JP6889885B2 - Pachinko machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

Conventionally, the start lever is activated when a medal is bet by operating the bet button, multiple reels start rotating when the activated start lever is operated, and the reels are rotated by operating multiple stop buttons. There is known a gaming machine in which one game ends when the reels inside are stopped and all the reels are stopped. In such a gaming machine, the bet button and the start lever are pressed downward according to gravity, and the stop button is pressed backward so that it is easy to operate even with the thumb, although it is not in the direction according to gravity. Operate the part. Further, in such a gaming machine, in order to fit the pressing portion of the stop button and the fingertip of the player, a recess that fits the bulge of the fingertip of the player is formed on the top of the pressing portion of the stop button formed in a semicircular shape. Disclosed is a technique for reducing the load on the fingertips of a player by forming the above (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-11342

By the way, in the gaming machine described in Patent Document 1, a depression matching the bulge of the player's fingertip is formed on the top of the pressing portion of the stop button, so that the load on the fingertip of the player who operates the pressing portion of the stop button is applied. However, unlike the pressing part of the bet button, the pressing part of the stop button is operated in the rear direction, which is not the direction according to gravity, so that the player's pressing part of the bet button is operated more than when operating the pressing part of the bet button. There was a problem that fatigue was likely to accumulate in the arm.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of reducing fatigue accumulated in a player's arm.

The present invention is a gaming machine including a bet button (MB) and a stop button (B1 to B3), and the bet button (MB) is urged upward by a first urging member (94). In addition, a first pressing portion (90) that is pressed downward against the urging force by the operation of the player is provided, and the stop buttons (B1 to B3) are provided by the second urging member (194). The second urging member (194) is provided with a second pressing portion (190) that is urged forward and is pressed backward against the urging force by the operation of the player. The urging force for urging the portion (190) forward is smaller than the urging force for urging the first pressing portion (90) upward by the first urging member (94). It is set.

The reference numerals in parentheses are for comparison with the drawings, but this is for convenience of facilitating the understanding of the invention and has no effect on the structure of the claims. It's not a thing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the fatigue accumulated in the player's arm.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance structure of the gaming machine in this embodiment. (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a max bet button unit in this embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a stop button unit in this embodiment. It is a front view of the upper lamp unit in this embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view which looked at the upper lamp unit in this embodiment from the front. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 showing an upper lamp unit in the present embodiment. It is a front view of the light emitting device in this embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view of the light emitting device in this embodiment viewed from the rear. It is a figure which shows the light emitting substrate in this embodiment, (a) is a front view of a light emitting substrate, (b) is an enlarged view which shows part D, (c) is an enlarged view which shows part E. It is a figure which shows the light emitting device in this embodiment, (a) is a sectional view of BB in FIG. 6, and (b) is a sectional view of CC in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described. The embodiments described below do not unreasonably limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Moreover, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are essential constituent requirements of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, "front and back" basically means "front" on the player side and "rear" on the game machine side when the player is on the front side of the gaming machine, and "up and down" means "up and down". The upper surface side of the gaming machine means "upper", the lower surface side means "lower", and "left and right" means the left hand side of the player playing the gaming machine means "left" and the right hand side means "right".

1. 1. Overall Configuration of Game Machine First, the overall configuration of the slot machine 1 as a gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called rotating body type gaming machine, and is a type of gaming machine that plays a game using a medal as a gaming medium. As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 1 includes a housing 10 having an open front surface facing the player in a hexahedral structure, and a front door 50 capable of opening and closing the front surface of the open housing 10. It is constructed by covering with. Further, inside the housing 10, a reel unit RE having a first reel R1 to a third reel R3 as a plurality of rotating reels, and a hopper unit as a medal payout device arranged below the reel unit RE ( (Not shown) and a control board (not shown) that is arranged above the reel unit RE and controls the operations of the reel unit RE and the hopper unit while performing various calculations for executing the game.

Each of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the outer peripheral surface is divided into 21 regions (hereinafter, each region is referred to as a "top") at regular intervals. One of a plurality of types of symbols is arranged in each frame. Further, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are pivotally supported by the first stepping motor to the third stepping motor as an actuator for driving the reel via a reel wheel having spokes and hubs. The first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are rotationally driven around the axis of the stepping motor extending in the left-right direction, and by controlling the number of pulses and the pulse width of the drive pulse of the stepping motor, the rotation is performed in frame units (predetermined rotation). It is provided so that it can be stopped in an angle unit or a predetermined rotation amount unit).

Further, the reel unit RE is fixed to the housing 10 and has a reel frame (not shown) that supports the first stepping motor to the third stepping motor and the first reels R1 to 3 that are fixed to the reel frame. A backlight substrate (not shown) that illuminates the reel R3 from the inside to the front, and a backlight reflector fixed to the reel frame and arranged between the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 and the backlight substrate. (Not shown) and. The backlight substrate is not limited to the one directly fixed to the reel frame. The backlight substrate may be, for example, directly fixed to the backlight reflector and indirectly fixed to the reel frame.

The backlight substrate includes a first backlight substrate that illuminates the first reel R1 from the rear, a second backlight substrate that illuminates the second reel R2 from the rear, and a third backlight substrate that illuminates the third reel R3 from the rear. Consists of. The first backlight substrate to the third backlight substrate are formed in a substantially rectangular shape having an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side, respectively, and are inside the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 formed in a cylindrical shape. It is placed upright in the space so that the surface faces slightly upward. The first backlight substrate to the third backlight substrate are, as light emitting sources, an upper LED installed on the upper surface of each backlight substrate, a lower LED installed on the lower surface of each backlight substrate, and the like. It also has a middle LED installed between the upper LED and the lower LED on the surface of each backlight substrate.

