Game machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine which can improves attention drawing power of operation means.SOLUTION: An operation mode of an operation member 310, which is necessary for a motion of an opening / closing member 340 to perform a motion according to an operation of the operation member 310, can be switched by a switching device 400. Therefore, a difference in the operation mode of the operation member 310 made according to a player can be reflected to the motion of the opening / closing member 340. Accordingly, a performance which changes according to the difference in the operation mode of the operation member 310 can be performed by the opening / closing member 340. As a result, attention drawing power of the opening / closing member 340 can be improved, as well as, attention drawing power of the operation member 310 related to the motion of the opening / closing member 340 can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 41

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Among gaming machines such as pachinko machines, there are gaming machines that are equipped with buttons that can be identified as two or more depression patterns depending on how they are pressed (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-119165 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional gaming machines have a problem in that they are unable to improve the attention to the buttons.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and has an object to provide a gaming machine that can improve attention to buttons. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine described in claim 1 is equipped with an operating means operated by a player, an operation means that is operable between a first position and a second position different from the first position in response to the operation of the operating means, and a return means that returns the operation means to the first position, and is further equipped with a switching means that switches the operation mode of the operating means required for the operation means to perform a predetermined operation.

[0007] The gaming machine of claim 2 is the gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the switching means is provided with an intervening means interposed between the operating means and the operating means, and which switches between an allowable state that allows the operating means to move to the second position and a restricted state that is different from the allowable state according to the operation mode of the operating member, and a displacement means which is configured to be able to change the operation mode that forms the allowable state and which pre-displaces the intervening means in accordance with the operation mode that corresponds to the allowable state.

[0008] The gaming machine according to claim 3 is the gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the reaction force given to the player when the operating means is operated is made equal regardless of the position of the intervening means. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the gaming machine of claim 1, it is possible to improve attention to the operating means.

[0010] According to the gaming machine of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine of claim 1, it is possible to improve the timing of the operation of the operating means and the operation of the operating means.

[0011] According to the gaming machine of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine of claim 2, it is possible to prevent the player from losing attention to the operating means due to a change in the reaction force. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7]1A and 1B are front perspective views of the operation device. [Figure 8] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a base member, a clutch member, an opening / closing member, and a switching device. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a development view of the outer circumferential surface of the switching device. [Figure 11] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. [Figure 12] 12 is a top view of the operating device as seen in the direction of arrow XII in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. [Figure 14] 14 is a top view of the operation device as seen in the direction of arrow XIV in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] 21 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XXI-XXI in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] 13(a) to 13(d) are model diagrams of the opening and closing member. [Figure 23] 13(a) to 13(d) are model diagrams of the opening and closing member. [Figure 24] 13(a) and (b) are model diagrams of an opening / closing member. [Diagram 25] FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. [Figure 27] 27 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XXVII-XXVII in FIG. 26. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of an operating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 29] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a base member, a clutch member, an opening / closing member, and a switching device. FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. [Diagram 31] FIG. [Diagram 32] 13A is a diagram showing the change over time in the state of each opening / closing member, and FIG. 13B is a table illustrating how the configuration of each opening / closing member can be replaced. [Diagram 33] 13A is a diagram showing the change over time in the state of each opening / closing member, and FIG. 13B is a table illustrating how the configuration of each opening / closing member can be replaced. [Diagram 34] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of an operating device according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 35] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a base member, a clutch member, an opening / closing member, and a switching device. FIG. [Diagram 36] FIG. 4 is a top view of the main body annular portion and the adjustment step portion. [Figure 37] FIG. [Figure 38] 38 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XXXVIII-XXXVIII in FIG. 37. [Figure 39] FIG. [Diagram 40] 40 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along the line XL-XL in FIG. 39. [Diagram 41] 40 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along the line XL-XL in FIG. 39. [Diagram 42] 40 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device taken along the line XL-XL in FIG. 39. [Diagram 43] FIG. [Diagram 44] 44 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 43. [Diagram 45] 44 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 43. [Figure 46]44 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 43. [Figure 47] FIG. 13 is a top view of an operation device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 48] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 49] 49(a) is a side view of the switching device, and (b) is a top view of the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow XLIXb in FIG. 49(a). [Figure 50] 50(a) is a front view of one of the first returning members, (b) is a top view of the first returning member as viewed in the direction of arrow Lb in FIG. 50(a), and (c) is a side view of the first returning member as viewed in the direction of arrow Lc in FIG. 50(a). [Figure 51] 51(a) is a front view of one of the second returning members, (b) is a top view of the second returning member as viewed in the direction of arrow LIb in FIG. 51(a), and (c) is a side view of the second returning member as viewed in the direction of arrow LIc in FIG. 51(a). [Figure 52] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 53] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 54] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 55] FIG. [Figure 56] FIG. [Figure 57] 57 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LVII-LVII in FIG. 56. [Figure 58] 57 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LVII-LVII in FIG. 56. [Figure 59] 13 is a diagram showing the change over time in the reaction force applied to a player who presses in the operating member. FIG. [Figure 60] FIG. 13 is an exploded front perspective view of an operating device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 61]FIG. [Figure 62] 62(a) and (b) are partial cross-sectional views of the main body annular portion taken along line LXIIa-LXIIa in FIG. 61. [Figure 63] FIG. [Figure 64] FIG. [Figure 65] 65 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXV-LXV in FIG. 64. [Figure 66] 66(a) and (b) are partial side views of the opening / closing member and the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow LXVIa in FIG. 65. [Figure 67] FIG. [Figure 68] 68(a) and (b) are partial side views of the opening / closing member and the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow LXVIIIa in FIG. 67. [Figure 69] 66(a) to (c) are side views of the switching device and the opening / closing member as viewed in the direction of arrow LXVIa in FIG. 65. [Figure 70] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device in the sixth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 71] 71(a) is a side view of the switching device, and (b) is a top view of the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXIb in FIG. 71(a). [Figure 72] 72(a) is a front view of the opening / closing member, (b) is a side view of the opening / closing member as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXIIb in Figure 72(a), (c) is a front view of the movable cover member, (d) is a side view of the movable cover member as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXIId in Figure 72(c), and (e) is a top view of the movable cover member as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXIIe in Figure 72(c). [Figure 73] FIG. [Figure 74] 74 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXXIV-LXXIV in FIG. 73. [Figure 75] 74 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXXIV-LXXIV in FIG. 73. [Figure 76] FIG. [Figure 77] 77 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXXVII-LXXVII in FIG. 76. [Figure 78] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device in the seventh embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 79] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 80] 79(a) and (b) are partial cross-sectional views of the operating device taken along line LXXXa-LXXXa in FIG. 78. [Figure 81] 79(a) and (b) are partial cross-sectional views of the operating device taken along line LXXXa-LXXXa in FIG. 78. [Figure 82] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 83] 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in FIG. 47. [Figure 84] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing changes over time in the arrangement of the operation members when the operation cover is pressed down for a long period of time. [Figure 85] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing changes over time in the arrangement of the operation members when the operation cover is pressed in for a short period of time. [Figure 86] 86(a) is a top view of the switching device, (b) is a side view of the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXXVIb in FIG. 86(a), and (c) is a front view of the switching device as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXXVIc in FIG. 86(a). [Figure 87] FIG. [Figure 88] 88(a) and (b) are partial cross-sectional views of the operating device taken along line LXXXVIIIa-LXXXVIIIa in FIG. 87. [Figure 89] 88 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXXXIX-LXXXIX in FIG. 87. [Figure 90]88 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device taken along line LXXXIX-LXXXIX in FIG. 87. [Figure 91] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing changes over time in the arrangement of the operation members when the operation cover is pressed down for a long period of time. [Figure 92] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing changes over time in the arrangement of the operation members when the operation cover is pressed in for a short period of time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. First, with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 27, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko game machine (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10 will be described as a first embodiment. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view of a game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a pachinko machine 10 has an outer frame 11 in which an outer shell is formed by wooden frames assembled into a substantially rectangular shape, and an inner frame 12 formed in substantially the same external shape as the outer frame 11 and supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to the outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side as viewed from the front (see Fig. 1) in order to support the inner frame 12, and the inner frame 12 is supported so as to be openable and closable toward the front side, with the side where the hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

[0015] A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having a number of nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc., is detachably attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. A pinball game is played by balls (game balls) flowing down the front of the game board 13. The inner frame 12 is equipped with a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) that launches balls to the front area of ​​the game board 13, a launching rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of ​​the game board 13, and the like.

[0016] On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is provided a front frame 14 that covers the upper side of the front, and a lower plate unit 15 that covers the lower side. Metal hinges 19 are attached to two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15, and the front frame 14 and the lower plate unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front front side, with the side where the hinges 19 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be released by inserting a special key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

[0017] The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts, electrical parts, etc., and has a window 14c formed in a substantially elliptical shape at its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass sheets is disposed on the rear side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

[0018] In the front frame 14, the upper tray 17 for storing balls is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top that protrudes to the front side, and prize balls and loan balls are discharged into the upper tray 17. The bottom surface of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward inclination to the right side when viewed from the front (see FIG. 1), and the balls inserted into the upper tray 17 are guided to the ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) by this inclination. In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the upper surface of the upper tray 17. This frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the stage of the performance displayed on the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2) or when changing the content of the performance of the super reach.

[0019] The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting means such as lamps around it (for example, at the corners). The light-emitting modes of these light-emitting means are changed and controlled by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state such as when a jackpot is hit or when a predetermined reach is reached, and they play a role in enhancing the presentation effect during the game. The periphery of the window portion 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating light-emitting means such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps such as jackpot lamps, and when a jackpot is hit or when a reach is reached, each illumination unit 29-33 lights up or blinks by lighting or blinking the built-in LEDs, thereby informing the player that a jackpot is being hit or that the player is in a reach just before a jackpot is being hit. In addition, the upper left part of the front frame 14 when viewed from the front (see FIG. 1) is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating light-emitting means such as LEDs and capable of indicating that prize balls are being paid out and that an error has occurred.

[0020] Also, a small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination unit 32 from the back side so that the back side of the front frame 14 can be seen, and the certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see FIG. 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. Also, in the pachinko machine 10, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination units 29-33 to create a more brilliant appearance.

[0021] A ball lending operation unit 40 is disposed below the window portion 14c. The ball lending operation unit 40 is provided with a number display unit 41, a ball lending button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball lending operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into a card unit (ball lending unit) (not shown) arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are lent out in response to the operation. Specifically, the number display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and a built-in LED is lit to display the remaining balance in numbers as the remaining balance information. The ball lending button 42 is operated to obtain loan balls based on information recorded on a card, etc. (recording medium), and loan balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated when requesting the return of a card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispenser to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to commonize pachinko machines using a card unit and cash machines.

[0022] The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 formed in a generally box-like shape with an open top on the left side for storing balls that could not be stored in the upper tray 17. On the right side of the lower tray 50, an operating handle 51 and an operating device 300 are provided which are operated by the player to shoot the ball into the front of the game board 13. The operating device 300 will be described later.

[0023] The operation handle 51 includes a touch sensor 51a for permitting the driving of the ball launching unit 112a, a launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of balls while the switch is being pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) for detecting the rotation amount (rotation position) of the operation handle 51 by a change in electrical resistance. When the operation handle 51 is rotated clockwise by a player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes corresponding to the rotation amount, and the ball is launched with a strength (launch strength) corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, so that the ball is shot into the front of the game board 13 with a flight amount corresponding to the operation of the player. When the operation handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the launch stop switch 51b are turned off.

[0024] A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front part of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging the balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, a bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. This ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") for receiving the balls discharged from the lower tray 50 placed below the lower tray 50. As described above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray (not shown) is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 13 is configured by assembling a number of nails (not shown) and a windmill (not shown) for guiding balls, as well as rails 61 and 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 640, a specific winning opening 65a, a through gate 67, a variable display unit 80, and the like, on a base plate 60 machined into a substantially square shape when viewed from the front, and the peripheral portion is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see FIG. 1). The base plate 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and is formed so that the player can visually recognize various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 640, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 by tapping screws or the like.

[0026] The front central portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through a window portion 14c (see FIG. 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below mainly with reference to FIG.

[0027] An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into a substantially arc shape is set up on the front of the game board 13, and an inner rail 61 formed of a strip-shaped metal plate similar to the outer rail 62 is set up on the inside of the outer rail 62. The outer rail 61 and the outer rail 62 surround the front outer periphery of the game board 13, and the game board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see FIG. 1) surround the front and rear, forming a game area in front of the game board 13 where games are played based on the behavior of the ball. The game area is an area (an area where winning holes and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) that is formed in front of the game board 13 and is partitioned by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 that connects the rails.

[0028] The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) to the upper part of the game board 13. A return ball prevention member 68 is attached to the tip part of the inner rail 61 (upper left part of FIG. 2) to prevent a ball once guided to the upper part of the game board 13 from returning back into the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip part of the outer rail 62 (upper right part of FIG. 2) at a position corresponding to the maximum flight part of the ball, and a ball launched with a certain amount of force or more hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back toward the center while its force is reduced.

[0029] The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, which are equipped with a plurality of LEDs and a 7-segment display as light-emitting means, are arranged in the lower left side of the game area when viewed from the front (lower left side of FIG. 2). The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B are used to display information according to the controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and mainly display the game status of the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B are configured to be used differently depending on whether the ball has won the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 640. Specifically, when the ball has won the first winning hole 64, the first symbol display device 37A is activated, and when the ball has won the second winning hole 640, the first symbol display device 37B is activated.

[0030] The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B use LEDs to indicate whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a special probability, time-saving, or normal state, whether it is fluctuating, whether the stopped symbols correspond to a special probability jackpot, a normal jackpot, or a miss, and the number of reserved balls, while displaying the number of rounds during a jackpot and errors using a 7-segment display device. The LEDs are configured to have different light colors (e.g., red, green, and blue), and the combination of light colors can suggest various game states of the pachinko machine 10 with a small number of LEDs.

[0031] In this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first prize slot 64 and the second prize slot 640. In the lottery, the pachinko machine 10 judges whether or not a jackpot has been won (jackpot lottery), and if a jackpot has been determined, it also judges the type of jackpot. The types of jackpots that can be judged here include a 15R variable jackpot, a 4R variable jackpot, and a 15R normal jackpot. The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B not only show whether or not the result of the lottery is a jackpot as the stopped symbol after the variation ends, but also show a symbol according to the type of jackpot if a jackpot has been won.

[0032] Here, a "15R probability jackpot" refers to a probability jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and a "4R probability jackpot" refers to a probability jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4. Also, a "15R normal jackpot" refers to a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and is in a time-saving state for a predetermined number of variations (for example, 100 variations).

[0033] In addition, the "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a subsequent jackpot is increased as an added value after the jackpot is ended, that is, during a so-called probability fluctuation (during a probability change), in other words, a state of play in which it is easy to transition to a special game state. The high probability state (during a probability change) in this embodiment includes a game state in which the probability of a hit of the second symbol described later is increased and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 640. The "low probability state" refers to a time when the probability change is not in progress, and refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot is in a normal state, that is, a state in which the probability of a jackpot is lower than that in a probability change. In addition, the time-saving state (during time-saving) in the "low probability state" refers to a game state in which the probability of a jackpot is in a normal state and the probability of a jackpot remains the same, only the probability of a hit of the second symbol is increased, and the ball is likely to enter the second winning hole 640. On the other hand, the normal state of the pachinko machine 10 refers to a game state in which the probability of a jackpot is not in a probability change state or a time-saving state (a state in which neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of a hit of the second symbol is increased).

[0034] During the probability variation or time reduction, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time for which the electric device 640a associated with the second winning port 640 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal play. When the electric device 640a is in an open state (open state), the ball is more likely to win the second winning port 640 than when the electric device 640a is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the probability variation or time reduction, the ball is more likely to win the second winning port 640, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

[0035] In addition, during the probability variation or time reduction, instead of changing the opening time of the electric role 640a associated with the second winning port 640, or in addition to changing the opening time, the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may be increased compared to normal. Also, during the probability variation or time reduction, the winning probability of the second symbol may not be changed, and at least one of the time when the electric role 640a associated with the second winning port 640 is opened and the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may be changed. Also, during the probability variation or time reduction, the time when the electric role 640a associated with the second winning port 640 is opened and the number of times the electric role 640a opens with one win may not be changed, and only the winning probability of the second symbol may be changed to be increased compared to normal.

[0036] In the game area, a plurality of general winning holes 63 are arranged, through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball wins. In addition, a variable display unit 80 is arranged in the center of the game area. The variable display unit 80 is provided with a third pattern display device 81 consisting of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply abbreviated as "display device") that performs a variable display of a third pattern while synchronizing with the variable display in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, triggered by winning (initial winning) in the first winning hole 64 and the second winning hole 640, and a second pattern display device (not shown) consisting of an LED that displays a variable display of a second pattern, triggered by the passage of a ball through the through gate 67. In addition, a center frame 86 is arranged in the variable display unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81.

[0037] The third symbol display device 81 is composed of a large 9-inch liquid crystal display, and the display contents are controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 4), so that, for example, three symbol rows, upper, middle, and lower, are displayed. Each symbol row is composed of a plurality of symbols (third symbols), and these third symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, so that the third symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. The third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment performs decorative display according to the display of the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, while the display of the game state accompanying the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4) is performed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B. Note that, instead of a display device, the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, a reel or the like.

[0038] The second symbol display device performs a variable display in which a "circle" symbol and an "x" symbol as display symbols (second symbol (not shown)) are alternately lit for a predetermined period of time each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. In the pachinko machine 10, when it is detected that the ball has passed through the through gate 67, a winning lottery is held. If the winning lottery results in a winning, the second symbol display device displays a static "circle" symbol after the second symbol is displayed in a variable manner. If the winning lottery results in a losing, the second symbol display device displays a static "x" symbol after the third symbol is displayed in a variable manner.

[0039] The pachinko machine 10 is configured such that when the varying display in the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a "circle" pattern), the electric device 640a attached to the second winning port 640 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

[0040] The time required for the second symbol to change is set to be shorter during the probability change or time reduction than during the normal game state. As a result, during the probability change and time reduction, the second symbol changes and is displayed in a short time, so that more winning lotteries can be held than during the normal game state. Therefore, since there are more chances to win in the winning lottery, the player can be given more chances to open the electric role 640a of the second winning hole 640. Therefore, during the probability change and time reduction, the second winning hole 640 can be easily entered.

[0041] In addition, if the state is made such that the ball is likely to enter the second winning slot 640 during the probability variation or time reduction by other methods such as increasing the probability of winning or increasing the opening time or number of openings of the electric device 640a for one win during the probability variation or time reduction, the time taken for the second symbol to be displayed may be constant regardless of the game state. On the other hand, if the time taken for the second symbol to be displayed is set shorter during the probability variation or time reduction than during normal play, the probability of winning may be constant regardless of the game state, and the opening time or number of openings of the electric device 640a for one win may be constant regardless of the game state.

[0042] The through gates 67 are attached to the game board 13 in the left and right areas of the variable display unit 80, and are configured to allow a part of the ball shot to the game board 13 to pass through. When the ball passes through the through gates 67, a lottery for a second symbol is held. After the lottery for a second symbol is held, a variable display is performed on the second symbol display device, and if the lottery for a second symbol is a win, a "○" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display, and if the lottery for a second symbol is a miss, a "×" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display.

[0043] The number of times that the balls pass through the through gate 67 is reserved up to a maximum of four times in total, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the above-mentioned first symbol display device 37A, 37B, and is also displayed by lighting the second symbol reserved lamp (not shown). Four second symbol reserved lamps are provided, the maximum number of reserved balls, and are arranged symmetrically below the third symbol display device 81.

[0044] In addition, the variable display of the second pattern may be performed by switching on and off a plurality of lamps in the second pattern display device as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first pattern display device 37A, 37B and the third pattern display device 81. Similarly, the second pattern reserved lamp may be lit by a part of the third pattern display device 81. In addition, the maximum number of reserved balls for the passage of the ball through the through gate 67 is not limited to four times, and may be set to three times or less, or five times or more (e.g., eight times). In addition, the number of the through gates 67 to be assembled is not limited to two, and may be, for example, one. In addition, the assembly position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the left and right of the variable display device unit 80, and may be, for example, below the variable display device unit 80. In addition, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the second pattern reserved lamp may not be lit.

[0045] A first winning hole 64 into which a ball can win is disposed below the variable display unit 80. When a ball wins into this first winning hole 64, a first winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 is turned on, and when the first winning hole switch is turned on, a lottery for a big win is performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37A.

[0046] On the other hand, a second winning hole 640 into which a ball can win is disposed below the first winning hole 64 as viewed from the front. When a ball wins into this second winning hole 640, a second winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 is turned on, and when the second winning hole switch is turned on, a lottery for a big win is performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37B.

[0047] In addition, each of the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 640 is also one of the winning ports into which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning port. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640 may be different numbers, for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning port 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning port 640 may be five.

[0048] The second winning port 640 is provided with an electric device 640a. This electric device 640a is configured to be openable and closable, and is usually in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win the second winning port 640. On the other hand, when the second pattern display device displays a "○" pattern as a result of the variable display of the second pattern, which is performed in response to the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the electric device 640a is in an open state (expanded state), making it easy for the ball to win the second winning port 640.

[0049] As described above, during the probability of winning and the time-saving period, the probability of winning the second symbol is higher than during normal play, and the time it takes for the second symbol to change is also shorter, so the symbol "○" is more likely to be displayed in the change display of the second symbol, and the number of times that the electric device 640a is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the probability of winning and the time-saving period, the time that the electric device 640a is open is also longer than during normal play. Therefore, during the probability of winning and the time-saving period, it is possible to create a state in which the ball is more likely to win the second winning hole 640 than during normal play.

[0050] Here, the probability of winning a jackpot when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 is the same in both low and high probability states. However, the probability of a 15R variable jackpot being selected as the type of jackpot when a jackpot occurs is set higher when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 than when a ball enters the first winning slot 64. On the other hand, the first winning slot 64 does not have an electric device like the second winning slot 640, and the ball is always in a state where it can win a jackpot.

[0051] Therefore, under normal circumstances, the electric device associated with the second winning slot 640 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to aim for a jackpot by shooting the ball toward the first winning slot 64, which has no electric device, so that the ball passes to the left of the variable display unit 80 (the so-called "left shot") and aiming for a jackpot by winning at the first winning slot 64, thereby gaining more opportunities to win the jackpot lottery.

[0052] On the other hand, during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is likely to be opened by passing the ball through the through gate 67, making it easier to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning slot 640 so that it passes to the right of the variable display device 80 (the so-called "right hit"), passing through the through gate 67 to open the electric device, and aiming for the ball to win at the second winning slot 640, resulting in a 15R special bonus jackpot.

[0053] In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, since the game board 13 is symmetrical, the player can aim for the first winning hole 64 by "hitting from the right" and the second winning hole 640 by "hitting from the left". Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment does not require the player to change the way of shooting the ball between "hitting from the left" and "hitting from the right" depending on the game state of the pachinko machine 10 (whether it is in a special mode, in a time-saving mode, or in a normal mode). This eliminates the hassle of changing the way of shooting the ball.

[0054] A specific winning hole 65a is provided below the first winning hole 64. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery performed due to winning in the first winning hole 64 or the second winning hole 640 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first symbol display device 37A or the first symbol display device 37B is turned on to show a jackpot stop pattern, and a stop pattern corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third symbol display device 81 to indicate the occurrence of the jackpot. After that, the game state transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which a ball is likely to win. In this special game state, the specific winning hole 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed or until 10 balls win).

[0055] This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has passed, and after the closing, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is being performed is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger amount of prize balls than usual as an addition of game value (game value).

[0056] The special game state is not limited to the above-mentioned form. A large opening opening that is opened and closed separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when an LED corresponding to a big win is lit in the first pattern display device 37A, 37B, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and a large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times when a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a while the specific winning opening 65a is open. Also, the specific winning opening 65a is not limited to one, and one or more than two (for example, three) may be provided, and the location of the specific winning opening 65a is not limited to the lower right side of the first winning opening 64 or the lower left side of the first winning opening 64, but may be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

[0057] An attachment space K1 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc. is provided in the right corner of the lower side of the game board 13, and the stamps, etc. attached to the attachment space K1 can be viewed through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

[0058] The game board 13 is provided with an outlet 71. A ball that flows down the game area and does not win any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 640 is guided to a ball discharge path (not shown) through the outlet 71. The outlets 71 are arranged in pairs on the left and right of the specific winning hole 65a.

[0059] A large number of nails are set on the game board 13 in order to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various components (gimmicks) such as windmills are also provided.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is unitized with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113) and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is unitized with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115) and a card unit connection board 116.

[0061] The back pack unit 94 is a unit formed by the back pack 92 forming the protective cover and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each part, a port for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as necessary.

[0062] The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each stored in the board boxes 100 to 104. The board boxes 100 to 104 each include a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to store the respective control devices and boards.

[0063] In addition, the board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) are connected (connected by a crimping structure) between the box base and the box cover by a sealing unit (not shown). In addition, a sealing seal (not shown) is affixed to the connection between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if an attempt is made to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or to forcefully open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or the sealing seal, it is possible to know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

[0064] The payout unit 93 includes a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently inclined toward the downstream side, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132 and paying out balls by a predetermined electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see FIG. 4). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall, and the payout device 133 appropriately pays out the required number of balls. A vibrator 134 for applying vibration to the tank rail 131 is attached to the tank rail 131.

