JP7491444B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, that are equipped with a game board.

One example of an amusement machine is a pachinko machine that has a game board with a play area formed on the front. This game board is a plate-shaped member, and on its front side are arranged multiple parts, such as numerous obstacle nails, guide rails that form the play area, a winning device that detects game balls, and decorative parts that decorate the game board surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-027591 A

Here, in gaming machines such as those exemplified above, it is necessary to improve the performance of attaching parts to the gaming board, and there is still room for improvement in this regard.

The present invention was made in consideration of the circumstances exemplified above, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can improve the mounting performance of parts on the game board.

In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine described in claim 1 is a gaming machine equipped with a gaming board configured with a plate body forming a playing area on the front side where a game is played with a gaming medium, and a first part and a second part fixed to the front side of the plate body, the first part and the second part each having a playing area side part provided on the playing area side of the plate body and a plate body side insertion part provided on the plate body side, the plate body has at least a first shaped hole formed so that the plate body side insertion part can be inserted, and a second shaped hole having a different shape from the first shaped hole, the second shaped hole is a hole for attaching the second part to the plate body. The second shaped hole is configured in a shape that allows the edge of the second shaped hole to come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the second part when the first part is attached to the plate, and the first shaped hole is configured in a shape that makes it difficult for the edge of the first shaped hole to come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the first part when the first part is attached to the plate, compared to the contact state between the plate-side insertion portion of the second part and the second shaped hole when the second part is attached to the second shaped hole, or is configured in a shape that does not cause the edge of the first shaped hole to come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the first part when the first part is attached to the plate, and the second part has a portion that transmits light.

According to the gaming machine of claim 1, the gaming machine is provided with a gaming board that includes a plate body that forms a play area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a first part and a second part that are fixed to the front side of the plate body, and the first part and the second part each include a play area side part that is provided on the play area side of the plate body, and a plate body side insertion part that is provided on the plate body side, and the plate body includes at least a first shaped hole that is formed so that the plate body side insertion part can be inserted, and a second shaped hole that is different in shape from the first shaped hole, and the second shaped hole is formed such that when the second part is attached to the plate body, The second shaped hole is configured in such a shape that the edge of the second shaped hole can come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the second part, and the first shaped hole is configured in such a shape that the edge of the first shaped hole and the plate-side insertion portion of the first part are less likely to come into contact with each other when the first part is attached to the plate, compared to the contact state between the plate-side insertion portion of the second part and the second shaped hole when the second part is attached to the second shaped hole, or the edge of the first shaped hole and the plate-side insertion portion of the first part are not in contact with each other when the first part is attached to the plate, and the second part has a portion that transmits light. This has the effect of improving the mounting performance of the parts to the game board.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the main display unit arranged on the game board, where (a) is a front view of the main display unit, (b) is a side view of the main display unit as seen from the line IVb direction of (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view along line IVc-IVc of (a), and (d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of (c). The figures show the configuration of the start winning port unit arranged on the game board, where (a) is a front view of the start winning port unit, (b) is a top view of the start winning port unit as viewed from the direction of line Vb in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view along line Vc-Vc in (a), and (d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of (c). This is a diagram showing the configuration of a through gate arranged on a game board, where (a) is a front view of the through gate, (b) is a top view of the through gate as viewed from the direction of line VIb in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view along line VIc-VIc in (a). The figures are for explaining the through gate, main display unit and start winning port unit arranged on the game board, where (a) is an enlarged front view of the through gate on the game board, (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view along line VIIb-VIIb of (a), (c) is an enlarged front view of a portion of the main display unit on the game board, (d) is a schematic cross-sectional view along line VIId-VIId of (c), (e) is an enlarged front view of a portion of the start winning port unit, and (f) is a schematic cross-sectional view along line VIIf-VIIf of (e). FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the manufacturing process for a pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the manufacturing process for a game board. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a positioning drilling machine that forms positioning holes for each component in the manufacturing process of the game board. FIG. 3A is a schematic front view of the straight pin, FIG. 3B is a schematic side view of the straight pin, and FIG. 3C is a schematic bottom view of the straight pin. 4A, 4B, and 4C are diagrams showing the configuration of a tapered pin, in which FIG. 4A is a schematic front view of the tapered pin, FIG. 4B is a schematic side view of the tapered pin, and FIG. 4C is a schematic bottom view of the tapered pin. 1A is a schematic front view of the hybrid pin, FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of the hybrid pin, and FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the hybrid pin; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a first transport step for transporting a game board in a manufacturing process of the game board. This is a schematic diagram showing a screw driver that screws each part to the game board during the game board manufacturing process. A front view of the game board before the component positioning hole creation process is performed. 17A and 17B are diagrams showing the configuration of nail holes for game nails, where (a) is an enlarged front view of XVIIIa in FIG. 17, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIb-XVIIIb in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIc-XVIIIc in (a). A front view of the game board after the component positioning hole creation process has been performed. 19A and 19B are diagrams showing the configuration of the main display positioning hole, where (a) is an enlarged front view of XXa in FIG. 19, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXb-XXb in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXc-XXc in (a), (d) is an enlarged view of XXd in (b), and (e) is an enlarged view of XXe in (c). 11 is a table showing the relationship between straight pins and the shapes of main display positioning holes formed by the straight pins. 19A and 19B are diagrams showing the configuration of the initial positioning hole, where (a) is an enlarged front view of XXIIa in FIG. 19, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIIb-XXIIb in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIIc-XXIIc in (a), (d) is an enlarged view of XXIId in (b), and (e) is an enlarged view of XXIIe in (c). 11 is a table showing a relationship between a tapered pin and a shape of a starting positioning hole formed by the tapered pin. This is a table showing the types of errors that occur during the manufacturing process of game boards, the main impact of the errors, their causes, whether they can be corrected, and their importance. This is a front view of a through gate showing an example of a screw being screwed incorrectly using a screw driver. 19A and 19B are diagrams showing the configuration of a through positioning hole, where (a) is an enlarged front view of XXVIa in FIG. 19, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVIb-XXVIb in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVIc-XXVIc in (a), (d) is an enlarged view of XXVId in (b), and (e) is an enlarged view of XXVIe in (c). 11 is a table showing the shapes of through positioning holes formed by the hybrid pins. This is a front view of the game board after the game nail planting process and the rail and windmill planting process have been completed. A front view of the game board after the first transport process has been performed. A front view of the game board after the first screw fastening process and the second transport process have been performed. 13A is a table showing the evaluation items when evaluating pin suitability and the content and points allocated to each item, and FIG. 13B is a table showing the pin types based on the total evaluation points of the pin suitability. 11 is a list of parts in which positioning holes are drilled and formed using a straight pin. 1 is a list of parts in which positioning holes are drilled and formed using tapered pins. 1 is a list of parts in which positioning holes are drilled and formed using a hybrid pin. A diagram showing the configuration of the starting winning port unit in the second embodiment, where (a) is a front view of the starting winning port unit of the second embodiment, (b) is a top view of the starting winning port unit of the second embodiment as seen from the direction of line XXXVb of (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view along line XXXVc-XXXVc of (a), (d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of (c), (e) is a cross-sectional view along line XXXVe-XXXVe of (a), and (f) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of (e). A table showing the pin suitability of the starting winning slot unit in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view of a center frame according to a third embodiment. 13 is a table showing pin suitability of a second center frame in the third embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing the configuration of a hybrid pin for forming a positioning hole in a game board base in the fourth embodiment, where (a) is a front view of the hybrid pin, (b) is a side view of the hybrid pin, and (c) is a bottom view of the hybrid pin.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the present invention, which is an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10, will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the external configuration of the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a front view of a game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the pachinko machine 10 comprises an outer frame 11, the outer shell of which is formed by wooden frames assembled into a roughly rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12, which is formed to roughly the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable toward the front (forward side) with the side where the hinges 18 are provided as the axis for opening and closing. When the inner frame 12 is closed, it is locked to the outer frame 11.

The inner frame 12 is made of synthetic resin, specifically acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin. ABS resin is an ideal material for the inner frame 12 because it is inexpensive, has good adhesion to plating, is decorative, and has high impact resistance.

The inner frame 12 has a 2/3 to 3/4 area on the upper side when viewed from the front, on which a game board 13 (see FIG. 3) is detachably attached from the front side. The balls flow down the front of the game board 13, allowing the balls to play. The inner frame 12 is fitted with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 8) that launches balls into the front area of the game board 13, and a launching rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of the game board 13.

On the front side of the inner frame 12, a door frame 14 that covers the upper side of the front and a lower tray unit 15 that covers the lower side are provided. In order to support the door frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15, metal hinges 19 are attached to two places, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and the door frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front side, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided as the axis of opening and closing. The locking of the inner frame 12 and the locking of the door frame 14 (and the lower tray unit 15) are each unlocked by inserting a dedicated key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation. In addition, the pachinko machine 10 is provided with a door opening switch (not shown) that detects when either the inner frame 12 or the door frame 14 (and the lower tray unit 15) has been unlocked and opened (the door has been opened).

The door frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts and electrical parts, and has a window 14a formed in a roughly elliptical shape in the approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two pieces of glass is disposed on the rear side of the door frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

In the door frame 14, an upper tray 17 for storing balls is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top that protrudes forward, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom surface of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 8). In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the left side of the top surface of the upper tray 17 when viewed from the front.

The frame button 22 is a button that is pressed by the player when, for example, changing the stage of the presentation displayed on the special symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 3) described below. The frame button 22 is also used as an operation button that allows the player to select the presentation content in the so-called super reach, which is one form of variable display.

The variable display is an effect displayed on the special symbol display device 81 (see Figure 3), and as described below, is executed when a ball shot into the front area of the game board 13 enters the start winning hole 4a (see Figure 3) (start winning). After the symbols (special symbols described below) are displayed in a variable manner for a predetermined period of time, the combination of symbols that are displayed in a frozen state indicates to the player the result of the lottery (whether it is a jackpot or not) held for that start winning.

A stage is a presentation mode that provides uniformity to the various presentations displayed on the special symbol display device 81, and this pachinko machine 10 has three stages: "town stage," "sky stage," and "island stage." The various presentations, such as the above-mentioned changing displays and reach presentations executed during the changing displays, are designed to be performed according to the theme given to each stage.

The stage changes when the player presses the frame button 22 during a period when no changing display is taking place, or during a high-speed change in which special symbols are displayed changing at high speeds that are invisible to the player. Each time the frame button 22 is pressed, the stage is changed repeatedly in the following order: "town stage" → "empty stage" → "island stage" → "town stage" → ... In addition, immediately after the power is turned on, the "town stage" is set as the initial stage.

In addition, when a normal reach effect is started in the variable display performed on the special pattern display device 81 (see Figure 3), when the normal reach develops into a super reach, a selection screen for the super reach effect mode is displayed on the special pattern display device 81 during the normal reach.

On the selection screen, multiple presentation mode candidates that can be selected as the presentation mode of the Super Reach are displayed, and one of the presentation mode candidates is selected. If the player presses the frame button 22 while the selection screen is displayed, the selected presentation mode candidate is changed. Then, the presentation mode of the Super Reach is determined based on the presentation mode candidate that was selected when the Super Reach developed, and the Super Reach is executed on the special pattern display device 81 (see Figure 3) according to that presentation mode.

In this embodiment, the frame button 22 is configured as a button to be pressed, but instead of the frame button 22, it may be configured as an operation lever that can be tilted by the player in a predetermined direction relative to the pachinko machine 10 (for example, forward, backward, right, or left relative to the pachinko machine 10). Then, based on the direction in which the operation lever is tilted, the performance stage may be selected or the performance mode of the super reach may be selected.

The door frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around its periphery (e.g., corners). These light-emitting means change and control the light-emitting state by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a certain reach is reached, and play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. For example, the periphery of the window portion 14a is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating light-emitting means such as light-emitting diodes (hereinafter abbreviated as "LEDs"). In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks due to the built-in LEDs lighting up or blinking, thereby notifying the player that a jackpot is being hit or that the player is in a reach just before a jackpot. In addition, an indicator lamp 34 is provided at the upper left of the door frame 14 when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), which incorporates a light-emitting means such as an LED and can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

A small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination section 32 from the back side so that the back side of the door frame 14 can be seen, and the certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 3) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. In addition, in order to create a more dazzling appearance, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination sections 29-33 in the pachinko machine 10.

The ball lending operation unit 40 is disposed below the window 14a. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into the card unit (ball lending unit, not shown) located on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out in accordance with the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and the built-in LED lights up to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on the information recorded on the card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of the card, etc. inserted into the card unit.

In pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary. In this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation area of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use a card unit and cash machines.

The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 in the center, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, for storing balls that could not be stored in the upper tray 17. On the right side of the lower tray 50, an operating handle 51 is arranged, which is operated by the player to shoot balls into the front of the game board 13 (see Figure 3). Inside the operating handle 51, there is built-in a touch sensor 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 8), a push-button type shooting stop switch 51b that stops the shooting of balls while it is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance.

When the operating handle 51 is rotated clockwise by the player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in accordance with the amount of rotation, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, which changes according to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51, thereby shooting the ball into the front of the game board 13 with a flight distance corresponding to the player's operation. The interval between ball launches from the ball launching unit 112a is set to approximately 0.6 seconds. Furthermore, when the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the shot stop switch 51b are off.

A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, the bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. This ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray 53 is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

Next, the rear configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113), and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115), and a card unit connection board 116.

The back pack unit 94 is a unit formed by the back pack 92, which forms the protective cover, and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with a micro-processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as "MPU") as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each part, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as necessary.

The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100-104. The board boxes 100-104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

The board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected to the box base and box cover by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened (connected by a crimping structure). A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if you try to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, you can know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

The payout unit 93 is equipped with a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132, which pays out balls using a specified electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 8). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 pays out the required number of balls as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibration to the tank rail 131.

The payout control device 111 is also provided with a state recovery switch 120, the launch control device 112 with a variable resistor control knob 121, and the power supply device 115 with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to resolve ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 8). The control knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid (not shown) provided in the ball launch unit 112a (see FIG. 8). The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

Next, the details of the game board 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the game board 13 mounted on the inner frame 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the game board 13 is configured by attaching a cell sheet 60a, on which a design or pattern is printed, to the front side (front side) of a wooden base plate 60 that has been machined into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front. An inner rail 61, an outer rail 62, and a right corner ornament 70 are assembled to the front side of the base plate 60 to which the cell sheet 60a is attached to form a play area. The front center portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through the window portion 14a (see FIG. 1) of the door frame 14.

An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into an approximately arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13 (base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a. Hereinafter, the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a may be collectively referred to as the "game board 13"), and an arc-shaped inner rail 61 formed from a strip-shaped metal plate similar to the outer rail 62 is set up on the inside of the outer rail 62. The front periphery of the game board 13 is surrounded by the inner rail 61, outer rail 62, and right corner ornament 70, and the front and back are surrounded by the game board 13 and a glass unit (not shown) arranged on the back side of the door frame 14, forming a game area on the front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. In other words, the play area is a roughly circular area on the front side of the game board 13, partitioned by the two rails 61, 62 and the right corner ornament 70 (the area where the winning holes and the like are located and where the shot balls flow down).

The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 8) to the top of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip of the inner rail 61.

This return ball prevention member 68 is composed of a base 68a for the return ball prevention member 68 (hereinafter referred to as the "return base 68a") and an opening/closing plate 68b for the return ball prevention member 68 (hereinafter referred to as the "return opening/closing plate 68b"). Under normal circumstances, the return opening/closing plate 68b reduces (closes) the exit of the ball guiding area sandwiched between the two rails 61, 62, and when the ball is guided from the ball guiding area to the top of the game board 13, the return opening/closing plate 68b rotates due to the momentum of the ball to expand (open) the exit of the ball guiding area.

To be more specific, the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a and guided by the ball guiding area collides with the surface of the return opening/closing plate 68b facing the ball guiding area. The ball's own momentum then rotates the return opening/closing plate 68b, enlarging the exit of the ball guiding area, and the ball moves to the playing area at the top of the playing board 13. The return opening/closing plate 68b, which has enlarged the exit of the ball guiding area, is then rotated in a direction that reduces (closes) the exit of the ball guiding area by a weight member (not shown) disposed inside the return opening/closing plate 68b, thereby reducing (closing) the exit of the ball guiding area again.

On the other hand, the return opening/closing plate 68b is configured such that, except when a ball collides with the surface on the ball guiding area side, the rotation of the return opening/closing plate 68b is restricted by the regulating wall portion provided on the return ball prevention member 68, and the exit of the ball guiding area is kept in a reduced (closed) state. As a result, a ball that has once been guided to the top of the play area of the game board 13 collides with the surface on the play area side of the return opening/closing plate 68b and bounces back toward the play area. This prevents a ball that has flowed into the play area from returning to the ball guiding area again.

The return base 68a of the return ball prevention member 68 is made of a transparent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin). Polycarbonate resin is inexpensive, has excellent transparency and decorative properties, and has high impact resistance. Therefore, it is an ideal material for the return base 68a, which is in the line of sight of the player and is frequently hit by balls.

In addition, since the return base 68a is made of a transparent resin, the surface of the game board 13 located on the back side of the return base 68a is visible. This allows the pattern printed on the cell sheet 60a on the back side of the return base 68a to be visible to the player. The return opening and closing plate 68b is made of a non-transparent resin molded product (for example, black ABS resin containing carbon).

The return base 68a has a three-dimensional bulge extending forward from the return base 68a, with a thickness slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere (e.g., 15 mm), and the return opening/closing plate 68b is attached to the bulge so that it can rotate freely.

In addition, the return ball prevention member 68 has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the return base 68a are referred to as "return screw insertion holes") at two locations, above and below, of its return base 68a when viewed from the front (see Figure 3). Each of these return screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With this return ball prevention member 68 placed on the game board 13, the return ball prevention member 68 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing each of the return screw insertion holes.

Furthermore, the return ball prevention member 68 has multiple protrusions (two in the first embodiment) (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the return base 68a are referred to as "return protrusions") on the back side of the return base 68a (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a). These return protrusions are each provided near the return screw insertion holes (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the return screw insertion holes). In addition, these return protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the return base 68a to the back side (length 2 mm, diameter φ2.4 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the return ball prevention member 68 to the game board 13, the return protrusions are inserted into the positioning holes 601, 602 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the return protrusions are referred to as "return positioning holes 601, 602") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This allows the return ball prevention member 68 to be temporarily held on the game board 13 before being fastened with screws. Then, with the return protrusions temporarily held in the respective return positioning holes 601, 602, screws are screwed into the return screw insertion holes, thereby fixing the return ball prevention member 68 to the game board 13 without misalignment.

As described above, the return ball prevention member 68 only has a return opening/closing plate 68b mounted on the return base 68a, and the overall volume of the return ball prevention member 68 is small. Therefore, the overall weight of the return ball prevention member 68 is light (e.g., 5 grams), and it is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip of the outer rail 62 at a position corresponding to the maximum flight point of the ball, and a ball shot with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back toward the center while reducing its momentum. In addition, a resin right corner ornament 70 is provided between the lower right tip of the inner rail 61 and the upper right tip of the outer rail 62, with an arc on the inner surface connecting the rails.

The right corner ornament 70 is a non-transparent resin molded product (e.g., made of black ABS resin containing carbon), and when viewed from the front, the right corner ornament 70 makes the front side of the cell sheet 60a invisible. In addition, the lower surface of the right corner ornament 70 (the lower right side of the game board 13) is provided with an attachment space K1 for attaching certificate stamps, identification labels, etc. Certificate stamps, etc. affixed to the attachment space K1 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10 through a small window 35 in the door frame 14 (see Figure 1).

The right corner ornament 70 is a part that is elongated from top to bottom when viewed from the front, with the middle part being gently arched. The part that forms the lower attachment space K1 is a part that has a widened shape. The right corner ornament 70 is a part that has a three-dimensional outer shape with a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) slightly larger than the diameter of a sphere from the base of the right corner ornament 70 (hereinafter referred to as the "right base 70a") forward.

The right corner ornament 70 also has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the right base 70a are referred to as "right screw insertion holes") in four locations, two at the top and two at the bottom of the right corner ornament 70 (see Figure 3). Each of these right screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the right corner ornament 70 placed on the game board 13, the right corner ornament 70 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing screws into each of the right screw insertion holes.

The right corner ornament 70 further has multiple (four in the first embodiment) protrusions (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the right base 70a are referred to as "right protrusions") on the back side of the right base 70a (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a). These right protrusions are provided near each of the right screw insertion holes of the right corner ornament 70 (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from each right screw insertion hole). In addition, these right protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the back side of the right base 70a (length 2 mm, diameter φ2.4 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the right corner ornament 70 to the game board 13, the right protrusions are inserted into the positioning holes 603-606 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the right protrusions are referred to as "right positioning holes 603-606") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This allows the right corner ornament 70 to be temporarily held on the game board 13 before being fastened with screws. Then, with the right protrusions temporarily held in the respective right positioning holes 603-606, screws are screwed into the right screw insertion holes, and the right corner ornament 70 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

Although the right corner ornament 70 has a large overall volume, since no other parts are mounted on the right base 70a, the overall weight of the right corner ornament 70 is light (e.g., 80 grams). Therefore, the right corner ornament 70 is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13. Also, since the right corner ornament 70 has an elongated shape when viewed from the front, a reinforcing member may be provided to increase the rigidity of the whole part (e.g., a metal reinforcing plate may be provided on the back side of the right corner ornament 70). If a reinforcing member is provided, the overall weight of the right corner ornament 70 will increase by the amount of the reinforcing member, and so it will be classified as a heavy part.

At the upper left side of the game board 13 when viewed from the front (upper left side in FIG. 3), outside the game area defined by the outer rail 62, an upper left corner ornament 71 is disposed. This upper left corner ornament 71 is a non-transparent resin molded product (e.g., made of black ABS resin containing carbon), and when viewed from the front, the upper left corner ornament 71 makes the front side of the cell sheet 60a invisible.

In addition, the upper left corner ornament 71 is a part that, when viewed from the front, forms a gentle bow extending from the upper right to the lower left corner of the base 71a of the upper left corner ornament 71 (hereinafter referred to as the "upper left base 71a") from the upper right corner to the lower left corner, following the outer shape of the outer rail 62. The upper left corner ornament 71 is also a part that has a shape in which one corner is formed on the opposite side of the bow-shaped side. Furthermore, the upper left corner ornament 71 is a part that has a three-dimensional outer shape that extends forward from the upper left base 71a and has a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) that is slightly larger than the diameter of a sphere.

The upper left corner ornament 71 also has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the upper left base 71a will be referred to as the "upper left screw insertion holes") in the upper left, lower left, and upper right parts of the upper left base 71a (see Figure 3). Each of these upper left screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the upper left corner ornament 71 placed on the game board 13, the upper left corner ornament 71 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing screws into each of the upper left screw insertion holes.

Furthermore, the upper left corner ornament 71 has multiple protrusions (two in the first embodiment) (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the upper left base 71a are referred to as "upper left protrusions") on the back side (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a) of the upper left base 71a. These upper left protrusions are provided near the lower left upper left screw insertion hole and the upper right upper left screw insertion hole (for example, 5 mm away from the upper left screw insertion hole). In addition, this upper left protrusion is formed to protrude slightly from the upper left base 71a to the back side (length 2 mm, diameter φ2.4 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the upper left corner ornament 71 to the game board 13, the upper left protrusion is inserted into positioning holes 607, 608 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the upper left protrusion are referred to as "upper left positioning holes 607, 608") formed on the game board 13, which will be described later. This allows the upper left corner ornament 71 to be temporarily held on the game board 13 before being fastened with screws. Then, with the upper left protrusion temporarily held in each of the upper left positioning holes 607, 608, screws are screwed into the upper left screw insertion hole, and the upper left corner ornament 71 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

The upper left corner ornament 71 has no other parts mounted on the upper left base 71a, and the overall volume of the upper left corner ornament 71 is small. Therefore, the overall weight of the upper left corner ornament 71 is light (e.g., 50 grams), and it is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

A main display unit 87 is disposed at the lower left side of the game board 13 when viewed from the front (lower left side of FIG. 3), outside the game area defined by the outer rail 62. The configuration of the main display unit 87 will now be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the main display unit 87, with FIG. 4(a) being a front view of the main display unit 87, FIG. 4(b) being a side view of the main display unit 87 as viewed from line IVb in FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4(c) being a cross-sectional view taken along line IVc-IVc in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 4(d) being an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(c).

The main display unit 87 is a non-transparent resin molded product (e.g., black ABS resin containing carbon), and when viewed from the front, the main display unit 87 makes the front side of the cell sheet 60a invisible.

The main display unit 87 is also provided with a first pattern display device 87a, a second pattern display device 87b, a first pattern reserved display device 87c, and a second pattern reserved display device 87d, each of which is composed of a plurality of light-emitting means such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The first pattern display device 87a is composed of multiple LEDs, and displays the first pattern (special pattern) in response to each control performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) described later. This first pattern display device 87a displays the change in the first pattern by indicating whether or not the change that occurs in response to a ball entering the start winning hole 4a (start winning) described later is in progress through its lighting state, and indicates, as the stopping pattern after the first pattern change has ended, a pattern according to the result of the lottery for the first pattern performed for that start winning through its lighting state.

The second symbol display device 87b is composed of multiple LEDs, and displays the second symbol (normal symbol) in response to the various controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) described below. This second symbol display device 87b displays the change in the second symbol by indicating whether or not the change that occurs in response to a ball entering the through gate 7 described below is occurring through its lighting state, and indicates, as the stopping symbol after the change in the second symbol is displayed, a symbol according to the result of the lottery for the second symbol performed in response to a ball entering the through gate 7 through its lighting state.

The first pattern reserved display device 87c, by lighting up, indicates the number of reserved balls of the first pattern, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have not yet undergone the first pattern change among the balls that have entered the start winning opening 4a described below. The second pattern reserved display device 87d, by lighting up, indicates the number of reserved balls of the second pattern, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have not yet undergone the second pattern change among the balls that have entered the through gate 7 described below.

In addition to the above-mentioned display devices 87a to 87d, the main display unit 87 is configured to display the number of rounds during a jackpot and errors using multiple LEDs. The first symbol display device 87a is also configured so that each LED has a different light emission color (e.g., red, green, blue), and the combination of these light emission colors can indicate various game states of the pachinko machine 10 using a small number of LEDs.

The main display unit 87 is a display device unit that can be directly controlled by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) by connecting wiring (not shown) extending from the main control device 110 to a main display connector section 87e (see FIG. 4(b)) provided on the rear side of the main display unit 87.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the main display unit 87 is a part formed in a gentle arch shape extending from the upper left to the lower right along the outline of the outer rail 62 from the upper left corner to the lower right corner of the main display base 87f when viewed from the front. The main display unit 87 is also formed with multiple corners (four corners in the first embodiment) on the opposite side of the arched side, and each of the multiple corners has a rounded, chamfered shape. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the main display unit 87 is a part having a three-dimensional outline with a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) slightly larger than the diameter of a sphere forward from the base 87f of the main display unit 87 (hereinafter referred to as the "main display base 87f").

The main display unit 87 is also provided with screw insertion holes 87g-87i (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the main display base 87f are referred to as "main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i") at the upper left, middle left, and lower right of the main display base 87f (see FIG. 4(a)). Each of the main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i is configured to allow a screw to be screwed in. With the main display unit 87 placed on the game board 13, the main display unit 87 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing a screw into each of the main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4(b) to Fig. 4(d), the main display unit 87 has a plurality of (two in the first embodiment) protrusions 87j, 87k (hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the main display base 87f are referred to as "main display protrusions 87j, 87k") on the back side (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a) of the main display base 87f. The main display protrusions 87j, 87k are provided in the vicinity of the main display screw insertion holes 87g, 87i (for example, 5 mm away from the main display screw insertion holes 87g, 87i). The main display protrusions 87j, 87k are formed to protrude slightly from the main display base 87f to the back side (length 2 mm, diameter φ2.4 mm in the first embodiment).

In addition, no positioning protrusion is provided near the main display screw insertion hole 87h of the main display unit 87 (for example, 5 mm away from the main display screw insertion hole 87h), and the number of main display protrusions 87j, 87k (2) is one less than the number of main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i (3) of the main display unit 87. This is because the main display positioning holes 609, 610 (described later) corresponding to the main display unit 87 are formed by the straight pin 301 (described later), and the protrusion holding function is fully ensured by the two main display protrusions 87j, 87k.

When attaching the main display unit 87 to the game board 13, the main display protrusions 87j, 87k are inserted into positioning holes 609, 610 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the main display protrusions 87j, 87k are referred to as "main display positioning holes 609, 610") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This temporarily holds the main display unit 87 on the game board 13 before it is secured with screws. Then, with the main display protrusions 87j, 87k temporarily held in the respective main display positioning holes 609, 610, screws are screwed into the main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i, and the main display unit 87 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As described above, the main display unit 87 only has the display devices 87a-87d, which are made up of LEDs, mounted on the main display base 87f, and the overall volume of the main display unit 87 is small. Therefore, the overall weight of the main display unit 87 is light (for example, 55 grams), and it is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

Now, referring to Figures 7(a) and 7(b), we will explain the state in which the main display unit 87 is attached to the game board 13. Figure 7(a) is an enlarged front view of a portion of the main display unit 87 on the game board 13, and Figure 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb in Figure 7(a).

As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the main display unit 87 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing a screw into the main display screw insertion hole 87i (87g, 87h) provided in the main display base 87f. In the manufacturing process of the game board 13, when fixing the main display unit 87 to the game board 13 with a screw, before screwing the screw into the main display screw insertion hole 87i (87g, 87h), the main display protrusion 87k (87j) is inserted into the main display positioning hole 610 (609) to temporarily hold the entire main display unit 87 so that it does not shift relative to the game board 13. Then, in this temporarily held state, the main display unit 87 is fixed to the game board 13 with a screw by screwing the screw into the main display screw insertion hole 87i (87g, 87h).

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the main display base 87f of the main display unit 87 is made of a non-transparent resin, so the back side of the main display base 87f is not visible. Therefore, the player cannot see the pattern printed on the cell sheet 60a located on the back side of the main display unit 87. In addition, the player cannot see the periphery of the main display positioning hole 610 (609) into which the main display protrusion 87k (87j) is inserted. In the first embodiment, the cell sheet 60a on the back side of the main display unit 87 is made of a plain color (white background without any pattern or design). This is because the main display unit 87 is a component that is placed outside the play area, so there is no need to take the trouble of printing a pattern or design at the position where the main display unit 87 is placed.

Furthermore, the main display positioning hole 610 (609) into which the main display protrusion 87k (87j) is inserted is formed by drilling using a straight pin 301, which will be described later. Details of the main display positioning hole 610 (609) and the straight pin 301 will be described later.

Returning to FIG. 3, the explanation continues. In the play area formed by the inner rail 61, outer rail 62, and right corner ornament 70, a large number of game nails and windmills for guiding balls, a general prize opening unit 3 with a general prize opening 3a, a start prize opening unit 4 with a start prize opening 4a, an attacker unit 5 with a large prize opening 5a, a through gate 7, a board side ornament 8, and a variable display unit 80 are assembled. The general prize opening unit 3, the start prize opening unit 4, the attacker unit 5, the through gate 7, the board side ornament 8, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in the router holes 651 to 656 formed in the play board 13 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the play board 13 with screws (male screws) such as wood screws.

On the left side of the play area is a general prize opening unit 3 having multiple (two in the first embodiment) general prize openings 3a through which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters. A similar general prize opening unit 3 is also provided on the right side of the play area. Note that although the general prize opening unit 3 on the right side is symmetrical in shape to the general prize opening unit 3 on the left side, the rest of the configuration is the same, so a description of it will be omitted.

This general winning opening unit 3 is made of a transparent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin). Polycarbonate resin is inexpensive, has excellent transparency and decorativeness, and is highly impact resistant. Therefore, it is an ideal material for the general winning opening unit 3, which is in the line of sight of the player playing the game. In addition, since the base 3d of the general winning opening unit 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "general base 3d") is made of a transparent resin, the surface of the game board 13 located on the back side of the general base 3d is visible. This allows the pattern printed on the cell sheet 60a on the back side of the general base 3d to be visible to the player.

The general winning slot unit 3 may be made of ABS resin and plated. However, plating ABS resin is more expensive than forming it from transparent resin. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the general winning slot unit 3, which is less important to the game and is unlikely to be visible to the player while playing, is made of transparent resin without plating to reduce costs.

The general winning port unit 3 also has a three-dimensional outer portion with a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) slightly larger than the diameter of the ball extending forward from the general base 3d, and the general winning port 3a is provided on this outer portion. The general winning port unit 3 also has a general winning port switch 3b (see FIG. 8) that can detect balls that have entered (won) the general winning port 3a, and a general decorative LED 3c (see FIG. 8) that irradiates light toward the front of the pachinko machine 10.

This general prize winning port unit 3 is configured so that the detection of a ball based on the general prize winning port switch 3b can be recognized by the main control device 110 by connecting an arrangement (not shown) extending from the main control device 110 (see Figure 8) to a connector portion (not shown) provided on the back side of the general prize winning port unit 3.

When a ball enters the general winning hole 3a, the general winning hole switch 3b (see FIG. 8) on the back side of the general winning hole unit 3 is turned on, and five balls are paid out as prize balls due to the general winning hole switch 3b being turned on. Note that the general winning hole switch 3b may not be mounted on the general winning hole unit 3, but may be mounted on a back frame set (not shown) that is disposed on the back side of the game board 13 and collects balls that enter the general winning hole 3a and the starting winning hole 4a (described later) and discharges them outside the pachinko machine 10.

The general winning port unit 3 also has wiring (not shown) extending from the sound lamp control device 113 (see FIG. 8) described below, which is connected to a general connector section (not shown) provided on the back side of the general winning port unit 3. This allows the sound lamp control device 113 to control the lighting of the general decorative LED 3c. Specifically, the lighting of the general decorative LED 3c is controlled in a lighting mode that allows each state to be identified depending on when the pachinko machine 10 is executing a variable display, when a jackpot state is reached, or when an error occurs.

Furthermore, the general winning opening unit 3 has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the general base 3d are referred to as "general screw insertion holes") in a total of four locations, two at the top and two at the bottom of the general base 3d when viewed from the front (see Figure 3). Each of these general screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the general winning opening unit 3 placed on the game board 13, the general winning opening unit 3 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing a screw into each of the general screw insertion holes.

The general winning opening unit 3 also has multiple (two in the first embodiment) protrusions (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions on the general base 3d are referred to as "general protrusions") on the back side of the general base 3d (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a). These general protrusions are provided near the general screw insertion holes at both the left and right ends of the general screw insertion holes of the general winning opening unit 3 (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the general screw insertion holes). The general protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the back side of the general base 3d (in the first embodiment, the length is 2 mm and the diameter is φ2.4 mm).

When attaching the general winning opening unit 3 to the game board 13, the general protrusions are inserted into positioning holes 611, 612 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the general protrusions are referred to as "general positioning holes 611, 612") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This temporarily holds the general winning opening unit 3 on the game board 13 before it is secured with screws. Then, with the general protrusions temporarily held in the respective general positioning holes 611, 612, screws are screwed into the general screw insertion holes, and the general winning opening unit 3 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As described above, the general prize winning port unit 3 is equipped with the general prize winning port switch 3b and the general decorative LED 3c on the general base 3d, and the overall volume of the general prize winning port unit 3 is large. Therefore, the overall weight of the general prize winning port unit 3 is heavy (e.g., 180 grams), and it is classified as a heavy part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

A variable display unit 80 is disposed in the center of the play area. The variable display unit 80 is composed of a rear unit attached to the playboard 13 from the rear side of the pachinko machine 10, and a center frame 86 attached to the front side of the pachinko machine 10. The rear unit of the variable display unit 80 is provided with a special symbol display device 81 composed of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as "display device") that displays the variable display of special symbols in synchronization with the variable display in the first symbol display device 87a, triggered by a ball entering the start winning hole 4a (start winning), which will be described later; a special symbol reserved lamp 82 that displays the reserved number of the variable display of the special symbol; a normal symbol display device 83 composed of an LED that displays the variable display of normal symbols in synchronization with the variable display in the second symbol display device 87b, triggered by the passage of a ball through the through gate 7; and a normal symbol reserved lamp 84 that displays the reserved number of the variable display of the normal symbol. In addition, the center frame 86 of the variable display unit 80 is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the special pattern display device 81, and the center frame 86 is equipped with a center decorative LED 86a and a movable gadget 86b.

The special symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 19-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 8) described later, so that, for example, three symbol rows, upper, middle, and lower, are displayed. Each symbol row is configured with multiple symbols, and these symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, and a variable display (variable performance) is performed in which the special symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the special symbol display device 81. The first symbol display device 87a displays the game status in accordance with the control of the main control device 110, while the special symbol display device 81 of the first embodiment displays decoratively according to the display of the first symbol display device 87a. Note that, instead of a liquid crystal display, the special symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, a reel or the like.

The special symbol reservation lamps 82 are provided in four, the maximum number of reserved special symbols, and are arranged symmetrically below the special symbol display device 81. In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the number of reserved variable displays of special symbols based on the passage of the ball through the starting winning hole 4a is reserved up to four times, and the reserved number is displayed by the above-mentioned first symbol reservation display device 87c and is also displayed by the special symbol reservation lamps 82.

The maximum number of reserved balls for the special symbol is not limited to four, but may be set to three or less, or five or more (e.g., eight). In addition, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first symbol reserved display device 87c, the special symbol reserved lamp 82 may not be lit.

The normal symbol display device 83 is composed of a display device that displays a "○" symbol and a display device that displays a "X" symbol, and the display contents are controlled by a display control device 114 (see FIG. 8) described later. The normal symbol display device 83 displays a variable display by alternately switching between lighting and not lighting the "○" symbol and the "X" symbol according to the display of the second symbol display device 87b, while the game status display associated with the control of the main control device 110 is performed by the second symbol display device 87b.

Specifically, when the result of the lottery for the second symbol (normal symbol) performed when the ball passes through the through gate 7 described later is a win, the normal symbol display device 83 displays a stationary "O" symbol after the variable display. Also, when the result of the lottery is a loss, the normal symbol display device 83 displays a stationary "X" symbol after the variable display.

The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the variable display on the normal symbol display device 83 stops at the "○" symbol, the electric device 4b provided in the start winning port unit 4, which will be described later, is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

The normal symbol reservation lamps 84 are provided in four, the maximum number of reserved normal symbols, and are disposed symmetrically above the special symbol display device 81 in the vicinity of the normal symbol display device 83 (for example, at a distance of 10 mm from the normal symbol display device 83). In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the number of reserved normal symbol variable displays based on the passage of the ball through the through gate 7 is reserved up to four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the above-mentioned second symbol reservation display device 87d and is also displayed by the normal symbol reservation lamps 84.

The normal pattern (second pattern) change display may be performed by switching on and off a number of lamps in the normal pattern display device 83 as in the first embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the special pattern display device 81. Similarly, the normal pattern reserve lamp 84 may be lit by a part of the special pattern display device 81. The maximum number of reserved balls for the normal pattern (second pattern) is not limited to four, but may be set to three or less, or five or more (e.g., eight). Since the number of reserved balls is shown by the second pattern reserve display device 87d, the normal pattern reserve lamp 84 may not be lit.

The center frame 86 is made of ABS resin, and its entire surface is plated (silver plated in the first embodiment). ABS resin is inexpensive, has good adhesion to plating, is highly decorative, and has high impact resistance. Therefore, it is an ideal material for the center frame 86, which is in the line of sight of the player and is frequently hit by balls. Since the center frame 86 is plated as described above, the front side of the cell sheet 60a is invisible when viewed from the front of the center frame 86.

In addition, the center frame 86 has a three-dimensional bulge that is slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere (e.g., 15 mm) forward from the base 86c of the center frame 86 (hereinafter referred to as the "center base 86c"). Inside this bulge is a center decorative LED 86a (see FIG. 8), and a movable accessory 86b (see FIG. 8) is located on the back side of the bulge.

The center decorative LED 86a and the movable gadget 86b are controlled to be driven in conjunction with the variable display of the special symbol. Specifically, the center decorative LED 86a is arranged to radiate light toward the front side of the pachinko machine 10, and is controlled to light in a manner that allows the user to identify the respective states when the variable display of the pachinko machine 10 is being executed, when a jackpot is being hit, or when an error occurs.

The movable gadget 86b is disposed on the rear side of the bulging portion of the center frame 86, and is normally stored on the rear side of the bulging portion, making it invisible to the player. On the other hand, the movable gadget 86b is disposed so that when a variable display or other predetermined condition is met during play (for example, when a jackpot is hit), it appears from a position invisible to the player to a position visible to the player. Note that the center decorative LED 86a or the movable gadget 86b may be configured not to be mounted on the center frame 86, but to be provided on the rear unit.

This center frame 86 has wiring (not shown) extending from a voice lamp control device 113 (see FIG. 8) described later connected to a center connector portion (not shown) provided on the back side of the center frame 86. This allows the voice lamp control device 113 to control the lighting of the center decorative LED 86a and the driving of the movable accessory 86b.

Furthermore, when viewed from the front, the center frame 86 has seven screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the center base 86c are referred to as "center screw insertion holes") provided around the center base 86c (see FIG. 3). Each of these center screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the center frame 86 placed on the game board 13, the center frame 86 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing each screw into the center screw insertion holes.

The center frame 86 is provided with multiple protrusions (seven in the first embodiment) (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the center base 86c are referred to as "center protrusions") on the back side of the center base 86c (the side that contacts the base plate 60). These center protrusions are provided near the center screw insertion holes (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the center screw insertion holes). The center protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the back side of the center base 86c (length 2.05 mm, diameter φ2.5 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the center frame 86 to the game board 13, the center protrusions are inserted into the positioning holes 613-619 (described later) formed in the game board 13 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the center protrusions are referred to as "center positioning holes 613-619"). This temporarily holds the center frame 86 on the game board 13 before fastening with the screws. Then, with the center protrusions temporarily held in the respective center positioning holes 613-619, screws are screwed into the center screw insertion holes, and the center frame 86 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As described above, the entire center base 86c is plated and has a plated layer (not shown). Therefore, the thickness of the plated layer is added to the overall thickness of the center base 86c. In other words, the thickness of the entire center base 86c is determined by adding the thickness of the plated layer to the thickness of the ABS resin that constitutes the center base 86c. Therefore, the center protrusion (not shown) provided on the center base 86c is also plated and has a plated layer, so the thickness (length) of the center protrusion is the thickness (length) of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer.

Specifically, the length of the center protrusion is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (plating layer) = 2.05 mm. The diameter (thickness) of the center protrusion is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (plating layer) = 2.5 mm. Therefore, the center protrusion is 0.05 mm longer and 0.1 mm thicker in diameter than the protrusions of other components that are not plated (for example, the main display protrusions 87j, 87k of the main display unit 87).

As described above, the center frame 86 is equipped with the center decorative LED 86a and the movable part 86b, and the overall volume of the center frame 86 is large. Therefore, the overall weight of the center frame 86 is heavy (e.g., 500 grams), and it is classified as a heavy part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

Below the variable display unit 80, a start winning port unit 4 is provided, which is provided with a start winning port 4a through which a ball can enter. The configuration of the start winning port unit 4 will now be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5(a) is a front view of the start winning port unit 4, FIG. 5(b) is a top view of the start winning port unit 4 as viewed from the direction of line Vb in FIG. 5(a), FIG. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Vc-Vc in FIG. 5(a), and FIG. 5(d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 5(c).

The start winning port unit 4 is composed of a base 4e (hereinafter referred to as the "start base 4e") having a start winning port 4a and an electric device 4b, and a back 4f (hereinafter referred to as the "start back 4f") having a solenoid 4c for the electric device and a start port switch 4d (see Figure 8).

The starting base 4e is made of ABS resin, and the entire surface except for the electric device 4b has a plating layer 4e3 (see FIG. 5(d)) that is plated (silver plated in the first embodiment). As described above, ABS resin is inexpensive, has good adhesion to plating, is decorative, and has high impact resistance. Therefore, it is suitable as a constituent material for the starting base 4e that has the starting winning hole 4a that is in the line of sight of the player and that is frequently hit by balls. In addition, because the starting base 4e is plated as described above, the front side of the cell sheet 60a is made invisible when viewed from the front of the starting base 4e by the starting winning hole unit 4.

Furthermore, the starting base 4e has a three-dimensional bulge 4e1 with a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) slightly larger than the diameter of the ball and a covering portion 4e2 formed in front of the starting base 4e (see FIG. 5(b)). The bulge 4e1 forms the starting winning hole 4a. In addition, an electric device 4b is arranged on the back side of the covering portion 4e2, and the electric device 4b is covered by the covering portion 4e2 in the closed state. The lower starting winning hole (not shown) is formed by the space covered by the covering portion 4e2 and the electric device 4b. When the electric device 4b is in the closed state, the electric device 4b and the covering portion 4e2 prevent the ball from entering the lower starting winning hole, and the ball can enter the lower starting winning hole only when the electric device 4b is in the open state. Balls that enter the lower start winning hole are configured to be detected by the start winning hole switch 4d (see Figure 8) in the same way as balls that enter the start winning hole 4a.

The starting back 4f is made of a translucent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin). This starting back 4f is provided with a ball passage (not shown) that allows balls that enter the starting winning port 4a (including balls that enter the lower starting winning port when the electric device 4b is open) to flow down, an electric device solenoid 4c that can open and close the electric device 4b, and a starting port switch 4d (see FIG. 8) that can detect balls that have passed through the ball passage.

A connector section (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the starting back 4f, and wiring (not shown) extending from the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) is connected to the connector section (not shown). This allows the solenoid 4c for the electric prop to be driven and controlled by the main control device 110, and allows the main control device 110 to recognize the detection of the ball based on the starting port switch 4d.

Specifically, when a ball enters the start winning hole 4a (start winning), the start winning hole switch 4d (see FIG. 8) is turned on, and as a result of the start winning hole switch 4d being turned on, the main control device 110 draws a lottery for a first symbol (special symbol) jackpot, and the first symbol display device 87a and the special symbol display device 81 start (start) varying display of the first symbol (special symbol). After a predetermined variation time has elapsed, the varying display of the first symbol (special symbol) is stopped, and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 87a, and the special symbol according to the lottery result is displayed frozen on the special symbol display device 81. The start winning hole 4a is one of the winning holes, and when a ball enters it, five balls are paid out as prize balls.

