KR20110030733A - Reel apparatus of game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A reel device of a game machine is provided to reduce fabrication cost and to maintain the durability of a video display. CONSTITUTION: A reel device of a game machine comprises: a plurality of display panels(210) fixed in a predetermined location; a plurality of reels(220) including a reel strips which respectively and independently revolve around the same axis while surrounding the front side of a plurality of display panels; a plurality of drive motors which rotate a plurality of reels; and a controller controlling the image display operation of the display panel.

Description

Reel apparatus of game machine

The present invention relates to a reel device of a game machine.

As the demand for entertainment and various games has increased, various kinds of game machines have emerged, and examples thereof include game machines such as slot machines used in casinos.

A game machine such as a slot machine includes a plurality of reels in which a symbol such as a picture or a number is displayed, and in some cases, a method in which the result of the game depends on the combination of the symbols displayed on the reel.

Conventionally, various symbols are displayed on the surface of a reel strip of a reel, and a specific symbol is selected by rotating and stopping the reel.

Recently, as the video display device has been developed in various ways, a technology for constructing a reel device by using a video display device rather than displaying a symbol directly on a reel strip has been developed.

However, when a plurality of display devices are used for each reel, not only the manufacturing cost of the reel device increases but also the durability of the video display device decreases when the image display device is rotated.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to adopt an electrically operated image display device, but the manufacturing cost can be relatively low, and furthermore, the durability of the image display device is improved. It is to provide a reel device of a game machine that can not be degraded.

Reel device of the game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is a plurality of display panels each fixedly installed at a predetermined position, each around a single axis in a state surrounding each of the front of the plurality of display panels A plurality of reels each including a reel strip installed to rotate independently, a plurality of driving motors for rotating the plurality of reels, and a speed at which the plurality of reel strips rotate. And a controller configured to control an image display operation of the display panel based on a signal indicating a rotation speed of the reel cover to rotate the image.

The controller may control an image display operation of the display panel based on a motor driving signal for operating the driving motor.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a reel device includes a plurality of slot members each having a plurality of slots arranged in the circumferential direction and installed in the plurality of reels so as to rotate together with the plurality of reels, the rotational position of the slot member. A plurality of light generators selectively installed to emit light that can pass through the slot, and a plurality of light generators that face the light generator so as to receive light emitted by the light generator and passed through the slot. The optical receiver may further include an optical receiver, and the controller may control the image display operation of the display panel based on the motor driving signal and a signal indicating the number of times of detection of light detected by the optical receiver. .

On the other hand, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the reel device of the game machine, a plurality of slot members having a plurality of slots are arranged in the circumferential direction, respectively installed on the plurality of reels to rotate together with the plurality of reels, A plurality of light generators selectively installed to emit light that can pass through the slot according to the rotational position of the slot member, and the light generator to receive light emitted by the light generator and passed through the slot And a plurality of optical receivers facing each other, wherein the controller may receive a signal indicating a number of times of detection of light detected by the optical receiver and control an image display operation of the display panel based on the received signal. have.

The display panel may have a shape of a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the reel strip.

According to the present invention, instead of having a plurality of display panels for each reel of the reel device, but having one fixed display panel for each reel and rotating the image of the display panel at the same speed as the reel rotation speed. As a result, a plurality of display panels are not required for each reel, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, since the display panel is fixed rather than rotated together with the reel, it is possible to prevent the display panel from being damaged or deteriorated by the rotation of the display panel.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. Like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the specification. When a part, such as a layer or film, is said to be "on" or "below" another part, this includes not only the other part "directly above" or "directly below" but also another part in the middle. . On the contrary, when a part is "directly above" or "directly below" another part, there is no other part in the middle.

Referring to FIG. 1, a reel device 200 for a game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a game machine and displays a predetermined image.

The reel device 200 may be installed in the game machine so that the user may view the displayed image through a display window formed in the reel plate 210.

For example, the game machine may include a cabinet 101 in the form of a cabinet, and various parts and controllers, etc. required for game play may be mounted on the body 101. For example, the body 101 may be equipped with a variety of components necessary for game play, such as an input port 101 for inputting coins or money, various input buttons 105 for game play.

Hereinafter, a reel device 200 of a game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The reel device 200 includes a plurality of display panels 210 and a plurality of reels 220. The display panel 210 and the reels 220 are provided in the same number and three cases are shown in the drawing, but the number is not limited thereto.

The display panel 210 and the reel device 220 may be installed in the support frame 300 fixed inside the game machine.

The display panels 210 are fixedly installed at predetermined positions, respectively.

The display panel 210 may be implemented as any type of display panel capable of realizing an image by an electric signal. For example, the display panel 210 may be implemented in various types of display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel, an OLED, and a PDP. Can be. The display panel 210 may have a curved curved surface, which will be described later.

