JP6947274B2 - Pachinko machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

A gaming machine such as a pachinko machine is provided with a bulging portion that bulges forward from the frame that constitutes the front portion of the gaming machine, and a storage plate that stores a game ball is provided in this bulging portion. There is. The game balls stored in the storage plate are sequentially launched into the game area by the game ball launch mechanism. In recent years, it has been proposed that an operating means operated by a player is provided in the bulging portion, and for example, a specific effect or the like is executed according to the operation of the player (see Patent Document 1).

In this type of gaming machine, the convenience of the player is improved, such as facilitating access to both configurations by providing a storage plate and an operating means in the bulging portion.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-29764

However, the operating means is a part operated by the player, and when a load generated by the operation is received, it is assumed that the bulging portion is deformed such as distortion due to the load. In particular, due to the structural characteristic that the bulging portion is cantilevered, the above-mentioned strain can be increased centering on the base end portion of the bulging portion as the load increases. Such strain is transmitted to the storage dish provided in the bulging portion, which causes a factor that affects the storage function and the like provided to the storage dish.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-exemplified circumstances and the like, and is affected by an external force caused by the operation of the operating means while improving convenience by providing an operating means and a storage plate in the bulging portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine capable of preferably suppressing the spread to a storage dish or the like.

The present invention
In a gaming machine provided with a base portion and a gaming machine front portion having a bulging portion that bulges forward from the base portion to the front of the gaming machine.
The bulging portion is a housing in which an internal space is formed.
A storage dish that is integrated with the bulge and stores game balls,
A metal support frame attached to the base portion and arranged so as to project from the base portion to the same side as the bulging portion.
Equipped with an operation means that is pressed by the player
As the operating means, a first operating means and a second operating means larger than the first operating means and having at least an operating surface portion protruding from the bulging portion through an opening portion formed in the bulging portion are provided. Has been
A production executing means for executing a predetermined operation-corresponding effect based on the operation of the second operating means among the first operating means and the second operating means is provided.
The support frame includes a first frame portion housed in the internal space of the bulging portion and a second frame portion connecting the first frame portion and the base portion.
The first operating means is fixed to the bulging portion of the bulging portion, the storage dish, and the first frame portion of the supporting frame, while the second operating means is the bulging portion. It is fixed to the first frame portion of the first frame portion of the storage dish and the support frame.
A gap is provided between the surface portion to which the first operating means is fixed in the bulging portion and the first frame portion to which the second operating means is fixed in the support frame. And.

According to the present invention, while improving convenience by providing an operating means and a storage dish in the bulging portion, it is possible to preferably suppress the influence of an external force caused by the operation of the operating means on the storage dish and the like. Can be done.

It is a front view which shows the pachinko machine in 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the main configuration of a pachinko machine in an unfolded manner. It is a perspective view which shows the main configuration of a pachinko machine in an unfolded manner. It is a front view which shows the structure of the inner frame. It is a front view which shows the structure of the game board. It is a rear view which shows the structure of the inner frame. It is a perspective view which shows the back structure of the game board. It is a front view which shows the structure of the back pack unit. It is a front perspective view of the front door frame. (A) is a partially enlarged view showing the operation button unit and its peripheral configuration in the front door frame, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the operation button unit and the mounting frame. (A) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 10 (a), and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 10 (a). (A) is a schematic view showing the relationship between the end view of the DD line portion of FIG. 10 (b), (b) and (c) the operation button unit, the mounting frame, the cover member, and the dish member. (A) is a perspective view of the operation button unit in the second embodiment as viewed from above, and (b) is a perspective view of the operation button unit as viewed from below. It is an exploded perspective view which disassembled the operation button unit for each main structure. It is sectional drawing of the operation button unit. It is an exploded perspective view which shows by disassembling the variable unit. It is a perspective view which shows the mounting structure of a variable unit. It is operation explanatory drawing of the variable unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the stress distribution structure of a variable unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure which concerns on a vibration transmission and a braking function. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the operation button unit according to the third embodiment, and (b) is a plan view of the operation button unit. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process for one-shot operation correspondence effect executed by MPU of a notification / effect control device. It is the schematic which exemplifies the production corresponding to one-shot operation. It is a flowchart which shows the process for production corresponding to a selection operation. It is the schematic which exemplifies the effect corresponding to a selection operation. It is a flowchart which shows the process for production corresponding to a continuous hit operation. It is the schematic which exemplifies the effect corresponding to a continuous hit operation. It is a flowchart which shows the process for production corresponding to continuous operation. It is the schematic which exemplifies the effect corresponding to continuous operation. (A) is a schematic view showing a mounting structure of a conventional operation button unit, and (b) is a schematic view showing a mounting structure of the operation button unit in the present embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter, referred to as “pachinko machine”), which is a type of gaming machine, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the main configurations of the pachinko machine 10 in an unfolded manner. In FIG. 2, for convenience, the configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in the game area is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine 10 has an outer frame 11 forming an outer shell of the pachinko machine 10 and a game machine main portion 12 attached to the outer frame 11.

The outer frame 11 is formed by connecting plate members on all four sides and has a rectangular frame shape. The pachinko machine 10 is installed on the island equipment of the amusement park by attaching and fixing the outer frame 11 to the island equipment. The outer frame 11 is not an indispensable configuration in the pachinko machine 10, and the outer frame 11 may be provided in the island equipment such as a game hall.

The outer frame 11 supports the gaming machine main portion 12 in a state where it can be opened and closed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper support metal fitting 17 is fixed to the connecting portion between the upper frame portion and the left frame portion in the outer frame 11, and further, the lower frame portion and the left frame portion in the outer frame 11 are fixed. The lower support metal fitting 18 is fixed to the connecting portion with. A support mechanism is composed of the upper support metal fittings 17 and the lower support metal fittings 18, and the support mechanism causes the game machine main portion 12 to rotate on the left side of the pachinko machine 10 with respect to the outer frame 11 on the left side and the right side. Is rotatable forward of the pachinko machine 10 with the tip side of rotation.

A detection sensor for detecting the opening / closing of the game machine main portion 12 is provided in the upper right portion of the outer frame 11, specifically, the connecting portion between the upper frame portion and the right frame portion, and the detection information from this detection sensor. The opening of the game machine main unit 12 is monitored based on the above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gaming machine main portion 12 includes an inner frame 13 as a base body, a front door frame 14 arranged in front of the inner frame 13, and a back pack arranged behind the inner frame 13. It includes a unit 15 (see FIG. 3). The inner frame 13 of the main portion 12 of the gaming machine is rotatably supported with respect to the outer frame 11.

A front door frame 14 is rotatably attached to the end of the inner frame 13 on the rotation base end side, and the front door frame 14 rotates with the left side as the rotation base end side and the right side in front view. It can rotate forward as the tip side. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a back pack unit 15 is rotatably attached to an end portion of the inner frame 13 on the rotation base end side, and the back pack unit 15 rotates on the left side in front view. It is possible to rotate backward with the moving base end side and the right side as the rotation tip side.

Next, the front door frame 14 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the front door frame 14 has a frame body 20 made of synthetic resin having an outer shape substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11, and a cover body attached to the front surface of the frame body 20 and provided with various decorations. It is mainly composed of 21 and covers almost the entire area on the front side of the inner frame 13. A substantially elliptical window portion 22 (see FIG. 1) is formed in the central portion of the front door frame 14 so that almost the entire area of the game area PE, which will be described later, can be visually recognized from the front of the game machine. The portion 22 is covered by the glass unit 30 from the back side of the front door frame 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame body 20 is formed with a glass unit installation portion 23 so as to surround the window portion 22. Specifically, the glass unit installation portion 23 is arranged on the back side of the frame body 20 and is recessed toward the front of the pachinko machine 10, and the window portion 22 is arranged at the bottom thereof. The glass unit 30 is fitted into the glass unit installation portion 23 to regulate displacement in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

The glass unit 30 includes a pair of front and rear glass panels 31 having transparency, and a glass holder 32 for holding the glass panels 31. The glass holder 32 has an annular frame portion formed along the window portion 22, and the glass panel 31 is housed in a region surrounded by the frame portion.

To explain again with reference to FIG. 1, various lamps and other light emitting means are provided around the window portion 22. For example, an annular illuminated portion 24 having a light emitting means such as an LED is provided along the peripheral edge of the window portion 22. The annular illumination unit 24 is lit or blinked according to a change in the gaming state at the time of a big hit or a predetermined reach. More specifically, a top lamp portion 25 having a function of lighting when a predetermined error is provided is provided at the center of the annular illumination portion 24 and at the uppermost portion of the pachinko machine 10, and a prize is given to both the left and right sides of the window portion 22. A side lamp portion 26 provided with a function of lighting during ball payout is provided. Further, on both the left and right sides of the top lamp unit 25, speaker units 27 for outputting sound effects and the like according to the game state are provided.

Below the window portion 22 in the front door frame 14, an upper bulging portion 28 and a lower bulging portion 29 bulging toward the front side are arranged vertically. The upper bulging portion 28 is provided with an upper plate 33 which is open upward, and the lower bulging portion 29 is provided with a lower plate 34 which is also opened upward. The upper plate 33 has a function of temporarily storing the game balls paid out from the payout device described later and guiding them to the game ball launching mechanism side described later while arranging them in a row. Further, the lower plate 34 has a function of storing the surplus game balls in the upper plate 33.

An operation button unit 40 manually operated by the players is provided at a portion of the upper bulging portion 28 that is on the front side of the upper plate 33 (storage area of the game ball). The operation button unit 40 is an operation device for the player to give a predetermined instruction in the process of progress of the game for the purpose of performing a predetermined effect on the display screen or the like of the symbol display device described later. The specific configuration of the operation button unit 40 will be described in detail later.

A game ball launching handle 45 is provided at a position side by side with the lower bulging portion 29 so as to project toward the front side. By operating the game ball launching handle 45, the game ball is launched from the game ball launching mechanism described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, a passage forming unit 50 is attached to the back surface of the front door frame 14. The passage forming unit 50 is formed of synthetic resin and has a front door side upper plate passage leading to the upper plate 33 and a front door side lower plate passage leading to the lower plate 34. A receiving portion 53 that protrudes rearward and is opened upward is formed in the upper corner portion of the passage forming unit 50, and the front door side upper plate passage is formed by partitioning the receiving portion 53 to the left and right by a partition wall 54. An entrance portion and an entrance portion of the lower plate passage on the front door side are formed. The upper plate passage on the front door side and the lower plate passage on the front door side lead to the game ball distribution section described later on the upstream side, and the game balls entering the upper plate passage on the front door side are guided to the upper plate 33 and lower on the front door side. The game ball that has entered the plate passage is guided to the lower plate 34.

Next, the inner frame 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the inner frame 13. Note that, in FIG. 4, the configuration in the gaming area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted as in FIG.

The inner frame 13 is mainly composed of a resin base 60 having an outer shape substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11. Inner frame metal fittings 71 and 72 are attached to the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the rotation base end side (left side in FIG. 4) on the front surface of the resin base 60. Further, on the rotation base end side (left side in FIG. 1) on the back surface of the front door frame 14, bearing metal fittings 57 and 58 are provided corresponding to the inner frame metal fittings 71 and 72. Shafts are formed on the inner frame metal fittings 71 and 72, and the front door frame 14 is formed with respect to the inner frame 13 by inserting these shaft parts into the bearing holes of the bearing metal fittings 57 and 58 of the front door frame 14. It is rotatably supported. That is, these inner frame metal fittings 71 and 72 and bearing metal fittings 57 and 58 form an assembly mechanism for the inner frame 13.

A locking device 75 is provided on the front surface of the inner frame 13. The locking device 75 has a plurality of front door hook members 76 extending toward the front door frame 14. Corresponding to these front door hook members 76, a plurality of hook receiving members 59 extending toward the inner frame 13 are provided on the back surface of the front door frame 14 (see FIG. 2). When the front door hook member 76 is hooked on the hook receiving member 59, the front door frame 14 is locked in a closed state. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the locking device 75 has an inner frame hook member 77 extending rearward of the inner frame 13. When these inner frame hook members 77 are hooked on the hook receiving member 19 of the outer frame 11, the gaming machine main portion 12 is locked in a closed state with respect to the outer frame 11.

A cylinder lock 78 for unlocking the locking device 75 is installed in the lower right corner of the resin base 60. The cylinder lock 78 is integrated with the locking device 75, and its tip portion (key hole portion) is exposed in front of the pachinko machine 10 through a hole provided in the front door frame 14. Turning the key inserted into the key hole of the cylinder lock 78 to the right unlocks the front door frame 14 to the inner frame 13, and turning the key to the left unlocks the inner frame 13 to the outer frame 11. ..

A game board accommodating portion 61 for accommodating the game board 80 is formed in a substantially central portion on the front surface of the resin base 60. The game board accommodating portion 61 is recessed behind the pachinko machine 10 to form an accommodating space for accommodating the game board 80, and the game board 80 attached to the resin base 60 is fitted in the accommodating space. It has become.

The game board 80 is made of a transparent synthetic resin material, and the front surface thereof is exposed to the front side of the resin base 60 through the open portion of the game board accommodating portion 61. A game area PE on which the game ball flows down is formed on the exposed portion, that is, on the front surface of the game board 80. As described above, the game area PE is covered with the glass panel 31. The glass panel 31 on the rear side is arranged so that the gap with the front surface of the game board 80 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, that is, the game ball flowing down the game area PE is moved back and forth at the same position in the game area PE. It is arranged so that it does not line up. As a result, ball clogging in the game area PE is suppressed. The game board 80 is not limited to the one made of synthetic resin, and may be made of wood.

Hereinafter, the game board 80 (particularly various configurations arranged in the game area PE) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view of the game board 80.

The game board 80 is formed with a plurality of large and small openings that penetrate in its own thickness direction (front-back direction) by being subjected to router processing. Each opening is provided with a general winning opening 81, a variable winning device 82, operating ports 83a and 83b, a through gate 84, a variable display unit 85, and the like. When game balls enter the general winning opening 81, the variable winning device 82, and the operating ports 83a and 83b, the game balls are detected by a detection switch described later, and a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out based on the detection result. NS. In addition, an out port 86 is provided at the lowermost portion of the game board 80, and a game ball that does not enter various winning openings or the like is discharged from the game area PE through the out port 86.

Further, in the game board 80, a large number of nails 87 are planted in order to appropriately disperse and adjust the flow path of the game ball, and various members (accessories) such as a windmill are arranged. Depending on the various configurations of the nail 87, the windmill, and the like, the flow path of the game ball is differentiated, and the above-mentioned general winning opening 81 and the like are adjusted so as to generate a prize with an appropriate probability.

The variable winning device 82 is normally in a closed state in which the game ball cannot win or is difficult to win, and can be switched to a predetermined open state in which the game ball can easily win a prize at the time of a big hit. As an opening mode of the variable winning device 82, a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses or a predetermined number (for example, 10) of winnings is set as one round, and the variable winning device 82 is opened for a plurality of rounds (for example, 15 rounds). It is set to repeat as an upper limit.

The variable display unit 85 is arranged near the center of the game board 80, and the operating ports 83a and 83b are arranged below the variable display unit 85. More specifically, the actuating ports 83a and 83b are arranged side by side with the actuating port 83a on the upper side and the actuating port 83b on the lower side. The lower operating port 83b is provided with an electric accessory as a guide piece (support piece) composed of a pair of left and right movable pieces. The electric accessory is in a closed state (non-supported state or non-guided state) in which it is impossible or difficult to enter the operating port 83b, and an open state (supported state) in which the game ball is easier to enter than the closed state. It is possible to switch to the guide state), and when the lottery based on the winning of the through gate 84 is won, the main control device controls the opening state. As the opening / closing mode of the electric accessory, a low frequency support mode set so that the winning frequency to the operating port 83b below the upper operating port 83a is set to be lower, and a low frequency support mode set to lower the operating port 83a below the upper operating port 83a. A high-frequency support mode is set so that the winning frequency to the operating ports 83b is high, and it is low when a predetermined winning result is obtained by a lottery based on the entry of balls into the operating ports 83a and 83b. It is configured to shift from the frequency support mode to the high frequency support mode.

The variable display unit 85 and the operating ports 83a and 83b are parts that control the game playability, and the player's attention is easily gathered. By arranging the variable display units 85 and the operating ports 83a and 83b side by side in the center of the gaming machine, the amount of movement of the line of sight between the two is suppressed, which contributes to the reduction of the burden on the player's eyes.

The variable display unit 85 includes a symbol display device 94 that variably displays a symbol triggered by winning a prize in the operating ports 83a and 83b. The symbol display device 94 is configured as a liquid crystal display device provided with a liquid crystal display (display screen 94a), and the display content is controlled by a display control device described later. Specifically, on the display screen 94a, the symbols are displayed side by side on the left, middle, and right, and these symbols are displayed in a variable manner so as to be scrolled in the vertical direction. Then, when a big hit occurs, a predetermined combination of symbols is stopped and displayed on a preset effective line, and the game shifts to a special gaming state. The display mode on the display screen 94a may be changed as follows. That is, the symbols may be displayed side by side in the upper, middle, and lower rows, and the symbols may be scrolled in the left-right direction for variable display.

Further, the variable display unit 85 includes a center frame 95 formed so as to surround the symbol display device 94. Hold lamp portions 98 and 99 are provided on the upper portion and the lower portion of the center frame 95, respectively. The lower hold lamp unit 98 corresponds to the operating ports 83a and 83b, and the number of times the game ball has passed through the operating ports 83a and 83b is held up to 4 times, and the number of holdings is increased by lighting the holding lamp unit 98. It is supposed to be displayed. The upper holding lamp unit 99 corresponds to the through gate 84, and the number of times the game ball has passed through the through gate 84 is held up to 4 times, and the number of holdings is displayed by lighting the holding lamp unit 99. It has become.

To explain again with reference to FIG. 4, a game ball that launches a game ball into the game area PE based on the operation of the game ball launch handle 45 below the game board accommodating portion 61 (game board 80) in the resin base 60. A firing mechanism 110 is provided. The game ball launch mechanism 110 includes a solenoid 111 that launches a game ball arranged at a predetermined launch standby position, a launch rail 112 that defines a launch direction of the game ball launched by the solenoid 111, and a game at the launch standby position. A ball feeding device 113 for supplying balls and a base plate 114 on which these various configurations 111 to 113 are mounted are provided as a main configuration, and the base plate 114 is attached to the resin base 60 via a reinforcing plate described later. ing.

The launch rail 112 is fixed to the base plate 114 in a state of being inclined obliquely so as to be inclined upward toward the game board 80 side. At a position closer to the downstream end (that is, the lower end) of the launch rail 112, a ball stopper that holds the game ball supplied from the ball feeding device 113 to the launch standby position described above is arranged. The solenoid 111 is arranged at a position further downstream from the ball stopper.

The solenoid 111 is electrically connected to a power supply / emission control device described later. The output shaft of the solenoid 111 reciprocates in the expansion and contraction direction based on the output of the electrical signal from the power supply / launch control device, so that the game ball placed in the launch standby position is on the game board 80 side, in detail, the game. It is launched toward the guide rail 100 mounted on the board 80.

In the guide rail 100, the game area PE is divided together with the game area partition member so that the outer shape of the game area PE is substantially circular. Further, the guide rail 100 is composed of an inner rail 101 and an outer rail 102 arranged so as to face each other with a gap slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and the guide passage 103 is divided by both rails 101 and 102. It is formed. The guidance passage 103 has an entrance portion 104 opened to the tip end side (obliquely downward) of the launch rail 112, and an exit portion 105 located above the game area PE. The game ball launched based on the operation of the solenoid 111 is guided to the game area PE by moving in the order of the launch rail 112 → the guidance rail 100 (entrance portion 104 → exit portion 105). In the game board 80, a reverse return prevention member 106 for preventing the game ball that has reached the game area PE from returning to the same guidance passage 103 is attached to the front side of the exit portion 105, specifically, near the tip of the inner rail 101. This prevents the game ball that has reached the game area PE in advance from hindering the launch of the subsequent game ball.

The guide rail 100 and the launch rail 112 are arranged so that the inlet portion 104 of the guide rail 100 and the tip portion of the launch rail 112 diagonally face each other with a gap between them. A foul ball passage 55 (see FIG. 3) is arranged below the gap formed in this way. The foul ball passage 55 is integrally molded with the passage forming unit 50 of the front door frame 14. If the game ball launched from the game ball launch mechanism 110 does not reach the game area PE and returns in the guidance passage 103 as a foul ball, the foul ball enters the foul ball passage 55 through the gap. Will be. The foul ball passage 55 leads to the lower plate passage on the front door side, and the game ball that has entered the foul ball passage 55 is discharged to the lower plate 34 shown in FIG. As a result, the interference between the foul ball and the game ball to be launched next is suppressed.

A main display portion D on which a predetermined pattern or the like is displayed is provided on a portion of the game area forming member facing the glass panel 31. The main display unit D has a display unit for the upper operating port that displays the lottery result based on the winning of the upper operating port 83a, and a lower side that displays the lottery result performed based on the winning of the lower operating port 83b. It has a display unit for the operation port.

In the display unit for the upper operating port, the variation display of the pattern is performed by triggering the winning of the upper operating port 83a, and as a result of stopping the variation display, the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the upper operating port 83a is performed. The result is specified. If the result of the internal lottery based on the winning of the upper operating port 83a is the winning result corresponding to the transition to the open / close execution mode, the variable display is stopped on the display unit for the upper operating port, and the stop result is predetermined. After the pattern of is displayed, the mode shifts to the above-mentioned open / close execution mode.

In the display unit for the lower operating port, the variation display of the pattern is performed by triggering the winning of the lower operating port 83b, and as a result of stopping the variation display, it is performed based on the winning of the lower operating port 83b. The result of the internal lottery will be specified. If the result of the internal lottery based on the winning of the lower operating port 83b is the winning result corresponding to the transition to the open / close execution mode, the variable display is stopped on the lower operating port display unit, and the stop result is stopped. After the predetermined pattern is displayed as, the mode shifts to the opening / closing execution mode.

Here, based on the winning of any of the operating ports 83a and 83b, the variation display is started on the corresponding operating port display unit, the predetermined stop result is displayed, and the game is played until the variation display is stopped. Corresponds to one time. However, one game round is not limited to the above contents, and for example, a single display area is provided, and even if any of the operating ports 83a and 83b is won a prize, the single display area is provided. In the configuration in which the variable display is performed in the display area, the variable display is started in the single display area, and the game is played once until the variable display is stopped while the predetermined stop result is displayed. And.

The resin base 60 is provided with a plurality of lock devices that can be switched between a locked state in which the game board 80 cannot be removed from the game board accommodating portion 61 and an unlocked state in which the game board 80 can be removed. There is. The lock device has an abutting portion that abuts on the front surface of the game board 80 in the locked state, and the abutting portion abuts on the front surface of the game board 80 to the front door frame 14 side of the game board 80. The displacement will be suppressed.

In the resin base 60, a through hole is formed on the left side of the launch rail 112 (specifically, the side supporting the front door frame 14) to penetrate the resin base 60 in the front-rear direction so as to cover the through hole. The passage forming member 121 is arranged. The passage forming member 121 is screwed to the resin base 60, and has an upper plate passage 122 on the main body side and a lower plate passage 123 on the main body side. The upstream side of the main body side upper plate passage 122 and the main body side lower plate passage 123 leads to a game ball distribution unit described later. Further, a receiving portion 53 (see FIG. 2) of the passage forming unit 50 attached to the front door frame 14 is inserted below the passage forming member 121, and the front door side is below the upper plate passage 122 on the main body side. The upper plate passage is arranged, and the upper plate passage on the front door side is arranged below the lower plate passage 123 on the main body side.

Below the passage forming member 121 in the resin base 60, a shutter 124 for restricting the outflow of the game ball from the main body side upper plate passage 122 and the main body side lower plate passage 123 is provided. The shutter 124 is supported by the resin base 60 in a state where it can be switched between a blocking position that narrows the exit portions of both passages to prevent the outflow of the game ball and an allowable position that allows the outflow of the game ball. Further, an urging member for urging the shutter 124 toward the blocking position is attached to the resin base 60, and when the front door frame 14 is opened with respect to the inner frame 13, the shutter is urged by the urging force of the urging member. The structure is such that 124 stays in the blocking position. As a result, when the front door frame 14 is opened while the game balls are stored in the main body side upper plate passage 122 or the main body side lower plate passage 123, the inconvenience that the stored balls spill out is avoided. .. On the other hand, when the front door frame 14 is closed, the shutter 124 is pushed back to the allowable position against the urging force by the receiving portion 53 provided in the passage forming unit 50 of the front door frame 14. In this state, the main body side upper plate passage 122 and the front door side upper plate passage and the main body side lower plate passage 123 and the front door side lower plate passage communicate with each other, and the game ball is allowed to move.

Next, the back configuration of the inner frame 13 (resin base 60 and game board 80) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the inner frame 13.

A bearing fitting 132 is attached to the rotation base end side (right side in FIG. 6) on the back surface of the resin base 60. Bearing portions 133 are formed on the bearing fitting 132 so as to be separated from each other in the vertical direction, and the back pack unit 15 is rotatably attached to the inner frame 13 by these bearing portions 133. Further, on the back surface of the resin base 60, a plurality of fixing levers 134 for fixing the back pack unit 15 to the inner frame 13 are provided.

