JP7801264B2 - gaming machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an amusement machine.

Conventionally, gaming machines (so-called pachinko machines) have been known in which gaming balls, which are gaming media, are launched into a gaming area by a launching device, and when the gaming balls enter a winning area, such as a prize slot, within the gaming area, a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out to the player, and the gaming state is changed when the display result of the variable display of identification information becomes a specific display result.

In addition, there is also a gaming machine (so-called slot machine) that, after setting a predetermined number of bets per game, the player operates the start lever to start the variable display of the identification information, and then the player operates the stop switch to stop the variable display of the identification information within a predetermined maximum delay time from the timing of the operation. A win occurs according to the display result derived when all variable displays have stopped, and a predetermined gaming medium is paid out in response to the win. If a specific win occurs, the gaming state is changed.

One such gaming machine is known to have a guide passage (guide area) that guides gaming balls launched by a launching device into the gaming area (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this type of gaming machine, the guide passage is formed by an outer guide rail and an inner guide rail, and a ball return prevention mechanism is provided at the exit of the guide passage. The ball return prevention mechanism prevents gaming balls that have entered the gaming area from returning to the guide passage.

JP 2013-188370 A

The gaming machine described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in preventing gaming balls that have entered the gaming area from returning to the guide passage (guidance area).

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gaming machine that can improve the prevention of gaming balls that have entered the gaming area returning to the guide area.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 100) comprising a gaming board (in this example, a gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, a gaming area 108a), a launching means (in this example, a launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, and an outer rail (in this example, an outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, an inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, a guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
A ball return prevention mechanism (in this example, a ball return prevention mechanism 50) is provided to prevent the game ball from returning from the game area to the guide area,
The ball return prevention mechanism has a displacement member (in this example, an on-off valve 54b) that can be displaced to a first state (in this example, a closed state), a second state (in this example, an open state), and a third state (in this example, an intermediate state),
The displacement member has a side surface portion (in this example, a first side surface portion 540b) facing the outer rail and a tip portion on the tip side of the side surface portion,
The distance from the tip end to the outer rail is set to a specific distance (specific distance H1 in this example),
The game ball to be guided from the guide area to the game area is a first game ball (in this example, game ball B1),
If the game ball returning from the game area to the guide area is a second game ball (in this example, game ball B2),
the first state is a state in which the specific distance is shorter than that in the second state,
the second state is a state in which the specific distance is longer than that in the first state,
The third state is a state in which the first game ball is in contact with the side portion, the outer rail, and the second game ball, and the second game ball is in contact with the tip portion, the outer rail, and the first game ball, so that the specific distance is longer than in the first state and shorter than in the second state, and the distance (in this example, distance H3) from the contact point between the second game ball and the tip portion (in this example, contact point P4) to the contact point between the second game ball and the first game ball (in this example, contact point P3) is shorter than the distance (in this example, distance H4) from the lowest point of the second game ball (in this example, lowest point P6) to the contact point between the second game ball and the first game ball.

This invention provides a gaming machine that can improve the prevention of gaming balls that have entered the gaming area returning to the guide area.

1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine with the front frame open. This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine with the inner frame open. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light-emitting unit. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the application area of adhesive applied to the design sheet of the light-emitting unit. FIG. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for attaching a design sheet to a light-emitting unit. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application area to be applied to the design sheet to be affixed to the resin cover of the normal prize opening. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application areas to be applied to the design sheet to be attached to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an application portion of adhesive applied to a design sheet of the light-emitting unit in Modification 1. FIG. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application area to be applied to the design sheet attached to the resin cover of the normal prize opening in variant example 2. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application areas to be applied to the design sheet attached to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device in variant example 3. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application areas to be applied to the design sheet attached to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device in variant example 4. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an application area of adhesive to be applied to a design sheet attached to a resin cover of a movable body in Modification 5. (a) is a front view of the design sheet, (b) is a rear view of the design sheet, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of (a) taken along line AA. 10A is a front view of a design sheet according to a modified example, and FIGS. 10B and 10C are rear views of the same design sheet. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inner guide rail attached to the game board shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of a ball return prevention mechanism provided on the inner guide rail shown in FIG. 19 . FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism. This is a front view of the ball return prevention member provided in the ball return prevention mechanism when it is in a closed state. FIG. 2 is a front view of the ball return prevention member in an open state. This figure shows a game ball that has entered the game area attempting to return to the boundary area when the ball return prevention member is in the process of changing from a closed state to an open state. FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dotted line shown in FIG. 25. FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dotted line shown in FIG. 25. A figure showing a state in which a game ball that has returned from the game area to the boundary area collides with a ball return prevention member. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 23. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a modified example 2-1 of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to modified example 2-2 of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to variant 2-3 of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to variant 2-4 of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to variant 2-5 of the second embodiment. 10 is a table showing the visibility of the first contact position, the second contact position, and the third contact position in the second embodiment and modified examples 2-1 to 2-5.

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration]
The overall configuration of a pachinko machine according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a front view of the gaming machine, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine with the front frame open, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine with the inner frame open.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pachinko machine, which is the gaming machine 100, comprises an outer frame 102, whose four sides are arranged in a generally rectangular shape to form an enclosed space; an inner frame 104 attached to the outer frame 102 so as to be able to open and close; and a front frame 106 attached to the inner frame 104 so as to be able to open and close. The front frame 106 is attached to the outer frame 102 via the inner frame 104 so as to be able to open and close. The outer frame 102, inner frame 104, and front frame 106 are pivotally supported by an upper hinge mechanism 400 and a lower hinge mechanism 401. The outer frame 102 and inner frame 104 form a main body (gaming machine frame), which is capable of holding a gaming board unit 600 (see Figure 5). The gaming board unit 600 includes, for example, a gaming board, a resin member attached to the front of the gaming board, and an LED (light-emitting means) that irradiates the resin member with light.

Like the outer frame 102, the inner frame 104 has four sides arranged in a roughly rectangular shape to form an enclosed space, and the game board 108 is held in the enclosed space. The game board 108 can be attached to the inner frame 104 when the front frame 106 is in an open state (open state). A game area 108a (see Figure 5) is formed on the front of the game board 108, and the game area can be seen through the transparent window 106a when the front frame 106 is in a closed state (closed state). Note that the game board 108 is not shown in Figure 2.

Amusement facilities (such as pachinko parlors) where gaming machines are installed are equipped with island facilities. The island facilities are made up of multiple vertically long rectangular frame-shaped island facilities for installing multiple gaming machines side by side. The island facilities are generally made of wood. For example, the gaming machine 100 is attached to the island facilities by fastening the top and bottom of the outer frame 102 to the island facilities with nails at four points each from the inside (the inner periphery where the inner frame 104 is attached).

An operating handle 117 that protrudes from the front side of the gaming machine 100 is provided at the bottom of the front frame 106. The operating handle 117 is provided so that it can be rotated by the player, and when the player rotates the operating handle 117 to perform a firing operation, the launcher 16 launches gaming balls toward the playing area of the gaming board 108 at a firing intensity that corresponds to the rotation angle of the operating handle 117. This launcher 16 is located below the gaming board within the inner frame 104. The firing intensity of the launcher 16 includes firing intensities A to D, which will be described below.

The gaming machine 100 is also equipped with a liquid crystal display (not shown), a lamp 114 that can be controlled to various lighting modes and emission colors, a speaker 116, and a performance operation device 118 that accepts player input, as performance devices that provide performance during game play.

The effect operation device 118 is equipped with a push button 118a that accepts press operations by the player, and an operation dial 118b that accepts dial operations by the player. The effect operation device 118 is activated in accordance with the images displayed on the LCD display, and when it accepts operation by the player within the operation activation period, various effects are executed in accordance with that operation.

At the back of the effect operation device 118 (towards the gaming board 108) is an upper tray 120, to which prize balls paid out from the gaming machine 100 and gaming balls dispensed from the gaming ball dispenser are guided. When the upper tray 120 is full of gaming balls, the gaming balls are guided to the lower tray 122. A ball ejection hole (not shown) is formed in the bottom of the lower tray 122 for ejecting gaming balls from the lower tray 122. This ball ejection hole is normally closed by an opening/closing plate (not shown), but by pressing the ball ejection button 124, the opening/closing plate slides together with the ball ejection button 124, allowing gaming balls to be ejected from the ball ejection hole below the lower tray 122.

[Configuration of the rear of the gaming machine]
Next, the configuration of the rear surface of the pachinko machine will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the pachinko machine.

As shown in Figure 4, the rear side of the gaming machine 100 is equipped with a main control board case that houses the main control board that controls the game, a back cover 200 that covers the sub-control board case that houses the sub-control board that controls the presentation, a game information output terminal board 203, a prize ball storage tank 204, a prize ball payout flow path 206, a payout ball counting switch 208, a payout control board case 210, an inner frame opening switch 212, etc. In addition, the rear side of the gaming machine 100 is equipped with various electronic devices (including a control computer, not shown) that make up the power supply system and control system of the gaming machine 100, a power cord with a power plug, and connecting wiring (all not shown).

The game information output terminal board 203 is connected to electronic devices external to the gaming machine 100 (e.g., a data display device, a hall computer, etc.). Various external information signals (e.g., prize ball information, error information, jackpot information, starting gate information, etc.) indicating the game progress status and maintenance status of the gaming machine 100 are output from the game information output terminal board 203 to the external electronic devices.

The prize ball storage tank 204 is attached to a mounting base attached to the top plate of the inner frame 104. This means that the prize ball storage tank 204 is located at the top of the rear side of the inner frame 104. The prize ball storage tank 204 can store game balls supplied from a supply path (not shown). When prize balls are paid out, the game balls stored in the prize ball storage tank 204 are guided through the prize ball payout flow path 206 to the upper tray 120 (see Figure 1) on the front side of the gaming machine 100. The payout ball count switch 208 detects the number of game balls paid out through the prize ball payout flow path 206.

An inner frame opening switch 212 is provided in the lower left area of the payout control board case 210. The power cord (not shown) is connected to a power supply (e.g., 24V AC) installed in the gaming center's island equipment, for example. This ensures that the power source (electricity) necessary for the operation of the gaming machine 100 is available.

[Game board configuration]
Next, the configuration of the game board 108 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a front view of the game board 108. Note that, to avoid cluttering the drawing, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted from the illustration.

The game board 108 is located on the front of the game board unit 600 described above, and is positioned opposite the transparent window 106a of the front door 3. The transparent window 106a is surrounded by design elements that make up the front side of the front door 3. The design elements include the lamp 114, speaker 116, and effect operation device 118 (described below), as well as the lower left design section 3a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the game board 108 has a substantially rectangular acrylic plate (board plate) 5a, a rail base 26, an outer guide rail (outer rail) 27, and an inner guide rail (inner rail) 28. The rail base 26 is fixed to the front of the acrylic plate 5a and has an arc-shaped inner peripheral surface 42a when viewed from the front. The outer guide rail 27 is attached along the inner peripheral surface 42a of the rail base 26 and is arranged in an arc shape from a left side position away from the lower center of the game board 108 to the left end, upper end, and upper right end. A base end support portion 420a is provided at the base end of the inner peripheral surface 42a of the rail base 26 to support the base end of the outer guide rail 27, and a tip end support portion 420b is provided at the tip end to support the tip end of the outer guide rail 27.

The inner guide rail 28 is attached to the inside of the outer guide rail 27 on the front surface of the acrylic plate 5a, and is arranged in an arc shape from a position slightly to the left of the lower center of the game board 108 to near the left and upper left ends of the game board 108. The curved area between the outer guide rail 27 and the inner guide rail 28 forms the guide passage 29. The guide passage 29 guides game balls launched by the launching device 16 (see Figure 2) to the play area 108a. A boundary area 700 is provided between the guide passage 29 and the play area 108a. The exit of the boundary area 700 is connected to the play area 108a, and the entrance of the boundary area 700 is connected to the guide passage 29. As will be described in detail below, a ball return prevention mechanism 50 is provided at the tip of the inner guide rail 28, and this ball return prevention mechanism 50 is located in the boundary area 700.

Translucent resin members 5b and 5c are provided on the front of the acrylic plate 5a in positions visible to the player. Resin member 5b is provided in the center left part of the acrylic plate 5a, and resin member 5c is provided in the lower right part of the acrylic plate 5a. A design sheet 70 (see Figure 17(a)) is attached to the front of resin member 5b, and a design sheet 80 (see Figure 18(a)) is attached to the front of resin member 5c. Details of design sheets 70 and 80 will be provided later.

Normal winning holes 92, starting winning holes 93, variable winning devices 94, etc. are distributed within the game area 108a, and game pins are also provided that can change the direction in which game balls flow. As game balls are launched into the game area 108a, they may enter the normal winning holes 92 or starting winning holes 93 as they flow down, or they may enter the variable winning device 94 when activated.

When the game board 108 is made of a transparent acrylic resin plate, as in this embodiment, decorative features can be added using various decorative elements (including movable elements and light-emitting elements) placed not only on the front side but also on the back side of the game board 108.

Here, the play area 108a includes a left-hitting area 108a1 and a right-hitting area 108a2. The left-hitting area 108a1 is the area where the player drops the game ball during normal play. Aiming and shooting a game ball into the left-hitting area 108a1 is called a left-hitting operation. The left-hitting area 108a1 is provided with a throw-in position BP (left-hitting reference position). In this embodiment, the throw-in position BP is the reference position when the player performs a left-hitting operation, and is located in the upper left of the play area 108a. Specifically, the throw-in position BP is located near the midpoint between the exit of the guide passage 29 and the top end of the play area 108a, and multiple nails (five in this example) are located near this position (see Figure 5). Collisions of the game ball with these nails make it easier to guide the game ball toward the starting winning hole 93, thereby increasing the probability of the ball entering the starting winning hole 93. Aiming to shoot a game ball at the shot position BP is called a shot aim. On the other hand, the right hit area 108a2 is an area where a player causes the game ball to flow down in a jackpot game state or a time-saving game state. Aiming to shoot a game ball at the right hit area 108a2 is called a right hit operation.

In the gaming machine 100, in normal play mode, the player performs a firing operation (a so-called left-hand firing operation) by aiming at the left-hand firing area 108a1 of the gaming area 108a. The left-hand firing operation is performed by the player rotating the operating handle 117 provided on the gaming machine 100, and the fired gaming ball flows down the left-hand firing area 108a1. When the gaming ball enters the starting winning slot 93, the display of a changing special pattern begins. If a jackpot pattern is displayed as a static special pattern, it is a "jackpot," and if a losing pattern is displayed as a static special pattern, it is a "loss." In addition, if a gaming ball enters the normal winning slot 92 or the starting winning slot 93, a predetermined number of prize balls can be obtained.

In the jackpot gaming state, the large prize opening formed by the variable prize-winning device 94 opens in a predetermined manner. In the jackpot gaming state, the player performs a right-hit operation, and the launched game ball flows down the right-hit area 108a2, entering the large prize opening, allowing the player to obtain a prize ball. Therefore, the jackpot gaming state is advantageous to the player.

In this embodiment, the normal winning opening 92 is covered by a transparent resin cover 96 attached to the front of the game board 108. A design sheet 97 is attached with adhesive to the attachment area on the front of the resin cover 96. The attachment area on the front of the resin cover 96 is a location that is difficult for players or game balls to come into contact with when the front frame 106 is closed.

The variable winning device 94 is covered by a transparent resin cover 98 attached to the front of the game board 108. A design sheet 99 is attached with adhesive to the attachment area on the front of the resin cover 98. The attachment area on the front of the resin cover 98 is a location that is difficult for players or game balls to come into contact with when the front frame 106 is closed.

Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the game board 108 has a movable body on its rear side that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction. The movable body is formed into a plate that extends in the horizontal direction, and its front side is covered by a resin cover. A design sheet 500 is attached with adhesive to an attachment area on the front of the resin cover. The attachment area on the front of the resin cover is a location that is difficult for players or game balls to come into contact with when the front frame 106 is closed.

Next, we will explain the decorative plate with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a front view of the decorative plate.

