Game machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of increasing the degree of freedom in design of moving means.SOLUTION: Since guide modes of a first long hole 672 and a second long hole 673, and a curved long hole 674 for guiding movement of a light emission operation performance unit 700 differ, a mode of a load to be applied and a numerical value of strength required for improving durability are allowed to differ. Therefore, a shape and strength of a part that is a part of the light emission operation performance unit 700 and is guided by the first long hole 672 and the second long hole 673, and the curved long hole 674 can be configured to differ, a degree of freedom in design of the part that is the part of the light emission operation performance unit 700 and is guided by the first long hole 672, the second long hole 673, and the curved long hole 674 can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 58

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 is a gaming machine in which movement is guided by a pair of guiding means having the same configuration as a moving means (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-157474 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 the design freedom of the moving means is low. The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a gaming machine that can improve the design freedom of the moving means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve this object, the gaming machine described in claim 1 comprises a movable moving means, a first guiding means for guiding the movement of the moving means, and a second guiding means for guiding the movement of the moving means in a manner different from that of the first guiding means.

[0006] A gaming machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is the gaming machine according to the first aspect, wherein the second guiding means is disposed so that at least a portion of the second guiding means is aligned along the first guiding means.

[0007] The gaming machine of claim 3 is the gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the second guiding means includes an auxiliary portion that is aligned with the first guiding means and an auxiliary portion that guides the moving means in a direction different from when it is guided by the auxiliary portion. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the gaming machine of claim 1, the degree of freedom in designing the moving means can be improved.

[0009] According to the gaming machine of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine of claim 1, since at least a part of the second guiding means is aligned along the first guiding means, the moving means can be operated in two stages.

[0010] According to the gaming machine of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the gaming machine of claim 2, the moving means is guided at the boundary between the annex section and the auxiliary section, and the moving direction can be changed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [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] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 1A is a front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the throwing unit. [Figure 8] 1A is an exploded perspective front view of the throwing unit, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective rear view of the throwing unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 2A is a front view of the sorting unit, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the sorting unit. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] 12(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit taken along line XIIa-XIIa in FIG. 9(a), and FIG. 12(b) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit taken along line XIIb-XIIb in FIG. 12(a). [Figure 13] 12(a) and 12(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the sorting unit in a range XIIIa of FIG. 12(b). [Figure 14] FIG. 2A is a front view of the passage unit, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the passage unit. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a front exploded oblique view of the game board and the operating unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the central structural unit. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the central structural unit. [Figure 26] FIG. 20 is an enlarged front view of the game board in range XXVI of FIG. 18. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line XXVII-XXVII in FIG. [Figure 28] 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line XXVIII-XXVIII in FIG. 26. [Figure 29]FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. [Diagram 31] FIG. 19 is an enlarged front view of the game board in range XXXI of FIG. 18. [Diagram 32] 32 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line XXXII-XXXII in FIG. 31. [Diagram 33] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the sorting unit. [Diagram 34] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the sorting unit. [Diagram 35] 18A is a partially enlarged front view of the game board in range XXXV of FIG. 18. [Diagram 36] FIG. [Figure 37] FIG. [Figure 38] FIG. [Figure 39] FIG. [Diagram 40] FIG. [Diagram 41] FIG. [Diagram 42] FIG. [Diagram 43] FIG. [Diagram 44] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the operating unit taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 36. [Diagram 45] FIG. 45 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the operating unit in range XLV of FIG. 44. [Figure 46] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the operating unit taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 36. [Figure 47] FIG. [Figure 48] FIG. [Figure 49]47A is an exploded front perspective view of an outer member, a lifting plate member, and a resistance generating device in a range XLIXa of FIG. 47, and FIG. 47B is a front perspective view of the outer member in a range XLIXb of FIG. [Figure 50] 47A is an exploded front perspective view of the lifting plate member, the inner member, the displacement member, and the rotation posture assist member in range La of FIG. 47, and FIG. 47B is an exploded front perspective view of the displacement member and the rotation posture assist member in range Lb of FIG. [Figure 51] This is an exploded front oblique view of the light-emitting action production unit. [Figure 52] This is an exploded rear perspective view of the light-emitting action production unit. [Figure 53] This is an exploded front oblique view of the light-emitting action production unit. [Figure 54] 54(a) is a front view of the right-side intermediate connecting member, (b) is a side view of the intermediate connecting member as viewed in the direction of arrow LIVb in Figure 54(a), (c) is a side view of the intermediate connecting member as viewed in the direction of arrow LIVc in Figure 54(a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the intermediate connecting member along line LIVd-LIVd in Figure 54(a). [Figure 55] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along the line LV-LV in FIG. 36. [Figure 56] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along the line LV-LV in FIG. 36. [Figure 57] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along the line LV-LV in FIG. 36. [Figure 58] 4(a) to 4(c) are schematic side views showing a first elongated hole, a second elongated hole, and a curved elongated hole. FIG. [Figure 59] FIG. [Figure 60] FIG. [Figure 61] FIG. [Figure 62] FIG. [Figure 63]5(a) to 5(c) are schematic front views of a fastening portion of a displacement member and an elongated hole and a support hole of a connected hole. [Figure 64] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the operating unit taken along line LXIV-LXIV in FIG. 36. [Figure 65] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the operating unit taken along line LXIV-LXIV in FIG. 36. [Figure 66] 37 is a cross-sectional view of the operating unit taken along line LXIV-LXIV in FIG. 36. [Figure 67] A cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along line LXVII-LXVII in Figure 36. [Figure 68] A cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along line LXVII-LXVII in Figure 36. [Figure 69] A cross-sectional view of the game board and the operating unit taken along line LXVII-LXVII in Figure 36. [Figure 70] FIG. 13(a) is a front view of a sorting unit in a third embodiment, and (b) is a rear view of the sorting unit. [Figure 71] FIG. 13(a) is a front view of a sorting unit in a fourth embodiment, and (b) is a rear view of the sorting unit. [Figure 72] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged front view of a game board in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 73] A partial cross-sectional view of the game board taken along line LXXIII-LXXIII in Figure 72. [Figure 74] 37 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pachinko machine according to a sixth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line LV-LV in FIG. 36. [Figure 75] 37 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pachinko machine taken along a line corresponding to line LV-LV in FIG. 36. [Figure 76] 13(a) to 13(c) are schematic side views showing a guide portion and an L-shaped slot in a seventh embodiment. [Figure 77]13(a) to 13(c) are schematic side views showing the second long hole, the curved long hole, the third long hole, the upper part of the first long hole, and the lower part of the first long hole in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 78] 37(a) and (b) are partial cross-sectional views of the displacement member and the light-emitting action production unit in the ninth embodiment taken along a line corresponding to line LXXVIIIa-LXXVIIIa in FIG. [Figure 79] 13(a) and 13(b) are front views of a rotating member and a position detection means in a tenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. First, with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 16, 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.

[0013] In the following description, the front side of the paper will be referred to as the front (front) side and the back side of the paper will be referred to as the rear (rear) side with respect to the pachinko machine 10 in the state shown in Fig. 1. Also, with respect to the pachinko machine 10 in the state shown in Fig. 1, the upper side will be referred to as the upper (upper) side, the lower side will be referred to as the lower (lower) side, the right side will be referred to as the right (right) side, and the left side will be referred to as the left (left) side. Furthermore, the arrows UD, LR, and FB in the figure (see Fig. 2, for example) indicate the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-back direction of the pachinko machine 10, respectively.

[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 this 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 pattern 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 on the left side formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top for storing balls that cannot be stored in the upper tray 17. An operating handle 51 is provided on the right side of the lower tray 50 to be operated by the player to hit the ball into the front of the game board 13.

[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 Figure 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails for guiding balls (shown below the center frame 86, not shown in the upper half of the game area) and a windmill (not shown) on a base plate 60 that has been machined into a roughly square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general prize opening 63, a first prize opening 64, a second prize opening 140, a variable prize device 65, a through gate 67, a variable display device unit 80, etc., and the peripheral portion of the board is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

[0026] The base plate 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and allows the player to see from the front side thereof various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60. The general winning port 63, the first winning port 64, the second winning port 140, and the variable winning device 65 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 with tapping screws or the like.

[0027] The base plate 60 may be made of a wooden plate member. In this case, it is possible to conceal various structures disposed on the outside of the center frame 86 from its front side to the rear side of the base plate 60 so that they cannot be seen by the player.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 part of the game area when viewed from the front (lower left part 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 140. 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 140, the first symbol display device 37B is activated.

[0032] 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.

[0033] In this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 140. 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 4R 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 fluctuation ends, but also show a symbol according to the type of jackpot if a jackpot has been won.

[0034] 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 "4R normal jackpot" refers to a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4, and is in a time-saving state for a predetermined number of variations (for example, 100 variations).

[0035] In addition, the "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a jackpot increases after the jackpot has ended as an added value, that is, during a so-called probability fluctuation (during a probability fluctuation), in other words, a state of play in which it is easy to transition to a special game state. In this embodiment, the high probability state (during a probability fluctuation) includes a game state in which the probability of a jackpot increases during a predetermined number of fluctuations (100 fluctuations in this embodiment), and the probability of a hit of the second symbol described below increases, making it easy for a ball to enter the second winning hole 140. The "low probability state" refers to a time when the probability of a jackpot is not in a probability fluctuation, 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 during a probability fluctuation. In addition, the time-saving state (during a time-saving state) 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, but only the probability of a hit of the second symbol increases, making it easy for a ball to enter the second winning hole 140. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state when it is neither in a special mode nor in a time-saving mode (when neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of hitting the second symbol has increased).

[0036] In this embodiment, when it is determined that a game ball has passed through the through hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11 of the distribution device 300 in the first round of the jackpot game, the game state after the jackpot game ends will be in a high probability state for 100 fluctuations. If it is not determined that a game ball has passed through the through hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11, the game state after the jackpot game ends will be in a time-saving state for 100 fluctuations.

[0037] 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 role 140a (electric role) associated with the second winning port 140 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal play. When the electric role 140a is in an open state (open state), the ball is more likely to win the second winning port 140 than when the electric role 140a 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 140, and the number of times the big win lottery is held can be increased.

[0038] In addition, during the probability variation or time reduction, instead of changing the opening time of the electric role 140a associated with the second winning port 140, or in addition to changing the opening time, the number of times the electric role 140a 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 140a associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the electric role 140a opens with one win may be changed. Also, during the probability variation or time reduction, the time when the electric role 140a associated with the second winning port 140 is opened and the number of times the electric role 140a 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.

[0039] 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 composed 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 140, and a second pattern display device (not shown) composed 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 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81 of the variable display device unit 80 when viewed from the front.

[0040] In this embodiment, the third pattern display device 81 is fastened to a rear case fixed to the rear of the game board 13, and the center frame 86 is arranged to frame the window portion (central opening 60b) of the base plate 60. That is, when viewed from the front, the center frame 86 appears to be arranged to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81, but in reality, the third pattern display device 81 and the center frame 86 are arranged separately in the front and rear.

[0041] The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large liquid crystal display of, for example, 9 inches, 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 configured with 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 according to 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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 "○" pattern), the electric device 140a attached to the second winning port 140 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

[0044] 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 140a of the second winning hole 140. Therefore, during the probability change and time reduction, the second winning hole 140 can be easily entered.

[0045] In addition, if the state is made such that the ball is likely to enter the second winning slot 140 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 140a for one win during the probability variation or time reduction, the time taken for the variable display of the second symbol may be constant regardless of the game state. On the other hand, if the time taken for the variable display of the second symbol 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 140a for one win may be constant regardless of the game state.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] On the other hand, a second winning hole 140 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 140, 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.

[0051] In addition, each of the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 is also one of the winning openings into which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning opening. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning opening 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning opening 140, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning opening 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning opening 140 may be different numbers, for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning opening 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning opening 140 may be five.

[0052] The second winning port 140 is provided with an electric device 140a. This electric device 140a 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 140. 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 triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the electric device 140a is in an open state (expanded state), making it easy for the ball to win the second winning port 140.

[0053] 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 the electric device 140a is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the probability of winning and the time-saving period, the time for which the electric device 140a is open is longer than during normal play. Therefore, during the probability of winning and the time-saving period, a state in which the ball is more likely to win the second winning hole 140 can be created than during normal play.

[0054] 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 140 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 140 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 140, and the ball is always in a state where it can win a jackpot.

[0055] Therefore, under normal circumstances, the electric device associated with the second winning slot 140 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning slot 140. 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 by having the ball win at the first winning slot 64, thereby gaining more opportunities to win the jackpot lottery.

[0056] On the other hand, during the special bonus period or the time-saving period, the electric device 140a associated with the second winning slot 140 is likely to be opened by passing the ball through the through gate 67, making it easier to win at the second winning slot 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning slot 140 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 140, resulting in a 15R special bonus jackpot.

[0057] 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 140 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.

[0058] A variable winning device 65 (see FIG. 2) is disposed below the first winning port 64, and a specific winning port 65a is provided in the approximate center of the device. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery performed due to winning in the first winning port 64 or the second winning port 140 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 port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed or until 10 balls win).

[0059] 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).

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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).

[0062] The game board 13 is provided with an outlet 71. A ball that flows down the game area and does not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 140 is guided through the outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown).

[0063] A large number of nails are set on the game board 13 to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and various components (gimmicks) such as windmills are also provided (not shown in FIG. 2).

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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 / closing plate 65b (see FIG. 2) as an axis, and a solenoid for driving the electric role device, and the like. The MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input / output port 205.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 main control device 110, the display control device 114, the voice output device 226, the lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, etc. are connected to the input / output port 225. The other devices 228 include drive motors 648, 820, a solenoid 651, etc.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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).

[0088] 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.

[0089] The winning hole unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 disposed on the base plate of the game board 13 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In the description of Figures 5 and 6, Figure 2 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0090] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective front view of the game board 13. Note that Fig. 5 omits illustration of units (such as the center frame 86 (see Fig. 2)) other than the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 disposed on the base plate 60.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 5, a through hole 60a that penetrates the base plate 60 in the thickness direction is formed by router processing on the lower side in the gravity direction (lower side in FIG. 5) of the central opening to which the center frame 86 (see FIG. 2) is attached.

[0092] The through hole 60a is formed slightly smaller than the outer shape of the front unit 940, described later, when viewed from the front, and the drive unit 960 and the specific winning port unit 950 arranged in the front unit 940 are inserted inside.

[0093] On the base plate 60, the winning port unit 930 is disposed from the play area (front side), and the ball throwing unit 970 is disposed from the opposite side (back side) of the play area, and each is fastened and fixed by tapping screws, etc. The detailed configurations of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 will be described later.

[0094] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 illustrates the arrangement of the winning port unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 in an assembled state.

[0095] As shown in Figure 6, the connection of each passage of the front unit 940 and the throwing unit 970 is in a state of abutment in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 6), and the convex portion formed on the throwing unit 970 is inserted into the protrusion formed on the front unit 940.

[0096] More specifically, for first ball throwing section 942g and inlet 982d, second protrusion 982d1 formed on inlet 982d is disposed inside first recess 942g1 formed on first ball throwing section 942g. For second ball throwing section 942c and side wall section 981b, protrusion 981b1 formed on side wall section 981b is disposed inside second recess 942c1 formed on second ball throwing section 942c. This facilitates alignment of front unit 940 and ball throwing unit 970 when assembling them to base plate 60.

[0097] Next, the overall configuration of the ball throwing unit 970 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7(a) is a front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 7(b) is a side view of the ball throwing unit 970. Figure 8(a) is an exploded perspective front view of the ball throwing unit 970, and Figure 8(b) is an exploded perspective rear view of the ball throwing unit 970.

[0098] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the ball throwing unit 970 is formed by including a distribution unit 980 arranged on the player side (play area side) and having a space inside through which a game ball can be inserted, and a passage unit 990 arranged on the opposite side of the distribution unit 980 from the play area.

[0099] The sorting unit 980 has an opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) connected to the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 of the above-mentioned winning opening unit 930, and can receive game balls sent from the opening (inlet 982d and side wall 981b) to the opposite side of the game area via the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140. The sorting unit 980 will be described in detail later.

[0100] The passage unit 990 is disposed on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of the sorting unit 980. The passage unit 990 has a plurality of openings (first through-hole 991a to second through-hole 991d) on a surface facing the sorting unit 980, and can receive game balls sent inside the sorting unit 980 from the openings. The passage unit 990 will be described in detail later.

[0101] Next, the configuration of the sorting unit 980 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 12. Fig. 9(a) is a front view of the sorting unit 980, and Fig. 9(b) is a side view of the sorting unit 980. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective front view of the sorting unit 980, and Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective rear view of the sorting unit 980. Fig. 12(a) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line XIIa-XIIa in Fig. 9(a), and Fig. 12(b) is a cross-sectional view of the sorting unit 980 taken along line XIIb-XIIb in Fig. 12(a).

[0102] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, the distribution unit 980 is formed mainly by comprising a rear base 985, a front base 981 arranged on the player side of the rear base 985, a distribution section 983 arranged in a rotatable state between the front base 981 and the rear base, and a cover member 987 arranged on the rear side of the rear base 985 in a position corresponding to the distribution section 983.

[0103] The rear base 985 is formed from a colored translucent resin material (blue in this embodiment), and is mainly formed with a base portion 985a formed in a plate-like body, a plurality of openings (openings 985b to 985g) penetrating the thickness direction of the base portion 985a, a recess 985h recessed on the other side in the direction of gravity (upward in the direction of gravity) of the plurality of openings, and a accommodating portion 986b and a protruding portion 986e protruding from the opposite surface of the recess 985h.

[0104] The base portion 985a is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is formed with a plurality of fastening holes 986c and 986d penetrating in a circular shape at its outer edge, and an inclined surface 986a inclined toward one side in the direction of gravity on the side opposite to the front base 981 side. The fastening holes 986c are holes into which screws inserted through the front base 981 described later are screwed. This allows the front base 981 and the rear base 985 to be fastened and fixed. The fastening holes 986d are holes into which screws inserted through the passage unit 990 described later are screwed. This allows the rear base 985 (distribution unit 980) and the passage unit 990 to be fastened and fixed.

[0105] The inclined surface 986a is formed at a position overlapping with a part of the other side of the openings 985b to 985f in the direction of gravity, which will be described later. The inclined surface 986a is also formed at a position facing the inclined portion 982b of the front base 981 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This makes it possible to guide the flow direction of the game balls flowing down in the direction of gravity toward the openings 985b to 985f. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the game balls to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

[0106] The recess 985h is recessed toward the side opposite the front base 981 (the front side of the paper in FIG. 9(b)), and is formed at approximately the center of the short side direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 9(b)) of the base portion 985a. The recess 985h is formed with a size capable of accommodating a part of the distribution portion 983 (described later) on the inside, and is provided with a bearing portion 985j that protrudes in an annular shape on the bottom surface. The bearing portion 985j is a hole into which one end of a shaft member 988a that axially supports the distribution portion 983 is inserted, and is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

[0107] The openings 985b and 985c are formed at both ends of the base portion 985a in the short side direction, and the size of the inner edge is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. The openings 985b and 985c are formed so that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the opposite side to the front base 981 side. This allows the game ball flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll toward the opposite side to the front base 981 side.

[0108] The opening 985d is formed at approximately the center in the short side direction (left-right direction in FIG. 9(b)) of the base portion 985a, and its position in the gravity direction (up-down direction in FIG. 9(b)) is set to approximately the same position as the openings 985b and 985c. Similarly to the openings 985b and 985c, the opening 985d is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward as it approaches the side opposite the front base 981. This allows the game ball flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll to the side opposite the front base 981 side.

[0109] The opening 985e is formed between the openings 985b and 985d, and the opening 985f is formed between the openings 985c and 985d. The openings 985e and 985f are mainly formed by inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 of a space that opens to the front base 981 side, outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3 of a space that opens to the side opposite the front base 981 side, and intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 that extend in the gravity direction and communicate the inlet passages 985e1 and 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3 and 985f3.

[0110] The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 formed between a front base 981 and a rear base 985, which will be described later, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

[0111] The intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed by extending in the direction of gravity, and the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) is connected to the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 and is formed to a size that allows the game balls to pass through. This allows the game balls passing through the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 to flow into the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2.

[0112] Further, the intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 are formed with a recessed portion 985f4 recessed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the throwing direction (gravity direction) of the game ball. The recessed portion 985f4 is a cutout for disposing the detection device SE3 described later inside, and is set to be substantially the same as the outer shape of the detection device SE3 when viewed from the back. This allows the detection device SE3 to be inserted and disposed from the back side of the base portion 985a (the side opposite to the front base 981).

[0113] The detection device SE3 is a device for detecting the passage of a game ball, and a detection hole SE1a having an inner diameter slightly larger than that of the game ball is formed through the detection device SE3 in the thickness direction. The detection hole SE1a is formed biased to one side or the other of the longitudinal direction of the detection device SE3 arranged in a horizontally elongated rectangular state when viewed from the rear, and a detection board SE1b for controlling the detection device SE3 is arranged on the other side or one side of the longitudinal direction where the detection hole SE1a is not formed.

[0114] In this embodiment, when the detection device SE3 detects the passage of the game ball, five prize balls are paid out and a lottery for the first symbol is executed. In response to this lottery, the third symbol display device 81 executes a variable display of the third symbol.

[0115] In addition, the detection device SE3 is arranged such that the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a is set parallel to the extension direction of the intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2, and the internal space of the detection hole SE1a and the space of the intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 are approximately aligned. This allows the game ball to pass through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 when it flows down from the other side (upper side in the gravity direction) of the intermediate passages 985e2 and 985f2 in the gravity direction to one side (lower side in the gravity direction). This allows the game ball passing through the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to be detected.

[0116] In addition, since the axial direction of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 is formed parallel to the direction of gravity, the weight of the game ball can be easily utilized when sending the game ball to the detection hole SE1a. As a result, the game ball can be prevented from getting caught in the connection part between the intermediate passage 985e2, 985f2 and the detection hole SE1a.

[0117] The recessed portions 985e4, 985f4 are formed to be connected to the spaces of the inlet passages 985e1, 985f1 and the outlet passages 985e3, 985f3. That is, the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 are formed using the detection device SE3. This makes it possible to prevent the length dimension of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity from increasing. As a result, it is possible to prevent the rear base 985 from becoming large in the direction of gravity.

[0118] The discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to one side of the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) and are formed to a size that allows the game balls to pass through. In addition, the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 are connected to a third insertion hole 991c and a fourth insertion hole 991d of the passage unit 990 described later in a state in which the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game balls passing through the intermediate passages 985e2, 985f2 to flow into the discharge passages 985e3, 985f3 and to be sent to the passage unit 990 by passing through the space.

