JP7638102B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

In gaming machines such as pachinko machines, illumination devices are placed in various parts on the front side of the gaming machine main body, and can emit light in a predetermined light pattern in synchronization with other presentation means such as image display means, movable bodies, and audio output means, making it possible to perform presentations according to the gaming state. This illumination device is composed of a light-transmitting section formed into the shape of any character, pattern, picture, etc., and a light source for illuminating the light-transmitting section (Patent Document 1). Currently, most gaming machines use LEDs as the light source for the illumination device.

JP 2016-154668 A

In the conventional illumination devices installed in game machines, the area of the light-emitting part of each light source (LED) is very small, and therefore, especially when the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting part is short, the light-emitting parts of the light-transmitting part are concentrated near the light source (so-called point light), and the appearance is poor due to the brightness difference with the surrounding area. Note that, if the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting part is increased, the brightness difference due to the point light is reduced, but this causes new problems such as the size of the illumination device being increased and the overall brightness being reduced.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference in the translucent parts caused by the point light of the illumination device.

The present invention relates to an amusement machine equipped with an illumination device having a translucent section and a plurality of light sources for illuminating the translucent section, in which a non-translucent section is provided having non-translucent character sections forming a predetermined character shape, the translucent section forms a background area for the non- translucent character section, at least the translucent section of the non-translucent character section and the translucent section of its background area is subjected to a light diffusion treatment, a light-emitting substrate is disposed in a space spanning a rear area of the non-translucent character section and a rear area of the translucent section, and the light source is disposed in a position corresponding to the rear side of the non-translucent character sections on the front side of the light-emitting substrate .

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference of the light-transmitting part caused by the point light of the illumination device.

1 is an overall front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the pachinko machine. 2 is a front view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. A front view of a movable illumination device for a pachinko machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. A front cross-sectional view of a movable illumination device for a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention in a pachinko machine. In Figure 1, the gaming machine main body 1 has a rectangular outer frame 2 and a front frame 4 pivotally attached to the front of the outer frame 2 by a hinge 3 on one of the left and right sides, for example the left side, so that it can be opened and closed. In the front frame 4, a game board 5 and the like are arranged on the upper side, and a launching means 6 for launching game balls toward a game area 5a in front of the game board 5 and a lower speaker SP1 and the like are arranged on the lower side, and a glass door 7 is arranged in front of the game board 5 and the like, and a front panel 8 is arranged in front of the launching means 6 and the lower speaker SP1 and the like, and is pivotally supported by a hinge 9 on the same side as the hinge 3 so that it can be opened and closed freely. The glass door 7 and the front panel 8 may be formed as a single door body so that they can be opened and closed as a unit.

A glass window 7a corresponding to the play area 5a is provided in the approximate center of the glass door 7, and various presentation means such as an upper speaker SP2 and an illumination device 10 are arranged around the glass window 7a. The illumination device 10 comprises an LED board 11 with LEDs 11a arranged on the front side, and a light-emitting lens section 12 arranged in front of the LED board 11. A synthetic resin glass frame cover 13 is provided on the front side of the glass door 7 to cover the upper speaker SP2 etc. from the front side, and at least a part of the glass frame cover 13 is the light-emitting lens section 12 having translucency. The light-emitting lens section 12 is subjected to a light diffusion treatment such as uneven processing to make the internal LED board 11 etc. difficult to see from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 11a.

At the top of the front panel 8, an upper tray 15 is arranged to store game balls dispensed from the dispensing means 14 (see FIG. 2) and supply them to the launching means 6. Below the upper tray 15, a lower tray 16 is arranged on the left side to store surplus balls when the upper tray 15 is full, and a launch handle 17 is arranged on the right side to operate the launching means 6. Furthermore, various operating means, such as an effect button 19 that can be pressed by the player, are provided on the upper tray cover 18 that covers the upper tray 15 from the front. An illumination means may also be arranged on the upper tray cover 18.

A guide rail 20 that guides the game balls launched from the launching means 6 is attached in a circular shape to the front side of the game board 5, and various game components such as a center case 21, a normal symbol starting means 22, a special symbol starting means 23, a big prize means 24, and a normal prize means 25 are arranged in the game area 5a inside the guide rail 20.

The center case 21 is disposed, for example, approximately in the center of the play area 5a, and is provided with a roughly rectangular display window 27 that corresponds to an image display means 26 such as a liquid crystal type, and on the decorative frame 28 that surrounds the display window 27, various display means such as a normal pattern display means 31, a special pattern display means 32, a normal reserved number display means 33, a first special reserved number display means 34, etc., as well as a stage 35, a movable presentation means 36, etc. are provided.

