Supply gutter

Abstract

To provide a supply gutter capable of making game balls smoothly flow down without stagnation and surely preventing the situation that the game balls are clogged or overflow even when the game balls are excessively supplied.SOLUTION: In a supply gutter 50 which is arranged above a game machine 2 and supplies game balls to the game machine 2, a plurality of rail-shaped paths 52 through which the game balls flow down while being aligned one by one is arranged in parallel in both side directions, the paths at both ends of the respective paths 52 form a supply path 52A for supplying the game balls to the game machine 2 or relevant equipment 8, and the paths inside both the supply paths form a plurality of falling paths 52B for falling the excessive game balls. A guide part 532 for guiding the game balls received on the upstream side of the respective paths 52 to the supply path 52B on the outer side from the fall path 52A on the inner side is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 156

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a supply trough that is disposed above a gaming machine and supplies gaming balls to the gaming machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a gaming machine island, in order to supply gaming balls to related devices such as pachinko machines and table ball rental machines, the gaming balls are aligned and allowed to flow down to the pachinko machines and the like by a supply trough disposed above the gaming machines. As such a technique, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is known a configuration in which the width of the bottom surface for allowing the received gaming balls to flow down is gradually narrowed, and then the gaming balls are aligned in two rows and allowed to flow down by concave grooves arranged in two rows in the width direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in the conventional Patent Document 1, since the width of the bottom surface for allowing the gaming balls to flow down gradually narrows, the gaming balls are likely to come into pressure contact with each other during the flow-down, and there is a problem that ball jamming due to a bridge phenomenon in which the balls overlap is likely to occur. In addition, since the gaming balls are aligned in only two rows, when a large number of gaming balls are supplied, the flow-down is likely to be stagnant, and there is also a problem that countermeasures against overflow are insufficient.

[0005] The present invention has been made paying attention to the problems of the above-described conventional techniques, and an object thereof is to provide a supply trough that can smoothly flow down the gaming balls without stagnation and can surely prevent a situation in which the gaming balls are jammed or overflow even when an excessive amount of gaming balls are supplied.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is that in a supply trough that is arranged above the gaming machine and supplies game balls to the gaming machine, a plurality of rail-shaped paths through which the game balls flow down in a line are arranged in parallel in both side directions, of the respective paths, the paths at both ends form supply paths for supplying game balls to the gaming machine or related devices, and the paths inside the two supply paths form a plurality of drop paths for dropping surplus game balls, and a guide portion is provided for guiding the game balls received on the upstream side of each path to the supply path outside the drop path inside.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments representative of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 to 37 are drawings related to the gaming machine island 1. Figs. 38 to 67 are drawings related to the unit 10 constituting the gaming machine island 1. Figs. 68 to 110 are drawings related to the rail 20 on which the unit 10 is installed. Figs. 111 to 118 are drawings related to the supply device 100 housed in the unit 10. Figs. 119 to 155 are drawings related to the lifting and polishing device 30. Figs. 156 to 177 are drawings related to the supply trough 50. Figs. 178 to 192 are drawings related to the storage tank 40. Figs. 193 to 196 are drawings related to the intermediate column member 106.

[0009] In each figure, the relative dimensional relationships and shapes of the components are appropriately designed and may be different from the actual ones. Also, the scale ratios in each figure are not necessarily the same. In the cross-sectional views, hatching is partially omitted. Note that the components, shapes, numerical values, etc. shown in the present embodiment are all examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Hereinafter, each component will be described in order.

[0010] <Overview of the gaming machine island 1> First, the overview of the gaming machine island 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the gaming machine island 1 includes one or more units 10 installed on the floor. Inside each unit 10, in addition to the gaming machine 2, as gaming-related devices described later, a lifting and polishing device 30, a storage tank 40, a supply trough 50, etc. are accommodated. The unit 10 constituting the gaming machine island 1 corresponds to a single island that is independent for each gaming machine 2.

[0011] The unit 10 is configured to be able to install multiple types of gaming machines 2 on a per-unit basis. Examples of the multiple types of gaming machines 2 include a pachinko machine 2A, a pachislot machine 2B, etc. In this embodiment, as the types of the gaming machine 2, two types, namely the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislot machine 2B, are exemplified, but it is not limited to only these two types. When collectively referring to the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislot machine 2B, it is simply denoted as the gaming machine 2. Note that panel-shaped ceiling decorative boards 6 and side wall decorative boards 7 are attached to the ceiling and side walls of the entire gaming machine island 1 formed by combining the units 10. Also, heavy load casters may be provided at the lower part of the unit 10 so that it can be moved.

[0012] The pachinko machine 2A conducts a game using game balls (pachinko balls) as game media. As shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine 2A includes a handle 4 for hitting the game balls onto the game board surface 3, a tray 5 for storing the game balls, etc. Also, adjacent to the pachinko machine 2A, a card unit 8 (a counter service machine) for lending out game balls by accepting the insertion of paper money and non-cash payment media (credit cards, debit cards, electronic money cards, smartphones (contactless IC payment, two-dimensional barcode payment), etc.) is arranged side by side. Such a pachinko machine 2A has different outer diameter dimensions from the pachislot machine 2B described below. In particular, the handle 4 is arranged at a low position on the machine body.

[0013] The pachislot machine 2B uses medals as gaming media. In this embodiment, however, actual medals are not used, and a type that uses virtual medals counted as data (medal-less machine) is employed. The pachislot machine 2B includes, in addition to each rotating reel and a screen capable of displaying virtual medals, an operation unit (not shown) such as buttons for rotating or stopping each reel on the screen. Such a pachislot machine 2B has an outer diameter different from that of the above-described pachinko machine 2A, and in particular, the operation unit is arranged near the center of the overall height.

[0014] In the gaming machine island 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, two units 10 are installed side by side in the lateral direction, and an inter-unit member 60 is attached between the units 10. Further, the two units 10 are combined in two rows back to back. Thus, the gaming machine island 1 includes a total of four units 10. Here, the same type of gaming machine 2 is accommodated in each of the two units 10 arranged side by side in the front and rear rows. However, as shown in FIG. 33, different types of gaming machines 2 may be accommodated in the units 10 arranged side by side on the left and right.

[0015] <Unit 10> As shown in FIGS. 38 to 45, the unit 10 is formed in a case frame shape with its front and rear surfaces opening into vertically long rectangles, and basically includes a pair of left and right side plates 11, 11. Here, the side plates 11 correspond to the "side portions" of the present invention. Openings 110 that form part of the mounting structure of a rail 20 described later are provided at the lower ends of both side plates 11, 11.

[0016] In addition, a handle hole 111 is provided above the opening 110. Due to the presence of this handle hole 111, the unit 10 can be easily carried during construction. Here, the handle hole 111 is provided at a position inside the unit 11 where there is no influence of ball spillage, that is, at a position where there is no risk of balls spilling out to the outside. Specifically, for example, the position where the handle hole 111 is provided can be considered to be below the top plate member 13. Also, in the case of an enclosed gaming machine, since balls do not spill, the handle hole 111 may be provided above the top plate portion 13 and below the notch portion 112.

[0017] On the upper half sides of the both side panels 11, 11, notch portions 112 are provided which are cut out from the rear end edge side. When the units 11 are combined back to back, the notch portions 112 are joined together to form one opening 112a (see Fig. 63(a)). Here, the opening 112a serves as a placement space for gaming equipment (such as a conveying device etc.) that penetrates the central portion of the island width of the entire gaming machine island 1.

[0018] In a conventional single island, the placement of related devices that are continuous between single islands is not assumed, and thus there was no such thing as an opening where a banknote conveying device that is continuous between single islands could be placed. Here, the banknote conveying device is a device for conveying banknotes inserted into, for example, the between-stage service machine 8 to a banknote storage portion provided at the end of the gaming machine island. However, when the between-stage service machine 8 loans out gaming balls by cashless settlement, the notch portion 112 that serves as the placement space for the banknote conveying device may not be provided.

[0019] The interior of the unit 10 is set to be able to accommodate different outer dimensions of a plurality of types of gaming machines 2. In the unit 10 of the present embodiment, the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislot machine 2B are configured to be accommodated after being changed to separate layouts respectively. As shown in Fig. 52, the interior of the unit 10 is partitioned by substantially horizontal partition members 121, 122 that form shelf boards and a top plate member 13 into, in order from the bottom, for example, a storage portion 101, an exchange placement portion 102, and a gaming machine placement portion 103.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 52 and 53, the lower partition member 121 has both side widths and a depth width that traverse the interior of the lower side of the unit 10, and has a strength capable of placing the later-described lifting and polishing device 30 which is a related device, and is formed, for example, in a flat plate shape made of wood. The upper partition member 122 has a narrower depth width than the partition member 121, and directly places the top plate member 13 or places the top plate member 13 via the lower placement member 15.

[0021] The top plate member 13 is for installing the gaming machine 2 and is formed with a greater depth than each partition member 121, 122. As shown in FIGS. 46 to 49, the top plate member 13 is basically made of wood and formed in a flat plate shape, but the front half of its upper surface is covered with a metal plate 130. The surface of this metal plate is subjected to knurling. That is, fine irregularities extending parallel to the depth direction of the unit 10 are provided on the surface of the metal plate 130, which can particularly reduce the sliding resistance when placing the pachislot machine 2B. Note that the metal plate 130 does not need to be fixed to the surface of the top plate member 13 and can also be pressed from above by a pressing bar 133 (see FIG. 46) installed between the side plates 11, 11.

[0022] In FIG. 52, the storage part 101 in the unit 10 is an internal space that extends from between the side plates 11, 11 from above the floor or, if necessary, from a bottom plate (not shown) installed on the floor, passes through a partition member 121 arranged at a predetermined height between the side plates 11, 11, and further reaches a partition member 122 arranged above. Among the storage part 101, the space from the floor (bottom plate) to the upper partition member 121 is a storage space for related equipment that is not in use.

[0023] Also, among the storage part 101, the space from the partition member 121 to the upper partition member 122 is a storage space for the main body 31 of the elevating and polishing device 30. Here, the elevating and polishing device 30 is only used for the pachinko machine 2A, but even when it is replaced with the pachislot machine 2B, it is fixed so as to remain in the storage part 101 on the partition member 121 as it is. Therefore, the partition member 121 and the partition member 122 are horizontally fixed at the corresponding positions between the respective side plates 11.

[0024] In the storage unit 101, in the space other than the belt grinding device 30, for example, in addition to the storage tank 40 and the supply trough 50 that are unnecessary for the pachislot machine 2B, members such as the upper placement member 16 and the lower placement member 15 described later can also be appropriately accommodated. As a result, it is not necessary to share the upper placement member 16 and the lower placement member 15, so even when the height above the gaming machine 2 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachislot machine 2B, the conversion installation of the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislot machine 2B can be carried out without problems. Also, for container-shaped members such as the storage tank 40, they can be utilized as storage for relatively small related parts such as the counter 8a, etc., thereby preventing the loss of small parts.

[0025] The replacement arrangement part 102 is the internal space between the side plates 11, 11 from the partition member 122 to the top plate member 13 above it. As shown in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 53, the height is maintained by the lower placement member 15 described later. The storage tank 40, which is a related device of the pachinko machine 2A, is accommodated in the replacement arrangement part 102, but the storage tank 40 is unnecessary for the pachislot machine 2B. Therefore, the replacement arrangement part 102 becomes unnecessary when the pachislot machine 2B is installed in the unit 10 and is integrated into the upper gaming machine arrangement part 103.

[0026] That is, as shown in the unit 10 on the left side in FIG. 53, when the lower placement member 15 and the storage tank 40 are removed and the top plate member 13 is placed on the partition member 122, the gaming machine arrangement part 103 becomes an area including the replacement arrangement part 102, and the installation height of the gaming machine 2 can be changed to a lower position. Such a gaming machine arrangement part 103 including the replacement arrangement part 102 is suitable for accommodating the pachislot machine 2B.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the top plate member 13 is installed via mounting brackets 131 installed between the side plates 11, 11, and its height position can be changed. That is, the mounting positions of the mounting brackets 131 installed between the side plates 11, 11 can be changed to the position for the pachislot machine 2B on the partition member 122 and the position for the pachinko machine 2A on the lower placement member 15 arranged on the partition member 122. For changing the mounting position of the mounting bracket 131 here, it is advisable to use the engaging portions 12a, 12b similar to those in the case of the upper placement member 127 described later.

[0028] Also, both side ends of the mounting bracket 131 are exposed on the inner surfaces of the side plates 11, 11 by the top plate member 13, and the entire portion is set to fit within a clearance K (see FIG. 12(c)) hidden behind the frame edges of the frame member 113 described later. In this way, when changing the gaming machine 2 within the unit 10, the mounting bracket 131 for changing the position of the top plate member 13 is housed inside the frame member 113 forming both ends of the front opening of the unit 10.

[0029] As a result, in the front opening of the unit 10, there is no other member that protrudes inward beyond the edge of the frame member 11 from the inner surface of the side plate 11 when viewed from the front. Therefore, when introducing the gaming machine 2 itself or related devices from the front opening of the unit 10, there is no risk of interference with other members and it is possible to install them efficiently. Here, if another member such as a fixture protrudes, it will interfere with the gaming machine 2 itself and other related devices, so it is necessary to use extra studs etc. (for filling gaps) in the space effective for installation.

[0030] Therefore, not only does it cost extra, but in some cases, it is necessary to check each time what can be installed, which is not user-friendly. In this way, the configuration of not protruding other members inward beyond the edge of the frame member 11 from the inner surface of the side plate 11 is the same not only for the mounting location of the top plate member 13 but also for the mounting locations of all members including the upper placement member 127 described later and the partition members 121, 122 described above with respect to the inner surfaces of the side plates 11, 11.

[0031] Also, as shown in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 53, when the top plate member 13 is in the position for the pachinko machine 2A, on the rear half side of the top plate member 13, an upper partition member 128 is superposed to form a stepped portion. Here, the rear end side of the upper partition member 128 is also pressed from above by a pressing bracket 132 installed between the both side plates 11, 11. Since the depth width of the main body of the pachinko machine 2A is relatively narrow, the main body of the pachinko machine 2A is placed on the upper partition member 128 on the rear half side of the top plate member 13, and the front half side of the top plate member 13 is a space where the ball box can be placed or the player can use it personally. The pachinko machine 2A on such a top plate member 13 is at a height position where the handle 4 is easy for the player to operate.