[0119] The opening 985g is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the opening 985d. Similarly to the opening 985d, the opening 985g is formed such that the inner surface on the one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is inclined downward toward the side opposite to the front base 981. This allows the game balls flowing in from the front base 981 side to roll toward the side opposite to the front base 981.

[0120] The inflow passages 985e1, 985f1 are connected to a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 formed between a front base 981 and a rear base 985, which will be described later, and are formed to a size that allows game balls to pass through. This allows game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to flow into the inflow passages 985e1, 985f1.

[0121] The accommodation portion 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings. The accommodation portion 986b is a portion that accommodates the magnetic body 988b described later inside, and its inner diameter is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b formed in a cylindrical body. The protruding dimension of the accommodation portion 986b is set to be larger than the axial dimension of the magnetic body 988b. This allows the magnetic body 988b to be accommodated inside the accommodation portion 986b. Since the accommodation portion 986b is formed from a pair of semicircular rings, even if the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988b is formed slightly larger due to a manufacturing error, the pair of semicircular rings can be elastically deformed to arrange the magnetic body 988b.

[0122] The protruding portion 986e is cylindrically protruding from a position opposite the bearing portion 985j and the base portion 985a. The protruding portion 986e also has a fastening hole recessed in a circular shape on its axis. The fastening hole is a hole into which the tip of a screw that passes through a cover member 987 (described later) is screwed. By screwing the screw while the cover member 987 is in contact with the cover member 987, the cover member 987 can be fastened and fixed to the rear base 985.

[0123] The magnetic body 988b is made of a magnet, and by being disposed in the housing portion 986b, it is possible to generate a magnetic field on the front base 981 side via the base portion 985a. This makes it possible to repel the magnetic body 988c disposed in the sorting portion 983 described later, making it easier to displace the sorting portion 983.

[0124] The front base 981 is made of a colored translucent (blue in this embodiment) resin material. The front base 981 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape larger than the rear base 985 when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a base plate 981a and a bulging portion 982 that bulges out from the base plate 981a toward the player side (the side opposite the rear base 986).

[0125] The base plate 981a is formed as a plate member having a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a plurality of insertion holes 981g penetrating in the plate thickness direction at its outer peripheral edge, a first guide wall 981f and a second guide wall 981d protruding toward the rear base 985 side, a second insertion hole 981e penetrating near the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d, and a through hole 981c penetrating in the plate thickness direction on one side of the bulge portion 982 in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity).

[0126] Insertion hole 981g is a hole through which a screw (not shown) for fastening assembled ball throwing unit 970 to base plate 60 (see FIG. 5) is inserted, and is set to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the screw.

[0127] The first guide wall 981f is formed in a semicircular annular shape, and is formed as a pair in the short side direction with a bulging portion 982 (described later) sandwiched therebetween. The first guide wall 981f is formed such that an open portion of the semicircle faces approximately the center of the base plate 981a in the short side direction.

[0128] The second guide wall 981d is formed in an annular shape, and is formed at two locations in the short side direction of the base plate 981a. The second guide wall 981d is formed on the lower side in the gravity direction of a bulging portion 982 described later, and a through hole 981c is formed between the two locations.

[0129] The first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d have inner edge shapes formed to be substantially the same as the outer shape around the fastening hole 986c of the above-mentioned rear base 985. Thereby, when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined, the wall portions around the fastening hole 986c can be inserted inside the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d, and the first guide wall 981f and the second guide wall 981d can be positioned.

[0130] The second insertion hole 981e is formed at the center of the semicircle of the first guide wall 981f and the center of the second guide wall 981d. The second insertion hole 981e is formed coaxially with the fastening hole 986c when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are assembled, and the front base 981 and the rear base 985 can be fastened together by inserting a screw from the front base 981 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 986d.

[0131] The through hole 981c is formed in a square shape with one side larger than the diameter of the game ball. The through hole 981c is formed with a side wall portion 981b erected along its edge on the opposite side to the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 9(a)). The through hole 981c is a portion that communicates with the second winning hole 140 of the above-mentioned winning hole unit 930, and is formed at a position that overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the second winning hole 140 when the winning hole unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

[0132] The side wall portion 981b is formed with a dimension such that the erected tip surface abuts against the second ball throwing section 942c of the winning opening unit 930 when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60. In addition, the side wall portion 981b is formed such that the rolling surface 981c1 on the inner surface on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is positioned closer to the one side in the direction of gravity than the end surface 943a1 of the rolling section 943a, and is inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side (see FIG. 6).

[0133] Furthermore, the side wall portion 981b has a protrusion 981b1 protruding from the erected tip surface. The protrusion 981b1 is formed at a position radially spaced from the rolling surface 981c1 in the gravity direction by the game ball. This makes it difficult for the game ball to be caught between the rolling portion 943a and the through hole 981c when the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c. A detailed explanation of the case where the game ball is sent from the end surface 943a1 of the rolling portion 943a to the rolling surface 981c1 of the through hole 981c will be given later.

[0134] The bulging portion 982 is formed in a dome shape bulging from the base plate 981a, and is set to a size that allows a game ball to pass inside, and is formed with a ball throwing passage TR0 through which the game ball flowing in from the inlet 982d passes, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 branching off from the ball throwing passage TR0. The bulging portion 982 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with an inlet 982d formed by cutting out an upper end in the direction of gravity, an erected wall 982a bent toward the rear base 985 side at a substantially central position when viewed from the front, and recesses 982e to 982j recessed at multiple locations on the other side in the direction of gravity.

[0135] The inlet 982d is cut out to have a generally U-shape when viewed from the front. The inlet 982d is formed at a position where the inner edge of the inlet 982d overlaps with the rolling direction of the game ball that has flowed into the first winning hole 64 of the winning hole unit 930 when the winning hole unit 930 and the ball sending unit 970 are attached to the base plate 60.

[0136] Further, the inlet 982d is provided with a second protrusion 982d1 at the edge on the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity) that protrudes in the direction opposite to the rear base 985. The second protrusion 982d1 is formed in the shape of the inner edge of the first recessed portion 942g1 of the above-mentioned winning opening unit 930, and when the winning opening unit 930 and the ball throwing unit 970 are disposed on the base plate 60, the second protrusion 982d1 abuts against the inner edge of the first recessed portion 942g1.

[0137] Also, the distance dimension L14 (see FIG. 9(a)) from the second protrusion 982d1 to the end face of the inlet 982d on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) is set to be larger than the distance dimension L35 (see FIG. 87(b)) from the inner edge of the first recessed portion 942g1 to the inner edge of the first ball throwing portion 942g on one side in the direction of gravity. This makes it possible for the game ball sent to the first ball throwing portion 942g through the first winning opening 64 to be less likely to be pinched between the inlet 982d (bulge 982) and the first ball throwing portion 942g when it flows into the inlet 982d.

[0138] The standing wall 982a is formed in a rectangular shape in a front view at a predetermined interval from the outer edge shape of the bulging portion 982. The standing wall 982a is formed on the lower side of the inlet 982d in the direction of gravity, and is provided with a contact portion 982a1 formed in a triangular shape in the standing direction on the upper side in the direction of gravity.

[0139] The vertical wall 982a has a horizontal separation distance L16 (see Figure 12 (b)) between the inner edge of the outer circumferential portion of the bulge portion 982 and the inner edge that is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball, and a first passage TR1 and a second passage TR2 are formed between the opposing portions, which are spaces through which the game ball can pass.

[0140] The first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are formed downstream of a distribution section 983 described later, and game balls passing through the distribution section 983 are sent to one of them. The distribution section 983 is set so that game balls flowing into the inlet 982d can be sent alternately to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. This makes it possible to prevent the sending of game balls flowing into the first winning port 64 from becoming monotonous. As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's interest from being lost.

[0141] A bearing portion 982c is formed on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) of the erected wall 982a, protruding in an annular shape from the inner surface of the bulging portion 982 toward the rear base 985. The bearing portion 982c is a portion that supports the other end side of a shaft member 988a that axially supports a distribution portion 983 (described later), and has an inner diameter set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. Therefore, by inserting the shaft member 988a into the bearing portion 982c, the other end side of the shaft member 988a can be supported.

[0142] As described above, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j of the rear base 985. Therefore, when combining the front base 981 and the rear base 985, one end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 985j and the other end of the shaft member 988a is inserted into the bearing portion 982c, thereby allowing the shaft member 988a to be supported between the front base 981 and the rear base 985.

[0143] The contact portion 982a1 is formed on a rotation trajectory of a sorting portion 983 described later, and the contact of an action portion 983a of the sorting portion 983 regulates the amount of rotational displacement of the sorting portion 983. The contact state between the contact portion 982a1 and the sorting portion 983 will be described in detail later.

[0144] The recesses 982e and 982f are recessed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 from the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of the bulging portion 982. Further, inside the recesses 982e and 982f, a first branch passage BK1 or a second branch passage BK2 is formed as a space communicating with the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2.

[0145] The first branch passage BK1 is connected to an opening 985b of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first branch passage BK1 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, and is also able to allow the received game balls to flow into the opening 985b of the rear base 985.

[0146] The second branch passage BK2 is connected to the opening 985c of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the second branch passage BK2 is formed to be able to receive the game balls flowing down the second passage TR2, and the received game balls can flow into the opening 985c of the rear base 985.

[0147] The recesses 982h and 982j are recessed in the extension direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 from the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of the bulging portion 982. That is, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are extended toward the one side in the gravity direction by the amount of the recesses 982h and 982j.

[0148] The first passage TR1 is connected to an opening 985e of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the first passage TR1 receives the game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985e of the rear base 985.

[0149] The second passage TR2 is connected to the opening 985f of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the second passage TR2 receives the game balls that have flowed into the inlet 982d, and allows the game balls to flow into the opening 985f of the rear base 985.

[0150] The recess 982g is formed between the recess 982h and the recess 982j, and the recessed direction is set parallel to the extending direction of the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Further, inside the recess 982g, a third branch passage BK3 is formed as a space communicating with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2. Therefore, the third branch passage BK3 communicating with the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 is formed between the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2, so that the sorting unit 980 can be made compact.

[0151] The third branch passage BK3 is connected to an opening 985d of the rear base 985 when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. Therefore, the third branch passage BK3 is formed to be able to receive game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2, and is also able to allow the received game balls to flow into the opening 985d of the rear base 985.

[0152] The inclined portion 982b is formed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in the direction of gravity) of the bulging portion 982, and is extended at an incline toward the rear base 985 side toward the one side in the direction of gravity. The inclined portion 982b is formed at a position facing the opening 985b to the opening 985f when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are combined. This allows the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1, the second passage TR2, the first branch passage BK1, the second branch passage BK2, and the third branch passage BK3 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b, thereby guiding the flowing game balls toward the openings 985b to 985f and making it easier for them to flow into the openings 985b to 985f.

[0153] The guide portions 982h1, 982j1 are connected to the recesses 982h and 982j and the inclined portion 982b, and the erected end faces are inclined downward toward the rear base 985 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 9(b)). This allows the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the erected end faces of the guide portions 982h1, 982j1 and be guided toward the openings 985e and 985f, making it easier for the game balls to flow into the openings 985e and 985f.

[0154] In addition, the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 are formed connected to the inclined portion 982b. This allows the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 to come into contact with the inclined portion 982b and collide with the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 while being guided toward the rear base 985, making it easier for the game balls to flow into the openings 985e and 985f. Furthermore, the erection distance of the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 can be reduced by the inclination of the inclined portion 982b, so that the rigidity of the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 can be increased to improve durability.

[0155] Here, as described above, the sorting unit 980 (ball throwing unit 970) is made visible to the player through the front unit 940 (winning port unit 930) disposed on the player side. Therefore, the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are difficult to see from the player side through the front unit 940. Furthermore, when the guide parts 982h1, 982j1 are erected on the front side of the openings 985e and 985f, there is a problem that the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 are difficult to see from the player due to the thickness of the guide parts 982h1, 982j1.

[0156] In contrast, in this embodiment, the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 are formed in connection with the inclined portion 982b, so that the erection dimension of the inclined portion 982b can be made small. Therefore, the game balls sent to the openings 985e and 985f (the game balls flowing down the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2) can be easily seen even through the front unit 940. That is, in this embodiment, the inclined portion 982b is inclined so as to be positioned toward the rear base 985 as it moves toward the flow direction of the game ball, so that the thickness of the guide portions 982h1 and 982j1 in the front-rear direction can be made thin while ensuring rigidity and guiding the game ball, so that visibility of the game ball can be ensured.

[0157] The allocating portion 983 is set to a thickness slightly smaller than the dimension between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985, and is formed in a generally T-shape when viewed from the front. The allocating portion 983 is mainly formed with an acting portion 983a on one side of the T-shape, an intermediate plate 983b protruding from a generally central position in the extension direction of the acting portion 983a, a through hole 983c penetrating the connecting portion of the acting portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, a contact portion 983d bulging out in a circular shape around the axis of the through hole 983c, and a wall portion 983e formed connecting the acting portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b to the rear base 985 side.

[0158] The through-hole 983c is a hole into which the shaft member 988a supported between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 is inserted, and is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a. As a result, when the front base 981 and the rear base 985 are assembled, the shaft member 988a is inserted into the through-hole 983c of the distribution part 983, so that the distribution part 983 is disposed between the opposing front base 981 and the rear base 985 in a rotatable state.

[0159] The intermediate plate 983b is formed extending radially outward from the through hole 983c, and when the displacement of the distribution section 983 is restricted by rotating to one side or the other, the distance L17 (see FIG. 12(b)) from its tip to the inside of the intermediate plate 983b is set to a dimension smaller than the diameter of the game ball. This restricts the throwing of the game ball to one side or the other of the first passage TR1 or the second passage TR2. In addition, the intermediate plate 983b is switched from a state in which the throwing of the game ball is restricted to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which the throwing of the game ball is restricted to the other side of the second passage TR2 by rotating the distribution section 983 about the through hole 983c.

[0160] The action portion 983a is formed to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension direction of the intermediate plate 983b in a front view. The action portion 983a is also set at a connection position with the abutment portion 983d on one side in the direction of gravity (lower side in the direction of gravity) than the connection position with the abutment portion 983d of the intermediate plate 983b. This causes the game ball sent to the distribution portion 983 through the inlet 982d to be in a state in which a load is applied to the action portion 983a side. As a result, the distribution portion 983 is rotationally displaced around the through hole 983c.

[0161] The wall portion 983e is connected to the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b, and is formed in a substantially semicircular plate shape when viewed in the axial direction of the through hole 983c. The wall portion 983e is formed to protrude outward from the action portion 983a and the intermediate plate 983b in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the through hole 983c, and the thickness dimension is set to be smaller than the recessed dimension of the recess 985h of the back base 985 described above. Therefore, in a state in which the distribution portion 983 is disposed between the opposing back base 985 and the front base 981, the wall portion 983e can be disposed inside the recess 985h. This makes it possible to suppress the game ball sent from the inlet 982d to the inside of the distribution unit 980 from being caught inside the recess 985h, thereby preventing the flow of the game ball from being hindered.

[0162] The wall portion 983e includes a housing portion 983e1 recessed toward the intermediate plate 983b at the radially outer end from the through hole 983c on the rear side of the intermediate plate 983b. The housing portion 983e1 is a portion that houses the magnetic body 988c formed in a cylindrical body inside, and is recessed in a circular shape with an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic body 988c. The housing portion 983e1 is recessed from the rear base 985 side toward the front base 981 side, and the magnetic body 988c is housed inside from the rear base 985 side.

[0163] The magnetic body 988c is formed of a magnet, and is disposed in a state where it repels the magnetic body 988b disposed on the rear base 985. As a result, the magnetic body 988c of the distribution unit 983 is subjected to a magnetic force from the magnetic body 988b disposed on the rear base 985, and can rotate about the through hole 983c as an axis, so that the extending direction of the action portion 983a can be tilted to one side or the other.

[0164] In addition, since the magnetic body 988c and the magnetic body 988b are arranged in a state where they are repelled by each other and the storage section 983e1 is recessed toward the front side, it is possible to prevent the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1 from slipping out of the storage section 983e1. In other words, since there is no need for a part for locking the magnetic body 988c inserted into the storage section 983e1, it is possible to simplify the structure of the sorting section 983 and to simplify the arrangement of the magnetic body 988c in the sorting section 983.

[0165] The magnetic force of the magnetic body 988b and the magnetic body 988c is set to a magnetic force smaller than the load of the game ball. This makes it possible to prevent the game ball sent inside the sorting unit 980 from being magnetically attracted to the magnetic body 988b and the magnetic body 988c and stagnating inside the sorting unit 980.

[0166] The cover member 987 is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is disposed on the opposite side of the recess 985h of the rear base 985 from the front base 981. The cover member 987 is also formed with two recesses, a first recess 987a and a second recess 987b, which are recessed side by side in the direction of gravity and have a circular shape when viewed from the front.

[0167] The first recess 987a is a portion that accommodates the above-mentioned accommodation portion 986b of the rear base 985 inside, and is set to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the accommodation portion 986b. Therefore, by accommodating the tip of the accommodation portion 986b in the first recess 987a with the magnetic body 988b accommodated inside the accommodation portion 986b as described above, it is possible to prevent the magnetic body 988b accommodated inside the accommodation portion 986b from slipping out of the accommodation portion 986b.

[0168] The second recess 987b has a through hole 987b1 at its recessed bottom surface for fastening and fixing to the rear base 985. The inner shape of the recessed portion of the second recess 987b is formed to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985 described above. This allows the cover member 987 to be positioned by accommodating the second recess 987b in the protruding portion 986e of the rear base 985, and allows screws to be fastened to fastening holes of the protruding portion 986e through the through hole 987b1 in the positioned state.

[0169] Next, referring to Fig. 13, the operation of the distribution part 983 when the game ball flows into the distribution unit 980 from the inlet 982d will be described. Fig. 13(a) and Fig. 13(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the distribution unit 980 in the range XIIIa of Fig. 12(b). Note that, hereinafter, only the case where the action part 983a of the distribution part 983 is displaced from a state in which the game ball is restricted from being thrown to one side of the first passage TR1 to a state in which the game ball is restricted from being thrown to the other side of the second passage TR2 will be described, and a description of the case where the action part 983a of the distribution part 983 is displaced from a state in which the game ball is restricted from being thrown to the other side of the second passage TR2 to a state in which the game ball is restricted from being thrown to one side of the first passage TR1 will be omitted.

[0170] As shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), before the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 (before the game ball abuts against the action section 983a), as described above, the magnetic body 988c arranged in the distribution section 983 repels the magnetic body 988b (see Figure 10), so that the intermediate plate 983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c is inclined toward the second passage TR2 side. Note that the action section 983a on the second passage TR2 side abuts against the abutment section 982a1 of the front base 981, so that the amount of rotation is regulated (see Figure 13(a)).

[0171] When the game ball is sent to the distribution section 983 in this state, the game ball is sent between the intermediate plate 983b and the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side. As described above, the action section 983a is set at a connecting position with the abutment section 983d on one side in the direction of gravity (lower in the direction of gravity) than the connecting position with the abutment section 983d of the intermediate plate 983b, so that the load of the game ball can be applied to the action section 983a on the first passage TR1 side.

[0172] 13(b), the distribution portion 983 is rotated about the through hole 983c, and the intermediate plate 983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c is inclined toward the first passage TR1 side. The amount of rotation is restricted by the action portion 983a on the first passage TR1 side abutting against the abutment portion 982a1 of the front base 981. In this case, the repulsive direction of the magnetic body 988c is switched from a state in which the intermediate plate 983b on the radially outer side from the through hole 983c acts toward the second passage TR2 side to a state in which the magnetic body 988c acts toward the first passage TR1 side.

[0173] Therefore, the distribution unit 983 can rotate around the through hole 983c by utilizing the load of the game ball and the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c. In addition, since the direction of the repulsive force of the magnetic body 988c is switched, the distribution unit 983 can maintain the rotated state. Therefore, the distribution unit 983 can change the tilt direction of the middle plate 983b every time a game ball is sent, and send the game balls one by one to the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2.

[0174] Next, the configuration of the passage unit 990 will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 16. Figure 14(a) is a front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 14(b) is a side view of the passage unit 990. Figure 15 is an exploded perspective front view of the passage unit 990, and Figure 16 is an exploded perspective rear view of the passage unit 990.

[0175] As shown in Figures 14 to 16, the passage unit 990 is formed mainly by including a first passage member 991 having a plurality of openings that open on the distribution unit 980 side, a second passage member 992 arranged in the first passage member 991 for sending game balls that pass through the first passage member 991, a third passage member 993 arranged in the second passage member 992 for sending game balls that have passed through the second passage member 992, and a detection device SE4 arranged between the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993.

[0176] The first passage member 991 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in a front view and is formed with a predetermined width on the second passage member 992 side. The first passage member 991 is mainly formed with a first insertion hole 991a formed to penetrate on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) on the sorting unit 980 side, a second insertion hole 991b formed to penetrate on one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction) of the first insertion hole 991a, a third insertion hole 991c and a fourth insertion hole 991d formed to penetrate on both sides in the horizontal direction of the second insertion hole 991b, and a plurality of through holes 991f formed in a circular shape around the outer periphery in a front view.

[0177] The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of the game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 and the internal space are connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down inside the distribution unit 980 and passes through the opening 985d to be received in the first insertion hole 991a.

[0178] Further, the first insertion hole 991a is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

[0179] Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is formed with an annular projection 991g connected to an outer periphery, the annular projection 991g having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed together.

[0180] The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle in a front view, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 and the internal space are connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and passes through the opening 985g to be received in the second insertion hole 991b.

[0181] Further, the second insertion hole 991b is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

[0182] The third insertion hole 991c is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle in a front view, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the third insertion hole 991c is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985e of the distribution unit 980 is continuous when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (first passage TR1) and passes through the opening 985e to be received in the third insertion hole 991c.

[0183] Further, the third insertion hole 991c has recessed portions 991c1 recessed on both sides in the horizontal direction on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction). The recessed portions 991c1 are portions that accommodate the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed to have substantially the same dimensions as the outer shape of the detection device SE3. This makes it possible to protect the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 by the recessed portions 991c1, and also to prevent the detection device SE3 from being illegally operated from the outside in a state in which the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined.

[0184] Furthermore, when combining the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990, the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 disposed in the sorting unit 980 can be received inside the recessed portion 991c1 of the passage unit 990, so that the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 can be positioned. This prevents a part of the detection device SE3 from protruding outward, and the ball throwing unit 970 can be made smaller overall.

[0185] The third insertion hole 991c has a protruding portion 991c2 protruding from the second insertion hole 991b side on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side, and the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is formed to be inclined downward in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second insertion hole 991b. This allows the game ball that has flowed into the third insertion hole 991c to collide with the protruding portion 991c2 and to roll in a direction away from the second insertion hole 991b (left direction in FIG. 14(a)).