The stage 35 is arranged in the left-right direction below the front of the image display means 26, and allows game balls that flow into the side of the center case 21, for example the warp entrance 35a on the left side, to roll freely, and then drops them to the front, for example from a central drop section in the center of the left-right direction or from a side drop section on either side of that.

The movable performance means 36 comprises a movable illumination device 40, a movable body guide means 41 that movably supports the movable illumination device 40, and a drive means 42 that drives the movable illumination device 40. The movable illumination device (illumination device) 40 is formed in a horizontally long shape, and an arbitrary decoration (here, the characters "Kappa Densetsu", the title of the gaming machine) is formed three-dimensionally on the front side of the movable illumination device, for example, and when the LEDs 73 arranged inside are turned on, a predetermined part (here, the characters of "Kappa Densetsu") is illuminated in an arbitrary color. Details of the movable illumination device 40 will be described later.

The movable body guide means 41 supports the movable illumination device 40 in a state in which it can move in a predetermined direction (here, the up-down direction) along the front side of the display screen 26a of the image display means 26, and is provided with a pair of guide rails 43 arranged in the up-down direction along both the left and right sides of the display screen 26a of the image display means 26, and each of the guide rails 43 supports both the left and right ends of the movable illumination device 40 so that they can move in the up-down direction. This movable body guide means 41 allows the movable illumination device 40 to move in the up-down direction between an upper position above the image display means 26 and a lower position in front of the image display means 26, and is normally held in the upper position, which is the origin position.

The driving means 42 is, for example, a stepping motor, and is arranged on the rear side of the decorative frame 28, and is capable of moving the movable illumination device 40 in the vertical direction according to a predetermined operating pattern via a belt or the like (not shown).

The normal symbol start means 22 is used to start the symbol change by the normal symbol display means 31, and is composed of a passage gate through which the game ball can pass. It is located to the left of the center case 21 and is equipped with a game ball detection means (not shown) that can detect the passage of the game ball.

The normal symbol display means 31 is for displaying normal symbols in a variable manner, and is provided with a number of light-emitting elements (e.g. LEDs) corresponding to a number of normal symbols (e.g. two types, "O" and "X"). Based on the detection of a gaming ball by the normal symbol starting means 22, the multiple light-emitting elements blink to emit light in a predetermined sequence. If the winning judgment random number value included in the normal random number information acquired when the normal symbol starting means 22 detects a gaming ball matches a predetermined winning judgment value, the light-emitting element corresponding to the winning state, for example, on the "O" side, lights up, and otherwise the light-emitting element corresponding to the losing state, for example, on the "X" side, lights up and stops.

The normal random number information acquired when the normal symbol starting means 22 detects a game ball is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit, for example, four pieces, and is consumed sequentially each time the normal symbol display means 31 starts changing the pattern. The number of stored normal random number information (normal reserved number) is notified to the player by the normal reserved number display means 33, etc.

The special symbol start means 23 is for starting the symbol variation by the special symbol display means 32, and is provided with, for example, two upper and lower start winning means 23a, 23b, an opening/closing means 46 for opening and closing the lower start winning means 23b, and a game ball detection means (not shown) for detecting the game balls that have won in the start winning means 23a, 23b, and is arranged, for example, below the center case 21. The upper start winning means 23a is a non-opening/closing type winning means that does not have an opening/closing means, and is arranged with an upward opening directly below the central drop section of the stage 35. The lower start winning means 23b is an opening and closing type winning means that can be switched by the opening and closing means 46 between an open state where the game ball can win and a closed state where it is impossible to win (or it is more difficult to win than in the open state), and is located below the upper start winning means 23a. It is configured so that the opening and closing means 46 changes from a closed state to an open state for a predetermined time in the normal profit state that occurs when the stopped pattern after the normal pattern display means 31 changes becomes a winning pattern.

The special symbol display means 32 is for displaying a variable special symbol, and is configured with a display means such as a seven-segment type capable of displaying one or more, for example one, special symbol, and when the special symbol start means 23 detects a game ball (when the pattern start condition is met), that is, when the game ball enters either of the two upper and lower start winning means 23a, 23b, the special symbol is displayed for a predetermined period of time, and when the jackpot determination random number value included in the special random number information obtained at the time of the game ball entering the start winning means 23a, 23b matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, it stops in a predetermined jackpot mode, and when they do not match, it stops in, for example, a miss mode.

The special random number information acquired when the game ball enters the special symbol starting means 23 is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit, for example, four pieces, and is consumed sequentially each time the special symbol display means 32 starts changing the pattern. The number of stored special random number information (special reserved number) is notified to the player by the first special reserved number display means 34, the second special reserved number display means 49 described later, etc.

