Trestle for installing game machine

Abstract

To provide a trestle for installing a game machine that can readily change an installation height in accordance with various types of game machines such as slot machines and Pachinko machines.SOLUTION: A trestle for installing a game machine for installing a game machine such as a slot machine and a Pachinko machine includes: a frame body 3 capable of storing a game machine; a support body 4 installed to the frame body 3 so as to be vertically movable to support the game machine; and upward biasing means 25 installed to the frame body 3 and capable of holding the support body 4 in a predetermined height position in accordance with a self-weight of the game machine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine installation stand for installing gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a gaming establishment such as a pachinko parlor, multiple types of gaming machines are mainly installed, including slot machines that use medals to play, and pachinko machines that use pachinko balls to play. These gaming machines are generally installed back-to-back in multiple rows in the left-right direction on the front and back sides of a gaming island formed using a stand (support) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-47464 A (paragraph 0019, Fig. 3, Fig. 9, Fig. 10) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since slot machines and pachinko machines differ in mechanical structure and usage by players, the height of the installation position is different as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of Patent Document 1. Therefore, two types of stands with different heights, a stand dedicated to slot machines and a stand dedicated to pachinko machines, must be installed, which increases the installation cost. In particular, when changing the game island of a slot machine to a game island of a pachinko machine, or vice versa, the game island needs to be extensively renovated to install the dedicated stand, which not only requires a lot of cost and installation labor, but also forces the store to close during the renovation period. There is also the problem that the environmental burden of disposing of the removed stands is large.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a stand for installing gaming machines whose installation height can be easily changed according to the type of gaming machine, such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the gaming machine installation stand of the present invention comprises: The gaming machine installation stand for installing gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines is characterized by comprising a frame body capable of accommodating the gaming machine, a support body that is vertically movable on the frame body and supports the gaming machine, and an upward biasing means that is attached to the frame body and is capable of holding the support body at a predetermined height position corresponding to the weight of the gaming machine. According to this feature, the upward biasing means compresses or expands according to the weight of the gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine, so that the support can be easily adjusted to a predetermined height position according to the type of gaming machine. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a dedicated stand for each type of gaming machine, and the installation cost of the stand can be significantly reduced.

[0007] The upward biasing means is characterized in that a pair of the upward biasing means is provided on the left and right sides of the frame. According to this feature, the support can be stably moved up and down to change the installation height of the gaming machine.

[0008] The upward biasing means is characterized by being provided on the rear surface side of the frame. According to this feature, the upward biasing means becomes less noticeable from the front of the frame body, and the forward protruding dimension of the tray can be reduced when the tray is biased by the upward biasing means.

[0009] The upward biasing means is characterized in that it is either a compression coil spring or a gas spring. This feature allows the use of inexpensive general-purpose products, thereby reducing costs.

[0010] The support body is characterized by comprising a top plate that supports the lower part of the gaming machine, and an upper holding plate that holds the upper part of the gaming machine. According to this feature, the gaming machine can be stably held by the tray and the upper support plate without using fixing means such as screws.

[0011] The upward biasing means is characterized in that a pair of left and right biasing means are provided on the frame body so as to bias both side portions of the tray upward. According to this feature, both side portions of the tray can be directly and stably biased upward by the upward biasing means.

[0012] The upper holding plate is characterized in that its vertical position is adjustable. According to this feature, the upper part of gaming machines of different heights can be stably held.

[0013] A pair of left and right guide means facing in the vertical direction are provided between the tray and the frame. According to this feature, the tray and the gaming machine supported by it can be moved up and down smoothly and stably while remaining horizontal.

