JP7517684B2 - Ball launching device for pinball game machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ball launching operation device for pinball gaming machines that use pachinko balls as the gaming medium, such as pachinko gaming machines, arrange ball gaming machines, and mahjong ball gaming machines.

For example, in a well-known pachinko game machine, when a game ball enters a predetermined winning hole, multiple symbols are displayed in a changing manner on a display device such as a large liquid crystal display, and after a certain time, the changing stops. If the stopped symbols form a combination such as [7, 7, 7], a [jackpot] is reached, the big winning hole opens, and a special game state is entered in which prize balls can be easily won. Therefore, in this type of game machine, it is important to create an entertainment for the player by presenting the process of bringing about a jackpot. As one measure for this purpose, an operating unit such as a push button switch that the player can operate while playing is provided at an appropriate location on the front of the game machine, and when the player operates this operating unit during the process of bringing about a [jackpot], such as a [reach state], the display status of the display device changes, creating an entertainment that further heightens the player's expectations for the arrival of a jackpot.

In addition, pinball gaming machines generally have a roughly spherical handle for operating the ball launching device protruding from the lower right side of the front face, and the player grasps this roughly spherical handle and at the same time hooks his or her finger on an operating lever that is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the handle and rotates the operating lever clockwise, thereby activating the ball launching device, and by adjusting the rotation angle of the operating lever with the fingertips, the strength with which the ball is struck by the ball launching device can be adjusted, allowing the ball to be launched with the desired flight.
On the other hand, the ball launching device shown in Patent Document 1 below has a touch plate on the front of the gaming machine that can detect the touch position of the player's fingertip, allowing the player to adjust the ball launch strength by changing the touch position.

Patent No. 2864105

However, in conventional pinball gaming machines with a protruding, roughly spherical handle as described above, the player must hold the handle and keep his or her fingers still at all times while playing, which creates the problem that the player's arms and shoulders become easily tired when playing for long periods of time.
Furthermore, with the gaming machine shown in Patent Document 1, there are problems in that it is technically difficult to precisely detect the touch position of the fingertip, and that adjusting the strength of the ball launch requires the player to make fine movements of the fingertip, making it difficult to adjust the ball launch as desired.

In addition, in conventional pachinko machines, the above-mentioned operation parts such as the handle for adjusting the launch of the ball and the above-mentioned operation parts such as the push button switches for producing effects are separately provided on the front of the machine. This causes a problem that it is difficult for a player to perform a series of operations on these operation parts with only one hand, and there is a problem that a player who is holding a drink or a cigarette in the hand that is not holding the handle cannot properly operate the operation parts for producing effects.
Furthermore, when a push button switch is provided for effects as in the past, even if you try to set it so that a special effect is produced by pressing and holding the push button switch for a relatively long period of time (long press), in that case, the burden on the player's hands becomes too great, making it difficult to set up such effects.
In addition, the operating parts for the effects, such as push button switches, which have tended to become larger in recent years, are placed in locations that could adversely affect the size of the ball tray, so their placement required special consideration in the design.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a new ball shooting operating device for a pinball game machine which can solve the above problems.
To this end, the ball launching operating device of the present invention is characterized in that a manual operating unit is provided so that it can move back and forth in an approximately straight line while being guided by a guide rail body, and the launch strength of the ball launching device is set to gradually increase by operating the manual operating unit to move toward one end of the guide rail body, and the presentation state by the presentation device is set to change by operating the manual operating unit to move toward the other end of the guide rail body.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the ball launching operation device, the operation area of the manual operation unit is provided with an initial position for stopping the ball launching, a launch strength operation area for gradually increasing the launch strength of the ball launching device by moving the device from the initial position toward one end of the guide rail body, and a performance operation area for changing the performance state of the performance device by moving the device from the initial position toward the other end of the guide rail body.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the ball-launching operation device, the presentation device is a pattern-changing display device, and the display of the pattern-changing display device changes when the manual operation unit is moved from the initial position toward the other end of the guide rail body.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the ball shooting operation device, the guide rail body allows the manual operation part to slide in the front-rear direction of the gaming machine.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the ball shooting operation device, the guide rail body is configured by attaching the manual operation unit to a sliding member slidably supported by a linear bearing.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the ball-shooting operation device, a support part is provided on the front of the gaming machine below the manual operation part, protruding forward, and the manual operation part comes into contact with the support part by pressing the manual operation part downward, and the frictional resistance holds the manual operation part in a fixed position.