The big prize means 24 is an opening and closing type prize means equipped with an opening and closing plate 47 that can be switched between an open state where game balls can win and a closed state where they cannot win, and is arranged, for example, below the special pattern starting means 23. In a special profit state that occurs when the stopped pattern after the special pattern display means 32 changes becomes a big win state, the opening and closing plate 47 opens forward according to a predetermined opening pattern, allowing game balls that fall onto it to win inside.

The image display means 26 also includes a performance pattern display means 48, a second special reserved number display means 49, etc. The performance pattern display means 48 displays the performance pattern P in parallel with the display of the special pattern by the special pattern display means 32. The performance pattern P has a plurality of pattern rows (three in the left and right direction in the example of FIG. 1) consisting of a plurality of patterns including numerical patterns and other patterns, and starts to change by vertical scrolling or the like for each pattern row according to a predetermined change pattern at approximately the same time as the special pattern starts to change, and finally stops at approximately the same time as the special pattern stops changing so that the stopped patterns on a predetermined effective line become a predetermined pattern. In the performance pattern P, for example, when all the stopped patterns on the effective line are the same, it is a big win performance mode, and otherwise it is a miss performance mode, and when the special pattern becomes a big win mode or a miss mode, the performance pattern P becomes a big win performance mode or a miss performance mode.

The second special reserved number display means 49 is for notifying the number of special reserved items, and can display reserved display images Q4-Q1 for the number of special reserved items (maximum 4 items) and a changing reserved image Q0 corresponding to the changing performance pattern P at a predetermined position on the display screen 26a, for example, at the bottom. When the number of special reserved items increases due to the entry of a game ball into the special pattern start means 23, the second special reserved number display means 49 displays one additional reserved display image Q1- at the end of the queue (for example, on the left end side), and when a new change of the special pattern starts and the number of special reserved items decreases, for example, it erases the changing reserved image Q0 and shifts the reserved display images Q1- by one toward the front of the queue (for example, to the right), changing the pushed-out leading reserved display image Q1 to the new changing reserved image Q0.

In addition to the movable presentation means 36, an illumination device 50 is also arranged on various game components such as the center case 21 on the game board 5. The illumination device 50 has an LED board 51 with LEDs 51a arranged on the front side, and a light-emitting lens section 52 arranged in front of the LED board 51. The light-emitting lens section 52 is composed of a translucent section provided on at least a part of the decorative frame 28. The light-emitting lens section 52 is subjected to a light diffusion treatment such as uneven processing to make the internal LED board 51 and the like difficult to see from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 51a.

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the control system of this pachinko machine. In Figure 2, the main control board 61 controls the overall game operation, and is connected to the normal symbol start means 22, special symbol start means 23, big prize means 24, normal prize means 25, normal symbol display means 31, special symbol display means 32, normal reserved number display means 33, first special reserved number display means 34, etc. on the game board 5 via, for example, a relay board not shown, etc., and below it are connected a sub-control board 62 that controls the performance such as image display by the image display means 26, sound output by the speakers SP1, SP2, light emission by the illumination devices 10, 40, 50, and movable body drive by the drive means 42 based on control commands from the main control board 61, a payout control board 63 that controls the payout means 14 based on control commands from the main control board 61, and a launch control board 64 that controls the launch means 6 based on launch control signals from the payout control board 63, etc.

Next, the configuration of the movable illumination device 40 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the movable illumination device 40 is composed of a front cover body 71, a base body 72, and an LED board 74 on which a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 73 are arranged. The front cover body 71 is made of a synthetic resin having translucency, and is integrally provided with a front plate 75 and an outer peripheral plate 76 that extends backward along the outer periphery of the front plate 75. The front plate 75 of the front cover body 71 is non-translucent on the front side, except for the character area corresponding to the character string "Kappa Legend" written in horizontal Gothic font (non-translucent portion 77), and thus a translucent character portion (translucent portion) 78 that constitutes the horizontal character string "Kappa Legend" is formed on the front plate 75. As shown in Figure 3, the translucent character portion 78 is composed of a plurality of (here, 14) translucent regions 78a to 78n separated from each other by the non-translucent portion 77. For example, the character "ka" is made up of one light-transmitting area 78a, and the character "tsu" is made up of three light-transmitting areas 78b to 78d.

The non-translucent treatment for forming the non-translucent portion 77 may be any treatment, such as plating or attaching a non-translucent sheet. The non-translucent portion 77 is not required to be completely non-translucent, but only needs to have a sufficiently low light transmittance compared to the translucent character portion 78. It is also desirable to apply the non-translucent treatment to the outer surface of the outer peripheral plate 76 of the front cover body 71.