As shown in FIG. 6, a decorative plate 107 is attached to the back of the gaming board 108. As mentioned above, the gaming board 108 is made of a transparent resin plate, so the decorative plate 107 can be seen from the front of the gaming board 108. In addition, the decorative plate 107 is provided with decorative members 109 and a light-emitting unit 110 that are arranged to surround the playing area 108a. The light-emitting unit 110 can be seen from the front of the gaming board 108. Although not shown in the figure, the aforementioned movable body is positioned on the upper back side of the gaming board 108 in the normal state, and is not visible to the player. However, the movable body may be positioned in a position that is visible to the player in the normal state.

[Light emitter unit]
Next, the light emitting unit 110 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the light emitting unit.

As shown in Figure 7, the light-emitting unit 110 comprises a design sheet 111 on which a picture is printed, a base plate 112 to which the design sheet 111 is attached, and a light-guiding lens 113 that guides light from an LED (not shown). The attachment area on the front of the base plate 112 is an area that is difficult for players or game balls to come into contact with when the front frame 106 is closed.

An attachment portion 109a for the base plate 112 is formed on the front side of the decorative member 109. The attachment portion 109a has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the base plate 112. The base plate 112 is attached to the attachment portion 109a of the decorative member 109 with screws (not shown). An adhesive surface 112a is formed on the front side of the base plate 112, and a design sheet 111 is attached to the adhesive surface 112a. A light-guiding lens 113 is attached to the back side of the decorative member 109.

The decorative member 109, design sheet 111, and base plate 112 are made of translucent resin. Light from the light-guiding lens 113 passes through the decorative member 109, and then through the base plate 112 and design sheet 111. This increases the visibility of the image on the design sheet 111, enhancing the dramatic effect.

In addition, a rib 112b extending vertically is formed on the left end of the base plate 112. As described below, the design sheet 111 is positioned relative to the base plate 112 by abutting the design sheet 111 against the rib 112b.

Furthermore, a convex portion 112c that protrudes toward the design sheet 111 (i.e., the right side) is formed on the rib 112b of the base plate 112. A concave portion 111a into which the convex portion 112c can be inserted is formed on the design sheet 111. Specifically, the convex portion 112c consists of a protrusion that protrudes toward the design sheet 111. The concave portion 111a consists of a notch that has approximately the same shape as the convex portion 112c and is slightly larger than the outer periphery of the convex portion 112c. When the convex portion 112c is inserted into the concave portion 111a, the design sheet 111 is positioned in the up-down direction.

In addition, the base plate 112 has three air bubble prevention holes 112d formed in order to prevent air from remaining between the design sheet 111 and the base plate 112 when the design sheet 111 is attached, which could result in air bubbles.

[Light-emitting unit design sheet]
Next, the adhesive applied to the design sheet 111 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the adhesive application portion to be applied to the design sheet of the light-emitting unit. Fig. 8 shows the back side of the design sheet 111.

As shown in Figure 8, adhesive 130 is applied to design sheet 111 (the shaded area in the figure). Adhesive 130 is positioned approximately 3 mm inward from the outer periphery of design sheet 111. Furthermore, adhesive 130 is positioned along the outer periphery of design sheet 111 in a ring shape with a width of approximately 5 mm around the entire circumference. In other words, in this embodiment, adhesive 130 is positioned at a distance of 3 mm or more from the outer periphery of design sheet 111, and is not positioned at a distance less than 3 mm.

The air bubble prevention holes 112d in the base plate 112 are positioned so that the adhesive 130 will not adhere to them when the design sheet 111 is attached to the base plate 112.

[How to attach the design sheet]
Next, the operation of attaching the design sheet 111 to the base plate 112 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Figs. 9(a) to 9(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for attaching the design sheet of the light-emitting unit.

As shown in Figure 9(a), first, the design sheet 111 with adhesive 130 attached to its backside is tilted relative to the base plate 112 and butted against the adhesive surface 112a. At this time, the end of the design sheet 111 on the recess 111a side faces the rib 112b of the base plate 112. The design sheet 111 is also tilted so that the adhesive 130 of the design sheet 111 does not adhere to the adhesive surface 112a, and the end of the design sheet 111 is butted against the base plate 112. Then, while still tilted, the design sheet 111 is slid toward the rib 112b of the base plate 112.

Next, as shown in Figure 9(b), the edge of the design sheet 111 is abutted against the rib 112b of the base plate 112, and the recess 111a of the design sheet 111 is inserted into the protrusion 112c of the base plate 112. This positions the design sheet 111 relative to the base plate 112.

Next, as shown in Figure 9(c), the design sheet 111 is rotated around the side of the base plate 112 that abuts against the rib 112b so that the design sheet 111 approaches the base plate 112, and the design sheet 111 is attached to the adhesive surface 112a of the base plate 112. At this time, air escapes through the air bubble prevention holes 112d in the base plate 112, preventing the formation of air bubbles.

By performing the above steps, the design sheet 111 can be attached to the base plate 112.

For example, if adhesive 130 is applied to the outer periphery of the design sheet 111 and then positioned from above the base plate 112 and attached, the positioning and attachment must be performed simultaneously, making work errors more likely. However, in this embodiment, adhesive 130 is applied to an area of the design sheet 111 a predetermined distance from the outer periphery, allowing the design sheet 111 to be attached while sliding. Therefore, the design sheet 111 can be positioned before being attached, making the positioning and attachment of the design sheet 111 separate and easy. This prevents work errors when attaching the design sheet 111 and improves work efficiency when attaching the sheet. Furthermore, with the configuration of this embodiment, the adhesive strength of the design sheet 111 is reduced. However, when the front frame 106 is closed, the light-emitting unit 110 is located in a position where it is highly unlikely to come into contact with a player or a game ball. In such a location, it is more important to prevent a decrease in work efficiency and appearance, even if it means reducing adhesive strength.

Furthermore, for example, if a configuration is adopted in which a positioning boss is formed on the base plate 112 and a positioning hole into which the boss is inserted is formed on the design sheet 111, it is necessary to position and attach the design sheet 111 at the same time. However, in this embodiment, the design sheet 111 is positioned by sliding the design sheet 111 and inserting the recessed portion 111a of the design sheet 111 into the protruding portion 112c of the base plate 112. This allows the design sheet 111 to be positioned before being attached, making it easier to position and attach the design sheet 111 as separate tasks. This prevents errors when attaching the design sheet 111 and improves the efficiency of the work when attaching the sheet.

Furthermore, if air bubbles are generated when the design sheet 111 is attached to the base plate 112, the bubbles will become noticeable due to the light emitted toward the design sheet 111. However, in this embodiment, air bubble prevention holes 112d are formed in the base plate 112, which eliminates the need to release the air between the base plate 112 and the design sheet 111 to the outside, thereby improving the efficiency of the work when attaching the design sheet 111.

In addition, because the adhesive 130 is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of the design sheet 111, it is possible to prevent the adhesive 130 from spilling over.

The air bubble prevention holes 112d in the base plate 112 are positioned so that the adhesive 130 will not adhere to them when the design sheet 111 is attached to the base plate 112.

The position of the adhesive 130 on the design sheet 111, the shape of the design sheet 111, and the arrangement of the bubble prevention holes 112d may also be applied to design sheets that are attached to parts other than the light-emitting unit 110 (such as prize slots or variable prize-winning devices (such as attackers or electric chute)).

[Design sheet for resin cover of regular prize slot]
Next, the adhesive 97a of the design sheet 97 affixed to the resin cover 96 of the normal prize opening 92 will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application portion of the design sheet 97 affixed to the resin cover of the normal prize opening. Note that Figure 10 shows the back side of the design sheet 97.

As shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), adhesive 97a is applied to design sheet 97 (the shaded area in the figure). Design sheet 97 includes transparent areas 97b and opaque areas 97c (in this example, they are separated by the dotted line in the figure). The outer periphery of design sheet 97 also includes transparent areas 97b and opaque areas 97c. Note that transparent areas 97b are not completely transparent; they only need to be more transparent than opaque areas 97c. In other words, transparent areas 97b allow the adhesive to be seen through, but opaque areas 97c prevent the adhesive from being seen through.

The adhesive 97a is disposed at a position spaced approximately 1 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 97 (the portion indicated by a in the figure), a position spaced approximately 3 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 97 (the portion indicated by b in the figure), or a position spaced approximately 5 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 97 (the portion indicated by c in the figure). In other words, in this embodiment, the adhesive 97a is disposed at a distance of 1 mm or more from the outer edge of the design sheet 97, and is not disposed at a distance of less than 1 mm.

The adhesive 97a is arranged in a ring shape approximately 5 mm wide around the entire periphery of the outer edge of the design sheet 97. A through-hole 96a is formed in the resin cover 96, and when the design sheet 97 is attached, the through-hole 96a is positioned inside the annularly arranged adhesive 97a.

As with design sheet 111, this configuration prevents errors when applying design sheet 97, improving work efficiency when applying the sheet. Furthermore, because adhesive 97a is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of design sheet 97, it is also possible to prevent the adhesive 97a from spilling over. Furthermore, with a configuration like this embodiment, the adhesive strength of design sheet 97 is reduced. However, when front frame 106 is closed, resin cover 96 is located in a position where it is extremely unlikely to come into contact with a player or a gaming ball. In such a location, it is more important to prevent a decline in work efficiency and appearance, even if it means reducing adhesive strength.

The position of the adhesive 97a of the design sheet 97 affixed to the resin cover 96 of the normal winning opening 92 and the shape of the design sheet 97 may also be applied to design sheets affixed to parts other than the normal winning opening 92 (winning openings and variable winning devices (such as attackers and electric chute)).

[Design sheet for the resin cover of the starting prize slot]
The start winning opening 93 is covered with a transparent resin cover 93a attached to the front of the game board 108. A design sheet 93b is attached with adhesive to the attachment area on the front of the resin cover 93a. The position of the adhesive on the design sheet 93b is the same as the position of the adhesive on the design sheet 97 attached to the resin cover 96 of the normal winning opening 92.

[Design sheet for the resin cover of the variable prize device]
Next, the adhesive 99a of the design sheet 99 affixed to the resin cover 98 of the variable prize-winning device 94 will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figures 11(a) and 11(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application portion to be applied to the design sheet affixed to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device. Note that Figure 11 shows the back side of the design sheet 99.

As shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), adhesive 99a is applied to the design sheet 99 (the shaded area in the figure). The design sheet 99 includes transparent areas 99b and opaque areas 99c (in this example, they are separated by the dotted line in the figure). The outer periphery of the design sheet 99 also includes transparent areas 99b and opaque areas 99c. Note that the transparent areas 99b are not completely transparent; they only need to be more transparent than the opaque areas 99c.

The adhesive 99a is positioned approximately 1 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 99. In other words, in this embodiment, the adhesive 99a is positioned at a distance of 1 mm or more from the outer edge of the design sheet 99, and is not positioned at a distance of less than 1 mm.

The adhesive 99a is also arranged in a ring shape with a width of approximately 5 mm around the entire periphery of the outer edge of the design sheet 99. Specifically, the first adhesive 99d, second adhesive 99e, third adhesive 99f, and fourth adhesive 99g are arranged in a ring shape.

Between the end of the first adhesive 99d and the end of the second adhesive 99e, there is an air escape gap 99h of approximately 2.5 mm to allow air between the resin cover 98 and the design sheet 99 to escape to the outside.

Similarly, there is an air escape gap 99h of approximately 2.5 mm between the end of the second adhesive 99e and the end of the third adhesive 99f. Similarly, there is an air escape gap 99h of approximately 2.5 mm between the end of the third adhesive 99f and the end of the fourth adhesive 99g. Similarly, there is an air escape gap 99h of approximately 2.5 mm between the end of the fourth adhesive 99g and the end of the first adhesive 99d.

Note that the air escape gap 99h is not limited to 2.5 mm and may be different for each gap.

Air escape gaps 99h are arranged in the transparent area 99b on the outer periphery of the design sheet 99, as well as in the opaque area 99c on the outer periphery of the design sheet 99.

By configuring it in this way, the air escape gap 99h is also located in the opaque area around the outer edge of the design sheet 99, so the area where air escapes between the resin cover 98 and the design sheet 99 can be visually observed.

Furthermore, as with the design sheet 111, this configuration prevents errors when attaching the design sheet 99, improving work efficiency when attaching the sheet. It also eliminates the need to release air between the resin cover 98 and the design sheet 99, improving work efficiency when attaching the design sheet 99. Furthermore, because the adhesive 99a is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of the design sheet 99, it is possible to prevent the adhesive 99a from spilling over. Furthermore, with the configuration of this embodiment, the adhesive strength of the design sheet 99 is reduced. However, when the front frame 106 is closed, the resin cover 98 is located in a position where it is highly unlikely to come into contact with a player or a gaming ball. In such a location, it is more important to prevent a decrease in work efficiency and appearance, even if it means reducing adhesive strength.

The position of the adhesive 99a of the design sheet 99 affixed to the resin cover 98 of the variable winning device 94 and the shape of the design sheet 99 may also be applied to a design sheet affixed to a resin cover that covers parts other than the variable winning device 94 (such as the winning opening or variable winning device (such as the so-called electric chute)).

[Modification 1]
Next, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an application area of adhesive to be applied to the design sheet of the light-emitting unit in the first modification.

In variant 1, the area where adhesive 130 is applied to design sheet 111 is different. It is also possible to implement the above embodiment by applying adhesive 130 to design sheet 111 as in variant 1. Note that Figure 12 shows the back side of design sheet 111. Detailed explanations of parts that are the same as those in the above embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, adhesive 130 is applied to design sheet 111 (the shaded area in the figure). Adhesive 130 is positioned approximately 3 mm inward from the outer periphery of design sheet 111. Furthermore, adhesive 130 is arranged in a ring shape approximately 5 mm wide along the outer periphery of design sheet 111. In variant 1, adhesive 130 is not arranged along the entire periphery of design sheet 111, but is arranged partially (i.e., composed of first adhesive 130a to fourth adhesive 130d). Furthermore, by forming gaps between the ends of first adhesive 130a to fourth adhesive 130d, four air escape gaps 131 are formed to allow air between base plate 112 and design sheet 111 to escape to the outside.

As a result, in variant 1, the effort required to release the air between the base plate 112 and the design sheet 111 to the outside is eliminated, thereby improving the efficiency of the work involved in attaching the design sheet 111.

In particular, by forming this in conjunction with the bubble prevention hole 112d in the above embodiment, the generation of bubbles can be more effectively prevented.

The position of the adhesive 130 on the design sheet 111 and the configuration of the design sheet 111 in variant example 1 may also be applied to a design sheet that is affixed to a resin cover that covers parts other than the light-emitting unit 110 (such as a prize opening or a variable prize-winning device (such as an electric chute)).

[Modification 2]
Next, a second modification of the adhesive 97a of the design sheet 97 affixed to the resin cover 96 of the regular prize opening 92 will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application area applied to the design sheet affixed to the resin cover of the regular prize opening in the second modification.

In variant 2, the area where adhesive 97a is applied to the design sheet 97 is different. Note that Figure 13 shows the back side of the design sheet 97. Detailed explanations of parts that are the same as those in the above embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), adhesive 97a is applied to the design sheet 97 (the shaded area in the figure). The design sheet 97 includes transparent areas 97b and opaque areas 97c (in this example, they are separated by the dotted line in the figure). The outer periphery of the design sheet 97 also includes transparent areas 97b and opaque areas 97c. Note that the transparent areas 97b are not completely transparent; they only need to be more transparent than the opaque areas 97c.

The adhesive 97a is positioned approximately 1 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 97.

The adhesive 97a is also arranged along the outer edge of the design sheet 97, forming two rings approximately 5 mm wide around the entire circumference. In variant 2, two through holes 96a are formed in the resin cover 96, and when the design sheet 97 is attached, the two through holes 96a are each located inside the circularly arranged adhesive 97a.

By using this configuration, just like with design sheet 111, it is possible to prevent mistakes when applying design sheet 97, thereby improving the efficiency of the sheet application process. Furthermore, because adhesive 97a is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of design sheet 97, it is also possible to prevent adhesive 97a from spilling over.