In this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held for balls that enter the starting winning slot 4a to determine whether or not a jackpot has been awarded, and if a jackpot has been awarded, the type of jackpot is also determined. The types of jackpots that can be determined here include "15R sure jackpot," "2R sure jackpot," and "time-limited jackpot." The other LEDs (not shown) of the main display unit 87 mentioned above not only show whether or not the result of the lottery is a jackpot as the stopping pattern after the fluctuation has ended, but also show a pattern according to the type of jackpot if a jackpot has been awarded.

Here, a "15R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a "high probability state" after a jackpot with a maximum of 15 rounds, and a "2R special jackpot" is a special jackpot that transitions to a "high probability state" after a jackpot with a maximum of 2 rounds. Also, a "time-saving jackpot" is a jackpot that transitions to a "time-saving state" after a jackpot with a maximum of 15 rounds, with the jackpot probability of a special symbol remaining the same as normal, but for a set number of changes (for example, 100 changes).

The "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot for the first symbol increases as an added value after the end of a jackpot for the first symbol (special symbol), i.e., during a so-called probability fluctuation (during a probability change), in other words, a gaming state in which it is easy to transition to a special gaming state. The "high probability state (during a probability change)" in the first embodiment includes a gaming state in which the probability of a hit for the second symbol (normal symbol) described below increases, making it easier for the electric device 4b attached to the starting winning hole 4a to open, making it easier for the ball to enter the starting winning hole 4a.

On the other hand, the "normal game state" refers to a state when the game is not in a "high probability state" or a "time-saving state", and refers to a state in which the jackpot probability is normal, that is, the jackpot probability is lower than during a special probability state, and the probability of hitting the second symbol (normal symbol) is low. Also, the "time-saving state (during time-saving state)" refers to a game state in which the jackpot probability is normal, the jackpot probability remains the same, but only the probability of hitting the second symbol (normal symbol) increases, and the electric device 4b attached to the starting winning hole 4a is more likely to open, making it easier for the ball to enter the starting winning hole 4a.

In addition, instead of changing the probability of winning the second symbol, the time for which the electric device 4b associated with the start winning hole 4a opens or the number of times the electric device 4b opens with one win with the second symbol may be changed according to the game state of the pachinko machine 10. For example, the "time-shortened state" or the "high probability state" may be a state in which the time for which the electric device 4b associated with the start winning hole 4a opens is longer than in the "normal game state". Also, the "time-shortened state" or the "high probability state" may be a state in which the number of times the electric device 4b opens with one win with the second symbol is greater than in the "normal game state".

If a ball enters the starting winning hole 4a while a variable display is being performed on the special pattern display device 81 (first pattern display device 87a), the ball will be reserved up to four times. The variable display corresponding to the reserved ball (reserved ball) will be performed after the variable display corresponding to the previously reserved ball has ended. As mentioned above, the number of reserved balls (reserved ball count) is shown by the first pattern reserved display device 87c and also by the special pattern reserved lamp 82.

The starting winning hole unit 4 further has screw insertion holes 4g, 4h (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the starting base 4e are referred to as "starting screw insertion holes 4g, 4h") at two locations on the left and right sides of the starting base 4e when viewed from the front (see FIG. 5(a)). These starting screw insertion holes 4g, 4h are each configured to allow a screw to be screwed in. With this starting winning hole unit 4 placed on the game board 13, screws are screwed into the starting screw insertion holes 4g, 4h, respectively, to fix the starting winning hole unit 4 to the game board 13.

As shown in Fig. 5(b) to Fig. 5(d), the starting winning hole unit 4 has a plurality of (two in the first embodiment) protrusions 4i, 4j (hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the starting base 4e are referred to as "starting protrusions 4i, 4j") on the rear side (the side in contact with the base plate 60) of the starting base 4e. The starting protrusions 4i, 4j are provided such that the left starting protrusion 4i is provided near the lower part of the starting screw insertion hole 4g when viewed from the front (for example, 5 mm below the starting screw insertion hole 4g), and the right starting protrusion 4j is provided near the upper part of the starting screw insertion hole 4h when viewed from the front (for example, 5 mm above the starting screw insertion hole 4h). The starting protrusions 4i, 4j are formed to protrude slightly from the starting base 4e to the rear side (2.05 mm long, φ2.5 mm in diameter in the first embodiment).

When attaching the start winning hole unit 4 to the game board, the start protrusions 4i, 4j are inserted into positioning holes 620, 621 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the start protrusions 4i, 4j are referred to as "start positioning holes 620, 621") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This temporarily holds the start winning hole unit 4 on the game board 13 before it is secured with screws. Then, with the start protrusions 4i, 4j temporarily held in the respective start positioning holes 620, 621, screws are screwed into the start screw insertion holes 4g, 4h, and the start winning hole unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As described above, the entire starting base 4e is plated and has a plated layer 4e3. Therefore, the thickness of the plated layer 4e3 is added to the thickness of the entire starting base 4e. In other words, the thickness of the entire starting base 4e is the thickness of the ABS resin that constitutes the starting base 4e plus the thickness of the plated layer 4e3. Therefore, the starting protrusions 4i, 4j provided on the starting base 4e are also plated and have the plated layer 4e3, so the thickness (length) of the starting protrusions 4i, 4j is the thickness (length) of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer 4e3.

Specifically, the length of the starting projections 4i, 4j is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (4e3 plating layer) = 2.05 mm. The diameter (thickness) of the starting projections 4i, 4j is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (4e3 plating layer) = 2.5 mm. Therefore, the starting projections 4i, 4j are 0.05 mm in length and 0.1 mm in diameter thicker than the projections of other components that are not plated (for example, the main display projections 87j, 87k of the main display unit 87).

As described above, the start winning port unit 4 is equipped with the start winning port 4a and the electric device 4b on the start base 4e, and the ball passage (not shown), the solenoid 4c for the electric device, and the start port switch 4d on the start back 4f. Therefore, although the overall volume of the start winning port unit 4 is small, the overall weight of the start winning port unit 4 is heavy (e.g., 100 grams), and it is classified as a heavy part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

Now, referring to Figures 7(c) and 7(d), we will explain the state in which the start winning hole unit 4 is attached to the game board 13. Figure 7(c) is an enlarged front view of a portion of the start winning hole unit 4, and Figure 7(d) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIId-VIId in Figure 7(c).

As shown in Figures 7(c) and 7(d), the start winning hole unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing a screw into the start screw insertion hole 4h (4g) provided in the start base 4e. In the manufacturing process of the game board 13, when this start winning hole unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 with a screw, before screwing the screw into the start screw insertion hole 4h (4g), the start protrusion 4j (4i) is inserted into the start positioning hole 621 (620) to temporarily hold the entire start winning hole unit 4 so that it does not shift relative to the game board 13. Then, in this temporarily held state, a screw is screwed into the start screw insertion hole 4h (4g), and the start winning hole unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 with a screw.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the starting base 4e of the starting winning port unit 4 is plated, so the back side of the starting base 4e is not visible. Therefore, the player cannot see the pattern (in the first embodiment, part of the crab pattern) printed on the cell sheet 60a located on the back side of the starting winning port unit 4. In addition, the area around the starting positioning hole 621 (620) into which the starting protrusion 4j (4i) is inserted is also not visible.

Furthermore, the starting positioning hole 621 (620) into which the starting protrusion 4j (4i) is inserted is formed by drilling using a tapered pin 311, which will be described later. Details of the starting positioning hole 621 (620) and the tapered pin 311 will be described later.

Returning to Figure 3, we will continue the explanation. The attacker unit 5 is disposed below the starting prize opening unit 4. This attacker unit 5 is composed of a base 5e (hereafter referred to as the "attacker base 5e") having the large prize opening 5a and the opening/closing plate 5b, and a back (not shown; hereafter referred to as the "attacker back") having the large prize opening solenoid 5c (see Figure 8) and the large prize opening switch 5d (see Figure 8).

The attacker base 5e is made of ABS resin, and the entire surface except for the opening and closing plate 5b is plated (silver plated in the first embodiment). As mentioned above, ABS resin is inexpensive, adheres well to plating, has excellent decorative properties, and is highly impact resistant. Therefore, it is an ideal material for the attacker base 5e, which is in the line of sight of the player and is frequently hit by balls.

In addition, because the attacker base 5e is plated as described above, when viewed from the front of the attacker unit 5, the front side of the cell sheet 60a is made invisible by the attacker unit.

Furthermore, the attacker base 5e has a hollow bulge formed forward from the attacker base 5e with a thickness slightly larger than the diameter of the ball (for example, 15 mm). The opening and closing plate 5b is positioned so that it is located on the rear side of this bulge. In other words, between this bulge and the opening and closing plate 5b (the rear side of the bulge and the front side of the opening and closing plate 5b), a space is formed through which the ball can pass and the opening and closing plate 5b can be opened.

The back of the attacker (not shown) is made of translucent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin). On the back of the attacker, there is a ball passage (not shown) that allows balls that enter the large prize opening 5a to flow down, a large prize opening solenoid 5c (see Figure 8) that can drive the opening and closing plate 5b to open and close, and a large prize opening switch 5d that can detect balls that have passed through the ball passage.

A connector section (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the attacker, and wiring (not shown) extending from the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) is connected to the connector section (not shown). This allows the main control device 110 to drive and control the large prize opening solenoid 5c, and allows the main control device 110 to recognize the detection of the ball based on the large prize opening switch 5d.

Specifically, when a ball enters the large prize opening 5a, the large prize opening switch 5d (see FIG. 8) turns on, and as a result of the large prize opening switch 5d being turned on, 15 balls are paid out as prize balls.

In the pachinko machine 10, when the lottery in the main control device 110 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first symbol display device 87a is lit to show the jackpot stopping symbol, and the special symbol display device 81 displays the stopping symbol corresponding to the jackpot, indicating that a jackpot has occurred. The game state then transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which it is easier for balls to win. In this special game state, the jackpot winning hole 5a, which is normally closed by the opening and closing plate 5b, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed, or until 10 balls have won).

When a predetermined time has passed or when 10 balls have been entered, the large prize opening 5a is closed by driving the large prize opening solenoid 5c (see Figure 8) to drive the opening/closing plate 5b to an upright position (closed position), and after closing, the large prize opening solenoid 5c is driven again to tilt the opening/closing plate 5b downward toward the front, to a tilted position (open position), so that it is open for a predetermined time.

The opening and closing of the large prize opening 5a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing is taking place is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an added gaming value (game value). The large prize opening 5a is normally in a closed state in which balls cannot or do not easily win. In the event of a jackpot, the large prize opening solenoid 5c is driven to tilt the opening and closing plate 5b downward toward the front, temporarily creating an open state in which balls can easily win the large prize opening 5a, and the opening and closing state is alternately repeated between this open state and the normal closed state.

The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A specific winning port that opens and closes separately from the large winning port 5a may be provided in the game area, and when a pattern corresponding to a big win is lit on the first pattern display device 87a, the large winning port 5a is opened for a predetermined time, and while the large winning port 5a is open, a ball enters the large winning port 5a, triggering the opening of a specific winning port provided separately from the large winning port 5a for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times. This game state may be formed as a special game state.

Furthermore, the attacker unit 5 has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the attacker base 5e are referred to as "attacker screw insertion holes") in a total of four locations, two at the top and bottom and two at the bottom of the attacker base 5e when viewed from the front (see Figure 3). Each of these attacker screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the attacker unit 5 placed on the game board 13, the attacker unit 5 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing each screw into the attacker screw insertion holes.

The attacker unit 5 also has multiple (four in the first embodiment) protrusions (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions on the attacker base 5e are referred to as "attacker protrusions") on the rear side (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a) of the attacker base 5e. These attacker protrusions are each provided near the attacker screw insertion holes of the attacker unit 5 (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the attacker screw insertion holes). In addition, these attacker protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the rear side of the attacker base 5e (length 2.05 mm, diameter φ2.5 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the attacker unit 5 to the game board 13, the attacker protrusions are inserted into the positioning holes 622-625 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the attacker protrusions are referred to as "attacker positioning holes") formed on the game board 13, which will be described later. This allows the attacker unit 5 to be temporarily held on the game board 13 before being fastened with screws. Then, with the attacker protrusions temporarily held in the attacker positioning holes 622-625, screws are screwed into the attacker screw insertion holes, and the attacker unit 5 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As described above, the entire attacker base 5e is plated and has a plated layer (not shown). Therefore, the thickness of the plated layer is added to the thickness of the entire attacker base 5e. In other words, the thickness of the entire attacker base 5e is made up of the thickness of the ABS resin that makes up the attacker base 5e plus the thickness of the plated layer. Therefore, the attacker protrusion (not shown) provided on the attacker base 5e is also plated and has a plated layer, so the thickness (length) of the attacker protrusion is the thickness (length) of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer.

Specifically, the length of the attacker protrusion is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (plating layer) = 2.05 mm. Also, the diameter (thickness) of the attacker protrusion is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (plating layer) = 2.5 mm. Therefore, the attacker protrusion is 0.05 mm in length and 0.1 mm in diameter thicker than the protrusions of other components that are not plated (for example, the main display protrusions 87j, 87k of the main display unit 87).

As described above, the attacker unit 5 is equipped with the large prize opening 5a and the opening/closing plate 5b on the attacker base 5e, and the ball passage (not shown), the large prize opening solenoid 5c, and the large prize opening switch 5d on the attacker back (not shown), and the overall volume of the attacker unit 5 is large. Therefore, the overall weight of the attacker unit 5 is heavy (for example, 165 grams), and it is classified as a heavy part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

A through gate 7 through which the ball can enter is provided on the left side of the play area of the variable display unit 80. A similar through gate 7 is also provided on the right side of the play area of the variable display unit 80. Note that the through gate 7 on the right side has the same configuration as the through gate 7 on the left side, so a description of it will be omitted.

The configuration of the through gate 7 will now be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6(a) is a front view of the through gate 7, Figure 6(b) is a top view of the through gate 7 as viewed from the direction of line VIb in Figure 6(a), and Figure 6(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIc-VIc in Figure 6(a).

This through gate 7 is constructed by attaching a normal symbol switch 7a, which changes the display of normal symbols when a ball passes through it, to the base 7b of the through gate 7 (hereinafter referred to as the "through base 7b"). The entire through base 7b, excluding the normal symbol switch 7a, is constructed from a transparent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin). Polycarbonate resin is inexpensive, has excellent transparency and decorative properties, and is highly impact resistant. Therefore, it is an ideal construction material for the through gate 7, which is within the line of sight of the player playing the game and is frequently hit by balls.

In addition, since the through base 7b is made of a transparent resin, the front side of the game board 13 located behind the through base 7b is configured to be visible to the player. Therefore, the pattern printed on the cell sheet 60a behind the through base 7b is configured to be visible to the player.

The through base 7b has a gate portion 7b1 formed in front of it with a three-dimensional outer shape and a thickness (e.g., 15 mm) slightly larger than the diameter of the ball (see FIG. 6(b)). The detection portion 7a1 of the normal symbol switch 7a is fitted into this gate portion 7b1, and when the ball passes through this gate portion 7b1, the ball passes through the detection portion 7a1 of the normal symbol switch 7a without fail, and the passage of the ball is detected by the normal symbol switch 7a.

A wire (not shown) extending from the main control device 110 (see FIG. 8) is connected to this normal symbol switch 7a. This allows the main control device 110 to recognize the detection of the ball based on the normal symbol switch 7a.

Specifically, when a ball enters (passes through) this through gate 7, the normal symbol switch 7a is turned on, and as a result of the normal symbol switch 7a being turned on, the main control device 110 draws a winning lottery for the second symbol (normal symbol), and the second symbol display device 87b and the normal symbol display device 83 start (start) varying display of the second symbol (normal symbol). Then, after a predetermined variation time has elapsed, the varying display of the second symbol (normal symbol) is stopped, and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the second symbol display device 87b, and the normal symbol according to the lottery result is displayed frozen on the normal symbol display device 83. Note that the through gate 7 only obtains the lottery trigger for the second symbol (normal symbol), and no winning ball is produced.

If a ball enters the through gate 7 while a variable display is being performed on the normal pattern display device 83 (second pattern display device 87b), the variable display of the normal pattern based on that ball is reserved up to four times. The variable display corresponding to the reserved ball is performed after the variable display corresponding to the previously reserved ball has ended. As mentioned above, the number of reserved balls (reserved ball count) is shown by the second pattern reserved display device 87d and also by the normal pattern reserved lamp 84.

In addition, the through gate 7 has screw insertion holes 7c, 7d (hereinafter, the screw ports provided in the through base 7b are referred to as "through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d") on both the left and right sides of the through base 7b when viewed from the front (see FIG. 6(a)). These through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d are each configured to allow screws to be screwed in. With the through gate 7 placed on the game board 13, screws are screwed into the through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d, respectively, to fix the through gate 7 to the game board 13.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6(b) and Fig. 6(c), the through gate 7 has a plurality of (two in the first embodiment) protrusions 7e, 7f (hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the through base 7b are referred to as "through protrusions 7e, 7f") on the back side (the side in contact with the base plate 60) of the through base 7b. The through protrusions 7e, 7f are provided near the through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d), respectively. In addition, the through protrusions 7e, 7f are formed to protrude slightly from the through base 7b to the back side (length 2 mm, diameter φ2.4 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the through gate 7 to the game board 13, the through protrusions 7e, 7f are inserted into positioning holes 626, 627 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the through protrusions 7e, 7f are referred to as "through positioning holes 626, 627") formed in the game board 13, as described below. This temporarily holds the through gate 7 on the game board 13 before it is secured with screws. Then, with the through protrusions 7e, 7f temporarily held in the respective through positioning holes 626, 627, screws are screwed into the through screw insertion holes 7c, 7d, and the through gate 7 is fixed to the game board 13 without shifting.

As mentioned above, the through gate 7 only has a normal symbol switch 7a mounted on the through base 7b, and the overall volume of the through gate 7 is small. Therefore, the overall weight of the through gate 7 is light (e.g., 6 grams), and it is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

Now, referring to Figures 7(e) and 7(f), we will explain the state in which the through gate 7 is attached to the game board 13. Figure 7(e) is an enlarged front view of the through gate 7 on the game board 13, and Figure 7(f) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIf-VIIf in Figure 7(e).

As shown in Figures 7(e) and 7(f), the through gate 7 is fixed to the game board 13 with a screw by screwing a screw into the through screw insertion hole 7d (7c) provided in the through base 7b. In the manufacturing process of the game board 13, when fixing the through gate 7 to the game board 13 with a screw, before screwing the screw into the through screw insertion hole 7d (7c), the through protrusion 7f (7e) is inserted into the through positioning hole 627 (626) to temporarily hold the entire through gate 7 so that it does not shift relative to the game board 13. Then, in this temporarily held state, a screw is screwed into the through screw insertion hole 7d (7c), and the through gate 7 is fixed to the game board 13 with a screw.

As shown in FIG. 7(e), the through base 7b of the through gate 7 is made of transparent resin, so the back side of the through base 7b is visible. This allows the player to see the design (part of the octopus design in the first embodiment) printed on the cell sheet 60a located on the back side of the through gate 7. The area around the through positioning hole 627 (626) into which the through protrusion 7f (7e) is inserted is also configured to be visible.

Furthermore, the through positioning hole 627 (626) into which the through protrusion 7f (7e) is inserted is formed by drilling using the hybrid pin 321 described below, and the details of the through positioning hole 627 (626) and the hybrid pin 321 will be described later.

Returning to Figure 3, we will continue with the explanation. A board side ornament 8 is provided on the left side of the play area of the through gate 7. A similar board side ornament 8 is also provided on the right side of the right-side through gate 7. Note that although the right-side board side ornament 8 is symmetrical in shape to the left-side board side ornament 8, the rest of the configuration is the same, so its explanation will be omitted.

The board side decoration 8 is made of ABS resin, and its entire surface is plated (silver plated in the first embodiment). ABS resin is a low-cost material, has good adhesion to plating, is highly decorative, and has high impact resistance. Therefore, it is an ideal material for the board side decoration 8, which is in the line of sight of the player and is frequently hit by balls. Since the board side decoration 8 is plated as described above, the front side of the cell sheet 60a is not visible when viewed from the front of the board side decoration 8.

In addition, the side panel decoration 8 has a three-dimensional bulge extending forward from the base 8a of the side panel decoration 8 (hereinafter referred to as "side base 8a") and having a thickness slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere (for example, 15 mm).

Furthermore, the board side decoration 8 has screw insertion holes (hereinafter, the screw insertion holes provided in the side base 8a are referred to as "side screw insertion holes") in three locations in a front view: one at the top, one at the bottom, and one at the center right of the side base 8a (see Figure 3). Each of these side screw insertion holes is configured so that a screw can be screwed in. With the board side decoration 8 placed on the game board 13, the board side decoration 8 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing each screw into the side screw insertion holes.

In addition, the panel side ornament 8 has multiple protrusions (two in the first embodiment) (not shown; hereinafter, the protrusions provided on the side base 8a are referred to as "side protrusions") on the back side of the side base 8a (the side in contact with the cell sheet 60a). These side protrusions are provided near the upper side screw insertion hole and the lower side screw insertion hole of the panel side ornament 8 (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the side screw insertion hole). In addition, the side protrusions are formed to protrude slightly from the back side of the side base 8a (length 2.05 mm, diameter φ2.5 mm in the first embodiment).

When attaching the board side decoration 8 to the game board 13, the side protrusions are inserted into positioning holes 628, 629 (hereinafter, the positioning holes provided for the side protrusions are referred to as "side positioning holes 628, 629") formed in the game board 13, which will be described later. This allows the board side decoration 8 to be temporarily held on the game board 13 before being fastened with screws. Then, with the side protrusions temporarily held in the respective side positioning holes 628, 629, screws are screwed into the side screw insertion holes, thereby fixing the board side decoration 8 to the game board 13 without misalignment.

As described above, the entire side base 8a is plated and has a plated layer (not shown). Therefore, the thickness of the plated layer is added to the thickness of the entire side base 8a. In other words, the thickness of the entire side base 8a is the thickness of the ABS resin that makes up the side base 8a plus the thickness of the plated layer. Therefore, the side protrusions (not shown) provided on the side base 8a are also plated and have a plated layer, so the thickness (length) of the side protrusions is the thickness (length) of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer.

Specifically, the length of the side protrusion is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (plating layer) = 2.05 mm. The diameter (thickness) of the side protrusion is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (plating layer) = 2.5 mm. Therefore, the side protrusion is 0.05 mm longer and 0.1 mm thicker in diameter than the protrusions of other components that are not plated (for example, the main display protrusions 87j, 87k of the main display unit 87).

As mentioned above, the board side decoration 8 has no other parts mounted on the side base 8a. Therefore, although the overall volume of the board side decoration 8 is large, the overall weight of the board side decoration 8 is light (e.g., 50 grams), and it is classified as a light part among the parts mounted on the game board 13.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, each of the components mounted on the game board 13 is provided with a positioning protrusion (return protrusion, right protrusion, upper left protrusion, main display protrusions 87j, 87k, general protrusion, center protrusion, starting protrusions 4i, 4j, attacker protrusion, through protrusions 7e, 7f, and side protrusion. Hereinafter, the above protrusions may be collectively referred to as "each protrusion"), but each protrusion is formed to the same specifications, except for the presence or absence of a plating layer. Specifically, the length of each protrusion is 2 mm for the resin part of each protrusion excluding the plating layer. Also, the diameter of each protrusion is φ2.4 mm. Even for parts that are plated, the length of each protrusion is 2.05 mm. Also, the diameter of each protrusion is φ2.5 mm.

Thus, in the first embodiment, although there are some differences (0.05 mm in length, 1 mm in diameter) between the protrusions of each component mounted on the game board 13 depending on whether or not they have a plating layer, they are made to roughly the same specifications. This means that when forming positioning holes in the game board 13, it is not necessary to form completely different positioning holes for each component (for example, the positioning hole for component A is 3 mm in length and 4 mm in diameter, and the positioning hole for component B is 5 mm in length and 3 mm in diameter, etc.), which eliminates the complexity of the manufacturing process for the game board 13 and improves the productivity of the game board 13.

An outlet 6 is provided below the game board 13. This outlet 6 is integrally formed with the inner rail 61, and is attached together with the inner rail 61 when the inner rail 61 is attached to the game board 13. Balls that do not enter any of the winning holes 3a, 4a, 5a pass through this outlet 6 and are discharged to the back side of the game board 13.

Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10. The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201 as a one-chip microcomputer that is a calculation device. The MPU 201 is composed of an 8-bit microcomputer, and has a read-only memory (ROM) 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a random access memory (RAM) 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission/reception circuit. In addition, to instruct sub-controllers such as the dispensing control unit 111 and the voice lamp control unit 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers via a data transmission/reception circuit, but such commands are sent in only one direction, from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers.

The main control device 110 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as the jackpot lottery, the display settings on the first symbol display device 87a and the special symbol display device 81, the lottery for the display results on the second symbol display device 87b and the normal symbol display device 83, and the determination of the prize balls associated with winning. The ROM 202 stores fixed value data used to control these processes. For example, various tables such as a jackpot random number table, a jackpot type table, a jackpot variation pattern table, and a loss variation pattern table are stored in the ROM 202.

The RAM 203 is provided with various counters for controlling the main processing of the pachinko machine 10 (such as the jackpot lottery, display settings on the first symbol display device 87a and the special symbol display device 81, and the lottery of the display results on the second symbol display device 87b and the normal symbol display device 83).

The first win random number counter used for the jackpot lottery, the first win type counter used for selecting the stop type of the jackpot pattern, the stop pattern selection counter used for determining the stop type in the event of a miss, the first initial value random number counter used for setting the initial value of the first win random number counter, and the fluctuation type counter used for selecting the fluctuation pattern are used for setting the lottery for the second pattern display device 87b and the normal pattern display device 83. The second win random number counter is used for the lottery for the second pattern display device 87b and the normal pattern display device 83, and the second initial value random number counter is used for setting the initial value of the second win random number counter.

When the MPU 201 detects a ball entering the start winning hole 4a by the start winning hole switch 4d provided on the start winning hole unit 4, it obtains the values of the first winning random number counter, the first winning type counter, and the stop pattern selection counter at that time, and performs a lottery for a big win of the first pattern (special pattern) based on the obtained values. When the MPU 201 detects a ball passing through the through gate 7 by the normal pattern switch 7a provided on the through gate 7, it obtains the value of the second winning random number counter at that time, and performs a lottery for a win of the second pattern (normal pattern) based on the obtained value. Furthermore, when the fluctuation starts, the MPU 201 refers to the fluctuation type counter and the fluctuation pattern table stored in the ROM 202 to determine the fluctuation pattern to be executed in the fluctuation display. The fluctuation pattern determined here is the fluctuation time of the pattern fluctuation.

In other words, the main control device 110 determines only the change time and stop type of the pattern change as the change pattern. Meanwhile, the specific change mode is set by the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114. In other words, based on the change pattern (change time) and stop type determined by the main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 determine the details of the change mode of the special pattern to be displayed by the special pattern display device 81 from among the change modes that can be displayed in the change time. Then, according to the determined change mode, the display control device 114 causes the special pattern display device 81 to change and display the special pattern, and the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a sound from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the change display, and causes the lamps of the frame LED 227 (illumination units 29 to 33) to light up or flash.

In this way, the main control device 110 determines the change time of the change display as a process related to the change display, generates a change pattern command corresponding to the change time, and sends it to the voice lamp control device 113. Also, the main control device 110 determines the stop type of the change display as a process related to the change display, generates a stop type command corresponding to the stop type, and sends it to the voice lamp control device 113. The details of the change mode are then determined by the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 based on the change pattern command and the stop type command. The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is composed of an 8-bit microcomputer and cannot perform complex processing, but by configuring the main control device 110 to determine only the change time when determining the change pattern, the change pattern determination process of the main control device 110 can be performed more easily than when the main control device 110 determines the details of the change mode.

In addition, when the main control device 110 determines the details of the change mode, the detailed information of the change mode must be notified to the voice lamp control device 113, etc., and the command required for the notification may have to be configured with, for example, 3 bytes or more, which may complicate the transmission and reception of the command. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the main control device 110 is configured to determine only the change time and the stop type, so that the voice lamp control device 113, etc. only needs to be notified of information regarding the determined change time and stop type, and the configuration of the command related to the notification can be simplified. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transmission and reception of commands from becoming complicated. In addition, even if the main control device 110 determines only the change time and the stop type of the pattern change, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114 determine the change mode according to the specified change time and stop type from among many change modes, and the special pattern display device 81 is configured to perform the change display with the determined change mode, so that a variety of change display performances can be given to the player, and the interest of the player can be improved.

As described above, various counters and the like are provided in the RAM 203, and the main control device 110 can execute the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as drawing jackpots, setting the display on the first pattern display device 87a and the special pattern display device 81, and drawing the display results on the second pattern display device 87b and the normal pattern display device 83, depending on the values of these counters and the like.

In addition to the various counters mentioned above, the RAM 203 has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 201 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 201 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which various flags, counters, input/output (I/O) values, etc. are stored. The RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 203 is backed up.

When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values of each register at the time of the power outage (including the occurrence of a power outage; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the power turned on due to the recovery from a power outage; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is performed by the main processing when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is performed during the start-up processing when the power supply is turned on. Note that a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 is input to the non-maskable interrupt (NMI) terminal of MPU 201 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to MPU 201, NMI interrupt processing is immediately executed as a power outage processing.

The MPU 201 of the main control device 110 is connected to an input/output port 205 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first pattern display device 87a, the second pattern display device 87b, the first pattern reserved display device 87c, and the second pattern reserved display device 87d mounted on the main display unit 87, the electric role solenoid 4c and the start port switch 4d mounted on the start winning port unit 4, the large winning port solenoid 5c and the large winning port switch 5d mounted on the attacker unit 5, the normal pattern switch 7a mounted on the through gate, and the general winning port switch 3b mounted on the general winning port unit 3. The MPU 201 receives input signals from the switches 3b, 4d, and 5d via the input/output port 205, and controls the variable display and jackpots based on the input signals. Based on the results of this control, it transmits various commands and control signals via the input/output port 205, and also controls the operation of the solenoids 4c and 5c.

For example, the main control device 110 detects whether or not a ball has won in the general winning port 3a based on the detection result of the general winning port switch 3b. When the main control device 110 detects the winning of a ball in the general winning port 3a, it determines five winning balls and sends a prize ball payout command to the payout control device 111 to notify the payout of five winning balls. The main control device 110 also detects whether or not a ball has won in the start winning port 4a based on the start winning port switch 4d. When it detects the winning of a ball in the start winning port 4a, it performs a lottery for a big win, and starts (starts) the performance of the variable display in the first pattern display device 87a and the special pattern display device 81 based on the lottery result. It also determines five winning balls and sends a prize ball payout command to the payout control device 111 to notify the payout of five winning balls. The main control device 110 also detects whether or not a ball has won in the big winning port 5a based on the detection result of the big winning port switch 5d. When a ball entry into the large prize opening 5a is detected, the main control device 110 determines 15 prize balls and sends a prize ball payout command to the payout control device 111 to notify it that the 15 prize balls will be paid out.

For example, the main control device 110 is configured to drive the solenoid 4c for the electric device to rotate the electric device 4b when a normal symbol (second symbol) is hit, and temporarily create an open state in which the ball is more likely to enter the lower start winning hole. As a result, the main control device 110 is configured to alternate between the open and closed states of the electric device 4b when a normal symbol is hit.

For example, the main control device 110 is configured to drive the solenoid 5c for the large prize opening to tilt the opening/closing plate 5b downward toward the front when a special symbol (first symbol) is hit, temporarily creating an open state that makes it easier for the ball to enter the large prize opening 5a. As a result, the main control device 110 is configured to alternate between the open and closed states of the opening/closing plate 5b when a special symbol is hit.

Furthermore, the input/output port 205 is connected to various switches, including a group of switches and a group of sensors (not shown), and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115, and the MPU 201 executes various processes based on the signals output from the various switches and the RAM erase signal SG2 output from the RAM erase switch circuit 253.

The payout control device 111 drives the payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values of various flags, counters, I/O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be supplied with a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 and to retain (back up) data even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. In addition, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process is immediately executed as a process during a power outage.

An input/output port 215 is connected to the MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 215 is connected to the main control device 110, the payout motor 216, the launch control device 112, etc. Also, a prize ball detection switch 217 for detecting the paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that the prize ball detection switch 217 is connected to the payout control device 111, but is not connected to the main control device 110.

When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the strength of the ball launch corresponds to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the shot stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in response to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of operation of the operating handle 51.

The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the frame LEDs (illumination parts 29-33, display lamps 34, etc.) 227, the output of turning on and off the center decorative LEDs 86a mounted on the center frame 86, the drive of the movable role object 86b mounted on the center frame 86, the setting of the change mode of the change display to be executed at the change time indicated by the change pattern command received from the main control device 110 based on the change time, and the setting of the change mode of the change display to be executed for the stop type indicated by the stop type command received from the main control device 110 based on the stop type. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 221, and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

ROM 222 stores one or more detailed fluctuation patterns in association with each of the various fluctuation patterns (fluctuation times) indicated by the fluctuation pattern command received from main control unit 110. ROM 222 also stores one or more detailed stop types in association with each of the stop types indicated by the stop type command received from main control unit 110.

When the MPU 221 receives a fluctuation pattern command from the main control device 110, it determines one detailed fluctuation pattern from one or more detailed fluctuation patterns associated with the fluctuation pattern (fluctuation time) indicated by the fluctuation pattern command. Also, when the MPU 221 receives a stop type command from the main control device 110, it determines one detailed stop type from one or more detailed stop types associated with the stop type indicated by the stop type command. Then, according to the determined detailed fluctuation pattern and the pattern predetermined for the stop type, it controls the turning on and off of the frame LED 227 and the center decorative LED 86a, controls the audio output from the audio output device 226, and further controls the driving of the movable prop 86b.

When the MPU 221 determines the detailed variation pattern, it generates a display variation pattern command for the special pattern that notifies the display control device 114 of the type of the determined detailed variation pattern, and transmits the generated display variation pattern command for the special pattern to the display control device 114. The display control device 114 executes control to display a variation performance on the special pattern display device 81 according to a predetermined pattern for the detailed variation pattern indicated by the display variation pattern command for the special pattern.

The MPU 221 of the audio lamp control device 113 is connected to an input/output port 225 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input/output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the audio output device 226, the frame LED 227, the center decorative LED 86a and the movable part 86b mounted on the center frame 86, the frame button 22, etc.

The display control device 114 is a device that controls the screen display of the special symbol display device (LCD) 81, and controls various screen displays such as the changing display of special symbols (changing effects) and jackpot effects according to commands sent from the audio lamp control device 113 (main control device 110).

The display control device 114 has an MPU 231, a ROM (program ROM) 232, a work RAM 233, a video RAM 234, a character ROM 235, an image controller 236, an input port 237, an output port 238, and bus lines 239 and 240. The input side of the input port 237 is connected to the output side of the voice lamp control device 113, and the MPU 231, ROM 232, work RAM 233, and image controller 236 are connected to the output side of the input port 237. The image controller 236 is connected to the video RAM 234 and character ROM 235, and is also connected to the output port 238 via the bus line 240. The special pattern display device 81 is connected to the output side of the output port 238. In addition, even if the pachinko machine 10 is of a different model with a different probability of winning a jackpot or a different number of prize balls paid out per jackpot, there are models with the exact same specifications for the pattern configuration displayed on the special pattern display device 81, so the display control device 114 is made into a common component to reduce costs.

The MPU 231 of the display control device 114 controls the display content of the special symbol display device 81 based on the display variation pattern command for the special symbol output from the voice lamp control device 113 and various other commands. The ROM 232 is a memory for storing various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 231.

The work RAM 233 is a memory for temporarily storing work data and flags used when the MPU 231 executes various programs. The character ROM 235 is a memory for storing data (character information) for effects such as the designs (background designs and special designs) displayed on the special design display device 81 in a compressed format. The video RAM 234 is a memory having an area (not shown) for storing multiple pieces of character information read from the character ROM 235 in a decompressed format to generate an image to be displayed on the special design display device 81, and a frame buffer area (not shown) for temporarily storing one frame's worth of display data generated using at least a portion of the decompressed multiple pieces of character information until it is displayed.

The image controller 236 adjusts the timing of the MPU 231, video RAM 234, and output port 238 to mediate the reading and writing of data, and also reads out the display data stored in the frame buffer area of the video RAM 234 at a predetermined timing and displays it on the special pattern display device 81.

The power supply unit 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruptions due to power failures, etc., and a RAM erase switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erase switch 122 (see FIG. 2). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in 24-volt AC voltage supplied from the outside, generates a 12-volt voltage for driving various switches, solenoids, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control unit 111 when the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs a power failure signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. The power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5 volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing normally.

The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 2) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and sends an initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

Next, referring to FIG. 9, an overview of the manufacturing process for manufacturing the pachinko machine 10 will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the manufacturing process for the pachinko machine 10. The manufacturing process for the pachinko machine 10 is broadly divided into a process (subassembly process, see FIG. 10 for example) for forming a plurality of subassembly units (e.g., each gaming unit such as the gaming board 13 and the door frame 14) separated by part, and an assembly process (assembly process, see FIG. 9 for example) for assembling the subassembled gaming units. In this way, by separating the subassembly process for assembling each gaming unit from the assembly process for assembling the gaming units assembled through the subassembly process, division of labor is promoted and production efficiency is improved.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the manufacturing process (assembly process) of the pachinko machine 10, first, the game board 13 on which the control board unit 90 consisting of the main control device 110, the sound lamp control device 113, and the display control device 114 is mounted is assembled to the inner frame 12 on which the control board unit 91 excluding the payout control device 111 and the back pack unit 94 are assembled (S101).

Specifically, the left end of the game board 13 is inserted into the left side of the inner frame 12, and the game board 13 is rotated around the left end while placed on a temporary placement section (not shown) of the inner frame 12, so that the game board 13 is placed in a predetermined installation completion position. The game board 13 is then fixed in the installation completion position using a lock lever (not shown) provided on the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 and the game board 13 are integrated. Note that a connector (not shown) provided on the back of the game board 13 is configured to be connected to a movable connector (so-called floating connector) provided on the inner frame 12 as the game board 13 moves to the installation completion position, and the game board 13 and the inner frame 12 are electrically connected by this connection.

Then, the payout control device 111 is assembled to the control board unit 91 mounted on the inner frame 12 (S102), and then the door frame 14 is assembled to the inner frame 12 (S103). Specifically, the door frame 14 is integrated with the inner frame 12 in a rotatable state by engaging the protruding shaft (not shown) on the door frame 14 with the hinge 19 (see FIG. 1) on the inner frame 12. Then, by closing the door frame 14 against the inner frame 12, the cylinder lock 20 (see FIG. 1) is operated, and the opening of the door frame 14 is restricted. This completes the assembly of the pachinko machine 10.

After the assembly of the pachinko machine 10 is completed, a gaming machine inspection process is carried out to check the operation of the pachinko machine 10 (S104). After that, the pachinko machine 10 is packaged (so-called security wrapping) and shipped to the gaming facility (S105).

As described above, by subassembling the pachinko machine 10 into individual parts, it is possible to set up a unique manufacturing line for each gaming unit. In addition, by assembling each subassembled gaming unit in the final assembly process, the assembly process can be standardized, automating the assembly work and reducing the workload of workers.

Here, most of the components related to the specifications of the pachinko machine 10 (such as the game area and main control device 110) are concentrated in the game board 13. By replacing the game board 13, it is possible to change the model of the pachinko machine 10 (minor changes). Game machine manufacturers ship the game board 13 alone, and the amusement parlor can change the model by replacing only the game board 13 while reusing the components other than the game board 13 (such as the inner frame 12 and door frame 14), thus establishing a practically preferable business model that takes both environmental and economical aspects into consideration.

Next, referring to Figure 10, an overview of the manufacturing process for manufacturing the game board 13 mounted on the pachinko machine 10 will be described. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the manufacturing process for the game board 13. As shown in Figure 10, the manufacturing process (subassembly process) for the game board 13 is broadly divided into a game board surface manufacturing process (S200 (S201-S217)), a game board back surface manufacturing process (S218), and a game board inspection process (S219).

In the game board surface manufacturing process (S201 to S217), first, a component positioning hole creation process is performed (S201) in which the positioning holes 601 to 629 for the general winning port unit 3, start winning port unit 4, attacker unit 5, through gate 7, board side ornament 8, return ball prevention member 68, right side corner ornament 70, upper left corner ornament 71, center frame 86 and main display unit 87 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "each component") to be mounted on the game board 13 are drilled and formed using a positioning hole drilling machine 410 (see Figure 11).

Each part mounted on the game board 13 is configured to be fixed to the game board 13 with a screw by screwing a screw driver 420 (see FIG. 16) described below into each screw insertion hole 4g, etc. Each part mounted on the game board 13 is transported and stopped multiple times during the transport process (first transport process (S206-S211) and second transport process (S213-S216); see FIG. 15) from when it is placed on the game board 13 to when it is fixed with a screw by the screw driver 420. The shocks caused by the transport and stoppage may cause each part to shift from the position where it was originally placed on the game board 13. Therefore, in the component positioning hole creation process (S201), a positioning hole (e.g., starting positioning hole 621) capable of temporarily holding the positioning protrusion (e.g., starting protrusion 4j) provided on each component is formed in the game board 13, and the positioning protrusion of each component is inserted into the positioning hole to temporarily hold it, thereby preventing the placement position of each component from shifting during the above-mentioned transport process.

Now, referring to Figure 11, we will explain the positioning hole punching machine 410 for forming the positioning holes 601-629 in the game board 13. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the positioning hole punching machine 410 for forming the positioning holes 601-629 for each component in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and is a schematic diagram of the positioning hole punching machine 410 as seen from the side. Note that the game board 13 is omitted in Figure 11.

As shown in FIG. 11, the positioning hole drilling machine 410 is composed of a press plate 411 to which the straight pins 301, tapered pins 311, and hybrid pins 321 for drilling and forming each of the positioning holes 601 to 629 are attached, an upper press unit 412 that presses the press plate 411 against the game board 13, and a lower press unit 413 that presses the game board 13 against the press plate 411.

The press plate 411 is provided with a base portion 411a for mounting the straight pin 301, the tapered pin 311, and the hybrid pin 321, a left positioning pin 411b, and a right positioning pin 411c. The base portion 411a is formed with a plurality of press-fitting holes (not shown), and is configured so that each of the pins 301, 311, and 321 can be press-fitted and fixed into the press-fitting holes.

Specifically, the pins 301, 311, 321 are pressed into the base 411a from below so that the tip portions 305, 315, 325 (see Figures 12 to 14) of the pins 301, 311, 321 face the lower press unit (the game board 13) in accordance with the model of the pachinko machine 10. The pins 301, 311, 321 are pressed into the base 411a so that the mounting portions 302, 312, 322 of the pins 301, 311, 321 can be pushed out from above the base 411a, and can be removed from the base 411a, so that the mounting positions of the pins 301, 311, 321 can be changed according to the positions of the parts mounted on the game board 13.

The left positioning pin 411b and the right positioning pin 411c are rod-shaped members that protrude toward the lower press unit 413 (the gaming board 13), and are configured to be able to engage with the positioning holes 13a, 13b (see FIG. 17) formed in the gaming board 13. By drilling the positioning holes 601-629 in the gaming board 13 with the press plate 411 while engaging each of the positioning pins 411b, 411c with the positioning holes 13a, 13b of the gaming board 13, it is possible to prevent the positions at which the positioning holes 601-629 are formed from shifting.

The upper press unit 412 is a device for pressing the press plate 411 against the game board 13, and the lower press unit 413 is a device for pressing the game board 13 against the press plate 411. Therefore, when the game board 13 is transported above the lower press unit 413 of the positioning hole punching machine 410, the positioning hole punching machine 410 presses the press plate 411 and the game board 13 against each other with the upper press unit 412 and the lower press unit 413 while engaging the positioning pins 411b, 411c with the positioning holes 13a, 13b (see FIG. 17) of the game board 13 (so-called press processing). As a result, positioning holes 601-629 based on the shapes of the pins 301, 311, 321 of the press plate 411 are drilled and formed in the game board 13.

In addition to the positioning holes 601 to 629, the positioning hole drilling machine 410 also forms screw pilot holes (not shown) in the game board 13 that correspond to the screw insertion holes 4g of each component. The screw pilot holes are drilled by a dedicated pin (not shown) at positions that correspond to the screw insertion holes of each component (for example, the starting screw insertion hole 4g). These screw pilot holes are formed to a depth (for example, 0.05 mm) that allows the tip of the screw to enter slightly so that the screw can be easily inserted when fastening each component with a screw. When fastening each component with a screw in the first screw fastening process (see S212 in FIG. 10) or the second screw fastening process (see S217 in FIG. 10), the screw is inserted into the screw insertion hole while pressing the screw against the screw pilot hole, and then the screw is screwed into the game board 13, making it easier to screw the screw into the game board 13.

Now, with reference to Figures 12 to 14, the straight pin 301, tapered pin 311, and hybrid pin 321 that are attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410 and are used to drill the positioning holes 601 to 629 will be described. Figure 12 shows the configuration of the straight pin 301, with Figure 12(a) being a schematic front view of the straight pin 301, Figure 12(b) being a schematic side view of the straight pin 301, and Figure 12(c) being a schematic bottom view of the straight pin 301. The straight pin 301 is attached to the press plate 411 of the positioning hole drilling machine 410 and used to drill and form the positioning holes 603 to 610 in the game board 13.

The straight pin 301 is made of carbon tool steel (SK4) with a vertical dimension of 17 mm, and as shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(c), is composed of a straight mounting portion 302, a straight flange portion 303, a straight body portion 304, and a straight tip portion 305, and the above-mentioned portions 302 to 305 are formed continuously. Carbon tool steel (SK4) is a material harder than the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a that constitute the game board 13. Therefore, the straight pin 301 made of this material is attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410, and pressed against the game board 13, whereby the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a are plastically deformed, and the positioning holes 603 to 610 are punched by the straight pin 301.