[0065] In addition, the payout control device 111 is provided with a state recovery switch 120, the launch control device 112 is provided with a variable resistor operation knob 121, and the power supply device 115 is provided with a RAM erase switch 122. The state recovery switch 120 is operated to resolve ball jams (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see FIG. 4). The operation knob 121 is operated to adjust the launch force of the launch solenoid. The RAM erase switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

[0066] Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

[0067] The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201 as a one-chip microcomputer that is a calculation device. The MPU 201 has a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 202, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission / reception circuit. In the main control device 110, the MPU 201 executes the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as a jackpot lottery, display settings in the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B and the third symbol display device 81, and a lottery for the display result in the second symbol display device.

[0068] In addition, in order to instruct sub-control devices such as the dispensing control device 111 and the voice lamp control device 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices via a data transmission / reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction, from the main control device 110 to the sub-control devices.

[0069] The RAM 203 has various areas, counters, flags, a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 201 and the return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 201 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which various flags, counters, I / O values, etc. are stored. The RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 203 is backed up.

[0070] When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values ​​of each register at the time of the power outage (including the time of the power outage; the same applies below) are stored in the RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power supply is turned on (including the time of the power supply being turned on due to the power outage being resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power supply was cut off based on the information stored in the RAM 203. Writing to the RAM 203 is executed by the main processing (not shown) when the power supply is cut off, and the restoration of each value written to the RAM 203 is executed in the start-up processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned on. Note that the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of the MPU 201 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 201, an NMI interrupt processing (not shown) is immediately executed as a processing during a power outage.

[0071] An input / output port 205 is connected to the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the voice lamp control device 113, the first symbol display device 37A, 37B, the second symbol display device, the second symbol reservation lamp, a large opening solenoid for driving the opening and closing of the specific winning port 65a to the front side with the lower side of the opening and closing plate as an axis, a solenoid for driving the electric role, and the like, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input / output port 205.

[0072] In addition, the input / output port 205 is connected to various switches 208 consisting of a group of switches not shown and a group of sensors including a slide position detection sensor S and a rotation position detection sensor R, and a RAM erasure switch circuit 253 described below that is provided in the power supply device 115, and the MPU 201 performs various processes based on the signals output from the various switches 208 and the RAM erasure signal SG2 output from the RAM erasure switch circuit 253.

[0073] The payout control device 111 drives a payout motor 216 to control the payout of prize balls and loan balls. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores a control program executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 used as a work memory, etc.

[0074] The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and the return address of the control program executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working area) in which the values ​​of various flags, counters, I / O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to hold (back up) data by being supplied with a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power supply of the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. In addition, like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage process.

[0075] An input / output port 215 is connected to the MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 215 is connected to the main control device 110, the payout motor 216, the launch control device 112, and the like. Although not shown, the payout control device 111 is connected to a prize ball detection switch for detecting the paid-out prize balls. The prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111 but is not connected to the main control device 110.

[0076] The launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51 when the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and an electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and the electromagnet are permitted to be driven when a predetermined condition is met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and on condition that the launch stop switch 51b for stopping the launch of the ball is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in response to the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of operation of the operating handle 51.

[0077] The voice lamp control device 113 controls the output of voice in the voice output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination unit 29 to 33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and advance notice performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores the control program executed by the MPU 221, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

[0078] An input / output port 225 is connected to the MPU 221 of the voice and lamp control device 113 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, a voice output device 226, a lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, etc. The other devices 228 include drive motors 490 and 4590.

[0079] The voice lamp control device 113 determines the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 based on various commands (variation pattern command, stop type command, etc.) received from the main control device 110, and notifies the display control device 114 of the determined display mode by commands (display variation pattern command, display stop type command, etc.). In addition, the voice lamp control device 113 monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the frame button 22 is operated by the player, instructs the display control device 114 to change the stage displayed on the third symbol display device 81 or change the performance content at the time of super reach. When the stage is changed, a back image change command including information on the changed stage is sent to the display control device 114 so that the third symbol display device 81 displays a back image corresponding to the changed stage. Here, the back image is an image displayed on the back side of the third symbol, which is the main image to be displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The display control device 114 displays various images on the third symbol display device 81 according to the command sent from this voice lamp control device 113.

[0080] Also, the voice lamp control device 113 receives a command (display command) representing the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the display control device 114. Based on the display command received from the display control device 114, the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a sound corresponding to the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content, and also controls the turning on and off of the lamp display device 227 in accordance with the display content.

[0081] The display control device 114 is connected to the voice lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the display of the third pattern display device 81, such as the variable performance of the third pattern, based on the command received from the voice lamp control device 113. The display control device 114 also transmits a display command to notify the display content of the third pattern display device 81 to the voice lamp control device 113 as appropriate. The voice lamp control device 113 can match the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the audio output from the audio output device 226 by outputting audio from the audio output device 226 in accordance with the display content indicated by the display command.

[0082] The power supply device 115 has a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each unit of the pachinko machine 10, a power failure monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruption due to a power failure or the like, and a RAM deletion switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM deletion switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltage to each of the control devices 110-114, etc. through a power supply path not shown. In summary, the power supply unit 251 takes in an AC voltage of 24 volts supplied from the outside, generates a voltage of 12 volts for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a voltage of 5 volts for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

[0083] The power failure monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power failure signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control device 111 when the power is cut off due to the occurrence of a power failure or the like. The power failure monitoring circuit 252 monitors the voltage of 24 volts DC, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and when this voltage becomes less than 22 volts, it judges that a power failure (power failure, power cut) has occurred and outputs the power failure signal SG1 to the main control device 110 and the dispensing control device 111. By outputting the power failure signal SG1, the main control device 110 and the dispensing control device 111 recognize the occurrence of a power failure and execute NMI interrupt processing. Note that the power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the voltage of 5 volts, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute the NMI interrupt processing, even after the voltage of 24 volts DC becomes less than 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can normally execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (not shown).

[0084] The RAM clear switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clear signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clear switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clear signal SG2 when the pachinko machine 10 is powered on, it clears the backup data and transmits a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

[0085] Next, the operation device 300 will be described. The operation device 300 is a device for allowing a player to participate in a performance by operation. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine 10, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the operation device 300, FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b) are front perspective views of the operation device 300, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the base member 320, the clutch member 330, the opening / closing member 340, and the switching device 400, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device 300 along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. In addition, in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9, the front frame 14 is partially illustrated. In addition, in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b), the illustration of the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operation member 310 is omitted. In addition, in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7(a), the first position state of the opening / closing member 340 is illustrated, and in FIG. 7(b), the second position state of the opening / closing member 340 is illustrated.

[0086] The operation device 300 is a device that executes state changes of the opening / closing member 340, as illustrated by way of example in Figures 6, 7(a) and 7(b), in response to the operation of the operation member 310, and creates an effect that enhances the player's interest by allowing the player to visually recognize the state changes.

[0087] The operation device 300 has a function of giving the operation device 300 itself a dramatic effect by allowing a part of the internal mechanism to be seen, and is made up of an inverted cup-shaped outer wall member 301 formed with an opening 301a in the center of the bottom and fixed to the front frame 14 in a manner to accommodate an operating device such as a switching device 400 between the outer wall member 301 and the front frame 14, an overlapping member 302 formed from a shape in which the height direction width of the outer wall member 301 is shortened, has an opening 302a in the center of the bottom that is coaxial with the opening 301a and has substantially the same shape (slightly larger diameter) as the opening 301a, and is overlapped and fixed to the outer wall member 301 in a manner to form an internal space between the outer wall member 301, and a member inserted into the openings 301a and 302a and whose movement is restricted by the internal space formed by the outer wall member 301 and the overlapping member 302. The device mainly comprises a dish-shaped operating member 310 made of a light-transmitting material, a base member 320 arranged at the rear side of the operating member 310 in the pushing direction, a clutch member 330 supported on the base member 320 so as to be able to slide in the pushing direction of the operating member 310, a pair of opening / closing members 340 configured to be able to fix their posture by engaging with the clutch member 330 and journaled on the base member 320, a switching device 400 that abuts against the opening / closing member 340 to determine the movement end of the opening / closing member 340, is configured in a doughnut shape when viewed in the pushing operation direction, is supported by the base member 320 so as to be rotatable around the base member 320, and a drive motor 490 that rotates the switching device 400.

[0088] The outer wall device 301 mainly comprises an opening 301a formed as a circular through hole in the center of the bottom of the inverted cup shape, and recessed portions 301b arranged radially outside the opening 301a at 90 degree intervals with respect to the center of the opening 301a and recessed downward from the top surface.

[0089] The recessed portion 301b is disposed so as to overlap with the outer extension portion 313 of the operating member 310 in the vertical direction, and receives the lower end portion of the spring SP1 that returns the operating member 310 upward (see FIG. 9).

[0090] The operating member 310 is arranged on the front side of the upper plate 17 of the front frame 14, and mainly comprises a main body portion 311 which is formed in an inverted cup shape and is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a protruding portion 312 which protrudes downward from the center of the upper base of the main body portion, an outer extension portion 313 which extends outward in a flange-like manner from the peripheral portion of the main body portion 311, a position shift prevention portion 314 which extends to the opposite side of the upper base based on the extension portion 313, and an inner extension portion 315 which extends in a flange-like manner from the extended end of the position shift prevention portion 314 to the inner peripheral side.

[0091] The outer periphery of the main body 311 is formed to have a circular cross section, and the diameter is substantially uniform throughout the vertical direction.

[0092] The protruding portion 312 is a portion that comes into contact with an abutment portion 332 of the clutch member 330, which will be described later. Due to the protruding portion 312, even if the clutch member 330 and the operating member 310 come into contact with each other when the operating member 310 is pushed in, the load applied to the main body portion 311 can be reduced and the main body portion 311 can be prevented from cracking.

[0093] The outer extension portion 313 is a portion that is inserted into a space formed between the bottom of the outer wall member 301 and the bottom of the overlapping member 302, and is formed in a ring shape around the periphery of the main body portion 311. The position where this outer extension portion 313 abuts against the upper surface of the bottom of the outer wall member 301 or the lower surface of the bottom of the overlapping member 302 defines the end position of the up and down movement of the operating member 310.

[0094] The misalignment prevention portion 314 is an annular portion that has substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the main body portion 311 and is extended downward from the main body portion 311, and the extended tip is inserted into the opening 301a of the outer wall member 301. Here, the opening 301a is formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the misalignment prevention portion 314, and the opening 302a is formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion 311. Therefore, by supporting the operating member 310 at two positions, upper and lower, it is possible to prevent the operating member 310 from losing its posture (being misaligned in the radial direction) while allowing the operating member 310 to slide in the up and down direction.

[0095] The base member 320 is a member fixed to the front frame 14 vertically below the operating member 310, and mainly comprises a main body portion 321 having a shape symmetrical about the rotation axis, a recessed portion 322 having a cylindrical shape with its central axis being a vertical line passing through the center of the protruding portion 312 of the operating member 310 and recessed vertically downward from the upper surface of the main body portion 321, shaft portions 323 which are a pair of rotation shaft rods that are spaced horizontally from the recessed portion 322, extend in a direction perpendicular to the recessed direction of the recessed portion 322, and are supported by a portion protruding from the upper surface of the main body portion 321, and an extended bottom portion 324 extending radially outward from the lower end of the main body portion 321.

[0096] The extended bottom portion 324 mainly comprises a support ridge portion 324a which protrudes radially outward from the main body portion 321 around its periphery, and a circular protrusion portion 324b which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the extended bottom portion 324 along a circular ring shape coaxial with the central axis of the main body portion 321.

[0097] The support ridge portion 324a and the circular ridge portion 324b reduce the contact area between the switching device 400 described below and the base member 320, thereby reducing the operating resistance of the switching device 400 and the driving force required for the drive motor 490.

[0098] The clutch member 330 is a member that is fitted into the recessed portion 322 of the base member 320 and moves up and down along the direction of the recess. The clutch member 330 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the recessed portion 322 and has a lower portion fitted into the recessed portion 322, a contact portion 332 that extends coaxially from the upper end of the main body rod portion 331 and has a smaller diameter than the main body rod portion 331, and a contact portion 332 that extends radially from the upper end of the main body rod portion 331. It mainly comprises an extension portion 333, a sealing portion 334 that supports the main body portion 331 at its upper end and is fixed to the base member 320 at its lower end, an E-ring 335 that is fitted radially into the main body rod portion 331 and has the effect of expanding the outer diameter of the main body rod portion 331, and a spring SP2 that is positioned below the E-ring 335 between the sealing portion 334 and the base member 320 and generates a biasing force that moves the main body rod portion 331 upward via the E-ring 335.

[0099] The abutment portion 332 is a portion that abuts against the protruding portion 312 of the operating member 310, and when the abutment is made and the clutch member 330 is pressed down, the clutch member 330 moves downward. Here, the clutch member 330 is biased by the spring SP2 on the opposite side of the operating member 310, so that even if the operating member 310 is operated violently (at high speed), the interference of the elastic force can prevent the load generated between the protruding portion 312 and the abutment portion 332 from becoming excessively large.

[0100] The extension portion 333 has an annular recess 333a recessed downward in a doughnut shape from the upper surface thereof. The annular recess 333a acts to prevent the opening / closing member 330 from changing its position when the opening / closing member 340 is in the first position state shown in FIG.

[0101] The sealing portion 334 is formed so that the inner diameter of the upper end inner hole 334b ​​of the opening is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body rod portion 331, and is fixed to the base member 320 after combining a pair of half-pipe-shaped half members 334a which are divided by a straight line passing through the central axis of the main body rod portion 331.

[0102] The method of assembling the sealing part 334 to the base member 320 will be described in detail below. First, the E-ring 335 is fitted radially into the main body rod part 331, and then the pair of half members 334a are joined together so that the E-ring 335 is housed inside the tube. Then, the spring SP2 is inserted into the inside of the sealing part 334 from the lower end side of the main body rod part 331, and in this state, the lower end of the main body rod part 331 is inserted into the recessed part 322 of the base member 320 while the lower end of the sealing part 334 is fitted into the base member 320, thereby fixing the sealing part 334 to the base member 320.

[0103] Assembling in this manner makes it possible to prevent sealing portion 334 from falling off from the intermediate member formed by combining a pair of half members 334a with main body rod portion 331. Therefore, since main body rod portion 331 and sealing portion 334 can be connected in advance, manufacturing efficiency can be improved on the production line.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 9, main body rod portion 331 is supported at two points, namely, recessed portion 322 of base member 320 and upper end inner hole 334b ​​of sealing portion 334. This prevents main body rod portion 331 of clutch member 330 from tilting, and ensures that the clutch member 330 has a sufficient range of movement when moving up and down.

[0105] The opening / closing member 340 is an elongated member pivotally supported by the shaft portion 323 of the base member 320, and comprises a main body plate portion 341 formed in an elongated plate shape when viewed in the axial direction, a support hole 342 formed in a circular shape penetrating the lower end portion of the main body plate portion 341 with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 323, an engagement claw 343 protruding from the upper end portion of the main body plate portion 341 on the side facing the clutch member 330, and a locking claw 344 protruding from a side surface of the main body plate portion 341 that intersects with the support hole 342. The opening / closing member 340 mainly comprises a protruding receiving portion 344 protruding from the side surface of the lower end of the main body plate portion 341 opposite the side facing the clutch member 330, a bulging portion 346 protruding from the surface of the main body plate portion 341 facing the sealing portion 334, and a torsion spring NB1 that is wrapped around the shaft portion 323 and engaged with the protruding receiving portion 344 to generate a biasing force that rotates the opening / closing member 340 to an outward position.

[0106] In this embodiment, the operation of the opening / closing member 340 is controlled so that the expectation of a big win can be understood from the operation of the opening / closing member 340. Therefore, by allowing the player to visually confirm the operation of the opening / closing member 340, the player can feel happy or sad.

[0107] The main body plate portion 341 has a pivotally supported lower half formed in a plate shape, and an upper half connected thereto is formed in a three-dimensional shape (approximately rectangular shape) expanded in the plate thickness direction.

[0108] The engaging claw 343 is formed in a hook shape that protrudes downward from the tip (toward the shaft portion 323), and engages with an annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 when the opening / closing member 340 is closest to the clutch member 330 (first position state) (see FIG. 9). The engaging claw 343 engages with the annular recess 333a, thereby preventing the opening / closing member 340 from rotating about the shaft portion 323. In other words, the opening / closing member 340 is prevented from moving from the first position state toward a state (second position state, etc.) separated from the clutch member 330.

[0109] The adjustment arm 345 is a member that comes into contact with the upper surface of the switching device 400 described later, thereby defining the rotation end of the opening / closing member 340. As described later, in this embodiment, the rotation end of the opening / closing member 340 is formed to be selectable from mainly three types.

[0110] The bulging portion 346 is a portion that contacts the sealing portion 334 to define the rotation end of the opening / closing member 340. Note that, in this embodiment, the surface facing the sealing portion 334 is configured in a flat shape, but it may be configured in a curved shape that matches the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the sealing portion 334.

[0111] The switching device 400 mainly comprises a main body ring portion 410 having a donut shape when viewed from above and formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion 321 of the base member 320, thereby being capable of relative rotation around the base member 320, an adjustment step portion 420 formed on the upper surface of the main body ring portion 410 and stopping the rotational movement of the opening / closing member 340 by abutting against the adjustment arm portion 345, gear teeth 430 engraved circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the main body ring portion 410, and a drive motor 490 that drives a drive gear 491 that meshes with the gear teeth 430.

[0112] The switching device 400 is a device configured to be able to change the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340, and is disposed below (on the back side of) the operating device 300 relative to the opening / closing member 340 as viewed by the player. This makes it easier for the player to see the opening / closing member 340, while making it difficult for the player to see the switching device 400.

[0113] The adjustment step portion 420 is configured in such a manner that the height of the upper surface changes for each angular position (phase) about the axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the main ring portion 410. Therefore, the position at which the rotation of the opening / closing member 340 stops changes depending on which surface of the adjustment step portion 420 the adjustment arm portion 345 comes into contact with.

[0114] The gear teeth 430 rotate when a driving force is transmitted from the drive gear 491. When the gear teeth rotate, the main body annular portion 410 and the adjustment step portion 420 formed on the upper surface thereof also rotate.

[0115] 8, the adjustment step portion 420 mainly includes a first surface 421 having the highest high stage h0 on its upper side, a second surface 422 having a middle stage h1 one stage lower than the first surface 421, a third surface 423 having the lowest low stage h2, and connecting surfaces connecting the circumferential ends of each surface (see FIG. 10 for the high stage h0, the middle stage h1, and the low stage h2). Note that a cutting surface θL0 described later and the third surface 423 are positioned at approximately 110 degrees offset from the central axis of the main body annular portion 410.

[0116] Each connecting surface is formed in such a manner that a volume portion where the annular shape of the main body annular portion 410 and a solid (block-shaped member) extending radially from the rotation axis of the main body annular portion 410 overlap is recessed from the main body annular portion 410. Therefore, each connecting surface is formed in such a manner that a straight line extending from the connecting surface intersects with the central axis of the main body annular portion 410 on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the main body annular portion 410.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 9, the operating member 310 is disposed opposite the upper surface of the outer wall member 301 and the upper surface of the opening / closing member 340 in the direction of the pushing operation, and the stroke amount of the operating member 310 is the length until the operating member 310 abuts against the upper surface of the outer wall member 301 or the upper surface of the opening / closing member 340. In this embodiment, when the operating member 310 is disposed at the upper end position of the moving range (see FIG. 9), the distance from the lower surface of the outer extension part 313 of the operating member 310 to the upper surface of the outer wall member 301 is shorter than the distance from the lower surface of the upper base of the main body part 311 of the operating member 310 to the upper surface of the opening / closing member 340. This makes it possible to prevent the operating member 310 and the opening / closing member 340 from colliding in the vertical direction even if the operating member 310 is pushed in to the lower end of the moving range.

[0118] The relationship between the adjustment step portion 420 and the opening / closing member 340 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. In the description of Fig. 10, Fig. 8 will also be referred to as appropriate.

[0119] Fig. 10 is a development of the outer circumferential surface of the switching device 400. The upper diagram of Fig. 10 is a development of the side surface of the main body annular portion 410 from a predetermined cutting line θL0 to a cutting line θL2 located at a position shifted by a central angle of 180 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above, and the lower diagram of Fig. 10 is a development of the side surface of the main body annular portion 410 from the cutting line θL2 to a cutting line θL0 located at a position shifted by a central angle of 180 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above (see Fig. 8 for the cutting lines θL0 and θL2).

[0120] Here, in Figure 8, the positions where the straight lines drawn up and down intersect correspond to positions diametrically opposite each other across the central axis of the main body annular portion 410 (positions where the protruding receiving portions 344 of a pair of opening and closing members 340 can abut simultaneously).

[0121] The cut lines θL0 to θL3 are drawn vertically on the side of the main ring portion 410 as reference lines for convenience when developing the side. Here, the cut line θL1 is arranged at a position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the cut line θL0 around the central axis of the main ring portion 410 as viewed from above, the cut line θL2 is arranged at a position rotated 180 degrees counterclockwise from the top (directly opposite the cut line θL0), and the cut line θL3 is arranged at a position rotated 270 degrees counterclockwise from the top (directly opposite the cut line θL1) (see FIG. 8).

[0122] As described above, adjustment step portion 420 is the portion that abuts against adjustment arm portion 345 of opening / closing member 340, and the manner in which opening / closing member 340 opens (operating mode) when rotated outward changes depending on which position of adjustment arm portion 345 and adjustment step portion 420 abuts.

[0123] For example, the shape of the adjustment step 420 from the cutting line θL1 to the cutting line θL2 is the same as the shape of the adjustment step 420 from the cutting line θL3 to the cutting line θL0 in terms of the relationship between the upper and lower views of Fig. 10. That is, when the adjustment arm 345 is disposed opposite the section of the adjustment step 420 from the cutting line θL1 to the cutting line θL2 and the section from the cutting line θL3 to the cutting line θL0, the opening / closing member 340 that rotates outward rotates to the same position as the pair of opening / closing members 340.

[0124] On the other hand, the shape of the adjustment step 420 from the cutting line θL0 to the cutting line θL1 is different from the shape of the adjustment step 420 from the cutting line θL2 to the cutting line θL3 in the relationship between the upper and lower views of FIG. 10. In detail, in the section from the cutting line θL0 to the cutting line θL1, the second surface 422 is disposed close to the cutting line θL0 side (the circumferential center position of the second surface 422 is disposed 11.25 degrees from the imaginary line BK2 to the cutting line θL0 side), and in the section from the cutting line θL2 to the cutting line θL3, the second surface 422 is disposed close to the cutting line θL3 side to the same extent as the second surface 422 is disposed close to the cutting line θL0 side in the section from the cutting line θL0 to the cutting line θL1. Therefore, the operation modes of the opening and closing member 340 can be made different from each other. Next, this will be described in detail.

[0125] As shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 10, three imaginary vertical lines are drawn at equal intervals between the cutting line θL0 and the cutting line θL1. In Fig. 10, the imaginary lines are defined as BK1, BK2, and BK3 in order from the side closest to the cutting line θL0. These imaginary lines BK1, BK2, and BK3 correspond to lines where the straight lines extending radially from the central axis of the main body annular portion 410 and the plane formed by the central axis of the main body annular portion 410 intersect with the circumferential surface of the main body annular portion 410.

[0126] 10 corresponds to the magnitude of the angle based on the central axis of the main body annular portion 410, the area between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1 is divided at equal intervals of 22.5 degrees by the imaginary lines BK1, BK2, and BK3. Similarly, in the lower view of FIG. 10, imaginary lines BK1, BK2, and BK3 are drawn between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3.

[0127] Next, the cases where the adjustment arm 345 abuts on the points along the cutting line θL0 will be described first, followed by the cases where the adjustment arm 345 abuts on the points along the imaginary lines BK1, BK2, and BK3.

[0128] In a state where the adjustment arm 345 abuts against the point along which the cutting line θL0 is drawn (initial state of the main ring portion 410, see FIG. 6), in the first position state of the opening / closing member 340, the adjustment arm 345 is already abutting against the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 420. Therefore, the opening / closing member 340 cannot move any further toward the second position state, so that even if the engagement between the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340 is released, the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state. Note that in FIG. 10, the state where the adjustment arm 345 can abut against the point along which the cutting line θL0 is drawn corresponds to the initial state (instruction waiting state) of the main ring portion 410.

[0129] Next, a case will be described where the adjustment arm 345 comes into contact with the point along the imaginary line BK1. This state corresponds to a state where the main body annular portion 410 of the switching device 400 is rotated 22.5 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG.

[0130] When the adjustment arm 345 is in a state where it can abut against the point along which the virtual line BK1 is drawn (first performance state), the adjustment arm 345 (hereinafter also referred to as adjustment arm 345b) arranged between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 is still in contact with the first surface 421 of the adjustment step 420, while the adjustment arm 345 (hereinafter also referred to as adjustment arm 345a) arranged between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1 is opposed to the second surface 422, and a space is formed between it and the second surface 422.

