of the front door FD. For this reason, even if the medal M is present on the upper surface (placement surface Z) of the base, the front door FD can be opened and closed smoothly. Furthermore, if the lower end of the front door FD comes into contact with a medal M when the front door FD is opened, the medal M will be pushed out and fall from the base, resulting in the trouble of searching for the medal M, but according to this embodiment, such trouble can be prevented.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the table) of the cabinet BX without overlapping, the front door FD is not prevented (not prevented, not impeded) from changing from the second state (open state) to the first state (closed state) by the medals M. A store attendant at an amusement facility (hall) may open the front door FD to resolve an empty error caused by a shortage (running out) of medals M in the hopper, but when closing the open front door FD, even if a medal M is placed on the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX, the medal M can be closed without the front door FD coming into contact with the front door FD. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be closed due to a medal M being caught in the gap between the front door FD and the cabinet BX (front surface of the cabinet BX), or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by the impact of the medal M being caught.

In addition, when medals M are placed on the placement surface Z (top surface of the table) of the cabinet BX without overlapping, the front door FD is not prevented from changing from the first state (closed state) to the second state (open state) by the medals M. When an amusement parlor (hall) clerk opens the closed front door FD to eliminate the cause of an empty error caused by a shortage (running out) of medals M in the hopper, even if a medal M is placed on the placement surface Z of the cabinet BX, the front door FD can be opened without the medal M coming into contact with the front door FD. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be opened because the medal M is stuck in the gap between the front door FD and the placement surface Z (top surface of the table), or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by forcibly opening the front door FD with the medal M stuck in it. Furthermore, the second dimension L2 is smaller than the first dimension L1, and the gap between the bottom end of the front door FD and the placement surface Z of the housing BX when the front door FD is open is narrower than the gap when the front door FD is closed. 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, fraud prevention 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 close to each other, and a game ball B is present near the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP). Even if the game ball B rolls under the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP) when the front door FD is closed (first state), the first dimension L1 is smaller than the diameter L6 of the game ball B, so the game ball B does not enter the back side (rear side) under the medal receiving tray MP. The lower surface of the medal receiving tray MP is inclined so that it faces upward toward the front, but the game ball B abuts (comes into contact with) the inclined surface and stops before reaching the lower end of the front door FD (medal receiving tray MP). Then, when the front door FD is opened in this state, the game ball B is pushed toward the front side and falls from the top of the table. Moreover, since the game ball B falls in this way, it does not interfere with closing the open front door FD. The same can be said if 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, the game ball B comes into contact with the inclined surface and stops before reaching the bottom end of the front door FD (medal tray MP), and when the front door FD is opened in that state, the game ball B is pushed forward and falls. And because the game ball B falls, it does not interfere with closing the open front door FD.

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

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

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 (the distance (minimum distance) between the right side of the front door FD and the right side of the housing BX) is the fourth dimension L7. The fourth dimension L7 may be the opening dimension of the right end of the front door FD in the third state. Note that while the fourth dimension L7 is shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of line S-S shown in FIG. 1, and does not strictly refer to the distance (dimension) between the right end of the front door FD and the right end of the housing BX. 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 this embodiment, the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 are designed to be larger than the thickness L5 of the medal M. However, due to the precision (variation) of the part dimensions, deterioration of the quality (durability) of the hinge HN (see FIG. 3), assembly errors, etc., the second dimension L2 and the third dimension L3 may be equal to or smaller than the thickness L5 of the medal M. Even in this case, in the process of the front door FD moving from the third state (FIG. 6) to the first state (FIG. 4), the supported portion 91 of the front door FD is supported so as to rest (ride up) on the support portion 92 of the housing BX (the supported portion 91 is supported so as to rest on the support portion 92), and a dimension equivalent to the thickness of the medal M is secured between the lower end of the front door FD and the placement surface Z (bottom surface BXb). Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the front door FD cannot be closed or a situation in which the front door FD is damaged by being pinched by the medal M.