The front panel 75 of the front cover body 71 is formed in a horizontally elongated shape that is slightly larger than the outline of the horizontally written character string "Kappa Legend" that constitutes the light-transmitting character portion 78, and a non-light-transmitting border 77a of approximately constant width is formed in a forward-protruding shape along the outer periphery of each character that constitutes the light-transmitting character portion 78. In this embodiment, the area outside the non-light-transmitting border 77a is the non-light-transmitting portion 77, and the area inside the non-light-transmitting border 77a is the light-transmitting character portion 78. Note that the non-light-transmitting border 77a does not necessarily have to be formed in a forward-protruding shape, and may be formed to the same thickness as the other non-light-transmitting portions 77.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface of the front cover body 71 is subjected to lens cutting or other light diffusion treatment at least in the area corresponding to the light-transmitting character portion 78 in order to make the LED board 74 and the like less visible from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 73 (light diffusion portion 79).

In FIG. 6, an example is shown in which the light diffusion treatment is applied not only to the area behind the light-transmitting character portion 78 but also to the area behind the non-light-transmitting portion 77. However, the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to the area behind the light-transmitting character portion 78, and not to the area behind the non-light-transmitting portion 77. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to the rear side of the non-light-transmitting portion 77, the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to a certain area corresponding to the front side of the LED 73, not to the entire non-light-transmitting portion 77. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to both the light-transmitting character portion 78 and the non-light-transmitting portion 77, the type of light diffusion treatment (for example, the type of lens cutting) may be different between the rear side of the light-transmitting character portion 78 and the rear side of the non-light-transmitting portion 77. In this case, the type of lens cutting may be any type, such as ball cutting, knurling, diamond cutting, or ice cutting. In addition, the light-transmitting character portion 78 side (i.e., the front side) may also be subjected to the same or different type of lens cutting as the inner side.

The front cover body 71 is detachably fixed to the front side of the base body 72 by means of screws or the like. The base body 72 is made of a synthetic resin that does not have translucency, and is integrally provided with a front plate 81 formed in substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the front cover body 71, and an outer peripheral plate 82 that extends rearward along the outer periphery of this front plate 81, and the front cover body 71 is fixed to the front side of the front plate 81. The rear side of the front cover body 71 is substantially closed by the front plate 81 of the base body 72, forming a light-emitting chamber 83 within the front cover body 71. Rail connection parts 84 that are slidably attached to the guide rails 43 are provided on both the left and right ends of the base body 72.

The LED board 74 is shaped to fit the inner surface of the outer peripheral plate 76 of the front cover body 71, and is larger than the translucent character portion 78 with its edges formed to fit the outer shape of the translucent character portion 78. The LED board 74 is equipped with a board body 85, a number of LEDs 73 arranged on the front side of the board body 85, and a connector 86 arranged on the back side of the board body 85, and is detachably fixed to the front plate 81 of the base body 72 by means of screws or the like while being arranged at a specified rear position within the light-emitting chamber 83.

A boss 87 for supporting the board is formed on the front plate 81 of the base body 72 so as to protrude forward, and this boss 87 supports the LED board 74 with a certain gap between it and the base body 72. A harness 88 connected to the connector 86 is pulled out to the rear side of the movable illumination device 40 through an opening 89 formed in the base body 72, and is connected to the sub-control board 62 via a relay board or the like.

On the LED board 74, 3 x 10 = 30 LEDs 73 are arranged in correspondence with the light-transmitting character section 78 on the front cover body 71 side, i.e., the character string "Kappa Legend". That is, on the LED board 74, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of LED rows (light source rows) consisting of a plurality of (three here) LEDs 73 arranged in the short direction of the movable illumination device 40 (here, the up-down direction, which is the width direction of the character string) are arranged in a plurality of (ten sets here, A to J) in the long direction of the movable illumination device 40 (here, the left-right direction, which is the arrangement direction of the character string). The LEDs 73 on the LED board 74 are controlled to emit light in different channels for each LED row. This makes it easy to perform light emission control that sequentially changes the light emission state of the LEDs 73 (light emission color, light emission mode such as on/off, etc.) in the arrangement direction of the character string.

In FIG. 5, the 30 LEDs 73 are distinguished by adding the symbols A to J (FIG. 7) indicating the LED row to which they belong, and the symbols 1 to 3 indicating the number within each LED row. For example, the first LED 73 in LED row A is LED 73A1, and the third LED 73 in LED row B is LED 73B3.