[0186] The fourth insertion hole 991d is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle in a front view, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the fourth insertion hole 991d is formed at a position where the internal space of the opening 985f of the distribution unit 980 is connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down the inside of the distribution unit 980 (the second passage TR2) and passes through the opening 985f to be received in the fourth insertion hole 991d.

[0187] Moreover, the fourth insertion hole 991d has recessed portions 991d1 recessed on both horizontal sides on the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction). The recessed portions 991d1 are portions that accommodate the detection board SE1b of the detection device SE3 arranged in the sorting unit 980, and are formed to have substantially the same dimensions as the outer shape of the detection device SE3. This makes it possible to protect the detection board SE1b side of the detection device SE3 by the recessed portions 991d1, and to prevent the detection device SE3 from being illegally operated from the outside in a state in which the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined.

[0188] Furthermore, the fourth through hole 991d has a protruding portion 991d2 protruding from the second through hole 991b side on the inner edge on the second passage member 992 side, and the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is formed to be inclined downward in a direction away from the horizontally adjacent second through hole 991b. This allows the game ball that has flowed into the fourth through hole 991d to collide with the protruding portion 991d2 and to roll in a direction away from the second through hole 991b (to the right in FIG. 14(a)).

[0189] The second passage member 992 is formed in a roughly T-shaped plate that is upside down when viewed from the front, and is mainly formed with a fifth insertion hole 992b that penetrates to the other side in the direction of gravity (upper side in the direction of gravity), a sixth insertion hole 992c that penetrates to one side in the direction of gravity of the fifth insertion hole 992b (lower side in the direction of gravity), and an erect wall 992a that is erected on the inner peripheral edge of the fifth insertion hole 992b.

[0190] The fifth insertion hole 992b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape in a front view, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of a game ball. The fifth insertion hole 992b is formed at a position where the internal space of the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 is connected when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows the game ball passing through the first insertion hole 991a of the first passage member 991 to be received in the fifth insertion hole 992b.

[0191] The erected wall 992a is erected from the entire edge of the fifth insertion hole 992b toward the third passage member 993. The erected wall 992a is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the third passage member 993. This allows the game ball sent to the fifth insertion hole 992b to roll toward the third passage member 993 (the right side in FIG. 14(b)).

[0192] The outer peripheral surface of the standing wall 992a is provided with an engagement portion 992d that projects horizontally, and a protruding wall 992e that projects horizontally from an end portion on the first passage member 991 side. The engagement portion 992d projects horizontally and is formed in an L-shape with its tip bent toward the third passage member 993 side. Wiring of a detection device SE4 (described later) and a detection device SE3 disposed in the sorting unit 980 is inserted between the engagement portion 992d and the standing wall 992a. This makes it possible to lock the wiring of the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4, and therefore it is possible to prevent the detection device SE3 and the detection device SE4 from coming off the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990.

[0193] The protruding walls 992e are formed to protrude in a semicircular shape in front view on both sides of the standing wall 992a in the horizontal direction, and have through holes 992e1 that penetrate the axis of the semicircle. In addition, the protruding walls 992e are formed at positions facing the annular projection 991g of the first passage member 991 when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined, and the through holes 992e1 are positioned coaxially with the fastening holes 991g1. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed by inserting a screw into the through hole 992e1 from the second passage member 992 side and screwing the screw into the fastening hole 991g1.

[0194] The sixth insertion hole 992c is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of a game ball when viewed from the front. The sixth insertion hole 992c is formed at a position where its internal space communicates with the internal space of the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 when the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 are combined. This allows the game ball passing through the second insertion hole 991b of the first passage member 991 to be received in the sixth insertion hole 992c.

[0195] Further, a guide wall 992c1 is formed around the sixth insertion hole 992c, and is erected toward the third passage member 993. The guide wall 992c1 is formed of a first wall portion 992c2 erected on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) of the sixth insertion hole 992c, and a second wall portion 992c3 connected to an end portion in the extension direction of the first wall portion 992c2 and extending in the gravity direction.

[0196] The first wall portion 992c2 and the second wall portion 992c3 are wall surfaces that serve to position the detection device SE4, and the dimension between the opposing upright wall 993e formed in the third passage member 993 and the engagement portion 993d is set to be approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing detection device SE4.

[0197] In addition, the detection device SE4 is disposed at a position where the internal space of the detection hole SE1a is connected to the internal space of the sixth insertion hole 992c. As a result, the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c passes through the detection hole SE1a and is detected by the detection device SE4, and is sent to the third passage member 993 side.

[0198] The second passage member 992 also has a ring-shaped protrusion 992f that protrudes toward the third passage member 993 at a position spaced apart from the sixth insertion hole 992c in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 14(a)). The ring-shaped protrusion 992f has a circular fastening hole 992f1 on its axis. The fastening hole 992f1 is a hole into which a screw inserted through the third passage member 993 is screwed, thereby allowing the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed together.

[0199] The first insertion hole 991a is formed in a square shape with one side greater than the diameter of the game ball when viewed from the front. The first insertion hole 991a is formed at a position where the opening 985d of the distribution unit 980 and the internal space are connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down inside the distribution unit 980 and passes through the opening 985d to be received in the first insertion hole 991a.

[0200] Further, the first insertion hole 991a is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the first insertion hole 991a to roll toward the second passage member 992.

[0201] Furthermore, the first insertion hole 991a is formed with an annular projection 991g connected to an outer periphery, the annular projection 991g having a fastening hole 991g1 into which a screw that passes through the second passage member 992 is screwed. This allows the first passage member 991 and the second passage member 992 to be fastened and fixed together.

[0202] The second insertion hole 991b is formed in a vertically elongated rectangle in a front view, and the width dimension in the short direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball. In addition, the second insertion hole 991b is formed at a position where the opening 985g of the distribution unit 980 and the internal space are connected when the distribution unit 980 and the passage unit 990 are combined. This allows the game ball that flows down the inside of the distribution unit 980 and passes through the opening 985g to be received in the second insertion hole 991b.

[0203] Further, the second insertion hole 991b is formed such that the inner surface on one side in the gravity direction (the lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined downward toward the second passage member 992. This allows the game ball sent to the second insertion hole 991b to roll toward the second passage member 992.

[0204] The third passage member 993 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular plate shape in a front view. The third passage member 993 is mainly formed to include a seventh insertion hole 993a formed penetrating at a substantially middle position in the longitudinal direction, a guide wall 993b erected from an edge of the seventh insertion hole 993a, an erect wall 993e erected from an edge on the other side in the gravity direction toward the second passage member 992, an engagement portion 993d protruding in the longitudinal direction, and a recessed portion 993c recessed into a side surface on the second passage member 992 side.

[0205] The seventh insertion hole 993a is formed in a square shape with one side longer than the diameter of the game ball when viewed from the front. The seventh insertion hole 993a is formed at a position communicating with the internal space of the detection device SE4 disposed in the second passage member 992 when the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined. This allows the game ball that has passed through the seventh insertion hole 993a of the second passage member 992 and the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4 to be received in the seventh insertion hole 993a.

[0206] The guide wall 993b is erected from the edge of the seventh insertion hole 993a in three directions excluding the other side in the gravity direction (upper side in the gravity direction) toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992 side. The guide wall 993b is formed such that the inner surface of one side in the gravity direction (lower side in the gravity direction) is inclined upward toward the second passage member 992 side (inclined downward toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992 side). This allows the game ball sent to the seventh insertion hole 993a to roll toward the opposite side to the second passage member 992 side (the right side in FIG. 14(b)).

[0207] As shown in Fig. 14(b), the third passage member 993 is disposed on one side in the direction of gravity (the lower side in Fig. 14(b)) of the erected wall 992a of the second passage member 992. As described above, the other side in the direction of gravity (the upper side in Fig. 14(b)) of the third passage member 993 is open, so that the third passage member 993 can be disposed closer to the erected wall 992a. As a result, the opening 985d and the opening 985g of the above-mentioned sorting unit 980 can be brought closer to each other, and the outer shapes of the sorting unit 980 and the passage unit 990 in the direction of gravity can be reduced in size.

[0208] In a state in which the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the standing wall 993e is set such that the distance dimension between the standing wall 993e and the first wall portion 992c2 of the second passage member 992 is set to be substantially the same as the distance dimension on the short side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the gravity direction.

[0209] In addition, a first wall portion 992c2 that positions the detection device SE4 on the lower side in the gravity direction is formed on the upstream side (the second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent. This makes it easier for the game ball passing through the sixth insertion hole 992c to be inserted into the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4.

[0210] That is, since the detection hole SE1a is formed to have dimensions slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball in order to prevent cheating by the player, a slight misalignment in the height of the rolling surface of the game ball would prevent the game ball from being inserted therein, but in this embodiment, the first wall portion 992c2 that positions the lower side of the detection device SE4 in the gravity direction is formed on the upstream side (the second passage member 992 side) where the game ball is sent, so that the height misalignment between the sixth insertion hole 992c, the detection hole SE1a, and the rolling surface can be suppressed. As a result, the game ball that passes through the sixth insertion hole 992c can be easily inserted into the detection hole SE1a.

[0211] The engaging portion 993d is formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the third passage member 993, and includes a bent portion 993d1 at its protruding tip that is bent toward the second passage member 992. When the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, the distance dimension between the bent portion 993d1 and the second wall portion 992c3 of the second passage member 992 is set to be substantially the same as the distance dimension on the longitudinal side in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE4. This allows the detection device SE4 to be positioned in the horizontal direction.

[0212] The recess 993c is formed at a position facing the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 in a state in which the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 are combined, and is formed with an inner edge shape larger than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 992f. The recess 993c also has a through hole 993c1 formed coaxially with the fastening hole 992f1 of the annular protrusion 992f on its recessed bottom surface. This allows the second passage member 992 and the third passage member 993 to be fastened and fixed by inserting the annular protrusion 992f of the second passage member 992 into the recess 993c and inserting a screw through the through hole 993c1 from the third passage member 993 side and screwing it into the fastening hole 992f1.

[0213] According to the ball throwing unit 970 configured as described above, the ball throwing unit 970 is formed from a unit different from the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140, and is arranged on the back side (opposite the game area) of the front unit 940 which has the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 140. Therefore, by replacing the ball throwing unit 970 (distribution unit 980) and arranging a different unit, a different game form can be created without affecting the flow of game balls down the game area.

[0214] Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 17 to 69. In the first embodiment, the first passage TR1 and the second passage TR2 of the sorting unit 980 are formed as passages that guide the balls backward without allowing them to return forward, but the sorting unit 300 of the second embodiment is configured to allow the balls to return forward. Note that the same parts as those of the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0215] First, the configuration of the game board 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 to 35, and then the configuration of the operation unit 500 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0216] Fig. 17 is a front exploded perspective view of the game board 13 and the operation unit 500 in the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 17, an internal opening is formed in the center frame 86 disposed inside the game board 13, and the player can see the operation unit 500 through the internal opening of the center frame 86.

[0217] In addition, in this embodiment, the base plate 60 of the game board 13 is formed from a light-transmitting resin material, so that the visibility is not limited to through the internal opening of the center frame 86, but the operating unit 500 can be viewed through the base plate 60 located outside the center frame 86.

[0218] Fig. 18 is a front view of the game board 13, Fig. 19 is a rear view of the game board 13, Fig. 20 is a front perspective view of the game board 13, and Fig. 21 is a rear perspective view of the game board 13. Fig. 18 also illustrates the windmill FS1 and nail KG1, which are omitted in Fig. 2.

[0219] In this embodiment, as described below, an upper connecting member 270 is provided which replaces the function of the nail of sorting the flow path of the ball, and the nail KG1 is not arranged in the area where the upper connecting member 270 is arranged.

[0220] This makes it possible to prevent the non-transparency of the nail KG1 from acting as a drawback. In other words, by removing the nail KG1 from the upper position of the center frame 86 where the upper connecting member 270 is disposed (a position above the center frame 86 and below the outer rail 62), it is possible to prevent the light passing through the upper position of the center frame 86 from being reflected in various directions or blocked by the nail KG1, thereby improving the visibility of the light effect at the upper position of the center frame 86. The mode of the light effect at the upper position of the center frame 86 will be described later.

[0221] Figure 19 shows that the shape of the central opening 60b of the base plate 60 is formed into a shape that is recessed upward at the center position between the left and right, and also shows a sensor cover 254 that is used to hold the electrical wiring DH1 connected to the illumination board 251 placed in the recessed portion.

[0222] As shown in Figure 19, at a position below the center frame 86, a collecting gutter 480 which forms a path for balls that enter the general winning opening 63 to flow down, and a wide decorative member 490 which is arranged above the collecting gutter 480 and is shaped to straddle the rear side of the first winning opening 64 are fastened and fixed to the back side of the base plate 60.

[0223] The collecting gutter 480 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material. This prevents the collecting gutter 480 from blocking the light coming from the back side. Also, when viewed from the front, the visibility of the balls that enter the general winning opening 63 and flow down the collecting gutter 480 can be improved.

[0224] The wide decorative member 490 is made of a colored transparent (blue in this embodiment) resin material, which allows the wide decorative member 490 to stand out to a player viewing the play area from the front.

[0225] The wide decorative member 490 has fastening screw insertion holes 491 at the left and right ends. A fastening screw that is screwed into the collective gutter 480 is inserted into the insertion hole 491, and the wide decorative member 490 is fastened and fixed to the collective gutter 480 by the fastening screw. This makes it possible to connect attention to the wide decorative member 490 to attention to the ball flowing down the collective gutter 480.

[0226] The wide decorative member 490 is provided with a pair of left and right inclined forming portions 492 formed at the same inclination angle as the plate-shaped portion (ceiling plate portion 455) that rolls the balls above the general winning opening 63, behind the plate-shaped portion, and a central forming portion 493 extending in the left and right direction on the left and right inner sides of the inclined forming portions 492.

[0227] The inclined forming part 492 is disposed so that the upper surface of the member is aligned with the plate-shaped part (ceiling plate part 455) that rolls the balls above the general winning opening 63 when viewed from the front. Therefore, even if the plate-shaped part that rolls the balls is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material, it is possible to make the balls look as if they are rolling on the inclined forming part 492 when viewed from the front, making it easier to grasp the flow path of the balls.

[0228] The central forming portion 493 constitutes the ceiling portion of the flow path (the inclined extension portion 315 described later) of the ball that entered the first winning opening 64. This makes it possible to prevent the ball from falling off the flow path, and even if the flow path of the ball that entered the first winning opening 64 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, the central forming portion 493 made of a colored and transparent resin material makes it easy to grasp the flow path of the ball when viewed from the front.

[0229] In Fig. 20, resin members such as the upper connecting member 270 and the winning hole component 400, which are made of a light-transmitting resin material and have a portion that protrudes into the play area, are shown above and below the center frame 86. These resin members can provide an effect of stably maintaining the flow of the balls, but the details will be described later. Note that the nail KG1 and the windmill FS1 are omitted in Fig. 20.

[0230] To give an overview, a common advantage of resin members such as the upper connecting member 270 and the winning hole component 400 is that they are easy to repair when cracked or chipped. This advantage is not achieved when using commonly used metal nails.

[0231] In the case of nails that are set into the base plate 60, there is a possibility that the nails may bend or break if they are hit by a ball, if an operator accidentally overloads the nail, etc. If the nail is bent, it may be possible to return it to its original state by bending it in the opposite direction by the same amount, but if it is broken, it is difficult to return it to its original state.

[0232] First of all, nails are driven into the base plate 60 by an automatic machine, and generally, nails are driven into the entire game board all at once, rather than being driven in one by one. Therefore, even if only one nail is broken, it is difficult to re-drive the broken nail when other nails are already planted, and it may become necessary to replace the entire base plate 60.

[0233] In this case, since the rails 61, 62, the outer edge member 73, etc. are attached to the base plate 60, it is necessary to either reassemble these assembled members onto the replacement base plate 60 or to replace these members altogether, which can easily result in high repair costs.

[0234] In contrast, if a part of a resin member such as the upper connecting member 270 or the winning opening component 400 is cracked or chipped, the repair can be completed by replacing it with a new member, and there is no need to replace the base plate 60. In addition, since the resin member is independent of the rails 61, 62 and the outer edge member 73, etc., no costs related to the rails 61, 62 and the outer edge member 73, etc. are incurred when replacing the resin member, so repair costs can be reduced.

[0235] In Figure 21, the illuminated board 251 and board holding plate 252 arranged on the upper part of the center frame 86 are arranged so that the board holding plate 252 fits within the plate thickness dimension of the base plate 60, and the illuminated board 251 arranged in front of the board holding plate 252 is arranged so that it fits within the inner position of the thickness dimension of the base plate 60, but details will be given later.

[0236] 21, the base plate 60 has a plurality of fitting portions 60c formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer shape tapered from the rear surface of the plate toward the rear surface side. The fitting portions 60c have female threads formed on the inner diameter side and function as portions into which fastening screws are screwed when fastening the operating unit 500 to the base plate 60.

[0237] Fig. 22 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13, and Fig. 23 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13. As shown in Figs. 22 and 23, the game board 13 includes a base plate 60, a central component unit 240 that is disposed inside the base plate 60 and has a center frame 86, an upper connecting member 270 that connects an upper portion of the central component unit 240 to the base plate 60 and limits the flow direction of balls flowing down the play area, and a thin plate member 290 that is disposed between the upper connecting member 270 and the central component unit 240.

[0238] The central component unit 240 will be described in detail later, but as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 22, the central component unit 240 is formed with a fixing portion 244 used for positioning and fixing the thin plate member 290.

[0239] Fig. 24 is an exploded front perspective view of the central component unit 240, and Fig. 25 is an exploded rear perspective view of the central component unit 240. The central component unit 240 is a unit that is assembled into an annular shape when disposed in the central opening 60b of the base plate 60, and has a center frame 86 that guides the balls to flow downward.

[0240] The central component unit 240 includes an upper component 241 that constitutes the upper part of the center frame 86, and a lower component 261 that constitutes the lower part of the center frame 86. The upper component 241 and the lower component 261 each constitute the upper and lower halves of a ring shape from a light-transmitting resin material, thereby forming the center frame 86 that surrounds the third pattern display device when viewed from the front in the assembled state (see FIG. 18).

[0241] In this way, by forming the center frame 86 into an annular shape by combining multiple components rather than forming it into an annular shape from a single item, it is possible to reduce the size of the resin mold required for molding the resin member, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the resin mold.

[0242] For example, if the design of the base plate 60 is changed so that the shape of the upper edge of the central opening 60b of the base plate 60 is formed in an approximately arc shape rather than being concave upward in the left-right center to correspond to the shape of the thin plate portion 242 as in this embodiment, the center frame 86 can be assembled to the base plate 60 by changing the design of only the upper half (upper component 241) accordingly, and therefore the component designed to correspond to this embodiment can be reused for the lower half (lower component 261).

[0243] This eliminates the need to manufacture a new large mold that encompasses the entire center frame 86 for minor changes such as design changes to the base plate 60 or changing the shape of the center frame 86 to change the appearance, thereby reducing mold costs.

[0244] The upper component 241 comprises a thin plate portion 242 which is arranged flush with the front surface of the base plate 60 in the assembled state (see Figure 18), a band-shaped frame portion 245 which extends in a band shape on the front side of the thin plate portion 242 and is formed with dimensions which do not allow balls to pass between it and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) during play and which is formed to be able to guide the balls as they flow down, and decorative portions 247 which are arranged below and on the left and right inner sides of the band-shaped frame portion 245 and form an approximately arc shape.

[0245] The thin plate portion 242 has extension portions 243 that extend toward the rear side for reinforcement at the left, right and upper edges, and a fixing portion 244 that is used to position and fix the upper connecting member 270 (see Figures 22 and 23).

[0246] The extension portion 243 is designed so that its front-to-rear width is approximately the same as the plate thickness of the base plate 60. In other words, the front-to-rear thickness of the thin plate portion 242, which has a shorter front-to-rear width than the extension portion 243, is designed to be thinner than the plate thickness of the base plate 60. This makes it easier to ensure space on the back side of the thin plate portion 242.

[0247] The fixing portion 244 has, at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides, a recessed portion 244a which is recessed for positioning with the upper connecting member 270 (see Figures 22 and 23), a protruding portion 244b which is positioned adjacent to the recessed portion 244a and protrudes toward the front side, and a fastening portion 244c into which a fastening screw is screwed in which is inserted into the upper connecting member 271 from the front side.

[0248] The thin plate portion 242 is disposed flush with the base plate 60, and the protruding portion 244b can be formed at any position on the front side. This improves the design freedom for positioning with the upper connecting member 270 (see Figs. 22 and 23). The assembly of the upper connecting member 270 using the fixing portion 244 will be described later.

[0249] The decorative portion 247 is formed with a plurality of three-dimensional patterns and figures, and is formed to have lower light transmittance than the thin plate portion 242. This allows the decorative portion 247 to be used as a portion that divides the field of view while retaining some light transmittance.

[0250] So far, the configuration of the front side of the upper component 241 has been mainly described. Next, the configuration disposed on the back side of the upper component 241 will be described. The upper component 241 includes an illumination board 251 fastened to a fastening portion formed on the back side of the thin plate portion 242, a board holding plate 252 fastened together with the fastening screw that fastens the illumination board 251, a dish-shaped member 253 that is sandwiched between the illumination board 251 and the thin plate portion 242 and formed into a dish shape that widens toward the front side, and a sensor cover 254 that is fastened to a position on the back side of the decorative portion 247 on one of the left and right sides (the right side in this embodiment) of the upper component 241.

[0251] The board holding plate 252 is not symmetrical, and the lower right portion is omitted compared to the left side portion. This makes it easier to connect the electric wiring DH1 (see FIG. 19) that is passed through from the sensor cover 254 side. That is, the connection terminal 251a of the illumination board 251 is disposed on the back surface of the board at the lower right side portion of the board, and the shape of the board holding plate 252 is designed to make it easier to connect the electric wiring DH1 to this position.

[0252] Furthermore, the substrate holding plate 252 has a recessed portion 252a formed in a central position on the left and right sides with a curved shape that is convex upward. The recessed portion 252a is a portion formed for the purpose of improving the degree of freedom in arranging the operating unit 500, and will be described in detail later.

[0253] The sensor cover 254 is a fixing member for fixing a capacitance sensor (for example, a sensor capable of detecting when a player places his / her hand over the front side of the glass unit 16) disposed therein. In this embodiment, the sensor cover 254 is used not only to fix the capacitance sensor but also as a relay part for the electric wiring DH1 connected to the illumination board 251.

[0254] That is, by fixing the electric wiring DH1 to the hook-shaped portion formed on the illumination board 251 with a cable tie or the like, the electric wiring DH1 can be held at the rear position of the decorative portion 247. This makes it possible to hide the electric wiring DH1 so that it is difficult for it to be seen by the player. In this way, by using the sensor cover 254 to hold the position of the electric wiring DH1, it is possible to reduce the number of assembly steps and the material cost, compared to the case where a dedicated member is prepared to hold the position of the electric wiring DH1.

