JP2005028082A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine excellent in stability and safety, which can be transported, installed and wired easily with reduced work time, cost and labor in replacement of the machine. <P>SOLUTION: This game machine has a structure in which an upper unit and an lower unit can be divided without change of its box form of frame. The upper unit is integrally composed of an upper frame which houses pieces of equipment that need to be replaced with a change of the game machine, and an upper door in one body. The lower unit is composed of a lower frame which houses pieces of equipment which can be commonly utilized between different machine types, and a lower door. Electric wiring of equipment stored in the lower unit is collected and fixed on a connector of a connector fixing member attached to rear face of a lower partition panel constituting a connection mechanism. The connector collecting electric wiring of the upper unit is connected to this connector fixing part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In the present invention, a plurality of reels on which symbols are arranged are rotated and displayed, and a winning is determined based on a combination of symbols appearing when rotation of all reels is stopped by a player's reel stop button operation. The present invention relates to a gaming machine represented by a slot machine in which payout is performed.

  The housing of a conventional gaming machine is composed of an integrally formed frame body and an integrated front door whose other side edge is pivoted so that the one side edge can be opened and closed. Yes. The inside of the frame body is partitioned by a partition plate, and a reel unit is mounted thereon, and the main control board for games and the sub control board for production are reels such as the inner wall surface of the upper part of the frame body or the upper inner surface of the front door. It is installed near the unit.

  The reel unit has three rotating reels with symbols arranged on the outer periphery, a stepping motor that drives these reels, and the symbols arranged on the outer periphery inside each reel so that the player can easily see during the game. A lamp or LED (hereinafter referred to as a backlight) that is provided and irradiates each symbol from the back side is accommodated.

  In addition, a display window is provided at a position corresponding to the reel unit at the upper portion of the front door that is openably and closably attached to the housing, and further, a lottery determined by a lottery process using a random number inside the gaming machine. A display lamp or notification lamp for informing the player of the result, a speaker, and a display panel showing a winning payout are attached.

  A medal hopper having a medal payout function, a medal collection box, a power supply unit for driving the gaming machine, and the like are housed in the gaming machine casing using a space below the partition plate. In the center of the front door, a medal slot, start lever, multiple reel stop buttons, multiple bet switches, etc. are provided as devices for players to advance the game. A lower panel that visually designs the machine type, and a medal tray etc. are attached below it.

  When the player inserts a medal into the medal slot and operates the start lever, each reel starts rotating and the game starts. When the reels start rotating all at once, the symbols are moved and displayed on the display window.

  When the player sequentially operates the three stop buttons corresponding to each reel while looking at the symbols that are moved and displayed, each reel is stopped, and any symbol is stopped on the active line. Five effective lines are provided. As the number of inserted medals increases to 1, 2, and 3, the number of effective lines increases to 1, 3, and 5. As a result, when a predetermined symbol combination is aligned on a valid line, a prize is won and a medal is paid out.

  When an internal winning of a winning combination is expected as described above, the player operates the stop button so as to stop the symbol corresponding to the winning combination on the valid line. If the symbols corresponding to the winning combination can be arranged on the activated line, the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination can be paid out. Also, if the symbols corresponding to the combination cannot be prepared, the inserted medal is lost.

  In recent years, a wide variety of gaming machines have been developed and the needs of players have diversified, so the life cycle per model has been shortened, and in order to attract players' interest, gaming machines Must be replaced with a new model in a short period of time. However, in the conventional gaming machine, there is a problem that the carrying work of the gaming machine, the installation of the gaming machine, the wiring process, and the like occur, and the hall manager is burdened with the working time, the working cost, and the working amount.

  In addition, there is a problem that a fraudulent board called a back rom can be attached or other various fraud control devices can be easily attached at the time of such model replacement work.

  Therefore, a gaming machine having a mounting unit capable of integrally attaching / detaching the symbol rotating unit, the control unit, and the symbol display panel to / from the opening formed in the door body is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3126812. . Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-10384 discloses a gaming machine in which a unit in which a variable display device, a game control board, and an effect control board are assembled together is replaceably attached.

