JP5146988B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine that houses a game medium payout device or the like for paying out game media such as medals used for games inside a housing, and in particular, performs an unauthorized operation from the outside to illegally acquire game media. The present invention relates to a gaming machine for which measures to prevent are taken.

  Conventionally, a slot machine is known as a gaming machine installed in many game stores. In a general slot machine, a game starts when a player inserts a medal as a game medium, and a player performs a stop operation while watching the timing of a rotating reel so that a predetermined symbol is aligned with a line. Is established. When a winning is established, a medal paying device (hopper device), which is a game medium paying device, operates to pay out the number of medals according to the type of the winning.

  In such a slot machine, a microcomputer-based control board, which is called a main control board provided in the housing, controls internal winning lottery and medal payout, so these main control boards, medal payout devices, etc. It was the target of fraudulent operations by fraudsters attempting to obtain medals illegally.

  The housing of the conventional slot machine is locked with the front door closed and locked in the opening of the box-shaped cabinet, and the main control board is housed in a case with a special sealing structure called a conventional caulking. It is installed in the cabinet so that it cannot be detached. As described above, with respect to the main control board, it is difficult to remove and open the case accommodated, thereby preventing unauthorized operation such as unauthorized ROM replacement.

  In order to prevent an unauthorized operation from the outside with respect to the main control board, the medal payout device, etc., for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a case of a slot machine provided with a transparent shielding means locked between a cabinet and a front door. A body structure is disclosed.

JP 2003-117055 A (Patent No. 3436265)

  By the way, in recent years, unauthorized opening of the front door due to unauthorized operation or picking or the like on a device built in the housing by illegally opening a hole in the front door using a drill or the like has become a problem. However, according to the housing structure described in Patent Document 1, the above-described shielding means is a structure that shields the opening side of the cabinet, so that it is locked on the back side of the front door against entry from the front. There has been a problem that an unauthorized operation to a device such as a mechanism or a medal selector is easily allowed.

  The present invention has been made in view of these conventional problems, and it is possible to prevent unauthorized access to internal devices by making unauthorized access from the front, such as drilling holes, and unauthorized opening of the front door difficult. The object is to provide a gaming machine that effectively prevents such a situation.

  Effective means of the present invention for solving the above-described problems will be described below.

The means 1 includes at least a game medium payout device (for example, a medal payout device 24) and a power supply device (25) , a cabinet (2) that closes the opening of the cabinet, and the game medium sorting device (38) on the back side. A gaming machine (for example, slot machine 1) having a front door (3) provided,
The front door (3) includes a front frame (301) having a front mask formed on the front side and a middle frame ( 310 ) including at least a part of a shielding plate (315) facing the game medium payout device (24 ). It equipped with a door,
The middle frame (310) has a horizontal frame (311) along the upper edge of the front frame (301), two vertical frames (312 and 313) disposed on both sides thereof, and both vertical frames (312 and 313). ) Between the lower part of the front frame (301) and the game medium sorting device (38) in front of the front plate (315). Covering from the back side of the door (3), the game medium dispensing device (24) and the power supply device (25) are covered from the front side of the cabinet (Claim 1).
According to the gaming machine having the feature of means 1, since the shielding plate fixed close to the inner side surface of the front door is opposed to the front position of the game medium dispensing device, it is possible to use a fraudulent tool entered from the front door. Effectively prevent unauthorized operations on internal devices such as game media payout devices. Further, even if a fraudulent person attempts to illegally make a hole in the front door using, for example, a drill, it is difficult to penetrate because it is blocked by the shielding plate. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent an act of illegally acquiring medals.

Further , according to the gaming machine having the feature of means 1 , the front door is formed through the inner frame of the panel structure having the shielding plate as the surface element, thereby suppressing the bending of the front door with respect to the external force and improperly opening it. Etc. make it difficult. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent an unauthorized operation on the internal device and an act of illegally acquiring a medal.