[0131] Therefore, if the engagement between the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340 is released, the adjustment arm 345b arranged between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 is maintained in the first position state, while the adjustment arm 345a arranged between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1 rotates from the first position state until the space between the second surface 422 is filled (until the adjustment arm 345 and the second surface 422 abut).

[0132] In addition, the opening / closing member 340 in which the rotated adjustment arm 345a is disposed returns to the first position state by the adjustment arm 345 sliding on the adjustment step portion 420 and being lifted up to the first surface 421 as the main ring portion 410 rotates. For example, by rotating the main ring portion 410 counterclockwise as viewed from above, the other adjustment arm 345 can be made to reach the position where the cutting line θL0 is drawn (the adjustment arm 345 can be moved leftward in FIG. 10), and the adjustment arm 345a can be lifted up to the first surface 421. In addition, since the connecting surface between the first surface 421 and the second surface 422 is formed at an angle, it is possible to prevent the adjustment arm 345 from being overloaded.

[0133] In the following description, the opening / closing member 340 on which the adjustment arm portion 345a is provided is also referred to as opening / closing member 340a, and the opening / closing member 340 on which the adjustment arm portion 345b is provided is also referred to as opening / closing member 340b.

[0134] Next, a case where the adjustment arm 345 comes into contact with the point along the imaginary line BK2 will be described. This state corresponds to a state where the main body annular portion 410 of the switching device 400 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG.

[0135] When the adjustment arm 345 is in a state where it can abut against the point where the virtual line BK2 is drawn (second performance state), both the adjustment arm 345b arranged between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3, and the adjustment arm 345a arranged between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1, are opposed to the second surface 422, and a space is formed between them.

[0136] Therefore, if the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340 are disengaged, the adjustment arm 345b arranged between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 and the adjustment arm 345a arranged between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1 rotate from the first position state until the space between them and the second surface 422 is filled (until the adjustment arm 345 and the second surface 422 come into contact). After the rotation, the opening / closing member 340 returns to the first position state by the adjustment arm 345 sliding on the adjustment step portion 420 and being lifted up to the first surface 421 as the main body annular portion 410 rotates. In addition, since the connecting surface between the first surface 421 and the second surface 422 is formed at an angle, it is possible to prevent the adjustment arm 345 from being overloaded.

[0137] Here, from the second performance state, the return manner of the pair of opening and closing members 340 can be changed by switching the rotation direction of the main body annular portion 410 between forward and reverse. For example, when the main body annular portion 410 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above (when the adjustment arm portion 345 is moved leftward in FIG. 10), the opening and closing member 340b disposed between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 returns to the first position state earlier than the opening and closing member 340a, whereas when the main body annular portion 410 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above (when the adjustment arm portion 345 is moved rightward in FIG. 10), the opening and closing member 340b disposed between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 returns to the first position state later than the opening and closing member 340a.

[0138] Therefore, by changing the direction in which the main ring portion 410 is rotated after the operating member 310 is operated by the player in relation to the expected degree of fluctuation occurring at that time, the difference in the return mode of the opening / closing member 340 can be changed in relation to the expected degree of a jackpot, thereby increasing the attention paid to the opening / closing member 340.

[0139] Next, a case will be described where the adjustment arm 345 comes into contact with the point along the imaginary line BK3. This state corresponds to a state where the main body annular portion 410 of the switching device 400 is rotated 67.5 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG.

[0140] When the adjustment arm 345 is in a state where it can abut against the point where the virtual line BK3 is drawn (third performance state), the adjustment arm 345b, which is positioned between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3, is opposed to the second surface 422, forming a space between the second surface 422, while the adjustment arm 345a, which is positioned between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1, abuts against the first surface 421 of the adjustment step 420.

[0141] Therefore, if the engagement between the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340 is released, the adjustment arm 345b located between the cutting lines θL2 and θL3 rotates from the first position state until the space between the second surface 422 is filled (until the adjustment arm 345 and the second surface 422 abut), while the adjustment arm 345a located between the cutting lines θL0 and θL1 is maintained in the first position state.

[0142] After the rotation, the opening / closing member 340a returns to the first position state by the adjustment arm 345 sliding on the adjustment step 420 and being lifted up to the first surface 421 as the main ring portion 410 rotates. For example, by rotating the main ring portion 410 clockwise as viewed from above, the adjustment arm 345b can be made to reach the position where the cutting line θL3 is drawn (the adjustment arm 345 can be moved to the right in FIG. 10), and the adjustment arm 345b can be lifted up to the first surface 421. In addition, since the connecting surface between the first surface 421 and the second surface 422 is formed at an angle, it is possible to prevent the adjustment arm 345 from being overloaded.

[0143] As described above, rotating the main body annular portion 410 clockwise in top view corresponds to moving the adjustment arm portion 345 to the right in Fig. 10 (indicated by the arrow CW in Fig. 10). Conversely, rotating the main body annular portion 410 counterclockwise in top view corresponds to moving the adjustment arm portion 345 to the left in Fig. 10 (indicated by the arrow CCW in Fig. 10).

[0144] In addition, in a state where the adjustment arm 345 can come into contact with the third step 423 of the adjustment step 420 (fourth performance state), the opening / closing member 340 rotates at the maximum rotation angle from the first position state. In this case, the surface of the opening / closing member 340 facing the operating member 310 is configured in a manner to come into contact with the operating member 310, which will be described in detail later.

[0145] Next, a state in which a player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body annular portion 410 is in the initial state will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 300 taken along line IX-IX in Figure 6, and Figure 12 is a top view of the operating device 300 as viewed in the direction of arrow XII in Figure 11.

[0146] In Fig. 11, the operating member 310 before being pushed in is shown by an imaginary line, and in Fig. 12, for ease of understanding, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted. In Fig. 12, the main body annular portion 410 is positioned so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in Fig. 12) that passes through the center of the main body annular portion 410 and connects the centers of the pair of opening / closing members 340 passes through the cutting line θL0.

[0147] 11, when a player pushes in the operating member 310, the clutch member 330 comes into contact with and is pushed in by the protruding portion 312, thereby lowering the clutch member 330. As a result, the engagement between the annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 and the engagement claw 343 of the opening / closing member 340 is released, but since the rotation of the adjustment arm 345 is restricted by the adjustment step 420, the operation of the opening / closing member 340 is restricted.

[0148] Therefore, the state of the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state both before and after the player operates the operating member 310 (see FIG. 12). In this way, in the initial state, the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state regardless of whether the operating member 310 is operated or not, so that even if the player presses the operating member 310 despite the fact that no performance (performance by the third symbol display device 81, other liquid crystal screens, sounds, or lamps) has been generated to instruct the player to press the operating member 310, the opening / closing member 340 can be prevented from opening or closing.

[0149] Next, a state in which the player presses the operating member 310 when the main body annular portion 410 is in the second performance state will be described with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 300 taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 6, and Fig. 14 is a top view of the operating device 300 taken in the direction of arrow XIV in Fig. 13.

[0150] In Fig. 13, the operation member 310 before being pushed in is shown by an imaginary line, and in Fig. 14, the illustration of the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operation member 310 is omitted for ease of understanding. Also, as shown in Fig. 14, the main body annular portion 410 is positioned so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in Fig. 14) that passes through the center of the main body annular portion 410 and connects the centers of the pair of opening / closing members 340 passes through a virtual line BK2. That is, Fig. 14 shows a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 12.

[0151] 13, when the player pushes in the operating member 310, the clutch member 330 comes into contact with and is pushed into the protruding portion 312, causing the clutch member 330 to move downward. This releases the engagement between the annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 and the engagement pawl 343 of the opening / closing member 340, causing the pair of opening / closing members 340 to rotate in directions away from each other. The rotation of the opening / closing member 340 stops when the adjustment arm 345 comes into contact with the second surface 422 of the adjustment step 420.

[0152] Therefore, the state of the opening / closing member 340 changes from a first position state to a second position state before and after the player operates the operating member 310 (see FIG. 14). Therefore, the change in the contents of the operating device 300 can be added as information to be given to the player, so that the attention of the operating device 300 can be improved. For example, by controlling the drive motor 490 so that the difference in the expectation of a big win can be identified depending on whether the state of the opening / closing member 340 changes, a look-ahead performance can be performed by the change in the state of the opening / closing member 340.

[0153] Since the direction in which the engaging claw 343 of the opening / closing member 340 arranged in the first position state moves (left and right direction, the direction of a tangent drawn to a circle at the intersection of a circle centered on the shaft portion 323 and a line drawn up and down through the shaft portion 323 in FIG. 13) and the direction in which the clutch member 330 moves (up and down direction) intersect at a right angle, it is possible to reduce the load generated between the opening / closing member 340 and the clutch member 330 when the extension portion 333 of the clutch member 330 is lowered by pushing in the operating member 310. This makes it possible to make the reaction force given to the player via the operating member 310 equal when the opening / closing member 340 is arranged in the first position state (see FIG. 13, shown by imaginary lines) and when the opening / closing member 340 is arranged in the second position state (see FIG. 13, shown by solid lines).

[0154] In other words, when the player operates the operating member 310, the reaction force imparted to the player via the operating member 310 is mainly composed of the biasing force of the spring SP1 and the spring SP2 of the clutch member 330, and this reaction force does not change significantly depending on whether the opening / closing member 340 is in the first position state or the second position state.

[0155] This can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the player due to the change in reaction force from the operating member 310. In addition, since it is difficult to grasp the change in the state of the opening / closing member 340 from the reaction force, it is possible to encourage the player to pay attention to the state of the opening / closing member 340, and the attention to the opening / closing member 340 can be improved.

[0156] In addition, since the effects are produced by changes in the internal state of the operating device 300, lighting devices such as LEDs are not necessarily required, and costs can be reduced by reducing the number of LEDs, and space can be saved by eliminating LED wiring.

[0157] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the operating member 310 is not operated, the load applied to the opening / closing member 340 increases, and the like, so that the opening / closing member 340 is easily prevented from rotating. This will be described below.

[0158] When the operating member 310 is not being operated, the opening / closing member 340 may unintentionally swing violently due to an impact given to the pachinko machine 10 by a player, vibrations transmitted from other operating members, etc. In this case, the load given to the clutch member 330 from the opening / closing member 340 becomes large, and if the extension portion 333 is pushed down by the load from the opening / closing member 340, the engagement between the extension portion 333 and the engagement claw 343 is released, and the opening / closing member 340 may erroneously rotate from the first position state.

[0159] Here, in this embodiment, since the engagement claw 343 is provided to protrude toward the shaft portion 323 side which is the rotation shaft of the opening / closing member 340, when the opening / closing member 340 starts to rotate from a state in which the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340 are engaged (see FIG. 9), the extension portion 333 is pushed downward (toward the shaft portion 323) due to interference with the protruding tip of the engagement claw 343. In this case, the E-ring 335 also moves downward at the same time, and the spring SP2 is compressed, so that the force for maintaining the opening / closing member 340 in the first position state (the biasing force of the spring SP2 which tries to push up the E-ring 335) increases. Therefore, the clutch member 330 is pushed down by the opening / closing member 340, and it is easy to prevent the opening / closing member 340 from erroneously rotating.

[0160] This mechanism for preventing malfunction is not based on controlling a solenoid or the like, but is based on a mechanical engagement between the clutch member 330 and the opening / closing member 340. Therefore, it is possible to reliably respond to unexpected shocks and vibrations, and improve the reliability of the operation of the operating member 300 (suppress malfunction).

[0161] Next, the return operation of the opening / closing member 340 will be described with reference to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are top views of the operation device 300. Fig. 15 illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 14, and Fig. 16 illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 14.

[0162] As shown in Fig. 15, when the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 14, the adjustment member 345a moves to the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 420, whereby the opening / closing member 340a (the member on the upper side of Fig. 15, the member disposed on the back side) rotates to the first position state, while the opening / closing member 340b is maintained in the second position state. Note that in Figs. 22 and 23 described later, the return mode shown in Fig. 15 is referred to as the back-front return mode.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 16, when the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 14, the adjustment member 345b moves to the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 420, and the opening / closing member 340b (the member on the lower side of FIG. 16, the member disposed on the front side) rotates to the first position state, while the opening / closing member 340a is maintained in the second position state. That is, the state of the opening / closing member 340 after the main body annular portion 410 is rotated is upside down compared to FIG. 15. Note that in FIGS. 22 and 23 described later, the return mode shown in FIG. 16 is referred to as the front-first return mode.

[0164] Therefore, the return mode of the opening / closing member 340 after the player operates the operating member 310 to reach the state shown in Figure 14 can be changed by the rotation direction of the main ring portion 410.Therefore, by configuring this difference in return mode as an effect related to the expectation for the occurrence of a special gaming state such as a jackpot gaming state (hereinafter referred to as "jackpot expectation level"), it is possible to increase attention to the operating device 300 after operation.

[0165] Conventionally, differences in the likelihood of winning a jackpot have been notified to the player by, for example, differences in the sound output from a sound output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226 (see Figure 4), differences in the output mode of turning on and off the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29 to 33 and the indicator lamp 34) 227 (see Figures 1 and 4), differences in the color of the light emitted, etc.

[0166] However, with audio notifications, there is a risk that they will be drowned out by loud sounds emitted from other gaming machines, and with light notifications, there is a limit to the easily distinguishable color differences and changes in output mode, and the number of categories of jackpot expectation is limited to a small number (for example, four types), which makes the game prone to becoming monotonous. Also, with light notifications, the parts that are lit or turned off may be changed depending on the expectation, but even in this case, space is required and the player has to move his or her eyes to follow the light, which ultimately causes the player to lose attention.

[0167] In contrast, in this embodiment, as described later, at least eight types of operation modes of the opening / closing member 340 associated with the operation of the operating member 310 can be formed. Therefore, at least eight types of jackpot expectation degrees can be notified by the operation modes of the opening / closing member 340. In addition, since the player only needs to pay attention to the opening / closing member 340, there is no need to move the line of sight to multiple places, so the player can maintain attention to the opening / closing member 340.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 10, by rotating the adjustment arm 345b further 22.5 degrees clockwise (in the same direction) from the state shown in FIG. 15 when viewed from above, it is possible to move the adjustment arm 345b to the first surface 421 of the adjustment step 420, thereby returning the pair of opening / closing members 340 to the first position state.

[0169] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, by rotating the adjustment arm 345a further 22.5 degrees counterclockwise (in the same direction) when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 16, it is possible to move the adjustment arm 345a to the first surface 421 of the adjustment step 420, thereby returning the pair of opening / closing members 340 to the first position state.

[0170] Next, a case where the main body annular portion 410 is in the first performance state will be described with reference to Fig. 17 to Fig. 19. Fig. 17 is a top view of the operation device 300, Fig. 18 is a top view of the operation device 300, and Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device 300 taken along line XIX-XIX in Fig. 18.

[0171] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, the outer wall member 301, the stacking member 302 and the operating member 310 are omitted from illustration in Figures 17 and 18, and in Figure 19, the opening / closing member 340a after the rotation operation is shown by imaginary lines.

[0172] Fig. 17 illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 12, and Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 17. That is, in Fig. 18, the main body annular portion 410 is positioned so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in Fig. 18) that passes through the center of the main body annular portion 410 and connects the centers of a pair of opening / closing members 340 passes through a virtual line BK1.

[0173] In the state shown in FIG. 19, when the player pushes in the operating member 310, the clutch member 330 moves downward by abutting against the protruding portion 312 and being pushed in. As a result, the engagement between the annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 and the engagement claw 343 of the opening / closing member 340 is released, and only the opening / closing member 340a (on the right side of FIG. 19) of the pair of opening / closing members 340 rotates, and the rotation of the opening / closing member 340a stops when the adjustment arm 345a abuts against the second surface 422 of the adjustment step 420. After the operation of the operating member 310, the state of the main body annular portion 410 can be returned to the state shown in FIG. 12 by further rotating the main body annular portion 410 counterclockwise in a top view by 22.5 degrees, and the opening / closing member 340a can be returned to the first position state.

[0174] Next, a case where the main body annular portion 410 is in the third performance state will be described with reference to Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. Fig. 20 is a top view of the operation device 300, and Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device 300 taken along line XXI-XXI in Fig. 20. In the description of Fig. 20 and Fig. 21, Fig. 17 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0175] In order to facilitate understanding, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302 and the operating member 310 are omitted in FIG. 20, and the opening / closing member 340b after the rotational operation is shown by imaginary lines in FIG.

[0176] 20 and 21 show a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 17. That is, in Fig. 20, the main body annular portion 410 is positioned so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in Fig. 20) that passes through the center of the main body annular portion 410 and connects the centers of the pair of opening and closing members 340 passes through the imaginary line BK3.

[0177] 21, when the player pushes in the operating member 310, it comes into contact with the protruding portion 312 and is pushed in, causing the clutch member 330 to move downward. As a result, the engagement between the annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 and the engagement claw 343 of the opening / closing member 340 is released, and only the opening / closing member 340b (left side of FIG. 21) of the pair of opening / closing members 340 rotates, and the rotation of the opening / closing member 340b stops when the adjustment arm 345b comes into contact with the second surface 422 of the adjustment step 420.

[0178] Furthermore, after operating the operating member 310, the main ring portion 410 can be further rotated 22.5 degrees clockwise when viewed from above, so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in Figure 20) passing through the center of the main ring portion 410 and connecting the centers of the pair of opening and closing members 340 passes through the cutting line θL1, thereby allowing the adjustment arm portion 345b to reach the first surface 421 (see Figure 10) and returning the opening and closing member 340b to the first position state.

[0179] Therefore, by the player operating the operating member 310, the changes that occur in the opening / closing member 340 can be formed in multiple types (at least three types: the state shown in Figure 14, the state shown in Figures 18 and 19, and the state shown in Figures 20 and 21) by previously changing the state of the main ring portion 410.

[0180] Therefore, the difference in the type of change in the contents of the operating device 300 can be added as information to be given to the player, thereby improving the attention-grabbing power of the operating device 300. For example, by controlling the drive motor 490 so that the difference in the expectation of a big win can be identified depending on the type of state change of the opening / closing member 340, a pre-reading performance can be performed depending on the type of state change of the opening / closing member 340.

[0181] Here, for example, in FIG. 18, even if the main body annular portion 410 is rotated after the opening / closing member 340a is rotated, the state of the opening / closing member 340b does not change. By utilizing this, the main body annular portion 410 is rotated 22.5 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 18, and while the state of the opening / closing members 340a, 340b is maintained during the rotation of the main body annular portion 410, the opening / closing member 340b can be rotated when the operating member 310 is pressed again, and as a result, the pair of opening / closing members 340 can be put into the second position state. The same can be done by rotating the main body annular portion 410 22.5 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 20.

[0182] Therefore, by controlling the main body annular portion 410 in a manner that associates the difference between whether or not the state of the opening / closing member 340 changes by a second push-in operation after the operation member 310 is pushed in with the difference in the expectation of a jackpot, it is possible to improve the attention-grabbing power of the operation device 300 after one operation of the operation member 310. Also, since the expectation of a jackpot changes depending on whether or not the state of the opening / closing member 340 changes by a second push-in operation, it is possible to draw attention to the operation device 300 even after a second push-in operation.

[0183] In addition, since the rotation angle is the same at 22.5 degrees, the period during which the drive motor 490 is rotated at a predetermined first speed to move the main body circular portion 410 from the state shown in Fig. 17 to the state shown in Fig. 18 is the same as the period during which the drive motor 490 is rotated at a predetermined first speed to move the main body circular portion 410 from the state shown in Fig. 17 to the state shown in Fig. 20. This makes it possible to prevent the player from knowing the state of the main body circular portion 410 from the operating sound and vibration of the drive motor 490.

[0184] In addition, after the pair of opening / closing members 340 rotate, as described above with reference to Figs. 15 and 16, which of the pair of opening / closing members 340, 340a, 340b, is to be restored can be changed by the rotation direction of the main ring portion 410. Therefore, by combining the manner in which the opening / closing members 340 rotate and the manner in which the opening / closing members 340 restore, it is possible to perform movements corresponding to a plurality of types of jackpot expectations. This can improve the attention-grabbing power of the operating device 300.

[0185] Figures 22(a) to 22(d) and 23(a) to 23(d) are model diagrams of the opening / closing member 340. In Figures 22(a) to 22(d) and 23(a) to 23(d), different patterns of the rotational operation of the opening / closing member 340 are illustrated in time series. Here, in Figures 22 and 23, the opening / closing member 340b is illustrated on the left side, and the opening / closing member 340a is illustrated on the right side.

[0186] The timing to prompt the player to press the operating member 310 is indicated by "press" on the third symbol display device 81, etc. Also, the time series change in the state of the switching device 400 is indicated as a horizontal bar. Here, the indication of "BK1 preparation" means that the virtual line BK1 and the adjustment arm 345 are arranged opposite each other at the timing of the right end of the frame. The indication of "BK2 preparation" means that the virtual line BK2 and the adjustment arm 345 are arranged opposite each other, and the indication of "BK3 preparation" means that the virtual line BK3 and the adjustment arm 345 are arranged opposite each other. This is the same in Figs. 24 and 25.

[0187] 22 and 23, at least eight types of rotational operation modes of the opening / closing member 340 can be formed. For example, as shown in Fig. 22(a), a first operation pattern can be formed in which the player operates the operating member 310 by pushing it in when the main body annular portion 410 is in the second performance state (see Fig. 13), and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned in the front-first return mode (see Fig. 16).

[0188] Also, for example, as shown in Figure 22 (b), a second operation pattern can be formed in which the player operates the operating member 310 by pushing it in when the main body annular portion 410 is in the second performance state (see Figure 13), and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned in a rear-front return mode (see Figure 15).

[0189] By controlling the posture of the main body annular portion 410 so that the likelihood of a jackpot differs depending on whether the first operation pattern or the second operation pattern is achieved, it is possible to increase attention to the return operation of the opening / closing member 340 after both of the pair of opening / closing members 340 have rotated by pushing in the operating member 310.

[0190] In addition, for example, as shown in Figure 22 (c), a third operation pattern can be formed in which the player operates the operating member 310 by pushing it in when the main body ring portion 410 is in the first performance state (see Figure 18), and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned to its original position.

[0191] In addition, for example, as shown in Figure 22 (d), a fourth operation pattern can be formed in which the player operates the operating member 310 by pushing it in when the main body ring portion 410 is in the third performance state (see Figure 20), and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned to its original position.

[0192] By controlling the posture of the main body annular portion 410 so that the likelihood of a jackpot differs depending on whether the third or fourth operation pattern is achieved, it is possible to increase attention to the rotational operation of the opening / closing member 340 when the operating member 310 is pressed in.

[0193] When the switching device 400 is placed in the initial position, the rotation angle of the main body circular portion 410 required to set the switching device 400 to the third performance state is larger than the rotation angle of the main body circular portion 410 required to set the switching device 400 to the first performance state. Therefore, the structure may be designed to allow the player to easily grasp the operating sound and vibration of the drive motor 490, thereby allowing the player to predict the state of the main body circular portion 410.

[0194] In this case, under the assumption that the operating speed of the drive motor 490 is constant, if the operating sound of the drive motor 490 continues for a long time, the player can be made to predict that the fourth operation pattern will be used. Therefore, if the expectation of a big win when the fourth operation pattern is used is set high, the interest of the player can be increased.

[0195] Here, a second initial state may be set in which the adjustment arm 345 is supported not at the initial position but at a position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the initial position when viewed from above (a position where the adjustment arm 345a coincides with the cutting line θL1). In this case, from the second initial state, the switching device 400 can be set to the third performance state even if the operation sound is short (if rotated 22.5 degrees), and the switching device 400 can be set to the first performance state even if the operation sound is long. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult to grasp the relationship between the operation sound and vibration of the drive motor 490 and the expectation of a big win.

[0196] The operation timing of the main body circular portion 410 is, for example, when the third symbol display device 81 is performing a reach effect. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the drive motor 490 is constant. Therefore, in order to prepare a sufficient period when the rotation angle of the main body circular portion 410 becomes large, an operation with a large rotation angle is performed during a long reach, and an operation with a small rotation angle is performed during a short reach. For example, the third operation pattern is adopted in a short reach, and the first, second, and fourth operation patterns are adopted in a long reach.

[0197] When the switching device 400 is returned to the initial state after being in the second initial state, the main ring portion 410 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above. This prevents the opening / closing member 340 from moving in the first to eighth operation patterns described above, which may confuse the player, even if the player presses the operating member 310 during the return operation. In addition, by utilizing the range in which the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 420 is maintained long in the circumferential direction, the adjustment arm portion 345 can be maintained in the upper end position of the moving range (the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state) for most of the return operation. In addition, this return operation is performed outside the period in which the reach performance is being performed. This makes it possible to return the main ring portion 410 to the initial position when the player's attention is diverted.

[0198] Also, for example, as shown in Figure 23(a), a fifth operation pattern can be formed in which the player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body circular portion 410 is in the first performance state (see Figure 18), and then the main body circular portion 410 is rotated to a position in the second performance state (see Figure 13), after which the player presses in the operating member 310 again, and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned to its front-front return state (see Figure 16).

[0199] Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 23(b), a sixth operation pattern can be formed in which the player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body circular portion 410 is in the first performance state (see FIG. 18), and then the main body circular portion 410 is rotated to a position in the second performance state (see FIG. 13), after which the player presses in the operating member 310 again, and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned in a rear-front return mode (see FIG. 15).