(Modification)
The second state (open state) shown in Fig. 5 includes a 21st state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is a first opening angle, and a 22nd state in which the opening angle of the front door FD is a second opening angle that is larger than the first opening angle. The first opening angle is a predetermined angle of 10° (ten degrees) or less. In addition, in the 21st state, the distance (gap) between the end (right end) of the front door FD and the end (right end) of the housing BX on the opposite side to the rotation shaft side (hinge HN side) of the front door FD is the distance between one end and the other end when two to three medals are lined up in a row on a horizontal plane (the distance of two to three medals, for example, about 50 mm to about 75 mm). In this modified example, in the 21st state, the bottom end (bottom end on the right side) of the front door FD approaches the placement surface Z, and the second dimension L2 becomes smaller than the first dimension (first state: closed state) (in other words, the second state includes the 21st state in which the second dimension L2 becomes 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 modified example, when the opening angle of the front door FD is greater than the first opening angle, the larger the opening angle, the more gradually the lower end (lower end on the right side) of the front door FD moves away from the placement surface Z. In this case, if the vertical dimension between the lower end on the right side (opposite the rotation shaft side) of the front door FD and the placement surface Z is the second dimension L2, in the 22nd state (for example, when the opening angle of the front door FD is at its maximum), the second dimension L2 is greater than the first dimension.

[Exterior damage prevention structure]
Next, a configuration for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be described. The exterior of the slot machine 1 is composed of the front door FD and the cabinet BX described above, and even when the front door FD is closed, it may come into contact with an obstacle during transportation of the gaming machine or installation in a hall, and may be damaged. In particular, since the worker carries the slot machine 1 by holding the gripping portion 400 (see FIG. 2) formed on the side of the cabinet BX, the corners of the front door FD and the cabinet BX are most likely to come into contact with an obstacle, and are also prone to being scratched due to their shapes that tend to concentrate stress. In the following, a configuration for preventing damage to the exterior of the slot machine 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shape (periphery) of the front door FD is formed by the upper surface (top surface) FDu, the lower surface (bottom surface) FDb, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr, and the outer shape (periphery) of the cabinet BX is similarly formed by the upper surface (top surface) BXu, the lower surface (bottom surface) BXb, the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr, and the back surface BXh (see FIG. 10). In the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the outer shape of the front door FD is formed smaller than the outer shape of the cabinet BX, and the outer shape of the cabinet BX is the maximum outer shape of the slot machine 1. That is, in this embodiment, the upper surface FDu, the lower surface FDb, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD are formed to be located inside the upper surface BXu, the lower surface BXb, and the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX, respectively, when viewed from the front.

In other words, the left-right dimension of the top surface BXu of the cabinet BX (width direction of the gaming machine) is larger than the left-right dimension of the top surface FDu of the front door FD, and the top surface FDu of the front door FD is arranged to fit within the left-right dimension of the top surface BXu of the cabinet BX. The left-right dimension of the bottom surface BXb of the cabinet BX is larger than the left-right dimension of the bottom surface FDb of the front door FD, and the bottom surface FDb of the front door FD is arranged to fit within the left-right dimension of the bottom surface BXb of the cabinet BX. The up-down dimension (height direction of the gaming machine) of the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX is larger than the up-down dimension of the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD, and the left and right side surfaces FDl, FDr of the front door FD are arranged to fit within the up-down dimension of the left and right side surfaces BXl, BXr of the cabinet BX.

Therefore, the four corners of the front door FD are configured so that none of them protrude outward from the corresponding corners of the housing BX. For example, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of C1 part (upper right corner of the mating surface S1 between the front door FD and the housing BX) in FIG. 2, where (a) is an enlarged side view of C1 part, (b) is an enlarged plan view of C1 part, and (c) is an enlarged front view of C1 part. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (c), the top surface FDu of the front door FD is also located inward (lower) than the top surface BXu of the housing BX in C1 part. Therefore, the front edge 601 of the top surface (top surface of the housing) BXu of the housing BX is located above the rear edge 701 of the top surface (top surface of the front door) FDu of the front door FD. Also, as shown in FIGS. 8(b) and (c), the right side surface FDr of the front door FD is located inward (leftward) than the right side surface BXr of the housing BX. Therefore, the front edge 602 of the right side surface (right side surface of the housing) BXr of the housing BX is located to the right of the rear edge 702 of the right side surface (right side surface of the front door) FDr of the front door FD.

The edge 700 where the top surface FDu of the front door FD and the right side surface FDr of the front door FD intersect is located inside the edge 600 where the top surface BXu of the housing BX and the right side surface BXr of the housing BX intersect. In other words, the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX formed by the top surface BXu of the housing BX and the right side surface BXr of the housing BX is located outside (upper right in this embodiment) the upper right edge 700 of the front door FD formed by the top surface FDu and the right side surface FDr. In other words, when the edge formed by the above two planes is considered to be a corner, the corner 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 600 of the housing BX.