As described above, the bottom portion of the game board accommodating portion 61 of the resin base 60 is formed with a central opening 64 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the resin base 60 and is open on the back side of the resin base 60. The central opening 64 is covered from the front side of the inner frame 13 by the game board 80 housed in the game board accommodating portion 61. Various configurations such as a control device are mounted on the back surface of the game board 80, and these various configurations are exposed to the back side of the inner frame 13 through the central opening 64. Here, the configuration of the back surface of the game board 80 will be described in detail based on FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the game board 80 as viewed from the rear.

A synthetic resin pedestal member 141 for mounting the variable display unit 85 (see FIG. 5) on the game board 80 is fixed to the back surface of the game board 80. The pedestal member 141 has a substantially box shape open to the game board 80 side and covers almost the entire back surface of the game board 80. A part of the pedestal member 141 projects to the back side of the resin base 60 through the central opening 64 of the resin base 60, and the above-mentioned symbol display device 94 (see FIG. 5) and the symbol display thereof are used for the protruding portion. A display control device for driving the device 94 is attached. The symbol display device 94 and the display control device are arranged so as to be stacked so that the symbol display device is on the front side and the display control device is on the rear side in the front-rear direction (thickness direction of the resin base 60). Further, the game board 80 is equipped with a notification / effect control device unit so as to be located behind the display control device. The notification / effect control device unit is configured to include a notification / effect control device 142 and a mounting base 144, and the notification / effect control device 142 is mounted on the mounting base 144.

The notification / effect control device 142 includes a notification / effect control board that controls voice and lamp display and control of the display control device according to instructions from the main control device described later, and the notification / effect control board is made of a transparent resin material. It is configured to be housed in a substrate box 145 made of the above.

Below the notification / effect control device unit, a main control device unit 160 is provided so as to cover the pedestal member 141 from behind. The main control device unit 160 has a synthetic resin mounting base 161 fixed to the back surface of the game board 80, and a main control device 162 mounted on the mounting base 161. The main control device 162 includes a main control board having a function of controlling the main control of the game (main control circuit) and a function of monitoring the power supply (power failure monitoring circuit), and the main control board is made of a transparent resin material. It is configured to be housed in a substrate box 163 made of the above.

The substrate box 163 includes a box base (front case body) having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a box cover (back case body) that covers the opening of the box base. The box base and the box cover are unopenably connected by a box sealing portion 164 as a sealing means, whereby the substrate box 163 is sealed. A plurality of box sealing portions 164 are provided on the short side portions of the substrate box 163, and at least one of them is used to perform the sealing process.

Any configuration can be applied to the box sealing portion 164 as long as the box base and the box cover are connected so as not to be opened. However, by inserting a locking pin into the locking hole portion constituting the box sealing portion 164, the box can be used. The base and the box cover are combined so that they cannot be opened. The sealing process by the box sealing unit 164 prevents unauthorized opening after the sealing, and makes it possible to detect such a situation early and easily even if the illegal opening is performed. Even after opening the package, it is possible to perform the sealing process again. That is, the sealing process is performed by inserting the locking pin into at least one locking hole of the plurality of box sealing portions 164. When the board box 163 is opened when a defect occurs in the housed main control board or when the main control board is inspected, the connecting portion between the box sealing portion into which the locking pin is inserted and the main body of the board box 163 is formed. To disconnect. As a result, the box base of the board box 163 and the box cover are separated, and the main control board inside can be taken out. After that, when the sealing process is performed again, the locking pin is inserted into another locking hole. If the history of opening the board box 163 is left in the board box 163, it can be easily found by looking at the board box 163 that the illegal opening has been performed.

The board box 163 and the mounting base 161 are connected to each other by a pedestal sealing portion 165 so as not to be opened. Specifically, the pedestal sealing portion 165 has a locking hole portion and a locking pin as in the box sealing portion 164, and the locking pin is inserted into the locking hole portion to form a board box 163. It is designed to be inseparably connected to the mounting base 161. This makes it easier to grasp the fact when the board box 163 is illegally removed.

The portion of the pedestal member 141 facing the back surface of the game board 80 corresponds to the game board openings of the general winning opening 81, the variable winning device 82, the upper operating port 83a, and the lower operating port 83b, and is on the downstream side. There is a collection passage that gathers in one place. As a result, all the game balls that have won the general winning opening 81 or the like are gathered below the game board 80 via the collection passage. That is, the pedestal member 141 is provided with a function of collecting the game balls that have won prizes in various winning openings.

A discharge passage, which will be described later, is arranged below the game board 80, and the game balls gathered below the game board 80 are led out into the discharge passage by the collection passage. The out port 86 is also connected to the discharge passage, and the game ball that has not won a prize in any of the winning ports is led out into the discharge passage through the out port 86.

Further, in the collection passage, a winning opening switch for detecting a game ball winning in the general winning opening 81 on the front side of the game board 80, a count switch for detecting a game ball winning in the variable winning device 82, and an operating port 83a, An operation port switch that detects a game ball that has entered 83b is attached, and a winning detection mechanism is configured by these various switches. Further, on the left and right sides of the variable display unit 85 in the pedestal member 141, gate switches for detecting a game ball passing through the through gate 84 are provided. These various switches are electrically connected to the main control device 162, and the detection information by each switch is output to the main control device 162.

Next, the back pack unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 8. FIG. 8 is a front view of the back pack unit 15.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner frame 13 is covered from the rear by the back pack unit 15. As shown in FIG. 8, the back pack unit 15 includes a back pack 201, and a payout mechanism unit 202, a discharge passage board, and a control device collecting unit 204 are attached to the back pack 201.

The back pack 201 is formed of a transparent synthetic resin, and has a base portion 211 to which the payout mechanism portion 202 and the like are attached, and a protective cover portion 212 that protrudes rearward of the pachinko machine 10 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protective cover portion 212 has a shape in which the left and right side surfaces and the upper surface are closed and only the lower surface is open, and has a size sufficient to surround at least the variable display unit 85.

The base portion 211 is provided with an external terminal plate (not shown) at the upper right portion thereof. Various output terminals are provided on the external terminal board, and various signals are output to the management control device on the game hall side through these output terminals. Further, the base portion 211 is provided with a pair of upper and lower hooking pins 214 at the right end portion when viewed from the rear of the pachinko machine 10, and the hooking pins 214 are inserted through the bearing portion 133 provided in the inner frame 13. , The back pack unit 15 is rotatably supported with respect to the inner frame 13. The base portion 211 is formed with a plurality of insertion portions 215 through which the fixing lever 134 provided in the inner frame 13 is inserted, and is rearward to the base portion 211 with the fixing lever 134 inserted through the insertion portion 215. The back pack unit 15 is fixed to the inner frame 13 by abutting from the inner frame 13.

The payout mechanism portion 202 is arranged on the base portion 211 so as to bypass the protective cover portion 212. The payout mechanism unit 202 is provided with a tank 221 arranged at the uppermost part of the back pack 201 and opened upward, and game balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall are sequentially replenished to the tank 221. NS. A tank rail 222 that gently inclines toward the downstream side is connected below the tank 221 and a case rail 223 that extends in the vertical direction is connected to the downstream side of the tank rail 222. A payout device 224 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 223. The game balls paid out from the payout device 224 are supplied to the game ball distribution section 225 provided on the base portion 211 of the back pack 201 through a payout passage (not shown) provided on the downstream side of the payout device 224.

The game ball distribution unit 225 has a function for distributing the game balls paid out from the payout device 224 to any of the upper plate 33, the lower plate 34, or the discharge passage described later, and the inner opening is the main body described above. It is formed so that it leads to the upper plate 33 via the side upper plate passage 122 and the front door side upper plate passage, and the outer opening leads to the lower plate 34 via the main body side lower plate passage 123 and the front door side lower plate passage. Has been done.

A discharge passage board and a control device assembly unit 204 are attached to the lower end portion of the base portion 211 so as to sandwich the lower end portion back and forth. The discharge passage board is formed with a discharge passage that is open to the rear on a surface facing the control device assembly unit 204, and the open portion of the discharge passage is closed by the control device assembly unit 204. The discharge passage is formed so as to discharge the game ball to the island equipment of the game hall, etc., and the game ball led out from the above-mentioned collection passage or the like to the discharge passage passes through the discharge passage to the outside of the pachinko machine 10. It is discharged.

The control device assembly unit 204 has a horizontally long mounting base 241, and the payout control device 242 and the power supply / emission control device 243 are mounted on the mounting base 241. The payout control device 242 and the power supply / launch control device 243 are arranged so as to be stacked in the front-rear direction so that the payout control device 242 is behind the pachinko machine 10.

In the payout control device 242, a payout control board for controlling the payout device 224 is housed in the board box 244, and a state return switch 245 provided on the payout control board projects out of the board box 244. For example, when the state return switch 245 is pressed when a payout error such as a ball jam in the payout device 224 occurs, the ball jam is cleared.

In the power supply / launch control device 243, a power supply / launch control board is housed in a board box 246, and the board generates and outputs a predetermined power supply required by various control devices and the like, and further, a game ball by a player. The launch of the game ball is controlled according to the operation of the launch handle 45. Further, the power supply / emission control device 243 is provided with a power supply switch 247. By operating the power switch 247, the power of the pachinko machine 10 can be switched between an on state (on state) and a cutoff state (off state).

Here, the pachinko machine 10 has a storage and holding function for various data, retains the state at the time of a power failure even in the unlikely event of a power failure, and returns to the state at the time of a power failure when recovering from the power failure. You can do it. For example, when the power is shut off in the normal procedure as in the case of the closing of the game hall, the state before the shutoff is stored in memory. The main control device 162 is provided with a RAM erase switch 166. When the power is turned on while pressing the RAM erase switch 166, the RAM data is initialized.

(Operation button unit 40 and related configurations)
In the present embodiment, the mounting structure of the operation button unit 40 provided on the upper bulging portion 28 of the front door frame 14 and the configuration related thereto are characteristic. Therefore, in the following description, first, the outline of the operation button unit 40 and its peripheral configuration will be supplementarily described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 is a perspective view of the front door frame 14 as viewed from the front side, FIG. 10A is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 9 showing the operation button unit 40 and its peripheral configuration, and FIG. 10B is A-A of FIG. It is a partial end view of line A.

As shown in FIG. 9, the upper bulging portion 28 constitutes the cover body 21 together with the annular illumination portion 24, the cover member for the speaker portion 27, and various decorative members. The base end portion (rear end portion) of the upper bulging portion 28 is fixed to the frame body 20, and is in a so-called cantilever state. After securing the vertical width and the horizontal width of the upper bulging portion 28 to some extent, the fixing strength is improved by setting a plurality of the fixing points in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The upper bulging portion 28 is formed by combining a pair of upper and lower bulging portion components 301 and 302 (see FIG. 10A). Specifically, the substantially box-shaped lower bulging parts 301 and 302 opened upward are covered from above by a pair of left and right upper bulging parts 301 and 302 decorated on the upper surface. Both of these components 301 and 302 are combined. With such a configuration, the appearance of the upper bulging portion is improved, and the decrease in the yield of the upper bulging portion 28 is suppressed.

The front-rear width of the upper bulge component 301 is set smaller than the front-rear width of the lower bulge component 302. In other words, the upper bulge component 301 is formed along the front side and the left and right edges of the lower bulge component 302, and is formed on the rear end edges of both components 301 and 302 in the front-rear direction. There is a gap in. Due to the existence of such a gap, an accommodating recess 315 as an installation portion for the upper plate 33 is formed on the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28. It is opened upward in the accommodating recess 315, and the open portion is closed by fitting the upper plate 33 from above.

Although not shown, the back surface portion 314 of the upper bulging portion component 301 is provided with an engaging portion that engages with the upper plate 33. When the upper plate 33 is pushed into the accommodating recess 315, the engaging portion is in an engaged state, and the upper plate 33 and the upper bulging portion 28 are integrated. Further, the frame body 20 is also provided with an engaging portion that engages with the upper plate 33 by fixing the upper bulging portion 28 to the frame body 20. As a result, when the upper bulging portion 28 is fixed to the frame body 20, the engaging portion restricts the removal of the upper plate 33 from the frame body 20. That is, the upper plate 33 is sandwiched between the upper bulging portion 28 and the frame body 20, and when the upper plate 33 is removed at the time of maintenance or the like, the upper bulging portion 28 (cover body 21) is sandwiched from the frame body 20 in advance. ) Need to be done. This is a device for strengthening the defense function against various fraudulent acts such as unauthorized removal of the upper plate 33.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the upper plate 33 is arranged on the base end side of the upper bulging portion 28, and is open not only upward but also rearward. The open portion on the rear side is closed by the front portion 36 of the frame body 20, and the storage area SE capable of storing a large number of game balls is formed by the upper plate 33 and the frame body 20 (specifically, the front portion 36). Has been done. The bottom surface of the upper plate 33 is inclined downward to the right, and the supply port 37 as an inlet portion to which the game ball is supplied from the payout device 224 is provided in the portion of the front surface portion 36 located at the uppermost stream of the storage area SE. It is formed.

Further, a discharge port 38 for guiding the game ball to the game ball launch mechanism 110 is formed in a portion of the front surface portion 36 located at the most downstream side of the storage area SE. The discharge port 38 is covered from above by the upper bulging portion component 301, and unauthorized access to the discharge port 38 is suppressed.

From the middle stream to the downstream (discharge port 38) of the storage area SE, an alignment passage 320 that guides the game balls to the discharge port 38 in a state of being aligned in a row is formed. The front-rear width (distance between the vertical wall of the upper plate 33 and the front surface 36 of the frame 20) of the alignment passage 320 is suppressed to a degree slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and a plurality of the same locations are provided. It is configured so that the game balls of can not pass at the same time. By guiding the game ball to the discharge port 38 via the alignment passage 320, the game ball is smoothly supplied to the game ball launch mechanism 110.

Here, the movement of the game ball when playing a game will be briefly described. When a game ball that has reached the game area PE based on the player's launch operation enters various ball entry parts such as the variable winning device 82, a preset number of game balls are paid out as a privilege. .. Specifically, when the payout device 224 operates, the game ball is supplied to the storage area SE through the supply port 37. The game ball that has reached the storage area SE moves to the downstream side due to its own weight, and is guided to the discharge port 38 in a state of being rectified by the alignment passage 320. Then, it reaches the ball feeding device 113 of the game ball launching mechanism 110 through the discharge port 38. When the launch operation of the game ball is performed, the ball feeding device 113 supplies the game ball to the launch standby position at regular intervals, and the game ball stored in the storage area SE accordingly. , Will move to the downstream side in sequence.

In addition to the upper plate 33 described above, the operation button unit 40 and the controller unit 41 are arranged on the upper bulging portion 28. The operation button unit 40 is provided with a function of executing a predetermined game effect or the like in conjunction with the symbol display device 94 or the like, and the controller unit 41 has a function of selecting a game mode (for example, customization of a background, a character, etc.). Has been granted. As is clear from FIG. 10B, when the operation button unit 40 and the controller unit 41 are compared, the operation portion of the operation button unit 40 is formed to be much larger than the operation portion of the controller unit 41. And while the operation button unit 40 is operated as a part of the production during the progress of the game, the controller unit 41 is not used for the game production and is mainly on standby before the start of the game or after the end of the game. It is assumed that it will be operated in the state (during standby mode).

Considering the differences in usage conditions / usage environment / shape, etc. described in detail above, there are differences in the fixed objects. Specifically, although the controller unit 41 and the operation button unit 40 have a common arrangement target (upper bulging portion 28) in appearance, the fixing target of the controller unit 41 is the upper bulging portion 28 itself. On the other hand, the operation button unit 40 looks as if it is fixed to the upper bulging portion 28, and the actual situation is different.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 (a), the arrangement of the operation button unit 40 and its main configuration will be supplementarily described, and then the mounting structure of the operation button unit 40 will be described. 11 is a front view and a perspective view showing the operation button unit 40 and its associated configuration, FIG. 12A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 10A, and FIG. 12B is FIG. 10A. ) Is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line CC, and FIG. 13 (a) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 10 (b).

As shown in FIG. 10B, the operation button unit 40 is arranged in front of the upper plate 33, specifically in front of the alignment passage 320. The upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 (specifically, the upper bulging portion component 301) has an opening opened to the upper side by disposing the pair of upper bulging portion components 301 on the left and right. 316 is formed. The opening 316 straddles the upper surface portion 311, the front surface portion 313, and the back surface portion 314 of the upper bulging portion 28, and the operation button unit 40 is arranged so as to cover the opening 316.

As shown in FIG. 11, the operation button unit 40 has a button member 401 having an operation surface portion 411 formed by a player to be pressed by a player at an end of a cylindrical portion, and a displacement (elevation) of the button member 401 based on the pressing operation. ) Is allowed, and the holder member 402 holds the button member 401. As shown in FIG. 12A, the holder member 402 has a bottomed cylindrical main body portion 421 so that the inner diameter thereof is the same as the outer diameter of the tubular portion of the button member 401. It is set, and the moving direction of the button member 401 based on the pressing operation is defined by the main body 421.

The main body 421 of the holder member 402 contains game parts for performing various effects / notifications according to the game situation. Specifically, a light emitting substrate 431 that irradiates light through a light transmitting portion formed on the button member 401 (specifically, the operation surface portion 411) and a vibrator 432 that vibrates the button member 401 are installed on the bottom portion 424 (. See FIG. 13 (a)). The light emitting board 431 and the vibrator 432 are electrically connected to the notification / effect control device 142, and the light emission control of the light emitting board 431 and the drive control of the vibrator 432 are performed by the signal from the notification / effect control device 142.

For example, when it is time to operate the operation button unit 40 (for example, in a situation where the operation is effectively accepted), the light emitting board 431 is made to emit light to notify the fact, and then the operation is effective by turning off the light. Is notified that it has been accepted or that the period to be operated has expired. In addition, by vibrating the vibrator 432 when the operation is performed, it is possible to suggest that the game times corresponding to the effect related to the operation are the game times with a high possibility of winning the jackpot. It has become.

The main body 421 of the holder member 402 is formed with stoppers that define the maximum protruding position (standby position) and the maximum operating position of the button member 401, and the operating amount / operating range of the button member 401 is determined by these stoppers. ing. Further, the holder member 402 has a built-in urging member (spring) that urges the button member 401 toward the maximum protruding position, and the button member 401 stands by at the maximum protruding position by the urging force of the urging member. It is configured to do.

The button member 401 (operation surface portion 411) projects upward through an opening 422 formed at the upper end portion of the holder member 402 (main body portion 421). When the button member 401 is pressed against the urging force of the urging member, the amount of protrusion of the button member 401 is reduced, but even when the maximum operating position is reached, the button member 401 is pressed. The operation surface portion 411 of the 401 is configured to remain protruding from the opening 422. More specifically, even when the operation amount of the button member 401 is maximized, the operation surface portion 411 of the button member 401 is configured to remain protruding upward from the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28. Has been done.

An opening flange 423 is formed so that the opening 422 of the main body 421 extends outward. Regarding the opening flange 423, the length of the front side portion is set longer than that of the other portions (see FIG. 11), and the relationship with the upper bulging portion 28 is also different accordingly. As shown in FIG. 10A, the opening flange 423 faces the front side of the gaming machine in the front view of the gaming machine, and the operation button unit 40 is largely exposed. The opening flange 423 on the front side faces the front surface portion 313 of the upper bulging portion 28 from the front side of the gaming machine (see FIG. 12A). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13A, the left and right opening flanges 423 are formed so that the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 faces from above. A predetermined gap is secured between the opening flange 423 and the upper surface portion 311. However, the unevenness formed on the upper surface portion 311 prevents the gap from being exposed. The relationship between the opening flange 423 and the upper bulging portion 28 described in detail above is closely related to the mounting structure of the operation button unit 40. Therefore, the technical significance thereof will be described after showing the mounting structure of the operation button unit 40 based on the mounting structure.

Hereinafter, the mounting structure of the operation button unit 40 will be described. As described above, the operation button unit 40 shown in the present embodiment looks as if it is fixed to the upper bulging portion 28, but the fixing target is not the upper bulging portion 28 but a frame. It is a body 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, it is fixed to the frame body 20 via a metal mounting frame 450. That is, the fixed mode with respect to the frame body 20 has the same relationship as the upper bulging portion 28.

The mounting frame 450 has a horizontal frame 461 that functions as a mounting base for the operation button unit 40. The horizontal frame 461 has a substantially flat plate shape, and is arranged so that one plate surface faces upward (specifically, the horizontal frame 461 is arranged so as to be slightly downwardly inclined to the front of the gaming machine). The operation button unit 40 is mounted on the upper surface 462 of the horizontal frame 461. Specifically, the bottom portion 424 of the holder member 402 is installed so as to abut on the upper surface of the horizontal frame 461. Then, the bottom 424 of the holder member 402 is fixed to the horizontal frame 461 using a fixing tool 491 such as a screw, so that the operation button unit 40 and the mounting frame 450 are integrated as shown in FIG. 11 and the like. ..

The horizontal frame 461 extends to the left and right, and the operation button unit 40 is arranged at an intermediate position thereof. On the side of the horizontal frame 461 opposite to the side on which the operation button unit 40 is arranged, vertical frames 471 and 481 extending downward from the horizontal frame 461 are arranged. These vertical frames 471 and 481 are formed so that the plate surfaces face left and right, and attachment portions 472 and 482 to the frame body 20 are formed at the rear end portions. The operation button unit 40 is attached to the frame body 20 by fixing these attachment portions 472 and 482 to the frame body 20 using a fixing tool 492 such as a screw.

By forming the vertical frames 471 and 481 in a plate shape and turning the plate surface to the left and right, the proof stress of the mounting frame 450 against pressure from above is improved, and the occupied area of the mounting frame 450 when viewed from the front of the gaming machine is expanded. It is possible to suppress.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12A and the like, in the present embodiment, the operation button unit 40 is arranged so as to be offset forward from the front surface portion 36 of the frame body 20, and the operation button unit 40 and the mounting frame 450 are arranged. The fixed portion with respect to the frame body 20 is displaced back and forth. Here, since the horizontal frame 461 is slightly tilted forward of the gaming machine, the stress generated when the operation button unit 40 is pressed is easily transmitted to the frame body 20 through the horizontal frame 461 → the vertical frames 471 and 481. ing. This makes it easier to disperse stress from the mounting frame 450 to the frame body 20. Since the operation surface portion 411 of the operation button unit 40 is also slightly tilted forward of the gaming machine due to the above inclination, access from the front of the gaming machine is easy, and at the same time, the operability of the operation button unit 40 is improved. Has been realized.

The vertical frames 471 and 481 are provided so as to be separated from each other on the left and right sides, so that the support balance of the operation button unit 40 is stabilized. For convenience of the following description, the left vertical frame 471 is referred to as a "left vertical frame 471", and the right vertical frame 481 is referred to as a "right vertical frame 481".

The left vertical frame 471 is arranged directly below the operation button unit 40. This is a device for directly transmitting the force of the operation button unit 40 to the left vertical frame 471 when operated, and according to the device, the horizontal frame 461 is suitably suppressed from bending due to the pressing operation. Can be done. The right vertical frame 481 is arranged at the right end of the horizontal frame 461. In other words, two vertical frames 471 and 481 are located on the left and right sides of the discharge port 38 of the storage area SE.

As the operation surface portion 411 of the operation button unit 40 shown in the present embodiment, as can be seen from the comparison with the game ball launch handle 45, a considerably large one (one that can be operated by the entire palm) is adopted. According to such a configuration, while the pressing operation becomes easy, the pressing position by the player can be various. That is, even if the left vertical frame 471 is arranged directly under the operation button unit 40, the possibility that the portion shifted to the left or right with respect to the left vertical frame 471 cannot be eliminated cannot be eliminated. When such an operation is performed, not only the horizontal frame 461 described above but also the left vertical frame 471 may bend left and right. In this respect, since the right vertical frame 481 is also used, the right vertical frame 481 acts to suppress such deformation.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the horizontal frame 461 is formed with an extension portion 465 extending rearward at a portion opposite to the right vertical frame 481 with the left vertical frame 471 interposed therebetween. A mounting portion 466 is formed at the tip portion (rear end portion) of the extending portion 465, and the mounting portion 466 is also fixed to the frame body 20 by using a fixing tool 492 such as a screw. By arranging the fixed portions on both the left and right sides of the left vertical frame 471 as the center in this way, the support balance is further strengthened.

The vertical frames 471 and 481 project downward from the upper bulging portion 28, whereas the extending portion 465 is housed in the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28. That is, in the region below the extension portion 465 and above the lower plate 34, the presence of the extension portion 465 suppresses the region from being compressed. That is, it is avoided that the access to the lower plate 34 becomes difficult due to the above-mentioned strengthening of the mounting strength.

Here, in the present embodiment, the relationship between the vertical frame 481 and the cover body 21 is characteristic. Hereinafter, the accommodation structure of the vertical frame 481 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A and 12.

As shown in FIG. 10A, a woofer 46 is provided between the lower plate 34 and the game ball launching handle 45 in the lower bulging portion 29, and the cover body 21 surrounds the woofer 46. A housing section 47 for a woofer is formed. As described above, the speaker unit 27 corresponding to the mid / high range is arranged on the upper part of the game machine as a device for making it easier for the sound of the speaker unit 27 to reach the player's ear, and the woofer corresponding to the low range. The 46 is arranged at the lower part of the game machine by outputting a deep bass sound at a position close to the player's body so that the vibration can be easily transmitted to the player's body (trunk).

