Game machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine in which a maintenance work of a movable member and electric parts is executed easily.SOLUTION: In maintaining a left decorative member 87 and a plurality of LEDs 86, an opening 3h is opened in response to the detachment of an inner frame 3 from a game board, and the left decorative member 87 and the LEDs 86 can be detached from the inner frame 3 at a stroke in response to disengagement of a left base 81 from the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h, so that a maintenance work of the left decorative member 87 and the LEDs 86 is executed easily.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines. [Background technology]

[0002] Some gaming machines have a case attached to the rear of the gaming board, which houses multiple circuit boards, and electrical components such as sensors and lamps on the gaming board are connected to the circuit boards via harnesses inside the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-050504 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some gaming machines have decorative elements and electrical components housed inside a case member. The decorative elements are visible to players, and the electrical components add interest to the game by illuminating the decorative elements. Both the decorative elements and the electrical components are attached directly to the wall of the case member. This makes it difficult to remove the decorative elements and electrical components from the wall of the case member for maintenance because the internal wiring of the case member gets in the way. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an amusement machine in which maintenance work on decorative members and electrical components can be easily performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The gaming machine described in claim 1 is characterized by comprising a case member supporting a display that displays a symbol game image that notifies the player of the result of the winning or losing judgment, a gaming board that is attached to the case member and has a gaming area on the front where a gaming ball can roll, a support member that is attached to the inside of the case member in a detachable manner and supports a decorative member that is visible to the player and electrical components that illuminate the decorative member, and an opening that is attached to the case member and allows the support member to be attached to and detached from the case member, the opening being in a closed state in which the attachment and detachment operation cannot be performed when the case member is attached to the gaming board, and in an open state in which the attachment and detachment operation can be performed when the case member is detached from the gaming board. According to the above means, when performing maintenance on the decorative member and the electrical components, the opening of the case member is opened by removing the case member from the game board, and the decorative member and the electrical components can be removed from the case member all at once by disengaging the support member from the case member through the opening, making it easy to perform maintenance work on the decorative member and the electrical components. Moreover, when the case member is attached to the game board, the opening of the case member is closed, making it impossible to disengage the support member from the case member through the opening, making it possible to prevent the decorative member and the electrical components from being inadvertently removed from the case member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that allows for easy maintenance of decorative members and electrical components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention (a perspective view showing the appearance of a pachinko gaming machine); [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the appearance of the outer frame, inner frame, front frame, and window panel. [Figure 3] A diagram showing a game board [Figure 4] Diagram showing the starting port unit (a is a view from Xa, b is a cross-sectional view along line Xb) [Figure 5] Block diagram showing the electrical configuration [Figure 6] Block diagram showing the electrical configuration [Figure 7] A diagram showing an image of a performance symbol game [Figure 8] A diagram showing an image of a performance symbol game [Figure 9] Diagram showing the inner frame (a is a view from the Xa line, b is a cross-sectional view along the Xb line) [Figure 10] A diagram showing the preview performance [Figure 11] Front view showing the inner frame with the left and right units installed [Figure 12] (a) is a front view showing the left unit, (b) is a front view showing the right unit [Figure 13] 1A is a flowchart showing a preview effect process, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are diagrams showing preview effect tables. [Figure 14] 1A is a flowchart showing a power-off process, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which a unit is removed. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing Example 2 (a is a front view showing the starting port unit, and b is a cross-sectional view along line Xb) [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are front and cross-sectional views of the starter unit and the starter unit, respectively, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 shows the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] 5 shows a fifth embodiment (a is a front view showing the inner frame, b is a cross-sectional view along line Xb, c is an enlarged view of the Xc portion, and d is an enlarged view of the cross-section along line Xd). [Figure 19] (a) is a diagram equivalent to (a) in Figure 18, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line Xb. [Figure 20] (a) is the equivalent of (b) in Figure 18, (b) is the equivalent of (c) in Figure 18, and (c) is the equivalent of (d) in Figure 18. [Figure 21] FIG. 19 shows the sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Example 1] The outer frame 1 in Figure 1 is installed on the machine platform of a pachinko parlor. As shown in Figure 2, the outer frame 1 is a vertically long rectangular frame with openings on the front and back, and an inner frame 3 is attached to the left end of the outer frame 1 via a hinge fitting 2. The inner frame 3 is a rectangular container with an opening 3h on the front and includes a back panel 3a, a left panel 3d, a right panel 3e, a top panel 3f, and a bottom panel 3g. The inner frame 3 corresponds to a case member, a container member, and a box member, and the left panel 3d, right panel 3e, top panel 3f, and bottom panel 3g form the peripheral walls of the case member, container member, and box member, respectively.

[0009] The inner frame 3 is rotatable relative to the outer frame 1 around the vertical axis of the hinge fittings 2 between a storage position (see Figure 1) stored within the outer frame 1 and a withdrawal position (see Figure 2) pulled out from within the outer frame 1. As shown in Figure 3, a game board 4 is attached to the inner frame 3. The game board 4 is attached to the inner frame 3 from the rear by fastening multiple screws into the game board 4 through the inner frame 3, and can be removed from the inner frame 3 by loosening the multiple screws. The game board 4 is made of a colorless, transparent synthetic resin that is translucent and has a vertical, flat shape. The game board 4 covers an opening 3h on the front of the inner frame 3 from the front, and cooperates with the inner frame 3 to form a spatial parts compartment 3i (see Figure 2). This parts room 3i has chamber walls made up of the game board 4 and the rear panel 3a, left side panel 3d, right side panel 3e, top panel 3f and bottom panel 3g of the inner frame 3, and when the inner frame 3 is attached to the rear surface of the game board 4, the opening 3h of the parts room 3i is closed, and when the inner frame 3 is removed from the rear surface of the game board 4, the opening 3h of the parts room 3i is open.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, a front frame 5 is attached to the hinge fitting 2. This front frame 5 is a rectangular frame with an opening 6, and a colorless, transparent window plate 7 that covers the opening 6 is fixed to the front frame 5. This front frame 5 is rotatable around the axis of the hinge fitting 2 between a closed state (see Figure 1) in which it covers the game board 4 from the front, and an open state (see Figure 2) in which it opens the game board 4, and the window plate 7 faces the game board 4 from the front with a gap in between when the front frame 5 is in the closed state. As shown in Figure 1, an upper tray 8 and a lower tray 9 are fixed to the front frame 5 in two layers, one above the other. The upper tray 8 is for storing game balls, and the lower tray 9 is for storing game balls that the upper tray 8 cannot store.

[0011] A launching device (not shown) is attached to the front frame 5. This launching device has a striking hammer that strikes the game balls and a launching motor that operates the striking hammer, and game balls are supplied to the striking hammer one by one from the upper tray 8. This launching device supplies a new game ball to the striking hammer each time the striking hammer strikes a game ball, and a launching handle 10 is connected to the launching device. As shown in FIG. 1, this launching handle 10 is attached to the lower right corner of the front frame 5 so that it can be rotated around an axis oriented in the front-to-rear direction, and the force with which the striking hammer strikes the game ball is adjusted according to the amount of clockwise operation (rotation angle) of the launching handle 10.

[0012] As shown in Figure 3, an outer rail 11 and an inner rail 12 are fixed to the front of the game board 4. An arc-shaped launch passage 13 is formed between the outer rail 11 and the inner rail 12, and game balls hit by the battering mallet rise from bottom to top within the launch passage 13. The outer rail 11 and the inner rail 12 define a game area 14 on the front of the game board 4. The game area 14 is a circular area connected to the exit at the top end of the launch passage 13, and game balls rising within the launch passage 13 are released into the game area 14 from the exit of the launch passage 13. A plurality of game pegs (not shown) are driven into the game area 14, and game balls released into the game area 14 fall within the game area 14 while colliding with the plurality of game pegs.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, an LED display 15 is fixed to the gaming board 4, and the LED display 15 displays the result of the winning or losing judgment. A decorative frame 16 is fixed to the gaming board 4. The decorative frame 16 is made of a colored, opaque synthetic resin and has an opening 17. When viewed from the front, the decorative frame 16 is frame-shaped and surrounds the LCD screen of the effect symbol display 18, which is located within the opening 17 when viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 2, the effect symbol display 18 is fixed to the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is located at the rear end within the inner frame 3. The effect symbol display 18 is a color LCD display, and the LCD screen of the effect symbol display 18 is visible to the player through the window panel 7, the opening 17 in the decorative frame 16, and the gaming board 4. The effect symbol display 18 corresponds to a display.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 3, a large prize opening 19 is fixed to the game board 4, located within the game area 14. This large prize opening 19 is shaped like a horizontally long box that is open at the front, and is equipped with a door panel 20. This door panel 20 is rotatable about a horizontal axis at its lower end between a vertically closed state and a horizontally open state, and the front entrance of the large prize opening 19 is closed so that game balls cannot enter when the door panel 20 is closed, and is open so that game balls can enter when the door panel 20 is open.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, a start opening unit 30 is detachably attached to the game board 4. This start opening unit 30 is located at the center in the left-right direction at the bottom end of the game area 14 and is visible to the player. This start opening unit 30 corresponds to a board component and a game component, and is configured as follows. <Explanation of the starting port unit 30> As shown in Figure 4, a printed layer 31 is provided on the front surface of the gaming board 4. This printed layer 31 is colored and opaque and visually decorates the front surface of the gaming board 4, and corresponds to the board-side decorative portion. This printed layer 31 covers the entire front surface of the gaming board 4, and has a crescent moon-like pattern 31a and a background for the pattern 31a.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, a starting hole base 32 is attached to the game board 4, positioned on the front side of the printed layer 31. This starting hole base 32 is made of a colorless, transparent synthetic resin and corresponds to the base and base portion. This starting hole base 32 has a tapered portion 33 and a non-tapered portion 34. The non-tapered portion 34 is a fan-shaped portion when viewed from the front, and is a portion with a constant thickness in the front-to-back direction that connects to the tapered portion 33. The tapered portion 33 is located on the periphery of the non-tapered portion 34, and its thickness decreases toward the outside. The tapered portion 33 and non-tapered portion 34 are superimposed on the front side of the pattern 31a. The first see-through portion 31b is a portion of the pattern 31a that is visible from the front through the tapered portion 33 and corresponds to the first board-side pattern portion. The second see-through portion 31c is a portion of the pattern 31a that can be seen from the front through the non-tapered portion 34 and is connected to the first see-through portion 31b, and corresponds to the second plate-side pattern portion. The directly visible portion 31d is a portion of the pattern 31a that can be seen without passing through either the tapered portion 33 or the non-tapered portion 34.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the non-tapered portion 34 of the starting hole base 32 is textured with a decorative portion 35. This decorative portion 35 is shaped to resemble three vertically aligned transverse waves and protrudes forward relative to the remaining portion of the starting hole base 32 excluding the decorative portion 35. The surface roughness of this decorative portion 35 is set to be rougher than the remaining portion of the starting hole base 32 excluding the decorative portion 35, thereby reducing light transmittance compared to the remaining portion. This decorative portion 35 is layered on the printed layer 31 from the front, and the printed layer 31 appears differently from the player's perspective depending on whether it is a portion overlapping the decorative portion 35, a portion not overlapping the decorative portion 35, a portion overlapping the non-tapered portion 34, or a portion overlapping the tapered portion 33. This decorative portion 35 corresponds to the component-side decorative portion.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the starting hole base 32 has multiple through holes 36 formed in the non-tapered portion 34, and a screw (not shown) is inserted into each through hole 36 from the front. Each screw corresponds to an engaging / disengaging member, and the starting hole base 32 is detachably attached to the gaming board 4 by tightening each screw into the front surface of the gaming board 4. A colored, opaque starting hole cover 37 is joined to the starting hole base 32. The starting hole cover 37 has a short cylindrical shape oriented in the front-to-rear direction and has a front panel 38 that closes the front surface. The starting hole cover 37 corresponds to the exterior of the room, and has a ball entrance hole 39 formed in the starting hole cover 37. The ball entrance hole 39 opens upward, allowing game balls rolling within the gaming area 14 to enter. The width dimension of this starting hole cover 37 in the left-right direction is set to a value larger than the diameter dimension of the game ball (for example, 1.5 times) so that an operator can easily grip the starting hole cover 37 with his / her fingers when manufacturing a pachinko game machine.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, a colorless and transparent ball channel 40 is attached to the starting port cover 37. The ball channel 40 is oriented in the front-to-rear direction and has an open top. The top of the ball channel 40 faces the ball entrance 39 from below, and game balls enter the ball channel 40 through the ball entrance 39. The bottom of the ball channel 40 slopes downward from front to rear, and game balls that enter the ball channel 40 roll from front to rear along the bottom of the ball channel 40. The ball channel 40 corresponds to the insertion portion, and a ball discharge passage 41 is attached to the rear end of the ball channel 40. The ball discharge passage 41 is tubular and oriented in the vertical direction, and game balls enter the ball channel 40 from the rear end and fall within the ball discharge passage 41. A collecting passage (not shown) is provided below the ball discharge passage 41, and game balls fall into the collecting passage from the outlet of the ball discharge passage 41. These ball troughs 40 and ball discharge passages 41 constitute a ball passage 48 corresponding to the interior of the chamber, and the starting port cover 37 and the ball passage 48 are connected via the starting port base 32.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, a start port sensor 42 is attached to the ball discharge passage 41. This start port sensor 42 is annular and has a detection port 43a, and the gaming ball passes through the detection port 43a of the start port sensor 42 and falls from the lower end of the ball passage 41. This start port sensor 42 is a non-contact magnetic sensor and outputs a start signal in response to the gaming ball passing through the detection port 43a. A connector 44 is connected to this start port sensor 42 via a wiring 43. A pair of connectors 45 is connected to this connector 44, and a wiring 46 is connected to the pair of connectors 45. The wiring 43, connector 44, connector 45, and wiring 46 are housed within the inner frame 3, and the start port sensor 42 corresponds to an electrical component.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the game board 4 is formed with a maintenance port 47. The maintenance port 47 has a height dimension in the vertical direction and a width dimension in the horizontal direction that are larger than the combined dimensions of the ball trough 40 and the ball passage 41, and the ball passage 48 can be removed straight forward through the maintenance port 47. The ball passage 48 is spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the maintenance port 47, and the starting port unit 30 can be removed from the game board 4 by removing all of the screws from the starting port base 32 and grasping the starting port cover 37 with fingers and pulling it toward yourself. The maintenance port 47 corresponds to a parts insertion port and a work port, and the ball passage 48 can be inserted into the maintenance port 47 from the front by grasping the starting port cover 37 with fingers.