Furthermore, when comparing the vertices where the three sides intersect as corners, it is clear that the apex on the rear side of the upper right edge 700 of the front door FD (the apex where the upper right edge 700 intersects with the rear edge of the top surface FDu (the left and right edges on the rear side of the top surface FDu) 701, and the rear edge of the right side surface FDr (the top and bottom edges on the rear side of the right side surface FDr) 702; hereinafter also referred to as simply the right rear apex or the upper right rear apex of the front door FD) 710) is located more inside than the apex on the front side of the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX (the apex where the upper right edge 600 intersects with the front edge of the top surface BXu (the left and right edges on the front side of the top surface BXu) 601, and the front edge of the right side surface BXr (the top and bottom edges on the front side of the right side surface BXr) 602; hereinafter also referred to as simply the right front apex or the upper right front apex of the housing BX) 610). In other words, the right front vertex 610 is located outward (upper right in this embodiment) than the right rear vertex 710. In other words, the corner 710 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude outward from the corner 610 of the housing BX.

When configured as described above, the upper right edge 600 of the cabinet BX constitutes the maximum outer shape of the slot machine 1, and is the part most likely to come into contact with an obstacle. For this reason, in this embodiment, the upper right edge 600 is chamfered. More specifically, in this embodiment, the angle between the top surface BXu and the right side surface BXr of the cabinet BX that form the upper right edge 600 is configured to be an obtuse angle. When chamfered in this way, the upper right edge 600 of the cabinet BX is located outward (upper right) from the right rear vertex 710 of the front door FD. In addition, the upper right front vertex 610 of the cabinet BX is also chamfered (corner cut).

Because of this configuration, when the cabinet BX comes into contact with an obstacle, the upper right edge (corner) 600 (610) of the cabinet BX comes into contact before the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD, which prevents scratches on the exterior of the front door FD, where various presentation devices 300 are arranged and which is easily visible to players. In addition, because the corner 600 (610) of the cabinet BX is chamfered, even if the corner 600 (610) of the cabinet BX comes into contact with an obstacle, there is less stress concentration compared to a right-angled corner, and it is less likely to be scratched.

The upper right edge 600 of the housing BX is formed by a chamfered surface, so in terms of external shape it can also be said to be the upper right surface of the housing BX. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper right surface 600 has an upper edge 600u and a lower edge 600l on the upper side. In this embodiment, the upper edge 600u is located above and to the left of the corner of the front door FD (upper right edge 700/upper right vertex 710), and the lower edge 600l is located above and to the right of the corner 700 (710) of the front door FD.

In this embodiment, the front edge 601 of the upper surface BXu of the housing BX is also chamfered to form a chamfered surface similar to the upper right edge 600. As shown in FIG. 8(c), this chamfered surface 601 has an upper edge 601u and a lower edge 601l, and is formed so that the lower edge 601l is located higher in the vertical direction than the rear edge 701 (right rear vertex 710) of the front door upper surface FDu. In other words, the vertical dimension from the housing upper surface BXu to the rear edge 701 (right rear vertex 710) of the front door upper surface FDu is larger than the lower edge (front edge) 601l of the chamfered surface 601 from the housing upper surface BXu. 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, which has looser dimensional restrictions than the width direction (left-right direction) in which the slot machines 1 are arranged, is made larger. That is, the amount of protrusion of the upper surface BXu of the cabinet BX from the upper surface FDu of the front door FD is made larger than the amount of protrusion of the right side surface BXr of the cabinet BX from the right side surface FDr of the front door FD. As a result, the positional relationship described above is obtained, but the positional relationship between the upper side 600u and the lower side 600l and the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD is not limited to this, as long as the upper right surface 600 of the cabinet BX is positioned outward from the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD. For example, the upper side 600u may be positioned above and to the right of the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD, and the lower side 600l may be positioned below and to the right of the corner portion 700 (710) of the front door FD.

In this embodiment, the corners 700 of the front door FD are also chamfered. The upper right edge 700 (upper surface FDu) of the front door FD may have a draft angle that slopes downward from the front side to the rear side. Furthermore, the upper right edge 700 may be formed by a part of the front door FD that constitutes the front side of the performance device 300, etc., and a rear side part that forms the mating surface S1, and the above-mentioned slope may be formed only on the rear side that forms the right rear vertex 710. In this embodiment, the entire upper right edge 700 of the front door FD is configured not to protrude from the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX, but it is sufficient that at least the right rear vertex 710 of the front door FD is located inside the upper right edge 600 of the housing BX.