In addition, all of the 30 LEDs 73 are arranged on the rear side of the non-translucent border 77a along the boundary between the light-transmitting character portion 78 and the non-translucent border 77a so that at least a portion of each LED 73 overlaps the rear side of the non-translucent portion 77 in a front view. Specifically, the LEDs 73 (here, LEDs 73G3, 73I1, 73I2, and 73J2) arranged corresponding to the non-translucent portion 77 (intermediate non-translucent portion) sandwiched between a plurality of adjacent light-transmitting character portions 78 are arranged on the rear side corresponding to approximately the center of the non-translucent portion 77 (positions approximately equidistant from each light-transmitting character portion 78). In addition, the LEDs 73 (here, 73F1) arranged corresponding to the non-translucent portion 77 substantially surrounded by the light-transmitting character portions 78 are arranged on the rear side corresponding to approximately the center of the non-translucent portion 77 (positions approximately equidistant from the surrounding light-transmitting character portions 78). In these cases, depending on the size relationship between the width of the non-translucent portion 77 and the LED 73, if the LED 73 is larger (e.g., LED 73I1), a portion of the LED 73 will protrude onto the translucent character portion 78 side, but if the LED 73 is smaller (e.g., LED 73J2, 73J3), the entire LED 73 will overlap the rear side of the non-translucent portion 77.

On the other hand, for the other LEDs 73, that is, when a non-transparent portion 77 of sufficient width is in contact with the transparent character portion 78, the LEDs 73 (here, LEDs 73A1-73A3, 73B1-73B3, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-transparent portion 77 are arranged so that the edges of the LEDs 73 roughly coincide with the front-to-back boundary between the non-transparent portion 77 and the transparent character portion 78. In this case, it is preferable that the edges of the LEDs 73 do not extend onto the transparent character portion 78, but they may be arranged so that they extend partially.

In this way, by positioning the LED 73 behind the non-translucent portion 77, the light emitted from the LED 73 directly ahead is not (or is minimally) irradiated directly onto the translucent character portion 78, eliminating point light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent character portion 78.

Furthermore, among the multiple light-transmitting regions 78a to 78n, in the specific light-transmitting regions (here, light-transmitting regions 78a, 78d to 78f, 78h, 78i, and 78n) in which multiple LEDs 73 are arranged, the LEDs (specific light sources) 73 corresponding to each specific light-transmitting region are arranged as follows. That is, each LED 73 corresponding to a specific light-transmitting region is arranged so that the entire linear path to at least one of the other LEDs 73 corresponding to that specific light-transmitting region passes through the specific light-transmitting region in a front view.

Specifically, of the LEDs 73A1-73A3 and 73B1-73B3 corresponding to the specific light-transmitting region 78a, for LED 73A1, the straight line path L1 for LED 73A2 and the straight line path L2 for LED 73A3 each entirely pass through the specific light-transmitting region 78a in a front view. Similarly, for LED 73A2, the straight line path L1 for LED 73A1 and the straight line path L3 for LED 73B1 each entirely pass through the specific light-transmitting region 78a in a front view. The same is true for the other LEDs 73A3 and 73B1-B3. As a result, the light-emitting regions of the multiple LEDs 73 overlap each other in the specific light-transmitting region, making it possible to further reduce the brightness difference of the light-transmitting character portion 78 due to point lighting.

As shown in the partial enlargement of FIG. 5, the LED 73 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and three terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f are arranged on each of the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b of the four sides. Then, from each of the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f, the wiring patterns 70a-70c, 70d-70f are drawn straight and parallel to the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b, at least to a predetermined distance X, and then bent in any direction or directly connected to a via or the like. Therefore, for LEDs 73 arranged near the edge of the LED board 74, and particularly those whose distance to the board edge is less than the predetermined distance X, as shown in the partial enlargement of FIG. 5, the side 73c on which no terminals are provided, other than the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b on which the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f are provided, is arranged so that it faces the edge of the LED board 74. This has the advantage that it is easier to route the wiring pattern even though the LEDs 73 must be placed near the edge of the LED board 74.

As described above, the pachinko machine of this embodiment is equipped with a movable illumination device (illumination device) 40 having a translucent character section (translucent section) 78 and a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 73 that illuminate the translucent character section 78, and a non-translucent section 77 is provided on the outer edge of the translucent character section 78, and the LEDs 73 are positioned behind the non-translucent section 77. This makes it possible to improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference of the translucent character section 78 caused by the point light of the movable illumination device 40.

The LEDs 73 are positioned at the boundary between the translucent character section 78 and the non-translucent section 77 so that at least a portion of the LEDs 73 overlap the rear side of the non-translucent section 77 when viewed from the front of the movable illumination device 40. Furthermore, for the intermediate non-translucent section of the non-translucent section 77 that is sandwiched between the translucent character sections 78 on both sides, the LEDs 73 are positioned behind it, approximately in the center in the width direction. This makes it possible to eliminate point lighting and illuminate the entire translucent character section 78 more brightly and as evenly as possible.