Each of the plurality of reels 220 includes a reel strip 221 installed to rotate independently around a single axis in a state of enclosing front surfaces of the plurality of display panels 210, respectively. do.

The reel strip 221 may be formed in an annular shape having a predetermined width, and is formed of a transparent material so that a user can see an image implemented in the display panel 210 disposed on the rear surface thereof. For example, the reel strip 221 may be formed of a transparent or translucent synthetic resin material such as acrylic or polyethylene. That is, in the conventional reel strip of the reel of the game machine, an image such as a number or a figure is displayed and is directly viewed by the user, but according to an embodiment of the present invention, the image is not simply displayed on the reel strip and is simply rotated. The user sees an image of the display panel behind it.

The reel 220 may also include a reel drum 223 and a spoke 225. The reel drum 223 is configured to be connected to and rotated by the output shaft 401 of the drive motor (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) for rotating the reel 220, and the spoke 225 is reeled. It functions to connect the drum 223 and the reel strip 221.

The drive motor may be any motor that provides a rotational force for rotating the reel 220, such as a step motor.

As mentioned above, the plurality of display panels 210 and the plurality of reels 220 may be installed in the support frame 300, and the support frame 300 may include sidewalls 301 facing each other, The upper wall 303 and the lower wall 305 may be disposed up and down, and a plurality of support members 307 may be disposed between the side walls 301.

The plurality of reels 220 may be rotatably mounted independently between the side wall 301 and the support member 307, or between the neighboring support members 307, respectively.

For example, a drive motor is installed on the support member 307 or the side wall 301, which is part of the reel 220 on the output shaft 401 so that the output shaft 401 and the reel 220 of the drive motor rotate together. The reel drum 223 is connected. Accordingly, each reel 220 is rotated about the output shaft 401 of the drive motor.

The driving motors are provided in the same number as the plurality of reels 220, and the plurality of driving motors are connected to the plurality of reels 220 so that one driving motor rotates one reel 220, and each driving motor is operated. The plurality of reels 220 are rotated independently.

Meanwhile, as briefly mentioned above, the display panel 210 may be formed to have a curved shape, and may be formed in a curved shape to correspond to the annular shape of the reel strip 221. That is, when the user views from the front, the display panel 210 may have a constant width to the left and right, and may be formed in a curved surface in the up and down direction so that the center of the up and down direction is convex.

In this case, the display panel 210 may be fixedly installed at a predetermined position by being mounted on the side wall 301 of the support frame 300 or the connection member 309 connected to the support member 307.

Meanwhile, the reel device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 211 for controlling the operation of the display panel 210. The controller 211 may be a controller for controlling driving of a known display panel, and a separate controller may be provided for each of the plurality of display panels 210, and one controller 211 may include a plurality of display panels ( 210 may be controlled separately. Hereinafter, for convenience, one controller 211 will be described as controlling each of the plurality of display panels 210.

The controller 211 controls the image display operation of each display panel 210 so that the images of the plurality of display panels rotate at the same speed corresponding to the speed at which the reel strip 221 rotates. In this case, the controller 211 receives a signal indicating the rotation speed of the reel strip 221 and controls the image display operation of the display panel 210 based on the signal.

That is, the controller 211 detects the rotation speed of each reel strip 221 in real time and controls the image display of the display panel 210 so that the image of the corresponding display panel 210 rotates at the same speed.

Hereinafter, a method in which the controller 211 controls display of each display panel 210 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

First, a motor driving signal (for example, a pulse signal) output by the motor controller 403 for controlling the operation of the driving motor 400 to control the operation of the driving motor 400 is generated by the reel strip 221. The controller 211 may receive a motor driving signal of the motor controller 403 and display an image of the display panel 210 at the same speed as the reel strip 221 rotates based on the motor driving signal. Image display of the display panel 210 may be controlled to rotate. That is, the display panel 210 is stopped by synchronizing both rotational speeds in real time such that an image implemented on the display panel 210 stationary at a specific position rotates at the same speed as the rotation speed of the reel strip 221 which is actually rotated. The same effect as rotating with the reel strip 221 can be obtained so that the image can actually appear to rotate as in the prior art without actually rotating the display panel 210.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the controller 211 rotates the image of the display panel 210 at the same speed as that of the reel strip 221 based on a signal of a sensor provided separately, not a motor driving signal. The display of the image on the display panel 210 may be controlled.

To this end, the reel device includes a plurality of slot members 500, a plurality of light generators 610, and a plurality of optical receivers 620. The slot member 500, the light generator 610, and the optical receiver 620 are provided in the same number as the reels 220 and are installed for each reel 220.

First, the slot members 500 are installed in the reels 220 to rotate together at the same speed as each reel 220. For example, the slot member 500 may be an annular annular member fixed to the reel drum 223.