The accommodating portion 47 for the woofer has a box shape that is open to the rear, and bulges forward to the game machine in the same manner as the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, the frame body 20 and the cover body 21 form a partition wall portion 331 that surrounds the woofer 46, and the partition wall portion 331 functions as an enclosure.

The partition wall portion 331 includes a front wall portion 332 in which a slit is formed, and left and right vertical wall portions 333 and 334, and the sound amplified in the accommodating portion 47 is output to the front of the gaming machine through the slit. Will be done. Here, the left and right vertical wall portions 333 and 334 project forward from the partition wall portion 331 to suppress the diffusion of the output sound.

In particular, the vertical wall portion 333 on the left side is provided with a function as a partition portion for partitioning the lower bulging portion 29 into the lower plate 34 and the accommodating portion 47, and the game balls collected in the lower plate 34 are provided as the accommodating portion. It regulates moving to the 47 side. These vertical wall portions 333 and 334 straddle the upper bulging portion 28 and the lower bulging portion 29, and the lower bulging portion 29 imparts a function as a support for supporting the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, for example, even if the player plays the game with his / her hand placed on the upper bulging portion 28, the upper bulging portion 28 is distorted due to bending or the like with the rear end portion as the base end. It suppresses doing.

As shown in FIG. 12, each vertical wall portion 333, 334 is hollow, and while ensuring a certain width (while ensuring the above-mentioned support strength and function as an enclosure), the weight increase caused by the increase is suppressed. Has been done. The internal space of the vertical wall portions 333 and 334 is connected to the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28 through a slit 317 formed in the upper bulging portion 28 (specifically, the lower surface portion 312). Then, the vertical frames 471 and 481 of the mounting frame 450 enter into the vertical wall portions 333 and 334 through these slits 317. That is, the internal space of the vertical wall portions 333 and 334 functions as a storage space for the vertical frames 471 and 481.

In particular, with respect to the left vertical wall portion 333, as shown in FIG. 10A, the lower bulging portion 29 is located at the center position thereof so as to divide it into the lower plate 34 and the accommodating portion, that is, directly below the operation button unit 40. It is located, and the positional relationship and shape of the operation button unit 40, the lower plate 34, the accommodating portion 47 (specifically, the left vertical wall portion 333), and the mounting frame improve the strength, storage function, effect function, appearance, etc. There is a technical relevance in.

As described in detail above, the operation button unit 40 in the present embodiment is directly attached to the frame body 20 by using the attachment frame 450 without passing through the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, the load applied to the operation button unit 40 by the pressing operation or the like can be suitably distributed to the frame body 20. One of the features of the present embodiment is that further ingenuity has been applied to more preferably exert such a function. Hereinafter, the device will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 (a) and 13 (a) to 13 (c). 13 (b) and 13 (c) are conceptual diagrams showing the present invention. In addition, since a part of the configurations is simplified and shown in FIGS. 13 (b) and 13 (c), refer to FIGS. 12 (a) and 13 (a) as appropriate for the detailed description of the configurations. do.

As described with reference to FIGS. 12 (a) and 13 (a), the upper bulging portion 28 and the operation button unit 40 (holder member 402) are in the above-mentioned pressing operation direction (moving direction of the button member 401). ), Relative displacement is allowed. For example, with respect to the opening flange 423 of the operation button unit 40 (holder member 402), even when the operation button unit 40 is displaced downward, at least the above gap is secured, so that the displacement is within the range of this gap. As long as it fits inside, it will not collide with the upper bulge 28.

As shown in FIG. 13B, also for the horizontal frame 461 housed in the upper bulging portion 28, a predetermined gap is secured between the lower surface 463 and the lower surface portion 312 of the upper bulging portion 28. The lateral frame 461 is allowed to be displaced downward. Further, as shown in FIG. 13C, the horizontal frame 461 and the upper plate 33 are independent, and when the horizontal frame 461 is displaced downward, the displacement is not hindered by the upper plate 33.

For the above reasons, downward displacement of the operation button unit 40 and the horizontal frame 461 is allowed within a predetermined range (within a range such as a gap). The mounting frame 450 shown in the present embodiment is made of metal, and is configured to be deformed in the elastic region without reaching the plastic level when displaced within the above range. In this case, if the operation button unit 40 is displaced downward, it tries to return to the original position by the elastic force stored in the mounting frame 450. Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A, there is a gap between the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 and the upper surface 462 of the horizontal frame 461. An equivalent gap is secured. Further, since the operation button unit 40 (for example, the opening flange 423) and the upper bulging portion 28 are not coupled to each other, such displacement is not hindered. In particular, the front side portion of the opening flange 423 and the front surface portion 313 of the upper bulging portion 28 have a certain amount of overlapping allowance as shown in FIG. 12A, and the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28 is provided. It will not be exposed. Further, the left and right side portions of the opening flange 423 and the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 are covered from the side by the unevenness formed on the upper surface portion 311 as shown in FIG. Since there is a margin in the amount of standing up, the gap between the opening flange 423 and the upper surface portion 311 is not exposed.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 13 (b) and 13 (c), although the operation button unit 40 appears to be attached to the upper bulge 28 in appearance, it is actually attached to the upper bulge 28. Is independent of. Further, although the horizontal frame 461 is housed in the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28, it is in a floating state inside, and contact with the upper bulging portion 28 and the upper plate 33 is avoided. .. With such a configuration, even if a large load is applied to the operation button unit 40, it is possible to suppress the load from being transmitted to the upper bulging portion 28. Further, although the operation button unit 40 has a built-in vibrator 432, even when the vibrator 432 vibrates, the vibration is not easily transmitted to the upper bulging portion 28.

Even when the operation button unit 40 is displaced downward and returned to the original position, the operation button unit 40 and the horizontal frame 461 do not collide with the upper bulging portion 28 or the upper plate 33. This makes it possible to more preferably exert the above-mentioned protection function.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

The upper plate 33 is arranged on the upper bulging portion 28 that bulges in front of the gaming machine, so that access from the front of the gaming machine is easy. As a result, workability is improved when replenishing game balls and clearing ball clogging, and it is easy to check the remaining balls. Here, by arranging the operation button unit 40 on the upper bulging portion 28 which is the object of arranging the upper plate 33, it becomes easy to access the operation button unit 40 like the upper plate 33, which is convenient. Can contribute to the improvement of.

Here, although the operation button unit 40 is provided on the upper bulging portion 28, the object to be fixed thereof is not the upper bulging portion 28 but the frame body 20. Therefore, even if a large load is generated such as when the operation button unit 40 is strongly pressed, the load is distributed to the frame body 20 via the mounting frame 450. Therefore, it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of distortion in the upper bulging portion 28 (particularly the upper plate 33 and the storage region SE) due to the influence of the load. In this way, by suppressing the influence on the upper plate 33 (storage area SE), the upper plate 33 and the operation button unit 40 can be suitably coexisted in the upper bulging portion 28.

When the operation button unit 40 is arranged on the front side and the upper plate 33 is arranged on the back side in a configuration in which the upper bulging portion 28 is cantilevered, access to the operation button unit 40 can be facilitated. While avoiding the difficulty of operating the operation button unit 40, it is possible to contribute to the suppression of ball spillage from the upper plate 33. However, according to such a configuration, the load (stress) generated at the base end portion due to the operation tends to increase. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the occurrence of the above-mentioned inconvenience can be suitably avoided by adopting a configuration in which the operation button unit 40 is supported by the mounting frame 450 (a configuration that does not rely on the upper bulging portion 28).

In a configuration in which the operation button unit 40 is mounted on the horizontal frame 461 of the mounting frame 450, it is not preferable that the horizontal frame 461 is exposed because it causes a deterioration in the appearance of the gaming machine. In this regard, if the horizontal frame 461 is housed in the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28 and the operation button unit 40 is projected through the opening 316 of the upper bulging portion 28, the horizontal frame 461 can be operated while suppressing the exposure. The button unit 40 can be made to appear as if it is integrated with the upper bulging portion 28. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the appearance due to the guarantee of strength.

The operation button unit 40 is treated differently depending on the player and the game situation. For example, it cannot be denied that the operation button unit 40 may be hit by force in a situation where the game is not progressing advantageously. When the operation button unit 40 is handled in this way, it is assumed that the load is increased due to the impact as compared with the case where the game is played with the hand on the operation button unit 40. In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the operation button unit 40 is configured to allow displacement (deflection deformation of the mounting frame 450), the impact can be alleviated. Even in the case of such bending deformation, since the operation button unit 40 and the upper bulging portion 28 are independent, it is possible to preferably suppress the deformation of the upper bulging portion 28.

If the amount of deformation becomes too large, the horizontal frame 461 may hit the upper surface (inner surface) of the lower surface portion 312 of the upper bulging portion 28. However, in this case, the large impact generated momentarily is dispersed on the frame body 20 side, and the impact is absorbed by the deformation of the mounting frame 450. Therefore, it is preferably avoided that a large load is applied to the upper bulging portion 28.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned deformation pattern of the horizontal frame 461 is an event that can occur when a force that pulls the operation surface portion 411 toward the front side is applied, and in many cases, the deformation pattern is as follows. That is, the horizontal frame 461 in the present embodiment is tilted diagonally forward, and the pressing operation direction of the operation button unit 40 is also diagonally rearward accordingly. In this case, when a large impact as described above is applied, the entire mounting frame 450 bends with the fixed portion to the frame body 20 as the base end, so that the horizontal frame 461 alone does not bend and deform. At this time, the lower end portion of the vertical frame 471, 481 hits the bottom surface portion of the lower bulging portion 29 (see FIG. 12), so that the impact is dispersed to the lower bulging portion 29. Therefore, the influence on the upper bulging portion 28 as described above can be suitably suppressed.

In the mounting frame 450, the horizontal frame 461 and the vertical frame 471, 481 are used in combination, and the plate surface of the horizontal frame 461 and the plate surface of the vertical frame 471, 481 are crossed. As a result, even if the operation button unit 40 is arranged at a position away from the frame body 20 while suppressing the expansion of the occupied area of the mounting frame 450 (particularly the vertical frames 471, 481) in the front view of the gaming machine, the operation button unit 40 is arranged. The support strength can be suitably improved.

A woofer 46 is arranged below the upper bulge 28. Since the woofer 46 is not a part that the player directly touches, there is no problem such as convenience even with such an arrangement. Here, in order to improve the acoustic function of the woofer 46, the presence of the accommodating portion 47 (partition wall portion 331) that functions as an enclosure is beneficial. If the vertical frames 471 and 481 are accommodated in the vertical wall portions 333 and 334 constituting the accommodating portion 47, the exposure of the vertical frames 471 and 481 is suppressed, and the deterioration of the appearance due to the improvement in strength is suitably suppressed. can do. Further, since it is not necessary to separately form the accommodating portion dedicated to the vertical frames 471 and 481, it is possible to preferably avoid unnecessarily increasing the occupied area for the vertical frame.

In the present embodiment, even when the button member 401 is pushed to the maximum pressing position, the operation surface portion 411 is maintained in a state of protruding upward from the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28. .. As a result, even when the player hits the button member 401 vigorously, the hand is prevented from hitting the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, it is possible to prevent the load generated by the pressing operation from directly acting on the upper bulging portion 28.

The operation button unit 40 is arranged on the front side portion of the upper bulging portion 28. Therefore, in many cases, it is assumed that the player performs the pressing operation from the front side. Here, in the present embodiment, the opening 316 for the operation button unit 40 provided in the upper bulging portion 28 is expanded to the front portion 313 and the back portion 314 of the upper bulging portion 28, and is in front of the operation button unit 40. And the exposed part at the rear was enlarged. As a result, when the operation button unit 40 is to be hit, it is possible to prevent the player's hand or finger from hitting the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, it is possible to more preferably suppress the load generated by the pressing operation from directly acting on the upper bulging portion 28.

In this embodiment, the storage region SE is particularly formed by the upper plate 33 and the front surface portion 36 of the frame body 20. In this case, a boundary portion BP is generated between the rear end edge of the upper plate 33 and the front surface portion 36. If the upper bulging portion 28 is deformed in such a configuration, there is a concern that the storage function, the guiding function, and the like of the game ball provided to the upper plate 33 may be impaired. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, the occurrence of such inconvenience is preferably avoided. Hereinafter, with reference to the schematic view of FIG. 32, while comparing the conventionally well-known structure with the structure shown in the present embodiment, how the inconvenience occurs, and thus such inconvenience occurs. Explain if it can be avoided.

First, a conventionally known structure will be described with reference to the group of FIG. 32 (a). In a conventionally known gaming machine, both the operation button unit 40X and the upper plate 33X are fixed to the upper bulging portion 28X. In this case, if the button member 401X reaches the maximum pressing position, the pressing force is transmitted to the upper bulging portion 28X through the holder member 402X of the operation button unit 40X. If this pressing force becomes large, as shown in FIG. 32 (a1) → FIG. 32 (a2), the upper bulging portion 28X bends downward with the fixed portion 392X with respect to the frame body 20X as the base end. It will be. In this case, the upper plate 33 and the frame body 20X are separated from each other, and the boundary portion BPX between the upper plate 33 and the front surface portion 36X of the frame body 20X expands. As a result, the width dimension of the alignment passage 320X is expanded from L1 to L2, and there is a high possibility that the alignment function does not function well or ball clogging or the like occurs. Further, although not shown, there is a high possibility that the game ball will not be smoothly supplied to the game ball launch mechanism through the discharge port.

On the other hand, in the configuration shown in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 32 (b1) → FIG. 32 (b2), even if the operation button unit 40 is displaced, the mounting frame 450 is only deformed, and the influence thereof is exerted. It does not reach the upper bulging portion 28 or the upper plate 33. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress the expansion of the boundary portion BP and the expansion of the width dimension L1 of the alignment passage 320. For the above reasons, the inconvenience that may have occurred in the conventionally well-known configuration is preferably eliminated.

Incidentally, as already described, the discharge port 38 has a structure that is difficult for players and the like to access for security reasons. Therefore, if the influence of the above deformation appears at such a portion, it is assumed that it will be difficult to eliminate it. In this respect, in the present embodiment, by arranging the vertical frames 471 and 481 on the left and right sides of the discharge port 38, the horizontal frame 461 suppresses bending, and the horizontal frame 461 causes the lower surface portion 312 of the upper bulging portion 28 to be formed. It is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned inconvenience caused by being pressed.

<Second Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, the internal structure of the operation button unit shown in the first embodiment, specifically, the support structure having a configuration corresponding to the "operation unit" and the "display effect device" is the first embodiment. Is different from. Hereinafter, the operation button unit 500 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, focusing on the different configurations. FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the operation button unit 500 viewed from above, FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the operation button unit 500 viewed from below, and FIG. 15 shows the operation button unit 500 disassembled for each main configuration. It is an exploded perspective view shown by.

As shown in FIG. 14, the operation button unit 500 has a configuration corresponding to an "operation unit" and a "display effect device" as one unit, and the front door frame 14 (detailed in detail) in such a unitized state. Mounting frame 450: Fixed to, for example, FIG. 11). Since the mounting mode of the operation button unit 500 with respect to the mounting frame 450 and the positional relationship with the bulging portion 28 and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description will be incorporated.

As shown in FIG. 15, the operation button unit 500 includes an operation block 501 as an operation target by a player, a movable movable decoration unit 502 housed in the operation block 501, and the operation block 501 and the movable decoration unit 502. It has a holder 503 as an attachment target of the above.

The operation block 501 is composed of a cover unit 510 that covers the movable decorative unit 502, and a variable unit 520 as a pedestal on which the cover unit 510 is fixed. Regarding the cover unit 510, the first cover member 511 and the second cover member 512 made of a transparent synthetic resin are combined, and the visibility of the movable decorative unit 502 through the cover members 511 and 512 is ensured. There is. That is, when the display effect using the movable decoration unit 502 is performed, the display effect can be visually recognized from the outside of the operation button unit 500 through the cover unit 510.

The first cover member 511 has a bowl shape that is convex on the side (upward) opposite to the pressing operation direction, and the upper surface portion thereof is an operation surface portion 513 to which a function as a target of the pressing operation is given. The second cover member 512 is assembled to the annular portion forming the side surface portion of the first cover member 511, and the cover unit 510 is composed of both cover members 511 and 512.

The second cover member 512 has an annular shape formed along the annular portion of the first cover member 511. The upper end portion of the second cover member 512 has a wavy shape in which a plurality of irregularities are formed in the circumferential direction, and the finger hook portion 514 is formed by these irregularities.

Although the details will be described later, the operation button unit 500 in the present embodiment is configured so that the player can perform a pressing operation and a rotation operation. The operation surface portion 513 has a smooth curved surface so that the edges of the cover unit 510 do not easily hit the fingers or palm when the pressing operation is performed. This is preferable in order to avoid corner contact and protect the player's hand. However, in such a configuration, it is assumed that the operation becomes difficult because there is no portion where the finger is caught when performing the above rotation operation. Therefore, by providing the second cover member 512 with the finger hook portion 514 at the portion corresponding to the annular portion of the first cover member 511, the difficulty of the rotation operation is eliminated.

The cover unit 510 is fixed to the housing 521 constituting the variable unit 520. More specifically, the housing 521 is formed in a hollow box shape, and the cover unit 510 is fixed to the upper surface portion (housing 521 described later).

The space surrounded by the cover unit 510 and the housing 521 functions as a storage space for the movable decorative unit 502. Here, the movable decoration unit 502 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the operation button unit 500.

As shown in FIG. 16, the movable decorative unit 502 is mounted on a light emitting substrate 572 on which a plurality of light emitting elements (specifically, LEDs) are mounted, and the light emitting substrate 572 so that the element mounting surface faces the operation surface portion 513. It has a mounting base 571. The light emitting board 572 is connected to the notification / effect control device 142, and light emission control such as lighting / extinguishing / blinking is performed based on the signal from the notification / effect control device 142.

A substrate cover 573 formed of a colored transparent resin material is fixed to the mounting base 571 so as to cover the element mounting surface of the light emitting substrate 572. A light diffusing portion is formed on the substrate cover 573, and the light from the light emitting substrate 572 is irradiated to the operation surface portion 513 in a state of being diffused through the substrate cover 573.

A decorative member 574 is arranged on the mounting base 571 so as to be located on the operation surface portion 513 side of the substrate cover 573. The decorative member 574 is rotatably supported by a mounting base 571, and a predetermined operating gap is secured between the decorative member 574 and the upper surface of the decorative member 574. As a result, interference between the decorative member 574 and the substrate cover 573 is avoided.

The mounting base 571 is formed with a bulging portion 579 that bulges on the side opposite to the light emitting substrate 572, and the lower surface of the bulging portion 579 (specifically, the plate surface on the side opposite to the mounting surface of the light emitting substrate 57 2). A motor 575 as a driving means for the decorative member 574 is fixed to the. The motor 575 is connected to the notification / effect control device 142 and operates based on a drive signal from the notification / effect control device 142. The decorative member 574 is rotated by the operation of the motor 575.

The decorative member 574 is formed with a plurality of arm portions extending in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis. These arm portions are formed so as to be colored and opaque, and are provided with a light-shielding property that blocks light from the light emitting substrate 572. In a situation where the light emitting substrate 572 is emitting light, the light shielding position is changed by rotating the decorative member 574. By switching between light-shielding and non-light-shielding for each part in this way, the apparent light emission mode changes.

In the present embodiment, there may be a case where the blinking pattern is changed by the light emission control to attract the player's attention, and a case where the decorative member 574 is rotated to change the apparent blinking pattern. When the unit 500 blinks, the player can visually confirm whether or not the decorative member 574 is rotating, so that the player can grasp which pattern the blinking is occurring.

The holder 503 shown in the present embodiment also has a bottomed box shape like the holder member 402 shown in the first embodiment (see FIG. 15). The bottom portion 551 of the holder 503 is formed with a pedestal 552 that projects in the same direction as the peripheral wall portion 561 (upward: front side in the pressing direction). The pedestal 552 has a cylindrical shape, and a movable decorative unit 502 is placed on the top 552a of the pedestal 552. Specifically, the movable decorative unit 502 is supported by the pedestal 552 when the bulging portion 579 of the mounting base 571 abuts on the top 552a of the pedestal 552.

A through hole 553 is formed in the top portion 552a, and the motor 575 projects into the cylindrical portion 552b (hollow portion) of the pedestal 552 through the through hole 553. As a result, interference between the motor 575 and the pedestal 552 is avoided. Incidentally, considering that the entire motor 575 is housed in the cylindrical part 552b, the pedestal 552 (specifically, the cylindrical part 552b) is referred to as a "housing part" for accommodating the driving part of the movable decorative unit 502. You can also.

With the movable decoration unit 502 mounted on the pedestal 552 in this way, the bulging portion 579 of the mounting base 571 is fixed to the top 552a of the pedestal 552 by a screw 565 (fixing tool), whereby the movable decoration unit The 502 is integrated with the holder 503.

In this embodiment, the movable decorative unit 502 has a motor 575, which increases the weight of the movable decoration unit 502. The position of the center of gravity thereof is configured to be located near the attachment position of the motor 575 in the bulging portion 579. As described above, by projecting the motor 575 downward through the through hole 553 so that the bulging portion 579 rests on the pedestal 552, the support balance of the movable decorative unit 502 by the pedestal 552 is improved. ..

Next, the variable unit 520 to which the function related to the operation and support of the operation block 501 is added will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the variable unit 520, and FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view of the variable unit 520. In FIG. 18, for convenience of explanation, each configuration of the cover unit 510, the movable decorative unit 502, and the holder 503 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

The housing 521 of the variable unit 520 is formed by combining a pair of case components (case body 522 and lid body 523), and a base member 531 is housed therein. The base member 531 is sandwiched between the case constituents 522 and 523 in a state in which the relative displacement with the housing 521 is allowed in the same direction as the combination direction (vertical direction or pressing operation direction) of the housing 521.

A plurality of bosses extending in the combination direction are provided on the portion of the case body 522 opposite to the side on which the cover unit 510 is mounted. The housing 521 has an annular shape as a whole, and these bosses are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the housing 521. The lid body 523 is fixed to the bosses by using screws 524 in a state of being in contact with the tip portions of the bosses. As a result, the separation of the case body 522 and the lid body 523 is restricted.

The base member 531 is formed with a boss receiving portion formed so as to have a one-to-one correspondence with the bosses, and the direction of the relative displacement is defined by inserting each boss into the boss receiving portion. ing. Further, the boss and the boss receiving portion limit the relative displacement of the housing 521 and the base member 531 in the circumferential direction.

The housing 521 accommodates a spring member 535 that urges the base member 531 to the side opposite to the case body 522 to which the cover unit 510 is fixed, that is, to the lid body 523 side. A plurality of spring members 535 are arranged at equal intervals in the rotation operation direction, and are sandwiched between the base member 531 and the case body 522. The spring member 535 is configured to be in a slightly compressed state when the case body 522 and the lid body 523 are fixed by the screws 524, and when the pressing operation is not performed (standby state), the spring member 535 is a base. The member 531 is in a state of being pressed against the lid body 523.

Note that the lid body 523 can also be referred to as a "stopper" by paying attention to the fact that the base member 531 is prevented from falling off or further displaced in the urging direction.

The housing 521 is formed with a circular central opening 525 that penetrates in the combination direction. A communication port 532 that communicates with the central opening 525 is formed in the base member 531 portion. The communication port 532 also has a circular shape like the central opening 525, and is formed so as to be coaxial with the central opening 525.

The minimum inner diameter dimension of the communication port 532 is set to be smaller than the minimum inner diameter dimension of the central opening 525, and a part of the base member 531 protrudes into the central opening 525. As shown in FIG. 18, an annular ball bearing 541 that contributes to smooth rotation operation is mounted on the protruding portion of the base member 531. Specifically, an engaging recess 533 that engages with the ball bearing 541 is formed in a portion of the base member 531 that faces the bottom 551 of the holder 503, and the ball bearing that engages with the engaging recess 533. The 541 is prevented from falling off from the engaging recess 533 by being caught by the claw portion 534 formed on the base member 531. As a result, the ball bearing 541 and the base member 531 are integrated.

Here, the support structure of the variable unit 520 (operation block 501) by the holder 503 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 18. An annular protrusion 554 is formed on the bottom portion 551 of the holder 503 so as to surround the pedestal 552. A ring plate 555, which also forms an annular shape, is placed on the annular protrusion 554.

The inner diameter of the ring plate 555 is the same as the outer diameter of the pedestal 552 (specifically, the cylindrical portion 552b), and is engaged with the cylindrical portion 552b. The ball bearing 541 is placed on the ring plate 555. By interposing the ring plate 555 between the annular projection 554 and the ball bearing 541, it is possible to prevent the load (supporting load) of the operation block 501 from being concentrated on a part of the annular projection 554.

The inner diameter of the ball bearing 541 is the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 552b, and when the ball bearing 541 is placed on the ring plate 555, the ball bearing 541 engages with the cylindrical portion 552b. It is composed. The bottom portion 551 is formed with a locking claw portion 556 as a stopper for preventing the ball bearing 541 from rising.

The operation block 501 is fixed to the holder 503 by hooking the locking claw portion 556 on the ball bearing 541. That is, for the operation block 501, the base member 531 constituting the variable unit 520 is fixed to the holder 503.

Here, the movement of the operation button unit 500 accompanying the pressing operation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19A is a schematic view showing a standby state of the operation button unit 500, and FIG. 19B is a schematic view showing a pressing state of the operation button unit 500.