[0255] The lower component 261 comprises a thin plate portion 262 fastened to the front plate of the base plate 60 in the assembled state (see Figure 18), a band-shaped extension portion 263 extending in a band-like shape from the thin plate portion 262 to the rear surface side, a rear surface covering portion 264 fastened to a fastening portion formed at the extended end of the band-shaped extension portion 263 and covering the rear surface side of the band-shaped extension portion 263 so as to block it, a pair of left and right front flow path components 265 fastened to the front side of the left and right lower end portions of the thin plate portion 262 and constituting a flow path for flowing the balls to the rear surface side between the thin plate portion 262 and the thin plate portion 262, and a pair of left and right rear flow path components 266 fastened to the rear side of the left and right lower end portions of the thin plate portion 262 and combining with half components protruding inwardly to the left and right from the thin plate portion 262 of the front flow path components 265 to constitute a flow path for guiding the balls to the upper surface of the band-shaped extension portion 263.

[0256] The belt-shaped extension 263 has an upper surface that slopes downward toward the left-right center and functions to return the rolling ball to the front side of the base plate 60. The left-right center of the belt-shaped extension 263 is provided with a central rear slope 263a that slopes downward toward the rear side so as to facilitate the flow of balls whose left-right speed has stabilized toward the rear side, a pair of left-right front slopes 263b that are disposed slightly lower than the central rear slope 263a on both the left and right sides of the central rear slope 263a and slope downward toward the front side so as to facilitate the flow of balls whose left-right speed has stabilized toward the front side, and a ball discharge hole 263c that is formed through the central rear slope 263a so that the balls that have been guided to the front side by the rear covering portion 264 after flowing down toward the rear side can be discharged to the front side of the base plate 60.

[0257] In relation to the band-shaped extension 263, the back covering portion 264 basically blocks the back end of the band-shaped extension 263 to prevent balls from falling out, but only behind the central rear inclined portion 263a, a gap is formed between the band-shaped extension 263 and the back covering portion 264, allowing balls to flow downward. Balls guided to the front side through this gap are discharged from the ball discharge hole 263c.

[0258] The ball discharge hole 263c is located at the left-right center position, and the first winning opening 64 is disposed below it (see FIG. 18), so that the ball discharged from the ball discharge hole 263c has a high probability of entering the first winning opening 64 (a higher probability than a ball approaching the first winning opening 64 while being bounced off the nail KG1). Therefore, when a ball is guided to the band-shaped extension portion 263, the attention to the ball can be improved.

[0259] The front flow path component 265 forms a guide path that guides the balls flowing down the front side of the thin plate portion 262 to the rear side, and the rear flow path component 266 forms the rear end face of the guide path, thereby guiding the balls to the upper surface of the band-shaped extension portion 263. In other words, the front flow path component 265 and the rear flow path component 266 form a tunnel-shaped portion that discharges the balls that have flowed in from the front side of the base plate 60 to the upper surface of the band-shaped extension portion 263.

[0260] 22 and 23, the upper connecting member 270 is a member formed from a light-transmitting resin material, and includes a thin plate-like portion 271, protruding portions 272-277 which protrude from the plate-like portion 271 as if being pushed out from the rear side to the front side, a thin portion 278 formed partially thin on the rear side of the plate-like portion 271, and a protruding portion 279 formed on the thin portion 278 so as to protrude toward the rear side.

[0261] The plate-shaped portion 271 is formed in a symmetrical arch shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and the shape of the lower edge portion is shaped to match the shape of the upper edge portion of the center frame 86. The plate-shaped portion 271 also has a curved upper edge portion, and more specifically, the shape is such that a tangent at a specific point on the upper edge portion of the plate-shaped portion 271 is parallel to a tangent at a corresponding point on the outer rail 62 that is disposed adjacent to the specific point.

[0262] The outer rail 62 and the plate-shaped portion 271 are spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of a ball (game ball) (see FIG. 18). This makes it easier to avoid a situation in which the ball rolling along the outer rail 62 collides with the plate-shaped portion 271 and loses momentum.

[0263] That is, the ball introduced into the play area is configured to leave the outer rail 62 before colliding with the plate-shaped portion 271. In other words, as long as the ball is in contact with the outer rail 62, it will not collide with the plate-shaped portion 271, so it is possible to prevent a ball launched with maximum launch strength (for example, a ball that rolls in contact with the outer rail 62 until it collides with the return rubber 69) from colliding with the plate-shaped portion 271 and losing momentum.

[0264] This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary attenuation of the ball, and also makes it possible to prevent the plate-shaped portion 271 from cracking or chipping due to a ball with maximum emission strength colliding with the plate-shaped portion 271.

[0265] The interval between the outer rail 62 and the plate-like portion 271 is not limited to an interval of about the diameter of the ball, and various embodiments are exemplified. For example, the interval may be changed in the front-rear direction (the interval becomes wider as it moves away from the base plate 60) in consideration of the shape of the ball so as to avoid a collision between the ball and the plate-like portion 271. In this case, since the interval between the plate-like portion 271 and the outer rail 62 on the side closer to the base plate 60 can be narrowed, when the plate-like portion 271 is decorated, the area for forming the decoration can be increased.

[0266] The protrusions 272 to 277 are parts that protrude from the rear side of the plate-shaped portion 271 to the front side from positions that are symmetrical with respect to the left-right center of the plate-shaped portion 271, and have a left-right symmetrical shape with respect to the left-right center of the plate-shaped portion 271 as the reference, and each of them substitutes the function of a nail.

[0267] From the left-right center side, they will be referred to as a first overhanging portion 272, a second overhanging portion 273, a third overhanging portion 274, a fourth overhanging portion 275, a fifth overhanging portion 276, and a sixth overhanging portion 277.

[0268] The first overhanging portion 272 and the second overhanging portion 273 are disposed in front of the central component unit 240 via the thin plate member 290. The third overhanging portion 274 is disposed so as to straddle the central component unit 240 and the base plate 60. The fourth overhanging portion 275, the fifth overhanging portion 276, and the sixth overhanging portion 277 are disposed in front of the base plate 60.

[0269] In this way, since the projections 272 to 277 are arranged on different members in front of each other, there may be differences in function and design concept, but this will be described in detail later.

[0270] The thin portion 278 is a portion formed to be thin by shifting the rear surface of the plate toward the front side by the thickness dimension of the thin plate member 290 or a dimension slightly exceeding the thickness dimension in order to arrange the thin plate member 290. In this embodiment, a mode in which the thin plate member 290 is held by the fixing portion 244 (see FIG. 22 ) is adopted, rather than a mode in which the thin plate member 290 is held by applying a pressing force from the thin portion 278 to the thin plate member 290.

[0271] The deviation dimension of the plate back surface toward the front side in the thin portion 278 is not limited to the case where it is formed to be equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the thin plate member 290, and various modes are exemplified. For example, the deviation of the plate back surface toward the front side may be designed to be less than the thickness dimension of the thin plate member 290. In this case, by forming the thin plate member 290 to be expandable (compressible) in the thickness direction, it is possible to easily fix the arrangement of the thin plate member 290 while avoiding application of excessive pressure to the thin plate member 290.

[0272] Also, for example, the deviation of the plate back surface of the thin portion 278 toward the front side may be reduced only in the portion corresponding to the edge of the thin plate member 290. In this case, the range where pressure is applied to the thin plate member 290 can be limited to the edge of the thin plate member 290.

[0273] The protruding portion 279 is a portion that is inserted into a positioning hole 291 drilled in the thin plate member 290, and is a protruding portion for positioning the thin plate member 290. Because a recess (depression) corresponding to the shape of the protruding portion 272, 273 is formed on the rear side of the arrangement position of the first protruding portion 272 or the second protruding portion 273 in the thin portion 278, the protruding portion 279 cannot be protruded from this position. In other words, the protruding portion 279 is protruded from a position of the thin portion 278 that avoids the arrangement position of the first protruding portion 272 or the second protruding portion 273.

[0274] The thin plate member 290 is a member formed in a thin plate (sheet) shape from a light-transmitting resin material, and is provided with a plurality of positioning holes 291 drilled for positioning during assembly, and a plurality of insertion holes 292 drilled as holes for inserting fastening screws that fasten the upper connecting member 270 to the central structural unit 240.

[0275] The positioning holes 291 include holes 291a drilled on the left and right outer sides and through which the protruding portions 244b of the central component unit 240 are inserted, and holes 291b drilled on the left and right inner sides and through which the protruding portions 279 of the upper connecting member 270 are inserted. That is, the thin plate member 290 is used for positioning both the central component unit 240 and the upper connecting member 270.

[0276] In this embodiment, the left and right outer sides refer to the left and right edge sides of the game board 13 or the operating unit 500 when viewed from the front, and the left and right inner sides refer to the left and right central sides of the game board 13 or the operating unit 500 when viewed from the front.

[0277] 22 and 23, the protruding portion 244b is formed at a position opposite to a recessed portion on the back side of the second overhanging portion 273. Therefore, in a front view, the protruding portion 244b is hidden by the second overhanging portion 273. This reduces the visibility of the protruding portion 244b while allowing the protruding portion 244b to function as a positioning (positional stabilizing) portion of the thin plate member 290.

[0278] 22 and 23, by forming the portion of the upper connecting member 270 as the protrusion 279 rather than a hole, it is possible to form a positioning portion without any problems even in a narrow range such as the boundary position of the overhanging portions 272, 273. In other words, when forming a through hole or a recess in a narrow range, there is a possibility that the member may become excessively thin and the strength may be insufficient, but this situation can be avoided.

[0279] In other words, it is possible to easily avoid limiting the arrangement of the overhanging parts 272, 273 and reducing their strength due to the positioning portion of the thin plate member 290. That is, when forming a positioning hole at the boundary position of the overhanging parts 272, 273, it is necessary to make the width of the boundary position of the overhanging parts 272, 273 equal to or greater than the width of the hole (or equal to or greater than the diameter if the hole is circular), and there is a possibility that the strength of the overhanging parts 272, 273 will be reduced by the amount of material removed by the hole, but according to this embodiment, these problems can be easily solved.

[0280] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the back surface of the projections 272, 273 is recessed, and therefore it is not possible to form the protrusion 279. However, this position can be accommodated by making the protrusion 244b protrude from the central structural unit 240, as shown in FIG. 22, and therefore the positioning portion (protrusions 244b, 279) for the thin plate member 290 can be positioned without being restricted by the positioning of the projections 272, 273.

[0281] Thus, according to this embodiment, by forming the protrusions 244b, 279 for positioning the thin plate member 290 on both the central component unit 240 and the upper connecting member 270, it is possible to avoid restricting the arrangement of the positioning parts of the thin plate member 290 while maintaining a high degree of design freedom and strength of the upper connecting member 270, and therefore it is possible to stabilize the position of the thin plate member 290.

[0282] Furthermore, by designing the protrusion 279 inserted into the thin plate member 290 to be capable of being inserted into the recessed portion 244a of the central component unit 240, it is possible to position the thin plate member 290 relative to the central component unit 240 and the upper connecting member 270, and at the same time, to position the upper connecting member 270 relative to the central component unit 240.

[0283] The thin plate member 290 is a member that can be seen by the player via the upper connecting member 270. Although not shown in the figures, in this embodiment, colorful patterns, figures, letters, or characters are drawn on the front surface of the thin plate member 290, and the color and brightness seen through the thin plate member 290 change in various ways according to the difference in the light emission mode (difference in color and brightness) of the light irradiated from the LEDs arranged on the illumination board 251 of the central configuration unit 240.

[0284] Unlike the case where patterns, figures, letters or characters are drawn directly on the base plate 60, according to this embodiment, the patterns, figures, letters or characters drawn on the thin plate member 290 can be removed from the game board 13 by removing the thin plate member 290, so that the appearance of the game board 13 can be easily changed.

[0285] For example, when the shape of the game board 13 is the same but the playability is changed (so-called different specifications), the patterns, figures, letters or characters drawn on the game board 13, or the colors, etc. may be changed to make it easier for the player to understand the playability.

[0286] When patterns, figures, letters or characters are directly drawn on the base plate 60, it becomes necessary to replace the entire base plate 60, which essentially means that the entire game board 13 is likely to be replaced, and the cost of changing the playability is likely to increase.

[0287] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, it is sufficient to replace the thin plate member 290 with another thin plate member 290 having a different pattern, figure, letter, character, color, etc., and therefore there is no need to replace the entire game board 13. Therefore, it is easy to suppress the cost for changing the game characteristics.

[0288] 26 is an enlarged front view of the game board 13 in range XXVI of FIG. 18, FIG. 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line XXVII-XXVII of FIG. 26, and FIG. 28 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along line XXVIII-XXVIII of FIG. 26.

[0289] As shown in FIG. 26, while the protrusions 272 to 277 are each formed in an individual shape, they all have a common purpose of slowing down the momentum of a ball introduced into the playing area and causing the ball to flow down to the left or right side of the center frame 86 when the ball collides with them.

[0290] The protruding portions 272-277 are formed as substitutes for nails that have been conventionally planted in a similar arrangement. That is, the protruding portions 272-277 are designed to have a shape that surrounds the nails to be planted in a front view.

[0291] As seen in common with the first overhanging portion 272, the second overhanging portion 273, and the third overhanging portion 274, the upper side surface is formed wider than the other sides. This allows the ball to flow in the same direction along the slope of the upper side surface regardless of where the ball lands on the upper side surface. This makes it easier to make the ball flow down a similar flow path even if the adjustment of the launching force is slightly off, so it is possible to reduce stress during play for players who want the ball to flow down a similar path.

[0292] Because the third overhang 274 and the fourth overhang 275 are disposed next to each other, even a slight deviation in the ball launch force adjustment will change which side the ball will land on, but the inclination of the upper surface is significantly different. That is, the upper surface of the third overhang 274 is a gently sloping downward surface that slopes inwardly to the left and right, whereas the upper surface of the fourth overhang 275 is a steeply sloping downward surface that slopes inwardly to the left and right.

[0293] Therefore, a ball that reaches the upper surface of the fourth protruding portion 275 and flows down will bounce upwards when it collides with the center frame 86, and it is likely to lose momentum. Therefore, it is likely that the ball will flow down toward the outlet 71 or the general winning port 63 without reaching the first winning port 64 on the downstream side of the game area.

[0294] On the other hand, a ball that reaches the upper surface of the third protrusion 274 and flows down collides with the center frame 86 in the left-right direction, and the load in the rebound direction can also be used as momentum for the ball to flow down, making it easier for the ball to reach the first winning opening 64 downstream of the play area.

[0295] That is, the shapes of the overhanging parts 272-276 are designed so that the flow pattern of the ball on the downstream side of the play area changes depending on which overhanging part 272-276 the ball reaches. This makes it possible for the player to actively adjust the force with which the ball is launched.

[0296] As shown in Figures 27 and 28, the base plate 60 and the extension portion 243 of the central component unit 240 are designed to be arranged with gaps CL1, CL2 approximately the thickness of the thin plate portion 242 of the central component unit 240 between the top and bottom.

[0297] In other words, rather than being designed to position the central component unit 240 in the central opening 60b of the base plate 60, a gap is left between the central opening 60b of the base plate 60 and the central component unit 240, and the central component unit 240 is aligned with the base plate 60 at the same time as being fastened (connected) by the upper connecting member 270.

[0298] 27 and 28, a thin plate member 290 and a central structural unit 240 are disposed on the rear surface of the first overhanging portion 272, while a base plate 60 is disposed on the rear surface of the third overhanging portion 274. In this manner, the members disposed on the rear surfaces of the overhanging portions 272 to 277 are not all the same, and may be different.

[0299] 27, since the thin plate portion 242 of the central component unit 240 is formed with a thin wall, for example, when a load is applied to the first overhang portion 272 causing bending deformation in the first overhang portion 272, the thin plate portion 242 of the central component unit 240 can also bend and deform, and can absorb the load applied to the first overhang portion 272. This can reduce the possibility that the first overhang portion 272 will crack or chip.

[0300] Therefore, for example, even if the momentum of a ball is extremely high when it collides with first protrusion 272, the momentum of the ball can be sufficiently reduced by the bending deformation of first protrusion 272 and the bending deformation of thin plate portion 242 caused by the bending deformation, so that the flow of the ball after colliding with first protrusion 272 can be stabilized.

[0301] As described above, the flexural deformation of the thin plate portion 242 is easily caused by adopting a configuration in which gaps CL1, CL2 are provided between the thin plate portion 242 and the base plate 60, rather than a configuration in which the thin plate portion 242 and the base plate 60 are fitted together. That is, in this embodiment, by providing gaps CL1, CL2 between the thin plate portion 242 and the base plate 60, the central component unit 240 is flexibly deformed, and the load applied to the first protruding portion 272 can be released.

[0302] A similar effect can be expected for the second protruding portion 273. Note that the load applied to the first protruding portion 272 may be a load due to the collision of game balls, a load applied by a staff member of a game machine store when clearing a ball jam in the game area, a load applied by a worker performing maintenance work, or the like.

[0303] 28, the base plate 60 is formed thick enough not to bend, so that, for example, when a load is applied to the third overhanging portion 274, it is not possible to expect the base plate 60 to bend and deform to release the load, but since the height position of the third overhanging portion 274 is lower than the overhanging portions 272 and 273, the momentum of the colliding ball is relatively small. Therefore, even in a configuration in which the third overhanging portion 274 is disposed in front of the base plate 60, the possibility that the third overhanging portion 274 will crack or chip can be reduced.

[0304] Furthermore, taking into consideration that if the momentum of a ball that collides with the third protrusion 274 is excessively reduced at a point where the momentum of the colliding ball is relatively small, the ball may stop flowing downstream, this embodiment adopts a configuration in which the third protrusion 274 is positioned in front of the base plate 60.

[0305] Furthermore, since the deflection of the third protrusion 274 is suppressed and the state is stable, the guidance of the ball can be stabilized in a position close to the left and right regions and lower region of the center frame 86, which are the play areas in which the nails are planted, and the correspondence between the launch strength of the ball and the flow-down pattern of the ball can be stabilized.

[0306] In order to reliably prevent the third overhanging portion 274 from cracking or chipping, it is preferable to design the impact angle with the ball, the shape of the third overhanging portion 274, and the like, so as to reduce the load applied to the third overhanging portion 274 (so that the load can be easily released). It is preferable to adopt a similar design concept for the fourth overhanging portion 275 to the sixth overhanging portion 277.

[0307] The following describes the advantages of using the overhanging parts 272-277 as substitutes for the nails KG1 that are embedded in the base plate 60. In particular, it is possible to improve the presentation effect. That is, in the case of the overhanging parts 272-277 that are made of a light-transmitting resin material, there are fewer parts that are hidden from the player's view compared to the metal nails KG1.

[0308] For example, even in a configuration in which the illumination board 251 and the thin plate member 290 are arranged on the back side of the protrusions 272, 273 as in this embodiment (see Figure 27), the protrusions 272, 273 transmit light, making it possible for the player to easily see the light emitted from light-emitting means such as LEDs arranged on the illumination board 251 and the patterns, figures, letters or characters drawn on the thin plate member 290.

[0309] The illumination board 251 is provided with a central light emitting means 251b consisting of four LEDs arranged in the center of the lower part, a surrounding light emitting means 251c consisting of seven LEDs arranged so as to surround the left and right sides and the upper side of the central light emitting means 251b, and a distant light emitting means 251d consisting of two LEDs arranged near each of the left and right ends, and the arrangement in this embodiment is shown by hidden lines in Figure 26. The light emitting means 251b, 251c, and 251d do not necessarily have the same light irradiation direction, and each of them has a different target to be illuminated.

[0310] The central light emitting means 251b emits light in a forward direction (with the optical axis in the front-rear direction), and illuminates a symbol mark (shown in white in FIG. 26) in the center of the left and right of the decorative part 247 of the central component unit 240. In order to softly emit light from the entire symbol mark, the central light emitting means 251b is designed to have a large width angle of the irradiation direction based on the optical axis of the light emitted from the central light emitting means 251b.

[0311] The surrounding light emitting means 251c is disposed so that the light irradiation direction is forward (the optical axis is in the front-rear direction) and introduces light into parts having width in the front-rear direction, such as the belt-shaped frame portion 245 and the edges of the overhanging portions 272 and 273. In order to prevent the light visually recognized by the player from becoming weak after passing through a part with a long width in the front-rear direction, the width angle of the irradiation direction based on the optical axis of the light irradiated from the surrounding light emitting means 251c is designed to be small in order to concentrate the energy of the light on the optical axis.

[0312] This allows for a direct emphasis on the path of light (the path of light passing through the belt-shaped frame portion 245 and the protruding portions 272 and 273) by changing the brightness and color of the light, and allows for a performance that differentiates how the path of light is emphasized. For example, by creating a difference in brightness between the left and right, it is possible to perform a light emission performance that implicitly suggests the direction in which the ball is launched.

[0313] For example, the LEDs of the surrounding light emitting means 251c arranged behind the lower edge 272a of the first overhang 272 are arranged to guide light from the lower edge 272a of the first overhang 272 to the left and right outer edges 272b. This makes it easier for a player to shoot a ball using the light of the first overhang 272 as a marker to make the ball reach the left and right outer edges 272b of the first overhang 272. The optical axis of the light passes through a position of the first overhang 272 where the front-to-back width is long, making it easier to totally reflect the light inside the first overhang 272.

[0314] In addition, since the internal shape of the first overhanging portion 272 is curved so that the rear part protrudes inward, light that has traveled to the inside of the first overhanging portion 272 is repeatedly reflected inside the first overhanging portion 272, making it easy to collect the light inside the first overhanging portion 272. This allows the first overhanging portion 272 to emit light brighter than the surroundings when viewed from the front.

[0315] As shown in Fig. 27, the illumination board 251 is disposed on the back side of the thin plate portion 242 of the central component unit 240. In this embodiment, the illumination board 251 is disposed within the thickness dimension (within the front-rear dimension) of the thick portion of the base plate 60 (the thickness portion required to drive the nail KG1) on the back side of the upper connecting member 270 in the range where the ball is guided on the front side. That is, the front-rear position of the illumination board 251 is set closer to the front side than the front-rear position of the back side surface of the thick portion of the base plate 60.

[0316] This is an impossible board arrangement in the range where the nail KG1, which is a part for guiding the ball, is driven into the base plate 60. In other words, since the base plate 60 must be formed thick enough in the range where the nail KG1 is driven, it is not possible to ensure space for arranging the illumination board 251 within the thickness dimension of the base plate 60 (on the front side from the front and rear positions of the back side surface of the thick part of the base plate 60).