[0022] 4, a hook 49 is provided in the ball discharge passage 41, and the wire 43 or the wire 46 is hooked onto the hook 49. This hook 49 is used to stabilize the position of the wire 43 and the wire 46, and the wire 43 or the wire 46 can be inserted or removed from the maintenance port 47 of the ball passage 48 while the wire 43 or the wire 46 is hooked onto the hook 49. This hook 49 corresponds to a binding means.

[0023] The main control board 50 in Figure 5 is located outside the inner frame 3 and fixed to the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3, and is equipped with a main control circuit 51. This main control circuit 51 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and a special prize opening sensor 52 outputs a special prize signal to the main control circuit 51 when a gaming ball enters the special prize opening 19. A special prize opening solenoid 53 is connected to this main control circuit 51, and the special prize opening solenoid 53 opens and closes the door panel 20 of the special prize opening 19. An LED indicator 15 is connected to this main control circuit 51, and the main control circuit 51 controls the display content of the LED indicator 15.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the start hole sensor 42 is connected to the main control circuit 51. The wiring 46 of this start hole sensor 42 passes through the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is drawn out to the outside of the inner frame 3. The start hole sensor 42 is connected to the main control circuit 51 in response to connecting the wiring 46 to the main control board 50. The start hole sensor 42 outputs a start signal to the main control circuit 51 through wiring 43 and wiring 46, and slack is formed in wiring 43 and wiring 46 when the start hole unit 30 is attached to the gaming board 4. This slack allows the ball passage 48 of the start hole unit 30 to be removed forward through the maintenance port 47, and is set to a length such that the connectors 44 and 45 are positioned in front of the front surface of the gaming board 4 when the ball passage 48 is removed forward through the maintenance port 47. In other words, the connectors 44 and 45 can be connected and disconnected when the start hole unit 30 is removed.

[0025] The payout control board 54 in Figure 5 is located outside the inner frame 3 and fixed to the rear plate 3a of the inner frame 3. This payout control board 54 is equipped with a payout control circuit 55 mainly consisting of a microcomputer, and when the main control circuit 51 detects a start signal from the start port sensor 42 and a big prize signal from the big prize port sensor 52, it sends a payout command to the payout control circuit 55. A prize ball payout device 56 is connected to this payout control circuit 55, and when the payout control circuit 55 detects a payout command from the main control circuit 51, it drives the prize ball payout device 56 to pay out a unit number of game balls as prize balls onto the upper tray 8.

[0026] A sub-control board 57 and an image control board 58 (both see Figure 6) are fixed to the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3, located outside the inner frame 3. A sub-control circuit 59 mainly consisting of a microcomputer is mounted on the sub-control board 57, and the main control circuit 51 sends commands to the sub-control circuit 59 according to the progress of the game. This sub-control board 57 corresponds to a circuit board. An image control circuit 60 mainly consisting of a microcomputer is mounted on the image control board 58, and the sub-control circuit 59 sets the display content of the effect symbol display 18 based on commands from the main control circuit 51, and sends the display content setting results to the image control circuit 60. The effect symbol display 18 is connected to this image control circuit 60, and the image control circuit 60 displays an image on the LCD screen of the effect symbol display 18 according to the display content reception results.

[0027] A lamp control board 61, a sound control board 62, and a power supply board 63 (all see FIG. 6) are fixed to the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and are located outside the inner frame 3. The lamp control board 61 is connected to a plurality of frame lamps 39 and a plurality of panel lamps 37, and the plurality of frame lamps 39 illuminate the front frame 5, and the plurality of panel lamps 37 illuminate the decorative frame 16. The lamp control board 61 drives and controls the plurality of frame lamps 39 and the plurality of panel lamps 37 in response to commands from the sub-control circuit 59, and the sound control board 62 drives and controls the plurality of speakers 40 to output voice, music, and sound effects from the plurality of speakers 40. The power supply board 63 is connected to an island power supply, and generates a plurality of drive sources by regulating and stepping down the island power supply.

[0028] The main control circuit 51 determines whether a jackpot or miss has occurred when it detects a start signal from the start port sensor 42, and if a jackpot or miss has been determined, it starts a special symbol variation display. This special symbol variation display causes the multiple LEDs of the LED display 15 to start flashing in a predetermined pattern and then stop flashing; if a miss has been determined, the multiple LEDs stop flashing in a "miss" mode, and if a jackpot has been determined, they stop flashing in a "jackpot" mode. This main control circuit 51 starts a jackpot game when it causes the multiple LEDs of the LED display 15 to stop flashing in a "jackpot" mode. This jackpot game allows a game ball to enter the jackpot entry port 19 by opening and closing the jackpot entry port 19.

[0029] The main control circuit 51 transmits game data to the sub-control circuit 59 when it determines a jackpot or loss. This game data includes the win / loss determination result and a variation pattern. When the sub-control circuit 59 receives game data from the main control circuit 51, it sets the effect content of the effect symbol game image based on the received game data and transmits the effect content setting result to the image control circuit 60. As shown in FIG. 7, the effect symbol game image is displayed on the effect symbol display 18 in three horizontal columns (left, middle, and right) in a scrolling state and a stopped state. The combinations in the stopped state of the scrolling display of the three columns are set as "jackpot combinations," "miss-prone combinations," and "complete miss combinations." A complete miss combination is a combination in which the left and right columns are different, and is set when the main control circuit 51 transmits a miss as a win / loss determination result. A jackpot combination is set when the three columns are mutually identical and the main control circuit 51 transmits a jackpot as a win / loss determination result, as shown in FIG. 8. A miss reach combination is a combination in which the left and right columns are identical to each other but the middle column is different, and is set when the main control circuit 51 transmits a miss as a result of the judgment of whether or not it was a win. The image of this performance symbol game corresponds to the image of the symbol game.

[0030] As shown in Figure 9, a guide bar 71 oriented in the left-right direction is fixed within the inner frame 3, and a guide block 72 is supported on the guide bar 71. This guide block 72 is slidable in the left-right direction along the guide bar 71, and a rack 73 oriented in the left-right direction is fixed to the underside of the guide block 72, and a decorative plate 74 is fixed to the upper surface of the guide block 72. This decorative plate 74 is in the form of a vertical plate, and a pattern is drawn on the front surface of the decorative plate 74 in an opaque color. This decorative plate 74 corresponds to another movable member.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 9, a motor base 75 is fixed within the inner frame 3, and a medium motor 76 is fixed to the motor base 75. The medium motor 76 is a pulse motor, and a pinion 77 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the medium motor 76. The pinion 77 is meshed with a rack 73, and the decorative plate 74 moves linearly left and right along the guide bar 71 in response to the rotation of the medium motor 76. As shown in Fig. 6, the medium motor 76 is connected to a sub-control circuit 59, which drives and controls the medium motor 76 to move the decorative plate 74 between the normal position, the removal position, and the retracted position. The medium motor 76 corresponds to a separate drive source, and the sub-control circuit 59 corresponds to a control circuit. Figure 10(a) shows the decorative plate 74 in its normal position. This normal position is where the decorative plate 74 overlaps the lower right corner of the LCD screen of the performance symbol display device 18 from the front, and the decorative plate 74 is visible to the player in its normal position. Figure 10(d) shows the decorative plate 74 in its retracted position. This retracted position is where the decorative plate 74 is removed to the left from the front of the LCD screen of the performance symbol display device 18 and the front of the right unit 90, and overlaps the front frame 5 from the rear, and the decorative plate 74 is not visible to the player in its retracted position. Figure 14(b) shows the decorative plate 74 in its removed position. This removed position is halfway between the normal position and the retracted position, and is the position when the power is turned off.

[0032] As shown in Figure 11, a left unit 80 is housed within the inner frame 3. This left unit 80 is detachably attached to the inner frame 3 and is not attached to the game board 4. This left unit 80 is located at the front end of the inner frame 3, and is located forward of both the guide bar 71 and the decorative plate 74, and there are no obstacles located in front of the left unit 80 within the inner frame 3. This left unit 80 corresponds to a unit and is configured as follows. <About the left unit 80> 12(a) is made of a vertically long rectangular metal plate and corresponds to a support member. A left cover 82 is joined to the front surface of this left base 81. This left cover 82 is made of a vertically long rectangular transparent resin plate, and the left base 81 and left cover 82 are positioned forward of the guide bar 71, and a plurality of through holes 83 are formed in the left base 81 and left cover 82.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 12(a), a rack 84 is mounted on the rear surface of the left base 81 so as to be linearly movable up and down. A horizontal arm 85 extending to the right is attached to the upper end of the rack 84. An LED board (not shown) is attached to the front surface of the arm 85. The LED board is connected to the sub-control board 57 and to the sub-control circuit 59 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. A plurality of LEDs 86 are mounted on the front surface of the LED board. Each of the plurality of LEDs 86 projects light forward and is driven and controlled by the sub-control circuit 59. The plurality of LEDs 86 correspond to electrical components and are housed inside the left decorative member 87. The left decorative member 87 is attached to the arm 85 and is molded from translucent synthetic resin. The left decorative member 87 is a hollow body shaped like a cloud. The sub-control circuit 59 illuminates the left decorative member 87 from within by turning on the plurality of LEDs 86. The left decorative member 87 corresponds to both a movable member and a decorative member.