When the operation surface portion 513 of the cover unit 510 is pushed by the player in the standby state shown in FIG. 19A, the cover unit 510 and the housing 521 are moved against the urging force of the spring member 535. Displaces in the pressing direction (downward). Since the base member 531 constituting the variable unit 520 is fixed to the holder 503, the relative position between the housing 521 and the base member 531 changes as the housing 521 descends. Specifically, the base member 531 and the lid body 523 are separated from each other, and the gap between the case body 522 and the base member 531 in the pressing direction is reduced. Along with this, the spring member 535 is further compressed and the restoring force to the standby state is accumulated.

As shown in FIGS. 19A → 19B, when the cover unit 510 is pushed to a predetermined pressing position, the outer peripheral flange 529 formed on the housing 521 is formed on the peripheral wall portion 561 of the holder 503. It comes into contact with the portion 562, and further displacement in the pressing direction is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 19B, even when the cover unit 510 reaches a predetermined pressing position (maximum pressing position) defined by the stopper portion 562, the operation surface portion 513 of the cover unit 510 and the movable decorative unit 502 A gap is secured between the two, and interference between the operation surface portion 513 and the movable decorative unit 502 is avoided. As a result, even when the pressing operation is performed, the load generated by the operation is suppressed from being directly transmitted to the movable decorative unit 502.

In this embodiment, the position detection sensor 576 is provided on the mounting base 571 of the movable decorative unit 502. The position detection sensor 576 is connected to the notification / effect control device 142, and when the cover unit 510 is pushed to a predetermined pressing position, detection information indicating that fact is output to the notification / effect control device 142. The notification / effect control device 142 grasps whether or not the pressing operation is performed based on the detection information (detection signal) from the position detection sensor 576.

When the pressing operation of the cover unit 510 is completed, the cover unit 510 and the housing 521 are displaced toward the standby position by the urging force stored in the spring member 535. Then, as shown in FIG. 19A, the cover unit 510 and the housing 521 are brought to the standby positions by contacting the base member 531 with the lid 523 of the housing 521 from the side opposite to the pressing direction (lower side). The return is complete.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the function of dispersing the load such as the load and the impact caused by the pressing operation is improved by devising the support structure of the operation block 501 and the movable decorative unit 502 by the holder 503. It is one. Hereinafter, a configuration related to load distribution will be supplementarily described with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing how the load is applied.

As described above, the operation button unit 500 shown in the present embodiment has three configurations of the operation block 501, the movable decoration unit 502, and the holder 503, and the operation block 501 and the movable decoration unit 502 are supported by the holder 503. There is. As described above, the holder 503 includes an annular protrusion 554 that constitutes a "first support portion" that supports the operation block 501, and a pedestal 552 that constitutes a "second support portion" that supports the movable decorative unit 502. It is formed, and the support structure of the operation block 501 and the movable decorative unit 502 is independently provided.

In the standby state shown in FIG. 20A, the weight (load F2) of the operation block 501 is transmitted to the annular projection 554 and distributed to the holder 503 via the annular projection 554. As a result, it is avoided that the weight of the operation block 501 is transmitted to the pedestal 552, and further, the weight of the operation block 501 is transmitted to the movable decorative unit 502 via the pedestal 552 and the like. In this way, by suppressing the influence of the weight of the operation block 501 from being transmitted to the movable decoration unit 502, the operation of the movable decoration unit 502 is guaranteed and protected.

Here, the cover unit 510 and the like are urged on the side opposite to the pressing direction by the spring member 535 provided on the operation block 501. The urging force is configured to maintain its action even in the standby state, and the variable unit 520 is in a state of being potentially loaded. However, in the present embodiment, an internal completion method is adopted so that this load does not propagate to the outside of the variable unit 520. Therefore, in the standby state, it is avoided that the load generated on the annular projection 554 is added by the urging force of the spring member 535.

The weight (load F1) of the movable decorative unit 502 is transmitted to the pedestal 552 and distributed to the holder 503 via the pedestal 552. As a result, it is avoided that the weight of the movable decorative unit 502 is transmitted to the annular projection 554 and further to the operation block 501. In this way, the operation of the operation block 501 is guaranteed by suppressing the influence of the weight of the movable decoration unit 502 from being transmitted to the operation block 501.

Here, the relationship between the mounting frame 450 and the holder 503 will be supplemented. The bottom portion 551 of the holder 503 has a stepped shape on the peripheral wall portion 561 side and the central side, and the portion on the peripheral wall portion 561 side is a contact portion 558 that abuts on the mounting frame 450 (FIG. 14 (FIG. 14). b) See). A plurality of locking pieces 559 that are hooked on the mounting frame 450 are formed in the contact portion 558, and the operation button unit 500 is fixed to the mounting frame 450 by hooking these locking pieces 559 on the mounting frame 450. ..

The contact portion 558 is arranged so as to have a front and back positional relationship with the annular protrusion 554. As a result, the weight of the operation block 501 is easily transmitted to the mounting frame 450 via the holder 503. The operation block 501 is heavier than the movable decorative unit 502. Therefore, by arranging the annular projection 554 that supports the operation block 501 at a position closer to the contact portion 558 than the pedestal 552 that supports the movable decorative unit 502, it is possible to preferably exert the above-mentioned support function. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 20 (a) to 20 (b), when the operation block 501 is displaced due to the pressing operation, the spring member 535 is compressed and the load F2 is increased. Even when such an increase in the load F2 occurs, the load is propagated from the bottom portion 551 to the mounting frame 450. That is, even if an increase in the load occurs, it is avoided that the increased amount is transmitted from the pedestal 552 to the movable decorative unit 502.

A relief hole is formed in the mounting frame 450 so as to avoid contact with a portion other than the contact portion 558. In other words, the object supported by the mounting frame 450 is limited to a portion closer to the peripheral wall portion 561 rather than the entire lower surface of the bottom portion 551. Here, if the bottom portion 551, which is the object of arrangement of the pedestal 552 and the annular protrusion 554, is flexed and deformed due to the increase in the load or the like, the bottom portion 551, which is the object of the same arrangement, is deformed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the gap between the operation surface portion 513 and the movable decorative unit 502 from being reduced. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the positional relationship is such that the contact portion 558 → the annular protrusion 554 → the pedestal 552 from the outside to the inside, the bottom portion of the pedestal 552 is larger than the amount of deflection of the bottom portion 551 of the annular protrusion 554. The amount of deflection of 551 becomes large. As a result, the avoidance function is more preferably exhibited.

As shown in FIG. 20B, when the operation block 501 is pushed to a predetermined pressing position, the outer peripheral flange 529 hits the stopper portion 562 of the peripheral wall portion 561. As a result, a part of the pressing force (load F3) is transmitted to the peripheral wall portion 561 of the holder 503 through the outer peripheral flange 529 → the stopper portion 562. The load F3 transmitted to the peripheral wall portion 561 is transmitted to the mounting frame 450 via the bottom portion 551. In this way, by releasing a part of the pressing force to the peripheral wall portion 561 side, it is suppressed that the influence of the pressing force on the annular projection 554 becomes large.

Since the contact portion 558 is located directly below the peripheral wall portion 561, the load F3 is more directly transmitted to the mounting frame 450, and is suppressed from propagating to the movable decorative unit 502 through the bottom portion 551. As a result, the protective function of the movable decorative unit 502 is further strengthened.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the cover unit 510 is attached to the variable unit 520 (contact point), the outer peripheral flange 529 of the variable unit 520, the stopper portion 562, the peripheral wall portion 561, and the bottom portion. 551 (contact portion 558) are arranged vertically. With such a positional relationship, it is possible to suppress the generation of bending moments and allow the load F3 to escape more directly to the mounting frame 450.

As described above, the operation button unit 500 is allowed to perform a pressing operation and a rotating operation. Here, the configuration related to the pressing operation will be supplementarily described with reference to FIG.

A vibrator 557 is arranged on the bottom 551 of the holder 503. The vibrator 557 is connected to the notification / effect control device 142 and vibrates based on the signal from the notification / effect control device 142.

The vibrator 557 includes a motor 557a and a cover member 557b for the motor 557a, and is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom portion 551 via the cover member 557b. A through hole is formed in the bottom portion 551 that penetrates inside and outside the holder 503, and a part of the cover member 557b projects into the holder 503 through the through hole. A rubber cushion 557c is fixed to this protruding portion.

As shown in FIG. 21B, the rubber cushion 557c faces the lid body 523 of the housing 521 with a gap. The lid body 523 and the rubber cushion 557c come into contact with each other while the operation block 501 is being pushed into the predetermined pressing position by the pressing operation, and when the operation block 501 reaches the predetermined pressing position as shown in FIG. 21 (c), the rubber cushion 557c is released. It will be slightly compressed. At this time, if the vibrator 557 is vibrating, the vibration is transmitted to the rubber cushion 557c → the lid body 523 (variable unit 520) → the cover unit 510, and the operation button unit 500 vibrates for the player who has performed the pressing operation. You will be taught that you are doing it.

When the pressing operation is not performed, the spring member 535 is involved in the vibration transmission path, and the spring member 535 functions as an absorber (vibration damping means) for suppressing the vibration of the cover unit 510. As a result, the vibration of the vibrator 557 is suppressed from being transmitted to the player through the cover unit 510.

The effect accompanied by the vibration of the vibrator 557 is likely to occur in the game times in which the variable display mode with high expectation such as a big hit is selected. In other words, when the occurrence of vibration is confirmed, it is understood that there is a high possibility that a big hit will be won in the corresponding game times. Such vibration can be grasped by performing a pressing operation. Therefore, it is possible to provide the player with a game in which the presence or absence of vibration is confirmed by a pressing operation, and contribute to improving the degree of attention to the operation button unit 500.

Here, as shown in FIG. 21A, the operation block 501 can be rotated. If the operation block 501 is pushed into a predetermined pressing position as shown in FIG. 21 (c), the rubber cushion 557c hits the lid 523, which causes a resistance that hinders the rotation operation. This prevents the operation block 501 from rotating against the player's intention when the rotation operation is not intended.

According to the second embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

In the operation button unit 500, the display effect by the movable decoration unit 502 can be visually recognized through the operation surface portion 513 of the cover unit 510. For example, it is possible to improve the degree of attention to the operation button unit 500 by performing the display effect under various situations such as before and after the operation.

By individually supporting the operation block 501 as an operation target by the player and the movable decorative unit 502 for display effect by the holder 503 (having an independent support structure), the bias of the support load is suppressed. This is advantageous in realizing the improvement of the durability of the operation button unit 500.

Specifically, since the operation block 501 is an operation target by the player, a load larger than the own weight of the operation block 501 may be applied to the support portion or the like. If such a large load is transmitted to the movable decorative unit 502, there is a concern that the load may cause malfunction or failure of the movable decorative unit 502. In this case, the effect of improving the appearance by incorporating the movable decoration unit 502 in the operation button unit 500 and the effect of improving the degree of attention by the display effect are not exhibited well.

In particular, it is premised that the display effect can be visually recognized through the operation surface portion 513. For this reason, even if the configuration of the movable decoration unit 502 is enhanced in consideration of improving the impact of the display effect, the restrictions on the arrangement space of the movable decoration unit 502 become stronger, and such measures become difficult. obtain. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the appearance (impact) and strengthen the presence in a limited space, and it is assumed that the strength is easily affected by the above-mentioned load and the like. On the other hand, it is not preferable that the movable decoration unit 502 is simplified in consideration of such an influence because the movable decoration unit 502 may become obsolete in the display effect and may hinder the exertion of the above-mentioned various effects. Here, according to the present embodiment, the occurrence of the above-mentioned various inconveniences is suitably avoided by suppressing the influence from the operation block 501 on the movable decorative unit 502.

Further, by supporting the movable decoration unit 502 by the holder 503, it is not necessary to support the movable decoration unit 502 by the operation block 501. That is, it is not necessary to integrate the operation block 501 and the movable decoration unit 502 (that is, it is possible to suppress the increase in the weight of the operation block 501). Further, since the support structure is independent, the weight of the movable decorative unit 502, the load caused by the operation, and the like are suppressed from being transmitted to the operation block 501. Therefore, even if the degree of attention is improved by the display effect of the movable decorative unit 502, the decrease in operability caused by the improvement can be suitably avoided.

In a configuration in which the operation button unit 500 is attached to the attachment frame 450 via the holder 503, the holder 503 to which the function as the attachment target is provided has a pedestal 552 for the operation block 501 and an annular shape for the movable decorative unit 502. By installing the protrusion 554, the load related to the operation block 501 is distributed to the mounting frame 450 through the annular protrusion 554 (holder 503), and the load related to the movable decorative unit 502 is distributed to the mounting frame 450 through the pedestal 552 (holder 503). It will be dispersed. Thereby, the above-mentioned various effects can be suitably exhibited.

The annular protrusion 554 as the "first support portion" and the pedestal 552 as the "second support portion" are attached to the bottom portion 551 located on the back side in the pressing direction in the holder 503. Thereby, the transmission of the load to the operation block 501-> annular protrusion 554-> pedestal 552-> movable decoration unit 502 or the movable decoration unit 502-> pedestal 552-> annular protrusion 554-> operation block 501 can be suitably suppressed.

In particular, in a configuration in which a pressing operation is allowed, a large load may be generated when the player pushes the operation surface portion 513 by force. If the operation surface portion 513 and the movable decoration unit 502 interfere with each other due to deformation or the like caused by the load exceeding the assumption, it is assumed that inconveniences such as malfunction of the movable decoration unit 502 may occur.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, the movable decorative unit 502 is located on the back side in the pressing direction from the operating surface portion 513, and is arranged so as to form a gap between the movable decorative unit 502 and the operating surface portion 513 in the pressing direction. ing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the impact at the initial stage of operation from being directly transmitted to the movable decorative unit 502. Even if the bottom portion 551 is deformed due to the operation surface portion 513 being strongly pushed or the like, both the pedestal 552 and the annular protrusion 554 are attached to the bottom portion 551, so that the deformation occurs. The pedestal 552 is also displaced to the same side as the annular protrusion 554. Therefore, the reduction of the gap can be suitably suppressed, and the protective function of the movable decorative unit 502 can be further strengthened.

Since the annular protrusion 554 is arranged closer to the fixing point (contact portion 558) to the mounting frame 450 than the pedestal 552, the load (for example, impact) transmitted from the operation block 501 to the annular protrusion 554 is applied to the mounting frame 450. It is easy to escape to. Therefore, the propagation of the load to the operation block 501 → the annular protrusion 554 → the pedestal 552 → the movable decorative unit 502 can be suitably suppressed.

Further, when the above-mentioned tracking function is taken into consideration, the amount of displacement increases as the distance increases from the fixed location. That is, by intentionally moving the pedestal 552 away from the fixed portion, it is possible to contribute to strengthening the gap maintenance function (protection function).

The inner peripheral surface of the ball bearing 541 is formed so as to engage with the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 552, and the pedestal 552 regulates the displacement of the ball bearing 541 in the direction intersecting the pressing direction. According to this configuration, the rotation function of the operation block 501 can be stably exhibited by regulating the misalignment of the ball bearing 541 (displacement in the direction intersecting the rotation center axis) with the pedestal 552. Even with such a configuration, since the pedestal 552 is not configured to receive the weight of the ball bearing 541, it is possible to suppress the hindrance to the support function of the movable decorative unit 502.

In particular, when the movable decoration unit 502 is enlarged to improve the appearance and impact, it is necessary to form the pedestal 552 in consideration of ensuring the support strength and support balance of the movable decoration unit 502. Therefore, by restricting the misalignment of the ball bearing 541 by utilizing such a configuration, it is possible to suitably realize both the stabilization of the rotation function of the operation block 501 and the support function.

The pedestal 552 and the annular protrusion 554 to which the function as the "support portion" is provided are formed in an annular shape protruding in the same direction as the pressing direction. As a result, the strength of the pedestal 552 and the annular protrusion 554 in the pressing direction can be dramatically improved. By restricting the displacement of the ball bearing 541 using such a configuration (pedestal 552), it is possible to suitably enjoy the various effects described above while suppressing the occupying area of the pedestal 552 from becoming unnecessarily large.

The cover unit 510, the housing 521, the base member 531 and the spring member 535 form one unit to form an operation unit, and the entire unit rotates so that the spring member 535 has an urging function depending on the rotation position. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences such as not working well. That is, the cushioning function of the spring member 535 can be suitably ensured. This is also a preferable configuration for protecting the pedestal 552 by suppressing the generation of a load in the direction intersecting the pressing direction.

In the configuration in which the spring member 535 generates a drag force (buffering force) against the pressing operation, the position and posture of the cover unit 510 are determined by compressing the spring member 535 to some extent even in the standby state (the state before the pressing operation). Disturbance can be suppressed. However, when the compressive force of the spring member 535 is applied to the holder 503 (specifically, the annular protrusion 554), the load on the annular protrusion 554 exceeds the weight of the cover unit 510 or the like. It is not preferable to reinforce the annular protrusion 554 in consideration of such a situation because the occupied area thereof becomes bulky and causes pressure on the occupied area of the second support portion and the display effecting device.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the urging force from being transmitted to the outside of the operation block 501 (variable unit 520) in the standby state. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences such as compression of the occupied area described above, and to allow the operation block 501 and the movable decoration unit 502 to coexist suitably in the operation button unit 500.

<Third embodiment>
In the second embodiment described above, the operation button unit is configured to incorporate a movable decoration unit as a display effect device. One of the features of the present embodiment is that a display device unit is built in instead of the movable effect unit, and a device is provided to further improve the degree of attention to the operation button unit 500. First, the structure of the operation button unit 500X in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 22. 22 (a) is a plan view of the operation button unit 500X, and FIG. 22 (b) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the operation button unit 500X.

As shown in FIG. 22, the display device unit 502X is mounted on the pedestal 552 of the holder 503. The display device unit 502X has a mounting base 571X to be mounted on the pedestal 552, and a display device 572X mounted on the mounting base 571X so that the display screen 572aX faces the operation surface portion 513 of the cover unit 510. ing. The display screen 572aX of the display device 572X can be visually recognized through the cover unit 510 (operation surface portion 513). That is, the cover unit 510 functions as a protective means for protecting the display device 572X by covering the display device 572X.

A control device 573X for the display device 572X is housed in the bulging portion 579X of the mounting base 571X. The control device 573X is connected to the notification / effect control device 142, and controls the display of the display device 572X based on the information (command) from the notification / effect control device 142. Since the other configurations of the operation button unit 500X are the same as those of the operation button unit 500 shown in the second embodiment, the description will be incorporated.

Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The MPU 802 is mounted on the main control board 801 provided in the main control device 162. The MPU 802 includes a ROM 803 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 802, and a memory for temporarily storing various data and the like when the control program stored in the ROM 803 is executed. A certain RAM 804 and various circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data input / output circuit are built in.

The MPU 802 is provided with an input port and an output port, respectively. A power failure monitoring board 805, a payout control device 242, and other switches (not shown) provided in the main control device 162 are connected to the input side of the MPU 802. A power supply / emission control device 243 is connected to the power failure monitoring board 805, and power is supplied to the MPU 802 via the power failure monitoring board 805. Further, as a part of the switch group, a plurality of detection sensors provided in various ball entry sections such as the operating ports 83a and 83b and the variable winning device 82 are connected, and the MPU 802 of the main control device 162 connects to the ball entry section. The ball entry judgment is made. Further, in the MPU 802, a big hit generation lottery is executed based on the ball entering the operating ports 83a and 83b of the ball entry portions.

Here, the electrical configuration for performing a jackpot generation lottery or the like in the MPU 802 will be described.

The MPU 802 uses various counter information during the game to perform a big hit generation lottery, set the emission color of the operation port display unit of the main display unit D, set the symbol display of the symbol display device 94, and the like. The jackpot random number counter C1 used for the lottery for the occurrence of jackpots, the jackpot type counter C2 used for determining the jackpot type such as the probability variation jackpot state or the normal jackpot state, and the symbol display device 94 when the symbol display device 94 disengages and fluctuates. The reach random number counter C3 used for the reach lottery, the random number initial value counter CINI used for setting the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1, the period for switching the color displayed on the operation port display unit of the main display unit D, and the period for switching the color. The fluctuation type counter CS that determines the fluctuation display time of the symbol in the symbol display device 94 is used.

Of these, the counters C1 to C3, CINI, and CS are loop counters in which 1 is added to the previous value each time the counter is updated, and the counter returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value. Each counter is updated at short intervals, and the updated value is appropriately stored in a counter buffer set in a predetermined area of the RAM 804. The RAM 804 is provided with a holding ball storage buffer consisting of one execution area and four holding areas (holding first to fourth areas), and in each of these areas, games to the operating ports 83a and 83b are provided. The values of the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, and the reach random number counter C3 are stored in chronological order according to the ball entry history.

More specifically, the jackpot random number counter C1 has a configuration in which, for example, 1 is added in order within the range of 0 to 676, the maximum value (that is, 676) is reached, and then the counter returns to 0. In particular, when the jackpot random number counter C1 makes one round, the value of the random number initial value counter CINI at that time is read as the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1. The random number initial value counter CINI is a loop counter similar to the jackpot random number counter C1 (value = 0 to 676). The jackpot random number counter C1 is periodically updated, and is stored in the hold ball storage buffer of the RAM 804 at the timing when the game ball enters the operating ports 83a and 83b. That is, the pachinko machine 10 (specifically, the MPU 802) is provided with a jackpot generation lottery means for drawing a lottery as to whether or not a jackpot state has occurred based on the establishment of a predetermined lottery start condition.

The jackpot type counter C2 is configured to be incremented by 1 in order within the range of 0 to 49, reach the maximum value (that is, 49), and then return to 0. Then, in the present embodiment, the jackpot type counter C2 determines whether to set the probability variation state (high probability state) or the normal state (low probability state) after the jackpot state ends. The jackpot type counter C2 is periodically updated, and is stored in the hold ball storage buffer of the RAM 804 at the timing when the game ball enters the operating ports 83a and 83b. That is, the pachinko machine 10 (specifically, MPU802) is provided with a jackpot type lottery means for drawing a jackpot type according to the establishment of a predetermined lottery start condition.

Here, the probabilistic state refers to a gaming state in which the probability of occurrence of the jackpot state is higher than that of the normal state until a predetermined end condition is satisfied after the end of the jackpot state. Specifically, in the normal state, the number of random number values at which the jackpot state will occur is two, and the value is "337,673". In the probability variation state, the jackpot state will occur. The number of random number values is 10, and the value is "67,131,199,269,337,401,463,523,601,661".

Further, in the pachinko machine 10, there are a normal jackpot state (first special game state) that becomes a normal state after the end of the jackpot state and a probability change jackpot state (second special game state) that becomes a probability change state after the end of the jackpot state. , The mode of the symbol that is stopped and displayed after the variable display on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 is different. Specifically, when a normal jackpot state occurs, the combination of normal jackpot symbols as the first special display result (more specifically, the combination of symbols with the same even number) is stopped and displayed, and the probability changes. When a jackpot state occurs, the combination of probabilistic jackpot symbols as the second special display result (more specifically, the combination of symbols with the same odd number) is stopped and displayed.

The reach random number counter C3 is configured to be incremented by 1 in order within the range of 0 to 238, and return to 0 after reaching the maximum value (that is, 238). The reach random number counter C3 is periodically updated, and is stored in the hold ball storage buffer of the RAM 804 at the timing when the game ball enters the operating ports 83a and 83b. That is, the pachinko machine 10 (specifically, the MPU 802) is provided with a reach generation lottery means for drawing whether or not a reach display is generated based on the establishment of a predetermined lottery start condition.

The variation type counter CS has a configuration in which, for example, 1 is added in order in the range of 0 to 198, and after reaching the maximum value (that is, 198), it returns to 0.

The variation type counter CS determines the display mode of the symbol display device 94, such as the type of reach effect generated at the time of reach display and other rough symbol variation modes. That is, the pachinko machine 10 (specifically, the MPU 802) is provided with an effect type lottery means for drawing a type of reach effect.

Here, the reach display (reach state) is provided with a symbol display device 94 capable of performing variable display (or variable display) of a symbol (picture), and the stop display result after the variable display becomes a special display result. In this case, in the gaming machine in which the gaming state becomes a special gaming state advantageous to the player, the stop display result is derived and displayed after the variable display (or variable display) of the symbol (picture) on the symbol display device 94 is started. This is a display state for making the player think that the special display result is likely to be a variable display state in the previous stage.

In other words, by stopping and displaying some of the symbols among the plurality of symbol rows displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, a combination of jackpot symbols corresponding to the occurrence of the jackpot state is established. It is a display state in which a combination of possible reach symbols is displayed, and in that state, the symbols are variablely displayed in the remaining symbol rows.

More specifically, as a pre-stage for ending the variation display of the symbol, a combination of jackpot symbols corresponding to the occurrence of the jackpot state is established on the preset effective line in the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94. A reach line is formed by stopping and displaying a combination of possible reach symbols, and in a situation where the reach line is formed, a variable display of symbols is performed by the final stop symbol sequence.

Further, in the reach display, in the state where the combination of the reach symbols is displayed as described above, the remaining symbol rows are displayed in a variable manner, and a predetermined character or the like is displayed as a moving image on the background screen to reach the reach. Includes those that perform an effect, and those that perform a reach effect by displaying a predetermined character or the like as a moving image on substantially the entire display screen 94a after reducing or hiding the combination of reach symbols.

In this pachinko machine 10, as a part of various reach effects or reach notice effects, an operation-compatible effect that displays different operation-compatible effects according to the operation of the operation button unit 500X (specifically, the cover unit 510 of the operation block 501) is set. Has been done.