[0032] On the other hand, since the depth width of the main body of the pachislo machine 2B is large, it cannot be accommodated only by the top plate member 13. Therefore, as shown in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 50, a movable back plate 190 which is a part of the back plate 19 to be described later is removed and set to be horizontally arranged so as to be continuous with the rear end edge of the top plate member 13. The pachislo machine 2B is placed on the entire movable back plate 190 and the top plate member 13. The pachislo machine 2B on such a top plate member 13 is at a height position where the operation part is easy for the player to operate.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 38 etc., at the upper part of the unit 10, an upper end front member 125 and an upper end rear member 126 arranged in the front-rear direction are installed between the upper ends of the both side plates 11, 11. Also, below the upper end front member 125 between the both side plates 11, 11, an upper placing member 127 having a predetermined depth width is installed. The upper placing member 127 is a part for installing related devices such as the supply gutter 50 to be described later. The upper placing member 127 is formed, for example, in a narrow plate shape made of wood and horizontally extending in the both side directions, but a flange made of metal and rising to a predetermined height is provided along the front end edge thereof.

[0034] The upper placement member 127 can change its height position. That is, on the inner surfaces of the both side plates 11, 11, engaging portions 12a, 12b for positioning in, for example, two upper and lower stages are provided. Each of the engaging portions 12a, 12b is composed of a positioning member formed in a vertical plate shape having a thickness and a depth width capable of placing the edge of the upper placement member 127. The both ends of the upper placement member 127 can be fixed with a fixture 12c such as a bracket in a state where they are placed on the upper end edges of the engaging portions 12a, 12b facing each other inside the both side plates 11, 11.

[0035] A replenishing trough 50 used in the pachinko machine 2A is installed on the upper placement member 127. At this time, it is fixed at a lower position (on the engaging portion 12a) by the height of the replenishing trough 50 like the unit 10 on the left side in FIG. 52. On the other hand, since the replenishing trough 50 is unnecessary for the pachislot machine 2B, the upper placement member 127 may be attached at an upper position (on the engaging portion 12b) like the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 52.

[0036] Also, as shown in FIGS. 33, 57, etc., the unit 10 has a lower placement member 15 disposed below the pachinko machine 2A and an upper placement member 16 disposed above the pachislot machine 2B. The upper placement member 16 is formed in a panel shape made of a metal such as aluminum, for example, and is disposed in a state of standing vertically between the both side plates 11, 11 so as to cover the front opening on the upper partition member 128 of the unit 10. The lower placement member 15 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section including a bottom wall that makes its front wall self-supporting and both side walls, and is configured by combining wood plates, for example.

[0037] In addition, a bill insertion slot 16a is provided in the upper placement member 16, and a bill discriminator (not shown) is installed inside. Therefore, the height of the upper placement member 16 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 of the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 of the pachislot machine 2B. However, as described above, since the storage portion 101 capable of storing the upper placement member 16 or the lower placement member 15 is provided, it is not necessary to share the upper placement member 16 and the lower placement member 15, so the conversion installation of the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislot machine 2B can be carried out without problems.

[0038] The upper placement member 16 and the lower placement member 15 are detachably attached without using fixing means such as screws. When the pachinko machine 2A is installed in the unit 10, the storage tank 40 is accommodated in the replacement placement portion 102 (see FIG. 52), and the front side of this replacement placement portion 102 is covered by the lower placement member 15. On the other hand, when the pachislot machine 2B is installed in the unit 10, the storage tank 40 and the lower placement member 15 are removed from the replacement placement portion 102 and accommodated in the storage portion 101. At this time, the upper part above the front side of the pachislot machine 2B is covered by the upper placement member 16 that was accommodated in the storage portion 101. The specific attachment structure of the upper placement member 16 will be described later.

[0039] On the front side of the unit 10, as shown in FIG. 33 etc., a waist plate member 17 is provided below the lower placement member 15. The waist plate member 17 is formed, for example, of wood in a flat plate shape. The waist plate member 17 is disposed between the both side plates 11, 11 so as to cover the lifting and polishing device 30 accommodated on the partition member 121 in the upper half of the storage portion 101 (see FIG. 52). Since the waist plate member 17 needs to be opened during maintenance and inspection of the lifting and polishing device 30, it is attached so that, for example, the upper end edge can be opened forward with the lower end edge as the rotation center.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 58 to 60, when the lumbar plate member 17 is made of wood and formed in a flat plate shape, both side edges and the lower edge thereof are reinforced with a metal frame, and a pair of rotary shafts 170, 170 protruding laterally are provided at both ends of the lower edge, respectively. The rotary shafts 170 are rotatably fitted into bearing holes (not shown) provided inside the front ends of the both side plates 11, 11 or the frame member 113 described later, and serve as the opening and closing center of the lumbar plate member 17. Note that the lumbar plate member 17 is not limited to being made of wood, and may be formed in a flat plate shape with a predetermined thickness by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum, for example.

[0041] As another mounting structure of the lumbar plate member 17, for example, long grooves (not shown) may be formed along both side edges of the lumbar plate member 17, and rotary shafts that are slidably and rotatably fitted into the long grooves may be provided inside the front ends of the both side plates 11, 11 or the frame member 113. According to such a configuration, the lumbar plate member 17 can be slid while being opened, and it is also possible to slide the lumbar plate member 17 inside the unit 10 in the opened state and then store it.

[0042] On the front side of the unit 10, as shown in FIG. 33 etc., bottommost arrangement members 171, 172 are provided below the lumbar plate member 17, for example, vertically. The bottommost arrangement members 171, 172 are made of metal and formed in a panel shape, for example, and are arranged between the both side plates 11, 11 so as to cover the space in the lower half side (below the partition member 121) of the storage portion 101 (see FIG. 52). Note that since the frequency of opening the bottommost arrangement members 171, 172 is lower than that of the lumbar plate member 17, a detachable mounting structure is sufficient even if it cannot be opened and closed.

[0043] Also, in the unit 10, a curtain plate member 18 is provided on the front surface at the upper end side between the both side plates 11, 11. The curtain plate member 18 is made of metal and formed in a panel shape, for example, and closes an opening above the upper mounting member 127. In the layout when installing the pachinko machine 2B as in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 33, the curtain plate member 18 is continuous vertically with the upper arrangement member 16.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 62, the curtain plate member 18 is in the form of a panel with a thin plate cross-section, and is formed in a cross-sectional shape including a mounting piece 181 that bends backward at a right angle along the upper end edge with a predetermined width, and a lower end piece 182 that bends backward at a right angle along the lower end edge with a shorter width. However, the curtain plate member 18 may be formed, for example, of wood in a flat plate shape, or may be formed in a flat plate shape with a predetermined thickness by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum as described above for the waist plate member 17.

[0045] Also, regarding the curtain plate member 18, it is also conceivable to attach it in an openable and closable manner similar to the waist plate member 17 described above. That is, for example, a pair of rotating shafts protruding laterally may be provided at both ends of the upper end edge of the curtain plate member 18, and the rotating shafts may be attached to the inner sides of the front ends of the both side plates 11, 11 or the frame member 113 described later in an openable and closable manner via these rotating shafts. Further, as another mounting structure of the curtain plate member 18, similar to the case of the waist plate member 17 described above, for example, long grooves (not shown) may be formed along both side edges of the curtain plate member 18, and a rotating shaft that can be slidably and rotatably inserted into these long grooves may be provided at the inner sides of the front ends of the both side plates 11, 11 or the frame member 113.

[0046] Thereby, the curtain plate member 18 can be detached and reused, and since it is on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it is also possible to reinforce the unit 10 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, by adopting such a mounting structure for the curtain plate member 18, while improving the strength exerted on the unit 10 in the horizontal direction, the assembly to disassembly of the unit 10 can be easily performed as compared with the conventional gaming machine island.

[0047] In addition, since the curtain plate member 18 is at a height position where it is likely to come into the line of sight of the player, it is important in terms of the design of the gaming machine island 1. Therefore, the surface of the curtain plate member 18 may be the appearance of the material itself or just a simple paint. However, for example, if it is configured such that a decorative panel, a sheet, etc. can be easily attached to the surface side of the curtain plate member 18, it becomes possible to easily change the design of the curtain plate member 18. Here, as a configuration for attaching a sheet or the like, for example, it is conceivable to provide slits, hooks, etc. at the upper and lower ends on the surface side of the curtain plate member 18 so that the upper and lower ends of the sheet or the like can be inserted facing each other.

[0048] When installing the pachislot machine 2B in the unit 10 as in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 52, an upper partition member 128 that partitions the upper end of the gaming machine arrangement portion 103 is installed between the both side plates 11, 11. The upper partition member 128 is formed, for example, of wood and in a flat plate shape in the same manner as the partition members 121, 122, and is detachably arranged between the both side plates 11, 11. Here, the attachment structure of the upper partition member 128 is preferably configured to be detachable only by the engagement relationship between the members without using fixing means such as screws.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 62(c), the lower end edge of the upper arrangement member 16 engages with the front end side of the upper partition member 128, and a groove portion 128a is formed along the front end side of the upper partition member 128 so that the lower end edge of the upper arrangement member 16 is detachably fitted. On the other hand, the upper end edge of the upper arrangement member 16 engages with the lower end piece 182 of the curtain plate member 18, and a groove portion 183 is formed along the lower end piece 182 so that the upper end edge of the upper arrangement member 16 is detachably fitted. Thereby, the upper arrangement member 16 can be detachably attached between the curtain plate member 18 and the upper partition member 128 without using fixing means such as screws.

[0050] According to such an attachment structure of the upper arrangement member 16, the upper arrangement member 16 cannot be removed unless the curtain plate member 18 is lifted. Here, the upper arrangement member 16 is important for anti-tampering to conceal the supply trough 50 described later. However, due to the above-described attachment structure, it is not necessary to fix it with a key or simply fix it with a magnet or the like so that it cannot be opened. In addition, regarding the attachment structures of the upper arrangement member 16 to the curtain plate member 18, gaps that allow light to leak are deliberately provided between both side edges of each and the inner surface of each side plate 11. For example, the light of an alarm lamp in the unit 10 that notifies the occurrence of some error may be configured to illuminate the frame member 113 from the gaps for notification.

[0051] As a result, it becomes possible to indirectly notify the game parlor staff of the occurrence of some error (for example, a supply error described later) by means of indirect lighting without providing an obvious alarm lamp outside the unit 10. In addition, it is also conceivable to provide, for example, an optical fiber or the like instead of the alarm lamp between both side edges of the upper arrangement member 16 to the curtain plate member 18 and cause it to emit light when an error occurs.

[0052] Also, as shown in FIG. 40, in the unit 10, the lower back opening between the both side plates 11, 11 is covered by a back plate 19. The back plate 19 is formed, for example, of wood in a flat plate shape, is a rectangle that matches the lower side of the height position of the partition member 122 between the both side plates 11, 11, and is vertically attached. Immediately above this back plate 19, a movable back plate 190 that extends in both side directions with a narrow vertical width is arranged so as to be integrally continuous.

[0053] The movable back panel 190 can be removed from above the back panel 19 and can be horizontally arranged in a state continuous with the rear edge of the top plate member 13 as shown in the unit 10 on the right side in FIG. 56. The entire movable back panel 190 and the top plate member 13 can support the main body of the pachislot machine 2B having a large depth. Note that the surfaces of the movable back panel 190 and the top plate member 13 are horizontally continuous on the same plane, and at this time, the upper partition member 128 is arranged above the pachislot machine 2B.

[0054] According to the unit 10 as described above, it is possible to easily recombine the types of the gaming machines 2 for each unit 10. In particular, in any recombination operation from the pachinko machine 2A to the pachislot machine 2B or conversely from the pachislot machine 2B to the pachinko machine 2A, by changing the arrangement of the members only within the same unit 10 or using the members stored in the unit 10, all the necessary configurations are included in one unit 10.

[0055] In particular, according to this unit 10, even when recombining from the pachinko machine 2A to the pachislot machine 2B, it is not necessary to remove the lift and polishing device 30, and the lift and polishing device 30 can be left in the storage unit 101 as it is, and the replacement operation to the pachislot machine 2B can be performed. Thereby, the working time required for replacing the gaming machine 2 can be significantly shortened. Further, in order to expand the gaming machine arrangement portion 103 of the pachislot machine 2B, the storage tank 40 removed from the replacement arrangement portion 102 can be stored in the empty space at the lower stage of the storage unit 101 without preparing another storage place.

[0056] Also, even when the pachinko machine is an enclosed pachinko machine that circulates and uses the game balls launched on the game board surface, it can be dealt with in the same manner as the recombination between the pachislot machine 2B and the pachinko machine 2A described above. In the case of an enclosed pachinko machine, the lift and polishing device 30 is not necessary, but even when replacing from the pachinko machine 2A with an enclosed pachinko machine, the lift and polishing device 30 and the storage tank 40 can be used with or without being removed while installed in the unit 10.

[0057] Conventionally, there have been gaming machine islands where the types of gaming machines 2 can be recombined. However, for the members used only for the island form such as the layout according to the type of the gaming machine 2, it has been necessary to procure the members separately each time or bring them from another storage location. Therefore, in the conventional gaming machine islands, when recombining the types of the gaming machines 2, ultimately, the procurement of necessary members and the like are troublesome, and there has been a problem that the cost increases.

[0058] In particular, in the conventional gaming machine islands, the correspondence of the processing of the supply device 100 (see FIG. 111) including the lifting and polishing device 30 has not been considered. For example, in a normal gaming machine island that is not a single unit island, a space for installing the lifting and polishing device 30, the storage tank 40, etc. that are part of the supply device 100 is always prepared at a fixed position inside the island. However, when recombining the gaming machine 2 in such a gaming machine island, it has been difficult to handle processes such as changing the installation space of the supply device 100. Furthermore, when recombining the gaming machine 2, a place for separately storing the unnecessary members has to be prepared.

[0059] <Frame member 113> As shown in FIGS. 46 to 49, the unit 10 includes frame members 113 erected at both of its side ends. The frame members 113 are fixed so as to stand vertically along the front edges of the both side plates 11, 11. The frame members 113 are provided with concave grooves 113a that open outward in the vertical direction. As will be described later, both ends of the intermediate member 60 are detachably fitted into the concave grooves 113a of the frame members 113 facing each other between the adjacent units 10.