[0014] The upward biasing means is characterized in that the spring force at maximum extension is set to balance the weight of the gaming machine having the smaller dead weight when supported on the support body. According to this feature, when the upward biasing means is at its maximum extension, the support body can be kept waiting at the installation height of the gaming machine with the smaller weight, so that the gaming machine can be easily installed at a predetermined height position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a plurality of game-machine installation stands according to the first embodiment of the present invention are arranged back-to-back to form the framework of a game island. [Diagram 2] This is also a front view. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a side view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] This is a rear perspective view of the frame body and support body of the gaming machine installation stand before they are assembled together. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the same after the frame body and the support body are assembled. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view taken along the line CC in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. [Figure 10] This shows an enlarged rear view of the main parts of the stand for installing gaming machines, where (a) shows a pachinko machine supported on the support, and (b) shows a slot machine supported on the support. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are rear views of the main parts of a gaming machine installation stand according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which a pachinko machine is supported on the support body, and (b) shows a state in which a slot machine is supported. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0016] A gaming machine installation stand 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as stand 1) according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10. Figs. 1 to 3 show an example in which a plurality of stands 1 of the present embodiment are arranged back to back on the floor (not shown) of a gaming establishment such as a pachinko parlor, forming a frame of a gaming island. In each of the front and rear stands 1, a slot machine M and a pachinko machine P, which are different types of gaming machines and have different weights as described later, are installed back to back so that they can be played from the front and back sides (rear side) of the gaming island. The slot machine M and the pachinko machine P are structured so that players can play without touching the gaming medals and gaming balls, and since there is no need to provide a supply device for the gaming medals and gaming balls on the stand 1, the front-to-rear width of the stand 1 and the gaming island can be reduced.

[0017] Three auxiliary stands 2, each having a space capable of accommodating ancillary devices of the gaming machine, are integrally connected between the left and right stands 1, 1 and the outer surfaces of the stands 1, 1, and the stands 1, 1 and the auxiliary stands 2 are fixed to the floor surface by fixing the base members 2a connecting the lower parts of each auxiliary stand 2 to the floor surface. A game island is formed by covering the upper surfaces, front and rear sides and outer surfaces of these auxiliary stands 2 and the upper surface between the front and rear stands 1, 1 with decorative panels (not shown). In addition, a box unit B having a bill insertion slot, a membership card insertion slot, an LCD display unit that displays the remaining number of points on the card, etc. is installed on the stand 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the stand 1 includes a frame body 3 capable of accommodating a gaming machine, and a support body 4 provided inside the frame body 3 so as to be movable up and down. The frame body 3 includes a pair of left and right base legs 5, 5 facing the front-rear direction fixed to the floor surface of an amusement facility, a pair of left and right side frames 7, 7 facing the up-down direction and having an inward U-shaped cross section (see FIG. 7) with their lower ends fixed to the upper surfaces of the rear ends of the base legs 5 by fixing brackets 6, an upper frame 8 made of metal or the like connecting the opposing surfaces of the upper ends of the side frames 7, 7, and a lower frame 9 made of metal or the like connecting the opposing surfaces of the side frames 7, 7 near the lower part. The fixing brackets 6 attached to the front ends of the left and right base legs 5 are used to fix the lower ends of the side frames 7 of the front stand 1 (see FIG. 1).

[0019] The left-right width of the lower side of the side frames 7, 7 is made larger than that of the upper side, and to the upper part of the back plate 7a of the side frame 7, which has the larger left-right width, guide tubes 10, 10 facing in the vertical direction and into which a guide rod 23 (described later) provided on the support body 4 side is freely slidably fitted are attached by screwing a bracket 11 fixed to the rear surface of the guide tube 10 to the back plate 7a.

[0020] The support body 4 is formed in a rectangular frame shape including a pair of left and right vertical frames 12, 12 made of metal or the like, each having an inward U-shaped cross section in plan view with a front-to-rear dimension that can be fitted into the U-shaped space of the side frames 7, 7 of the frame body 3, an upper horizontal frame 13 connecting the upper ends of both vertical frames 12, a lower horizontal frame 14 made of metal or the like connecting the lower ends of the vertical frames 12, 12, and a tray board 16 for supporting the game machine fixed to the upper surface of the lower horizontal frame 14 by multiple screws 15, and is accommodated in the accommodation space surrounded by the side frames 7, 7, the upper frame 8, and the lower frame 9 of the frame body 3 so as to be movable up and down. Both vertical frames 12 are reinforced by multiple horizontal reinforcing pieces 17 fixed to the upper and lower sides in the U-shaped space.