The backlight reflectors are a first reflector and a second backlight substrate, which are arranged in a space between the first backlight substrate and the inner peripheral surface of the first reel R1 so as to face the surface of the first backlight substrate. A second reflector arranged facing the surface of the second backlight substrate in a space between the second reel R2 and the inner peripheral surface of the second reel R2, and an inner peripheral surface of the third backlight substrate and the third reel R3. It is composed of a third reflector arranged so as to face the surface of the third backlight substrate in the space between them. The first reflector to the third reflector are made of a material that easily reflects light, for example, a white synthetic resin, and are formed in a box shape that is bottomed and the front is open, and the first backlights facing each other are opposed to each other. The bottom plate, which is formed in a rectangle of substantially the same size as any of the substrates to the third backlight substrate and faces each backlight substrate, and the first reel R1 to the third reel corresponding to the front end extending forward from the upper end of the bottom plate. An upper plate close to any of R3, a lower plate whose front end extending forward from the lower end of the bottom plate is close to any of the corresponding first reel R1 to third reel R3, and the left end and lower portion of the upper plate. It has a left plate connecting the left end of the plate and a right plate connecting the right end of the upper plate and the right end of the lower plate.

The bottom plate is arranged at positions corresponding to each of the upper LED to the lower LED, and is formed with an upper opening for exposing the upper LED, a middle opening for exposing the middle LED, and a lower opening for exposing the lower LED. By partitioning the surrounding space with the upper plate, lower plate, left plate, and right plate, a light guide space that guides the light from the upper LED to the lower LED to the inner peripheral surface of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is provided. Is forming. The light guide space is partitioned by partition plates arranged between the upper opening and the middle opening, and between the middle opening and the lower opening, and the light from the upper LED is emitted from the first reels R1 to R1. The upper light guide space that guides the light from the inner peripheral surface of the third reel R3, the middle light guide space that guides the light from the middle LED to the inner peripheral surface of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3, and the light from the lower LED. A lower light guide space is formed to guide the inner peripheral surfaces of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3. The backlight reflector is configured as described above, reflects the light from the upper LED to the lower LED installed on the backlight substrate, and is forward by the upper light guide space to the lower light guide space, that is, the first reel. While guiding the light from the upper LED to the lower LED toward the inner peripheral surface of the R1 to the third reel R3, between the upper light guide space and the middle light guide space, and between the middle light guide space and the lower light guide space. It is configured to prevent light leakage between, light leakage between the first reflector and the second reflector, light leakage between the second reflector and the third reflector, and light leakage to the outside of the reel unit RE. There is.

The front door 50 is vertically divided into an upper door unit 50U and a lower door unit 50L, and the upper door unit 50U is a display device 52 made of a large liquid crystal from the central portion to the upper portion thereof. Is provided, and below the display device 52, the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are arranged so as to stand upright so that the surface is slightly upward in the forward direction so as to be substantially parallel to the backlight substrate. A display window 51 is provided so that the rotating state and the stopped state can be observed. In the stopped state of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3, among a plurality of types of symbols arranged at regular intervals on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3, they are continuously arranged on the outer peripheral surface. The three symbols (upper symbol, middle symbol, and lower symbol) can be observed from the front of the slot machine 1 through the display window 51. Further, the upper symbol of the first reel R1 is the upper LED of the first backlight substrate, the middle symbol of the first reel R1 is the middle LED of the first backlight substrate, and the lower symbol of the first reel R1 is the first backlight. The upper LED of the second reel R2 is the upper LED of the second backlight substrate, the middle symbol of the second reel R2 is the middle LED of the second backlight substrate, and the lower symbol of the second reel R2 is the lower LED of the substrate. The lower LED of the 2nd backlight board, the upper design of the 3rd reel R3 is the upper LED of the 3rd backlight board, the middle design of the 3rd reel R3 is the middle LED of the 3rd backlight board, and the 3rd reel R3. The lower design is configured to be illuminated by the lower LED of the third backlight substrate.

Further, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the effective line Lf is set by the combination of the display positions of the upper, middle, and lower stages of each reel (for example, one row in the middle stage). In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the number of medals required for one game, that is, the so-called specified number of inserted medals is set to three, and when medals corresponding to the specified number of inserted medals are inserted, the first reel R1 The effective line Lf composed of the middle stage of the third reel R3 is activated.

The lower door unit 50L of the front door 50 is provided with a lower panel 55 for displaying a pattern for directing, and an operation unit 65 provided with various operating means is arranged above the lower panel 55. Has been done. The operation unit 65 has various operation means and an operation base 66 that supports various operation means, and is formed from the left end portion to the right end portion of the slot machine 1. The operation unit 65 places a max bet on the upper surface portion 66a of the operation base 66 to insert a specified number of medals as an insertion operation means for inserting a credited (stored) medal as an operation means. A max bet button unit (bet button) MB or the like to be executed is arranged, and an opportunity to start a game by rotating the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 as an operation means on the front portion 66b of the operation base 66. The start lever SL as the game start operation means for causing the player to execute the start operation, and the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 rotationally driven by the first stepping motor to the third stepping motor are stopped. Stop button units (stop buttons) B1 to B3 and the like are arranged as stop operation means for causing the player to execute the stop operation that triggers the operation.

Further, the lower door unit 50L is provided with a medal insertion slot 56 for inserting medals by the player, and the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 56 are provided on the back side of the lower door unit 50L. It is counted by (not shown) and guided to the hopper unit. In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, when the player inserts medals into the medal insertion slot 56 or the medals are credited in excess of the specified number of insertions, the player presses the max bet button unit MB. Then, the rotation control of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 is set to the ready state in which the rotation control can be started. Then, when the player presses the start lever SL, that is, when the player executes the start operation on the start lever SL, the first reel R1 to the third reel are performed after the internal lottery using the random number value is performed on the control board. The stop button units B1 to B3 are pressed on the condition that the rotation of R3 is started by the drive of the stepping motor and the rotation speed of the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 rises to a predetermined speed to become a steady rotation. The permission, that is, the stop operation by the stop button units B1 to B3 is enabled.