Furthermore, as described above, the front door FD of the slot machine 1 has some rattling due to the tolerance and deterioration of the hinge HN. Also, even when the front door FD is closed relative to the cabinet BX, there is a clearance between the cabinet BX and the front door FD. For this reason, even when 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/rear). Therefore, the corners of the front door FD are more likely to protrude outward 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). However, in this embodiment, not only at the upper right corner (see FIG. 8), but also at the lower right corner as shown in FIG. 9, the corner 900 (910) of the front door FD 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. In addition, the lower right side 800 and lower right front vertex 810 of the housing BX are chamfered in the same way as the upper right side 600 and upper right front vertex 610.

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

This prevents the corners 710 (700)/910 (900) of the front door FD from protruding from the chamfered corners 600/800 of the cabinet BX on the side opposite the hinge HN, even if the front door FD is tilted in the closed state due to the rattling. Even if the front door FD is gripped when moving the slot machine 1, for example, from a normal state (no rattling, first state) in which no external force is applied to the front door FD, and the front door FD is rattled within the clearance range (a state in which it has moved outward from the normal state, second state), the corners 600/800 of the cabinet BX are positioned inside the corners 710 (700)/910 (900) of the front door FD.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned sides 600 and 800, the cabinet BX also has sides 920-970 (see FIG. 10) as corners that form the outermost shape of the slot machine 1, and since these sides are also easily damaged, they are chamfered. Similarly, in addition to the apexes 610 and 810, the apexes 1010-1060 are also chamfered (corner-removed). For example, the front edge (not shown) of the left side BXl of the cabinet is located to the left of the rear edge (not shown) of the left side FDl of the front door, and the upper left edge 920 of the cabinet BX is chamfered and is located outboard of the apex 730 on the rear side of the upper left edge 720 of the front door FD.

The top 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, and more specifically, it is the top (left rear vertex, upper left rear vertex of the front door FD) where the upper left edge 7200, the rear edge of the top surface FDu (left and right sides on the rear side of the top surface FDu) 740, and the rear edge of the left side surface FDl (upper and lower sides on the rear side of the left side surface FDl, not shown) intersect. The upper left edge of the housing BX is formed by the top surface BXu and left side surface BXl of the housing BX. Side 930 is the lower left edge of the housing BX and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and left side surface BXl of the housing BX (see FIG. 1). Side 940 is the rear edge of the top surface BXu of the housing BX and is formed by the top surface BXu and back surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 950 is the rear edge of the bottom surface BXb of the housing BX, and is formed by the bottom surface BXb and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 960 is the rear edge of the right side surface BXr of the housing BX, and is formed by the right side surface BXr and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX. Side 970 is the rear edge of the left side surface BXl of the housing BX, and is formed by the left side surface BXl and the rear surface BXh of the housing BX.

Furthermore, apex 1010 is the upper right rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1020 is the lower right rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1030 is the upper left front vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1040 is the lower left front vertex of cabinet BX (see FIG. 1). apex 1050 is the upper left rear vertex of cabinet BX. apex 1060 is the lower left rear vertex of cabinet BX. As described above, in the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the corners of the front door FD and the corners of the cabinet DX are configured to be less susceptible to damage. Therefore, when reusing the slot machine 1, the exterior is less likely to be damaged, and the slot machine 1 can be reused smoothly.

In the above-described embodiment, all four corners of the front door FD are configured to be more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX, but it is sufficient that any corner of the front door FD is more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX. For example, it is also possible to configure only the right and upper corners of the front door FD to be more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX. Also, it is more preferable that the corners of the front door FD are located more inward than the corners of the corresponding housing BX, but for example, the corners of the front door FD and the corners of the housing BX may be configured to overlap (be in the same position) when viewed from the front.

Similarly, it is not necessary to chamfer all corners of the cabinet BX that form the outermost shape of the slot machine 1. For example, only the sides 600, 920, 940, 960, 970 and the tops 610, 1010, 1050 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the side 940 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 8), 602 (see FIG. 8), 920, 940, 960, 970, 800, 950 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered. Also, only the sides 600, 601 (see FIG. 8), 602 (see FIG. 8), 920, 940, 960, 970 of the cabinet BX may be configured to be chamfered.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, "chamfering" includes both C-chamfering, where the corner is cut at an angle, and R-chamfering, where the corner is rounded. The angle of the corner refers to the angle of the beveled surface in the case of C-chamfering, and the angle of the R of the corner in the case of R-chamfering. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, "chamfering" does not only mean chamfering as a post-processing, but also refers to the state in which the corner angle is an obtuse angle. That is, for example, in the case of a one-piece molded resin product such as the above-mentioned housing BX, it is sufficient that the radius of the corner or the angle of the surface is an obtuse angle that is designed in advance. Furthermore, the housing BX does not necessarily have to be produced as a one-piece molded product, but may be an assembly type in which a box shape is formed from multiple parts, and the material may be, for example, wood.