[0060] Thereby, the intermediate member 60 can be detached and reused, and since it is on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it is also possible to reinforce the unit 10 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, by adopting such an attachment structure for the intermediate member 60, while improving the strength exerted on the unit 10 in the horizontal direction, the assembly to disassembly of the unit 10 can be easily performed as compared with the conventional gaming machine islands.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 12(c), the frame member 113 has a fixing portion 114 with a substantially U-shaped cross section that engages with the dovetail grooves 11a, 11a on both sides of the front edge of the side plate 11 and covers the front edge. On the front edge of the side plate 11, a pair of dovetail grooves 11a, 11a that are recessed to the same depth from both sides and face each other are formed in a slit shape over the entire length. The fixing portion 114 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and a pair of flanges that are bent inward and face each other are provided at both side edges thereof.

[0062] A pair of flanges that face each other with the opening groove of the frame member 113 in between, one extends longer than the other. Therefore, one end side of the fixing portion 114 on the side where the flange is long is located farther away from the reference surfaces (outer surface or inner surface) on both sides of the side plate 11 than the other end side of the fixing portion 114 on the side where the flange is short. One end side of the separated fixing portion 114 is located on the inner surface side rather than the outer surface side of the side plate 11, forming a frame edge that protrudes inside the front opening of the unit 10. A clearance K is formed between this frame edge and the inner surface of the side portion 11, so that other members attached to the inner surface are hidden behind the frame edge when viewed from the front.

[0063] Also, as shown in Fig. 12(c), along the front end on the side opposite to the surface with the opening groove of the fixing portion 114, an angle portion 115 forming a concave groove 113a with a substantially U-shaped cross section together with the front end is integrally provided. The concave groove 113a opens outward over the entire length of the frame member 113. The opening of the concave groove 113a of this frame member 113 is orthogonal to the front opening of the unit 10, and the opening end of the concave groove 113a overlaps with the outer surface of the side portion 11 in the depth direction of the unit 10.

[0064] Such a frame member 113 can be attached by simply sliding it from one end without using fixing means such as screws to the side plate 11. Therefore, the attachment work of the frame member 113 during the construction or assembly of the unit 10 can also be easily performed. Also, when the frame member 113 is damaged or when the design is changed, the frame member 113 can be easily replaced.

[0065] <Inter-unit member 60> <In the gaming machine island 1, an inter-unit member 60 is detachably attached between adjacent units 10. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the inter-unit member 60 is formed, for example, of wood in a panel shape. As shown in FIG. 12, both side edges of the inter-unit member 60 are directly fitted into the concave grooves 113a of the frame members 113 located on both sides. The plate thickness of the inter-unit member 60 is designed to be slightly smaller than the opening width of the concave groove 113a. In this way, the inter-unit member 60 is detachably attached only by the engagement relationship with the structure of the unit 10 itself.

[0066] <As shown in FIGS. 15 and 13, the inter-unit member 60 is vertically long in a front view, and its lateral width is wider than the dimension between the edges of the frame members 113 on both sides of each unit 10, and is set to be insertable between the concave grooves 113a on both sides in a state of being obliquely inclined around the vertical panel center line from the front side between the frame members 113. That is, the inter-unit member 60 can be inserted by being obliquely shifted from the front side with respect to the front opening of the unit 10, as shown in FIG. 11, without inserting it from above into the concave grooves 113a on both sides.

[0067] <As shown in FIGS. 14 and 12, after the inter-unit member 60 is inserted between the concave grooves 113a on both sides, by making it parallel to the front (front opening of the unit 10) between the frame members 113, both side edges of the inter-unit member 60 in a front view are arranged at positions hidden inside the concave grooves 113a on both sides. At this time, both lower ends of the inter-unit member 60 are fitted between the stoppers 254 of the anchor 25 described later and are positioned in this arrangement. That is, the inter-unit member 60 can be arranged at a central position where both side edges are hidden inside the concave grooves 113a by moving it left and right while slightly lifting it and dropping it into the step between the stoppers 254 on both sides.

[0068] In this way, the intermediate member 60 can be detachably attached without using fixing means such as screws by engaging with the structure of the unit 10 itself, i.e., the frame member 113 and the like. Therefore, the attachment and detachment of the intermediate member 60 can be extremely easily performed, the working time can be shortened, and the cost can be reduced. In particular, the attachment of the intermediate member 60 between the units 10 can be easily performed from the front side of the unit 10 without lifting the intermediate member 60 above the unit 10.

[0069] It is possible to attach the intermediate member 60 through the upper and lower portions between each unit 10. Of course, the layout can be freely set according to the connection between each unit 10. In the conventional gaming machine islands, for example, there are some that can freely set the layout between each single island, but each member arranged between each single island is large and has different shapes and is combined. On the other hand, the intermediate member 60 is a plate-shaped member that is not so large. Not only can the layout be freely set, but it can be easily attached integrally between each unit 10, can be easily removed and replaced, and moreover, the decorativeness can be enhanced as a design with a sense of unity.

[0070] Also, in the conventional gaming machine islands, for example, when connecting between single islands with a panel-shaped member, it is premised on using fixing means such as screws, which has led to an increase in the number of parts and the installation man-hours. Also, if the panel-shaped member has a structure that is simply inserted from above, it is necessary to lift the plate material above the gaming machine island when attaching and detaching the member. Therefore, not only is the attachment and detachment work of the panel-shaped member very difficult, but there may be a problem that it cannot be attached and detached in an installation place with a low ceiling.

[0071] The intermediate member 60 is not limited to being made of wood, and may be formed into a flat plate shape with a predetermined thickness by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum, for example. Patterns and colors can be added to the surface of the intermediate member 60 by printing or the like to achieve a desired design, and reversible use may be enabled with different designs on the front and back. Of course, similar to the decorative panels 6 and 7 described above, a plurality of types of the intermediate member 60 may be prepared in advance and replaced as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 10, a narrow cover member 601 that is long in both side directions is placed on the upper edge of the intermediate member 60, and a cap member 602 for fixing the cover member 601 is fitted onto the upper ends of the frame members 113 located on both ends of the cover member 601.

[0072] <Connecting member 61> As shown in FIGS. 16 to 24, the gaming machine island 1A has three units 10 installed side by side in the lateral direction. Here, the intermediate member 60 is not installed between the units 10, and the units 10 are connected to each other by a connecting member 61. Further, the three units 10 are combined in two rows back to back. Therefore, the gaming machine island 1A includes a total of six units 10. Here, the same type of gaming machine 2 is accommodated in each of the three units 10 arranged in each of the front and back rows, but different types of gaming machines 2 may be accommodated in each unit 10.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 25 to 32, the connecting member 61 is a frame for connecting the side plates 11 of adjacent units 10 in the lateral direction in a state where they are close to each other. The connecting member 61 includes a lower frame guide 62 and an upper frame guide 63 for attachment between the front edges of the side plates 11. The connecting member 61 also corresponds to the "intermediate member" of the present invention to be installed between the units 10, similar to the intermediate member 60. Also, the lower frame guide 62 or the upper frame guide 63 alone corresponds to the "intermediate member" of the present invention to be installed between the units 10.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 32, the connecting member 61 is formed as a metal frame with a substantially U-shaped cross section so as to cover the lower frame guide 62 and the upper frame guide 63 that join the front edges of the respective side plates 11 that are close to each other. The connecting member 61 is set to a length extending over the entire height of the unit 10 and is, for example, an extruded product made of aluminum or the like. Here, the connecting member 61 can be mounted so as to cover the front edges of the respective side plates 11 including the lower frame guide 62 and the upper frame guide 63.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 31, the lower frame guide 62 is formed as a metal frame with a substantially U-shaped cross section that engages with the outward dovetail grooves 11a on the front edges of the respective side plates 11 that are close to each other and covers each front edge. Further, in the inner center of the opening groove of the lower frame guide 62, a partition wall 621 with a substantially T-shaped cross section that engages with the inward dovetail grooves 11a of each front edge is provided. With such a lower frame guide 62, the front edges of the respective side plates 11 that are close to each other can be joined. Also, the upper frame guide 63 is basically formed as a frame with a substantially U-shaped cross section similar to the lower frame guide 62, but is provided with a stopper 631 (see Fig. 29) at its upper end.

[0076] As shown in Figs. 25 and 26, when connecting the adjacent side plates 11 of each unit 10, first, the lower frame guide 62 is inserted into the dovetail grooves 11a, 11a (see Fig. 31) on both sides from above the front edges of the respective side plates 11 and then slid downward as it is. When the lower frame guide 62 moves to the lower end side of each unit 10, it is configured to be positionable and fixable with respect to a detachable structure, such as the base member 22 described later, at that position. Since the lower frame guide 62 is a relatively short member, it can be easily handled even from above the respective side plates 11.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, after attaching the lower frame guide 62 to the front edge of each side plate 11, the connecting member 61 is attached so as to be inserted into the gap between the lower frame guide 62 and each side plate 11 from above the lower frame guide 62 (see FIG. 32). Then, the connecting member 61 is slid downward as it is. When the connecting member 61 moves to the lower end side of each unit 10, it is configured to be positionable and fixable to a detachable structure such as a base member 22 (to be described later) at this position, similar to the lower frame guide 62.

[0078] The connecting member 61 is a long member extending over the entire height of the unit 10. However, when attaching it between the front edges of each side plate 11 and to the lower frame guide 62, it is sufficient to insert it from above the lower frame guide 62 without lifting it above the unit 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 32, the connecting member 61 can be more easily attached to the front edge of each side plate 11 not covered by the lower frame guide 62 from the front of the unit 10 as it is. Thereby, even in an installation place with a low ceiling, it is possible to attach and detach the connecting member 61 to and from the front edge of each side plate 11 without any trouble.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, after attaching the connecting member 61 between the front edges of each side plate 11, finally, the upper frame guide 63 is inserted into the dovetail grooves 11a, 11a on both sides from above the front edge of each side plate 11, similar to the lower frame guide 62, and slid downward as it is. A stopper 631 is provided at the upper end of the upper frame guide 63. When the stopper 631 moves to a position covering the upper side of the front edge of each side plate 11, the attachment of the connecting member 61 is completed. Since the upper frame guide 63 is also a relatively short member, it can be easily handled even from above each side plate 11. The attachment of the connecting member 61 as described above can be performed only by the engagement relationship between the members without using fixing means such as screws.

[0080] Thereby, the connecting member 61 can be detached and reused, and since it is on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it is also possible to reinforce the unit 10 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, by adopting such an attachment structure for the connecting member 61, while improving the strength exerted on the unit 10 in the horizontal direction, it is possible to easily perform the assembly to disassembly of the unit 10 as compared with the conventional gaming machine island.

[0081] <Island side device 9> As shown in FIGS. 34 to 37, in the gaming machine island 1B with the backs facing each other, on the front side with the backs facing each other, two units 10 are installed side by side in both side directions, and on the rear side with the backs facing each other, three units 10 are installed side by side in both side directions, similar to the aforementioned gaming machine island 1A (see FIG. 16). Although the number of units 10 is different before and after with the backs facing each other in this way, on the front side where the number of units 10 is small, an island side device 9 that creates the personal space of the players sitting in front of each gaming machine 2 is arranged between each unit 10.

[0082] The island side device 9 includes an installation part following the top plate member 13 that can be used personally by the player, a shelf or the like above it where items can be stored, and a panel-shaped partition 9a that partitions the front between the units 10 is also attached as an option. Such an island side device 9 can specifically utilize, for example, the invention described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-210798 already proposed by the applicant. Therefore, although the detailed description of the island side device 9 is omitted here, the island side device 9 can also be interpreted as the "inter-unit member" of the present invention.

[0083] <Fastening member 70> As shown in FIGS. 63 to 67, the units 10 can be combined with the backs facing each other. That is, it is advisable to butt the rear end edges of the respective side plates 11, 11 of the unit 10 and screw the fastening member 70 from the inner surface side around the lower side of the notch 112 in each side plate 11. The fastening member 70 is formed, for example, of a thin rectangular plate made of metal. A plurality of screw holes are continuously provided in the fastening member 70 along its upper and lower ends in parallel with the depth direction of the unit 10. Thereby, the position for screwing the fastening member 70 to each side plate 11 butted with the backs facing each other can be adjusted as appropriate.

[0084] When the units 11 are combined back to back, the cutouts 112 of the units 11 are joined together to form one opening 112a. This opening 112a serves as the placement space for gaming equipment (such as a conveying device, etc.) that penetrates the central part of the island width of the entire gaming machine island 1. However, the units 10 that are combined back to back do not necessarily have to be butted against each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 53, they may be combined in a state where they are separated from each other.

[0085] If the units 10 are combined back to back, not only can gaming be carried out front and back as a double-sided island, but also the installation area on the floor becomes larger, increasing the sense of stability, and the rigidity of the entire island can also be enhanced. Also, the units 10 that are combined back to back are not limited to one unit each in the front and back. As described above, a plurality of units 10, such as two units (see FIG. 1) or three units (see FIG. 16) side by side, may be combined back to back in a row unit.

[0086] Also, the units 10 that are combined back to back are not necessarily limited to those of the same shape. For example, units 10 with different heights may be combined. In this case, the step difference due to the difference in height between the units 10 may be leveled by arranging, for example, another structure or the like. Furthermore, at least one of the front and rear units 10 that are combined back to back may be provided with another back panel so as to cover the back opening above the normal back panel 19 and the movable back panel 190 thereon. This can prevent foreign objects from entering from the rear unit 10.

[0087] For the same reason, on the back side of the unit 10, it is advisable to provide a contamination prevention material to prevent foreign objects from flying in from the units 10 combined back to back or adjacent units 10. Here, the contamination prevention material is, for example, a flexible planar material that can widely cover the back opening of the unit 10, and it is excellent because it can be easily opened like a curtain during maintenance. Therefore, specifically, a sheet-like net material such as a net is suitable as the contamination prevention material.