[0034] As shown in Figure 12(a), a left motor 88 is fixed to the rear surface of the left base 81. This left motor 88 is a pulse motor and has a rotation shaft that faces rearward. A pinion (not shown) is fixed to the rotation shaft of this left motor 88, and the pinion is meshed with a rack 84. This left motor 88 is connected to a sub-control circuit 59, which drives and controls the left motor 88 to move the left decorative member 87 between the standby position and the performance position. The pinion and rack 84 correspond to an operating mechanism 89 for the movable member.

[0035] Figure 10(a) shows the left decorative member 87 in its standby position. The standby position of this left decorative member 87 is set above the LCD screen of the performance pattern display 18, and when the left decorative member 87 is in its standby position, there is no member within the inner frame 3 that overlaps the left decorative member 87 from the front. When in its standby position, this left decorative member 87 is located behind the front frame 5, and is not visible from the front. Figure 10(b) shows the left decorative member 87 in its performance position, and the performance position of the left decorative member 87 is set above the performance pattern in the left column. When in its performance position, this left decorative member 87 overlaps the LCD screen of the performance pattern display 18 from the front, and is visible from the front.

[0036] As shown in Figure 9, the rear plate 3a of the inner frame 3 has a plurality of spacers 3b formed on its left side. Each of these spacers 3b is cylindrical and oriented in the front-to-rear direction, supporting the left base 81 from the rear. Screws (not shown) are threaded into each spacer 3b from the front through through-holes 83 in the left cover 82 and left base 81, and the left unit 80 is attached to the inner frame 3 via the plurality of screws. When the inner frame 3 is attached to the gaming board 4, these screws are hidden from view from the front by the printed layer 31 and covered by the inner frame 3 so as not to be operable. When the inner frame 3 is removed from the gaming board 4, they are open and visible from the outside. These screws correspond to attachment members.

[0037] The left unit 80 can be removed from the inner frame 3 by following the steps [1] to [3] below, and can be attached to the inner frame 3 by following the steps [4] to [6] below. [1] With the front frame 5 open, remove the game board 4 from the inner frame 3 and open the opening 3h of the inner frame 3. [2] The plurality of screws are unscrewed from the spacer 3b through the openings 3h of the inner frame 3, and the engagement of the left unit 80 with the inner frame 3 is released. [3] The left unit 80 is removed straight forward from within the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3. This removal operation is performed by aligning the left base 81 along the left side plate 3d of the inner frame 3 at the removal position of the decorative plate 74. This decorative plate 74 is automatically moved to the removal position when the power is cut off, and is also moved to the removal position when an operator presses the decorative plate 74 with their fingers, as the rotating shaft of the middle motor 76 is forcibly rotated. When the decorative plate 74 is in this removal position, the decorative plate 74 is retracted from in front of the left unit 80, so that there are no parts within the inner frame 3 that the left unit 80 may interfere with when the operator removes the left unit 80 straight forward from within the inner frame 3 along the left side plate 3d. [4] The left unit 80 is stored straight from the front through the opening 3h to the rear within the inner frame 3. This operation is performed by aligning the left base 81 with the left side plate 3d of the inner frame 3 at the removal position of the decorative plate 74 with the power cut off, and there are no parts within the inner frame 3 that the left unit 80 will interfere with when storing the left unit 80 within the inner frame 3 along the left side plate 3d. [5] From the front, thread a plurality of screws through the openings 3h of the inner frame 3 into the spacer 3b, and engage the left unit 80 with the inner frame 3. [6] Attach the inner frame 3 to the game board 4 and close the opening 3h of the inner frame 3.

[0038] 11 , a wire 88a is connected to the left motor 88, and a mating connector 88c is connected to a connector 88b of the wire 88a. A wire 88d of this connector 88c passes through the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is connected to the sub-control board 57 outside the inner frame 3, and is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. The wire 88a, connector 88b, connector 88c, and wire 88d are housed within the inner frame 3 when the left unit 80 is engaged with the inner frame 3, and slack is formed in the wire 88a and wire 88d when the left unit 80 is engaged with the inner frame 3. This slack allows an operator to insert or remove the left unit 80 through the opening 3h into or from the inner frame 3 in the above-mentioned steps [1] to [3], [4] to [6] while the connectors 88b and 88c are connected, and also allows an operator to connect or disconnect the connectors 88b and 88c outside the inner frame 3 while the left unit 80 is removed.

[0039] A connector is connected to the multiple LEDs 86 via wiring. A mating connector is connected to this connector, and the wiring of the mating connector is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. These wires and connectors are housed within the inner frame 3 with the left unit 80 engaged with the inner frame 3, and slack is formed in both wires when the left unit 80 is engaged with the inner frame 3. This slack allows the left unit 80 to be inserted into and removed from the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h, and also allows an operator to connect and disconnect both connectors outside the inner frame 3 with the left unit 80 removed.

[0040] As shown in Figure 11, a right unit 90 is housed within the inner frame 3. This right unit 90 is detachably attached to the inner frame 3 and is not attached to the game board 4. This right unit 90 is located at the front end of the inner frame 3 and corresponds to a unit. This right unit 90 is configured as follows. <About the right unit 90> 12(b) is made of a vertically long rectangular metal plate and corresponds to a support member. A right cover 92 is joined to the front surface of the right base 91. The right cover 92 is made of a vertically long rectangular transparent resin plate, and the right base 91 and right cover 92 are positioned forward of the guide bar 71, rack 73, and decorative plate 74. The right base 91 and right cover 92 have a plurality of through holes 93 formed therein.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 12(b), an arm 94 is attached to the rear surface of the right base 91 so as to be linearly movable up and down. The arm 94 is oriented left and right, and its left half is bent backward relative to its right half so as to overlap the decorative plate 74 in its normal position from the rear. An LED board (not shown) is attached to the left end of the arm 94, positioned on the front side. An LED 95 is mounted on the front surface of the LED board, and as shown in FIG. 6, the LED 95 is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a harness (not shown). The LED 95 projects light forward and is an electrical component. The LED 95 is housed inside the right decorative member 96. The right decorative member 96 is a translucent, hollow body shaped like the moon. The sub-control circuit 59 illuminates the right decorative member 96 from within by turning on the LED 95. The right decorative member 96 corresponds to both a movable member and a decorative member.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 12(b), a right motor 97 is fixed to the rear surface of the right base 91, and as shown in FIG. 6, the right motor 97 is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a harness (not shown). The right motor 97 is a pulse motor and has a rotation shaft that faces rearward. A circular reel (not shown) is fixed to the rotation shaft of the right motor 97, and one end of a wire 98 is connected to the reel. The right motor 97 corresponds to a drive source.

[0043] As shown in Figure 12(b), two pulleys 99 are mounted on the rear surface of the right base 91 so as to be rotatable about a rearward-facing axis, and a wire 98 is stretched across both pulleys 99. The other end of this wire 98 is connected to an arm 94, and when the right motor 97 is off, the right decorative member 96 falls together with the arm 94 under its own weight and comes to rest in a standby position. Figure 10(a) shows the right decorative member 96 in the standby position. In the standby position, this right decorative member 96 overlaps behind the decorative plate 74 in its normal position, making it invisible to the player. The wire 98 and both pulleys 99 constitute the operating mechanism 100 (see Figure 12).

[0044] The sub-control circuit 59 rotates the right motor 97 in the forward direction when the right decorative member 96 is in the standby position, thereby winding the wire 98 onto the reel, and in response to the winding of the wire 98 onto the reel, the arm 94, together with the right decorative member 96, is raised to the performance position against its own weight by the driving force of the right motor 97. This sub-control circuit 59 unwinds the wire 98 from the reel by operating the right motor 97 in the reverse direction when the right decorative member 96 is in the performance position, and in response to the unwinding of the wire 98 from the reel, the arm 94, together with the right decorative member 96, is lowered to the standby position under its own weight. Figure 10(c) shows the right decorative member 96 in the performance position, where the right decorative member 96 is positioned above the performance symbols in the right column. This right decorative member 96 is located at the top of the LCD screen of the performance symbol display 18 when in the performance position, and is visible to the player.

[0045] As shown in Figure 9, a plurality of spacers 3c are formed on the rear plate 3a of the inner frame 3, located on the right side. Each of these spacers 3c is cylindrical and oriented in the front-to-rear direction, and supports the right base 91 from the rear. Screws (not shown) are threaded into each of these spacers 3c from the front through through-holes 93 in the right cover 92 and right base 91, and the right unit 90 is attached to the inner frame 3 via the plurality of screws. These screws correspond to attachment members, and when the inner frame 3 is attached to the gaming board 4, they are hidden from view from the front by the printed layer 31 and covered by the gaming board 4 so as not to be operable from the front. When the inner frame 3 is detached from the gaming board 4, they are open and visible from the front so as to be operable.

[0046] The right unit 90 can be removed from the inner frame 3 by following the steps [1] to [3] below, and can be removed from the inner frame 3 by following the steps [4] to [6] below. [1] With the front frame 5 open, remove the game board 4 from the inner frame 3 and open the opening 3h of the inner frame 3. [2] The multiple screws are unscrewed from the spacer 3c through the openings 3h of the inner frame 3 to release the engagement of the right unit 90 with the inner frame 3. [3] The right unit 90 is removed straight forward from within the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3. This removal operation is performed with the right base 91 aligned along the right side plate 3e of the inner frame 3 at the removal position of the decorative plate 74, where the power is cut off. At this removal position of the decorative plate 74, the decorative plate 74 is retracted from in front of the right decorative member 96, and there are no parts within the inner frame 3 that the right unit 90 will interfere with when the worker removes the right unit 90 straight forward from within the inner frame 3 along the right side plate 3e. [4] The right unit 90 is stored straight backward through the opening 3h in the inner frame 3. This operation is performed by aligning the right base 91 with the right side plate 3e of the inner frame 3 at the removal position of the decorative plate 74 with the power cut off, and there are no parts within the inner frame 3 that the right unit 90 will interfere with when storing the right unit 90 in the inner frame 3 along the right side plate 3e. [5] A plurality of screws are threaded into the spacer 3c through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3, and the right unit 90 is engaged with the inner frame 3. [6] Attach the inner frame 3 to the game board 4 and close the opening 3h of the inner frame 3.

[0047] 11 , a wire 97a is connected to the right motor 97, and a mating connector 97c is connected to a connector 97b of the wire 97a. A wire 97d of this connector 97c passes through the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is connected to the sub-control board 57 outside the inner frame 3, and is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. Slack is formed in these wires 97a and 97d when the right unit 90 is attached to the inner frame 3. This slack allows an operator to insert or remove the right unit 90 through the opening 3h into or from the inner frame 3 in the above-mentioned steps [1] to [3], [4] to [6] while the connector 97b and connector 97c are connected, and also allows an operator to connect and disconnect the connectors 97b and 97c outside the inner frame 3 when the right unit 90 is removed.

[0048] A connector is connected to the LED 95 via wiring. A mating connector is connected to this connector, and the wiring of the mating connector is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. Slack is formed in both of these wires when the right unit 90 is attached inside the inner frame 3 and the two connectors are connected, and the slack between the two wires allows the right unit 90 to be inserted and removed from the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h, and also allows an operator to connect and disconnect the two connectors outside the inner frame 3 when the right unit 90 is removed.

[0049] The sub-control circuit 59 performs one of the following [1] Pre-announcement effects 1 to [3] Pre-announcement effects 3 while displaying the image of the effect symbol game. Each of these pre-announcement effects 1 to 3 indicates to the player the reliability of the three columns of effect symbols in the image of the effect symbol game forming a jackpot combination, and is performed in the three-column scrolling state before the scrolling display of the effect symbols in the left column stops. Figure 10(a) shows the stopped state of the preview performance when none of preview performances 1 to 3 are being performed.When the preview performance is stopped, the decorative plate 74 is stationary in its normal position where it is visible to the player, the left decorative member 87 is stationary in a waiting position where it is not visible to the player and is not emitting light, and the right decorative member 96 is stationary in a waiting position behind the decorative plate 74 and is not emitting light and is not visible to the player.