  As described above, according to the gaming machine of the present invention, since the inner frame having the shielding plate is fixed close to the inside of the front door, unauthorized drilling using a drill or the like with this shielding plate and the equipment inside the housing To prevent unauthorized operation. In addition, by forming the front door through the middle frame of the panel structure using the shielding plate as a surface element, the front door is restrained from bending with respect to an external force, and unauthorized opening is difficult. From these things, the act which acquires a medal illegally can be prevented effectively.

  Hereinafter, a slot machine will be described as an example of a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external structure of the slot machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  First, a basic configuration of the slot machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The slot machine 1 includes a casing including a rectangular box-shaped cabinet 2 having an opening on the front side and a front door 3 attached to the cabinet 2 so as to be openable and closable. Under normal conditions, the front door 3 is locked in a state where its opening is closed with respect to the cabinet 2.

  A so-called front mask as a decorative board facing the player is formed on the front side of the front door 3. An upper part of the front mask is provided with a liquid crystal display device 7 for displaying an animation image of a game character or the like and producing an internal announcement or winning. In addition, an upper lamp 5a and corner lamps 5b and 5c that are produced by lighting and flashing light according to the progress of the game, and sound emitting units 6a and 6b that incorporate a speaker and produce a game using musical sounds and sound effects are provided. Has been.

  A middle panel 8 made of a flat resin plate is provided in the middle part of the front mask, and three pieces inside the cabinet 2 are displayed via a display window 8a which is a rectangular transparent region formed at the center of the middle panel 8. The reels 10a, 10b, and 10c are visually observed. Each of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c can be rotated independently, and three vertical and three horizontal symbols (not shown) drawn on the outer peripheral surface of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c are displayed in a variable manner via the display window 8a. It has come to be.

  Below the middle panel 8 is formed a table-like console that slightly protrudes forward. The console includes a medal insertion unit 11 for inserting medals to bet on the game, a bet button 12 for instructing start of the game, a start lever 13 for instructing start of rotation of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c, and each reel. Stop buttons 14a, 14b, 14c, etc. for instructing to stop rotation of 10a, 10b, 10c are arranged at predetermined positions, respectively. A key hole 9 into which a key is inserted to unlock the front door 3 is formed at the right end of the console.

  A lower panel 15 is attached to the lower portion of the front mask, which is a substantially square plastic plate on which a character pattern (not shown), for example, is printed so that the player can recognize the model type of the slot machine 1. It has been.

  Mounted on the lowermost part of the front mask is a tray member 4 in which a medal payout opening 16 for paying out medals at the time of winning a prize and a tray 4a for storing medals paid out from the medal payout opening 16 are attached. It has been. In addition, sound receiving portions 17a and 17b each having a built-in speaker for generating a game effect sound effect are formed in the left and right positions on the tray member 4, respectively.

In the slot machine 1, the game operation is controlled by a main control board 21 described later installed in the cabinet 2. That is, the slot machine 1 enters a standby state when winning in the previous game and completing the payout of medals, or when a loss is confirmed in the previous game. In this state, when the player presses the bet button 12, a medal is bet on the game from the medal (credit) stored inside, and the game starts. When the start lever 13 is tilted in this game start state, the main control board 21 can simultaneously rotate the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c and simultaneously perform pull-in control to the effective line set in the display window 8a. A random combination of symbols, that is, a prize is drawn inside.
When any winning is won by this internal lottery, the result is set in an internal winning flag set in a predetermined storage area of the RAM of the main control board 21. The state where the internal winning flag is set and the winning is decided is referred to as “internal winning state”.

  Next, the main control board 21 sequentially stops the corresponding reels as the stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c are pressed. After the main control board 21 detects that all the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c have stopped, the winning combination referred to by the above-described internal winning flag and the combination of symbols displayed on the active line by each reel. It is determined whether or not the combination of the symbols related to. Then, when the symbols match in any active line, the winning is determined, and credits are added by the number of medals to be paid out. If the credit exceeds the upper limit as a result of the payout, the main control board 21 operates a medal payout device 24, which will be described later, and the number of medals exceeding the upper limit of the credit are sent from the medal payout exit 16 to the tray 4a. I am paying out.