After that, the player presses the stop button units B1 to B3 at an arbitrary timing (hereinafter, referred to as "pressing timing"), and the player releases the stop button units B1 to B3 which are in the pressed state at an arbitrary timing. Then, the stop switches corresponding to each of the stop button units B1 to B3 perform an off operation, and the reel stop signal output to the control board (not shown) is changed from the on state to the off state.

Then, the control board stops according to the result of the internal lottery based on the change from the off state to the on state of the reel stop signal whose signal state changes according to the pressing timing and the release timing of the stop button units B1 to B3. The first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are stopped at the position.

Further, after stopping the first reel R1 to the third reel R3, the control board executes various processes according to the combination of the symbols stopped on the effective line Lf. As various processes executed by the control board, for example, when the combination of symbols stopped on the effective line Lf is a combination of symbols of a small combination accompanied by payout of medals among a plurality of types of combinations, that is, the small combination wins a prize. In that case, the payout process of paying out medals from the hopper unit based on the payout set for the winning small winning combination and the combination of symbols stopped on the effective line Lf do not cause the player to consume the medals. In the case of a replay symbol combination that enables the game to be executed once, there is a replay process that sets a specified number of medals to be inserted in this game to the inserted state.

Further, a medal tray 60 is provided at the lower part of the lower door unit 50L, and a number of medals according to the result of the game are paid out from the medal payout outlet to the medal tray 60. Further, for example, when the settlement button is pressed while the credited medals are stored in the game machine, it corresponds to the number of credits (the number of credited medals) from the hopper unit when the settlement button is pressed. The settlement process for paying out the number of medals is executed, and the medals are paid out from the medal payment exit to the medal tray 60.

The upper door unit 50U has a base member 53 having substantially the same size as the upper door unit 50U when viewed from the front. The base member 53 includes an acoustic device (not shown) for enlivening the game, an illumination device 75, 76L, 76R, 77, 78 for decorating the slot machine 1 and producing light emission, and a movable accessory 71 for the production. , And a plurality of decorative members constituting the upper door unit 50U, such as the display device 52 described above, an effect device, a sub-control board (not shown) for controlling the effect device, and the like are supported. Specifically, a shutter device 71 is provided as a movable accessory on the front surface of the display device 52, and the left and right shutters (movable members) 71L and 71R are moved (opened and closed) to display according to the progress of the game. The screen of the device 52 can be shielded or exposed.

Further, as an illumination device, an upper lamp unit 75 is provided above the display device 52, and side lamp units 76L and 76R are provided on the left and right sides of the display device 52. Further, on the left and right sides of the display window 51 for observing the symbol of the reel unit RE, a lamp device 77 that emits a symbol for effect and an effect button SB that emits light during the effect or is operated by the player are provided. ing. Further, below the display device 52, a navigation lamp unit 78 fixed to the base member 53 is provided. The upper lamp unit 75, the side lamp units 76L, 76R, and the navigation lamp unit 78 function as a lighting device for directing by lighting according to the game, or as a notification device for notifying the player of information related to the game. To do.

Next, the max bet button unit MB will be described with reference to FIG. 2A. The max bet button unit MB includes a push button portion (first pressing portion) 90, a sliding support portion 93, a button spring (first urging member) 94 as an urging means, and a switch portion as a max bet switch. It has 95 and.

The sliding support portion 93 is fixed to the operation base 66 of the operation portion 65 (see FIG. 1), and the push button portion 90 is restricted from sliding (moving) with the initial position in which the push button portion 90 is not pressed. It is slidably supported in the vertical direction from the regulated position where it is pressed until it reaches the end. The button spring 94 urges the push button portion 90 in the direction opposite to the downward pressing direction, that is, upward, so that the push button portion 90 is set to the initial position when the push button portion 90 is not pressed. To support. The switch unit 95 is a transmissive photointerruptor and has a connector 95a electrically connected to a control board, a light emitting unit 95b, and a light receiving unit (not shown). The switch section 95 is configured to output a detection signal to the control board when the push button section 90 slides in the pressing direction and the light blocking section 91a of the push button section 90 blocks the light from the light emitting section 95b. Has been done. The push button portion 90 includes a button main body 91 having a light-shielding portion 91a, and a decorative portion 92 fixed to the button main body 91 and covering the upper part of the button main body 91. The push button portion 90 is configured to be urged upward by the button spring 94 and to be pressed downward and slide against the urging force urged upward by the pressing operation of the player. There is. Further, the surface that the player's finger touches when the max bet button unit MB is pressed, that is, the operation surface 92a of the decorative portion 92 is larger than the standard adult finger thickness of two in the left-right direction. It is formed to have a sufficiently large value, for example, about 40 mm, and is configured to be pressed by a player with a finger. In the following description, the position of the push button unit 90 in which the push button unit 90 slides from the initial position in the pressing direction to output the detection signal from the state in which the switch unit 95 does not output the detection signal is set. Described as the detection position.

The detection position is set to be any position between the initial position and the regulation position. If the distance between the initial position and the detection position is set small, the player presses due to a decrease in the urging force due to aged deterioration of the button spring 94, pinching of dust, vibration, variation in component dimensions, etc. Regardless of the operation, the push button unit 90 may cause the switch unit 95 to output a detection signal. Further, when the distance between the detection position and the regulation position is set small, the push button portion 90 detects the switch portion 95 even if the player performs a pressing operation due to the pinching of dust or the like, the variation in the component dimensions, or the like. There is a risk that the signal cannot be output. Therefore, the detection position is the first range from the initial position to the position where the push button unit 90 may output the detection signal to the switch unit 95 regardless of the pressing operation of the player, and the pressing operation by the player. The push button unit 90 is set to be located in the detection position settable range excluding the second range from the position where the switch unit 95 may not be able to output the detection signal to the regulation position. .. For example, the first range is the range from the initial position to the position separated by 0.5 mm in the pressing direction, and the second range is the range from the regulated position to the position separated by 0.5 mm in the direction opposite to the pressing direction. It has become.