  However, in the technologies disclosed in the above two publications, an opening is formed in the frame of the integrally formed casing, and only the mounting unit (or replacement unit) housed in the upper space inside is removable. However, at the time of replacement work, first of all, the equipment stored in the upper part of the enclosure, such as the control board, the external concentration terminal board, the switches, the power supply unit stored in the lower part of the casing, It is necessary to attach and detach a wiring such as a medal hopper. However, normally, the wiring and the connector are slidably laid near the reel unit of the upper unit, so that the replacement work is disturbed or the attachment / detachment work of the connector becomes unstable and easily causes damage. There was a problem.

  Moreover, since the connection part of the connector is exposed, it is easy to carry out electrical fraud simply by opening the front door.

  Furthermore, a work space is required when attaching / detaching only the replacement unit to / from the gaming machine body with the front door open, and careful work is required during the work, taking into account the unit's durability. Therefore, there is a problem that the working time tends to be long.

  Further, since it has only a simple locking mechanism, there is a problem that the stability and security at the time of mounting the unit remain uneasy.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object thereof is to realize an easy game machine replacement work, and to reduce the work cost and to be excellent in stability and safety. It is to provide a gaming machine having a structure.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, a winning unit is awarded according to a combination of a reel unit having a plurality of reels having symbols arranged on the outer periphery and the symbols when the plurality of reels are individually rotated and stopped. In a gaming machine comprising a game main control board for paying out a game and an effect sub-control board for producing an effect related to the progress of the game by the main control board, the gaming machine comprises an upper unit and a lower unit. And a connecting mechanism that can be separated in two stages for each case.

  Further, the coupling mechanism forms a space portion between an upper partition plate attached to the upper unit and a lower partition plate attached to the lower unit, and includes a rail member, a slide restraining member, a fixed knob coupling member, A stopper and a sealing mechanism are provided.

  Further, the lower partition plate is formed in a concave shape having a protruding portion on both sides of the front surface and notched between the protruding portions, and one of the left and right sides of the back surface of the concave portion formed in the lower partition plate. A connector fixing member is provided at the side end.

  Further, the connector fixing member is fixed to the lower partition plate, a main body part for protecting the connector and wiring connected to the back, an attachment part for holding the connector on the front side of the main body part, It comprises a transparent cover member that protects the connector exposed to the front side from the front side.

  According to this configuration, the gaming machine can be separated into the upper unit and the lower unit in order to improve the working time and work efficiency associated with the replacement work of the gaming machine. The upper unit includes an upper frame that houses at least one of a reel unit, a game main control board, and an effect sub-control board that must be replaced when the gaming machine is changed. A medal hopper that can be used in common between different models, and is integrally constructed with an upper door that is mounted openably and closably and includes at least one of a display panel, an effect display unit, a display lamp, and a speaker. A lower frame that houses at least one of a power supply box and a medal recovery box, and a lower door having at least one of a medal slot, a start lever, at least one stop button, a plurality of bet switches, a checkout button, and a lower panel. It is composed.

  Therefore, in the replacement work of the gaming machine, the upper unit can be integrally attached and detached in the form of a box, so that damage to the equipment accommodated can be reduced, and easy and quick work can be performed. In addition, the equipment configuration provided in the upper frame, the upper door, the lower frame, and the lower door is not limited to the above. For example, the production control board may be attached to the back side of the upper door. Then, it is also possible to store the external concentration terminal board stored in the upper unit in the lower unit.

  In addition, a rail member is provided to assist the mounting and dismounting operations of the upper and lower units, a slide deterrent member for reducing the impact at the time of mounting, an upper unit stopper for preventing the upper unit from sliding forward, and the upper and lower units The sealing mechanism can be attached to the connecting portion. Therefore, unauthorized access by a third party can be prevented, and a gaming machine that realizes safety and ease during replacement work can be provided.

  According to this configuration, when changing the model of the gaming machine, it is only necessary to replace the entire upper unit, and there is no need to consider caring, open space of the front door, or work space. It is possible and work efficiency can be improved.

  In addition, all the devices that need to be changed due to model replacement work are stored in the upper unit, and the lower unit stores devices that can be shared with other models. The work cost can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present configuration, the upper partition plate and the lower partition plate are provided, so that when the upper unit is mounted on the lower unit, the bottom structure of the upper unit and the lower unit top surface structure are connected, and the upper and lower units Bonding between each other can be further stabilized. Further, the upper and lower units slide with each other by rail members provided at both ends, and the replacement work can be performed more easily. The upper unit and the lower unit are connected and fixed by a connecting and fixing knob.