The straight mounting portion 302 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 5 mm and a shaft diameter of φ2.8 mm. A straight flange portion 303 is formed continuously below the straight mounting portion 302 when viewed from the front. The straight flange portion 303 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 3 mm and a shaft diameter of φ5 mm, and the straight flange portion 303 has a larger diameter than the straight mounting portion 302. The straight mounting portion 302 and the straight flange portion 303 are fitted into mounting holes (not shown) provided in the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, thereby fixing the straight pin 301 to the press plate 411. When the straight pin 301 is attached to the press plate 411, it is attached so that the lower surface of the straight flange portion 303 and the lower surface of the press plate 411 are flush with each other.

A straight body portion 304 is continuously formed on the lower side of the straight flange portion 303 when viewed from the front. A straight tip portion 305 is continuously formed on the lower side of the straight body portion 304 when viewed from the front. The straight body portion 304 has a vertical dimension of 6.5 mm, and the shaft diameter is uniformly formed at a shaft diameter of φ2.8 mm from the distance from the straight flange portion 303 of 0.0 mm to 5.7 mm (i.e., from the distance from the straight tip portion 305 of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm), and is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) in which the shaft diameter gradually tapers from φ2.8 mm to φ2.7 mm from the distance from the straight flange portion 303 of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., from the distance from the straight tip portion 305 of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) (hereinafter, the gradual narrowing of the shaft diameter is referred to as "gradually narrowing the diameter"). That is, most of the outer shape of the straight body 304 is formed approximately parallel to the insertion direction.

The generally cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) with a distance from the straight flange 303 of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., a distance from the straight tip 305 of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) has a gradually tapered shaft diameter from φ2.8 mm to φ2.7 mm. This is to allow the straight body 304 to be smoothly inserted from the straight tip 305 into the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a when drilling and forming positioning holes with the straight pin 301.

The straight tip 305 has a vertical dimension of 2.5 mm, and the shaft diameter is formed into an inverted cone shape that tapers gradually from a shaft diameter of φ2.7 mm at the connection point of the straight body 304 downward when viewed from the front, and the tip (lowest part when viewed from the front) is formed into a pointed shape.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, in the part positioning hole creation process (see S201 in FIG. 10), the above-mentioned straight pin 301 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, and the press plate 411 and the game board 13 are pressed by the upper press unit 412 and the lower press unit 413 (see FIG. 11), whereby the positioning holes 603-610 are drilled in the game board 13 by the straight pin 301.

The straight body 304 of the straight pin 301 has a smaller volume than the tapered body 314 of the tapered pin 311 and the hybrid body 324 of the hybrid pin 321, which will be described later, so the straight pin 301 is easier to drill positioning holes into the game board 13 than the other pins 311 and 321.

On the other hand, while the straight body 304 of the straight pin 301 is being inserted into the game board 13 during press processing, a load based on the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to be applied to the straight body 304, and the straight body 304 is also subjected to the load while the straight pin 301 is being pulled out of the game board 13, generating resistance. If the resistance becomes large, the game board 13 will lift up when the straight pin 301 is pulled out. Here, for example, if only a part of the game board 13 (for example, the left side of the board surface) lifts up, the game board 13 will lift up at an angle, and the shape of the positioning holes drilled and formed by the pins 301, 311, 321 will differ from the design value, which may result in manufacturing irregularities in the drilling and formation of the positioning holes.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, when drilling and forming positioning holes using the straight pins 301, the straight pins 301 are arranged so that they have a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the game board 13. Specifically, for example, the positional relationship of each straight pin 301 with respect to the game board 13 is such that the straight pins 301 are evenly positioned above, below, left and right of the game board 13, without being biased to one side of the game board 13 (for example, the left side). By arranging the straight pins 301 in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the game board 13 in this way, even if the game board 13 is lifted when the straight pins 301 are pulled out, it is lifted without tilting. This prevents the game board 13 from tilting during press processing, and prevents manufacturing unevenness of the positioning holes from occurring.

Note that "each straight pin 301 has a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the game board 13" means that the straight pins 301 are evenly arranged with respect to the game board 13. For example, the straight pins 301 may be arranged symmetrically on the left and right (top and bottom) of the game board 13, or the straight pins 301 may be arranged at equal intervals from the center of the game board 13. Details of the positioning holes 603 to 610 formed by the straight pins 301 will be described later.

Next, the tapered pin 311 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the tapered pin 311, with FIG. 13(a) being a schematic front view of the tapered pin 311, FIG. 13(b) being a schematic side view of the tapered pin 311, and FIG. 13(c) being a schematic bottom view of the tapered pin 311. Like the straight pin 301, this tapered pin 311 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410 and used to drill and form the positioning holes 611 to 623 in the game board 13.

The taper pin 311, like the straight pin 301, is made of carbon tool steel (SK4) with a vertical dimension of 17 mm, and as shown in Figures 13(a) to 13(c), is composed of a taper mounting portion 312, a taper flange portion 313, a taper body portion 314, and a taper tip portion 315, and the above-mentioned portions 312 to 315 are formed continuously. As described above, carbon tool steel (SK4) is a material harder than the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a that constitute the game board 13. For this reason, the taper pin 311 made of this material is attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 and pressed against the game board 13, whereby the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a are plastically deformed, and the positioning holes 611 to 623 are punched by the taper pin 311.

The tapered mounting portion 312 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 5 mm and a shaft diameter of φ2.8 mm. A tapered flange portion 313 is continuously formed below the tapered mounting portion 312 when viewed from the front. The tapered flange portion 313 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 3 mm and a shaft diameter of φ5 mm, and the tapered flange portion 313 has a larger diameter than the tapered mounting portion 312. The tapered mounting portion 312 and the tapered flange portion 313 are fitted into mounting holes (not shown) provided in the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, thereby fixing the tapered pin 311 to the press plate 411. When the tapered pin 311 is attached to the press plate 411, it is attached so that the lower surface of the tapered flange portion 313 and the lower surface of the press plate 411 are flush with each other.

A tapered body portion 314 is continuously formed on the lower side of the tapered flange portion 313 when viewed from the front, and further, a tapered tip portion 315 is continuously formed on the lower side of the tapered body portion 314 when viewed from the front. The tapered body 314 has a vertical dimension of 6.5 mm, and at a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip of the tapered body 314 (i.e., the boundary between the tapered tip 315 and the tapered body 314), the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is φ2.70 mm, and the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 gradually increases from there (the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary with the tapered tip 315), and at a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip of the tapered body 314 (i.e., the boundary between the tapered body 314 and the tapered flange 313), the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is φ3.50 mm.

Therefore, the tapered body 314 has an outer shape that is an inverted truncated cone whose diameter gradually decreases in the direction of insertion, and the outer shape of the tapered body 314 is configured so that the diameter gradually increases from the tip side compared to the outer shape of the straight body 304 of the straight pin 301.

Note that the increase in the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is expressed as "0.02 mm to 0.03 mm", but the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is configured to increase by "0.0125 mm" for every "0.1 mm" increase in distance from the tapered tip 315. In the first embodiment, for ease of explanation, the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is expressed for every "0.2 mm" increase in distance from the tapered tip 315, so the increase in the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is expressed as "0.02 mm to 0.03 mm".

The tapered tip 315 has a vertical dimension of 2 mm, and the shaft diameter is formed in an inverted cone shape that tapers gradually downward when viewed from the front from a shaft diameter of φ2.7 mm at the connection point of the tapered body 314, and the tip (lowest part when viewed from the front) is formed in a sharp shape.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, in the part positioning hole creation process (see S201 in FIG. 18), the tapered pin 311 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, and the press plate 411 and the game board 13 are pressed by the upper press unit 412 and the lower press unit 413 (see FIG. 11), thereby drilling the positioning holes 611-623 in the game board 13 using the tapered pin 311. Details of the positioning holes 611-623 drilled and formed by the tapered pin 311 will be described later.

Next, the hybrid pin 321 will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the hybrid pin 321, with FIG. 14(a) being a schematic front view of the hybrid pin 321, FIG. 14(b) being a schematic side view of the hybrid pin 321, and FIG. 14(c) being a schematic bottom view of the hybrid pin 321. Like the straight pin 301 and the tapered pin 311, the hybrid pin 321 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410 and used to drill and form the positioning holes 601, 602, 624-629 in the game board 13.

The hybrid pin 321, like the straight pin 301 and the tapered pin 311, is made of carbon tool steel (SK4) with a vertical dimension of 17 mm, and is composed of a hybrid mounting portion 322, a hybrid flange portion 323, a hybrid body portion 324, and a hybrid tip portion 325, as shown in Figures 14(a) to 14(c), and the above-mentioned portions 322 to 325 are formed continuously. As described above, carbon tool steel (SK4) is a material harder than the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a that constitute the game board 13. Therefore, the hybrid pin 321 made of this material is attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 and pressed against the game board 13, whereby the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a are plastically deformed, and the positioning holes 601, 602, 624 to 627 are punched and formed by the hybrid pin 321.

The hybrid mounting portion 322 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 5 mm and an axial diameter of φ2.8 mm. The hybrid flange portion 323 is continuously formed below the hybrid mounting portion 322 when viewed from the front. The hybrid flange portion 323 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 3 mm and an axial diameter of φ5 mm, and the hybrid flange portion 323 has a larger diameter than the hybrid mounting portion 322. The hybrid mounting portion 322 and the hybrid flange portion 323 are fitted into mounting holes (not shown) provided in the press plate 411 of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, thereby fixing the hybrid pin 321 to the press plate 411. When the hybrid pin 321 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11), it is attached so that the lower surface of the hybrid flange portion 323 and the lower surface of the press plate 411 are flush with each other.

The hybrid body 324 is continuously formed on the lower side of the hybrid flange 323 when viewed from the front, and the hybrid tip 325 is continuously formed on the lower side of the hybrid body 324 when viewed from the front. The hybrid body 324 has a vertical dimension of 6.5 mm, and is composed of a hybrid straight section 324a and a hybrid tapered section 324b, each of which has a different shaft diameter length.

The hybrid straight portion 324a is formed with an axial diameter (minor diameter, which refers to the distance (width) passing through the axis from one hybrid straight portion 324a to the other hybrid straight portion 324a. The same applies below) of 2.8 mm from the hybrid flange portion 323 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 5.7 mm (i.e., from the hybrid tip portion 325 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm), and is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) with a tapered axial diameter gradually narrowing from φ2.8 mm to φ2.7 mm at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm from the hybrid flange portion 323 (i.e., from the hybrid tip portion 325 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) (see FIG. 25). Therefore, the hybrid straight portion 324a is configured to look similar to the outer shape of the straight body portion 304 of the straight pin 301 in a side view.

The approximately cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm from the hybrid flange 323 (i.e., at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm from the hybrid tip 325) has an axial diameter that tapers gradually from φ2.8 mm to φ2.7 mm. This is to allow the hybrid body 324 to be smoothly inserted from the hybrid tip 325 into the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a when drilling and forming positioning holes with the hybrid pin 321.

At a portion where the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body 324 is 0.0 mm (i.e., the boundary between the hybrid tip 325 and the hybrid body 324), the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b (long diameter; the distance (width) along the axis from one hybrid taper portion 324b to the other hybrid taper portion 324b; the same applies below) is 2.70 mm, and the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b gradually increases from there (the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary side with the hybrid tip 325), and at a portion where the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body 324 is 6.5 mm (i.e., the boundary between the hybrid body 324 and the hybrid flange portion 323), the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b is 3.50 mm. Therefore, the hybrid taper portion 324b is configured to look similar to the outer shape of the taper body portion 314 of the taper pin 311 when viewed from the side.

The hybrid body 324 is therefore composed of a hybrid straight section 324a whose outer shape is formed approximately parallel to the insertion direction, and a hybrid tapered section 324b whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape whose diameter gradually decreases in the insertion direction, and has a rounded rectangular (oval) shape when viewed from the bottom of the hybrid body 324 (see Figure 14 (c)).

The shape of the hybrid straight section 324a from the hybrid flange section 323 at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., from the hybrid tip section 325 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) and the shape of the hybrid tapered section 324b from the hybrid flange section 323 at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., from the hybrid tip section 325 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) are the same approximately cylindrical shape (frustum shape). The shaft diameter of this approximately cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) gradually tapers from φ2.8 mm to φ2.7 mm. This is to allow the hybrid body section 324 to be smoothly inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a from the hybrid tip section 325 when drilling and forming a positioning hole with the hybrid pin 321.

Note that the increase in the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b is expressed as "0.02 mm to 0.03 mm", but the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b is configured to increase by "0.0125 mm" for every "0.1 mm" increase in distance from the hybrid tip portion 325 side. In the first embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b is expressed for every "0.2 mm" increase in distance from the hybrid tip portion 325 side, so the increase in the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion 324b is expressed as "0.02 mm to 0.03 mm".

The hybrid tip 325 has a vertical dimension of 2.5 mm, and the shaft diameter is formed in an inverted cone shape that tapers gradually from a shaft diameter of φ2.7 mm at the connection point of the hybrid body 324 downward when viewed from the front, and its tip (lowest part when viewed from the front) is formed in a pointed shape.

In the first embodiment, in the part positioning hole creation process (see S201 in FIG. 10), the hybrid pin 321 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, and the press plate 411 and the game board 13 are pressed by the upper press unit 412 and the lower press unit 413 (see FIG. 11), whereby the positioning holes 601, 602, 624 to 629 are drilled in the game board 13 by the hybrid pin 321.

The hybrid body 324 of the hybrid pin 321 has a larger volume than the straight body 304 of the straight pin 301, but a smaller volume than the tapered body 314 of the tapered pin 311. For this reason, it is easier to drill positioning holes in the game board 13 with the hybrid pin 321 than with the tapered pin 311. Details of the positioning holes 601, 602, 624 to 629 drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321 will be described later.

Returning to FIG. 10, the explanation will continue. After the part positioning hole creation process (S201), a rail positioning hole creation process (S202) for the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 is performed. By performing this rail positioning hole creation process, the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62 can be easily attached to the game board 13. After that, a game nail planting process (S203) is performed in which game nails are planted into the game board 13. This game nail planting process will be described later.

After the game nail planting process (S203), a rail and windmill planting process (S204) is carried out in which the inner rail 61, the outer rail 62, and the windmill (not shown) are planted on the game board 13. Then, a game nail inspection process (S205) is carried out in which the planted game nails are inspected, and then a first transport process (S206 to S211) is carried out.

Now, referring to Figure 15, an overview of the first transport process (S206 to S211) will be described. Figure 15 is a diagram that shows a schematic of the first transport process for transporting the game board 13 in the manufacturing process of the game board 13. This first transport process is divided into off-line, which is the left side (outside) of the transport direction of the manufacturing line 400, and on-line, which is the right side (inside) of the transport direction, and is a process in which workers outside the line and workers inside the line simultaneously place parts on the game board 13 in parallel.

The manufacturing line 400 uses a rail member 402 that rotatably holds multiple transport rollers 401, and a transport unit 403 that can move on the rail member 402 with the game board 13 placed on it as the transport rollers 401 rotate. In addition, the transport unit 403, which moves on the rail member 402 with the game board 13 placed on it, is provided with a stopper section 404 that stops the transport unit 403 at a predetermined position on the rail member 402 for the purpose of placing each part on the transport unit 403, and multiple part placement tables 405 that are arranged to straddle the rail member 402 at each of the predetermined positions and on which a worker can place each part to be placed on the game board 13.

The game board 13 placed on the transport unit 403 moves in the transport direction on the rail member 402 as the transport roller 401 rotates, and the moving transport unit 403 collides with the stopper portion 404 to stop its movement. When the movement of the transport unit 403 stops, the workers waiting on both sides of the rail member 402 at the stopping position place the parts placed on the part placement table 405 on the game board 13. After the parts are placed, the stopper portion 404 is released by the workers, and the transport unit 403 can move on the rail member 402. The transport unit 403 then moves and stops multiple times, and each time the transport unit 403 stops, the workers waiting on both sides (or one side) of the rail member 402 at the stopping position place the parts corresponding to the stopping position on the game board 13.

In the first and second conveying steps, the game board 13 is placed on the conveying unit 403 and conveyed so that the lower part 13l of the game board 13 as viewed from the front is on the left side of the conveying direction of the manufacturing line 400 (outside the line). That is, the worker on the left side of the conveying direction (outside the line) can see the game board 13 directly, and the worker on the right side of the conveying direction (inside the line) sees the game board 13 from the opposite direction (upper side as viewed from the front). In the manufacturing line 400, the number of parts placed on the left side of the conveying direction and the right side of the conveying direction in the first conveying step is the same. On the other hand, in the second conveying step described later, the number of parts placed on the left side of the conveying direction is three, and the number of parts placed on the right side of the conveying direction is one, so that the number of parts placed on the left side of the conveying direction is set to be greater than the number of parts placed on the right side of the conveying direction. Therefore, by making it easier for the worker working on the left side of the conveying direction to place parts while looking directly at the game board 13, the productivity of the game board 13 can be improved.

In addition, in the game board 13 transported on the manufacturing line 400, the positioning holes are drilled by the hybrid pins 321 so that the transport direction of the game board 13 and the sides of the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid straight portions 324a are perpendicular to each other (see FIG. 24(a)). In other words, of the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid pins 321, the straight portions (e.g., through straight portions 627a) drilled by the hybrid straight portions 324a are configured to be vertical when viewed from the front of the game board 13.

When the game board 13 is transported on the production line 400, in each manufacturing process such as the first transport process in which the parts are placed, the game board 13 is stopped during transport, and after the work in each manufacturing process is completed, the transport of the game board 13 begins again. Each time the game board 13 is stopped or each time the transport of the game board 13 begins, an impact based on inertia is applied to the parts placed on the game board 13. When an impact based on inertia is applied to a part, the impact can cause the positioning protrusion to fly out of the positioning hole in the game board 13, causing the position of the part to shift from the position where it was placed.

Therefore, by configuring the straight portion formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a of the positioning hole drilled by the hybrid pin 321 to be vertical when viewed from the front of the game board 13, even if an impact based on inertial force is applied to the part, the protrusion of the part will be caught on the hole edge (corner) of the positioning hole formed by the straight portion, and the protrusion of the part can be prevented from jumping out of the positioning hole. Details of the positioning hole formed by the hybrid pin 321 will be described later.

Returning to Figure 10, we will continue to explain the first transport process (S206 to S211). In the first transport process, each worker outside the line first performs the attacker unit placement process (S206) of placing the attacker unit 5 on the game board 13. Next, they perform the main display unit placement process (S207) of placing the main display unit 87 on the game board 13. Next, they perform the center frame placement process (S208) of placing the center frame 86 on the game board 13. After that, they move on to the first screw fastening process (S212).

Of the various parts to be placed on the game board 13, the attacker unit 5 is configured to be placed first in the attacker unit placement step (S206). This is because the general winning slot units 3 are placed adjacent to the left and right of the attacker unit 5, and the start winning slot unit 4 is placed adjacent to it above. If the above parts 3 and 4 were placed before the attacker unit 5, the attacker unit 5 would have to be placed in the space between the above parts 3 and 4, and there is a risk that the attacker unit 5 will come into contact with the above parts 3 and 4 when placed.

Specifically, for example, if the left and right general prize opening units 3 are placed first and then the attacker unit 5 is placed, when the attacker unit 5 is placed in the space between the left and right general prize opening units 3, one of the general prize opening units 3 and the attacker unit 5 may come into contact with each other and each component may be damaged. Therefore, by placing the attacker unit 5 on the game board 13 before the adjacent components 3 and 4, it is possible to prevent the components 3 to 5 from being damaged.

In the first transport process, each worker on the line first carries out the return ball prevention member placement process (S209) of placing the return ball prevention member 68 on the game board 13. Next, they carry out the right corner ornament placement process (S210) of placing the right corner ornament 70 on the game board 13. Next, they carry out the upper left corner ornament placement process (S211) of placing the upper left corner ornament 71 on the game board 13. After that, they move on to the first screw fastening process (S212).

The first screw fastening process (S212) is a process in which a screw is screwed into one screw insertion hole of each of the parts placed in the first conveying process, including the main display unit 87, the return ball prevention member 68, the right corner ornament 70, and the upper left corner ornament 71, using a screw driver 420 (see Figure 16).

Now, referring to Figure 16, we will explain the screw driver 420 that screws into the screw insertion holes of each component of the game board 13. Figure 16 is a diagram showing the screw driver 420 that fastens each component to the game board 13 with screws during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and is a schematic diagram of the screw driver 420 as seen from the side. Note that the game board 13 is omitted in Figure 16.

As shown in FIG. 16, the screw driver 420 is composed of a screw driver unit 421 that screws screws into the screw insertion holes of each component, and a game board fixing device 422 that fixes the game board 13 when the screw driver unit 421 screws the screws into the screw insertion holes of each component.

In this first screw fastening step (S211), specifically, first, the game board 13 is fixed by the game board fastener 422, and then, by the screw driving unit 421, a total of four screws are screwed into the main display screw insertion hole 87g at the upper left of the main display unit 87, the return screw insertion hole (not shown) at the upper side of the return ball prevention member 68, the right screw insertion hole (not shown) at the top of the right corner ornament 70, and the upper left screw insertion hole (not shown) at the upper left of the upper left corner ornament 71. The above-mentioned parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 into which the screws are screwed by the screw driving unit 421 are temporarily fixed to the game board 13 by one screw each. Screws are screwed into the screw insertion holes into which screws are not screwed in this first screw fastening step (S212) in the second screw fastening step (S217) described later.

That is, after the first screw fastening step is performed, screws are not screwed into any of the screw insertion holes of the above-mentioned parts 68, 70, 71, and 87, and even for the parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 into which screws have been screwed, screws are only screwed into some of the screw insertion holes, so the subsequent steps are performed with each part in a temporarily fixed or temporarily held state. Therefore, since screws are not screwed into the attacker unit 5 and center frame 86 placed on the game board 13 in the first transport step in the first screw fastening step, the game board 13 is transported in a state where the attacker unit 5 and center frame 86 are only temporarily held by the attacker protrusions, etc. (not shown) and the attacker positioning holes, etc. (not shown) until the second screw fastening step (S217) is performed.

In the first screw fastening step (S212), among the parts placed on the game board 13 in the first transport step, only the return ball prevention member 68, the right corner ornament 70, the upper left corner ornament 71, and the main display unit 87 are temporarily fixed to the game board 13 by screwing in one screw, and the attacker unit 5 and the center frame 86 are not temporarily fixed by screwing in a screw. This is because, as mentioned above, the left and right general winning port units 3 and the starting winning port unit 4 are arranged near the attacker unit 5, and these parts 3, 4 are placed on the game board 13 in the second transport step (S213 to S216), so that these parts 3, 4 can be easily placed on the game board 13.

Specifically, for example, if the attacker unit 5 is temporarily fixed in the first screw fastening process, and an error of "positional deviation during part fixing" occurs in the attacker unit 5, the fixed position of the attacker unit 5 relative to the game board 13 will be offset from the design value. Due to this offset, a part of the attacker unit 5 may come into contact with the adjacent general winning slot unit 3 or start winning slot unit 4, making it impossible to attach the parts 3 and 4 to the game board 13. Therefore, in the first screw fastening process, the attacker unit 5 is not temporarily fixed with screws, and each part 3 and 4 is placed in the subsequent second transport process. After all parts are properly placed on the game board 13, all parts are fixed to the game board 13 with screws in the second screw fastening process (S217), which allows parts to be placed on the game board 13 smoothly and improves the productivity of the game board 13.

In addition, the return ball prevention member 68, right corner ornament 70, upper left corner ornament 71, and main display unit 87 are parts that are commonly used among different models (hereinafter referred to as "common parts"), so there is no need to change the installation position or installation order for each model. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, by temporarily fixing these common parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 with screws in advance without changing the manufacturing order or manufacturing line for each model, costs can be reduced compared to changing the manufacturing line for each model.

Returning to Figure 10, we will continue with the explanation. After the first screw fastening process (S212), the second transport process (S213 to S216) is carried out. In the second transport process (S213 to S216), similar to the first transport process (S206 to S211), the production line is divided into off-line, which is the left side (outside) of the transport direction, and on-line, which is the right side (inside) of the transport direction, and workers on the off-line and workers on the in-line simultaneously place parts on the game board 13 in parallel.

In the second transport process, each worker outside the line first performs the general prize winning port unit placement process (S213) of placing the general prize winning port unit 3 on the game board 13. Next, the start prize winning port unit placement process (S214) of placing the start prize winning port unit 4 on the game board 13 is performed. Next, the through gate placement process (S215) of placing the through gate 7 on the game board 13 is performed. After that, the second screw fastening process (S217) is started.

Meanwhile, each worker on the line in the second transport process performs the board side decoration placement process (S216) in which the board side decoration 8 is placed on the game board 13. After that, they move on to the second screw fastening process (S217). By performing these second transport processes (S213 to S216), all parts are placed on the game board 13.

In the second screw fastening process (S217), screws are screwed by a screw driver 420 (see FIG. 16) into screw insertion holes that were not screwed in the first screw fastening process (S212) among the parts placed in the first transport process (S206-S211) and the second transport process (S213-S216). By carrying out this second screw fastening process, all of the parts that were temporarily fixed or temporarily held on the game board 13 are fixed with screws. In other words, this second screw fastening process is a process in which screws are mainly used to fasten non-common parts that differ for each model. When the second screw fastening process (S217) is completed, the game board surface manufacturing process (S200) of the manufacturing process of the game board 13 is completed.

After the game board surface manufacturing process (S200), the game board backside manufacturing process (S218) is carried out, in which the control board unit 90, which is composed of the main control device 110, the audio lamp control device 113, and the display control device 114, etc., are assembled to the backside of the game board 13. Then, the game board inspection process (S219) is carried out to check whether the entire game board 13 has been manufactured without any defects, and the manufacturing process for the game board 13 is completed.

After the manufacturing process of the game board 13 is completed, if the game board 13 is to be mounted on the pachinko machine 10, the game board 13 is used in the game board 13 assembly process (S101). On the other hand, if the game board 13 is to be shipped alone, a shipping process (not shown) for the game board 13 alone is carried out, and the game board 13 is shipped alone.

Next, the component positioning hole creation process (S201) and the positioning holes 601-629 drilled and formed by the component positioning hole creation process will be described with reference to Figures 17 to 23. Figure 17 is a front view of the game board 13 before the component positioning hole creation process (S201) is performed in the manufacturing process of the game board 13.

In the game board surface manufacturing process (S200), prior to the component positioning hole creation process (S201), the parts supplier delivers the game board 13 shown in FIG. 17, and the delivered game board 13 undergoes various processing in the game board 13 manufacturing process (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 17, the delivered game board 13 is specifically configured such that a cell sheet 60a is attached to a base plate 60, and the periphery of the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a are cut to form multiple uneven portions. In addition, multiple router holes 651 to 656 for each component are cut into the game board 13. Furthermore, multiple nail holes 63 for game nails and windmills are drilled into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a.

Now, referring to Figure 18, we will explain the nail holes 63 provided in the game board 13. Figure 18 shows the configuration of the nail holes 63 for game nails, with Figure 18(a) being an enlarged front view of XVIIIa in Figure 17, Figure 18(b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIb-XVIIIb in Figure 18(a), and Figure 18(c) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIc-XVIIIc in Figure 18(a).

The nail holes 63 for the game nails are formed in advance by a parts supplier so that the game nails or windmills can be easily planted in the game board 13. Using the game board 13 with multiple nail holes 63 drilled and formed, the game nails or windmills are planted in the game board 13 in the game nail planting step (S203) or the rail and windmill planting step (S204) in the manufacturing process of the game board 13.

The game nail (not shown) is made of brass, for example, and is composed of a main body body of 24 mm and a spiral body of 11 mm, a total length of 35 mm, and a body diameter of 1.7 mm. The spiral body is screwed into a nail hole 63 formed in the game board 13, and the game nail is fixed to the game board 13. Therefore, the nail hole 63 for the game nail is formed in a shape (for example, hole diameter φ1.0 mm, depth 10 mm) that can hold the spiral body (body diameter) of the game nail, and is also configured not to penetrate to the back side of the game board 13. The nail hole 63 for the game nail and the router holes 651 to 656 for each part are machined by a parts supplier so that the cell sheet 60a does not peel off on the hole surface.

Returning to FIG. 17, the explanation continues. The router holes 651-656 for each part are formed by cutting in advance by a parts supplier, and are provided so that each part corresponding to the router holes 651-656 can be fitted from the front side of the game board 13 in the game board surface manufacturing process (S200). Specifically, the router hole 651 is cut and formed in a position corresponding to the center frame 86 in the center part of the game board 13. Furthermore, the router holes 652 are cut and formed in positions corresponding to the board side decorations 8 on the left and right parts of the router hole 651. Furthermore, the router holes 653 are cut and formed in positions corresponding to the through gates 7 on the left and right parts of the router hole 651. Furthermore, the router hole 655 is cut and formed in a position corresponding to the start winning port unit 4 below the router hole 651. Furthermore, the router holes 654 are cut and formed in positions corresponding to the general winning port unit 3 on the left and right parts of the router hole 655. Additionally, a router hole 656 is cut and formed at a position corresponding to the attacker unit 5 below the router hole 655.

The router hole 652 corresponding to the board side decoration 8, the router hole 653 corresponding to the through gate 7, and the router hole 654 corresponding to the general winning port unit 3 are formed on the left and right sides of the game board 13. The only difference between these router holes 652-654 is that they are symmetrical in shape, and the rest of the configuration is the same, so in the following explanation, only the router holes 652-654 on one side (the left side) will be explained, and the explanation of the router holes 652-654 on the other side (the right side) will be omitted.

The router holes 651-656 are cut to a size slightly larger than the outer shape of the insertion portion (e.g., starting back portion 4f, etc.) of each part (center frame 86, board side decoration 8, through gate 7, general winning port unit 3, starting winning port unit 4, and attacker unit 5) to be inserted, and are configured so that the insertion portion of each part can be inserted.

Each part that fits into the router holes 651-656 is provided with a connector (not shown) for connection to the main control device 110, etc., mounted on the back side of the game board 13, so by forming the router holes 651-656 in the game board 13, the connectors provided on the back side of each part that is fitted from the front side of the game board 13 can be connected to the main control device 110, etc. In the first conveying step (S206-S211) or the second conveying step (S213-S216) in the game board surface manufacturing process described above (S200 in FIG. 10), the router holes 651-656 provided for each part are manually fitted from the front side of the game board 13 by an operator.

As described above, each of the router holes 651-656 is formed to be slightly larger than the fitting portion (not shown) of the parts 3-5, 7, 8, 86 to be fitted in order to insert the outer shape of the fitting portion. As a result, when the fitting portions of the parts 3-5, 7, 8, 86 are fitted into the router holes 651-656, a small gap (not shown) is created between the fitting portion of each of the parts 3-5, 7, 8, 86 and the router holes 651-656. Therefore, after each of the parts 3 to 5, 7, 8, 86 is inserted into the router holes 651 to 656 and placed on the game board 13, until each of the parts 3 to 5, 7, 8, 86 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws in the second screw fixing step (S217), the placement positions of each of the parts 3 to 5, 7, 8, 86 may shift from their original placement positions due to the above gaps caused by the impact of the movement and stopping of the game board 13 in the first conveying step (S206 to S211) or the second conveying step (S213 to S216). In this case, if each of the parts 3 to 5, 7, 8, 86 is fixed to the game board 13, there is a risk that the fixed positions of each of the parts 3 to 5, 7, 8, 86 will shift by the amount of the shift from the original placement positions.

Furthermore, even for the components that do not require router holes 651-656 (return ball prevention member 68, right side corner ornament 70, upper left corner ornament 71 and main display unit 87), after each of the components 68, 70, 71, 87 is placed in its designated mounting position, until each of the components 68, 70, 71, 87 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws in the first screw fastening process (S212) or the second screw fastening process (S217), the mounting positions of each of the components 68, 70, 71, 87 may shift from their initial mounting positions due to impacts, etc., when the game board 13 moves or stops in the first transport process (S206-S211) or the second transport process (S213-S216). In this case, if each of the parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 is fixed to the game board 13, there is a risk that the fixed positions of each of the parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 will shift by the amount that they are shifted from their original placement positions.

Therefore, after the game board 13 is delivered from the parts supplier, at the beginning of the game board surface manufacturing process (S200), a part positioning hole creation process (S201) is performed to drill and form the positioning holes 601-629 for each part before fitting each part into the router holes 651-656 or placing it on the game board 13. Then, when fitting each part into the router holes 651-656 or placing it on the game board 13, the worker inserts the positioning protrusions provided on the back side of the base of each part into the positioning holes while fitting each part into the router holes 651-656 or placing it on the game board 13, and fits the protrusions into the positioning holes 620, etc. This prevents each part from shifting from its original position even if an impact or the like occurs during transportation of the game board 13. In other words, it is possible to prevent each part from shifting from its original position. In this way, forming the positioning holes 601-629 for each component on the game board 13 is a very important process that determines the game performance (e.g., gauge performance, etc.) of the game board 13.

Now, referring to Figure 19, we will explain the game board 13 after the positioning hole creation process (S201). Figure 19 is a front view of the game board 13 after the component positioning hole creation process (S201) has been performed in the manufacturing process of the game board 13 (see Figure 10).

After the component positioning hole creation process (S201) in the game board surface manufacturing process (S200) has been performed, a predetermined number of positioning holes 611-629 (and pilot holes for screws) are drilled and formed around the router holes 651-656 of each component (center frame 86, board side decoration 8, through gate 7, general winning hole unit 3, starting winning hole unit 4, and attacker unit 5) corresponding to the router holes 651-656 for each of the components 3-5, 7, 8, 86.

Specifically, seven center positioning holes 613-619 are drilled around the router hole 651 corresponding to the center frame 86, which correspond to the seven center protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the center base 86c (see FIG. 3). In addition, two side positioning holes 628, 629 are drilled around the router hole 652 corresponding to the panel side decoration 8, which correspond to the two side protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the side base 8a (see FIG. 3). In addition, two through positioning holes 626, 627 (see XXVIa in FIG. 19) are drilled around the router hole 653 corresponding to the through gate 7, which correspond to the two through protrusions 7e, 7f (see FIG. 6) provided on the back side of the through base 7b (see FIG. 3). In addition, around the router hole 654 corresponding to the general winning port unit 3, two general positioning holes 611, 612 are drilled and formed, each corresponding to two general protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the general base 3d (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, around the router hole 655 corresponding to the starting winning port unit 4, starting positioning holes 620, 621 (see XXIIa in FIG. 19) are drilled and formed, each corresponding to two starting protrusions 4i, 4j provided on the back side of the starting base 4e (see FIG. 3). In addition, around the router hole 656 corresponding to the attacker unit 5, four attacker positioning holes 622-625 are drilled and formed, each corresponding to the attacker protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the attacker base 5e (see FIG. 3).

In addition, a predetermined number of positioning holes 601-610 (and pilot holes for screws) are drilled and formed for each component 68, 70, 71, 87 around the designated mounting position of each component (return ball prevention member 68, right corner ornament 70, upper left corner ornament 71, and main display unit 87) that does not have router holes 651-656.

Specifically, at the mounting position of the return ball prevention member 68, return positioning holes 601, 602 are drilled and formed, which correspond to two return protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the return base 68a (see FIG. 3). In addition, at the mounting position of the right corner ornament 70, four right positioning holes 603-606 are drilled and formed, which correspond to four right protrusions (not shown) provided on the back side of the right base 70a. Furthermore, at the mounting position of the upper left corner ornament 71, two upper left positioning holes 607, 608 are drilled and formed, which correspond to the upper left protrusion (not shown) provided on the back side of the upper left base 71a (see FIG. 3). In addition, at the mounting position of the main display unit 87, two main display positioning holes 609, 610 (see XXa in FIG. 19) are drilled and formed, which correspond to two main display protrusions 87j, 87k (see FIG. 4) provided on the back side of the main display base 87f (see FIG. 3).

Now, referring to Fig. 20, the main display positioning hole 610 in XXa in Fig. 19 will be described. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main display positioning hole 610 formed by drilling a straight pin 301, Fig. 20(a) is an enlarged front view of XXa in Fig. 19, Fig. 20(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXb-XXb in Fig. 20(a), Fig. 20(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXc-XXc in Fig. 20(a), Fig. 20(d) is an enlarged view of XXd in Fig. 20(b), and Fig. 20(e) is an enlarged view of XXe in Fig. 20(c).

The main display positioning hole 610 is drilled and formed by the straight pin 301 attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 in the component positioning hole creation process (S201). In the first embodiment, the positioning holes drilled and formed by the straight pin 301 include the main display positioning hole 610, the main display positioning hole 609, the right side positioning holes 603-606, and the upper left positioning holes 607, 608, but these positioning holes 603-609 have the same configuration as the main display positioning hole 610, so a description of them will be omitted.

As described above, the straight pin 301 has a straight body 304 formed in a generally cylindrical shape (approximately linear shape when viewed from the side). Therefore, the inner peripheral wall of the main display positioning hole 610 formed by the straight body 304 is also formed in a generally cylindrical shape (approximately linear shape when viewed from the side) that matches the outer shape of the straight body 304.

Now, referring to FIG. 21, the shape of the main display positioning hole 610 drilled and formed by the straight pin 301 will be described. FIG. 21 is a table showing the relationship between the straight pin 301 and the hole shape of the main display positioning hole 610 drilled and formed by the straight pin 301. Note that the main display positioning hole 610 is formed by the straight body portion 304 and straight tip portion 305 of the straight pin 301, but the details of the portion formed by the straight tip portion 305 are omitted in FIG. 21.

The left column of the table in FIG. 21 shows the distance (mm) from the tip side (the boundary side with the straight tip 305) of the straight body 304 of the straight pin 301. That is, the distance from the lowest part of the straight body 304 is shown as the starting point. Specifically, from the top row to the bottom row of the left column, the distance from the tip side (0.0 mm) of the straight body 304 increases by 0.2 mm (0.1 mm in the bottom row) (0.0 mm to 6.5 mm).

The middle column of the table in FIG. 21 shows the shaft diameter (φ: mm) of the straight body portion 304 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the straight body portion 304 in the left column. Specifically, the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 is shown in 0.2 mm increments from the tip side of the straight body portion 304, and at the portion where the distance from the tip side of the straight body portion 304 is 0.0 mm (i.e., the boundary portion between the straight tip portion 305 and the straight body portion 304), the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 is φ2.70 mm. From there to the portion where the distance from the tip side of the straight body portion 304 is 0.8 mm, the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary side with the straight tip portion 305), and at the portion where the distance from the tip side of the straight body portion 304 is 0.8 mm, the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 is configured to be φ2.80 mm. In addition, the shaft diameter of the straight body portion 304 at a distance of 0.8 mm to 6.5 mm from the tip side of the straight body portion 304 (i.e., the boundary between the straight body portion 304 and the straight flange portion 303) is all configured to be φ2.80 mm.

The right column of the table in Figure 21 shows the hole diameter (φ: mm) of the main display positioning hole 610 formed by the straight body section 304 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the straight body section 304 in the left column (the shaft diameter of the straight body section 304 in the middle column).

Specifically, the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 is φ2.20 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip of the straight body 304, and gradually increases (0.02 mm to 0.03 mm) from there, to φ2.30 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 0.8 mm from the tip of the straight body 304. In addition, the hole diameters at distances of 0.8 mm to 6.5 mm from the tip of the straight body 304 (i.e., the boundary between the straight body 304 and the straight flange 303) are all φ2.30 mm.

Note that there may be manufacturing errors in the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 due to the influence of the hardness (elasticity) and thickness of the game board 13, but the right column of the table in Figure 21 shows the theoretical values formed by the straight pin 301 without taking such manufacturing errors into account.

21, the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 is drilled and formed to be approximately 0.5 mm smaller than the shaft diameter of the straight body 304. This is because the base plate 60 is formed of plywood made of multiple overlapping elastic wood pieces (plywood). Specifically, in the component positioning hole creation process (S201), the straight pin 301 is inserted into the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a, and then when the straight pin 301 is removed from the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a, the wood constituting the base plate 60 elastically deforms in a direction that reduces the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610. As a result, the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 is drilled and formed to be smaller than the shaft diameter of the straight body 304.

In this way, the main display positioning hole 610 has a hole diameter of φ2.30 mm on the hole surface that does not change for a while in the depth direction, and is drilled with a hole diameter of approximately φ2.30 mm throughout, and the entire hole is drilled and formed in a roughly cylindrical shape. In other words, the main display positioning hole 610 is drilled and formed to be slightly smaller than the diameter φ2.4 mm of the main display protrusion 87k (see Figure 4).

As described above, since the base plate 60 is made of elastically deformable wood, when an attempt is made to fit a main display protrusion 87k having a diameter larger than the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 into the main display positioning hole 610, the entire main display positioning hole 610 expands while elastically deforming in response to the fitting of the main display protrusion 87k. As a result, the main display protrusion 87k is configured to fit into the main display positioning hole 610.

When the main display protrusion 87k is fitted into the main display positioning hole 610, a load is constantly applied to the main display protrusion 87k due to the elastic deformation of the base plate 60. Therefore, once the main display protrusion 87k is fitted into the main display positioning hole 610, a load due to the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to be applied to the main display protrusion 87k. This makes it difficult for the main display protrusion 87k to come out of the main display positioning hole 610, and the main display unit 87 can continue to be temporarily held on the game board 13. In other words, the positioning hole drilled and formed by the straight pin 301 has a high function of holding the protrusion of the part once the protrusion of the part is fitted into it.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610 is formed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the main display protrusion 87k. Therefore, when an operator places the main display unit 87 on the game board 13 in the main display unit placement process (S207) and attempts to fit the main display protrusion 87k into the main display positioning hole 610, the diameter of the main display protrusion 87k is larger than the diameter of the main display positioning hole 610, and the main display protrusion 87k may not be properly fitted into the main display positioning hole 610 and may be transported. In other words, the positioning hole drilled and formed by the straight pin 301 has a low protrusion insertion tolerance for parts. In other words, protrusion non-fitting errors are likely to occur, and "screw fastening failure" errors are likely to occur for the part.

In particular, parts that have a plating layer formed by plating the protrusion (for example, the side protrusion of the panel side decoration 8) have a larger overall diameter than the plated layer by the thickness of the plating layer, so the above-mentioned problems are likely to occur when attempting to fit a protrusion with a plating layer into a positioning hole.

If a protrusion not fitting error occurs and the main display protrusion 87k is not fitted into the main display positioning hole 610 when the game board 13 is transported, the main display protrusion 87k is not temporarily held by the main display positioning hole 610. Therefore, the main display unit 87 may be misaligned due to impact during transport. In this state, if an attempt is made to drive screws into the main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i in the first screw fastening step (S212), the screws may be driven directly into the main display base 87f or the game board 13 instead of into the main display screw insertion holes 87g-87i, which may damage the main display base 87f or the game board 13. If the main display base 87f or the game board 13 is damaged, the production line must be temporarily stopped and the main display unit 87 or the game board 13 must be replaced, and if a protrusion not fitting error occurs, the productivity of the game board 13 may be significantly reduced.

The base plate 60 is made of plywood made of multiple overlapping plywood sheets, so the thickness and hardness of each sheet of plywood varies due to manufacturing variations in the plywood sheets. This causes the thickness and hardness of the entire base plate 60 made of overlapping plywood sheets to vary, and manufacturing errors in the base plate 60 occur. However, the straight body portion 304 is configured approximately parallel to the depth direction of the main display positioning hole 610 (the insertion direction of the straight body portion 304), so manufacturing variations are unlikely to occur in the hole shape of the main display positioning hole 610 drilled and formed by the straight body portion 304.

Returning to FIG. 20, the explanation will be continued. As described above, since the base plate 60 elastically deforms, when the straight pin 301 is used to drill and form the main display positioning hole 610 in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the straight body portion 304 while the straight body portion 304 is being inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a. The cell sheet 60a is attached to the base plate 60, and when the straight body portion 304 inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a is to be removed from the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 also continues to contact the straight body portion 304 due to the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 while the straight body portion 304 is being pulled out. This contact causes the cell sheet 60a to peel off from the base plate 60, and the cell sheet 60a breaks along the entire edge of the main display positioning hole 610, forming a raised straight peeled portion 60b (see Figures 20(d) and 20(e)).

In particular, peeling of the cell sheet 60a can occur even in cell sheets 60a that are composed only of a decorative sheet, but in cell sheets that are composed by bonding a metal sheet such as an aluminum sheet to a decorative sheet with a printed pattern to increase gloss, there is a risk of even larger peeling due to the added resistance caused by the adhesion between the metal sheet and the decorative sheet.

Therefore, if the straight pin 301 is used to drill and form the main display positioning hole 610 in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, a "cell peeling" error will occur, and a straight peeling portion 60b will be formed around the entire edge of the main display positioning hole 610. This straight peeling portion 60b may reduce the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 or cause component installation errors.

Specifically, for example, if the base is constructed transparently, such as the general base 3d of the general winning port unit 3, the back surface of the general base 3d can be seen. As a result, the straight peeling portion 60b can be seen through the general base 3d, which can lead to a poor appearance of the game board 13 and a decrease in the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10.

For example, when the main display unit 87 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws, the main display base 87f of the main display unit 87 floats above the surface of the game board 13 by the thickness of the straight peel-off portion 60b when the main display unit 87 is placed on the game board 13. If the main display unit 87 is then fixed with screws in this state, the fixing position of the main display unit 87 will deviate from the design value by the thickness of the straight peel-off portion 60b, resulting in a "positional deviation when fixing parts" error, causing a part installation error. If such an installation error occurs, the installation error will affect game performance (e.g., gauge performance), and the game performance may not be as designed, or the part may overlap with the installation position of another part, making it impossible to install the other part.

Therefore, the main display positioning hole 610 formed by the straight pin 301 has the following two advantages. The first is that once the main display protrusion 87k is inserted into the main display positioning hole 610, the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to temporarily hold the main display protrusion 87k, preventing the main display unit 87 from shifting from its mounting position, providing high protrusion holding functionality. The second is that since the main display positioning hole 610 is drilled and formed by the straight body portion 304 perpendicular to the insertion direction (depth direction), manufacturing irregularities due to the thickness and hardness of the base plate 60 are unlikely to occur.

On the other hand, the main display positioning hole 610 formed by the straight pin 301 has the following three disadvantages. The first is that it is difficult to fit the main display protrusion 87k into the main display positioning hole 610, so the protrusion insertion tolerance is low and a "screw fastening failure" error is likely to occur. The second is that a straight peeling portion 60b is formed due to a "cell peeling" error, which reduces the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10. The third is that an installation error equivalent to the thickness of the straight peeling portion 60b occurs, resulting in a "positional deviation when fixing parts" error. Therefore, the tapered pin 311 was invented with the aim of eliminating these disadvantages of the straight pin 301.