[0088] <Rail 20> As shown in FIGS. 68 to 71, the unit 10 of the present embodiment is fixed on the floor of a game parlor or the like via a rail 20. Here, the unit 10 is movable along the longitudinal direction of the rail 20 and can be fixed at an arbitrary installation position on the rail 20. The rail 20 includes a rail member 21 fixed to the floor side and serving as a reference for the installation position of the unit 10, and a base member 22 fixed to the lower end side of the unit 10 and movably engaged with the rail member 21.

[0089] According to such a rail 20, it is possible to easily adjust the installation position of the unit 10 along the rail member 21 on the floor. Therefore, the work load at the construction site of the gaming machine island 1 can be significantly reduced. Also, even after the assembly of the gaming machine island 1, it is possible to adjust the installation position of each unit 10 or the entire gaming machine island 1. Therefore, it is possible to easily change the arrangement and layout of the gaming machine island 1 and perform a pattern change in the game parlor.

[0090] <<Rail member 21>> The rail members 21 are fixed on the floor in a substantially horizontal state and linearly extend in parallel to each other as a pair arranged front and back in the depth direction of the unit 10. The lower ends of the both side plates 11, 11 of the unit 10 are slidably supported on the pair of front and back rail members 21, 21 via base members 22, respectively, and can be fixed immovably at an arbitrary position on each rail member 21.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 82 to 87, the rail member 21 is formed of a metal material having a groove-shaped cross section with an open upper surface side in the longitudinal direction. Here, the upper surface side of the rail member 21 is formed in a pair of flange shapes bent inward from the upper end edges of both side walls with an open groove extending in a narrow width along the center thereof. The rail member 21 is set to a predetermined length in advance, for example, but can be appropriately cut to an arbitrary length. Also, a short rail member 21a for adjusting the length for addition is prepared in advance for the rail member 20 of the basic length.

[0092] When the length of a single rail member 21 is insufficient, a plurality of rail members 21 or, as shown in FIGS. 88 to 90, a supplementary rail member 21a is linearly joined together. As shown in FIG. 90(b), fixing holes 211 through which anchor bolts 200 for fixing to the floor are passed are provided in the bottom surface portions 210 of the rail members 21, 21a.

[0093] The fixing holes 211 located at the ends of each of the rail members 21, 21a are provided by dividing each into two semi-circular parts on the bottom surface portions 210 that abut against each other. Thereby, when the rail member 21 is tightened with the anchor bolt 200 and fixed on the floor, the edges of the two rail members 21, 21a can be clamped together with a single anchor bolt 200, and the number of anchor bolts 200 can be reduced.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 71(b), a reinforcing plate 212 can be inserted inside the rail member 21 so as to overlap on its bottom surface portion 210. The reinforcing plate 212 is made of, for example, a thin metal plate extending with a width slightly smaller than the lateral width of the bottom surface portion 210 of the rail member 21. When the reinforcing plate 212 has the same length as the rail member 21, it is advisable to provide fixing holes for a semi-circle at its edges in the same manner as the fixing holes 211 in the bottom surface portion 210 described above. Note that the number of reinforcing plates is not limited to one, and the number can be appropriately adjusted according to the required strength.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 68, by screwing and tightening a fastening bolt 220 passed through an engaging portion 221 (described later) of the base member 22 into a slider 23 (see FIG. 71(b)) inside the rail member 21, the upper surface side of the rail member 21 can be firmly clamped between the engaging portion 221 and the slider 23. Here, the fastening bolt 220 is pre-fixed to the upper surface wall 231 of the slider 23 so as to protrude upward.

[0096] <<Slider 23>> The slider 23 is inserted inward from the end of the rail member 21 and is formed as a clamping fastening member that is movable in the rail longitudinal direction. As shown in FIGS. 91 to 96, the upper surface wall 231 of the slider 23 that abuts against the upper surface side of the rail member 21 from the back side has a rectangular shape with two long sides that are parallel to the rail longitudinal direction in plan view. Also, the fastening bolt 220 described above is fixed at approximately the center of the upper surface portion 231.

[0097] The dimension of the long side in the upper surface portion 231 is set to be smaller than the distance between the both side walls inside the rail member 21 and larger than the width of the opening groove on the upper surface side of the rail member 21. Also, the dimension of the short side in the upper surface portion 231 is set to be slightly smaller than the width of the opening groove on the upper surface side of the rail member 21. Thereby, the slider 23 is set so that it can pass through the opening groove on the upper surface side of the rail member 21 only when its long side becomes parallel to the rail longitudinal direction.

[0098] The leg wall portions 232, 232 hang down from both long sides of the upper surface portion 231, and bolt avoidance recesses 233 are provided in each leg wall portion 232 so that the lower end edge side thereof does not interfere with the anchor bolt 200. Also, on the extension lines of the ends located diagonally to each other among the both long sides of the upper surface portion 231, a pair of protruding pieces 234, 234 that protrude in a direction orthogonal to the two short sides and abut against the inner walls (both side inner walls) of the both side walls of the rail member 21 are provided. Each protruding piece 234 is provided such that one end of the leg wall portion 232 extends in the long side direction from the corner of the upper surface portion 231.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 97 to 99, when the slider 23 rotates in the fastening direction of the fastening bolt 220 and the long side becomes orthogonal to the rail longitudinal direction, each protruding piece 234 abuts against the inner walls of the both side walls of the rail member 21 and serves as a rotation stopper. Here, the fastening direction is the direction in which the fastening bolt 220 is tightened against the nut 224 arranged on the engaging portion 221 of the base member 22 described below. Therefore, the fastening direction is defined as the direction in which the nut 224 is tightened against the fastening bolt 220 in plan view (clockwise in FIG. 97), not the direction in which the fastening bolt 220 is screwed into the nut 224 in bottom view.

[0100] On the one hand, as shown in FIGS. 99 to 98, when the slider 23 rotates in the direction opposite to the fastening direction of the fastening bolt 220 (counterclockwise in FIG. 99) and rotates to an angle where the long side intersects the longitudinal direction of the rail, each protruding piece 234 detaches from the inner walls of both side walls of the rail member 21. As a result, a gap is formed between the inner walls of both side walls of the rail member 21 and each protruding piece 234, so that the slider 23 can be easily moved in the longitudinal direction of the rail within the rail member 21. Also. When tightening the nut 224, the slider 23 having the fastening bolt 220 is configured to be rotationally fixed so that the fastening bolt 220 and the nut 224 can be fastened.

[0101] <<Base member 22>> As shown in FIG. 80, the base member 22 is formed as a bracket-shaped sheet metal member having an engaging portion 221 that abuts against the upper surface side of the rail member 21 in a state straddling its opening groove, and a vertical wall portion 222 that rises substantially perpendicular to the engaging portion 221. The engaging portion 221 is a narrow plate-shaped member arranged substantially horizontally, and is set to have a length that traverses between the upper surface sides of the pair of rail members 21, 21. In the engaging portion 221, a pair of insertion holes 221a, 221a for passing the fastening bolt 220 are provided at positions corresponding to the fastening bolts 220 of the slider 23 viewed from the opening grooves of the pair of rail members 21, 21, respectively.

[0102] The vertical wall portion 222 is a portion to be fixed along the lower end side of the side plate 11 of the unit 10, and is formed in a plate shape that rises substantially perpendicular from one end edge of the engaging portion 221. Also, reinforcing side wall portions 223 are integrally formed between both ends of the engaging portion 221 and both end edges of the vertical wall portion 222. A pair of adjustment holes 222a, 222a are provided side by side at the same height position in the vertical wall portion 222. Each adjustment hole 222a is a guide groove that extends vertically so that the fastening position of a mounting bolt 240 described later can be adjusted in the vertical direction.

[0103] In addition, in the vertical wall portion 222, on one side wall portion 223 that is on the front opening side of the unit 10, a bracket 225 for receiving both lower ends of the intermediate member 60 is provided. This bracket 225 is made of metal and formed in a bracket shape. It is grounded to the floor in front of one rail member 21 and is configured to abut against the lower end of the intermediate member 60 when the intermediate member 60 is positioned at the center between the concave grooves 113a of the frame member 113. Also, on one side wall portion 223, another bracket 226 that pairs with the bracket 225 and is grounded to the floor behind the other rail member 21 is provided.

[0104] <<Reinforcing bracket 24>> As shown in FIGS. 102 and 103, the base member 22 is fixed to the side panel 11 of the unit 10 via a reinforcing bracket 24 and an anchor 25. The reinforcing bracket 24 is a sheet metal material for fixing the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 to the lower end side of the wooden side panel 11 in the unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 104 to 110, the reinforcing bracket 24 includes an attachment surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110 in the side panel 11, and a fitting flange 242 provided on one surface side of the attachment surface portion 241 and having a predetermined height that fits onto the inner peripheral edge of the opening 110.

[0105] The opening 110 punched in the side panel 11 of the unit 10 is substantially horizontally long and rectangular. The attachment surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24 is also substantially horizontally long and rectangular. The vertical width is approximately equal to that of the opening 110, the horizontal width is larger than that of the opening 110, and it extends by a predetermined width from both ends of the opening 110. The fitting flange 242 is provided on one surface side of the attachment surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110 so as to conform to the inner peripheral edge of the opening 110. The fitting flange 242 of the present embodiment is substantially U-shaped and abuts against the lower end edge and both side edges of the opening 110. It is slightly larger than the opening 110 and is set to fit tightly when inserted.

[0106] As shown in FIGS. 104 to 110, inside the fitting flange 242 on the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24, a pair of horizontally arranged mounting holes 243, 243 are provided. Around each mounting hole 243, a nut 244 for tightening the mounting bolt 240 is pre-fixed. Also, the portions of the mounting surface portion 241 outside the fitting flange 242, that is, the portions extending from both sides of the opening 110, will be separately screwed to both sides of the opening 110 in the side plate 11 as mounting pieces 241a.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 102 and 103, the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 is fixed by screwing the mounting bolt 240 passed through each adjustment hole 222a (see FIG. 80(b)) into the mounting hole 243 and the nut 244 in a state where it is overlapped with the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24 and tightening. Also, during the tightening of the mounting bolt 240, by moving the base member 22 in a state where the mounting bolt 240 passes through the adjustment hole 222a up and down, the fastening position of the base member 22 with respect to the side plate 11 can be adjusted in the vertical direction. Further, the mounting bolt 240 is fastened by engaging a plate 227 that also serves as a reinforcing member, rather than directly with the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22.

[0108] According to such a configuration, since the fitting flange 242 of the reinforcing bracket 24 contacts in four directions up and down within the opening 110, displacement can be prevented. Also, regarding the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bracket 24, the mounting piece 241a is also screwed with a wood screw, so there is no risk of the reinforcing bracket 24 coming out of the opening 110. Further, the fitting flange 242 fitted into the opening 110 serves as a reinforcement and prevents deformation of the reinforcing bracket 24. Also, by firmly fastening the reinforcing bracket 24 to the wooden side plate 11, a structure that firmly fastens sheet metal members such as the base member 22 below it to the side plate 11 becomes possible.

[0109] Also, a metal anchor 25 is interposed between the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 and the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24. As shown in FIG. 100(b), the anchor 25 includes a support piece 251 that is sandwiched between the vertical wall portion 222 and the mounting surface portion 241, a horizontal bar 252 connected to the lower end of the support piece 251, and a pair of adjustment bolts 253, 253 provided at both ends of the horizontal bar 252.

[0110] According to the anchor 25, it is also possible to adjust the level of the horizontal extension on the floor at the four corners of the unit 10. Further, on the horizontal bar 252 of the anchor 25, stoppers 254 for positioning both lower ends of the lower end of the aforementioned intermediate member 60 are provided above one end side closer to the front opening of the unit 10. This stopper 254 is formed as a block-shaped bracket made of metal like the anchor 25. The shape of the stopper 254 is not particularly limited as long as it can position both lower ends of the lower end of the intermediate member 60, and for example, it may be provided on the side of the base member 22 instead of the anchor 25.

[0111] Conventionally, when fixing metal fittings to wood, generally, they are fixed with wood screws or the like in the screw holes of the metal fittings, but there are the following problems. That is, since the diameter of the screw hole is larger than the screw diameter, the metal fittings may shift when a large force is applied. Also, if the metal fittings are simply plate materials, when a large force is applied and the wood deforms, both will be distorted. Furthermore, in some cases, there is a risk that the wood screws will come out and the fastening force will be completely lost.

[0112] Such conventional problems also occur when fastening metal fittings with bolts and nuts. Since there is a difference between the diameter of the bolt through-hole and the bolt diameter, displacement will occur. On the other hand, as described above, in the unit 10, the base member 22, which is a metal fitting, is fixed to the wooden side plate 11 via the reinforcing bracket 24 and the anchor 25. Therefore, for example, when a large earthquake occurs and an excessive load is applied to the unit 10, not only the displacement of the base member 22 with respect to the side plate 11 but also the deformation and damage of both can be surely prevented.

[0113] Also, in the gaming machine island 1A shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, like the unit 10 on one side with their backs together, the unit 10 may be directly installed on the floor of a game parlor or the like without using the rail 20. When the unit 10 is fixed to the floor via the rail 20, the base member 22 is sized to be placed on the rail member 21. On the other hand, for the base member 22 when directly fixing to the floor, it is advisable to set the dimensions such as the height of the vertical wall portion 222 on the engaging portion 221 in contact with the floor side to a larger size.

[0114] <Supply device> As shown in the unit 10 on the left side in FIG. 52, inside the unit 10 when installing the pachinko machine 2A, as related equipment, a supply device for circulating the game balls used in the pachinko machine 2A is housed. As shown in FIGS. 111 to 118, the supply device 100 is a general term for each device that circulates the game balls. When replacing the gaming machine 2 in the unit 10 from the pachinko machine 2A to the pachislot machine 2B, the following lifting and polishing device 30 remains as it is, but the other storage tank 40 and supply trough 50 are each removed and housed in the storage section 101.

[0115] The supply device 100 has a storage tank 40 that collects and stores the game balls used in the pachinko machine 2A and counted by the counter 8a (see FIG. 52), a lifting and polishing device 30 that lifts and polishes the game balls supplied from the storage tank 40, and a supply trough 50 that receives the game balls lifted by the lifting and polishing device 30 and supplies them to the pachinko machine 2A. Note that the lifting and polishing device 30 is one with an added lifting function to the polishing device. Hereinafter, the lifting and polishing device 30, the supply trough 50, and the storage tank 40 will be described in order.