The strength of the ball shot can be easily adjusted, reducing fatigue for the player, and the presentation state of the presentation device can be easily changed by a series of operations including the ball shot operation. This can improve the operability of the pinball game machine.

1 is a perspective view of a pinball game machine according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front frame of the pinball game machine according to the present invention. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the front frame of the pinball game machine according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ball shooting device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a guide rail body of the ball shooting device according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the guide rail body of FIG. 5 as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the guide rail body of the ball shooting device according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a ball shooting device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operating state of the ball shooting device according to the present invention.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of a pachinko machine. In the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1, a main frame (not shown) and a front frame 3 are hinged to be openable and closable on a pivot support 2 provided on one side edge of an outer frame 1, and a game board 4 is detachably provided within the main frame. A game area is formed on the front of the game board 4, with numerous nails and prize holes of various shapes, and pachinko balls shot from a ball launching device (there are various types of ball launching devices, such as a motor-driven type and a solenoid-driven type, but neither are shown here) can flow down the game area and into the prize holes. In addition, a pattern changing display device 5 made of a liquid crystal display or the like is provided in the center of the game board 4, and various moving images, reach states, big wins, misses, and other patterns are displayed on the pattern changing display device 5. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a transparent plate 6 made of double glass is held in the center of the front frame 3 so that the player can see through the game board 4. In addition, an upper tray 7 and a lower tray 8 are formed below the transparent plate 6 of the front frame 3 so that they each protrude forward, and the upper tray 7 and the lower tray 8 hold the pachinko balls released from the pachinko machine. In addition, a cylinder lock 9 that closes the front frame 3 is provided on the right edge of the front frame 3, and the front frame 3 can be opened and closed by inserting a specified key into the keyhole of the cylinder lock.

A triangular receiving metal fitting 10 is screwed to the upper right edge of the front frame 3, and a roughly triangular top cover body 11 is supported, overhanging diagonally forward so as to cover the receiving metal fitting 10. A rectangular panel 12 is supported in a state in which it overhangs diagonally forward from the right edge of the front frame 3 toward the player, so that it can also serve as a partition between adjacent pachinko gaming machines. For this reason, the upper edge of the panel 12 is held within the top cover body 11, and the left edge of the panel 12 is positioned and held slightly inside the right edge of the front frame 3. A large, thin display 12a such as a liquid crystal display is provided on the surface of the panel 12, and the display 12a functions as a presentation device that displays various videos and the arrival of a jackpot, just like the pattern change display device 5, so that the panel 12 also functions as a presentation device. A horizontally rectangular mounting panel 13 is fixed to overlap the front side of the lower edge of the panel 12, and a movable performance device 14 is protruding from the front of the mounting panel 13. The movable performance device 14 is provided with a V-shaped decorative member 16 on the front of the circular head 15, and a movable member 17 shaped like a sword is provided upright so as to protrude from the circular head 15 to the front of the panel 12. For example, when the reach state is reached, a vibration motor or small motor provided inside the circular head 15 is activated to vibrate the cylindrical portion, and the movable member 17 is arranged to swing left and right with the circular head 15 as a fulcrum.