Returning to the description of FIG. 23, the power failure monitoring board 805, the payout control device 242, and the notification / effect control device 142 are connected to the output side of the MPU 802 in the main control device 162. A prize ball command is output to the payout control device 242, for example, based on the result of the ball entry determination to the ball entry unit.

Various commands such as a fluctuation start command, a type command, a stop display command, a jackpot start command, and a jackpot end command are output to the notification / effect control device 142. Here, the fluctuation start command and the type command are sent to the notification / effect control device 142 when the switching display on the operation port display unit of the main display unit D is started based on the information stored in the hold ball storage buffer. It is output. In this case, the fluctuation start command includes the fluctuation display time of the symbol, the information on the presence / absence of the jackpot occurrence, the information on the presence / absence of the reach display, the information on the reach type, etc., and the type command includes the information on the stop display of the symbol to be displayed. Contains information about the type. Further, the stop display command is output to the notification / effect control device 142 when the switching display on the operation port display unit of the main display unit D is terminated. Further, the jackpot start command is output to the notification / effect control device 142 when shifting to the jackpot state, and the jackpot end command is output to the notification / effect control device 142 when the jackpot state ends.

Further, a drive unit or the like provided in the variable winning device 82 is connected to the output side of the MPU 802, and in the jackpot state, the drive control of the driving unit is executed and the variable winning device 82 is opened and closed. .. By opening and closing the variable winning device 82 in the jackpot state in this way, a large number of game balls are paid out to the player. That is, the jackpot state as a special game state can be made a state more advantageous to the player than the normal game state.

The power failure monitoring board 805 relays between the main control board 801 and the power supply / emission control device 243, and monitors the DC stable 24 volt voltage, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply / emission control device 243.

The payout control device 242 controls the payout of prize balls and rental balls by the payout device 224, and when the above prize ball command is input, the number of game balls corresponding to the prize ball command is paid out. The payout device 224 is driven and controlled. In other words, when the prize ball command is input, the payout control device 242 executes the payout control process to drive and control the payout device 224 to pay out the number of game balls corresponding to the prize ball command. .. That is, the pachinko machine 10 has a payout function of executing the payout of the game ball based on the game result.

The power supply / launch control device 243 is connected to, for example, a commercial power supply (external power supply) in a playground or the like. Then, the operating power required for each of the main control board 801 and the payout control device 242 is generated based on the external power supplied from the commercial power source, and the generated operating power is indicated by a double-line arrow. Supply through the route. Further, the power supply / launch control device 243 is responsible for launch control of the game ball launch mechanism 110, and the game ball launch mechanism 110 is driven when predetermined launch conditions are met.

The notification / effect control device 142 is provided with a notification / effect control board 811 on which a speaker unit 27, light emitting units 24 to 26, an operation button unit 500X, and an MPU 812 for controlling the display control device 143 are mounted. The MPU 812 is a ROM 813 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 812, and a memory for temporarily storing various data and the like when the control program stored in the ROM 813 is executed. A certain RAM 814 and various circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data input / output circuit are built in.

The MPU 812 is provided with an input port and an output port, respectively. The main control device 162 and the detection sensors 576 and 577 provided in the operation button unit 500X are connected to the input side of the MPU 412. Further, a display control device 143 that controls the symbol display device 94, a display device unit 502X (display device 572X) provided in the operation button unit 500X, and a vibrator 557 are connected to the output side of the MPU 412.

When the MPU 812 receives an effect command (variation start command, type command, stop display command, jackpot start command, jackpot end command, etc.) output from the main control device 162, the MPU 812 analyzes the command or converts it to the command. Based on this, a predetermined arithmetic process is performed to determine the effect mode, and the display control is executed so that the display effect is performed in the effect mode.

As various areas provided in the ROM 813, for example, various table storage areas 815 are set. In the various table storage areas 815, when starting the variation display of the symbol based on the variation start command input from the main control device 162, the operation correspondence effect is performed in the table that determines the outline of the variation display and the variation display times. In some cases, a table for specifying the details of the production content is stored.

As various areas provided in the RAM 814, various flag storage areas 816 and counter areas 817 are set. The various flag storage areas 816 are areas for storing information for specifying the effect pattern at the variation display times, for example, when the variation display of the symbol is started based on the variation start command. The timing counter area 426 is provided with a timing counter for specifying the start timing and end timing of various effects, and a counter for specifying the number of operations of the operation button unit 500X.

The display control device 143 starts the variation display of the symbol in the symbol display device 94 based on the variation start command input from the notification / effect control device 142, and also starts the variation display of the symbol in the symbol display device 94, and the symbol corresponds to the information included in the variation start command. After displaying the fluctuation of the symbol, the fluctuation display of the symbol is terminated with the stop result corresponding to the type command displayed. As the variation display of the symbol in the mode corresponding to the information included in the variation start command, for example, the reach display and the reach effect described above are displayed on the symbol display device 94. In addition, when displaying the stop result, the combination of the normal jackpot symbols is displayed in the variable display times when the normal jackpot state occurs, and in the variable display times when the probability variable jackpot state occurs. Display the combination of probabilistic jackpot symbols.

(Various processes executed by the main controller 162)
Next, the timer interrupt processing and the normal processing executed in order to advance the game in each game time by the MPU 802 of the main control device 162 will be described. In the MPU 802, in addition to the timer interrupt processing and the normal processing, the main processing activated when the power is turned on and the NMI interrupt processing activated by inputting a power failure signal to the NMI terminal (non-maskable terminal) are executed. , The description of these processes will be omitted.

(Timer interrupt processing)
First, timer interrupt processing will be described. This process is periodically started by the MPU 802 (for example, at a cycle of 2 msec). In the timer interrupt process, first, the monitoring process for detecting various sensors is executed. Specifically, signals from various detection sensors, switches, and the like connected to the main control device 162 are read, and these signals are determined to store detection information (for example, winning detection information).

After that, the random number initial value counter CINI is updated. Specifically, the random number initial value counter CINI is incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value, it is cleared to 0. Then, the updated value of the random number initial value counter CINI is stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 804.

Subsequently, the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, the reach random number counter C3, and the electric accessory release counter C4 are updated. Specifically, the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, the reach random number counter C3, and the electric accessory release counter C4 are each incremented by 1, and when the counter values reach the maximum values, they are cleared to 0, respectively. Then, the updated values of the counters C1 to C4 are stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 804.

After that, the winning process for the operating port accompanying the winning of the operating ports 83a and 83b is executed. In the winning process for the operating port, when the operating ports 83a and 83b have been won, the number of start-holding storages stored in the holding ball storage area is less than the upper limit (for example, "4"). On condition that there is, each numerical information of the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, and the reach random number counter C3 is stored in the holding area of the holding ball storage area. In this case, it is stored in the first free hold area of the first to fourth areas of the hold area, that is, the hold area corresponding to the current start hold storage number, and the first hold lamp unit corresponding to the start hold storage number. The process for turning on 98 is executed.

In the following step S105, the timer interrupt process is terminated after the winning process for thru accompanying the winning of the through gate 84 is executed. In the through winning process, if a prize has been awarded to the through gate 84, the number of winnings held in the electric service holding area is less than the upper limit (for example, "4"). Is a condition, the value of the electric accessory release counter C4 is stored in the electric accessory hold area, and a process for lighting the second hold lamp unit 99 corresponding to the number of accessory hold storages is executed.

<Normal processing>
Next, the outline of the normal processing will be described. The normal process is a process that is started after the main process that is started when the power is turned on is executed, and in the normal process, the main process of the game is executed. As an outline, various processes related to the progress of the game are executed as periodic processes having a cycle of 4 msec, and the counter update process is executed in the remaining time.

In the normal processing, first, the timer interrupt processing or the processing of transmitting the output data such as the command set in the previous normal processing to each control device on the sub side is executed. Specifically, the presence or absence of the prize ball command is determined, and if the prize ball command is set, it is transmitted to the payout control device 242, and the production command such as the variation command, the type command, and the variation end command is transmitted. If is set, it is transmitted to the notification / effect control device 142. The command transmitted to the notification / effect control device 142 is transmitted to the display control device 143 via the notification / effect control device 142.

Next, the variation type counter CS is updated. Specifically, the fluctuation type counter CS is incremented by 1, and when the counter value reaches the maximum value, the counter value is cleared to 0. Then, the update value of the variation type counter CS is stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 804.

Subsequently, the prize ball command setting process is performed. In the prize ball command setting process, first, with reference to the flags corresponding to the prize detection stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 804, whether or not a prize has occurred in various prize-winning parts such as the general prize opening 81 or the like. Is determined, and if a prize is generated, the number of game balls to be paid out is determined according to the prize. Then, the prize ball command to be output to the payout control device 242 is set based on the number of game balls determined by the above-mentioned process.

After that, the game time control process for controlling the game in each game time is executed. In this game time control process, jackpot determination, setting of symbol variation display by the symbol display device 94, display control of the operation port display unit of the main display unit D for performing variation display, and the like are performed.

After executing the game time control process, the game state transition process for shifting the game state is executed. By this game state transition process, the game state shifts to the open / close execution mode, the high probability mode, the high frequency support mode, etc., and in the open / close execution mode, the variable winning device 82 is controlled so that the large winning opening is opened. Is executed.

After the game state transition process is executed, the electric service support process for driving and controlling the electric accessory provided in the lower operating port 83b is executed. In this electric service support process, it is determined whether or not the electric accessory is to be in the open state.

After that, it is determined whether or not the execution timing of the next normal process has been reached, that is, whether or not a predetermined time (4 msec in the present embodiment) has elapsed from the start of the previous normal process. Then, the random number initial value counter CINI and the variation type counter CS are repeatedly updated within the remaining time until the execution timing of the next normal process is reached.

Here, since the execution time of each process such as the game time control process described above changes according to the state of the game, the remaining time until the execution timing of the next normal process is not constant and fluctuates. Therefore, by repeatedly updating the random number initial value counter CINI using the remaining time, the random number initial value counter CINI (that is, the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1) can be updated at random, and similarly. The variable type counter CS can also be updated at random.

(Various processes executed by the notification / effect control device 142)
Next, various processes executed by the MPU 812 of the notification / effect control device 142 will be described. In the MPU 812, while the operating power is being supplied, a normal process of repeating a plurality of predetermined types of processes in a predetermined order is executed. The normal processing is executed as a periodic processing having a cycle of 4 msec.

For the processing executed in the normal processing, for example, a command determination processing in which the type of the command input from the main control device 162 is specified and the processing corresponding to the specified command is executed, and the effect mode is determined based on the determined command. The effect mode determination process to be determined and the game effect execution process for executing the game effect in the determined effect mode are set.

The effect determined by the effect mode determination process is roughly classified into an operation-compatible effect corresponding to the operation of the operation button unit 500X and an operation-non-compatible effect executed independently of the operation button unit 500X. The operation-compatible effects include (1) a single-shot operation-compatible effect that performs a display effect based on the specified operation of 1, and (2) a player is allowed to select the type when a reach display is performed. Selective operation compatible effect, (3) Continuous hit operation compatible effect that performs display effect according to repeated operations, (4) Continuous operation compatible effect that performs display effect based on the operations performed in a preset order It is set.

In the present embodiment, since the operation-corresponding effects of the above (1) to (4) using the operation button unit 500X have a characteristic configuration, the following is executed by the MPU 812 of the notification / effect control device 142. Among the various processes to be performed, the process for operating the operation button unit 500X will be described. Since there is a common part in the processes corresponding to each of the above (1) to (4), in the following description, the one-shot operation corresponding effect is first referred to by the flowchart of FIG. 24 and the schematic diagram of FIG. The single-shot operation-compatible production process that is executed when selected will be described, and then the other operation-compatible production processing related to (2) to (4) will be described, focusing on the differences from this single-shot operation-compatible production processing. Will be described.

(Processing for single-shot operation support)
As shown in FIG. 24, in the single-shot operation-compatible effect processing, first, in step S1001, it is determined whether or not the single-shot operation-compatible effect is generated. If a negative determination is made in step S1001, the single-shot operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1001, the process proceeds to step S1002.

In step S1002, it is determined whether or not the timing is after the one-shot operation teaching. If a negative determination is made in step S1002, the process proceeds to step S1003. In step S1003, it is determined whether or not it is the suggestion start timing of the one-shot operation. Specifically, it is stored in advance in the ROM 813 of the notification / effect control device 142 as information on a predetermined count value after the start of the variation display of the symbol. Then, every time an affirmative determination is made in step S1001 after the start of the variation display of the symbol, the value of the suggestion start timing counter provided in the various counter areas 817 is updated, and the value of the counter becomes the above-mentioned predetermined count value. When it is reached, an affirmative determination is made in step S1003.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1003, the process proceeds to step S1004. In step S1004, an operation suggestion image display command is set. The operation suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 executes a process of displaying the operation suggestion image on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 based on this command.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25A, the operation button unit 500X is modeled on the display screen 94a, but an image (button icon) is displayed and an image (timer icon) showing the validity period of the operation is displayed. indicate. However, as shown in FIG. 25 (a), these images do not include contents that suggest or teach the operation mode of the operation button unit 500X. Therefore, at the stage when these images are displayed on the display screen 94a, the player who sees the display screen 94a can grasp that the operation of the operation button unit 500X is enabled, but grasps the operation mode. It remains impossible.

After returning to FIG. 24 and executing the process of step S1004, the process proceeds to step S1005 to set the operation mode teaching command. The operation mode teaching command is output to the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X, and the control device 573X executes a process of displaying an image for teaching the operation mode on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. As described above, in the present embodiment, the push operation, the left rotation operation, and the right rotation operation are set as the operation modes of the operation button unit 500X. The operation mode teaching command includes information on which operation the one-shot operation corresponding effect corresponds to, and the display device 572X displays an image and a message corresponding to the current operation among the above three operations. do.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 25B, a clockwise arrow and a "clockwise rotation" message are displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X as an image showing the operation mode. However, this display timing is set to be later than the display timing of the image for suggesting operation on the display screen 94a. In the present embodiment, various operation teachings are given after the operation suggestion on the display screen 94a. Therefore, by intentionally delaying the display timing as described above, the player is devised to increase the chance of displaying the image for suggesting the operation while looking at the operation button unit 500X. This is effective in increasing the attention to the operation button unit 500X.

After executing the process of step S1005, the operation waiting state setting process is executed in step S1006 to end the process for producing the single-shot operation. Specifically, the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. As a result, the operation of the operation button unit 500X is enabled (the operation determination based on the detection information from the detection sensors 576 and 577 is enabled).

Returning to the description of step S1002, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1002, that is, if it is determined that the timing is after the instruction of the one-shot operation, the process proceeds to step S1007. In step S1007, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting state is set. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. If a negative determination is made in step S1007, the single-shot operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1007, the process proceeds to step S1008. In step S1008, it is determined whether or not the operation button unit 500X has been operated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1008, the process proceeds to step S1009, and the operation reception image display command is set. The operation reception image display command is output to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 displays an image indicating that the operation has been accepted on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94. Specifically, a light emitting effect is added to the already displayed image for operation suggestion, and then the image related to the operation suggestion is hidden.

After executing the process of step S1009, the process proceeds to step S1010. In step S1010, it is determined whether or not the current operation matches the taught operation content. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1010, an image display command corresponding to the teaching operation is set in step S1011. The teaching operation corresponding image display command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X, and the control device 573X displays the teaching operation corresponding image on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25 (c), first, a message indicating that the operation was performed correctly (specifically, "COMPLETE") is displayed, and then an image showing the degree of expectation of winning a jackpot in the game round. (For details, a star-shaped icon) is displayed.

On the other hand, when a negative determination is made in step S1010, a teaching operation non-corresponding image display command is set in step S1012. The teaching operation non-compliant image display command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X, and the control device 573X displays the teaching operation non-compliant image on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25 (d), first a message indicating that the operation was not performed correctly (specifically, "INCOMPLETE") is displayed, and then the degree of expectation of winning a jackpot in the game round is shown. Instead of the image, an image that does not include information related to the winning expectation (for details, "...") is displayed.

After executing the processes of steps S1011 and S1012, the operation waiting state is released in step S1013, and the single-shot operation corresponding effect processing is terminated. In the release process, the operation waiting flag stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814 is deleted.

Returning to the description of step S1008, if a negative determination is made in the step S1008, the process proceeds to step S1014. In step S1004, it is determined whether or not it is the end timing of the operation reception by referring to the value of the timer counter. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1014, that is, when the reception end timing is reached, the process proceeds to step S1015. In step S1005, the reception end suggestion image display command is set. This reception end suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143. The display control device 143 performs a fade display so that the operation suggestion image displayed based on this command gradually disappears. At the same time, the teaching image displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is hidden. After executing the command setting process in step S1015, the release process in step S1013 is executed to end the single-shot operation corresponding effect processing.

In the single-shot operation compatible production described in detail above, the jackpot winning expectation is displayed on the display device 572X of the operation button unit 500X when the player performs the correct operation, and the winning expectation is obtained when the correct operation is not performed. The configuration is such that the degree is not displayed. When trying to grasp the information related to the winning expectation degree, it is necessary to confirm how to perform the operation by looking at the operation button unit 500X. As a result, it is possible to encourage the player who wants to grasp the above information to pay attention to the operation button unit 500X.

The operation button unit 500X is a part operated by the player by hand, and the operation surface portion 513 that functions as a window for confirming information is covered by hand. The display corresponding to the operation is once obstructed by the player's own hand, and it is possible to give the impression that the display mode has changed by removing the hand. In other words, rather than simply displaying the information, it is possible to give the impression that the information has been grasped by the player's own choice, and it is possible to encourage active participation in the game (operation).

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 26 and the timing chart of FIG. 27, the selection operation-corresponding effect processing executed when the selection operation-corresponding effect is selected will be described.

(Processing for production corresponding to selection operation)
In the process for producing the selection operation, first, in step S1101, it is determined whether or not the timing for generating the effect corresponding to the selection operation has come. If a negative determination is made in step S1101, the process for producing the main selection operation is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1101, the process proceeds to step S1102.

In step S1102, it is determined whether or not the timing is after the instruction of the selection operation. If a negative determination is made in step S1102, the process proceeds to step S1103. In step S1103, it is determined whether or not it is the suggestion start timing of the selection operation. Specifically, it is stored in advance in the ROM 813 of the notification / effect control device 142 as information on a predetermined count value after the start of the variation display of the symbol. Then, every time an affirmative determination is made in step S1101 after the start of the variation display of the symbol, the value of the suggestion start timing counter provided in the various counter areas 817 is updated, and the value of the counter becomes the above-mentioned predetermined count value. When it is reached, an affirmative determination is made in step S1103.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1103, the process proceeds to step S1104. In step S1104, an operation suggestion image display command is set. The operation suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 executes a process of displaying the operation suggestion image on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 based on this command. Since the image for suggesting the operation is the same as in the case of the one-shot operation corresponding effect (see FIG. 25 (a)), the description is incorporated.

After executing the process of step S1104, the process proceeds to step S1105 to set the teaching command for selection operation. The selection operation teaching command is output to the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X, and the control device 573X executes a process of displaying an image for teaching the selection operation on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. The display timing of the image for teaching is also delayed so as to be later than the display of the suggested image, as in step S1005.

In the selection operation corresponding effect, the effect mode to be executed after that is changed in response to the rotation operation of the operation button unit 500X. Specifically, the operation button unit 500X is rotated (left rotation operation or right rotation operation) to select a character that appears in the subsequent reach effect.

When the instruction command for selection operation is received, a message prompting the player to perform a rotation operation (for example, "Please rotate") is displayed, and then the display screen 572aX is divided in the rotation direction instead of the message. A plurality of character display areas and an arrow indicating a character to be selected (character display area) are displayed. The arrow is a fixed display target in which the position change due to the rotation operation is avoided, and the character display area is configured to be displaced according to the rotation operation (same direction and same rotation angle). That is, the character area indicated by the arrow is switched according to the rotation operation.

After executing the process of step S1105, the operation waiting state setting process is executed in step S1106. Specifically, the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. As a result, the operation of the operation button unit 500X is enabled (the operation determination based on the detection information from the detection sensors 576 and 577 is enabled).

After executing the process of step S1106, the pressing operation invalidation process is executed in the following step S1107. The operation button unit 500 in the present embodiment is allowed to perform a rotation operation while performing a pressing operation. Therefore, if the selection target is determined by the pressing operation after the selection is performed by the rotation operation, there may be a problem that the selection target is erroneously determined during the rotation operation. That is, there is a possibility that an unintended character is selected due to a player's operation error. Therefore, by disabling the pressing operation in step S1107 and disabling the determination operation by the pressing operation, the occurrence of the above inconvenience is avoided. The selection operation depends on the rotation operation, and the pressing operation is irrelevant. In consideration of such circumstances, it is possible to set the setting so that only the rotation operation is effectively accepted at the time of the selection operation corresponding effect, instead of performing the above invalidation process.

Returning to the description of step S1102, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1102, that is, if it is determined that the timing is after the instruction of the selection operation, the process proceeds to step S1108. In step S1108, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting state is set. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. If a negative determination is made in step S1108, the main selection operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1108, the process proceeds to step S1109. In step S1109, it is determined whether or not the operation acceptance end timing has come, that is, whether or not the operation valid period has ended. If a negative determination is made in step S1109, an operation-corresponding display change command is set in step S1110 to end the main selection operation-corresponding effect processing.

In the command setting process of step S1110, the rotation operation direction and rotation angle of the operation block 501 are calculated based on the information from the detection sensor 577 of the operation button unit 500, and the display position of the character display area is changed accordingly. Set a command that contains information. Based on this command, the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X performs a process of changing the display position of the character display area.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1109, the process proceeds to step S1111. In step S1111, an image display command for suggesting the end of reception is set. This reception end suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143. The display control device 143 performs a fade display so that the operation suggestion image displayed based on this command gradually becomes lighter.

In the following step S1112, it is determined whether or not the rotation operation has been performed by the player. When the rotation operation is not performed at all, the teaching image displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is hidden, the operation waiting state is released in step S1116, and then the final selection is performed. Ends the operation-compatible production process.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1112, that is, if it is determined that the rotation operation has been performed even slightly even at a level irrespective of whether or not the selection target has been changed, the process proceeds to step S1113. In step S1113, the image update process for teaching the selection operation is performed. Specifically, as in step S1110, a command including information for changing the display position of the character display area is set according to the operation mode. Based on this command, the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X finally changes the display position of the character display area.

In the following step S1114, the selection result is grasped. That is, a process of grasping which character display area the character display area indicated by the arrow image is is performed by the rotation operation of the player. In this case, first, the area other than the selected character display area is hidden, and then a command for changing the display mode is output to the control device 573X so that the selected character is enlarged and displayed on the entire display screen 572aX of the display device 572X. do.

After that, in step S1115, the display effect content is updated. Specifically, a process of outputting an effect mode determination command including the information to the display control device 143 is performed so that the reach effect using the selected character is executed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94. .. As a result, the character selected by the player is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, and the reach display is advanced. The character displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is hidden at the timing when the character is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94.

After executing the process of step S1115, the process of canceling the operation waiting state is executed in step S1116, and the process for producing the effect corresponding to the main selection operation is terminated.

Here, with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 27, the flow of the selection operation corresponding effect will be described. At the timing of ta2 when a predetermined period has elapsed from the timing of ta1 when the game round has started, first, an image (button icon and timer icon) for suggesting an operation is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94.

At the timing of ta3 after that, the image for teaching the selection operation is displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X after the display of the image for suggesting the operation. In the example shown in FIG. 27, three types of characters that can appear in the subsequent reach display are set, and a character display area corresponding to each character on a one-to-one basis is set as a section on the display screen 572aX. At the same time, an arrow image is displayed on the display screen 572aX.

When the rotation operation is performed by the player, the display content of the display screen 572aX is changed accordingly. Here, the character display area being displayed is displayed so as to be displaced according to the rotation operation. The display device 572X in the present embodiment is a fixed type, and by displacing the character display area in the same direction as the rotation operation and by the same amount, the display device 572X appears to be rotating. It is possible.

At the timing of ta4, the rotation operation of the player is completed, and the arrow indicates the character display area to be selected. At the timing of the following ta5, the variation display mode of the symbol on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 shifts from the normal variation display to the reach variation display. Then, when the operation valid period ends at the timing of ta6 thereafter, the display effect using the character selected at that time is determined.

After the timing of ta6, the character selected on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is enlarged and displayed, and the character moves from the display screen 572aX to the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94.

After the character is transferred from the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X to the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 at the timing of ta6, the entire display screen 572aX of the display device 572X emits light in a specific color. This light emission is continued until the game round is completed.

By displaying the selection target on the operation button unit 500X on which the selection operation is performed, the points that the player should pay attention to can be aggregated. As a result, a configuration is realized in which it is easy to intuitively grasp what kind of operation is required to make a selection. Further, the image displayed on the operation button unit 500X (display device 572X) rotates following the rotation operation of the player. As a result, it becomes clear at a glance how the operation is reflected, and the result can be grasped at the same time while checking the operation at hand, which can contribute to the improvement of the convenience of the player.

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 28 and the timing chart of FIG. 29, the continuous striking operation corresponding effect processing to be executed when the continuous striking operation corresponding effect is selected will be described.

(Processing for directing for repeated hits)
In the process for producing the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation, first, in step S1201, it is determined whether or not the timing for generating the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation has come. If a negative determination is made in step S1201, the process for producing the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1201, the process proceeds to step S1202.