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

Here, in this embodiment, the front surface BXr21 of the right side plate BXr2 is located approximately 1 mm forward of the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. The right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that the position of the right end L forming the front edge of the right side surface BXr22 of the housing BX2 is aligned with the position of the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2. That is, the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is chamfered so that the end position at the boundary L with the right side surface BXr22 of the housing BX is aligned with the position of the corner 6102 where the front surface BXu21 and the right side surface BXu22 of the top plate BXu2 intersect. In other words, the chamfering is performed so that the dimension of the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 is not 1 mm less rearward from the position of the front surface BXr21. In this way, by matching the chamfering dimensions of the right front edge 6022 of the right side plate BXr2 to the front surface BXu21 of the top plate BXu2, the corner 6102 of the bottom surface of the top plate BXu2 is prevented from protruding. Note that in FIG. 11, the upper right part of the housing BX2 is used as an example for explanation, but the upper left, lower right, and lower left parts of the housing BX2 are not limited to the upper right part, and also have the same configuration as the upper right part described above.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the mating surface S1 between the front door FD and the cabinet BX is inclined so that the lower part is further forward than the upper part in a side view, reducing the force that tends to cause the front door FD to fall forward when it is opened, but the mating surface S1 does not necessarily have to be inclined. Furthermore, in the above description, the front door FD is configured as an upper and lower part, but it may be configured as one piece. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to gaming machines such as pachinko machines. In addition, the inventions described in the above-described embodiment may be combined in any way.

[Lower panel configuration]
Next, the lower panel part UP arranged on the front lower door DD of the front door FD in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 12, 13, and 14. As shown in Figures 1 and 12, the lower panel part UP is arranged between the operation part CP of the front lower door DD and the medal receiving tray MP.

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

The lower panel frame 81 is formed of a colored synthetic resin, and the outer surface is painted, plated, metal-deposited, etc., so as to have light-shielding properties, i.e., configured as a light-shielding cover, and is attached to the front lower door DD of the front door FD and fixed integrally 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 makes the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 described below visible through the front panel 82. The opening 81a is configured to be smaller than the front panel 82, i.e., the lower panel frame 81 has the function of pressing the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 from the front, and restricting the position of the front panel 82 in the left-right and up-down directions by the restricting plate 81b (see FIG. 13) that extends backward in a plate-like shape, and fixing it integrally with the front door FD. The lower panel frame 81 may be formed integrally with other exterior components in the front lower door DD of the front door FD, and the front panel 82, decorative sheet 83, and rear panel 88 may be inserted and attached from the rear. In this case, an opening may be formed in the front lower door DD of the front door FD to allow the image 85 on the decorative sheet 83 to be visible.

The lower panel frame 81 has a roughly rectangular main frame 81mf, and on the inside of this main frame 81mf, side protrusions 81si, 81si that protrude in the left and right directions, and an under protrusion 81un that protrudes upward from below, are formed. For this reason, the opening 81a is configured in a complex, 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 synthetic resin with high translucency (transparent in this embodiment) and is formed of a rectangular plate-like member. The front panel 82 has a grained portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of its front surface 82FS, which is a grained portion having grains (wrinkles) that will be described later in detail. The front panel 82 is disposed facing the front of the decorative sheet 83, and covers and protects the front side of the decorative sheet 83. As shown in FIG. 13, the outer edge portion of the rear surface of the front panel 82 has an outer edge protrusion 82a that protrudes forward and a protrusion 82b that is disposed at a position that forms a rectangular shape when viewed from the rear. The front panel 82 is positioned relative to the lower panel frame 81 by fitting the outer edge protrusion 82a to the rear side of the lower panel frame 81, and the decorative sheet 83 and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 described later are inserted and fitted inside the protrusion 82b of the front panel 82, thereby being positioned relative to the front panel 82.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 12, the front panel 82 has a number of holes 82h formed in positions that overlap the acoustic device 395 when viewed from the front, making it easier for the sound output from the acoustic device 395 to be heard forward (outside). Note that holes may also be provided in the decorative sheet 83 and rear panel 88, which are located behind these multiple holes 82h, in positions that overlap in the front-to-rear direction, making it even easier for the sound output from the acoustic device 395 to be heard.