A horizontally rectangular side wall panel 20 is provided in a connected manner to the lower side of the mounting panel 13, and a manual operation unit 21 according to the present invention is provided on the side wall panel 20. A horizontal shelf-like support portion 22 protruding forward from the lower edge of the front surface of the front frame 3 is formed integrally with the upper tray 7 and the lower tray 8, and the support portion 22 is positioned so as to overhang below the manual operation unit 21.
Next, the internal structure of the ball shooting operation device operated by the manual operation unit 21 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. The side wall panel 20 has a horizontally long hole 20a formed near the upper edge and a horizontally long notch 20b formed in the lower edge. As shown in Figure 4, a back plate 20c is screwed to the back side of the side wall panel 20, and a guide rail body 23 is disposed between the side wall panel 20 and the back plate 22. As shown in the exploded perspective views of Figures 5 and 6, the guide rail body 23 contains a sliding member consisting of a first sliding member 25 and a second sliding member 26 inside a rectangular box body 24, and a lid body 27 is attached to the front surface of the box body 24. The box 24 has a pair of stoppers 24a formed at approximately the center of the inner surface at an appropriate distance above and below, a pair of stoppers 24b protruding from the right edge of the inner surface of the box 24, an opening 24c formed on the left side of the center of the stoppers 24a, and a pair of notches 24d formed on the left edge, and supports 24e protruding from the four corners of the inner surface of the box 24, and the support parts 24e support both ends of a pair of round bar-shaped linear shafts 28a, 28b, thereby supporting the linear shafts 28a, 28b horizontally at the upper and lower parts of the box 24. A pair of optical sensors 29a, 29b are fixed to the back side of the box 24 so as to face both ends of the opening 24c. The cover 27 has slits 27a, 27b formed at the upper and lower edges, respectively.

The first sliding member 25 has a member body 25b attached to the front surface of a vertically long plate material 25a with screws, and arc-shaped portions 25c for holding linear bearings 30a, 30b are formed at both upper and lower ends of the member body 25b, and the linear bearings 30a, 30b are inserted into the outer periphery of the linear shafts 28a, 28b in the area to the left of the stopper 24a, so that the linear bearings 30a, 30b are supported so as to be slidable along the linear shafts 28a, 28b in the area to the left of the stopper 24a. A rotary encoder 31 is fixed to the back side of the member body 25b, and a gear 32 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the rotary encoder 31. A limit switch 33 is fixed to the left of the gear 32 of the member body 25b, and a pair of stop pieces 25d are formed on the left edge of the member body 25b. The electric signals sent from the rotary encoder 31 and the limit switch 33 are input to the control board of the ball launching device. A light blocking piece 34 capable of activating the optical sensors 29a and 29b is fixed to the rear surface of the vertically long plate member 25a.
One end of a pair of coil springs 35a, 35b is attached to the vertically elongated plate material 25a, and the other end of the coil springs 35a, 35b is attached to the stop piece 24b. Therefore, the first sliding member 25 is urged rightward by the elastic tension of the coil springs 35a, 35b, and in a normal state, the first sliding member 25 is stopped in a state where it abuts against the stopper 24.

The second sliding member 26 is formed by attaching the member body 26b to the back surface of the folded plate material 26a with screws, and forming arc-shaped portions 26c for holding the linear bearings 36a, 36b at both upper and lower ends of the member body 26b. The linear bearings 36a, 36b are inserted into the outer periphery of the linear shafts 28a, 28b, so that the second sliding member 26 can slide freely along the linear shafts 28a, 28b forward of the first sliding member 25. The upper end of the folded plate material 26a is bent forward to form a hook-shaped engaging portion 26d, which protrudes forward from the slit 27a. The lower end of the folded plate material 26a is bent forward to form a hook-shaped engaging portion 26f, which protrudes forward from the slit 27b. In addition, rack teeth 37 that mesh with the gear 32 are formed horizontally and integrally on the member body 26b, and a rod-shaped operating piece 38 that can operate the limit switch 33 and a rod-shaped stay 39 are formed parallel to the rack teeth 37.