Now, referring to Figure 22, the starting positioning hole 621 in XXIIa in Figure 19 will be described. Figure 22 shows the configuration of the starting positioning hole 621 formed by the taper pin 311, with Figure 22(a) being an enlarged front view of XXIIa in Figure 19, Figure 22(b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIIb-XXIIb in Figure 22(a), Figure 22(c) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIIc-XXIIc in Figure 22(a), Figure 22(d) being an enlarged view of XXIId in Figure 22(b), and Figure 22(e) being an enlarged view of XXIIe in Figure 22(c).

The starting positioning hole 621 is formed by a taper pin 311 attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 in the component positioning hole creation process (S201). In the first embodiment, the positioning holes formed by the taper pin 311 include the starting positioning hole 621, the starting positioning hole 620, the general positioning holes 611, 612, the center positioning holes 613-619, and the attacker positioning holes 622-625. However, because the configuration of these positioning holes 611-620 and 622-625 is the same as that of the starting positioning hole 621, a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the tapered pin 311 is formed so that its tapered body 314 has an inverted truncated cone shape and tapers downward when viewed from the front. Therefore, the inner peripheral wall of the starting positioning hole 621 formed by the tapered body 314 is also formed into an inverted truncated cone shape that tapers gradually to fit the outer shape of the tapered body 314.

Now, referring to FIG. 23, the shape of the starting positioning hole 621 drilled and formed by the tapered pin 311 will be described. FIG. 23 is a table showing the relationship between the tapered pin 311 and the hole shape of the starting positioning hole 621 drilled and formed by the tapered pin 311. Note that the starting positioning hole 621 is formed by the tapered body 314 and tapered tip 315 of the tapered pin 311, but the details of the part formed by the tapered tip 315 are omitted in FIG. 23.

The left column of the table in Figure 23 shows the distance (mm) from the tip side (the boundary side with the tapered tip 315) of the tapered body 314 of the tapered pin 311. In other words, the distance from the starting point, which is the lowest part of the tapered body 314, is shown. Specifically, from the top row to the bottom row of the left column, the distance from the tip side (0.0 mm) of the tapered body 314 increases by 0.2 mm (0.1 mm in the bottom row) (0.0 mm to 6.5 mm).

23 shows the shaft diameter (φ: mm) of the tapered body portion 314 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the tapered body portion 314 in the left column. Specifically, the shaft diameter of the tapered body portion 314 is shown in increments of 0.2 mm from the tip side of the tapered body portion 314, and the shaft diameter of the tapered body portion 314 is φ2.70 mm at the portion where the distance from the tip side of the tapered body portion 314 is 0.0 mm (i.e., the boundary portion between the tapered tip portion 315 and the tapered body portion 314). From there, the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary side with the tapered tip 315), and at a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip side of the tapered body 314 (i.e., the boundary part between the tapered body 314 and the tapered flange 313), the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314 is configured to be φ3.50 mm.

The right column of the table in Figure 23 shows the hole diameter (φ: mm) of the starting positioning hole 621 formed by the tapered body portion 314 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the tapered body portion 314 in the left column (the shaft diameter of the tapered body portion 314 in the middle column).

Specifically, the diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 is φ2.20 mm at a position corresponding to the portion 0.0 mm away from the tip of the tapered body 314, and gradually increases (0.02 mm to 0.03 mm) from there, to φ3.00 mm at a position corresponding to the portion 6.5 mm away from the tip of the tapered body 314.

Note that there may be manufacturing errors in the diameter of the start positioning hole 621 due to the influence of the hardness (elasticity) and thickness of the game board 13, but the right column of the table in Figure 23 shows the theoretical value formed by the tapered pin 311 without taking such manufacturing errors into account.

23, the hole diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 is formed to be about 0.5 mm smaller than the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314. This is because the base plate 60 is formed of plywood made of multiple overlapping pieces of elastic wood (plywood). In other words, in the component positioning hole creation process (S201), when the tapered pin 311 is inserted into the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a and then removed from the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a, the wood constituting the base plate 60 elastically deforms in a direction that reduces the hole diameter of the starting positioning hole 621. As a result, the hole diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 is formed to be smaller than the shaft diameter of the tapered body 314.

In this way, the starting positioning hole 621 is drilled in an inverted truncated cone shape so that the diameter at the surface of the hole gradually decreases from a maximum of φ3.00 mm in the depth direction, and the hole diameter at the bottom of the hole is φ2.20 mm. Therefore, the diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 is larger at the surface of the hole and smaller at the bottom than the diameter φ2.5 mm of the starting protrusion 4j (see Figure 5). Therefore, the starting positioning hole 621 is drilled so that it comes into contact with the starting protrusion 4j inside the hole (at a position formed by the shaft diameter φ2.70 mm to φ3.00 mm of the tapered body 314 from the tip side of the tapered body 314 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 2.4 mm from the tip side). As a result, the positioning hole drilled by the tapered pin 311 has a high tolerance for inserting the protrusion of the part, and it can be said that the protrusion is less likely to be inserted when the part is placed by the operator.

That is, when the starting protrusion 4j is inserted into the starting positioning hole 621, the diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 is larger than the diameter of the starting protrusion 4j at the hole surface portion of the starting positioning hole 621, so the starting protrusion 4j is smoothly inserted into the starting positioning hole 621. Then, in the inside of the tapered starting positioning hole 621, the inside of the tapered starting positioning hole 621 and the starting protrusion 4j come into contact at the portion where the diameter of the starting positioning hole 621 and the diameter of the starting protrusion 4j match (in the first embodiment, the portion formed by the position corresponding to the distance of 2.4 mm from the tip side of the tapered body 314). Then, when the starting protrusion 4j is further inserted in the depth direction of the starting positioning hole 621 from the portion where the inside of the starting positioning hole 621 and the starting protrusion 4j come into contact, the base plate 60 is made of elastically deformable wood, so the hole of the starting positioning hole 621 is elastically deformed and expanded in response to the insertion of the starting protrusion 4j. As a result, the starting protrusion 4j is configured to fit into the starting positioning hole 621.

When the starting protrusion 4j is inserted further into the depth direction of the starting positioning hole 621 from the part where the inside of the starting positioning hole 621 and the starting protrusion 4j come into contact, a load is constantly applied to the starting protrusion 4j due to the elastic deformation of the base plate 60. Therefore, when the starting protrusion 4j is inserted further into the depth direction of the starting positioning hole 621 from the part where the inside of the starting positioning hole 621 and the starting protrusion 4j come into contact, a load due to the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to be applied to the starting protrusion 4j. This makes it difficult for the starting protrusion 4j to come out of the starting positioning hole 621, and the starting winning hole unit 4 can continue to be temporarily held on the game board 13.

Therefore, the positioning hole formed with the tapered pin 311 makes it easier for the worker to insert the component's protrusion into the positioning hole when placing the component, preventing the component's protrusion from not being fully inserted into the positioning hole. In addition, the positioning hole formed with the tapered pin 311 also has the function of temporarily holding the component's protrusion inside the hole, making it possible to eliminate the disadvantages of the positioning hole formed with the straight pin 301.

Returning to FIG. 22, the explanation will be continued. As described above, since the base plate 60 elastically deforms, when the taper pin 311 is used to drill and form the starting positioning hole 621 in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, while the taper body 314 is being inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the taper body 314. When the taper body 314 is to be removed from the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a from that state, the taper body 314 is configured to be gradually narrowed in the insertion direction, so that contact with the taper body 314 can be suppressed even if the base plate 60 is elastically deformed. In addition, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 can also be suppressed from contacting the taper body 314 even if the base plate 60 is elastically deformed. Therefore, when the tapered body portion 314 is pulled out from the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 is hardly peeled off from the base plate 60, and only a small tapered peeled portion 60c is formed (see Figures 22(d) and 22(e)).

As a result, the tapered peeling portion 60c formed when the positioning hole is formed by the tapered pin 311 is smaller than the straight peeling portion 60b (see FIG. 20) formed when the positioning hole is formed by the straight pin 301, making it difficult for a "cell peeling" error to occur. This prevents the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 from being reduced, and also makes it difficult for part installation errors based on a "cell peeling" error to occur, thereby preventing errors such as "misalignment when fixing parts".

Specifically, for example, in a transparent part that is not plated (e.g., the general winning port unit 3), the base (e.g., the general base 3d) is made transparent, so the back surface of the base can be seen and the tapered peeling portion 60c can be seen through the base. However, because the tapered peeling portion 60c is small, it does not spoil the appearance of the game board 13 and does not reduce the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10.

For example, when the start winning slot unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws, when the start winning slot unit 4 is placed on the game board 13, the thickness of the tapered peeling portion 60c is slight, so the start base 4e of the start winning slot unit 4 is placed in a state where it is almost in contact with the surface of the game board 13. Then, by fixing the start winning slot unit 4 with screws in this state, the fixed position of the start winning slot unit 4 can be set almost according to the design value, making it less likely that installation errors will occur in the parts.

However, as described above, the base plate 60 is formed from a plywood made of multiple overlapping plywood sheets. Furthermore, due to manufacturing variations in the plywood sheets, the thickness of each sheet of plywood differs. Therefore, the overall thickness of the base plate 60 made of overlapping plywood sheets also differs for each game board 13, resulting in manufacturing errors in the thickness of the game board 13 itself. Furthermore, due to manufacturing variations in the plywood sheets, the hardness of each sheet of plywood differs. Therefore, the overall hardness of the base plate 60 made of overlapping plywood sheets also differs for each game board 13, resulting in manufacturing errors in the hardness of the game board 13 itself.

Here, in the component positioning hole creation process (see S201 in FIG. 10), when a positioning hole is to be drilled for a component using the positioning hole drilling machine 410 (see FIG. 11), the positioning hole drilling machine 410 always drills and forms the positioning hole with a constant force and at a constant position, but since the thickness or hardness of the base plate 60 varies, in reality, manufacturing unevenness occurs in the size and depth of the positioning hole as described below. In the case of a pin that is approximately parallel to the insertion direction, such as the straight body portion 304 of the straight pin 301, there is no large difference in the positioning hole that is drilled and formed, but in the case of the tapered body portion 314 of the tapered pin 311, where the shaft diameter of the tapered body portion 314 gradually changes in the insertion direction, there will be differences in the positioning hole that is formed depending on the thickness or hardness of the base plate 60.

Specifically, for example, if the gaming board 13 (base plate 60) is thick, the tapered body 314 will be inserted deeper into the gaming board 13 than usual, resulting in a larger diameter of the positioning hole that is drilled. Also, if the gaming board 13 (base plate 60) is soft, the tapered body 314 will be easily inserted deeper into the gaming board 13, resulting in a larger diameter of the positioning hole that is drilled.

If the positioning hole is too large, for example, the diameter of the positioning hole is larger than the diameter of the component-side protrusion (in the first embodiment, φ2.40 mm (φ2.50 mm for protrusions with a plated layer)) at the tip of the component-side protrusion (in the first embodiment, 2.0 mm from the base of the component (2.05 mm for protrusions with a plated layer)), i.e., if the hole diameter near the depth of 2.00 mm of the positioning hole is φ2.40 mm (φ2.50 mm for protrusions with a plated layer) or more, a load based on the elastic force of the base plate 60 cannot be applied to the component-side protrusion inside the positioning hole. If the positioning hole cannot temporarily hold the component-side protrusion, the component-side protrusion may easily pop out of the positioning hole due to impacts during the transportation process of the game board 13, which may result in a protrusion not being inserted during the transportation stage.

In particular, the attacker unit 5 and center frame 86 are not screwed in the first screw fastening step (S212) despite being placed on the game board 13 in the first transport step (S206-S211), and are not fixed with screws until the second screw fastening step (S217). In addition, the general winning port unit 3 and the board side decoration 8 are placed on the game board 13 in the initial stage of the second transport step (S213-S216), and therefore travel a long transport distance from when they are placed on the game board 13 at the initial stage of the second transport step (S213-S216) until they are fixed with screws in the second screw fastening step, so they are subjected to many impacts during the transport step of the game board 13, and there is a high possibility that the protrusions on the parts will pop out of the positioning holes.

In addition, if the positioning hole is drilled too large, the protrusion on the component will not be firmly held at one point in the positioning hole, and the position of the protrusion on the component will shift within the positioning hole. If the component is then fixed with screws in this state, the fixed position of the component will shift from the design value, resulting in an installation error of the component and making it easy for a "position shift when fixing the component" error to occur.

When manufacturing irregularities occur in the positioning hole drilled by the taper pin 311 and the hole diameter of the positioning hole becomes larger than usual, the protrusion retention function is reduced as described above. One reason for this is that the cross-sectional shape of the positioning hole in the depth direction is always formed to be almost a perfect circle, so the hole surface (shallow part of the hole) does not have the protrusion retention function, and the protrusion retention function is guaranteed only in the depth direction of the hole. Specifically, since the positioning hole is drilled by the taper body 314 composed of a tapered inverted truncated cone shape, the cross-sectional shape of the positioning hole in the depth direction is formed to be almost a perfect circle, and the almost perfect circle cross-sectional part can only either come into contact with the protrusion on the part side or not. That is, in the positioning hole drilled by the tapered pin 311, the part where the diameter of the positioning hole is the same as the protrusion on the component side first comes into contact with the protrusion on the component side, and the part of the positioning hole that is shallower than the part where the positioning hole comes into contact does not come into contact with the protrusion on the component side. Therefore, if the diameter of the positioning hole is made larger than usual, the part that does not come into contact with the protrusion on the component side becomes larger, and the protrusion retention function is reduced.

On the other hand, for example, if the thickness of the gaming board 13 (base plate 60) is thin, the tapered body 314 will be inserted shallower than usual into the gaming board 13, resulting in a smaller diameter of the positioning hole that is drilled. Also, if the gaming board 13 (base plate 60) is hard, it will be difficult for the tapered body 314 to be inserted into the gaming board 13, resulting in a smaller diameter of the positioning hole that is drilled.

If the positioning hole is drilled too small, it can cause problems. In the part placement process (first transport process (S206-S211) or second transport process (S213-S216)), when an operator places a part on the game board 13 and tries to fit a protrusion on the part into the positioning hole, the protrusion on the part may reach the bottom (rear) of the positioning hole before the base of the part comes into contact with the game board 13, causing the part to be transported floating above the game board 13. If the part is transported floating above the game board 13 and screwed in this state, the part will deviate from the design value by the gap between the part and the game board 13, causing an installation error of the part and resulting in a "positional deviation when fixing the part" error. If such an installation error occurs, it can affect the game performance (e.g., gauge performance) by the installation error, and the game performance may not be as designed, or the part may overlap with the installation position of another part, making it impossible to install the other part.

In particular, parts that have a plating layer formed by plating the protrusion (such as starting protrusion 4i) have a larger overall diameter than the protrusion due to the thickness of the plating layer, so the above-mentioned problems are likely to occur when attempting to fit a protrusion with a plating layer into a positioning hole.

From the above, the start positioning hole 621 formed by drilling the taper pin 311 has the following four advantages. The first is that the start protrusion 4j is easy to insert into the start positioning hole 621, and the protrusion insertion tolerance is high. The second is that after the start protrusion 4j is inserted into the start positioning hole 621, the start protrusion 4j is temporarily held by the inside of the start positioning hole 621, so that the placement position of the start winning hole unit 4 does not shift. The third is that the tapered peeling portion 60c generated during the drilling process of the start positioning hole 621 is small, so that the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 is not reduced. The fourth is that since the tapered peeling portion 60c of the cell sheet 60a is small, when the start winning hole unit 4 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws, the effect of peeling of the cell sheet 60a is reduced, and the fixing position of the start winning hole unit 4 can be set according to the design value.

On the other hand, the starting positioning hole 621 drilled and formed by the tapered pin 311 has one disadvantage: the shape of the starting positioning hole 621 varies depending on the individual differences in the base plate 60, resulting in manufacturing unevenness in the size of the hole shape. In particular, if the hole shape is drilled and formed to be large, the protrusion holding function is reduced. Also, if the hole shape is drilled and formed to be small, the part will float from the game board 13, the fixed position of the part will deviate from the design value, and an installation error will occur in the part.

Now, referring to Figures 24 and 25, we will explain errors that occur in the manufacturing process of the game board 13 due to part positioning holes. Figure 24 is a table showing the types of errors that occur in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, as well as the main impact, cause, whether or not they can be corrected, and the importance of the errors. Also, Figure 25 is a front view of a through gate 7 showing an example of a screw failure using a screw driver 420 (see Figure 16).

As shown in Figure 24, during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the types of errors that occur due to the positioning holes into which the protrusions of the parts are inserted are classified into "screw fastening failure" errors, "cell peeling" errors, and "misalignment when fixing parts" errors.

The "screw fastening failure" error is an error in which the screw driver 420 (see FIG. 16) drives a screw into the base of the component to be screwed, instead of into the screw insertion hole of the component. The main impact of this "screw fastening failure" error is that the component that has failed to be screwed may be damaged, or the game board 13 itself may be damaged. If the component or game board 13 is damaged due to this "screw fastening failure" error, the production line for the game board 13 itself must be temporarily stopped, and the part or game board 13 must be replaced. When the part is replaced, a loss equivalent to the unit price of the part itself occurs. Furthermore, if the production line is temporarily stopped, the productivity of the game board 13 decreases by the time of the stoppage. Therefore, this "screw fastening failure" error has a significant impact on the productivity of the game board 13.

The reason why the "Screw fastening failure" error occurs is that, as mentioned above, the protrusion is not inserted into the positioning hole, and the part placed in the transport process (first transport process (S206-S211) or second transport process (S213-S216)) is misaligned from the position where it was placed when the screw fastening process (first screw fastening process (S212) or second screw fastening process (S217)) is performed.

Now, referring to Figure 25, an example of a failure to screw the through gate 7 will be described. In the process of screwing a screw into the through screw insertion hole 7c of the through gate 7 (in the first embodiment, the second screw fastening process (S217)), if one or both of the through protrusions 7e, 7f of the through gate 7 are not firmly fitted into the through positioning holes 626, 627, the placement position of the through gate 7 will be shifted due to the impact during the transportation process of the game board 13.

The screw driver 420 (see FIG. 16) is set to drive screws into the designed position without checking whether the through gate 7 is misaligned. Therefore, if the screw driver 420 is used to screw screws into the through screw insertion holes 7c and 7d when the through gate 7 is misaligned, the screw will be driven into a predetermined position of the through base 7b that is different from the through screw insertion hole 7c (in the first embodiment, the lower side of the through screw insertion hole 7c when viewed from the front) of the through base 7b. If a screw is to be screwed into the through base 7b, the through base 7b will not be able to withstand the impact and will crack, forming a crack 7z. The through gate 7 with the crack 7z thus formed must be replaced, and the production line for the game board 13 must be stopped during the replacement work.

Returning to Figure 24 for further explanation, this "screw fastening failure" error will damage the part or the game board 13, and the damaged part or game board 13 cannot be repaired. Furthermore, if the production line is stopped, the productivity of the game board 13 will decrease. Therefore, this "screw fastening failure" error is classified as the most important error (large) among errors caused by positioning holes.

Next, the "cell detachment" error is an error that occurs when the cell sheet 60a is detached from the base plate 60 when drilling positioning holes. The main impact of this "cell detachment" error is that if the base of the part that contacts the game board 13 is transparent, the part where the cell has detached can be seen by the player from the base of the transparent part, which looks bad and reduces the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10.

The reason why the "cell peeling" error occurs is that, as mentioned above, in the component positioning hole creation process (S201), after the straight pin 301 is inserted into the game board 13, the cell sheet 60a peels off from the game board 13 when the straight pin 301 is pulled out.

This "cell peeling" error results in a straight peeling portion 60b (see FIG. 20) being formed along the entire edge of the positioning hole (e.g., main display positioning hole 610) drilled by the straight pin 301, and once the straight peeling portion 60b has been formed, it cannot be corrected. However, the parts and game board 13 are not damaged, and no major losses occur simply because the cell sheet 60a has peeled off. Therefore, the "cell peeling" error is classified as a relatively important error (medium) among errors caused by positioning holes.

Next, the "positional deviation when fixing parts" error is an error in which a part is fixed in a position that deviates from the design value. The main impact of this "positional deviation when fixing parts" error is that the part's fixing position differs from the design value, and the difference in the fixing position affects the flow direction of the ball as it flows down the play area, causing the gauge performance (play performance) to differ from the design value.

The cause of the "misalignment when fixing parts" error is, as described above, the peeling off of the cell sheet 60a during the part positioning hole creation process (S201), which is caused by the thickness of the peeled off cell sheet 60a. In addition, the "misalignment when fixing parts" error can occur when drilling and forming positioning holes in the game board 13 using the tapered pin 311, due to manufacturing irregularities in the positioning holes caused by individual differences in the game board 13 (board thickness or hardness).

After the first screw fastening process (S212) or the second screw fastening process (S217) is performed, if the "misalignment when fixing the part" error is discovered during an inspection process, it can be eliminated (corrected) by removing the screw that has already been screwed in, returning the part to its normal position, and then fastening it again with the screw. Therefore, this "misalignment when fixing the part" error is classified as a less important error (small) among errors caused by positioning holes. However, if the "misalignment when fixing the part" error causes damage to the part (for example, if the fixing position of a part fixed earlier shifts and overlaps with the fixing position of another part fixed later, causing damage to the part), it may lead to an error that cannot be corrected.

Therefore, when the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the straight pin 301, the "screw fastening failure" error or the "cell peeling" error is likely to occur, and when the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the tapered pin 311, the "screw fastening failure" error or the "position misalignment when fixing the component" error is likely to occur. Therefore, the hybrid pin 321 was invented to prevent the occurrence of these errors.

Now, with reference to Figure 26, the through positioning hole 627 in XXVIa in Figure 19 will be described. Figure 26 shows the configuration of the through positioning hole 627 drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321, with Figure 26(a) being an enlarged front view of XXVIa in Figure 19, Figure 26(b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVIb-XXVIb in Figure 26(a), Figure 26(c) being a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVIc-XXVIc in Figure 26(a), Figure 26(d) being an enlarged view of XXVId in Figure 26(c), and Figure 26(e) being an enlarged view of XXVIe in Figure 26(c).

The through positioning hole 627 is drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321 attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 in the component positioning hole creation process (S201). In the first embodiment, the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321 include the through positioning hole 627, the through positioning hole 626, the return positioning holes 601, 602, and the side positioning holes 628, 629, but because these positioning holes 601, 602, 626, 628, 629 have the same configuration as the through positioning hole 627, a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the hybrid pin 321 is formed of the hybrid straight portion 324a (see FIG. 14) whose outer shape is formed approximately parallel to the insertion direction of the hybrid body 324, and the hybrid tapered portion 324b (see FIG. 14) whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape with the shaft diameter gradually decreasing toward the insertion direction. Therefore, the inner peripheral wall of the through positioning hole 627 formed by the hybrid body 324 is also formed by drilling a hole shape (rounded rectangular (oval) shape when viewed from the front) that combines an approximately box shape and an approximately inverted truncated cone shape that follow the outer shape of the hybrid body 324.

Specifically, the through positioning hole 627 has a through straight portion 627a that corresponds to the hybrid straight portion 324a of the hybrid body portion 324 and is drilled and formed substantially parallel to the depth direction. On the other hand, the through tapered portion 627b that corresponds to the hybrid tapered portion 324b of the hybrid body portion 324 is drilled and formed so that its diameter gradually becomes smaller in a tapered manner in the depth direction.

The through straight portion 627a formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a has a through positioning hole 627 formed in a vertical direction when viewed from the front of the game board 13. As described above, this is to prevent the through protrusion 7f from getting caught on the hole edge (corner) of the through straight portion 627a during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and to prevent the through protrusion 7f from protruding out of the through positioning hole 627.

Now, referring to Figure 27, the shape of the through positioning hole 627 drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321 will be described. Figure 27 is a table showing the relationship between the hybrid pin 321 and the hole shape of the through positioning hole 627 drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321. Note that the through positioning hole 627 is formed by the hybrid body 324 and hybrid tip 325 of the hybrid pin 321, but the details of the part formed by the hybrid tip 325 are omitted in Figure 27.

The leftmost column in the table of FIG. 27 (hereafter referred to as the "leftmost column") shows the distance (mm) from the tip side of the hybrid body 324 of the hybrid pin 321 (the boundary side with the hybrid tip 325). That is, the distance from the lowest part of the hybrid body 324 is shown as the starting point. Specifically, from the top row of the leftmost column to the bottom row of the leftmost column, the distance from the tip side (0.0 mm) of the hybrid body 324 increases by 0.2 mm (0.1 mm in the bottom row) (0.0 mm to 6.5 mm).

27 table (hereinafter referred to as the "left two columns") show the shaft diameter (minor diameter: mm) of the hybrid straight section 324a of the hybrid body section 324 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 in the leftmost column. Specifically, at a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 (i.e., the boundary between the hybrid tip section 325 and the hybrid body section 324), the shaft diameter (minor diameter) of the hybrid straight section 324a is 2.70 mm. From there up to a point 0.8 mm away from the tip of the hybrid body 324, the shaft diameter of the hybrid straight section 324a gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the hybrid straight section 324a increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary with the hybrid tip section 325), and the shaft diameter (minor diameter) of the hybrid straight section 324a at a point 0.8 mm away from the tip of the hybrid body 324 is 2.80 mm. Also, the shaft diameters (minor diameters) of all of the hybrid straight sections at distances of 0.8 mm to 6.5 mm away from the tip of the hybrid body 324 (i.e., the boundary between the hybrid body 324 and the hybrid flange 323) are 2.80 mm.

27 shows the shaft diameter (long diameter: mm) of the hybrid taper section 324b of the hybrid body section 324 at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 in the leftmost column. Specifically, the shaft diameter (long diameter) is 2.70 mm at a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 (i.e., the boundary between the hybrid tip section 325 and the hybrid body section 324). From there, the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper section 324b gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper section 324b increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary side with the hybrid tip section 325), and at a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 (i.e., the boundary part between the hybrid body section 324 and the hybrid flange section 323), the shaft diameter (long diameter) of the hybrid taper section 324b is configured to be 3.50 mm.

The fourth row from the left in Figure 27 (hereafter referred to as the "right two rows") shows the minor diameter (mm) of the through straight section 627a of the through positioning hole 627 formed by the hybrid straight section 324a at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 in the leftmost row (the shaft diameter (minor diameter) of the hybrid straight section 324a in the left two rows).

Specifically, the minor axis of the through straight portion 627a formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a among the hole diameters of the through positioning hole 627 is 2.20 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324, and gradually increases (0.02 mm to 0.03 mm) from there, and is formed as 2.30 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 0.8 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324. In addition, the minor axis of the through straight portion 627a at a distance of 0.8 mm to 6.5 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324 (i.e., the boundary portion between the hybrid body portion 324 and the hybrid flange portion 323) is always formed as 2.30 mm.

Note that there may be manufacturing errors in the diameter of the through positioning hole 627 due to the influence of the hardness (elasticity) and thickness of the game board 13, but the two right columns of the table in Figure 27 show theoretical values formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a of the hybrid pin 321 without taking such manufacturing errors into account.

The fifth column from the left in Figure 27 (i.e., the rightmost column; hereafter referred to as the "rightmost column") shows the major axis (mm) of the through taper section 627b of the through positioning hole 627 formed by the hybrid taper section 324b at a position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body section 324 in the leftmost column (the shaft diameter of the hybrid taper section 324b in the middle column).

Specifically, the major axis of the through positioning hole 627, which is the diameter of the through taper portion 627b formed by the hybrid taper portion 324b, is 2.20 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 0.0 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324, and gradually increases (0.02 mm to 0.03 mm) from there, to 3.00 mm at a position corresponding to a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324.

Note that there may be manufacturing errors in the diameter of the through positioning hole 627 due to the influence of the hardness (elasticity) and thickness of the game board 13, but the rightmost column of the table in Figure 27 shows the theoretical value formed by the hybrid taper portion 324b of the hybrid pin 321 without taking into account the manufacturing errors.

27, the hole diameter (minor diameter and major diameter) of the through positioning hole 627 is formed to be approximately 0.5 mm smaller than the shaft diameter of the hybrid body 324. This is because, as described above, the base plate 60 is formed of plywood made of multiple overlapping pieces of elastic wood (plywood). Specifically, in the component positioning hole creation process (S201), when the hybrid pin 321 is inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a and then removed from the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the wood constituting the base plate 60 elastically deforms in a direction that reduces the hole diameter of the through positioning hole 627. As a result, the hole diameter (minor diameter and major diameter) of the through positioning hole 627 is formed to be smaller than the shaft diameter of the hybrid body 324.

In this way, the minor diameter of the through positioning hole 627 due to the through straight portion 627a does not change from the minor diameter 2.30 mm on the hole surface in the depth direction for a while, and is formed at approximately 2.30 mm (2.20 mm at the bottom). The major diameter of the through tapered portion 627b is formed so that the major diameter at the hole surface is gradually reduced from a maximum of 3.00 mm in the depth direction, and is formed at a major diameter of 2.20 mm at the bottom of the hole. That is, the minor diameter of the through straight portion 627a of the through positioning hole 627 is formed slightly smaller than the diameter φ2.4 mm of the through protrusion 7f, while the major diameter of the through tapered portion 627b is formed larger than the diameter φ2.4 mm of the through protrusion 7f on the hole surface and smaller at the bottom of the hole.

When the through protrusion 7f is to be inserted into the through positioning hole 627, the minor diameter of the through straight portion 627a is smaller than the diameter of the through protrusion 7f. However, as described above, since the base plate 60 is made of elastically deformable wood, the through straight portion 627a is elastically deformed and expanded in response to the insertion of the through protrusion 7f, so that the through protrusion 7f is inserted into the through positioning hole 627. When the through protrusion 7f is inserted into the through positioning hole 627, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the through protrusion 7f from the through straight portion 627a. Therefore, once the through protrusion 7f is inserted into the through positioning hole 627, a load due to the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to be applied to the part of the through protrusion 7f that contacts the through straight portion 627a. Therefore, the through protrusion 7f is difficult to come out of the through positioning hole 627, and the through gate 7 can be temporarily held on the game board 13.

In particular, the through straight portions 627a are formed in two locations in the through positioning hole 627, and the through straight portions 627a are formed so that they face each other. With this configuration, the through protrusion 7f inserted into the through positioning hole 627 can be held by being sandwiched between the through straight portions 627a, doubling the holding force of the through protrusion 7f and preventing the through protrusion 7f from popping out of the through positioning hole 627. Therefore, the through protrusion 7f inserted into the through positioning hole 627 can be held continuously, preventing the through gate 7 from coming off the game board 13, and improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

In addition, in the long diameter hole surface portion of the through taper portion 627b, the long diameter of the through taper portion 627b is larger than the diameter (φ2.4 mm) of the through protrusion 7f. Therefore, the through protrusion 7f is inserted smoothly into the through positioning hole 627 compared to a positioning hole whose entire hole is smaller than the diameter of the through protrusion 7f (for example, a positioning hole formed by a straight pin 301). Then, in the through taper portion 627b of the through positioning hole 627 formed in a tapered shape, the through taper portion 627b of the through positioning hole 627 formed in a tapered shape and the tip of the through protrusion 7f come into contact at the portion where the long diameter of the through taper portion 627b and the diameter of the through protrusion 7f match (in the first embodiment, the position corresponding to the distance from the tip side of the hybrid body portion 324 of 1.6 mm. The shaft diameter of the hybrid taper portion is 2.90 mm.). When the through projection 7f is inserted further into the through positioning hole 627 in the depth direction from the contact point between the through taper portion 627b and the through projection 7f, the through taper portion 627b is elastically deformed and expanded in response to the insertion of the through projection 7f. As a result, the through projection 7f is configured to be inserted into the through taper portion 627b.

When the through protrusion 7f is inserted further into the through positioning hole 627 in the depth direction from the contact portion between the through taper portion 627b and the through protrusion 7f, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the through protrusion 7f from the through taper portion 627b. Therefore, when the through protrusion 7f is inserted further into the through positioning hole 627 in the depth direction from the contact portion between the through taper portion 627b and the through protrusion 7f, a load due to the elastic force of the base plate 60 continues to be applied to the through protrusion 7f. Therefore, in addition to the load from the through straight portion 627a described above, the load from the through taper portion 627b is additionally applied, making it difficult for the through protrusion 7f to come out of the through positioning hole 627, and the through gate 7 can be temporarily held on the game board 13.

In particular, the through taper portions 627b are formed in two locations in the through positioning hole 627, and are formed so that the through taper portions 627b face each other. By configuring it in this way, the hole diameter of the through positioning hole formed by the facing through taper portions 627b on the hole surface of the through positioning hole 627 is larger than the diameter of the through protrusion 7f, making it easier to insert the through protrusion 7f into the through positioning hole 627.

Furthermore, in the through positioning hole 627, two each of the through straight portions 627a and the through tapered portions 627b are alternately formed. Therefore, the through tapered portions 627b formed to face each other make it easier to insert the through protrusion 7f into the through positioning hole 627, and the through straight portions 627a formed to face each other hold the through protrusion 7f in a sandwiched manner. Therefore, it is easier to insert the through protrusion 7f into the through positioning hole 627, and the through protrusion 7f inserted into the through positioning hole 627 is continuously held, preventing the through gate 7 from coming off the game board 13, thereby improving the performance of the game board 13.

In this way, the through positioning hole 627 drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321 can continue to temporarily hold the through protrusion 7f inserted into the through positioning hole 627 by the through straight portion 627a. In addition, the through tapered portion 627b makes it easier to insert the through protrusion 7f into the through positioning hole 627.

Conventionally, the positioning hole (e.g., main display positioning hole 610) formed by the straight pin 301 is formed slightly smaller than the diameter of the protrusion on the component side (e.g., main display protrusion 87k). Therefore, in the first conveying step (S206-S211) or the second conveying step (S213-S216) in the game board surface manufacturing process (see S200 in FIG. 10), when a worker places a component on the game board 13 and attempts to fit the protrusion on the component side into the positioning hole, the diameter of the protrusion is larger than the diameter of the positioning hole, so there is a risk that the protrusion will be conveyed without being firmly fitted into the positioning hole. In particular, for components that have a plating layer on the protrusion (e.g., the side protrusion of the board side decoration 8), the diameter of the entire protrusion is larger by the thickness of the plating layer, so the above-mentioned problem is likely to occur when trying to fit the protrusion with a plating layer into the positioning hole.

In addition, the positioning hole (for example, the starting positioning hole 621) formed by the taper pin 311 may have a different hole diameter (larger or smaller) due to individual differences in the base plate 60 (plate thickness and hardness), which may result in manufacturing unevenness in the size of the hole shape. In particular, if the hole shape is formed to be large, it becomes easier to insert the protrusion on the part side into the positioning hole (protrusion insertion tolerance function is improved), but the force that temporarily holds the protrusion on the part side (protrusion holding function) due to the elastic force of the base plate 60 is reduced, and the protrusion on the part side may pop out of the positioning hole during the transportation process of the game board 13, etc. In addition, if the hole shape is formed to be small, when trying to fit the protrusion on the part side into the positioning hole, the protrusion of the part may reach the bottom (rear side) of the positioning hole before the base of the part comes into contact with the game board 13. If the parts are transported floating above the game board 13 and screwed in that state, there is a risk that the gap between the parts and the game board 13 will deviate from the design value, resulting in a placement error of the parts.

In contrast, with the positioning hole (e.g., through positioning hole 627) formed by the hybrid pin 321, the tapered portion (e.g., through tapered portion 627b) formed by the hybrid tapered portion 324b makes it easy to insert the protrusion on the component side into the hole of the positioning hole (maintains the protrusion insertion allowance function), while the straight portion (e.g., through straight portion 627a) formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a temporarily holds the protrusion on the component side inserted into the hole of the positioning hole (maintains the protrusion holding function). In other words, the straight portion formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a is less likely to have manufacturing unevenness as described above, so it can always have a certain degree of protrusion holding function. Also, the tapered portion formed by the hybrid tapered portion 324b can always have a certain protrusion insertion allowance function because it can be formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the protrusion on the component side, even though manufacturing unevenness may occur as described above.

Therefore, the positioning hole formed by the hybrid pin 321 eliminates the disadvantages of the positioning hole formed by the straight pin 301 and the disadvantages of the positioning hole formed by the tapered pin 311, while combining the advantages of the positioning hole formed by the straight pin 301 and the positioning hole formed by the tapered pin 311, resulting in a shape that combines the "protrusion retention function" and "protrusion insertion tolerance function" of the protrusion on the component side.

Returning to FIG. 26, the explanation will be continued. As described above, since the base plate 60 elastically deforms, when the through positioning hole 627 is drilled and formed in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a by the hybrid pin 321, while the hybrid body 324 is being inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the hybrid body 324. The cell sheet 60a is attached to the base plate 60, and while the hybrid body 324 inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a is being pulled out, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 also continues to contact the hybrid straight portion 324a of the hybrid body 324 due to the elastic deformation of the base plate 60. This contact causes the cell sheet 60a to peel off from the base plate 60, and the portion of the cell sheet 60a at the edge of the through positioning hole 627 that corresponds to the hybrid straight portion 324a peels off, forming a raised hybrid straight peeled portion 60d (see Figures 26(d) and 26(e)).

In addition, this hybrid straight peeling portion 60d is formed only in the portion of the hybrid body portion 324 that is in contact with the hybrid straight portion 324a, and is therefore smaller than the straight peeling portion 60b that is formed in contact with the entire straight body portion 304 of the straight pin 301.

On the other hand, when attempting to pull the hybrid body 324 out of the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the hybrid taper portion 324b of the hybrid body 324 is configured to be gradually tapered in the insertion direction, so that the base plate 60 can be prevented from contacting the hybrid taper portion 324b even if it is elastically deformed. In addition, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 can also be prevented from contacting the hybrid taper portion 324b even if the base plate 60 is elastically deformed. Therefore, when the hybrid body 324 is pulled out of the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 is hardly peeled off from the base plate 60, and only a small hybrid taper peeled portion 60e is formed (see Figures 26(d) and 26(e)).

As described above, the hybrid taper peeling portion 60e is formed by suppressing contact between the hybrid taper portion 324b and the cell sheet 60a, thereby suppressing the formation of the peeling portion, but since it is formed in connection with the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d, it is affected by the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d. Therefore, since the hybrid taper peeling portion 60e is formed also under the influence of the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d, it is larger than the taper peeling portion 60c formed by the taper pin 311 (see Figures 22(d) and 22(e)), but smaller than the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d.

Therefore, the peeling sections 60b to 60e formed by the pins 301, 311, and 321 have the following order of increasing peeling of the cell sheet 60a: tapered peeling section 60c < hybrid tapered peeling section 60e < hybrid straight peeling section 60d < straight peeling section 60b.

Therefore, when the through positioning holes 627 are drilled and formed in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a by the hybrid pin 321, a hybrid straight peeling portion 60d is formed at the edge of the through positioning hole 627 at a position corresponding to the hybrid straight portion 324a, and a hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e is formed at a position corresponding to the hybrid tapered portion 324b. However, since these peeling portions 60d, 60e are smaller than the straight peeling portion 60b formed by the straight pin 301, the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 is not reduced as much as the straight peeling portion 60b.

Similarly, when the through gate 7 is fixed to the game board 13 with screws, the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d and the hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e are smaller than the straight peeling portion 60b when the through gate 7 is placed on the game board 13. Therefore, the through base 7b of the through gate 7 can be placed in a state where it is almost in contact with the surface of the game board 13. Therefore, by fixing the through gate 7 to the game board 13 with screws in this state, the installation error of the fixing position of the through gate 7 can be reduced and the yield can be increased.

Therefore, the through positioning hole 627 formed by the hybrid pin 321 can eliminate the disadvantages of each of the pins 301, 311 while maintaining the advantages of both the straight pin 301 and the tapered pin 311.

Specifically, the positioning hole (e.g., main display positioning hole 610) drilled by the straight pin 301 has a hole shape (excluding the portion formed by the straight tip 305) that is approximately cylindrical with a uniform diameter from the hole surface toward the depth direction. Therefore, the hole as a whole has a high protrusion retention function, but is configured with a low protrusion insertion tolerance function as a whole.

The positioning hole (e.g., starting positioning hole 620) drilled by tapered pin 311 has a shape (excluding the portion formed by tapered tip 315) that is an inverted truncated cone shape with a diameter that gradually narrows from the hole surface toward the depth. Therefore, while the hole as a whole has a high protrusion insertion tolerance, it does not have a protrusion retention function up to a certain depth inside the hole.

On the other hand, the positioning hole (e.g., through positioning hole 627) drilled and formed by hybrid pin 321 has a hole shape (excluding the portion formed by hybrid tip 325) that is an inverted truncated cone shape in which only the diameter of the tapered portion (e.g., through tapered portion 627b) gradually decreases in the depth direction from the hole surface. For this reason, the straight portion of the hole (e.g., through straight portion 627a) has a high protrusion retention function, and the tapered portion of the hole has a high protrusion insertion tolerance.

Next, referring to FIG. 28 to FIG. 30, an overview of the game board 13 after each step in the manufacturing process of the game board 13 has been performed will be described. FIG. 28 is a front view of the game board 13 after the game nail planting step (S203) and the rail and windmill planting step (S204) have been performed in the game board surface manufacturing step (S200) in the manufacturing process of the game board 13. FIG. 29 is a front view of the game board 13 after the first transport step (S206 to S211) has been performed in the game board surface manufacturing step (S200) in the manufacturing process of the game board 13. FIG. 30 is a front view of the game board 13 after the first screw fastening step (S212) and the second transport step (S213 to S216) have been performed in the game board surface manufacturing step (S200) in the manufacturing process of the game board 13.

As shown in FIG. 28, after the nail planting process (S203) and the rail and windmill planting process (S204) are performed, nails and windmills are planted in nail holes 63 (see FIG. 18) that were previously drilled in the game board 13, and an inner rail 61 (outlet 6) and an outer rail 62 are planted in pilot holes (not shown) for the rails that were formed in the rail positioning hole creation process (S202 in FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 29, after the first transport step (S206-S211), the game board 13 has an attacker unit 5 inserted into the router hole 656 on the left side (outside the line) of the transport direction of the manufacturing line 400 (see FIG. 15) in the attacker unit placement step (S206). The main display unit placement step (S207) places the main display unit 87 on the lower left part of the game board 13. The center frame placement step (S208) places the center frame 86 into the router hole 651.

In addition, on the right side of the conveying direction (within the line) of the manufacturing line 400 (see FIG. 15), a return ball prevention member placement process (S209) places a return ball prevention member 68 on the tip side of the inner rail 61. In addition, a right corner decoration placement process (S210) places a right corner decoration 70 on the right side of the game board 13. Furthermore, an upper left corner decoration placement process (S211) places an upper left corner decoration 71 on the upper left part of the game board 13.

After this first transport step (S206 to S211) is performed, the protrusions of the above-mentioned parts 5, 68, 70, 71, 86, and 87 are simply inserted into the corresponding positioning holes on the game board 13, and none of the parts are fixed with screws.

As shown in FIG. 30, the first screw fastening step (S212) is performed first. In the first screw fastening step (S212), a total of four screws are screwed into the main display screw insertion hole 87g (see FIG. 4) at the upper left of the main display unit 87, the upper return screw insertion hole at the top of the return ball prevention member 68, the right screw insertion hole at the top of the right corner ornament 70, and the upper left screw insertion hole at the upper left of the upper left corner ornament 71 by the screw driver 420. The above-mentioned parts (main display unit 87, return ball prevention member 68, right corner ornament 70, and upper left corner ornament 71) into which the screws have been driven by the screw driver 420 are temporarily fixed to the game board 13 by one screw each. After that, the second transport step (S213 to S216) is performed.

Then, after the first screw fastening step (S212), the second transport step (S213-S216) is carried out. After the second transport step, the game board 13 is in a state where the general prize winning port unit 3 is inserted into the router hole 654 by the general prize winning port unit placement step (S213) on the left side of the transport direction (off the line) of the production line 400 (see FIG. 15). Also, the start prize winning port unit placement step (S214) results in the start prize winning port unit 4 being inserted into the router hole 655. Furthermore, the through gate placement step (S215) results in the through gates 7 being inserted into the router holes 653.

In addition, on the right side (within the line) of the conveying direction of the manufacturing line 400 (see FIG. 15), the board side ornament placement process (S216) results in the board side ornaments 8 being fitted into the router holes 652. After the second conveying process (S213-S216) is performed, the second screw fastening process (S217) is performed, and all parts that have been placed on the game board 13 and temporarily held or fixed are fixed to the game board 13 with screws.

Next, the suitability of each part mounted on the game board 13 and the positioning holes will be described with reference to Figures 31 to 34. Figure 31 shows tables for determining the pin suitability of each part mounted on the game board 13, Figure 31(a) is a table showing the evaluation items and the content and points for each item when evaluating pin suitability, and Figure 31(b) is a table showing the pin types based on the total evaluation points for pin suitability.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the attributes of each part are subdivided into elements, and the subdivided elements are used as evaluation items for pin suitability to determine their content. Points are then allocated according to importance based on the relationship between the content of the evaluation item and each error caused by the positioning hole, and the total points calculated based on the results of the evaluation are used to determine which of the pins 301, 311, and 321 should be used to drill the positioning hole.

In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, points are assigned for each item based on the importance of whether the tapered pin 311 is suitable, and the higher the total score of the evaluation points, the more suitable the tapered pin 311 is determined to be. On the other hand, if the total score is low, the tapered pin 311 is not suitable, and if the total score is significantly low, the straight pin 301 is determined to be more suitable. Also, if the suitability of the tapered pin 311 is neither high nor high, the suitability of the straight pin 301 is not high, and the hybrid pin 321 is determined to be more suitable.

Here, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the likelihood of a "screw fastening failure" error occurring is determined by the balance between the "protrusion retention function" and the "protrusion insertion allowance function" in the positioning hole, but since the "protrusion retention function" only functions after the protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole by the "protrusion insertion allowance function," the "protrusion insertion allowance function" is considered more important than the "protrusion retention function." Therefore, even in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, it is first evaluated whether the "protrusion insertion allowance function" is suitable for the positioning hole with the high tapered pin 311.