As shown in FIG. 12, the decorative sheet 83 has a base material 83a formed into a substantially rectangular sheet from a synthetic resin with high light transmission (transparent in this embodiment), and images 85 (see FIG. 13) such as the product name of the slot machine 1 and related characters, or images for decorating the exterior of the slot machine 1, are printed (applied) on the back surface of the base material 83a using colored paint, forming a decorative image surface.

The decorative sheet 83 is sandwiched between the rear panel 88 arranged on the back side and the front panel 82, so that the player can see the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 from the front through the front panel 82. The rear panel 88 is made of a synthetic resin with high light transmission (transparent in this embodiment) and is formed in a plate shape so that the surface 88a is smooth, and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 is formed to be approximately the same size as the decorative sheet 83 (image 85). In other words, the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 and the decorative sheet 83 (image 85) are smaller than the size of the front panel 82, and more specifically, are configured to be larger than the inner edge (transparent area 82T) of the embossed portion 82S described later. Note that the rear panel 88 is not limited to being transparent, and may be formed, for example, with unevenness or the like that diffuses light on the front or back, so that the light that passes through is diffused.

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 the protruding plate 88b restricts the position of the rear panel 88 in the left-right and up-down directions relative to the restricting plate 81b of the lower panel frame 81, and also sandwiches the front panel 82 between the lower panel frame 81 and the rear panel 88. As shown in Fig. 13, a leg 88c is formed on the back side of the rear panel 88 so as to extend rearward, and is restricted so as to abut against a component of the front lower door DD and to be positioned in the front-back direction between the rear panel frame 81 and the lower panel frame 81. Furthermore, the side surface 88d, which is the outer edge of the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, is inserted inside the protruding portion 82b of the front panel 82, and the left-right and up-down positions of the rear panel 88 relative to the front panel 82 are restricted. Therefore, with these configurations, the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the rear panel 88 are positioned in the left-right and up-down directions relative to the front lower door DD.

The back side of the rear panel 88 is provided with a backlight board 95 having a number of LEDs 95a, and a reflector 89 that reflects light from the LEDs 95a. In this embodiment, the backlight board 95 is disposed on the back side of the reflector 89, and light from the LEDs 95a is irradiated forward from the opening of the reflector 89. Note that the front lower door DD may be provided with a light-emitting source such as a fluorescent lamp or lamp, such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube, instead of a backlight board having LEDs. The reflector 89 is formed from a material that has light-blocking properties and is easy to reflect light, such as a white synthetic resin.

Therefore, the lower panel section UP of the front lower door DD configured as described above allows the decorative sheet 83 illuminated by the light of the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 through the rear panel 88 to be visible from the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 through the front panel 82. The rear panel 88, decorative sheet 83, and front panel 82 are arranged on the front lower door DD of the front door FD so as to be in front of the various internal devices described above (particularly the reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral components of the backlight board 95, etc.), and therefore have the function of making the internal devices invisible, particularly by the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83.

[Details of the embossed part]
Next, the details of the embossed portion 82S according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figs. 1, 12, 13, and 14, the front panel 82 according to this embodiment has the embossed portion 82S on the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the front surface 82FS. In detail, the embossed portion 82S is formed by applying embossing to a range that extends 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 by a predetermined distance d1 (see Figs. 13 and 14). In other words, the embossed portion 82S is formed on the front surface 82FS so that it is at least partially overlapped with the edge (periphery, outer edge) of the image 85 of the decorative sheet 83 when viewed from the front, covering the edge of the image 85 and being located to the outside of the image 85. In this embodiment, the embossing is formed by imparting wrinkles (fine irregularities) to the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 due to the shape of the mold used to manufacture the front panel 82. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the entire front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 may be formed smooth, and then chemically treated by etching or sandblasting may be performed in a subsequent process.

As shown in FIG. 14, the textured portion 82S has two regions: a first region 82Sh that overlaps with the rear side of the lower panel frame 81 and is hidden and cannot be seen when viewed from the front, and a second region 82Sx that extends inside the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 and is exposed and can be seen when viewed from the front. Therefore, the textured portion 82S is arranged on the outer periphery of the transparent region 82T, while a transparent region 82T that allows the image 85 to be clearly seen inside the opening 81a is secured. This transparent region 82T is smaller than the outer edge of the image 85.

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

The second region 82Sx has a region 82Sxup in the upper portion of the opening 81a that extends below the main frame 81mf by a predetermined distance d1, regions 82Sxsi, 82Sxsi in the lateral portion of the opening 81a that extend a predetermined distance d1 inward in the left-right direction from the side protrusions 81si, 81si, and a region 82Sxun in the lower portion of the opening 81a that extends a predetermined distance d1 above the under protrusion 81un.