The light-transmitting character section 78 also includes a number of light-transmitting regions 78a-78n separated from one another by non-light-transmitting sections 77, and a number of LEDs 73 (hereinafter, "specific light sources") are arranged behind the non-light-transmitting section 77 on the periphery of the light-transmitting character section 78 in correspondence with specific light-transmitting regions among the number of light-transmitting regions 78a-78n. The specific light sources are arranged so that the entire linear path for at least one of the other specific light sources passes through the specific light-transmitting region when viewed from the front of the movable illumination device 40. As a result, the light-emitting regions of the multiple specific light sources overlap each other within the specific light-transmitting region, making it possible to further reduce the brightness difference of the light-transmitting character section 78 due to point light.

In addition, LED rows (rows of light sources) consisting of multiple LEDs 73 arranged in the short direction of the movable illumination device 40 are arranged in multiple rows in the long direction of the movable illumination device 40, and the LEDs 73 are controlled by different channels for each LED row, so it is easy to perform light emission control that sequentially changes the light emission state of the LEDs 73 (light emission color, light emission mode such as on/off, etc.) in the direction of the arrangement of the character string.

In addition, the LED board 74 is formed so that at least a portion of its edge conforms to the outline of the light-transmitting character portion 78, and the LEDs 73 near the edge of the LED board 74 are arranged so that a side other than the predetermined opposite side on which the terminals are provided faces the edge of the LED board 74. This has the advantage that even though the LEDs 73 must be arranged near the edge of the LED board 74, it is easy to route the wiring pattern.

Figures 8 to 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the first embodiment, in which a non-translucent character section made of a non-translucent section is provided within the translucent section, and LEDs are arranged behind the non-translucent character section. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the arrangement of the translucent and non-translucent sections in the movable illumination device, and the associated arrangement of the LEDs and shape of the movable illumination device. Below, the configuration of the movable illumination device will be explained, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the movable illumination device 90 of this embodiment is composed of a front cover body 91, a base body 92, and an LED board 94 on which a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 93 are arranged, as in the movable illumination device 40 of the first embodiment. The front cover body 91 is made of a synthetic resin having translucency, and is integrally provided with a front plate 95 and an outer peripheral plate 96 that extends rearward along the outer periphery of the front plate 95. The front plate 95 of the front cover body 91 is subjected to a non-translucent treatment on the front side of the character area (non-translucent character area 97a) corresponding to the character string "Kappa Legend" written in horizontal Gothic font, for example, and the frame area (non-translucent frame area 97b) that individually surrounds each of these characters, so that the characters "Ka", "Tsu", "Pa", "Den", and "Setsu" that respectively constitute the non-translucent character area 97a are formed in the five rectangular translucent areas 98 on the front plate 95. The front plate 95 of the front cover body 91 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that conforms to the outer shape of the non-transparent frame portion 97b.

The non-translucent treatment for forming the non-translucent portions 97a, 97b may be any treatment, such as plating or application of a non-translucent sheet. The non-translucent portions 97a, 97b are not required to be completely non-translucent, but only need to have a sufficiently low light transmittance compared to the translucent portion 98. It is also desirable to apply the non-translucent treatment to the outer surface of the outer peripheral plate 96 of the front cover body 91.

As shown in FIG. 10, the inner surface of the front cover body 91 is subjected to lens cutting or other light diffusion treatment at least in the area corresponding to the light-transmitting portion 98 in order to make the LED board 94 and the like less visible from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 93 (light diffusion portion 99).

In FIG. 10, an example is shown in which the light diffusion treatment is applied not only to the area behind the light-transmitting portion 98 but also to the area behind the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. However, the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to the area behind the light-transmitting portion 98, and not to the area behind the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to the rear of the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b, the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to a certain area corresponding to the front side of the LED 93, not to the entire non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to both the light-transmitting portion 98 and the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b, the type of light diffusion treatment (for example, the type of lens cutting) may be different between the rear of the light-transmitting portion 98 and the rear of the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. The type of lens cutting in this case may be any type, such as ball cutting, knurling, diamond cutting, or ice cutting. Furthermore, with regard to the light-transmitting portion 98, the light-transmitting portion 98 side (i.e., the front side) may be subjected to the same or a different type of lens cut processing as the inner side.