Further, when the distance L between the initial position and the regulated position is large, the detection position settable range also becomes large, and the detection position can be freely set within the detection position settable range. If the distance L from the player is set large, the operability is lowered and the player may feel tired due to the pressing operation. Further, the detection position assumed at the design stage and the detection position where the detection signal is actually output by operating the product have an error of, for example, ± 0.2 mm due to variations in component dimensions or the like. Therefore, if the distance L between the initial position and the regulated position cannot be secured sufficiently larger than the first range and the second range, the detection position is set to the central position between the initial position and the regulated position. It is desirable that it is done.

Specifically, in the max bet button unit MB of the present embodiment, when the push button portion 90 slides about 1 mm from the initial position in the pressing direction, the push button portion 90 reaches the detection position, and the light-shielding portion 91a provides the push button portion 90. The light from the light emitting portion 95b is blocked, and when it slides about 2 mm in the pressing direction from the initial position, it reaches the regulation position, and the push button portion 90 hits the regulation surface 93a formed on the sliding support portion 93. In contact with each other, sliding in the pressing direction is restricted.

Next, the stop button units B1 to B3 will be described with reference to FIG. 2B. The stop button units B1 to B3 include a push button portion (second pressing portion) 190, a sliding support portion 193, a button spring (second urging member) 194 as an urging means, and a switch portion as a stop switch. It has 195 and.

The sliding support portion 193 is fixed to the operation base 66 of the operation portion 65 (see FIG. 1), and presses the push button portion 190 from the initial position in which the push button portion 190 is not pressed until sliding is restricted. It is slidably supported in the front-rear direction from the regulated position in the state where it has been set. The button spring 194 urges the push button portion 190 in the direction opposite to the rearward pressing direction, that is, forward, so that the push button portion 190 is set to the initial position when the push button portion 190 is not pressed. To support. The switch unit 195 is a transmissive photointerruptor and has a connector 195a electrically connected to a control board, a light emitting unit 195b, and a light receiving unit (not shown). The switch section 195 is configured to output a detection signal to the control board when the push button section 190 slides in the pressing direction and the light blocking section 191a of the push button section 190 blocks the light from the light emitting section 195b. Has been done. The push button portion 190 includes a button main body 191 having a light-shielding portion 191a, and a decorative portion 192 fixed to the button main body 191 and covering the front portion of the button main body 191. The push button portion 190 is configured to be urged forward by the button spring 194 and to be pressed backward and slid against the urging force urged forward by the pressing operation of the player. There is. Further, the surface that the player's finger touches when the stop button units B1 to B3 are pressed, that is, the operation surface 192a of the decorative portion 192 is the size of one adult standard finger thickness in the vertical direction. It is formed to have a sufficiently large value, for example, about 30 mm, and is configured to be pressed by a player with a finger. Further, the stop button units B1 to B3 are configured so that the pressing direction is rearward from the viewpoint of operability for stopping the reel at the target position and operability for making it easy to operate with the thumb. .. In the following description, the position of the push button unit 190 in which the push button unit 190 slides from the initial position in the pressing direction to output the detection signal from the state in which the switch unit 195 does not output the detection signal is set. Described as the detection position.

The detection position is set to be any position between the initial position and the regulation position. If the distance between the initial position and the detection position is set small, the player presses due to a decrease in the urging force due to aged deterioration of the button spring 194, pinching of dust, vibration, variation in component dimensions, etc. Regardless of the operation, the push button unit 190 may cause the switch unit 195 to output a detection signal. Further, when the distance between the detection position and the regulation position is set to be small, the push button portion 190 detects the switch portion 195 even if the player performs a pressing operation due to the pinching of dust or the like, the variation in the component dimensions, or the like. There is a risk that the signal cannot be output. Therefore, the detection position is the first range from the initial position to the position where the push button unit 190 may output the detection signal to the switch unit 195 regardless of the pressing operation of the player, and the pressing operation by the player. The push button unit 190 is set to be located in the detection position settable range excluding the second range from the position where the switch unit 195 may not be able to output the detection signal to the regulation position. .. For example, the first range is the range from the initial position to the position separated by 0.5 mm in the pressing direction, and the second range is the range from the regulated position to the position separated by 0.5 mm in the direction opposite to the pressing direction. It has become.

Further, when the distance L between the initial position and the regulated position is large, the detection position settable range also becomes large, and the detection position can be freely set within the detection position settable range. If the distance L from the player is set large, the operability is lowered and the player may feel tired due to the pressing operation. Further, the detection position assumed at the design stage and the detection position where the detection signal is actually output by operating the product have an error of, for example, ± 0.2 mm due to variations in component dimensions or the like. Therefore, if the distance L between the initial position and the regulated position cannot be secured sufficiently larger than the first range and the second range, the detection position is set to the central position between the initial position and the regulated position. It is desirable that it is done.

Specifically, in the stop button units B1 to B3 of the present embodiment, when the push button portion 190 slides about 1 mm from the initial position in the pressing direction, the push button portion 190 reaches the detection position and the light shielding portion 191a. The light from the light emitting portion 195b is blocked by the light emitting portion 195b, and when the light is slid from the initial position by about 2 mm in the pressing direction, the regulation position is reached, and the push button portion 190 is formed on the regulation surface 193a formed on the sliding support portion 193. It is configured so as to abut and restrict sliding in a further pressing direction.