[0050] [1] Preview 1 As shown in Figure 10(b), in the preview performance position 1, when the preview performance is stopped, the left decorative member 87 is moved from the standby position to the performance position with the multiple LEDs 86 turned on, thereby changing from an invisible state to a visible state, and the left decorative member 87 remains stationary for a certain period of time in a luminous state in front of the liquid crystal screen of the performance pattern display 18. The positional relationship between the decorative plate 74 and the right decorative member 96 in this preview performance 1 corresponds to an overlapping state. [2] Preview 2 As shown in Figure 10(c), in the preview performance position 2, when the preview performance is stopped, the right decorative member 96 is moved from the standby position to the performance position with the LED 95 turned on, and the right decorative member 96 is made to stand still for a certain period of time in a luminous state in front of the liquid crystal screen of the performance symbol display 18. This preview performance 2 is a performance in which the moon rises from a mountain. [3] Preview 3 As shown in Figure 10(d), in preview performance position 3, when the preview performance is stopped, the decorative plate 74 is moved from the normal position to the retracted position, changing from a visible state to an invisible state, and when the right decorative member 96 is moved from the standby position to the performance position with the LED 95 turned on, changing from an invisible state to a visible state, the right decorative member 96 remains stationary for a certain period of time in a luminous state in front of the liquid crystal screen of the performance pattern display 18, and the decorative plate 74 becomes invisible for the same certain period of time. This preview performance 2 is a performance content of the moon rising.

[0051] The notice effect processing of Figure 13(a) is executed when the sub-control circuit 59 receives game data from the main control circuit 51. When the sub-control circuit 59 sets the effect content of the effect symbol game image and the combination of three columns of effect symbols based on the received game data, it determines in S1 whether or not to perform a notice effect based on a set probability (1 / 30). If it determines that a notice effect will not be performed, the notice effect processing ends, and if it determines that a notice effect will be performed, it proceeds to S2. Here, the result of the win / loss determination is detected from the received game data, and if the result of the win / loss determination is a jackpot, notice effect table 1 is detected from the ROM in S3, and if the result of the win / loss determination is a miss, notice effect table 2 is detected from the ROM in S5.

[0052] When the sub-control circuit 59 detects preview performance table 1 or preview performance table 2, it selects one of preview performances 1 to 3 from the detection result of the preview performance table in S4. As shown in Figures 12(b) and 12(c), the selection probabilities of these preview performances 1 to 3 are set so that the reliability increases in the order of "preview performance 3," "preview performance 1," and "preview performance 2," and when the sub-control circuit 59 selects one of preview performances 1 to 3, it executes the selected preview performance.

[0053] 14(a) is initiated by the sub-control circuit 59 in response to a power-off signal being input to the INT input terminal, which has the highest priority, and is performed while the backup power circuit 64 (see FIG. 6) on the power supply board 63 is enabled. When this sub-control circuit 59 initiates the power-off process, it calculates the RAM checksum in S11 and stores it in RAM. Then, it turns on the power-off flag in S12 and prohibits access to the RAM in S13.

[0054] After disabling RAM access, the sub-control circuit 59 generates a unit removal state in S14. As shown in FIG. 14(b), this process involves moving the decorative plate 74 from its current position to the removal position if it is not already in the removal position; moving the left decorative member 87 from its current position to its standby position if it is not already in the standby position; and moving the right decorative member 96 from its current position to its standby position if it is not already in the standby position. In this unit removal state, the decorative plate 74 retreats to the left from in front of the right decorative member 96, resting in the gap between the left unit 80 and the right unit 90. Therefore, there are no obstacles in front of the left unit 80 or the right unit 90. When the game board 4 is removed from the inner frame 3, the left unit 80 and the right unit 90 can be easily removed forward through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3. The positional relationship between the decorative plate 74 and the right decorative member 96 in this unit removal state corresponds to a non-overlapping state.

[0055] According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, the following effects are achieved. A translucent tapered portion 33 is provided on the periphery of the starting hole unit 30, making the first see-through portion 31b of the printed layer 31 visible through the tapered portion 33 from the front. This makes the periphery of the starting hole unit 30 less noticeable to the player, and the periphery of the starting hole unit 30 blends in visually with the printed layer 31. Furthermore, a translucent non-tapered portion 34 connected to the tapered portion 33 is provided on the starting hole unit 34, making the second see-through portion 31c of the printed layer 31 visible through the non-tapered portion 34 from the front. This allows the player to clearly visually recognize the pattern-like connection between the first see-through portion 31b and the second see-through portion 31c, making it possible to prevent the appearance of the printed layer 31 on the front of the game board 4 from being significantly impaired by the influence of the starting hole unit 30.

[0056] A decorative part 35 overlapping the printed layer 31 from the front is provided in the light-transmitting non-tapered part 34 of the starting port unit 30, so that the appearance of the starting port unit 30 itself can be improved. The decorative portion 35, which is less translucent than the non-tapered portion 34, is provided on the translucent non-tapered portion 34, so that the player can easily visually identify the decorative portion 35, even though the decorative portion 35 is translucent. Moreover, even though the decorative portion 35 overlaps the printed layer 31 from the front, the player can see the printed layer 31 from the front through the decorative portion 35, so it is possible to prevent the appearance of the printed layer 31 from being impaired by the influence of the decorative portion 35. The non-tapered portion 34 of the translucent starting hole base 32, which has a uniform thickness in the front-to-back direction, is overlapped from the front onto the pattern 31a of the game board 4, so the appearance of the pattern 31a is uniform throughout the non-tapered portion 34. Moreover, the translucent tapered portion 33 is provided on the periphery of the starting hole base 32, so the pattern 31a can be seen through the tapered portion 33 from the front. As a result, the presence of the periphery of the starting hole base 32 is not noticeable to the player, and the periphery of the starting hole base 32 blends in visually with the pattern 31a, so it is possible to prevent the appearance of the pattern 31a from being significantly impaired by the influence of the starting hole unit 30.

[0057] The left decorative member 87 and the left motor 88 are connected via the left base 81. Therefore, the left decorative member 87 and the left motor 88 are attached to the inner frame 3 in response to attaching the left base 81 to the inner frame 3, and the left decorative member 87 and the left motor 88 are removed from the inner frame 3 in response to removing the left base 81 from the inner frame 3, making it possible to easily attach and detach the left decorative member 87 and the left motor 88 to and from the inner frame 3. This effect is similar for the right decorative member 96 and the right motor 97.

[0058] With the inner frame 3 removed from the game board 4 and the left base 81 disengaged from the inner frame 3, the left unit 80 can be inserted or removed through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3, which simplifies the operation of inserting or removing the left unit 80 into or from the inner frame 3. This effect is similar for the right unit 90. The left unit 80 is detachably attached to the front end portion inside the inner frame 3. Therefore, when the left unit 80 is inserted or removed through the opening 3h of the inner frame 3, the left unit 80 does not interfere with other components, making it even easier to insert or remove the left unit 80 into or from the inner frame 3. The same effect applies to the right unit 90.

[0059] Slack is formed in the wiring 88a and wiring 88d of the left motor 88, allowing the left unit 80 to be removed from inside the inner frame 3 to the outside through the opening 3h while the connectors 88b and 88c are connected. This allows the left unit 80 to be completely disconnected from the inner frame 3 by removing the left unit 80 from inside the inner frame 3 while the connectors 88b and 88c are connected, and then disconnecting the connectors 88b and 88c outside the inner frame 3, thereby facilitating maintenance work on the left motor 88 and the left decorative member 87. The same effect applies to the multiple LEDs 86 of the left unit 80 and the right motor 97 and LED 95 of the right unit 90.

[0060] The multiple screws for detachably attaching the left base 81 to the inner frame 3 are made inoperable when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4, and operable when the inner frame 3 is removed from the game board 4, so it is possible to prevent the left unit 80 from accidentally falling off the inner frame 3 within the inner frame 3 due to inadvertent operation of the multiple screws when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4. This effect is similar for the right unit 90. The multiple screws for detachably attaching the left base 81 to the inner frame 3 are made invisible when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4, and are visible when the inner frame 3 is removed from the game board 4. As a result, the presence of the multiple screws cannot be seen from the outside when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4, and it is possible to prevent the multiple screws from being inadvertently operated for the purpose of mischief. This effect is similar for the right unit 90.

[0061] The left decorative member 87 and the plurality of LEDs 86 are connected via the left base 81. This left base 81 is provided so as to be engageable with and detachable from the inner frame 3, and when the inner frame 3 is detached from the gaming board 4 and the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 is in an open state, the engagement and detachment work can be performed through the opening 3h, but when the inner frame 3 is attached to the gaming board 4 and the opening 3h is in a closed state, the engagement and detachment work cannot be performed through the opening 3h. Therefore, when performing maintenance on the left decorative member 87 and the plurality of LEDs 86, the opening 3h is opened in response to detachment of the inner frame 3 from the gaming board 4, and the left decorative member 87 and the plurality of LEDs 86 can be removed all at once from the inner frame 3 by disengaging the left base 81 from the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h, making it possible to easily perform maintenance work on the left decorative member 87 and the plurality of LEDs 86. Furthermore, when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4, the opening 3h is closed, and it is impossible to disengage the left base 81 from the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h, so it is possible to prevent the left decorative member 87 and the plurality of LEDs 86 from being inadvertently removed from the inner frame 3. This effect is similar for the right unit 90.

[0062] A decorative plate 74 separate from the right decorative member 96 is movably provided within the inner frame 3, and the decorative plate 74 is overlapped from the front on the right decorative member 96 in advance notice performance 1, so that the player can see an elaborate performance of the moon rising from the mountains. Moreover, since the decorative plate 74 is retracted from in front of the right unit 90 when it is in the removal position, the right unit 90 can be easily inserted and removed from inside the inner frame 3 without being obstructed by the decorative plate 74. When the power supply is cut off, the unit removal state is automatically generated in response to the driving control of the middle motor 76, so that when the right unit 90 is taken in or out of the inside of the inner frame 3 in the power-off state, the time and effort required to manually move the decorative plate 74 to the removal position is eliminated.

[0063] The decorative plate 74 can be manually operated from the normal position to the removal position. Therefore, if the decorative plate 74 is not automatically operated to the removal position when the power is cut off, the decorative plate 74 can be forcibly operated manually to the removal position, and the right unit 90 can be inserted into or removed from the inner frame 3 when the decorative plate 74 is in the removal position. The right decorative member 96 can be manually lifted from the standby position to the performance position. Therefore, if the decorative plate 74 is not automatically operated to the removal position when the power is cut off, the right decorative member 96 can be manually lifted to the performance position, and the right unit 90 can be inserted into or removed from the inner frame 3 at the performance position of the right decorative member 96.

[0064] By unscrewing a plurality of screws from the start port unit 30, the engagement of the start port unit 30 with the chamber wall of the parts chamber 3i is released, and with the start port unit 30 in the disengaged state, the ball passage 48 of the start port unit 30 can be removed from the inside of the inner frame 3 to the outside of the inner frame 3 through the maintenance port 47, and the ball passage 48 of the start port unit 30 can be inserted from the outside of the inner frame 3 to the inside through the maintenance port 47. Moreover, since it is possible to grasp the start port cover 37 of the start port unit 30 to insert or remove the ball passage 48 from within the inner frame 3, it generally becomes easier to attach or remove the start port unit 30 to or from the game board 4. Moreover, since the width dimension of the start port cover 37 is set to a value larger than the diameter dimension of a game ball so that an operator can easily grasp the start port cover 37 with their fingers, the attachment or removal of the start port unit 30 to or from the game board 4 becomes even easier. Since the maintenance port 47 of the game board 4 is blocked from the front by the start port base 32 of the start port unit 30, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the game board 4 from being deteriorated due to the influence of the maintenance port 47.