In addition, parts that are susceptible to "cell peeling" errors, i.e. parts with a "transparent base," are more suitable for positioning holes using tapered pins 311 than for positioning holes using straight pins 301, so points are added when the part is suitable for positioning holes using tapered pins 311, and suitability is judged based on the total points.

As shown in FIG. 31(a), in the first embodiment, the evaluation items (elements) for each part mounted on the game board 13 are listed as having high importance, including "weight" indicating the weight of the entire part, "number of protrusions" indicating the number of protrusions used to position the part, "plating" indicating whether the part (protrusions) are plated, and "transparency of base" indicating whether the back side of the part can be seen.

As described above, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, "screw fastening failure" errors and "cell peeling" errors are classified as high importance errors because they cannot be corrected after they occur. The "screw fastening failure" error, which is one of the high importance errors, occurs when the protrusion of a part does not fit into or protrudes from the positioning hole. Therefore, for parts that have evaluation items that are highly related to the "screw fastening failure" error, the protrusion of the part must be fitted into the positioning hole by a positioning hole formed by a tapered pin 311 with a high "protrusion insertion tolerance function", in order to prevent the occurrence of the "screw fastening failure error".

In addition, the "cell detachment" error, which is one of the more important errors, is affected when the surface of the positioning hole is visible to the player. Therefore, for parts that have evaluation items that are highly related to the "cell detachment" error, the positioning holes must be drilled and formed using tapered pins 311, which are less likely to form detached portions of the cell sheet 60a, in order to prevent the occurrence of the "cell detachment" error.

Therefore, in the evaluation items of the parts, the evaluation items that can be the cause of these high-importance errors are evaluated as having a high suitability for the positioning holes made by the tapered pins 311, and if they are the cause of high-importance errors, they are evaluated as having a score of "2 points," and if they are not the cause of high-importance errors, they are evaluated as having a score of "0 points," and it is determined whether or not the positioning holes made by the tapered pins 311 are highly suitable. In addition, the evaluation items that can be the preventive factors for high-importance errors are evaluated as having a high suitability for the positioning holes made by the tapered pins 311, and if they are the preventive factors for high-importance errors, they are evaluated as having a score of "2 points," and if they are not the preventive factors for high-importance errors, they are evaluated as having a score of "0 points," and it is determined whether or not the positioning holes made by the tapered pins 311 are highly suitable.

First, regarding the "weight" of the entire part, if the "weight" of the entire part is "heavy," the part will exert a strong force pressing it against the game board 13 due to its own load. Therefore, even if an impact or the like occurs during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the protrusion of the part will not easily come out of the positioning hole.

On the other hand, if the overall "weight" of the part is "light," the force pressing the part against the game board 13 due to the part's own weight is weak. Therefore, if an impact or the like occurs during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the protrusion of the part is likely to pop out of the positioning hole.

Therefore, the probability of a "screw fastening failure" error, which has a high level of importance, occurring differs depending on whether the "weight" of the part is "heavy" or "light." For this reason, the evaluation item "weight" is classified as an evaluation item with high importance, as it is highly related to errors with high levels of importance.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of the "weight" of the entire part, if the "weight" of the entire part is 100 grams or more, it is evaluated as "heavy", and if the "weight" of the entire part is less than 100 grams, it is evaluated as "light". As a result, a "heavy" part is assigned an evaluation point of "2 points" because it can be a preventive factor for high-importance errors, whereas a "light" part is assigned an evaluation point of "0 points" because it cannot be a preventive factor for high-importance errors (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, regarding the number of protrusions on a part, if the part has a large number of protrusions, each protrusion fits into its own positioning hole and is temporarily held by each positioning hole, so the temporary holding force for the whole part is strong. Therefore, even if an impact or the like occurs during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the protrusions of the part are unlikely to fly out of the positioning holes.

On the other hand, if a part has a small number of protrusions, the number of positioning holes that temporarily hold the protrusions is also small, and the temporary holding force for the whole part is weak. Therefore, if an impact or the like occurs during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the protrusions of the part are likely to fly out of the positioning holes.

Therefore, the probability of a "screw fastening failure" error, which has a high level of importance, occurring differs depending on whether the "number of protrusions" on a part is "large" or "small." For this reason, the evaluation item "number of protrusions" is classified as a high-importance evaluation item, as it is highly related to errors with a high level of importance.

In the first embodiment, for the evaluation item of "protrusion number" of a part, if the number of protrusions of the part is "4" or more, it is evaluated as having a "large number of protrusions", and if the number of protrusions of the part is less than "3", it is evaluated as having a "small number of protrusions". As a result, a part with a "large number of protrusions" is assigned an evaluation point of "2 points", while a part with a "small number of protrusions" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 points" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, regarding the "plating" of the parts, if the "plating" of the parts is "plated," the protrusions of the parts are plated, and the thickness of the protrusions increases by the thickness of the plating layer, making it difficult to fit the protrusions into the positioning holes. Therefore, during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the protrusions are likely to not fit into the positioning holes.

On the other hand, if the "Plating" of a part is "None", the protrusion of the part is not plated and the thickness of the protrusion is not increased, so the protrusion can be easily fitted into the positioning hole. Therefore, during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, it is difficult for the protrusion to not be fitted into the positioning hole.

Therefore, the probability of the occurrence of the highly important "screw-fastening failure" error differs depending on whether or not the part is "plated." For this reason, the evaluation item "plating" is classified as a high-importance evaluation item, as it is highly related to highly important errors.

In the first embodiment, if the protrusions of a part are plated, the "Plating" is evaluated as "Yes," and if the protrusions of a part are not plated, the "Plating" is evaluated as "No." As a result, a part that is "plated" is assigned an evaluation point of "2 points," while a part that is "not" plated is assigned an evaluation point of "0 points" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, regarding the "transparency of the base" of the part, if the "transparency of the base" of the part is "transparent" or "semi-transparent", the back side of the base of the part is visible to the player, and if the cell sheet 60a on the surface of the positioning hole has peeled off, the peeling will be visible. Therefore, if peeling of the cell sheet 60a has occurred, the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 will be reduced.

On the other hand, if the "base transparency" of the part is "non-transparent," the back side of the base of the part is not visible to the player, and even if the cell sheet 60a on the surface of the positioning hole has peeled off, the peeling is not visible. Therefore, even if the cell sheet 60a has peeled off, the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 is not reduced.

Therefore, the impact of the high-importance "cell peeling" error varies depending on whether the "base transparency" of the part is "transparent," "semi-transparent," or "non-transparent." For this reason, the evaluation item "base transparency" is classified as a high-importance evaluation item because it is highly related to high-importance errors.

In the first embodiment, if the base of the part is "transparent" and the cell sheet 60a on the back surface of the base is clearly visible, the "base transparency" is evaluated as "transparent." If the base of the part is "semi-transparent" and the cell sheet 60a on the back surface of the base is visible, the "base transparency" is evaluated as "semi-transparent." If the base of the part is "non-transparent (black resin or plated resin)" and the cell sheet 60a on the back surface of the base is not visible, the "base transparency" is evaluated as "non-transparent." As a result, a part with a "base transparency" of "transparent" is assigned an evaluation point of "2 points," a part with a "base transparency" of "semi-transparent" is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point," and a part with a "base transparency" of "non-transparent" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 points" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, evaluation items with low importance as evaluation items (elements) of each part mounted on the game board 13 will be described. In the first embodiment, the evaluation items with low importance are listed as follows: "inside/outside game area" indicating whether the part is installed inside or outside the game area, "game influence degree" indicating whether the part affects the game result such as a jackpot, "ball passing amount" indicating the amount of balls passing through and contacting (hereinafter, the amount of balls passing through and contacting will be abbreviated as "ball passing amount"), "part unit price" indicating the unit price of the part, "common part" indicating whether the part is commonly used between one model and other models, and "transport distance" indicating the distance (number of steps) from when the part is placed on the game board 13 to when it is fixed with screws (including temporary fixation) in the manufacturing process of the game board 13.

As described above, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the "positional deviation when fixing a part" error can be corrected by re-screwing even if it occurs, and is therefore classified as a low-importance error. Although the low-importance error is not as severe as a high-importance error, it must be prevented from occurring by using a positioning hole with a tapered pin 311 that has a high "protrusion insertion tolerance function." Therefore, evaluation items that are closely related to low-importance errors are evaluated as having a suitable positioning hole with a tapered pin 311, and if the evaluation item is closely related to low-importance errors, it is evaluated as having a "1 point" and if the evaluation item is not strongly related to low-importance errors, it is evaluated as having a "0 point," and it is determined whether or not the positioning hole with a tapered pin 311 is suitable.

In addition, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, after the protrusion of the part is inserted into the positioning hole, the protrusion may jump out of the positioning hole due to impact during the transportation process, causing a "screw fastening failure" error. In such a case, there is an evaluation item for the part that is less affected even if a "screw fastening failure" error occurs. A part with such an element fits the protrusion of the part into the positioning hole using a positioning hole formed by a tapered pin 311 with a low "protrusion holding function", and even if the protrusion jumps out of the positioning hole, it does not have a large impact on the manufacturing of the game board 13. Therefore, in the evaluation items for parts that are less affected even if a "screw fastening failure" error occurs, the evaluation item is evaluated as having the proper positioning hole formed by the tapered pin 311, and if the impact is small even if a "screw fastening failure" error occurs, the evaluation is given with "1 point", and if the impact is large when a "screw fastening failure" error occurs, the evaluation is given with "0 point", and it is determined whether or not the positioning hole formed by the tapered pin 311 is proper.

First, regarding "inside/outside play area," which indicates whether the part is placed inside or outside the play area, parts placed "inside" the play area come into contact with the ball and affect the game outcome. For this reason, if a "position misalignment when fixing parts" error occurs, the way the ball flows down may differ from the design value, potentially resulting in game results that the developer did not intend.

On the other hand, parts that are placed "outside" the play area will not come into contact with the ball. For this reason, even if a "position misalignment when fixing parts" error occurs, it will not affect the direction in which the ball flows down.

Therefore, the impact of the low-importance error "misalignment when fixing parts" varies depending on whether the part is installed "inside" or "outside" the play area. For this reason, the evaluation item for the part installation position "inside or outside the play area" is classified as a low-importance evaluation item, as it is highly related to low-importance errors.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of "inside/outside play area" which is the placement position of the parts, if the placement position of the parts is inside the play area, it is evaluated as "inside" of "inside/outside play area", and if the placement position of the parts is outside the play area, it is evaluated as "outside" of "inside/outside play area". As a result, a part "inside" the play area is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point", while a part "outside" the play area is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, regarding the "game impact" of a part, parts with a "large" impact on gameplay have a significant effect on the game outcome. For this reason, if a "position misalignment when fixing parts" error occurs, the way the ball flows down the screen will differ from the design value, which will have a direct effect on the game outcome, and may result in game results that the developer did not intend.

On the other hand, parts with a "small" or "no" impact on the game do not have a significant impact on the game outcome. For this reason, even if a "positional deviation when fixing parts" error occurs and the way the ball flows down differs from the design value, it will not have a direct impact on the game outcome.

Therefore, the impact of a low-importance error, "positional misalignment when fixing parts," varies depending on whether the "impact on gameplay" of the part is "large," "small," or "none." For this reason, the evaluation item for a part's "impact on gameplay" is highly related to low-importance errors, and is therefore classified as an evaluation item with low importance.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of the "game influence degree" of a part, if the part has an influence on the jackpot of a special symbol or the win of a normal symbol, the "game influence degree" is evaluated as "large", if the part has little influence on the jackpot of a special symbol or the win of a normal symbol, the "game influence degree" is evaluated as "small", and if the part is placed outside the play area and does not affect the game result, the "game influence degree" is evaluated as "none". As a result, a part with a "game influence degree" of "large" is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point", while a part with a "game influence degree" of "small" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" (see FIG. 31(a)). Also, a part with a "game influence degree" of "none" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" which is equivalent to "small" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, regarding the "ball passing volume" of parts, if the "ball passing volume" of a part is "high," meaning that balls pass through or come into contact with the part frequently, contact with the ball will affect the game results. For this reason, if a "position misalignment when fixing parts" error occurs, the way the balls flow down may differ from the design value, potentially resulting in game results that the developer did not intend.

On the other hand, parts with a "low" or "zero" "ball passing amount" - parts where the balls do not pass through or come into contact with the balls much - do not come into contact with the balls or barely come into contact with them, so there is no significant effect on the game results. For this reason, even if a "positional deviation when parts are fixed" error occurs and the way the balls flow down differs from the design value, there is no direct effect on the game results.

Therefore, the impact of the low-importance error "position misalignment when fixing parts" varies depending on whether the "ball passing amount" is "large," "small," or "none." For this reason, the evaluation item for a part's "ball passing amount" is classified as a low-importance evaluation item, as it is highly correlated with low-importance errors.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of the "ball passing amount" of a part, if the ball passes through or comes into contact with the part frequently, the "ball passing amount" is evaluated as "large", if the ball does not pass through or come into contact with the part frequently, the "ball passing amount" is evaluated as "small", and if the part is arranged outside the play area and the ball does not pass through or come into contact with the part, the "ball passing amount" is evaluated as "none". As a result, a part with a "large" "ball passing amount" is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point", while a part with a "small" "ball passing amount" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point". Also, a part with a "ball passing amount" of "none" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point", which is equivalent to "small" (see FIG. 31 (a)).

Next, regarding the "unit part cost" of a part, the "unit part cost" associated with the manufacture of the part itself is not a cause of the "screw-fastening failure" error and does not have a direct impact on the "screw-fastening failure" error. However, when a "screw-fastening failure" error occurs and a part is damaged and needs to be replaced, the amount of loss incurred by replacing the part will differ depending on the "unit part cost." Therefore, although the "unit part cost" has no direct correlation with the "screw-fastening failure" error, it can be said to be an evaluation item that has an indirect impact.

Regarding the "unit price" of a part, if the "unit price" of the part is "low-cost," even if the part itself must be replaced due to the occurrence of a "screw-fastening failure" error, the loss is small if the unit price of the part itself is low. Therefore, even if a "screw-fastening failure" error occurs, the impact is small.

On the other hand, if a part with a "high part unit price" has to be replaced due to the occurrence of a "screw fastening failure" error, the loss will be large because the part itself is expensive. Therefore, the impact of the "screw fastening failure" error is large.

Therefore, the indirect impact of the "Screw fastening failure" error differs depending on whether the "part unit price" is "low" or "expensive." For this reason, the evaluation item for the part's "part unit price" is indirectly affected by the "screw fastening failure" error, and is therefore classified as an evaluation item of low importance.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of "unit part price," if the unit price of the part itself is low, the "unit part price" is evaluated as "cheap," and if the unit price of the part itself is high, the "unit part price" is evaluated as "expensive." As a result, a part with a "cheap unit part price" is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point," while a part with an "expensive unit part price" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, with regard to "common parts" that are used in common between model 1 and other models, "non-common" parts that are specific to model 1 and not "common parts" are parts that workers on the production line are not accustomed to placing during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and therefore have a low level of skill. For this reason, they are parts that are prone to operational errors when being placed. Therefore, "non-common" parts are suitable for positioning holes using tapered pins 311 that have a high "protrusion insertion tolerance function."

On the other hand, in the case of a "common" part that is used in common between model 1 and other models, the worker is accustomed to handling the part and has a high level of skill. Therefore, it can be said that a "common" part is easy for the protrusion to be inserted into the positioning hole, regardless of the positioning hole.

However, depending on whether this "common part" is "common" or "non-common," the part's protrusion may not fit into the positioning hole, which can lead to a "screw-fastening failure" error. However, since the evaluation differs based on the worker's skill level, an element that is difficult to judge objectively, creating a significant difference in the evaluation of this evaluation item could have a significant negative effect. Therefore, the evaluation item for "common parts" is classified as an evaluation item with a high correlation with errors of high importance, but with a low importance.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of "common parts," parts that are specific to model 1 are evaluated as "non-common," and parts that are used in common between model 1 and other models are evaluated as "common." As a result, "non-common" parts are assigned an evaluation point of "1 point," while "common" parts are assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" (see FIG. 31(a)).

Next, with regard to the "transport distance" of the parts, if the "transport distance" of the parts from when they are placed on the game board 13 until when they are fixed with screws is "short" during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the parts are subjected to fewer shocks associated with the transportation of the game board 13, so there is a low possibility that the protrusions of the parts will pop out of the positioning holes, and there is a low possibility that the parts will become misaligned when placed in position. Therefore, parts with a "short transport distance" are suitable for positioning holes using tapered pins, since even positioning holes using tapered pins 311 with low "protrusion retention function" are unlikely to cause a "screw-fixing failure" error.

On the other hand, if a part has a "long" transport distance from when it is placed on the game board 13 until it is fixed with screws, it is subject to many shocks as the game board 13 is transported, and so there is a possibility that the protrusions of the part may pop out of the positioning holes. Therefore, if a part has a "long" "transport distance" and the positioning hole is made with a tapered pin 311 that has a low "protrusion retention function," this can cause a "screw-fixing failure" error, so it can be said that the part is not suitable for a positioning hole made with a tapered pin 311.

However, depending on whether this "transport distance" is "short" or "long," the component protrusion may not fit into the positioning hole, which can lead to a "screw fastening failure" error. However, the direct cause of the protrusion popping out of the positioning hole during transport is the magnitude of the impact during transport, not the number of times. However, since it is difficult to compare impacts during transport, in this embodiment, the impact during transport is evaluated by replacing it with the length of the "transport distance." Therefore, creating a significant difference due to differences in the evaluation of this evaluation item for "transport distance" could have a significant adverse effect. Therefore, the evaluation item for "transport distance" is classified as an evaluation item with a high correlation with errors of high importance, but with a low importance.

In the first embodiment, in the evaluation item of "transport distance", if the number of times that the transport of the game board 13 is stopped from the time the part is placed on the game board 13 until it is fixed with screws by the screw driver 420 (see FIG. 16) is less than three times, the "transport distance" is evaluated as "short", and if the number of times that the transport of the game board 13 is stopped is three or more times, the "transport distance" is evaluated as long. As a result, a part with a "short" "transport distance" is assigned an evaluation point of "1 point", while a part with a "long" "transport distance" is assigned an evaluation point of "0 point" (see FIG. 31 (a)).

Based on the "evaluation items" listed in FIG. 31(a), each part mounted on the game board 13 is evaluated, the pin type is determined based on FIG. 31(b), and the optimal pins 301, 311, 321 are selected based on the total score. Specifically, if the total score is "0 points to 4 points," a positioning hole is drilled and formed using a straight pin 301; if the total score is "5 points to 8 points," a positioning hole is drilled and formed using a hybrid pin 321; and if the total score is "9 points or more," a positioning hole is drilled and formed using a tapered pin 311.

In this way, by evaluating the elements (characteristics) of each part, and based on the evaluation results, selecting the most suitable pin 301, 311, 321 from among the straight pin 301, tapered pin 311, or hybrid pin 321, and drilling a positioning hole for the protrusion of the part, it is possible to prevent errors from occurring during the manufacturing process of the game board 13 and improve convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

Now, referring to Figure 32, we will explain the parts for which the positioning holes using the straight pin 301 are appropriate. Figure 32 is a list of parts for which the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the straight pin 301. In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the upper left corner ornament 71, the right corner ornament 70, and the main display unit 87 are selected as parts for which the positioning holes using the straight pin 301 are appropriate.

The upper left corner ornament 71 is rated "0 points" for the "weight" category because it is "light", "0 points" for the "number of protrusions" category because it is "few (2)", "0 points" for the "plating" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "transparency of the base" category because it is "non-transparent", "0 points" for the "inside/outside of the play area" category because it is "outside", "0 points" for the "play influence" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "amount of balls passing through" category because it is "none", "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category because it is "low cost", "0 points" for the "common parts" category because it is "common", and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category because it is "short". Therefore, the total score of the upper left corner ornament 71 is "2 points", so it can be said that the upper left corner ornament 71 is suitable for the positioning hole by the straight pin 301.

The right corner ornament 70 is rated "0 points" for the "weight" category because it is "light", "2 points" for the "number of protrusions" category because it is "many (4)", "0 points" for the "plating" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "transparency of the base" category because it is "non-transparent", "0 points" for the "inside/outside of the play area" category because it is "outside", "0 points" for the "play influence" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "amount of balls passing through" category because it is "none", "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category because it is "low cost", "0 points" for the "common parts" category because it is "common", and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category because it is "short". Therefore, the total score of the right corner ornament 70 is "4 points", so it can be said that the right corner ornament 70 is suitable for the positioning hole by the straight pin 301.

The main display unit 87 is rated "0 points" for the "weight" category because it is "light", "0 points" for the "number of protrusions" category because it is "few (2)", "0 points" for the "plating" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "transparency of the base" category because it is "non-transparent", "0 points" for the "inside/outside of the play area" category because it is "outside", "0 points" for the "play influence" category because it is "none", "0 points" for the "amount of balls passing through" category because it is "none", "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category because it is "low cost", "0 points" for the "common parts" category because it is "common", and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category because it is "short". Therefore, the total score of the main display unit 87 is "2 points", so it can be said that the main display unit 87 is suitable for the positioning hole using the straight pin 301.

Next, referring to FIG. 33, we will explain the parts for which the positioning holes using the tapered pin 311 are appropriate. FIG. 33 is a list of parts for which the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the tapered pin 311. In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the center frame 86, the general winning port unit 3, the starting winning port unit 4, and the attacker unit 5 are selected as parts for which the positioning holes using the tapered pin 311 are appropriate.

The center frame 86 is "heavy" in the "weight" category, so it is "2 points", "many (7)" in the "number of protrusions" category, so it is "2 points", "plating" is "present" in the "transparency of the base" category, so it is "non-transparent" in the "base" category, so it is "0 points", "inside and outside the play area" is "1 point", "play influence" is "large" in the "play impact" category, so it is "1 point", "amount of balls passing through" is "many" in the "part unit price" category, so it is "expensive" in the "part unit price" category, so it is "0 points", "common parts" is "non-common" in the "part unit price" category, so it is "1 point", and "transport distance" is "long" in the "transport distance" category, so it is "0 points". Therefore, the total score of the center frame 86 is "10 points", so it can be said that the center frame 86 is suitable for positioning holes using the taper pin 311.

The general prize winning port unit 3 is rated "heavy" for the "weight" category, "2 points" for the "number of protrusions" category, "many (4)" for the "2 points" for the "plating" category, "no plating" for the "0 points" for the "transparency of the base" category, "transparent" for the "2 points" for the "inside/outside of the play area" category, "inside" for the "1 point" for the "play impact" category, "small" for the "0 points" for the "amount of balls passing through" category, "low" for the "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category, "inexpensive" for the "1 point" for the "common parts" category, and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category, "long" for the "0 point". Therefore, the total score of the general prize winning port unit 3 is "9 points", so it can be said that the general prize winning port unit 3 is suitable for positioning holes using the taper pin 311.

The starting winning hole unit 4 is "heavy" in the "weight" evaluation category, so it is "2 points", "number of protrusions" is "few (2)" so it is "0 points", "plating" is "present" so it is "2 points", "transparency of base" is "non-transparent" so it is "0 points", "inside/outside play area" is "inside" so it is "1 point", "play impact" is "large" so it is "1 point", "amount of ball passing" is "large" so it is "1 point", "unit price of parts" is "expensive" so it is "0 points", "common parts" is "non-common" so it is "1 point", and "transport distance" is "short" so it is "1 point". Therefore, the total evaluation points of the starting winning hole unit 4 are "9 points", so it can be said that the starting winning hole unit 4 is suitable for the positioning hole by the taper pin 311.

The attacker unit 5 is "heavy" in the "weight" evaluation category, so it is "2 points", "many (4)" in the "number of protrusions" evaluation category, so it is "2 points", "plating" is "present" in the "transparency of the base" evaluation category, so it is "non-transparent" in the "0 points", "inside/outside the play area" evaluation category, so it is "inside" in the "play impact" evaluation category, so it is "large" in the "amount of balls passing through" evaluation category, so it is "1 point", "expensive" in the "unit price of parts" evaluation category, so it is "0 points", "common parts" evaluation category, so it is "non-common" in the "1 point", and "transport distance" evaluation category, so it is "long" in the "0 points". Therefore, the total evaluation points of the attacker unit 5 are "10 points", so it can be said that the attacker unit 5 is suitable for positioning holes using tapered pins 311.

The attacker unit 5 is configured to be placed first among the components placed on the game board 13 in the attacker unit placement step (S206). The general prize winning port units 3 are placed adjacent to the left and right of the attacker unit 5, and the start prize winning port unit 4 is placed adjacent to the upper part. If the above components 3 and 4 are placed before the attacker unit 5, the attacker unit 5 must be placed in the space between the above components 3 and 4, and there is a risk that the attacker unit 5 will come into contact with the above components 3 and 4 when placed. Specifically, for example, if the attacker unit 5 is placed after the left and right general prize winning port units 3 are placed first, there is a risk that the general prize winning port unit 3 and the attacker unit 5 will come into contact with each other at the stage of placing the attacker unit 5 in the space between the left and right general prize winning port units 3, causing damage to each component.

Here, since the general winning port unit 3 is disposed adjacent to the attacker unit 5, if the attacker unit 5 is not securely inserted into the attacker positioning holes 622-625, there is a risk that the general winning port unit 3, which is subsequently placed on the game board 13, will not be properly placed on the game board 13. Therefore, by placing the attacker unit 5 on the game board 13 before the adjacent parts 3 and 4, and drilling and forming the attacker positioning holes 622-625 with the taper pin 311, and ensuring that the attacker protrusions (not shown) are inserted into the attacker positioning holes 622-625, it is possible to prevent damage to the parts 3-5, and ensure that the general winning port unit 3, the start winning port unit 4, and the attacker unit 5 are properly placed on the game board 13.

Next, referring to FIG. 34, we will explain the parts for which the positioning holes created by the hybrid pin 321 are appropriate. FIG. 34 is a list of parts for which the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the hybrid pin 321. In the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the board side decoration 8, the through gate 7, and the return ball prevention member 68 are selected as parts for which the positioning holes created by the hybrid pin 321 are appropriate.

The board side decoration 8 is rated "0 points" for the evaluation item "weight" because it is "light", "0 points" for the evaluation item "number of protrusions" because it is "few (2)", "2 points" for the evaluation item "plating" because it is "plated", "0 points" for the evaluation item "transparency of base" because it is "non-transparent", "1 point" for the evaluation item "inside/outside play area", "0 points" for the evaluation item "inside play impact" because it is "small", "0 points" for the evaluation item "amount of balls passing through" because it is "few", "1 point" for the evaluation item "unit price of parts" because it is "low", "1 point" for the evaluation item "common parts" because it is "non-common", and "0 points" for the evaluation item "transport distance" because it is "long". Therefore, the total evaluation points for the board side decoration 8 are "5 points", so it can be said that the board side decoration 8 is suitable for positioning holes using the hybrid pin 321.

The through gate 7 is rated "0 points" for the "weight" category because it is "light", "0 points" for the "number of protrusions" category because it is "few (2)", "0 points" for the "plating" category because it is "not plated", "2 points" for the "transparency of the base" category because it is "transparent", "1 point" for the "inside and outside the play area" category because it is "inside", "1 point" for the "play impact" category because it is "large", "1 point" for the "amount of balls passing through" category because it is "large", "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category because it is "low cost", "1 point" for the "common parts" category because it is "non-common", and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category because it is "short". Therefore, the total score of the through gate 7 is "8 points", so it can be said that the through gate 7 is suitable for positioning holes using the hybrid pin 321.

The return ball prevention member 68 is rated "0 points" for the "weight" category because it is "light", "0 points" for the "number of protrusions" category because it is "few (2)", "0 points" for the "plating" category because it is "not plated", "2 points" for the "transparency of the base" category because it is "transparent", "1 point" for the "inside and outside the play area" category because it is "inside", "0 points" for the "play impact" category because it is "small", "1 point" for the "amount of balls passing through" category because it is "large", "1 point" for the "unit price of parts" category because it is "low cost", "0 points" for the "common parts" category because it is "common", and "1 point" for the "transport distance" category because it is "short". Therefore, the total score of the return ball prevention member 68 is "6 points", so it can be said that the return ball prevention member 68 is suitable for the positioning hole by the hybrid pin 321.

As described above, according to the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the positioning hole (e.g., through positioning hole 627) formed by the hybrid pin 321 and the tapered portion (e.g., through tapered portion 627b) formed by the hybrid tapered portion 324b make it easy to insert the protrusion on the component side into the positioning hole (maintaining the protrusion insertion tolerance function), while the straight portion (e.g., through straight portion 627a) formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a temporarily holds the protrusion on the component side that is fitted into the positioning hole (maintaining the protrusion holding function).

Conventionally, the positioning hole (e.g., main display positioning hole 610) formed by the straight pin 301 is formed slightly smaller than the diameter of the protrusion on the component side (e.g., main display protrusion 87k). Therefore, in the first conveying step (S206-S211) or the second conveying step (S213-S216) in the game board surface manufacturing process (see S200 in FIG. 10), when a worker places a component on the game board 13 and attempts to fit the protrusion on the component side into the positioning hole, the diameter of the protrusion is larger than the diameter of the positioning hole, so there is a risk that the protrusion will be conveyed without being firmly fitted into the positioning hole. In particular, for components that have a plating layer on the protrusion (e.g., the side protrusion of the board side decoration 8), the diameter of the entire protrusion is larger by the thickness of the plating layer, so the above-mentioned problem is likely to occur when trying to fit the protrusion with a plating layer into the positioning hole.

In addition, the positioning hole (e.g., starting positioning hole 621) formed by tapered pin 311 may have a varying diameter (large or small) due to individual differences in base plate 60 (plate thickness and hardness), resulting in manufacturing unevenness in the size of the hole shape. In particular, if the hole shape is formed to be large, it becomes easier to insert the protrusion on the component side into the positioning hole (protrusion insertion tolerance function is improved), but the elastic force of base plate 60 reduces the force that temporarily holds the protrusion on the component side (protrusion holding function), and there is a risk that the protrusion on the component side will pop out of the positioning hole during the transportation process of game board 13, etc.

In contrast, as described above, the straight portion formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a is less likely to have manufacturing unevenness, and therefore can always have a certain degree of protrusion retention function. Also, as described above, the tapered portion formed by the hybrid tapered portion 324b is subject to manufacturing unevenness, but can have a diameter larger than the diameter of the protrusion on the component side, and therefore can always have a certain degree of protrusion insertion tolerance. Therefore, the positioning hole formed by the hybrid pin 321 eliminates the disadvantages of the positioning hole formed by the straight pin 301 and the positioning hole formed by the tapered pin 311, and has a shape that combines the "protrusion retention function" and "protrusion insertion tolerance function" of the protrusion on the component side.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, when the through positioning hole 627 is drilled and formed in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a by the hybrid pin 321, a hybrid straight peeling portion 60d is formed at the edge of the through positioning hole 627 at a position corresponding to the hybrid straight portion 324a, and a hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e is formed at a position corresponding to the hybrid tapered portion 324b, but these peeling portions 60d, 60e are smaller than the straight peeling portion 60b formed by the straight pin 301. Therefore, they do not reduce the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 more than the straight peeling portion 60b.

Furthermore, since the hybrid straight peeling section 60d and the hybrid tapered peeling section 60e are smaller than the straight peeling section 60b, when a part is fixed to the game board 13 with screws, when the part is placed on the game board 13, the base of the part is placed in a state where it is almost in contact with the surface of the game board 13. Then, by fixing the part with screws in this state, the fixing position of the part can be set almost according to the design value, making it difficult for installation errors to occur in the part.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the elements (characteristics) of each part are evaluated, and based on the evaluation results, the most suitable pin 301, 311, 321 is selected from the straight pin 301, tapered pin 311, or hybrid pin 321, and a positioning hole for the protrusion of the part is drilled, thereby preventing errors from occurring during the manufacturing process of the game board 13 and improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

In particular, by distinguishing between elements for each part that are likely to cause serious (irreparable) errors and elements that are likely to cause minor (correctable) errors, and then assigning weights to each of these elements, it becomes easier to determine which positioning holes are more suitable.

Furthermore, in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the hybrid pin 321 is configured to drill a positioning hole so that the transport direction of the game board 13 transported on the manufacturing line 400 and the side of the positioning hole drilled and formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a are perpendicular to each other (see FIG. 24(a)). That is, among the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321, the straight portion (e.g., the through straight portion 627a) drilled by the hybrid straight portion 324a is configured to be perpendicular to the transport direction of the game board 13 (e.g., when the game board 13 is transported with the left side in front as viewed from the front, the through straight portion 627a is parallel to the vertical direction of the game board 13 as viewed from the front).

When the game board 13 is transported on the manufacturing line 400, in each manufacturing process such as the first transport process in which the parts are placed, the game board 13 is stopped during transport, and after the work in each manufacturing process is completed, the transport of the game board 13 begins again. Each time the game board 13 is stopped or each time the transport of the game board 13 begins, an inertial force is applied to the parts placed on the game board 13. When an inertial force is applied to a part, the impact can cause the positioning protrusion to fly out of the positioning hole in the game board 13, and the position of the part may become misaligned with the position where it was placed.

Therefore, among the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321, the straight section formed by the hybrid straight section 324a is configured to be perpendicular to the transport direction of the game board 13 (for example, when the game board 13 is transported with the left side in front as seen from the front, the through straight section 627a is parallel to the vertical direction of the game board 13 as seen from the front), so that even if an inertial force is applied to the part, the protrusion of the part will catch on the hole edge (corner) of the positioning hole formed by the straight section, preventing the protrusion of the part from jumping out of the positioning hole.

In the first embodiment of the pachinko machine 10, in the first and second transport steps, the game board 13 is transported on the transport unit 403 so that the lower part 13l in front view is on the left side of the transport direction of the manufacturing line 400 (outside the line). That is, the worker on the left side of the transport direction (outside the line) can see the game board 13 directly, and the worker on the right side of the transport direction (inside the line) sees the game board 13 from the opposite direction (upper side in front view). In the manufacturing line 400, the number of parts placed on the left side of the transport direction and the right side of the transport direction in the first transport step is the same, but in the second transport step described later, the number of parts placed on the left side of the transport direction is three and the number of parts placed on the right side of the transport direction is one, so that the number of parts placed on the side where the game board 13 can be seen from the front is set to be greater than the number of parts placed on the right side of the transport direction. Therefore, it is easier for workers working on the left side of the conveying direction, i.e., the side where the game board 13 can be viewed from the front, to place parts while looking directly at the game board 13, improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

Furthermore, in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, in the first screw fastening step (S212), the attacker unit 5 is not temporarily fixed by screwing in a screw. As described above, the left and right general winning port units 3 and the start winning port unit 4 are arranged near the attacker unit 5, and these parts 3, 4 are placed on the game board 13 in the second transport step (S213 to S216), so this is to make it easier to place these parts 3, 4 on the game board 13. Specifically, for example, if the attacker unit 5 is temporarily fixed in the first screw fastening step, when a "positional deviation when fixing parts" error described later occurs in the attacker unit 5, the fixed position of the attacker unit 5 relative to the game board 13 will deviate from the design value, and due to this deviation, a part of the attacker unit 5 will come into contact with the general winning port unit 3 or the start winning port unit 4 arranged adjacently, and the parts 3, 4 may not be attached to the game board 13. Therefore, in the first screw fastening step, the attacker unit 5 is not temporarily fixed with screws, and each part 3, 4 is placed in the subsequent second transport step. After all parts are properly placed on the game board 13, all parts are fixed to the game board 13 with screws in the second screw fastening step (S217). This allows parts to be placed smoothly on the game board 13, improving the convenience of attaching parts to the game board 13.

In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of the first embodiment, the return ball prevention member 68, right corner ornament 70, upper left corner ornament 71, and main display unit 87 are common parts, so there is no need to change the placement position or placement order for each model. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, by first temporarily fixing these common parts 68, 70, 71, and 87 with screws without changing the manufacturing order or manufacturing line for each model, it is possible to prevent the placement positions of the common parts from shifting, thereby improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

Second Embodiment
Next, the pachinko machine 10 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 35 and 36. In the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, the multiple protrusions (e.g., starting protrusions 4i, 4j) of one component (e.g., starting winning hole unit 4) are configured with the same shape, and for example, when the entire component is plated, the multiple protrusions are also plated with the same shape, and the multiple protrusions have the same configuration. Therefore, the positioning holes (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) corresponding to those protrusions are also drilled and formed by the same pin (e.g., tapered pin 311).

In contrast, in the pachinko machine 10 of the second embodiment, the starting winning hole unit 4 is configured so that one side (right side as viewed from the front) of the starting winning hole unit 4 is plated, while the other side (left side as viewed from the front) of the starting winning hole unit 4 is not plated, so that the thickness of the starting protrusions 4i1, 4j differs depending on whether or not the plating layer 4e3 is present. In addition, the starting base 4e is configured so that the back side of the starting base 4e is visible or not between the plated and unplated parts. Therefore, the positioning holes 620a, 621 corresponding to those protrusions 4i1, 4j are also configured to be drilled and formed by pins 311, 321 that are suitable according to the characteristics of each protrusion 4i1, 4j. By configuring it in this way, even if one part has protrusions with different characteristics, the positioning holes can be drilled and formed using pins that are appropriate for the characteristics of the protrusions, making it difficult for each protrusion to pop out of the positioning holes during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

The following describes the pachinko machine 10 in the second embodiment, focusing on the differences from the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment. In the following description, the same elements as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and illustrations and descriptions of those elements are omitted.

Figure 35 explains the configuration of the start winning slot unit 4 of the pachinko machine 10 in the second embodiment. Figure 35(a) is a front view of the start winning slot unit 4 in the second embodiment, Figure 35(b) is a top view of the start winning slot unit 4 in the second embodiment as seen from the line Vb in Figure 35(a), Figure 35(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXVc-XXXVc in Figure 35(a), Figure 35(d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 35(c), Figure 35(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXVe-XXXVe in Figure 35(a), and Figure 35(f) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 35(e).

The difference between the start winning slot unit 4 in the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the right side of the start winning slot unit 4 when viewed from the front is plated, and the left side of the start winning slot unit 4 when viewed from the front is not plated. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description of it will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the starting winning port unit 4 has the starting base 4e entirely made of translucent ABS resin, and the left side of the starting base 4e as viewed from the front has a plated layer 4e3 (see FIG. 35(d)) that has been plated (silver plated in the second embodiment). Therefore, the back side (cell sheet 60a) of the starting base 4e on the right side as viewed from the front is configured to be invisible.

On the other hand, the left side of the starting base 4e when viewed from the front is not plated and does not have a plating layer (see FIG. 35(e)). Therefore, the back side (cell sheet 60a) of the left side of the starting base 4e when viewed from the front is configured to be visible.

As shown in FIG. 35(b), the starting winning hole unit 4 has multiple (two in the second embodiment) starting protrusions 4i1, 4j on the rear side (the side in contact with the base plate 60) of the starting base 4e. The starting protrusions 4i1, 4j are arranged such that the left starting protrusion 4i1 is located near the bottom of the starting screw insertion hole 4g when viewed from the front (e.g., 5 mm below the starting screw insertion hole 4g), and the right starting protrusion 4j is located near the top of the starting screw insertion hole 4h when viewed from the front (e.g., 5 mm above the starting screw insertion hole 4h).

The starting protrusion 4i1 on the left side is formed from the starting base 4e toward the back side with a length of 2.00 mm and a diameter of φ2.4 mm. On the other hand, the starting protrusion 4j on the right side protrudes a different amount from the starting protrusion 4i1 on the left side by the thickness of the plating layer 4e3, and is formed from the starting base 4e toward the back side with a length of 2.05 mm and a diameter of φ2.5 mm.

When the start winning hole unit 4 is screwed to the game board 13, the start protrusions 4i1, 4j are inserted into the start positioning holes 620a (not shown) and 621 formed in the game board 13, respectively, to temporarily hold the start winning hole unit 4 to the game board 13 before it is screwed. By inserting the start protrusions 4i1, 4j into the start positioning holes 620a, 621, respectively, the start winning hole unit 4 before it is screwed is temporarily held so that it does not shift from the game board 13.

As described above, the right side of the starting base 4e is plated and has a plated layer 4e3, and the thickness of the plated layer 4e3 is added to the thickness of the right side of the starting base 4e. That is, the thickness of the right side of the starting base 4e is formed by adding the thickness of the plated layer 4e3 to the thickness of the ABS resin that constitutes the starting base 4e. Therefore, the starting protrusion 4j provided on the right side of the starting base 4e is also plated and has a plated layer 4e3. Therefore, the length of the starting protrusion 4j is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (plated layer 4e3) = 2.05 mm, which is the length of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer 4e3. The diameter of the starting protrusion 4j is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (plated layer 4e3) = 2.5 mm.

On the other hand, the left side of the starting base 4e is not plated and does not have the plated layer 4e3, so the thickness of the left side of the starting base 4e is not equivalent to the thickness of the plated layer 4e3. In other words, the thickness of the left side of the starting base 4e is the same as the thickness of the ABS resin that constitutes the starting base 4e. Therefore, the length of the starting projection 4i1 is only the thickness (length) of the ABS resin, which is 2 mm (the length of the ABS resin). In addition, the diameter of the starting projection 4i1 is 2.4 mm (the diameter of the ABS resin). Therefore, the starting projection 4j is 0.05 mm thicker in length and 0.1 mm thicker in diameter than the starting projection 4i1 that is not plated.

Now, referring to FIG. 36, the left and right sides of the start winning hole unit 4 are individually evaluated to determine what shape the appropriate positioning holes 620a, 621 for the start protrusion 4j and the start protrusion 4i1 are, respectively, and which pins 301, 311, 321 are appropriate for drilling and forming the positioning holes 620a, 621. FIG. 36 is a table showing the pin suitability of the start winning hole unit in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 36, the right side of the starting winning port unit 4 has the same configuration as the starting winning port unit 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore the evaluation item for "weight" is "heavy" and therefore "2 points", the evaluation item for "number of protrusions" is "few (1)" and therefore "0 points", the evaluation item for "plating" is "yes" and therefore "2 points", the evaluation item for "transparency of base" is "non-transparent" and therefore "0 points", the evaluation item for "inside/outside play area" is "inside" and therefore "1 point", the evaluation item for "play impact" is "large" and therefore "1 point", the evaluation item for "amount of balls passing through" is "many" and therefore "1 point", the evaluation item for "unit price of parts" is "expensive" and therefore "0 points", the evaluation item for "common parts" is "non-common" and therefore "1 point", and the evaluation item for "transport distance" is "short" and therefore "1 point". Therefore, the total score for the right side of the starting winning slot unit 4 is 9 points, so it can be said that the right side of the starting winning slot unit 4 is suitable for positioning holes using the tapered pin 311.

On the other hand, the left side of the starting winning hole unit 4 is "heavy" in the "weight" evaluation item, so it is "2 points", "few (1)" in the "number of protrusions" evaluation item, so it is "0 points", "no plating" evaluation item, so it is "0 points", "transparency of base" evaluation item, so it is "semi-transparent" in the "inside and outside of the play area" evaluation item, so it is "1 point", "inside" in the "play impact" evaluation item, so it is "large" in the "amount of balls passing through" evaluation item, so it is "1 point", "expensive" in the "part unit price" evaluation item, so it is "0 points", "common parts" evaluation item, so it is "non-common" in the "non-common" evaluation item, and "transport distance" evaluation item, so it is "1 point". Therefore, since the total evaluation points of the left side of the starting winning hole unit 4 are "8 points", it can be said that the left side of the starting winning hole unit 4 is suitable for positioning holes using the hybrid pin 321.

Therefore, in the start winning slot unit 4 of the second embodiment, when drilling and forming the start positioning hole 621 corresponding to the plated start protrusion 4j on the right side as viewed from the front, the start positioning hole 621 is drilled and formed by the tapered pin 311. On the other hand, when drilling and forming the start positioning hole 620a corresponding to the unplated start protrusion 4i1 on the left side as viewed from the front, the start positioning hole 620a is drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321.

That is, for protrusions with a plated layer, the protrusions with a plated layer are inserted and temporarily held by positioning holes made of tapered pins 311, which have a high "protrusion insertion tolerance function" due to the increased thickness of the plated layer. On the other hand, for protrusions without a plated layer, the protrusions without a plated layer are inserted and temporarily held by positioning holes made of hybrid pins 321, which combine a "protrusion retention function" and a "protrusion insertion tolerance function".

By configuring it in this way, even if there are starting protrusions 4i1 and 4j with different characteristics (plated or not) in one starting winning port unit 4, the starting positioning holes 620a, 621 are drilled and formed using pins 311, 321 that are appropriate for the characteristics (plated or not) of the starting protrusions 4i1 and 4j, making it difficult for each starting protrusion 4i1, 4j to pop out of the starting positioning holes 620a, 621 during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

As described above, according to the pachinko machine 10 of the second embodiment, even if one part has protrusions with different characteristics, positioning holes are drilled and formed using pins that are appropriate for the characteristics of the protrusions, making it difficult for each protrusion to pop out of the positioning holes during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and improving convenience when attaching parts to the game board 13.

In addition, the pachinko machine 10 in the second embodiment has the same configuration as the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, and thus achieves the same effects as the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment
Next, a pachinko machine 10 in a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 37 and 38. In the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, a plurality of protrusions (e.g., center protrusion (not shown)) of one part (e.g., center frame 86) were configured with the same shape. For example, if the entire part is plated, the same plating is also applied to the plurality of protrusions, and the plurality of protrusions have the same configuration. Therefore, even if the characteristics of the part (e.g., ball passage amount) differ for each part, only the evaluation of the whole part is performed, and based on that evaluation, the positioning holes (e.g., center positioning holes 613 to 619) corresponding to the above-mentioned protrusions are also drilled and formed by the same pin (e.g., tapered pin 311).

In contrast, in the pachinko machine 10 of the third embodiment, the characteristics are determined for each part of the second center frame 88, which has a different shape from the center frame 86 of the first embodiment. Specifically, one side of the second center frame 88 (left side when viewed from the front) is determined to be a part with a "large amount of balls passing through," while the other side of the second center frame 88 (right side when viewed from the front) is determined to be a part with a "small amount of balls passing through." Then, a suitable pin is selected based on the result of the determination, and a positioning hole (not shown) corresponding to a protrusion (not shown) corresponding to the part is drilled and formed by the pin. By configuring in this way, even if there are parts with different characteristics in one part, a positioning hole is drilled and formed by a pin suitable for the protrusion provided in that part according to the characteristics of the part, and each protrusion is less likely to pop out of the positioning hole in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and the productivity when attaching parts to the game board 13 can be improved.