[0116] <Lifting and polishing device 30> As shown in FIGS. 119 to 155, the lifting and polishing device 30 is a device that lifts and polishes the game balls used and recovered in the pachinko machine 2A. The lifting and polishing device 30 includes a main body 31, a polishing gear 32, a polishing means 33, a lifting path 34, a driving means 35, a control means 36, and the like. Game balls are supplied to the lifting and polishing device 30 from a storage tank 40, and the polished game balls are lifted through the lifting path 34 to a replenishing trough 50 above the pachinko machine 2A.

[0117] <<Main body 31>> The main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30 is a metal housing and is formed in a rectangular and flat box shape. On the horizontal upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31, the polishing gear 32 is rotatably disposed around a vertical axis. The polishing means 33 is disposed adjacent to the polishing gear 32 on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31. The driving means 35 and the like are also disposed on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31. Further, the control means 36 and the like are housed inside the main body 31.

[0118] <<Polishing gear 32>> As shown in FIG. 119, the polishing gear 32 is disposed on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31 in a state of being rotatably supported within a resin-made substantially cylindrical casing 320. Here, the axis of the polishing gear 32 extends in the vertical direction (up and down direction). The polishing gear 32 is formed in a resin-made substantially cylindrical shape. Note that the polishing gear 32 is integrally combined with two vertically split parts.

[0119] As shown in FIGS. 136 to 140, the polishing gear 32 is generally in a substantially cylindrical shape, but its upper half side is a large-diameter portion 32a, and the lower side of the large-diameter portion 32a is a reduced-diameter portion 32b whose outer diameter gradually tapers. Further, the lower side of the reduced-diameter portion 32b is a small-diameter portion 32c that extends to the same outer diameter as the minimum outer diameter at the lower end of the reduced-diameter portion 32b.

[0120] On the outer periphery of the large-diameter portion 32a, a plurality of guide teeth 321 are provided circumferentially along the generatrix of the cylindrical surface. The tooth grooves 322 between the guide teeth 321 are formed in an arcuate cross-sectional shape so as to embrace more than half of the game balls. The opening width of the tooth groove 322 is set to be narrower than the diameter of the game ball so that the game ball cannot be detached from the inside of the tooth groove 322 to the outside. That is, the tooth groove 322 can guide the game ball received from its upper end side to the lower end side, and a plurality of game balls are set to be sequentially accommodated in a state of overlapping vertically in the tooth groove 322.

[0121] Also, on the outer periphery of the reduced-diameter portion 32b, a plurality of locking teeth 323 extending along the generatrix of the cylindrical surface continuously with the guide teeth 321 are provided circumferentially. The pitch of each locking tooth 323 gradually becomes narrower than the wider pitch of each guide tooth 321, and the tooth grooves 324 between the locking teeth 323 are set to gradually bring the game balls received from the tooth groove 322 into contact with each other. Further, on the outer periphery of the reduced-diameter portion 32b, a plurality of locking teeth 325 extending along the generatrix of the cylindrical surface continuously with the locking teeth 323 are provided circumferentially. The tooth grooves 326 between the locking teeth 325 are set to keep the game balls guided from the tooth groove 324 of the locking teeth 323 in a state of contact with each other.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 125, the upper part of the casing 320 is opened as a receiving port for receiving game balls from a storage tank 40 described later and guiding them to the upper end opening of the tooth groove 322 of the polishing gear 32. Further, in the peripheral wall of the casing 320, a polishing window 320a (see FIG. 128) is opened at a portion facing the curved surface portion 332 of a cassette 331 described later. The polishing window 320a is formed so that a polishing member 330 described later can be routed along the outer periphery of the guide teeth 321 of the polishing gear 32. Further, at the bottom of the casing 320, a communication passage 328 (see FIG. 131) is also provided for aligning the game balls pushed out from the lower end of the tooth groove 324 by the rotation of the polishing gear 32 in a row and guiding them to the lifting passage 34.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 119, an electric motor 350 is attached to the side of the polishing gear 32 in the main body 31. The drive shaft of the electric motor 350 is connected via a transmission mechanism composed of gears (not shown) so as to be able to transmit a rotational force to the polishing gear 32, and the polishing gear 32 is configured to be rotationally driven by the electric motor 350. The electric motor 350 constitutes drive means 35 which is the power system of the lifting and polishing device 30. Note that a bearing portion 327 (see FIG. 137) connected to the power transmission system of the drive means 35 is provided at the center of the lower end of the polishing gear 32.

[0124] <<Polishing means 33>> As shown in FIG. 129, the polishing means 33 includes a polishing member 330 disposed in the polishing window 320a of the casing 320, a cassette 331 that detachably accommodates the polishing member 330 and faces the polishing gear 32, and a feeding mechanism that pulls out the polishing member 330 from the cassette 331 and moves it along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32. Here, the feeding mechanism includes a drive gear 351 pivotally supported on the main body 31 side and a driven gear 352 pivotally supported on the cassette 331 side.

[0125] The drive gear 351 is pivotally supported by a vertical rotating shaft at a position near one end of the polishing window 320a of the casing 320 on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31. Here, the drive gear 351 is configured to be interlocked with the rotation of the polishing gear 32, for example, via a transmission mechanism composed of gears (not shown). The drive gear 351 is set to pull out the polishing member 330 from the cassette 331 described below and move it along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32 according to the moving speed of the game ball due to the rotation of the polishing gear 32. However, the drive gear 351 may be controlled to rotate independently of the rotation of the polishing gear 32.

[0126] As shown in FIGS. 151 to 155, a cassette pedestal 311 for detachably attaching a cassette 331 is provided on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30. The cassette 331 is rectangular in plan view as described below, and its longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 31 is the attachment / detachment direction with respect to the cassette pedestal 311. The specific attachment / detachment structure of the cassette 331 to the cassette pedestal 311 will be described later.

[0127] As shown in FIGS. 141 to 150, the cassette 331 houses a polishing member 330. The cassette 331 is formed in a flat box-shaped case having a curved surface portion 332 that is recessed in an arc shape on the front end side of a rectangle in plan view. The polishing member 330 is made of a material capable of polishing game balls, and is, for example, a non-woven fabric processed into a long tape. The polishing member 330 is housed rotatably inside the cassette 331 as shown in FIG. 129, for example, in a state of being wound around a paper core tube in a roll shape.

[0128] As shown in FIGS. 143 and 144, a guide groove 333 for pulling out the end of the polishing member 330 to the outside is provided in one side wall 331a connected to one end of the curved surface portion 332 of the cassette 331. Further, as shown in FIGS. 141 and 142, a driven gear 352 facing the drive gear 351 is pivotally supported on the other side wall 331b connected to the other end of the curved surface portion 332. The curved surface portion 332 is formed in an arc-shaped cross-sectional shape so as to follow the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32, and an elastic cushioning material such as felt is attached, for example.

[0129] The polishing member 330 is pulled out to one end side of the curved surface portion 332 through the guide groove 333 of the cassette 331, and moves along the outer periphery of the guide teeth 321 in a state where it can press the game balls on the polishing gear 32 side by the elastic force of the cushioning material. Here, as shown in FIG. 129, the polishing member 330 is arranged so as to be fed out as it is by a pair of drive gear 351 and driven gear 352 located on the other end side of the curved surface portion 332. The polishing member 330 away from the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32 is set to be fed out in a direction parallel to the attachment / detachment direction of the cassette 331.

[0130] That is, as shown in FIG. 129(b), for a pair of driving gears 351 and a driven gear 352, a line a connecting their respective rotation axes is perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction b of the cassette 331. Also, a line c passing through the contact point between the driving gear 351 and the driven gear 352 and perpendicular to the line a connecting the rotation axes of both gears 351, 352 is set to be immediately adjacent and parallel to the tangent line of the polishing gear 32.

[0131] According to such an arrangement of both gears 351, 352 or the feeding direction of the polishing member 330, even if there is a slight error in the mounting position of the cassette 331 in its longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), when the polishing member 330 is engaged between both gears 351, 352, it is possible to reliably feed the polishing member 330. Note that the driving gear 351 and the driven gear 352 are not necessarily limited to gear-shaped ones, and for example, they may be roller-shaped ones with anti-slip processing such as knurling on their outer peripheral surfaces.

[0132] Also, the widths of both gears 351, 352 are preferably as wide as possible with respect to the width of the polishing member 330. For example, when the widths of both gears 351, 352 are narrower than the width of the polishing member 330, only a part of the polishing member 330 in the width direction is in a state of being sandwiched between both gears 351, 352. Here, when the portion near the center in the width direction of the polishing member 330 is sandwiched and pulled, the polishing member 330 becomes wrinkled and thinner in the width direction, and the feeding efficiency also decreases.

[0133] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 150, in the example of the driven gear 352, among the structures arranged in three stages vertically, the middle stage is the actual driven gear 352, and the upper and lower stages are feed guides with gear specifications for rotating in wide contact with the polishing member 330. The same applies to the driving gear 351 shown in FIG. 128. Thereby, between both gears 351, 352, together with the upper and lower feed guides, it becomes possible to sandwich the polishing member 330 in a stable state, and it becomes possible to reliably feed the polishing member 330.

[0134] After being sent out by the driving gear 351 and the driven gear 352, the polishing member 330 is discharged through a slit-shaped guide path 334 (see Fig. 129) formed along the front end (near the driven gear 352) to the rear end of the other side wall 331b of the cassette 331. The used polishing member 330 discharged from the cassette 331 is, for example, collected together behind the cassette 331 and appropriately recovered. Also, when the polishing member 330 is used up, the cassette 331 is removed from the main body 31, the polishing member 330 inside is replaced with a new one, and then the cassette 331 is attached to the main body 31 again.

[0135] As shown in Fig. 129(a), the polishing member 330 is, for example, accommodated rotatably inside the cassette 331 in a state of being wound around a paper core tube in a roll shape. The cassette 331 is configured such that, for example, its upper half can be opened. An attachment shaft 335 for pivotally supporting the core tube of the roll-shaped polishing member 330 is provided on the inner bottom wall of the cassette 331. Here, the attachment shaft 335 may have a simple configuration such as a boss or a screw.

[0136] The end of the polishing member 330 is fixed with an adhesive force such that it can be peeled off by strongly pulling it with respect to the core tube. Specifically, for example, although not shown in the figure, it may be attached with an adhesive tape material or an adhesive. By fixing the end of the polishing member 330 to the core tube in this way, the production of the polishing member 330 becomes easy, and it is also preferable in terms of the finished quality in the manufacturing process. Also, if the fixing is such that the polishing member 330 can be easily peeled off from the core tube, when the polishing member 330 is used up to the end, the polishing member 330 can be peeled off from the core tube and the polishing member 330 can be sent to the end.

[0137] This not only enables the polishing member 330 to be effectively used until the end, but also prevents problems that may occur when the polishing member 330 remains even after a long time, such as breakage or fraying of the polishing member 330 on the wear surface. Also, as described above, the core tube of the polishing member 330 is pivotally supported on the mounting shaft 335, so that the behavior of the polishing member 330 in the cassette 331 is stabilized, and the feeding of the polishing member 330 can operate stably.

[0138] The cassette 331 is configured to be detachable from the cassette pedestal 311 on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31 in its longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. As shown in FIG. 144, on the bottom outer wall of the cassette 331, a total of four claw-shaped engaging portions 336, 337 for mounting are provided in two locations each in the front and rear. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 151, on the cassette pedestal 311, when the cassette 331 is brought into contact, each engaging portion 336, 337 enters, and when the cassette 331 is moved forward toward the polishing gear 32, a pair of engaged portions 312, 312 in the shape of an opening groove with which each engaging portion 336, 337 engages are provided. Note that a simple locking mechanism for restraining the cassette 331 in the mounted state may be provided on the cassette pedestal 311 or the casing 320 or the like.

[0139] Each engaging portion 336, 337 of the cassette 331 also serves as a structure for preventing distortion and deformation of the bottom surface of the cassette 331 when the cassette 331 is set on the cassette pedestal 311. Also, on the bottom outer wall of the cassette 331, ribs 338 extending parallel to the attaching / detaching direction of the cassette 331 are provided so as to be connected to each engaging portion 336, 337. These ribs 338 not only further reinforce the bottom surface of the cassette 331, but also reduce the sliding resistance with the cassette pedestal 311 during attachment / detachment and prevent snagging or the like.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 119, the lifting path 34 lifts the game balls sequentially pushed out as the polishing gear 32 rotates upward. Here, the inner diameter of the lifting path 34 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game balls, and it is configured to lift the game balls in a state where they are aligned in a single row. More specifically, the lifting path 34 includes a lower lifting path 341 forming its lower end side, and a main lifting path 342 communicatively connected to the lower lifting path 341 and extending linearly upward. The lower lifting path 341 is configured by bonding together two pre-divided semi-tubular molded products into a tubular shape.

[0141] In the lifting path 34, the lower lifting path 341 is fixed to the main body 31 via a fixing bracket 340. The lower end inlet of the lower lifting path 341 is communicatively connected to a communication passage 328 (see FIG. 131). The main lifting path 342 is formed of, for example, a resin pipe material. The main lifting path 342 is detachable from the upper end of the lower lifting path 341 and can be disposed in advance inside the unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 133 and 135, the lower lifting path 341 is formed to be bent, but a reinforcing wall 341a is provided on the outer periphery of the bent portion that bends with a curvature equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0142] The specific shape of the reinforcing wall 341a is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be formed in a rib shape extending with a predetermined width along the cross-section of the two-divided molded product and configured to be stacked in two layers. By providing the reinforcing wall 341a at the curved portion that is particularly loaded among the lower lifting paths 341 that are susceptible to the load from the game balls, even if the inner wall of the lower lifting path 341 wears out, the base end side of the reinforcing wall 341a is exposed inside, so that the function as a path for the game balls is maintained, and the life of the lifting path 34 can be extended.

[0143] Also, although omitted in some figures, as shown in FIG. 119, between the polishing gear 32 and the electric motor 350 in the main body 31, a shutter 313 that can be inserted into and removed from the inside of the main body 31 through a slit formed in the upper surface portion 310, for example, is provided. The shutter 313 opens and closes a gap through which, for example, the communication passage 328 located below it and the lower pumping passage 341 communicate. The shutter 313 is normally held in a position where it does not block the gap, but by being inserted downward to close the gap, it is possible to prevent the outflow of game balls from the polishing gear 32. FIGS. 126 and 127 show a state in which the shutter 313 is attached to the main body 31 so as to be closed.