[0065] The starting port base 32 of the starting port unit 30 is attached to the game board 4 via a plurality of screws that can be operated from the front side of the game board 4. This makes it possible to operate the plurality of screws from the outside of the parts room 3i without disassembling the inner frame 3 and the game board 4, making it easy to engage and disengage the starting port unit 30 with the game board 4. The left unit 80 and the right unit 90 are stored in the inner frame 3, positioned behind the starting port unit 30. Therefore, even though the left unit 80 and the right unit 90 are present in the inner frame 3, with the inner frame 3 attached to the game board 4, it is possible to unscrew the multiple screws of the starting port unit 30 from the front side of the game board 4, grasp the starting port cover 37 of the starting port unit 30, and insert and remove the ball passage 48 into and from the inner frame 3, making it possible to easily perform the work of attaching and detaching the starting port unit 30 to and from the game board 4.

[0066] The left unit 80 is detachably stored within the inner frame 3. Therefore, the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 is opened by removing the inner frame 3 from the game board 4, and the left unit 80 can be removed from the inside of the inner frame 3 to the outside through the opening 3h by unscrewing a plurality of screws from the left unit 80, which facilitates maintenance and inspection of the starting port unit 30 as well as the left unit 80. The same effect applies to the right unit 90. The wiring 43 or wiring 46 from the start port unit 30 can be hooked onto the hook 49. This stabilizes the position of the wiring 43 and wiring 46 relative to the start port unit 30, making it possible to easily insert and remove the wiring 43 and wiring 46 from the maintenance port 47 of the start port unit 30 without being obstructed by the wiring 43 and wiring 46. In the first embodiment, the sub-control circuit 59 may be configured to move the right decorative member 96 to an upper performance position when the power is cut off from the current position of the decorative plate 74. In this configuration, there will be no member overlapping the right decorative member 86 from the front, making it easier to insert and remove the right unit 90 from the inner frame 3. In the above-mentioned Example 1, the sub-control circuit 59 may be configured to move both the decorative plate 74 and the right decorative member 96 to a predetermined position when the power is cut off, thereby creating a non-overlapping state in which the right decorative member 96 does not overlap the decorative plate 74 later. In the above-mentioned Example 1, the posture of wiring 43 and wiring 46 can be stabilized by fixing a cable tie to the ball passage 48 of the starting port unit 30 and bundling the wiring 43 or wiring 46 of the starting port sensor 42 to the ball passage 48 with a cable tie.

[0067] [Example 2] As shown in Figure 15, a start opening unit 200 is attached to the front of the game board 4. This start opening unit 200 corresponds to a board surface component, and is configured as follows. <Starting Unit 200> The base plate 201 is made of a transparent synthetic resin and has a tapered portion 202 and a non-tapered portion 203. The tapered portion 202 is a portion located on the periphery of the base plate 201, and is a portion that becomes thinner toward the outside of the base plate 201. The non-tapered portion 203 is the remaining portion of the base plate 201 excluding the tapered portion 202, and is a portion with a constant thickness that connects to the tapered portion 202. Two through holes 204 are formed in this non-tapered portion 203. Screws (not shown) are inserted into each of these through holes 204 from the front, and the starting port unit 200 is joined to the front of the game board 4 by screwing each screw into the game board 4.

[0068] As shown in Figure 15, two seal layers 4a are provided on the front surface of the gaming board 4. Each seal layer 4a is made up of a sticker attached to the front surface of the gaming board 4, and a colored, opaque pattern is printed on the entire front surface of each seal layer 4a. Each seal layer 4a corresponds to the board-side decorative portion and has a first see-through portion 4b and a second see-through portion 4c. The first see-through portion 4b is the portion of the seal layer 4a that overlaps the tapered portion 202 and is visible through the tapered portion 202 from the front. The second see-through portion 4c is the portion of the seal layer 4a that overlaps the non-tapered portion 203 and is visible through the non-tapered portion 203 from the front. This second see-through portion 4c corresponds to the second disc surface side pattern portion, and the first see-through portion 4b corresponds to the first disc surface side pattern portion, and each sealing layer 4a has a pattern such as a moon (see Figure 4) that spans between the first see-through portion 4b and the second see-through portion 4c.

[0069] 15, the base plate 201 has four notches 205 formed in the non-tapered portion 203. Each of these notches 205 overlaps the sealing layer 4a from the front, and the pattern of the sealing layer 4a can be directly seen from the front through each notch 205. Each of these notches 205 corresponds to a component-side decorative portion, and each through-hole 204 is located between two notches 205 in the vertical direction.

[0070] As shown in Figure 15, a ball gutter 206 is joined to the base plate 201 at the non-tapered portion 203. This ball gutter 206 is inserted from the front into a maintenance port (not shown) of the gaming board 4, with the front end of the ball gutter 206 protruding forward from the front surface of the gaming board 4 and the rear end of the ball gutter 206 protruding rearward from the rear surface of the gaming board 4. This ball gutter 206 has an open top to allow gaming balls to enter, and a ball gutter cover 207 is joined to the front end surface of the ball gutter 206. This ball gutter cover 207 is non-translucent and opaque, and prevents gaming balls from falling forward from the front end surface of the ball gutter 206.

[0071] According to the second embodiment, the following effects are achieved. A cutout portion 204 that overlaps the seal layer 4a of the game board 4 from the front is provided in the starting hole unit 200. As a result, a portion that is visible through the thin tapered portion 202, a portion that is visible through the thick non-tapered portion 203, and a portion that is directly visible are formed in the seal layer 4a, which makes it possible to improve the appearance of the seal layer 4a.

[0072] [Example 3] As shown in Figure 16, a printed portion 210 is provided on the starting port base 32 of the starting port unit 30. This printed portion 210 has the same contour shape and size as the second see-through portion 31c of the moon pattern 31a of the printing layer 31 that overlaps the non-tapered portion 34 of the starting port base 32, and has the same opaque color as the second see-through portion 31c. This printed portion 210 corresponds to the component-side decorative portion.

[0073] According to the third embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The starting hole unit 30 is provided with a printed section 210 that overlaps the second see-through section 31c of the pattern 31a on the game board 4 from the front. Therefore, when attaching the starting hole unit 30 to the game board 4, the starting hole unit 30 is placed in the correct position on the game board 4 by overlapping the printed section 210 with the second see-through section 31c from the front, which simplifies the attachment work of the starting hole unit 30 to the game board 4. The starting port unit 30 is provided with a ball trough 40 and a ball passage 41 (ball passage 48) that are spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the maintenance port 47. Therefore, when attaching the starting port unit 30 to the game board 4, the printing section 210 can be easily overlapped with the second see-through section 31c by shifting the starting port unit 30 with the ball passage 48 inserted into the maintenance port 47, making the attachment work of the starting port unit 30 to the game board 4 even easier.

[0074] The printed part 210 is set to have the same contour shape and size as the second see-through part 31c, so by overlapping the printed part 210 with the second see-through part 31c from the front, the starting hole unit 30 can be accurately positioned in the correct position on the game board 4. The printed portion 210 is set to an opaque color, which makes it easier for the worker to visually recognize the printed portion 210, facilitating the work of placing the printed portion 210 on the second see-through portion 31c from the front. The printed portion 210 is set to the same color as the second see-through portion 31c. Therefore, even if the printed portion 210 is misaligned with respect to the second see-through portion 31c when the printed portion 210 is placed on top of the second see-through portion 31c from the front, the misalignment of the printed portion 210 with respect to the second see-through portion 31c will not be noticeable from the player's line of sight.

[0075] In the above-mentioned Example 3, the starting port unit 30 may be provided with a printed portion that overlaps the first transparent portion 31b of the pattern 31a on the game board 4 from the front, or a printed portion that overlaps both the first transparent portion 31b and the second transparent portion 31c from the front. In the third embodiment, instead of the printed portion 210, a semi-transparent portion or a cutout portion having the same outline shape and size as the printed portion 210 may be provided on the starting port unit 30.

[0076] [Example 4] As shown in Fig. 17, a presentation unit 300 is removably stored within the inner frame 3. This presentation unit 300 corresponds to a unit, and is located at the front end of the inner frame 3. This presentation unit 300 can be inserted into and removed from the inner frame 3 through an opening 3h of the inner frame 3 when the inner frame 3 is removed from the game board 4, and is configured as follows. <About Production Unit 300> The unit frame 310 in Figure 17 is U-shaped when viewed from the front, and has a left side 311, a right side 312, and a top side 313. The left side 311 is oriented in the vertical direction along the left side plate 3d of the inner frame 3, the right side 312 is oriented in the vertical direction along the right side plate 3e of the inner frame 3, and the top side 313 is oriented in the horizontal direction along the top plate 3f of the inner frame 3. This unit frame 31 corresponds to a support member.

[0077] 17, screws 314 are inserted from the front into the four corners of the unit frame 310, and each screw 314 is threaded into the inner peripheral surface of a boss portion (not shown). Each of these boss portions is cylindrical and protrudes forward from the rear plate 3a of the inner frame 3, and the unit frame 310 is removed from the inner frame 3 by unscrewing the four screws 314 from the boss portion. Each of these screws 314 corresponds to an attachment member, and when the inner frame 3 is attached to the game board 4, they are hidden from view by the printed layer 31 and covered by the game board 4 so as not to be operable, and when the inner frame 3 is detached from the game board 4, they are opened so as to be visible and operable.

[0078] As shown in Figure 17, a left rack 315 is mounted on the left side 311 of the unit frame 310 so as to be movable linearly in the vertical direction, and a right rack 316 is mounted on the right side 312 so as to be movable linearly in the vertical direction. The left rack 315 and the right rack 316 are connected via an arm 317, and a decorative plate 318 is joined to the arm 317. This decorative plate 318 is disposed forward of the performance symbol display device 31, and letters are drawn on the front of the decorative member 318. This decorative member 318 corresponds to a movable member and a performance member.

[0079] As shown in Figure 17, a left motor 319 is fixed to the left side 311 of the unit frame 310. A left pinion (not shown) is fixed to the rotation shaft of this left motor 319, and the left pinion is meshed with the left rack 315. This left motor 319 is a pulse motor and corresponds to the drive source. A connector 321 is connected to this left motor 319 via wiring 320. A pair of connectors is connected to this connector 321, and the wiring of the pair of connectors (neither is shown) penetrates the back panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 outside the inner frame 3 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. Slack is formed in both of these wirings to allow the performance unit 300 to be inserted and removed from the inside of the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h when both connectors are connected.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 17, a right motor 322 is fixed to the right side 312 of the unit frame 310. A right pinion (not shown) is fixed to the rotary shaft of the right motor 322, and the right pinion is meshed with the right rack 316. The right motor 322 is a pulse motor and serves as a drive source. A connector 324 is connected to the right motor 322 via wiring 323. A pair of connectors is connected to the connector 324, and the wiring of the pair of connectors (neither of which is shown) penetrates the rear panel 3a of the inner frame 3 and is connected to the sub-control circuit 59 outside the inner frame 3 via a printed pattern on the sub-control board 57. Slack is formed in both of these wirings to allow the performance unit 300 to be inserted and removed from the inside of the inner frame 3 through the opening 3h when the connectors are connected. Reference numeral 301 denotes an operating mechanism for the decorative plate 318, which consists of the left rack 315, the right rack 316, and both pinions.

[0081] The sub-control circuit 59 drives and controls the left motor 319 and the right motor 322, and the decorative plate 318 is moved vertically between the standby position (see the two-dot chain line) and the performance position in response to the drive control of the left motor 318 and the right motor 322. At the performance position, this decorative plate 318 overlaps the vertical center of the performance symbol display 32 from the front, and the sub-control circuit 59 indicates to the player that the three rows of performance symbols form a jackpot combination by moving the decorative plate 318 to the performance position during performance symbol play. Note that the solid line shows the decorative plate 318 at a position midway between the standby position and the performance position.

[0082] The decorative plate 318 becomes invisible from the front as it moves downward from in front of the performance symbol display 32 at the standby position shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 17, and the sub-control circuit 59 keeps the decorative plate 318 stationary at the standby position except when a preview performance is being performed. This decorative plate 318 overlaps the rear of the start port unit 30 at the standby position, and when the start port unit 30 is removed from the game board 4 at the standby position of the decorative plate 318, the decorative plate 318 is located behind the maintenance port 47 of the game board 4.