In this way, the second sliding member 26 is arranged to be slidable along the linear shafts 28a, 28b on the right side of the first sliding member 25, so that the rack teeth 37 are engaged with the gear 32, and when the second sliding member 26 slides, the rotary encoder 31 is activated, and the sliding position of the second sliding member 26 is detected as an electrical signal by the rotary encoder 31. In addition, one end of a pair of coil springs 40a, 40b is attached to the folded plate material 26a of the second sliding member 26, and the other end of the coil springs 40a, 40b is attached to the stop piece 25d, and the second sliding member 26 is urged leftward by the elastic tension of the coil springs 40a, 40b, and the second sliding member 26 is stopped in a state in which the arc-shaped portion 26c abuts against the arc-shaped portion 25c in a normal state. At this time, the operating piece 38 presses the limit switch 33, and an electrical signal from the limit switch 33 is input to the control board of the ball launching device, causing the ball launching to stop. In this state, the first sliding member 25 and the second sliding member 26 are in their initial positions, and this initial state of the guide rail body 23 is shown in Figure 7 (A).

The locking portion 26d protrudes from the horizontally elongated hole 20a of the side wall panel 20 to the front surface of the side wall panel 20, and the locking portion 26f protrudes from the horizontally elongated notch 20b to the front surface of the side wall panel 20. The manual operation unit 21 is attached to the locking portion 26d and the locking portion 26f so that the manual operation unit 21 can be guided by the guide rail body 23 and reciprocate in a substantially linear manner. The manual operation unit 21 has a grip portion 21a formed in a substantially vertical cylindrical shape, the locking portion 26d is arranged on the upper surface of a horizontal plate portion 21b formed at the upper end of the grip portion 21a, and the horizontal cover 21c is screwed from above to fix the horizontal plate portion 21b to the locking portion 26d, and the locking portion 26f is arranged on the lower surface of the horizontal plate portion 21d formed at the lower end of the grip portion 21a in the same manner as the upper end, and the horizontal plate portion 21d is fixed to the locking portion 26f by screwing. Also, a switch main body 21f is provided in the grip portion 21a, and a push button 21h is arranged in a mounting hole 21g opened near the upper end of the grip portion 21a, and the switch main body 21f is turned on and off by the push button 21h. The grip portion 21a has a conductive plating on its surface, and when a player grips the grip portion 21a, the touch state is electrically detected, and the electrical signal is input to the control board of the ball launching device, causing the pachinko ball to be struck and launched. Even if the grip portion 21a is being gripped, the launch of the pachinko balls can be temporarily stopped by pressing the push button 21h, so the player can strike and launch the ball at the desired timing.

In addition, by gripping the grip portion 21a and releasing the finger from the push button 21h, and pulling the grip portion 21a toward the player against the elasticity of the coil springs 40a and 40b (moving the grip portion 21 toward the right in FIG. 1), the rack teeth 37 rotate the gear 32, and an electrical signal is sent from the rotary encoder 31 to the control board of the ball launching device. In other words, if the manual operation portion 21 of the guide rail body 23 is in this initial position, a launch strength operation range is formed to the right of this initial position within the movement range of the manual operation portion 21, and if the player grips the grip portion 21a and pulls the grip portion 21a toward the player from this initial position against the elasticity of the coil springs 40a and 40b, the ball launching device will strike the pachinko ball more strongly as the grip portion 21a is pulled toward the player. FIG. 7(b) shows the operating state of the guide rail body 23 when the manual operation unit 21 is in the firing intensity operation range.