  In addition, each wiring of the equipment housed in the lower part is concentrated and fixed to the connector of the connector fixing member attached to the back surface of the lower partition plate constituting the coupling mechanism, and this connector is used to collect the wiring of the upper unit. Since it is connected to the connector fixing part, the wiring inside the gaming machine can be summarized concisely, and the exposed wiring is reduced, so that the internal appearance can be improved, replacement work and maintenance Does not get in the way when working.

  In addition, the connectors can be reliably and easily attached and detached at the connector fixing portion, the connector can be prevented from being damaged due to instability at hand, and external damage during the operation can be reduced.

  Furthermore, since the front side where the connection part of the connector is exposed is shielded by a transparent cover member, it is possible to easily check the state of the connector while preventing illegal acts from the outside. it can.

  In addition, it is possible to work with the door of the upper unit closed, and since the devices housed in the upper unit are not exposed to the outside, the security associated with the model change work can be improved.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of an upper unit and a lower unit showing the internal structure of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the lower unit including the cross section part of the lower partition plate which follows the upper unit and AA line which shows the internal structure of the isolate | separated state.

  The configuration of the slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are given to portions showing the same configuration requirements as those in FIG. 1. The slot machine main body 1 is separated into the upper unit 2 and the lower unit 3 together with the frame of the housing.

  An upper door 4 is attached to the upper unit 2, and a front panel (not shown) is fitted in the central portion of the upper door 4, and passes through three partially transparent display windows (not shown). The three reels (not shown) arranged in parallel in the slot machine main body can be observed.

  A total of five lines are displayed on the display window of the front panel, with three effective lines in the horizontal direction and two in the diagonal direction. Each reel stops sequentially, and when a specific symbol is arranged on any one of the effective lines, a winning is won and a predetermined medal is paid out.

  The number of valid lines is set by pressing the BET switch (not shown) when the number of medals inserted from the medal slot 9 or when a medal is credited on the credit medal display section (not shown). The effective number varies depending on the number of inserted medals. The BET display lamp (not shown) has, for example, numbers “1”, “2”, “3” indicating the number of effective lines arranged vertically or horizontally, and when one medal is inserted, The number “1” of the BET display lamp is lit, one effective line is displayed, and when two medals are inserted, the number “2” is lit and three effective lines are displayed. When three medals are inserted, the number “3” lights up and all five valid lines are displayed.

  Further, side lamps (not shown) and side speakers (not shown) are provided on both sides of the front panel, an upper lamp 5 is provided above, and a liquid crystal display (not shown) is provided near the display window. It has been. These are controlled via each drive circuit and output general winning notifications during the game, sound effects of machine operations, sound effects, etc., and display means for notifying the player of the results of various internal lotteries Is configured. In addition, in addition to the display means described above, a separate notification display unit may be separately provided for notification of internal winning during the game, and may be performed there.

  In the upper unit 2, three reels (not shown), a main control board 6, a sub control board 7, an external concentration terminal board 33, and the like are accommodated. It is preferable that these devices are mainly configured with devices that have changed with the model exchange of the gaming machine.

  For example, 21 symbols are arranged at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface of each reel, and the symbols are composed of a big bonus (BB) symbol, a regular bonus (RB) symbol, a small role symbol, a replay symbol, etc. Each reel has a different symbol arrangement. These reels are configured as a reel unit (not shown), and a stepping motor (not shown) which is a part of the reel driving means is connected to each reel, and each reel is driven by this stepping motor. The reels are rotated to move and display each reel in each display window. Three lamp cases (not shown) are provided inside each reel, and a backlight (not shown) is attached in each lamp case. Each backlight is individually controlled to light through a lamp driving circuit (not shown), and three symbols can be illuminated from the back for each reel.

  The game main control board 6 attached to the back wall in the upper unit 2 stores a game sequence program executed by the slot machine, and controls the progress of the entire game. , Winning combination table, winning probability table is stored, random number value is generated for each game from a random number generator at a predetermined timing, and whether or not there is a winning is determined by referring to each table based on the random value In the case of winning, a dividend corresponding to the winning combination is paid out.