[0317] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, a thin upper connecting member 270 is used instead of a nail KG1 as the part for guiding the ball, and the central opening 60b of the base plate 60 is placed on the back side of the member 270, and the thin plate portion 242 of the central structural unit 240 is arranged in place of the base plate 60, thereby ensuring space for placing the illumination board 251 on the back side of the area where the ball is guided.

[0318] This improves the design freedom for the placement of the illumination board 251 compared to when the illumination board 251 has to be placed on the back side of the base plate 60, and allows the illumination board 251 to be placed closer to the front.

[0319] By positioning the illumination board 251 closer to the front, it is easier to position the rotation performance device 800 (see Figure 17) of the operating unit 500 located on the back side of the game board 13 closer to the front, and since the central light-emitting means 251b and surrounding light-emitting means 251c arranged on the illumination board 251 and the light sources arranged on the rotation performance device 800 are arranged on the front side, the light visible to the player can be brighter.

[0320] The far-field light-emitting means 251d is arranged so that the light irradiation direction (optical axis direction) intersects with the front-to-rear direction (the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 26), and irradiates light onto the extension portions 274-276 arranged on the left and right outer sides, the belt-shaped frame portion 245, the outer rail 62, etc.

[0321] As a result, even in a configuration such as this embodiment in which a thick portion is formed in the base plate 60 to ensure strength and the protrusions 274-276 are arranged in front of the thick portion, the protrusions 274-276 can be sufficiently illuminated by utilizing the light irradiation from the far-field light-emitting means 251d.

[0322] In particular, in this embodiment, the illumination board 251 is positioned closer to the front end than the rear end of the thickness of the base plate 60 (arranged within the thickness dimension), making it easier for light emitted from the remote light-emitting means 251d in a direction intersecting the front-to-back direction to reach the fifth protrusion portion 276 located away to the left and right outside.

[0323] The shapes of the projections 274-276 that receive the light from the far-field light-emitting means 251d are designed to ensure the amount of light easily. That is, for example, in the third projection 274, the side surface 274a (the inner left and right and upper side surfaces) on the far-field light-emitting means 251d side is formed wide so as to receive the light from the far-field light-emitting means 251d over its surface.

[0324] Moreover, on the opposite side (the left and right outer sides and the lower side) of the far-field light emitting means 251d, a corner 274b is formed at the joining position between the faces, and the cut formed in the protruding part 274 is formed in a shape that concentrates light at this corner 274b. This makes it possible to ensure the light emission intensity even at the corner 274b away from the far-field light emitting means 251d.

[0325] In addition, light is irradiated onto the sixth protrusion 277 not by light from the illumination board 251, but by light that passes through the thin plate portions 242 (the thin plate portions 242 on the outer left and right, not the center left and right) located on the inner left and right sides of the sixth protrusion 277 when viewed from the front, to the front side.

[0326] In addition, the light emission effect of the sixth protrusion 277 is also produced by light irradiated from a rotating member 810 of the rotating performance device 800 described later, but the configuration for directing the light irradiated from the rotating member 810 toward the front side and the settings for the intensity of the light will be described later.

[0327] Returning to Fig. 20, the winning openings 63, 64, etc. disposed below the center frame 86 are formed as part of a winning opening component 400 made of a light-transmitting resin material.

[0328] Fig. 29 is an exploded front perspective view of the game board 13, and Fig. 30 is an exploded rear perspective view of the game board 13. Figs. 29 and 30 show the winning hole component 400 in an exploded state.

[0329] The winning hole component 400 includes a central component 410 fastened to the base plate 60 in the left-right center of the game board 13, a covering member 430 configured in a shape that covers the lower part of the central component 410 from the front side, a left component 450 disposed on the left side of the central component 410 and fastened to the base plate 60, and a right component 470 disposed on the right side of the central component 410 and fastened to the base plate 60. The right component 470 is formed in a shape that is roughly symmetrical to the left component 450.

[0330] The central component member 410 comprises a flat main body plate portion 411 which is fastened and fixed in face-to-face contact with the base plate 60, a horizontally long opening 412 formed as an opening constituting the specific winning port 65a, a pair of left and right distribution portions 413 which protrude upwardly on the left and right sides of the horizontally long opening 412 so as to be able to distribute the flow path of the balls, a pair of left and right curved protrusion portions 414 above the distribution portion 413 which have their upper surfaces formed like curved plates and protrude toward the front side so as to be able to distribute the flow path of the balls, and a pair of left and right outlets 415 which are drilled at positions away from the left and right ends of the horizontally long opening 412 to the outside on the left and right sides so as to be able to discharge the balls.

[0331] The main body plate portion 411 has sheet installation recesses 411a recessed on both the left and right sides from the back side to thin the plate thickness. The sheet installation recesses 411a are recessed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the sheet member (thin plate member 380) for performance, and are formed with a recess depth approximately equal to the thickness of the sheet member.

[0332] The gap between sorting section 413 and curved protruding section 414 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the balls. This allows the balls to flow down through the gap between sorting section 413 and curved protruding section 414, thereby increasing the randomness of the flow of the balls and improving attention to the balls.

[0333] The distribution section 413 has a plurality of ridges 413a protruding from the left and right inner side (second winning opening 140 side). The ridges 413a are shaped to slow down the flowing speed of the balls by contacting the balls, and the deceleration effect of the ridges 413a can reduce the impact force applied from the balls to the opening / closing plate 65b of the specific winning opening 65a. This can prevent damage to the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0334] A tangent line HL1 (see FIG. 31) of the curved surface passing through the lower end of the curved surface of the curved protrusion 414 is designed to pass through the left and right inner side surfaces (the side surfaces on the first winning opening 64 side) of the sorting section 413. Therefore, it is easy for a ball that has rolled along the curved surface of the curved protrusion 414 to the lower end to reach the left and right inner side surfaces of the sorting section 413.

[0335] The covering member 430 is formed from a light-transmitting resin material and comprises a main body plate portion 431 formed in a thin plate shape, a pair of left and right belt-shaped portions 432 extending from the left and right side ends of the main body plate portion 431 toward the left and right inner portions toward the rear side in a belt-like shape, a pair of left and right vertical plate portions 433 connected to the left and right inner ends of the belt-shaped portions 432 and extending toward the rear side in a vertically elongated plate shape, a pair of left and right inclined plate portions 434 extending from the upper ends of the vertical plate portions 433 toward the rear side in a elongated plate shape that slopes upward as it approaches the left and right inner sides, and an upright portion 435 formed upright from the main body plate portion 431 toward the rear side below the electric role 140a so as to regulate the rotation angle of the electric role 140a.

[0336] The belt-like portion 432, the vertical plate portion 433, the inclined plate portion 434, and the standing portion 435 are formed with a length that allows their tips to abut against the main body plate portion 411 of the central component member 410 when the covering member 430 is fastened and fixed to the central component member 410. In other words, the belt-like portion 432, the vertical plate portion 433, the inclined plate portion 434, and the standing portion 435 change the flow path of the balls and distribute the flow path of the balls.

[0337] The belt-shaped portion 432 is arranged along the left and right outer sides and the bottom side of the outlet 415, and the balls that roll and flow down the belt-shaped portion 432 are guided to the outlet 415 and discharged from the playing area.

[0338] The inclined plate portion 434 is positioned closer to the specific winning port 65a than the outlet 415, but since the inclination direction of the upper surface slopes downward toward the outlet 415, the balls that roll onto the inclined plate portion 434 and flow downward are also guided to the outlet 415 and discharged from the playing area.

[0339] The standing portions 435 are disposed on the left and right inner sides of the distribution portion 413 of the central component member 410 in the assembled state of the central component member 410 and the covering member 430 (see FIG. 17), with a gap equal to or larger than the diameter of the sphere. This allows the spheres to flow down between the distribution portion 413 and the standing portions 435.

[0340] The left-side component 450 is formed from a colorless and transparent resin material and comprises a flat main plate portion 451 which is fastened and fixed to the base plate 60 in face-to-face contact, a protruding portion 453 which is formed over a wide area of ​​the left side of the main plate portion 451 and protrudes toward the front side, a plate-shaped portion whose left end is positioned between the protruding portion 453 and the left-side component 450 with a gap large enough for a ball to pass through, a ceiling plate portion 455 which is formed in a shape that slopes downward toward the right side, and a plurality of ball guide portions 457, 459 which are formed below the ceiling plate portion 455 in a shape that can guide a ball to the general winning opening 63.

[0341] The ceiling plate portion 455 is formed into a plate shape that is not divided in the middle so that only balls that pass through the gap between the overhang portion 453 and the ceiling plate portion 455 can flow down the ball guide portions 457, 459.

[0342] The back side of the left component 450 and the back side of the right component 470 are formed with sheet installation recesses 451b, 471b recessed from the back side to reduce the plate thickness. The sheet installation recesses 451b, 471b are recessed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the sheet member (not shown) for performance, and are formed with a recess depth approximately equal to the thickness of the sheet member. Note that an example of the decoration of this sheet member is substituted for the explanation of the thin plate member 380.

[0343] Figure 31 is an enlarged front view of the game board 13 in range XXXI in Figure 18. A ball that does not pass through the gap between the overhanging portion 453 and the ceiling plate portion 455 and rolls down on the upper surface of the ceiling plate portion 455 is not guided to the guide portions 457, 459, but flows down so as to be guided toward the central component member 410. The flow path of the ball from the upstream side of the left component member 450 and the central component member 410 will be described.

[0344] As shown in Figure 31, multiple nails KG1 are embedded in a base plate 60 and arranged with gaps less than the diameter of a ball along a straight line that slopes downward toward the inside in the left-right direction, thereby forming a path for the ball to flow down toward the center on the left and right (main path FL1). However, by leaving gaps larger than the diameter of the ball in places, paths FL2, FL3 are formed for the ball to pass through the gaps and deviate from the main path.

[0345] The ceiling panel 455 is formed so that the ball can roll on the upper surface, but the rolling speed of the ball rolling on the ceiling panel 455 differs depending on the timing at which the ball falls downward from the main path FL1. In detail, when the path of the ball changes from the main path FL1 to the falling path FL2, the flow speed of the ball switches from a state in which it faces mainly in the left-right direction to a state in which it faces mainly in the up-down direction.

[0346] Then, after reaching the ceiling panel portion 455, the speed switches back to facing left and right, so the earlier the ball reaches the ceiling panel portion 455 (the further upstream in the flow path), the greater the ball's rolling speed (momentum) as it flows down the ceiling panel portion 455, and the easier it is for the ball to reach the inner left and right sides of the play area (the side of the specific winning opening 65a).

[0347] In addition, since the left and right inner ends (lower ends) of the upper surface of the ceiling plate portion 455 are positioned higher than the upper ends of the adjacent curved protrusions 414, it is easy to prevent a ball rolling over the ceiling plate portion 455 and passing too far to the left or right from being blocked by the left or right outer side surfaces of the curved protrusions 414.

[0348] If the ball's rolling speed is increased as it flows down the ceiling panel portion 455 and it reaches the specific winning opening 65a at that speed, there is a risk that the opening / closing plate 65b will be damaged due to the large impact force transmitted from the ball to the opening / closing plate 65b. However, in this embodiment, a protrusion portion 413a is arranged in the path the ball takes to flow down to the opening / closing plate 65b, which slows down the ball's flow speed.

[0349] In addition, standing portions 435 are arranged on the left and right inner sides of the protruding portion 413a to face each other, preventing multiple balls from flowing down side by side. This makes it possible to prevent balls from clogging between the protruding portion 413a and the standing portions 435 (rectification effect), and also makes it easier to prevent balls from landing on the opening / closing plate 65b at the same time, making it easier to prevent damage to the opening / closing plate 65b (improved durability).

[0350] In this way, the flow speed of the ball is reduced and the flow path of the ball is restricted, which reduces the impact force generated when the ball collides with the opening / closing plate 65b, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a problem in which the opening / closing plate 65b is damaged.

[0351] In this embodiment, the protrusions 413a are arranged symmetrically with respect to the standing portion 435, so if balls flow simultaneously down a pair of flow paths formed by the pair of left and right protrusions 413a and standing portions 435, it is possible that multiple balls will land on the opening and closing plate 65b at the same time.

[0352] Therefore, in the special game state, it is easy to make multiple balls enter the specific winning hole 65a at the same time by hitting the balls to the left and right. This makes it easy to avoid a situation where the progress of the special game state becomes too slow.

[0353] Since the upper surface of the ceiling panel portion 455 is formed as a wide inclined surface on both sides, the ceiling panel portion 455 can receive multiple balls at the same time, and these balls can be forcefully flowed inward to the left and right (towards the specific winning opening 65a) while aligned.

[0354] The balls that are diverted to the left and right inner sides pass through the left and right inner sides (the sides on which the protrusions 413a are formed) of the distribution section 413 in order, and reach the open opening / closing plate 65b in order. In this way, according to this embodiment, the paths of the balls that reach the opening / closing plate 65b are consolidated into paths that pass through the left and right inner sides of the distribution section 413, so that it is possible to prevent the balls from colliding with each other upstream of the opening / closing plate 65b and deviating from the specific winning opening 65a.

[0355] Furthermore, by designing the left and right ends of the specific winning opening 65a and the opening / closing plate 65b to be located on the left and right outside of the position where the balls flow down while abutting against the protruding portion 413a of the distribution portion 413 and reach the opening / closing plate 65b, even if the balls collide with each other on the opening / closing plate 65b and bounce left and right, the state in which the balls are placed on the upper surface of the opening / closing plate 65b can still be maintained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the balls spill from the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0356] Furthermore, even if multiple balls are densely packed together at the left and right ends of the opening and closing plate 65b, in this embodiment, a space is formed below the inclined plate section 434, allowing the balls to flow to the outside left and right of the opening and closing plate 65b, thereby preventing the path of the balls passing through the inside left and right of the distribution section 413 from becoming clogged.

[0357] In this embodiment, a gap larger than the diameter of the ball is provided between the ceiling plate portion 455 and the curved protruding portion 414, thereby allowing the ball to pass through this gap. For example, when a ball rolling down the ceiling plate portion 455 collides with a ball flowing down through the inner drop path FL3, the ball rolling on the ceiling plate portion 455 has its left-right speed reduced, and is more likely to enter the gap between the ceiling plate portion 455 and the curved protruding portion 414.

[0358] The frequency with which balls flowing down the main path FL1 flow down the outer drop path FL2 or the inner drop path FL3 may vary depending on the condition of the nail KG1 (adhesion of dirt, production lot, etc.). Therefore, without any measures, the gaming efficiency and gaming profits will depend on the condition of the nail KG1, and it will not be possible to provide a game under equal conditions.

[0359] In contrast, in this embodiment, if balls roll along the outer drop path FL2 and the ceiling panel portion 455 more frequently than balls flowing down the inner drop path FL3, fewer balls will reach the first winning port 64, which is disadvantageous in a game state (normal state, time-saving state, high probability state, etc.) in which a lottery is entered to aim for a jackpot; however, in a jackpot game state in which the specific winning port 65a opens and closes, the possibility of balls getting into the gap between the ceiling panel portion 455 and the curved protruding portion 414 can be reduced, and most balls that reach the ceiling panel portion 455 can be guided to the specific winning port 65a, thereby improving game efficiency (for example, the time required for a jackpot game can be shortened).

[0360] On the other hand, if the balls that flow down the inner drop path FL3 occur more frequently than the balls that pass through the outer drop path FL2 and roll on the ceiling plate portion 455, more balls will reach the first winning hole 64, which is advantageous in a game state (normal state, time-saving state, high probability state, etc.) where a lottery is drawn to aim for a big win, but in a big win game state where the specific winning hole 65a opens and closes, balls that flow down from the inner drop path FL3 collide with the path of the balls that roll down the ceiling plate portion 455, and balls that fall into the gap between the ceiling plate portion 455 and the curved protruding portion 414 or pass through the gap between the distribution portion 413 and the curved protruding portion 414 and flow to the out hole 415 side frequently occur. As a result, the number of balls that deviate from the specific winning hole 65a increases, and the game efficiency of the big win game decreases.

[0361] In this way, in this embodiment, when the magnitude relationship between the frequency of balls rolling down the ceiling panel portion 455 via the outer drop path FL2 and the frequency of balls flowing down the inner drop path FL3 changes, the game state changes between an advantageous and an unfavorable state, and the game is designed so that the player is not unilaterally advantageous or unilaterally disadvantaged.

[0362] In other words, while allowing the state of the nail KG1 to vary, the game is provided under equal conditions by maintaining a relationship in which, whatever the state of the nail KG1, it is advantageous to the player in some states and disadvantageous to the player in other states.

[0363] This section describes the path that the ball takes as it flows down the outer drop path FL2 between the extension plate portion 455a extending upward from the left end of the ceiling plate portion 455 and the side wall portion 453a curved downward and outward on the left and right inner sides of the protrusion portion 453 arranged opposite the extension plate portion 455a.

[0364] The rate at which the ball is guided to this flow path varies depending on the state of the adjacent nails KG2 (the distance between the nails at the position where the ball flows down). The state of the nails KG2 may change due to collision with a ball, touch by a staff member of the gaming machine shop, etc.

[0365] Moreover, the percentage of the ball reaching just before the nail KG2 varies depending on whether the ball rolls on the upper surface of the side wall portion 453. Whether the ball reaches the upper surface of the side wall portion 453 varies depending on the state of the windmill FS1 arranged above the side wall portion 453. Since the rotation shaft of the windmill FS1 is also driven into the base plate 60 like the nail KG2, the state may vary due to a ball hitting it, touching it by a staff member of the game machine store, etc.

[0366] Since the first ball guide section 457 is disposed directly below the flow path between the extension plate section 455a and the side wall section 453a, the ball that flows down is usually discharged from the game area through the first ball guide section 457. The first ball guide section 457 constitutes the general winning opening 63, and when the ball is guided to the first ball guide section 457, the prize ball is paid out to the player.

[0367] In this embodiment, when a ball flows straight down between extension plate portion 455a and side wall portion 453a, the ball has an 80% probability of entering first ball guiding portion 457, a 10% probability of deviating to the left, and a 10% probability of deviating to the right. Note that these ratios can be designed to be different depending on the shapes (slope, spacing, etc.) of extension plate portion 455a and side wall portion 453a and the arrangement of first ball guiding portion 457.

[0368] In contrast, for example, if a next ball arrives at first ball guide section 457 while a ball that has arrived at first ball guide section 457 is still remaining there, the next ball will tend to deviate to the left or right of first ball guide section 457 and flow down. Also, for example, if multiple balls flow toward first ball guide section 457 in a gathered state, some of the multiple balls will tend to deviate to the left or right of first ball guide section 457 and flow down.

[0369] If the ball deviates from first ball guide portion 457 to the outside to the left or right, there is no winning port downstream, and the ball is discharged from outlet 415. On the other hand, if the ball deviates from first ball guide portion 457 to the inside to the left or right, it can reach second ball guide portion 459 by rolling along inclined guide portion 458 that protrudes from first ball guide portion 457 to the inside to the left or right. Second ball guide portion 459 constitutes general winning port 63, and when the ball is guided to second ball guide portion 459, a prize ball is paid out to the player.

[0370] The number of prize balls paid out when a ball is guided to the first ball guiding section 457 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball is guided to the second ball guiding section 459 can be set arbitrarily, but in this embodiment, they are set so that a greater number of prize balls are paid out when the ball is guided downstream.

[0371] In other words, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball is guided to the second ball guiding portion 459 is set to be greater than the number of prize balls paid out when a ball is guided to the first ball guiding portion 457.

[0372] This creates a gameplay that the player desires, in which if a ball flows down to the left of the left end of the ceiling slope portion 455, the ball will not enter the first ball guide portion 457 but will instead deviate to the right (towards the second ball guide portion 459), thereby increasing attention to the left component member 450.

[0373] For example, if it is set up so that one prize ball is paid out when a ball is guided into the first ball guiding section 457, then if the ball heading towards the first guiding section 457 deviates to the outside left or right (left side of Figure 31), the number of balls held by the player will decrease, and if the ball is guided to the first guiding section 457, the number of balls will remain the same (one prize ball for each ball fired), and if the ball deviates to the inside left or right (right side of Figure 31), the ball will be guided to the second ball guiding section 459 and a prize ball (more than one, typically 2 to 15) will be paid out, thereby creating a gameplay in which there is a possibility of the number of balls held increasing.

[0374] This makes it possible to easily associate the flow of the balls near the first guide portion 457 with the amount of profit the player can obtain, thereby improving attention to the flow of the balls near the first guide portion 457.

[0375] The inclined guide portion 458 extending to the right of the first guide portion 457 is made of a resin material, and therefore easily breaks when bent. Therefore, unlike the nail KG1, it is easy to grasp the change in state. If the broken state can be grasped, the operation of the pachinko machine 10 can be stopped until the part is replaced, thereby preventing the player from suffering an unexpected disadvantage.

[0376] In this embodiment, various shape modifications are made to ensure that the ball that rolls in inclined guiding portion 458 is guided with a high probability to second ball guiding portion 459. First, a bulging portion 456 that bulges out toward the lower surface side of ceiling plate portion 455 is formed at the upper left position of second ball guiding portion 459.

[0377] When the ball starts to roll on the upper surface of inclined guide portion 458 and has not yet fully stopped bouncing up and down, it comes into contact with bulging portion 456 in the left-right direction, and the ball's speed direction is redirected downward. This makes it possible to prevent the ball, which has rolled on the upper surface of inclined guide portion 458, from deviating to the right side of second ball guide portion 459 due to its momentum.

[0378] Secondly, the inclined guide portion 458 extends toward the second ball guide portion 459 to a position where the left-right distance between it and the second ball guide portion 459 is shorter than the radius of the ball and the up-down distance between it and the second ball guide portion 459 is shorter than the diameter of the ball (it is formed with a dimensional relationship that does not allow the ball to pass between the inclined guide portion 458 and the second ball guide portion 459), so that the inclined guide portion 458 makes it easier to prevent the ball from deviating to the left side of the second ball guide portion 459.

[0379] The winning opening component 400 is a resin molded component, and is attached to the base plate 60 by fastening screws, so that replacement in the event of a defect is easier than replacing (re-driving) the nail KG1.

[0380] For example, if the nail KG1 breaks, there is a high possibility that the operation of the gaming machine will be suspended for a long period of time. However, since the nails KG1 are usually not driven in one by one, but multiple nails KG1 are driven in by an automatic machine, it is not easy to re-drive the nails KG1 just because some of the nails KG1 have broken.

[0381] Therefore, in order to repair the machine, it is often necessary to replace the entire game board, but if it is determined that the cost of replacement cannot be covered, the machine may be put away in storage without being put back into operation, even if there is no other broken part other than the nail KG1. In other words, there was room for improvement in terms of maintainability and extending the operating life of the machine.