[0200] Furthermore, for example, as shown in Figure 23 (c), a seventh operation pattern can be formed in which the player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body circular portion 410 is in the third performance state (see Figure 20), and then the main body circular portion 410 is rotated to the position of the second performance state (see Figure 13), after which the player presses in the operating member 310 again, and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned to the front-front return state (see Figure 16).

[0201] Furthermore, for example, as shown in Figure 23(d), an eighth operation pattern can be formed in which the player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body circular portion 410 is in the third performance state (see Figure 20), and then the main body circular portion 410 is rotated to the position of the second performance state (see Figure 13), after which the player presses in the operating member 310 again, and then the opening / closing member 340 is returned in a rear-front return mode (see Figure 15).

[0202] 23, in the fifth to eighth operation patterns, one of the pair of opening / closing members 340 operates before and after the player presses in the operating member 310 (performs the second operation). The difference in the probability of winning may be expressed by combining the operation modes of the members on one side.

[0203] In this case, for example, if it is controlled so that "if the opening / closing member 340 on the side that rotates due to the first pushing operation maintains the rotated state (second position state) longer than the opening / closing member 340 on the opposite side after the second operation, the probability of winning a jackpot is high," the fifth and eighth operation patterns will have a higher probability of winning a jackpot than the sixth and seventh operation patterns.

[0204] By controlling in this manner, it is possible to add a new game feature in which the likelihood of a jackpot is known from the operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 over a certain period of time, in addition to the game feature in which the likelihood of a jackpot is known from the state (operating mode) of the opening / closing member 340 at a certain point in time.

[0205] Therefore, compared to the case where all information regarding the likelihood of a jackpot is obtained by the first pushing operation of the operating member 310, the player's attention to the opening / closing member 340 can be improved during the second pushing operation and throughout the period until the opening / closing member 340 reaches the second position after the second pushing operation.

[0206] The combination of the operation modes of the members on one side is not limited to the above, and various combinations are exemplified. For example, it may be controlled so that "if the opening / closing member 340 on the side that rotates due to the first pushing operation returns to the initial state (first position state) earlier than the opening / closing member 340 on the opposite side after the second operation, the expectation of a big win is high." In this case, the fifth and eighth operation patterns have a lower expectation of a big win than the sixth and seventh operation patterns.

[0207] Also, for example, the control may be made so that "the probability of winning is higher when the opening / closing member 340a on the rear side rotates due to the first pushing operation than when the opening / closing member 340b on the front side rotates, and the probability of winning is higher when the opening / closing member 340b on the front side returns from the second pushing operation than when the opening / closing member 340a on the rear side returns." In this case, among the fifth to eighth operation patterns, the fifth operation pattern has the highest probability of winning, and the sixth, seventh, and eighth operation patterns have lower probability of winning in that order.

[0208] In addition, in terms of the number of steps of the motion, the motion patterns (5th to 8th motion patterns) shown in Fig. 23 are longer in duration than the motion patterns (1st to 4th motion patterns) shown in Fig. 22, but the correspondence between the length of the motion and the degree of expectation is not limited. For example, the motion pattern shown in Fig. 22 may be controlled so that the expectation of a jackpot is higher than that of the motion pattern shown in Fig. 23, or vice versa. Also, for example, the first to eighth motion patterns may be randomly ordered, and the expectation of a jackpot may be controlled to be higher in that order.

[0209] As a control method for the presentation, a push command may be issued again before the opening / closing member 340 returns to its original position in the third or fourth operation pattern. In this case, even if the operating member 310 is pushed in accordance with the push command, the opening / closing member 340 placed in the first position state does not rotate, and a presentation in which the position is maintained (a so-called "fake presentation") can be performed. Therefore, even if a second push command is issued, it is not necessarily determined that the main body annular portion 410 is moving in any of the fifth to eighth operation patterns, and the player's sense of tension when pushing in the operating member 310 can be increased.

[0210] As a control method for the presentation, a push command may be issued again before the opening / closing members 340 return to their original position in the first or second operation pattern. In this case, even if the operating member 310 is pushed in accordance with the push command, if the opening / closing members 340 are placed in the second position state, the position is simply maintained, and if the player ignores the first operation command, the pair of opening / closing members 340 are placed in the second position state. Therefore, even if a second push command is issued, it is possible to ensure that the main body annular portion 410 is operating in any of the fifth to eighth operation patterns.

[0211] This increases the player's sense of tension when pressing the operating member 310, and creates a unique operating pattern that is different from the operation method in which the first operation instruction is ignored because it is assumed to have a low expectancy, and the player presses the operating member 310 only in response to the second operation instruction, which is considered to have a high expectancy. This will be explained below.

[0212] 24(a) and 24(b) are model diagrams of the opening / closing member 340. In FIG. 24(a), the operation pattern of the opening / closing member 340 when the main body annular part 410 operates so that the opening / closing member 340 can operate in the first operation pattern is illustrated in time series, and in FIG. 24(a), the operation pattern of the opening / closing member 340 when the main body annular part 410 operates so that the opening / closing member 340 can operate in the fifth operation pattern (or the seventh operation pattern) is illustrated in time series. In the first operation pattern shown in FIG. 24(a), the performance is controlled in a state in which a second operation instruction is generated. In addition, in FIG. 24(a) and FIG. 24(b), a case is illustrated in which the player ignores the first operation instruction and does not press and operate the operation member 310.

[0213] As shown in Figures 24(a) and 24(b), if the first operation instruction is ignored and only the second operation instruction is followed, the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340 will be the same even though the manner in which the posture change of the main ring portion 410 differs depending on the operation pattern that the opening / closing member 340 is scheduled to perform, so the player will not be able to determine which operation pattern the opening / closing member 340 is rotating in and will not be able to read the likelihood of a jackpot from the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340.

[0214] Therefore, by combining the main ring portion 410 that allows the opening / closing member 340 to operate in a plurality of operation patterns with the timing (time and number of times) of inputting the operation instruction of the operating member 310 that triggers the rotational operation of the opening / closing member 340, when the player ignores some of the operation instructions of the operating member 310 and operates the operating member 310 following only the remaining operation instructions, it is possible to perform an effect that stimulates the player's imagination by making it impossible to know which operation pattern the opening / closing member 340 is operating in. This satisfies the demand from the player who wants to operate the operating means 310 but does not want to know the probability of a jackpot from the state of the operating means 310 (the demand for a so-called "one-shot announcement").

[0215] Also, for example, by configuring the main body annular portion 410 so that pressing the operation member 310 without a timing of an operation instruction may cause the expected operation pattern to be disrupted, and the probability of a big win may not be read from the operation state of the opening / closing member 340, it is possible to suppress the player from operating the operation member 310 without a timing of an operation instruction. This makes it possible to prevent the player from repeatedly operating the operation member 310 at unnecessary timing, and improves the durability of the operation device 300. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 25.

[0216] Fig. 25 is a model diagram of the opening / closing member 340. Fig. 25 illustrates a time series of movement patterns of the opening / closing member 340 when the main body annular portion 410 moves so that the opening / closing member 340 can move in the first movement pattern. Fig. 25 also illustrates a case where the player performs an unnecessary operation before the first operation instruction is issued.

[0217] As shown in Figure 25, due to the structure of the main body circular portion 410 in this embodiment, in order to form the first operation pattern of the opening / closing member 340, the main body circular portion 410 may pass through the first performance state while changing its posture from the initial state to the second performance state.

[0218] When the main body annular portion 410 is in the first performance state, if the operating member 310 is unnecessarily pushed in, the opening and closing member 340a rotates. After that, the main body annular portion 410 is in the second performance state, and the third symbol display device 81 etc. issues a push instruction. When the player follows the instruction and pushes in, the pair of opening and closing members 340 rotate.

[0219] This operating mode has the same operating sequence as the fifth operating pattern described above in Figure 23(a); however, the main ring portion 410 is controlled in such a manner that the opening / closing member 340 can operate in the first operating pattern, and therefore the probability of a jackpot that can be read from the operation of the opening / closing member 340 is the probability of a jackpot that corresponds to the first operating pattern.

[0220] Therefore, an unnecessary push operation occurring at a timing when there is no push instruction can cause a difference between the probability of a big win expressed by the presentation and the probability of a big win actually recognized by the player.

[0221] This makes it possible to prevent the player from correctly knowing the jackpot expectation rate by performing unnecessary push operations, and it is possible to suppress unnecessary push operations (e.g., repeated tap operations) by the player. This makes it possible to improve the durability of the operation device 300.

[0222] 26 and 27, a state after a player presses in the operating member 310 when the main body annular portion 410 is in the fourth performance state will be described. Fig. 26 is a top view of the operating device 300, and Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 300 taken along line XXVII-XXVII in Fig. 26.

[0223] In addition, in Figure 26, for ease of understanding, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302 and the operating member 310 are omitted, and in Figure 27, the operating member 310 and the opening / closing member 340 before being pushed in are shown by imaginary lines.

[0224] 26, the main body annular portion 410 is positioned so that a straight line (a line extending in the vertical direction in FIG. 26) that passes through the center of the main body annular portion 410 and connects the centers of the pair of opening and closing members 340 passes through the third surface 423. That is, FIG. 26 illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 410 is rotated approximately 110 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG.

[0225] 27, when a player pushes in the operating member 310, the clutch member 330 comes into contact with and is pushed into the protruding portion 312, causing the clutch member 330 to move downward. This releases the engagement between the annular recess 333a of the clutch member 330 and the engagement claw 343 of the opening / closing member 340, causing the pair of opening / closing members 340 to rotate in directions away from each other. The rotation of the opening / closing member 340 stops when the adjustment arm 345 comes into contact with the third surface 423 of the adjustment step 420.

[0226] After being rotated, the opening / closing member 340 comes into contact with the inner surface of the operating member 310. Therefore, the operating member 310 receives a load from the opening / closing member 340, and in this embodiment, the elastic coefficient of the spring SP1 is selected so that the up and down movement of the operating member 310 is stopped by the load. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 27, the operating member 310 is maintained without rising.

[0227] In this way, for example, by controlling the drive motor 490 so that a state in which the operating member 310 is maintained without rising represents a state in which there is a high probability of winning, it is possible to increase the player's interest in operating the operating member 310.

[0228] For example, when a player repeatedly taps the operating member 310, the player applies a pressure load to the operating member 310 which moves upward due to the elastic force of the spring SP1, and by suddenly inserting the fourth performance state shown in Fig. 27, the upward load applied to the player via the operating member 310 can be reduced, making the player feel uncomfortable. By making the player feel uncomfortable, it is possible to increase the player's attention to the operating device 300, which is the cause (target).

[0229] In addition, since the opening / closing member 340 changes to the second position state when the discomfort is felt, a new gaming mode can be provided to the player in which, when the discomfort is felt, the player can visually check the state of the opening / closing member 340 at the rear side of the operating member 310 and grasp the likelihood of a jackpot.

[0230] In the fourth presentation state, the pair of opening and closing members 340 rotate when the operating member 310 is pressed, just like in the second presentation state; however, in this embodiment, this difference is made difficult for the player to distinguish (the rotation angle of the opening and closing members 340 in the second presentation state is similar to the rotation angle of the opening and closing members 340 in the fourth presentation state, see Figures 14 and 26).

[0231] This provides a game feature in which the player can know whether the second or fourth presentation state is in effect based on whether the operating member 310 rises when the player releases the operating member 310. Therefore, the player's attention to the operating device 300 can be maintained not only when the operating member 310 is pressed in but also when the player releases the operating member 310.

[0232] 26 and 27, by rotating the main body annular portion 410 clockwise in top view (in FIG. 10, by moving the main body annular portion 410 leftward relative to the opening / closing member 340), the adjustment arm portion 345 can reach the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 420, and the opening / closing member 340 can be returned to the first position state. By the opening / closing member 340 returning operation, the load applied from the opening / closing member 340 to the operation member 310 is released, and the operation member 310 can be returned to the initial position (illustrated by imaginary lines in FIG. 27). In this embodiment, as described above in FIG. 10, the shape of the adjustment step portion 420 from the cutting line θL1 to the cutting line θL2 and the shape of the adjustment step portion 420 from the cutting line θL3 to the cutting line θL0 are formed to be the same, so that the pair of opening / closing members 340 return in the same operating manner.

[0233] In this embodiment, the main body annular portion 410 is controlled to be prohibited from rotating counterclockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 26 and Fig. 27. This makes it possible to prevent the adjustment arm portion 345 from being damaged by engagement with the coupling surface even if the coupling surface on the left side of the third surface 423 (the clockwise side as viewed from above of the main body annular portion 410) is formed along the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 10.

[0234] In this embodiment, a detection sensor (not shown) that detects the displacement of the operating member 310 is disposed inside the inner circumference of the outer wall member 301, in a region outside the outer circumference of the operating member 310. A portion (not shown) of the operating member 310 that protrudes radially outward from below the inner extension portion 315 of the operating member 310 is inserted into a detection groove of the detection sensor, whereby the displacement of the operating member 310 is detected and it is determined that an operation has been performed by the player.

[0235] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 28 to Fig. 33. In the first embodiment, the case where the operating device 300 includes a pair of opening and closing members 340 has been described, but the operating device 2300 in the second embodiment includes two pairs (four pieces) of opening and closing members 2340, which are displaced from the second position state to the first position state in sequence. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0236] Fig. 28 is a front perspective view of the operating device 2300 in the second embodiment, and Fig. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the base member 2320, the clutch member 330, the opening / closing member 2340, and the switching device 2400. Note that in Fig. 28, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted from illustration.

[0237] The base member 2320 is formed by adding a pair of shaft portions 323 to the base member 320 of the first embodiment. That is, the shaft portions 323 are disposed at equal intervals on all four sides (front, back, left and right) of the recessed portion 322.

[0238] The opening / closing member 2340 is formed by adding a pair of opening / closing members 340 to the opening / closing member 340 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, for convenience, the members arranged on the drive motor 490 side of the switching device 2400 are named, in clockwise direction as viewed from above, as a first opening / closing member 2340a, a second opening / closing member 2340b, a third opening / closing member 2340c, and a fourth opening / closing member 2340d.

[0239] In the switching device 2400, the adjustment step portion 2420 is formed only of a first surface 2421 that is the highest stage h0, a second surface 2422 that is the middle stage h1 that is one stage lower than the first surface 2421, and connecting surfaces that connect the circumferential ends of these surfaces, and the switching intervals of each surface are different from those of the adjustment step portion 420 of the first embodiment. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 30.

[0240] Fig. 30 is a top view of the operating device 2300. Note that in Fig. 30, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted. Fig. 30 also illustrates the initial state (instruction waiting state) of the main body annular portion 2410 in which the adjustment arm portions 345 of all the opening / closing members 2340 face the first surface 2421. In Fig. 30, a schematic diagram showing the change in height of the adjustment step portion 2420 is illustrated in an annular shape by imaginary lines to facilitate understanding.

[0241] In the schematic diagram, the side view of the adjustment step portion 2420 is illustrated diagrammatically as a ring. The closer to the center (the position of the abutment portion 332), the higher the step.

[0242] 30, the first surface 2421 of the adjustment step 2420 mainly includes a short-width surface 2421a that is the only surface with a short left-right width (approximately 6 degrees in this embodiment), and a first long-width surface 2421b, a second long-width surface 2421c, and a third long-width surface 2421d that are arranged in this order clockwise from the short-width surface 2421a when viewed from above. Note that, in an initial state, the center of the width of the short-width surface 2421a coincides with the center of the opposing opening / closing member 2340 (first opening / closing member 2340a in FIG. 30).

[0243] The first, second and third long-width surfaces 2421b, 2421c and 2421d are surfaces each formed with a width having a central angle of approximately 50 degrees, and in the initial state, their positional relationship with the opposing opening / closing member 2340 is different.

[0244] That is, the opening / closing member 2340 (the second opening / closing member 2340b in FIG. 30) disposed opposite the first wide surface 2421b is disposed at a position shifted by the first offset angle θ21 clockwise in a top view from the center of the first wide surface 2421b that divides the width of the first wide surface 2421b by an equal width Hf. In this embodiment, the first offset angle θ21 is set to about 11 degrees (θ21=11 degrees).

[0245] In addition, the opening / closing member 2340 (the third opening / closing member 2340c in FIG. 30) arranged opposite the second wide surface 2421c is arranged at a position equivalent to the center position of the second wide surface 2421c, dividing the width of the second wide surface 2421c by an even width Hf.

[0246] Also, the opening / closing member 2340 (fourth opening / closing member 2340d in FIG. 30) arranged opposite the third wide surface 2421d is arranged at a position shifted by a first offset angle θ21 counterclockwise in a top view from the center of the third wide surface 2421d that divides the width of the third wide surface 2421d by an equal width Hf. In this embodiment, the first offset angle θ21 is set to about 11 degrees (θ21=11 degrees).

[0247] As described above, the surfaces 2421a to 2421d constituting the first surface 2421 are arranged in different ways with respect to the lines dividing a circle into four equal parts (the opening and closing members 2340), so that the opening and closing manner of each opening and closing member 2340 can be made different. This will be described below.

[0248] Fig. 31 is a top view of the operating device 2300. In Fig. 31, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted. Fig. 31 also illustrates a posture in which the adjustment arm parts 345 of all the opening / closing members 2340 face the second surface 2422, and illustrates a state in which all the opening / closing members 2340 are in the second position state in this state. In Fig. 30, a schematic diagram showing a change in height of the adjustment step part 2420 is illustrated in an annular shape using imaginary lines to facilitate understanding.

[0249] In the schematic diagram, the side view of the adjustment step portion 2420 is illustrated diagrammatically as a ring. The closer to the center (the position of the abutment portion 332), the higher the step.

[0250] Fig. 31 shows a state (position A) in which the main body annular portion 2410 is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise when viewed from above from the initial state of the main body annular portion 2410 shown in Fig. 30. Note that in this embodiment, in position A shown in Fig. 31, the positional relationships between the opening / closing members 2340a to 2340d and the second surface 2422 are different from one another.

[0251] That is, as shown in FIG. 31, the first opening / closing member 2340a is positioned opposite the second surface 2422 at a position angularly offset by angle J24 clockwise from the end of the short width surface 2421a when viewed from above (a position angularly offset by angle J21 counterclockwise from the end of the first long width surface 2421b when viewed from above).

[0252] In addition, the second opening / closing member 2340b is positioned opposite the second surface 2422 at a position angularly offset by angle J23 clockwise from the end of the first long width surface 2421b when viewed from above (a position angularly offset by angle J22 counterclockwise from the end of the second long width surface 2421c when viewed from above).

[0253] In addition, the third opening / closing member 2340c is positioned opposite the second surface 2422 at a position angularly shifted by angle J22 clockwise from the end of the second wide surface 2421c when viewed from above (a position angularly shifted by angle J23 counterclockwise from the end of the third wide surface 2421d when viewed from above).

[0254] In addition, the fourth opening / closing member 2340d is positioned opposite the second surface 2422 at a position angularly offset by angle J21 clockwise from the end of the third longer width surface 2421d when viewed from above (a position angularly offset by angle J24 counterclockwise from the end of the shorter width surface 2421a when viewed from above).

[0255] In this embodiment, angle J21 is set to 9 degrees, angle J22 is set to 20 degrees, angle J23 is set to 31 degrees, and angle J24 is set to 42 degrees (angle J21<angle J22<angle J23<angle J24, (angle J22-angle J21)=(angle J23-angle J22)=(angle J24-angle J23)=11 degrees).

[0256] Therefore, by rotating the main body ring portion 2410 from the state shown in Fig. 31, the adjustment arm portion 345 of each opening / closing member 2340 is lifted up to the first surface 2421 of the adjustment step portion 2420, and the period until the first position state is reached (see Fig. 30) differs for each opening / closing member 2340. This will be described below separately for a case in which the main body ring portion 2410 rotates 45 degrees clockwise when viewed from above and a case in which the main body ring portion 2410 rotates 45 degrees counterclockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 31.

[0257] Fig. 32(a) is a diagram showing the change over time in the state of each opening / closing member 2340. In Fig. 32(a), the change over time in the state of each opening / closing member 2340 when the main body annular portion 2410 is rotated counterclockwise in top view from the state shown in Fig. 31 (position A) is shown as four line graphs in which the lower line indicates the second position state of the opening / closing member 2340 (shown as "down" in Fig. 32(a)) and the upper line indicates the first position state of the opening / closing member 2340 (shown as "upright" in Fig. 32(a)).

[0258] 32(a), from the top, the manner in which the postures of the first opening / closing member 2340a to the fourth opening / closing member 2340d change is illustrated, the horizontal axis of each graph is illustrated as a time axis indicating the time from the start of operation of the switching device 2400, and numerical values ​​are shown when the switching device 2400 is rotationally driven at 10 degrees per second. In order to facilitate understanding, the first opening / closing member 2340a to the fourth opening / closing member 2340d that are the subject of the graph are illustrated near each graph.

[0259] As shown in FIG. 32(a), when the main body ring portion 2410 starts to rotate counterclockwise when viewed from above, 0.9 seconds after the start, when the rotation angle reaches 9 degrees (angle J21), the first opening and closing member 2340a is set to the first position state, and after another 1.1 seconds (2.0 seconds from the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 20 degrees (angle J22), the second opening and closing member 2340b is set to the first position state, and after another 1.1 seconds (3.1 seconds from the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 31 degrees (angle J23), the third opening and closing member 2340c is set to the first position state, and after another 1.1 seconds (4.2 seconds from the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 42 degrees (angle J24), the fourth opening and closing member 2340d is set to the first position state.

[0260] That is, the opening / closing members 2340a-2340d operate in such a manner that they rise up in order clockwise as viewed from above, starting from the first opening / closing member 2340a. Also, the operation timing occurs every time the main ring portion 2410 rotates by 11 degrees ((Angle J22-Angle J21)=(Angle J23-Angle J22)=(Angle J24-Angle J23)=11 degrees), so by rotating the main ring portion 2410 at a uniform speed, the operation timing of the opening / closing members 2340a-2340d can be set at equal intervals.

[0261] Fig. 33(a) is a diagram showing the change over time in the state of each opening / closing member 2340. In Fig. 33(a), the change over time in each opening / closing member 2340 when the main body annular portion 2410 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 31 (position A) is shown as four line graphs in which the lower line indicates the second position state of the opening / closing member 2340 (shown as "down" in Fig. 33(a)) and the upper line indicates the first position state of the opening / closing member 2340 (shown as "upright" in Fig. 33(a)).

[0262] 33(a) shows, from the top, the manner in which the postures of the first opening / closing member 2340a to the fourth opening / closing member 2340d change, with the horizontal axis of each graph being shown as a time axis indicating the time from the start of operation of the switching device 2400, and numerical values ​​when the switching device 2400 is rotationally driven at 10 degrees per second are shown. To facilitate understanding, the first opening / closing member 2340a to the fourth opening / closing member 2340d that are the subject of the graph are shown near each graph.

[0263] As shown in FIG. 33(a), when the main body ring portion 2410 starts to rotate clockwise when viewed from above, 0.9 seconds after the start, when the rotation angle reaches 9 degrees (angle J21), the fourth opening and closing member 2340d is set to the first position state, and after a further 1.1 seconds (2.0 seconds after the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 20 degrees (angle J22), the third opening and closing member 2340c is set to the first position state, and after a further 1.1 seconds (3.1 seconds after the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 31 degrees (angle J23), the second opening and closing member 2340b is set to the first position state, and after a further 1.1 seconds (4.2 seconds after the start of rotation) and the rotation angle reaches 42 degrees (angle J24), the first opening and closing member 2340a is set to the first position state.

[0264] That is, the opening / closing members 2340a-2340d operate in such a manner that they rise up in sequence counterclockwise as viewed from above, starting from the fourth opening / closing member 2340d. Also, the operation timing occurs every time the main ring portion 2410 rotates by 11 degrees ((Angle J22-Angle J21)=(Angle J23-Angle J22)=(Angle J24-Angle J23)=11 degrees), so by rotating the main ring portion 2410 at a uniform speed, the operation timing of the opening / closing members 2340a-2340d can be set at equal intervals.

[0265] In this embodiment, as shown in an example in which the operating order of each opening / closing member 2340 is reversed when viewed from above in Figures 32(a) and 33(a), the operating mode of each opening / closing member 2340 can be changed by changing the operating mode of the main body ring portion 2410.

[0266] In this embodiment, as an example, from a positional relationship in which the short width surface 2421a and the first opening / closing member 2340a face each other, the main body ring portion 2410 is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise when viewed from above to place the opening / closing member 2340 in the second position state, and then the opening / closing member 2340 is returned from that state to the first position state. However, the posture of the main body ring portion 2410 that can place the opening / closing member 2340 in the second position state is not limited to this, and at least postures in which the main body ring portion 2410 is rotated 90 degrees each time when viewed from above from this posture (the posture shown in Figure 31) (postures B, C, and D described below) are also possible.

[0267] Therefore, the sequence of the operation timing of the opening / closing member 2340 is not limited to that described in Figures 32(a) and 33(a), and various patterns (at least six separate patterns) can be formed in this embodiment, such as a pattern in which the second opening / closing member 2340b returns to the first position state first, or a pattern in which the third opening / closing member 2340c returns to the first state first.