The front cover body 91 is detachably fixed to the front side of the base body 92 by means of screws or the like. The base body 92 is made of a synthetic resin that does not have translucency, and is integrally provided with a front plate 101 formed in approximately the same shape as the outer shape of the front cover body 91, and an outer peripheral plate 102 that extends rearward along the outer periphery of the front plate 101, and the front cover body 91 is fixed to the front side of the front plate 101. The rear side of the front cover body 91 is approximately closed by the front plate 101 of the base body 92, forming a light-emitting chamber 103 within the front cover body 91. Rail connection parts 104 that are slidably attached to the guide rails 43 are provided on both the left and right ends of the base body 92.

The LED board 94 comprises a board body 105 formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that fits along the inner surface of the outer peripheral plate 96 of the front cover body 91, a number of LEDs 93 arranged on the front side of the board body 105, and a connector 106 arranged on the back side of the board body 105, and is detachably fixed to the front plate 101 of the base body 92 by means of screws or the like while being arranged at a predetermined rear position within the light emitting chamber 103.

A boss 107 for supporting the board is formed on the front plate 101 of the base body 92 so as to protrude forward, and this boss 107 supports the LED board 94 with a certain gap between it and the base body 92. A harness 108 connected to the connector 106 is pulled out to the rear side of the movable illumination device 90 through an opening 109 formed in the base body 92, and is connected to the sub-control board 62 via a relay board or the like.

On the LED board 94, 3 x 9 = 27 LEDs 93 are arranged in correspondence with the non-translucent character section 97a on the front cover body 91 side, i.e., the character string "Kappa Legend". That is, on the LED board 94, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of LED rows (light source rows) consisting of a plurality of (three in this case) LEDs 93 arranged in the short direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the character string) are arranged in a plurality of (nine sets, A to I in this case) in the long direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the left-right direction, which is the arrangement direction of the character string). The LEDs 93 on the LED board 94 are controlled to emit light in different channels for each LED row. This makes it easy to perform light emission control that sequentially changes the light emission state of the LEDs 93 (light emission color, light emission mode such as on/off, etc.) in the arrangement direction of the character string.

In FIG. 9, the 27 LEDs 93 are distinguished by adding the symbols A to I (FIG. 11) indicating the LED row to which they belong, and the symbols 1 to 3 indicating the number within each LED row. For example, the first LED 93 belonging to LED row A is LED 93A1, and the third LED 93 belonging to LED row B is LED 93B3.

All 27 LEDs 93 are positioned behind the non-translucent character section 97a, and are positioned approximately in the widthwise center of the non-translucent character section 97a when viewed from the front. This means that the light emitted from the LEDs 93 directly ahead is not (or is minimally) irradiated directly onto the translucent section 98, eliminating point light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent section 98, while also making the silhouette of the non-translucent character section 97a stand out more clearly.

Figures 12 and 13 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the second embodiment, in which the LEDs 93 are arranged not only behind the non-transparent character portion 97a, but also behind the non-transparent frame portion 97b. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment only in the arrangement of the LEDs 93. The following will focus on the differences from the second embodiment.

In the LED board 94 of this embodiment, 3 x 16 = 48 LEDs 93 are arranged in correspondence with the non-translucent character portion 97a and the non-translucent frame portion 97b on the front cover body 91 side. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the LED board 94 has a plurality of (three here) LEDs 93 arranged in the short direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the character string), and a plurality of (16 pairs here, A to P) LED rows (light source rows) are arranged in the long direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the left-right direction, which is the arrangement direction of the character string). The LEDs 93 on the LED board 94 are controlled to emit light in different channels for each LED row. This makes it easy to perform light emission control that sequentially changes the light emission state of the LEDs 93 (light emission color, light emission mode such as on/off, etc.) in the arrangement direction of the character string.

In FIG. 12, the 48 LEDs 93 are distinguished by adding the symbols A through P indicating the LED row to which they belong, and the symbols 1 through 3 indicating the number within each LED row. For example, the first LED 93 belonging to LED row A is LED 93A1, and the third LED 93 belonging to LED row B is LED 93B3.

All 48 LEDs 93 are disposed on the rear side of either the non-translucent character portion 97a or the non-translucent frame portion 97b. The LEDs 93 (e.g., LEDs 93B2, 93B3) corresponding to the non-translucent character portion 97a disposed inside the translucent portion 98 are disposed approximately in the center of the width of the non-translucent character portion 97a when viewed from the front. In addition, among the LEDs 93 corresponding to the non-translucent frame portion 97b arranged outside the translucent portion 98, the LEDs 93 (e.g., LEDs 93D2, 93G2, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-translucent frame portion 97b sandwiched between two translucent portions 98 are arranged on the rear side corresponding to approximately the center of the non-translucent frame portion 97b (positions approximately equidistant from each non-translucent frame portion 97b). In other words, when a non-translucent frame portion 97b of sufficient width is in contact with the translucent portion 98, the LEDs 93 (here, LEDs 93A1 to 93A3, 93B1, 93C3, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-translucent frame portion 97b are arranged so that the edges of the LEDs 93 approximately coincide with the front-rear boundary between the non-translucent frame portion 97b and the translucent portion 98. In either case, it is preferable that the edges of the LEDs 93 do not extend onto the translucent portion 98 side, but they may be arranged so that they extend partially.