The position of the adhesive 97a on the design sheet 97 and the configuration of the design sheet 97 in variant example 2 may also be applied to a design sheet that is affixed to a resin cover that covers parts other than the normal winning opening 92 (winning openings and variable winning devices (such as attacka or electric chute)).

[Modification 3]
Next, we will use Figure 14 to explain variant 3, in which a design sheet 160 with a different opaque area than the design sheet 99 is attached to the resin cover 98, and the position of the adhesive 160a on the design sheet 160 is different from the position of the adhesive 99a on the design sheet 99. Figures 14(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application area applied to the design sheet attached to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device in variant 5. Note that Figure 14 shows the back side of the design sheet 160. Furthermore, detailed explanations of parts similar to the above embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 14(a) and (b), adhesive 160a is applied to design sheet 160 (the shaded area in the figure). Design sheet 160 includes transparent area 160b and opaque area 160c (in this example, the area other than the outer edge is defined by the dotted line in the figure). The outer edge of design sheet 160 also includes transparent area 160b and opaque area 160c. Note that transparent area 160b is not completely transparent, and transparent area 160b only needs to be more transparent than opaque area 160c.

The outer periphery of the design sheet 160 includes a transparent region 160b and an opaque region 160c, with the opaque region 160c being larger than the transparent region 160b.

In addition, the adhesive 160a is positioned approximately 1 mm inward from the outer edge of the design sheet 160.

The adhesive 160a is also arranged in a ring shape with a width of approximately 3 mm along the entire outer edge of the design sheet 160. Furthermore, the adhesive 160a is also arranged in a ring shape with a width of approximately 3 mm along the opaque region 160c in areas other than the outer edge of the design sheet 160.

In addition, multiple air escape gaps 160h of approximately 2 mm are formed in the area where the adhesive 160a is placed to allow air to escape to the outside. The air escape gaps 160h are placed in both the transparent area 160b on the outer edge of the design sheet 160 and the opaque area 160c in the opaque part, and are also placed in the opaque area 160c outside the outer edge of the design sheet 160, resulting in a configuration in which there are no points where the resin cover 98 and the design sheet 160 are sealed.

In addition, in variant 3, a through hole 98a is formed in the area of the resin cover 98 where the design sheet 160 is attached, allowing for the insertion of a gaming machine component. In this example, a display 150 capable of illuminating the design sheet 160 is used as the gaming machine component. The display 150 comprises a display main body 150a and multiple red lamps 150b (three in this example). The multiple lamps 150b are positioned facing the transparent area 160b of the design sheet 160, and the display main body 150a is positioned facing the opaque area 160c of the design sheet 160. The adhesive 160a is positioned corresponding to the surface portion of the display main body 150a, but is not positioned corresponding to the lamps 150b.

By using this configuration, just like with design sheet 111, it is possible to prevent mistakes when applying design sheet 160, thereby improving the efficiency of the work when applying the sheet. It also eliminates the need to release the air between resin cover 98 and design sheet 160 to the outside, improving the efficiency of the work when applying design sheet 160. Furthermore, because adhesive 160a is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of design sheet 160, it is also possible to prevent adhesive 160a from spilling over.

The position of the adhesive 160a on the design sheet 160 and the form of the design sheet 160 in variant example 3 may also be applied to a design sheet that is affixed to a resin cover that covers parts other than the variable winning device 94 (such as the winning opening or the variable winning device (such as the so-called electric chute)).

[Modification 4]
Next, we will use Figure 15 to explain variant 6, in which a design sheet 170 with a different opaque area than the design sheet 99 is attached to the resin cover 98, and the position of the adhesive 170a on the design sheet 170 is different from the position of the adhesive 99a on the design sheet 99. Figures 15(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the adhesive application area applied to the design sheet attached to the resin cover of the variable prize-winning device in variant 4. Note that Figure 15 shows the back side of the design sheet 170. Furthermore, detailed explanations of parts similar to the above embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 15(a) and (b), adhesive 170a is applied to design sheet 170 (the shaded area in the figure). Design sheet 170 includes transparent area 170b and opaque area 170c (in this example, the area other than the outer edge is defined by the dotted line in the figure). The outer edge of design sheet 160 also includes transparent area 160b and opaque area 160c. Note that transparent area 170b is not completely transparent; transparent area 170b only needs to be more transparent than opaque area 160c.

In addition, in variant 4, a through hole 98a for fitting a gaming machine component is formed in the area of the resin cover 98 where the design sheet 170 is attached. In this example, a display 150 capable of illuminating the design sheet 170 is used as the gaming machine component. The display 150 comprises a display main body 150a and multiple red lamps 150b (three in this example). The multiple lamps 150b are positioned facing the transparent area 170b of the design sheet 170, and the display main body 150a is positioned facing the opaque area 170c of the design sheet 170.

The adhesive 170a is not placed at a distance from the outer edge of the design sheet 170. In other words, it is placed along the outer edge of the design sheet 170 without leaving any gaps. The adhesive 170a is placed in the shape of a ring approximately 10 mm wide around the entire outer edge of the design sheet 170. However, when the design sheet 170 is attached to the resin cover 98, the distance from the outer edge of the design sheet 170 to the edge of the display main body 150a is less than 10 mm. The adhesive 170a is not placed in a position corresponding to the surface of the display main body 150a or the lamp 150b.

By using this configuration, just like with design sheet 111, it is possible to prevent mistakes when attaching design sheet 99, thereby improving the efficiency of the sheet attachment process. Furthermore, because adhesive 99a is applied at a predetermined distance from the outer edge of design sheet 170, it is also possible to prevent adhesive 99a from spilling over.

The position of the adhesive 170a on the design sheet 170 and the configuration of the design sheet 170 in variant example 4 may also be applied to a design sheet that is affixed to a resin cover that covers parts other than the variable winning device 94 (such as the winning opening or the variable winning device (such as the so-called electric chute)).

[Modification 5]
Next, the adhesive for the design sheet affixed to the resin cover of the movable body will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the application area of adhesive 501 applied to design sheet 500 affixed to the resin cover of the movable body. Note that Fig. 16 shows the back side of design sheet 500. In the following description, the up, down, left, and right directions are defined as shown in the lower right of the figure.

As shown in Figure 16, the design sheet 500 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape to correspond to the shape of the resin cover of the movable body. Adhesive 501 is applied to the back surface of the design sheet 500. The adhesive 501 has an outer adhesive (first adhesive portion) 502 arranged along the outer edge of the design sheet, and an inner adhesive (second adhesive portion) 503 arranged at a predetermined position inside the outer adhesive 502.

The outer adhesive 502 includes a first outer adhesive 502a, a second outer adhesive 502b, a third outer adhesive 502c, and a fourth outer adhesive 502d.

The first outer adhesive 502a is formed along the upper part of the back surface of the design sheet 500. The width W1 of the first outer adhesive 502a is, for example, 4.0 mm.

The second outer adhesive 502b is formed along the lower part of the back surface of the design sheet 500. The width W2 of the second outer adhesive 502b is greater than the width W1 of the first outer adhesive 502a, and is, for example, 5.4 mm.

The third outer adhesive 502c is formed along the right side of the back surface of the design sheet 500. The width W3 of the narrowest part of the third outer adhesive 502c is, for example, 3.0 mm.

The fourth outer adhesive 502d is formed along the left side of the back surface of the design sheet 500. The width W4 of the narrowest part of the fourth outer adhesive 502d is, for example, 3.0 mm, similar to the third outer adhesive 502c.

Note that the widths of the first outer adhesive 502a, second outer adhesive 502b, third outer adhesive 502c, and fourth outer adhesive 502d are not limited to the values described above and can be set as appropriate.

The outer adhesive 502 formed in this manner is provided so as to form multiple (six in this example) communication holes (gaps, first gaps). Specifically, a first communication hole 504a is formed between the right end of the first outer adhesive 502a and the upper end of the third outer adhesive 502c. A second communication hole 504b is formed between the left end of the first outer adhesive 502a and the upper end of the fourth outer adhesive 502d. The width W5 of the first communication hole 504a and the width W6 of the second communication hole 504b are each, for example, 1.5 mm.

Furthermore, a third communication hole 504c is formed between the right end of the second outer adhesive 502b and the lower end of the third outer adhesive 502c. Furthermore, a fourth communication hole 504d is formed between the left end of the second outer adhesive 502b and the lower end of the fourth outer adhesive 502d. The width W7 of the third communication hole 504c and the width W8 of the fourth communication hole 504d are each, for example, 1.5 mm.

Furthermore, a fifth communication hole 504e is formed approximately in the center of the third outer adhesive 502c. A sixth communication hole 504f is formed approximately in the center of the fourth outer adhesive 502d. The width W9 of the fifth communication hole 504e and the width W10 of the sixth communication hole 504f are each, for example, 1.5 mm.

Note that the widths of the first through-hole 504a through the sixth through-hole 504f are not limited to the values described above and can be set as appropriate.

In this way, outer adhesive 502 (first outer adhesive 502a, second outer adhesive 502b, third outer adhesive 502c, fourth outer adhesive 502d) is applied to the back surface of the design sheet 500 along its outer periphery. This outer adhesive 502 is applied so as to form first through-hole 504a through sixth through-hole 504f.

On the other hand, the inner adhesive 503 is formed in a predetermined shape according to the pattern printed on the surface of the design sheet 500, and includes multiple (seven in this example) first inner adhesives 503a and multiple second inner adhesives 503b.

Each of the seven first inner adhesives 503a is formed primarily along the outline of a specified character printed on the surface of the design sheet 500. In particular, each first inner adhesive 503a is formed along the outside of the outline of the specified character and does not overlap the character's head, face, etc.

Although not shown, multiple characters (e.g., five characters) are printed on the surface of the design sheet 500, and corresponding to these, seven first inner adhesives 503a are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the design sheet 500.

For ease of explanation, the seven first inner adhesives 503a arranged from right to left in the longitudinal direction of the design sheet 500 will be referred to as 503a1, 503a2, ..., 503a6, 503a7, in that order.

The first inner adhesive 503a1 is located on the rightmost side of the seven first inner adhesives 503a. This first inner adhesive 503a1 is located away from the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, and the third outer adhesive 502c.

The first inner adhesive 503a1 is arranged to form multiple (four in this example) communication holes (second gaps). Specifically, a seventh communication hole 504g is formed between the upper end of the first inner adhesive 503a1 and the right end of the first outer adhesive 502a. Furthermore, an eighth communication hole 504h is formed between the lower end of the first inner adhesive 503a1 and the lower end of the third outer adhesive 502c. The widths of the seventh communication hole 504g and the eighth communication hole 504h are each, for example, 1.5 mm, similar to the first to sixth communication holes 504a to 504f.

A ninth communication hole 504i is formed between the first inner adhesive 503a1 and the third outer adhesive 502c. Furthermore, a tenth communication hole 504j is formed in approximately the center of the first inner adhesive 503a1 (i.e., the first inner adhesive 503a1 is divided into upper and lower parts by the tenth communication hole 504j). The widths of the ninth communication hole 504i and the tenth communication hole 504j are each, like the first through sixth communication holes 504a through f, for example, 1.5 mm.

Note that the widths of the seventh through-hole 504g through the tenth through-hole 504j are not limited to the values described above and can be set as appropriate.

The first inner adhesive 503a7 is located on the leftmost side of the seven first inner adhesives 503a. This first inner adhesive 503a7 is located away from the first outer adhesive 502a and the fourth outer adhesive 502d, excluding the lower end. On the other hand, this first inner adhesive 503a7 is connected to the left end of the second outer adhesive 502b and the lower end of the fourth outer adhesive 502d.

The first inner adhesive 503a7 is arranged to form multiple (two in this example) communication holes (second gaps). Specifically, an eleventh communication hole 504k is formed between the first inner adhesive 503a7 and the left end of the first outer adhesive 502a. Furthermore, a twelfth communication hole 504l is formed approximately in the center of the first inner adhesive 503a7 (in other words, the first inner adhesive 503a7 is divided into upper and lower parts by the twelfth communication hole 504l). The widths of the eleventh communication hole 504k and the twelfth communication hole 504l are each, for example, 1.5 mm, similar to the first through sixth communication holes 504a-f.

The widths of the 11th and 12th communication holes 504k and 504l are not limited to the values described above and can be set as appropriate.

Although detailed explanation will be omitted, as described above, first inner adhesives 503a2 to 503a6 are disposed between first inner adhesive 503a1 and first inner adhesive 503a7. Furthermore, these first inner adhesives 503a2 to 503a6 are all disposed apart from the outer adhesive 502 (first outer adhesive 502a, second outer adhesive 502b, third outer adhesive 502c, and fourth outer adhesive 502d). In other words, none of the first inner adhesives 503a2 to 503a6 are connected to the outer adhesive 502. Furthermore, the first inner adhesives 503a2 to 503a6 are disposed so that a thirteenth communication hole (second gap) 504m is formed between them and the outer adhesive 502.

The multiple second inner adhesives 503b are formed in a predetermined shape, such as a strip, and are arranged in the lower half of the design sheet 500 so as to overlap the torso of a predetermined character printed on the surface of the design sheet 500. The multiple second inner adhesives 503b are arranged away from the outer adhesive 502 and the first inner adhesives 503a1 and 503a2.

The multiple second inner adhesives 503b are arranged so that a 14th communication hole (second gap) 504n is formed between some of them and the first outer adhesive 502a or the second outer adhesive 502b. Furthermore, the multiple second inner adhesives 503b are mainly positioned away from the first inner adhesives 503a2 to 503a6, and some are connected to the first inner adhesive 503a4, etc.

In this way, the back surface of the design sheet 500 is coated with a first inner adhesive 503a1, which has a tenth through-hole 504j, on the far right side. This first inner adhesive 503a1 is coated so that a seventh through-hole 504g, an eighth through-hole 504h, and a ninth through-hole 504i are formed between the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, and the third outer adhesive 502c.

A first inner adhesive 503a7 having a twelfth through-hole 504l is applied to the leftmost side of the design sheet 500. This first inner adhesive 503a7 is applied so as to form an eleventh through-hole 504k between it and the first outer adhesive 502a. Furthermore, first inner adhesives 503a2-503a6 and a second inner adhesive 503b are applied between the first inner adhesive 503a1 and the first inner adhesive 503a7.

In this way, the back surface of design sheet 500 is divided into multiple regions by outer adhesive 502 applied along its outer periphery and inner adhesive 503 applied inside outer adhesive 502. None of the multiple regions are coated with adhesive, and each region comprises first region R1 through seventh region R7, as shown below. Third region R3 and fifth region R5 through seventh region R7 are located closer to the center of design sheet 500 than first region R1, second region R2, and fourth region R4. These first region R1 through seventh region R7 are connected to adjacent regions by connecting holes, which will be described later, and correspond to the "non-adhesive portions" that constitute this invention.

Specifically, the first region (first non-adhesive portion) R1 is an area at the right end of the design sheet 500 that is surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the third outer adhesive 502c, and the upper first inner adhesive 503a1. The first region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R1 includes the first through-hole 504a. The second region (first non-adhesive portion) R2 is an area at the right end of the design sheet 500 that is surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the third outer adhesive 502c, and the lower first inner adhesive 503a1. The second region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R2 includes the fifth through-hole 504e. The first region R1 and the second region R2 both include the ninth through-hole 504i.

Furthermore, the third region (first non-adhesive portion) R3 is located to the left of the right edge of the design sheet 500 and is generally surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, the first inner adhesive 503a1, the first inner adhesive 503a2, and the second inner adhesive 503b. The third region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R3 includes the third communication hole 504c, the seventh communication hole 504g, the eighth communication hole 504h, and the tenth communication hole 504j. Note that the seventh communication hole 504g may be included in the first region R1, the eighth communication hole 504h may be included in the second region R2, and the tenth communication hole 504j may be included in either the first region R1 or the second region R2.