By forming the embossed portion 82S in this manner, the inner edge of the second region 82Sx is similar to and smaller than the opening 81a, and is located at a position that protrudes inward from the opening 81a by a predetermined distance d1 at all points, that is, the embossed portion 82S protrudes inward from the opening 81a in a band shape with a width of approximately the predetermined distance d1. As described above, the front panel 82 has multiple holes 82h (see FIG. 1) formed in a position corresponding to the front of the acoustic device 395, but the embossed portion S is formed so as not to overlap these holes 82h, in other words, the multiple holes 82h are positioned at a distance of at least the predetermined distance d1 from the inside of the opening 81a.

13, the thickness d2 of the front panel 82 is formed to be, for example, about 3 mm so as to be able to withstand external impacts. Meanwhile, the textured portion 82S is formed so that the predetermined distance d1 that protrudes from the opening 81a is, for example, about 5 mm, that is, the distance that the textured portion 82S protrudes from the opening 81a is longer than the thickness d2 of the front panel 82. In particular, in this embodiment, the predetermined distance d1 is set so that, for example, even if a player tries to look inside through the front panel 82, the outer edge of the image 85 cannot be seen even when the line of sight is at an angle of 45 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the textured portion 82S, while taking into consideration the refractive index of light in the front panel 82, etc. Therefore, the embossed portion 82S, which is a predetermined distance d1 longer than the thickness d2 of the front panel 82, blocks the view outside the outer edge of the image 85, and the rear panel 88 and the internal equipment beyond it (particularly the reel unit 310, hopper unit 320, backlight board 95, reflector 89, peripheral components of the backlight board 95, etc.) are not visible.

As described above, in the slot machine 1 according to this embodiment, the embossed portion 82S is formed in the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 in a range from the opening 81a to a predetermined distance d1 inside the opening 81a so as to extend a predetermined distance d1 from the inside of the opening 81a. In other words, the embossed portion 82S is formed on the edge of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, and is formed so as to cover the edge of the image 85 on the decorative sheet 83. Therefore, the embossed portion 82S is arranged so as to straddle between the opening 81a and the edge of the image 85. This makes it impossible to see the inside (internal equipment) of the front door FD through the front panel 82.

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 applies if the opening 81a is relatively smaller than the image 85), the internal equipment can be hidden even without the embossed portion 82S. However, it is difficult to make the decorative sheet 83 larger due to its positional relationship with the surrounding components, and if the opening 81a of the lower panel frame 81 is made smaller, the visible range of the image 85 will be smaller, which may result in the slot machine 1 losing its design impact. Therefore, by providing the embossed portion 82S as in this embodiment, it is possible to avoid interference between the image 85 and the surrounding components and also improve the design of the slot machine 1.

In addition, by providing an opaque portion instead of the embossed portion 82S, it is possible to make the internal equipment invisible. However, since the light from the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 is no longer transmitted, there is a risk that dark areas will be created in the lower panel unit UP, resulting in a poor appearance. Therefore, by providing the embossed portion 82S with transparency as in this embodiment, the light from the LEDs 95a of the backlight board 95 is transmitted, ensuring the brightness of the lower panel unit UP and improving its appearance.

[Possible other embodiments]
In the slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the embossed portion 82S is described as being embossed in the first region 82Sh from the outer edge of the front panel 82 and in the second region 82Sx inside the first region 82Sh, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first region 82Sh may be embossed only in a part, or the first region 82Sh may not be embossed. That is, if the second region 82Sx is embossed, the embossing is arranged in the range from the opening 81a to a predetermined distance d1 inside the opening 81a, so that it is possible to make it impossible to see the inside of the front door FD through the front panel 82. Even in this case, a gap may occur between the lower panel frame 81 and the front panel 82 due to tolerance, so it is preferable that the embossing is arranged so that it overlaps the opening 81a even slightly when viewed from the front.

In addition, in this embodiment, the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 is embossed to form the embossed portion 82S, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a separate embossed sheet may be attached to the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82.

In this embodiment, the opening 81a is surrounded on all sides by the lower panel frame 81, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper side of the frame forming the opening 81a may be formed by the operation unit CP on which the start lever SL and the stop buttons B1 to B3 are arranged, or the left and right sides of the frame forming the opening 81a may be formed by the illumination device 370. In other words, it is sufficient that the opening 81a is formed in the front door FD so that the image 85 can be seen. In addition, the lower panel frame 81 and the members forming these openings 81a may be made of a colored resin such as black, a resin with a colored surface that is painted or plated, or metal, in other words, they may be opaque so that the internal devices cannot be seen.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower panel portion UP is described as having a lower panel frame 81, but this is not limited thereto, and the lower panel frame may be a component that constitutes part of the front door, that is, the lower panel frame may not be unitized as part of the lower panel portion. In this case, the lower panel frame may be structured to support the lower panel portion (front panel, decorative sheet, rear panel).