In step S1202, it is determined whether or not the timing is after the instruction of the continuous striking operation. If a negative determination is made in step S1202, the process proceeds to step S1203. In step S1203, it is determined whether or not it is the suggestion start timing of the continuous striking operation. Specifically, it is stored in advance in the ROM 813 of the notification / effect control device 142 as information on a predetermined count value after the start of the variation display of the symbol. Then, every time an affirmative determination is made in step S1201 after the start of the variation display of the symbol, the value of the suggestion start timing counter provided in the various counter areas 817 is updated, and the value of the counter becomes the above-mentioned predetermined count value. When it is reached, an affirmative determination is made in step S1203.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1203, the process proceeds to step S1204. In step S1204, an operation suggestion image display command is set. The operation suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 executes a process of displaying the operation suggestion image on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 based on this command. Since the image for suggesting the operation is the same as in the case of the one-shot operation corresponding effect (see FIG. 25 (a)), the explanation is incorporated.

After executing the process of step S1204, the process proceeds to step S1205 to set a teaching command for continuous striking operation. The continuous striking operation teaching command is output to the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X, and the control device 573X executes a process of displaying an image for continuous striking operation teaching on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. The display timing of the image for teaching is also delayed so as to be later than the display of the suggested image, as in step S1005.

In the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation, the pressing operation of the operation button unit 500X is repeated, so that the image displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X changes in response to the pressing operation, and the symbol is displayed according to the change. The display screen 94a of the device 94 is configured to display an image corresponding to the repeated hitting operation.

When the control device 573X receives the instruction command for continuous operation, it first displays "continuous operation!" As a message for instructing continuous operation, and then displays the pump image as an image that changes by the pressing operation. I do. As a result, on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X, an image imitating a vertically placed pump is displayed.

After executing the process of step S1205, the operation waiting state setting process is executed in step S1206. Specifically, the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. As a result, the operation of the operation button unit 500X is enabled (the operation determination based on the detection information from the detection sensors 576 and 577 is enabled).

After executing the process of step S1206, the rotation operation invalidation process is executed in the following step S1207. In this continuous striking effect, the pressing operation is targeted instead of the rotating operation, so the former is invalidated to reduce the control load. In view of the fact that the continuous striking operation depends on the pressing operation and is irrelevant to the rotation operation, only the pressing operation is effectively accepted at the time of the continuous striking operation corresponding effect, instead of performing the above invalidation process. It can also be set.

Returning to the description of step S1202, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1202, that is, if it is determined that the timing is after the instruction of the continuous striking operation, the process proceeds to step S1208. In step S1208, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting state is set. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. If a negative determination is made in step S1208, the main selection operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1208, the process proceeds to step S1209. In step S1209, it is determined whether or not the pressing operation is performed based on the detection information from the detection sensor 576. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1209, the process proceeds to step S1210 to set the teaching image variable command. The teaching image variable command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X.

Based on the command, the control device 573X controls the display so that the display screen 572aX displays a moving image in which the pump is compressed by the pressing operation and the pump returns to the state before compression when the pressing operation is released. conduct.

After executing the process of step S1210, the process proceeds to step S1211. In step S1211, the operation-compatible image display command is set. The operation-compatible image display command is transmitted to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 displays the operation-compatible image (bubble image in the present embodiment) on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 based on this command. Display control is performed so as to.

In the present embodiment, the symbol display device 94 is arranged above the operation button unit 500X, and the pump displayed on the operation button unit 500X is compressed to display the symbol on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94. A bubble image rising from the lower end to the upper end of the screen 94a is displayed, and an integrated effect using both display screens 94a and 572aX is executed.

Returning to the description of step S1209, if a negative determination is made in step S1209, the process proceeds to step S1212. In step S1212, it is determined whether or not the operation acceptance end timing has come, that is, whether or not the operation valid period has ended. If a negative determination is made in step S1212, the process for producing the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1212, the process proceeds to step S1213 to perform an operation count comparison process. In this continuous striking effect, the subsequent display effect is executed based on the fact that the pressing operation is performed a predetermined number of times or more. This specified number of times is relatively small in the case of a jackpot result or when a reach effect with a high expectation is executed even if it is a missed result, and it is set to a low expectation even if it is a missed result. When the reach effect is executed, it is set to be relatively large.

After executing the comparison process in step S1213, the process proceeds to step S1214. In step S1214, a result display image display command is set. The result display image display command is transmitted to the display control device 143. The display control device 143 displays an image corresponding to the result of the continuous striking operation based on the result display image display command.

Specifically, when the number of operations has not reached the above-mentioned specified number of times, "???" is displayed as an image corresponding to the fact that the specified number of times has not been reached on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94. It will be. On the other hand, when the number of operations has reached the specified number of times, "EXCELENT" or "GOOD" is displayed as an image suggesting the degree of expectation of winning a big hit in the game. The former is more likely to be displayed than the latter in the game times with high expectation (specified number of times = small), and the latter is more likely to be displayed than the former in the game times with low expectation (specified number of times = many). There is.

After executing the setting process of step S1214, the operation waiting state release process is executed in step S1215 to end the process for producing the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation.

Here, with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 29, the flow of the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation will be described. At the timing of tb2 when a predetermined period elapses from the timing of tb1 when the game round starts, the variation display mode of the symbol on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 is switched from the normal variation display to the reach variation display. After that, at the timing of tb3, first, an image (button icon and timer icon) for suggesting an operation is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94.

At the subsequent timing of tb4, the image for teaching the continuous striking operation is displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X after the display of the image for suggesting the operation. In the example shown in FIG. 29, the characters "continuous hitting!" Are first displayed as an image for teaching the continuous hitting operation, and then an image imitating a pump is displayed in a vertical orientation.

As shown in the timing of tb5 and the like, when the pressing operation is performed by the player, the display content of the display screen 572aX is changed accordingly. Here, the pump image being displayed is compressed in response to the pressing operation, and the moving image is displayed so that the pump image returns to the original state when the pressing operation is released. A bubble image is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 in accordance with such a change in the pump image. This bubble image appears from the lower end of the display screen 94a and disappears when it reaches the upper end of the display screen 94a.

After the timing of tb6 when the number of pressing operations exceeds the specified number, the amount of bubbles displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 by one pressing operation is once compared with the amount of bubbles. The amount of bubbles generated by the pressing operation will be changed so as to increase. This suggests that the number of operations has reached the specified number of times.

After that, when the operation validity period ends at the timing of tb7, "EXCELENT" as a message indicating the expected degree of jackpot in the game times is displayed on the display screen of the symbol display device 94, provided that the number of operations exceeds the specified number of times. It will be displayed on 94a. At the same time, the entire display screen 572aX of the display device 572X emits light in a specific color. This light emission is continued until the game round is completed.

By displaying a pump image that can be deformed by pressing on the operation button unit 500X on which the continuous striking operation is performed and deforming the pump by the pressing operation, the operation button unit 500X itself can be expressed as if it were a pump. The relationship between the button unit 500X and the operation can be strengthened. When the pump is deformed by operating the operation button unit 500X, a bubble image is displayed on the symbol display device 94 (display screen 94a) as a result. As a result, the relationship between the display content of the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X and the display content on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 is strengthened, and an integrated effect using both display screens 94a and 572aX is performed. Can be done.

The pump image displayed on the display screen 572aX is variably displayed so as to be recognized by the player when it is compressed in the pressing operation direction. This gives the player the impression that the change in the pump image and the movement of the cover unit 510 are closely related, and the relationship between the display content of the display screen 572aX and the movement of the cover unit 510 can be further strengthened. ..

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 30 and the schematic view of FIG. 31, the continuous operation compatible effect processing executed when the continuous operation compatible effect is selected will be described.

(Processing for continuous operation)
In the continuous operation compatible effect processing, first, in step S1301, it is determined whether or not the continuous operation compatible effect is generated. If a negative determination is made in step S1301, the continuous operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1301, the process proceeds to step S1302.

In step S1302, it is determined whether or not the timing is after the teaching of continuous operation. If a negative determination is made in step S1302, the process proceeds to step S1303. In step S1303, it is determined whether or not it is the suggestion start timing of continuous operation. Specifically, it is stored in advance in the ROM 813 of the notification / effect control device 142 as information on a predetermined count value after the start of the variation display of the symbol. Then, every time an affirmative determination is made in step S1301 after the start of the variation display of the symbol, the value of the suggestion start timing counter provided in the various counter areas 817 is updated, and the value of the counter becomes the above-mentioned predetermined count value. When it is reached, an affirmative determination is made in step S1303.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1303, the process proceeds to step S1304. In step S1204, an operation suggestion image display command is set. The operation suggestion image display command is output to the display control device 143, and the display control device 143 executes a process of displaying the operation suggestion image on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 based on this command. Since the image for suggesting the operation is the same as in the case of the one-shot operation corresponding effect (see FIG. 25 (a)), the explanation is incorporated.

After executing the process of step S1304, the process proceeds to step S1305 to set a continuous operation teaching command. The continuous operation teaching command is output to the control device 573X of the display device unit 502X, and the control device 573X executes a process of displaying an image for continuous operation teaching on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X based on this command. The display timing of the image for teaching is also delayed so as to be later than the display of the suggested image, as in step S1005.

In the continuous operation compatible effect, the operation of the operation button unit 500X is correctly performed in the specified order, so that the image displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X changes, and the symbol display device 94 changes according to the change. The mode of reach display executed on the display screen 94a of is changed.

When the control device 573X receives the continuous operation teaching command, the control device 573X performs display control so as to display an image that teaches the operation to be performed first (either the pressing operation, the left rotation operation, or the right rotation operation).

After executing the process of step S1305, the operation waiting state setting process is executed in step S1306, and the continuous operation corresponding effect processing is terminated. In the operation waiting state setting process, the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. As a result, the operation of the operation button unit 500X is enabled (the operation determination based on the detection information from the detection sensors 576 and 577 is enabled).

Returning to the description of step S1302, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1302, that is, if it is determined that the timing is after the teaching of continuous operation, the process proceeds to step S1307. Step S1307 determines whether or not the operation waiting state is set. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the operation waiting flag is stored in the various flag storage areas 816 of the RAM 814. If a negative determination is made in step S1307, the continuous operation corresponding effect processing is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1307, the process proceeds to step S1308. In step S1308, it is determined whether or not the operation has been performed based on the detection information from the detection sensors 576 and 577. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1308, the process proceeds to step S1309 to determine whether or not the current operation matches the instructed operation.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1309, the process proceeds to step S1310. In step S1310, an image display command corresponding to the teaching operation is set. The teaching operation-corresponding image display command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X. The control device 573X displays an image showing that the correct operation has been performed based on the command.

After executing the setting process of step S1310, the process proceeds to step S1311. In step S1311, it is determined whether or not the number of operations has reached the specified number of times (specified number of steps) determined at the time of determining the continuous operation corresponding effect. If a negative determination is made in step S1311, that is, if it is determined that the number of operations has not yet reached the specified number, the process proceeds to step S1312, and the next operation teaching image display command is set. The next operation instruction image display command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X. Based on the command, the control device 573X performs display control so as to display an image that teaches the next operation (either a pressing operation, a left rotation operation, or a right rotation operation).

On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1311, that is, if it is determined that the number of operations has reached the specified number, the process proceeds to step S1313. In step S1313, a process of updating the content of the reach effect display executed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 in correspondence with the content displayed on the display device 572X (display screen 572aX) of the operation button unit 500X. I do. Specifically, a process of transmitting information (command) related to the confirmed reach effect display to the display control device 143 is performed. As a result, on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, the display effect associated with the image previously displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is executed.

After executing the process of step S1313, the operation waiting state is released in step S1314, and the continuous operation corresponding effect processing is terminated.

Returning to the description of step S1309, if a negative determination is made in step S1309, that is, if it is determined that the operation is not performed correctly, the process proceeds to step S1315. In step S1315, an image display command that does not correspond to the teaching operation is set. The teaching operation non-corresponding image display command is transmitted to the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X. The control device 573X displays an image showing that an erroneous operation has been performed based on the command. After that, after executing each of the processes of steps S131 and S1314, the process for producing the continuous operation is completed.

Returning to the description of step S1308, if a negative determination is made in step S1308, that is, if it is determined that no operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S1316. In step S1316, it is determined whether or not the operation acceptance end timing has come, that is, whether or not the operation valid period has ended. If a negative determination is made in step S1316, the process for producing the effect corresponding to the continuous striking operation is terminated as it is.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1316, the process proceeds to step S1317 to set the reception end suggestion image display command. The command is transmitted to the display control device 143 and the control device 573X of the operation button unit 500X. As a result, an image suggesting that the valid period has expired is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 and the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X. After executing the process of step S1317, each process of steps S1313 and S1314 is executed, and the process for producing the continuous operation is completed.

Here, with reference to the schematic view of FIG. 31, the flow of the continuous operation corresponding effect will be described. When the game round starts and the continuous operation corresponding effect starts, first, an image (button icon and timer icon) for suggesting operation is displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94.

After that, an image for teaching continuous operation is displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X. In the example shown in FIG. 31, since the pressing operation is selected as the first operation (first operation), the characters "press!" Are displayed on the display screen 572aX as an image for teaching the pressing operation.

Here, when the left rotation operation and the right rotation operation are performed, or when the operation is not performed within the valid period, "INCOMPLETE" is displayed as a message to that effect on the display screen 572aX, and the symbol is displayed. On the display screen 94a of the device 94, a reach display (normal reach display) without a character is executed.

On the other hand, if the correct operation (in this case, the pressing operation) is performed according to the teaching content, the character image of the girl is displayed on the display screen 572aX. When "1" is set as the specified number of times related to the continuous operation corresponding effect, the character image is moved to the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, and the reach display accompanied by the character image is executed. It becomes.

When "2" is set as the specified number of times related to the continuous operation corresponding effect, the next operation is taught. Specifically, when the right rotation operation is selected as the next operation, the characters "right rotation" are displayed on the display screen 572aX as an image for teaching the right rotation operation.

Here, when the pressing operation, the counterclockwise rotation operation is performed, or the operation is not performed within the valid period, "INCOMPLETE" is displayed as a message to that effect on the display screen 572aX, and the symbol display device. On the display screen 94a of 94, the reach display (super reach display) accompanied by the currently displayed character image is executed.

On the other hand, if the correct operation (in this case, the right rotation operation) is performed according to the teaching content, the character image of the girl displayed on the display screen 572aX will change. When "2" is set as the specified number of times related to the continuous operation corresponding effect, the changed character image is transferred to the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, and the reach display accompanied by the character image is executed. Will be done.

When "3" is set as the specified number of times related to the continuous operation corresponding effect, the next operation is taught. Specifically, when the left rotation operation is selected as the next operation, the characters "left rotation" are displayed on the display screen 572aX as an image for teaching the left rotation operation.

Here, when the pressing operation, the clockwise rotation operation, or the operation is not performed within the valid period, "INCOMPLETE" is displayed as a message to that effect on the display screen 572aX, and the symbol display device. On the display screen 94a of 94, the reach display (super reach display) accompanied by the currently displayed character image is executed.

On the other hand, if the correct operation (in this case, the right rotation operation) is performed according to the teaching content, the character image of the girl displayed on the display screen 572aX will be further changed. The changed character image is transferred to the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, and the reach display accompanied by the character image is executed.

In the continuous operation corresponding effect, the mode of the operation to be executed is taught to the operation button unit 500X as the operation target, and the information according to the result of the operation is also displayed on the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X. .. By entrusting the display before and after the operation to the operation button unit 500X as the operation target in this way, it is not necessary to alternately look at both display screens 94a and 572a, and the burden on the eyes of the player can be reduced. It is possible to make the production related to the operation easy to understand.

Further, when the previous operation is answered correctly, the next operation is taught on the display screen 572aX, and the continuous operation can be experienced. However, such instruction of the next operation is not performed when the previous operation is incorrect. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the teaching content on the display screen 572aX in order to continue the operation in the correct procedure, and it is possible to urge the player to pay attention to the operation button unit 500X.

According to the third embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

A predetermined effect is executed by moving (by operating) the cover unit 510 as a "cover body" that covers the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X. By imparting the function as an operating means to the cover unit 510 as a protective member of the display screen 572aX in this way, the cover unit 510 is inevitably easily in the field of view when the display screen 572aX is being watched, and the cover is covered. When operating the unit 510, the display contents of the display screen 572aX can be easily seen. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cover unit 510 from being operated in a state where it is out of sight. Therefore, for example, the relationship between the display screen 572aX and the operation can be strengthened, and the degree of attention to the game using the operation means can be suitably contributed.

The operation mode of the operation button unit 500X is taught by the display device 572X (display screen 572aX) built in the operation button unit 500X. Since the teaching content is visible through the cover unit 510, it is difficult to understand the meaning of the content displayed on the display screen 572aX, and it is possible to prevent the operation function of the operation button unit 500X from being poorly utilized.

Further, since the display screen 572aX is visually confirmed to determine in which mode the operation should be performed, the player's attention can be directed to the operation button unit 500X. As a result, a game of confirming the operation mode is added, and it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of inconvenience such that the operation is appropriately performed without paying attention to the operation button unit 500X.

Even if the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 is being watched and a display suggesting the operation of the operation button unit 500X is displayed on the display screen 94a, what kind of operation should be actually performed. It will be unknown until the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X is confirmed. Therefore, when operating, a game is added in which the operation mode is first confirmed on the display screen 572aX, and the monotonousness of the game can be suitably suppressed by changing the immediate area.

When the operation is suggested on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, an operation error may occur if the operation is performed without confirming the operation mode on the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X. The display mode changes depending on whether or not the operation is possible (success or failure). Specifically, a predetermined effect is executed when the answer is correct, but a predetermined effect is not executed when the answer is incorrect. As a result, it is possible to prompt the player who wants to see a predetermined effect to confirm the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X.

By moving the cover unit 510, the display mode on the display screen 572aX built in the operation button unit 500X changes in conjunction with (following) the movement thereof. According to such a configuration, the relationship between the operation and the display mode can be strengthened, and the cover unit 510 and the display screen 572aX can be used for an integrated effect.

By operating the operation button unit 500X, the design displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X built in the operation button unit 500X changes, and the display screen 94a of the design display device 94 changes according to the change. The displayed pattern will also change. By linking the cover unit 510, the display device 572X, and the symbol display device 94 in this way, it is possible to perform an integrated effect with these various configurations, and it is possible to attract attention to the operation button unit 500X. ..

<Other embodiments>
The content is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented as follows, for example. Incidentally, the following configurations of another embodiment may be applied individually to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, or may be applied in combination with each other.

(1) As shown in the above embodiment, in the operation direction (pressing operation direction) of the operation button unit 40 as the "operation means", the upper bulging portion 28 (the upper plate 33 as the "storage plate" is attached. The operation button unit 40 may be fixed to the frame 20 as a "base portion" so that the relative displacement of the operation button unit 40 with respect to the target) is allowed, and the specific structure thereof is arbitrary. If such a prerequisite function is guaranteed, the operation button unit 40 is not supported from below by the mounting frame 450 as a "frame portion", but is operated by changing the shape of the mounting frame. It is also possible to suspend the button unit 40 from above.

However, since the glass unit 30 is located above the upper bulging portion 28, it is assumed that when the above modification is adopted, the restrictions on the structure / shape become stronger. In consideration of such circumstances, it is preferable to have a structure in which the operation button unit 40 is supported from below by the mounting frame 450 as shown in the above embodiment.

(2) In the above embodiment, the operation button unit 40 as the "operating means" is arranged on the upper bulging portion 28, but the object of arranging the operation button unit 40 is, for example, the lower bulging portion. It is also possible.

(3) In the above embodiment, the operation button unit 40 is arranged side by side so that the operation button unit 40 is on the front side and the upper plate 33 is on the back side. If both of 33 are arranged, the above arrangement can be changed as follows.

That is, the arrangement may be reversed so that the operation button unit 40 is on the back side and the upper plate 33 is on the front side, or the operation button unit 40 and the upper plate 33 may be arranged side by side. However, when consideration is given to facilitating access to the operation button unit 40 and suppressing ball spillage from the upper plate 33, it is preferable to use the above-mentioned positional relationship.

(4) In the above embodiment, the push type of the operation button unit 40 as the "operation means" is used, but a contact type can also be used.

(5) In the above embodiment, the mounting frame 450 is fixed to the frame body 20 via the extension portion 465 and the vertical frames 471, 481, but at least the mounting frame 450 can be fixed to the frame body 20. If possible, it is sufficient, and at least one of the extension portion 465 and the vertical frames 471 and 481 can be omitted. However, when the pressing type and large operation button unit 40 is arranged as shown in the above embodiment, the stress generated by the pressing operation of the player becomes large and the mounting frame 450 itself that supports the operation button unit 40 itself. Is more likely to be plastically deformed. Further, it is assumed that such an event occurs more prominently as the distance between the frame body 20 and the operation button unit 40 increases. Therefore, in order to realize the simplification of the mounting structure described above, addition of beads, ribs, and flanges extending over, for example, the horizontal frame 461 and the extension portion 465 so that the support strength by the mounting frame 450 is sufficiently ensured. It is preferable to devise other measures related to strength assurance.

(6) In the above embodiment, the opening flange 423 of the holder member 402 in the operation button unit 40 is configured to wrap around the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 from above, but the positional relationship between the two is reversed. It is also possible to wrap the holder member 402 of the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 from the upper side with the opening flange 423.

(7) In the above embodiment, even when the button member 401 is displaced to the maximum pressing position, the operation surface portion 411 remains protruding above the opening 316 of the upper bulging portion (in the direction opposite to the pressing direction). However, it is also possible to configure the operation surface portion 411 to be completely buried in the upper bulging portion 28. However, in such a configuration, for example, when the player performs the pressing operation so that both the upper surface portion 311 and the operation surface portion 411 of the upper bulging portion 28 are touched, the hand easily touches the upper surface portion 311. In this case, the above-mentioned various effects due to the operation button unit 40 being supported by the mounting frame 450 instead of the upper bulging portion 28 are not exhibited well. Therefore, it is desirable that the button member 401 is configured so that a part of the button member 401 projects upward from the upper surface portion 311 of the upper bulging portion 28 even when the maximum pressing position is reached.

(8) In the above embodiment, the pressing operation is performed by forming the opening 316 formed in the upper bulging portion 28 so as to straddle the upper surface portion 311, the front surface portion 313, and the back surface portion 314 of the upper bulging portion 28. The possibility that the player's hand hits other than the operation button unit 40 (that is, the upper bulging portion 28) is reduced, but the possibility that the player's hand hits other than the operation button unit 40 is reduced. The configuration may be such that it straddles one of the portion 311 and the front portion 313 and the back portion 314. However, considering that the direction in which the player accesses the operation button unit 40 tends to be from the front of the gaming machine, it is preferable that the opening 316 extends at least over the upper surface portion 311 and the front surface portion 313.

(9) In the above embodiment, the storage area SE is formed by the upper plate 33 and the front surface portion 36 of the frame body 20, but it is also possible to form the storage area by the upper plate 33 alone. Even in such a case, the deformation of the upper plate 33 can be suppressed by suppressing the distortion of the upper bulging portion 28, and the storage function and the rectifying function of the alignment passage 320 can be suitably ensured. Further, it is possible to suppress the deviation between the inlet / outlet of the upper plate and the supply port 37 / discharge port 38 of the frame body 20 to ensure the smooth movement of the game ball.

Although the upper plate 33 is fixed to the upper bulging portion 28, it is also possible to fix the upper plate 33 to the frame body 20.

(10) In the above embodiment, the vertical frames 471 and 481 of the mounting frame 450 are arranged on the left and right of the discharge port 38, but if at least a plurality of vertical frames are provided apart from each other, the positions of the vertical frames are arbitrary. It is also possible to change to. However, if the upper plate 33 is distorted or the like, the movement of the game ball through the discharge port 38 is hindered because the discharge port 38 is in a deep position that is difficult to reach for security reasons. If so, it is not preferable. Therefore, it is technically significant to arrange fixed portions on both sides of the discharge port where the exposure is suppressed and which is easily affected by distortion and the like to suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned inconvenience.

(11) In the above embodiment, the woofer 46 as the "effect device" is arranged in the lower bulging portion 29, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a light effect device such as a light emitting means or a wind generator. It is also possible to place.

(12) In the above embodiment, the horizontal frame 461 of the mounting frame 450 is housed in the internal space IS of the upper bulging portion 28, and a gap is provided between the horizontal frame 461 and the lower surface portion 312 of the upper bulging portion 28. As a result, the configuration is such that the lateral frame 461 is allowed to bend and deform due to the pressing operation. That is, the configuration is such that a displacement region for the horizontal frame 461 is secured in the internal space IS. This may be changed as follows. That is, an open portion that allows the passage of the horizontal frame 461 may be provided on the lower surface portion 312 of the upper bulging portion 28.

(13) In the above embodiment, the operation direction of the operation button unit 40 is set downward, but the operation direction can be arbitrarily changed. For example, when the operation direction is set to be rearward, the mounting frame for the operation button unit is allowed to be deformed between the upper bulging portion 28 and the upper plate 33 (the entire operation button unit is allowed to be displaced rearward). It is good to secure a gap. However, such a gap may cause pressure on the storage area or increase the amount of protrusion of the upper bulging portion 28. Therefore, preferably, as shown in the above embodiment, when the storage pan and the operation button unit are arranged in the front-rear direction, the side-by-side direction and the operation direction of the button intersect (preferably orthogonal to each other). As a configuration, it is preferable to avoid the occurrence of these various inconveniences.