  In this way, the player of the slot machine 1 loses the bet medals if the symbols displayed in a variable manner are not obtained by performing a game operation for rotating / stopping the reels 10a, 10b, 10c. By aligning, winning can be achieved and more medals than bet can be obtained, so that it is possible to enjoy a game with an interest of increasing medals by skill and luck.

  Next, in the slot machine 1, the structure inside the housing in which measures are taken to prevent the front door 3 from being opened and unauthorized operations to internal devices will be described in more detail.

  First, the structure on the cabinet 2 side will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure inside the housing in a state where the front door 3 is opened. As described above, the cabinet 2 is mainly formed of a synthetic wood board as a rectangular box having an opening on the front side. At an upper position in the cabinet 2, a microcomputer-based main control board 21 that performs overall control of the entire slot machine 1 is accommodated in transparent case members facing each other. The case member that accommodates the main control board 21 is closed through special sealing means called caulking, and is fixed to the inner surface of the back plate of the cabinet 2 so as not to be detached.

  In addition, a reel device 10 in which three reels 10a, 10b, and 10c are arranged in parallel in the axial direction as a unit is fixed to a predetermined frame 23 so as to face the display window 8a. ing. In addition, a spinning device substrate 22 is attached to the top plate portion of the reel device 10, and a drive pulse signal from the main control substrate 21 is relayed to amplify the current and output to a stepping motor directly connected to each reel 10a, 10b, 10c. doing. Thus, the main control board 21 controls the rotation and stop operations of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c.

A medal payout device 24 is installed below the reel device 10. The medal payout device 24 includes a generally bowl-shaped hopper portion 241 that can store a plurality of medals, a payout mechanism portion 242 that is connected below the hopper portion 241, and the like. In the sheet metal case of the payout mechanism portion 242, a payout plate (not shown) in which holes for holding medals stored in the hopper portion 241 are formed along the circumference is provided. The medal payout device 24 rotates the payout plate to urge the held medal from the slit 24a and discharge it to the outside, thereby paying out the medal to the tray 4a.
Further, adjacent to the medal payout device 24, a power supply device 25 that distributes required power to each device built in the slot machine 1 is installed.

  Next, the structure of the back side of the front door 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. The front door 3 of the present embodiment includes a front frame 301 integrally formed with a relatively hard plastic and a front mask, and a sheet metal middle frame 310 that is fixed close to the inner surface of the front frame 301. Have. Here, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure inside the housing with the front frame 301 removed, and FIG. 4 shows the back structure of the front frame 301 with the middle frame 310 removed. FIG.

  First, the structure of the front frame 301 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. An image control board 32 and a sub-control board 31 behind the image control board 32 are respectively transparent case members at the upper part of the front frame 301, that is, the position corresponding to the back side of the liquid crystal display device 7 (see FIG. 1). It is housed and provided. Further, a light source (light emitting diode) substrate such as the upper lamp 5a and corner lamps 5b and 5c on the front side, and speakers 61a and 61b facing the sound emitting portions 6a and 6b are respectively attached at predetermined positions.

  The sub-control board 31 outputs effect image data to the above-described image control board 32 according to the progress of the game under the control of the main control board 21, and the image control board 32 converts it into a video signal based on this. Thus, effect image display control for displaying effect images on the liquid crystal display device 7 is performed. The sub-control board 31 lights and blinks the upper lamp 5a, the corner lamps 5b, 5c, etc. according to the progress of the game, and causes the speakers 61a, 61b, etc. to emit sound effects, musical sounds, etc. The production control of the game is also performed.

  A plurality of incandescent lamps 34 and 35 are attached to the left and right positions around the display window 8a on the back side of the front door 3 to light up and lightly display the picture on the front side and notify various game information. It has been. A fluorescent lamp unit 37 having a cold cathode fluorescent tube for illuminating the symbols of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c is disposed above the display window 8a, and the front side is located below the display window 8a. A central display board 36 which is a relay board for transferring output signals of operation switches such as the bet button 12, start lever 13, stop buttons 14 a, 14 b and 14 c (stop button unit 14) to the main control board 21 is arranged. Yes.