[0083] When the power is cut off, the sub-control circuit 59 detects the current position of the decorative plate 318 during power cut-off processing, and if it determines that the current position of the decorative plate 318 is not the standby position, it controls the drive of the left motor 319 and the right motor 322 to move the decorative plate 318 from the current position to the standby position. That is, the decorative plate 318 remains stationary at the standby position when the power is cut off, and becomes visible and maintainable from the front side of the gaming board 4 through the maintenance port 47 when the starting port unit 30 is removed from the gaming board 4 when the power is cut off. This standby position corresponds to the rear position.

[0084] According to the fourth embodiment, the following effects are achieved. Since the unit frame 310 is provided with a left side portion 311 that fits along the left side plate 3d of the inner frame 3 and a right side portion 312 that fits along the right side plate 3e of the inner frame 3, the left side portion 311 and right side portion 312 of the unit frame 310 can be aligned with the left side plate 3d and right side plate 3e of the inner frame 3, respectively, to perform the operation of inserting and removing the performance unit 300 into and from the inner frame 3. This reduces wobbling of the performance unit 300 when inserting and removing the performance unit 300 into and from the inner frame 3, making the operation of inserting and removing the performance unit 300 into and from the inner frame 3 even easier. Since the decorative plate 318 is placed on the starting port unit 30 from the rear in the standby position, when the starting port unit 30 is removed from the game board 4 in the standby position of the decorative plate 318, the decorative plate 318 will be located behind the maintenance port 47. In this state, maintenance and inspection work such as visually checking the damage to the decorative plate 318 can be performed from the front side of the game board 4 through the maintenance port 47 without disassembling the inner frame 3 and the game board 4, making maintenance and inspection work of the decorative plate 318 easier.

[0085] [Example 5] As shown in FIG. 18, a window portion 3j is formed in the rear plate 3a of the inner frame 3. A performance symbol display 18 is fixed to this rear plate 3a behind the window portion 3j, and the LCD screen of the performance symbol display 18 is located within the window portion 3j when viewed from the front. A left front plate 3k is formed on the left side plate 3d of the inner frame 3, and a right front plate 3l is formed on the right side plate 3e. The left front plate 3k is a vertical flat plate located at the front end of the left side plate 3d and protrudes leftward from the left side plate 3d. This left front plate 3d corresponds to the base portion. The right front plate 3l is a vertical flat plate located at the front end of the right side plate 3e and protrudes rightward from the right side plate 3e. This right front plate 3l corresponds to the base portion. A protruding wall 3m is formed on the periphery of each of the left front plate 3k and right front plate 3l. Each of these protruding walls 3m protrudes forward, and a notch 3n is formed in each protruding wall 3m.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 19, colored, opaque left decorative board 401 and right decorative board 402 are housed within inner frame 3. Each of left decorative board 401 and right decorative board 402 is bow-shaped when viewed from the front, and a colored, opaque pattern is printed across the entire front surface of each of left decorative board 401 and right decorative board 402. Each of left decorative board 401 and right decorative board 402 corresponds to a decorative member.

[0087] As shown in Figure 19, the left decorative panel 401 and the right decorative panel 402 each have a supported portion 403. The supported portion 403 of the left decorative panel 401 is supported by the front surface of the left front panel 3m, and the left decorative panel 401 is detachably attached to the left front panel 3m from the front by screwing multiple screws into the left front panel 3m through the supported portion 403. The supported portion 403 of the right decorative panel 402 is supported by the front surface of the right front panel 3l, and the right decorative panel 402 is detachably attached to the right front panel 3l from the front by screwing multiple screws into the right front panel 3l through the supported portion 403. The supported portions 403 of the left decorative panel 401 and the right decorative panel 402 are each located outside the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 when viewed from the front, and correspond to the exterior and exterior parts of the room.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 19, the left decorative panel 401 and the right decorative panel 402 each have a decorative portion 404. The decorative portion 404 of the left decorative panel 401 overlaps the left cover 82 of the left unit 80 from the front, covering the left unit 80 from the front so that it cannot be seen from the front except for the left decorative member 87. The decorative portion 404 of the right decorative panel 402 overlaps the right cover 92 of the right unit 90 from the front, covering the right unit 90 from the front so that it cannot be seen from the front except for the right decorative member 96. Each of the decorative portions 404 of the left decorative panel 401 and the right decorative panel 402 is located inside the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 when viewed from the front, and corresponds to an internal portion.

[0089] 19 , a positioning portion 405 is formed on each of the left decorative panel 401 and the right decorative panel 402. The positioning portion 405 of the left decorative panel 401 protrudes to the left from the supported portion 403 of the left decorative panel 401, and the left decorative panel 401 is positioned at a correct position within the inner frame 3 by fitting the positioning portion 405 into the notch 3n of the protruding wall 3m of the left side panel 3d. The positioning portion 405 of the right decorative panel 402 protrudes to the right from the supported portion 403 of the right decorative panel 402, and the right decorative panel 402 is positioned at a correct position within the inner frame 3 by fitting the positioning portion 405 into the notch 3n of the protruding wall 3m of the right side panel 3e. The positioning portion 405 of the left decorative panel 401 and the positioning portion 405 of the right decorative panel 402 each correspond to a protrusion.

[0090] As shown in Figure 20, a gaming board 4 is attached to the inner frame 3. This gaming board 4 is formed by joining a colorless, transparent, disc-shaped main body portion 4a and a colored, opaque frame plate portion 4b. The main body portion 4a has board surface components such as the outer rail 11, inner rail 12, decorative frame 16, big prize opening 19, and starting opening unit 30 fixed thereto, and the frame plate portion 4b has an LED display 15 fixed thereto. The main body portion 4a corresponds to the gaming area 14, and both the supported portion 403 and the decorative portion 404 of each of the left decorative plate 401 and the right decorative plate 402 are visible from the front through the main body portion 4a of the gaming board 4, and the LCD screen of the performance symbol display 18, the left decorative member 87, the right decorative member 96, and the decorative plate 74 are visible from the front through the main body portion 4a of the gaming board 4. The frame plate portion 4b supports and reinforces the main body portion 4a, and is detachably attached to the inner frame 3 from the front via a plurality of engaging and disengaging members such as screws.

[0091] According to the fifth embodiment, the following effects are achieved. A supported portion 403 and a decorative portion 404 that can be seen from the front through the main body 4a of the game board 4 are provided on the left decorative panel 401. The decorative portion 404 is located within the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 when viewed from the front, and contributes to improving the appearance of the interior of the inner frame 3. The supported portion 403 is located outside the opening 3h of the inner frame 3 when viewed from the front, and contributes to improving the appearance of the area around the inner frame 3. This makes it possible to improve the overall appearance of the product to players. The same effect applies to the right decorative panel 402. The inner frame 3 is provided with a left front panel 3m that protrudes outward from the left side panel 3d, and the supported portion 403 of the left decorative panel 401 is supported from behind by the left front panel 3m, making it possible to stably support the left decorative panel 401, which has a unique shape and includes the supported portion 403. The same effect is achieved for the right decorative panel 402.

[0092] A positioning portion 405 is provided on the supported portion 403 of the left decorative panel 401. Therefore, when attaching the supported portion 403 of the left decorative panel 401 to the left front panel 3m of the inner frame 3, the positioning portion 405 of the left decorative panel 401 can be grasped with the fingers, making it possible to easily attach the left decorative panel 401, which has a unique shape and includes the supported portion 403, to the inner frame 3. The same effect applies to the right decorative panel 402. The cutout 3n is provided in the protruding wall 3m of the left front panel 3m of the inner frame 3, so that the positioning portion 405 of the left decorative panel 401 fits into the cutout 3n, making it possible to easily position the left decorative panel 401 in the correct position on the inner frame 3. The same effect can be achieved for the right decorative panel 402. The decorative portion 404 of the left decorative panel 401 is overlapped from the front with the operating mechanism 89 inside the inner frame 3. This makes it difficult to see the operating mechanism 89 inside the inner frame 3 from the front, further improving the appearance of the product to players. The same effect can be achieved with the right decorative panel 402.

[0093] [Example 6] As shown in FIG. 21 , a left decorative panel 501 and a right decorative panel 502 are housed within the inner frame 3. Each of the left decorative panel 501 and the right decorative panel 502 is colored and opaque, and has a vertically long rectangular main body 503 and multiple mounting pieces 504 protruding laterally from the main body 503. The left decorative panel 501 is disposed within the inner frame 3 by detachably attaching each mounting piece 504 to the left front panel 3k from the front with screws 505, and the main body 503 of the left decorative panel 501 invisibly covers the left cover 82 of the left unit 80 from the front. The right decorative panel 502 is disposed within the inner frame 3 by detachably attaching each mounting piece 504 to the right front panel 3l from the front with screws 505, and the main body 503 of the right decorative panel 502 invisibly covers the right cover 92 of the right unit 90 from the front.

[0094] 21, each of the left decorative panel 501 and the right decorative panel 502 has a colored, opaque pattern printed on the front of the main body 503 and each mounting piece 504, and the main body 503 and each mounting piece 504 of the left decorative panel 501 are both visible from the front through the main body 4a of the game board 4, and the main body 503 and each mounting piece 504 of the right decorative panel 502 are both visible from the front through the main body 4a of the game board 4. Each of the left decorative panel 501 and the right decorative panel 502 corresponds to a decorative member, and the main body 503 of the left decorative panel 501 and the main body 503 of the right decorative panel 502 correspond to the interior part and the interior of the room, respectively, and the mounting pieces 504 of the left decorative panel 501 and the right decorative panel 502 correspond to the exterior part and the exterior of the room, respectively.

[0095] In the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 6, the game board 4 may be detachably attached to the inner frame 3 from the front via screws, or may be detachably attached from the front or rear via a detachable attachment member such as a pin. In the above-described fifth and sixth embodiments, an opening may be provided in the main body 4a of the gaming board 4. This opening is located in front of the effect symbol display 18, and allows the LCD screen of the effect symbol display 18 to be directly visible without going through the main body 4a. In this configuration, the left decorative panel 401, the right decorative panel 402, the left decorative panel 501, and the right decorative panel 502 can be seen through the remaining part of the main body 4a excluding the opening.

[0096] In the above-mentioned first to sixth embodiments, the present invention may be applied to one, two or three types of pachinko gaming machines. The present invention is not limited to the above Examples 1 to 6, and is not limited to the wording of each claim, as long as it does not deviate from the scope of each claim, and extends to a range that can be easily substituted by a person skilled in the art, and improvements based on the knowledge that a person skilled in the art would normally have can be added as appropriate.

[0097] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 6 also describe the following [Reference Inventions 1-1] to [1-6] and [2-1]. Some gaming machines have a configuration in which a colored, opaque pattern is formed by printing on the front of the gaming board (see JP 2015-77169 A). In the case of this gaming machine, multiple board components such as winning slots are provided on the front of the gaming board, and the appearance of the pattern on the front of the gaming board tends to be significantly impaired by the influence of the board components. [Reference Inventions 1-1] to [1-6] and [2-1] were made in consideration of the above circumstances, and their purpose is to provide a gaming machine that can prevent the appearance of the pattern on the front of the gaming board from being significantly impaired by the influence of the board components.

[0098] [Reference Invention 1-1] A board component provided on the front surface of the game board so as to be visible from the front; a tapered portion provided on a peripheral edge of the plate surface component, the tapered portion being thinner toward the outside of the plate surface component; a non-tapered portion provided on the board surface component and connected to the tapered portion; The game board is provided on a front surface thereof with a board-side decorative portion having a first board-side pattern portion overlapping the tapered portion and a second board-side pattern portion connected to the first board-side pattern portion and overlapping the non-tapered portion, the tapered portion has a translucency that allows the first plate surface-side pattern portion to be visible from the front, The non-tapered portion has translucency that allows the second board side pattern portion to be visible from the front. According to the above-mentioned means, a translucent tapered portion is provided on the peripheral edge of the game board component, and the first game board pattern portion on the front of the game board is visible through the tapered portion from the front. As a result, the presence of the peripheral edge of the game board component is inconspicuous to the player's line of sight, and the peripheral edge of the game board component blends in visually with the game board decorative portion. Moreover, a translucent non-tapered portion connected to the tapered portion is provided on the game board component, and the second game board pattern portion on the front of the game board is visible through the non-tapered portion from the front. As a result, the player can clearly visually recognize the pattern connection between the first game board pattern portion and the second game board pattern portion, and overall, it is possible to prevent the game board component from significantly impairing the appearance of the pattern on the front of the game board.

