JP4156566B2 - Medal insertion device and gaming machine using the same - Google Patents

Description

    The present invention relates to a gaming machine that prevents a medal from being illegally inserted.

  In this specification, a pachislot machine is described as an example of one of the gaming machines, so that explanation is given using medals as gaming media, but the gaming media includes other media such as coins and pachinko balls. Further, “inserting medals (game media)” includes betting a credited medal with a bet button or the like in addition to actually inserting a medal into the medal slot. In addition, the state where the symbols are aligned on the winning line is the winning state, and the state where the winning combination is drawn by lottery (hereinafter referred to as the winning combination lottery) to determine the winning combination in the state prior to winning. And

    Slot machines that are installed and used in amusement halls such as pachinko parlors are called pachislot machines. In such a slot machine, a game is generally performed by inserting 1 to 3 medals from a medal slot. In the slot machine, a medal selector for selecting inserted medals is provided. When the medal selection is performed by the medal selector, for example, medals having a different size from the regular medals or medals inserted at an inappropriate timing are discharged to the medal tray. The hopper device of the slot machine includes a storage tank that stores medals, and the medal selector includes a medal passage that guides medals to the storage tank and a photoelectric sensor that detects that a medal has passed through the medal passage. . When a medal inserted from the medal insertion slot passes through the medal passage and is detected by the photoelectric sensor, the number of inserted medals is counted.

    By the way, in recent years, a so-called goto action, in which a medal is inserted by a method different from a regular method, may be performed. As one of the instruments used when performing a goto action for illegally inserting medals (hereinafter referred to as “goto instruments”), for example, a plurality of LEDs on a plate-like member that can be inserted into a medal slot Are arranged in series, and a plurality of LEDs are controlled to blink at different timings. When this goto device is inserted from the medal slot and the LED faces the photoelectric sensor, it is possible to erroneously detect that the medal has passed through the photoelectric sensor by blinking the LED. You can insert medals without doing it. A player who has inserted a medal using a goto device can gain profits illegally by taking out a credited medal or playing a game with the inserted medal. The fact that some players gain profits illegally through goto acts not only loses the profits of the amusement hall, but also loses the player's interest in games because they cannot play a fair game. Adding a function to prevent slotting to a slot machine is one of the major challenges for slot machine manufacturers. However, the fact is that no thorough countermeasures have been taken against the goto action using the goto apparatus as described above, and it is required to prevent this.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can prevent a goat act of illegally inserting medals.

  The medal insertion device according to claim 1 is a cylindrical rotating body supported rotatably about a vertical axis, and protrudes from a side surface of the rotating body in a state inclined with respect to the axis, each of which rotates The medals are arranged at a certain pitch along the circumferential direction of the body, and a plurality of blades whose adjacent pitches are larger than the diameter of the medals and the movement of the inserted medals in the radial direction are limited. And a medal guide member arranged so that the bottom surface of the guide groove and the side surface of the rotating body face each other in the circumferential direction. The pitch and the pitch in the circumferential direction at both ends of the blade are set to be substantially the same, and the distance between the bottom surface of the guide groove and the side surface of the rotating body is equal to or more than one thickness of the medal and less than two. The feather The relative position between the rotating body and the medal guide member is set so as to enter the guide groove, and the blade is pressed by the medal passing through the guide groove, so that the rotating body The weight of the rotating body is set so as to rotate.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, an inclination of the blade with respect to the axis is set to 20 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.

  A gaming machine according to the present invention includes any one of the medal insertion devices according to claim 1 or 2.

  The medal insertion device of the present invention includes a columnar rotating body that is rotatably supported around a vertical axis, and projects from a side surface of the rotating body in a state of being inclined with respect to the axis. The medals are arranged in a certain direction by restricting the movement of the inserted medals in the radial direction by arranging a plurality of adjacent blades whose pitches are larger than the diameter of the medals. Since there is a medal guide member that has a guide groove to flow down and is arranged so that the bottom surface of the guide groove and the side surface of the rotating body face each other, if the medal insertion device is disposed below the medal insertion slot The goto device inserted from the medal slot can be made to interfere with the blades and the edges of the medal slot and the surface surrounding the guide groove, so that the goto tool cannot be inserted deeper. Made for, it is possible to prevent the Goto act of the unauthorized insertion of medals.