  The lower panel 15 is fitted to the lower part of the front frame 301 from the back side so as to close the rectangular opening. Further, below the lower panel 15, a large number of sound holes that form the sound emitting portions 17 a and 17 b and the medal payout opening 16 are formed.

  As described above, the front door 3 has a structure in which the middle frame 310 is fixed by the screw 318 at a position close to the inside of the front frame 301 (see FIG. 2). This will be described in detail. Here, FIG. 5 is a rear view of the middle frame 310, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the middle frame 310.

  The frame body of the middle frame 310 has a horizontal frame 311 and vertical frames 312 and 313 along the upper edge of the front frame 301, and a shielding plate 315 that is bridged between the lower portions of the two vertical frames 312 and 313. It is integrally formed by pressing. An opening 314 is formed in a substantially upper half portion surrounded by the upper side of the shielding plate 315 and the horizontal frame 311 and the vertical frames 312 and 313.

  A plurality of screw holes 316, 316,... For screwing to the front frame 301 are formed in the horizontal frame 311, the vertical frames 312, 313, and the shielding plate 315 constituting the middle frame 310 with appropriate intervals. It is installed. The right vertical frame 313 is formed with attachment portions 3131 and 3132 having screw holes to which one end sides of the opening / closing support mechanisms 41 and 42 as hinge mechanisms are attached. The other end sides of the opening / closing support mechanisms 41 and 42 are fixed to the opening end of the cabinet 2 as shown in FIG. 2, whereby the front door 3 is supported so as to be capable of rotating and opening with respect to the cabinet 2. The

  A locking mechanism 320 is formed on the back side of the left vertical frame 312. When the front door 3 is closed to the cabinet 2 side, the locking mechanism 320 automatically locks them. Further, when the locking mechanism 320 is unlocked with a predetermined key inserted into the keyhole 9, the locking state is released to allow the front door 3 to be opened.

  At a position below the medal insertion portion 11 (see FIG. 1), a medal selector 38 as a game medium sorting device is attached to the front surface of the shielding plate 315, and a rear portion 38a of the medal selector 38 is an attachment opening 315a of the shielding plate 315. And protrudes backward. When the medal selector 38 determines that the medal inserted into the medal insertion unit 11 is genuine, the medal is passed to the medal guide unit 381 side, and an internal medal sensor that is an optical sensor detects the medal. The input signal is output to the main control board 21. The medal guide unit 381 guides and stores the medals selected by the medal selector 38 as regular ones to the hopper unit 241 of the medal payout device 24.

  Below the medal selector 38, a hollow chute member 39 in which a cancel chute 391 and a payout chute 392 are integrally formed of plastic is attached to the back surface of the shielding plate 315 (see FIG. 5). The cancel chute 391 is located below the rear portion 38a of the medal selector 38, and guides an inappropriate medal or the like that has been removed by the medal selector 38 and dropped to the medal payout opening 16. On the other hand, on the back surface of the payout chute 392, a medal receiving port 392a that is aligned with the slit 24a of the medal payout device 24 is formed. That is, the medal payout device 24 releases the medal into the payout chute 392 through the medal receiving port 392a facing the slit 24a, and the released medal is guided to the hollow passage in the payout chute 392 so that the medal payout on the front side is performed. It is paid out from the outlet 16 to the tray 4a.

  Further, an inverter 152 for driving a fluorescent lamp that illuminates the lower panel 15 is provided on the back surface of the shielding plate 315 (see FIG. 5). Speakers 171a and 171b are attached at positions facing the sound emitting portions 17a and 17b (see FIG. 4) with their diaphragms facing the front. In addition, a payout opening 317 is punched and formed at a position facing the outlet of the chute member 39 and corresponding to the medal payout opening 16 on the front side.

  The sheet metal middle frame 310 has a so-called panel structure in which a shielding plate 315 is incorporated as a surface element in a long horizontal frame 311 and vertical frames 312 and 313, respectively. By fixing the middle frame 310 to the inner side surface of the front frame 301, the mechanical rigidity of the front door 3 is strengthened, and even when an external force is improperly applied, the overall deflection is suppressed to a small level. Accordingly, it is possible to make it difficult to perform illegal acts such as prying the front door 3 and picking.