The third region R3 is connected to the first region R1 via the seventh communication hole 504g. The third region R3 is also connected to the first region R1 via the tenth communication hole 504j and the ninth communication hole 504i. The first region R1 is connected to the external space via the first communication hole 504a. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the third region R3 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved to the first region R1 via the seventh communication hole 504g or the tenth communication hole 504j and the ninth communication hole 504i, and then discharged from the first region R1 to the external space via the first communication hole 504a.

The third region R3 is also connected to the second region R2 via the eighth communication hole 504h. The third region R3 is also connected to the second region R2 via the tenth communication hole 504j and the ninth communication hole 504i. The second region R2 is connected to the external space via the fifth communication hole 504e. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the third region R3 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved to the second region R2 via the eighth communication hole 504h or the tenth communication hole 504j and the ninth communication hole 504i, and then discharged from the second region R2 to the external space via the fifth communication hole 504e.

Furthermore, the third region R3 is connected to the external space via the third communication hole 504c. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the third region R3 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be directly discharged to the external space via the third communication hole 504c.

The first region R1 and the second region R2 are connected to each other via the ninth communication hole 504i. Therefore, even if the first communication hole 504a is blocked by dust or other debris, air bubbles that have entered the first region R1 can be moved to the second region R2 via the ninth communication hole 504i and then discharged from the second region R2 to the external space via the fifth communication hole 504e.

Next, the fourth region (first non-adhesive portion) R4 is the region at the left end of the design sheet 500 that is surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the fourth outer adhesive 502d, and the first inner adhesive 503a7. The fourth region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R4 includes the second communication hole 504b and the sixth communication hole 504f.

Furthermore, the fifth region (second non-adhesive portion) R5 is located to the right of the left edge of the design sheet 500 and is generally surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, the first inner adhesive 503a7, the first inner adhesive 503a5, and the second inner adhesive 503b. The fifth region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R5 includes the eleventh communication hole 504k and the twelfth communication hole 504l. Note that the eleventh communication hole 504k and the twelfth communication hole 504l may also be included in the fourth region R4.

The fifth region R5 communicates with the fourth region R4 via the eleventh communication hole 504k and also communicates with the fourth region R4 via the twelfth communication hole 504l. The fourth region R4 communicates with the external space via the second communication hole 504b and also communicates with the external space via the sixth communication hole 504f. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the fifth region R5 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved to the fourth region R4 via the eleventh communication hole 504k or the twelfth communication hole 504l and then discharged from the fourth region R4 to the external space via the second communication hole 504b or the sixth communication hole 504f.

Finally, the sixth region (second non-adhesive portion) R6 is located to the left of the third region R3 and is generally surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, the first inner adhesive 503a2, the first inner adhesive 503a4, and the second inner adhesive 503b. The seventh region (second non-adhesive portion) R7 is located to the right of the fifth region R5 and is generally surrounded by the first outer adhesive 502a, the second outer adhesive 502b, the first inner adhesive 503a5, the first inner adhesive 503a4, and the second inner adhesive 503b. The sixth region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R6 and the seventh region (part of the non-adhesive portion) R7 include a plurality of thirteenth through-holes 504m and fourteenth through-holes 504n. The thirteenth and fourteenth communication holes 504m and 504n located on the far right may be included in the third region R3, and the thirteenth and fourteenth communication holes 504m and 504n located on the far left may be included in the seventh region R7.

The sixth region R6 is connected to the third region R3 via the thirteenth communication hole 504m or the fourteenth communication hole 504n. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the sixth region R6 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved to the third region R3 via the thirteenth communication hole 504m or the fourteenth communication hole 504n and then discharged to the external space in the same manner as described above.

Furthermore, the seventh region R7 is connected to the fifth region R5 via the thirteenth communication hole 504m or the fourteenth communication hole 504n. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter the seventh region R7 when attaching the design sheet 500 to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved to the fifth region R5 via the thirteenth communication hole 504m or the fourteenth communication hole 504n, and then discharged to the external space in the same manner as described above.

The sixth region R6 and the seventh region R7 are also connected to each other via the thirteenth communication hole 504m or the fourteenth communication hole 504n. Therefore, the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 are all connected to adjacent regions. Therefore, even if air bubbles enter any of the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 when the design sheet 500 is attached to the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, the air bubbles can be moved toward an area where they can be easily discharged to the outside space.

In this way, the back surface of the design sheet 500 is formed with the first region R1 to the sixth region R6, which are connected to adjacent regions, allowing air bubbles that enter these regions to be discharged to the external space through the first region R1, second region R2, and third region R3. The proportion of the back surface of the design sheet 500 occupied by the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 is greater than the proportion of the back surface occupied by the outer adhesive 502 and inner adhesive 503. In other words, the proportion of the back surface occupied by the outer adhesive 502 and inner adhesive 503 is smaller than the proportion of the back surface occupied by the first region R1 to the seventh region R7.

A circular first positioning hole 505 is formed in the lower right corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500. A first positioning pin (not shown) provided on the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body can be inserted into the first positioning hole 505.

In addition, a horizontally long, rectangular second positioning hole 506 is formed in the lower left corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500. A second positioning pin (not shown) provided on the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body can be inserted into the second positioning hole 506.

As described above, the gaming machine 100 is a gaming machine (pachinko machine) equipped with a gaming board (in this example, gaming board 108). A sheet (in this example, design sheet 500) is provided on the front of the gaming board. The back of the sheet is provided with an adhesive portion (in this example, outer adhesive 502) formed along the outer periphery and a non-adhesive portion (in this example, first region R1 to seventh region R7) where the adhesive portion is not formed. The adhesive portion is provided so as to form gaps (in this example, first communication hole 504a to sixth communication hole 504f) included in part of the non-adhesive portion, and the gaps are characterized by allowing air that has entered the non-adhesive portion to be discharged to the outside space. Therefore, even if air enters the non-adhesive portion when the sheet is attached to the gaming board, the air can be discharged to the outside space through the gaps. This makes it difficult for the sheet to peel off from the gaming board.

The gaming machine 100 is a gaming machine (pachinko machine) equipped with a gaming board (in this example, gaming board 108), and a sheet (in this example, design sheet 500) is provided on the front surface of the gaming board. The back surface of the sheet is provided with a first adhesive portion (in this example, outer adhesive 502) formed along the outer periphery, a second adhesive portion (in this example, inner adhesive 503) different from the first adhesive portion, and a non-adhesive portion (in this example, first region R1 to seventh region R7) where the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion are not formed. The first adhesive portion is provided so as to form a first gap (in this example, first communication hole 504a to sixth communication hole 504f), and the second adhesive portion (in this example, inner adhesive 503) is provided. The portion is arranged to form second gaps (in this example, seventh communication hole 504g to fourteenth communication hole 504n), the first gap and the second gap are included in part of the non-adhesive portion, the non-adhesive portion has a first non-adhesive portion (in this example, first region R1, second region R2, and fourth region R4) and a second non-adhesive portion (in this example, third region R3, fifth region R5 to seventh region R7) located closer to the center of the sheet than the first non-adhesive portion, the second gap allows air that has infiltrated the second non-adhesive portion to be discharged to the first non-adhesive portion, and the first gap allows air that has infiltrated the first non-adhesive portion to be discharged to the outside space. Therefore, even if air infiltrates the second non-adhesive portion when attaching the sheet to the game board, the air can be discharged to the first non-adhesive portion through the second gap, and then the air that has infiltrated the first non-adhesive portion can be discharged to the outside space through the first gap. This makes it difficult for the sheet to peel off from the game board.

Furthermore, among the inner adhesives 503, each of the multiple first inner adhesives 503a is formed mainly along the outside of the outline of a specified character printed on the surface of the design sheet 500, and does not overlap the character's head or face. Therefore, even when the design sheet 500 attached to the resin cover of the movable body is viewed from the front side, it is possible to prevent the appearance from being marred by discoloration of the specified character's head or face.

Furthermore, among the inner adhesives 503, the multiple second inner adhesives 503b are each formed in a predetermined shape, such as a strip, and are arranged in the lower half of the design sheet 500 so as to overlap the torso part of a predetermined character printed on the surface of the design sheet 500. This increases the adhesive area between the back surface of the design sheet 500 and the front surface of the resin cover of the movable body, ensuring sufficient adhesive strength.

Furthermore, on the back surface of the design sheet 500, the proportion occupied by the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 is greater than the proportion occupied by the outer adhesive 502 and inner adhesive 503. In other words, the proportion occupied by the outer adhesive 502 and inner adhesive 503 is smaller than the proportion occupied by the first region R1 to the seventh region R7. For example, the proportion occupied by the outer adhesive 502 and inner adhesive 503 and the proportion occupied by the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 may be set to approximately 30% and 70%, respectively. This reduces the possibility of air entering the outer adhesive 502 or inner adhesive 503 itself when attaching the design sheet 500 to the gaming board 108. This therefore prevents the design sheet 500 from peeling off from the gaming board 108 due to such air intrusion. In other words, the design sheet 500 can be made even more difficult to peel off from the gaming board 108.

In addition, a circular first positioning hole 505 is formed in the lower right corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500, into which the first positioning pin (not shown) of the resin cover of the movable body can be inserted, and a horizontally elongated rectangular second positioning hole 506 is formed in the lower left corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500, into which the second positioning pin (not shown) of the resin cover of the movable body can be inserted.

Therefore, when attaching the design sheet 500 to the resin cover of the movable body, first insert the first positioning pin of the resin cover into the first positioning hole 505 of the design sheet 500, and then insert the second positioning pin of the resin cover into the second positioning hole 506 of the design sheet 500, making it easy to position the design sheet 500. In this case, because the second positioning hole 506 is formed in a horizontally long rectangle, even if the position of the design sheet 500 is slightly misaligned when the first positioning pin is inserted into the first positioning hole 505 of the design sheet 500, the second positioning pin can be inserted sufficiently into the second positioning hole 506, making it easy to attach the design sheet 500.

In addition, in the above-mentioned variant example 5, the first positioning hole 505 is formed in a position that slightly overlaps with the right end of the second outer adhesive 502b, and the second positioning hole 506 is formed in a position that slightly overlaps with the left end of the second outer adhesive 502b, the lower end of the fourth outer adhesive 502d, and the lower end of the first inner adhesive 503a7, but this configuration is not limiting.

For example, the first positioning hole 505 and the second positioning hole 506 may be formed in a position where they do not overlap with any of the adhesives (external adhesive 502 and internal adhesive 503). This prevents a reduction in the adhesive area between the back surface of the design sheet 500 and the front surface of the resin cover due to the overlap between the first positioning hole 505 and the second positioning hole 506 and the adhesives (external adhesive 502 and internal adhesive 503), and also maintains sufficient adhesive strength.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned variant example 5, the first region R1 to the seventh region R7 were described as "non-adhesive areas," but the number of predetermined regions is not limited to seven and can be determined appropriately depending on the pattern printed on the surface of the design sheet 500.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned variant example 5, the first communication hole 504a to the sixth communication hole 504f were described as "gaps," but the number of gaps is not limited to six and may be one or more.

In addition, in the above-mentioned variant 5, the fifth communication hole 504e is formed in the third outer adhesive 502c and the sixth communication hole 504f is formed in the fourth outer adhesive 502d, while no communication hole is formed in either the first outer adhesive 502a or the second outer adhesive 502b. However, this configuration is not limited to this. A communication hole may also be formed in at least one of the first outer adhesive 502a or the second outer adhesive 502b.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned variant example 5, a circular first positioning hole 505 is formed in the lower right corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500, and a horizontally elongated rectangular second positioning hole 506 is formed in the lower left corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the second positioning hole 506 may be formed in the lower right corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500, and the first positioning hole 505 may be formed in the lower left corner of the back surface of the design sheet 500.

Next, the above-mentioned design sheet 70 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17(a) is a front view of the design sheet 70, (b) is a rear view of the design sheet 70, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in (a). Note that Figure 17(c) shows a portion of the cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 17(c), and also schematically depicts the resin member 5b to which the design sheet 70 is attached, as well as an LED (light-emitting means) 74 located on the rear (back) side of the resin member 5b.

As shown in Figures 17(a) to (c), the design sheet 70 has a translucent substrate 71, a printed layer 72 formed on the back surface of the substrate 71, and an adhesive portion 73 formed on the back surface of the printed layer 72.

The substrate 71 is made of a resin material such as PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet. A positioning hole 71a is formed in the lower right corner of the substrate 71, which is used to position the design sheet 70 when attaching it to the front surface of the resin member 5b. A protrusion (not shown), for example, in the shape of a rectangular prism protruding from the front surface of the resin member 5b, can be inserted into this positioning hole 71a. The shape of the substrate 71 is not limited to the rectangular sheet described above, and can be modified as needed to suit the shape of the resin member 5b, as long as it is sheet-shaped.

The printed layer 72 includes a first printed layer 72a, a second printed layer 72b, a third printed layer 72c, and a fourth printed layer 72d. The first printed layer 72a is formed on the back surface of the substrate 71, and the second printed layer 72b is formed on the back surface of the first printed layer 72a. The third printed layer 72c is formed on the back surface of the second printed layer 72b, and the fourth printed layer 72d is formed on the back surface of the third printed layer 72c.

The first printed layer 72a is printed on the back surface of the substrate 71 by offset printing using CMYK colored inks. In this embodiment, by printing the first printed layer 72a, a female character (predetermined design) CH is printed from approximately the center to the left side of the back surface of the substrate 71 (see Figure 17(b)). The CMYK colored inks contain four ink components: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and the content of each ink component varies depending on the part of the character CH. Note that the first printed layer 72a is not printed in areas on the back surface of the design sheet 70 where the character CH is not printed.

The second printed layer 72b is printed by silkscreen printing using white ink on the back surface of the first printed layer 72a and the back surface of the base material 71. This second printed layer 72b is provided to prevent light from passing through the first printed layer 72a. Note that if light passes through the first printed layer 72a, the appearance of the character CH may be impaired.

The third printed layer 72c is printed on the back surface of the second printed layer 72b by silkscreen printing using high-density white ink. This third printed layer 72c is provided to further reduce the transmission of light through the first printed layer 72a.

The fourth printed layer 72d is printed on the back surface of the third printed layer 72c by silkscreen printing using black ink. In other words, the fourth printed layer 72d is a light-blocking layer that blocks light. In this embodiment, as described above, the design sheet 70 is attached to the front surface of the resin member 5b, and multiple (11 in this example) LEDs (light-emitting diodes) 74 are arranged on the back surface of the resin member 5b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17(a), the 11 LEDs 74 are arranged along the right side of the design sheet 70. Each LED 74 is mounted on a wiring circuit board 75 on which a wiring circuit (not shown) of a predetermined pattern is formed (see FIG. 17(c)). Furthermore, although the number of LEDs 74 is 11 in the above example, this number is not limited to 11 and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the design sheet 70.

As shown in Figure 17(c), the LED 74 is positioned near the resin member 5b, and the light emission surface from which the LED 74 emits light is close to the back surface of the resin member 5b. Therefore, when the LED 74 emits light, the strong light emitted by the LED 74 is irradiated onto the design sheet 70. Therefore, there was a risk that the second printed layer (white ink) 72b and the third printed layer (high-density white ink) 72c alone would not be able to prevent light from passing through the first printed layer 72a.

In this embodiment, the fourth printed layer 72d is printed in the rectangular region R surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 17(b). This rectangular region R is in front of the 11 LEDs 74 and runs along the left side of the back surface of the design sheet 70. Therefore, a portion R' along the right side of the character CH in Figure 17(a) is located on this region R, and this portion R' forms the opposing portion that constitutes the present invention. This allows the fourth printed layer 72d to block the strong light emitted by the LEDs 74. Even if this strong light were to pass through the fourth printed layer 72, the presence of the second printed layer (white ink) 72b and the third printed layer (high-density white ink) 72c would prevent it from passing through the first printed layer 72a.