[0382] In this embodiment, in order to minimize the occurrence of defects in the nail KG1, the ball falling in the vertical direction is received by the overhanging portion 453 of the left component member 450, and the received ball is made to roll left and right on the upper surface of the overhanging portion 453 to reduce the momentum in the vertical direction, and then the ball is made to abut against the nail KG1 downstream. This makes it possible to reduce the load applied from the ball to the nail KG1, and to suppress the occurrence of defects in the nail KG1.

[0383] In addition, when attention is paid to the nails KG1 arranged on the left and right outer sides of the outer drop path FL2, the left and right outer sides are covered with the overhanging parts 453, so that the balls do not collide with these nails KG1 from the left and right outer sides. Therefore, the period until the nail KG1 breaks can be made longer compared to the case where the nail KG1 is subjected to load from random directions.

[0384] The balls that flow down the front side of the left component 450 pass through outlet 415 and are discharged to the back side of the base plate 60. At this time, the vertical plate portion 433 restricts the passage of the balls to the inside on the left or right (the side closest to the opening / closing plate 65b), so it is possible to prevent the balls from flowing toward the opening / closing plate 65b side without passing through outlet 415.

[0385] Therefore, since the pivot axis of the opening / closing plate 65b can prevent balls from flowing in from the left component 450 side, there is no need to always leave a gap between the opening / closing plate 65b and the inner rail 61 so that balls can pass through as a countermeasure against ball clogging, and the vertical distance between the inner rail 61 and the pivot axis (lower edge) of the opening / closing plate 65b can be set to less than the diameter of the ball.

[0386] Even with this configuration, if a ball on the opening / closing plate 65b falls to the left or right, it can be temporarily placed between the vertical plate portion 433 and the opening / closing plate 65b, and when the opening / closing plate 65b is closed, the opening / closing plate 65b that was blocking the ball's flow path moves away from the ball's flow path, so that the temporarily placed ball flows down toward the outlet 71. This reduces the possibility of ball clogging.

[0387] Fig. 32 is a partial cross-sectional view of the game board 13 taken along the line XXXII-XXXII in Fig. 31. The main body plate portion 451 of the left component 450 has extension portions 451a extending in a thin plate shape (thinner than the thickness of the main body plate portion 451) from the left and right inner edge portions along the front surface of the base plate 60, and the main body plate portion 411 of the central component member 410 has covering extension portions 411b extending from the left and right outer edge portions along the front side surface.

[0388] In this embodiment, the extension portion 451a is sandwiched between the covering extension portion 411b and the base plate 60. This allows the fastening screws for fixing to be removed from the left and right inner ends of the left component member 450, which is the side to be sandwiched, and therefore makes it easier to prevent the fastening screws from being conspicuous when decorating the left component member 450, thereby reducing the presentation effect. In addition, the number of fastening screws for fastening and fixing the members can be reduced, which reduces the assembly man-hours and material costs.

[0389] The front-rear position of the front end of the covering extension 411b in a state in which the extension 451a is sandwiched between the base plate 60 is located on the rear side of the front-rear position of the front end of the main body plate 451. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which, when a ball flowing down the front side of the main body plate 451 flows toward the front side of the main body plate 411, the front end of the covering extension 411b collides with the ball, causing the ball to bounce outward to the left or right.

[0390] Fig. 33 is an exploded front perspective view of the sorting unit 300, and Fig. 34 is an exploded rear perspective view of the sorting unit 300. As shown in Fig. 33 and Fig. 34, the sorting section 983 described above is rotatably disposed inside the sorting unit 300, and is configured so that balls guided into the inside of the sorting unit 300 through the first winning opening 64 are alternately sorted to the left and right.

[0391] The sorting unit 300 is a member in which the sorting section 983 is rotatably arranged from the rear side, and includes a first component member 310 that constitutes a flow path for sorting the balls that have passed through the first winning opening 64 to the left and right and flowing down, a ceiling component member 330 that constitutes the ceiling of the path along which the balls that have passed through the first winning opening 64 flow backwards, a first auxiliary member 340 that supports the shaft member 988a of the sorting section 983 at both ends together with the first component member 310 and abuts against the sorting section 983 to prevent the flowing balls from falling off to the rear side, and a first auxiliary member 340 that supports the shaft member 988a of the sorting section 983 at both ends together with the first component member 310 and abuts against the sorting section 983 to prevent the flowing balls from falling off to the rear side. The device comprises a second component 350 which forms a discharge path for balls discharged rearward from the downstream side of the component 310, a pair of left and right second auxiliary members 370 to which the second component 350 is fastened and which are arranged so as to cover the rear and upper part of the discharge path formed by the second component 350 and are fastened and fixed to the first component 310, and a pair of left and right thin plate members 380 which are positioned on the front side of the first component 310 and are arranged between the first component 310 and the main plate portion 411 of the central component 410.

[0392] The first component 310 is formed from a colorless, translucent resin material and comprises a plate-shaped central plate portion 311 formed along a plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, an extension plate portion 313 extending from the upper end of the central plate portion 311 to the front side, a pair of inclined extension portions 315 extending from the back side of the central plate portion 311 and extending in a band-like manner in a direction sloping downward toward the left and right outside, a pair of direction switching portions 317 connected to the left and right outer ends of the inclined extension portions 315 and switching the direction in which the balls flow downward (in this embodiment, switching by 90 degrees from the left-to-right direction to the front-to-rear direction), and a pair of left and right opening forming portions 320 in which multiple openings large enough for balls to pass through are arranged on the left and right sides of the front side of the central plate portion 311.

[0393] The central plate portion 311 includes a substantially cylindrical bearing portion 312 into which one end of a shaft member 988a that axially supports the distribution portion 983 is inserted, directly below the rear end portion of the extension plate portion 313. The bearing portion 312 is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 988a.

[0394] The extension plate portion 313 includes a protrusion portion 313a formed as a protrusion whose upper end surface slopes downward toward the rear along the left and right central portion to form a rolling path for the ball, and a pair of left and right wall-like portions 314 erected from the left and right edges to guide the ball rearward.

[0395] The balls flowing down the inclined extension portion 315 flow outward to the left and right while being prevented from falling off to the rear side by the front plate portion 371 of the second auxiliary member 370. The second auxiliary member 370 is also used as a member for preventing the detection device SE3 from falling off.

[0396] The direction switching portion 317 comprises an inclined surface portion 318 which is formed as a plate surface on which a ball can roll at a position one step lower than the inclined extension portion 315 on the left and right outer sides of the left and right ends of the inclined extension portion 315 and which slopes downward toward the front side, and an upright curved portion 319 which is erected from the rear edge and the left and right outer edges of the inclined surface portion 318 and is curved toward the front side in a shape that can guide the ball to the front side.

[0397] The opening forming portion 320 comprises a sensor positioning opening 321 through which the detection device SE3 is inserted from the rear side, a pair of left and right support extension portions 322 extended toward the front side along the left and right side surfaces of the sensor positioning opening 321 and supporting the left and right ends of the detection sensor SE3, a winning opening 323 formed between the support extension portions 322 to allow a ball to pass through, a pair of discharge openings 325 formed on the left and right opposite sides of the winning opening 323 based on the support extension portion 322 to allow a ball to pass through, a bottom surface forming portion 327 having a bottom portion curved toward the rear in a shape that can receive balls that have passed through the winning opening 323 and the discharge opening 325 and guide them to the rear side, and a pair of partition wall portions 328 extended from the lower edge of the support extension portion 322 toward the bottom surface forming portion 327 so as to partition the upper surface side of the bottom surface forming portion 327.

[0398] When the detection device SE3 is inserted into the sensor placement opening 321, the detection hole SE1a is designed to be positioned inside the winning opening 323. The positioning protrusion 322a protruding from the front edge of the support extension 322 comes into contact with the front end of the detection device SE3, making it easy to position the front and rear of the detection device SE3.

[0399] The balls that pass through the direction switching section 317 and reach the opening forming section 320 pass through either the winning opening 323 or the discharge opening 325, and roll on the upper surface of the bottom surface forming section 327 to be guided to the rear side. Each rolling path is divided by the partition wall section 328, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility of the balls crossing or colliding on the upper surface of the bottom surface forming section 327. This makes it possible to straighten the flow of the balls, and therefore to prevent ball clogging and stagnation.

[0400] Of the balls rolling on the top surface of bottom component 327, those that pass through winning opening 323 are detected by detection device SE3. On the other hand, those that pass through discharge opening 325 are not detected by detection device SE3. In either case, the balls that roll on the top surface of bottom component 327 are detected by a detection device (not shown) that detects the discharge of balls, and are then guided to a ball discharge path (not shown).

[0401] To reach the ball discharge passage (not shown), the ball rolls toward the inside to the left and right on the rolling surface 351 of the second component member 350 while being prevented from falling off to the rear side by the second auxiliary member 370, and is guided through the common drop flow paths 352 arranged on both the left and right sides.

[0402] The second auxiliary member 370 comprises a front plate portion 371 which covers the space opening on the rear side of the inclined extension portion 315 to prevent the balls from falling out, a rear plate portion 372 which blocks the upper and rear sides of the flow path of the balls flowing down along the rolling surface 351 and common fall flow path 352 of the second component member 350 to prevent the balls from falling out, an insertion hole 373 drilled in the front plate portion 371 so that a fastening screw screwed into the fastening portion 329 of the first component member 310 can be inserted therethrough, and an insertion hole 374 drilled in the rear plate portion 372 so that a fastening screw screwed into the fastening portion 353 of the second component member 350 can be inserted therethrough.

[0403] The materials for forming the second component member 350 and the second auxiliary member 370 can be set arbitrarily, but in this embodiment, the second component member 350 is formed from a colored, opaque resin material, and the second auxiliary member 370 is formed from a colorless, transparent resin material.

[0404] This reduces the visibility of the balls flowing through the common drop flow path 352 and lessens the attention drawn to the discharged balls, and since light can be taken in from the back side of the second auxiliary member 370, the taken-in light can brightly illuminate the first component member 310 arranged in front, improving the visibility of the balls flowing down the first component member 310.

[0405] The thin plate member 380 is positioned by being accommodated in the sheet placement recess 411a (see FIG. 30) of the main body plate portion 411. In this positioned state, the game board 13 is assembled, and the thin plate member 380 is sandwiched between the main body plate portion 411 and the first component member 310 in the front-rear direction.

[0406] The following describes the forward / backward / left / right displacement (change in position) of the ball as it flows down after entering the first winning opening 64. First, the ball that entered the first winning opening 64 is displaced backward along the extension plate portion 313. After that, the ball is distributed left and right by the rotational displacement of the distribution portion 983 described in the first embodiment, and displaced outward left and right along the inclined extension portion 315.

[0407] Then, the direction of the ball is switched to the front side by the direction switching part 317, and the ball is displaced forward. If a guide part with a curved surface for switching the direction of the ball is placed on the front side of the ball, the guide part may easily block the line of sight to the ball, and visibility may decrease, but in this embodiment, the upright curved part 319 as the guide part is placed on the back side of the ball, so that the upright curved part 319 is unlikely to block the line of sight to the ball. This makes it easier to ensure the visibility of the ball.

[0408] Thereafter, the ball flowing straight down through winning opening 323 is detected by detection device SE3, and then displaces backward along bottom surface forming portion 327. Furthermore, the ball displaces to the left or right above winning opening 323, and when it reaches directly above discharge opening 325, it passes through discharge opening 325 and displaces backward along bottom surface forming portion 327.

[0409] In this manner, in this embodiment, the position of the ball that enters the first winning opening 64 is shifted to the rear when it first enters, then flows to the left and right, and then shifts to the front just before passing through the detection device SE3. This allows the distribution section 983 to be shifted to the rear, and also allows more space to be created below the extension plate section 313, compared to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0410] This free space can be used as a space for arranging a drive mechanism for operating the electric device 140a of the second winning opening 140. As a result, in this embodiment, the second winning opening 140 can be arranged closer to the first winning opening 64 than in the first embodiment.

[0411] In addition, by configuring the path through which the sorted balls flow down so that the path can be switched between forward and backward directions, the vertical width of the path as viewed from the front can be reduced compared to when the paths are consistently arranged vertically (for example, in the above-mentioned configuration of the sorting unit 980). This improves the design freedom of the vertical arrangement of the detection device SE3 relative to the first winning opening 64.

[0412] Figure 35 is a partially enlarged front view of the game board 13 in the range XXXV of Figure 18. In Figure 35, the central component member 410 and the thin plate member 380 are illustrated semi-transparently, and the distribution unit 300 is visible. In addition, in Figure 35, for convenience of explanation, the external shapes of the electric role 140a in both the closed state and the open state are illustrated. In addition, in the explanation of Figure 35, Figures 33 and 34 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0413] The thin plate member 380 is a member formed in a thin plate (sheet) shape from a light-transmitting resin material, and is a member that can be viewed by a player through the central component member 410. Although not shown in the figures, in this embodiment, colorful patterns, figures, letters, or characters are drawn on the front surface of the thin plate member 380, and the colors and brightness that are viewed through the thin plate member 380 change in various ways depending on the difference in the form of the irradiated light (differences in the form of color and brightness).

[0414] Unlike the case where patterns, figures, letters or characters are drawn directly on the base plate 60, according to this embodiment, the patterns, figures, letters or characters drawn on the thin plate member 380 can be removed from the game board 13 by removing the thin plate member 380, so that the appearance of the game board 13 can be easily changed.

[0415] For example, when the shape of the game board 13 is the same but the playability is changed (so-called different specifications), the patterns, figures, letters or characters drawn on the game board 13, or the colors, etc. may be changed to make it easier for the player to understand the playability.

[0416] When patterns, figures, letters or characters are directly drawn on the base plate 60, it becomes necessary to replace the entire base plate 60, which essentially means that the entire game board 13 is likely to be replaced, and the cost of changing the playability is likely to increase.

[0417] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, it is sufficient to replace the thin plate member 380 with another thin plate member 380 having a different pattern, figure, letter, character, color, etc., and therefore there is no need to replace the entire game board 13. Therefore, it is easy to suppress the cost for changing the game characteristics.

[0418] The form of decoration applied to the thin plate member 380 is not limited in any way, and various forms are exemplified. For example, a colorless and transparent area may be formed above the detection device SE3 to improve the visibility of the ball rolling on the inclined surface portion 318, and other parts may be densely decorated with figures and patterns. Also, for example, marks such as numbers may be drawn at the places corresponding to the winning opening 323 and the ejection opening 325 when viewed from the front, so that the player can easily understand the profit he or she can obtain depending on which mark the ball flows down close to.

[0419] The thin plate member 380 is designed to have a large shape so as to protrude outward to the left and right beyond the through-hole 60 a, and is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the base plate 60 and the main plate portion 411 of the central component member 410 .

[0420] In this embodiment, the rear end surface of the thin plate member 380 and the front end of the first component member 310 (for example, the front end of the support extension portion 322) are arranged to abut against each other. That is, since the detection device SE3 is arranged close to the thin plate member 380, the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 can be moved closer to the player side. This can improve the visibility of the ball passing through the detection device SE3, making it easier to avoid the occurrence of a situation where a ball passing through the detection device SE3 is overlooked.

[0421] In addition, the detection device SE3 is disposed on the left and right outer sides of the electric role 140a in a front view, and is not hidden by the electric role 140a. This improves the visibility of the ball passing through the detection device SE3 regardless of the state of the electric role 140a (open state, closed state), compared to when the ball's flow path is hidden by the electric role 140a (see FIG. 5).

[0422] In addition, since the detection device SE3 is disposed behind the main body plate portion 411 of the central component member 410, it does not affect the manner in which the balls flow down on the front side of the main body plate portion 411. In other words, the design freedom of the play area can be improved compared to when the detection device SE3 is disposed protruding forward from the main body plate portion 411 (forward from the front end surface of the base plate 60).

[0423] For strength reasons, nails are not provided on main body plate 411, but in this embodiment, as a substitute for nails, distribution parts 413 and curved protrusions 414 are used to distribute the paths of the balls. This makes it possible to prevent the path of the balls flowing down the front side of main body plate 411 from becoming monotonous.

[0424] Both the balls detected by the detection device SE3 through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3 (balls passing through the winning opening 323) and the balls passing through the ejection opening 325 follow a path that rolls along the inclined surface portion 318 and displaces toward the front side. Therefore, there may be a difference between the number of balls that reach the inclined surface portion 318 and the number of balls detected by the detection device SE3.

[0425] Although the inclined surface portion 318 can improve the visibility of the ball by displacing the ball towards the player, the configuration makes it difficult to distinguish whether the ball has passed through the winning opening 323 or the ejection opening 325, which could lead to dissatisfaction among the player as it is impossible to determine whether the ball has actually not passed through the detection device SE3 or whether it has passed through the detection device SE3 but there is a detection failure.

[0426] In contrast, in this embodiment, a ball passing from the inclined surface portion 318 through the winning opening 323 is seen to flow downward when viewed from the front along the winning flow path FL31, whereas a ball passing from the inclined surface portion 318 through the ejection opening 325 flows along the non-winning flow path FL32, with the flow direction when viewed from the front being switched 90 degrees from downward to left or right.

[0427] In other words, whether the ball passes through the detection device SE3 can be determined based on whether there is a left-right component in the direction of the ball's flow, which reduces the possibility of misjudging the ball's passage point. This makes it easier to determine whether the ball has passed through the detection hole SE1a of the detection device SE3.

[0428] Both the game balls that flow down along the flow path FL31 when a prize is won and the game balls that flow down along the flow path FL32 when a prize is not won flow near the distribution section 413 and the curved protrusion section 414 when viewed from the front, and therefore their flow paths are visually perceived to overlap with the flow paths of the game balls flowing toward the specific prize opening 65a.

[0429] Therefore, the game balls flowing down through the inclined surface portion 318 can be made to appear to the player as if they are flowing down toward the specific winning opening 65a. The player often visually checks the number of game balls that reached the top of the opening / closing plate 65b but did not enter the specific winning opening 65a (game balls that passed when the opening / closing plate 65b was in the closed state) among the game balls that were shot, and grasps the number of game balls that roll on the inner rail 61 toward the outlet 71. However, since the game balls flowing down through the inclined surface portion 318 flow down the winning time flow path FL31 or the non-winning time flow path FL32, they are flowed backward along the bottom surface component portion 327 (see FIG. 34), and do not appear in front of the outlet 71.

[0430] This allows the game balls that have entered the first winning port 64 during the execution of a big win game to be added to the number of game balls that appear to be flowing down toward the specific winning port 65a, so that regardless of the number of game balls that have entered the first winning port 64, it is possible to create the illusion that most of the game balls fired have entered the specific winning port 65a.

[0431] Furthermore, the game balls flowing down through the inclined surface portion 318 and the game balls actually flowing down toward the specific winning opening 65a do not collide with each other because their arrangement is divided into front and rear by the thin plate member 380. This makes it possible to create the above-mentioned illusion without impeding the flow of the game balls flowing down toward the specific winning opening 65a.

[0432] In this embodiment, the non-winning flow path FL32 is formed as a flow path that flows in the left-right direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the main body plate portion 411 and the thin plate member 380 may be configured to have openings in the front-rear direction in the path along which the ball flows after flowing down the inclined surface portion 318 toward the detection device SE3, and the non-winning flow path FL32 may be formed as a flow path along which the ball flows toward the front side by passing through the openings.

[0433] That is, the ball flowing through the non-winning flow path FL32 may return to the front side of the main body plate portion 411 and flow down toward the outlet 71. In this case, if the opening / closing plate 65b is in the open state, the ball flowing through the non-winning flow path FL32 may be picked up by the opening / closing plate 65b and enter the specific winning port 65a.

[0434] In other words, a game can be created in which a ball that has entered the first winning port 64 can then enter a specific winning port 65a after returning to the front side of the main board portion 411, thereby improving attention to the ball that has entered the first winning port 64 (especially during a jackpot game in which the opening and closing plate 65b opens and closes).

[0435] Next, there will be described the structure of the operation unit 500 (see FIG. 17) fastened and fixed to the rear side of the game board 13. The operation unit 500 is fastened and fixed to the base plate 60 (see FIG. 2) of the game board 13 from the rear side.

[0436] Figures 36, 37, 38 and 39 are front views of the operating unit 500. Figure 36 illustrates the retracted state of the internal operating unit 600 of the operating unit 500, Figure 37 illustrates the intermediate state of the internal operating unit 600, Figure 38 illustrates the extended state of the internal operating unit 600, and Figure 39 illustrates one operating error limit state of the internal operating unit 600.

[0437] In this embodiment, the retracted state is a state in which the light-emitting action performance unit 700 of the internal operation unit 600 is positioned at the upper end position of its up-down movement range, the intermediate state is a state in which the light-emitting action performance unit 700 is positioned at the lower end position of the range in which it can operate while maintaining its forward / backward tilting posture from the retracted state, and the extended state is a state in which the light-emitting action performance unit 700 is positioned at the lower end position of its up-down movement range and the rotation axis RJ1 of the rotation performance device 800 faces in the forward / backward direction.

[0438] When the state changes from the intermediate state to the extended state, a change in posture (tilting motion) occurs in the front-rear direction of the light emitting motion production unit 700. This posture change is executed as a rotation motion about a predetermined rotation axis (central axis J1 described later).

[0439] In this embodiment, one operation error limit state is one of the states in which the tilt in the left-right direction that is allowable by design of the light-emitting operation unit 700 is at its limit. For convenience, in FIG. 39, the right side of the light-emitting operation unit 700 is shown in the same position as in the retracted state, and the left side is shown shifted downward. In this embodiment, the operation unit 500 is configured so that the light-emitting operation unit 700 can be operated in the up-down direction while maintaining the tilt angle in one operation error limit state, which will be described in detail later.

[0440] As shown in FIG. 36, when the internal operation unit 600 is in the retracted state, the rotation member 810 of the rotation performance device 800 is in a position in which the decorative plate 811 on which decorative figures and patterns are formed faces the front side.

[0441] The figures and patterns formed on the decorative plate 811 are formed in a manner related to the figures and patterns formed on the bottom wall portion 511 of the rear case 510, as shown in Figure 37, and are viewed as a single unit in the intermediate state of the internal operating unit 600 (the straight lines extending radially and the wave patterns formed on the left and right outer sides, including the straight lines, are viewed when formed on the rotating member 810).

[0442] In other words, the figures and patterns formed on the decorative plate 811 can be designed as part of a figure that is visually recognized as one with the bottom wall portion 511, so that the size of the rotating member 810 does not limit the figures and patterns formed on the rotating member 810.

[0443] Also, as shown in Figure 38, when the internal operation unit 600 is in the extended state, the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 tilts in the forward direction, and the figures and patterns formed on the main body member 710 of the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 can be seen when viewed from the front.