Further, on the back and left side of the initial position of the manual operation unit 21, there is provided an effect operation area for changing the display of the effect devices such as the display 12a and the variable pattern display device 5. That is, when the player extends his arm while gripping the grip portion 21a and moves the grip portion 21a to the left side from the initial position, the arc-shaped portion 26c of the second sliding member 26 abuts against the arc-shaped portion 25c of the first sliding member 25, and the first sliding member 25 moves to the left against the elasticity of the coil springs 35a, 35b, so that the light blocking piece 34 first activates the optical sensor 29a when the release of pachinko balls is stopped. From this state, the first sliding member 25 is further moved leftward as shown by the arrow in Fig. 7(c) until the rack teeth 37 and the rod-shaped stay 39 protrude from the notch 24d, causing the light-shielding piece 34 to activate the optical sensor 29b. The signals of the optical sensors 29a and 29b are input to the display control device of the symbol-changing display device 5 and the display 12a, and the display of the symbol-changing display device 5 and the display 12a, etc., changes greatly depending on the operating state of the optical sensor 29a and the operating state of the optical sensor 29b. For example, when the optical sensor 29a is activated in a state where the symbol-changing display device 5 displays a reach state, a colored light reminiscent of a flame surrounding the movable member 17 is displayed on the display 12a. If the player extends his arm from here and moves the grip portion 21a further to the left, the light changes to a brighter color and moves in the direction of the variable pattern display device 5, and the light also oscillates in conjunction with the swing of the movable member 17, thereby inviting a "big win" and creating an effect in which the movable member 17 is like a powerful weapon for the player to win a "big win." By creating an effect in which the movement of the movable member 17 is linked to the display of the variable pattern display device 5 and the display 12a in this way, the playability of this pinball game machine can be significantly improved.
Although in this embodiment only two optical sensors 29a, 29b are provided in the performance operation area, it is possible to provide a larger number of optical sensors, limit switches, encoders, etc., and use these sensors to sequentially detect the position of the manual operation unit 21 in the performance operation area, thereby enabling a performance to be performed according to the position of the manual operation unit 21, making the performance even more varied and diverse.

In the ball launching device according to the present invention, the manual operation unit 21 is moved in a substantially straight line as described above, and the strength of the ball launch is adjusted according to the amount of movement, so that the player can easily launch the ball with the strength he desires, and the adjustment is also easy, so that the burden on the player's hands is reduced. In addition, the launch strength of the ball launching device gradually increases by moving the manual operation unit 21, which is provided so as to be able to move back and forth, toward one end, and the performance state of the performance device related to the "big win" is changed by moving the manual operation unit 21 toward the other end, so that the player can launch the ball or change the performance state by simply changing the moving direction to the opposite side while holding the manual operation unit 21. Moreover, since the launch strength operation area and the performance operation area are on the extension line of each other with the initial position in between, the performance state is always changed accurately by the player's operation, and the playability of this pinball game machine can be improved.
Furthermore, since the present invention does not require push button switches for effects to be provided on the front of the gaming machine as in the past, the space required on the front of the gaming machine is reduced, and the degree of freedom in designing the gaming machine is increased.
Furthermore, for the player, the present invention allows the player to change the presentation without having to operate a push button switch as in the past, so there is no risk of the player putting excessive strain on their hands by having to press and hold a push button switch.
Furthermore, the support portion 22, which is provided so as to protrude forward below the manual operation portion 21, can be used to support the wrist of the player while playing, thereby further reducing the strain on the player's hands.
In addition, since the linear shafts 28a, 28b are held horizontally and the linear bearings 36a, 36b slide along the linear shafts 28a, 28b, when the player relaxes his/her arms while operating the manual operation unit 21 and applies the weight of his/her arms to the manual operation unit 21, the gravity applied by the linear bearings 36a, 36b to the linear shafts 28a, 28b in the radial direction from above to below increases, and the frictional resistance between the linear shafts 28a, 28b and the linear bearings 36a, 36b increases. Therefore, the sliding resistance of the manual operation unit 21 in the horizontal direction increases simply by the player relaxing his/her arms, and as a result, the manual operation unit 21 can be easily held in the position desired by the player. This configuration also reduces the burden on the player's hands and arms during play, reducing fatigue.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, a support part 22a is provided on the front of the pinball game machine below the manual operation part 21, and the upper surface of the support part 22a is processed to have an uneven surface. The grip part 21a and the horizontal plate part 21d of the manual operation part 21 are configured to be able to move slightly (about a few millimeters) up and down as shown in Fig. 9 (a) and (b). When the player loosens the strength of his arm while holding the grip part 21a, the grip part 21a and the horizontal plate part 21d descend by gravity and the horizontal plate part 21d comes into contact with the support part 22a as shown in Fig. 9 (b), and the frictional resistance holds the manual operation part 21 in a fixed position. This makes it easier to keep the flying speed of the pachinko balls constant, further greatly reducing fatigue caused by playing the pinball game machine for a long time.