  The game control board has an input port and an output port, a medal sensor, a clock generation circuit, a start lever, first, second and third reel indexes, and a stop button, first, third and third reels. Peripheral devices such as first, second, third reel display, medal block solenoid, start lever LED, and three BET display lamps are electrically connected. Each reel is connected to the stepping motor coaxially, and rotates each reel at a constant step angle. The reel index detects a reset pulse generated each time each reel makes one rotation, counts the rotation angle from a predetermined reference position as the rotation position of the reel, and inputs the count value to the main control board. Further, it is mainly composed of a transmission timing control circuit and a data transmission circuit for transmitting data to the sub-control board 7, and outputs a data output timing information signal to the transmission timing control circuit according to the game situation, This output timing information signal is temporarily stored and then output to the data input circuit of the sub-control unit.

  On the other hand, the production sub-control board 7 attached to the left side wall in the upper unit 2 includes a CPU, a sound LSI, a data input circuit, a clock generation circuit, a control ROM, a RAM, a sound ROM, an amplifier circuit, and the like. A liquid crystal (dot) display device, an upper lamp, a side lamp, a reel backlight, a speaker, and the like are connected.

  On the upper part of the lower door 8 of the lower unit 3, a start lever 10 which is variable display starting means for rotating each reel, a plurality of stop buttons (not shown), a bet switch (not shown), a checkout button (Not shown) etc. are provided, and a lower panel (not shown) is fitted in the center front.

  Further, in the lower part of the lower door of the lower unit 3, medals discharged from a return opening (not shown) for returning inserted medals and a medal payout outlet (not shown) for paying out medals obtained at the time of winning a prize. A medal tray 11 is provided for storing the tokens.

  Inside the lower unit 3, a power supply unit 12, a medal hopper 13, and a medal collection box 14 are accommodated.

  Next, the structure of the connection mechanism of the upper unit 2 and the lower unit 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The outer frame of the upper unit is formed in a rectangular shape, and is composed of an upper surface plate, a rear surface plate, and left and right side plates. Upper rails 15a and 15b are attached to the lower end portions of the inner surfaces of the both side plates. When the upper unit 2 is overlapped with the lower unit 3, the upper rails 15a and 15b come into contact with both end portions on the lower partition plate 21 of the lower unit. It also functions as a supporting leg.

  The upper rail member has a substantially U-shaped cross section, is formed slightly shorter than the length of the leg portion in the longitudinal direction, and is attached to the positions of the rear portions of the leg outer surfaces on both sides by screws. Yes. The length and mounting position of the rail member may be changed depending on the size and mounting position of the stopper 25 that prevents slipping when the upper unit is mounted.

  The upper partition plate 16 that forms the bottom surface of the upper unit 2 is, for example, a metal processed plate, and an upper extending portion in which a bottom surface portion and a rear edge portion of the bottom surface portion extend vertically upward. And the front side and both side edge edge part have the downward extension part extended in the perpendicular downward direction. The upper partition plate is screwed and fixed to the upper unit outer frame through the upper extending portion and the lower extending portions on both side edges. The material of the upper partition plate is not limited to the above, but can be attached and held with a reel unit, and has a strength that can withstand the attaching and detaching operations of the upper and lower units, for example, wooden or hard It is also possible to use a resin or the like.

  At the center of the front side of the upper partition plate 16, there is provided a plate-like gripping portion 17 for pulling out the upper unit when the upper unit is replaced. The upper unit and the lower unit are overlapped on the left and right ends of the bottom plate. The upper mounting holes 18a and 18b for the connection fixing knobs 28a and 28b are respectively provided. In addition, a plurality of screw holes 19 for fixing the reel unit are formed in the front side lower extension portion. Furthermore, the substantially elliptical holes 20a and 20b at both left and right end portions are screw holes for sealing the left and right connecting portions by the connecting and fixing knobs.

  On the other hand, the wooden lower partition plate 21 forming the upper surface of the lower unit is attached slightly below the upper surface end of the lower unit corresponding to the rail height of the upper unit. Therefore, the rail part of the upper unit is fitted to the lower unit, and the lower part of the upper unit is embedded in the lower unit, preventing a shift in the left and right direction and rearward after the upper and lower units are mounted, and a stable connected state. Can keep.

  Lower rails 22a and 22b are disposed at the left and right ends of the lower partition plate, respectively, and between the lower rails, a long and thin metal slide restraint in which the left and right ends extend upward. A member 23 is attached.

  In the mounting operation of the upper unit and the lower unit, the upper unit is placed on the lower unit and slid along the rails at both ends. It functions to set the connection position between units by contacting and stopping at a predetermined position, and also reduces the impact when sliding and contacting, protecting the equipment stored in both the upper and lower units be able to.