By arranging the LEDs 93 in this manner, the light emitted from the LEDs 93 directly ahead is not (or is only) irradiated directly onto the translucent portion 98, eliminating point light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent portion 98, while also making the silhouette of the non-translucent lettering portion 97a stand out more clearly.

12, the LED 93 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, with three terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f arranged on each of the four opposite sides 93a, 93b. From each of the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f, wiring patterns 70a-70c, 70d-70f are drawn out in a straight and parallel manner in a direction perpendicular to the opposite sides 93a, 93b for at least a predetermined distance X, and then bent in any direction or directly connected to a via or the like. Therefore, for LEDs 93 (LEDs 93A1 to 93A3, 93B1, etc.) that are arranged near the edge of the horizontally elongated rectangular LED board 94 and are particularly close to the board edge by less than the predetermined distance X, the side 93c on which no terminals are provided, which is different from the predetermined opposite sides 93a and 93b on which the terminals 69a to 69c and 69d to 69f are provided, is arranged so that it faces the edge of the LED board 94, as shown in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 12. The LEDs 93 are arranged to avoid the vicinity of the corners of the LED board 94 (for example, LED 93A1). This has the advantage that the wiring pattern can be easily routed even in the case where the LEDs 93 must be arranged near the edge of the LED board 94 as in this embodiment.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configuration of the movable illumination device of the embodiment can be similarly applied to an illumination device 50 fixedly arranged on a game component on the game board 5, such as the center case 21, or an illumination device 10 fixedly arranged on the front frame 4 side. Of course, it can also be similarly applied when a movable illumination device is provided on the front frame 4 side.

In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the light-transmitting portion is in the shape of letters (light-transmitting letter portion 78), but the light-transmitting portion in this case is not limited to being in the shape of letters, and may be any shape, such as a graphic such as a logo mark or a pattern such as a character. In addition, in the second and third embodiments, an example is shown in which a non-light-transmitting portion in the shape of letters (non-light-transmitting letter portion 97a) is arranged within the light-transmitting portion, but the non-light-transmitting portion in this case is not limited to being in the shape of letters, and may be any shape, such as a graphic such as a logo mark or a pattern such as a character.

In the embodiment, the translucent and non-translucent portions are formed by applying a non-translucent treatment to a portion of the translucent front cover body 71, but the translucent and non-translucent portions may be formed by combining a non-translucent first member with a translucent second member (for example, fitting the second member behind the first member having a letter-shaped opening).

In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the illumination device is arranged facing the front of the gaming machine main body 1, but the illumination device may be arranged diagonally with respect to the front of the gaming machine main body 1, for example, with the illumination device on the upper side of the front frame 4 facing diagonally downward, so that the front faces the player. In this case, it is preferable that the LED (light source) of the illumination device is arranged behind the non-transparent part when viewed from the front of the illumination device, rather than when viewed from the front of the gaming machine main body 1.

In the embodiment, three LEDs belong to the same channel LED row, but two or four or more may be used.

The present invention can also be implemented in various pinball gaming machines such as arrange ball machines and mahjong ball gaming machines, as well as gaming machines other than pinball gaming machines such as slot machines.

40 Movable illumination device 73 LED (light source)
77 Non-transparent part 78 Transparent character part (transparent part)
78a-78n Translucent area 93 LED (light source)
97a Non-transparent character area (non-transparent area)
97b Non-transparent frame part (non-transparent part)
98 Translucent part

Claims (1)

A gaming machine equipped with an illumination device having a light-transmitting section and a plurality of light sources for illuminating the light-transmitting section,
providing a non-light-transmitting portion having a non-light-transmitting character portion forming a predetermined character shape;
A background area for the non-transparent character portion is formed by the transparent portion,
a light diffusion treatment is applied to at least the light-transmitting portion of the non-light-transmitting character portion and the light-transmitting portion of the background region;
A light-emitting substrate is disposed in a space spanning a rear region of the non-light-transmitting character portion and a rear region of the light-transmitting portion;
A gaming machine, characterized in that the light source is arranged at a position corresponding to the rear side of the non-transparent character portion on the front side of the light-emitting substrate .