(14) In the second embodiment, the movable decoration unit 502 is movable, but it is sufficient if at least a function of executing a display effect is provided, and the movable decoration member 574 and the motor 575 are included. One of the mechanism and the light emitting substrate 572 that performs the light effect may be omitted.

(15) In the second embodiment, the motor 575 attached to the movable decorative unit 502 as the "display effect device" is pressed through the through hole 553 formed in the pedestal 552 as the "second support portion". By projecting in the direction, the position of the center of gravity of the movable decorative unit 502 is made closer to the pedestal 552 as the "second support portion", but such a configuration is not essential.

However, in the present embodiment, since the weight ratio of the movable decorative unit 502 is biased toward the motor 575, improvement of the support balance can be expected by projecting such a configuration. In view of such a technical idea, even if the motor 575 is not provided, a part of the "display effect device" is projected to the back side in the operation direction from the contact point with the first support portion. Therefore, it can contribute to the improvement of the support balance.

(16) In the second and third embodiments, the annular projection 554 as the "first support portion" formed on the holder 503 as the "holder portion" is used as the pedestal 552 as the "second support portion". Although it is arranged so as to surround it, it is also possible to reverse the positional relationship between the two.

However, when the large cover unit 510 is supported so that it can be pressed, the support position is biased to the center, which makes it difficult to secure the support balance and causes distortion or the like due to the bending moment due to the pressing operation. It is expected to be easier. In view of such circumstances, the above arrangement has technical significance in achieving both improvement in operability and support function.

(17) In the second and third embodiments, the contact portion 558 that abuts the portion of the bottom portion 551 of the holder 503 that is opposite to the annular protrusion 554 as the "first support portion" to the mounting frame 450. However, it is also possible to use a portion on the opposite side of the "second support portion" or the opposite side of the "first support portion" and the "second support portion" as the contact portion.

By arranging the annular protrusion 554 as the "first support portion" and the contact portion 558 so as to have a front-to-back relationship, it is possible to contribute to further strengthening of the above-mentioned dispersion function.

(18) In the second and third embodiments, the operation block 501 of the operation button unit 500 is displaced by a pressing operation, but it is not necessarily configured to be displaced in the pressing direction. It is also possible to monitor the pressure rising by the pressing operation with a pressure sensor or the like and detect that the pressing operation is performed from such a change in pressure.

(19) In the second and third embodiments, the pressing operation, the left rotation operation, and the right rotation operation are set as a plurality of different operations, but the operation is not limited thereto. In place of or in addition to these various operations, other operations such as a tension operation and a touch operation (contact operation) may be adopted. The touch operation can be monitored by using a sensor such as a contact sensor or a photo sensor such as an infrared ray.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the configuration is such that another operation can be executed under the situation where the operation 1 is taught, but the configuration is such that the operation other than the operation taught by using the lock mechanism or the like is blocked. It is also possible to do.

(20) In the continuous operation corresponding effect in the third embodiment, the next operation is taught triggered by the pressing operation, but the pressing operation is released at the teaching timing of the next operation, and the cover unit 510. It may be configured to delay until the timing when is returned to the standby position. Further, it may be regulated so that the next operation cannot be performed until the operation is canceled.

(21) In the third embodiment described above, a plurality of operation modes are set by separately handling the pressing operation and the rotating operation, but the rotating operation includes the rotating operation in the pressed state and the rotating operation in the non-pressed state. By distinguishing between the above, further diversification of the operation mode may be realized.

(22) In the third embodiment, the pump image is displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X, and the pump image is compressed → restored according to the movement of pressing → returning of the cover unit 510. .. Here, by providing a plurality of press detection sensors having different detection positions and configuring the press position to be monitored in more detail, the ability to follow the movement of the cover unit 510 for changes in the pump image described above is enhanced. May be good.

Further, the image displayed on the display screen 572aX of the display device 572X is not limited to the pump image. However, if this image is configured so as to be recognized as being deformed in the same direction as the pressing direction of the cover unit 510 by the pressing operation, it further contributes to the strengthening of the above-mentioned relationship. Can be expected. For example, an image of a mole may be displayed instead of a pump image, and the cover unit 510 may be hit to display a configuration in which the mole is recessed. In this case, by limiting the display period of the mole and configuring it so that the above change occurs and the operation is successful when the pressing operation is performed during the display period, it is possible to contribute to the improvement of the interest of the gaming machine.

(23) In the third embodiment, when the operation button unit 500X is used for the operation effect, the image related to the variable display of the symbol in the symbol display device 94, for example, the symbol composed of the character portion and the number portion is the number portion. It is also possible to configure the variable display so that it can be confirmed by the display device 572X by displaying the simplified one only.

In the configuration in which the variable display of the pattern corresponding to the game times is performed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94, the variable display is strongly related to the interests of the player. Therefore, the player's attention tends to be directed to the display screen 94a. That is, there is a concern that even if some display is performed on the display screen 572aX of the operation button unit 500X, there is a high possibility that it will be overlooked. Therefore, under the situation where the operation of the operation button unit 500X is taught on the display screen 572aX, the information corresponding to the variation display of the pattern displayed on the display screen 94a of the symbol display device 94 is displayed on the display screen 572aX. With this configuration, the player can grasp the progress of the game even when paying attention to the operation button unit 500X. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress a decrease in attention to the operation button unit 500X due to the above-mentioned reason.

(24) In the selection operation corresponding effect in the third embodiment, the arrow image is fixed and the selected image (character display area) is rotated. However, the selected image is fixed and the arrow image is displayed. It is also possible to make it rotate.

Further, in the operation button unit 500X, it is possible to give the cover unit 510 a pattern corresponding to the arrow image instead of displaying the arrow as an image.

(25) Other types of pachinko machines different from the above embodiments, for example, pachinko machines in which the electric accessory opens a predetermined number of times when a game ball enters a specific area of the special device, or a game in a specific area of the special device. The present invention can also be applied to pachinko machines that generate a right when a ball enters and become a big hit, pachinko machines equipped with other accessories, arrange ball machines, and game machines such as sparrow balls.

In addition, a non-ballistic gaming machine, for example, a plurality of reels having a plurality of types of symbols attached in the circumferential direction is provided, the reels are started to rotate by inserting medals and operating the start lever, and the stop switch is operated. After the reels have stopped after a predetermined time has passed, if a specific symbol or a combination of specific symbols is established on the effective line that can be seen from the display window, a privilege such as a medal payout is given to the player. The present invention can also be applied to slot machines.

Further, the gaming machine body supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable is provided with a storage unit and a take-in device, and the start lever is operated after a predetermined number of game balls stored in the storage unit are taken in by the take-in device. The present invention can also be applied to a gaming machine in which a pachinko machine and a slot machine are fused, which starts the rotation of the reel.

<About the invention group extracted from each of the above embodiments>
Hereinafter, the characteristics of the invention group extracted from each of the above-described embodiments will be described while showing the effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for the sake of easy understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above-described embodiment are appropriately shown in parentheses or the like, but the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations shown in the parentheses or the like.

The invention described in the following feature A group states that "a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine is provided with a bulging portion that bulges forward from the frame body constituting the front portion of the gaming machine, and the bulging portion is provided with the bulging portion. Some are provided with a storage plate for storing game balls. The game balls stored in the storage plate are sequentially launched into the game area by the game ball launching mechanism. In recent years, this swelling. It has been proposed that an operating means operated by a player is provided at a protrusion, and for example, a specific effect or the like is executed according to the operation of the player (see Patent Document 1). In this type of gaming machine, swelling is performed. Regarding the background technology that the player's convenience is improved, such as facilitating access to both configurations by installing a storage plate and operating means at the outlet, "However, regarding the operating means. Is a part operated by the player, and when a load generated by the operation is received, it is assumed that the bulging portion is deformed such as distortion due to the load. In particular, the bulging portion is cantilevered. Due to the structural characteristic that the above-mentioned strain is increased, the above-mentioned strain can be increased centering on the base end portion of the bulging portion. It becomes a factor that affects the storage function and the like given to the storage dish by being transmitted. ”It was made with the problem to be solved by the invention.

(Feature A group)
Features A1. In a gaming machine having a base portion (frame body 20) and a gaming machine front portion (front door frame 14) having a bulging portion (upper bulging portion 28) that bulges forward from the base portion to the gaming machine.
A storage plate (upper plate 33) that is integrated with the bulging portion and stores game balls,
An operating means (operation button unit 40) provided on the bulge and operated by the player,
It is provided with a frame portion (mounting frame 450) that projects from the base portion to the same side as the bulging portion and is attached to the base portion by fixing the base end portion to the base portion.
The operating means is a gaming machine characterized in that the bulging portion, the storage plate, and the frame portion are fixed to the frame portion.

The storage dish shown in feature A1 is easily accessible from the front of the gaming machine by being arranged in the bulging portion that bulges in front of the gaming machine. As a result, workability is improved when replenishing game balls and clearing ball clogging, and it is easy to check the remaining balls. Here, by arranging the operating means in the bulging portion that is the target of arranging the storage dish, access to the operating means becomes easy as in the case of the storage dish, which can contribute to the improvement of convenience.

Here, although the operating means is provided in the bulging portion, the object to be fixed thereof is not the bulging portion but the frame portion. Therefore, even if a large load is generated due to a strong pressing of the operating means, the load is distributed to the base portion via the frame portion. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress the occurrence of distortion in the bulging portion (particularly the storage dish) due to the influence of the load. In this way, by suppressing the influence on the storage dish (storage area), the storage dish and the operating means can be suitably coexisted at the bulging portion.

Feature A2. The operating means and the storage plate are characterized in that the operating means are arranged side by side so that the operating means is on the tip end side of the bulging portion and the storage plate is on the base end side of the bulging portion. The gaming machine described in.

When the operating means is arranged on the tip side (front side) in a configuration in which the bulging portion is cantilevered as shown in the feature A1, access to the operating means can be facilitated, and the operation is performed. It is possible to contribute to the suppression of ball spillage from the storage dish while avoiding the difficulty in operating the means. However, according to such a configuration, since the load (stress) generated at the proximal end portion tends to increase with the operation, there is a concern that the inconvenience shown in the feature A1 tends to occur. In this regard, if the technical idea shown in the feature A1 is applied to the configuration shown in the present feature, it is possible to preferably suppress the occurrence of inconvenience caused by the various effects described above.

In particular, if the technical idea shown in feature A1 is applied to "a configuration in which the downstream part of the storage area is an alignment passage composed of a storage dish and the front surface of the base portion", the alignment function is deteriorated. Can be suitably suppressed.

Feature A3. The bulging portion is a housing in which an internal space is formed.
The frame portion is provided with a receiving portion (horizontal frame 461) that is housed in the internal space of the bulging portion and receives the operating means.
The gaming machine according to feature A1 or feature A2, wherein the operating means projects out of the bulging portion through an opening (opening 316) formed in the bulging portion.

In the configuration in which the operating means is held by the frame portion as shown in the feature A1 and the like, the exposure of the frame portion is not preferable because it causes a deterioration in the appearance of the gaming machine. In this regard, as shown in this feature, if the receiving portion for the operating means is housed inside the bulging portion and the operating means is projected through the opening of the bulging portion, the operation is performed while suppressing the exposure of the frame portion. The means can be made to appear as if they were integrated into the bulge. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the appearance due to the guarantee of strength.

Feature A4. The operating means is configured to be pressed in a predetermined direction.
A gap is secured between the portion of the receiving portion that is opposite to the side on which the operating means is arranged and the bulging portion that allows displacement of the receiving portion in the predetermined direction. The gaming machine according to feature A3.

According to the feature A4, due to the existence of the gap, even when an excessively large force is applied and the frame portion is flexed and deformed (for example, elastic deformation), the transmission of the force from the frame portion to the bulging portion can be suppressed. ..

When such deformation occurs, swingback occurs when the frame portion returns to the original state due to the elastic force. Therefore, it is desirable that "a gap is secured between the side of the receiving portion where the operating means is arranged and the bulging portion to allow displacement of the receiving portion in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. It is preferable that the configuration is "displacement".

Incidentally, it is also possible to apply the technical idea shown in the feature A4 to the feature A1 and the feature A2. In this case, the configuration may be such that "the operating means is pressed in a predetermined direction, and the frame portion and the bulging portion are allowed to be relatively displaced in the predetermined direction".

Feature A5. The receiving portion is a horizontal frame that has a plate shape extending to the left and right and is arranged so that one of the plate surfaces faces upward.
The base end portion of the frame portion is characterized by being formed by a vertical frame (vertical frame 471, 481) that supports the horizontal frame and is arranged so that the plate surface faces left and right. Feature The gaming machine described in A4.

By intersecting the plate surface of the horizontal frame and the plate surface of the vertical frame as shown in feature A5, the operating means is located at a position away from the base portion while suppressing the expansion of the occupied area of the frame portion in the front view of the gaming machine. It is possible to suitably improve the holding strength of.

Feature A6. The operating means is arranged so as to project from the upper surface of the bulging portion.
The vertical frame includes a first vertical frame (left vertical frame 471) and a second vertical frame (right vertical frame 481) provided apart from each other on the left and right sides.
The gaming machine according to feature A5, wherein the one vertical frame is located below the operating means.

According to the feature A6, the bending of the horizontal frame can be suitably suppressed by using a plurality of vertical frames in combination. In particular, by arranging the first vertical frame below the operating means, it is possible to suitably suppress the bending of the horizontal frame with the boundary portion between the vertical frame and the horizontal frame as the base end. When the bending of the horizontal frame is suppressed in this way, it is assumed that the load is concentrated on the first vertical frame and the first vertical frame is likely to bend left and right. However, as shown in this feature, the second vertical frame is likely to bend. By using the frame together (because the second vertical frame is connected to the first vertical frame via the horizontal frame), such deformation can be suppressed and the load can be easily transmitted to the base portion.

Feature A7. The operating means is arranged in the center of the bulging portion.
Equipped with a game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) for launching a game ball into the game area (game area PE).
In the storage area (storage area SE) formed by the storage dish, a ball passage (alignment passage 320) for guiding the game balls to the game ball launching means in a state of being aligned is provided.
The gaming machine according to feature A5 or feature A6, wherein the vertical frame is arranged on both left and right sides of an outlet portion (discharge port 38) of the ball passage.

If the above-mentioned distortion occurs, it is feared that the effect will be particularly remarkable in the vicinity of the ball passage to which the alignment function is provided. Specifically, there is a possibility that the game ball does not flow well due to a change in the width of the alignment passage or the like. In particular, the exit portion often has a structure that is difficult for players and the like to access, and if the influence of such distortion appears at such a portion, it is assumed that it will be difficult to eliminate it. In this regard, by arranging the vertical frames on the left and right sides of the exit portion as shown in this feature, the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

Feature A8. A speaker (woofer 46) and a surrounding portion (accommodating portion 47) surrounding the speaker are provided below the bulging portion.
The gaming machine according to any one of feature A5 to feature A7, wherein the vertical frame is housed in a vertical wall portion (vertical wall portion 333, 334) constituting the surrounding portion.

According to the feature A8, the speaker is arranged below the bulging portion. Since the speaker is not a part that the player directly touches, there is no problem such as convenience even with such an arrangement. Here, in order to improve the acoustic function of the speaker, the presence of the surrounding portion is beneficial. If the vertical frame is housed in the vertical wall portion of the surrounding portion, the exposure of the vertical frame can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the appearance due to the improvement in strength can be suitably suppressed. Further, since it is not necessary to form an accommodating portion dedicated to the vertical frame, it is possible to preferably avoid unnecessarily increasing the occupied area for the vertical frame.

Feature A9. The bulging portion is an upper bulging portion and is
A lower bulging portion (lower bulging portion 29) that bulges from the base portion to the same side as the upper bulging portion is formed below the upper bulging portion.
In the lower bulge,
A game ball storage unit (lower plate 34) that can store game balls,
There is an installation unit (accommodation unit 47) for the production device that produces the effect according to the game situation.
A vertical wall portion (left vertical wall portion 333) that separates the game ball storage portion and the installation portion for the effect device is provided between the upper bulging portion and the lower bulging portion.
The gaming machine according to any one of features A5 to A8, wherein the vertical frame is housed in the vertical wall portion.

According to the feature A9, when the game ball storage part (so-called lower plate) and the installation part for the effect device are provided below the upper bulging part, they are stored in the game ball storage part by partitioning the two by a partition part. It is possible to preferably suppress the game ball from interfering with the effect device. Here, if the vertical frame portion is accommodated in such a partition portion (vertical wall portion), the exposure of the vertical frame can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the appearance due to the improvement in strength can be suitably suppressed. Further, since it is not necessary to form an accommodating portion dedicated to the vertical frame, it is possible to preferably avoid unnecessarily increasing the occupied area for the vertical frame.

Feature A10. The gaming machine according to feature A8 or feature A9, wherein the vertical wall portion is connected to the bulging portion, and the internal space of the vertical wall portion and the internal space of the vertical wall portion are communicated with each other. ..

According to the feature A10, by accommodating the vertical frame in the vertical wall portion, deterioration of the appearance due to reinforcement can be suitably suppressed. In addition, the vertical wall portion can support the bulging portion (upper bulging portion), which can contribute to the improvement of the supporting strength of the bulging portion itself.

Feature A11. In a gaming machine having a base portion (frame body 20) and a gaming machine front portion (front door frame 14) having a bulging portion (upper bulging portion 28) that bulges forward from the base portion to the gaming machine.
A storage plate (upper plate 33) that is integrated with the bulging portion and stores game balls,
A frame portion (mounting frame 450) housed in the bulging portion and fixed to the base portion among the bulging portion and the base portion,
An operating means (operation button unit 40) that is fixed to the frame portion of the bulging portion, the storage plate, and the frame portion, protrudes through an opening formed in the bulging portion, and is operated by the player. A gaming machine characterized by being equipped with.

The storage plate shown in the feature A11 is arranged in the bulging portion that bulges in front of the gaming machine, so that it can be easily accessed from the front of the gaming machine. As a result, workability is improved when replenishing game balls and clearing ball clogging, and it is easy to check the remaining balls. Here, by arranging the operating means in the bulging portion that is the target of arranging the storage dish, access to the operating means becomes easy as in the case of the storage dish, which can contribute to the improvement of convenience.

Here, although the operating means is provided in the bulging portion, the object to be fixed thereof is not the bulging portion but the frame portion. Therefore, even if a large load is generated due to a strong push of the operating means, the load is distributed to the base portion via the frame portion. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress the occurrence of distortion in the bulging portion (particularly the storage dish) due to the influence of the load. In this way, by suppressing the influence on the storage dish (storage area), the storage dish and the operating means can be suitably coexisted at the bulging portion.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is integrated with the bulging portion in a gaming machine having a base portion and a gaming machine front portion having a bulging portion bulging forward from the base portion. , A storage plate for storing a game ball, a frame portion housed in the bulge portion and fixed only to the base portion among the bulge portion and the base portion, the bulge portion, the storage plate, and the said. Of the frame portions, the frame portion is fixed to the frame portion and protrudes through an opening formed in the bulging portion, and is provided with an operating means operated by the player. "

Feature A12. The operating means is set so as to project upward from the upper surface portion of the bulging portion through the opening of the bulging portion and the operating direction thereof is downward.
The gaming machine according to feature A11, wherein a space is formed between the lower surface portion of the bulging portion and the frame portion to allow displacement of the frame portion toward the lower surface portion side.

According to the feature A12, even when an excessively large force is applied and the frame portion is flexed and deformed (for example, elastic deformation), the transmission of the force from the frame portion to the bulging portion can be suppressed.

Feature A13. In a gaming machine having a base portion (frame body 20) and a gaming machine front portion (front door frame 14) having a bulging portion (upper bulging portion 28) that bulges forward from the base portion to the gaming machine.
A storage plate (upper plate 33) that is integrated with the bulging portion and stores game balls,
A frame portion (mounting frame 450) housed in the bulging portion and fixed to the base portion among the bulging portion and the base portion,
An operating means (operation button unit 40) that is fixed to the frame portion of the bulging portion, the storage plate, and the frame portion, protrudes through an opening formed in the bulging portion, and is pressed by the player. ) And
A gaming machine characterized in that the frame portion and the bulging portion allow relative displacement in the pressing direction.

The storage plate shown in the feature A13 is easily accessed from the front of the gaming machine by being arranged in the bulging portion protruding in front of the gaming machine. As a result, workability is improved when replenishing game balls and clearing ball clogging, and it is easy to check the remaining balls. Here, by arranging the operating means in the bulging portion that is the target of arranging the storage dish, access to the operating means becomes easy as in the case of the storage dish, which can contribute to the improvement of convenience.

Here, although the operating means is provided in the bulging portion, the object to be fixed thereof is not the bulging portion but the frame portion. Therefore, even if a large load is generated due to a strong pressing of the operating means, the load is distributed to the base portion via the frame portion. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress the occurrence of distortion in the bulging portion (particularly the storage dish) due to the influence of the load. In this way, by suppressing the influence on the storage dish (storage area), the storage dish and the operating means can be suitably coexisted at the bulging portion.

Further, even when an excessively large force is applied and the frame portion is bent and deformed (for example, elastic deformation), the transmission of the force from the frame portion to the bulging portion can be suppressed.

(Characteristic B group)
The invention described in the following feature B group states that "a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine is provided with an operating means operated by a player on the front portion of the gaming machine, and a specific effect or the like is provided according to the operation of the player, for example. (See Patent Document 1). In this type of gaming machine, attention to the operating means itself is improved by providing a display effect device such as a light emitting unit or a movable decorative part in the operating means. Regarding the background technology, "However, in the configuration where the display effect device is provided as the operating means, the structure is still in order to achieve both operability and the protection function of the display effect device." There is room for improvement. ”This invention was made with the problem to be solved.

Feature B1. A gaming machine provided on the front portion (front door frame 14) of the gaming machine and provided with an operating means (operation button unit 500) operated by the player.
The operating means
An operation unit (cover unit 510 of the operation block 501) on which an operation surface (operation surface unit 513) to be operated by the player is formed, and
A display effect device (decorative unit 502) that is visibly provided through the operation surface and performs a display effect.
A gaming machine characterized by having a holder unit (holder 503) that individually supports the operation unit and the display effect device.

According to the feature B1, the display effect can be visually recognized through the operation surface. For example, it is possible to improve the degree of attention to the operating means by performing the display effect under various situations such as before and after the operation.

By individually supporting the operation unit and the display effect device by the holder unit (having an independent support structure), the bias of the support load is suppressed. This is advantageous in achieving an improvement in the durability of the operating means.

Specifically, since the operation unit is an operation target by the player, a load larger than the weight of the operation unit may be applied to the support portion or the like. If such a large load is transmitted to the display effect device, there is a concern that it may cause malfunction or failure of the display effect device. In this case, the effect of improving the degree of attention due to the built-in display effect device cannot be exhibited well. In particular, since it is premised that the display effect can be visually recognized through the operation surface, restrictions on the arrangement space of the display effect device and the like are strengthened. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the appearance (impact) and strengthen the presence in a limited space while improving the strength. This can be a factor that makes it susceptible to the load from the operation unit described above. It is not preferable that the display effect device is simplified in consideration of such an influence. Here, according to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence from the operation unit from affecting the display effect device, and it is possible to preferably avoid the occurrence of the above-mentioned various inconveniences.

Further, by supporting the display effect device by the holder unit, it is not necessary to support the display effect device by the operation unit. That is, it is not necessary to integrate the operation unit and the display effect device (that is, it is possible to suppress an increase in the weight of the operation unit). Further, since the support structure is independent, it is possible to suppress the weight load of the display effect device, the load caused by the operation, and the like from being transmitted to the operation unit. Therefore, even if the display effect device is used to improve the degree of attention, it is possible to preferably avoid the deterioration of operability caused by the improvement.

Feature B2. The operating means is attached to the front surface of the gaming machine via the holder.
The holder part
A first support portion (annular projection 554) that supports the operation portion among the operation portion and the display effect device, and
A feature that is provided at a position different from the first support portion and has a second support portion (pedestal 552) that holds the display effect device among the operation unit and the display effect device. The gaming machine described in B1.

As shown in feature B2, in a configuration in which the operating means is attached to the front portion of the gaming machine via the holder portion, the holder portion to which the function as an attachment target to the front portion of the gaming machine is provided is used for the operating portion. By providing the first support unit and the second support unit for the display effect device, the load related to the operation unit is distributed to the front portion of the gaming machine through the holder unit (first support unit), and the load related to the display effect device is distributed. Will be distributed to the front portion of the gaming machine through the holder portion (second support portion). As a result, the effect shown in feature B1 can be suitably exerted.

Feature B3. The operation surface is subject to a pressing operation by the player.
The display effect device is located on the back side of the operation surface in the pressing direction, and is arranged so as to form a gap between the display effect device and the operation unit in the pressing direction.
The feature B2 is characterized in that the first support portion and the second support portion are provided in a portion of the holder portion located on the back side of the display effect device in the pressing direction by the pressing operation. The described gaming machine.

The first support portion and the second support portion are provided on the back side portion of the holder portion in the pressing direction. Therefore, the transmission of the load to the operation unit → the first support unit → the second support unit → the display effect device or the display effect device → the second support unit → the first support unit → the operation unit can be suitably suppressed.