  Furthermore, the stopper hole 24 is provided in the front side edge part of the right side lower rail member. From this stopper hole, the protruding piece 26 of the upper unit stopper member 25 protrudes when the upper unit is mounted, and has a function of preventing the upper unit from sliding out.

  Further, lower mounting holes 27a and 27b are formed at positions corresponding to the upper mounting holes 18a and 18b for connecting and fixing knobs provided in the upper partition plate of the upper unit at the left and right edge portions of the lower partition plate 21, respectively. The upper and lower units are connected and fixed by connecting and fixing knobs 28a and 28b.

  The lower partition plate 21 has projecting portions at both left and right end portions, and a concave shape is formed by cutting out a rectangular shape between the projecting portions. Lower rails 22a and 22b are respectively laid on the upper surface of the overhanging portion. In this embodiment, a connector fixing member 29 is attached to the back surface of the left end of the recess.

  A connector fixing member 29 is fixed to the back surface of the left end of the recess slightly recessed from the front edge of the lower partition plate 21, and a main body 30 for protecting the connector and wiring connected to the back. A mounting portion 31 for attaching the connector to the front side of the main body and a cover member 32 made of a transparent resin for protecting the connector exposed to the front side from the front side. The mounting position of the connector fixing member is not limited to the present embodiment, and is desirably a location that does not hinder the opening / closing operation of the lower door 8.

  For example, when a person in charge of a hall replenishes medals in the medal hopper 13, the medal is directly replenished by placing a small box or the like containing a replenishment medal into the opening of the medal hopper 13 or by grabbing it. However, if the lower partition plate is attached so as to cover the entire upper surface opening of the medal hopper 13, there is only a slight gap between the lower partition plate and the medal hopper, so that the replenishment operation becomes difficult.

  In the present embodiment, since it has a concave shape with the front center portion of the lower partition plate cut out, an opening is formed on the front surface side of the medal hopper. As described above, the concave portion of the lower partition plate has a structure that is easy to work in hopper maintenance work such as replenishment of medals, in addition to being suitable as the mounting position of the connector fixing part as described above. .

It is a side view of the upper unit (a) and the lower unit (b) which show the internal structure of the state which attached the front door of the gaming machine concerning the implementation of the present invention. It is a front view of the lower unit containing the cross section part of the upper unit which shows the internal structure of the state which removed and isolate | separated the front door of the game machine which concerns on implementation of this invention, and the AA line.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Game machine 2 ... Upper unit 3 ... Lower unit 4 ... Upper door 5 ... Upper lamp 6 ... Main control board 7 ... Sub control board 8 ... Lower door 9 ... Medal slot 10 ... Start lever 11 ... Medal tray 12 ... Power supply Unit 13 ... Medal hopper 14 ... Medal collection boxes 15a and 15b ... Upper rail 16 ... Upper partition plate 17 ... Holding part 20a 120b ... Sealing screw hole 21 ... Lower partition plates 22a and 22b ... Lower rail 23 ... Slide restraining member 25 ... Stopper 26 ... Stopper protruding pieces 28a, 28b ... Fixing knob 29 ... Connector fixing member 30 ... Connector fixing member main body 31 ... Connector mounting portion 32 ... Connector cover member

Claims (4)

A reel unit having a plurality of reels having symbols arranged on the outer periphery, a main control board for gaming that pays out a prize according to a combination of the symbols when the plurality of reels are individually rotated and stopped, and In a gaming machine equipped with an effect sub-control board that produces effects related to the progress of the game by the main control board,
The gaming machine comprises an upper unit and a lower unit, and has a connecting mechanism that can be separated into two stages together with the chassis.   The connecting mechanism forms a space between an upper partition plate attached to the upper unit and a lower partition plate attached to the lower unit, and includes a rail member, a slide restraining member, a fixed knob connecting member, a stopper, The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing mechanism.   The lower partition plate has protrusions on both sides of the front surface, is formed in a concave shape with a notch between the protrusions, and either the left or right side edge of the back surface of the recess formed in the lower partition plate The game machine according to claim 2, further comprising a connector fixing member.   The connector fixing member is fixed to the lower partition plate, a main body part for protecting the connector and wiring connected to the back, an attachment part for holding the connector on the front side of the main body part, and a front side The game machine according to claim 3, comprising a transparent cover member that protects the connector exposed to the front from the front side.

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