[0444] These figures and patterns are also formed in a manner related to the figures and patterns formed on the bottom wall portion 511 of the rear case 510, and are viewed as a single unit when the internal operating unit 600 is in the extended state (of the radially extending straight line shapes and the wave patterns formed on the left and right outer sides, the straight line shapes are formed only on the bottom wall portion 511, and the wave patterns are viewed as being formed on the main body member 710).

[0445] In other words, since the figures and patterns formed on main body member 710 can be designed as part of a figure that is visually recognized as one with bottom wall portion 511, it is possible to avoid the size of main body member 710 limiting the figures and patterns formed on main body member 710.

[0446] As the light-emitting action performance unit 700 displaces vertically from the retracted state to the extended state, in relation to the fixed bottom wall portion 511, the figures and patterns formed on the bottom wall portion 511 and the figures and patterns formed on the rotating member 810 begin to shift from a state in which the figures and patterns are viewed as a single unit in the retracted state.

[0447] This deviation becomes more noticeable as the amount of vertical displacement increases. In contrast, in this embodiment, the light-emitting action production unit 700 tilts and displaces in the extended state, switching the surface that is visible to the player, and the player can newly view the figure or pattern that is viewed integrally with the bottom wall portion 511. Therefore, the figure or pattern formed on the bottom wall portion 511 and the figure or pattern formed on the light-emitting action production unit 700 (main body member 710, rotating member 810) that displaces in the vertical direction can be configured to be viewed integrally in the retracted state and the extended state.

[0448] During the vertical displacement of the light-emitting motion production unit 700 described here, the external shape of the light-emitting motion production unit 700 when viewed from the front changes. This allows a single production unit to be given the illusion of being multiple different production units, improving the design freedom of the motion production.

[0449] Fig. 40 is an exploded front perspective view of the operating unit 500, and Fig. 41 is an exploded rear perspective view of the operating unit 500. In Fig. 40 and Fig. 41, the liquid crystal display device (third pattern display device 81) disposed in the opening 511a of the rear case 510 is omitted, and the rear side is shown visible through the opening 511a.

[0450] The operating unit 500 includes a bottom wall 511 and a rear case 510 formed in a box shape with the front side open from an outer wall 512 erected from the outer edge of the bottom wall 511. The rear case 510 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front by forming a rectangular opening 511a in the center of the bottom wall 511. The opening 511a is formed to a size corresponding to the outer shape (outer edge) of the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 (i.e., capable of dividing the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 when viewed from the front).

[0451] The rear case 510 is provided as a flat plate extending from the front end of the outer wall portion 512 along the rear surface of the game board 13 (e.g., arranged parallel to the rear surface), and is provided with a support plate portion 513 that provides surface support for the game board 13 in the assembled state (see Figure 2).

[0452] The support plate portion 513 has a plurality of positioning protrusions 513a that protrude in a circular ring shape toward the front side and have a shape that can fit into a fitting recess (not shown) formed in the base plate 60 of the game board 13, and a plurality of insertion holes 513b that are drilled in the center of the positioning protrusions 513a so that fastening screws that are fastened to the base plate 60 can be inserted therethrough.

[0453] The rear case 510 is positioned relative to the base plate 60 by engaging the positioning protrusion 513a with the engaging portion 60c (see Figure 21) of the base plate 60, and the fastening screw is inserted into the insertion hole 513b and screwed into the female thread of the engaging portion 60c, thereby fixing the game board 13 and the operating unit 500 together, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and the operating unit 500.

[0454] The shape of the positioning protrusion 513a is not limited in any way, and various modes are exemplified. For example, it may be an annular protrusion having an outer shape slightly smaller than the outer shape of the fitting portion 60c of the base plate 60 (circular in this embodiment), or may be a protrusion having a shape (large-diameter ring shape) that increases the fitting gap in consideration of workability during assembly. In addition, when the outer shape of the fitting portion 60c is formed into a rectangular shape, it is naturally assumed that the shape of the positioning protrusion 513a will also be rectangular in response to that.

[0455] The operation unit 500 is disposed on the rear side of the game board 13, and has a light emitting means and an operation unit disposed therein. That is, the operation unit 500 includes a rear case 510, a decorative fixing member 520 inserted into the rear case 510 from the front side and fastened thereto, an internal operation unit 600 disposed on the upper inside of the rear case 510, and a light emitting performance unit 518 disposed on the lower inside of the rear case 510.

[0456] The light-emitting performance unit 518 is a unit that emits light forward from behind the distribution unit 300 and the winning port component 400 (see Figure 29), and functions to brightly illuminate the ball passage path formed by the distribution unit 300 and the winning port component 400.

[0457] The decorative fixing member 520 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and is composed of a plurality of thin plate-like members that are arranged symmetrically on both the left and right sides and can be divided into upper and lower parts. The decorative fixing member 520 includes a first fixing member 530 arranged on the upper left side, a second fixing member 540 arranged on the lower left side, a third fixing member 550 arranged on the upper right side, a fourth fixing member 560 arranged on the lower right side, a left-side illumination board 570 arranged on the back side of the first fixing member 530 and the second fixing member 540, and a right-side illumination board 580 arranged on the back side of the third fixing member 550 and the fourth fixing member 560. The configuration and role of each part will be described with reference to Figures 42 and 43.

[0458] Fig. 42 is an exploded front perspective view of operating unit 500, and Fig. 43 is an exploded rear perspective view of operating unit 500. Figs. 42 and 43 show a state in which decorative fixing member 520 is disassembled from rear case 510 and placed in front, and internal operating unit 600 is disassembled from rear case 510 and placed between rear case 510 and decorative fixing member 520.

[0459] The first fixing member 530 comprises a thin-plate-shaped insertion plate portion 531 extending in the front-to-rear direction, a front plate portion 534 extending to the right from the front portion of the insertion plate portion 531, and an outer plate portion 537 extending to the left from the front portion of the insertion plate portion 531.

[0460] The insertion plate portion 531 has a plurality of insertion projections 532 projecting from the extended tip portion to the rear side with a shape and arrangement that allows it to be inserted into the receiving hole 623 of the internal operating unit 600, and serves to prevent outward tilt displacement of the outer member 610 of the internal operating unit 600. The relative functions of the insertion plate portion 531 and the outer member 610 will be described later.

[0461] The front plate portion 534 is a plate-like portion disposed in front of the left side illumination board 570 and formed from a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the left side illumination board 570 (formed to cover the left side illumination board 570), and a light diffusion treatment is formed on the back side in order to diffuse light from a light-emitting means such as an LED disposed on the front side of the left side illumination board 570. In addition, the front plate portion 534 is provided with an insertion hole 535 through which a fastening screw fastened to the outer member 610 of the internal operation unit 600 can be inserted.

[0462] The outer plate portion 537 is a portion that can abut against the front portion of the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 510, and is provided with an insertion hole 538 through which a fastening screw that is screwed into the fastening portion 512a formed in the outer wall portion 512 can be inserted.

[0463] That is, the first fixing member 530 connects and fixes the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 510 and the outer member 610 of the internal operating unit 600 in the assembled state of the operating unit 500 (see FIG. 36).

[0464] The second fixing member 540 comprises a plate-shaped portion 541 arranged at the same fore-and-aft position as front plate portion 534 of the first fixing member 530, the front plate portion 541 being arranged with a slight gap from the lower end of front plate portion 534, a fastening extension portion 544 extending rightward from the lower right side portion of front plate portion 541, and an outer plate portion 547 extending leftward from the left end portion of front plate portion 541.

[0465] The front panel 541 is a plate-like portion that is disposed in front of the left side illumination board 570 and is formed from a shape that corresponds to the outer shape of the left side illumination board 570 (formed to cover the left side illumination board 570), and has a light diffusion treatment formed on the back side to diffuse light from light-emitting means such as an LED arranged on the front side of the left side illumination board 570.

[0466] Furthermore, it is provided with an insertion hole 542 drilled to allow the insertion of a fastening screw fastened to the outer member 610 of the internal operating unit 600, and an insertion hole 543 drilled to allow the insertion of a fastening screw fastened to the inner member 670 of the internal operating unit 600. That is, by fastening via the front plate portion 541, the outer member 610 and the inner member 670 of the internal operating unit 600 can be connected and fixed.

[0467] The connecting extension 544 includes an insertion hole 545 drilled to allow the insertion of a fastening screw screwed into the fastening portion 518a of the light emitting performance unit 518. The outer plate portion 547 is a portion that can abut against the front portion of the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 510, and includes an insertion hole 548 drilled to allow the insertion of a fastening screw screwed into the fastening portion 512b formed in the outer wall portion 512.

[0468] That is, when the operating unit 500 is in an assembled state (see FIG. 36), the second fixing member 540 connects and fixes the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 510, the outer member 610 and the inner member 670 of the internal operating unit 600, and the light-emitting performance unit 518.

[0469] The third fixing member 550, the fourth fixing member 560 and the right side lighting board 580 have slightly different shapes from the first fixing member 530, the second fixing member 540 and the left side lighting board 570 due to the difference in the shape of the inner member 670 of the internal operating unit 600 that is located on the rear side and is the subject of coverage; however, they are basically formed symmetrically to the first fixing member 530 and the second fixing member 540 and have the same configuration and the role of each component, so that explanations of overlapping parts will be omitted and the symbols mentioned above in the explanation of the first fixing member 530 and the second fixing member 540 will be illustrated for convenience.

[0470] The following describes the order in which the internal operating unit 600 and the decorative fixing member 520 are assembled to the rear case 510. When assembling the internal operating unit 600 to the rear case 510, the internal operating unit 600 is first assembled to the rear case 510 (see FIG. 40), and then the decorative fixing member 520 is assembled to the rear case 510.

[0471] In summary, the process of assembling the internal operation unit 600 to the rear case 510 is performed in the following order: first, the left and right outer members 610 and the inner member 670 are fastened and fixed to the rear case 510, then the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 is inserted inside the rear case 510 from the front and positioned between the left and right outer members 610 and the inner member 670, the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 is positioned in the assembly position with the displacement member 680, and the members (screws, collars, etc.) to prevent falling off are assembled to the fastening part 682 from the front.

[0472] In this embodiment, since there is no need to assemble the decorative fixing member 520 to the rear case 510 during the assembly work of the light emitting operation production unit 700, the front side of the rear case 510 can be left wide open, and it is possible to prevent the movement of the worker's hands from being blocked by the decorative fixing member 520. This improves the work efficiency.

[0473] Furthermore, since the work of inserting the fastening screws into the insertion holes 535, 538, 542, 543, 545, and 548 of the decorative fixing member 520 to fasten it can be performed from the front side of the rear case 510, after the work of assembling the light emitting action production unit 700 to the displacement member 680 is completed, the work of fastening the decorative fixing member 520 can be performed without changing the position of the rear case 510. This can further improve the work efficiency. Next, the details of the assembly work will be described.

[0474] 44 is a cross-sectional view of the operational unit 500 taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 36, FIG. 45 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the operational unit 500 in the range XLV in FIG. 44, and FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the operational unit 500 taken along line XLIV-XLIV in FIG. 36.

[0475] 44 and 45, the light-emitting operation production unit 700 is disassembled from the rear case 510, and the illustration of the decorative fixing member 520 is omitted to show the state before the decorative fixing member 520 is assembled. Meanwhile, Fig. 46 illustrates the state in which the light-emitting operation production unit 700 and the decorative fixing member 520 are assembled to the rear case 510 (see Fig. 36).

[0476] In this embodiment, the fastening positions are designed so that the internal operating unit 600 and rear case 510 are not simply fixed together to provide sufficient rigidity (for example, the fastening positions are located only at one of the upper and lower ends), and the internal operating unit 600 is configured to be able to flexibly deform (change its posture) outwardly to the left and right relative to the rear case 510 (see imaginary lines in Figure 45).

[0477] By utilizing this flexural deformation, it is possible to quickly assemble the light emitting action production unit 700. That is, the light emitting action production unit 700 is assembled by screwing a fastening screw into the fastening part 682 while the fastening part 682 is inserted into the connected hole 764 of the light emitting action production unit 700, and since the internal operation unit 600 flexes and deforms outwardly to the left and right, the dimension of the path through which the light emitting action production unit 700 advances toward the fastening part 682 can be expanded to the left and right from the fixed width dimension W1 to the flexed width dimension W2, thereby improving the workability of the assembly work.

[0478] At this time, the internal operating unit 600 flexes and deforms outward to the left and right, causing the direction in which the fastening screw enters the fastening portion 682 to incline inward to the left and right as it approaches the rear side (the front side inclines outward to the left and right).

[0479] In this case, compared to when the fastening screw is inserted in the front-to-back direction, the fastening screw can be inserted into the rear case 510 with the screwdriver used to insert the fastening screw kept away from (avoid of) the decorative member 750 of the light-emitting action production unit 700 (in a direction inclined relative to the front-to-back direction).

[0480] Therefore, the fastening work can be facilitated, and the design freedom of the decorative member 750 of the light emitting action production unit 700, the shape of which is designed for one of the purposes of avoiding contact with the driver, can be improved. In other words, the work efficiency of the assembly work of the light emitting action production unit 700 can be improved, and the design freedom of the decorative member 750 can be improved.

[0481] In order to achieve this effect, in this embodiment, the left-right dimension of the long hole 764a of the connected hole 764 through which the fastening screw is inserted is designed to have a dimension (sufficient left-right length) that can accommodate misalignment of the fastening portion 682 due to bending deformation of the internal operating unit 600.

[0482] In addition, bending deformation of the internal operating unit 600 inwardly to the left and right is less likely to occur than bending deformation outwardly to the left and right, because resistance is generated when the cylindrical member 695 abuts against the bottom wall portion 511 of the rear case 510.

[0483] In this embodiment, the decorative fixing member 520 is attached to suppress outward bending deformation of the internal operating unit 600 to the left and right. This effect is achieved by the fact that there are more fastening positions (fastening positions arranged on the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 510 or the front side of the internal operating unit 600, fastening positions arranged closer to the front side) between the internal operating unit 600, the decorative fixing member 520, and the rear case 510 than there are fastening positions (fastening positions arranged on the bottom wall portion 511 of the rear case 510, fastening positions arranged closer to the rear side) between the internal operating unit 600 and the rear case 510, and by the ingenious shape of the decorative fixing member 520.

[0484] First, decorative fixing member 520 has an outer plate portion 547 fastened to outer wall portion 512 or support plate portion 513, and support plate portion 513, which is integrally formed with outer wall portion 512, is fastened to base plate 60 (see FIG. 42). In other words, the displacement of decorative fixing member 520 is restricted to base plate 60 via support plate portion 513. As a result, the rigidity of base plate 60 can be utilized to improve the rigidity of decorative fixing member 520 and internal operating unit 600, thereby suppressing bending deformation of internal operating unit 600 outward to the left and right.

[0485] Secondly, the insert plate portions 531 of the decorative fixing member 520 are disposed in contact with the outer left and right sides of the internal operating unit 600. That is, the insert plate portions 531 can suppress bending deformation of the internal operating unit 600 outward to the left and right.

[0486] These first and second configurations make it possible to prevent the internal operating unit 600 from being bent and deformed outwardly to the left or right when the decorative fastening member 520 is attached.

[0487] In addition, the decorative fixing member 520 is configured to be assembled to the rear case 510 from the front side, and the light emitting operation production unit 700 is configured to be assembled to the rear case 510 from the front side, so that the assembly work can be performed in a series of steps, such as assembling the decorative fixing member 520 following the assembly of the light emitting operation production unit 700, without changing the posture of the rear case 510. Therefore, the efficiency of the assembly work can be improved.

[0488] On the other hand, if the light-emitting operation production unit 700 is configured so that it can be removed from the fastening portion 682 for maintenance or the like without removing the decorative fixing member 520, this reduces the labor required for maintenance work and is more efficient.

[0489] Here, illuminated boards 570, 580 are arranged on the back side of the decorative fixing member 520 (see Figure 42), and if the illuminated boards 570, 580 are configured to extend inward to the left and right, the range of the light-emitting effects can be expanded and the effect can be improved.

[0490] In contrast, if the illuminated boards 570, 580 are positioned so that they protrude inward to the left and right as in this embodiment, when a maintenance worker moves the light-emitting action performance unit 700 to the front, the connecting plate portions 765 formed on the left and right ends of the light-emitting action performance unit 700 may collide with the illuminated boards 570, 580, which may damage the illuminated boards 570, 580.

[0491] In contrast, in this embodiment, a protective extension portion 677b extends inwardly from the front edge portion of the extended wall portion 677 of the inner member 670 described later in a shape sufficient to cover the back surfaces of the illumination boards 570, 580 (see Figure 42).

[0492] The protective extension portion 677b has left and right inner end portions formed in a shape similar to the shape line S51 (see Figure 42) that corresponds to the shape of the left and right inner edge portions of the upper part of the illumination boards 570, 580, and extends to a position corresponding to the shape line S51.

[0493] This increases the area supporting the illuminated boards 570, 580 from the rear side, and also allows the rear of the upper part of the illuminated boards 570, 580 to be protected by the protective extension portion 677b, thereby preventing contact between the illuminated boards 570, 580 and the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 during maintenance work.

[0494] On the other hand, below the lower end of the shape line S51, the formation of the extension part to the left and right inside is omitted regardless of the shape of the illumination board 570, 580. Therefore, when the light-emitting operation production unit 700 is removed at this position, there remains a possibility that the light-emitting operation production unit 700 and the illumination board 570, 580 will come into contact with each other.

[0495] In contrast, in this embodiment, the light emitting action production unit 700 is configured to change its posture as it is displaced downward (see Figs. 37 and 38), and since the orientation of the fastening portion 682 changes from the front-to-back direction to the up-to-down direction due to the posture change, making it impossible to insert a screwdriver into the fastening screw, the operation of removing the light emitting action production unit 700 is configured to be performed before the posture of the light emitting action production unit 700 changes. Therefore, it is sufficient to form the protective extension portion 677b at a position where it will be placed before the posture of the light emitting action production unit 700 changes, and this embodiment is designed in this way (see Fig. 37).

[0496] In this way, rather than forming the protective extension portion 677b over the entire vertical range, it is possible to narrow the range in which the protective extension portion 677b is formed by limiting its formation to the minimum necessary range to avoid contact between the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 and the illumination boards 570, 580.

[0497] In other words, in this embodiment, the position of the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 at which the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 can be removed is limited to a position between the retracted state and the intermediate state of the internal operation unit 600, thereby reducing the formation range of the protective extension portion 677b.

[0498] In this embodiment, it is of course possible to remove the light emitting operation production unit 700 after removing the decorative fixing member 520 from the rear case 510. In this case, as in the assembly work, the internal operation unit 600 is flexibly deformed outwardly to the left and right, so that the left and right width of the path for removing the light emitting operation production unit 700 can be widened, and therefore the light emitting operation production unit 700 can be prevented from contacting the protective extension portion 677b.

[0499] Fig. 47 is an exploded front perspective view of the operating unit 500, and Fig. 48 is an exploded rear perspective view of the operating unit 500. Figs. 47 and 48 mainly show the internal operating unit 600 in an exploded state, and the decorative fixing member 520 is omitted from the illustration.

[0500] As shown in Figures 47 and 48, the internal operating unit 600 comprises an outer member 610 fastened to the bottom plate portion 511 of the rear case 510, a lifting plate member 630 supported on the outer member 610 so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction and positioned on the inside in the left-right direction, a drive motor 648 fastened to the outer member 610 as a device for generating a driving force for lifting and lowering the lifting plate member 630, a transmission gear 649 fixed to the drive shaft of the drive motor 648 and transmitting the driving force to the lifting plate member 630, and a coil spring SP1 that applies an upward biasing force (load in the pulling direction) to the lifting plate member 630.

[0501] The internal operation unit 600 also includes a resistance generating device 650 configured to generate resistance to the movement of the lifting plate member 630, an inner member 670 arranged on the inside in the left-right direction so as to position the lifting plate member 630 between the outer member 610 and the inner member 670 and fastened to the outer member 610 by fastening screws inserted into the outer member 610 in the left-right direction, a displacement member 680 supported displaceably on the inner member 670 and arranged on the inside in the left-right direction, a rotation posture assisting member 690 fastened and fixed from the inside left-right on the rear side of the upper end of the inner member 670, and a light-emitting operation production unit 700 whose both ends are connected to the displacement member 680.

[0502] The internal operation unit 600 is a unit that is configured roughly symmetrically, with the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 being positioned at the center on the left and right, and the light-emitting operation performance unit 700 being supported operatively by a roughly common configuration that is fixedly positioned on the rear case 510 side on both the left and right sides of the light-emitting operation performance unit 700.

[0503] Hereinafter, details of each component of the internal operation unit 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 49 and Fig. 50 which are enlarged views of each area of ​​Fig. 47. In the description of Fig. 49 and Fig. 50, Fig. 47 and Fig. 48 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0504] Figure 49(a) is an exploded front oblique view of the outer member 610, the lifting plate member 630 and the resistance generating device 650 in range XLIXa of Figure 47, Figure 49(b) is a front oblique view of the outer member 610 in range XLIXb of Figure 47, Figure 50(a) is an exploded front oblique view of the lifting plate member 630, the inner member 670, the displacement member 680 and the rotation posture assist member 690 in range La of Figure 47, and Figure 50(b) is an exploded front oblique view of the displacement member 680 and the rotation posture assist member 690 in range Lb of Figure 47.

[0505] As shown in Figures 49(a) and 49(b), the outer member 610 includes a plate-like portion 611 formed in a long plate shape in the vertical direction, and an extended wall portion 621 extending in the form of a wall on the left and right outer sides of the plate-like portion 611 (the outer wall portion 512 of the rear case 512 that is adjacent to the outer wall portion 512 in the assembled state) and formed so as to divide the left and right outer areas of the plate-like portion 611.

[0506] The plate-shaped portion 611 is provided with a pair of upper and lower long holes 612 each formed as a long oval in the vertical direction, a wiring hole 613 formed as a long and wide oval (wider than the long hole 612) in the vertical direction behind the upper long hole 612, and a pair of upper and lower guide protrusions 614 each formed as a cylinder protruding outward to the left and right behind the lower long hole 612.

[0507] The long holes 612 are long holes for restricting the displacement direction of the lifting plate member 630, and a pair are arranged on the upper and lower sides. The front-to-rear width of the long holes 612 is formed slightly wider than the diameter of the upper fastening part 632 and the lower fastening part 633 of the lifting plate member 630 through which it is inserted, so that the displacement of the lifting plate member 630 in the front-to-rear direction is small. This pair of long holes 612 are intentionally formed with a shift in front-to-rear position. That is, the lower long hole 612 is arranged further forward than the upper long hole 612.

[0508] As a result, the support position of the upper part of the lifting plate member 630 is rearward compared to the support position of the lower part of the lifting plate member 630, so that the lower part of the lifting plate member 630 suspended from the upper part of the lifting plate member 630 is forced rearward by gravity.