The slot member 500 includes a plurality of slots 501 arranged in the circumferential direction. Slot 501 may have a variety of forms and may be formed in the form that the outside is not open.

The light generator 610 may be implemented as any light generator capable of emitting light, and the optical receiver 620 may receive any light emitted from the light generator 610 and output any signal that may output a predetermined signal. It may be implemented as a receiver.

The light generator 610 and the light receiver 620 are installed to be fixed at a predetermined position rather than rotating together with the reel 220. To this end, the light generator 610 and the light receiver 620 may be fixed to the side wall 310 or the support member 307 of the support frame 300. For example, the light generator 610 and the light receiver 620 may be fixed to the support member 307 by the connection member 330.

In this case, the light generator 610 is installed so that the emitted light can selectively pass through the slot 501 according to the rotational position of the slot member 500. That is, the light generator 610 is disposed adjacent to the slot member 500, but is disposed at a horizontal point and a rotation trajectory where the slot 501 rotates. Accordingly, when the light generator 610 is in a horizontal position immediately next to the slot 501 as the slot member 500 rotates, the light emitted from the light generator 610 moves forward through the slot 501 and the light generator When 610 is in a horizontal position right next to the blockage between slots 501, light emitted from light generator 610 is blocked by slot member 500 and can no longer be advanced.

The optical receiver 620 is installed to face the light generator 610 so as to receive light emitted by the light generator 610 and passed through the slot 501 of the slot member 500. That is, the light generator 610 and the light receiver 620 are disposed to face each other on both sides of the trajectory of the slot 501 of the slot member 500 to rotate.

The controller 211 may receive a signal indicating the number of times of detection of light detected by the optical receiver 620 and control the display of the image on the display panel 210 based on the received signal. That is, when the number of times of light detection detected by the optical receiver 620 through the slots 501, which previously stores information on the interval of the slots 501 formed in the slot member 500, is used, Information about the rotational position and the rotational speed of the slot member 500 can be known, and based on this, the display panel 210 rotates the image of the display panel 210 at the same speed as the rotational speed of the reel 220 actually rotating. Can be controlled.

In the above, the case where the image display of the display panel 210 is respectively controlled based on the motor driving signal or the signal of the optical receiver 620 is described, but according to another embodiment of the present invention, the motor driving signal and the optical receiver 620 The display of the image of the display panel 210 may be controlled by simultaneously using the signal of. For example, the controller 211 basically controls the image display of the display panel 210 in the manner described above based on the motor driving signal of the driving motor 400 for rotating the reel 220, but the optical receiver 620. Can be used as an auxiliary signal. For example, an error may occur between the position and rotational speed of the reel 220 detected by the motor drive signal and the actual position and rotational speed of the reel 220, and this error may be caused by the reel obtained by the motor drive signal. The rotational speed of 220 and the rotational speed of the reel 220 obtained by the signal of the optical receiver 620 may be discriminated depending on whether they are different from each other. If an error occurs between the controller 211, the controller 211 may control an image display of the display panel 210 based on the signal of the optical receiver 620.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is recognized that the present invention is easily changed and equivalent by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It includes all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the scope.

1 is a perspective view of a game machine to which a reel device is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of a reel device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a reel device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram illustrating image display control of a display panel of a reel device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (5)

As a reel device of a game machine, A plurality of display panels fixedly installed at predetermined positions, A plurality of reels each including a reel strip installed to rotate independently about a single axis in a state surrounding each of the front surfaces of the plurality of display panels; A plurality of drive motors each rotating the plurality of reels, and A reel device configured to control an image display operation of the display panel based on a signal indicating a rotational speed of the reel cover so that the images of the plurality of display panels rotate in response to the rotational speed of the plurality of reel strips. . In claim 1, And the controller controls an image display operation of the display panel based on a motor drive signal for operating the drive motor. 3. The method of claim 2, A plurality of slot members each having a plurality of slots disposed in the plurality of reels and arranged in a circumferential direction so as to rotate together with the plurality of reels; A plurality of light generators installed to emit light that can selectively pass through the slots according to the rotational position of the slot member, and Further comprising a plurality of optical receivers facing the light generator so as to receive the light emitted by the light generator passed through the slot, And the controller receives the motor driving signal and a signal indicating the number of times of detection of light detected by the optical receiver and controls an image display operation of the display panel based on the received signal. In claim 1, A plurality of slot members each having a plurality of slots disposed in the plurality of reels and arranged in a circumferential direction so as to rotate together with the plurality of reels; A plurality of light generators installed to emit light that can selectively pass through the slots according to the rotational position of the slot member, and Further comprising a plurality of optical receivers facing the light generator so as to receive the light emitted by the light generator passed through the slot, And the controller receives a signal indicating the number of times of detection of light detected by the optical receiver and controls an image display operation of the display panel based on the signal. In claim 1, The display panel has a shape of a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the reel strip.

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