Since the max bet button unit MB and the stop button units B1 to B3 are configured as described above, the button springs 94 and 194 are deteriorated over time, dust and the like are pinched, vibrations, and variations in the dimensions of the respective parts are caused. Allowed, the switch units 95 and 195 as the max bet switch and the stop switch are configured to be turned on, that is, to output a detection signal by the player's pressure.

Further, the button spring 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3 urges the push button portion 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 forward, and the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB is the max bet button unit MB. The urging force is set to be smaller than the urging force that urges the push button portion 90 upward. Specifically, the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 are pressed against the urging force of the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3 to slide backward and hold at the detection position. The force is larger than the force that pushes the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB against the urging force of the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB and slides it downward to hold it at the detection position. It is set to be a small force. In order to hold the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 at the detection position, a force of about 0.7 N (Newton) is required against the urging force of the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3. It is configured in. Further, in order to hold the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB at the detection position, a force of about 1.0 N (Newton) is required against the urging force of the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB. It is configured in.

Further, the force of pressing the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 against the urging force of the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3 to slide them backward and hold them at the regulated position is determined. The force is smaller than the force that pushes the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB against the urging force of the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB and slides it downward to hold it in the regulated position. It is set to be. In order to hold the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 at the regulated position, a force of about 1.4 N (Newton) is required against the urging force of the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3. It is configured in. Further, in order to hold the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB at the regulated position, a force of about 2.0 N (Newton) is required against the urging force of the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB. It is configured in. The larger the size and area of the operating surfaces 92a and 192a of the decorative portion 92 of the max bet button unit MB and the stop button units B1 to B3 decorative portions 192 to be pressed, the larger the size and area in the left-right direction, the more the button springs 94 and 194. It is configured to increase the urging force of.

As described above, when the player presses the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB that presses downward by using the weight of the arm according to gravity, a moderately large operating force is applied to the player. To make it easier for the player to recognize that the max bet button unit MB has been operated, and the stop button units B1 to B3 that the player presses backward without using the weight of the arm without following gravity. When the push button portion 190 is pressed, the player can operate it with a relatively light force, so that the fatigue accumulated in the player's arm can be reduced. Further, it is necessary to press a plurality of push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 according to the number of rotary reels for each game. At this time, the urging force of the button spring 194 that urges each push button portion 190 forward is the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB.
By being set to be smaller than the urging force of the button spring 94 that urges the button upward, the player can obtain a light and comfortable operation feeling with respect to the pressing operation of the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3. At the same time, all pushbuttons 190 can be pressed at a good tempo. Therefore, the player can comfortably play the game. Further, by setting the urging force of the button spring 94 to be small with respect to each push button portion 190 of the frequently used stop button units B1 to B3, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of fatigue of the player. it can.

2. Configuration of Upper Lamp Unit Next, the configuration of the upper lamp unit 75 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The upper lamp unit 75 includes an upper lamp base 80, an upper lens 82 (third member), a lower lens 81 (second member), a partition member 83 (first member), and a light emitting device 40. The upper lamp base 80 is fixed to the base member 53. The lower lens 81 is made of a translucent translucent material, is arranged below the upper lens 82 in front view, is fixed to the upper lamp base 80, and faces forward. It has a surface 81a.

The partition member 83 has a partition plate 83a fixed to the upper lamp base 80 and arranged between the upper lens 82 and the lower lens 81. The partition plate 83a has a first facing surface 83c that extends in the front-rear direction and faces the second facing surface 81c of the lower lens 81. The partition member 83 is formed of a light-shielding material, forms a first space S1 with the lower lens 81 on the lower side, which is one side in the surface direction of the second facing surface 81c, and forms a first space S1 with the lower lens 81. A second space S2 is formed between the partition plate 83a and the upper lens 82 on the upper side, which is the other side of the partition plate 83a, on the side opposite to the first facing surface 83c, and the partition plate 83a forms the first space S1 and the first space S1. The space between the two spaces S2 is shielded from light. The partition plate 83a has a protruding rib 83b (protruding portion) extending in the left-right direction along the upper end of the lower lens 81 and projecting from the second facing surface 81c to the inside of the first space S1. The protruding rib 83b is arranged behind the light transmitting surface 81a of the lower lens.

The upper lens 82 is made of a translucent translucent material, is fixed to the upper lamp base 80, and has an upper lens translucent surface 82a facing forward. The lower end of the upper lens translucent surface 82a is on the upper side of the second facing surface 81c in the surface direction, and forms a covering portion 82b that covers the front end portion of the partition member 83. The covering portion 82b is formed so as to extend downward to the first facing surface 83c so as to expose the lower lens 81, and in front view, the lower end of the upper lens 82 and the upper end of the lower lens 81 are adjacent to each other, and the covering portion 82b is formed. It is covered with 82b so that the partition member 83 is not directly viewed. Further, the lower end of the upper lens 82 is arranged so as to be separated from the upper end of the lower lens 81 in the front-rear direction. The light emitting device 40 is arranged behind the upper lens 82 and the lower lens 81 and is fixed to the upper lamp base 80. The light emitting device 40 has a plurality of LEDs 31 and 32 (light emitting sources), and when the LEDs 31 arranged behind the upper lens 82 emit light, the second space S2 faces the upper lens translucent surface 82a. In addition to being configured to be able to irradiate light to the lower lens 81, the LED 32 arranged behind the lower lens 81 is configured to be able to irradiate the first space S1 toward the lower lens translucent surface 81a. ing.

3. 3. Configuration of the light emitting device Next, the configuration of the light emitting device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. The light emitting device 40 is a light emitting substrate which is arranged toward the front and has a plurality of LEDs 31 and 32 installed on the front surface 30a (first surface, surface) and a connector 33 installed on the rear surface 30b (second surface). 30, a reflector 41 (opposing member) arranged to face the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30, and a substrate cover 42 arranged behind the light emitting substrate 30 to protect the rear surface 30b of the light emitting substrate 30. doing.