[0021] The left and right dimensions of the tray 16 are formed to a length that abuts or is close to the opposing faces of the vertical frames 12, 12, and is fixed to the upper surface of the lower horizontal frame 14 with a required dimension protruding from the rear side (rear) of the vertical frames 12, 12. The tray 16 is designed to hold the slot machine M or pachinko machine P, and the box unit B.

[0022] An upper holding plate 18, which is a predetermined dimension shorter than the left-right dimension of the upper horizontal frame 13 and is used to hold the upper surface of the slot machine M or pachinko machine P, is attached to the underside of the upper horizontal frame 13 in such a manner that its vertical position can be adjusted as follows: As shown in Fig. 6, the lower ends of three left and right stud bolts 19 are screwed into upward bulges formed on the upper surface of the upper holding plate 18, and two upper and lower lock nuts 20, 20 are screwed, with the upper horizontal frame 13 in between, to the tops of each stud bolt 19 that penetrates the upper holding plate 18, thereby attaching the upper holding plate 18 to the upper horizontal frame 13.

[0023] When adjusting the vertical position of the upper holding plate 18, the lower lock nuts 20 are loosened, the upper lock nuts 20 are rotated in either direction, and then the lower lock nuts 20 are tightened. This allows the vertical position of the upper holding plate 18 to be adjusted according to the height of the gaming machine, and the upper surface of the slot machine M or pachinko machine P placed on the tray 16 to be stably held. A rubber pad 21 for preventing slipping is attached to the lower surface of the upper holding plate 18.

[0024] A reinforcing plate 22 made of metal or the like facing left and right is fixed to the underside of the protruding portion of the tray plate 16 toward the rear side, i.e., the underside of the central portion of the tray plate 16 in the front-rear direction, by a plurality of screws 15 so as to protrude a predetermined distance from both ends of the tray plate 16. The upper ends of guide rods 23, 23 facing up and down, which are slidably fitted into the left and right guide tubes 10, 10 of the frame body 3, are screwed to the undersides of the left and right protruding portions 22a, 22a of the reinforcing plate 22 via a flange plate 24 (see FIG. 8) fixed to the upper end. The guide tubes 10, 10 and the guide rods 23, 23 correspond to the guide means of the present invention. Compression coil springs 25, 25, which are upward biasing means, are inserted into the guide rods 23, 23. An inexpensive general-purpose compression coil spring can be used for the compression coil spring 25.

[0025] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the vertical frames 12, 12 of the support 4 are fitted into the U-shaped space of the side frames 7, 7 above the lower frame 9 of the frame body 3 so as to be movable up and down, and the guide rods 23, 23 of the support 4 are inserted from above into the guide tubes 10, 10 of the frame body 3 with compression coil springs 25, 25 interposed therebetween, so that the support 4 is assembled to the frame body 3 so as to be movable up and down and to be constantly biased upward by the compression coil springs 25, 25. This assembly work is performed before attaching the upper frame 8 of the frame body 3. Note that a sliding member such as a synthetic resin having a small friction resistance may be inserted into the sliding space between the side frames 7, 7 and the vertical frames 12, 12 so that the support 4 can move up and down smoothly relative to the frame body 3.