[0268] The changes in each aspect can be easily understood by replacing the configuration in the table shown in Fig. 32(b) and Fig. 33(b). Fig. 32(b) and Fig. 33(b) are tables illustrating how to replace the configuration of each opening / closing member 2340a-2340d. Fig. 32(a) and Fig. 33(b) illustrate how to replace the opening / closing member 2340 to utilize Fig. 32(a) and Fig. 33(b) in accordance with the stopping posture of the main body annular portion 2410.

[0269] According to Fig. 32(b) and Fig. 33(b), when the opening / closing member 2340 is set to the second position state after stopping the main body annular part 2410 in the posture B in which the main body annular part 2410 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from above from the state shown in Fig. 31, the state of the opening / closing member 2340 changes in the order of the top to bottom of the leftmost column of the table shown in Fig. 32(b) by rotating the main body annular part 2410, for example, counterclockwise as viewed from above (corresponding to Fig. 32(a)). On the other hand, when the main body annular part 2410 is rotated, for example, clockwise as viewed from above, the state of the opening / closing member 2340 changes in the order of the bottom to top of the leftmost column of the table shown in Fig. 33(b) (corresponding to Fig. 33(a)). In Fig. 32(b) and Fig. 33(b), the first opening / closing member 2340a to the fourth opening / closing member 2340d are abbreviated as a to d.

[0270] In addition, when the main body circular portion 2410 is stopped in posture C in which the main body circular portion 2410 is rotated 180 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 31 and the opening / closing member 2340 is set to the second position state, the center columns of the tables shown in FIG. 32(b) and FIG. 33(b) are made to correspond, and when the main body circular portion 2410 is stopped in posture D in which the main body circular portion 2410 is rotated 270 degrees clockwise when viewed from above from the state shown in FIG. 31 and the opening / closing member 2340 is set to the second position state, the rightmost columns of the tables shown in FIG. 32(b) and FIG. 33(b) are made to correspond, so that FIG. 32(a) and FIG. 33(a), which illustrate the case where the switching device 2400 is rotated from posture A, can be easily converted to the case where the switching device 2400 is rotated from each of postures B to D.

[0271] Therefore, in this embodiment, the posture of the main body ring portion 2410 when the opening / closing member 2340 is in the second position state can be selected from at least four possible positions, and the manner in which the opening / closing member 2340, which has reached the second position state, returns to the first position state can be selected from two possible positions, that is, by rotating the main body ring portion 2410 forward or backward. Therefore, the return manner of the opening / closing member 2340 can be selected and controlled from at least eight possible positions.

[0272] Thereby, for example, when controlling the return mode of the opening / closing member 2340 in correspondence with the expectation of a big win, the expectation of a big win can be displayed in eight stages for the return action of the opening / closing member 2340. The expectation of a big win is information that attracts a high level of attention from a player. Since the return action of the opening / closing member 2340 is an action that can be seen by the player after the player operates the operation member 310 (see FIG. 5) of the operation device 2300, it is possible to increase the attention to the operation device 2300 after the operation member 310 is pressed.

[0273] In addition, if the player places his / her hand on the operation member 310, the hand gets in the way and makes it difficult to see the operation mode of the opening / closing member 2340 (the upper surface of the operation member 310, which is the portion to be pressed, is made of a light-transmitting material, and the player can see the opening / closing member 2340 through the upper surface), so that it is possible to prevent a game in which the operation member 310 is repeatedly tapped meaninglessly after an instruction to press the operation member 310, or a game in which the hand is left on the operation member 310. Therefore, it is possible to make the operation perform appropriately as instructed, and the durability of the operation device 2300 can be improved.

[0274] Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 34 to Fig. 46. In the first embodiment, when a gap is formed between the adjustment arm 345 and the adjustment step 420, the opening / closing member 340 rotates simply by pressing the operation member 310. However, the operation device 3300 in the third embodiment can form a case in which the opening / closing member 340 rotates or does not rotate, depending on the manner in which the operation member 310 is pressed. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0275] Fig. 34 is a front perspective view of the operating device 3300 in the third embodiment, Fig. 35 is an exploded perspective view of the base member 320, the clutch member 330, the opening / closing member 340, and the switching device 3400, and Fig. 36 is a top view of the main body annular portion 3410 and the adjustment step portion 3420. Note that in Fig. 34, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted from the illustration.

[0276] The switching device 3400 mainly comprises a main body circular portion 3410 rotatably supported on a base member 320, an adjustment step portion 3420 formed on the upper surface of the main body circular portion 3410, gear teeth 430 formed around the circumference of the main body circular portion 3410, a drive motor 490 that generates a driving force that is transmitted to the main body circular portion 3410 via the gear teeth 430, a first operating device 3440 that is arranged on the main body circular portion 3410 and formed to be operative, and a second operating device 3450 that is arranged on the main body circular portion 3410 in the same manner as the first operating device 3440 and is capable of operating in the opposite manner to the first operating device 3440.

[0277] The main body annular portion 3410 mainly includes a pair of first housing portions 3411 disposed on the clockwise side of the cutting line θL0, θL2 as viewed from above, and a pair of second housing portions 3412 disposed at a position returning toward the cutting line θL0, θL2 side from the first housing portions 3411. Note that the pair of first housing portions 3411 and the pair of second housing portions 3412 are disposed at diametrically opposite positions (positions offset by an angle of 180 degrees) across the central axis of the main body annular portion 3410, similar to the pair of opening / closing members 340.

[0278] Moreover, the shapes of the main body annular portion 3410 and the adjustment step portion 3420 are substantially the same as the shapes of the main body annular portion 410 and the adjustment step portion 420 in the first embodiment, except for the first accommodating portion 3411 and the second accommodating portion 3412.

[0279] The first accommodating portion 3411 is a portion that accommodates the first operating device 3440 that is arranged so as to be able to face the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340, and includes an accommodating recess 3411a recessed downward from the upper surface inside the width of the annular portion of the main body annular portion 3410, a communication hole 3411b that is formed through the accommodating recess 3411a toward the outer diameter side and has a rectangular shape that is long vertically and has a horizontal length that is shorter than the outer circumferential length of the accommodating recess 3411a, and a communication hole 3411b that is formed through the accommodating recess 3411a toward the outer diameter side and extends along the side surface of the communication hole 3411b toward the outer diameter side of the main body annular portion 3410. The extending wall portion 3411c mainly comprises an extended wall portion 3411c extending in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the extending wall portion 3411c and bent at its extended tip into an L-shape when viewed from above on the side surrounding the communicating hole 3411b, a supporting protrusion 3411d protruding from the extended wall portion 3411c in a direction along the bending direction of the extended wall portion 3411c, a lid member 3411e arranged as a lid on the bent side of the extended wall portion 3411c, and a pair of supporting recesses 3411f formed as recesses in both directions perpendicular to the extending direction of the extended wall portion 3411c when viewed from above when the lid member 3411e is assembled.

[0280] The accommodating recess 3411a, in top view, is formed in a shape surrounded by a pair of arcs centered on the central axis of the main body annular portion 3410 and a pair of straight lines extending radially from the central axis of the main body annular portion 3410. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the limited region inside the width length of the main body annular portion 3410 and ensure a large cross-sectional area of ​​the accommodating recess 3411a, thereby making it possible to increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the first operating member 3440 to be accommodated, and thus improving durability.

[0281] The accommodating recess 3411a has an inclined surface 3411a1 inclined upward on a side surface on the counterclockwise side (the second accommodating portion 3412 side) in a top view. In this embodiment, when the adjustment arm 345 of the opening / closing member 340 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 3411a (see FIG. 41), the main body annular portion 3410 is then controlled to rotate clockwise in a top view. This causes the adjustment arm 345 to move upward along the inclined surface 3411a1, and the opening / closing member 340 can be returned to the first position state.

[0282] In this embodiment, after the main body annular portion 3410 rotates from the initial position and reaches a position where the adjustment arm 345 and the first accommodation portion 3411 are arranged opposite to each other, the main body annular portion 3410 is controlled to rotate clockwise when viewed from above and return to the initial position. This prevents the main body annular portion 3410 from rotating counterclockwise when viewed from above and the adjustment arm 345 from coming into contact with the side surface (surface extending in the vertical direction) arranged opposite the inclined surface 3411a1 of the accommodation recess 3411a, causing damage to the main body annular portion 3410.

[0283] The second accommodating portion 3412 is a portion that accommodates the second operating device 3450 that is arranged to be opposed to the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340, and mainly comprises an accommodating recess 3412a formed from approximately the same cross-sectional shape as the accommodating recess 3411a of the first accommodating portion 3411, and a communicating hole 3412b that is formed through the accommodating recess 3412a in the same manner as the communicating hole 3411b.

[0284] The first operating device 3440 mainly comprises an intermediate gear 3441 journalled on the support protrusion 3411d of the first accommodating portion 3411, an engaging member 3442 having gear teeth 3442a meshing with the intermediate gear 3441 and having a main body portion 3442b accommodated in the accommodating recess 3411a of the first accommodating portion 3411, and an abutment member 3443 arranged on the opposite side of the engaging member 3442 across the support protrusion 3411d, having gear teeth 3443a meshing with the intermediate gear 3441, and being accommodated in the support recess 3411f.

[0285] The engaging member 3442 mainly includes the above-mentioned gear teeth 3442a, a main body 3442b, and a connecting portion 3442c that connects them and is connected to the communication hole 3411b. Here, in accordance with the relationship of the communication hole 3411b to the accommodating recess 3411a, the length (thickness) of the connecting portion 3442c in the same direction is shorter than the outer circumferential length of the main body 3442b of the engaging member 3442 and the length of the gear teeth 3442a in the same direction in top view.

[0286] This prevents the main body portion 3442b and the gear teeth 3442a of the engaging member 3442 from penetrating through the communication hole 3411b, so that the engaging member 3442 can be positioned in the radial direction of the main body ring portion 3410 using the communication hole 3411b as a reference.

[0287] The abutment member 3443 has gear teeth 3443a meshed with the intermediate gear 3441, and a rectangular portion extending in the tooth thickness direction is fitted into the support recess 3411f, so that the abutment member 3443 can be positioned accurately to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0288] Since the engagement member 3442 and the abutment member 3443 are disposed in a positional relationship sandwiching the intermediate gear 3441 therebetween, when one moves upward, the other moves downward. As described later, the abutment member 3443 is disposed in a position where it can abut against the operating member 310. Since the engagement member 3442 is constructed to be heavier than the abutment member 3443, in the initial state where the operating member 310 is not operated, the engagement member 3442 is disposed at the lower end of the movement range, and the abutment member 3443 is disposed at the upper end of the movement range (see FIG. 40).

[0289] Furthermore, when the engaging member 3442 is disposed at the upper end of the movement range, the position of the upper surface of the engaging member 3442 is formed in a manner that coincides with the position of the lower end of the adjustment arm 345 of the opening / closing member 340 in the first position state. Therefore, when the adjustment arm 345 is pushed up by the upper surface of the engaging member 3442, the engaging member 3442 moves to the upper end of the movement range, and the opening / closing member 340 changes state to the first position state.

[0290] The second operating device 3450 mainly comprises a main body portion 3451 which is formed in approximately the same shape as the main body portion 3442b of the first operating member 3440 and is accommodated in the accommodating recess 3412a of the main body ring portion 3410, a connecting portion 3452 which is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 3451 in a manner similar to the connecting portion 3442c of the first operating member 3440 and which is inserted into the communicating hole 3411b of the main body ring portion 3410, a contact portion 3453 which is connected to the opposite side of the main body portion 3451 via the connecting portion 3452 and extends along the radial direction of the main body ring portion 3410, and a spring SP31 which is arranged below the main body portion 3451 and between the main body ring portion 3410.

[0291] The contact portion 3453 is disposed at a position where it can come into contact with the operating member 310. In addition, when the contact portion 3453 is not pressed in by the operating member 310, the upper surface of the main body portion 3451 is formed in a manner that coincides with the lower end position of the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340 in the first position state.

[0292] In addition, in this embodiment, the spring constants of the spring SP31 and the torsion spring NB1 are set so that the spring SP31 generates a large biasing force (elastic force) capable of pushing the opening / closing member 340, which is rotated by the torsion spring NB1, back to the first position state.

[0293] The operation of the switching device 3400 will be described. Fig. 37 is a top view of the operation device 3300, and Fig. 38 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device 3300 taken along line XXXVIII-XXXVIII in Fig. 37. Note that in Fig. 37, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operation member 310 are omitted from illustration.

[0294] In this embodiment, in the initial state of the main body annular portion 3410 , the main body annular portion 3410 is maintained in a position in which the adjustment arms 345 of the pair of opening / closing members 340 face the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 3420 .

[0295] Figures 37 and 38 show the state in which the main body ring portion 3410 is rotated from its initial state to a state in which the second surface 422 of the adjustment step portion 3420 faces the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340.

[0296] 37 and 38, a space is provided between the adjustment arm 345 and the adjustment step 3420 of the opening / closing member 340 in the first position, so that the opening / closing member 340 rotates by pushing in the operating member 310. At this time, the manner in which the operating member 310 is pushed in is not limited, and the opening / closing member 340 rotates as long as the clutch member 330 is lowered.

[0297] Fig. 39 is a top view of the operating device 3300, and Fig. 40, Fig. 41, and Fig. 42 are cross-sectional views of the operating device 3300 taken along the line XL-XL in Fig. 39. Note that in Fig. 39, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted from illustration.

[0298] Figures 39 to 42 show a state in which the main body ring portion 3410 is rotated from its initial state to a state in which the circumferential center position of the first operating device 3440 housed in the switching device 3400 faces the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340 (aligns vertically with the central axis of the adjustment arm portion 345).

[0299] Also, Figure 40 shows the state before the operating member 310 is pushed in, Figure 41 shows the state when the operating member 310 is pushed in lightly (enough to cause the clutch member 330 to move downward while the lower end of the operating member 310 does not come into contact with the abutment member 3443 or the first accommodating portion 3411), and Figure 42 shows the state when the operating member 310 is pushed in strongly (to the lower end of the movable width).

[0300] As shown in Figure 40, before the operating member 310 is pushed in, a space is formed between the adjustment arm portion 345 and the adjustment step portion 3420 of the opening / closing member 340. Therefore, when the operating member 310 is pushed in to lower the clutch member 330 and release the engagement between the opening / closing member 340 and the clutch member 330, the opening / closing member 340 rotates due to the biasing force of the torsion spring NB1 (see Figure 35).

[0301] As shown in FIG. 41, when the operating member 310 is pressed lightly, the posture after the opening / closing member 340 is rotated is maintained.

[0302] 42, when the operating member 310 is pressed strongly, the inner extension portion 315 of the operating member 310 comes into contact with the abutment member 3443, and the engaging member 3442 moves upward in conjunction with the downward movement of the abutment member 3443. In the process of the upward movement of the engaging member 3442, the upper surface of the engaging member 3442 comes into contact with the adjustment arm portion 345, and the opening / closing member 340 rotates, and the opening / closing member 340 changes to the first position state.

[0303] That is, when the main body annular portion 3410 is in the position shown in Fig. 39, the subsequent operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 can be changed depending on whether the operating member 310 is pressed lightly or firmly. By utilizing this change in operating mode, it is possible to make it easier for the player to operate the operating member 310 in an appropriate operating mode.

[0304] For example, in a gaming machine that creates an effect in which the opening / closing member 340 rotates when the operating member 310 is pressed, it is possible to add a playability that allows the opening / closing member 340 to rotate by pressing the operating member 310 in the manner instructed.

[0305] That is, for example, a method of instructing the player how to press the operating member 310 is exemplified by displaying "Weak Press" on a display device such as the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2). In this case, if the operating member 310 is pressed lightly as instructed, the opening / closing member 340 rotates (see FIG. 41), and if the operating member 310 is pressed hard against the instruction, the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing member 340 is suppressed by the first operating device 3440 (returns to the first position state). Therefore, a player who wants to know whether or not there is a high probability of winning can be induced to press the operating member 310 lightly.

[0306] Fig. 43 is a top view of the operation device 3300, and Fig. 44, Fig. 45, and Fig. 46 are cross-sectional views of the operation device 3300 taken along line XLIV-XLIV in Fig. 43. Note that in Fig. 43, the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operation member 310 are omitted from illustration.

[0307] Figures 43 to 46 show a state in which the main body ring portion 3410 is rotated from its initial state to a state in which the circumferential center position of the second operating device 3450 housed in the switching device 3400 faces the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340 (aligns vertically with the central axis of the adjustment arm portion 345).

[0308] Also, Figure 44 shows the state before the operating member 310 is pushed in, Figure 45 shows the state when the operating member 310 is pushed in lightly (enough to cause the clutch member 330 to move downward while the lower end of the operating member 310 does not come into contact with the abutment member 3443 or the first accommodating portion 3411), and Figure 46 shows the state when the operating member 310 is pushed in strongly (to the lower end of the movable width).

[0309] As shown in FIG. 44, before the operating member 310 is pushed in, the adjustment arm 345 of the opening / closing member 340 and the adjustment step 3420 (the upper surface of the second operating device 3450) are in contact, and by pushing the operating member 310 to lower the clutch member 330, the engagement between the opening / closing member 340 and the clutch member 330 is released, and even if the opening / closing member 340 attempts to rotate due to the biasing force of the torsion spring NB1 (see FIG. 35), as long as the operating member 310 is operated lightly, the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state due to the biasing force of the spring SP31 (see FIG. 45).

[0310] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 46, when the operating member 310 is strongly pressed, the inner extension portion 315 of the operating member 310 comes into contact with the abutment portion 3453, and then the force of the player is applied against the urging force of the spring SP31, causing the abutment portion 3453 and the main body portion 3451 to move downward. As a result, a gap is formed between the adjustment arm portion 345 and the abutment portion 3453, and the opening / closing member 340 rotates to fill the gap. When the load on the operating member 310 is released, the second operating device 3450 moves upward by the urging force of the spring SP31, and the opening / closing member 340 changes to the first position state in a manner in which it is pushed up by the main body portion 3451 of the second operating device 3450.

[0311] That is, when the main body annular portion 3410 is in the position shown in Fig. 43, the subsequent operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 can be changed depending on whether the operating member 310 is pressed lightly or firmly. By utilizing this change in operating mode, it is possible to make it easier for the player to operate the operating member 310 in an appropriate operating mode.

[0312] For example, in a gaming machine that creates an effect in which the opening / closing member 340 rotates when the operating member 310 is pressed, it is possible to add a playability that allows the opening / closing member 340 to rotate by pressing the operating member 310 in the manner instructed.

[0313] That is, for example, a method of instructing the player how to press the operating member 310 is exemplified by displaying "hard press" on a display device such as the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2). In this case, if the operating member 310 is pressed hard as instructed, the opening / closing member 340 rotates (see FIG. 46), and if the operating member 310 is pressed weakly against the instruction, the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing member 340 is suppressed by the second operating device 3450 (it is maintained in the first position state). Therefore, a player who wants to know whether or not there is a high probability of winning can be induced to press the operating member 310 hard.

[0314] In this embodiment, as described above, a state in which the opening / closing member 340 rotates when pressed lightly but does not rotate when pressed hard, and a state in which the opening / closing member 340 does not rotate when pressed lightly but rotates when pressed hard, can be created by changing the posture of the main body ring portion 3410 in advance using the drive motor 490.

[0315] This makes it possible to prevent the player's operation from becoming monotonous by fixing the operation mode instructed to the player, and also makes it possible to produce a variety of changes in the operation mode with a single drive motor 490.

[0316] Furthermore, compared to detecting the operation mode of the operating member 310 and changing the operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 (for example, providing a drive motor to operate the opening / closing member 340 and switching between driving and stopping depending on the operation mode of the operating member 310), the number of sensors that detect whether the operating member 310 is pressed in at the position of the operating member 310 can be reduced (made into a single sensor), and since the operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 is switched by the abutment of the opening / closing member 340 with each operating device 3440, 3450, the sense of unity of the operations of the operating member 310 and the opening / closing member 340 can be increased, and the reliability of the operation of the opening / closing member 340 can be increased.

[0317] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the switching device 3400 is in a predetermined position, the operating mode of the opening / closing member 340 can be changed depending on whether the operating member 310 is operated with a "weak press" or a "hard press," and it is not necessary to detect whether the operating member 310 is operated with a "weak press" or a "hard press." Therefore, compared to a case where a drive motor is provided to operate the opening / closing member 340 and drive and stop are switched depending on the difference in the operating mode of the operating member 310, the number of sensors to be provided to detect the position of the operating member 310 can be reduced.

[0318] In this embodiment, the boundary between a "weak press" and a "hard press" can be determined as a change in the load felt by the player. That is, the above-mentioned range of "weak press" is a range in which the operation member 310 does not come into contact with the first operation device 3440 and the second operation device 3450, and the operation member 310 does not receive a load from the first operation device 3440 and the second operation device 3450.

[0319] On the other hand, the above-mentioned range of "hard press" is the range where the operating member 310 contacts the first operating device 3440 and the second operating device 3450, and the operating member 310 receives an upward load from the first operating device 3440 and the second operating device 3450. Therefore, the player can determine the position where the upward load applied to the operating member 310 starts to increase (the position where the amount of increase starts to change) as the boundary between "weak press" and "hard press".

[0320] This allows the player to perform intuitive operations compared to when the player is notified by sound, lighting, images, etc. that he or she is operating the operating member 310 with a "soft press" or a "hard press."

[0321] The movement locus of the abutment member 3443 of the first operating device 3440 and the abutment portion 3453 of the second operating device 3450, which are parts that apply a load to the operating member 310, forms a circle centered on the rotation axis of the main body annular portion 3410. Therefore, when the rotation axis of the main body annular portion 3410 and the center of the protruding portion 312 of the operating member 310 coincide (see FIG. 38), the manner of abutment (whether or not there is abutment) between the inner extension portion 315 of the operating member 310 and the abutment member 3443 and the abutment portion 3453 does not change depending on the posture of the main body annular portion 3410.

[0322] Therefore, the upward load (the reaction force felt by the player) applied to the operating member 310 from the first operating member 3440 and the second operating member 3450 changes depending on the depth to which the operating member 310 is pressed, regardless of the posture of the main ring portion 3410, and therefore the player cannot distinguish the posture of the main ring portion 3410 due to differences in the upward load applied to the operating member 310.

[0323] This makes it possible to prevent the player from determining the position of the main body annular portion 3410 by the feel when operating the operating member 310, and encourages the player to visually check the opening / closing member 340. Therefore, it is possible to improve the player's ability to pay attention to the state of the inside of the operating device 3300 (the opening / closing member 340 arranged therein).

[0324] In this embodiment, the return operation (operation returning to the first position state) of the opening / closing member 340 is performed by driving the switching device 3400, and is therefore independent of the player's operation. For example, the opening / closing member 340 can be returned to the first position state by rotating the main body annular portion 3410 at most once. This allows the opening / closing member 340 inside the operating device 3300 to be returned (maintained) to the first position state (see FIG. 34) regardless of whether the player operates the operating member 310 in the state shown in FIG. 39 or FIG. 43.

[0325] 39 and 43, the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 3420 is disposed opposite the adjustment arm portion 345, so that the rotation of the opening / closing member 340 is suppressed. Therefore, by placing the main body circular portion 3410 in a posture intermediate between the state shown in FIG. 39 and the state shown in FIG. 43 as a preliminary position for the state shown in FIG. 39 or the state shown in FIG. 43, it is possible to prevent the main body circular portion 3410 from being understood (notified) from the operation sound of the drive motor 490 as to whether the main body circular portion 3410 has become the state shown in FIG. 39 or the state shown in FIG. 43 in the subsequent operation. This makes it possible to maintain attention to the operation device 3300.

[0326] In this embodiment, since the inclined surface 3411a1 of the first accommodating portion 3411 is positioned on the side adjacent to the second accommodating portion 3412, when the main ring portion 3410 is moved toward a position intermediate between the state shown in FIG. 39 and the state shown in FIG. 43, it can also be moved from a position in which the first accommodating portion 3411 and the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340 are positioned opposite each other (it can be rotated counterclockwise when viewed from above), thereby preventing the rotational direction of the main ring portion 3410 from being restricted.

[0327] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 47 to Fig. 59. In the first embodiment, the case where the biasing force applied to the opening / closing member 340 of the operating device 300 is in a direction to tilt the opening / closing member 340 has been described, but in the operating device 4300 of the fourth embodiment, the opening / closing member 4340 is biased in a direction to rise up. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0328] Fig. 47 is a top view of an operating device 4300 in the fourth embodiment, and Fig. 48 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 4300 taken along line XLVIII-XLVIII in Fig. 47. In Fig. 47, the outer wall member 4301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 4310 are illustrated by imaginary lines. In Fig. 47, the first state of the switching device 4500 is illustrated, and in Fig. 48, the first position state of the opening / closing member 4340 is illustrated. In Fig. 48, the second returning member 4540 (the portion protruding from the first returning member 4530) is omitted from illustration.

[0329] The term "first state of switching device 4500" refers to one arrangement of sliding member 4520 relative to opening / closing member 4340. In the first state, sliding member 4520 is arranged such that opening / closing member 4340 and first returning member 4530 face each other.