[0509] This allows the rack gear portion 634 of the lifting plate member 630 to be moved closer to the transmission gear 649, thereby preventing the rack gear portion 634 from falling off the transmission gear 649 and achieving an optimal meshing relationship.

[0510] The wiring hole 613 is an opening for passing electrical wiring that is connected inside the light-emitting action performance unit 700 through the irregular opening 685a of the anti-fall-off collar member 685 and located on the left and right outside of the inner member 670, and discharging it to the left and right outside of the outer member 610.

[0511] The guide protrusion 614 functions as a portion that guides the displacement of the front-rear displacement member 653 of the resistance generating device 650. That is, it guides the front-rear displacement member 653 so that it can displace in the front-rear direction, and also functions to prevent the front-rear displacement member 653 from tilting forward or backward and changing its posture, as will be described in detail later.

[0512] Extended wall 621 is provided with a plurality of fastening portions 622 arranged at the front end portion and configured to receive fastening screws inserted into decorative fixing member 520, and a pair of upper and lower receiving holes 623 arranged at the rear side and formed to receive insertion protrusions 532 (see FIG. 43) of insertion plate portion 531 of decorative fixing member 520. Fastening portions other than fastening portion 622 arranged at the front end portion are mainly used to fasten and fix illumination boards 570, 580 (see FIG. 40).

[0513] The lifting plate member 630 comprises a long main body portion 631 whose long direction is oriented in the up-down direction, a pair of upper fastening portions 632 which protrude outwardly to the left and right from the long main body portion 631, are inserted into the upper long hole 612 of the outer member 610 and are formed so that fastening screws can be screwed in, a pair of lower fastening portions 633 which protrude outwardly to the left and right from the long main body portion 631, are inserted into the lower long hole 612 of the outer member 610 and are formed so that fastening screws can be screwed in, and a rack gear portion 634 which is formed in a gear tooth shape on the back side of the long main body portion 631 and meshes with a transmission gear 649.

[0514] The lifting plate member 630 also includes a detection portion 635 extending from the lower end of the elongated main body portion 631 to the rear side and configured to be placed in a detection groove of a position detection device (not shown) so as to be able to detect the position of the elongated main body portion 631, a front-to-rear long hole 636 drilled in the elongated main body portion 631 as a long hole elongated in the front-to-rear direction at the midpoint of the pair of upper fastening portions 632, a fall prevention plate 637 arranged on the left and right outer sides of the plate-shaped portion 611 and fastened to the upper fastening portion 632 by fastening screws inserted therethrough, a contact plate 638 arranged on the left and right outer sides of the plate-shaped portion 611 and fastened to the lower fastening portion 633 by fastening screws inserted therethrough, and a ring member C1 assembled to the upper fastening portion 632 and the lower fastening portion 633 to reduce frictional resistance during operation.

[0515] The upper fastening portion 632 and the lower fastening portion 633 are disposed in accordance with the front-rear arrangement of the elongated hole 612 of the outer member 610. Therefore, the lower fastening portion 633 is disposed forward of the upper fastening portion 632.

[0516] The front-to-rear long hole 636 is a long hole that guides the front-to-rear movement of the metal rod-shaped member 686 inserted into the second long hole 673 and the curved long hole 674 of the inner member 670, and is formed with a front-to-rear length that is greater than or equal to the front-to-rear width of the area in which the second long hole 673 and the curved long hole 674 are formed.

[0517] With the upper fastening portion 632 of the lifting plate member 630 inserted into the upper long hole 612, a fall prevention plate 637 is fastened and fixed to the tip side of the upper fastening portion 632, and with the lower fastening portion 633 inserted into the lower long hole 612, a contact plate 638 is fastened and fixed to the tip side of the lower fastening portion 633, making it easier to prevent the lifting plate member 630, which is supported on the outer member 610 so that it can be raised and lowered, from falling off from the outer member 610.

[0518] The abutted plate 638 has locking portions on the left and right outer sides for locking the lower ends of the coil springs SP1. The upper ends of the coil springs SP1 are locked to locking portions 638a formed on the left and right outer sides of the plate-shaped portion 611 of the outer member 610. That is, the coil springs SP1 generate a biasing force (pulling force) that biases the abutted plate 638 upward.

[0519] While the drop-off prevention plate 637 is formed in an oval shape, the contact plate 638 is formed in a rectangular shape. This makes it possible to increase the contact area with the resistance generating device 650 and reduce the magnitude of the load per unit area generated during a collision, as will be described in detail later.

[0520] The resistance generating device 650 comprises a solenoid 651 whose plunger extends and retracts in the front-to-rear direction, a fixed cover 652 for housing the solenoid 651 and fixing it to the outside of the left and right sides of the outer member 610, and a front-to-rear displacement member 653 that is engaged with the plunger of the solenoid 651 and is guided by a guide protrusion 614 of the outer member 610 so as to be displaceable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0521] The fixed cover 652 has a plurality of insertion holes 652a drilled at both the upper and lower positions of the solenoid 651 as insertion holes through which fastening screws screwed into the outer member 610 can be inserted, and a pair of upper and lower fitting portions 652b recessed with arrangement dimensions that allow the tip of the guide protrusion portion 614 of the outer member 610 to fit into.

[0522] The front-rear displacement member 653 has a pair of guided elongated holes 653a drilled long in the front-rear direction on both the top and bottom sides as elongated holes through which the guide protrusions 614 are inserted. With the guided elongated holes 653a inserted into the guide protrusions 614, the fitting portion 652b of the fixed cover 652 is fitted into the tip portion of the guide protrusions 614, thereby preventing the front-rear displacement member 653 from falling off from the guide protrusions 614.

[0523] As shown in Figures 50(a) and 50(b), the inner member 670 comprises a plate-shaped portion 671 arranged opposite the plate-shaped portion 611 of the outer member 610 in the left-right direction, an extended wall portion 677 extending in a wall-like manner on the left and right outer sides of the plate-shaped portion 671, and a rectangular protrusion portion 678 formed to protrude in a rectangular shape on the left and right inner sides at the rear portion of the upper end of the plate-shaped portion 671.

[0524] The plate-shaped portion 671 is provided with a first long hole 672 which is drilled as a long hole that is long in the vertical direction on the rear side of the lifting plate member 630 rather than the front-to-rear position, a second long hole 673 which is drilled as a long hole extending parallel to the first long hole 672 from an upper end portion shifted upwardly relative to the upper end portion of the first long hole 672 on the front side of the first long hole 672, and a curved long hole 674 which is drilled as a curved long hole which is connected to the lower end portion of the second long hole 673.

[0525] As the connecting portion of plate-shaped portion 671 with rear case 510, in Fig. 48, a fastening portion is illustrated only on the upper end rear side of left inner member 670, and no other fastening portions are illustrated on the rear side of inner member 670. As can be seen from this, plate-shaped portion 671 is fixed in position not mainly by direct fastening to rear case 510, but by fastening via outer member 610 and decorative fastening member 520 (see Fig. 40) which are fastened to rear case 510. In other words, a fixing force between plate-shaped portion 671 and rear case 510 is generated by indirect fastening to rear case 510.

[0526] The plate-shaped portion 671 has multiple fastening portions 671a into which fastening screws are inserted in the left-right direction from the left and right outside into the plate-shaped portion 611 of the outer member 610, and the inner member 670 is fastened and fixed to the outer member 610 by screwing in the fastening screws.

[0527] The first long hole 672 is formed to be wider than the second long hole 673 and the curved long hole 674. As a result, in this embodiment, the first long hole 672 can be used as a through hole for electrical wiring, and the electrical wiring connected to the light emitting operation production unit 700 can be prevented from being exposed in the left and right inner regions of the pair of left and right inner members 670, as will be described in detail later.

[0528] The second elongated hole 673 and the curved elongated hole 674 are formed to have the same width. The curved shape of the curved elongated hole 674 is formed as an arc shape with the center of the cylindrical portion 684 as an axis in a state where the cylindrical portion 684 of the displacement member 680 guided by the first elongated hole 672 is positioned at the lower end of the first elongated hole 672.

[0529] The extended wall portion 677 includes a partition wall portion 677a formed so as to surround the first long hole 672 from the plate-shaped portion 671 outward to the left and right, and a protective extended portion 677b extending from the front side edge portion inward to the left and right in a shape sufficient to cover the back surface of the illumination boards 570, 580.

[0530] The displacement member 680 includes a box-shaped main body 681 formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with left and right inner sides open, a pair of fastening portions 682 formed to protrude outward from the short side wall portions of the box-shaped main body 681, an extension portion 683 extending along the left and right outer side surfaces of the box-shaped main body 681, a tubular portion 684 protruding cylindrically in the left and right outer directions from the corners of the box-shaped main body 681, a drop-out prevention collar member 685 fastened and fixed to the tip side of the tubular portion 684, and the extension portion 683. The light emitting operation production unit 700 is arranged in a front-rear direction and a rear-rear direction of the fastening portion 682. ....

[0531] The fastening portion 682 has a female threaded portion into which a fastening screw is screwed which is inserted into the connected hole 764 of the light emitting operation production unit 700, and the light emitting operation production unit 700 is connected to the displacement member 680 by this fastening screw.

[0532] The extension portion 683 functions as a protective part to prevent the light-emitting action performance unit 700 from coming into contact with the inner member 670 when the light-emitting action performance unit 700 is assembled to the displacement member 680 (see Figures 45 and 46 for the relative positioning of the extension portion 683 and the light-emitting action performance unit 700).

[0533] The tubular portion 684 has an irregularly shaped opening 684b formed on the inner side so as to penetrate the box-shaped single body portion 681 in the left-right direction, and fastening portions 684a formed at both positions on either side of the central axis passing through the irregularly shaped opening 684a so that fastening screws inserted into the anti-fall-off collar member 685 can be screwed in.

[0534] A fall-prevention collar member 685 is fastened and fixed to the cylindrical portion 684 while being inserted into the first elongated hole 672 of the inner member 670. An irregular opening 685a is formed in the center of the fall-prevention collar member 685 as an opening having a size similar to that of the irregular opening 684b of the cylindrical portion 684.

[0535] That is, in a state in which the fall-off prevention collar member 685 is fastened and fixed to the cylindrical portion 684, an opening penetrating in the left-right direction is formed on the inner periphery side of the cylindrical portion 684 and the fall-off prevention collar member 685. This opening functions as a through hole for electrical wiring connected to the light-emitting action production unit 700. This will be described here.

[0536] The other end of the electrical wiring, one end of which is connected to the light-emitting operation performance unit 700, is brought out to the outside through the wiring hole 762 (see Figure 48) of the light-emitting operation performance unit 700, passes through the irregularly shaped opening 684b of the tubular portion 684 of the displacement member 680 and the irregularly shaped opening 685a of the anti-falloff collar member 685, and is brought out to the left and right outside the first long hole 672 of the inner member 670, and further passes through the wiring hole 613 of the outer member 610 and is brought out to the left and right outside the plate-shaped portion 611.

[0537] The irregular opening 685a is not a simple circular opening, but has a protruding portion (a portion through which a fastening screw is inserted) that protrudes inward from a diameter position of the circle, and when the irregular opening 685a rotates in the circumferential direction, the protruding portion hooks the electric wiring, displacing the electric wiring in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to suppress friction between the irregular opening 685a and the electric wiring, making it easier to prevent breakage of the electric wiring.

[0538] The other ends of the electrical wiring are routed from the left and right outer sides of plate-shaped portion 611 to the rear side of rear case 510 and connected to individual relay boards. The areas on the left and right outer sides of plate-shaped portion 611 are at least hidden by decorative fixing member 520 (see FIG. 40).

[0539] Although it is conceivable that the electrical wiring may be exposed at one end between the light emitting action production unit 700 and the displacement member 680, in this embodiment, the box-shaped main body 681 is extended inwardly to the left and right so as to cover the electrical wiring, and the extension plate 763 of the light emitting action production unit 700 is extended forward of the wiring through hole 762 so as to cover the electrical wiring in a front view (see FIG. 48). This makes it easier to prevent the electrical wiring from being exposed at the position between the light emitting action production unit 700 and the displacement member 680.

[0540] By passing the electrical wiring in this way, it is possible to avoid the electrical wiring being exposed in the left and right inner regions of the pair of left and right inner members 670. Therefore, problems that tend to arise when the electrical wiring is visible to the player, such as the electrical wiring being arranged in front of the third pattern display device 81 and hiding the display, thereby reducing visibility, and the electrical wiring being arranged in a disorganized manner, which makes it look dirty and reduces the presentation effect, can be eliminated. In other words, it is possible to improve the visibility of the third pattern display device 81 and hide the electrical wiring from the player.

[0541] At this time, the partition wall portion 677a can limit the placement of electrical wiring in the gap between the outer member 610 and the inner member 670, thereby preventing the electrical wiring from coming into contact with the lifting plate member 630, which is positioned closer to the front than the partition wall portion 677a.

[0542] The metal rod member 686 has E-rings fitted into its left and right outer ends to form a rod shape with a flange, thereby preventing the member from falling off from the left and right outer ends. The metal rod member 686 is inserted in the following order: the left and right inner ends are inserted into the ring member 687, the front-rear long hole 636 of the lift plate member 630, the ring member 687, the second long hole 673 (curved long hole 674) of the inner member 670, the ring member 687, and the fitting recess 683a of the displacement member 680, and is fitted and fixed in the fitting recess 683a of the extension portion 683.

[0543] In this way, the metal rod member 686 is a member that is inserted into the lifting plate member 630 and the inner member 670, and its up-down arrangement depends on the change in arrangement caused by the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting plate member 630, and its front-rear arrangement depends on the arrangements of the second long hole 673 and the curved long hole 674. The metal rod member 686 is configured so that the arrangement and posture of the displacement member 680 and the light emitting action production unit 700 to which the metal rod member 686 is fitted and fixed change due to the change in arrangement, and the changes in the arrangement and posture of the displacement member 680 and the light emitting action production unit 700 will be described later.

[0544] The front and rear ring members 689 include a plate-shaped ring member 689a disposed on the box-shaped main body 681 side, and a flanged ring member 689b having a flange formed on the end of the cylinder that extends outward.

[0545] The plate-shaped ring member 689a and the brimmed ring member 689b are configured to sandwich the light-emitting action performance unit 700 with their respective plate-shaped portions aligned front to back, and the cylindrical portion 689b1 of the brimmed ring member 689b is positioned on the inner side of the connected hole 764 of the intermediate connecting member 760 described later.

[0546] The rotation posture assist member 690 is positioned on the left and right inner sides of the rectangular protrusion 678 of the inner member 670, and is fastened to the rectangular protrusion 678 by screwing fastening screws inserted from the left and right inner sides into the fastening portions of the rectangular protrusion 678.

[0547] The rotation posture assist member 690 comprises a box-shaped main body 691 formed in a box shape with the left and right inner sides open and fastened to the rectangular protrusion 678, and a tubular member 695 arranged on the left and right inner sides of the box-shaped main body 691 and rotatably supported by the box-shaped main body 691.

[0548] The box-shaped main body 691 has extension parts 692 extending downward from the left and right inner ends on the rear side, and a cylindrical member 695 is supported by a rotation shaft extending in the left and right direction on the left and right inner sides of the extension parts 692. That is, the cylindrical member 695 is disposed at the rear side end and lower position of the box-shaped main body 691, and is disposed away from the player, so that the cylindrical member 695 does not stand out too much.

[0549] The light emitting action production unit 700 is a unit that is connected to the fastening parts 682 of the displacement members 680 arranged on both the left and right sides, and its position and posture change as the positions and postures of the displacement members 680 on both the left and right sides change.

[0550] Fig. 51 is an exploded front perspective view of the light-emitting action production unit 700, Fig. 52 is an exploded rear perspective view of the light-emitting action production unit 700, and Fig. 53 is an exploded front perspective view of the light-emitting action production unit 700. Fig. 53 shows an exploded view of the light-emitting action production unit 700 as seen from the direction looking up. Fig. 53 also shows the displacement member 680 in a corresponding arrangement in addition to the light-emitting action production unit 700.

[0551] The light-emitting action performance unit 700 comprises a main body member 710 on which the rotation performance device 800 is arranged, a lower plate member 730 arranged below the main body member 710 and fastened to the main body member 710, an intermediate plate member 740 arranged between the main body member 710 and the lower plate member 730 and covering the front side of the space, a plurality of decorative members 750 fixed to the front side of the intermediate plate member 740, and a pair of left and right intermediate connecting members 760 arranged on both the left and right sides of the main body member 710 and fastened to the main body member 710 by fastening screws inserted from the outside on the left and right.

[0552] The main body member 710 is formed in a box shape with the bottom and front sides open, and is equipped with a plurality of fastening portions 711 formed to allow fastening screws to be inserted into the lower plate member 730 from below, a front edge portion 712 extending downward from the front edge of the top plate, a plurality of clamping portions 713 arranged opposite the front edge portion 712 with a dimension such that an intermediate plate member 740 can be clamped between the front edge portion 712 and the clamping portions 713, and a pair of left and right fixed plate portions 720 formed to connect the top plate and the rear side wall portion on both the left and right sides.

[0553] The fixed plate portion 720 is formed in a flat plate shape along a plane intersecting the left-right axis so that the intermediate connecting member 760 can be supported on the surface, and is equipped with a plurality of fastening portions 721 formed to allow fastening screws to be inserted into the intermediate connecting member 760 from the left and right outside and used to fasten the intermediate member 760, and a recessed portion 722 recessed in an approximately semicircular shape at the lower end on the back side.

[0554] The recessed portion 722 is formed such that the central axis of the semicircular shape is aligned with the central axis of a wire-passing hole 762 formed in the intermediate connecting member 760. This allows the opening formed by the recessed portion 722 and the lower plate member 730 and the wire-passing hole 762 to be aligned in a straight line from side to side, making it easier to pass the electrical wiring through the wire-passing hole 762.

[0555] The lower plate member 730 has a plurality of insertion holes 731 for inserting fastening screws which are screwed into the fastening portions 711 of the main body member 710, and a plurality of protrusions 732 arranged opposite each other in the front and rear directions near the front edge portion.

[0556] The lower plate member 730 is light-diffusing processed on the left and right outer parts of the lower surface, and is formed so as to reduce visibility when looking through the member to the far side. This makes it difficult to see the electric wiring, driving device, etc. arranged inside, even when the light-emitting action production unit 700 is viewed from the lower plate member 730 side in an upward viewing direction (see FIG. 53).

[0557] Also, patterns, figures, etc. may be drawn on the left and right inner parts of the lower surface of the lower plate member 730 (the white parts of the approximately circular shape in FIG. 53). As a result, even in a situation where the player can see the lower surface by being positioned on the front upper side of the third pattern display device 81 in the retracted state of the internal operation unit 600 (see FIG. 36), the player can see the patterns and figures of the light-emitting operation performance unit 700, thereby maintaining the performance effect.

[0558] The protrusions 732 are formed so as to perform the same function as the front edge 712 and the clamping portion 713 of the main body member 710. That is, they are arranged side by side in the front and rear direction with a dimension capable of clamping the intermediate plate member 740.

[0559] The intermediate plate member 740 is formed in a thin plate shape that curves so that the left and right central parts protrude toward the front side in accordance with the shape of the front edge part of the lower plate member 730, and a plurality of illumination boards 741 are fastened and fixed to the rear side.

[0560] The intermediate plate member 740 is held by being sandwiched between the main body member 710 and the lower plate member 730. That is, the upper edge of the intermediate plate member 740 is sandwiched between the front edge portion 712 and the sandwiching portion 713 of the main body member 710, and the lower edge of the intermediate plate member 740 is held by being sandwiched by the protruding portion 732 of the lower plate member 730. Therefore, compared to the case where the intermediate plate member 740 is fastened and fixed to the main body member 710 and the lower plate member 730, the number of fastening screws for assembly can be reduced.

[0561] The illumination board 741 is arranged at the left and right center and at both left and right sides, and is configured to be able to irradiate light from light-emitting means such as LEDs arranged on the front side to the front side. This allows for a light-emitting effect that makes the decorative member 750 emit light.

[0562] The light emitting means arranged on the illumination board 741 only irradiates light to the front side, and no light emitting means is arranged to irradiate light downward (towards the lower plate member 730), but when a player views the lower plate member 730, the light emitting action presentation unit 700 is arranged diagonally above and in front of the third pattern display device 81 (see FIG. 36), so that the light irradiated from the third pattern display device 81 is irradiated onto the lower plate member 730. In other words, the brightness of the lower plate member 730 can be ensured by the light irradiated from the third pattern display device 81, so that the possibility of the presentation effect of the lower plate member 730 being reduced can be reduced.

[0563] Decorative member 750 comprises a central decorative member 751 which is arranged at the left-right center of intermediate plate member 740 and has a three-dimensional shape made of a thin-walled resin material, and a pair of left and right fastened members 755 which are arranged on both the left and right sides of central decorative member 751 and are fastened to intermediate plate member 740 by screwing fastening screws which are inserted into intermediate plate member 740 from the back side.

[0564] The fastened member 755 has a plurality of fastening portions 756 into which fastening screws are screwed, and the central decorative member 751 has a plurality of position-retaini...

Claims

[Claim 1] A gaming machine comprising a gaming board, a first displacement member, a second displacement member, and a driving means, wherein the first displacement member is configured to be displaced relative to the second displacement member in accordance with the displacement of the second displacement member, a surface that can be viewed in a predetermined area when viewed in a predetermined direction can be changed between a first surface and a second surface by the relative displacement of the first displacement member; the driving means is configured to generate a driving force that causes the second displacement member to be displaced, the first displacement member is capable of being positioned at a first position and a second position different from the first position, The second position is a position where the visibility of the first displacement member is lower than that of the first position, the relative displacement and the change in the visible surface are configured to be caused by the driving force; At least a portion of the first displacement member is located forward of a predetermined position on the front side of the game board in the first position, The gaming machine includes: A predetermined ball entry means is provided to allow game balls to enter the ball; The first displacement member is configured to allow game balls to flow down the front side of the game machine of the first displacement member positioned at the second position upstream of the predetermined ball entry means, When a predetermined ball is shot into the predetermined ball shot means, the visible surface is changed. The relative displacement of the first displacement member is easily visible compared to the displacement of the second displacement member, When at least the first displacement member is relatively displaced from the second position to the first position, a situation in which a game ball is positioned on the front side of the first displacement member may occur, When the first displacement member is positioned at the first position, a predetermined portion of the first surface is configured to be positioned closer to the front of the gaming machine than a specific portion of the second surface, and when the first displacement member is positioned at the second position, the specific portion is configured to be positioned closer to the front of the gaming machine than the predetermined portion, the driving means is configured to be able to change from a predetermined state to a specific state that generates the driving force; The gaming machine is characterized in that, when the visible surface is changed by the driving force, the specific state can be continued after the visible surface is changed.

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