JPH0529744Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

【0001】

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a reel unit for an electric slot machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reel unit equipped with a simple cooling fan that is rotated at appropriate times.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, electric slot machines in which a plurality of reels are rotated by electric motors have been widely used as slot machines for games.
Such slot machines usually use three to five reels with various symbols displayed on their outer peripheries. Each reel and a drive motor such as a stepping motor for driving the reel constitute a reel unit together with a boss for connecting the motor shaft and the reel.

[0003] In addition to the reel driving motor, the slot machine has a motor that is inserted into the slot machine,
It also has various built-in devices that generate heat, such as a hopper for accumulating and discharging coins sent out as prizes from the slot machine, and an electric circuit board and its power source for controlling the motor and solenoid. Conventionally, such electric slot machines are not provided with any particular cooling means other than a ventilation fan that communicates between the inside and outside of the slot machine.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Recently, electric slot machines have been made smaller and more electronic in order to save space. As a result, many motors and other heat-generating devices and ICs are packed into a small frame, making it easy for ICs, hopper motors, reel motors, etc. to malfunction due to the heat.

[0005] The present invention was made in order to solve such problems, and the purpose is to provide a cooling means with a simple configuration inside an electric slot machine without adding a separate new drive motor. It is said that

【0006】

[Means for Solving the Problems] The reel unit of the electric slot machine of the present invention includes a reel driving motor, a boss held on the drive shaft of the motor so as not to rotate, and a reel unit that does not rotate with respect to the boss. It is characterized in that it has a reel connected in a manner similar to the above, and means consisting of a plurality of blades annularly provided on the inner periphery of the reel.

【0007】

[Operation] When a coin is inserted into the electric slot machine and the switch is turned on to start the game, all reels begin to rotate in the same direction at the same time. The rotation of the reels is sequentially stopped by the player's operation of a stop button.

[0008] The fan means provided on the reel generates an air flow in one direction every time the reel rotates, and circulates the air inside the electric slot machine.
Removes heat generated from ICs, motors, etc., or radiates it to the outside.

【0009】

[Embodiment] Next, the reel unit of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the state before assembly of an embodiment of the reel unit of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the boss in the reel unit of Figure 1, and Figure 3.
1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing the state of the reel unit shown in FIG. 1 after assembly, FIGS. 4 to 5 are perspective views and partially cutaway perspective views showing other embodiments of the reel according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of an electric slot machine equipped with a plurality of reel units according to the present invention.

[0011] In FIG. 1, 1 is a reel of an electric slot machine (for example, see FIG. 6). Normally, patterns such as fruits and animals are displayed on the outer peripheral surface of the reel 1 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, but these are omitted in FIG.

[0012] Normally, one electric slot machine has three to five reels 1 arranged coaxially and in parallel. One reel 1 is connected to a motor such as one stepping motor 2 which is controlled to drive and stop the reel. reel 1
Bolt holes 4 are formed in the spokes 3 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral wall 5 of the reel 1
A large number of blades 6 are provided on the inner periphery of the blade. The blades 6 may be formed separately and fixed, but for example, by protruding a large number of tongue-shaped portions from the edge 7 of the peripheral wall 5 of the reel 1 and bending the portions inward. can also be formed.

[0014] This item effectively utilizes the space on the inner circumference of the reel, which was originally wasted.

[0015] In FIG. 1, 8 is a boss for connecting the drive shaft 9 of the stepping motor 2 and the reel 1.

[0016] A disk-shaped flange portion 10 is integrally provided at one end of the boss 8, and a bolt hole 11 corresponding to the bolt hole 4 is formed in the flange portion 10. Note that the flange portion 10 has a nut 1 screwed into the screw 12 passing through the bolt holes 4 and 11.
3, and a reinforcing rib 14 that can support the nut 13 so that it does not rotate is provided.

[0017] Although the boss 8 and the nut 13 are shown as separate bodies in FIG. 1, the nut 13 may be fixed to the boss 8 by forming an insert or the like, or a tap may be placed directly on the boss 8. Note that a pilot hole may simply be made on the boss 8 side, and a tapping screw or the like may be used as the screw 12.

[0018] The means for connecting the boss and the reel is not limited to the flange portion or screw,
Other means such as adhesives may also be used.

[0019] The cylindrical drive shaft 9 has a flat surface 15 parallel to the central axis formed as a torque transmission surface, so that the drive shaft 9 has a D-shaped cross section. The flat surface 15 may be formed at multiple locations.