In particular, in the operating means in which the pressing operation is allowed as shown in the feature B3, a large load may be generated when the player pushes the operation surface (operation unit) by force. If the operation surface (operation unit) interferes with the display effect device due to a load exceeding the assumption, it is assumed that the operation of the display effect device is hindered.

In this feature, the display effect device is located on the back side in the pressing direction with respect to the operating surface, and is arranged so as to form a gap between the display effecting device and the operating portion in the pressing direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the impact at the initial stage of operation from being directly transmitted to the display effect device. Even if the inner part is deformed due to the operation part being pushed strongly, the first support part and the second support part are provided in the back part of the holder, so that the deformation is made. As a result, the second support portion is also displaced to the same side as the first support portion. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress the reduction of the gap and contribute to further strengthening the protection function of the display effect device.

Feature B4. The first support portion is configured to support the operation portion in a state where the displacement of the operation portion in the pressing direction is allowed.
The gaming machine according to feature B2 or feature B3, wherein the first support portion and the second support portion are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the operation portion.

According to the feature B4, a preferable configuration for constructing the independent support structure shown in the feature B1 and the gap shown in the feature B3 can be realized. As a result, even if distortion due to the weight of the display effect device or the like is generated in the second support portion by the operating means having the movable operating portion, the influence hinders the operation of the operating portion. It is possible to preferably suppress the action.

The "displacement direction" shown in this feature may be replaced with the "pressing direction" shown in feature B3.

Feature B5. The first support portion and the second support portion are closer to the first support portion than the second support portion with respect to the fixing portion (contact portion 558) of the holder portion to the front surface portion of the gaming machine. The gaming machine according to feature B3 or feature B4, characterized in that they are arranged in such a manner.

According to the feature B5, since the first support part is arranged closer to the fixed part than the second support part, the load (for example, impact) transmitted from the operation part to the first support part is applied to the front part of the gaming machine. It is easy to escape. Therefore, it is possible to suitably suppress the propagation of the load from the operation unit → the first support unit → the second support unit → the display effect device.

Further, when the following function shown in feature B3 is taken into consideration, the amount of displacement increases as the distance increases from the fixed location. That is, by moving the second support portion away from the fixed portion, it is possible to contribute to strengthening the gap maintenance function (protection function).

Feature B6. The holder portion has a box shape that is open on the side opposite to the pressing direction.
Of the bottom portion that constitutes the holder portion and the peripheral wall portion that stands up from the bottom portion, the bottom portion is the object of arrangement of the fixing portion to the front surface portion of the gaming machine and the first support portion and the second support portion. The gaming machine according to any one of the feature B3 to the feature B5.

As shown in the feature B6, by making the holder portion into a box shape, it is possible to contribute to the improvement of the strength of the holder portion itself, and further, it is possible to provide a shield function for suppressing the exposure of the display effect device together with the operation portion.

The following effects can be expected by the bottom portion of the holder portion functioning as a fixing portion to the front portion of the gaming machine and a target for arranging both support portions. That is, it is possible to prevent the impact at the initial stage of operation from being directly transmitted to the display effect device. Then, even if the inner portion that receives the impact is deformed, the second support portion is also displaced to the same side (for example, the pressing direction) accordingly. As a result, it is possible to suppress a collision between the operation unit and the display effect device and contribute to further strengthening the protection function of the display effect device.

In addition, for example, if the configuration is such that "the first support portion is arranged at a position closer to the peripheral wall portion than the second support portion", the load transmitted from the operation portion to the first support portion is suitably dispersed by the holder portion. It becomes possible.

Feature B7. The gaming machine according to feature B6, wherein the first support portion is arranged on a portion opposite to the fixed portion with the bottom portion interposed therebetween.

Regarding the display effect device, the load transmitted to the second support portion (bottom) is limited to the own weight of the display effect device, and no further load is generated (unique). On the other hand, for the operation unit, the load generated may change (uncertain) depending on how the operation is performed. Therefore, by setting the fixed portion to the front portion of the gaming machine and the first support portion so as to have a front-rear relationship, the above-mentioned impact (load) distribution function can be more preferably exhibited.

Feature B8. The peripheral wall portion is characterized in that a stopper portion (stopper portion 562) is formed on the peripheral wall portion to prevent further displacement by abutting on the operating portion when the operating portion is displaced in the pressing direction. The gaming machine according to the feature B6 or the feature B7.

When a pressing operation is performed, a load caused by the operation is applied, so that a load larger than the load caused by the own weight of the operating unit is generated. In particular, when the movement of the operating portion is stopped by the stopper portion, a large load may be generated due to the collision between the two. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by adopting a configuration in which a part of the load caused by the operation is transmitted to the peripheral wall portion side instead of the bottom portion, it is possible to suitably suppress the load from propagating to the display effect device.

Feature B9. The operation surface is subject to a pressing operation by the player.
The holder portion has a box shape that is open on the side opposite to the pressing direction.
Of the bottom portion (bottom portion 551) constituting the holder portion and the peripheral wall portion (peripheral wall portion 561) rising from the bottom portion, the bottom portion is the object of arrangement of the first support portion and the second support portion.
The first support portion is provided with an annular ball bearing (ball bearing 541) that allows the operation portion to rotate.
The second support portion protrudes from the bottom portion and is formed so that the inner peripheral surface of the ball bearing engages with the outer peripheral surface of the second support portion. The gaming machine according to any one of feature B6 to feature B8, wherein the displacement in the direction intersecting the pressing direction is regulated.

According to the feature B9, by regulating the misalignment of the ball bearing (displacement in the direction intersecting the rotation center axis) by the second support portion, the rotational function of the operating portion can be stably exhibited. Even with such a configuration, since the second support portion does not receive the weight of the ball bearing, it is possible to suppress the hindrance to the support function of the display effect device. In particular, when the display effect device is enlarged to improve the appearance and impact, it is preferable to form the second support portion in consideration of ensuring the support strength and support balance of the display effect device. By restricting the misalignment of the ball bearing using such a configuration, it is possible to suitably realize both the stabilization of the rotation function of the operating portion and the support function.

Feature B10. The gaming machine according to feature B9, wherein the second support portion has an annular shape protruding in the same direction as the pressing direction.

If the second support portion is formed in an annular shape, the strength of the second support portion in the pressing direction can be dramatically improved. By restricting the misalignment of the ball bearing using such a configuration, it is possible to suitably enjoy the effect shown in the feature B9 while suppressing the occupied area of the second support portion from becoming unnecessarily large.

Feature B11. The operation unit
An operating member having the operating surface (cover members 511 and 512) and
A base body (housing 521) to which the operating member is attached and supported by the first support portion, and
It is housed in the base body and has an urging means (spring member 535) for urging the operating member on the side opposite to the pressing direction.
The gaming machine according to feature B9 or feature B10, wherein the operating portion is rotatably supported by the first supporting portion and the ball bearing.

According to the feature B11, the operating member, the base body, and the urging means are united to form the operating portion, and the entire unit is configured to rotate, so that the urging function of the operating portion is well performed depending on the rotation position. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience such as not working. That is, the cushioning function by the urging means can be suitably secured. This is also a preferable configuration for protecting the second support portion by suppressing the generation of a load in the direction intersecting the pressing direction.

Feature B12. The operation unit
An operating member having the operating surface (cover members 511 and 512) and
The operating member is attached and has a base body (housing 521) supported by the first support portion.
A feature B6 is characterized in that an opening (central opening 525) penetrating in the pressing direction is formed in the base body, and the second support portion protruding from the bottom portion is inserted into the opening. The gaming machine according to any one of the features B11.

According to the feature B12, the support position by the second support portion can be brought closer to the operation surface. As a result, it is possible to improve the visibility of the display effect device and suppress the deterioration of the support function caused by the improvement. In particular, even when the display effect device is supported by the second support portion in a state of being tilted in a direction deviated from the vertical direction, the stress generated at the support portion can be reduced. Therefore, it can contribute to the improvement of the degree of freedom in arranging the operating means.

Feature B13. A communication port (through hole 553) communicating with the opening is formed in the second support portion, and a part of the display effect device is inserted into the communication port. The gaming machine described in.

According to the feature B13, the position of the center of gravity of the display effect device can be brought closer to the second support portion. This can be expected to improve the support balance of the display effect device by the second support unit.

Feature B14. The operation unit
An operating member having the operating surface (cover members 511 and 512) and
A base body (housing 521) to which the operating member is attached and supported by the first support portion, and
It has a spring member (spring member 535) that is housed in the base body and urges the operating member on the side opposite to the pressing direction.
The base body is
A first contact portion that contacts the spring member from the front side in the pressing direction,
A second contact portion that is provided separately from the first contact portion and is allowed to be displaced relative to the first contact portion in the pressing direction, and abuts on the spring member from the back side in the pressing direction. Has a contact part and
Described in any one of feature B6 to feature B13, wherein the second contact portion is an attachment target of the operation member, and the first contact portion is a support target by the first support portion. Pachinko machine.

As shown in feature B14, in the configuration in which the spring member generates a drag force against the pressing operation, the position and posture of the operating member can be determined by compressing the spring member to some extent even in the standby state (state before the pressing operation). Disturbance can be suppressed. However, when the compressive force of the spring member is applied to the holder (specifically, the first support portion), the load exceeds the weight of the operating portion. If it is attempted to strengthen the first support portion in consideration of such circumstances, it is not preferable because the occupied area thereof becomes bulky and the occupied area of the second support portion and the display effect device is pressed.

In this respect, in this feature, it is possible to prevent the urging force from being transmitted to the outside of the operation unit (base body) in the standby state. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences such as the above-mentioned pressure on the occupied area and the like, and it is possible to preferably coexist the operation unit and the display effect device by the operation means.

(Characteristic C group)
The invention described in the following feature C group is described in "For example, a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine is known to have an operating means operated by a player. For example, Patent Document 1 (special feature 1). In the pachinko gaming machine shown in Kai 2008-29764), an operating means is provided on the front surface of the gaming machine, and in order to make the player expect the occurrence of a special gaming state or the like that is advantageous to the player, according to the operation of the player. It is configured to perform a special effect on a screen display or the like. In a gaming machine that employs operating means in this way, it is important how to raise the player's attention to the game by using the operating means. Regarding the background technology of "It is a problem.", "Here, if you simply perform a special effect according to the operation of the operation means, the operation will become monotonous and the freshness will be diminished, and you will be interested in the operation itself. There is a concern that it will easily decrease. That is, even if the player is urged to perform the operation, the operation is performed semi-mechanically, and it is assumed that it will be difficult to effectively exert the function of improving the attention to the game by the operating means. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in improving the degree of attention to the game by using the operating means. ”The invention was made with the problem to be solved.

Feature C1. A display device (display device 572X) having a display unit (display screen 572aX) and
Display control means (notification / effect control device 142, etc.) that controls the display of the display device, and
A cover body (cover unit 510 of the operation block 501) for covering the display unit is provided.
A gaming machine configured so that the display contents on the display unit can be visually recognized through the cover body.
A holder portion (holder 503) that holds the cover body so that it can be operated while covering the display portion.
A detection means (detection sensor 576,577) for detecting the movement of the cover body and
A gaming machine characterized in that it includes an effect executing means (MPU 812 of a notification / effect control device 142) that executes a predetermined effect based on a detection result by the detection means.

According to the feature C1, a predetermined effect is executed by moving (by operating) the cover body that covers the display unit of the display device. By imparting a function as an operating means to the cover body as a protective member of the display unit in this way, the cover body is inevitably easily in the field of view when the display unit is being watched, and the cover body is operated. In that case, the display contents of the display unit can be easily seen. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cover body from being operated when it is out of sight. Therefore, for example, the relationship between the display unit and the operation unit can be strengthened, and the degree of attention to the game using the operation means can be suitably contributed.

By associating the display content in the display unit with the operation, further strengthening of the above-mentioned relevance can be expected.

Feature C2. The cover body is provided apart from the display unit, and is configured to secure a gap with the display unit even when the cover body operates. The gaming machine described in C1.

According to the feature C2, even when the cover body is made operable and the operation function is given, the original protection function of the cover body is secured by avoiding the interference between the display unit and the cover body due to the operation. can.

Feature C3. The cover body is subject to a pressing operation by the player.
In the holder part
A means for holding the cover body so as to allow displacement of the cover body toward the display unit when the pressing operation is performed.
A stopper portion (stopper portion 562) provided on the side of the display unit to prevent further displacement of the cover body by abutting against the operation unit when the cover body is displaced toward the display unit. The gaming machine according to the feature C1 or the feature C2, which is characterized in that.

As shown in feature C3, by arranging the stopper portion that prevents the displacement of the cover body to the side of the display portion, the configuration (stopper portion) that protects the display portion becomes a factor that hinders the visibility of the display portion. Can be avoided.

Feature C4. The cover body is configured to be an object of operation by the player.
A plurality of different operation modes are set as the operation modes of the cover body.
A selection means for selecting the operation mode is provided.
The display control means has one of the features C1 to C3 characterized in that the display control means has a teaching means for displaying information for teaching the operation mode selected by the selection means on the display unit. Described gaming machine.

According to the feature C4, the operation mode is taught in the display unit. Since the teaching content is visible through the cover body, it is difficult to understand the meaning of the displayed content of the display unit, and it is possible to prevent the operation function of the cover body from being poorly utilized.

Further, since the display unit is visually checked to determine in which mode the operation should be performed, the player's attention can be directed to the display unit and the cover body. As a result, a game of confirming the operation mode is added, and it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of inconvenience such that the operation is appropriately performed without paying attention to the operation means.

Feature C5. The display control means is a first display control means.
A picture display means (design display device 94), which is provided separately from the display device and has a display screen (display screen 94a) for variablely displaying the picture, and
It is provided with a second display control means (notification / effect control device 142, display control device 143) that controls the display of the pattern display means.
The second display control means has a suggestion means for suggesting the operation of the cover body while obscuring the operation mode by the pattern display means when the operation mode is taught by the teaching means. The gaming machine according to feature C4, which is characterized in that it is used.

According to the feature C5, even if the display screen of the pattern display means is displayed to suggest the operation of the cover body while the picture display means is being watched, what kind of operation is actually performed. It will be unknown until the display is checked. Therefore, when operating the cover body, a game is added in which the display unit first confirms what kind of operation mode the operation should be performed, and by changing the immediate area, it is preferable to make the game monotonous. Can be suppressed.

Feature C6. A determination means for determining whether or not an operation has been performed in the mode taught by the teaching means among the plurality of operation modes based on the detection result by the detection means is provided.
The second display control means
A means for performing a predetermined effect when the determination means determines that the operation of the taught aspect has been performed, and a means for performing a predetermined effect.
The gaming machine according to feature C5, characterized in that it has means for regulating the predetermined effect when it is determined by the determination means that an operation other than the taught mode has been performed.

According to the feature C6, when the operation is suggested on the display screen, an operation error may occur if the operation is performed without confirming the operation mode on the display unit. The display mode changes depending on whether or not the operation is possible (success or failure). Specifically, a predetermined effect is executed when the answer is correct, but a predetermined effect is not executed when the answer is incorrect. As a result, it is possible to prompt the player who wants to see a predetermined effect to confirm the display unit.

Feature C7. A determination means for determining whether or not an operation has been performed in the mode taught by the teaching means among the plurality of operation modes based on the detection result by the detection means is provided.
The gaming machine according to feature C5 or feature C6, wherein the first display control means has means for changing the display mode of the display unit based on the determination result by the determination means.

According to the feature C7, when the operation is suggested on the display screen, an operation error may occur if the operation is performed without confirming the operation mode on the display unit. By configuring the display mode to change depending on whether or not the operation is possible (success or failure), the player is urged to confirm the change in the display mode of the display unit so that the player's attention is directed to the operation portion. Can be done.

Feature C8. The teaching means is a first teaching means,
When the determination means determines that the operation has been performed in the taught mode, the first display control means is taught the next operation mode by changing the display mode of the display unit. Any of the features C5 to C7, which comprises a second teaching means that does not teach the next operation mode when it is determined by the determination means that an operation other than the taught mode has been performed. The gaming machine described in one.

According to the configuration shown in the feature C8, when the previous operation is answered correctly, the next operation is taught to the display unit and the continuous operation can be experienced. However, such instruction of the next operation is not performed when the previous operation is incorrect. Therefore, in order to continue the operation in the correct procedure, it is necessary to confirm the teaching content in the display unit described above, and it is possible to encourage the player to pay attention to the display unit.

Feature C9. The first display control means for controlling the display of the display device is
A means for displaying a predetermined pattern on the display unit, and
When the cover body operates in a situation where the predetermined pattern is displayed on the display unit, the display control is performed based on the detection result by the detection means to display the predetermined pattern on the cover body. The gaming machine according to any one of feature C1 to feature C8, which has a variable means for changing so as to be linked to movement.

According to the feature C9, by moving the cover body, the display mode in the display unit changes in conjunction with (following) the movement of the cover body. According to such a configuration, the relationship between the cover body and the display unit can be strengthened, and the cover body and the display unit can perform an integrated effect.

Feature C10. The variable means is configured to change the predetermined pattern so that the player recognizes that the predetermined pattern is changing in the same direction as the operation direction of the cover body. The gaming machine according to the feature C9.

According to the feature C10, the player is given the impression that the change in the predetermined pattern and the movement of the cover body are closely related, and the relationship between the display content of the display unit and the movement of the cover body is further strengthened. can. As a result, the effect shown in feature C9 can be suitably exerted.

Feature C11. The display control means is a first display control means.
A picture display means (design display device 94), which is provided separately from the display device and has a display screen (display screen 94a) for variablely displaying the picture, and
A second display control means for controlling the display of the pattern display means is provided.
The first display control means
A means for displaying a predetermined pattern on the display unit, and
When the cover body operates in a situation where the predetermined pattern is displayed on the display unit, the display control is performed based on the detection result by the detection means to display the predetermined pattern on the cover body. It has a means to change it so that it is linked to the movement,
The second display control means includes means for displaying a specific pattern recognized by the player as being related to the predetermined pattern on the display screen.
It is characterized by having a means for changing the display mode of the specific pattern in conjunction with the change of the predetermined pattern by performing display control based on the detection result by the detection means. The gaming machine according to any one of feature C1 to feature C8.

According to the feature C9, the predetermined pattern displayed on the display unit changes by operating the cover body, and the specific pattern displayed on the display screen also changes according to the change. By linking the display unit, the cover body, and the display screen in this way, it is possible to perform an integrated effect with these various configurations, and it is possible to attract attention to the cover body and the display unit.

Feature C12. An information acquisition means (a function of executing information acquisition processing in the MPU 802 of the main control device 162) for acquiring special information based on the satisfaction of predetermined acquisition conditions, and
The acquisition information storage means (holding ball storage area provided in the MPU 802 of the main control device 162) that stores the special information acquired by the information acquisition means up to a predetermined number as a plurality of numbers, and
It is determined whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to the given information, and when a plurality of special information is stored in the acquired information storage means, the plurality of the special information is stored. Grant determination means (a function of executing the pass / fail determination in the MPU 802 of the main control device 162) for sequentially performing the grant determination for the special information, and
The privilege granting means (main control) that grants the privilege to the player based on the result of the grant determination by the grant determination means being the grant correspondence result that the special information to be determined corresponds to the grant information. The function of executing the large winning opening opening / closing process in the MPU 802 of the device 162) and
A pattern display means (design display device 94) having a display screen (display screen 94a) and variably displaying a pattern on the display screen, and
The pattern display means starts variable display of the pattern prior to the grant determination means performing the grant determination or based on the grant determination performed by the grant determination means, and the result of the grant determination. The stop result corresponding to is displayed and the variable display of the pattern is terminated as one game, and the variable display of the pattern of each game is performed according to the special information stored in the acquired information storage means. It is provided with a game rotation control means (main control device 162, etc.) that controls the pattern display means so as to be performed.
The first display control means for controlling the display of the display device displays a variation of the pattern displayed on the display screen on the display unit when the operation of the cover body is taught by the display unit. The gaming machine according to any one of the feature C1 to the feature C11, which has a means for displaying the corresponding information.

In the configuration in which the variable display of the pattern corresponding to the game times is performed on the display screen, the variable display is strongly related to the profit of the player. Therefore, the player's attention can be easily directed to the display screen. That is, there is a concern that even if some kind of display is performed on the display unit, there is a high possibility that it will be overlooked. Therefore, in this feature, under the situation where the operation of the cover body is taught, the information corresponding to the variable display of the pattern displayed on the display screen is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the player can grasp the progress of the game even when paying attention to the display unit. Therefore, it is possible to preferably suppress a decrease in attention to the display unit due to the above-mentioned reason.

The basic configuration of a gaming machine to which each of the above features can be applied is shown below.

Pachinko game machine: An operating means operated by a player (game ball launching handle 45), a game ball launching means for launching a game ball based on the operation of the operating means (game ball launching mechanism 110), and the launching thereof. A ball passage (guidance passage 103 of the guidance rail 100) for guiding the game ball to a predetermined game area (game area PE) and each game part (nails 87, etc.) arranged in the game area are provided, and each of these game parts. A gaming machine that gives a privilege to a player when a gaming ball passes through a predetermined passing portion (general winning opening 81, etc.).

Revolving gaming machine such as a slot machine: Equipped with a variable display means that displays a variable display of a symbol sequence consisting of a plurality of symbols and then displays the final stop display of the symbol sequence, and the symbol changes start due to the operation of the starting operation means. A special game that is advantageous to the player on the condition that the fluctuation of the symbol is stopped due to the operation of the stopping operation means or the predetermined time elapses, and the final stop symbol at the time of the stop is a specific symbol. A gaming machine that generates a state (bonus game, etc.).

Ball-using belt-type game machine: Equipped with a variable display means that displays the symbol sequence consisting of a plurality of symbols in a variable manner and then displays the symbol row in the final stop, and the symbol variation is started and stopped due to the operation of the starting operation means. A special gaming state (bonus) that is advantageous to the player on the condition that the fluctuation of the symbol is stopped due to the operation of the operation means or the predetermined time elapses, and the final stop symbol at the time of the stop is a specific symbol. (Game, etc.) is generated, and further, a throwing device provided with a ball saucer and a throwing device for taking in a game ball from the ball saucer and a payout device for paying out the game ball to the ball saucer is provided. A game machine configured so that the operation of the starting operation means becomes effective when the game ball is thrown in.

10 ... Pachinko machine as a game machine, 14 ... Front door frame constituting the front part of the game machine, 20 ... Frame body as a base part, 21 ... Cover body, 28 ... Upper bulging part, 29 ... Lower bulging part , 33 ... Upper plate as a storage plate, 34 ... Lower plate as a game ball storage unit, 36 ... Front portion, 38 ... Discharge port as an outlet portion, 40 ... Operation button unit as an operation means, 46 ... As a speaker Wooker, 47 ... Housing unit as an installation unit, 94 ... Design display device as a picture display means, 94a ... Display screen, 142 ... Notification / effect control device, 143 ... Display control device, 162 ... Main control device, 316 ... Opening , 320 ... Aligned passage as a ball passage, 331 ... Division wall part, 332 ... Opposing wall part, 333 ... Left vertical wall part, 334 ... Right vertical wall part, 450 ... Mounting frame, 461 ... Horizontal frame, 471 ... Left vertical Frame, 481 ... Right vertical frame, 500, 500X ... Operation button unit, 501 ... Operation block, 502 ... Movable decoration unit as display effect device, 502X ... Display device unit, 503 ... Holder, 510 ... Cover unit, 513 ... Operation Operation surface as a surface, 520 ... Variable unit, 521 ... Housing, 525 ... Central opening, 513 ... Base, 532 ... Communication port, 535 ... Spring member as urging means, 541 ... Ball bearing, 551 ... Bottom, 552 ... Pedestal as a second support part, 535 ... through hole, 554 ... annular protrusion forming the second support part, 555 ... ring plate forming the second support part, 557 ... vibrator, 558 ... contact part, 561 ... peripheral wall Unit, 562 ... Stopper unit, 571,571X ... Mounting base, 572 ... Light emitting board, 572X ... Display device, 572aX ... Display screen as display unit, 573X ... Control board, 574 ... Movable body, 576 ... Detection sensor, 578 ... Detection sensor, BP ... boundary part, IS ... internal space, PE ... game area, SE ... storage area.

Claims (2)

In a gaming machine provided with a base portion and a gaming machine front portion having a bulging portion that bulges forward from the base portion to the front of the gaming machine.
The bulging portion is a housing in which an internal space is formed.
A storage dish that is integrated with the bulge and stores game balls,
A metal support frame attached to the base portion and arranged so as to project from the base portion to the same side as the bulging portion.
Equipped with an operation means that is pressed by the player
As the operating means, a first operating means and a second operating means larger than the first operating means and having at least an operating surface portion protruding from the bulging portion through an opening portion formed in the bulging portion are provided. Has been
A production executing means for executing a predetermined operation-corresponding effect based on the operation of the second operating means among the first operating means and the second operating means is provided.
The support frame includes a first frame portion housed in the internal space of the bulging portion and a second frame portion connecting the first frame portion and the base portion.
The first operating means is fixed to the bulging portion of the bulging portion, the storage dish, and the first frame portion of the supporting frame, while the second operating means is the bulging portion. It is fixed to the first frame portion of the first frame portion of the storage dish and the support frame.
A gap is provided between the surface portion to which the first operating means is fixed in the bulging portion and the first frame portion to which the second operating means is fixed in the support frame. A gaming machine. The gaming machine according to claim 1, which is a pachinko machine.

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