The adhesive portion 73 is formed by silkscreen printing using glue so as to follow the outer edge of the back surface of the design sheet 70. Therefore, the adhesive portion 73 is also formed on the back surface of the fourth printed layer (light-shielding layer) 72d formed in the rectangular region R described above. If the strong light emitted by the LED 74 were to be irradiated onto the adhesive portion 73, the shape of the adhesive portion 73 would be visible from the front surface of the design sheet 70, potentially damaging the appearance of the game board 108. However, in this embodiment, the adhesive portion 73 is formed on the back surface of the fourth printed layer 72d, and the strong light that passes through the adhesive portion 73 is blocked by the fourth printed layer 72d. Therefore, the shape of the adhesive portion 73 is not visible from the front surface of the design sheet 70.

A portion of the adhesive portion 73 is formed in a position on the back surface of the design sheet 70 where the first printed layer 72a is not printed (i.e., the character CH is not printed), but this position is relatively far from the LED 74. The second printed layer 72b and third printed layer 72c are printed in this position. Therefore, the strong light emitted by the LED 74 is weakened and blocked by the second printed layer 72b and third printed layer 72c before being irradiated onto part of the adhesive portion 73. As a result, the shape of part of the adhesive portion 73 cannot be seen from the front surface of the design sheet 70.

Furthermore, the adhesive portion 73 is formed at the bottom of the back surface of the design sheet 70, surrounding the outer edge of the positioning hole 71a. This allows the positioning of the design sheet 70 and the attachment of the bottom of the design sheet 70 to the front surface of the resin member 5b to be performed simultaneously, improving work efficiency.

In the above embodiment, the adhesive portion 73 is formed by glue along the outer edge of the back surface of the design sheet 70, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, an adhesive sticker having adhesive properties may be formed along the outer edge of the back surface of the design sheet 70.

Furthermore, the adhesive portion 73 does not necessarily have to be formed to surround the outer edge of the positioning hole 71a. If a configuration is adopted in which the adhesive portion 73 is not formed on the outer edge of the positioning hole 71a, when attaching the design sheet 70 to the front surface of the resin member 5b, the positioning of the design sheet 70 can be ensured first, and then the design sheet 70 can be attached in the correct position on the front surface of the resin member 5b.

The gaming machine 100 configured as described above can achieve the following effects:

17(a)的颜料的相对部分(表达100)相对于树脂部件的相对部分(表达108)。 A gaming machine (in this example, gaming machine 100) equipped with a gaming board unit (in this example, gaming board unit 600), the gaming board unit comprising a gaming board (in this example, gaming board 108), a translucent resin member (in this example, resin member 5b) arranged in a position visible to the player, and a light-emitting means (in this example, a plurality of LEDs 74) arranged in a position capable of illuminating the resin member, the resin member having a translucent decorative sheet (in this example, design sheet 70) with a predetermined pattern applied thereto, the decorative sheet having an adhesive portion (in this example, adhesive portion 73) for adhering to the resin member, the predetermined pattern (in this example, a predetermined character CH in Figure 17(a)) on the decorative sheet having an opposing portion (in this example, portion R' along the right side of character CH) that faces the light-emitting means via the resin member, the opposing portion having a lower translucency than other portions of the predetermined pattern, and the adhesive portion being formed on the opposing portion. As a result, even if the light emitted by the light-emitting means passes through the adhesive portion, it is difficult for it to pass through the opposing portion. As a result, the shape of the adhesive portion cannot be seen from the front of the decorative sheet. This prevents damage to the appearance of the gaming board. In particular, because the opposing portion with low light transmittance is positioned facing the front of the light-emitting means, the decorative sheet does not glow locally even when the light-emitting means emits light, further preventing damage to the appearance of the gaming board.

Next, we will explain the details of the design sheet for the modified example.

Referring to Figure 18, the design sheet 80 according to the modified example differs from the above embodiment in the location where the adhesive portion is formed. Figure 18(a) is a front view of the design sheet 80 according to the modified example, and (b) and (c) are back views of the design sheet 80. This design sheet 80 is attached to, for example, the resin member 5c (see Figure 5) that constitutes the front surface of the variable winning device 94.

The design sheet 80 according to the modified example has a rectangular sheet-shaped substrate 81, a printed layer 82 formed on the back surface of the substrate 81, and an adhesive portion 83 formed on the back surface of the printed layer 82.

The printing layer 72 includes a first printing layer 82a, a second printing layer 82b, and a third printing layer 82c. The first printing layer 82a is printed on the back surface of the substrate 81 by offset printing using CMYK colored inks. In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 18(a), printing the first printing layer 82a prints predetermined characters at the bottom of the back surface of the substrate 81. The predetermined characters are "super hot" 84, and this "super hot" 84 has a certain thickness. The inner portion of "super hot" 84 is, for example, a highly translucent red. Note that printing the first printing layer 82a also prints a "☆" 85 above "super hot" 83 on the substrate 71.

The second printed layer 82b is printed on the back surface of the substrate 81 by silk screen printing using high-density white ink. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18(b), the second printed layer 82b is formed on the lower side of the back surface of the substrate 81, excluding the back surface of the "Super Hot" 84 of the first printed layer 82a and the vicinity of the outer edge of the "Super Hot" 84. The second printed layer 82b is also formed on the upper side of the back surface of the substrate 81, overlapping the "☆" 85 of the first printed layer 82a.

The third printed layer 82c is a light-blocking layer that is printed on the back surface of the substrate 81 by silkscreen printing using black ink. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18(c), the third printed layer 82c is formed on the back surface of the substrate 81 so as to follow the outer edge of the "Super Hot" 84 of the first printed layer 82a. In other words, the third printed layer 82c is formed near the outer edge of the "Super Hot" 84. As a result, the surface of the substrate 71 is provided with a pattern (predetermined pattern) 87 (see FIG. 18(a)) consisting of a highly translucent red "Super Hot" (first pattern portion) 84 and a black outer peripheral portion (second pattern portion) 86 formed by the third printed layer 82c. The outer peripheral portion 86 has lower translucency than the "Super Hot" 84. In this variation, multiple LEDs (not shown) are arranged along the bottom of the base material 81, and when these LEDs emit light, the inner part of "Super Hot" 84 glows red, while the outer periphery 86 is black because the light is blocked by the third printed layer 82c.

In the above modification, multiple LEDs (not shown) are arranged along the bottom of the base material 81, but this configuration is not limited to this. The locations of the multiple LEDs can be changed as appropriate, as long as they are positioned so that they can illuminate the resin member 5c.

The adhesive portion 83 is printed on the back surface of the design sheet 80 by silkscreen printing using glue. Specifically, the adhesive portion 83 is formed to fit along the third printed layer (black ink) 82c. As described above, the third printed layer 82c is formed to fit along the outer edge of the "super hot" 84 on the first printed layer 82a (i.e., it is not formed on the inner portion of "super hot" 84), and therefore the adhesive portion 83 is not formed on the inner portion of "super hot" 84. Therefore, when multiple LEDs are illuminated, the outer peripheral portion 86 of "super hot" 84 is blackened by the third printed layer 83c, so the shape of the adhesive portion 83 is not visible from the front surface of the design sheet 80.

The adhesive portion 83 is also formed on the backside of the "☆" 85 of the first printed layer 82a. This allows the adhesive portion 83 to adhere not only to the lower side of the backside of the base material 81 but also to the upper side of the backside of the base material 81 with the resin member 5c, ensuring sufficient adhesion between the design sheet 80 and the resin member 5c.

In the above modification, the adhesive portion 83 is formed so as to conform to the third printed layer (black ink) 82c and is formed on the backside of the "☆" 85 of the first printed layer 82a, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, in addition to the above positions, the adhesive portion 83 may also be formed on the backside of the second printed layer 82b formed on the lower part of the base material 71. This ensures even more sufficient adhesion between the design sheet 80 and the resin member 5c.

If a design sheet constructed in this manner is attached to the front of the variable winning device 94 (plastic member), for example, the LED can be illuminated while the player is playing a jackpot, allowing the player to clearly see the "super heat" on the first printed layer. This allows the player to accurately grasp the position of the variable winning device 94.

A gaming machine 100 equipped with the modified design sheet 80 can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, gaming machine 100) equipped with a gaming board unit (in this example, gaming board unit 600), the gaming board unit having a gaming board (in this example, gaming board 108), a translucent resin member (in this example, resin member 5c) provided in a position visible to a player, and a light-emitting means (in this example, LED) provided in a position capable of illuminating the resin member, the resin member being covered with a translucent decorative sheet bearing a predetermined pattern (in this example, pattern 87 in Figure 18(a)). The decorative sheet has an adhesive portion (in this example, design sheet 80) that adheres to the resin member (in this example, adhesive portion 83). The predetermined pattern on the decorative sheet has a first pattern portion (in this example, "Super Hot" 84 in Figure 81(a)) and a second pattern portion (in this example, outer peripheral portion 86 in Figure 18(a)) that is less translucent than the first pattern portion. The first pattern portion does not have the adhesive portion, while the second pattern portion does. Therefore, light emitted by the light-emitting means can pass through the first pattern portion but is less likely to pass through the second pattern portion. This allows the outline of the predetermined pattern to be clearly defined, improving the appearance of the decorative sheet and preventing it from detracting from the appearance of the game board.

Note that, similar to the above embodiment, positioning holes may also be provided in the base material 81 of the design sheet 80 according to the modified example. If positioning holes are provided, the adhesive portion 83 may be formed to surround the outer edge of the positioning holes, similar to the above embodiment, or the adhesive portion 83 may not be formed to surround the outer edge of the positioning holes. Even in this case, the same effects as the above embodiment can be achieved.

Next, with reference to Figure 19, we will explain the overall configuration of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 provided at the tip of the inner guide rail 28. Figure 19 is a perspective view of the inner guide rail 28.

As shown in Figure 19, a ball return prevention mechanism 50 is provided at the tip of the inner guide rail 28 to prevent a game ball that has entered the game area 108a from returning to the guide passage 29. The ball return prevention mechanism 50 comprises a main case 52, a cover 53, and a ball return prevention member (displacement member) 54. The main case 52, cover 53, and ball return prevention member 54 are all molded products made from synthetic resin material. The main case 52, cover 53, and ball return prevention member 54 are combined to form the ball return prevention mechanism 50. As described above, the ball return prevention mechanism 50 is positioned in the boundary area 700 when the inner guide rail 28 is attached to the acrylic plate 5a.

Next, the detailed configuration of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 22. Figure 20 is a front perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism 50, Figure 21 is a rear perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism 50, and Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism 50.

As shown in Figures 20 to 22, the main body case 52 is integrally formed with the upper end of the inner guide rail 28 and has a bottom surface 52a and a side surface 52b erected from one end of the bottom surface 52a. The space surrounded by the bottom surface 52a and the side surface 52b forms the cutout S. The cutout S is open on its front side facing the transparent plate 11 and its top side facing the boundary area 700 (see Figure 22). The upper open end of the cutout S forms a stopper wall 52c. The stopper wall 52c is formed at the upper end of the side surface 52b located near the play area 108a, and is a cylindrical wall surface that crosses the upper end in the width direction.

A first bearing portion 52d and a guide groove 52e are formed on the bottom surface 52a of the main body case 52. The guide groove 52e extends in a generally arc-like shape along an imaginary circle centered on the first bearing portion 52d. The bottom surface 52a also has a first screw hole 52f and a first positioning pin 52g (see Figure 22). A second positioning pin 52h is provided on the back side of the bottom surface 52a (see Figure 21). The ball return prevention mechanism 50 is positioned on the acrylic plate 5a by inserting this second positioning pin 52h into a hole (not shown) in the acrylic plate 5a.

The cover 53 is formed in a plate shape and has a second screw hole 53a and a positioning hole 53b. A second bearing portion 53c is also formed on the back side of the cover 53. By inserting the first positioning pin 52g on the bottom surface portion 52a into the positioning hole 53b and inserting the screw 55 into the second screw hole 53a and the first screw hole 52f on the bottom surface portion 52a, the cover 53 is attached to the main body case 52 with the front side of the cutout portion S covered.

The ball return prevention member 54 has an axial hole 54a, an on-off valve 54b, and a weight 54c. The on-off valve 54b and the weight 54c are formed so as to bend in an L-shape at the axial hole 54a. A support shaft 56 is inserted into the axial hole 54a, and one end of this support shaft 56 is engaged with the first bearing portion 52d of the bottom surface portion 52a, and the other end is engaged with the second bearing portion 53c of the cover 53. This allows the ball return prevention member 54 to be rotatably supported by the main body case 52 and the cover 53.

The on-off valve 54b is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape, and its longitudinal (vertical) length is long enough for game balls returning from the play area 108a to the boundary area 700 to collide with it. The on-off valve 54b has a first side portion 540b facing the guide passage 29, and a second side portion 541b opposite the first side portion 540b and facing the play area 108a (left-hand hitting area) (see Figure 22). The first side portion 540b is the portion that collides with game balls that have been launched from the launching device 16 and passed through the guide passage 29. The second side portion 541b is the portion that collides with game balls attempting to return from the play area 108a to the guide passage 29.

The tip of the on-off valve 54b is tapered. Specifically, the vertical length of the first side surface 540b is longer than the vertical length of the second side surface 541b, and it slopes downward from the tip of the first side surface 540b to the tip of the second side surface 541b. In addition, a protrusion 541c is formed in the center of the second side surface 541b, protruding toward the play area 108a.

The weight portion 54c is thicker and heavier than the on-off valve 54b. An engagement pin 54d protrudes from the back side of the weight portion 54c and is inserted into the guide groove 52e in the bottom portion 52a (see Figure 22). As described above, the ball return prevention member 54 is rotatably supported by the main body case 52 and the cover 53, and can be displaced between an open state and a closed state. Under normal conditions, the weight of the weight portion 54c biases the ball return prevention member 54 to rotate in one direction (counterclockwise) around the support shaft 56, and the engagement pin 54d abuts against one end of the guide groove 52e. This prevents the ball return prevention member 54 from rotating any further and maintains the closed state. On the other hand, when the ball return prevention member 54 comes into contact with the game ball launched from the launching device 16, the contact force causes it to rotate in the other direction (clockwise) around the support shaft 56, and it abuts against the stopper wall 52c described above, thereby entering the open state.

Next, with reference to Figures 23 and 24, we will explain the ball return prevention mechanism 50 when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the closed state (first state) and when it is in the open state (second state). Figure 23 is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the closed state, and Figure 24 is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the open state.

As shown in Figure 23, when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the closed state (first state), the on-off valve 54b protrudes in a substantially vertical position from the top opening of the notch S toward the exit of the boundary area 700. In this state, the distance (specific distance) from the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 (on-off valve 54b) to the outer guide rail 27 is shorter than the diameter of the game ball B and is the shortest. Note that this distance refers to the shortest distance from the tip of the on-off valve 54b (first side portion 540b) of the ball return prevention member 54 to the outer guide rail 27. Therefore, even if a game ball enters the play area 108a and hits a game nail 36 or the like and bounces back toward the boundary area 700, it will still hit the ball return prevention member 54. Furthermore, because the ball return prevention member 54 maintains its closed state even when hit by a game ball, it does not rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the closed state, it prevents a game ball that has entered the game area 108a from returning to the guide passage 29.

When a game ball B launched from the launching device 16 toward the play area 108a in the state shown in FIG. 23 rises up the guide passage 29, enters the boundary area 700, and contacts the on-off valve 54b, the contact force causes the ball return prevention member 54 to shift from the closed state to the open state. Then, as shown in FIG. 24, the ball return prevention member 54 rotates in a direction that opens the exit of the boundary area 700. When it collides with the stopper wall 52c, further rotation is restricted, and the ball returns to the open state (second state). In this state, the distance (specific distance) from the tip of the on-off valve 54b (first side portion 540b) to the outer guide rail 27 is longer than the diameter of the game ball B and is at its longest. Therefore, when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the open state, it allows the game ball launched by the launching device 16 to enter the play area 108a from the boundary area 700. After the ball return prevention member 54 is displaced to the open state, it is subjected to the biasing force of the weight portion 54c and instantly rotates in the opposite direction (counterclockwise), displacing again to the closed state shown in Figure 23.