In the above embodiment, the manual operation unit 21 is moved back and forth linearly in a slightly diagonal forward and backward direction along the side wall panel 20, but it may be moved back and forth left and right instead of forward and backward. Alternatively, for example, the linear shafts 28a and 28b may be gently curved, and the manual operation unit 21 may be moved back and forth along the curve.

1...outer frame, 2...axis support portion, 3...front frame, 4...game board, 5...variable pattern display device, 6...transparent plate, 7...upper plate, 8...lower plate, 9...cylinder lock, 10...receiving metal fitting, 11...top cover body, 12...panel, 12a...display, 13...mounting panel, 14...movable performance device, 15...circular head portion, 16...decorative member, 20...side wall panel, 20a...horizontal hole, 20b...horizontal notch, 20c...back panel, 21...manual operation portion, 21a...grip portion, 21b...horizontal board portion, 21c...horizontal cover, 21d...locking portion, 21d...horizontal board portion, 21f...switch body, 21g...mounting hole, 21h...push button, 22, 22a...support portion, 23...guide rail body, Description of the Related Art 24...box body, 24a...stopper, 24b...stopping piece, 24c...opening, 24d...notch, 24e...support portion, 25...first sliding member, 25a...vertical plate material, 25b...member main body, 25c...arc-shaped portion, 25d...stopping piece, 26...second sliding member, 26a...folded plate material, 26b...member main body, 26c...arc-shaped portion, 26d...locking portion, 26f...locking portion, 27...lid body, 27a, 27b...slit, 28a, 28b...linear shaft, 29a, 29b...optical sensor, 30a, 30b...linear bearing, 31...rotary encoder, 32...gear, 33...limit switch, 34...light-shielding piece, 35a, 35b...coil spring; 36a, 36b...linear bearing; 37...rack teeth; 38...rod-shaped piece; 39...rod-shaped stay; 40a, 40b...coil spring

Claims (5)

A ball launching operation device for a pinball game machine equipped with a presentation device, characterized in that a manual operation unit having a grip portion that can be held by a player is provided on the front side of the pinball game machine, the manual operation unit is slidably supported by a linear bearing so that it can move back and forth in a substantially straight line while being guided by a guide rail body, and the ball launching device is set so that the launch strength of the ball launching device gradually increases by operating the manual operation unit toward one end of the guide rail body, and the presentation state of the presentation device is changed by operating the manual operation unit toward the other end of the guide rail body. The ball launching operation device of a pinball game machine described in claim 1, characterized in that the operation area of the manual operation unit is provided with an initial position for stopping the launch of balls by the ball launching device, a launch strength operation area for gradually increasing the strength of the ball launch by the ball launching device by operating the device to move from the initial position toward one end of the guide rail body, and a presentation operation area for changing the presentation state by the presentation device by operating the device to move from the initial position toward the other end of the guide rail body. The ball launching operation device for a pinball game machine described in claim 2, characterized in that the presentation device is a pattern changing display device, and the display of the pattern changing display device is changed by moving the manual operation unit from the initial position toward the other end of the guide rail body. 4. The ball shooting operation device for a pinball game machine according to claim 1 , wherein the guide rail body allows the manual operation part to slide in the front-rear direction of the pinball game machine. A ball launching operating device for a pinball game machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a support portion is provided on the front of the pinball game machine below the manual operating unit, protruding forward, and when the manual operating unit is lowered, the manual operating unit comes into contact with the support portion, and the manual operating unit is held in a fixed position by the frictional resistance.

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