[0099] [Reference Invention 1-2] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 1-1] is characterized in that the board surface component is provided with a component-side decorative portion located in the non-tapered portion. According to the above means, the component-side decorative portion is provided on the translucent non-tapered portion of the panel component, which makes it possible to improve the appearance of the panel component itself.

[0100] [Reference Inventions 1-3] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 1-2] is characterized in that the component side decorative portion overlaps the board side decorative portion from the front and consists of a portion that is less translucent than the non-tapered portion. According to the above-mentioned means, since the translucent non-tapered portion is provided with a component-side decorative portion that is less translucent than the non-tapered portion, the player can easily visually identify the component-side decorative portion even if the component-side decorative portion is translucent. Moreover, even though the component-side decorative portion overlaps the board-side decorative portion from the front, the player can see the board-side decorative portion through the component-side decorative portion from the front, so it is possible to prevent the appearance of the board-side decorative portion from being impaired by the component-side decorative portion.

[0101] [Reference Inventions 1-4] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 1-2] is characterized in that the component side decorative portion consists of a cutout-shaped portion that overlaps the board side decorative portion from the front. According to the above means, the board-side decorative portion can be directly seen from the player's line of sight through the cutout-shaped component-side decorative portion of the board component. Therefore, the board-side decorative portion is formed with a portion that can be seen through the thin tapered portion, a portion that can be seen through the thick non-tapered portion, and a portion that can be seen directly through the space, which makes it possible to improve the appearance of the board-side decorative portion.

[0102] [Reference Inventions 1-5] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 1-2] is characterized in that the component side decorative portion overlaps the first board side pattern portion or the second board side pattern portion of the board side decorative portion from the front. According to the above means, when attaching the board component to the gaming board, the component side decorative part of the board component is placed on the first board side pattern part or the second board side pattern part of the gaming board from the front, so that the board component is positioned in the correct position on the gaming board, which simplifies the work of attaching the board component to the gaming board.

[0103] [Reference Inventions 1-6] the board surface component is attached to the front surface of the game board and includes a base having the tapered portion and the non-tapered portion; The game board is provided with a through-hole-shaped component insertion port, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 1-5] is characterized in that the base is provided with an inserted portion that is inserted into the part insertion port and is spaced apart from the inner surface of the part insertion port. According to the above-mentioned means, the inserted portion of the board component is spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the component insertion opening, so that when attaching the board component to the game board, the board component can be shifted with its inserted portion inserted into the component insertion opening, making it easier to overlap the component-side decorative portion of the board component with the first or second board-side pattern portion of the game board from the front.

[0104] [Reference Invention 2-1] A printing layer having a colored, opaque pattern is provided on the front surface of the game board; A board part is provided on the front surface of the game board and has a base that is superimposed on the pattern from the front, The base has a substantially uniform thickness in the front-rear direction and is light-transmitting, A gaming machine characterized in that a translucent tapered portion that becomes thinner toward the outside of the base is provided on the peripheral edge of the base. According to the above-mentioned means, a translucent base with a substantially uniform thickness in the front-to-back direction is placed over the pattern on the game board from the front, making the appearance of the pattern substantially uniform across the entire base. Moreover, a translucent tapered portion is provided on the periphery of the base, making the pattern visible through the tapered portion from the front. This makes the presence of the periphery of the base less noticeable to the player's line of sight, and the periphery of the base blends in visually with the pattern, making it possible to prevent the appearance of the pattern on the front of the game board from being significantly impaired by the influence of the board surface components.

[0105] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 6 also describe the following [Reference Inventions 3-1] to [3-9] and [4-1]. Some gaming machines have a case member attached to the rear of the gaming board. This case member is container-shaped with an open front and has a rear plate. Multiple circuit boards are attached to the rear plate, located outside the case member, and electrical components such as sensors and lamps on the gaming board are connected to the circuit board via harnesses inside the case member (see JP 2009-050504 A). Some gaming machines have a configuration in which a movable member and a drive source are housed inside the case member. This movable member is visible to the player, and the drive source increases the entertainment value of the game by moving and operating the movable member, and both the movable member and the drive source are directly attached to the wall of the case member. Therefore, when the movable member and the drive source are attached to the wall of the case member during manufacturing of the gaming machine, and when the movable member and the drive source are removed from the wall of the case member during maintenance, the wiring inside the case member gets in the way, making it difficult to carry out the work. [Reference Invention 3-1] to [Reference Invention 4-1] were made in consideration of the above circumstances, and their purpose is to provide a gaming machine in which the movable member and the drive source can be easily attached and detached to the case member.

[0106] [Reference Invention 3-1] a case member having an opening on the front surface; A game board that closes the opening of the case member and has a game area on the front side where game balls can roll; a unit provided inside the case member, the unit having a movable member, a drive source for operating and moving the movable member, and a support member for supporting both of them; A gaming machine characterized in that the support member is capable of being engaged with and detached from the case member. According to the above-described means, the movable member and the drive source are connected via the support member, so that the movable member and the drive source are attached to the case member in response to engaging the support member with the case member, and the movable member and the drive source are removed from the case member in response to disengaging the support member from the case member, making it possible to easily attach and detach the movable member and the drive source to and from the case member.

[0107] [Reference Invention 3-2] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-1] is characterized in that the unit can be moved in and out between the inside and outside through the opening of the case member when the case member is detached from the gaming board and the support member is disengaged from the case member. According to the above means, the unit can be inserted or removed into the case member through the opening of the case member by removing the case member from the game board and disengaging the support member from the case member, thereby simplifying the operation of inserting or removing the unit into or from the case member.

[0108] [Reference Invention 3-3] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-2] is characterized in that the unit is arranged at the front end within the case member. According to the above means, when the unit is inserted or removed through the opening in the front of the case member, the unit does not interfere with other components, making it even easier to insert or remove the unit into or from the case member.

[0109] [Reference Invention 3-4] The case member is box-shaped and has a left side panel and a right side panel, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-2] is characterized in that the support member has a left side portion that runs along the left side plate and a right side portion that runs along the right side plate. According to the above-mentioned means, the left and right sides of the support member can be aligned with the left and right side plates of the case member, respectively, to insert and remove the unit from the case member, thereby reducing wobbling of the unit when inserted or removed from the case member, making it even easier to insert and remove the unit from the case member.

[0110] [Reference Invention 3-5] a circuit board provided on the case member and positioned outside the case member; a connector connected to the circuit board via a wire; A connector is connected to the drive source via a wiring, and is connected to the connector of the circuit board inside the case member when the case member is attached to the game board, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-2] is characterized in that both wirings have slack that allows the unit to be removed from inside the case member to the outside through the opening when the support member is engaged with the case member and the two connectors are connected. According to the above means, the unit can be completely disconnected from the case member by removing the unit from the inside to the outside of the case member while both connectors are connected, and then disconnecting the two connectors outside the case member, thereby simplifying maintenance of the movable member and drive source.

[0111] [Reference Invention 3-6] an attachment member that detachably attaches the support member to the case member; The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-1] is characterized in that the attachment member is inoperable when the case member is attached to the gaming board, but is operable when the case member is detached from the gaming board. According to the above means, the attachment member cannot be operated when the case member is attached to the game board, so it is possible to prevent the unit from accidentally falling off the case member inside the case member due to inadvertent operation of the attachment member when the case member is attached to the game board.

[0112] [Reference Invention 3-7] a movable member separate from the movable member is provided inside the case member, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-2] is characterized in that the other movable member is movable so as to generate an overlapping state in which at least a portion of the other movable member overlaps in front of the movable member, and a non-overlapping state in which the other movable member retracts from in front of the movable member. According to the above means, when both movable members are in an overlapping state, at least a portion of the other movable member overlaps the front of the movable member, allowing the player to see a highly creative presentation using both movable members. Moreover, when both movable members are in a non-overlapping state, the other movable member retreats from in front of the movable member, allowing the unit to be easily inserted and removed from the inside of the case member without being obstructed by the other movable member.

[0113] [Reference Invention 3-8] Another drive source that operates to move the other movable member; a control circuit for controlling the driving of the driving source and the other driving source; The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-7] is characterized in that the control circuit is capable of generating the non-overlapping state by controlling at least one of the drive source and the other drive source when the power supply is cut off. According to the above means, when the power supply is cut off, a non-overlapping state is automatically generated in response to the control of at least one of the two drive sources, so that there is no need to manually operate at least one of the two movable members to generate a non-overlapping state when moving the unit in and out of the case member while the power supply is cut off.

[0114] [Reference Invention 3-9] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 3-8] is characterized in that at least one of the movable member and the other movable member can be manually moved and operated so as to generate the non-overlapping state. According to the above means, if the non-overlapping state is not automatically generated when the power is cut off, the non-overlapping state can be forcibly generated by manually operating at least one of the two movable members, making it possible to insert or remove the unit into or from the inside of the case member.

[0115] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, Examples 1 through 6 above also describe the following [Reference Invention 4-1]. Some gaming machines have a case member attached to the rear of the gaming board. This case member has multiple circuit boards attached to it, and electrical components such as sensors and lamps on the gaming board are connected to the circuit board via harnesses inside the case member (see JP 2009-050504 A). Some gaming machines have decorative members and electrical components housed inside the case member. These decorative members are visible to players, and the electrical components enhance the entertainment value of the game by illuminating the decorative members. Both the decorative members and the electrical components are directly attached to the wall of the case member. Therefore, when removing the decorative members and electrical components from the wall of the case member for maintenance, the internal wiring of the case member gets in the way, making the work difficult. [Reference Invention 4-1] was developed in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gaming machine that allows for easy maintenance of the decorative members and electrical components.

[0116] [Reference Invention 4-1] A case member supporting a display device on which an image of a symbol game that notifies a player of a winning or losing decision is displayed; A game board provided in the case member, the game board having a game area on the front side in which a game ball can roll; a support member that is detachably provided inside the case member and that supports a decorative member that is visible to a player and an electrical component that illuminates the decorative member; an opening provided in the case member for engaging and disengaging the support member with respect to the case member; A gaming machine characterized in that the opening is in a closed state in which the engagement and detachment operation cannot be performed when the case member is attached to the gaming board, and is in an open state in which the engagement and detachment operation can be performed when the case member is detached from the gaming board. According to the above means, when performing maintenance on the decorative member and the electrical components, the opening of the case member is opened by removing the case member from the game board, and the decorative member and the electrical components can be removed from the case member all at once by disengaging the support member from the case member through the opening, making it easy to perform maintenance work on the decorative member and the electrical components. Moreover, when the case member is attached to the game board, the opening of the case member is closed, making it impossible to disengage the support member from the case member through the opening, making it possible to prevent the decorative member and the electrical components from being inadvertently removed from the case member.

[0117] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 6 also describe the following [Reference Inventions 5-1] to [5-6] and [6-1]. Some gaming machines have gaming components attached to the walls of a components chamber. This components chamber refers to the space between the gaming board and a container member provided on the rear surface of the gaming board, and multiple harnesses are stored inside the components chamber for connecting electrical components such as sensors and lamps on the gaming board to circuit boards on the container member (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-20966). Some gaming machines have gaming components attached to the walls of the components chamber. In the case of these conventional gaming machines, the multiple harnesses get in the way when attaching and detaching gaming components to the walls of the components chamber, making it difficult to attach and detach the gaming components to and from the walls of the components chamber. [Reference Invention 5-1] to [Reference Invention 5-6] [Reference Invention 6-1] was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gaming machine that allows gaming parts to be easily attached and detached to the chamber wall of the parts chamber.