As described above, the ball return prevention mechanism 50 is configured to prevent a game ball that has entered the play area 108a from returning to the guide passage 29 when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the closed state. However, in this embodiment, it is also possible to prevent a game ball from returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29 even when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the process of changing from the closed state to the open state (third state).

Figure 25 shows a game ball that has entered the play area 108a (left-hand hitting area) attempting to return to the boundary area 700 when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the process of transitioning from a closed state to an open state. Figures 26 and 27 are enlarged views of the area surrounded by dotted lines in Figure 25.

In Figure 25, one game ball (first game ball) B1 launched from the launching device 16 toward the game area 108a enters the boundary area 700 from the guide passage 29 and comes into contact with the ball return prevention member 54 (opening/closing valve 54b), the outer guide rail 27, and another game ball (second game ball) B2. In Figure 26, the point of contact between the one game ball B1 and the first side portion 540b of the open/close valve 54b is indicated by symbol P1, the point of contact with the outer guide rail 27 is indicated by symbol P2, and the point of contact with the other game ball B2 is indicated by symbol P3.

Furthermore, another game ball B2 enters the boundary area 700 from the game area 108a and comes into contact with the tip of the ball return prevention member 54, the outer guide rail 27, and one game ball B1. In Figure 26, the point of contact between the other game ball B2 and the tip of the on-off valve 54b is indicated by symbol P4, the point of contact with the outer guide rail 27 is indicated by symbol P5, and the lowest point of the other game ball B2 is indicated by symbol P6.

In the state shown in Figure 26, the distance (specific distance) from the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 to the outer guide rail 27 is longer than in the closed state (see Figure 23) and shorter than in the open state (see Figure 24). In other words, it is the distance between the closed state and the open state. Moreover, the distance H1 from the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 (opening/closing valve 54b) to the outer guide rail 27 is shorter than the distance H2 from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2 to the outer guide rail 27. In other words, the distance H1 from the contact point P4 between the other game ball B2 and the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 to the outer guide rail 27 is shorter than the distance H2 from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2 to the outer guide rail 27. In other words, the length H1 of the perpendicular line L1 extending from the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 to the outer guide rail 27 is shorter than the length H2 of the perpendicular line L2 extending from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2 to the outer guide rail 27.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 27, when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the intermediate state described above, the distance H3 from the contact point P4 between the other game ball B2 and the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 (opening/closing valve 54b) to the contact point P3 between the other game ball B2 and the first game ball B1 is shorter than the distance H4 from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball to the contact point P3. In other words, the length of the line segment L3 connecting the contact point P4 and the contact point P3 is shorter than the length of the line segment L4 connecting the lowest point P6 and the contact point P3.

Also, as shown in Figures 26 and 27, when the ball return prevention member 54 is in the intermediate state described above, the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 has not rotated far enough to reach the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2. Specifically, the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 is located higher than the lowest point P6 of the game ball B2 in the vertical direction, and is located to the left of the lowest point P6 of the game ball B2 in the horizontal direction (towards the guide passage 29). In other words, the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 is located above and to the left of the lowest point P6.

After the collision between game balls B1 and B2 as described above, even if game ball B2 attempts to return to the guide passage 29, it will come into contact with the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 (opening/closing valve 54b) from the play area 108a side. Therefore, the ball return prevention member 54 is likely to be subjected to a contact force from the play area 108a side toward the guide passage 29 side, causing it to rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, the ball return prevention member 54 blocks the exit of the boundary area 700 more than when game balls B1 and B2 collide, making it difficult for game ball B2 to return to the guide passage 29. As a result, even when game balls B1 and B2 collide as shown in FIG. 25, game ball B2 can be prevented from returning to the guide passage 29. In other words, two consecutive game balls can be prevented from returning to the guide passage 29.

Note that, when game balls B1 and B2 collide as shown in Figure 25, if the distance (specific distance) H1 from the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 (opening/closing valve 54b) to the outer guide rail 27 is longer than the distance H2 from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2 to the outer guide rail 27, game ball B2 will be able to get between the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 and the outer guide rail 27 after the collision. This allows game ball B2 to contact the tip of the ball return prevention member 54 from above, increasing the likelihood that the ball return prevention member 54 will rotate clockwise. Therefore, the ball return prevention member 54 will open the exit of the boundary area 700 more than when game balls B1 and B2 collide, and will not be able to prevent game ball B2 from returning to the guide passage 29.

As such, the gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment has been improved significantly compared to conventional pachinko machines in preventing game balls that have entered the play area 108a from returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29. However, as described below, further improvements are made to prevent the game ball from getting caught in the ball return prevention mechanism 50. Therefore, with reference to Figure 28, we will explain how to prevent the game ball from getting caught in the ball return prevention mechanism 50. Figure 28 shows a state in which game ball B, which has returned from the play area 108a to the boundary area 700, collides with the ball return prevention member 54.

As shown in Figure 28, game ball B has returned from the play area 108a to the boundary area 700 and is in contact with the on-off valve 54b of the ball return prevention member 54 and the main body case 52. Specifically, game ball B is in contact with the protrusion 541c of the on-off valve 54b, which is in the closed state, and also with the upper end (stopper wall 52c) of the main body case 52. In Figure 28, the point of contact between game ball B and the protrusion 541c of the on-off valve 54b is indicated by symbol P7, the point of contact with the upper end of the main body case 52 is indicated by P8, and the leftmost point of game ball B is indicated by P9.

In this state, the point of contact P7 between the game ball B and the protrusion 541c of the on-off valve 54b is located vertically below the leftmost point P9 of the game ball B. Furthermore, the point of contact P8 between the game ball B and the upper end of the main case 52 is located horizontally to the left of the lowest point P6 of the game ball B and vertically above the lowest point P6 of the game ball B. In other words, the point of contact P8 is located above and to the left of the lowest point P6. The distance H5 from the point of contact P7 to the point of contact P8 (first distance) is shorter than the distance H6 from the leftmost point P9 of the game ball B to the lowest point P6 (second distance). Therefore, the game ball B cannot enter the gap area SP between the opening on the upper surface of the main case 52 that faces the boundary area 700 (see Figure 21, etc.) and the portion of the second side surface portion 541b of the on-off valve 54b closer to the base end than the protrusion 541c. Furthermore, as shown by the dotted arrows in Figure 28, when game ball B collides with the ball return prevention member 54, it is subjected to a force to the right from the protrusion 541c of the on-off valve 54b and a force diagonally upward to the right from the upper end of the main body case 52, causing it to bounce back into the play area 108a. This prevents game ball B from entering the gap area SP and becoming caught between the on-off valve 54b of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 and the main body case 52. This prevents the return prevention function of the ball return prevention mechanism 50 from being impaired by such game ball B getting caught. This ensures stable return prevention by the ball return prevention mechanism 50, further improving the prevention of game balls that have entered the play area 108a from returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29.

The gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment, configured in this manner, can achieve the following effects:

The gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a guide passage (guide area) 29, which is an area between the outer guide rail (outer rail) 27 and the inner guide rail (inner rail) 28, that guides a launched gaming ball to the gaming area 30, and a ball return prevention mechanism 50 that prevents the gaming ball from returning from the gaming area 30 to the guide passage 29. The ball return prevention mechanism 50 has an opening/closing valve (displacement member) 54b that can be displaced between a closed state (first state), an open state (second state), and a state in the middle of displacing from the closed state to the open state (third state). The opening/closing valve 54b has a side portion facing the outer guide rail 27 and a tip portion on the tip side of the side portion, and the distance from the tip portion to the outer guide rail 27 is set to a specific distance. If the distance H1 is H1, the game ball guided from the guide passage 29 to the game area 30 is one game ball B1, and the game ball returning from the game area 30 to the guide passage 29 is another game ball B2, the closed state is a state in which the specific distance is shorter than the open state, and the open state is a state in which the specific distance is longer than the closed state, and the state in the middle of changing from the closed state to the open state is characterized in that the one game ball B1 is in contact with the side portion, the outer guide rail 27, and the other game ball B2, and the other game ball B2 is in contact with the tip portion, the outer guide rail 27, and the one game ball B1, so that the specific distance H1 is longer than the closed state but shorter than the open state, and is shorter than the distance H2 from the lowest point of the other game ball B2 to the outer guide rail 27. Therefore, the ball return prevention mechanism 50 not only prevents game balls that have entered the play area 30 from returning when the ball return prevention member 54 (open/close valve 54b) is in the closed state, but also suppresses game balls that have entered the play area 30 from returning to the guide passage 29 even while the ball return prevention member 54 is in the process of changing from the closed state to the open state. This improves the prevention of game balls that have entered the play area 30 returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29.

The gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment also includes a guide passage (guide area) 29, which is an area between the outer guide rail (outer rail) 27 and the inner guide rail (inner rail) 28, that guides the launched gaming ball to the gaming area 30, and a ball return prevention mechanism 50 that prevents the gaming ball from returning to the guide passage 29 from the gaming area 108a. The ball return prevention mechanism 50 has an opening/closing valve (displacement member) 54b that can be displaced between a closed state (first state), an open state (second state), and a state in the middle of displacing from the closed state to the open state (third state). The opening/closing valve 54b has a first side portion (side portion) 540b that faces the outer guide rail 27 and a tip portion on the tip side of the first side portion 540b. The distance from the tip portion to the outer rail is set to a specific distance H1, and the ball return prevention mechanism 50 prevents the gaming ball from returning to the guide passage 29 from the gaming area 108a. If the game ball is one game ball (first game ball) B1 and the game ball returning to the guide passage 29 from the game area 108a is another game ball (second game ball) B2, the closed state is a state in which the specific distance H1 is shorter than that in the open state, the open state is a state in which the specific distance H1 is longer than that in the closed state, and the intermediate state is a state in which the one game ball B1 contacts the first side portion 540b, the outer guide rail 27, and the other game ball B2, and the other game ball B2 contacts the tip portion, the outer guide rail 27, and the one game ball B1, so that the specific distance H1 is longer than that in the closed state and shorter than that in the open state, and the distance H3 from the contact point P4 between the other game ball B2 and the tip portion to the contact point P3 between the other game ball B2 and the one game ball B1 is shorter than the distance H4 from the lowest point P6 of the other game ball B2 to the contact point P3 between the other game ball B2 and the one game ball B1. Therefore, the ball return prevention mechanism 50 not only prevents game balls that have entered the play area 30 from returning when the ball return prevention member 54 (open/close valve 54b) is in the closed state, but also suppresses game balls that have entered the play area 30 from returning to the guide passage 29 even while the ball return prevention member 54 is in the process of changing from the closed state to the open state. This improves the prevention of game balls that have entered the play area 30 returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29.

The gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment is also provided with a guide passage (guide area) 29 that guides the launched gaming ball to the gaming area 108a, which is an area between the outer guide rail (outer rail) 27 and the inner guide rail (inner rail) 28, and a ball return prevention mechanism 50 that prevents the gaming ball from returning to the guide passage 29 from the gaming area 108a. The ball return prevention mechanism 50 has an opening/closing valve (displacement member) 54b that can be displaced between a closed state (first state) and an open state (second state), and a main body case (holding member) 52 that can hold the opening/closing valve 54b. The opening/closing valve 54b has a second side portion (side portion) 541b that faces the gaming area 108a and a tip portion on the tip side of the second side portion 541b, and extends from the tip portion to the outer guide rail 27. If the distance to the stopper wall 52c is a specific distance, the closed state is a state in which the specific distance is shorter than the open state, and the open state is a state in which the specific distance is longer than the closed state. The main body case 52 has a stopper wall (contact portion) 52c that abuts the second side surface 541b of the on-off valve 54b in the open state. In the closed state, the game ball may contact the stopper wall 52c and the second side surface 541b (protrusion 541c). In the closed state, the distance from the contact point P8 between the game ball and the stopper wall 52c to the contact point P7 between the game ball and the second side surface 541b (protrusion 541c) is defined as a first distance H5, and the distance from the lowest point P6 of the game ball to the leftmost point P9 is defined as a second distance H6. Therefore, the first distance H5 is shorter than the second distance H6. This further improves the prevention of game balls that have entered the game area 108a returning to the guide passage (guide area) 29.

Referring to Figure 29, we will explain the gap provided in the front-to-rear direction of the on-off valve 54b of the ball return prevention mechanism 50. Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 23. Note that Figure 29 also shows the transparent window 106a of the front door 3.

As shown in FIG. 29, a first gap SP1 and a second gap SP2 are provided in the front-to-rear direction of the on-off valve 54b. Specifically, the first gap SP1 is provided between the front end 542b of the on-off valve 54b and the back surface 106a1 of the transparent window 106a, and the second gap SP2 is provided between the rear end 543b of the on-off valve 54b and the acrylic plate 5a of the gaming board 5. The size of the first gap SP1 in the front-to-rear direction is within a range smaller than the radius of the gaming ball (for example, 4 mm). The size of the second gap SP2 in the front-to-rear direction is also within a range smaller than the radius of the gaming ball (for example, 4 mm).

As a result, even if a game ball attempting to be guided from the guide passage 29 to the play area 30, or a game ball attempting to return from the play area 30 to the guide passage 29, comes into contact with the on-off valve 54b, it is unable to get stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2. This prevents balls from getting stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2 around the on-off valve 54b.

As mentioned above, the opening/closing valve 54b is movable between a closed state and an open state, allowing it to wobble in the front-to-rear direction. The maximum amount of wobble in the front-to-rear direction is approximately 1 mm, and even if the opening/closing valve 54b wobble within this range, the opening/closing valve 54b will not come into contact with the back surface 106a1 of the transparent window 106a or the acrylic plate (display panel) 5a. When the opening/closing valve 54b wobbles backward, the size of the second gap SP2 in the front-to-rear direction decreases, while the size of the first gap SP1 in the front-to-rear direction increases. In this case, the size of the first gap SP1 in the front-to-rear direction is also within a range smaller than the radius of the game ball.

Furthermore, if the on-off valve 54b rattles forward, the size of the first gap SP1 in the front-to-back direction decreases, while the size of the second gap SP2 in the front-to-back direction increases. In this case, the size of the second gap SP2 in the front-to-back direction also falls within a range smaller than the radius of the game ball.

As a result, even if the on-off valve 54b is loose, a game ball attempting to be guided from the guide passage 29 to the play area 30, or a game ball attempting to return from the play area 30 to the guide passage 29, comes into contact with the on-off valve 54b and cannot get stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2. This reliably prevents ball jamming around the on-off valve 54b due to such game balls getting stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2.

The gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment, configured in this manner, can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, gaming machine 100) comprising a gaming board (in this example, gaming board 5) having a gaming area (in this example, gaming area 108a), launching means (in this example, launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, and an outer rail (in this example, outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
A ball return prevention mechanism (in this example, a ball return prevention mechanism 50) is provided to prevent the game ball from returning from the game area to the guide area,
The ball return prevention mechanism has a displacement member (opening/closing valve 54b) that can be displaced to a plurality of states (in this example, an open state, a closed state, and an intermediate state),
A first gap (in this example, a first gap SP1) is provided between the displacement member and the game board in the front-rear direction,
A second gap (in this example, a second gap SP2) is provided between the displacement member and the transparent window in the front-rear direction,
The size of the first gap is smaller than the radius of the gaming ball,
The size of the second gap is also smaller than the radius of the gaming ball,
The displacement member is configured to rattle in the front-rear direction,
Even if the displacement member rattles in the front-rear direction, the size of the first gap and the second gap is smaller than the radius of the game ball.

As a result, even if a game ball attempting to be guided from the guide passage 29 to the play area 30 or a game ball attempting to return from the play area 30 to the guide passage 29 comes into contact with the on-off valve 54b, it is unable to get stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2. Even if the on-off valve 54b is loose, even if a game ball attempting to be guided from the guide passage 29 to the play area 30 or a game ball attempting to return from the play area 30 to the guide passage 29 comes into contact with the on-off valve 54b, it is unable to get stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2. This prevents balls from getting stuck in the first gap SP1 or the second gap SP2 around the on-off valve 54b. This improves the prevention of game balls that have entered the play area 30 from returning to the guide passage 29. Additionally, it also improves the effectiveness of guiding game balls from the guide passage 29 to the play area 30.