In addition, in this embodiment, the embossed portion 82S is described as extending from the opening 81a by a predetermined distance d1 all around, but this is not limited to this, and the distance by which the embossed portion 82S extends from the opening 81a may vary depending on the part of the embossed portion 82S. In particular, since it is easier for players to look into the lower part and the left and right parts compared to the upper part, the distance by which the embossed portion extends from the opening 81a may be longer than the predetermined distance d1. Furthermore, the inner edge of the embossed portion 82S is described as having a similar shape to the shape of the inner edge of the opening 81a with a predetermined distance d1 inward, but this is not limited to this, and the distance by which it extends from the opening 81a does not necessarily have to be constant, for example, it may be to match a shape related to the design of the image 85.

In addition, in this embodiment, the embossing applied to the embossed portion 82S has been described as forming unevenness on the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, but this is not limited thereto, and the embossing may be such that only convex portions are formed on the front surface 82FS, or such that only concave portions are formed on the front surface 82FS.

In addition, in this embodiment, the numerous holes 82h in the front panel 82 that overlap the acoustic device 395 do not overlap the embossed portion 82S, but this is not limiting, and some or all of these holes 82h may overlap the embossed portion 82S.

In addition, in this embodiment, the image 85 is printed over the entire back surface of the decorative sheet 83, but this is not limited thereto. As long as it is arranged so as to overlap an area larger than the embossed portion 82S, it may be printed in an area smaller than the back surface of the decorative sheet 83, particularly in an area that fits inside the opening 81a.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower panel portion UP is described as having an embossed portion 82S, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a panel disposed between the operation portion CP and the display window DW or above the display window DW may also be configured to have a similar embossed portion.

In addition, in this embodiment, the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 of the lower panel portion UP, the decorative sheet 83, the surface 88a of the rear panel 88, etc. are described as being flat, but this is not limiting, and any surface shape may be used, such as a curved shape with the center on the left and right sides bulging out more than the ends. In particular, in a configuration in which the center bulges out, the angle between the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82 and the line of sight at the ends becomes small, which may make it easier to see the internal equipment, so the specified distance d1 that protrudes from the opening 81a of the embossed portion 82S may be made longer than other portions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the outer edge shapes of the front surface 82FS of the front panel 82, the decorative sheet 83, and the surface 88a of the rear panel 88 are described as being rectangular, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be similar in shape to the opening 81a, or may be any shape, such as a shape that follows the opening only on the left and right, or a shape that follows the opening only on the top and bottom.

1... Gaming machine (slot machine)
81a... opening 82... front panel 82FS... front surface 82S... embossed portion (embossed portion)
83...Sheet (decorative sheet)
85...Image BX...Housing FD...Front door UP...Panel section (lower panel section)

Claims (1)

A gaming machine including a cabinet and a front door attached to the cabinet so as to be openable and closable ,
the front door has a rattle relative to the housing when a predetermined external force is applied to the front door in a closed state;
The front edge of the top surface of the housing is located higher than the rear edge of the top surface of the front door,
The front edge of the right side of the housing is located to the right of the rear edge of the right side of the front door,
The front edge of the left side of the housing is located to the left of the rear edge of the left side of the front door,
an upper right edge formed by the top surface and the right side surface of the housing is a first chamfered surface,
an upper left edge formed by the top surface of the housing and the left side surface of the housing is a second chamfered surface,
In a state in which the external force is not applied to the closed front door,
the first chamfered surface is located outward from a right rear vertex formed by the front door top surface and the front door right side surface,
The second chamfered surface is located outward from a left rear vertex formed by the front door top surface and the front door left side surface,
An upper edge of the first chamfered surface is located above and to the left of a rear edge of the front door right side surface,
Even if the closed front door is moved outward within the range of rattling from a state in which the external force is not applied,
The first chamfered surface is located outward from the right rear vertex,
The front door includes a light-transmitting panel portion,
The panel portion includes:
a sheet having an image;
a front panel disposed in front of the seat;
The front panel has a textured portion on the edge of the front surface,
The embossed portion is arranged to cover the edge of the image.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Images