[0144] Such a shutter 313 can prevent game balls from spilling during maintenance and inspection of the pumping and polishing device 30. Here, the shutter 313 may be substituted with, for example, the positioning member 314 of the pumping and polishing device 30 without preparing a dedicated product. When the main body 31 of the pumping and polishing device 30 is placed on the partition member 121 (installation surface) of the unit 10, a flat positioning member 314, for example, is used to place and position one end side of the main body 31. It is also conceivable to use this positioning member 314 as it is instead of the shutter 313.

[0145] In the pumping and polishing device 30, as another configuration for stopping the flow of game balls, it is also conceivable to change the location where the flow of game balls is stopped by the shutter 313 or the positioning member 314. For example, a shutter 313 or the like is made insertable and removable in the middle of the movement path of game balls from the receiving port side of the casing 320 that receives game balls in the main body 31 to the polishing gear 32, so that the supply of game balls to the polishing gear 32 is stopped.

[0146] Also, in the cassette 331, it is preferable to provide a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the polishing member 330 in the middle of the movement path of the polishing member 330 from the guide groove 333 to the pair of gears 351 and 352. For example, it is conceivable to provide the detection unit at a position that does not interfere with the polishing member 330 near the guide groove 333 shown in FIG. 143. The detection unit determines that all the polishing members 330 in the cassette 331 have been used up by detecting the presence or absence of the polishing member 330. Such a detection unit can be specifically constituted by various sensors such as an optical sensor or a proximity sensor.

[0147] Furthermore, in the main body 31, a driving means 35 which is a power system of the lifting and polishing device 30 and a control means for controlling the operation of the driving means 35 are integrally assembled respectively. As described above, the driving means 35 is disposed on the upper surface portion 310 of the main body 31. Although not shown in the figure, the control means is configured as a substrate provided with a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and controls the electric motor 350 of the driving means 35 and the like. Such a control means is preferably disposed inside the main body 31. According to such a configuration, the entire device can be made compact, and the wiring process can also be reduced.

[0148] By the way, the lifting and polishing device 30 is housed in the storage portion 101 in the unit 10, but even when exchanging from the pachinko machine 2A to the pachislo machine 2B, it can be left as it is on the partition member 121. Thereby, the recombination work of the gaming machine 2 can be performed more easily. On the other hand, since the driving means 35 and the control means are also integrated in the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30, it facilitates the response by unit replacement during maintenance or trouble. The lifting and polishing device 30 is housed in a state where it can be pulled out from the storage portion 101 when the waist plate member 17 is opened.

[0149] <Supply trough 50> As shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, the supply trough 50 is a member that is disposed above the gaming machine 2 inside the unit 10 and supplies the lifted gaming balls to the gaming machine 2. The supply trough 50 includes a trough main body 51 in which a plurality of rail-shaped paths 52 through which the gaming balls flow down in a line are arranged in parallel in both side directions. The trough main body 51 is formed in the illustrated shape by, for example, resin. Each path 52 extends linearly in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the trough main body 51, and the bottom wall of each is formed in an arcuate cross-section that is slightly wider than the diameter of the gaming ball.

[0150] In the present embodiment, four paths 52 are provided as four-way troughs. Of each path 52, the paths 52 at both ends form a pair of supply paths 52A, 52A that supply gaming balls to the gaming machine 2 or the between-stage service machine 8. Also, the paths 52 inside the supply paths 52A, 52A at both ends form a pair of drop paths 52B, 52B that drop excess gaming balls. The supply paths 52A, 52A at both ends are disposed at a higher position than the drop paths 52B, 52B, and excess gaming balls in each supply path 52A are set to be movable to the drop path 52B by the height difference. When collectively referring to the supply path 52A and the drop path 52B, it is simply referred to as the path 52, but in the drawings, it is distinguished as 52A or 52B.

[0151] As shown in FIGS. 156 and 158, a receiving portion 53 for receiving the gaming balls lifted by the lift and polish machine 30 is provided at the proximal end side of the trough main body 51 where the upstream side of each path 52 is located. Each path 52 branches into four from the receiving portion 53 at its upstream side. As shown in FIG. 163(b), along both side ends of the trough main body 51, the supply paths 52A are arranged at the same height, and inside thereof, the drop paths 52B arranged at the same height at a position one step lower are arranged.

[0152] As shown in Fig. 163(b), the partition wall 521 between the supply path 52A and the falling path 52B adjacent thereto is set to a height at which the game ball can move from the supply path 52A to the falling path 52B. Here, the specific height of the partition wall 521 is set to about half of the diameter of the game ball, for example. Further, a taper (inclined surface) inclined toward the inner falling path 52B is formed at the upper end of the partition wall 521. Also, the partition walls 522 between the respective falling paths 52B are set to heights at which the game balls cannot move between each other.

[0153] Since the falling path 52B is located below the supply path 52A, it is not necessary to provide a taper on the partition wall 522 between them. However, rarely, when the game balls are moving in a row in the supply path 52A, as shown in Fig. 177(a), game balls that ride up may occur. If the game balls move along the upper surface of the side wall of the trough main body 51 in such a state, it is assumed that the game balls will bridge near the inlets of the ball outlets 523 and 524 described later, as shown in Fig. 177(b). For this reason, by providing a taper on the partition wall 522, the game balls that have ridden up on the supply path 52A can be surely dropped to the side of the falling path 52B.

[0154] As shown in Fig. 158, the receiving portion 53 is formed in a stage shape that extends semicircularly toward the base end side in a plan view from the upstream ends of the respective paths 52 arranged in a row in both side directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the trough main body 51. A supply port 531 communicating with the upstream end opening of the feeding path 34 of the feeding and polishing machine 30 is provided near the semicircular top end of the receiving portion 53. The receiving portion 53 and the upstream sides of the supply paths 52A and 52A on both sides are surrounded by a guide wall 54 having a predetermined height from the rear, which is the opposite side of the ball flow direction, toward the front, which is the ball flow direction. The guide wall 54 is formed separately from the trough main body 51 by, for example, resin, and is attached to the base end side of the trough main body 51 by screwing or the like.

[0155] The guide wall 54 surrounds the outer edge of the receiving portion 53 in a semi-circular shape, and then extends along the outer edges of the supply paths 52A and 52A on both sides while the width on both sides gradually narrows. The front end edges 540 on both sides are open so as to face the upper part closer to the inside of each falling path 52B. Due to the opening on the front side of such a guide wall 54, even when each path 52 is temporarily clogged with foreign objects or the like and the game balls overflow, the flow of the game balls from the opening on the front side of the guide wall 54 to the falling path 52B is maintained, and the game balls will not be clogged and piled up. Note that the front end side up to the front end edge 540 of the guide wall 54 is arranged at a height position that does not prevent the flow-down of the game balls above the upstream side of each supply path 52A.

[0156] Also, due to the portions on both sides of the guide wall 54 where the width gradually narrows, the game balls overlapping on each supply path 52A can be collapsed to the inner falling path 52B. Here, notches 541 are provided at the portions on both sides of the guide wall 54 where the width gradually narrows to create a gap on the lower end side of the guide wall 54. Such notches 541 can prevent the game balls flowing down the supply path 52A from strongly interfering with the lower end side of the guide wall 54 and prevent the generation of a bridge where the game balls overlap along the guide wall 54.

[0157] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 163(b), the front end sides on both sides of the guide wall 54 are curved inward so as to cross above the upstream sides of both supply paths 52A and 52A, and its front end edge 540 extends to above the tapered portion that inclines toward the falling path 52B side slightly beyond the top end of the partition wall 521. Thereby, the game balls overlapping in front of the opening of the guide wall 54 can be smoothly guided to the falling path 52B, so that the clogging and piling up of the game balls can be prevented.

[0158] As shown in FIGS. 156 and 158, the receiving portion 53 is provided with a guide portion 532 for guiding the supplied game balls to the supply path 52A outside the inner falling path 52B. The guide portion 532 is formed in a block shape with a semicircular cross section that creates a passage through which the game balls can pass between the semicircular surrounding portion of the guide wall 54 and in front of the supply port 531. Here, the outlet of the passage is set to face the upstream ends of the supply paths 52A, 52A on both sides. That is, the game balls supplied to the receiving portion 53 are guided to the supply path 52A rather than the falling path 52B.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 165(b), the height of the guide portion 532 is set lower than the height of the guide wall 54. Thus, when the game balls are excessively lifted to the receiving portion 53, the game balls are guided to the falling path 52B without passing through the passage over the guide portion 532. Here, since the guide wall 54 is higher than the guide portion 532, the game balls do not spill over the guide wall 54 after climbing over the guide portion 532.

[0160] According to such a supply gutter 50, as shown in FIG. 175, the game balls lifted to the receiving portion 53 flow down evenly to the supply paths 52A, 52A on both sides. Then, when one of the supply paths 52A, 52A on both sides is filled with game balls, as shown in FIG. 176, since the supply path 52A through which the game balls lifted to the receiving portion 53 flow down becomes only the other supply path 52A, some of the game balls climb over the partition wall 521 (see FIG. 163(b)) and are guided to the inner falling path 52B.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 156, one of the supply paths 52A on both sides supplies pachinko balls to the pachinko machine 2A, and its downstream end communicates with a ball outlet 523 that bends downward toward the pachinko machine 2A located below. The ball outlet 523 is connected to the gaming machine 2 via a bendable pipe member (not shown) called a jabara. Further, the other supply path 52A on both sides supplies pachinko balls to the inter-stage service machine 8, and its downstream end communicates with a ball outlet 524 that extends laterally toward the inter-stage service machine 8 located laterally. The ball outlet 524 is connected to the inter-stage service machine 8 via a bendable pipe member (not shown) called a jabara.

[0162] Each falling path 52B drops the overflowed and surplus pachinko balls into a storage tank 40 described later. Each downstream end communicates with a ball outlet 525 that bends downward toward the storage tank 40 located below. Each ball outlet 525 is connected to the storage tank 40 via a bendable pipe member (not shown) called a jabara. Note that one ball outlet 525 bends so as to be separated from the other ball outlet 525 midway. This is to prevent interference by imparting different directions to the pipe members connected to each ball outlet 525.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 163(b), each path 52 is formed in an arc-shaped cross section as described above. Thereby, at the connection portions between each path 52 and the tubular ball outlets 523 to 525, the inner peripheral surfaces of each other can be smoothly continuous. If each path 52 is a flat plane path with a flat bottom, a constricted portion will be formed at the connection portion to the ball outlets 523 to 525. In such a constricted portion, a reverse step portion will occur, so there is a risk that the flow of pachinko balls will be obstructed at that location.

[0164] Also, when the game balls flowing down each falling path 52B do not enter the ball outlet 525 but ride on the downstream upper half 510 described below, the game balls are set to flow down as they are on the downstream upper half 510 and then fall downward. This prevents the game balls that did not enter the ball outlet 525 from returning to the falling path 52B side and getting jammed.

[0165] As shown in FIGS. 168 and 169, the tip side of the gutter body 51 is formed by dividing the upper half side with respect to its lower half into a downstream upper half 510, and this downstream upper half 510 is integrally combined with the lower half side. Each of the ball outlets 523, 524, 525 is provided on the tip side of the gutter body 51, but is formed such that the lower half of the tip side of the gutter body 51 and the downstream upper half 510, which are each divided into two parts, are integrally combined later. Here, if convex ridges and concave grooves that fit together are provided at the joints between the two divided parts of each of the ball outlets 523, 524, 525, it is possible to prevent the joints from shifting or coming off due to vibration or the like.

[0166] In the downstream upper half 510, detection units 511, 512 capable of detecting game balls are provided at positions overlapping above each of the ball outlets 523, 524. Each of the detection units 511, 512 is set to continuously turn ON when a game ball stays at the ball outlets 523, 524, and to output a signal for detecting a ball jam as a supply error when the ON state continues for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) or more. Specifically, each of the detection units 511, 512 is constituted by various sensors such as a magnetic sensor or a proximity sensor.

[0167] As shown in FIGS. 170 to 173, the supply trough 50 is installed at the upper part (see FIG. 52) in the unit 10 via the support bracket 55. As shown in FIGS. 164(b) and 165(b), on the bottom surface side of the trough main body 51, ribs 513 and 514 are provided so as to ensure a gradient that inclines each path 52 downward from the upstream end to the downstream end when the trough main body 51 is placed on the horizontal support bracket 55. Further, as shown in FIG. 167, at the tip side of the trough main body 51, the downstream ends of the respective paths 52 are open, and ribs 515 and 516 for reinforcement are provided at appropriate positions to ensure the required strength.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 174, the support bracket 55 is formed of a rectangular sheet metal material extending in the front-rear direction in plan view, and flanges 552 and 553 that vertically rise to a predetermined height are formed at the front and rear ends of its bottom plate 551. An opening 554 of a size that allows the supply trough 50 removed from the support bracket 55 to be inserted downward is provided in the front flange 552 and the bottom plate 551 beside it.

[0169] A through hole 555 for connection through the upstream end of the main pumping path 342 is provided in the bottom plate 551 at a position corresponding to the supply port 531 on the bottom surface side of the supply trough 50 installed thereon. This through hole 555 is a long hole so as to absorb the mounting error of the supply trough 50. The upper end side of the main pumping path 342 is fixed by being inserted with a fitting margin of a predetermined length with respect to the supply port 531, and by this fixing, it is possible to hold the supply trough 50 in a hanging state.

[0170] To attach the supply pipe 50 onto the bottom plate 551 of the support bracket 55, it can be easily done by snap-fitting the engagement claws 517, 518 located at the front and rear on the bottom surface side of the pipe body 51 into the attachment holes 556 and the attachment grooves 557 on the bottom plate 551. That is, the pair of engagement claws 517, 517 on the front side of the pipe body 51 are detachable with respect to the pair of attachment holes 556, 556 in front of the opening 554 of the bottom plate 551. Also, the pair of engagement claws 518, 518 on the rear side of the pipe body 51 are detachable with respect to both ends of the attachment groove 557 on the bottom plate 551.