[0330] The operation device 4300 has a function of giving the operation device 4300 itself a dramatic effect by allowing a part of the internal mechanism to be seen, and is made up of an outer wall member 4301 formed with an opening 301a in the bottom center of an inverted cup shape and fixed to the front frame 14 (see FIG. 5 ) in a manner to accommodate an operating device such as a switching device 4500 between the outer wall member 4301 and the front frame 14, an overlapping member 302 formed from a shape in which the height direction width of the outer wall member 4301 is shortened, has an opening 302a formed coaxially with the opening 301a and with a slightly larger diameter in the bottom center, and is overlapped and fixed to the outer wall member 4301 in a manner to form an internal space between the outer wall member 4301, and a stacking member 302 inserted into the openings 301a and 302a. The device mainly comprises a dish-shaped operating member 4310 made of an optically transparent material and whose movement is restricted by the internal space formed by the member 4301 and the overlapping member 302; a pair of opening / closing members 4340 supported by the outer wall member 4301 and configured to be capable of tilting in conjunction with the amount of operation of the operating member 4310; a switching device 4500 arranged below the opening / closing member 4340 and configured to be able to switch between a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 is biased by abutting against the opening / closing member 4340 and a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 is not abutted against the opening / closing member 4340 by a straight movement; and a drive motor 4590 that generates a driving force for a drive gear 4591 that operates the switching device 4500.

[0331] The outer wall member 4301 mainly comprises an opening 301a, a recessed portion 301b, a pair of support arms 4301c extending in the front-to-rear direction from a position on the inner surface of opening 301a where it intersects with a straight line passing through the center of opening 301a and extending in the front-to-rear direction toward the center of opening 301a, and an anti-tilt arm 4301d extending in the left-to-right direction from a position on the inner surface of opening 301a where it intersects with a straight line passing through the center of opening 301a and extending in the left-to-right direction toward the center of opening 301a.

[0332] The recessed portion 301b is disposed so as to overlap with the outer extension portion 313 of the operating member 4310 in the up-down direction, and receives the lower end portion of the spring SP1 that returns the operating member 4310 upward (see FIG. 48).

[0333] The support arm 4301c extends in a downward inclined direction from the side of the opening 301a, and is formed in a bifurcated shape at its extended tip to sandwich the opening / closing member 4340 from the left and right, and is configured to support a cylindrical shaft 4301c1 that axially supports the opening / closing member 4340 at its extended tip.

[0334] In the first position state (see FIG. 48), the tilt prevention arms 4301d come into contact with the inner surfaces of the pair of opening / closing members 4340. Therefore, the tilt prevention arms 4301d restrict the rotation of the opening / closing members 4340, so that the posture of the opening / closing members 4340 after the return operation can be stabilized.

[0335] The operating member 4310 differs from the operating member 310 of the first embodiment only in the shape of the bottom surface of the upper base and the shape of the bottom end of the main body 311. That is, the operating member 4310 mainly includes the main body 311, the outer extension portion 313, and a bulging portion 4312 that bulges out from the bottom surface of the upper base of the operating member 4310 so as to be able to come into contact with the opening / closing member 4340 when the operating member 4310 is pushed in.

[0336] The lower surface of the bulging portion 4312 has a generally conical shape that slopes upward as it moves away from the central axis, with the lower end being located on the central axis of the main body portion 311. As shown in Fig. 48, the degree of the upward slope decreases as it moves away from the central axis.

[0337] The opening / closing member 4340 is an elongated member pivotally supported by the shaft portion 4301c1 of the support arm portion 4301c, and has a part of the same configuration as the opening / closing member 340 of the first embodiment. That is, the opening / closing member 4340 includes a main body plate portion 341 formed in an elongated plate shape when viewed in the axial direction (see FIG. 48), a support hole 342, and a protruding receiving portion 344 (see FIG. 8), and also includes an extension portion 4343 extending from the upper end portion of the main body plate portion 341 along the front-rear direction toward the counterpart opening / closing member 4340, an adjustment arm portion 4345 extending from the side surface opposite to the side facing the tilt prevention arm portion 4301d at the lower end portion of the main body plate portion 341, and a torsion spring NB1 (see FIG. 8) that is wound around the shaft portion 4301c1 and is engaged with the protruding receiving portion 344 to generate a biasing force that rotates the opening / closing member 4340 to a position on the inner side.

[0338] The direction of the biasing force of the torsion spring NB1 in this embodiment is opposite to that of the torsion spring NB1 in the first embodiment. That is, in the state shown in Fig. 48, the opening / closing member 4340 is pressed against the tilt prevention arm 4301d by the biasing force of the spring NB1, and rotation is restricted by the tilt prevention arm 4301d.

[0339] The extension portion 4343 is a portion that abuts against the lower surface of the upper base of the operating member 4310, and includes a chamfered portion 4343a at the upper end of the extension (a portion that abuts against the center of the bulging portion 4312). The chamfered portion 4343a can prevent the end of the bulging portion 4312 and the extension portion 4343 from coming into contact at a point, and even if the end of the bulging portion 4312 is configured to be sharp, damage to the end of the bulging portion 4312 can be suppressed.

[0340] The adjustment arm portion 4345 mainly includes a contact surface 4345a disposed on the lower surface of the extended tip portion, and a rotation restriction surface 4345b intersecting with the extension direction.

[0341] The contact surface 4345a is a surface that comes into contact with the respective return members 4530, 4540 of the switching device 4500 and presses the respective return members 4530, 4540 as the opening / closing member 4340 rotates.

[0342] The rotation restriction surface 4345b is a surface configured with a curved shape recessed toward the shaft portion 4301c1 side. In the second position state shown in FIG. 54, the shape coincides with the shape of a circular arc centered on the support center J41 of the first returning member 4530 of the switching device 4500.

[0343] Next, the switching device 4500 will be described with reference to Fig. 49 to Fig. 51. In the description of the switching device 4500, Fig. 47 and Fig. 48 will be referred to as appropriate. Fig. 49(a) is a side view of the switching device 4500, and Fig. 49(b) is a top view of the switching device 4500 as viewed in the direction of the arrow XLIXb in Fig. 49(a). In Fig. 49, the driving motor 4590, the driving gear 4591, and the base member 4510 are omitted.

[0344] Fig. 50(a) is a front view of one of the first returning members 4530, Fig. 50(b) is a top view of the first returning member 4530 as viewed in the direction of the arrow Lb in Fig. 50(a), and Fig. 50(c) is a side view of the first returning member 4530 as viewed in the direction of the arrow Lc in Fig. 50(a). Fig. 51(a) is a front view of one of the second returning members 4540, Fig. 51(b) is a top view of the second returning member 4540 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LIb in Fig. 51(a), and Fig. 51(c) is a side view of the second returning member 4540 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LIc in Fig. 51(a).

[0345] The switching device 4500 mainly comprises a base member 4510 having a slide rail 4511 extending to the left and right, a slide member 4520 arranged on the base member 4510 in a state capable of operating along the slide rail 4511, a plurality of return members 4530, 4540 journalled to a support member 4523 arranged on the upper surface of the slide member 4520, a drive motor 4590, and a drive gear 4591.

[0346] The slide rail 4511 is formed to have the same cross-sectional shape across the left and right direction. Therefore, by inserting the slide member 4520 into the slide rail 4511 from the left and right direction, the slide member 4520 can be connected to the slide rail 4511 in a slidable state.

[0347] The slide member 4520 mainly comprises a main body plate portion 4521 formed from a rectangular plate-shaped member when viewed from above, gear teeth 4522 engraved on the front side of the main body plate portion 4521, and support members 4523 arranged in pairs near each corner of the upper surface of the main body plate portion 4521.

[0348] The main body plate portion 4521 has inward recesses extending from the front and rear side surfaces to the left and right, and the recessed portions fit with the slide rail 4511. The gear teeth 4522 mesh with a drive gear 4591 (see FIG. 47), and the slide member 4520 moves in the left and right direction (left and right direction in FIG. 47) in conjunction with the operation of the drive motor 4590.

[0349] Each pair of support members 4523 mainly includes a support hole 4523a formed coaxially penetrating in the left-right direction, and a shaft member 4523b inserted and fixed to the support hole 4523a.

[0350] As shown in FIG. 50, the first returning member 4530 mainly comprises a main body portion 4531 formed from a long rectangular plate shape and having a through hole at its end which is pivotally supported by an axis member 4523b, a rotation regulating portion 4532 extending radially from the end of the main body portion 4531 on the side on which the through hole is formed, and an inclined surface portion 4533 formed on the main body portion 4531 at the end opposite to the side on which the rotation regulating portion 4532 is formed.

[0351] The main body portion 4531 has an arc-shaped curved surface 4531a centered on the support center J41 at the end opposite to the end on the side where it is supported.

[0352] The rotation restricting portion 4532 is extended and inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 4531. In this embodiment, the inclination angle is about 50 degrees.

[0353] The inclined surface portion 4533 is a portion in which an inclined surface is formed to prevent the first return member 4530 and the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340 from colliding with each other on surfaces perpendicular to the direction of movement and being damaged when the slide member 4520 slides, and is formed at least over a range from the end of the main body portion 4531 that can abut against the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0354] As shown in FIG. 51, the second returning member 4540 mainly comprises a main body portion 4541 formed from a long rectangular plate shape and having a through hole at its end which is pivotally supported by an axis member 4523b, a rotation regulating portion 4542 extending radially from the end of the main body portion 4541 on the side on which the through hole is formed, and an inclined surface portion 4543 formed on the main body portion 4541 at the end opposite to the side on which the rotation regulating portion 4542 is formed.

[0355] The main body portion 4541 is formed in a shape that extends elongatedly toward the opposite side to the pivotally supported side of the main body portion 4531 of the first returning member 4530, and an end portion is configured in a planar shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0356] The rotation restricting portion 4542 is extended and inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 4541. In this embodiment, the inclination angle is about 50 degrees.

[0357] The inclined surface portion 4543 is a portion in which an inclined surface is formed to prevent the second return member 4540 and the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340 from colliding with each other on surfaces perpendicular to the direction of movement and being damaged when the slide member 4520 slides, and is formed at least over a range from the end of the main body portion 4541 that can abut against the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0358] A torsion spring NB4 is wound around the shaft member 4523b, and the returning members 4530, 4540 are biased in a direction in which the tip sides of the main bodies 4531, 4541 rise upward. That is, the rotation restricting portions 4532, 4542 function as rotation stoppers for the returning members 4530, 4540, as shown in FIG.

[0359] Next, a function of the switching device 4500 when the switching device 4500 forms the first state will be described with reference to Fig. 52 to Fig. 54. Fig. 52 to Fig. 54 are cross-sectional views of the operating device 4300 taken along the line XLVIII-XLVIII in Fig. 47. Fig. 52 illustrates a state in which the operating member 4310 is pressed down halfway, Fig. 53 illustrates a state immediately after the operating member 4310 is pressed down to the lower end position of the movement range, and Fig. 54 illustrates a state in which the operating member 4310 has risen from the state in Fig. 53 and returned to the upper end position.

[0360] As shown in FIG. 52, when the operating member 4310 is pushed down to a position not reaching the lower end position of the movement range, the main body portion 4531 of the first return member 4530 is positioned on the movement trajectory of the abutment surface 4345a of the opening / closing member 4340 which is pushed open by the bulge portion 4312, and the greater the amount of movement of the opening / closing member 4340, the more the first return member 4530 is formed in a manner such that it tilts against the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4.

[0361] Therefore, the reaction force given from the operating device 4300 to the player who presses in the operating member 4310 is a combined force of the reaction force of the torsion spring NB1 (see FIG. 8) that biases the opening / closing member 4340 and the reaction force of the torsion spring NB4 that biases the first return member 4530. Therefore, the greater the amount by which the operating member 4310 is pressed downward, the greater the reaction force felt by the player.

[0362] 53, when the operating member 4310 is pushed down to the lower end of the movement range, the adjustment arm 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340 is disposed outside the movement trajectory of the first returning member 4530. Therefore, the load applied by the opening / closing member 4340 to the first returning member 4530 disappears (only the frictional force applied to the curved surface 4531a remains), and the first returning member 4530 rises up due to the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4 (see FIG. 54).

[0363] Therefore, the reaction force given from the operating device 4300 to the player who presses in the operating member 4310 changes significantly immediately after the operating member 4310 is pressed to the lower end of the movement range. That is, the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4 that biases the first return member 4530 is no longer given to the player.

[0364] As a result, the reaction force felt by the player is instantly decreased. Therefore, in the process of operating the operating member 4310 to the bottom end of the movement range, the reaction force felt by the player increases as the amount of operation increases, and then immediately decreases after the bottom end is reached.

[0365] 54, the first returning member 4530 is disposed on the movement trajectory of the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340, and the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4 given to the first returning member 4530 via the opening / closing member 4340 is directed in a direction that presses the rotation restricting portion 4532 of the first returning member 4530 against the slide member 4520 (a direction in which rotation is restricted), thereby preventing the opening / closing member 4340 from returning. Therefore, even after the operating member 4310 rises after FIG. 53, the opening / closing member 4340 can be maintained in the second position state.

[0366] In this case, the opening / closing member 4340 and the operating member 4310 do not come into contact when the operating member 4310 ascends, so the return speed of the operating member 4310 can be made smaller (the return can be made slower) compared to when the biasing force of the torsion springs NB1, NB4 is applied to the operating member 4310 via the opening / closing member 4340 (see Figure 58).

[0367] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the player can be notified that the switching device 4500 is in the first state by three different means. That is, the player can be notified by the reaction force becoming smaller immediately after the operating member 4310 is pushed to the bottom end of the movement range (tactile), by the opening / closing member 4340 being maintained in the second position state even after the player releases the operating member 4310 (visual), and by the slow return action of the operating member 4310 (visual or tactile (operation waiting time)).

[0368] The reason why the slow return motion of the operating member 4310 is notified by a tactile sensation is that the speed of the operating member 4310 is an indicator of the speed at which the player will perform a rapid-fire operation. That is, when performing a rapid-fire operation, the player only performs an operation of pushing the operating member 4310 in one direction, and it becomes possible to perform the same pushing operation continuously only when the operating member 4310 is placed in the initial position (the upper end position of the moving range of the operating member 4310) before the player operates it.

[0369] Therefore, if the return speed of the operating member 4310 becomes slow, even if the operating member 4310 has been repeatedly pressed at a constant interval (the time interval until the operating member 4310 returns to its initial position), the operating member 4310 will not have returned to its initial position at the time it is pressed, which can give a tactile discomfort to a player attempting to repeatedly press the operating member 4310.

[0370] In this way, by making multiple different notifications, even if the player does not notice one of the notifications, there is still the possibility that the player will notice the other notifications, thereby reducing the possibility that the player will miss that the switching device 4500 is in the first state.

[0371] Moreover, these notifications are notification methods that are easy for the player who operates the operation device 4300 to recognize, but difficult for other players to recognize, compared to notifications using sound, lighting, vibration, etc. Therefore, for example, in the case where the switching device 4500 is controlled to be in the first state when a jackpot is confirmed, if the player can notice the above-mentioned notification, only the player who operated the device can recognize that a jackpot has been confirmed before the jackpot performance starts, and therefore, the player can be induced to operate the operation device 4300.

[0372] 54, even if the operating member 4310 is pushed in, the movement range of the operating member 4310 is limited to the position where it starts to come into contact with the opening / closing member 4340 (see FIG. 53). This makes it possible to minimize the load applied from the operating member 4310 to the opening / closing member 4340 when the opening / closing member 4340 is in the second position state. Therefore, even if the player does not notice the notification and continues to operate the operating member 4310, it is possible to prevent the operating member 4310 or the opening / closing member 4340 from being damaged by the load generated between the opening / closing member 4340 and the operating member 4310.

[0373] Next, the state of the switching device 4500 will be described with reference to Fig. 55 and Fig. 56. In the description of Fig. 55 and Fig. 56, Fig. 47 will be referred to as appropriate. Fig. 55 and Fig. 56 are top views of the operation device 4300. In Fig. 55 and Fig. 56, the outer wall member 4301 and the overlapping member 302 are illustrated with imaginary lines, and the operation member 4310 is omitted. Also, Fig. 55 illustrates a second state of the switching device 4500 in which the sliding member 4520 is disposed at a position where the opening / closing member 4340 does not face any of the returning members 4530 and 4540, and the opening / closing member 4340 in the second position state is illustrated with imaginary lines, and Fig. 56 illustrates a third state of the switching device 4500 in which the sliding member 4520 is disposed at a position where the opening / closing member 4340 faces the second returning member 4540.

[0374] When the sliding member 4520 is slid from the state shown in FIG. 54 to the second state shown in FIG. 55, the left-right position of the first returning member 4530 shifts from the left-right position of the opening / closing member 4340, so that the load applied from the first returning member 4530 to the opening / closing member 4340 is released, and the opening / closing member 4340 returns to the first position state.

[0375] 55, in the second state of the switching device 4500, no reaction force is generated from the switching device 4500 to the opening / closing member 4340. Therefore, compared to the first and third states of the switching device 4500, the reaction force applied through the operating member 4310 to the player operating the operating member 4310 is reduced.

[0376] As shown in Fig. 56, in the third state of the switching device 4500, the left-right position of the opening / closing member 4340 and the left-right position of the second returning member 4540 coincide with each other. Even if the sliding member 4520 is slid while the operating member 4310 is being pushed in (when the opening / closing member 4340 is moving from the first position state), the inclined surface portion 4543 of the second returning member 4540 abuts against the side surface of the opening / closing member 4340, and the second returning member 4540 is pressed downward from the opening / closing member 4340. This makes it possible to prevent a problem in which the second returning member 4540 is damaged by operating the sliding member 4520 while the operating member 4310 is being operated. Therefore, the sliding member 4520 can be slid at any timing.

[0377] Fig. 57 and Fig. 58 are cross-sectional views of the operating device 4300 taken along the line LVII-LVII in Fig. 56. Fig. 57 illustrates a state in which the operating member 4310 is disposed at the upper end position of the movement range, and Fig. 58 illustrates a state in which the operating member 4310 is pushed into the lower end position of the movement range.

[0378] As shown in Figures 57 and 58, even when the slide member 4520 is in the third state, the force of the torsion spring NB4 is added to the reaction force applied to the player by pushing the operating member 4310, just as when the slide member 4520 is in the first state.

[0379] 58, even if the operating member 4310 is pushed to the lower end position of the movement range, the adjustment arm 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340 is disposed on the movement trajectory of the second returning member 4540. Therefore, the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4 transmitted to the opening / closing member 4340 via the second returning member 4540 continues to be applied to the opening / closing member 4340.

[0380] Fig. 59 is a diagram showing the change over time in the reaction force given to a player who presses in the operating member 4310 in this embodiment. In Fig. 59, the first state of the switching device 4500 is shown by a solid line, the second state of the switching device 4500 is shown by a dashed line, and the third state of the switching device 4500 is shown by a dashed line. In order to facilitate understanding, the solid line and the dashed line are drawn parallel to each other with a slight distance between them in the range where they overlap.

[0381] As shown in FIG. 59, when the switching device 4500 is in the third state, the reaction force given to the player increases until the end and does not decrease along the way, whereas when the switching device 4500 is in the first state, the reaction force given to the player decreases along the way and is maintained at that reduced level.

[0382] Furthermore, when the switching device 4500 is in the second state, the increase in the reaction force applied to the player is made smaller compared to the first and third states, but the reaction force when the operating member 4310 is positioned at the lower end of its range of movement is the same in the first and second states.

[0383] Therefore, for example, by making a notification such as "Press the button. If the reaction force drops midway, it's your chance!?" on the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2), the player can be induced to operate the operation member 4310. That is, by making the player understand the probability of a big win from the increase or decrease in the reaction force, which is information that only the person who operates the operation can understand, the player can be given a sense of exclusivity that only he or she knows the result. Therefore, a player who normally does not operate the operation member 4310 by pressing it because it is troublesome can enjoy operating the operation member 4310. Also, since it is easier to sense the change in reaction force by gradually pressing the operation member 4310 than by slamming the operation member 4310, the operation of slamming the operation member 4310 by the player can be suppressed, and the durability of the operation device 4300 can be improved.

[0384] Also, for example, by making a notification such as "Press the button. If the reaction force is smaller than usual, it's your chance!?" on the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2), the player can be induced to operate the operating member 4310 for the same reason as described above. In this case, in a game in which the player is advantageous if the reaction force is lower than the third state, two patterns of reaction force change, a first state and a second state, can be prepared when the reaction force given to the player finally becomes lower than the third state.

[0385] As a result, while the operating member 4310 is being operated, the reaction force is similar to that in the third state, but by completing the operation of the operating member 4310 to the bottom end of its range of movement, the reaction force becomes smaller, increasing the player's interest (first state), and the player can understand that the reaction force is low immediately after starting to push the operating member 4310, increasing the player's interest throughout the pushing operation (second state).This makes it possible to switch the type of reaction force to be advantageous to the player, and prevents the player from becoming bored with operating the operating member 4310.

[0386] In this embodiment, when reporting a push, the switching device 4500 is controlled so that there is a high probability (99% or more) that it is in the first state or the third state, and it is very rare that it is in the second state. This makes it possible to induce the player to push the operating member 4310 to the bottom end position (all the way), in most cases, and also makes the player familiar with the reaction force in the first state and the third state, so that even if the change in the reaction force given to the player via the operating member 4310 (the change due to the second state) is slight, the player can easily notice the change.

[0387] Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 60 to Fig. 69. In the first embodiment, the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state even if the operation member 310 is pushed in when the main body annular portion 410 is in the initial state, and the case where the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340 associated with the subsequent operation of the operation member 310 is not affected has been described. However, in the operation device 5300 in the fifth embodiment, the state of the opening / closing member 340 is changed by operating the operation member 310 when the main body annular portion 410 is in the initial state, and the opening / closing member 340 operates in a different operation mode from when the operation member 310 is not operated when the main body annular portion 410 is in the initial state. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0388] Fig. 60 is an exploded front perspective view of an operating device 5300 in the fifth embodiment, and Fig. 61 is an exploded front perspective view of a switching device 5400. Note that in Fig. 60, the outer wall member 301, the stacking member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted. Also, in Fig. 60, the main body annular portion 5410 is illustrated in an initial state. Also, in Fig. 61, the driving motor 4590 is omitted.

[0389] As shown in FIG. 60, the operating device 5300 has the same configuration as the operating device 300, except that a switching device 5400 described below is incorporated in place of the switching device 400 of the operating device 300 in the first embodiment.

[0390] In addition, in the switching device 5400, in a state where no external force is applied (see FIG. 60), the height of each of the faces 421-423 of the adjustment step portion 5420, the switching position between the faces 421-423, and the like are similar to those of the adjustment step portion 420 in the first embodiment. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, by pressing the operating member 310 in a state where the main body annular portion 5410 is stopped in a position corresponding to the first performance state (see FIG. 18) or the like, it is possible to cause the opening / closing member 340 to perform the same operation as that described in the first embodiment.

[0391] On the other hand, the switching device 5400 includes divided ring members 5450 and 5460 that move relative to the main ring portion 5410 when an external force is applied and that are interposed between the opening / closing member 340 and the second surface 422 of the adjustment step portion 5420.

[0392] The switching device 5400 mainly comprises a main ring portion 5410 having a donut shape when viewed from above and formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion 321 of the base member 320, and thereby configured to be able to rotate relatively around the base member 320, an adjustment step portion 5420 formed on the upper surface of the main ring portion 5410 and stopping the rotational movement of the opening / closing member 340 by abutting with the adjustment arm portion 345, a first divided circular ring member 5450 having a function similar to that of the adjustment step portion 5420 and moving relative to the main ring portion 5410 as the main ring portion 5410 rotates, a second divided circular ring member 5460 having a similar shape to the first divided circular ring member 5450 and having a similar function, gear teeth 430 engraved circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the main ring portion 5410, and a drive motor 490 for driving a drive gear 491 meshed with the gear teeth 430.

[0393] The main ring portion 5410 mainly comprises a recessed portion 5411 which is recessed circumferentially into the shape of the main ring portion 410 in the first embodiment for the purpose of accommodating each of the divided members 5450, 5460, an inclined surface 5412 which is formed on the circumferential side surface of the plate portion covering the recessed portion 5411 from above and which slopes upward as it approaches the side where the recess depth becomes greater, a detectable member 5413 which is accommodated near the outermost diameter portion of the main ring portion 5410 so as to be able to protrude radially outward, and a locking protrusion 5414 which protrudes outward from the outermost diameter portion of the main ring portion 5410 below the recessed portion 5411 near the base position of the detectable member 5413.

[0394] The recessed portion 5411 has a small recess depth at the center of the radial thickness of the main ring portion 5410 and a large recess depth at both ends. In addition, the radial side walls of the recessed portions at both ends are formed in an arc shape centered on the central axis of the main ring portion 5410.

[0395] The main body plate portions 5451 and the extended support portions 5453 of the divided circular ring members 5450, 5460 are inserted into the recessed portions 5411 thus formed, thereby forming the initial state (see FIG. 60) of the main body circular ring portion 5410. Even when the divided circular ring members 5450, 5460 protrude from the main body circular ring portion 5410, the divided circular ring members 5450, 5460 are disposed on the main body circular ring portion 5410 in a top view.

[0396] The detection target members 5413 are disposed below the divided circular members 5450, 5460 at positions diametrically opposite each other (positions shifted by 180 degrees).