[0026] The left and right compression coil springs 25 are set to a spring force (spring constant) capable of holding the support 4 at a predetermined height position corresponding to the weight of the slot machine S and the pachinko machine P. In other words, due to the structure of the gaming machine, the weight of the pachinko machine P is generally smaller than the weight of the slot machine S. Therefore, in this embodiment, the spring force of the left and right compression coil springs 25 when in the maximum extension state (uncompressed state) which is the natural state is set to balance the weight of the support 4 when the pachinko machine P with a small weight is supported on the tray 16. By using such a compression coil spring 25, as shown in Figures 3, 5, 8 and 10(a), the entire support 4 including the tray 16 can be kept waiting at an installation height corresponding to the pachinko machine P, and the pachinko machine P can be easily installed at a predetermined height position. In addition, each of the left and right compression coil springs 25 is designed to support approximately half of the weight of the slot machine S and the pachinko machine P. After the pachinko machine P is supported on the tray 16, the support 4 may be prevented from moving in the vertical direction, for example, by inserting a pin into the side frame 7 of the frame body 3 and the vertical frame 12 of the support 4, or by fixing the side frame 7 and the vertical frame 12 with bolts and nuts.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 3, 9 and 10(b), when a slot machine S, which has a larger weight than the pachinko machine P, is placed on the tray 16, the left and right compression coil springs 25 are compressed and the support 4 moves downward. This allows the slot machine S, which is installed at a lower height than the pachinko machine P, to be supported at a predetermined height. In this embodiment, when the support 4 descends, the lower surface of the lower horizontal frame 14 abuts against the upper surface of the lower frame 9 of the frame body 3, so that the support 4 stops at the installation height of the slot machine S. However, if the spring force (spring constant) of the compression coil spring 25 is set so that it is compressed to a predetermined height position according to the weight of the slot machine S, the support 4 can be held at a predetermined height position without the lower horizontal frame 14 abutting against the lower frame 9. At this time, the side frame 7 and the vertical frame 12 may be fixed by pins or bolts and nuts, etc.

[0028] As described above, in the stand 1 according to the first embodiment, the compression coil spring 25 expands or compresses according to the weight of the gaming machine such as the pachinko machine P or the slot machine S, so that the support 4 can be easily changed to a predetermined height position according to the type of gaming machine. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a dedicated stand for each type of gaming machine, and the installation cost of the stand 1 can be significantly reduced. In particular, when the pachinko machine P and the slot machine S are installed, there is a difference of about 100 mm in the installation height position, that is, the slot machine S needs to be installed at a position about 100 mm lower than the pachinko machine P. However, according to the present invention, the difference in weight between the pachinko machine P and the slot machine S can be utilized to install the pachinko machine P at a desired height position, and the slot machine S, which has a larger weight than the pachinko machine P, at a desired height position. Furthermore, as in the embodiment, if the spring force of the compression coil spring 25 when it is in the maximum extended state (uncompressed state) is set to balance with the weight of the support body 4 when it supports the pachinko machine P, which has a small weight, the support body 4 can be kept waiting at an installation height corresponding to the pachinko machine P, which is convenient when installing the pachinko machine P at a specified height.

[0029] In addition, the support 4 is provided with an upper holding plate 18 that holds the top surface of the gaming machine, so the gaming machine can be stably held by the tray 16 and the upper holding plate 18 without using fixing means such as screws. Moreover, the upper holding plate 18 can be adjusted in the vertical position, so the upper parts of gaming machines of different heights can be stably held.

[0030] Furthermore, a pair of compression coil springs 25 are provided on the left and right sides so as to urge both sides of the tray 16 upward, so that the installation height of the gaming machine can be changed by directly and stably urging both sides of the tray 16 supporting the lower part of the gaming machine upward.

[0031] Furthermore, since the compression coil spring 25 is provided on the rear side of the frame body 3, it is not noticeable from the front, and the forward protrusion dimension of the tray plate 16 biased by the compression coil spring 25 can be made small.

[0032] Furthermore, a pair of left and right guide means consisting of a guide tube 10 and a guide rod 23 are provided between the frame body 3 and the tray 16, so that the tray 16 and the gaming machine supported by it can be moved up and down smoothly and stably while maintaining the tray 16 horizontally.

[0033] Furthermore, the stand 1 of this embodiment is suitable for use with gaming machines such as pachinko machines P and slot machines S that do not use gaming balls, gaming medals, or their replenishing devices. In other words, since the weight of the pachinko machines P and slot machines S does not change significantly, these pachinko machines P and slot machines S can be stably supported. EXAMPLES

[0034] The pedestal 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the duplicated description will be omitted. The pedestal 1 in the second embodiment uses a pair of known gas springs 26, 26 on the left and right as the upward biasing means. The lower end of a cylinder 26a of the gas spring 26 is fixed to a bracket 27 attached to the rear side of the lower part of the side frame 7 of the frame body 3, and the upper end of a piston rod 26b protruding upward is attached to the lower surface of the protruding part 22a of the reinforcing plate 22 of the tray 16.