Next, we will explain the pachinko machine according to the second embodiment. Figure 30 is a front view of the pachinko machine according to the second embodiment, and Figure 31 is a perspective view showing the outer guide rail provided on the game board of the pachinko machine. Note that in Figure 30 and Figures 31 to 36 shown below, illustrations of the performance operation device and other devices provided in the lower center of the front door 3 are omitted. As will be described later, the pachinko machine according to the second embodiment is characterized by the relationship between the position of the main display 40 provided on the game board 108 and the contact position where the game ball launched by the launching device 16 (launching means) comes into contact with the outer guide rail 27.

As shown in Figure 30, the pachinko machine 101 is equipped with an outer guide rail 27. As shown in Figure 31, this outer guide rail 27 is made of a strip-shaped metal plate (e.g., stainless steel plate) that is elastic and flexible, and is attached along the inner surface 42a (see Figure 5) of the rail base 26. The base end 27a of the outer guide rail 27 is bent in an L-shape and is fitted into and supported by the base end support portion 420a (see Figure 5) of the rail base 26. On the other hand, the tip end 27b of the outer guide rail 27 is bent in a U-shape and is fitted into and supported by the tip end support portion 420b (see Figure 5) of the rail base 26.

A plurality of (e.g., five) substantially horizontally elongated elliptical holes 27c are formed between the base end 27a and the tip end 27b of the outer guide rail 27. Each hole 27c can be inserted into a boss (not shown) formed at a predetermined interval on the inner peripheral surface 42a of the rail base 26.

When attaching the outer guide rail 27 configured in this manner to the rail base 26 of the game board 14, first, the tip end 27b of the outer guide rail 27 is fitted into and supported by the tip support portion 420b of the rail base 26. Next, the boss of the rail base 26 is inserted into the hole 27c of the outer guide rail 27, and then the base end 27a of the outer guide rail 27 is fitted into and supported by the base support portion 420a of the rail base 26.

At this time, the outer guide rail 27 is arranged in an arc shape along the inner peripheral surface 42a of the rail base 26, and is therefore deformed inward in the circumferential direction. In this state, the outer guide rail 27 generates an elastic force that causes it to return to its original shape outward in the circumferential direction, so the surface of the outer guide rail 27 opposite the guide surface 27A can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 42a of the rail base 26. This allows the outer guide rail 27 to be attached to the game board 108.

Returning to Figure 30, we will explain the relationship between the position of the main display 40 provided on the gaming board 108 and the contact position where the gaming ball launched by the launching device 16 (launching means) comes into contact with the outer guide rail 27. Below, we will use as an example the contact position of a gaming ball launched based on a right-hit operation.

As shown in Figure 30, the main display 40 (alert means) is located in the lower left region of the gaming board 108. Specifically, it is located outside the outer guide rail 27 provided on the gaming board 108, adjacent to the curved portion of the outer guide rail 27. The main display 40 includes a substrate (not shown), multiple lamps 40a provided on the substrate, and a housing portion 40b. The housing portion 40b is formed, for example, from resin, and houses the substrate and multiple lamps 40a. The housing portion 40b has an upper edge 40b1 that is located at the highest position in the vertical direction, and a lower edge 40b2 that is located at the lowest position. The upper edge 40b1 is located approximately 110 mm from the base end of the outer guide rail 27, and the lower edge 40b2 is located approximately 80 mm from the base end of the outer guide rail 27. The main display 40 can provide information about the game ball as the game progresses by lighting up multiple lamps 40a.

On the other hand, when a gaming ball is launched by the launching device 16 based on a right-hit operation, the launched gaming ball P will come into contact with the outer guide rail 27 at multiple contact positions (three in this example). The multiple contact positions include a first contact position X1, a second contact position X2, and a third contact position X3. Therefore, the launched gaming ball will first bounce at the first contact position X1, then at the second contact position X2, and finally at the third contact position X3. In this case, the gaming ball that bounced at the first contact position X1 will move approximately parallel to the outer guide rail 27 before bouncing at the second contact position X2, and the gaming ball that bounced at the second contact position X2 will move approximately parallel to the outer guide rail 27 before bouncing at the third contact position X3. The first contact position X1, second contact position X2, and third contact position X3 are easily visible through the transparent window 106a when the front door 3 is closed.

The first contact position X1 is the position (first contact starting point) at the moment when the gaming ball P launched by the launching device 16 first contacts the outer guide rail 27. In other words, the first contact position X1 is the position where the launched gaming ball first contacts the outer guide rail 27. This first contact position X1 is approximately 45 mm away from the base end of the outer guide rail 27. Note that the first contact position X1 may include a certain width from the position (first contact starting point) at the moment when the gaming ball first contacts the outer guide rail 27 to the position (first contact end point) at the moment when the gaming ball first separates from the outer guide rail. The first contact position X1 may also be the position (first contact end point) at the moment when the gaming ball first separates from the outer guide rail.

The second contact position X2 is the position where the game ball P launched by the launching device 16 first contacts the outer guide rail 27 after contacting the first contact position X1. In other words, the second contact position X2 is the position where the launched game ball secondly contacts the outer guide rail 27. This second contact position X2 is approximately 80 mm away from the base end of the outer guide rail 27.

The third contact position X3 is the position where the game ball P launched by the launching device 16 first contacts the outer guide rail 27 after contacting the second contact position X2. In other words, the third contact position X3 is the position where the launched game ball contacts the outer guide rail 27 for the third time. This third contact position X3 is located approximately 105 mm away from the base end of the outer guide rail 27 and is located below the leftmost end of the outer guide rail 27 in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 30, the main display 40 is located in a position that does not face the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27. Here, "facing" means that, for example, when viewed from the front, the main display 40 is located on an extension of a straight line that passes through the center of the gaming ball and the point of contact between the gaming ball and the outer guide rail 27. In Figure 30, the first contact position X1 is located at a height position between the base end of the outer guide rail 27 and the bottom edge 40b2 of the main display 40, and the main display 40 is not located on an extension of a straight line that passes through the center of the gaming ball and the point of contact between the gaming ball and the outer guide rail 27 (first contact position X1).

Note that "facing" may also mean that the main display 40 is located on an extension of a tangent to the forward-most point of the launched gaming ball. Furthermore, "facing" may also mean that the main display 40 is located on an extension of a tangent to the rearmost point of the launched gaming ball.

The main display 40 is also positioned so as not to face the second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27. Specifically, the second contact position X2 is at approximately the same height as the bottom edge 40b2 of the main display 40, and the main display 40 is not on the extension of a straight line passing through the center of the gaming ball and the contact point (second contact position X2) between the gaming ball and the outer guide rail 27.

Meanwhile, the main display 40 is positioned facing the third contact position X3. Specifically, the third contact position X3 is located at a height between the bottom edge 40b2 and top edge 40b1 of the main display 40, and the main display 40 is located on an extension of a straight line passing through the center of the gaming ball and the contact point (second contact position X2) between the gaming ball and the outer guide rail 27.

In this way, the main display 40 is provided on the gaming board 108 so as not to face the first contact position X1 or the second contact position X2, while being provided on the gaming board 108 so as to face the third contact position X3.

A pachinko machine 101 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 101) comprising a gaming board having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a), launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and notification means (in this example, the main display 40) capable of notifying information related to the game, wherein a guide area (in this example, a guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail, and the notification means is provided beside the guide area,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
The first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail is included,
The notification means is provided so as not to face the first contact position.

As a result, the gaming ball launched by the launching means retains its momentum at the time of launch and does not come into contact with the portion of the outer guide rail 27 facing the notification means, preventing damage to the notification means from the impact caused by the gaming ball coming into contact at the first contact position. In other words, damage to the notification means caused by the gaming ball colliding with the outer rail can be prevented.

In the above configuration, the main display 40 is provided in a position that does not face the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27, while the main display 40 is provided in a position that faces the third contact position of the outer guide rail 27, but this configuration is not limited to this.

For example, the main display 40 may be provided in a position that does not face the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27, while the main display 40 may be provided in a position that faces the second contact position X2 and the third contact position of the outer guide rail 27. In this case, the configuration will be as follows:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 101) comprising a gaming board having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a), launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and notification means (in this example, the main display 40) capable of notifying information related to the game, wherein a guide area (in this example, a guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail, and the notification means is provided beside the guide area,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
The first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail is included,
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) where the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time;
A third contact position (in this example, the third contact position X3) where the launched game ball makes contact with the outer rail for the third time,
The notification means is provided so as to face the second contact position and the third contact position, but not so as to face the first contact position.

Even with this configuration, the impact caused by the game ball contacting the first contact position X1 can be prevented from being transmitted to the alarm means, thereby achieving the same effect as the above embodiment.

When the gaming ball makes contact at the second contact position X2 or the third contact position X3, the momentum of the gaming ball is reduced compared to when it makes contact at the first contact position, so even if such a gaming ball makes contact with the portion of the outer guide rail 27 facing the alarm means, the alarm means will not be damaged.

The main display 40 may also be provided in a position that does not face the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position of the outer guide rail 27. For example, the main display 40 may be positioned so that the bottom edge 40b2 of the main display 40 is positioned above the third contact position X3, or the main display 40 may be positioned so that the top edge 40b1 of the main display 40 is positioned below the first contact position X1. In this case, the following configuration will be obtained.

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 101) comprising a gaming board (in this example, a gaming board 108), a launching means (in this example, a launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, an outer rail (in this example, an outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, an inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a notification means (in this example, a main display 40) capable of notifying information related to the game, wherein a guide area (in this example, a guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail, and the notification means is provided beside the guide area,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) where the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time;
A third contact position (in this example, the third contact position X3) where the launched game ball makes contact with the outer rail for the third time,
The notification means is provided so as not to face any of the first contact position, the second contact position, and the third contact position.

This prevents the impact caused by the game ball contacting not only the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2, but also the third contact position, from being transmitted to the alarm means. Therefore, damage to the alarm means can be reliably prevented.

Furthermore, the main display 40 may be provided at a position that does not face the first contact position X1 and the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27, but faces the second contact position X2.

While the above example shows the contact position of a game ball launched based on a right-hand hit operation, the same positional relationship applies to the contact position of a game ball launched based on a left-hand hit operation, a quick hit operation, or a full-throttle hit operation. In the case of a left-hand hit operation, a quick hit operation, or a full-throttle hit operation, the strength with which the game ball is launched by the launching device 16 is weak, so the third contact position X3 may not occur. Note that a "quick hit" refers to a hit in which the game ball launched by the launching device 16 rises up the guide passage 29 and flows down the left-throttle hit area 108a1 from near the exit of the guide passage 29. Furthermore, a "full-throttle hit" refers to a hit in which the game ball launched by the launching device 16 heads toward the full-throttle position BP (see Figure 5) located in the left-throttle hit area 108a1 of the game area 108a.

Furthermore, because the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position X3 are easily visible through the transparent window 106a when the front door 3 is closed, it is possible to easily design the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position during the development stage of the pachinko machine 101. Specifically, during the development stage of the pachinko machine 101, in order to design the first contact position X1, etc., the front door 3 must be closed in order to test-launch a game ball from the launcher 16. In this embodiment, as described above, because the first contact position X1, etc. is easily visible through the transparent window 106a when the front door 3 is closed, it is possible to design the first contact position X1, etc. while fully understanding the positions of the first contact position X1, etc.

Furthermore, when the front door 3 is closed, the first contact position X1, second contact position X2, and third contact position X3 are easily visible through the transparent window 106a, allowing the player to see a wider playing area 108a of the game board 108.

Next, we will explain Modification 2-1 of the second embodiment. Figure 32 is a front view of a pachinko machine related to Modification 2-1.

As shown in Figure 32, the pachinko machine 2-1 according to variant 2-1 differs from the second embodiment in that a transparent plate 140 is provided on the rear side of the transparent window 106a of the front door 3. Specifically, the transparent plate 140 is provided on the rear side of the lower left portion of the transparent window 106a when viewed from the front, and covers the front of the entrance side of the guide passage 29.

The transparent plate 140 is a transparent plate-shaped member made of, for example, a plastic material. In this modified example, the upper edge of the transparent plate 140 is located between the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27. As a result, the transparent plate 140 does not cover the area in front of the third contact position X3, but does cover the areas in front of the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2.

A warning sticker 141 is also attached to the surface of the transparent plate 140. The warning sticker 141 has text such as "Be careful not to get your hands or fingers pinched." The first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is located on the back side of this warning sticker 141. In other words, the front of the first contact position X1 is covered by the warning sticker 141. In other words, the warning sticker 141 is attached so as to conceal the first contact position X1. The front of the second contact position X2 is not covered by the warning sticker 141, and the warning sticker 141 is not attached so as to conceal the second contact position X2.

In the above configuration, the first contact position X1 is covered in front by the warning sticker 141, and the second contact position X2 is not covered in front by the warning sticker 141, but this configuration is not limited to this. The warning sticker 141 only needs to be attached so as to hide at least one of the first contact position X1 or the second contact position X2. The first contact position X1 may not be covered in front by the warning sticker 141, and the second contact position X2 may be covered in front by the warning sticker 141, or both the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 may be covered in front by the warning sticker 141.

The pachinko machine 2-1 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 2-1) comprising a gaming board (in this example, the gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a), a transparent window (in this example, the transparent window 106a) provided so as to face the gaming board, a launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls, and an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, the guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) at which the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time,
In the guide area, a transparent protective member (in this example, a transparent plate 140) is provided between the game board and the transparent window to prevent the game ball from contacting the transparent window,
The protective member is provided with a warning sticker (in this example, a warning sticker 141) that calls a predetermined attention.
The warning sticker is attached so as to hide at least one of the first contact position and the second contact position.

As a result, the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is covered by the warning sticker 141 attached to the transparent plate 140, making the first contact position X1 invisible. In particular, scratches have occurred at the first contact position X1 due to contact with the game ball, so hiding these scratches from view prevents the appearance from being poor.

Furthermore, the front of the second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27 is covered by a transparent plate 140, which reduces the visibility of the second contact position X2 to some extent. Therefore, as with the first contact position X1, it is possible to prevent the second contact position X2 from being unsightly.

The transparent plate 140 also covers the front of the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27. Therefore, the transparent plate 140 can prevent the game ball launched by the launching device 16 from flying forward and directly hitting the transparent window 106a upon contacting the first contact position X1 or the second contact position X2. This allows the transparent plate 140 to protect the transparent window 106a.

Although the front of the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27 is not covered by the transparent plate 140, the momentum of the game ball that contacts the third contact position X3 is significantly reduced, so any scratches that occur at the third contact position X3 are barely noticeable and do not adversely affect the appearance.

Next, we will explain Modification 2-2 of the second embodiment. Figure 33 is a front view of a pachinko machine related to Modification 2-2.

As shown in Figure 33, the pachinko machine 2-2 according to variant 2-2 differs from variant 2-1 in the position of the warning sticker 141 attached to the transparent plate 140. Specifically, the warning sticker 141 is attached in approximately the lower left region of the transparent plate 140 when viewed from the front, and covers the front of the base end 27a (see Figure 31) of the outer guide rail 27. The front of the first contact position X1 and second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27 is covered by the transparent plate 140, but is not covered by the warning sticker 141. In other words, the warning sticker 141 is not attached in a way that hides the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2.

In addition, in this modified example, a lower left design portion 3a is provided on the left side of the front door 3, covering part of the guide passage 29. This lower left design portion 3a covers the front of the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27.

The pachinko machine 2-2 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 2-2) comprising: a gaming board (in this example, the gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a); a front door (in this example, the front door 3) having a transparent window (in this example, the transparent window 106a) arranged so as to face the gaming board; launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls; and an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, the guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) at which the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time,
In the guide area, a transparent protective member (in this example, a transparent plate 140) is provided between the game board and the transparent window to prevent the game ball from contacting the transparent window,
The protective member is provided with a warning sticker (in this example, a warning sticker 141) that calls a predetermined attention.
The warning sticker is attached so as not to hide at least one of the first contact position and the second contact position, but to hide the base end of the outer rail.