[0397] The adjustment step portion 5420 is configured in such a manner that the height of the upper surface changes for each angular position (phase) around the axis when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the main body circular ring portion 5410. Therefore, the position at which the rotation of the opening / closing member 340 stops changes depending on which surface of the adjustment step portion 5420 the adjustment arm portion 345 comes into contact with. Note that, as described later, the first divided circular ring member 5450 and a part of the upper surface of the second divided circular ring member 5460 have the same function as the adjustment step portion 5420.

[0398] As shown in Figures 60 and 61, the adjustment step portion 5420 has an upper surface which mainly comprises a first surface 421 which is the highest high stage h0, a second surface 422 which is the middle stage h1 which is one stage lower than the first surface 421, a third surface 423 which is the lowest low stage h2, and connecting surfaces which connect the circumferential ends of each of these surfaces (see Figure 10 for the high stage h0, middle stage h1 and low stage h2).

[0399] The first split circular ring member 5450 mainly comprises a main body plate portion 5451 accommodated in the recessed portion 5411, a bulky portion 5452 formed by increasing the bulk upward from the upper surface of the main body plate portion 5451, a pair of extended support portions 5453 extending from the radial end portion on the base side of the main body plate portion 5451 and curving along the radius of curvature of the radial side surface of the main body plate portion 5451, an adjustment portion 5454 extending downward from the outermost diameter portion on the base side of the main body plate portion 5451, and a coil spring SP51 having one end fixed to the adjustment portion 5454 and the other end fixed to the main body circular ring portion 5410, and urging the first split circular ring member 5450 toward the depth of the recessed portion 5411.

[0400] The main body plate portion 5451 and the bulky portion 5452 are formed from curved surfaces whose radial sides are flush with the inner and outer sides of the main body circular portion 5410, and when the first split circular member 5450 is accommodated to the deepest part of the recessed portion 5411 (see Figure 60), the tip portion is provided with an inclined surface 5451a which is formed at the same inclination angle as the connecting portion of the adjustment step portion 5420 and is smoothly connected to the first split circular member 5450.

[0401] The increased volume portion 5452 mainly comprises a contact surface 5452a which is a flat surface formed on the opposite side to the inclined surface 5451a and which slopes upward as it approaches the inclined surface 5451a along the circumferential direction of the main ring portion 5410, and a smooth upper surface 5452b formed on the upper surface.

[0402] The abutment surface 5452a is a surface disposed opposite the inclined surface 5412 in the housing of the first divided circular member 5450. As shown in Fig. 60, the inclined surface 5412 is inclined upward in a manner moving away from the abutment surface 5452a, so that a recess is formed between the abutment surface 5452a and the inclined surface 5412.

[0403] The smooth upper surface 5452b is disposed in the axial direction of the main body annular portion 5410 in the same manner as the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 5420. Therefore, even if the player presses in the operating member 310 (see FIG. 6) in a state in which the main body annular portion 5410 rotates and the adjustment arm portion 345 is disposed opposite the smooth upper surface 5452b, the rotation of the opening / closing member 340 is restricted by the smooth upper surface 5452b, and the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state.

[0404] The extended support portion 5453 is formed so that its upper and lower thicknesses are slightly shorter than the upper and lower length of the gap of the recessed portion 5411, and its radial thickness is slightly thinner than the thickness of the recessed portions at both radial ends of the recessed portion 5411.

[0405] As a result, the extension support portion 5453 is positioned in the radial and axial directions of the main body annular portion 5410 with respect to the recessed portion 5411, and is supported so as to be relatively movable in the circumferential direction.

[0406] The adjustment portion 5454 is a portion that restricts the movement of the first divided circular member 5450 by abutting against the locking protrusion 5414 of the main body circular portion 5410.

[0407] The second divided circular ring member 5460 has a similar configuration to the first divided circular ring member 5450, except that the upper end of the bulking portion 5462 is formed as a push-up upper edge 5462b consisting of edges, rather than being formed as a surface like the bulking portion 5452 of the first divided circular ring member 5450. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used and the description will be omitted.

[0408] The push-up upper edge 5462b is disposed in the axial direction of the main body annular portion 5410 in the same manner as the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 5420. Therefore, when the opening / closing member 340 is placed in the second position state (see FIG. 13) and the main body annular portion 5410 is then rotated, the adjustment arm portion 345 of the opening / closing member 340 rides up onto the push-up upper edge 5462b, so that the opening / closing member 340 can be placed in the first position state.

[0409] Fig. 62(a) and Fig. 62(b) are partial cross-sectional views of the main body annular portion 5410 taken along line LXIIa-LXIIa in Fig. 61. Fig. 62(a) illustrates a state in which the tip of the detected member 5413 is housed inside the outermost diameter part of the main body annular portion 5410, and Fig. 62(b) illustrates a state in which the tip of the detected member 5413 protrudes outside the outermost diameter part of the main body annular portion 5410. Fig. 62(a) illustrates the adjustment parts 5454 of the divided annular members 5450 and 5460 in the housed state (see Fig. 60), and Fig. 62(b) illustrates a state in which the adjustment parts 5454 abut against the locking protrusions 5414.

[0410] 62(a) and 62(b), the detected member 5413 is rotatably supported on an axis arranged on the main annular portion 5410, and is biased by a torsion spring NB51 toward the radially outward direction of the main annular portion 5410. For example, when the first divided annular member 5450 is in the housed state, it is returned radially inward by the adjustment portion 5454 (see FIG. 62(a)), but when the first divided annular member 5450 is released from the housed state and the adjustment portion 5454 moves toward the axis of the detected member 5413, the tip of the detected member 5413 protrudes radially outward from the main annular portion 5410 (see FIG. 62(b)).

[0411] Thereby, by detecting the position of the detection target member 5413, it is possible to determine whether or not each of the divided circular members 5450, 5460 is moving relative to the main body circular portion 5410. In this embodiment, the position of the detection target member 5413 is detected by a sensor KC51, which will be described later.

[0412] With reference to Fig. 63 to Fig. 65, the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340 in the initial state of the main body annular portion 5410 will be described. Fig. 63 and Fig. 64 are top views of the operation device 5300, and Fig. 65 is a cross-sectional view of the operation device 5300 taken along line LXV-LXV in Fig. 64. Note that in Fig. 63 and Fig. 64, the illustration of the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operation member 310 is omitted. Fig. 63 to Fig. 65 also show the initial state of the main body annular portion 5410, and Fig. 64 and Fig. 65 show a state after the player pushes in the operation member 310 from the state in Fig. 63 (a state in which the opening / closing member 340 is removed from the first position state).

[0413] As shown in Figure 65, in this embodiment, a detection sensor KC51 is arranged to protrude inward from the inner wall of the outer wall member 301 and face the outer wall of the main body annular portion 5410, and to determine the position of the detected member 5413 by detecting the detected member 5413.

[0414] The detection sensor KC51 is disposed so that the detection target member 5413 can be accommodated in the detection groove when each of the divided circular members 5450, 5460 is extended to its end (see FIG. 67). Since the detection sensor KC51 is configured to be able to detect both of the pair of detection target members 5413, in this embodiment, even if the player pushes in the operating member 310 when the main body circular portion 5410 is in a position shifted by 180 degrees from the initial state, causing the detection target member 5413 to extend, the same detection sensor KC51 can detect it.

[0415] As shown in Figures 63 to 65, when the opening / closing member 340 rotates away from the first position state in the initial state of the main body ring portion 5410, the opening / closing member 340 rotates to an intermediate position state in which the adjustment arm portion 345 abuts the upper surface of the main body plate portion 5451 of each divided ring member 5450, 5460 (see Figure 65).

[0416] 65, in this embodiment, when the adjustment arm 345 is in contact with the upper surface of the main body plate 5451, the opening / closing member 340 and the clutch member 330 do not come into contact with each other. That is, the state of the clutch member does not change between the opening / closing member 340 being in the first position state and the intermediate position state. Therefore, the value of the resultant force of the biasing force of the spring SP1 and the biasing force of the spring SP2, which is the reaction force applied to the player operating the operating member 310 via the operating member 310, can be made equal between the opening / closing member 340 being in the first position state and the intermediate position state.

[0417] In this embodiment, in the initial state of the main body annular portion 5410, the sound output device 226, the lamp display device 227 (see FIG. 4), etc. are controlled so as not to notify the player to push in the operating member 310. That is, the state shown in FIG. 64 and FIG. 65 is the result of the player arbitrarily pushing in the operating member 310 in a state in which the pachinko machine 10 is not making any notification.

[0418] Figures 66(a) and 66(b) are partial side views of the opening / closing member 340 and the switching device 5400 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXVIa in Figure 65. Note that Figure 66(a) illustrates the initial state of the main body annular portion 5410, and Figure 66(b) illustrates the state after the main body annular portion 5410 has rotated a predetermined amount clockwise as viewed from above (to the left in Figure 66(b)) from the initial state.

[0419] As shown in Fig. 66(a), when the main ring portion 5410 is in the initial state and the opening / closing member 340 rotates from the first position state, the adjustment arm portion 345 is accommodated in a recess between the abutment surface 5452a of the first divided ring member 5450 and the inclined surface 5412 of the main ring portion 5410. Here, the abutment surface 5452a is inclined upward in a direction away from the recess, but the degree of the inclination is closer to the vertical direction (close to 90 degrees), so that when the adjustment arm portion 345 and the abutment surface 5452 abut in the left-right direction of Fig. 66(b), a load is applied from the adjustment arm portion 345 to the first divided ring member 5450 in the left-right direction of Fig. 66(b).

[0420] 66(a) in a clockwise direction (leftward in FIG. 66(b)), the first divided circular member 5450 moves relative to the main circular member 5410 because the movement of the first divided circular member 5450 is restricted by the adjustment arm portion 345. The same can be said for the second divided circular member 5460.

[0421] Fig. 67 is a top view of the operating device 5300. Note that the outer wall member 301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 310 are omitted from Fig. 67. Fig. 67 also illustrates a maximum extension state in which the main body member 340 is in an intermediate position and the main body annular portion 5410 has rotated until the locking protrusion 5414 and the adjustment portion 5454 of the first divided annular member 5450 come into contact with each other.

[0422] 67, when the main body annular portion 5410 is in the most extended state, the detected member 5413 extends radially outward and is inserted into the detection groove of the detection sensor KC51. Therefore, by checking a change in the signal output from the detection sensor KC51, it can be determined whether or not the operating member 310 has been operated when the main body annular portion 5410 is in the initial state.

[0423] In this determination, since there is no need to compare the timing of the change in the signal of the sensor that detects the depression of the operating member 310 with the timing of the notification from the audio output device 226, the lamp display device 227 (see FIG. 4), etc., it is possible to easily detect an erroneous operation of the operating member 310 (operation when the main body annular part 5410 is in the initial state). Also, the control flow used for the detection can be shortened.

[0424] Figures 68(a) and 68(b) are partial side views of the opening / closing member 340 and the switching device 5400 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXVIIIa in Figure 67. Note that Figure 68(a) illustrates a state at the same time as the state shown in Figure 67, and Figure 68(b) illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 5410 has further rotated clockwise as viewed from above (to the left in Figure 68(b)) from the state shown in Figure 68(a).

[0425] As shown in FIG. 68(a), when the opening / closing member 340 rides on the upper surface of the main body plate portion 5451 of the first divided circular member 5450 and is in the intermediate position state, the first divided circular member 5450 is interposed between the adjustment arm portion 345 and the adjustment step portion 5420. Therefore, even if the operation member 310 is pressed again in the first to third performance states described in the first embodiment, the performance of rotating the opening / closing member 340 cannot be performed until the adjustment arm portion 345 abuts against the adjustment step portion 5420, and the opening / closing member 340 continues to maintain the intermediate position state. Therefore, the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340 can be made different from the operation mode described in the first embodiment, and it is possible to make it impossible to read information that is beneficial to the player, such as the expectation of a big win, from the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340. This makes it possible to induce a player who dislikes not being able to read information that is beneficial to the player not to operate the operation member 310 when the main body circular portion 5410 is in the initial state.

[0426] In addition, by making the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340 an incomplete state such as an intermediate position state, an abnormal atmosphere is produced, and a player who unintentionally erroneously operates the operation member 310 can be notified of the erroneous operation by utilizing the operation mode of the opening / closing member 340. In this case, for example, compared to the case where an error is displayed on the third pattern display device 81, it is possible to notify the presence or absence of an erroneous operation without impairing the performance on the third pattern display device 81.

[0427] The above-mentioned effect of the first divided circular member 5450 is not produced by switching the operation timing or operation direction of the main body circular portion 5410. That is, it is not necessary to change the operation mode of the main body circular portion 5410 from the operation mode of the main body circular portion 410 of the first embodiment. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the degree of freedom in setting the operation control of the main body circular portion 5410.

[0428] As shown in Figure 68(b), when the main ring portion 5410 is further rotated clockwise when viewed from above (leftward in Figure 68(b)) from the fully extended state shown in Figure 67, the relative movement of the first split circular ring member 5450 with respect to the main ring portion 5410 is restricted due to contact between the locking protrusion 5414 of the main ring portion 5410 and the adjustment portion 5454 of the first split circular ring member 5450, and the first split circular ring member 5450 is pushed toward the main ring portion 5410 and rotates clockwise when viewed from above (leftward in Figure 68(b)).

[0429] Here, the circumferential movement of the main ring portion 5410 of the opening / closing member 340 is restricted, so that as the first split ring member 5450 moves to the left in Figure 68 (b), the adjustment arm portion 345 is pushed upward along the slope of the abutment surface 5452a, and the adjustment arm portion 345 abuts against the smooth upper surface 5452b of the first split ring member 5450.

[0430] As described above, the smooth upper surface 5452b is located at the same position as the first surface 421 of the adjustment step portion 5420 in the axial direction of the main body annular portion 5410, so that the opening / closing member 340 is in the first position state as shown in Fig. 68(b). Therefore, unless the player operates the operating member 310, the opening / closing member 340 is maintained in the first position state.

[0431] Furthermore, by releasing the abutment between the abutment surface 5452a of the first divided circular ring member 5450 and the adjustment arm portion 345, the load applied to the first divided circular ring member 5450 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from above (to the right in FIG. 68(b)) is released, so that the first divided circular ring member 5450 is moved to a deep portion of the recessed portion 5411 by the restoring force of the coil spring SP51 (see FIG. 60), and the first divided circular ring member 5450 returns to the housed state (see FIG. 60). Therefore, when the main body circular ring portion 5410 returns to the initial state again, the first divided circular ring member 5450 has returned to the housed state, making it unnecessary to separately prepare a member for returning the first divided circular ring member 5450.

[0432] Fig. 69(a) to Fig. 69(c) are side views of the switching device 5400 and the opening / closing member 340 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXVIa in Fig. 65. In Fig. 69(a), the main body annular portion 5410 is in an initial state and the opening / closing member 340 is in an intermediate position state, Fig. 69(b) illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 5410 has rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above (to the right in Fig. 69(b)) from the state shown in Fig. 69(a), and Fig. 69(c) illustrates a state in which the main body annular portion 5410 has rotated clockwise as viewed from above (to the left in Fig. 69(c)) from the state shown in Fig. 69(b).

[0433] Fig. 69 illustrates a drive control for canceling the influence of the operation of the operating member 310 in the initial state. That is, as shown in Fig. 69(a), even if the adjustment arm 345 is inserted into the recess between the inclined surface 5412 of the main ring portion 5410 and the abutment surface 5452a of the first divided ring portion 5450 (the operating member 310 is pushed in when the main ring portion 5410 is in the initial state), the adjustment arm 345 is lifted up to the inclined surface 5412, and the opening / closing member 340 is returned to the first position state by rotating the main ring portion 5410 counterclockwise in top view (rightward in Fig. 69(b)) in advance (first drive mode) before rotating the main ring portion 5410 clockwise in top view (leftward in Fig. 69(c)).

[0434] This prevents a discrepancy from occurring in the entire pachinko machine 10, such as when the operating member 310 is unintentionally operated while the main body annular portion 5410 is in the initial state, in which the opening / closing member 340 performs an abnormal operation even though the third pattern display device displays a performance (e.g., a "premium performance") that is almost certain to be a jackpot (99% chance of a jackpot).

[0435] That is, the behavior of the main ring portion 5410 at the start of rotation can be changed depending on the expectation of a big win of the performance currently being performed by the third pattern display device 81. As a result, when the operating member 310 is operated in the initial state of the main ring portion 5410, the control device can select whether to perform the performance with the first divided ring portion 5450 interposed between the opening / closing member 340 and the adjustment step portion 5420, or to perform the performance with the interposition released.

[0436] In addition, when the main body ring portion 5410 operates in the first drive mode shown in Figure 69 only when an almost jackpot presentation is to be performed, the player can know in advance that an almost jackpot presentation is about to begin by confirming that the opening / closing member 340, which has reached the intermediate position state, will reach the first position state through a preparatory operation.

[0437] Therefore, in the initial state of the main body annular portion 5410, the player can intentionally push in the operating member 310 to bring the opening / closing member 340 to the intermediate state, and then wait for the opening / closing member 340 to return to the first position state by a preparatory movement. In this case, the player's gaze can be drawn to the change in the position of the opening / closing member 340, and the attention to the opening / closing member 340 can be improved.

[0438] Furthermore, by setting the probability of an almost jackpot performance to occur at an extremely low level (for example, 1 / 10,000), it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned game mode in which the operating member 310 is deliberately pressed in when the main body ring portion 5410 is in the initial state from continuing for a long period of time.

[0439] Next, the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 70 to Fig. 77. In the fourth embodiment, the case where the opening / closing member 4340 is maintained in the second position state by pushing the operation member 4310 when the switching device 4500 is in the first state has been described. However, the operation device 6300 in the sixth embodiment can form a case where the opening / closing member 4340 is not maintained in the second position state even if the operation member 4310 is pushed in when the switching device 4500 is in the first state, depending on the operation manner in which the player operates the operation member 4310. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0440] Fig. 70 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 6300 in the sixth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in Fig. 47. As shown in Fig. 70, the operating device 6300 has the same configuration as the operating device 4300 in the fourth embodiment, except that a moving cover member 6360 covering the opening / closing member 4340 is disposed near the rotation shaft of the opening / closing member 4340, and an outer extrusion member 6550 and an inner extrusion member 6560 are disposed on the upper surface of the slide member 4520 of the switching device 6500. Note that Fig. 70 illustrates the cross-sectional shapes at a position passing through a pair of parallel plates of a main body member 6361 of the moving cover member 6360 only in the vicinity of the rotation shaft of the opening / closing member 4340 and in the moving cover member 6360.

[0441] That is, the operating device 6300, like the fourth embodiment, comprises an outer wall member 4301, a stacking member 302, an operating member 4310, a pair of opening / closing members 4340, and a drive motor 4590 that generates a driving force for a drive gear 4591 that operates the switching device, as well as a movable cover member 6360 that is disposed on the opening / closing member 4340 so as to be movable relative to the opening / closing member 4340, and a switching device 6500 that is disposed below the opening / closing member 4340 and configured to be able to switch between a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 is biased by abutting against the opening / closing member 4340 and a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 is not abutted against the opening / closing member 4340 by a straight-line movement.

[0442] The switching device 6500, like the fourth embodiment, comprises a base member 4510, a slide member 4520, a first return member 4530, a second return member 4540, and a torsion spring NB4, and in addition, mainly comprises an outer extrusion member 6550 which positions the movable cover member 6360 at an outer position as the opening / closing member 4340 rotates when facing the movable cover member 6360, and an inner extrusion member 6560 which positions the movable cover member 6360 at an inner position as an initial position when facing the movable cover member 6360 as the opening / closing member 4340 is positioned in the first position state.

[0443] FIG. 71(a) is a side view of the switching device 6500, and FIG. 71(b) is a top view of the switching device 6500 as viewed in the direction of arrow LXXIb in FIG. 71(a).

[0444] For ease of understanding, as shown in Fig. 71(b), imaginary straight lines extending in a direction connecting a pair of first returning members 4530 are arranged at equal intervals in a direction connecting the first returning members 4530 and the second returning members 4540. Also, in Fig. 71, the base member 4510 is omitted from illustration.

[0445] That is, Figure 71 (b) shows a fixed side position line Wr passing through the center of the width length (vertical dimension in Figure 71 (b)) of a pair of first return members 4530, a non-fixed side position line Wn passing through the center of the width length of a pair of second return members 4540, a return position line Wc positioned halfway between the fixed side position line Wr and the non-fixed side position line Wn, a fixed side intermediate line Wcr positioned halfway between the fixed side position line Wr and the return position line Wc, and a non-fixed side intermediate line Wcn positioned halfway between the non-fixed side position line Wn and the return position line Wc.

[0446] Each of the lines Wr, Wn, Wc, Wcr, and Wcn is illustrated as a guide line along which the center of the width length (the dimension perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 70) of the opening / closing member 4340 is positioned when viewed from above.

[0447] That is, for example, when the switching device 6500 is in the first state described above in the fourth embodiment, the center of the width of the opening / closing member 4340 is located on the fixed side position line Wr in a top view. In this embodiment, the sliding member 4520 is driven and controlled in such a manner that the center of the width of the opening / closing member 4340 forms five types of stop positions that are located on the lines Wr, Wn, Wc, Wcr, and Wcn in a top view.

[0448] The outer extrusion member 6550 mainly includes a main body portion 6551 having a T-shape in a side view, the main body portion 6551 having a wide shape in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 71(b)) and the center of the thickness length (the length in the vertical direction in FIG. 71(b)) aligned with the fixed side middle line Wcr and the non-fixed side middle line Wcn in a top view, and a chamfered portion 6552 formed by chamfering the upper end portion of the main body portion 6551.

[0449] The upper end of the main body 6551 is a portion that can come into contact with the movable cover member 6360 when the opening / closing member 4340 rotates. The chamfered portion 6552 is formed on all corners when viewed from above and has a substantially elliptical shape. Therefore, even if the movable cover member 6360 and the outer push-out member 6550 come into contact with each other while the slide member 4520 is sliding, the generated load can be released in the direction in which the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 can move, thereby preventing damage to the components.

[0450] Incidentally, the outward extrusion member 6550 is formed in such a manner that it does not come into contact with the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 when the center of the width length of the opening / closing member 4340 is positioned on another line Wr, Wn, Wc in a top view.

[0451] The inner extrusion member 6560 is formed from a pair of rod-shaped members arranged in front of and behind the return position line Wc with the center of their thickness length (the length in the vertical direction in Figure 71 (b)) aligned with the return position line Wc when viewed from above, and mainly comprises a main body portion 6561 which is L-shaped when viewed from the side and has extension portions extending from the upper end to opposite sides, and a chamfered portion 6562 which is chamfered at the upper end of the main body portion 6561.

[0452] The upper end of the main body 6561 is a portion that can come into contact with the movable cover member 6360 when the opening / closing member 4340 is disposed in the first position state. The chamfered portion 6562 is formed on all corners of the tip of the extension portion when viewed from above, and has a rounded corner. Therefore, even if the movable cover member 6360 and the inner extrusion member 6560 come into contact with each other while the slide member 4520 is sliding, the generated load can be released in a direction in which the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 can move, thereby preventing damage to the components.

[0453] It should be noted that the inner extrusion member 6560 is formed in such a manner that it does not come into contact with the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 when the center of the width length of the opening / closing member 4340 is positioned on another line Wr, Wn, Wcr, Wcn in a top view.

[0454] The details of the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 will be described with reference to Fig. 72. Fig. 72(a) is a front view of the opening / closing member 4340, Fig. 72(b) is a side view of the opening / closing member 4340 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXXIIb in Fig. 72(a), Fig. 72(c) is a front view of the movable cover member 6360, Fig. 72(d) is a side view of the movable cover member 6360 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXXIId in Fig. 72(c), and Fig. 72(e) is a top view of the movable cover member 6360 as viewed in the direction of the arrow LXXIIe in Fig. 72(c). Note that the opening / closing member 4340 described in this embodiment and the opening / closing member 4340 described in the fourth embodiment are the same member, but will be described in detail here.

[0455] As shown in Figures 72(a) and 72(b), the opening / closing member 4340, like the fourth embodiment, comprises a main body plate portion 341 formed in a long plate shape when viewed in the axial direction (see Figure 72(a)), a support hole 342, and a protruding receiving portion 344 (see Figure 8), and also mainly comprises an extension portion 4343 extending from the upper end of the main body plate portion 341 in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 72(a)) toward the opposing opening / closing member 4340, an adjustment arm portion 4345 extending from the lower end of the main body plate portion 341 to the side opposite the side facing the opposing opening / closing member 4340, and a torsion spring NB1 (see Figure 8) that is wrapped around the shaft portion 4301c1 and engaged with the protruding receiving portion 344 to generate a biasing force that rotates the opening / closing member 4340 to an inward position.

[0456] 72(b), the end portion of the main body plate portion 341 on the support hole 342 side has a smaller axial thickness than other portions, and an inclined side surface 4341a is formed at the boundary of the thickness. The inclined side surface 4341a is formed as a side surface parallel to the contact surface 4345a of the adjustment arm portion 4345.

[0457] The adjustment arm portion 4345 mainly includes a contact surface 4345a disposed on the lower surface of the extended tip portion, and a rotation restriction surface 4345b intersecting with the extension direction.