The reflector 41 is fixed to the upper lamp base 80 and has a plurality of LED holes 41a (openings) formed so as to expose the plurality of LEDs 31 and 32. Further, the reflector 41 is made of a material having a light-shielding property and easily reflecting light, for example, a white synthetic resin, and the light of the LEDs 31 and 32 exposed from the LED hole 41a is forwarded around the LED hole 41a. It has a reflecting surface 41b that reflects toward it. The reflecting surface 41b is arranged between two LED holes 41a adjacent to each other, and blocks light between the LEDs 31 and 32 exposed from the respective LED holes 41a.

The reflector 41 is formed in a columnar shape extending toward the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30, specifically, the connector non-wiring portion 30g described later, which is formed on the front surface 30a, and is in contact with the light emitting substrate 30. It has abutting protrusions 41d and 41e (contacting portions). The plurality of abutting protrusions 41d and 41e are arranged with a connector protrusion 41d arranged at a position overlapping the connector 33 in a direction orthogonal to the front surface 30a of the light emitting board 30 and near the peripheral edge of the light emitting board 30. The peripheral protrusion 41e and the peripheral protrusion 41e are included.

The light emitting substrate 30 is a type of LED different from the plurality of lower LEDs 32 that irradiate the first space S1 (see FIG. 5) with light by emitting light and the lower LEDs 32 arranged above the lower LEDs, and emits light. It has a plurality of upper LEDs 31 that irradiate the second space S2 (see FIG. 5) with light. The lower LED 32 has an identification unit 32c capable of identifying the orientation of the lower LED 32, and is installed on the light emitting substrate 30 so that the plurality of lower LEDs 32 all have the same orientation. Further, the upper LED 31 has an identification unit 31c capable of identifying the orientation of the upper LED 31, and is installed on the light emitting substrate 30 so that all the upper LEDs 31 have the same orientation.

The light emitting substrate 30 has LED number identification displays 31a and 32a (identification display) that enable identification of unique numbers assigned to each of the installed LEDs 31 and 32, and the correct orientation in which the LEDs 31 and 32 are installed. The LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b, which make it possible to identify the LED, are printed in the vicinity of the front surface 30a of each of the LEDs 31 and 32. The LED number identification displays 31a and 32a are displays for identifying the type of parts, for example, a display for identifying the character "LED" and a position where the parts are installed, for example, a number adjacent to the character "LED", specifically. Consists of a unique number assigned to each of the LEDs 31 and 32 in sequence, and for example, LED1, LED2, LED3, ... LEDn are printed in the vicinity of each of the LEDs 31 and 32. .. The LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b are, for example, displays that are arranged in the vicinity of each of the LEDs 31 and 32 to indicate a predetermined orientation, and are printed on the front surface 30a so that the correct orientation in which the LEDs 31 and 32 are installed can be identified. Has been done. The operator identifies whether or not the installed LEDs 31 and 32 are arranged in the correct orientation by comparing the LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b with the identification units 31c and 32c of the LEDs 31 and 32. It is configured to be able to.

The LED number identification display 32a and the LED orientation identification display 32b corresponding to the lower LED 32 are all printed so as to have the same orientation. Further, the LED number identification display 31a and the LED orientation identification display 31b corresponding to the upper LED 31 are all printed so as to have the same orientation. The LED number identification displays 31a and 32a and the LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b are arranged so as to be exposed from the LED holes 41a.

With such a configuration, for example, when an operator inspects the light emitting device 40, the unique numbers of the LEDs 31 and 32 installed on the light emitting board 30 can be obtained without disassembling the light emitting device 40. It is configured so that it can be identified whether or not each of the LEDs 31 and 32 is installed in the correct orientation. Further, the plurality of lower LEDs 32 are all installed in the same orientation, and the LED number identification display 32a and the LED orientation identification display 32b corresponding to the lower LED 32 are all printed in the same orientation, and the plurality of upper LEDs 31 are all in the same orientation. Since the LED number identification display 31a and the LED orientation identification display 31b corresponding to the upper LED 31 are all printed in the same orientation, at least the same type of LED, that is, the plurality of lower LEDs 32 and the plurality of upper LEDs 31 When inspecting each of the above, the visibility is improved when the operator identifies the unique number of each of the LEDs 31 and 32 and whether or not each of the LEDs 31 and 32 is installed in the correct orientation.

The light emitting substrate 30 has a wiring portion 30e in which wiring such as wiring for supplying power to the LEDs 31 and 32 is formed, and non-wiring portions 30f and 30g in which wiring is not formed on the front surface 30a. .. Specifically, the light emitting substrate 30 is formed on the peripheral edge of the light emitting substrate 30 and the connector non-wiring portion 30 g formed in the region 30h of the front surface 30a that overlaps with the connector 33 in the direction perpendicular to the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30. A portion of the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30 that is neither the connector non-wiring portion 30g nor the peripheral non-wiring portion 30f is a wiring portion 30e. In the wiring portions 30e and the non-wiring portions 30f and 30g, the contact protrusions 41d and 41e of the reflector 41 are in contact with the non-wiring portions 30f and 30g, and the contact protrusions 41d and 41e of the reflector 41 are in contact with the wiring portion 30e. It is arranged so that it does not touch. Specifically, the connector non-wiring portion 30g is arranged so as to be in contact with the connector protrusion 41d, the peripheral non-wiring portion 30f is arranged so as to be in contact with the peripheral protrusion 41e, and the wiring portion 30e is arranged so as to be in contact with any of the contact protrusions. It is arranged so as not to come into contact with the portions 41d and 41e. The light emitting board 30 can be inserted and removed from the connector 33 in a direction intersecting the rear surface 30b, and power for causing the LEDs 31 and 32 to emit light from the control board via a wiring cable 45 electrically connected to the connector 33. Is being supplied.