  In addition, since the inclination of the blade with respect to the axis is set to 20 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less, when the inclination with respect to the axis of the blade is set to less than 20 degrees, the blade is sufficiently inserted by the inconvenience and medal that the goto device is easily inserted. The disadvantage that the component force in the rotation direction of the rotating body is insufficient without being pressed can be solved. In addition, when the inclination with respect to the axis of the blade exceeds 40 degrees in order to make it difficult to insert the goto device, the blade is not sufficiently pressed by the medal and the component force in the rotating direction of the rotating body is insufficient. Can be resolved. For this reason, it is possible to apply a component force in the rotational direction that allows the rotating body to rotate smoothly while making it difficult to insert the goto tool.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine (game machine) 10 includes a housing 13 including a front door 11 and a storage box 12. The front door 11 includes an upper door 11a and a lower door 11b. A display window 14 is provided on the upper door 11a. In the back of the display window 14, the first to third reels 15a to 15c are rotatably incorporated. On the lower door 11b, a MAX bet button 16 in which three medals, which are the maximum number of coins to be inserted at one press, are inserted at one time, and one bet in which one medal is inserted each time the button is pressed. A button 17, a stop button 18a to 18c for stopping the rotating first to third reels 15a to 15c, a start lever 19 for starting rotation of the first to third reels 15a to 15c, a credit (reserved) medal Various operation buttons such as a payout button 20 for performing payout, and a medal insertion slot 21 for inserting medals are provided. Since the function of the operation button is well known, the description thereof is omitted. Below the lower door 11b, there are provided a medal payout opening 22 for paying out medals and a medal tray 23 for storing the payout medals when a winning combination is won by playing a game in the slot machine 10. ing.

  A plurality of types of symbols are arranged on the outer circumference of the first to third reels 15a to 15c at a constant pitch, and when the first to third reels 15a to 15c are stopped, three symbols per reel through the display window 14. Becomes observable. As a result, a total of five straight winning effect lines in which the symbols of each reel are combined one by one and three by two are set. Prior to the start of the game, when one medal is inserted from the medal insertion slot 21, the winning line for the center one is activated, 3 for 3 in the side, and 2 for the 3 in addition to the diagonal 5 The book winning line is activated. In addition, it is possible to credit (store) up to 50 medals.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a medal selector 32 for selecting medals inserted from the medal slot 21 and a medal selector 32 to the medal payout slot 22 are led below the medal slot 21 on the back of the lower door 11b. For this purpose, a payout chute 33 and a medal insertion device 34 of the present invention are provided. A hopper device 35 is provided below the storage box 12.

  The hopper device 35 includes a box-shaped storage tank 35a having an open upper surface, and a medal outlet 35b provided in front of the storage tank 35a. In the storage tank 35a, medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 20 are stored. When a winning combination with paying out medals is performed after playing a game, a motor (not shown) is driven, and a number of medals according to the type of winning combination are paid out from the medal exit 35b through the medal payout port 22. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, the medal selector 32 includes a guide passage 40 for guiding medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 21 to the storage tank 35a, a sorting device 41 for selecting medals to be stored in the storage tank 35a, and the medals passed. A medal passage detection unit 42 for detecting this is provided.

  The guide passage 40 is formed so as to be bent substantially in an L shape, and the medal 44 that has entered the medal inlet 440a at one end thereof is substantially the same as the direction of entry into the guide passage 40 (the direction indicated by the arrow A in the figure). The direction of travel changes in an orthogonal direction (the direction indicated by arrow B in the figure). The medal 44 whose traveling direction has changed is guided from the medal outlet 40b to the storage tank 35a.

  The sorting device 41 is provided on the upper side of the guide passage 40 on the downstream side of the bent portion of the guide passage 40 as viewed from the medal inlet 40a (the portion where the medal 44 advances in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the figure). Yes. When the medal 44 is a normal size, the sorting device 41 allows the medal 44 to pass, and when the medal 44 is not a normal size or when the number of stored medal 44 has reached 50. For example, the front door 11 is dropped in the direction from the front side to the back side (the direction indicated by the arrow D in the figure). The dropped medal 44 enters the payout chute 33 and is paid out from the medal payout port 22 to the medal tray 23.