[0171] Further, in the bottom plate 551 of the support bracket 55, at a position closer to the front of one long side, a mounting plate 558 that hangs downward is integrally provided. As shown in Fig. 174, on this mounting plate 558, a bracket-shaped fixture 559 capable of gripping and fixing a pipe member (not shown) communicating and connecting to each ball outlet 525 is provided. Note that, as described above, a bendable pipe member called a bellows is adopted.

[0172] <Storage tank 40> As shown in Fig. 111 etc., the storage tank 40 can be detachably fixed onto the main body 31 of the pumping and polishing device 30. As shown in Fig. 52, inside the unit 10, the pumping and polishing device 30 is installed in the storage section 101 including the main body 31, and the storage tank 40 is installed in the replacement arrangement section 102. The partition member 122 partitioning between the storage section 101 and the replacement arrangement section 102 has a narrow depth (see Fig. 53), and behind the partition member 122, the pumping and polishing device 30 and the storage tank 40 are integrally combined vertically.

[0173] As shown from Fig. 178 to Fig. 184, the storage tank 40 is formed of sheet metal or the like in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open upper surface. The storage tank 40 includes a tank body 41 forming its main part, and an accessory part 42 connected to the upstream side of the tank body 41. The accessory part 42 is also formed of sheet metal or the like in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open upper surface, but its length is short and its depth is shallow.

[0174] By splitting the storage tank 40 into the tank body 41 and the accessory part 42 in this way, they can be partially detached from each other. Even if there is an error in the installation dimensions due to the arrangement of wiring or the like, they can be fully accommodated. Hereinafter, in the longitudinal direction of the storage tank 40, the side far from the accessory part 42 will be referred to as the "front side", and the side close to the accessory part 42 will be referred to as the "rear side" for explanation. Note that as a whole, the accessory part 42 is the most upstream end in the flowing direction of the game balls.

[0175] The accessory part 42 has a box shape that is also open to the front, and is configured to be detachable from a stepped portion 41a provided as the upstream end of the tank body 41. When the accessory part 42 is attached to the tank body 41, it forms a continuous internal space with the tank body 41, and the bottom surface portion of the accessory part 42 is continuous with the bottom surface of the stepped portion 41a. On the other hand, even when the accessory part 42 is separated, the tank body 41 can store the game balls without the game balls leaking from the opening side of the stepped portion 41a.

[0176] Inside the accessory part 42, a plurality of pipe connection members 423, 424 for receiving the game balls that have overflowed from the supply trough 50 are fixed via separate fixing brackets 421, 422 in a state of overlapping vertically. There are two pipe connection members 423, 424 and fixing brackets 421, 422 each corresponding to two pipe members (not shown) extending from the supply trough 50. Each of the pipe connection members 423, 424 is curved so as to reduce the momentum of the falling game balls, and the lower end of the pipe member (not shown) is connected in communication to one end thereof, and the other end is arranged to face the tank body 41 side.

[0177] Each of the fixing brackets 421, 422 is in the shape of a bracket that presses from above to hold the curved and adjacent one end and the other end of each of the pipe connection members 423, 424, and they are fixed so as to overlap each other with a space corresponding to the outer diameter of the pipe member 421 or the like between them vertically. In Fig. 178, only the upper fixing bracket 421 can be seen, but actually the lower fixing bracket 422 is also fixed inside this fixing bracket 421. By separating the upper and lower fixing brackets 421, 422 in this way, not only the construction is facilitated, but also both of them are prevented from coming off during maintenance and inspection.

[0178] As shown in FIGS. 178 to 184, the tank body 41 is surrounded by a bottom plate 410, both side plates 411, 411, a front plate 412, and a rear plate 413, in addition to the stepped portion 41a at its upstream end. The bottom plate 410 is inclined downward so that the game balls flow down by their own weight from the front plate 412 side toward the rear plate 413 side. Also, as shown in FIGS. 186 and 187, in the vicinity of the middle stage inside the tank body 41, an upper gutter member 43 is disposed so as to be inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the bottom plate 410.

[0179] The upper gutter member 43 is formed of resin in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is particularly formed of a transparent resin so as to be transmissive downward. Two upper gutter members 43 arranged in the front-rear direction are combined. The upper gutter member 43 on the front plate 412 side is arranged such that the rear edge, which is the upstream end thereof, is continuous with an accessory portion 42 described later. Also, the upper gutter member 43 on the rear plate 413 side is arranged at a position separated from the front plate 412 so as to form a dropping port for the game balls between the front edge, which is the downstream side thereof, and the front plate 412. Since the upper gutter member 43 is transparent and transmissive downward, it is possible to check for clogging with foreign matter on the downstream side, and maintenance can also be easily performed. Note that the upper gutter member 43 is configured to be detachable by fitting into the tank body 41.

[0180] As shown in FIG. 187, on the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41, two lower sieve members 44 for separating foreign matter from the game balls are provided side by side in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 179, in the bottom surface portion 410, openings 414 for dropping foreign matter downward are formed at the attachment locations of the respective lower sieve members 44. As shown in FIGS. 188 to 194, the lower sieve member 44 is formed of resin and includes an introduction surface portion 441 on the side facing the flowing direction of the game balls and a foreign matter dropping portion 442 following the introduction surface portion 441.

[0181] The introduction surface part 441 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the upper surface where the game balls flow down is set to have an inclination substantially the same as the inclination angle of the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41. The foreign object dropping part 442 has lanes arranged side by side left and right. Each lane consists of a vertical plate-shaped ridge 443 forming a narrow lane bottom surface with a thickness equal to the plate thickness, and a partition plate 444 partitioning both sides thereof at an interval through which the game balls can pass.

[0182] The ridge 443 of the lane has a different inclination angle from that of the introduction surface part 441. That is, in the normal installation state of the storage tank 40, the inclination angle of the introduction surface part 441 on the upstream side of the lower sieve member 44 itself is set to be steeper than the inclination angle of the ridge 443 forming the lane bottom surface in the foreign object dropping part 442. Thereby, when the game balls flowing down the lower sieve member 44 are separated for each lane in the foreign object dropping part 442, it prevents the overlapping (commonly called bridge) due to the decrease in the flowing speed of the game balls.

[0183] Also, the upper end edge of each partition plate 444 is inclined backward from above the introduction surface part 441 in the opposite direction to the inclination of the bottom plate 410, and the balls can be sorted and made to flow down one row at a time. Further, between the rear ends of the upper end edges of each partition plate 444, a ball leveling bar 445 is installed to break the vertical overlap of the game balls and level them in one step.

[0184] As shown in Fig. 187, the rear end of the foreign object dropping part 442 in the lower sieve member 44 on the front panel 412 side and the front end of the introduction surface part 441 in the lower sieve member 44 on the rear panel 413 side are connected to each other. At the connection part between each of these lower sieve members 44, a step 446 that descends one step downward on the downstream side is provided. By adding the movement of dropping the game balls by this step 446, it is possible to more surely drop the foreign objects riding on the game balls downward. To attach the lower sieve member 44 to the bottom surface part 410 of the tank body 41, it can be easily done by snap-fitting the engaging claws 447 and 448 at the front and rear on the bottom surface side of the lower sieve member 44 into the attachment holes (not shown) around the opening 414 of the bottom surface part 410.

[0185] Further, the part that is the downstream end of the bottom surface part 410 of the tank main body 41 forms a substantially horizontal surface, and a ball discharge port 415 is provided at this part. As shown in FIG. 111 and the like, when the storage tank 40 is combined on the main body 31 of the pumping and polishing device 30, the ball discharge port 415 of the tank main body 41 is set to communicate with the receiving port of the casing 320 on the main body 31. Near the ball discharge port 415, an attachment part 416 is provided where a shutter 45 for opening and closing the ball discharge port 415 can be inserted and removed.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 185, the shutter 45 is formed of a sheet metal in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and on one short side that is the operation side and on both long sides, for example, flanges guided by the attachment part are formed to rise. As shown in FIG. 186, the shutter 45 is inserted below the ball discharge port 415 from an insertion direction a orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the tank main body 41. In the shutter 45, the other short side facing the insertion direction a is not parallel to the one short side on the operation side, but is formed as an inclined edge 450 that intersects the insertion direction a.

[0187] The inclined edge 450 of the shutter 45 is inclined so as to let the game balls escape toward the downstream end rather than the upstream side in the flowing-down direction of the game balls inside the tank main body 41. According to such an inclined edge 450, even in a state where game balls overlap and are in pressure contact below the ball discharge port 415, it is possible to insert them below the ball discharge port 415 with a weak force. That is, the game balls in contact with the inclined edge 450 escape as if they are pushed to the downstream end in the flowing-down direction, so they can be easily inserted below the ball discharge port 415.

[0188] <Intermediate column member 106> Also, as shown in FIG. 33, intermediate column members 105 and the like for closing the gaps with the inner surfaces of the both side plates 11, 11 are disposed on both sides of the gaming machine 2 installed in the unit 10. As shown in the left unit 10 in FIG. 33, when a pachinko machine 2A is installed, a pedestal service machine 8 is disposed on the left side thereof, and two intermediate column members 106 are disposed on the right side with their wide front walls 106a facing the front.

[0189] On the other hand, as shown in the unit 10 on the right side in Fig. 33, when the pachislot machine 2B is installed, a dedicated column member 105 is arranged on its right side, while two column members 106 are arranged on the left side. One is arranged with its wide front wall 106a facing the front, and the other is arranged with its narrow side wall 106b facing the front. In this way, the column member 105 has its wide front wall 106a and its narrow side wall 106b.

[0190] As shown in Fig. 193, if the two column members 106 are combined such that their respective front walls 106a face the front, a wider gap between the gaming machine 2 and the side panel 11 can be closed. As shown in Fig. 194, if the two column members 106 are combined such that one has its wide front wall 106a and the other has its narrow side wall 106b facing the front respectively, the lateral width will be narrower than in the case of Fig. 193.

[0191] In this way, it is possible to select two types of lateral widths even with only one column member 106, and it is possible to adjust to close various gaps with a small number of parts. As shown in Fig. 33, regarding the column member 106, when installing the pachinko machine 2A and when installing the pachislot machine 2B, the number of column members 106 does not increase or decrease, and two are sufficient in both cases.

[0192] Also, for the installation of the column member 106, column brackets 107 are used for the upper and lower parts respectively. Regarding this column bracket 107 as well, one can correspond to the two positions of the column member 106 described above. That is, the column bracket 107 is provided with a wide mounting piece 107a and a narrow mounting piece 107b that bends at a right angle to this, and can be attached to the upper and lower ends of the column bracket 107 in different directions.

[0193] When fixing the wide front wall 106a of the intermediate column member 106 facing forward, attach it to the upper and lower ends of the intermediate column bracket 107 in the posture shown in FIGS. 195(a) and (b). On the other hand, when fixing the narrow side wall 106b of the intermediate column member 106 facing forward, attach it to the upper and lower ends of the intermediate column bracket 107 in the posture shown in FIGS. 196(a) and (b). In FIGS. 195 and 196, the front side on the lower left of the paper surface is the front.

[0194] Incidentally, the wide front wall 106a of the intermediate column member 106 is set to the same width as the understage service machine 8. Therefore, when inserting the understage service machine 8, only one intermediate column member 106 needs to be removed. At this time, the remaining intermediate column member 106 can be installed so as to be stored, for example, at the rear side of the installed intermediate column member 106.

[0195] <Regarding the present invention> As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiments will be described below. [1] In the supply trough 50 that is arranged above the gaming machine 2 and supplies gaming balls to the gaming machine 2, A plurality of rail-shaped paths 52 through which the gaming balls flow down in a line are arranged in parallel in both side directions, Each of the paths 52 has a supply path 52A for supplying gaming balls to the gaming machine 2 or the related device 8, and a drop path 52B for dropping surplus gaming balls is formed in a path adjacent to the supply path 52A. The upstream side of the supply path 52A is surrounded by a guide wall 54 of a predetermined height from the rear, which is the opposite side of the ball flow-down direction, to the front, which is the ball flow-down direction, and a portion where the width narrows stepwise is formed on the side of the guide wall 54.

[0196] [2] A notch 541 that creates a gap below the guide wall 54 is provided at a portion where the width on the side of the guide wall 54 narrows stepwise.

[0197] <Regarding another invention 1> Also, from the above-described embodiments, the following separate invention 1 is derived. [1] In the structure (unit 10) of the gaming machine island 1 where a plurality of types of gaming machines 2 can be installed one by one, having a lower placement member 15 disposed below one gaming machine 2A and an upper placement member 16 disposed above another gaming machine 2B, and including a storage portion 101 capable of storing the lower placement member 15 or the upper placement member 16, when changing and installing from the one gaming machine 2A to the another gaming machine 2B, taking out the upper placement member 16 stored in the storage portion 101 and disposing it above the another gaming machine 2B, and removing the lower placement member 15 and storing it in the storage portion 101, when changing and installing from the another gaming machine 2B to the one gaming machine 2A, taking out the lower placement member 15 stored in the storage portion 101 and disposing it below the one gaming machine 2A, and removing the upper placement member 16 and storing it in the storage portion 101, which is characterized by the above.

[0198] [2] The lower placement member 15 and the upper placement member 16 are characterized by being formed in a flat plate shape.

[0199] [3] The storage portion 101 is characterized by being disposed below the lower placement member 15.

[0200] [4] The storage portion 101 is characterized by accommodating a lifting machine for lifting gaming media. Here, the lifting machine may be the above-described lifting and polishing machine 30 with an added polishing function for gaming media.

[0201] As a conventional gaming machine island, for example, in the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-224826, when installing a pachinko machine, a ball box shelf is installed on the upper surface of the lower frame portion, a serving board (top plate member) is installed on this ball box shelf, and the pachinko machine is installed thereon. When installing a pachislo machine, a serving board is installed on the upper surface of the lower frame portion, the pachislo machine is installed thereon, and a ball box shelf is further installed thereon.

[0202] In this case, it is premised that the height difference between the playing board of the pachinko machine and the playing board of the pachislot machine matches the height of the ball box shelf. Therefore, it is possible to use the ball box shelf as a shared member between the pachinko machine and the pachislot machine. However, if the height above the gaming machine does not match the height difference between the playing board of the pachinko machine and the playing board of the pachislot machine due to the installation of a bill validator or the like, it cannot be applied.