The following description of the pachinko machine 10 in the third embodiment will focus on the differences between the pachinko machine 10 in the first and second embodiments. In the following description, the same elements as in the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and illustrations and descriptions of these elements will be omitted.

Figure 37 is a front view of the second center frame 88 of the third embodiment. The second center frame 88 of the third embodiment is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the special symbol display device 81, similar to the center frame 86 of the first embodiment. The second center frame 88 is made of ABS resin, and its entire surface is plated (silver plated in the third embodiment). Since the second center frame 88 is plated as described above, the back side (cell sheet 60a) of the second center frame 88 is not visible when viewed from the front.

The second center frame 88 also has a three-dimensional second external portion 88b that is slightly larger than the diameter of the ball (e.g., 15 mm) and extends forward from the second center base portion 88a. In the pachinko machine 10 of the third embodiment, the second center frame 88 is disposed in the approximate center of the play area, and the top of the second center frame 88 (upper portion when viewed from the front, near the center screw insertion hole 88c (e.g., 10 mm away from the center screw insertion hole 88c)) is provided.

A play area is defined where balls flow down from this apex; for example, a ball that contacts the left side of the second center frame 88 flows down the play area on the left side of the second center frame 88, while a ball that contacts the right side of the second center frame 88 from the apex flows down the play area on the right side of the second center frame 88. In the case of the third embodiment, the apex of the second center frame 88 is located slightly to the right of the center of the second center frame 88.

In other words, if the ball launched into the play area by the ball launching unit 112a collides to the left of the top of the second center frame 88, it will flow down the play area to the left of the second center frame 88 (so-called left hit). On the other hand, if the ball passes over the top of the second center frame 88 and reaches the right side of the second center frame 88, it will flow down the play area to the right of the second center frame 88 (so-called right hit).

In the third embodiment of the pachinko machine 10, in a normal game state, the player uses the ball launching unit 112a to launch a ball so that the ball flows down the left side of the top of the second center frame 88, and in a game state such as a jackpot that is different from the normal game state (e.g., a jackpot state, a probability-varying state, or a time-saving state), the player uses the ball launching unit 112a to launch a ball so that the ball flows down the right side of the top of the second center frame 88.

This is because, in the normal game mode of the pachinko machine 10, the ball that flows down the left side of the second center frame 88 is likely to enter the first start winning port (not shown), and the ball that flows down the right side of the second center frame 88 is unlikely to enter the first start winning port or the second start winning port (not shown). Also, in the jackpot mode of the pachinko machine 10, the ball that flows down the right side of the second center frame 88 is likely to enter the large winning port 5a or the second start winning port, and the ball that flows down the left side of the second center frame 88 is unlikely to enter the large winning port 5a or the second start winning port.

Therefore, in the pachinko machine 10 of the third embodiment, since the normal game state is generally longer than the special game state such as a jackpot, the number of balls passing through the left side of the second center frame 88 is greater and the number of balls passing through the right side of the second center frame 88 is smaller.

When viewed from the front, the second center frame 88 has center screw insertion holes 88c-88j at eight locations around the second center base 88a (see FIG. 37). Each of the center screw insertion holes 88c-88j is configured to allow a screw to be screwed in, and with the second center frame 88 placed on the game board 13, the second center frame 88 is fixed to the game board 13 by screwing a screw into each of the center screw insertion holes 88c-88j.

In addition, the second center frame 88 has multiple (eight in the third embodiment) center protrusions (not shown) on the back side (the side in contact with the base plate 60) of the second center base 88a. These center protrusions are provided near the center screw insertion holes 88c to 88j (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the center screw insertion holes 88c to 88j), and are formed to protrude slightly from the back side of the second center base 88a (length 2.05 mm, diameter φ2.5 mm in the third embodiment).

When the second center frame 88 is screwed to the game board 13, these center protrusions are inserted into center positioning holes (not shown) formed in the game board 13, which will be described later, to temporarily hold the second center frame 88 to the game board 13 before it is screwed. By inserting these center protrusions into the center positioning holes, the second center frame 88 is temporarily held in place so that it does not shift from the game board 13 before it is screwed.

As described above, the entire second center base 88a is plated and has a plated layer (not shown), and the thickness of the plated layer is added to the thickness of the entire second center base 88a. That is, the thickness of the entire second center base 88a is formed by adding the thickness of the plated layer to the thickness of the ABS resin that constitutes the second center base 88a. Therefore, the center protrusion (not shown) provided on the second center base 88a is also plated and has a plated layer. Therefore, the length of the center protrusion is 2 mm (length of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm (plated layer) = 2.05 mm, which is the thickness (length) of the ABS resin plus the thickness of the plated layer. The diameter of the center protrusion is 2.4 mm (diameter of ABS resin) + 0.05 mm x 2 (plated layer) = 2.5 mm.

Now, referring to FIG. 38, the left and right sides of the second center frame 88 are evaluated individually to determine what shape the appropriate positioning holes should be for the left side portion with a "large amount of ball passing" and the right side portion with a "small amount of ball passing", and which pins 301, 311, and 321 are appropriate for drilling and forming the positioning holes. FIG. 38 is a table showing the pin suitability of the second center frame 88 in the third embodiment. Note that, in the second center frame 88, the left side portion is the portion with five screw insertion holes 88c to 88g with a "large amount of ball passing", and the right side portion is the portion with three screw insertion holes 88h to 88j with a "small amount of ball passing".

As shown in FIG. 38, the left part of the second center frame 88 is rated as "heavy" for the "weight" category, "2 points" for the "number of protrusions" category, "2 points" for the "many (5)" category, "2 points" for the "plating" category, "0 points" for the "transparency of the base" category, "0 points" for the "non-transparent" category, "1 point" for the "inside/outside of the play area" category, "1 point" for the "inside" category, "1 point" for the "play impact" category, "1 point" for the "large" category, "1 point" for the "amount of balls passing through" category, "0 points" for the "part unit price" category, "0 points" for the "expensive" category, "1 point" for the "common parts" category, and "0 points" for the "long" category. Therefore, the total score for the left part of the second center frame 88 is "10 points," so it can be said that the left part of the second center frame 88 is suitable for positioning holes using the taper pin 311.

On the other hand, the right part of the second center frame 88 is "heavy" in the "weight" evaluation category, so it is "2 points", "number of protrusions" is "few (3)" in the "number of protrusions" evaluation category, so it is "0 points", "plating" is "present" in the "transparency of the base" evaluation category, so it is "non-transparent" in the "transparency of the base" evaluation category, so it is "0 points", "inside and outside the play area" is "1 point", "play influence" is "large" in the "play amount" evaluation category, so it is "0 points", "part unit price" is "expensive" in the "0 points", "common parts" is "non-common" in the "1 point", and "transport distance" is "long" in the "0 points". Therefore, the total evaluation points of the right part of the second center frame 88 is "7 points", so it can be said that the right part of the second center frame 88 is suitable for positioning holes by the hybrid pin 321.

Therefore, in the second center frame 88 of the third embodiment, when drilling and forming center positioning holes (not shown) corresponding to the five center protrusions on the left side, which is an area with a "large" "amount of ball passing through," the taper pin 311 is used to drill and form the center positioning holes, and when drilling and forming center positioning holes corresponding to the three center protrusions on the right side, which is an area with a "small" "amount of ball passing through," the hybrid pin 321 is used to drill and form the center positioning holes.

In other words, for protrusions in areas where the "ball passing amount" is "large," the protrusions in the areas where the "ball passing amount" is "large" are inserted and temporarily held by positioning holes made of tapered pins 311 with a high "protrusion insertion tolerance function," taking into account the large "ball passing amount." On the other hand, for protrusions in areas where the "ball passing amount" is "small," the protrusions in the areas where the "ball passing amount" is "small" are inserted and temporarily held by positioning holes made of hybrid pins 321 that combine a "protrusion holding function" and a "protrusion insertion tolerance function," taking into account the small "ball passing amount."

By configuring it in this way, even if there are areas in the second center frame 88 of 1 with different characteristics ("ball passage amount"), the center positioning holes can be drilled and formed using pins 311, 321 that are appropriate for those characteristics, making it difficult for each center protrusion to pop out of the center positioning hole during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, and improving productivity when attaching parts to the game board 13.

As explained above, according to the third embodiment of the pachinko machine 10, even if there are parts with different characteristics in one part, the positioning holes are drilled and formed using pins that are suitable for the protrusions provided in that part, depending on the characteristics of that part. This makes it difficult for each protrusion to pop out of the positioning holes during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, thereby improving productivity when attaching parts to the game board 13.

In addition, the pachinko machine 10 in the third embodiment has the same configuration as the pachinko machine 10 in either the first or second embodiment, and thus achieves the same effects as the pachinko machine 10 in the corresponding embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 39. The fourth embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the first embodiment. In the following description, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and illustrations and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, when drilling and forming the positioning holes 601 to 629, the straight pin 301, the tapered pin 311, and the hybrid pin 321 are used to drill and form the positioning holes 601 to 629 selected for each part in the game board 13. When drilling and forming the positioning holes using the hybrid pin 321, a smaller hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e and a smaller hybrid straight peeling portion 60d are formed compared to when drilling and forming the positioning holes using the straight pin 301. The hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e and the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d are smaller in size of the peeled portion than the straight peeling portion 60b formed by the straight pin 301, but larger in size of the peeled portion than the tapered peeling portion 60c formed by the tapered pin 311. The hybrid tapered peeling portion 60e and the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d may reduce the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10, although not as much as the straight peeling portion 60b, and may cause installation errors of the parts due to the thickness of the peeled portion.

In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, a modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c is formed in the modified hybrid straight portion 334a of the modified hybrid pin 331, and a positioning hole is drilled using the modified hybrid pin 331, thereby suppressing peeling of the cell sheet 60a, preventing a decrease in the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10, and making it less likely that component installation errors will occur due to the thickness of the peeled portion.

The fourth embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first to third embodiments. In the following description, the same elements as those in the first to third embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and illustrations and descriptions of those elements will be omitted.

Figure 39 shows the configuration of a modified hybrid pin 331 for forming a positioning hole in the game board base in the fourth embodiment, where Figure 39(a) is a front view of the modified hybrid pin 331, Figure 39(b) is a side view of the modified hybrid pin 331, and Figure 39(c) is a bottom view of the modified hybrid pin 331. The configuration of the modified hybrid pin 331 in the fourth embodiment differs from the hybrid pin 321 in the first to third embodiments in that a modified hybrid second taper portion 334c is provided on the modified hybrid flange portion 333 side of the modified hybrid straight portion 334a.

This modified hybrid pin 331, like the straight pin 301, tapered pin 311, and hybrid pin 321, is attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410 and used to drill and form each positioning hole (not shown) in the game board 13.

The modified hybrid pin 331, like the straight pin 301, the tapered pin 311, and the hybrid pin 321, is made of carbon tool steel (SK4) with a vertical dimension of 17 mm, and is composed of a modified hybrid mounting portion 332, a modified hybrid flange portion 333, a modified hybrid body portion 334, and a modified hybrid tip portion 335, as shown in Figures 39(a) to 39(c), and the above-mentioned portions 332 to 335 are formed continuously. As described above, carbon tool steel (SK4) is a material harder than the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a that constitute the game board 13. For this reason, the modified hybrid pin 331 made of this material is attached to the press plate 411 (see Figure 11) of the positioning hole punching machine 410 and pressed against the game board 13, whereby the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a are plastically deformed, and the positioning holes are punched and formed by the modified hybrid pin 331.

The modified hybrid mounting portion 332 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 5 mm and an axial diameter of φ2.8 mm. The modified hybrid flange portion 333 is formed continuously below the modified hybrid mounting portion 332 when viewed from the front. The modified hybrid flange portion 333 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a vertical dimension of 3 mm and an axial diameter of φ5 mm, and the modified hybrid flange portion 333 has a larger diameter than the modified hybrid mounting portion 332. The modified hybrid mounting portion 332 and the modified hybrid flange portion 333 are fitted into mounting holes (not shown) provided in the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, thereby fixing the modified hybrid pin 331 to the press plate 411. When the modified hybrid pin 331 is attached to the press plate 411, it is attached so that the lower surface of the modified hybrid flange portion 333 and the lower surface of the press plate 411 are flush with each other.

The modified hybrid body 334 is continuously formed on the lower side of the modified hybrid flange 333 when viewed from the front, and further, the modified hybrid tip 335 is continuously formed on the lower side of the modified hybrid body 334 when viewed from the front. The modified hybrid body 334 has a vertical dimension of 6.5 mm, and is composed of a modified hybrid straight section 334a, a modified hybrid first tapered section 334b, and a modified hybrid second tapered section 334c, each of which has a different shaft diameter length.

The modified hybrid straight portion 334a is formed with a shaft diameter of φ2.7 mm at a distance of 0.0 mm from the modified hybrid tip portion 335 (i.e., the boundary portion between the modified hybrid tip portion 335 and the modified hybrid body portion 334) and is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape (inverted truncated cone shape) that gradually increases in diameter from there to a shaft diameter of φ2.8 mm at a position 0.8 mm in the direction of the modified hybrid flange portion 333. In addition, in the modified hybrid straight portion 334a, the shaft diameter (minor diameter. Refers to the distance (width) passing through the axis from one modified hybrid straight portion 334a to the other modified hybrid straight portion 334a. The same applies below.) from 0.8 mm to 3.8 mm from the modified hybrid tip portion 335 is all formed with a diameter of 2.8 mm. Therefore, the modified hybrid straight portion 334a is configured to look similar to the outer shape of the straight body portion 304 of the straight pin 301 or the hybrid body portion 324 of the hybrid pin 321 in a side view. A modified hybrid second tapered section 334c is formed in the modified hybrid body section 334 at the top of the modified hybrid straight section 334a when viewed from the front (the modified hybrid flange section 333 side).

The modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c is formed at a distance of 3.8 mm to 6.5 mm from the modified hybrid tip portion 335 of the modified hybrid body portion 334 (i.e., at the boundary between the modified hybrid body portion 334 and the modified hybrid flange portion 333). The shaft diameter of this modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c is formed to be 2.80 mm at a distance of 3.8 mm from the modified hybrid tip portion 335. From there, the shaft diameter of the modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c increases by 0.05 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the portion at which the distance from the modified hybrid tip portion 335 is 3.8 mm), and is formed into an approximately inverted truncated cone shape that gradually increases in diameter so that the shaft diameter is 3.50 mm at a portion at which the distance from the modified hybrid tip portion 335 is 6.5 mm.

At the portion of the modified hybrid first taper portion 334b that is 0.0 mm away from the tip side of the modified hybrid body portion 334 (i.e., the boundary portion between the modified hybrid tip portion 335 and the modified hybrid body portion 334), the axial diameter (long diameter; referring to the distance (width) passing through the axis from one modified hybrid first taper portion 334b to the other modified hybrid first taper portion 334b; the same applies below) of the modified hybrid first taper portion 334b is 2.70 mm. From there, the shaft diameter of the modified hybrid first tapered portion 334b gradually increases (the shaft diameter of the modified hybrid first tapered portion 334b increases by 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the boundary side with the modified hybrid tip portion 335), and at a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip side of the modified hybrid body portion 334 (i.e., the boundary portion between the modified hybrid body portion 334 and the modified hybrid flange portion 333), the shaft diameter of the modified hybrid first tapered portion 334b is configured to be 3.50 mm. Therefore, the modified hybrid first tapered portion 334b is configured to look similar to the outer shape of the tapered body portion 314 of the tapered pin 311 when viewed from the side.

Therefore, the modified hybrid body 334 is composed of a modified hybrid straight section 334a whose outer shape is formed approximately parallel to the insertion direction, a modified hybrid first tapered section 334b whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape with a diameter gradually decreasing in the insertion direction, and a modified hybrid second tapered section 334c whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape with a diameter gradually decreasing in the insertion direction on the upper side of the modified hybrid straight section 334a when viewed from the front (see Figure 39 (c)).

The shape of the modified hybrid straight section 334a from the modified hybrid flange 333 at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., from the modified hybrid tip 335 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) and the shape of the modified hybrid first tapered section 334b from the modified hybrid flange 333 at a distance of 5.7 mm to 6.5 mm (i.e., from the modified hybrid tip 335 at a distance of 0.0 mm to 0.8 mm) are the same approximately cylindrical shape (frustum shape). This is to allow the modified hybrid body section 334 to be smoothly inserted into the base plate 60 and cell sheet 60a from the modified hybrid tip 335 when drilling and forming positioning holes with the modified hybrid pin 331.

The modified hybrid tip 335 has a vertical dimension of 2.5 mm, and its shaft diameter is formed into an inverted cone shape that tapers gradually from a shaft diameter of φ2.7 mm at the connection point of the modified hybrid body 334 downward when viewed from the front, and its tip (lowest part when viewed from the front) is formed into a pointed shape.

In the fourth embodiment, in the part positioning hole creation process (see S201 in FIG. 10), the modified hybrid pin 331 is attached to the press plate 411 (see FIG. 11) of the positioning hole drilling machine 410, and the press plate 411 and the game board 13 are pressed by the upper press unit 412 and the lower press unit 413 (see FIG. 11), whereby each positioning hole is drilled in the game board 13 by the modified hybrid pin 331.

The modified hybrid body 334 of the modified hybrid pin 331 has a larger volume than the straight body 304 of the straight pin 301 and the hybrid pin 321, but a smaller volume than the tapered body 314 of the tapered pin 311. For this reason, it is easier to drill positioning holes in the game board 13 with the modified hybrid pin 331 than with the tapered pin 311.

Here, the shape of the positioning hole formed by the modified hybrid pin 331 will be described. As described above, the modified hybrid pin 331 is formed of the modified hybrid straight section 334a (see FIG. 39) whose outer shape is formed approximately parallel to the insertion direction of the modified hybrid body 334, the modified hybrid first tapered section 334b (see FIG. 39) whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape with the diameter gradually decreasing toward the insertion direction, and the modified hybrid second tapered section 334c whose outer shape is formed in a tapered shape with the diameter gradually decreasing toward the insertion direction. Therefore, the inner peripheral wall of the positioning hole (not shown) formed by the modified hybrid body 334 is also formed in a hole shape that combines an approximately box shape that follows the outer shape of the modified hybrid body 334 and an approximately inverted truncated cone shape.

Specifically, of the positioning holes drilled and formed by the modified hybrid body 334, the modified straight section (not shown) corresponding to the modified hybrid straight section 334a is drilled and formed approximately parallel to the depth direction, the modified first tapered section (not shown) corresponding to the modified hybrid first tapered section 334b is drilled and formed so as to taper and gradually narrow in the depth direction, and the modified second tapered section (not shown) corresponding to the modified hybrid second tapered section 334c is formed on the upper hole side of the modified straight section and is drilled and formed so as to taper and gradually narrow in the depth direction.

As described above, since the base plate 60 elastically deforms, when the modified hybrid pin 331 is used to drill positioning holes in the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, a load based on the elastic deformation of the base plate 60 is constantly applied to the modified hybrid body 334 while the modified hybrid body 334 is being inserted into the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a. However, since the modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c is configured to gradually narrow in diameter in the insertion direction, contact with the modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c can be suppressed even if the base plate 60 elastically deforms. In addition, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 can also be suppressed from contacting the modified hybrid second tapered portion 334c or the modified hybrid straight portion 334a even if the base plate 60 elastically deforms. Therefore, when the modified hybrid body 334 is pulled out from the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 hardly peels off from the base plate 60, and only a small peeled portion (not shown) is formed.

In addition, when attempting to pull the modified hybrid body 334 out of the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the modified hybrid first taper portion 334b of the modified hybrid body 334 is configured to gradually narrow in diameter in the insertion direction. Therefore, even if the base plate 60 is elastically deformed, contact with the modified hybrid first taper portion 334b can be suppressed. In addition, even if the base plate 60 is elastically deformed, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 can also be suppressed from contacting the modified hybrid first taper portion 334b. Therefore, when the modified hybrid body 334 is pulled out of the base plate 60 and the cell sheet 60a, the cell sheet 60a attached to the base plate 60 is hardly peeled off from the base plate 60, and only a small peeled portion (not shown) is formed.

As a result, by drilling and forming positioning holes in the game board 13 with the modified hybrid pin 331, the peeling of the cell sheet 60a requires less peeling than the hybrid straight peeling portion 60d formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a of the hybrid pin 321. Therefore, the peeling portion on the hole surface can be made smaller while maintaining the same protrusion holding function and protrusion insertion allowing function as the positioning hole drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321. This prevents the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 from being reduced, and also makes it less likely that component installation errors will occur due to "cell peeling" errors, thereby preventing "positional misalignment when fixing components" errors.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, by drilling and forming positioning holes in the game board 13 using the modified hybrid pin 331, peeling of the cell sheet 60a is suppressed, the decorativeness of the pachinko machine 10 is prevented from being reduced, and component installation errors due to the thickness of the peeled portion are less likely to occur.

In addition, the pachinko machine 10 in the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the pachinko machine 10 in any of the first to third embodiments, and thus achieves the same effects as the pachinko machine 10 in the corresponding embodiment.

The first to fourth embodiments may be combined with each other. For example, a configuration may be formed having the configuration described in the first embodiment and the configuration described in the fourth embodiment, or a configuration may be formed having the configuration described in the third embodiment and the configuration described in the fourth embodiment.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above form, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. For example, each embodiment may be modified by adding a part or parts of the configuration of another embodiment to that embodiment, or by replacing a part or parts of the configuration of that embodiment. Furthermore, the numerical values given in each of the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is of course possible to adopt other numerical values.

<Modification 1>
In each of the above embodiments, a plurality of elements (characteristics) of each part to be attached to the game board 13 are evaluated, and the optimum pin 301, 311, 321 (331) corresponding to the protrusion for the positioning hole provided on each part is selected based on the total score. In contrast, only one element (characteristic) of each part may be evaluated, and the optimum pin 301, 311, 321 (331) corresponding to the protrusion for the positioning hole provided on each part may be selected based on the evaluation result. By determining the pin suitability based only on the judgment result of one evaluation item, it is possible to drill and form a positioning hole that more directly deals with the cause of the error, and more reliably eliminate the error to be eliminated.

For example, the system may be configured to determine whether the "weight" of the entire part is heavy or not, and to select pins 301, 311, 321 for drilling positioning holes based solely on the result of that determination. In this case, the evaluation item for "weight" may be configured to determine pin suitability, for example, by a three-value judgment, rather than judging whether the entire part is "heavy" or "light." Specifically, for example, a weight of 200 grams or more may be judged as "heavy," 100 grams or more but less than 200 grams may be judged as "normal," and less than 100 grams may be judged as "light." For parts judged to be "heavy," it is deemed that the weight of the part itself makes it difficult for a protrusion to pop out of the positioning hole, and so a tapered pin 311 is used to drill and form the positioning hole. For parts judged to be "normal," it is deemed that the weight of the part itself makes it unlikely for a protrusion to pop out of the positioning hole, and so a hybrid pin 321 is used to drill and form the positioning hole. For parts judged to be "light," it is deemed that the weight of the part itself makes it likely for a protrusion to pop out of the positioning hole, and so a straight pin 301 is used to drill and form the positioning hole.

For example, the system may be configured to determine whether the "number of protrusions" of a part is "large" or "small" and select pins 301, 311, and 321 for positioning holes based only on the result of the determination. In this case, the evaluation item of "number of protrusions" may be configured to determine pin suitability by, for example, a ternary determination, rather than determining whether the "number of protrusions" of a part is "large" or "small". Specifically, for example, a number of protrusions of 6 or more is determined as "large", a number of protrusions of 4 or more but less than 6 is determined as "normal", and a number of protrusions of less than 3 is determined as "small". Then, for parts determined as "large", the protrusions are provisionally held in each positioning hole due to the large number of protrusions, so that the protrusions are unlikely to pop out of the positioning holes, and the positioning holes are drilled and formed by the taper pin 311. For parts determined as "normal", the protrusions are provisionally held in each positioning hole due to the fixed number of protrusions, so that the protrusions are unlikely to pop out of the positioning holes, and the positioning holes are drilled and formed by the hybrid pin 321. Furthermore, for parts that are judged to have "few" protrusions, the protrusions may not be temporarily held in each positioning hole due to the small number of protrusions, and it is deemed that there is a high possibility that the protrusions will pop out of the positioning holes, so positioning holes are drilled and formed using straight pin 301.

Furthermore, for example, the system may be configured to determine whether a part has been plated or not, and select the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes based solely on the result of the determination. Specifically, if the part has been plated, it is determined to be "present," and if not, it is determined to be "absent." Then, for parts determined to be "present," the thickness of the protrusion is increased by the amount of the plating layer, so that the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the tapered pin 311 or hybrid pin 321 to make it easier to fit the protrusion into the positioning hole. Meanwhile, for parts determined to be "absent," the thickness of the protrusion has not been increased by plating, so the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the straight pin 301.

For example, the "transparency of the base" of the part may be determined to be "transparent" or "non-transparent", and the pins 301, 311, and 321 for the positioning holes may be selected based only on the determination result. In this case, the evaluation item of "transparency of the base" may be configured to determine the pin suitability by, for example, a three-value judgment, rather than determining the binary content of "transparent" or "non-transparent" for the "transparency of the base". Specifically, for example, if the base of the part is transparent, it is judged to be "transparent", if the base of the part is translucent, it is judged to be "semi-transparent", and if the base of the part is non-transparent, it is judged to be "non-transparent". Then, for parts judged to be "transparent", the back side of the base is clearly visible, so the peeled part of the positioning hole is clearly visible, and therefore the tapered pin 311 is used to drill and form the positioning hole. Also, for parts judged to be "semi-transparent", the back side of the base is visible to some extent, so the peeled part of the positioning hole is visible, and therefore the hybrid pin 321 is used to drill and form the positioning hole. Furthermore, for parts that are determined to be "non-transparent," the back side of the base is not visible, and therefore the peeled portion of the positioning hole is not visible, so the positioning hole is drilled and formed using a straight pin 301.

Furthermore, for example, the arrangement may be such that the arrangement position of the part is judged to be "inside" or "outside" the "play area" and the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes are selected based only on the judgment result. In this case, the part judged to be "inside" the "play area" in the evaluation item of the "play area" comes into contact with the game ball shot into the play area, so if it is not firmly fixed, it has a large effect on the flow direction of the game ball, and the game result varies greatly. Therefore, for the part to be arranged "inside" the "play area", the positioning hole is formed using the tapered pin 311 or hybrid pin 321 that forms a positioning hole in which the protrusion of the part is easily inserted, with priority given to inserting it into the positioning hole first. On the other hand, for the part judged to be "outside" the "play area", even if it is not fixed, it does not come into contact with the game ball, so there is no effect on the game result. Therefore, for the part to be arranged "outside" the "play area", the positioning hole is formed using the straight pin 301 that forms a positioning hole that easily holds the protrusion of the part.

For example, the system may be configured to determine whether the "ball passing amount" of the part is "large" or "small (none)" and select the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes based only on the result of the determination. In this case, a part determined to have a "large" "ball passing amount" in the evaluation item of "ball passing amount" comes into contact with many balls that are shot into it, and if it is not fixed firmly, it has a large effect on the flow direction of the balls, and the game result fluctuates greatly. Therefore, for a part with a "large" "ball passing amount", the positioning hole is formed using the tapered pin 311 or hybrid pin 321 that forms a positioning hole in which the protrusion of the part is easily inserted, with priority given to inserting it into the positioning hole first. On the other hand, a part determined to have a "small (none) ball passing amount" comes into contact with few (no) balls that are shot into it, and even if it is not fixed, it has a small effect on the flow direction of the balls, so that it has a small effect on the game result. Therefore, for parts with a "small" "ball passage amount," positioning holes are formed using straight pin 301, which forms positioning holes that are easy to hold the protrusions of the parts.

In addition, for example, the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes may be selected based only on the judgment result by judging whether the influence of the part on the game result is large or small, i.e., whether the "game influence degree" is "large" or "small". Specifically, if the part is a factor in the occurrence of a special pattern jackpot, the "game influence degree" is judged to be "large", and if the part does not give the player a game value, it is judged to be "small". Then, if the protrusion is not firmly inserted into the positioning hole of a part judged to be "large", there is a risk that the game result will differ from the design value, and the game result will fluctuate greatly. Therefore, for parts with a "game influence degree" of "large", the first priority is to insert the part into the positioning hole, and the positioning hole is drilled and formed in the game board 13 using the tapered pin 311 or hybrid pin 321 that drills and forms a positioning hole that is easy to insert the protrusion of the part into the positioning hole. On the other hand, for parts judged to be "small", even if the protrusion is not inserted into the positioning hole, the influence on the game result is slight (nonexistent). Therefore, for parts with a "small" "game impact," the positioning holes are drilled using straight pin 301, which drills and forms positioning holes that easily hold the protrusions when the protrusions are inserted into the positioning holes.

Furthermore, for example, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, it may be configured to determine whether the "transport distance" from when the game parts are placed on the game board 13 until they are fixed with screws is "long" or "short," and to select the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes based only on the determination result. Specifically, parts with a "long" "transport distance" from when the game parts are placed on the game board 13 until they are fixed with screws are easily affected by shocks and the like that occur during transport, and there is a possibility that they may shift from their original placement position. Therefore, for parts with a "long" "transport distance," the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the straight pin 301 or the hybrid pin 321 so that the protrusions are firmly held by the positioning holes. On the other hand, parts with a "short" "transport distance" are less susceptible to shocks and the like that occur during transport, and there is a low possibility that they will shift from their original placement position. Therefore, for parts with a "short" "transport distance," the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the tapered pin 311, with priority given to inserting the protrusions into the positioning holes rather than holding the protrusions with the positioning holes.

For example, the system may be configured to determine whether the "unit price" of a part is "expensive" or "cheap" and select the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes based only on the result of the determination. Specifically, for parts with an "expensive unit price", the unit price of the part itself is high, resulting in a large loss if the part is damaged and needs to be replaced. Therefore, for parts with an "expensive unit price", the straight pin 301 or hybrid pin 321 is used to drill and form the positioning holes so that the protrusions are held in the positioning holes and errors such as "screw fastening failure" do not occur. On the other hand, for parts with an "inexpensive unit price", the unit price of the part itself is low, resulting in a small loss if the part is damaged and needs to be replaced. Therefore, for parts with an "inexpensive unit price", the taper pin 311 is used to drill and form the positioning holes so that the protrusions are inserted reliably into the positioning holes.

Furthermore, for example, it may be configured to determine whether a part is a "common" part used in common between one model and other models or a "non-common" part, and select the pins 301, 311, 321 for the positioning holes based only on the result of the determination. Specifically, if the part is "common," workers on the production line are accustomed to handling the part, so the workers are highly skilled and placement errors are unlikely to occur. Therefore, for parts that are "common" to multiple models, the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the straight pin 301. On the other hand, if the part is "non-common," workers on the production line are not accustomed to handling it, so work errors are likely to occur. Therefore, for parts that are "non-common" to multiple models, the positioning holes are drilled and formed using the tapered pin 311 or hybrid pin 321, with priority given to making it easier to insert the protrusion into the positioning hole.

The pins 301, 311, and 321 for the positioning holes may be selected based on characteristics other than those of the parts described above.

<Modification 2>
In the above-mentioned embodiments, when obtaining evaluation points for determining the pins to be used for drilling and forming the positioning holes for each part attached to the game board 13, the elements (characteristics) of the parts that may be the cause of serious errors are assigned high points, and a difference is provided between the elements of the parts that may be the cause of minor errors, and the evaluation points are then totaled to determine the pin suitability. In contrast, it is also possible to configure the system so that no difference is provided between the elements of the parts, the same points are assigned to each element, and the pin suitability is determined based on the total score of the evaluation points.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described second and third embodiments, a case has been exemplified in which positioning holes for a plurality of protrusions formed on one component are drilled and formed using different pins, namely, the tapered pin 311 and the hybrid pin 321. In contrast, positioning holes for the protrusions may be drilled and formed using three types of pins, namely, the straight pin 301, the tapered pin 311 and the hybrid pin 321, for one component.

<Modification 4>
In the second and third embodiments, the positioning holes for the protrusions are formed by the tapered pin 311 and the hybrid pin 321, which are closely related to one component. In contrast, the positioning holes for the protrusions may be formed by the straight pin 301 and the tapered pin 311, which are in an opposite relationship to one component. Also, the positioning holes for the protrusions may be formed by the straight pin 301 and the hybrid pin 321 to one component.

<Modification 5>
In each of the above embodiments, a number of evaluation items for each part ("weight", "number of protrusions", "presence or absence of plating", "transparency of base", "inside or outside play area", "degree of influence on play", "amount of balls passing through", "unit price of part", "common parts", and "transport distance") are evaluated, and the optimum pin 301, 311, 321 (331) is selected to drill and form a positioning hole for the protrusion of each part. In contrast, elements other than the above evaluation items may be determined to drill and form a positioning hole for the protrusion of each part. For example, a positioning hole for the protrusion of each part may be drilled and formed depending on whether or not the part is to be disposed in the router holes 651 to 656.

The positioning holes may be drilled according to the positional relationship of the positioning holes of one part. Specifically, for example, when drilling three positioning holes for a part having three protrusions, if the positions of the three protrusions are divided into left, center, and right, the positioning holes corresponding to the left and right protrusions may be drilled by the tapered pin 311, and the positioning holes corresponding to the middle protrusion may be drilled by the hybrid pin 321 or the straight pin 301. Also, if there are two or more middle protrusions, the positioning holes corresponding to one middle protrusion may be drilled by the straight pin 301 or the hybrid pin 321, and the positioning holes for the other middle protrusions may be drilled by the tapered pin 311 or the hybrid pin 321. Furthermore, the positioning holes corresponding to the left and right protrusions may be drilled by the straight pin 301 or the hybrid pin 321.

In addition, points may be assigned to elements other than the above evaluation items, and positioning holes for the protrusions of each part may be drilled and formed based on the total points. For example, points may be assigned based on whether or not the part is to be placed in router holes 651-656. Specifically, the parts placed in router holes 651-656 are less likely to shift their placement positions during the manufacturing process of the game board 13, since the fitting portions (not shown) of the parts are temporarily held to a certain extent by router holes 651-656. Therefore, even if the parts placed in router holes 651-656 are positioning holes formed by taper pins 311, which have a weak "protrusion holding function," the protrusions of the parts placed in router holes 651-656 are less likely to pop out of the positioning holes, so it can be said that the suitability of the positioning holes formed by taper pins 311 is high. Therefore, an evaluation is performed to see if the part is placed in router holes 651-656, and if it is placed in router hole 651, an evaluation score of "2 points" is assigned, whereas if it is not placed in router holes 651-656, an evaluation score of "0 points" is assigned.

Also, the system may be configured to assign points according to the relative positions of the positioning holes of one part, and select the pin for drilling the positioning holes based on the total score. For example, when drilling three positioning holes for a part with three protrusions, if the three protrusions are located on the left, center, and right, and the center protrusion is firmly temporarily held by the positioning hole of the straight pin 301 with a high "protrusion holding function," the left and right protrusions are positioning holes of the tapered pin 311 with a low "protrusion holding function," and the protrusions are unlikely to pop out of the positioning holes, so the left and right protrusions can be said to be highly suitable for the positioning holes of the tapered pin 311. Therefore, the position of the protrusions on the part is evaluated, and if the protrusions are located on the left and right of the part, "2 points" are assigned as the evaluation points, while if the protrusions are located inside the part, "0 points" are assigned as the evaluation points.

<Modification 6>
In each of the above embodiments, no positioning protrusion is provided in the vicinity of the main display screw insertion hole 87h of the main display unit 87 (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the main display screw insertion hole 87h), and the number of main display protrusions 87j, 87k (2) is one less than the number of main display screw insertion holes 87g to 87i of the main display unit 87 (3). This is because the main display positioning holes 609, 610 corresponding to the main display unit 87 are formed by the straight pin 301, and the protrusion holding function is sufficiently guaranteed by the two main display protrusions 87j, 87k. In contrast, a positioning protrusion may also be provided in the vicinity of the main display screw insertion hole 87h (for example, at a distance of 5 mm from the main display screw insertion hole 87h). By configuring in this way, the number of main display screw insertion holes 87g to i and the number of protrusions are made equal, and each is temporarily held at each location where a screw is inserted, making it possible to more reliably temporarily hold the entire main display unit 87 on the game board 13.

<Modification 7>
In the above-described embodiments, when the positioning holes are drilled by the pins 301, 311, and 321, the positioning holes drilled by the straight pin 301 or the tapered pin 311 are circular in front view, and the positioning holes drilled by the hybrid pin 321 are oval in front view. In contrast, the positioning holes drilled may be formed to have shapes such as ellipses, squares, rectangles, triangles, and pentagons in front view. In this case, a shape that functions both as a protrusion retaining function and a protrusion insertion allowing function is preferable on the surface of the positioning holes drilled, and therefore, in order to realize both functions, shapes that are symmetrical (vertically symmetrical) and have different lengths of sides (diameters), such as ellipses and rectangles, are preferable.

<Modification 8>
In each of the above embodiments, the shape of the protrusion for each component is standardized (length 2.00 mm and diameter φ2.4 mm (without plating layer), or length 2.05 mm and diameter φ2.5 mm (with plating layer)). In contrast, the shape of the protrusion may be different for each component. Specifically, for example, the shape of the center protrusion of the center frame 86 may be configured to be 3.00 mm in length and φ3.00 mm in diameter, while the shape of the starting protrusion of the starting winning hole unit 4 may be configured to be 1.00 mm in length and φ1.00 mm in diameter, and the size of the protrusion may be changed depending on the size of the component. However, if the shape of the protrusion differs for each component, a positioning hole corresponding to the shape of the protrusion must be drilled, and therefore many types of pins for drilling the positioning holes must be prepared.

<Modification 9>
In each of the above embodiments, the shape of the protrusion for each component was configured to be a predetermined cylindrical shape (length 2.00 mm and diameter φ2.4 mm (without plating layer), or length 2.05 mm and diameter φ2.5 mm (with plating layer)). In contrast, the shape of the protrusion for each component may be configured to be other shapes, such as a prism shape, pyramid shape, or cone shape. However, if the shape of the protrusion for each component differs, positioning holes must be drilled to correspond to the shape of the protrusion, and therefore many types of pins for drilling positioning holes must be prepared.

<Modification 10>
In the first embodiment, the positioning hole drilled by the hybrid pin 321 has two straight portions and two tapered portions (for example, the through straight portion 627a and the through tapered portion 627b of the through positioning hole 627). In contrast, the positioning hole may be configured to have only one straight portion. Also, the positioning hole may be configured to have only one tapered portion. By having only one straight portion or tapered portion, the structure of the pin for drilling the positioning hole can be simplified, and the pin can be easily formed. Furthermore, the positioning hole may be configured to have three or more tapered portions. Also, the positioning hole may be configured to have three or more straight portions.

<Modification 11>
In the first embodiment, the positioning hole formed by the hybrid pin 321 is formed so that two straight portions and two tapered portions are alternately arranged (for example, the through straight portion 627a and the through tapered portion 627b of the through positioning hole 627). In contrast, the positioning hole may be configured so that two straight portions are formed in succession. Specifically, for example, two straight portions are formed in succession, and the straight portions are formed so that the hole has a V-shape when viewed from the front. Then, tapered portions may be formed from both ends of the V-shape, so that the positioning hole has a fan shape when viewed from the front.

<Modification 12>
In the first embodiment, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the game board 13 is transported with the left side of the game board 13 as seen from the front leading, and the through straight portion 627a is configured to be parallel to the vertical direction of the game board 13 as seen from the front, so that the straight portion formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a of the positioning holes drilled and formed by the hybrid pins 321 is perpendicular to the transport direction of the game board 13. In contrast, since the straight portion formed by the hybrid straight portion 324a only needs to be positioned perpendicular to the transport direction of the game board 13, for example, when the game board 13 is transported with the upper side of the game board 13 as seen from the front leading, the through straight portion 627a may be configured to be parallel to the horizontal direction of the game board as seen from the front.

<Modification 13>
In the fourth embodiment, a modified hybrid pin 331 is used as an improved version of the hybrid pin 321 to drill and form a positioning hole in the game board 13. In contrast, as an improved version of the straight pin 301, a modified straight tapered portion may be formed in the modified straight body of the modified straight pin, and the modified straight pin may be used to drill and form a positioning hole, thereby suppressing peeling of the cell sheet 60a. Specifically, the modified straight tapered portion is formed at a distance of 3.8 mm to 6.5 mm from the modified straight tip of the modified straight body (i.e., the boundary between the modified straight body and the modified straight flange). The shaft diameter of this modified straight taper portion is 2.80 mm at a distance of 3.8 mm from the tip of the modified straight, and gradually increases from there (the shaft diameter of the modified straight taper portion increases by 0.05 mm for every 0.2 mm increase in distance from the point where the distance is 3.8 mm from the tip of the modified straight), and is formed into an approximately inverted truncated cone shape that gradually tapers to 3.50 mm at a distance of 6.5 mm from the tip of the modified straight.

<Modification 14>
In the above embodiments, when a component is plated, the plated layer is applied uniformly to the base of the component, and the pin for drilling the positioning hole is selected on the assumption that the thickness of the plated layer is uniform. In contrast, the pin for drilling the positioning hole may be selected on the assumption that the thickness of the plated layer on the component may not be applied uniformly due to manufacturing unevenness. Specifically, when manufacturing unevenness in the thickness of the plated layer is likely to occur due to the characteristics of each component (e.g., the size of the entire component), a hybrid pin 321 or a tapered pin 311 is used to drill and form a positioning hole that can accommodate the manufacturing unevenness. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to easily insert the protrusion into the positioning hole even if manufacturing unevenness occurs in the plated layer.

<Modification 15>
In the above embodiments, the pins for drilling the positioning holes were selected on the assumption that the resin parts of the protrusions excluding the plating layer have a length of 2 mm and a diameter of φ2.4 mm, which are almost common specifications. In contrast, the pins for drilling the positioning holes may be selected on the assumption that the shape of the protrusions may be subject to errors due to manufacturing variations in the resin parts of the protrusions. Specifically, when manufacturing variations in the shape of the protrusions are likely to occur due to the characteristics of each part (for example, differences in the resin components that make up the parts), positioning holes that can accommodate manufacturing variations are drilled and formed using the hybrid pin 321 or the tapered pin 311. By configuring in this way, it is possible to make it easier to insert the protrusions into the positioning holes even if manufacturing variations in the shape of the protrusions occur.

<Modification 16>
In each of the above embodiments, the game board 13 is formed of a wooden base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a, and each positioning hole is drilled in the game board 13. In contrast to this, the game board (hereinafter referred to as a "transparent resin plate") may be formed of a transparent synthetic resin material, and each positioning hole may be drilled in the transparent resin plate by a straight pin 301, a tapered pin 311, or a hybrid pin 321. The transparent resin plate is made of a transparent synthetic resin material (for example, fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP))) that is visible on the back side. The transparent resin plate is made of a base plate 60 that is an elastically deformable member, but has higher strength and hardness than the base plate 60, so is less likely to deform elastically than the base plate 60, but is configured to be a transparent resin plate that can be elastically deformed to insert the protrusions of each component when the protrusions of each component are inserted.

<Modification 17>
In each of the above embodiments, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the characteristics of the parts are evaluated according to the transport distance from when the parts are placed on the game board 13 until when they are fixed with screws, and the positioning holes to be drilled and formed are selected based on the characteristics. In contrast to this, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, the characteristics of the parts may be evaluated according to the position of the protrusions of the parts relative to the transport direction of the game board 13, and the positioning holes to be drilled and formed may be selected based on the characteristics. Specifically, for example, in the manufacturing process of the game board 13, for one part, the protrusions on the leading end side in the transport direction and the protrusions on the rear side in the transport direction receive different impacts when the transport of the game board 13 is stopped. In detail, when the transport of the game board 13 is stopped, the protrusions on the rear side in the transport direction may rotate upward on the game board 13 with the protrusions on the leading end side in the transport direction as an axis. Therefore, the positioning holes for the protrusions on the leading end side in the transport direction are drilled and formed by the tapered pins 311, and the positioning holes for the protrusions on the rear side in the transport direction are drilled and formed by the straight pins 301 or the hybrid pins 321. By configuring it in this manner, even if the transport of the game board 13 stops, the protrusion on the rear side in the transport direction is firmly held in the positioning hole, making it difficult for the protrusion to pop out of the positioning hole and preventing the parts from shifting relative to the game board 13.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where one start winning hole 4a, through which the lottery for the big win is started when a ball enters the hole, is provided on the game board 13 has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and multiple (e.g., two) start winning holes, through which the lottery for the big win is started when the ball enters the hole, may be provided on the game board 13 independently. Specifically, for example, a left start winning hole through which the ball enters in the normal game state of the pachinko machine 10 is provided in the center of the game area of the game board 13, and a right start winning hole through which the ball enters in the advantageous state of the pachinko machine 10 (e.g., probability fluctuation state, time reduction state, or big win state) is provided on the right side of the game area of the game board 13. In this case, the right start winning hole is configured so that almost no balls pass through or come into contact with it in the normal game state of the pachinko machine 10, and is therefore evaluated as "low" in the evaluation item of "ball passing amount", and a pin for drilling a positioning hole for the protrusion of the right start winning hole is selected based on this evaluation. On the other hand, the left side start winning hole is configured so that balls pass through or come into contact with it frequently during normal play of the pachinko machine 10, so it is evaluated as "high" in the evaluation category of "amount of balls passing through," and the pin for drilling the positioning hole for the protrusion of the left side start winning hole is selected based on that evaluation.

In each of the above embodiments, the winning entry into the start winning port 4a and the passing through the through gate 7 are each configured to be reserved up to four times, but the maximum number of reserved balls is not limited to four times and may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). In addition, the number of reserved balls displayed as a variable display based on the winning entry into the start winning port 4a may be displayed in a part of the special pattern display device 81 as numbers, or in four divided areas with different modes (e.g., colors or lighting patterns) depending on the number of reserved balls, and a light-emitting element such as a lamp may be provided separately from the first pattern display device 87a, and the number of reserved balls may be notified by the light-emitting element.