[0035] As in the first embodiment, the piston rods 26b, 26b of the left and right gas springs 26, 26 are set to an upward biasing force (spring force) capable of holding the support 4 at a predetermined height position corresponding to the weight of the slot machine S and the pachinko machine P. As shown in Figure 11(a), by setting the upward biasing force when the piston rod 26b is in the maximum extended state to balance the weight of the support 4 when the pachinko machine P is supported on the tray 16, the support 4 can be kept waiting at the installation height of the pachinko machine P as in the first embodiment.

[0036] 11(b), when a slot machine S, which has a larger weight than the pachinko machine P, is placed on the tray 16, the piston rod 26b is pushed downward, the support 4 moves downward, and the slot machine S is supported at a predetermined installation height. In the stand 1 of the second embodiment, the left and right gas springs 26, 26 also function as guide means, so the guide means consisting of the guide tube 10 and the guide rod 23 as in the first embodiment can be omitted.

[0037] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and additions and modifications that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0038] For example, in the first embodiment, the compression coil spring 25 is attached to the guide rod 23, which is the guide means, but it may be provided separately from the guide means. In this case, for example, a bracket for receiving and supporting the lower end of the compression coil spring 25 may be provided inside the lower part of the side frame 7 of the frame body 3, and the upper end of the compression coil spring 25 may be abutted against the lower surface of both sides of the tray 16.

[0039] In addition, in the above embodiment, an upper holding plate 18 is provided on the support body 4 to hold the upper part of the gaming machine, but the upper holding plate 18 can be omitted, for example, by fixing the lower end of the gaming machine to the tray board 16 with screws or the like.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a reinforcing plate 22 is attached to the underside of the tray 16, and its left and right protrusions 22a are biased upward by a compression coil spring 25 or a gas spring 26. However, a portion of the rear side of the tray 16 may be made to protrude laterally, and the underside of the protrusion may be directly biased upward by a compression coil spring 25 or a gas spring 26. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Mount 2 Auxiliary stand 2a Base member 3 Frame 4 Support 5 Base legs 6 Fixing bracket 7 Side frame 7a Back plate 8 Upper Frame 9 Bottom Frame 10 Guide tube (guide means) 11 Bracket 12 Vertical Frame 13 Upper horizontal frame 14 Lower horizontal frame 15 Screw 16 Dining board 17 Horizontal reinforcement piece 18 Upper retaining plate 19 Stud bolt 20 Lock nut 21 Rubber pad 22 Reinforcement plate 22a Projection 23 Guide rod (guide means) 24 Flange plate 25 Compression coil spring (upward biasing means) 26 Gas spring (upward biasing means) 27 Bracket B Box Unit P Pachinko machine (amusement machine) S Slot Machine (Amusement Machine)

Claims

1. A gaming machine installation stand for installing gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines, A frame capable of housing the gaming machine; A support body that is vertically movable on the frame body and supports the gaming machine; and an upward biasing means provided on the frame body and capable of holding the support body at a predetermined height position corresponding to the weight of the gaming machine.

2. 2. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 1, wherein the upward biasing means is provided on the frame body in a pair on the left and right.

3. 2. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 1, wherein the upward biasing means is provided on the rear side of the frame.

4. 2. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 1, wherein said upward biasing means is either a compression coil spring or a gas spring.

5. 2. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 1, wherein the support body comprises a top plate for supporting a lower portion of the gaming machine, and an upper holding plate for holding an upper portion of the gaming machine.

6. 6. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 5, wherein the upward biasing means is provided on the frame body in a pair on the left and right sides so as to bias both sides of the tray upward.

7. 6. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 5, wherein the upper support plate is vertically adjustable.

8. 6. The gaming machine installation stand according to claim 5, wherein a pair of left and right guide means facing in the up and down direction are provided between said tray and said frame.

Images