[0118] [Reference Invention 5-1] A game board having a game area on the front side in which a game ball can roll; A container member provided on the game board, which cooperates with the game board to form a spatial component chamber; an access opening provided in a chamber wall of the parts chamber and penetrating the chamber wall; The game component is provided so as to be engageable with and detachable from the chamber wall of the component chamber, and has an interior portion located inside the component chamber and an exterior portion located outside the component chamber; A gaming machine characterized in that the interior of the gaming component can be removed from the inside of the component chamber to the outside of the component chamber through the access opening when the gaming component is disengaged from the component chamber wall. According to the above means, when the engagement of the game component with the chamber wall of the component chamber is released, the chamber interior of the game component can be removed from the inside of the component chamber through the access opening in the chamber wall to the outside of the component chamber, and the chamber interior of the game component can be inserted from the outside of the component chamber through the access opening in the chamber wall into the component chamber. Moreover, since the outside of the component can be grasped to insert or remove the inside of the component chamber, it is generally possible to easily perform the work of attaching or detaching the game component to or from the chamber wall of the component chamber.

[0119] [Reference Invention 5-2] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 5-1] is characterized in that the gaming parts close the access opening when the gaming parts are engaged with the chamber wall of the parts room and have a base part connecting the outside of the room and the inside of the room. According to the above means, the access opening of the parts chamber is blocked by the base of the game parts while the game parts are engaged with the chamber wall of the parts chamber, thereby making it possible to prevent the appearance of the product from being deteriorated due to the access opening.

[0120] [Reference Invention 5-3] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 5-1] is characterized in that the gaming parts are detachably attached to the chamber wall of the parts chamber via an engaging / disengaging member that can be operated from outside the parts chamber. According to the above means, the engaging and disengaging member can be operated from outside the parts chamber without disassembling the game board and the container member, which makes it easy to engage and disengage the game parts with respect to the chamber wall of the parts chamber.

[0121] [Reference Invention 5-4] A display that is provided on the container member so as to be visible to a player and displays an image of a symbol game that notifies the player of the result of the winning or losing decision; The component is provided in the component chamber at a position forward of the display device so as to be visible to the player, and is provided with a performance component for performing an image of the symbol game; The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 5-1] is characterized in that the performance component is movable to a rear position where it overlaps the gaming component from behind when viewed from the front. According to the above means, when the game components are removed from the wall of the component room at the rear position of the effect component, the effect component is located behind the access opening. In this state, the effect component can be maintained and inspected from outside the component room through the access opening without disassembling the game board and the container component, which makes maintenance and inspection of the effect component easier.

[0122] [Reference Invention 5-5] The device is provided inside the container member and positioned rearward of the interior of the game components, and is equipped with a unit having a decorative member visible to a player, a drive source for moving the decorative member, and a support member for supporting both of them; The game components are configured so that they can be released from engagement with the chamber wall of the component chamber from outside the component chamber when the game board, the container member, and the unit are combined together, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 5-1] is characterized in that the interior of the gaming parts is capable of being removed from the inside of the parts room through the access opening to the outside of the parts room when the gaming board, the container member and the unit are combined and the gaming parts are disengaged from the wall of the parts room. According to the above means, even if a unit is present inside the parts chamber, the game part can be released from engagement with the wall of the parts chamber from outside the parts chamber while the game board, container member and unit are combined, and the outside of the game part can be grasped to insert or remove the inside of the part into or from the parts chamber, making it easy to attach or remove the game part from the wall of the parts chamber.

[0123] [Reference Inventions 5-6] An opening is provided on the front surface of the container member, The game board has an opening of the container member in a closed state when the container member is attached to the game board, and an opening of the container member in an open state when the container member is detached from the game board, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 5-5] is characterized in that the unit is removably arranged within the parts chamber, and can be removed from the inside of the container member to the outside through an open opening when the unit is disengaged from the wall of the parts chamber. According to the above means, the opening of the container member is opened when the container member is removed from the game board, and the unit can be removed from the inside of the container member to the outside through the opening when the unit is released from engagement with the container member, thereby facilitating maintenance and inspection of the unit as well as maintenance and inspection of the game components.

[0124] [Reference Invention 6-1] A game board having a game area on the front side in which a game ball can roll; A container member provided on the game board, which cooperates with the game board to form a spatial component chamber; an access opening provided in a chamber wall of the parts chamber and penetrating the chamber wall; The game component is provided so as to be engageable with and detachable from the chamber wall of the component chamber, and has an interior that is inserted into the component chamber through the access opening of the component chamber; The game parts include: An exterior part that is located outside the component room and can be grasped by an operator with his / her fingers when inserting or removing the interior part of the component room through the access hole in a state where the engagement of the game component with the component room wall is released; A base portion is provided to connect the interior and exterior of the room and close the access opening when the game components are engaged with the wall of the component chamber, The gaming machine is characterized in that the width dimension of the exterior of the gaming components in the lateral direction is set larger than the diameter dimension of the gaming balls. According to the above-mentioned means, when the game component is disengaged from the wall of the component chamber, the interior of the component chamber can be removed from the interior of the component chamber through the access opening in the wall, and the interior of the component chamber can be inserted from the exterior of the component chamber through the access opening in the wall. Furthermore, the exterior of the component chamber can be grasped with the fingers to insert or remove the interior of the component chamber. Furthermore, the width of the exterior chamber is set to a value larger than the diameter of a game ball that can be easily grasped. Overall, this makes it easy to attach or remove the game component to or from the wall of the component chamber. Furthermore, when the game component is engaged with the wall of the component chamber, the access opening in the component chamber is blocked by the base of the game component, preventing the appearance of the product from being affected by the access opening.

[0125] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 6 also describe the following [Reference Inventions 7-1] to [7-4] and [8-1]. Some gaming machines have a configuration in which a box member is attached to the rear of the gaming board. This box member has an opening on the front, and a display is attached to the rear panel of the box member. This display displays images of symbol games and is visible from the front (JP Patent Publication No. 2013-212149). In the case of this gaming machine, the inside of the box member, which is inorganic and drab, can be seen by players, which could detract from the appearance of the product. [Reference Inventions 7-1] to [7-4] and [8-1] were made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aim to provide a gaming machine that can improve the appearance of the product to players.

[0126] [Reference Invention 7-1] a box member having an opening on a front surface surrounded by a peripheral wall; a decorative member provided on the box member, the decorative member having an inner portion located inside the opening of the box member when viewed from the front and an outer portion located outside the opening; A gaming machine characterized by having a gaming board that is positioned in front of the inner and outer parts of the decorative member in the box member, and that allows the player to see through the inner and outer parts of the decorative member. According to the above means, an inner portion and an outer portion that can be seen through the game board are provided on the decorative member. The inner portion is located inside the opening of the box member when viewed from the front, and contributes to improving the appearance of the interior of the box member. The outer portion is located outside the opening of the box member when viewed from the front, and contributes to improving the appearance of the area around the box member. This makes it possible to improve the overall appearance of the product from the player's perspective.

[0127] [Reference Invention 7-2] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 7-1] is characterized in that the box member is provided with a base portion that protrudes outward from the peripheral wall of the box member and supports the outer portion of the decorative member from behind. According to the above-mentioned means, the box member is provided with a base portion that protrudes outward from the peripheral wall, and the outer portion of the decorative member is supported from behind by the base portion, making it possible to stably support decorative members with unique shapes and outer portions.

[0128] [Reference Invention 7-3] The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 7-2] is characterized in that the outer portion of the decorative member is provided with a protrusion that protrudes outward from the base portion of the box member. According to the above means, when attaching the decorative element's outer surface to the base of the box member, the protruding portion of the decorative element can be grasped with the fingers, making it possible to easily attach a decorative element of a unique shape having an outer surface to the box member.

[0129] [Reference Invention 7-4] A movable member visible from the front and an operating mechanism for moving and operating the movable member are housed within the box member, The gaming machine described in [Reference Invention 7-1] is characterized in that the internal portion of the decorative member is overlapped on the operating mechanism from the front. According to the above means, the interior portion of the decorative member makes it difficult to see the operating mechanism inside the box member, which further enhances the appearance of the product to players.

[0130] [Reference Invention 8-1] a box member having an opening on its front surface; A game board that covers the opening of the box member and cooperates with the box member to form a parts room; a decorative member provided on the box member for decorating the interior of the parts chamber; The decorative member has an exterior portion located outside the component chamber, The gaming machine is characterized in that the gaming board is provided with a translucent portion that overlaps the exterior of the decorative member from the front and allows the exterior of the decorative member to be seen from the front. According to the above means, the decorative member is provided on the box member, improving the appearance of the interior of the parts compartment. Moreover, the decorative member is provided with an exterior that can be seen through the translucent portion of the game board from the front. Therefore, the exterior enhances the appearance of the area around the parts compartment, making it possible to improve the overall appearance of the product to players. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 3 is an inner frame (case member, container member, box member), 3a is a rear plate, 3d is a left side plate, 3e is a right side plate, 3h is an opening, 3i is a parts room, 3m is a left front plate (base portion), 3l is a right front plate (base portion), 4 is a game board, 4a is a seal layer (board side decorative portion), 4b is a first see-through portion (first board side pattern portion), 4c is a second see-through portion (second board side pattern portion), 14 is a game area, 18 is a performance pattern display (display device), 30 is a start port unit (board surface component, game component), 31 is a printing layer (board side decorative portion), 31b is a first see-through portion (first board side pattern portion), 31c is a second see-through portion (second board side pattern portion), 3 2 is the starting port base (base, base part), 33 is the tapered part, 34 is the non-tapered part, 35 is the decorative part (decorative part on the part side), 37 is the starting port cover (outside the room), 40 is the bulb trough (inserted part), 47 is the maintenance port (part insertion port, work port), 48 is the bulb passage (inside the room), 57 is the sub-control board (circuit board), 59 is the sub-control circuit (control circuit), 74 is the decorative plate (another movable part), 76 is the middle motor (another driving source), 80 is the left unit (unit), 81 is the left base (supporting member), 86 is the LED (electrical part), 87 is the left decorative member (movable member, decorative member), 88 is the left motor (driving power source), 88a and 88d are wiring, 88b and 88c are connectors, 89 is an operation mechanism, 90 is a right unit (unit), 91 is a right base (support member), 95 is an LED (electrical component), 96 is a right decorative component (movable component, decorative component), 97 is a right motor (power source), 97a and 97d are wiring, 97b and 97d are connectors, 100 is an operation mechanism, 200 is a starting port unit (display surface component), 202 is a tapered portion, 203 is a non-tapered portion, 204 is a notched portion (decorative component), 210 is a printed portion (component side decorative component), 300 is a performance unit (unit), 310 is a unit frame ( support member), 311 is the left side, 312 is the right side, 314 is a screw (mounting member), 318 is a decorative plate (movable member, performance member), 319 is the left motor (drive source), 320 is wiring, 321 is a connector, 322 is the right motor (drive source), 323 is wiring, 324 is a connector, 401 is the left decorative plate (decorative member), 402 is the right decorative plate (decorative member), 404 is the decorative part (internal part), 403 is the supported part (external part), 405 is the positioning part (protruding part), 501 is the left decorative plate (decorative member), 502 is the right decorative plate (decorative member), 503 is the main body part (internal part), 504 is the mounting piece (external part, outside the room).

Claims

[Claim 1] A game board having a game area on the front side in which a game ball can roll; A container member provided behind the game board and forming a spatial component chamber together with the game board; An access hole that is provided on the game board so as to open a part of the parts room and penetrates the game board; A game component is provided detachably on the game board, and has an interior portion located inside the component room and an exterior portion located outside the component room; The exterior of the game components is configured to have a fixing portion fixed to the game board from the front side of the game board, A gaming machine characterized in that the interior of the gaming parts can be removed from inside the parts room to outside the parts room through the access opening when the fixing part is released from the fixing of the fixing part to the gaming board.

Images