[0458] The contact surface 4345a is a surface that comes into contact with the respective return members 4530, 4540 of the switching device 6500 and presses the respective return members 4530, 4540 as the opening / closing member 4340 rotates.

[0459] The rotation restriction surface 4345b is a surface configured with a curved shape recessed toward the shaft portion 4301c1 side. In the second position state of the opening / closing member 4340 (see FIG. 54), the shape coincides with the shape of a circular arc centered on the rotation axis of the return members 4530, 4540 of the switching device 4500.

[0460] As shown in Figures 72(c) to 72(e), the movable cover member 6360 mainly comprises a main body member 6361 formed in a U-shape when viewed from above, a pair of adjustment long holes 6362 formed in the shape of long holes through a pair of parallel plates of the main body member 6361, a connecting portion 6363 that is part of the main body member 6361 and connects the pair of parallel plates, and an extension arm portion 6364 extending from the tips of the pair of parallel plates of the main body member 6361.

[0461] The main body member 6361 has a pair of parallel plates spaced apart from each other by approximately the same amount as the thickness of the end of the opening / closing member 4340 on the support hole 342 side, and is provided with a positioning plane 6361a formed as a flat surface on the upper surface thereof.

[0462] In an assembled state (see FIG. 70), a static friction force is generated between the pair of parallel plates of the main body member 6361 and the opening / closing member 4340. Therefore, in order to move the opening / closing member 4340 and the main body member 6361 relative to each other, a load larger than the maximum static friction force is required.

[0463] In this embodiment, the spring constants of the torsion springs NB1 and NB4 are set so that the biasing force of the torsion spring NB1 (see FIG. 8) biasing the opening / closing member 4340 toward the side where it is disposed in the second position state is greater than the maximum static friction force described above when the opening / closing member 4340 is in the first position state (see FIG. 70), and the biasing force of the torsion spring NB4 is equal to or less than the maximum static friction force described above when the displacement of the torsion spring NB4 is at its maximum (see FIG. 77). This allows the moving cover 6360 to rub against the opening / closing member 4340 and move relative to it when pressed against the outer extrusion member 6550 or the inner extrusion member 6560, and not move relative to the opening / closing member 4340 when pressed against each of the return members 4530 and 4540.

[0464] The positioning flat surface 6361a is a surface that comes into contact with the inclined side surface 4341a in the assembled state (see FIG. 70). By the surface contact between the positioning flat surface 6361a and the inclined side surface 4341a, the position of the moving cover member 6360 relative to the opening / closing member 4340 is prevented from shifting.

[0465] The adjustment long hole 6362 is a long hole that extends along a straight line parallel to the positioning plane 6361a and has a short-side length equal to the diameter of the support hole 342. When the positioning plane 6361a and the inclined side surface 4341a are in surface contact, the adjustment long hole 6362 is positioned at a position that includes the support hole 342 when viewed in the axial direction (see Figure 72 (c)).

[0466] As a result, in the assembled state (see FIG. 70), the opening / closing member 4340 and the movable cover member 6360 are supported by a common shaft portion 4301c1, and the movable cover member 6360 can be moved relative to the opening / closing member 4340 along the extension direction of the adjustment long hole 6362 (the extension direction of the inclined side surface 4341a).

[0467] When the end of the adjustment elongated hole 6362 on the side of the extension arm 6364 and the support hole 342 of the opening / closing member 4340 are disposed at the same position as seen in the axial direction (see FIG. 70), the extension arm 6364 is formed in such a manner that it has the same outer shape as the outer shape of the adjustment arm 4345 as seen in the axial direction. For example, the lower side surface of the extension arm 6364 is formed as a plane parallel to the positioning plane 6361a and the adjustment elongated hole 6362.

[0468] Therefore, for example, when the end of the adjustment elongated hole 6362 on the extended arm portion 6364 side and the support hole 342 of the opening / closing member 4340 are disposed at the same position as viewed in the axial direction (see FIG. 70), when the opening / closing member 4340 is rotated to come into contact with the returning members 4530, 4540, the adjustment arm portion 4345 of the opening / closing member 4340 comes into direct contact with the returning members 4530, 4540, which is different from the mode in which the movable cover member 6360 is interposed therebetween. The case in which the movable cover member 6360 is interposed between the opening / closing member 4340 and the returning members 4530, 4540 will be described below.

[0469] Fig. 73 is a top view of the operating device 6300, and Figs. 74 and 75 are cross-sectional views of the operating device 6300 taken along line LXXIV-LXXIV in Fig. 73. In Fig. 73, the outer wall member 4301, the overlapping member 302, and the operating member 4310 are illustrated by imaginary lines. Fig. 73 illustrates a fixed-side intermediate state in which the fixed-side intermediate line Wcr of the switching device 6500 coincides with the center of the width length of the opening / closing member 4340 in a top view, Fig. 74 illustrates a first position state of the opening / closing member 4340, and Fig. 75 illustrates a second position state of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0470] In this embodiment, in the state shown in Fig. 73, the sound output device 226, the lamp display device 227 (see Fig. 4), etc. are controlled so as not to notify the player to push in the operating member 4310. In other words, the state shown in Fig. 75 occurs as a result of the player arbitrarily pushing in the operating member 4310 in a state in which the pachinko machine 10 is not making any notification.

[0471] 74 and 75, when the operating member 4310 is pushed in and the opening / closing member 4340 rotates from the first position state, the outer pushing member 6550 and the connecting portion 6363 of the moving cover member 6360 come into contact with each other, and the moving cover member 6360 is pushed forward from the inner position to the outer position. When the opening / closing member 4340 rotates to the second position state by this pushing, the moving cover member 6360 is disposed at the outer position (see FIG. 75).

[0472] Furthermore, even if the player stops the pushing operation, the operating member 4310 returns upward from the state shown in Figure 75, and the opening / closing member 4340 returns to the first position state, no force is generated to return the movable cover member 6360 to the inward position, so the position of the movable cover member 6360 is maintained in the outer position.

[0473] Here, since the movable cover member 6360 moves on a straight line passing through the rotation axis of the opening / closing member 4340, it is possible to prevent a change in the load generated in the rotation direction of the opening / closing member 4340 due to the movement of the movable cover member 6360. This makes it possible to prevent a change in the reaction force applied to the player via the operating member 4310, so that it is difficult for the player to recognize that the state of the switching device 6500 is the fixed side intermediate state due to a change in the reaction force applied from the operating member 4310.

[0474] Fig. 76 is a top view of the operating device 6300, and Fig. 77 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device 6300 taken along line LXXVII-LXXVII in Fig. 76. In Fig. 76, the outer wall member 4301 and the overlapping member 302 are illustrated by imaginary lines, and the operating member 4310 is omitted. Fig. 76 also illustrates a first state in which the fixed side position line Wc of the switching device 6500 coincides with the center of the width of the opening / closing member 4340 in a top view, and Fig. 77 illustrates a second position state of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0475] 76 and 77 show a case where, after the operating member 4310 is operated while the switching device 6500 is in the fixed side intermediate state as shown in Fig. 75, the switching device 6500 is set to the first state without passing through the second state in which the return position line Wc of the switching device 6500 coincides with the center of the width length of the opening / closing member 4340 in a top view. Therefore, the movable cover member 6360 is maintained in the outer position.

[0476] As shown in FIG. 77, even when the operating member 4310 is operated with the movable cover member 6360 positioned in the outer position and the opening / closing member 4340 is in the second position, the movable cover member 6360 is still positioned on the movement trajectory of the first returning member 4530 and is interposed between the opening / closing member 4340 and the first returning member 4530, so that the opening / closing member 4340 continues to receive a load from the first returning member 4530.

[0477] In other words, depending on whether the movable cover member 6360 is positioned in the inner position or the outer position, when the opening / closing member 4340 is in the second position state, the posture may be fixed (see FIG. 54), or the movable cover member 6360 may be interposed and the reaction force from the first return member 4530 may still be received.

[0478] In other words, when the switching device 6500 is placed at the fixed side intermediate position and there is no push-in notification, the operation mode of the opening / closing member 4340 associated with the operation of the operating member 4310 by the player can be changed depending on whether or not the player operates the operating member 4310, even though the state of the switching device 6500 is the same as the first state. This change can also confuse the player. This will be described below.

[0479] The operation device 6300 in this embodiment notifies the player of information that benefits the player by the operation mode of the opening / closing member 4340 when the operation member 4310 is pressed in. The operation mode of the opening / closing member 4340 can be switched depending on the state of the switching device 6500, so that the driving motor 4590 is driven to switch the state of the switching device 6500 in response to the information that benefits the player, and the state of the switching device 6500 is controlled. In this embodiment, the switching device 6500 is controlled so that the opening / closing member 4340 is more likely to be maintained in the second position state when the probability of a big win is higher than a certain level.

[0480] Here, the first state of the switching device 6500 is a state in which, if the movable cover member 6360 is disposed in the inner position (initial position), the opening / closing member 4340 is set to the second position state and the opening / closing member 4340 is maintained in the second position state (see FIG. 54). On the other hand, in the third state of the switching device 6500 (see FIGS. 56 to 58), the opening / closing member 4340 is not maintained in the second position state and returns to the first position state as the operating member 4310 rises. Therefore, the player can grasp the difference in the state of the switching device 6500 depending on whether the opening / closing member 4340 returns to the second position state or not, and the player can understand the profit as the expectation level as intended by the control side from the difference in state (expectation level of big win in the first state>expectation level of big win in the third state).

[0481] However, when the moving cover member 6360 is located at the outer position, even if the switching device 6500 is in the first state, the opening / closing member 4340 is not maintained in the second position state, but returns to the first position state as the operating member 4310 rises, so that it is indistinguishable from the case where the switching device 6500 is in the third state, making it difficult to determine the state of the switching device 6500 from the operating state of the opening / closing member 4340. Therefore, the advantage that a player can obtain by visually checking the operating state of the opening / closing member 4340 is reduced.

[0482] 77, the first return member 4530 rotates in accordance with the amount of rotation of the opening / closing member 4340, and the reaction force of the torsion spring NB4, which increases according to the angle of rotation, is applied to the player. This reaction force is equivalent in absolute value and change mode to the reaction force applied to the player when the switching device 6500 is in the third state (see FIGS. 56 to 58), so it becomes difficult to determine the state of the switching device 6500 from the reaction force applied to the player. Therefore, the advantage that the player can obtain by concentrating on the reaction force when operating the operating member 4310 and identifying the difference in reaction forces is reduced.

[0483] In other words, if the switching device 6500 is disposed at the fixed side intermediate position and the operating member 4310 is not operated when there is no notification of pushing, the player can maintain the advantage obtained by visually checking the operation state of the opening / closing member 4340. Also, the advantage obtained by having the player focus on the reaction force applied via the operating member 4310 and distinguishing the difference in reaction force can be maintained. This makes it possible to inhibit the player from pushing the operating member 4310 when there is no notification of pushing.

[0484] 77, by changing the switching device 6500 to the second state, the moving cover member 6360 arranged at the outer position receives a load inward from the inner push-out member 6560 and is pushed to the inner position (see FIG. 70). That is, the inner push-out member 6560 is formed in such a manner that the end of the adjustment arm 4345 in the extending direction and the end of the inner push-out member 6560 overlap on the same line when viewed in the axial direction (see FIG. 70). Therefore, even if the moving cover member 6360 is arranged at the outer position by the player operating the operating member 4310, the switching device 6500 goes through the second state and then to the first state, so that the influence of the player's operation can be canceled.

[0485] This makes it possible to prevent a discrepancy from occurring in the entire pachinko machine 10, in which if the operating member 4310 is unintentionally operated while the switching device 6500 is in the fixed intermediate state, the opening / closing member 4340 performs an operation with a low probability of occurrence (an operation that is not maintained in the second position state) even though the third pattern display device displays an operation that is almost certain to be a jackpot (99% chance of a jackpot) (for example, a "premium operation").

[0486] That is, the behavior of the switching device 6500 after the switching device 6500 is placed in the fixed side intermediate state can be changed depending on the jackpot expectation of the performance currently performed by the third pattern display device 81. As a result, when the switching device 6500 is in the fixed side intermediate state and the operating member 4310 is operated, the control device can select whether to perform a performance prompting the operation member 4310 to be pushed in with the movable cover member 6360 placed in the outer position, or to perform a performance prompting the operation member 4310 to be pushed in after the movable cover member 6360 is placed in the inner position.

[0487] For example, by operating the switching device 6500 in an operating mode (first drive mode) that sets the switching device 6500 to the fixed side intermediate state before performing an effect that prompts the operating member 4310 to be pressed, via the second state and then to the first state just before performing an effect that prompts the operating member 4310 to be pressed, it is possible to perform an effect that prompts the operating member 4310 to be pressed after the moving cover member 6360 has been positioned in the outer position and then returned to the inner position.

[0488] As another operation, the switching device 6500 has an operation mode (an operation mode in which the rotation direction of the drive motor 4590 is reversed with respect to the first drive mode) in which the switching device 6500 goes through the second state to the third state immediately before the performance prompting the user to press the operation member 4310 after the non-fixed side middle line Wcn of the switching device 6500 is set to the non-fixed side intermediate state coinciding with the center of the width length of the opening / closing member 4340 in a top view, thereby making it difficult for the player to realize that the switching device 6500 has operated in the first drive mode due to operation sounds or mechanical vibrations (it can be made difficult for the player to realize that the switching device 6500 is operating in the first drive mode by hearing operation sounds or feeling vibrations transmitted through the frame of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIG. 1)).

[0489] This makes it difficult to grasp the information on the probability of winning a big win corresponding to the difference in the state of the switching device 6500 without pressing the operating member 4310. In other words, it is possible to make it impossible to grasp the difference in the state of the switching device 6500 without visually checking the operation mode of the opening / closing member 4340 that operates in conjunction with the operation of the operating member 4310. Therefore, it is possible to improve the attention to the state of the opening / closing member 4340 after operating the operating member 4310, and to encourage the player to operate the operating member 4310.

[0490] As described above, in the sixth embodiment, when the operating member 4310 is pressed without any notification to encourage the pressing, the operating mode of the opening / closing member 4340 changes and the information obtained from the opening / closing member 4340 is reduced, so that the player can be encouraged to perform the operation as notified.

[0491] In addition, by incorporating control that allows the player to obtain useful information about the operating mode of the opening / closing member 4340, regardless of whether the operating member 4310 is pressed in ignoring the notification, it is possible to maintain attention on the opening / closing member 4340 even after the operating member 4310 is operated ignoring the notification.

[0492] Furthermore, even if the player operates the operating member 4310 when there is no notification urging the player to push it in, the reaction force applied to the operating member 4310 does not change, so this prevents a player who intentionally ignores the operating mode of the opening / closing member 4340 and operates the operating member 4310 at a timing of their choice from feeling uncomfortable due to a change in the reaction force during the pushing operation.

[0493] Next, the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 78 to Fig. 92. In the third embodiment, the case where the opening / closing member 340 rotates or does not rotate can be formed depending on the distance the operating member 310 is pressed in. However, the operating device 7300 in the seventh embodiment forms a case where the opening / closing member 4340 is maintained in the second position state or a case where the opening / closing member 4340 is not maintained in the second position state and returns to the first position state depending on the period during which the operating device 7300 is operated. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0494] Figures 78 and 79 are cross-sectional views of an operating device 7300 in the seventh embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in Figure 47. In Figures 78 and 79, a switching device 7500 is in a first state, which will be described later. Also, Figure 78 illustrates a first position state of an opening / closing member 4340, and Figure 79 illustrates a second position state of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0495] An operation device 7300 in this embodiment partially uses the configuration of the operation device 4300 in the fourth embodiment, but differs significantly in that an operation member 4310 is configured to be movable relative to an operation cover 7320 that is directly operated by a player.

[0496] That is, the operation device 7300 is provided with an opening / closing member 4340 having the same shape as that of the fourth embodiment, and has a function of giving the operation device 7300 itself a dramatic effect by allowing a part of the internal mechanism to be visually confirmed. The operation device 7300 is provided with an outer wall member 7301 formed with an opening 301a at the bottom center of the inverted cup shape and fixed to the front frame 14 (see FIG. 5) in a manner to accommodate an operating device such as a switching device 7500 between the outer wall member 7301 and the front frame 14, an overlapping member 7302 formed from a shape in which the height direction width of the outer wall member 7301 is shortened, has an opening 7302a formed coaxially with the opening 301a and with a slightly larger diameter at the bottom center, and is overlapped and fixed to the outer wall member 7301 in a manner to form an internal space between the outer wall member 7301, and an outer wall member 7302 inserted into the openings 301a and 7302a. The device mainly comprises a dish-shaped operating member 4310 made of a light-transmitting material and whose movement is restricted by the internal space formed by 7301 and the overlapping member 7302, an operating cover 7320 covering the operating member 4310, a pair of opening / closing members 4340 supported by the outer wall member 7301 and configured to be able to tilt in accordance with the amount of operation of the operating member 4310, a switching device 7500 arranged below the opening / closing member 4340 and configured to be able to switch between a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 can be maintained in the second position even after the player releases the operating member 4310, and a state in which the opening / closing member 4340 cannot be maintained in the second position, and a drive motor 4590 that generates the driving force of a drive gear 4591 that operates the switching device 7500.

[0497] The outer wall member 7301 has an opening 301a, a recessed portion 301b, a pair of support arms 4301c, and an anti-tilt arm 4301d, similar to the outer wall member 4301 in the fourth embodiment, and has the same external dimensions as the outer wall member 4301.In addition, the upper end position of the support arm 4301c is lowered inside the opening 301a, and the outer wall member 7301e is formed with a L-shaped cross-section and is pivotally supported on the support arm 4301c, a through hole 7301f drilled in the bottom of the recessed portion 301b, and a detection sensor KC71 arranged below the through hole 7301f.

[0498] The width of the support arm 4301c in this embodiment is longer than that in the fourth embodiment, which allows an area for pivotally supporting the push-up member 7301e to be secured and also makes it possible to deteriorate the visibility of the switching device 7500 in a top view. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a playing method in which players are satisfied with grasping the state of the switching device 7500 through the operating member 4310 and do not operate the operating member 4310.

[0499] The push-up member 7301e is a member that changes its posture in response to a downward operation of the operation cover 7320. The relationship with the operation cover 7320 will be described in detail later.

[0500] The opening 7302a of the overlapping member 7302 is formed to have a larger diameter than the opening 302a in response to the operation cover 7320 being formed to have a larger diameter than the operation member 4310 of the fourth embodiment.

[0501] The operation cover 7320 is a member that covers the operating member 4310 and is formed into an inverted cup shape from a light-transmitting material, and mainly comprises an inverted cup-shaped main body portion 7321 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the operating member 4310, a protruding portion 7322 that protrudes from the inner surface of the main body portion 7321 toward the axial center, a flange portion 7323 that extends from the open tip of the main body portion 7321 in the outer diameter direction in a manner that forms a circular ring shape and extends further downward from the extended tip, a regulating portion 7324 that extends in the inner diameter direction from the lower end of the flange portion 7323, and a detection portion 7325 that extends from the regulating portion 7324 so as to be insertable into the through hole 7301f of the outer wall member 7301.

[0502] The protruding portion 7322 is a portion that is disposed between the operating member 4310 and the operation cover 7320 to reduce the contact area between the operating member 4310 and the operation cover 7320. This makes it easier for the operating member 4310 to rub against the operation cover 7320 (easier to move relative to the operating member 4310).

[0503] The downward extension length of the flange portion 7323 is formed to be longer than the thickness of the outer extension portion 313 of the operating member 4310, and the restricting portion 7324 is disposed below the outer extension portion 313. In other words, when the load restricting the up and down movement of the operating member 4310 is released, the operating member 4310 is configured in such a manner that it moves downward to a position where the outer extension portion 313 rests on the restricting portion 7324.

[0504] The detection portion 7325 is removed from the detection sensor KC71 when the operation cover 7320 is not pushed in and is located at the upper end position, and is inserted into the detection groove of the detection sensor KC71 after the operation cover 7320 is pushed in (see FIG. 79). This allows the control operation side to recognize whether the operation cover 7320 is being pushed in or not.

[0505] 79 illustrates a state in which the operation member 4310 is disposed at the lower end of the range of movement relative to the operation cover 7320. When the operation member 4310 is disposed as shown in FIG. 79, the opening / closing member 4340 is in the second position state for the first time. In other words, when the operation member 4310 is not disposed as shown in FIG. 79 (for example, see FIG. 78), the opening / closing member 4340 will not be in the second position state no matter how much the operation cover 7320 is pressed in. Therefore, hereinafter, the state of the operation member 4310 shown in FIG. 79 (the state disposed at the lower end of the range of movement) will be referred to as the permitted state of the operation member 4310, and other states will be referred to as the restricted state of the operation member 4310.

[0506] In this embodiment, when a load is applied to the operating member 4310 from the push-up member 7301e, the operating member 4310 is configured to be in a restricted state, and when the load from the push-up member 7301e to the operating member 4310 is released, the operating member 4310 is configured to descend due to the action of gravity.

[0507] With reference to Fig. 80 and Fig. 81, a change in state of the operation member 4310 when the operation cover 7320 is pushed in will be described. Fig. 80(a), Fig. 80(b), Fig. 81(a) and Fig. 81(b) are partial cross-sectional views of the operation device 7300 taken along the line LXXXa-LXXXa in Fig. 78. Fig. 80(a) shows a state in which the operation cover 7320 is disposed at the upper end position of the movement range, Fig. 80(b) shows a state in which the operation cover 7320 is pushed in by a predetermined amount, Fig. 81(a) shows a state in which the operation cover 7320 is disposed at the lower end position of the movement range, and Fig. 81(b) shows a state after a predetermined period has elapsed from the state in Fig. 81(a). For ease of understanding, the detection sensor KC71 and the detection unit 7325 are omitted from the illustration.

[0508] 80 and 81, the push-up member 7301e is biased upward by a biasing spring, and in the state shown in Fig. 80(a), applies an upward pushing load to the operating member 4310 that exceeds the load due to gravity. That is, the state shown in Fig. 80(a) is maintained by the push-up member 7301e supporting the operating member 4310 from below.

[0509] 80(b) is illustrated as a limit position where the operation member 4310 is supported from below by the operation cover 7320. That is, when the operation cover 7320 moves further downward, the push-up member 7301e is pushed down by the restriction portion 7324, and the push-up member 7301e is separated from the operation member 4310.

[0510] 81(a), the operation cover 7320 is disposed at the lower end position of the movement range, while the push-up member 7301e is separated (moved downward) from the operation member 4310. In this state, no load is applied from the push-up member 7301e to the operation member 4310, so the operation member 4310 gradually moves downward by its own weight.

[0511] As shown in Fig. 81(b), the downward movement of the operating member 4310 stops at a position where the outer extension portion 313 of the operating member 4310 rests on the restricting portion 7324. The state shown in Fig. 81(b) is the permitted state of the operating member 4310 (see Fig. 79).

[0512] That is, in this embodiment, the opening / closing member 4340 is brought into the second position state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the operation cover 7320 was pushed in. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0513] Fig. 82 and Fig. 83 are cross-sectional views of the operating device 7300 taken along a line corresponding to line XLVIII-XLVIII in Fig. 47. In Fig. 82 and Fig. 83, the switching device 7500 is in a first state, which will be described later. Fig. 82 corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 81(a), and Fig. 83 corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 81(b). Fig. 83 also illustrates the second position state of the opening / closing member 4340.

[0514] In Fig. 82, although the operation cover 7320 is pushed to the lower end of the movement range, the opening / closing member 4340 is still subjected to a load from the first return member 4530 (the opening / closing member 4340 is disposed on the movement path of the first return member 4530). Therefore, when the player releases the operation cover 7320 in the state shown in Fig. 82, the operation cover 7320 and the operation member 4310 return to the upper end position, and the opening / closing member 4340 returns to the first position state.

[0515] On the other hand, if the pressing is maintained for a certain period of time (about 3 seconds in this embodiment) from the state shown in Fig. 82, the operation member 4310 descends relative to the operation cover 7320, and the opening / closing member 4340 is in the second position state as shown in Fig. 83. Therefore, the opening / closing member 4340 can be made to be in the second position state only when the player operates the operation cover 7320 with a short period of operation or operates the operation cover 7320 with a long period of operation (about 3 seconds or more).

[0516] Figure 84 is a diagram showing the change in the position of the operating member 4310 over time when the operating cover 7320 is pressed for a long period of time, and Figure 85 is a diagram showing the change in the position of the operating member 4310 over time when the operating cover 7320 is pressed for a short period of time.

[0517] First, Fig. 84 will be described. The upper graph of Fig. 84 shows the change over time in the position of the operation cover 7320 (whether it is the upper end position or the lower end position), and the lower graph of Fig. 84 shows the change over time in the position of the operation member 4310. Note that the vertical length of the upper graph does not correspond to the vertical length of the lower graph (the lower graph is vertically compressed). Also, in the lower grap...

Claims

[Claim 1] A gaming machine including an operating means operated by a player, an operating means which is operable between a first position and a second position different from the first position in response to the operation of the operating means, a returning means which returns the operating means to the first position, and a notifying means which notifies the player of a period during which the operating means is to be operated, A gaming machine characterized in that, when the operating means is operated outside the period notified by the notification means, the state is switched from a first state to a second state, and the gaming machine is provided with a switching means that can change the operating mode of the operating means by switching the state.

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