The substrate cover 42 is fixed to the reflector 41 from the rear of the light emitting substrate 30, and the light emitting substrate 30 is supported by being sandwiched between the substrate cover 42 and the reflector 41. The board cover 42 is formed with a connector hole 42a through which the connector 33 penetrates, and the wiring cable 45 can be inserted and removed from the connector 33 while the board cover 42 is fixed to the reflector 41. With this configuration, for example, when an operator inserts the wiring cable 45 into the connector 33, even if an external force is applied to the light emitting board 30 in a direction intersecting the rear surface 30b of the light emitting board 30. Since the connector protrusion 41d is in contact with the connector non-wiring portion 30g, bending stress is generated in the light emitting substrate 30 to damage the light emitting substrate 30, or the connector protrusion 41d is in contact with the reflector 41 to come into contact with the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30. This is to prevent the formed wiring from being damaged.

As described above, the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment can come into contact with the connector non-wiring portion 30g formed in the region 30h of the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30 that overlaps with the connector 33 in the direction perpendicular to the first surface. Since the connector protrusion 41d is provided, when an external force is applied in a direction intersecting the rear surface 30b of the light emitting board 30, such as when connecting the wiring cable 45 to the connector 33 of the light emitting board 30, the light emitting board 30 due to the external force is applied. It is possible to reduce the deformation of the light emitting substrate 30 and protect the wiring and prevent the light emitting substrate 30 from being damaged.

4. Modification Example In the present embodiment, the connector protrusion 41d is configured to come into contact with the light emitting substrate 30 in a region 30h overlapping the connector 33 in a direction orthogonal to the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30, but is not limited thereto. .. The connector protrusion 41d may be configured to abut in the vicinity of the region 30h overlapping the connector 33 in a directional view orthogonal to the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30. The position where the connector protrusion 41d and the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30 abut is preferably a position within 50 mm from the region 30h, and more preferably a position within 10mm from the region 30h.

Further, in the present embodiment, the contact protrusions 41d and 41e are configured to be in contact with the non-wiring portions 30f and 30g, but the present invention is not limited to this. The abutting protrusions 41d and 41e are arranged close to the front surface 30a of the light emitting substrate 30, and when an external force is applied to the light emitting substrate 30 in the forward direction, the non-wiring portion 30f before the light emitting substrate 30 is damaged. , 30 g may be configured to abut.

Further, the reflector 41 is configured such that the LED holes 41a expose the LEDs 31, 32, the LED number identification displays 31a, 32a, and the LED orientation identification displays 31b, 32b, but the single LED hole 41a has a single LED hole 41a. One of the LEDs 31 and 32, one of the LED number identification displays 31a and 32a, and one of the LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b are configured to be exposed. Not limited. The reflector 41 is configured such that, for example, a single LED hole 41a exposes a plurality of light emitting sources, a plurality of LED number identification displays corresponding to each of the light emitting sources, and a plurality of LED orientation identification displays. May be good.

Further, in the present embodiment, the light emitting substrate 30 as a substrate and the reflector 41 as an opposing member arranged to face the front surface of the light emitting substrate 30 are both as a part of the upper lamp unit 75 of the upper door unit 50U. It is configured, but not limited to this. The substrate and the facing member are configured as, for example, a part of the side lamp units 76L and 76R, the lamp device 77, the navigation lamp unit 78, the movable accessory 71, the max bet button unit MB, the stop button units B1 to B3, and the effect button SB. It may have been done. Further, the substrate and the facing member may be configured as a part of the reel unit RE. For example, a backlight substrate that illuminates the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 from the inside to the front constitutes the substrate in the present embodiment, and a backlight reflector arranged so as to face the surface of the backlight substrate. The facing member in the present embodiment may be configured. In addition, the backlight substrate is arranged in the vicinity of the upper LED to the lower LED as the light emitting source installed on the surface, and the LED number identification display that enables each light emitting source to be identified and the correct orientation in which each light emitting source is installed are installed. The backlight reflector has an LED orientation identification display that makes it possible to identify the LED orientation identification display, and the backlight reflector exposes each light emitting source of the backlight substrate and exposes the LED number identification display and the LED orientation identification display of the backlight substrate so as to be identifiable. It may be configured to have an upper opening to a lower opening. With this configuration, the operator can identify the LED number of the backlight board without disassembling the backlight board and the backlight reflector in a state where the first reel R1 to the third reel R3 are retracted. It is possible to identify the display and the LED orientation identification display. Further, the upper LED to the lower LED are not limited to those each composed of a single light emitting source. The upper LED to the lower LED are each composed of a plurality of light emitting sources, for example, a plurality of LEDs installed on the surface of the backlight substrate arranged in the axial direction of the stepping motor, and any one of the upper opening to the lower opening is formed. The plurality of LEDs may be configured to expose the corresponding plurality of LED number identification displays and the plurality of LED orientation identification displays.

Further, in the present embodiment, the LED hole 41a of the reflector 41 is configured to expose the entire LED number identification display 31a, 32a and the LED orientation identification display 31b, 32b, but is not limited thereto. The LED holes 41a expose the LED number identification displays 31a and 32a and the LED orientation identification displays 31b and 32b to such an extent that the unique numbers of the LEDs 31 and 32 and the correct orientation in which the LEDs 31 and 32 are installed can be identified. You just have to. The LED hole 41a may be configured to expose a part of the LED number identification display 31a, 32a and the LED orientation identification display 31b, 32b, for example. The LED holes 41a expose, for example, only the right half of the LED orientation identification display 31b in FIG. 8B, or only the lower half of the LED orientation identification display 32b in FIG. 8C, and each LED31, It may be configured so that the correct orientation in which the 32 is installed can be identified.