Therefore, the front of the first contact position X1 or second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27 is covered by the warning sticker 141, preventing scratches at the first contact position X1 or second contact position from spoiling the appearance.

The transparent plate 140 also covers the front of the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27. Therefore, the transparent plate 140 can prevent the game ball launched by the launching device 16 from flying forward and directly hitting the transparent window 106a upon contacting the first contact position X1 or the second contact position X2. This allows the transparent plate 140 to protect the transparent window 106a.

Furthermore, the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27 is hidden in front by the lower left design portion 3a of the front door 3, making it invisible to the player. As mentioned above, scratches at the third contact position X3 are hardly noticeable, but if scratches at the third contact position X3 are noticeable, the lower left design portion 3a can be used to hide the scratches, as in this modified example, to prevent them from looking unsightly.

Next, we will explain Modification 2-3 of the second embodiment. Figure 34 is a front view of a pachinko machine related to Modification 2-3.

As shown in Figure 34, pachinko machine 2-3 according to variant 2-3 differs from variant 2-2 in that no transparent plate 140 is provided on the back side of the transparent window 106a of the front door 3. Specifically, the front of the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is not covered by the transparent plate 140, and is easily visible through the transparent window 106a.

In addition, in this modified example, a lower left design portion 3b is provided on the left side of the front door 3, covering part of the guide passage 29. This lower left design portion 3b covers a wider area of the guide passage 29 than the lower left design portion 3a of modified example 2-2 above, and covers not only the area in front of the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27, but also the area in front of the second contact position X2. In other words, the lower left design portion 3a is provided so as to conceal the third contact position X3 and the second contact position X2. Note that the lower left design portion 3b does not cover the area in front of the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27, and is not provided so as to conceal the second contact position X2.

In the above configuration, the lower left design portion 3a is configured to conceal the third contact position X3 and the second contact position X2, but this configuration is not limited to this. The lower left design portion 3a only needs to be configured to conceal at least one of the second contact position X2 or the third contact position X3, and may be configured to conceal only the second contact position X2 or only the third contact position X3.

The pachinko machine 2-3 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 2-3) comprising: a gaming board (in this example, the gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a); a front door (in this example, the front door 3) having a transparent window (in this example, the transparent window 106a) arranged so as to face the gaming board; launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls; and an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, the guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) where the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time;
A third contact position (in this example, the third contact position X3) where the launched game ball makes contact with the outer rail for the third time,
A design member is provided on the front side of the front door so as to surround the transparent window,
The design member has a design portion (in this example, a lower left design portion 3b) provided on the lower left side of the front door so as to cover a part of the guide area,
The design portion is provided so as not to conceal the first contact position, but so as to conceal at least one of the second contact position and the third contact position.

As a result, the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is easily visible through the transparent window 106a, making it easier to design the first contact position X1 during the development stage of the pachinko machine 2-3. As mentioned above, the first contact position X1 is the position where the game ball launched by the launching device 16 first contacts the outer guide rail 27, and the subsequent movement of the game ball will vary significantly depending on the location of this first contact position X1. Therefore, the design of the first contact position X1 is extremely important, and it is extremely useful during the development stage if the first contact position X1 can be easily seen with the front door 3 closed.

In addition, the second contact position X2 and third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27 are covered in front by the lower left decorative portion 3b of the front door 3, making them invisible to players. This means that scratches at the second contact position X2 and third contact position X3 can be hidden, preventing them from spoiling the appearance.

In this way, this modified example makes it possible to easily design the first contact position X1 while preventing the appearance from becoming unsightly. In other words, it is possible to easily design the contact position where the gaming ball comes into contact with the base end of the outer rail, while preventing the appearance from becoming unsightly.

Next, we will explain Modification 2-4 of the second embodiment. Figure 35 is a front view of a pachinko machine related to Modification 2-4.

As shown in Figure 35, the pachinko machine 2-4 according to variant 2-4 differs from variant 2-3 in the size of the lower left design portion 3c that covers part of the guide passage 29. Specifically, the lower left design portion 3c covers a wider area of the guide passage 29 than the lower left design portion 3b of variant 2-3, and covers not only the area in front of the third contact position X3 and second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27, but also the area in front of the first contact position X1. In other words, the lower left design portion 3c is designed to hide the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position X3.

In the above configuration, in other words, the lower left design portion 3c is arranged to hide the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position X3, but this configuration is not limited to this. The lower left design portion 3c only needs to be arranged to hide the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2, and does not have to be arranged to hide, for example, the third contact position X3.

The pachinko machine 2-4 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 2-4) comprising: a gaming board (in this example, the gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a); a front door (in this example, the front door 3) having a transparent window (in this example, the transparent window 106a) arranged so as to face the gaming board; launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls; and an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, the guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) at which the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time,
A design member is provided on the front side of the front door so as to surround the transparent window,
The design member has a design portion (in this example, a lower left design portion 3c) provided on the lower left side of the front door so as to cover a part of the guide area,
The design portion is provided so as to conceal the first contact position and the second contact position.

As a result, the first contact position X1 and second contact position X2 of the outer guide rail 27 are covered by the lower left design portion 3c, so scratches at these contact positions X1 to X3 can be hidden, preventing them from looking unsightly.

Next, we will explain variant 2-5 of the second embodiment. Figure 36 is a front view of a pachinko machine related to variant 2-5.

As shown in Figure 36, the pachinko machine 2-5 according to variant 2-5 differs from variant 2-4 in the shape of the lower-left design portion 3d. Specifically, the lower-left design portion 3d protrudes above the left speaker 116. The first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is located vertically lower than the lower-left design portion 3d. Therefore, the first contact position X1 is not visible through the transparent window 106a when viewed from the front. On the other hand, the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are located vertically higher than the lower-left design portion 3d, and are therefore easily visible through the transparent window 106a.

The pachinko machine 2-5 configured in this manner can achieve the following effects:

A gaming machine (in this example, a pachinko machine 2-5) comprising: a gaming board (in this example, the gaming board 108) having a gaming area (in this example, the gaming area 108a); a front door (in this example, the front door 3) having a transparent window (in this example, the transparent window 106a) arranged so as to face the gaming board; launching means (in this example, the launching device 16) capable of launching gaming balls; and an outer rail (in this example, the outer guide rail 27) and an inner rail (in this example, the inner guide rail 28) capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, and a guide area (in this example, the guide passage 29) for guiding the gaming balls to the gaming area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail,
In the guide area, the launched game ball comes into contact with the outer rail at a plurality of contact positions,
The plurality of contact locations include:
A first contact position (in this example, the first contact position X1) where the launched game ball first contacts the outer rail;
A second contact position (in this example, the second contact position X2) where the launched game ball contacts the outer rail for the second time;
A third contact position (in this example, the third contact position X3) where the launched game ball makes contact with the outer rail for the third time,
A design member is provided on the front side of the front door so as to surround the transparent window,
The design member has a design portion (in this example, a lower left design portion 3d) provided on the lower left side of the front door so as to cover a part of the guide area,
The design portion is provided so as to conceal the first contact position, while not providing so as to conceal at least one of the second contact position and the third contact position.

As a result, the first contact position X1 of the outer guide rail 27 is located below the lower-left design portion 3d, making the first contact position X1 invisible to the player. In particular, since scratches are formed at the first contact position X1 due to contact with the game ball, hiding these scratches is effective in preventing the appearance from being poor.

Furthermore, the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 of the outer guide rail 27 are located above the lower-left design portion 3d and are easily visible through the transparent window 106a, making it easier to design the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 during the development stage of the pachinko machine 2-5. This also makes the playing area 108a of the game board 108 appear larger. Here, while the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are visible as described above, the momentum of a game ball that contacts the second contact position X2 also decreases, just like the third contact position, so scratches that occur at the second contact position X2 are not very noticeable. Therefore, even if the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are visible, it does not adversely affect the appearance in any way.

In this way, this modified example makes it possible to easily design the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 while also preventing the appearance from becoming unsightly. In other words, it is possible to easily design the contact position where the game ball comes into contact with the base end of the outer rail, while preventing the appearance from becoming unsightly.

Figure 37 is a table summarizing the visibility of the first contact position X1, second contact position X2, and third contact position X3 in the second embodiment described above and its modified examples 2-1 to 2-5. Among the symbols in this table, "◯" indicates that the contact position is easily visible, while "△" indicates that the contact position is visible even though its front is covered by the transparent plate 140. Additionally, "×1" indicates that the contact position is not visible because its front is covered by the warning sticker 141. Additionally, "×2" indicates that the contact position is not visible because its front is covered by the design portion on the lower left side of the front door 3.

As shown in Figure 37, in the second embodiment, the first contact position X1, the second contact position X2, and the third contact position X3 are all easily visible through the transparent window 106a of the front door 3. Therefore, a "◯" symbol is marked in the column for each of the contact positions X1 to X3.

Next, in variant 2-1, the first contact position X1 is invisible due to a warning sticker 141 attached to the transparent plate 140. On the other hand, the second contact position X2 is visible although its front is covered by the transparent plate 140. The third contact position X3 is not covered by the transparent plate 140 and is easily visible through the transparent window 106a. Therefore, the column for the first contact position X1 is marked with an "x1", the column for the second contact position X2 with a "△", and the column for the third contact position X3 with a "◯".

Next, in variant 2-2, the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 are covered in front by a transparent plate 140 but are still visible. On the other hand, the third contact position X3 is covered in front by the lower left design portion 3a of the front door 3, making it invisible to the player. Therefore, the columns for the first contact position X1 and the second contact position X2 are marked with a "△" and the column for the third contact position X3 is marked with an "x2".

Next, in variant 2-3, the first contact position X1 is easily visible through the transparent window 106a. On the other hand, the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are covered by the lower left design portion 3b of the front door 3 and are therefore not visible to the player. Therefore, the column for the first contact position X1 is marked with a "◯" and the columns for the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are marked with an "x2" symbol.

Next, in variant 2-4, the first contact position X1, second contact position X2, and third contact position X3 are covered in front of them by the lower left design portion 3c of the front door 3, making them invisible to the player. Therefore, the symbols "x2" are added to the columns for first contact position X1 to third contact position X3.

Finally, in variant 2-5, the first contact position X1 is located below the lower left design portion 3d of the front door 3, making it invisible to the player. On the other hand, the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are located above the lower left design portion 3d, making them easily visible through the transparent window 106a. Therefore, the column for the first contact position X1 is marked with an "x2," and the columns for the second contact position X2 and the third contact position X3 are marked with an "o" symbol.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept set forth in the claims are within the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiment shows a preferred example, but a person skilled in the art will be able to realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements based on the contents disclosed in this specification, and these will fall within the technical scope set forth in the accompanying claims.

In the above embodiment, the second region R2 of the outer guide rail 27 has a curved shape when viewed from the front of the game board 108, but this configuration is not limited to this. The second region R2 may have the same shape as the first region R1. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the deposit position BP was the upper left position of the play area 108a shown in Figure 5 or Figure 30, but it is not limited to this. Typically, the arrangement of nails often differs depending on the model of pachinko machine, and a deposit position appropriate for each model can be adopted.

In the above embodiment, the ribs 301 are provided on the upper surface (in other words, the outer surface) of the top plate of the inner frame 104, but the ribs 301 may also be provided on the lower surface (in other words, the inner surface) of the top plate of the inner frame 104.

In addition, while the above embodiment provides an example in which the outer frame is fixed to the island equipment of the amusement park by driving nails, fixing members other than nails, such as screws, may also be used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the island fixing holes 300a to 300d are through-holes, but they may also be holes that serve as markers when driving nails, rather than through-holes.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hinge cover 406 and the back panel 414 are made of resin of the same color, but they may also be made of materials of different colors.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which a convex portion 112c was provided on the base plate 112 and a concave portion 111a was provided on the design sheet 111, but for example, a convex portion may be provided on the design sheet 111 and a concave portion may be provided on the base plate 112.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which a design sheet 111 with a printed pattern was used as the sheet, but the sheet may also be plain, and may be either colored or colorless.

In addition, while the above embodiment describes an example in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine, the present invention may also be applied to a slot machine in which the number of bets is set using medals and credits as gaming value.

When applying this invention to a slot machine, the invention can be applied when attaching a design sheet to the front door attached to the slot machine's cabinet, for example, when attaching a design sheet to the panel around the reel display window, the panel above the display window, or the lower panel below the operation unit.

Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, Figure 25 shows the ball return prevention member 54 displaced to a state roughly halfway between the closed state and the open state, but this is not limited to this state, and the present invention can also be applied when the ball return prevention member 54 is displaced to any state between the closed state and the open state.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 25, the ball return prevention member 54 can prevent game ball B2 from returning to the guide passage 29. However, even if another game ball C returns to the boundary area 700 immediately after game ball B2 returns from the play area 108a to the boundary area 700, the ball return prevention member 54 can of course prevent the two game balls (game ball B2 and game ball C) from returning to the guide passage 29.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the ball return prevention mechanism 50 was integrally formed at the upper end of the inner guide rail 28, but this configuration is not limited to this and it may also be formed separately from the inner guide rail 28.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a boundary area 700 was provided between the guide passage 29 and the play area 108a, but this configuration is not limited to this, and the boundary area 700 may be included in the guide passage 29.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a protrusion 541c was formed on the second side surface 541b of the on-off valve 54b, but this configuration is not limited to this, and the surface of the second side surface 541b may be flat without forming the protrusion 541c.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the stopper wall (contact portion) 52c is configured to abut against the second side surface portion 541b of the on-off valve 54b in the open state, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the stopper wall 52c may be configured to press against the second side surface portion 541b of the on-off valve 54b in the open state, or may be configured to be in close proximity to the second side surface portion 541b.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to pachinko machines, but can also be applied to controlled pachinko machines ("smart pachinko" or "sumapachi") that are designed so that players can play without touching the game balls.

16 Launching device (launching means)
27 Outer guide rail (outer rail)
28 Inner guide rail (inner rail)
29 Guidance passage (guidance area)
50 Ball return prevention mechanism 54b Displacement member 100 Gaming machine 108 Gaming board 108a Gaming area 540b First side portion B1 One gaming ball (first gaming ball)
B2 Other game ball (second game ball)

Claims (1)

A gaming machine comprising: a gaming board having a gaming area; a transparent window provided so as to face the gaming board; a launching means capable of launching gaming balls; and an outer rail and an inner rail capable of guiding the gaming balls launched by the launching means to the gaming area, wherein a guide area is provided between the outer rail and the inner rail to guide the gaming balls to the gaming area,
A ball return prevention mechanism is provided to prevent the game ball from returning from the game area to the guide area,
the ball return prevention mechanism has a displacement member that is displaceable between a first state, a second state, and a third state;
the displacement member has a side surface portion facing the outer rail and a tip portion on a tip side of the side surface portion,
The distance from the tip end to the outer rail is set to a specific distance,
A game ball to be guided from the guide area to the game area is defined as a first game ball,
If the game ball returning from the game area to the guide area is a second game ball,
the first state is a state in which the specific distance is shorter than that in the second state,
the second state is a state in which the specific distance is longer than that in the first state,
The third state is a state in which the first game ball is in contact with the side portion, the outer rail, and the second game ball, and the second game ball is in contact with the tip portion, the outer rail, and the first game ball, so that the specific distance is longer than that in the first state and shorter than that in the second state , and is shorter than the distance from the lowest point of the second game ball to the outer rail,
a first gap is provided between the displacement member and the transparent window in the front-rear direction;
A second gap is provided between the displacement member and the game board in the front-rear direction,
The size of the first gap is smaller than the radius of the gaming ball,
The size of the second gap is also smaller than the radius of the gaming ball,
The displacement member is configured to rattle in the front-rear direction,
In the gaming machine , even if the displacement member rattles in the front-rear direction, the size of the first gap and the second gap is smaller than the radius of the gaming ball .