  Two medal passage detection units 42 are arranged side by side along the traveling direction of the medal 44 (the direction indicated by the arrow B in the figure). The medal passage detection unit 42 includes two sets of a light emitter and a light receiving sensor, and detects the passage of the medal depending on whether the light receiving sensor receives light emitted from the light emitter.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the medal insertion device 34 includes a columnar rotator 50 that is rotatably supported around a vertical shaft 52, and a medal guide member 54 disposed below the medal insertion slot 21. I have.

  The rotating body 50 has a pair of support shafts 51 formed on both end faces thereof. The support shaft 51 is pivotally supported on the back surface of the lower door 11b. Thus, the rotating body 50 is supported so as to be rotatable about the vertical shaft 52. On the side surface of the rotator 50, blades 53 are formed which are connected to both end edges and protrude so as to be bent at two places. The blades 53 are arranged at regular pitches along the circumferential direction of the rotating body 50.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the blades 53 are parallel portions 53 a whose both end portions are substantially parallel to the shaft 52, and a portion connecting the parallel portions 53 a is an inclined portion 53 b inclined by 30 degrees with respect to the shaft 52. ing. The pitch E between the end portions of adjacent blades 53 in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 50 and the pitch F between both ends of the blades 53 in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 50 are set to be substantially the same. The pitches E and F and the pitch G between the adjacent inclined portions 53b are set to be larger than the diameter of the medal 44.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the medal guide member 54 is formed in a columnar shape with a rectangular cross section. In the medal guide member 54, a U-shaped guide groove 55 is formed on one surface 54a of the wide surface, and the surface opposite to the surface 54a is attached to the back surface of the lower door 11b. The guide groove 55 is formed so as to cross the surface 54a in the width direction, and the pitch H in the width direction is larger than the diameter of the medal and is set to be substantially the same as the pitch E described above. The pitch H of the guide grooves 55 is substantially the same as the pitch in the width direction of the medal slot 21.

  One end of the guide groove 55 serves as a medal inlet 55a. When the medal guide member 54 is attached to the lower door 11b, the medal inlet 55a and the medal slot 21 face each other. Therefore, the medal 44 inserted from the medal insertion slot 21 enters the medal guide groove 55 from the medal inlet 55a. The medal 44 that has entered the medal guide groove 55 is restricted in movement in the radial direction by the side surface 55c that restricts the width of the medal guide groove 55, and flows down in the I direction (vertical direction).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the medal guide member 54 is attached to the lower door 11 b, the bottom surface 55 b of the guide groove 55 and the side surface of the rotating body 50 face each other. The relative positions of the rotating body 50 and the medal guide member 54 are such that the distance J between the bottom surface 55b of the guide groove 55 and the side surface of the rotating body 50 is equal to or greater than the thickness of one medal 44 and less than two. And each attachment position is set so that the blade | wing 53 may be in the state which approached in the guide groove 55. FIG. For this reason, the inclined portion 53 b of the blade 53 is pressed by a medal that passes through the guide groove 55. The weight of the rotator 50 is set such that, for example, the inclined portion 53b is rotated by the medal 44 by being formed hollow inside. When the inclined portion 53b is pressed by the medal 44, a component force acts on the rotating body 50, and the rotating body 50 rotates clockwise (K direction in FIG. 6).

  Next, the operation of the slot machine configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the medal 44 is inserted from the medal insertion slot 21 prior to the start of the game, the inserted medal 44 enters the guide groove 55 from the medal entrance 55a. The medal 44 entering the guide groove 55 falls in the vertical direction and presses the inclined portion 53b of the blade 53 by its own weight. When the inclined portion 53b is pressed, the rotating body 50 receives a component force when the medal 44 presses the inclined portion 53b and rotates in the L direction in the figure. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the medal 44 falls in the vertical direction while contacting the inclined portion 53b, and the rotating body 50 continues to rotate along with this. As shown in FIG. 7C, when the medal 44 reaches between the parallel parts 53a on the lower end side of the rotating body 50, the component force to the rotating body 50 does not act, and the rotating speed of the rotating body 50 gradually increases. Will slow down. Then, the medal 44 enters the medal selector 32 from the guide groove 55.