Further, the LED hole 41a may be configured to expose 50% or more (for example, the upper half or more, etc.) of any one of the LED number identification displays 31a, 32a, or the LED number identification displays 31a, 32a. It may be configured to expose only the unique number of the LED. Further, the LED holes 41a do not expose the entire LED number identification display 31a, 32a of any one or more of them, but are provided to the LEDs 31 and 32 installed adjacent to or in the vicinity so that they can be identified. The contents of the LED number identification displays 31a and 32a that are not exposed may be configured so that the contents of the LED number identification displays 31a and 32a that are not exposed can be inferred from the contents of the LED number identification displays 31a and 32a. Specifically, the LED holes 41a expose every other LED number identification display 32a given to the LEDs 32 linearly installed in the light emitting substrate 30 in the left-right direction. The contents of the unexposed LED number identification display 32a may be configured so that the contents can be inferred, or only the LED number identification display 32a attached to the leftmost LED 32 and the rightmost LED 32 is exposed and the leftmost LED number identification display 32a is exposed. By counting the number of the LED number identification display 32a given to the LED 32 from the contents of the LED 32 or the rightmost LED 32, the contents of the unexposed LED number identification display 32a can be inferred. It may have been done. Further, the LED hole 41a may be formed in a substrate cover or the like that protects the surface of the light emitting substrate 30 on which the LED is installed, in addition to the reflector.

Further, in the present embodiment, the identification display is configured so that the unique numbers of the plurality of LEDs 31 and 32 installed on the light emitting substrate 30 can be identified, but the identification display is not limited thereto. The identification display may be configured so that, for example, the unique number of the resistor or IC installed on the board can be identified, or the correct orientation in which the resistor or IC is installed on the board can be identified. It may be configured.

Further, in the present embodiment, the force that the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3 urge the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 forward is the max bet by the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB. The force is configured to be smaller than the force for urging the push button portion 90 of the button unit MB upward, but instead, the respective urging forces may be made substantially the same. That is, in the slot machine 1, for example, the force that the button springs 194 of the stop button units B1 to B3 urge the push button portions 190 of the stop button units B1 to B3 forward and the button spring 94 of the max bet button unit MB The force for urging the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB upward may be substantially the same, for example, urging force of either about 1.0 N or about 0.7 N. In this way, when the max bet button unit MB and the stop button units B1 to B3, which are operated when one game is performed, are configured to have substantially the same urging force, the operation feeling is substantially the same for the player. It is possible to prevent discomfort due to the difference in the urging force of the button spring.

Further, in the present embodiment, the effect button SB is operated when it becomes an opportunity for the player to improve his / her interest, such as notifying that he / she has acquired the right to shift to an advantageous gaming state by operating the effect button SB. In some cases, if the urging force of the button spring of the production button SB is small, there is a problem that the interest cannot be sufficiently excited. Regarding the urging force of the button spring required to slide the push button portion of the effect button SB to the detection position or the regulation position in this case, the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB is slid to the detection position or the regulation position. The urging force may be set to be larger than the urging force of the button spring required for movement. For example, the force for holding the push button portion of the effect button SB at the detection position is about 4.0 N (Newton), and the force for holding the push button portion at the regulated position is about 8.0 N (Newton). With such a configuration, it is possible to provide a player who operates the effect button SB with sufficient interest. From the viewpoint of operability, the effect button SB in this configuration is configured so that the area of the operation surface touched by the player's finger during the pressing operation is larger than that of the max bet button unit MB. It is desirable that it is done.

On the other hand, the effect button SB may be operated when the player is allowed to repeatedly hit the button to improve the interest, and there is also a problem that it is difficult to hit the button spring repeatedly if the urging force of the button spring is large. Regarding the urging force of the button spring required to slide the push button portion of the effect button SB to the detection position or the regulation position in this case, the push button portion 90 of the max bet button unit MB is slid to the detection position or the regulation position. The urging force may be set to be smaller than the urging force of the button spring required for movement. For example, the force for holding the push button portion of the effect button SB at the detection position is about 0.6N to 0.8N (Newton), and the force for holding the push button portion at the regulation position is about 1.2N to 1.6N (Newton). Configure to. With this configuration, it is possible to facilitate repeated hitting of the push button portion of the effect button SB.

The pressing direction of the effect button SB may be configured to be rearward or downward.

Further, in the present embodiment, a slot machine for playing a game using a medal as a game medium, which is an example of a game machine, has been described as an example, but the present invention performs a game using a game ball as a game medium. It can be applied to various game machines such as slot machines and ball game machines including pachinko machines in which a lottery is executed when a ball is entered into a winning opening.

1 slot machine (game machine)
MB Max Bet Button Unit (Bet Button)
90 Push button part (1st push part)
94 Button spring (1st urging member)
SL start levers B1 to B3 Stop button unit (stop button)
190 Push button part (second pressing part)
194 Button spring (second urging member)
SB production button

Claims (1)

A gaming machine including a bet button, a stop button, an effect button, a reel, a light emitting board that illuminates the reel from the inside, and a reflector arranged on the light emitting board.
The bet button includes a first pressing portion that is urged upward by the first urging member, and the first pressing portion is pressed against the urging force.
The stopper has a second pressing portion that is urged forward by a second urging member, and the second pressing portion is pressed against the urging force.
The effect button includes a third pressing portion that is urged upward or forward by a third urging member, and the third pressing portion is pressed against the urging force.
The urging force that the first urging member urges the first pressing portion is larger than the urging force that the second urging member urges the second pressing portion.
The urging force that the first urging member urges the first pressing portion is smaller than the urging force that the third urging member urges the third pressing portion.
The light emitting substrate includes a light emitting source and an identification display for identifying the light emitting source.
The reflector has an opening and
A gaming machine in which the light emitting source and the identification display are exposed from the opening in a state where the reflector is arranged on the light emitting substrate.

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