The present invention may also be implemented in a type of pachinko machine that is different from the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly known as a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which the expected value of a jackpot is increased until a jackpot state occurs multiple times (for example, two or three times) including the first jackpot. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game in which the player is given a predetermined game value after the jackpot pattern is displayed, with the necessary condition being that the ball enters a predetermined area. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a winning device with a special area such as a V zone, and the special game state is entered with the necessary condition being that the ball enters the special area. Furthermore, in addition to pachinko machines, it may also be implemented as various gaming machines such as arepachi, mahjong ball, slot machines, and gaming machines that are a combination of a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

Below, we will explain the gaming machine of the present invention as well as the various inventive concepts included in the above-mentioned embodiments.

<Group A>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., a gaming board 13) composed of a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) forming a playing area on the front side where a game is played with a gaming medium, and a part (e.g., a through gate 7) fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The part comprises:
A base portion (e.g., a through base portion 7b) that contacts the plate body;
A protrusion (e.g., through protrusions 7e, 7f) is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body is
A hole (e.g., a through positioning hole 626, 627) is provided so that the protrusion of the component can be inserted therein;
The hole is
an insertion receiving portion (e.g., a through taper portion 627b) that receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole;
A holding portion (for example, a through straight portion 627a) for holding the protrusion portion to be inserted into the hole;
A gaming machine A0 characterized by comprising:

According to the gaming machine A0, a game area where a game is played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, and a game board is formed by the plate and parts, a protrusion is provided on the part on the side of the base that contacts the plate, a hole is formed in the plate into which the protrusion of the part can be inserted, the insertion receiving part receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole, and the holding part holds the protrusion inserted into the hole. This allows the protrusion of the part to be inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving part of the hole, while the holding part of the hole holds the protrusion of the part. This has the effect of preventing the protrusion from being removed from the plate by ensuring that the protrusion can be inserted into the hole and held continuously, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board. Note that "attachment performance of the parts to the game board" refers to the ease of attaching the parts to the game board, the ease of attachment work, and the difficulty of removing the parts once attached to the game board.

In the gaming machine A0,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
The gaming machine A1 is characterized in that the insertion receiving portion and the holding portion are respectively formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole.

Gaming machine A1 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine A0. That is, the hole has a predetermined depth relative to the plate body, and an insertion receiving portion and a holding portion are respectively formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. This allows the protrusion to be inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, while the holding portion also formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole immediately holds the protrusion inserted into the hole.

Conventionally, a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted is a (first) hole capable of holding the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge). This (first) hole has only an elastically deformable holding part on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and is configured so that the protrusion of the part inserted into the (first) hole can be held by the holding part of the (first) hole. However, when attempting to insert a protrusion into the (first) hole, because only the holding part is formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, a situation occurs in which the protrusion is not inserted securely into the (first) hole, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate.

In addition, there is a (second) hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted, which has an insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole that easily accepts the insertion of the protrusion. This (second) hole has only an insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted, and also has an insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole. This (second) hole is configured so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole due to the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole, and is configured to be able to hold the protrusion inserted into the (second) hole due to the insertion holding portion provided inside the (second) hole. However, the plate body has individual differences (differences in plate thickness or hardness) due to manufacturing irregularities during manufacturing, and the function of the insertion receiving portion or insertion holding portion of the (second) hole may be reduced due to the influence of the individual differences.

Specifically, for example, when the (second) hole is formed large due to the influence of individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is formed large, and the insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole is also formed large, resulting in a situation where the protrusion of the part inserted inside the (second) hole is not held securely, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate body. Also, for example, when the (second) hole is formed small due to the influence of individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is formed small, and the protrusion is not inserted securely into the (second) hole, resulting in a situation where the part is not securely fixed to the plate body.

Therefore, an insertion receiving portion and a holding portion are formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole into which the protrusion of the part can be inserted. As a result, the protrusion can be inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge), while the protrusion inserted into the hole can be immediately held by the holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge). This has the effect of allowing the protrusion to be securely inserted into the hole and continued to be held there.

In the gaming machine A1,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
The gaming machine A2 is characterized in that the holding portion is equipped with a constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the through straight portion 627a) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine A2 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine A1. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the constant load means provided in the holding part constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side of the hole (hole edge) to a predetermined depth. This allows the constant load means to constantly apply the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion, thereby holding the protrusion. This has the effect of making it possible to continue holding the protrusion inserted into the hole.

In the gaming machine A2,
The constant load means is characterized in that the size of the holding portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion.

Gaming machine A3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine A2. That is, in the constant load means, the size of the holding portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This allows the plate body to elastically deform so that the protrusion can be inserted into the holding portion, and the elastic force of the plate body can be constantly applied to the protrusion inserted into the holding portion. Therefore, the constant load means of the holding portion continues to hold the protrusion inserted into the hole, preventing the part from coming off the plate body, and improving the mounting performance of the part to the gaming board.

In any one of the gaming machines A1 to A3,
The insertion receiving portion is provided with an insertion holding portion (e.g., a portion where the outer diameter of the through taper portion 627b contacts the through protrusion 7f) that holds the protrusion from a predetermined portion less than the predetermined depth of the hole (e.g., a portion where the long diameter of the through taper portion 627b and the diameter of the through protrusion 7f coincide) to the predetermined depth, the gaming machine A4 being characterized in that it is provided with an insertion holding portion (e.g., a portion where the outer diameter of the through taper portion 627b contacts the through protrusion 7f).

In addition to the effects of the gaming machines A1 to A3, the gaming machine A4 has the following effect. That is, on the surface of the hole, the protrusion is inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the hole is held by the insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole by the insertion receiving portion provided on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the protrusion inserted into the hole can be held by the insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the hole to the predetermined depth. Therefore, the protrusion is held by the holding portion, and the protrusion can be additionally held by the insertion holding portion, which increases the holding force of the protrusion inserted into the hole, prevents the part from coming off the plate, and improves the mounting performance of the part on the gaming board.

In the gaming machine A4,
The insertion receiving portion is
The size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
The size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole,
The gaming machine A5 is characterized in that the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from the specified portion of the hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine A5 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine A4. That is, on the surface side of the hole (hole edge), the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and at a predetermined depth of the hole, the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the insertion holding portion forms the size of the insertion receiving portion smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the hole to a predetermined depth.

Conventionally, a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted is a (first) hole capable of holding the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge). This (first) hole has only an elastically deformable holding part on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the holding part is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the protrusion of the part inserted into the (first) hole can be held by the holding part of the (first) hole. However, when attempting to insert the protrusion into the (first) hole, because the size of the holding part is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, a situation has arisen in which the protrusion cannot be securely inserted into the (first) hole, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate.

In addition, there is a (second) hole that can easily accept the insertion of a protrusion on the surface side (edge) of the hole as a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted. This (second) hole has only an insertion receiving portion on the surface side (edge) of the (second) hole so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted, and also has an insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole. In this (second) hole, the size of the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (edge) of the (second) hole is configured to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted on the surface of the (second) hole, and the insertion holding portion provided inside the (second) hole is configured to be able to hold the protrusion inserted into the (second) hole. However, the plate body has individual differences (differences in plate thickness or hardness) due to manufacturing irregularities during manufacturing, and the function of the insertion receiving portion or insertion holding portion of the (second) hole may be reduced due to the influence of the individual differences.

Specifically, for example, if the (second) hole is made large due to individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is made large, and the insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole is also made large, resulting in a situation where the protrusion of the part inserted inside the (second) hole is not held securely, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate body. Also, for example, if the (second) hole is made small due to individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is made small, and the protrusion is not inserted securely into the (second) hole, resulting in a situation where the part is not securely fixed to the plate body.

Therefore, as a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted, the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole, and the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the hole to a predetermined depth by an insertion holding portion provided in the insertion receiving portion. In addition, the elastic force of the plate body is constantly applied to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined depth by the constant load means of the holding portion. By configuring in this way, since the size of the insertion receiving portion is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface of the hole, it is easy to insert the protrusion into the hole, and since the size of the insertion receiving portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from the predetermined part to the predetermined depth, the protrusion inserted in the hole can be held. In addition, the elastic force of the plate body can be constantly applied to the protrusion by the constant load means of the holding portion to hold the protrusion. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole and also allowing the protrusion to be held in place once inserted into the hole.

In the gaming machine A5,
The size of the insertion receiving portion is configured to taper gradually from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole in the depth direction.

Gaming machine A6 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine A5. That is, the size of the insertion receiving portion is configured to gradually taper from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole in the depth direction. This allows the insertion of the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a specified part, holds the protrusion from the specified part to a specified depth, and further makes it possible to gradually strengthen the elastic force of the plate body that is applied to the protrusion from the specified part to the specified depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole and allowing the protrusion inserted into the hole to continue to be held.

In any one of the gaming machines A0 to A6,
At least two of the holding portions are provided,
A gaming machine A7, characterized in that at least two of the holding portions are formed to face each other in the hole.

Gaming machine A7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines A0 to A6. That is, at least two holding parts are provided, and at least two holding parts are formed so as to face each other in the hole. This allows the protrusion of the part to be held by being sandwiched between the holding parts of the hole, which increases the force holding the protrusion and prevents the protrusion from jumping out of the hole.

In any one of the gaming machines A0 to A7,
At least two of the insertion receiving portions are provided,
A gaming machine A8, characterized in that at least two of the insertion receiving portions are formed facing each other in the hole.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines A0 to A7, gaming machine A8 has the following effect. That is, at least two or more insertion receiving portions are provided, and at least two of the insertion receiving portions are formed to face each other in the hole. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion of the part into the hole, since it is possible to insert the protrusion into the hole in the space formed by one insertion receiving portion and the other insertion receiving portion of the hole.

In the gaming machine A8,
In the hole,
The one holding portion and the other holding portion are formed opposite to each other,
A gaming machine A9, characterized in that one of the insertion receiving portions and another of the insertion receiving portions are formed opposite each other.

Gaming machine A9 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine A8. That is, in the hole, one holding portion and another holding portion are formed facing each other, and one insertion receiving portion and another insertion receiving portion are formed facing each other. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole by the insertion receiving portion formed facing each other, and the holding portion formed facing each other can hold the protrusion by sandwiching it. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the hole to be continuously held.

<Group B>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., a gaming board 13) composed of a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) forming a gaming area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a plurality of parts (e.g., a start winning port unit 4, a through gate 7, and a main display unit 87) fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The plurality of parts include:
A base portion (e.g., a starting base portion 4e, a through base portion 7b, and a main display base portion 87f) that contacts the plate body;
A protrusion (e.g., starting protrusions 4i, 4j, through protrusions 7e, 7f, or main display protrusions 87j, 87k) is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body includes a plurality of types of holes (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610, starter positioning holes 620, 621, or through positioning holes 626, 627) having different shapes that allow the projections of the components to be inserted therein;
A gaming machine B0, characterized in that one type of the holes is selected and arranged on the component from the plurality of types of holes.

According to the gaming machine B0, a game area where games are played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, multiple parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, and a game board is formed by the plate and multiple parts, and protrusions are provided on the multiple parts on the side of the base that contacts the plate, and multiple types of holes with different shapes into which the protrusions of the parts can be inserted are formed on the plate, and one type of hole is selected and arranged for each part. This allows holes of different shapes to be provided for each part, and the parts can be arranged on the plate using the holes corresponding to each part. Therefore, the protrusions of each part can be inserted and held in the holes respectively formed on the plate, preventing each part from coming off the plate and improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In the gaming machine B0,
The part comprises:
A first part configured based on a first characteristic;
a second part configured based on a second characteristic different from the first characteristic;
The gaming machine B1 is characterized in that the multiple types of holes are formed in different shapes based on the first characteristic or the second characteristic.

Gaming machine B1 provides the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine B0. That is, among the parts, a first part is configured based on a first characteristic, and a second part is configured based on a second characteristic different from the first characteristic. Also, the multiple types of holes are formed in different shapes based on the first characteristic or second characteristic of the parts. This allows the parts to be arranged on the plate using holes corresponding to the characteristics of each part. This has the effect that protrusions of parts with different characteristics can be inserted and held in holes respectively formed according to the characteristics.

In the gaming machine B1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
a second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on a surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
Inserting the protrusion of the first component into the first hole;
A gaming machine B2, characterized in that the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the second hole.

Gaming machine B2 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine B1. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth relative to the plate body and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the protrusion is held by the first holding portion. In a second hole having only a second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the insertion of the protrusion is received by the second insertion receiving portion. Also, the protrusion of the first part is inserted into the first hole, and the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the second hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and arranging the parts on the plate body using the holes corresponding to the parts.

In the gaming machine B1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
Inserting the protrusion of the first component into the first hole;
A gaming machine B3, characterized in that the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the third hole.

Gaming machine B3 has the following effects in addition to those of gaming machine B1. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth relative to the plate and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the first auxiliary holding portion holds the protrusion. In a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. Furthermore, the protrusion of the first part is inserted into the first hole, and the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and arranging the parts on the plate using the holes corresponding to the parts.

In the gaming machine B1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a front surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
Inserting the protrusion of the first component into the second hole;
A gaming machine B4, characterized in that the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the third hole.

Gaming machine B4 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine B1. That is, in the second hole, which has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate and has only the second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. In the third hole, which has the third insertion receiving portion and the third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. In addition, the protrusion of the first part is inserted into the second hole, and the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and arranging the parts on the plate using the holes corresponding to the parts.

In the gaming machine B1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
A second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a front surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
the part includes a third part configured based on a third characteristic different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic;
Inserting the protrusion of the first component into the first hole;
Inserting the protrusion of the second component into the second hole;
A gaming machine B5, characterized in that the protrusion of the third part is inserted into the third hole.

According to gaming machine B5, in addition to the effects of gaming machine B1, the following effects are achieved. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the protrusion is held by the first holding portion. In a second hole having only a second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. In a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. In addition, the part includes a third part configured based on a third characteristic different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and further, the protrusion of the first part is inserted into the first hole, the protrusion of the second part is inserted into the second hole, and the protrusion of the third part is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of each hole different, allowing each component to be placed on the plate using holes that correspond to the protrusions of the components, each of which has different characteristics.

In any one of gaming machines B2 to B5,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
Gaming machine B6 is characterized in that the first holding portion is provided with a first constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the main display positioning holes 609, 610) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the first hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine B6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines B2 to B5. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the first constant load means provided in the first holding section constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the first hole to a predetermined depth. This has the effect of constantly applying the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion inserted into the first hole by the first constant load means, thereby holding the protrusion.

In any one of gaming machines B3 to B6,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
Gaming machine B7 is characterized in that the third retaining portion is provided with a third constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the through straight portion 627a) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the third hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine B7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines B3 to B6. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the third constant load means provided in the third holding portion constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the third hole to a predetermined depth. This has the effect of constantly applying the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion inserted into the third hole by the third constant load means, thereby holding the protrusion.

In gaming machine B6 or B7,
The gaming machine B8 is characterized in that the first constant load means or the third constant load means forms the size of the first holding portion or the third holding portion to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion.

Gaming machine B8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machines B6 and B7. That is, in the first constant load means or the third constant load means, the size of the first holding portion or the third holding portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This allows the plate body to elastically deform so that the protrusion can be inserted into the first holding portion or the third holding portion, and the elastic force of the plate body can be constantly applied to the protrusion inserted into the first holding portion or the third holding portion. This has the effect that the constant load means of the first holding portion or the third holding portion can continue to hold the protrusion inserted into the first hole or the third hole.

In any one of gaming machines B2 to B8,
The second insertion receiving portion is characterized in that it has a second insertion holding portion (for example, a portion that contacts the outer shape of the starting protrusions 4i, 4j in the starting positioning holes 620, 621) that holds the protrusion from a specified portion less than the specified depth of the second hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine B9 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B2 to B8. That is, on the surface side (edge) of the second hole, the protrusion is inserted into the second hole by the second insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the second hole is held by the second insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the second hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole by the second insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the second hole can be held by the second insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the second hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the second hole to be continuously held.

In any one of gaming machines B3 to B9,
The gaming machine B10 is characterized in that the third insertion receiving portion is provided with a third insertion retaining portion (for example, a portion that contacts the outer shape of the through protrusion 7f in the through taper portion 627b) that retains the protrusion from a specified portion less than the specified depth of the third hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine B9 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B2 to B8. That is, on the surface side (edge) of the third hole, the protrusion is inserted into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the third hole is held by the third insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the third hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the third hole can be held by the third insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the third hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to be continuously held.

In gaming machine B9 or B10,
The second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is
The size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
At a predetermined depth of the hole, a size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than an outer shape of the protrusion,
The gaming machine B11 is characterized in that the size of the second insertion holding portion or the third insertion holding portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion portion from the specified portion to the specified depth.

According to the gaming machine B11, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine B9 or B10, the following effects are achieved. That is, in the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion, the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole, and the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined portion to a predetermined depth by the second insertion holding portion or the third insertion holding portion. As a result, since the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, it is easy to insert the protrusion into the second hole or the third hole. Also, since the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from the predetermined portion to a predetermined depth, the protrusion inserted into the second hole or the third hole can be held. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the second or third hole, and also making it possible to continue to hold the protrusion inserted into the second or third hole.

In the gaming machine B11,
A gaming machine B12, characterized in that the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is configured to gradually taper from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole in the depth direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine B11, gaming machine B12 provides the following effects. That is, the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is configured to gradually taper from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole toward the depth direction. This allows the insertion of the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined portion, holds the protrusion from the predetermined portion to a predetermined depth, and further increases the elastic force of the plate body that is gradually applied to the protrusion from the predetermined portion to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole or the third hole, continuing to hold the protrusion inserted into the second hole or the third hole, preventing each part from coming off the plate body, and improving the mounting performance of the parts on the gaming board.

In any one of the gaming machines B0 to B12,
A gaming machine B13, characterized in that the shape of the hole of the part varies based on the characteristics of the part.

Gaming machine B13 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B0 to B12. That is, the shape of the holes is configured to vary based on the characteristics of the parts. This has the effect of allowing a hole with a shape corresponding to the characteristics of the part to be selected, and the part to be placed on the plate using the selected hole.

A hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted is a first hole capable of holding the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. This first hole has only a first retaining part that is elastically deformable on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the first retaining part is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This has the excellent effect that the protrusion of a part inserted into the first hole is configured to be able to be held by the first retaining part of the first hole. However, there is a drawback in that when an attempt is made to insert the protrusion into the first hole, the size of the first auxiliary retaining part is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so the protrusion may not be inserted securely into the first hole.

In addition, there is a second hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted, which has only a second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole that receives the insertion of the protrusion. This second hole has a second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted, and also has a second insertion holding portion inside the hole. In this second hole, the size of the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is configured to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the size of the second insertion holding portion inside the hole is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the surface side (hole edge) of the second hole is configured to easily insert the protrusion of the part, and the second insertion holding portion provided inside the second hole is configured to be able to hold the protrusion inserted into the second hole, which has an excellent effect.

However, there are individual differences (differences in plate thickness or hardness) due to manufacturing irregularities during manufacturing, and the function of the second insertion receiving portion or second insertion holding portion of the second hole may be reduced due to the influence of these individual differences. Specifically, for example, if the second hole is formed large due to the influence of individual differences in the plate, the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side of the hole (hole edge) will be formed large, and the second insertion holding portion inside the hole will also be formed large, resulting in the disadvantage that the protrusion of the part inserted inside the second hole will not be held securely.

In addition, for example, if the second hole is made small due to individual differences in the plate body, the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side of the hole (hole edge) will be made small, which has the disadvantage that the protrusion cannot be securely inserted into the second hole.

Here, a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third retaining portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted. In this third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion. In addition, in the third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole. Furthermore, in the third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the third hole to a predetermined depth by the third insertion retaining portion. In addition, the elastic force of the plate is constantly applied to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined depth by the third constant load means of the third retaining portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole.

By configuring in this way, the size of the third insertion receiving portion is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and the size of the third insertion receiving portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined portion to a predetermined depth, making it possible to hold the protrusion inserted into the third hole. In addition, there is an excellent effect in that the third constant load means of the third holding portion can constantly apply the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion to hold the protrusion. However, the third hole has both the function of making it easier to insert the protrusion of the part into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion and the function of holding the protrusion inserted into the third hole by the third holding portion, but the second insertion receiving portion of the second hole is higher in the function of making it easier to insert the protrusion than the third insertion receiving portion of the third hole, and the first holding portion of the first hole is higher in the function of holding the protrusion than the third holding portion of the third hole.

Therefore, by selecting either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole based on the characteristics of the part, and arranging the part on the plate using the selected first hole, second hole or third hole, it is possible to insert and hold the protrusions, which have different characteristics depending on the part, into the first hole, second hole or third hole of the plate.

In the gaming machine B13,
the characteristic of the part is the weight of the part;
The gaming machine B14 is characterized in that the part is arranged on the plate through any one of the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the weight.

Gaming machine B14 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine B13. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the weight of the part.

For example, a light part has a light weight, so even if a protrusion is inserted into a hole, the protrusion is likely to come off the hole. Therefore, the light part is arranged on the plate using the first hole, in which the protrusion is easily held, rather than the second hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted. Furthermore, a heavy part has a heavy weight, so once a protrusion is inserted into a hole, the protrusion is unlikely to come off the hole. Therefore, the heavy part is arranged on the plate using the second hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted, rather than the first hole, in which the protrusion is easily held. Furthermore, a part that is neither heavy nor light does not have any outstanding characteristics, so it is arranged on the plate using the third hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted and which the protrusion is easily held.

In this way, by holding the protrusion using a hole that corresponds to the weight of the part, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on the weight of the part, and the protrusion can be inserted into the hole and continued to be held in place. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In gaming machine B13 or B14,
the characteristic of the part is the number of protrusions of the part;
The gaming machine B15 is characterized in that the component is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole provided based on the number of the protrusions.

Gaming machine B15 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machines B13 and B14. That is, the part is arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the number of protrusions of the part.

For example, in a component with a small number of protrusions, the total holding force obtained by adding up the holding force of each protrusion by each hole is weak, and even if a protrusion is inserted into a hole, the protrusion is likely to come off the hole. Therefore, components with a small number of protrusions are arranged on a plate using the first hole, in which the protrusion is easily held, rather than the second hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted. Also, components with a large number of protrusions have a large number of protrusions, so the total holding force obtained by adding up the holding force of each protrusion by each hole is strong, and even if a protrusion is inserted into a hole, the protrusion is unlikely to come off the hole. Therefore, components with a large number of protrusions are arranged on a plate using the second hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted, rather than the first hole, in which the protrusion is easily held. Furthermore, components with neither a small nor a large number of protrusions have no outstanding characteristics, so they are arranged on a plate using the third hole, in which the protrusion is easily inserted and is easily held.

In this way, by holding the protrusions using holes that correspond to the number of protrusions on the part, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusions into the holes or fixation based on the number of protrusions on the part, and to continue holding the protrusions while inserting them into the holes. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B15,
The characteristic of the part is whether or not the part is plated,
The gaming machine B16 is characterized in that the component is arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided depending on whether or not the plating process is performed.

Gaming machine B16 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B15. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on whether or not the part is plated.

For example, if the part has been plated, the thickness of the protrusion of the fixture will be increased by the thickness of the plating layer from the plating process. For this reason, the protrusion is placed on the plate using the second or third hole, through which it is easier to insert it. On the other hand, if the part has not been plated, there is no plating layer from the plating process. For this reason, the protrusion is placed on the plate using the first or third hole, through which it is easier to hold the protrusion, rather than the second hole, through which it is easier to insert it.

In this way, the protrusion of the part is held using a hole that corresponds to whether the part is plated or not. This allows the selection of whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on whether the part is plated or not, and allows the protrusion to be inserted into the hole while continuing to be held. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B16,
The characteristic of the part is the degree of influence of the part on the game result,
The gaming machine B17 is characterized in that the parts are arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided based on the degree of influence on the game result.

Gaming machine B17 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B16. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on the degree of influence of the part on the game result.

For example, parts that have a large effect on the game outcome (such as the start winning slot unit 4) will cause the game outcome to fluctuate significantly if the protrusion is not firmly inserted into the hole. Therefore, parts that have a large effect on the game outcome are placed on the plate using the second or third hole, which is easier to insert the protrusion into, with priority given to inserting them into the hole first. Furthermore, parts that have a small (or no) effect on the game outcome (such as the main display unit 87) will have a small effect on the game outcome even if the protrusion is not inserted into the hole. Therefore, parts that have a small effect on the game outcome are placed on the plate using the first hole, which is easier to hold the protrusion when inserted into the hole.

In this way, the protrusion of the part is held using a hole that corresponds to the degree of influence of the part on the game result. This allows the selection of whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on the degree of influence of the part on the game result, and allows the protrusion to be inserted into the hole while continuing to be held in place. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In any one of the gaming machines B13 to FIG.
the characteristic of the part is a passing amount (amount of contact) of the game medium through the part;
The gaming machine B18 is characterized in that the part is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole that is provided based on the passing amount (contact amount).

Gaming machine B18 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B17. That is, the game medium is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on the amount of game medium passing through (amount of contact with) the part.

For example, parts that allow a large amount of game media to pass through (amount of contact) (such as the start winning slot unit 4) have a large effect on the game media if they are not firmly fixed, causing the game results to fluctuate greatly. Therefore, parts that allow a large amount of game media to pass through (amount of contact) are arranged on the plate using the second hole, which is easier to insert the protrusion into, with priority given to inserting the parts into the holes first. Also, parts that allow a small amount of game media to pass through (amount of contact) (such as the main display unit 87) have a small amount of game media to pass through (amount of contact) even if the protrusion is not inserted into the hole, so there is little effect on the game results. Therefore, parts that allow a small amount of game media to pass through (amount of contact) are arranged on the plate using the first hole, which is easier to hold the protrusion when inserted into the hole.

In this way, by holding the protrusion of the part using a hole that corresponds to the amount of game media passing through (amount of contact) in the part, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on the amount of game media passing through (amount of contact) in the part, and to continue holding the protrusion while inserting it into the hole. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of the parts to the game board.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B18,
The plate body is provided with partition members (e.g., an inner rail 61, an outer rail 62, and a right corner ornament 70) for partitioning and forming the play area on the front side of the plate body,
The characteristic of the component is whether or not the arrangement position of the component is within the play area defined by the partition member;
The gaming machine B19 is characterized in that the part is arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided based on whether the part is located within the play area or not.

Gaming machine B19 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B18. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on whether the placement position of the part is within the play area defined by the partition member.

For example, parts placed within the play area (e.g., the start winning slot unit 4 or the through gate 7) come into contact with the game medium inserted into the play area, and if they are not firmly fixed, they can have a large effect on the flow direction of the game medium, which can cause the game result to fluctuate greatly. Therefore, parts placed within the play area are placed on the plate using the second or third hole, which is easier to insert the protrusion into, with priority given to inserting them into the hole first. Also, parts placed outside the play area (e.g., the main display unit 87) do not come into contact with the game medium even if they are not fixed, so there is no effect on the game result. Therefore, parts placed outside the play area are placed on the plate using the first hole, which is easier to hold the protrusion.

In this way, by holding the protrusion of a part using a hole that corresponds to whether the part is located within the play area or not, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on whether the part is in contact with the play medium, and to continue to hold the protrusion while inserting it into the hole. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, and improving the attachment performance of the parts to the play board.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B19,
The game board is
a component mounting step of inserting the protrusion into the hole to mount the component on the plate body;
A conveying step of conveying the plate body;
a component fixing step of fixing the component placed on the plate body with a fixture (e.g., a screw),
the characteristic of the component is a length of a transport distance from when the component is placed on the plate in the component placement step to when the component is fixed by the fixture in the component fixing step;
The gaming machine B20 is characterized in that the parts are arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole that is provided based on the length of the transport distance.

Gaming machine B20 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B19. That is, the game board is provided with a game board formed through each of the above steps, in which a protrusion is inserted into a hole in the part placement step to place a part on the plate, the plate is transported in the transport step, and the part placed on the plate is fixed with a fixture in the part fixing step, and the part is arranged on the plate through either a first hole, a second hole, or a third hole that is provided based on the length of the transport distance from when the part is placed on the plate in the part placement step to when the part is fixed with the fixture in the part fixing step.

For example, parts that require a long transport distance (such as the board side decoration 8) have a long transport distance from when they are placed on the plate to when they are fixed, and therefore are susceptible to shocks that occur during transport, such as when transport stops or starts, and may shift from their original placement position. Therefore, parts that require a long transport distance are placed on the plate using the first or third hole so that the protrusions are firmly held by the holes. Also, parts that require a short transport distance (such as the start winning slot unit 4) have a short transport distance from when they are placed on the plate to when they are fixed, and therefore are less susceptible to shocks that occur during transport, and are less likely to shift from their original placement position. Therefore, parts that require a short transport distance are placed on the plate using the second hole, with priority given to firmly inserting the protrusions into the holes over holding the protrusions by the holes.

In this way, by holding the protrusion of the part using a hole that corresponds to the length of the transport distance from when the part is placed on the plate until it is fixed, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on the possibility of the part being misaligned, and to continue to hold the protrusion while inserting it into the hole.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B20,
The characteristic of the part is a unit price of the part,
The gaming machine B21 is characterized in that the component is arranged on the plate through any one of the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the unit price of the component.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B20, gaming machine B21 has the following effect. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the unit price of the part.

For example, parts with a high unit price will incur large losses if they are damaged and need to be replaced. Therefore, parts with a high unit price are placed on the plate using the first hole to ensure that the protrusion is securely held in the hole. Also, parts with a low unit price will not incur large losses if they are damaged and need to be replaced. Therefore, parts with a low unit price are placed on the plate using the second or third hole to ensure that the protrusion can be securely inserted into the hole.

In this way, it is possible to select whether to prioritize inserting the protrusion into the hole or to prioritize fixing it based on the unit price of the part, and the protrusion can be inserted into the hole and maintained in place.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B21,
The characteristic of the part is whether or not it is a common part commonly used in different types of gaming machines,
The gaming machine B22 is characterized in that the component is arranged on the plate body through any one of the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on whether or not the component is a common component.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B21, gaming machine B22 has the following effect. That is, the part is arranged on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on whether the part is a common part commonly used in gaming machines of different models.

For example, if the part is a non-common part that is not commonly used across different types of gaming machines, workers are not accustomed to handling the part and are therefore more likely to make mistakes when working on it. Therefore, non-common parts are placed on the plate using the second or third hole to ensure that the protrusion is inserted into the hole. Also, if the part is a common part that is commonly used across different types of gaming machines, workers are accustomed to handling the part and are less likely to make mistakes when working on it. Therefore, they are placed on the plate using the first hole to ensure that the protrusion is firmly held in the hole.

In this way, it is possible to select whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on whether the part is a commonly used part, and to continue to hold the protrusion in the hole while inserting it. This has the effect of preventing parts with different characteristics from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of parts to the game board.

In any one of gaming machines B13 to B22,
A gaming machine B23, characterized in that the shape of the hole of the part varies based on a plurality of characteristics of the part.

Gaming machine B23 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines B13 to B22. That is, the shape of the holes is configured to differ based on the multiple characteristics of the part. This makes it possible to select the optimal hole taking into account the multiple characteristics of the part, and to place the part on the plate using the selected hole. This has the effect of allowing the protrusion of the part to be inserted and held in the optimal hole corresponding to the multiple characteristics of the part.

In any one of gaming machines B3 to B23,
At least two third holding portions are provided,
A gaming machine B24, characterized in that at least two of the third holding portions are formed to face each other in the third hole.

Gaming machine B24 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines B3 to B23. That is, at least two third holding portions are provided, and at least two of the third holding portions are formed to face each other in the third hole. This allows the protrusion of the part to be held by being sandwiched between the third holding portions in the third hole, increasing the force holding the protrusion and preventing the protrusion from popping out of the third hole. This has the effect of allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to continue to be held.

In any one of gaming machines B3 to B24,
At least two of the third insertion receiving portions are provided,
A gaming machine B25, characterized in that at least two of the third insertion receiving portions are formed facing each other in the third hole.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines B3 to B24, gaming machine B25 has the following effect. That is, at least two third insertion receiving portions are provided, and at least two third insertion receiving portions are formed to face each other in the third hole. This has the effect of making it easier to insert a protrusion of a part into the space formed by one third insertion receiving portion and the other third insertion receiving portion of the third hole.

In the gaming machine B25,
In the third hole,
One of the third holding portions and another of the third holding portions are formed to face each other,
A gaming machine B26, characterized in that one of the third insertion receiving portions and another of the third insertion receiving portions are formed opposite each other.

Gaming machine B26 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine B25. That is, in the third hole, one third holding portion and another third holding portion are formed facing each other, and one third insertion receiving portion and another third insertion receiving portion are formed facing each other. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion formed facing each other, and the protrusion can be held by being sandwiched between the third holding portions formed facing each other. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to be continuously held.

<Group C>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., a gaming board 13) that is configured by a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) that forms a gaming area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a part (e.g., a start winning port unit 4 of the second embodiment) that is fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The part comprises:
A base portion (e.g., a starting base portion 4e) that contacts the plate body;
A plurality of protrusions (e.g., starting protrusions 4i1, 4j) are provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body includes a plurality of types of holes (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having different shapes that allow the projections of the components to be inserted therein,
The gaming machine C0 is characterized in that different types of holes are selected and arranged for each of the protrusions.

According to gaming machine C0, a game area where games are played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, a game board is formed by the plate and parts, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the parts on the side of the base that contacts the plate, and a plurality of types of holes with different shapes into which each protrusion of the parts can be inserted are formed on the plate, and different types of holes are selected and arranged for each protrusion. This allows the parts to be arranged on the plate using different types of holes for each protrusion of one part. This has the effect of allowing the protrusions to be inserted into the types of holes corresponding to each protrusion of one part while continuing to be held.

In the gaming machine C0,
The protrusion is
A first protrusion configured based on a first characteristic;
a second protrusion configured based on a second characteristic different from the first characteristic,
The gaming machine C1 is characterized in that the multiple types of holes are formed in different shapes based on the first characteristic or the second characteristic.

Gaming machine C1 achieves the following effects in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machine C0. That is, the first protrusion provided on the protrusion is configured based on a first characteristic, and the second protrusion provided on the protrusion is configured based on a second characteristic different from the first characteristic. Also, the multiple types of holes are formed in different shapes based on the first characteristic or the second characteristic of the protrusion. This allows components to be arranged on the plate using holes that correspond to the characteristics of each of the component's protrusions. This has the effect of allowing protrusions with different characteristics depending on the part of the component to be inserted into the holes in the plate and retained.

In the gaming machine C1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
a second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on a surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
Inserting the first protrusion into the first hole;
A gaming machine C2 characterized in that the second protrusion portion is inserted into the second hole.

Gaming machine C2 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine C1. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth relative to the plate and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the first holding portion holds the protrusion. In a second hole having only a second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. Also, the first protrusion is inserted into the first hole, and the second protrusion is inserted into the second hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and allowing parts to be arranged on the plate using holes corresponding to protrusions with different characteristics.

In the gaming machine C1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a front surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
Inserting the first protrusion into the first hole;
A gaming machine C3 characterized in that the second protrusion portion is inserted into the third hole.

Gaming machine C3 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine C1. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth relative to the plate and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the first holding portion holds the protrusion. In a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. Also, the first protrusion is inserted into the first hole, and the second protrusion is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and arranging parts on the plate using holes corresponding to the protrusions with different characteristics.

In the gaming machine C1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a front surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
Inserting the first protrusion into the second hole;
A gaming machine C4 characterized in that the second protrusion portion is inserted into the third hole.

Gaming machine C4 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine C1. That is, in the second hole, which has a predetermined depth relative to the plate and has only the second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. In the third hole, which has the third insertion receiving portion and the third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. In addition, the first protrusion is inserted into the second hole, and the second protrusion is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of the hole different for each hole, and arranging parts on the plate using holes corresponding to the protrusions with different characteristics.

In the gaming machine C1,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having only a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
A second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
a third hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third holding portion that holds the protrusion on a front surface side (hole edge) of the hole and a third insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion;
the protrusion includes a third protrusion configured based on a third characteristic different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic,
Inserting the first protrusion into the first hole;
The second protrusion is inserted into the second hole;
Gaming machine C5, characterized in that the third protrusion portion is inserted into the third hole.

Gaming machine C5 has the following effects in addition to those of gaming machine C1. That is, in a first hole having a predetermined depth relative to the plate body and only a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the first holding portion holds the protrusion. In a second hole having only a second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. In a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third holding portion holds the protrusion. In addition, the third protrusion is provided as the protrusion, which is configured with a third characteristic different from the first characteristic and the second characteristic. Furthermore, the first protrusion is inserted into the first hole, the second protrusion is inserted into the second hole, and the third protrusion is inserted into the third hole. This has the effect of making the shape (function) of the surface side (hole edge) of each hole different, allowing components to be placed on the plate using holes that correspond to protrusions with different characteristics.

In any one of gaming machines C2 to C5,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
Gaming machine C6 is characterized in that the first holding portion is equipped with a first constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the main display positioning holes 609, 610) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the first hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine C6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines C2 to C5. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the first constant load means provided in the first holding portion constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the first hole to a predetermined depth. This has the effect that the first constant load means constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion, thereby holding the protrusion.

In any one of gaming machines C3 to C6,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
Gaming machine C7 is characterized in that the third retaining portion is provided with a third constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the through straight portion 627a) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the third hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine C7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines C3 to C6. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the third constant load means provided in the third holding portion constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the third hole to a predetermined depth. This has the effect that the third constant load means constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion, thereby holding the protrusion.

In gaming machine C6 or C7,
The gaming machine C8 is characterized in that the first constant load means or the third constant load means forms the size of the first holding portion or the third holding portion to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion.

Gaming machine C8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machines C6 and C7. That is, in the first constant load means or the third constant load means, the size of the first holding portion or the third holding portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This allows the plate body to elastically deform so that the protrusion can be inserted into the first holding portion or the third holding portion, and the elastic force of the plate body can be constantly applied to the protrusion inserted into the first holding portion or the third holding portion. This has the effect of allowing the constant load means of the first holding portion or the third holding portion to continue to hold the protrusion inserted into the hole.

In any one of gaming machines C2 to C8,
Gaming machine C9 is characterized in that the second insertion receiving portion is provided with a second insertion holding portion (for example, a portion that contacts the outer shape of the starting protrusions 4i, 4j in the starting positioning holes 620, 621) that holds the protrusion from a specified portion less than the specified depth of the second hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine C9 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines C2 to C8. That is, on the surface side (edge) of the second hole, the protrusion is inserted into the second hole by the second insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the second hole is held by the second insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the second hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole by the second insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the second hole can be held by the second insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the second hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the second hole to be continuously held.

In any one of gaming machines C3 to C9,
The gaming machine C10 is characterized in that the third insertion receiving portion is provided with a third insertion holding portion (for example, a portion that contacts the outer shape of the through protrusion 7f in the through taper portion 627b) that holds the protrusion from a specified portion less than the specified depth of the third hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine C10 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines C3 to C9. That is, on the surface side (edge) of the third hole, the protrusion is inserted into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the third hole is held by the third insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the third hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion, and the protrusion inserted into the third hole can be held by the third insertion holding portion provided from a predetermined portion of the third hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to be continuously held.

In gaming machine C9 or C10,
The second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is
The size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
At a predetermined depth of the hole, a size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than an outer shape of the protrusion,
The gaming machine C11 is characterized in that the size of the second insertion holding portion or the third insertion holding portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion portion from the specified portion to the specified depth.

According to the gaming machine C11, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine C9 or C10, the following effects are achieved. That is, in the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion, the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole, and the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined portion to a predetermined depth by the second insertion holding portion or the third insertion holding portion. As a result, since the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, it is easy to insert the protrusion into the second hole or the third hole. Also, since the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from the predetermined portion to a predetermined depth, the protrusion inserted into the second hole or the third hole can be held. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the second or third hole, and also making it possible to continue to hold the protrusion inserted into the second or third hole.

In the gaming machine C11,
A gaming machine C12 characterized in that the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is configured to gradually become narrower from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole in the depth direction.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine C11, gaming machine C12 provides the following effects. That is, the size of the second insertion receiving portion or the third insertion receiving portion is configured to gradually narrow from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole toward the depth direction. This allows the insertion of the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined part, holds the protrusion from the predetermined part to a predetermined depth, and further allows the elastic force of the plate body that is loaded on the protrusion to gradually increase from the predetermined part to the predetermined depth. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the second hole or the third hole, and allows the protrusion inserted into the second hole or the third hole to continue to be held. As a result, there is an effect that the parts are prevented from coming off the plate body, and the mounting performance of the parts to the gaming board can be improved.

In any one of gaming machines C0 to C12,
The gaming machine C13 is characterized in that the shape of the hole of the protrusion varies based on the characteristics of the protrusion.

Gaming machine C13 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines C0 to C12. That is, the shape of the holes is configured to differ based on the characteristics of each protrusion of the part. This has the effect of allowing a hole corresponding to the characteristics of the protrusion to be selected, and the selected hole to be used to arrange the part having the protrusion on the plate.

A hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted is a first hole capable of holding the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge). This first hole has only a first retaining part that is elastically deformable on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the first retaining part is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This has the excellent effect that the protrusion of a part inserted into the first hole is configured to be held by the first auxiliary retaining part of the first hole. However, there is a drawback in that when an attempt is made to insert the protrusion into the first hole, the protrusion may not be securely inserted into the first hole because the size of the first retaining part is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion.

In addition, there is a second hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted, which has only a second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole that receives the insertion of the protrusion. This second hole has a second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted, and also has a second insertion holding portion inside the hole. In this second hole, the size of the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is configured to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the size of the second insertion holding portion inside the hole is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the surface side (hole edge) of the second hole is configured to easily insert the protrusion of the part, and the second insertion holding portion provided inside the second hole is configured to be able to hold the protrusion inserted into the second hole, which has an excellent effect.

However, there are individual differences (differences in plate thickness or hardness) due to manufacturing irregularities during manufacturing, and the function of the second insertion receiving portion or second insertion holding portion of the second hole may be reduced due to the influence of these individual differences. Specifically, for example, if the second hole is formed large due to the influence of individual differences in the plate, the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side of the hole (hole edge) will be formed large, and the second insertion holding portion inside the hole will also be formed large, resulting in the disadvantage that the protrusion of the part inserted inside the second hole will not be held securely.

In addition, for example, if the second hole is made small due to individual differences in the plate body, the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side of the hole (hole edge) will be made small, which has the disadvantage that the protrusion cannot be securely inserted into the second hole.

Here, a third hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third retaining portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted. In this third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion. In addition, in the third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole. Furthermore, in the third hole, the size of the third insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the third hole to a predetermined depth by the third insertion retaining portion. In addition, the elastic force of the plate is constantly applied to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined depth by the third constant load means of the third retaining portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole.

By configuring in this way, the size of the third insertion part is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side of the hole (hole edge), making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and the size of the third insertion receiving part is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part to a predetermined depth, making it possible to hold the protrusion inserted into the third hole. In addition, there is an excellent effect in that the third constant load means of the third holding part can constantly apply the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion to hold the protrusion. However, the third hole has both the function of making it easier to insert the protrusion of the part into the third hole by the third insertion receiving part and the function of holding the protrusion inserted into the third hole by the third holding part, but the second insertion receiving part of the second hole is higher in the function of making it easier to insert the protrusion than the third insertion receiving part of the third hole, and the first holding part of the first hole is higher in the function of holding the protrusion than the third holding part of the third hole.

Therefore, by selecting either the first hole, second hole or third hole based on the characteristics of each protrusion of the part, and arranging the part on the plate body through each protrusion using the selected first hole, second hole or third hole, it is possible to insert and hold the protrusions with different characteristics in the first hole, second hole or third hole of the plate body. As a result, it is possible to prevent the parts from coming off the plate body and improve the mounting performance of the parts on the game board.

In the gaming machine C13,
The characteristic of the protrusion is whether or not the protrusion is plated,
The gaming machine C14 is characterized in that the protrusion is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided based on whether or not the protrusion is plated.

Gaming machine C14 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine C13. That is, the protrusion, which is provided based on the presence or absence of plating on the protrusion, is inserted into either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, and the part is disposed on the plate.

For example, in the case where a component has plated and unplated portions, when a protrusion is plated, the thickness of the protrusion increases by the amount of the plating layer formed by the plating process. Therefore, the protrusion is inserted into the second or third hole, into which it is easier to insert, and the component is disposed on the plate. On the other hand, when a protrusion is not plated, there is no plating layer formed by the plating process. Therefore, the protrusion is inserted into the first or third hole, into which it is easier to hold the protrusion, rather than into the second hole, into which it is easier to insert, and the component is disposed on the plate.

In this way, in a component that has plated and unplated portions, the protrusions of the component are held using holes that correspond to whether the protrusions are plated or not. This allows a selection to be made between prioritizing insertion of the protrusions into the holes or fixing them based on whether each part of the component is plated, and each protrusion can be inserted into each hole while continuing to be held in place. This has the effect of preventing protrusions with different characteristics from coming off the holes, reliably fixing the component to the plate, and improving the mounting performance of the component on the game board.

In gaming machine C13 or C14,
The characteristic of the protrusion is the degree of influence on the game result at the location where the protrusion is disposed,
Gaming machine C15 is characterized in that the protrusion is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided based on the degree of influence on the game result at the location where the protrusion is arranged.

Gaming machine C15 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines C13 and C14. That is, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole, which is provided based on the degree of influence on the game result at the location where the protrusion is placed.

For example, if a protrusion in a location that has a large effect on the game result is not firmly fixed, the game result will fluctuate significantly. Therefore, for protrusions in locations that have a large effect on the game result, priority is given to inserting the protrusion into the hole first, and the protrusion is placed on the plate using the second or third hole, which allows the protrusion to be easily inserted into the hole. Furthermore, protrusions that have a small (or no) effect on the game result have little effect on the game result even if they are not inserted into the hole. Therefore, for protrusions that have a small (or no) effect on the game result, the protrusion is placed on the plate using the first hole, which allows the protrusion to be easily held when inserted into the hole.