  According to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment having the casing structure with the anti-fraud measures described above, the sheet metal middle frame 310 is fixed close to the inner surface of the front frame 301 constituting the front door 3. . When the front door 3 is closed by the cabinet 2, the shielding plate 315 formed integrally with the lower portion of the middle frame 310 faces the front of the medal payout device 24. By using this, it is possible to reliably prevent unauthorized operations such as shorting a predetermined signal line or malfunctioning an internal device such as the medal payout device 24. Further, even if a cheating person tries to make a hole in the front door 3 with a drill or the like, for example, it is blocked by the shielding plate 315 that is a sheet metal member, so that it is difficult to complete the cheating.

  Further, since the front door 3 is reinforced by a so-called panel structure middle frame 310 in which a shielding plate 315 as a surface element is integrated, even if the front door 3 is to be forced open with a bar or the like, its bending is suppressed to a small level. be able to. Accordingly, it is possible to make it difficult for the front door 3 to be tampered with and picked from the gap, and to effectively prevent the front door 3 from being illegally opened.

  Furthermore, when maintenance work of the medal payout device 24 is performed, for example, when there are not enough medals in the hopper unit 241 during the game, it is easy if the front door 3 is unlocked with a predetermined key and opened as usual. It can be performed without impeding its workability.

  The present invention can be widely applied not only to a slot machine but also to a general gaming machine having a casing structure.

It is a perspective view showing the appearance structure of the slot machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure inside a housing in a state where a front door is opened in the slot machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the housing with the front frame removed in the slot machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the rear surface structure of the front frame with the middle frame removed, which is the front door of the slot machine of FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view of an inner frame fixed to the front door of the slot machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of an inner frame fixed to the front door of the slot machine of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Slot machine 2 ... Cabinet 3 ... Front door 4 ... Receptacle member 4a ... Receptacle 5a ... Upper lamp 5b, 5c ... Corner lamp 6a, 6b ... Sound emission part 7 ... Liquid crystal display device 8 ... Middle panel 8a ... Display window 9 ... Key hole 10 ... Reel device 10a, 10b, 10c ... Reel 11 ... Medal insertion part 12 ... Bet button 13 ... Start lever 14a, 14b, 14c ... Stop button 15 ... Lower panel 16 ... Medal payout port 17a, 17b ... Sound emission part 21 ... Main control board 22 ... Rotating apparatus board 23 ... Frame 24 ... Medal payout apparatus 24a ... Slit 25 ... Power supply 31 ... Sub-control board 32 ... Image control board 34, 35 ... Incandescent lamp 36 ... Central display board 37 ... Fluorescent lamp Unit 38 ... Medal selector 39 ... Chute members 41, 42 ... Opening / closing support mechanism 61a, 61b ... Speaker 15 ... Inverters 171a, 171b ... Speaker 241 ... Hopper part 242 ... Discharge mechanism part 301 ... Front frame 310 ... Medium frame 311 ... Horizontal frame 312, 313 ... Vertical frame 314 ... Opening 315 ... Shielding plate 316 ... Screw hole 317 ... Discharge opening 320 ... Locking mechanism 321 ... Cylinder lock 381 ... Medal guide part 391 ... Cancel chute 392 ... Dispensing chute 392a ... Medal receiving port

Claims (1)

A gaming machine comprising at least a cabinet that houses a game medium payout device and a power supply device, and a front door that closes the opening of the cabinet and has a game medium sorting device provided on the back side ,
The front door includes a front frame having a front mask formed on the front side, and a middle frame including at least a shielding plate facing the game medium payout device,
The middle frame has a horizontal frame along the upper edge of the front frame, two vertical frames arranged on both sides thereof, and the shielding plate spanned between the vertical frames at the lower part thereof,
The shielding plate covers a range from the lower end of the front frame to the game medium sorting device from the back side of the front door, and covers the game medium dispensing device and the power supply device from the front side of the cabinet. A featured gaming machine.

Images