[0020] A hole 16 into which the drive shaft 9 fits is formed in the boss 8. The hole 16 may be a through hole or a hole with a bottom. Furthermore, the boss 8 has a hole 1.
A notch 17 is provided along a plane including the central axis as a communication portion that communicates with 6. In the case of FIG. 1, due to the mold used to form the boss 8, a notch 17 that opens on the end face of the boss is used as a communication part, but if it is possible to insert the set screw 18, For example, it may be a hole formed in the radial direction with respect to the central axis.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, a slit 19 is formed in the boss 8 in a direction intersecting with the notch 17. It is preferable that the slit 19 has a width and size that allows a plate nut 20 employed as a nut member to be firmly press-fitted therein. Note that the plate nut 20 may be formed as an insert in the boss 8.

[0022] The boss 8 including the flange portion 10 is preferably integrally formed of a synthetic resin with high mechanical strength such as polycarbonate or polyacetal, and is made of reinforcing fibers such as glass fiber or carbon fiber or powdered filler. It is more preferable that the reinforcing material is included.

[0023] The respective parts are assembled, for example, in the following steps.

[0024] First, the reel 1 and the flange portion 10 of the boss 8 are fixed using the screw 12 and nut 13.

[0025] Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plate nut 22 is press-fitted into the slit 19, and then the hole 16 is
Insert the drive shaft 9 inside. Flat surface 15 of drive shaft 9
are aligned so as to correspond to the flat surface 21 provided in the hole 16 (see FIG. 3). In addition to the flat surface 15, various types of torque transmission surfaces formed on the drive shaft 9, such as serrations and key grooves, can be selected, but a simple flat surface is preferable because it is easy to process.

[0026] After fitting the drive shaft 9 into the hole 16,
The set screw 18 is the screw hole 2 of the plate nut 20.
2, and the tip of the set screw 18 is strongly pressed against the surface of the drive shaft 9, preferably the flat surface 15.

[0027] By connecting as described above, the drive shaft 9 and the boss 8, and the boss 8 and the reel 1,
Due to the engagement between the flat surfaces 15 and 21 and the frictional force between the tip of the set screw 18 and the flat surface 15, the connection is extremely strong, and torque transmission and a retaining action are achieved.

Furthermore, since the boss 8 is made of synthetic resin, the inertial load in the rotation direction applied to the stepping motor 2 is reduced, and the rotation angle of the reel 1 can be controlled more accurately. Furthermore, since the blades 6 constituting the fan means are formed integrally with the reel 1, assembly of the entire reel unit is easy. When arranging multiple reels 1 (see Fig. 6), make sure that the reel that stopped first does not interfere with the air blowing action of the reel that is still rotating.
It is preferable to leave a sufficient distance between the blades 6 or between the reels 1.

[0029] Note that the fan means may be constructed by forming a tongue-shaped portion protruding from one or both side edges 23 of the spokes 3 of the reel 1, and bending that portion inward or outward. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the spokes 3 of the reel 1 may be formed like wings.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
4 connected by an annular outer peripheral wall 25 may be configured to fit onto the inner periphery of the reel 1.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows an example of an electric slot machine in which a plurality of reel units 27 configured as described above are arranged concentrically and in parallel.

[0032] The fan means 28 provided in each reel unit 27 are preferably combined so that the air blowing directions are the same, thereby making it possible to obtain a large air blowing amount.

[0033] The air flow generated by the fan means 28 circulates throughout the inside of the slot machine, cooling the hopper 29, the wiring board 30, etc.
It flows out to the outside through an appropriate ventilation opening 31 or the like. This suppresses the rise in temperature of ICs, motors, etc.

【0034】

[Effects of the invention] The reel unit of the present invention can provide a simple cooling means inside the electric slot machine without adding a new drive motor, etc., thereby improving the operation of the IC and motor. An excellent effect can be achieved in that defects can be prevented in advance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the reel unit of the present invention before assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a boss in the reel unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the reel unit shown in FIG. 1 after assembly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the reel according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing still another embodiment of the reel according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of an electric slot machine equipped with a plurality of reel units of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1...Reel 2...Stepping motor 3...Spoke 6...feather 8...Boss 9...Drive shaft 24...feather 26...Blade member 27...Reel unit 28...Fan means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A reel drive motor, a boss held on the drive shaft of the motor so as not to rotate, a reel connected so as not to rotate with respect to the boss, and a reel provided in an annular shape around the inner periphery of the reel. A reel unit of an electric slot machine having a fan means consisting of a plurality of blades.