In this way, the protrusions of the parts are held using holes that correspond to the degree of influence on the game results of each part where the protrusions are arranged. This allows the selection of whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusions into the holes or fixation based on the degree of influence on the game results of the part where the protrusions are arranged, and allows the protrusions to be inserted into the holes while continuing to be held in place. This has the effect of preventing each protrusion with different characteristics from coming off the holes, reliably fixing the parts to the plate, and improving the mounting performance of the parts on the game board.

In any one of gaming machines C13 to C15,
The characteristic of the protrusion is the amount of game media passing through (contact amount) at the portion where the protrusion is disposed,
Gaming machine C16 is characterized in that the protrusion is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the second hole or the third hole, which is provided based on the amount of gaming medium passing through (amount of contact) at the location where the protrusion is arranged.

Gaming machine C16 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines C13 to C15. That is, the part is arranged on the plate by being inserted into either the first hole, the second hole, or the third hole that is provided based on the amount of game media passing through (amount of contact) at the location where the protrusion is arranged.

For example, if a protrusion in an area where a large amount of game media passes through (amount of contact) is not firmly fixed, it will have a large effect on the game media, causing the game results to fluctuate greatly. Therefore, for protrusions in areas where a large amount of game media passes through (amount of contact), priority is given to inserting the protrusion into the hole first, and the protrusion is arranged on the plate using the second hole, which is easier to insert into the hole. Also, for protrusions in areas where a small amount of game media passes through (no amount of contact), even if the protrusion is not inserted into a hole, the amount of game media passing through (no amount of contact) is small, so the effect on the game results is small. Therefore, for protrusions in areas where a small amount of game media passes through (no amount of contact) is small, the protrusion is arranged on the plate using the first hole, which is easier to hold the protrusion when inserted into the hole.

In this way, the protrusion is held using a hole that corresponds to the amount of game media passing through (amount of contact) at the location where the protrusion is arranged. This allows the selection of whether to prioritize insertion of the protrusion into the hole or fixation based on the amount of game media passing through (amount of contact) at the location where the protrusion is arranged, and allows the protrusion to be inserted into the hole while continuing to be held. This has the effect of preventing each protrusion with different characteristics from coming out of the hole, reliably fixing the parts to the plate, and improving the mounting performance of the parts on the game board.

In any one of gaming machines C13 to C16,
The gaming machine C17 is characterized in that the shape of the hole of the protrusion varies based on a plurality of characteristics of the portion where the protrusion is arranged.

Gaming machine C17 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines C13 to C16. That is, the hole shape is configured to differ based on multiple characteristics of the area where the protrusion is arranged. This makes it possible to select the optimal hole taking into consideration the multiple characteristics of the protrusion, insert the protrusion into the selected hole, and arrange the part on the plate. This has the effect of allowing the protrusion of the part to be inserted into the optimal hole corresponding to the multiple characteristics of the area where the protrusion is arranged, while still being held in place.

In any one of gaming machines C3 to C17,
At least two third holding portions are provided,
A gaming machine C18, characterized in that at least two of the third holding portions are formed facing each other in the third hole.

Gaming machine C18 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines C3 to C17. That is, at least two third holding portions are provided, and at least two of the third holding portions are formed to face each other in the third hole. This allows the protrusion of the part to be held by being sandwiched between the third holding portions in the third hole, increasing the force holding the protrusion and preventing the protrusion from popping out of the third hole. This has the effect of allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to continue to be held.

In any one of gaming machines C3 to C18,
At least two of the third insertion receiving portions are provided,
A gaming machine C19 characterized in that at least two of the third insertion receiving portions are formed facing each other in the third hole.

Gaming machine C19 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines C3 to C18. That is, at least two third insertion receiving portions are provided, and at least two third insertion receiving portions are formed to face each other in the third hole. This has the effect of making it easier to insert a protrusion of a part into the space formed by one third insertion receiving portion and the other third insertion receiving portion of the third hole.

In the gaming machine C19,
In the third hole,
One of the third holding portions and another of the third holding portions are formed to face each other,
A gaming machine C20 characterized in that one of the third insertion receiving portions and another of the third insertion receiving portions are formed opposite each other.

Gaming machine C20 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine C19. That is, in the third hole, one third holding portion and another third holding portion are formed facing each other, and one third insertion receiving portion and another third insertion receiving portion are formed facing each other. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole by the third insertion receiving portion formed facing each other, and the protrusion can be held in a sandwiched manner by the third holding portion formed facing each other. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the third hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the third hole to continue to be held.

<Group D>
A game board (e.g., a game board 13) including a plate (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) that forms a game area on the front side where a game is played using a game medium, and a component (e.g., a through gate 7) that is disposed on the front side of the plate,
A hole forming process (e.g., a component positioning hole creating process (S201)) for forming a hole (e.g., a through positioning hole 627) in the plate body;
a component placement step (e.g., an attacker unit placement step (S206)) in which the protrusion is inserted into the hole and the component is placed on the plate;
A conveying step (e.g., a first conveying step) of conveying the plate body so that the up-down direction of the plate body when viewed from the front is a predetermined direction with respect to the conveying direction of the plate body;
A transport stop means for stopping the transport of the board (for example, when the game board 13 is transported from the attacker unit mounting step (S206) to the main display unit mounting step (S207) in the first transport step);
The game board is provided with a component fixing step (e.g., a first screw fastening step (S212)) in which the component placed on the plate body whose transportation has been stopped is fixed with a fastener (e.g., a screw);
The hole is
an insertion receiving portion (e.g., a through taper portion 627b) that receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole;
a holding portion (e.g., a through straight portion 627a) for holding the protrusion portion to be inserted into the hole,
The gaming machine D0 is characterized in that the holding portion is formed in the hole at a predetermined position in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the plate body.

According to the gaming machine D0, a game area where a game is played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, and parts are arranged on the front side of the plate, and a gaming board formed by the plate and the parts, in which holes into which protrusions of the parts are inserted are formed in the plate by the main holding and forming process, the parts are placed on the plate by inserting the protrusions into the holes by the parts placing process, the plate is transported by the transport process so that the up-down direction of the plate as viewed from the front is a predetermined direction relative to the transport direction of the plate, the transport stopping means stops the transport of the plate, and the parts placed on the plate whose transport has been stopped are fixed by a fixing device by the parts fixing process, the gaming board is provided with a game board formed through each of the above processes, and the insertion of the protrusions into the holes is accepted by the insertion receiving portion provided in the holes, and the protrusions inserted into the holes are held by the holding portion provided in the holes. The holding portion is then formed in the holes at a predetermined position in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the plate.

Conventionally, the plate being transported in the transport process is subjected to an inertial force in the transport direction. When the transport of the plate is stopped in the transport stop process, an impact based on the inertial force is applied to the parts placed on the plate. When the transport of the stopped plate is started in the transport process, an impact based on inertia is applied to the parts placed on the plate in a stopped state. Since the parts placed on the plate before the part fixing process are not fixed to the plate by a fixing device, there is a risk that the placement position of the parts may be shifted due to the impacts generated in the transport process and transport stop process. Therefore, a protrusion is formed on the parts, and a hole is formed in the plate, and the protrusion is inserted into the hole to hold the parts against the plate. In such a situation, depending on the impact generated when the transport of the plate is stopped, the protrusion may jump out of the hole, and the placement position of the parts may be shifted relative to the plate.

Therefore, by forming the retaining portion in the hole at a predetermined position in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the plate, the protrusion of the part and the retaining portion of the hole are configured to come into contact even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction when conveying of the plate is stopped. With this configuration, even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction due to an inertial force when conveying of the plate is stopped or started, the protrusion and the retaining portion come into contact and interfere with each other, preventing the protrusion from jumping out of the hole. This has the effect of preventing (suppressing) the placement position of the part from shifting when the plate is conveyed.

In the gaming machine D0,
In the conveying step, the plate body is conveyed so that the up-down direction of the plate body when viewed from the front is perpendicular to the conveying direction;
At least two of the holding portions are provided,
A gaming machine D1, characterized in that the holding portions are formed in the holes so as to face each other in a direction intersecting the vertical direction (a direction parallel to the transport direction of the plate body).

According to the gaming machine D1, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine D0, the following effect is achieved. That is, in the conveying process, the plate is conveyed so that the vertical direction of the plate when viewed from the front is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and at least two or more holding parts are provided, and the holding parts are formed so as to face each other in the direction intersecting the vertical direction of the plate (parallel to the conveying direction of the plate) in the hole. As a result, for example, when the conveying of the plate stops, even if the protrusion of the part tilts slightly forward in the conveying direction as the conveying of the plate stops, the first holding part on the front side of the conveying direction of the hole interferes with the protrusion, and the other holding part on the rear side of the conveying direction of the hole interferes with the protrusion, and the protrusion and the second holding part interfere with each other. Therefore, even if an impact occurs during the conveying of the plate, the protrusion can be held between the two holding parts so that it can be prevented from jumping out of the hole. Therefore, there is an effect that the placement position of the part can be prevented (suppressed) from being shifted during the conveying of the plate.

In the gaming machine D1,
A gaming machine D2, characterized in that in the part placement process, the parts are placed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate body.

Gaming machine D2 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D1. That is, in the part placement process, parts are placed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate. Therefore, when a worker places parts on the plate from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate, the worker can work while looking at the plate from above or below when viewed from the front. In particular, when working while looking at the plate from below when viewed from the front, the worker can work while looking at the plate directly. This has the effect of making it easier to place parts, increasing work efficiency and improving the manufacturing efficiency of gaming boards.

In any one of the gaming machines D0 to D2,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A gaming machine D3, characterized in that the insertion receiving portion and the holding portion are respectively formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole.

Gaming machine D3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines D0 to D2. That is, the hole has a predetermined depth relative to the plate body, and an insertion receiving portion and a holding portion are respectively formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. This allows the protrusion to be inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, while the holding portion immediately holds the protrusion inserted into the hole. This has the effect of allowing the protrusion to be securely inserted into the hole and continue to be held there.

In the gaming machine D3,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
The holding portion is characterized in that it is provided with a constant load means (e.g., the inner diameter of the through straight portion 627a) that constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion portion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine D4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine D3. That is, the plate body is configured to be elastically deformable, and the constant load means provided in the holding part constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side of the hole (hole edge) to a predetermined depth. This makes it possible to constantly apply the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion by the constant load means, thereby holding the protrusion. This has the effect of continuously holding the protrusion inserted into the hole, and preventing the part from coming off the plate body.

In the gaming machine D4,
The constant load means of the gaming machine D5 is characterized in that the size of the holding portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion portion.

Gaming machine D5 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by gaming machine D4. That is, in the constant load means, the size of the holding portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion. This allows the plate body to elastically deform so that the protrusion can be inserted into the holding portion, and the elastic force of the plate body can be constantly applied to the protrusion inserted into the holding portion. Therefore, the constant load means of the holding portion has the effect of continuously holding the protrusion inserted into the hole, preventing the part from coming off the plate body.

In any one of gaming machines D3 to D5,
Gaming machine D6 is characterized in that the insertion receiving portion is provided with an insertion holding portion (for example, a portion whose outer diameter matches that of the through protrusion 7f in the through taper portion 627b) that holds the protrusion from a specified portion less than the specified depth of the hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine D6 has the following effect in addition to the effects of gaming machines D3 to D5. That is, on the surface side of the hole (hole edge), the protrusion is inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving part, and the insertion holding part provided from a predetermined part of the hole less than the predetermined depth to the predetermined depth holds the protrusion inserted into the hole. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole by the insertion receiving part, and the insertion holding part provided from the predetermined part of the hole to the predetermined depth can hold the protrusion inserted into the hole. Therefore, the holding part holds the protrusion, and the insertion holding part can additionally hold the protrusion, which increases the holding force of the protrusion inserted into the hole, prevents the part from coming off the plate, and improves the mounting performance of the part on the gaming board.

In the gaming machine D6,
The insertion receiving portion is
The size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
The size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole,
The insertion holding portion is characterized in that the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion portion from the specified portion of the hole to the specified depth.

Gaming machine D7 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D6. That is, on the surface side of the hole (hole edge), the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and at a predetermined depth of the hole, the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the insertion holding portion forms the size of the insertion receiving portion smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the hole to a predetermined depth.

Conventionally, a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted is a (first) hole capable of holding the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge). This (first) hole has only an elastically deformable holding part on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the holding part is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the protrusion of the part inserted into the (first) hole can be held by the holding part of the (first) hole. However, when attempting to insert the protrusion into the (first) hole, because the size of the holding part is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, a situation has arisen in which the protrusion cannot be securely inserted into the (first) hole, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate.

In addition, there is a (second) hole that can easily accept the insertion of a protrusion on the surface side (edge) of the hole as a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted. This (second) hole has only an insertion receiving portion on the surface side (edge) of the (second) hole so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted, and also has an insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole. In this (second) hole, the size of the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (edge) of the (second) hole is configured to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion, and the insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole is configured to be smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, so that the protrusion of the part can be easily inserted on the surface of the (second) hole, and the insertion holding portion provided inside the (second) hole is configured to be able to hold the protrusion inserted into the (second) hole. However, the plate body has individual differences (differences in plate thickness or hardness) due to manufacturing irregularities during manufacturing, and the function of the insertion receiving portion or insertion holding portion of the (second) hole may be reduced due to the influence of the individual differences.

Specifically, for example, if the (second) hole is made large due to individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is made large, and the insertion holding portion inside the (second) hole is also made large, resulting in a situation where the protrusion of the part inserted inside the (second) hole is not held securely, and the part is not securely fixed to the plate body. Also, for example, if the (second) hole is made small due to individual differences in the plate body, the insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the (second) hole is made small, and the protrusion is not inserted securely into the (second) hole, resulting in a situation where the part is not securely fixed to the plate body.

Therefore, as a hole into which a protrusion of a part can be inserted, the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and the size of the insertion receiving portion is formed smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at a predetermined depth of the hole, and the insertion holding portion provided in the insertion receiving portion forms the size of the insertion receiving portion smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from a predetermined part of the hole to a predetermined depth. In addition, the constant load means of the holding portion constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined depth. By configuring in this way, since the size of the insertion receiving portion is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface of the hole, it is easy to insert the protrusion into the hole, and since the size of the insertion receiving portion is smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion from the predetermined part to the predetermined depth, the protrusion inserted in the hole can be held. In addition, the constant load means of the holding portion constantly applies the elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion to hold the protrusion. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole and also allowing the protrusion to be held in place once inserted into the hole.

In the gaming machine D7,
The size of the insertion receiving portion is configured to taper gradually from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole in the depth direction.

The gaming machine D8 provides the following effects in addition to the effects provided by the gaming machine D7.
The size of the insertion receiving portion is gradually tapered from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole toward the depth direction. This allows the insertion of the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to a predetermined portion, holds the protrusion from the predetermined portion to a predetermined depth, and further increases the elastic force of the plate body applied to the protrusion from the predetermined portion to the predetermined depth. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole and allowing the protrusion inserted into the hole to be continuously held.

In any one of the gaming machines D0 to D8,
At least two of the holding portions are provided,
A gaming machine D9 characterized in that at least two of the holding portions are formed facing each other in the hole.

Gaming machine D9 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by gaming machines D0 to D8. That is, at least two holding parts are provided, and at least two holding parts are formed so as to face each other in the hole. This allows the protrusion of the part to be held by being sandwiched between the holding parts of the hole, which increases the force holding the protrusion and prevents the protrusion from jumping out of the hole.

In any one of the gaming machines D0 to D9,
At least two of the insertion receiving portions are provided,
A gaming machine D10 characterized in that at least two of the insertion receiving portions are formed facing each other in the hole.

In addition to the effects of gaming machines D0 to D9, gaming machine D10 has the following effect. That is, at least two or more insertion receiving portions are provided, and at least two of the insertion receiving portions are formed to face each other in the hole. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion of the part into the hole, since the protrusion can be inserted into the space formed by one insertion receiving portion and the other insertion receiving portion of the hole.

In the gaming machine D10,
In the hole,
The one holding portion and the other holding portion are formed opposite to each other,
A gaming machine D11 characterized in that one of the insertion receiving portions is formed opposite another of the insertion receiving portions.

Gaming machine D11 has the following effect in addition to the effect of gaming machine D10. That is, in the hole, one holding portion and another holding portion are formed facing each other, and one insertion receiving portion and another insertion receiving portion are formed facing each other. This makes it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole by the insertion receiving portion formed facing each other, and the holding portion formed facing each other can hold the protrusion by sandwiching it. This has the effect of making it easier to insert the protrusion into the hole, and allowing the protrusion inserted into the hole to continue to be held.

<Group E>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., a gaming board 13) composed of a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) forming a gaming area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a plurality of parts (e.g., a start winning port unit 4, a through gate 7, and a main display unit 87) fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The part comprises:
A base portion (e.g., a starting base portion 4e, a through base portion 7b, and a main display base portion 87f) that contacts the plate body;
and protrusions (e.g., starting protrusions 4i, 4j, through protrusions 7e, 7f, and main display protrusions 87j, 87k) provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body is
An elastically deformable plate member (e.g., a base plate 60);
A decorative sheet (e.g., a cell sheet 60a) attached to the surface of the plate member;
A plurality of types of holes (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610, starter positioning holes 620, 621, or through positioning holes 626, 627) having different shapes formed so that the protrusions of the components can be inserted therein;
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
a first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having a first constant load means for constantly applying an elastic force of the plate member to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to the predetermined depth;
A second hole (e.g., a starting positioning hole 620, 621 or a through positioning hole 626, 627) having a second insertion receiving portion that is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole and smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at the predetermined depth,
The gaming machine E0 is characterized in that the part is arranged on the plate body through either the first hole or the second hole based on the transparency of the base.

According to the gaming machine E0, a game area where a game is played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, a plurality of parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, and a game board is formed by the plate and the plurality of parts, and a base that contacts the plate is provided on the plurality of parts, and a protrusion is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate. In addition, an elastically deformable plate member is provided on the plate, and a decorative sheet is attached to the surface of the plate member, and a plurality of types of holes with different shapes into which the protrusion of the part can be inserted are formed. Furthermore, the hole has a predetermined depth relative to the plate, and in the first hole having the first constant load means, the elastic force of the plate member is applied to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to the predetermined depth. In addition, in the second hole having the second insertion receiving part, the insertion receiving part is formed to be larger than the outer shape of the protrusion on the hole surface side (hole edge) and smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at the predetermined depth of the hole. Then, based on the transparency of the base of the part, the part is disposed on the plate by either the first hole or the second hole.

The plate member that constitutes the plate is configured to be elastically deformable, so when a hole is formed by inserting a plate drilling tool into the plate member, a load based on the elastic deformation of the plate member is applied to the plate drilling tool when the plate drilling tool inserted into the plate member is pulled out. In addition, a decorative sheet is attached to the surface of the plate member, and when an attempt is made to pull out the plate drilling tool inserted into the plate member that is composed of the plate member and the decorative sheet, the decorative sheet attached to the plate member also continues to come into contact with the plate drilling tool due to the elastic deformation of the plate member while the plate drilling tool is being pulled out. This contact causes the decorative sheet to peel off from the plate member, and the decorative sheet breaks and peels off at the edge of the hole.

Here, the first hole is formed to have a first constant load means from the surface side of the hole (hole edge) to a predetermined depth of the hole. Therefore, when the first plate drilling tool for the first hole is pulled out from the plate body, the decorative sheet continues to come into contact with the first plate drilling tool due to the influence of the first constant load means of the plate member. Therefore, a relatively large portion of the decorative sheet peels off from the hole surface (hole edge) of the first hole.

On the other hand, the second hole is formed so that its size is large on the hole surface (hole edge) and small at the specified depth of the hole. Therefore, when the second plate body drilling tool for the second hole is pulled out from the plate body, contact between the second plate body drilling tool and the plate member and decorative sheet can be suppressed. Therefore, the decorative sheet does not peel off much on the hole surface (hole edge) of the second hole.

In this way, the decorative sheet is configured so that the amount of peeling varies depending on the type of hole, but if the base of the part is transparent, the back side of the base will be visible. This means that the peeling that occurs on the surface of the hole (hole edge) will be visible to the player, reducing the decorativeness of the gaming machine. In such cases, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole or the second hole, based on the transparency of the part's base.

Therefore, for example, for a part with a transparent base, the back side is clearly visible, so the part is placed on the plate using the second hole, which does not reduce decorativeness even if the back side is visible. On the other hand, for a part with an opaque base, the back side is not visible, so the part is placed on the plate using the first hole. In this way, by varying the hole that holds the protrusion depending on the transparency of the part's base, it is possible to prevent a reduction in decorativeness when peeling of the decorative sheet is visible due to the transparency of the part.

In the gaming machine E0,
The second hole is
A pure second hole (e.g., starting positioning holes 620, 621) having only the second insertion receiving portion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole;
a composite second hole (e.g., through positioning holes 626, 627) having a third insertion receiving portion that is larger than the outer shape of the protrusion at a surface side (hole edge) of the hole and smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion at the predetermined depth, and a third constant load means that constantly applies an elastic force of the plate member to the protrusion from the surface side (hole edge) of the hole to the predetermined depth,
The first hole has a first peeling portion (e.g., a straight peeling portion 60b) at an edge of the first hole where the decorative sheet is peeled off from the plate member,
The pure second hole has a pure second peeled portion (e.g., a tapered peeled portion 60c) formed smaller than the first peeled portion at a hole edge of the pure second hole,
The composite second hole has a composite second peeled portion (e.g., a hybrid tapered peeled portion 60d and a hybrid straight peeled portion 60e) formed at a hole edge of the composite second hole to be smaller than the first peeled portion and larger than the pure second peeled portion,
The gaming machine E1 is characterized in that the parts are arranged on the plate body through either the first hole, the pure second hole or the composite second hole provided based on the transparency of the base.

According to the gaming machine E1, in addition to the effects of the gaming machine E0, the following effects are achieved. That is, in a pure second hole in which only the second insertion receiving portion is formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, the second insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion. Also, in a composite second hole having a third insertion receiving portion and a third constant load means, the third insertion receiving portion receives the insertion of the protrusion, and the third constant load means applies the elastic force of the plate member to the protrusion inserted into the composite second hole. Furthermore, on the hole surface (hole edge) of the first hole, a first peeling portion is formed in which the decorative sheet is peeled off from the plate member, on the hole surface (hole edge) of the pure second hole, a pure second peeling portion formed smaller than the first peeling portion is formed, and on the hole surface (hole edge) of the composite second hole, a composite second peeling portion formed smaller than the first peeling portion and larger than the pure second peeling portion is formed. Then, based on the transparency of the base of the part, the part is placed on the plate through either the first hole, the pure second hole, or the composite second hole.

The composite second hole is formed to have a third constant load means from the hole surface (hole edge) to a predetermined depth of the hole. Therefore, when the third plate body drilling tool for the composite second hole is pulled out from the plate body, the decorative sheet continues to contact the third plate body drilling tool due to the influence of the third constant load means of the plate member. In addition, the composite second hole is formed in the third insertion receiving portion such that the hole size is large on the hole surface (hole edge) and small at the predetermined depth of the hole, and when the third plate body drilling tool is pulled out from the plate body, contact between the third plate body drilling tool and the plate member and the decorative sheet can be suppressed. Therefore, the composite second peeling portion formed on the hole surface (hole edge) of the composite second hole is formed by the influence of the third constant load means, but since the composite second hole is composed of the third constant load means and the third insertion receiving portion, the composite second peeling portion formed on the hole surface (hole edge) of the composite second hole is limited to the vicinity of the third constant load means. Therefore, the composite second peeling portion formed on the hole surface (hole edge) of the composite second hole is smaller than the first peeling portion and larger than the pure second peeling portion.

In this way, the size of each peel-off portion is different for each type of hole, but if the base of the part is transparent, the back side of the base is visible, and the peel-off portion formed on the hole surface (hole edge) of the hole is visible to the player, reducing the decorativeness of the gaming machine. In such cases, based on the transparency of the part's base, the part is placed on the plate body using either a first hole, a pure second hole, or a composite second hole.

The first peeled portion formed on the surface of the first hole is relatively large, and therefore its poor appearance reduces the decorativeness of the gaming machine. On the other hand, the pure second peeled portion formed on the surface of the pure second hole is smaller than the first peeled portion, and therefore does not reduce the decorativeness of the gaming machine. Also, the composite second peeled portion formed on the surface of the composite second hole is smaller than the first peeled portion and larger than the pure second peeled portion, and therefore is less decorative than the pure second hole, but not as decorative as the first hole.

Therefore, for example, for a part with a transparent base, the back side is clearly visible, so the part is arranged on the plate using a pure second hole that does not reduce decorativeness even if the back side is visible. Also, for a part with an opaque base, the back side is not visible, so a first peeling portion is formed, but the part is arranged on the plate using a first hole that easily holds a protrusion by the first constant load means. Furthermore, for a part with a translucent base, the back side is visible to some extent, so the decorativeness is not reduced significantly even if the back side is visible, and the part is arranged on the plate using a composite second hole that easily holds a protrusion by the third constant load means.

In this way, by holding the protrusion using a hole that corresponds to the transparency of the base of the part, it is possible to select whether to prioritize preventing a decrease in decorativeness when the peeled part becomes visible due to the transparency of the part, or to prioritize fixing the protrusion, and the protrusion can be inserted into the hole and continued to be held without decreasing the decorativeness of the gaming machine. This has the effect of preventing a decrease in the decorativeness of the gaming machine while preventing each part with different characteristics from coming off the plate, thereby improving the attachment performance of the parts to the gaming board.

<Group F>
A method for manufacturing a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., a gaming board 13) including a plate (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) that forms a playing area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a component (e.g., a through gate 7) that is disposed on the front side of the plate, comprising:
A hole forming process (e.g., a component positioning hole creating process (S201)) for forming a hole (e.g., a through positioning hole 627) in the plate body;
a component placement step (e.g., an attacker unit placement step (S206)) in which the protrusion is inserted into the hole and the component is placed on the plate;
A conveying step (e.g., a first conveying step) of conveying the plate body;
A transport stop step of stopping the transport of the plate (for example, when the game board 13 is transported from the attacker unit mounting step (S206) to the main display unit mounting step (S207) in the first transport step);
A part fixing step (for example, a first screw fastening step (S212)) is performed to fix the part placed on the plate body whose transportation has been stopped with a fastener (for example, a screw), and a game board is formed through the above step.
In the hole forming step, on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
An insertion receiving portion (e.g., a through taper portion 627b) that receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole;
A manufacturing method F0 for a gaming machine, characterized by forming a holding portion (e.g., a through straight portion 627a) that holds the protrusion to be inserted into the hole.

According to the manufacturing method F0 of the gaming machine, a gaming area where a game is played with a gaming medium is formed on the front side of the plate, parts are arranged on the front side of the plate, and a gaming board formed by the plate and the parts is provided, a hole is formed in the plate by a hole forming means, the parts are placed on the plate by inserting the protrusions into the holes, the plate is transported by a transport stopping step, the transport of the plate is stopped by a transport stopping step, and the parts placed on the plate whose transport has been stopped are fixed by a fixing device by a part fixing step, and the gaming board is formed through the above steps. Also, in the hole forming step, an insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole and a holding portion that holds the protrusion inserted into the hole are formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. As a result, the protrusion of the part can be inserted into the hole by the insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, while the protrusion of the part can be held by the holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. This has the effect of preventing parts from coming off the plate during the plate transport process and transport stop process.

In a method F0 for manufacturing a gaming machine,
A method F1 for manufacturing a gaming machine, characterized in that in the hole forming step, the hole is formed so that the holding portion is positioned on the front or rear side of the plate in the transport direction.

In addition to the effects of the gaming machine manufacturing method F0, the gaming machine manufacturing method F1 has the following effect. That is, in the hole forming process, the hole is formed so that the holding part is located on the front side or rear side of the plate body in the conveying direction.

Conventionally, the plate being transported in the transport process is given an inertial force in the transport direction based on the transport. When the transport of the plate is stopped in the transport stop process, the parts placed on the plate are subjected to an impact based on the inertial force. When the transport of the stopped plate is started in the transport process, an impact based on inertia is applied to the parts placed on the plate in a stopped state. Since the parts placed on the plate before the part fixing process are not fixed to the plate by a fixing device, there is a risk that the placement position of the parts may be shifted due to the impact generated in the transport process and the transport stop process. Therefore, a protrusion is formed on the part, and a hole is formed in the plate, and the protrusion is inserted into the hole to hold the part relative to the plate, so that the placement position of the game parts does not shift when the plate is transported. In such a situation, depending on the impact generated when the transport of the plate is stopped, the protrusion may jump out of the hole, and the placement position of the game parts may be shifted relative to the plate.

In the hole forming process, the hole retaining portion is formed on the front or rear side of the conveying direction of the plate, so that even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction due to the conveying of the plate being stopped, etc., the protrusion of the part and the hole retaining portion will interfere with each other. By configuring in this way, even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction due to the inertial force due to the conveying of the plate being stopped, etc., the protrusion and the retaining portion will interfere with each other, preventing the protrusion from jumping out of the hole. This has the effect of preventing (suppressing) the placement position of the part from shifting due to the conveying of the plate being stopped, etc., in the game board manufacturing process.

In the manufacturing method F1 of the gaming machine,
In the conveying step, the plate body is conveyed so that the up-down direction of the plate body when viewed from the front is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate body;
A method F2 for manufacturing a gaming machine, characterized in that in the hole forming process, the holding portion is formed at a predetermined position in the hole in a direction intersecting the up-down direction of the plate when viewed from the front.

In addition to the effects of the manufacturing method F1 for the gaming machine, the manufacturing method F2 for the gaming machine has the following effects. That is, in the conveying process, the plate is conveyed so that the vertical direction in front view is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and in the hole forming process, a holding portion is formed at a predetermined position in the hole in a direction intersecting the vertical direction in front view of the plate. As a result, even if an impact is given to the part in the conveying direction due to the stop of conveying the plate, for example, the protrusion of the part and the holding portion of the hole are configured to interfere with each other. That is, even if an impact is given to the part in the conveying direction due to the inertial force due to the stop of conveying the plate in the conveying stopping process, the protrusion and the holding portion interfere with each other, so that the protrusion can be prevented from jumping out of the hole. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the gaming board, there is an effect that the placement position of the part can be prevented (suppressed) from being shifted due to the stop of conveying the plate.

In the gaming machine F2,
In the hole forming step,
At least two of the holding portions are provided,
A method F3 for manufacturing a gaming machine, characterized in that the holding portion is formed to face a direction intersecting the vertical direction of the plate body when viewed from the front at the hole.

In addition to the effects of the manufacturing method F2 for the gaming machine, the manufacturing method F3 for the gaming machine has the following effects. That is, in the hole forming process, at least two or more holding parts are provided, and the holding parts are formed so as to face each other in the direction intersecting with the vertical direction of the plate body in the hole. As a result, for example, when the conveyance of the plate body stops, even if the protrusion of the part tilts slightly forward in the conveyance direction as the conveyance of the plate body stops, the first holding part on the front side of the conveyance direction of the hole interferes with the protrusion, and the other holding part on the rear side of the conveyance direction of the hole interferes with the protrusion, and the protrusion and the second holding part interfere with each other. Therefore, even if an impact occurs during the conveyance of the plate body, the protrusion can be held between the two holding parts so that it is sandwiched between them, which has the effect of preventing the protrusion from jumping out of the hole. Therefore, there is an effect of preventing (suppressing) the placement position of the part from shifting during the conveyance of the plate body.

In the manufacturing method F3 of the gaming machine,
A method F4 for manufacturing a gaming machine, characterized in that in the part placement process, the parts are placed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate body.

In addition to the effects of gaming machine manufacturing method F3, gaming machine manufacturing method F4 has the following effects. That is, in the part placement process, parts are placed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate body. Therefore, when a worker places parts on the plate body from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the plate body, the worker can work while looking at the plate body from the upper or lower direction when viewed from the front. In particular, when working while looking at the plate body from the lower direction when viewed from the front, the worker can work while looking at the plate body directly, which makes it easier to place parts, increases work efficiency, and improves the manufacturing efficiency of gaming boards.

<Group G>
A large diameter portion (e.g., a hybrid flange portion 323);
A small diameter portion (e.g., a hybrid body portion 324) having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion and arranged coaxially with the large diameter portion;
A plate-hole drilling tool (e.g., hybrid pin 321) having a tip portion (e.g., hybrid tip portion 325) that is formed into a sharp tip shape and is coaxial with the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion,
The small diameter portion is
A small-diameter straight portion (e.g., hybrid straight portion 324a) formed in parallel toward the insertion direction;
A plate-drilling tool G0 characterized by having a small diameter tapered section (e.g., hybrid tapered section 324b) formed so that the diameter dimension continuously decreases from the large diameter section toward the tip end.

According to the plate drilling tool G0, a large diameter portion, a small diameter portion having a diameter smaller than that of the large diameter portion and arranged coaxially with the large diameter portion, and a tip portion having a sharp tip and arranged coaxially with the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion are provided, and a small diameter straight portion is formed in the small diameter portion parallel to the insertion direction, and a small diameter tapered portion is formed so that the diameter dimension continuously decreases from the large diameter portion to the tip portion side. As a result, the shape of the hole formed in the plate by the small diameter portion is provided with a straight portion parallel to the insertion direction and a tapered portion whose inner diameter dimension continuously decreases in the depth direction. That is, the tapered portion of the hole formed by the plate drilling tool G0 allows the protrusion of the part to be inserted into the hole, while the straight portion of the hole can hold the protrusion of the part. Therefore, the hole formed by the plate drilling tool G0 allows the protrusion of the part to be securely inserted into the hole while being continuously held. As a result, it is possible to prevent parts from coming off the plate, improving the attachment performance of parts to the game board.

In addition, when the plate drilling tool G0 is inserted into the plate to form a hole, contact with the small diameter tapered portion can be suppressed while the plate drilling tool G0 inserted into the plate is being pulled out, even if the plate elastically deforms. In addition, the decorative sheet attached to the plate member can also be suppressed from contacting the small diameter tapered portion. Therefore, the peeled portion of the decorative sheet formed by contact between the small diameter portion and the decorative sheet can be suppressed by the small diameter tapered portion, and there is an effect that the peeled portion of the decorative sheet when a hole is formed in the plate can be made smaller.

In the plate drilling tool G0,
The plate-hole drilling tool is for forming holes in a plate,
The small diameter straight portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the surface side (hole edge) of the hole formed in the plate body, and is formed so that the diameter dimension increases continuously toward the large diameter portion (e.g., a modified hybrid second taper portion 334c).

In addition to the effects of plate drilling tool G0, plate drilling tool G1 provides the following effects. That is, a hole is formed in the plate by the plate drilling tool, and the straight taper section provided at a position corresponding to the front side (hole edge) of the hole formed in the plate is formed so that the diameter dimension of the small diameter straight section increases continuously toward the large diameter section. This has the effect that when plate drilling tool G1 is pulled out of the plate, the area of the small diameter straight section that comes into contact with the decorative sheet is reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the peeled portion of the decorative sheet formed by contact between the small diameter straight section and the decorative sheet.

<Group H>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., gaming board 13) composed of a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) forming a playing area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a part (e.g., a main display unit 87) fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The part comprises:
A base portion (e.g., a main display base portion 87f) that contacts the plate body;
A protrusion (e.g., main display protrusions 87j, 87k) is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body includes a plurality of holes (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) formed so that the protrusions of the components can be inserted therein,
The plate body is configured to be elastically deformable,
The hole is provided with a constant load means (for example, the inner diameter of the main display positioning holes 609, 610) that constantly applies an elastic force of the plate body to the protrusion,
The holes are formed in the plate so that one hole and the other holes have a predetermined positional relationship.

According to gaming machine H1, a gaming area where games are played using gaming media is formed on the front side of the plate, gaming parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, a gaming board is formed by the plate and multiple parts, protrusions are provided on the parts on the side of the base that contacts the plate, and multiple holes are formed in the plate into which the protrusions of the parts can be inserted. The plate is configured to be elastically deformable, and constant load means provided in the holes constantly apply the elastic force of the plate to the protrusions inserted in the holes. Also, one hole and the other holes are formed in the plate so as to have a predetermined positional relationship.

The holes are configured to constantly apply the elastic force of the plate to the protrusion inserted into the hole. Therefore, even when a hole is formed in the plate, the elastic force of the plate is applied to the drilling tool used to form the hole while the drilling tool is inserted into the plate. In this case, when the drilling tool is pulled out of the plate, if the load on the drilling tool is greater than the weight of the plate, the plate will be lifted.

When forming holes in a plate, for example, if only one side of the plate is lifted and tilted, the position of the hole formed by the drilling tool may differ from the design value due to the tilted and lifted side, which may result in manufacturing unevenness in the formation of the holes. Therefore, by forming holes by positioning the drilling tool relative to the plate so that one hole and the other holes have a specified positional relationship (for example, a relationship in which holes are evenly positioned on the plate), even if the plate is lifted when the drilling tool is removed, it is lifted without tilting, preventing the plate from tilting and preventing manufacturing unevenness in the holes from occurring.

Note that the "predetermined positional relationship" can be any arrangement of holes that does not cause the plate body to tilt and lift up. Examples include a positional relationship in which multiple holes are evenly arranged on the plate body, a positional relationship in which holes are arranged symmetrically on the left and right (top and bottom) of the plate body, and a positional relationship in which holes are arranged at equal intervals from the center position of the plate body.

<Group I>
In a gaming machine having a gaming board (e.g., gaming board 13) composed of a plate body (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) forming a gaming area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a plurality of parts (e.g., a general winning port unit 3 and an attacker unit 5) fixed adjacent to each other on the front side of the plate body,
The plurality of parts include:
A base portion (for example, a general base portion 3d and an attacker base portion 5e) that contacts the plate body;
A protrusion (e.g., a general protrusion and an attacker protrusion) is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body has holes (e.g., general positioning holes 611, 612 and attacker positioning holes 622 to 625) formed so that the protrusions of the components can be inserted therein,
A component placement step (e.g., an attacker unit placement step (S206) and a general winning port unit placement step (S213)) in which the protrusion is inserted into the hole and the component is placed on the plate body;
A conveying step (e.g., a first conveying step and a second conveying step) of conveying the plate body;
A transport stop step of stopping the transport of the plate (for example, when the game board 13 is transported from the attacker unit mounting step (S206) to the main display unit mounting step (S207) in the first transport step);
A part fixing step (for example, a first screw fastening step (S212)) is performed to fix the part placed on the plate body whose transportation has been stopped with a fastener (for example, a screw), and a game board is formed through the above step.
The parts include a leading part (e.g., an attacker unit 5) that is placed on the plate body first, and a trailing part (e.g., a general winning port unit 3) that is placed on the plate body after the leading part,
The hole has a predetermined depth with respect to the plate body,
A first hole (e.g., main display positioning holes 609, 610) having a first holding portion that holds the protrusion on the front side (hole edge) of the hole;
A second hole (e.g., attacker positioning holes 622 to 625) having a second insertion receiving portion that receives the insertion of the protrusion on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole,
A gaming machine I1 characterized in that the protrusion of the tip part is inserted into the second hole.

According to gaming machine I1, a game area where games are played using game media is formed on the front side of the plate, a number of adjacently arranged parts are fixed to the front side of the plate, and a game board is formed by the plate and the parts, and the parts are provided with protrusions on the side of the base that contacts the plate, and holes are formed in the plate into which the protrusions of the parts can be inserted. In addition, in a part placement process, the protrusions are inserted into the holes to place the parts on the plate, in a transport process, the plate is transported, in a transport stopping process, the transport of the plate is stopped, and in a part fixing process, the parts placed on the plate whose transport has been stopped are fixed by a fixing device, and the game board is formed through the above processes. In addition, in the part placement process, the leading part is placed on the plate first, and the trailing part is placed on the plate after the leading part. The holes have a predetermined depth relative to the plate, and in the first hole, the protrusion is held by a first holding portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole, and in the second hole, the insertion of the protrusion is received by a second insertion receiving portion formed on the surface side (hole edge) of the hole. Then, in the component placement process, the protrusion of the leading component is inserted into the second hole.

The leading part is configured to be placed on the plate before the rear part. If the leading part is not securely inserted into the hole, there is a risk that the rear part that is placed on the plate afterwards will not be properly placed on the plate. Therefore, the leading part, which is placed on the plate before the adjacent rear part, is placed on the plate using the second hole having a second insertion receiving portion into which the protrusion can be easily inserted. This has the effect of ensuring that the leading part is securely inserted into the second hole, and ensuring that the leading part and rear part can be securely placed on the plate.

<Group J>
A game board (e.g., a game board 13) including a plate (e.g., a base plate 60 and a cell sheet 60a) that forms a game area on the front side where a game is played using a game medium, and a component (e.g., a through gate 7) that is disposed on the front side of the plate,
The part comprises:
A base portion (e.g., a through base portion 7b) that contacts the plate body;
A protrusion (e.g., through protrusions 7e, 7f) is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate body,
The plate body is
A hole (e.g., a through positioning hole 626, 627) is provided so that the protrusion of the component can be inserted therein;
The hole is
an insertion receiving portion (e.g., a through taper portion 627b) that receives the insertion of the protrusion into the hole;
a holding portion (e.g., a through straight portion 627a) for holding the protrusion portion to be inserted into the hole,
The holding portion is formed at a predetermined position in a direction intersecting a direction in which the plate body is transported with the protrusion portion inserted into the hole during the manufacture of the gaming machine J1.

According to gaming machine J1, a game area where games are played using a gaming medium is formed on the front side of a plate, and parts are arranged on the front side of the plate, forming a gaming board formed from the plate and the parts, in which a protrusion is provided on the side of the base that contacts the plate, and a hole into which the protrusion of the part can be inserted is formed in the plate, and in the hole, an insertion receiving part accepts the insertion of the protrusion into the hole, and a holding part holds the protrusion inserted into the hole. Then, when the gaming board is manufactured, a holding part is formed at a predetermined position in a direction that intersects with the direction in which the plate is transported with the protrusion inserted in the hole.

Conventionally, when a plate is manufactured, an inertial force is applied in the conveying direction of the plate. When the conveying of the plate is stopped, an impact based on the inertial force is applied to the parts placed on the plate. When the conveying of the stopped plate is started, an impact based on inertia is applied to the parts placed on the plate in a stopped state. If the impact is applied before the parts placed on the plate are fixed during the manufacture of the plate, the parts may be displaced from their placement position. Therefore, a protrusion is formed on the parts, and a hole is formed in the plate, and the protrusion is inserted into the hole to hold the parts against the plate. In such a situation, depending on the impact that occurs when the conveying of the plate is stopped, the protrusion may jump out of the hole, and the placement position of the parts may be displaced from the plate.

Therefore, by forming the retaining portion in the hole at a predetermined position in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the plate, the protrusion of the part and the retaining portion of the hole are configured to come into contact even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction when conveying of the plate is stopped. With this configuration, even if the part is subjected to an impact in the conveying direction due to an inertial force when conveying of the plate is stopped or started, the protrusion and the retaining portion come into contact and interfere with each other, preventing the protrusion from jumping out of the hole. This has the effect of preventing (suppressing) the placement position of the part from shifting when the plate is conveyed.

Note that, for any of the configurations of the gaming machines A0 to A9, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied. Also, for any of the configurations of the gaming machines B0 to B26, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied. Also, for any of the configurations of the gaming machines C0 to C20, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied to any one of the gaming machines D0 to D11. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied to any one of the gaming machines E0 to E4. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, G0 to G1, H1, I1, J1 may be applied to any one of the gaming machines F0 to F4. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, H1, I1, J1 may be applied to any one of the configurations of the gaming machines G0 to G1. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, I1, J1 may be applied to the configuration of the gaming machine H1. Also, a configuration limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, J1 may be applied to the configuration of the gaming machine I1. In addition, the configuration of the gaming machine J1 may be limited to any one of the gaming machines A0 to A9, B0 to B26, C0 to C20, D0 to D11, E0 to E4, F0 to F4, G0 to G1, H1, and I1. In these cases, further effects can be achieved by applying each configuration.

A gaming machine K1 is a pachinko gaming machine among the gaming machines A0-A9, B0-B26, C0-C20, D0-D11, E0-E4, F0-F4, G0-G1, H1, I1, and J1. Among them, the basic configuration of a pachinko gaming machine includes a control handle, which is used to launch a ball into a predetermined gaming area based on the operation of the control handle, and the identification information dynamically displayed on the display means is fixed and stopped after a predetermined time, assuming that the ball enters (or passes through) an operating port arranged at a predetermined position in the gaming area. In addition, when a special gaming state occurs, a variable winning device (specific winning port) arranged at a predetermined position in the gaming area is opened in a predetermined manner to allow the ball to win, and a value (including not only prize balls but also data written to a magnetic card) according to the number of winning balls is awarded.

7 Through gate (part of the component)
7f Through protrusion (part of protrusion)
10. Pachinko machines (amusement machines)
13 Game board 60 Base plate (part of the board)
60a Cell sheet (part of plate)
321 Hybrid pin 627 Through positioning hole (part of hole)
627a Through straight part (part of the retaining part)
627b Through taper portion (part of the insertion receiving portion)

Claims (1)

A gaming machine having a gaming board configured to include a plate body forming a playing area on the front side where a game is played using a gaming medium, and a first part and a second part fixed to the front side of the plate body,
The first part and the second part each include
A play area side portion provided on the play area side of the plate body;
A plate-side insertion portion provided on the plate side,
the plate includes at least a first shaped hole into which the plate-side insertion portion can be inserted, and a second shaped hole having a shape different from that of the first shaped hole;
The second shaped hole is
the second shaped hole is configured to have a shape that allows contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the second component at a hole edge of the second shaped hole when the second component is attached to the plate;
The first shaped hole is
When the first part is attached to the plate, the first part is configured to have a shape that makes it difficult for an edge of the first shaped hole to come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the first part, compared to a contact state between the plate-side insertion portion of the second part and the second shaped hole when the second part is attached to the second shaped hole, or when the first part is attached to the plate, the first part is configured to have a shape that makes it difficult for an edge of the first shaped hole to come into contact with the plate-side insertion portion of the first part,
The second part is
A gaming machine having a light-transmitting portion.

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