  Here, the example of the instrument 60 which is one of the goto instruments will be described with reference to FIG. For example, the instrument 60 is formed of a plate-like member that can be inserted into the medal slot 21, and an LED 60 a, LED 60 b, and LED 60 c are provided at the front end portion thereof. The LEDs 60a to 60c are controlled to blink at different timings. When performing the goto action using the instrument 60, for example, the instrument 60 guides the LEDs 60a to 60c and the medal passage detection unit 42 to face each other by moving the LEDs 60a to 60c from below the medal passage detection unit 42. It is inserted into the passage 40. When the LEDs 60 a to 60 c face the medal passage detection unit 42, the medal passage detection unit 42 detects the blinking light of the LEDs 60 a to 60 c and repeats on / off, so that the medal 44 has passed through the guide passage 40. Can be detected.

  As shown in FIG. 9, for example, when an instrument 60 is inserted from the medal insertion slot 21 by a player who performs a got action, the instrument 60 is connected to the edge of the blade 53 and the medal insertion slot 21, the blade 53 and the guide groove 55. The movement is restricted by the side surface 55c. Thereby, it becomes impossible to insert the instrument 60 into the medal selector 32 and perform a go-to action, and it is possible to prevent an illegal insertion of a medal due to the go-to action.

  In the above embodiment, the inclined portion 53b of the blade 53 is inclined 30 degrees with respect to the shaft 52, but the angle of the inclined portion 53b may be set to an appropriate angle. This angle is preferably 20 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.

  In the above embodiment, five blades 53 are formed, but the number of blades 53 to be formed is arranged at a certain pitch along the circumferential direction of the rotating body, and the pitch between adjacent ones is larger than the diameter of the medal. Furthermore, as long as the pitch in the circumferential direction of the rotating body between the ends of adjacent blades and the pitch in the circumferential direction of the rotating body at both ends of the blade are substantially the same, a suitable number may be provided. Further, the blades are not necessarily formed by being bent, and may have an appropriate shape as long as they are inclined with respect to the shaft 52.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to a reel drive type slot machine, and can be equally applied to other gaming machines that use a medal to play a game, such as a slot machine using a liquid crystal panel.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the slot machine of this invention. It is a perspective view showing the inside of the slot machine. It is explanatory drawing of a medal selector. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the medal insertion apparatus of this invention. It is a side view of a rotary body. It is a top view of a medal insertion device. It is explanatory drawing which shows a motion of a rotary body when a medal is inserted. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state by which the goto instrument was inserted in the medal selector. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in which the movement of a goto instrument is restrict | limited by the edge of a blade | wing and a medal insertion slot.

Explanation of symbols

10 Slot machines (gaming machines)
21 medal slot 34 medal slot device 44 medal 50 rotating body 52 shaft 53 blade 54 medal guide member 55 guide groove

Claims (3)

A cylindrical rotating body supported rotatably around a vertical axis;
Projecting from the side surface of the rotating body in a state of being inclined with respect to the axis, each being arranged at a constant pitch along the circumferential direction of the rotating body, and a plurality of adjacent pitches larger than the diameter of the medal Feathers,
A medal guide having a guide groove for allowing the medal to flow down in a certain direction by restricting the radial movement of the inserted medal, and arranged so that the bottom surface of the guide groove and the side surface of the rotating body face each other A member,
The pitch in the circumferential direction between the ends of the adjacent blades and the pitch in the circumferential direction at both ends of the blades are set to be substantially the same.
The rotating body and the rotator are placed in a state in which the distance between the bottom surface of the guide groove and the side surface of the rotator is equal to or greater than one sheet thickness of the medal and less than two medals, and the blade enters the guide groove. Set the position relative to the medal guide member,
The medal insertion device, wherein the weight of the rotating body is set so that the blade is pressed by the medal passing through the guide groove and the rotating body rotates.   2. The medal insertion device according to claim 1, wherein an inclination of the blade with respect to the axis is set to 20 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less. A gaming machine comprising the medal insertion device according to claim 1.

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