[0203] On the other hand, according to the structure (unit 10) of this gaming machine island 1, it has an upper placement member 16 arranged above the pachislot machine 2B and a lower placement member 15 arranged below the pachinko machine 2A, and is provided with a storage part 101 capable of storing the upper placement member 16 or the lower placement member 15. Thereby, since it is not necessary to share the upper placement member 16 and the lower placement member 15, even when the height above the gaming machine 2 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachislot machine 2B, it can be applied without problems.

[0204] <Regarding Invention 2> Also, from the above-described embodiments, the following Invention 2 is also derived in relation to the above-mentioned Invention 1. [1] The interior of the unit 10 is partitioned, in order from the bottom, into at least a storage part 101, a replacement placement part 102, and a gaming machine placement part 103. The replacement placement part 102 can be integrated into the gaming machine placement part according to the type of the gaming machine. When installing one gaming machine 2A, the related devices of the one gaming machine 2A are housed in the replacement placement part 102, and the front side of the replacement placement part 102 is covered by the lower placement member 15. When installing another gaming machine 2B, the related devices of the one gaming machine 2A are removed from the replacement placement part 102 and housed in the storage part 101 together with the lower placement member 15. The empty replacement placement part 102 is integrated with the gaming machine placement part to house another gaming machine 2B, and the upper part above the front side of the another gaming machine 2B is covered by the upper placement member 16 housed in the storage part 101. Here, the related equipment of one gaming machine 2A housed in the replacement arrangement unit 102 corresponds to, for example, a storage tank 40 or the like.

[0205] [2] The storage unit 101 houses a lifting and polishing machine 30 that lifts and polishes the game media used in one gaming machine 2A. The lifting and polishing machine 30 is characterized in that it remains in the storage unit 101 as it is even after being reassembled to another gaming machine 2B that does not use the lifting and polishing machine 30. Here, the lifting and polishing machine 30 is integrally configured with its control means, and the lifting machine and the control unit are detachable as a unit with respect to the lifting machine arrangement unit during maintenance and inspection (including replacement).

[0206] [3] It is characterized by having partition members 121 or the like that divide the inside of the unit 10 into a plurality of regions vertically.

[0207] [4] Engagement portions 12a or the like for installing the partition members 121 or the like are provided on the inner surface of the unit 10. Here, a plurality of engagement portions 12a or the like may be provided at different upper and lower positions, for example, on the inner surface of the side plate 11 of the unit 10.

[0208] [5] The unused partition members 121 or the like can be stored in any region inside the unit 10. Here, any region means, for example, the storage unit 101.

[0209] <Regarding Invention 3> Further, the following Invention 3 is also derived from the above-described embodiments. [1] In a gaming machine island 1 composed of a unit 10 in which a gaming machine 2 can be installed, The unit 10 is fixed on the floor via a rail 20. The unit 10 is movable along the longitudinal direction of the rail 20 and can be fixed at any installation position on the rail 20.

[0210] [2] The rail 20 is fixed to the floor side and includes a rail member 21 that serves as a reference for the installation position of the unit 10, and a base member 22 that is fixed to the lower end side of the unit 10 and is movably fitted to the rail member 21.

[0211] [3] The rail member 21 is formed in a groove-shaped cross-section with an open upper surface side over its longitudinal direction. The base member 22 includes an engaging portion 221 that abuts against the upper surface side of the rail member 21 across its opening. It includes a slider 23 that is inserted inside the rail member 21 and is movable. The engaging portion 221 of the base member 22 is screwed to the slider 23 with the upper surface side of the rail member 21 in between, and by tightening the screw, the upper surface side of the rail member 21 is clamped and fixed between the slider 23. Here, the screw includes bolts.

[0212] [4] The rail members 21 are provided as a pair arranged front and back in the depth direction of the unit 10. The base members 22 are provided at the lower end sides of both side ends of the unit 10. The engaging portions 221 of the respective base members 22 are arranged to straddle between the upper surface sides of the pair of rail members 21.

[0213] [5] The slider 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and at the ends of two long sides that are parallel to the rail longitudinal direction and are diagonally located with respect to each other, a pair of protruding pieces 234, 234 that abut against the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21 are provided respectively. When the slider 23 rotates in the screw tightening direction and the two long sides are orthogonal to the rail longitudinal direction, the pair of protruding pieces 234, 234 abut against the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21 to prevent rotation. On the other hand, when the slider 23 rotates in the direction opposite to the screw tightening direction and the two long sides form an angle intersecting the rail longitudinal direction, the pair of protruding pieces 234, 234 disengage from the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21.

[0214] [6] The base member 22 is fixed to the lower end side of the side plate 11 forming both side ends of the unit 10 via a metal reinforcing bracket 24. The base member 22 includes a vertical wall portion 222 that rises substantially vertically from the engaging portion 221 and extends along the lower end side of the side plate 11. The reinforcing bracket 24 includes a mounting surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110 punched in the side plate 11, and a flange 242 provided on the mounting surface portion 241 and fitted to the inner peripheral edge of the opening 110. It is characterized in that the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 is overlapped with the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24 and fixed by screwing.

[0215] <Regarding Another Invention 4> Further, the following Another Invention 4 is also derived from the above-described embodiment. [1] In a gaming machine island 1 including a plurality of units 10 each capable of installing one gaming machine 2, the units 10 are installed side by side in both side directions, and an understage member 60 can be detachably attached between adjacent units 10 by engaging with the structure of the unit 10 itself. Here, the understage member 60 includes not only the panel-shaped understage member 60 but also a connecting member 61 that connects the units 10 to each other.

[0216] [2] The unit 10 includes frame members 113 erected at both side ends thereof. The frame member 113 is provided with a concave groove 113a that opens outward in the vertical direction. Both ends of the understage member 60 are detachably fitted into the concave grooves 113a of the frame members 113 facing each other between adjacent units 10.

[0217] [3] The understage member 60 is formed in a panel shape, and both side edges thereof are fitted into the concave grooves 113a.

[0218] [4] The unit 10 includes side surfaces (side plates) 11 that are parallel to each other at both of its side ends. The frame member 113 is fixed along the front edge of the side surface 11. The frame member 113 is fixed along the front edge of the side surface 11 in such a state that the frame edge that frames the front opening of the unit 10 protrudes inside the front opening from the inner surface of the side surface 11, and a clearance is formed between the frame edge and the inner surface of the side surface 11 so that other members attached to the inner surface are hidden behind the frame edge in a front view.

[0219] [5] The frame member 113 includes a fixing portion 114 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that engages with the dovetail groove 11a formed at the front edge of the side surface 11 and covers the front edge, and one end side of the fixing portion 114 forms the frame edge. An angle portion 115 that forms the concave groove 113a having a substantially U-shaped cross section together with the front end is integrally provided along the front end of the fixing portion 114.

[0220] [6] The lateral width of the inter-stage member 60 is wider than the dimension between the frame members 113 of each unit 10, and is set to be insertable between the concave grooves 113a on both sides in a state of being obliquely inclined around the vertical panel center line from the front side between the frame members 113. When the inter-stage member 60 inserted between the concave grooves 113a on both sides is made parallel to the front between the frame members 113 and is arranged at a left-right position where both side edges are hidden in the concave grooves 113a on both sides, stoppers 254 are provided at both lower ends of the inter-stage member 60 so that they are fitted and positioned in the arrangement.

[0221] [7] The unit 10 includes a back surface portion (movable back plate) 190 that covers at least a part of the back side thereof. The back surface portion (movable back plate) 190 is detachable and can be used as a part of the mounting surface of the gaming machine 2 when removed and installed between the side surfaces 11 on both sides.

[0222] <Regarding Invention 5> Also, from the above-described embodiments, the following Invention 5 is also derived in relation to the Invention 4. [1] In the unit 10 where one gaming machine 2 can be installed, a frame member 113 is erected at a corner of the unit 10, a groove portion 113a is formed in the frame member 113, the frame member 113 is on the front side or the back side of the gaming machine 2, and a fitting member is provided around the gaming machine 2, and both opposing edge portions of the fitting member are fitted into the groove portion 113a for attachment.

[0223] [2] The fitting member is an intermediate member 60 attached between the units 10 arranged at a distance from each other.

[0224] [3] The fitting member is a curtain plate member 18 attached above the gaming machine 2. Regarding the curtain plate member 18 as well, for example, a pair of rotating shafts protruding laterally are provided at both ends of the upper end edge, and the curtain plate member 18 can be attached to the inside of the front ends of the both side plates 11, 11 or the frame member 113 via the rotating shafts so as to be openable and closable, and it can also be interpreted as a kind of the fitting member.

[0225] Also, regarding the connecting member 61 as well, if the lower frame guide 62 and the upper frame guide 63 are regarded as corresponding to the "frame member", and a part of them is regarded as corresponding to the "groove portion", it can also be interpreted as a kind of the fitting member.

[0226] Further, regarding the attachment of the back plate 19, the movable back plate 190, the lower arrangement member 15, and the upper arrangement member 16 as well, for example, it can be configured to be attachable using the groove portion 113 of the frame member 113, or a groove portion into which the lower arrangement member 15 or the like can be fitted and attached can be provided in the frame member 113 separately from the groove portion 113. According to such a configuration, regarding the back plate 19, the movable back plate 190, the lower arrangement member 15, and the upper arrangement member 16 as well, it can also be interpreted as a kind of the fitting member.

[0227] As a conventional gaming machine island, for example, in the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-144343, when attaching a side decorative panel to a side plate, it is necessary to add special fixing means such as a receiving portion and an insertion portion. By inserting the receiving portion into the insertion portion from above, the side decorative panel could be attached to the side plate. Also, by inserting the receiving portions above and below the inner wall of the back decorative panel into the insertion portions of the lower reinforcing plate and the upper reinforcing plate on the back side of the case frame, the back decorative panel was attached to the case frame.

[0228] On the other hand, in the unit 10 of this embodiment, on the front side or the back side of the gaming machine 2 and having a fitting member around the gaming machine 2, by fitting both opposite edge portions of the fitting member into the groove portion 113a of the frame member 113 for attachment, the fitting member that can be used for reinforcement can be reused. Also, while improving the strength exerted in the horizontal direction of the gaming machine island 1, the assembly to disassembly of the gaming machine island 1 can be easily performed compared to the conventional gaming machine island.

[0229] <Regarding Another Invention 6> Also, from the above-described embodiment, the following Another Invention 6 is also derived. [1] In a storage tank 40 for storing gaming balls used in the gaming machine 2, comprising a tank body 41 and an accessory portion 42 detachably attached to the tank body 41, the accessory portion 42 forms a series of internal spaces with the tank body 41 in a state of being attached to the tank body 41, and the tank body 41 is characterized in that it can store gaming balls even in a state where the accessory portion 42 is separated.

[0230] [2] The accessory portion 42 is detachably attached to the upstream end of the tank body 41, and a plurality of pipe members 423, 424 for receiving gaming balls from the outside are fixed in a state of being removable in order via separate fixing brackets 421, 422 in a state of overlapping vertically inside the accessory portion 42.

[0231] [3]In the vicinity of the middle stage inside the tank body 41, an upper gutter member 43 that is inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41 is disposed. The upper gutter member 43 is characterized in that it is formed of a transparent resin so as to be permeable downward.

[0232] [4]On the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41, lower sieve members 44 for separating foreign matter from the game balls are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, and a step 446 that becomes lower step by step from the upstream side to the downstream side is provided between the adjacent lower sieve members 44 in the front-rear direction.

[0233] <Regarding Another Invention 7> Also, from the above-described embodiments, the following Another Invention 7 is also derived. [1]In a polishing device 30 that lifts and conveys the game media collected from the gaming machine 2 while polishing them, a polishing gear 32 that holds the game media in tooth grooves 322 arranged in the circumferential direction and is rotatable around the axis, and a polishing member 330 that is arranged along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32 and can polish in contact with the game media are provided. The polishing member 330 is a long tape wound in a roll shape and stored in a cassette 331, and the cassette 331 is detachable from the main body 31 provided with the polishing gear 32. When the cassette 331 is attached to the main body 31, after the polishing member 330 drawn out to the outside of the cassette 331 is arranged along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32, it can be sent out in a direction parallel to the attachment / detachment direction of the cassette 331.

[0234] [2]In order to send out the polishing member 330, a pair of rotators 351 and 352 that can rotate while sandwiching the middle of the polishing member 330 are provided. The pair of rotators 351 and 352 are characterized in that the line connecting their respective rotation axes is orthogonal to the attachment / detachment direction of the cassette 331. Here, the rotators 351 and 352 may be not only gears but also rollers with anti-slip processing on the outer periphery.

[0235] [3]Of the pair of rotators 351 and 352, one is pivotally supported by the cassette 331 as a driven rotator 352, and the other is pivotally supported by the main body 31 as a driving rotator 351 and is rotationally driven by power.

[0236] [4]The cassette 331 includes a curved surface portion 332 that is recessed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32 on the front end side thereof, and a guide groove 333 that is formed in one side wall 331a that is continuous with one end of the curved surface portion 332 and that pulls out the polishing member 330 to the outside. The driven rotator 352 is disposed on the other side wall 331b that is continuous with the other end of the curved surface portion 332. [4]The polishing member 330 is pulled out from the guide groove 333 to one end side of the curved surface portion 332, and is fed out by the driving rotator 351 and the driven rotator 352 while moving along the outer periphery of the polishing gear 32.

[0237] [5]In the cassette 331, a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the polishing member 330 is provided in the middle of the movement path of the polishing member 330 from the guide groove 333 to the pair of rotators 351 and 352.

[0238] [6]A driving means 35, which is a power system of the polishing device 30, and a control means for controlling the operation of the driving means 35 are integrally assembled to the main body 31, respectively.

[0239] [7]When the main body 31 is disposed on the installation surface, a flat positioning member 314 for placing and positioning one end side of the main body 31 is provided. The positioning member is detachable in the middle of the movement path of the game ball from the polishing gear 32 to the discharge side of the game ball in the main body 31, and when inserted in the middle, it also serves as a shutter for stopping the outflow of the game ball from the polishing gear 32.

[0240] [8]A lifting path 34 for lifting the game balls sequentially pushed out as the polishing gear 32 rotates upward is provided. A reinforcing wall 341a is provided on the outer periphery of a location where the conveying path 34 bends with a curvature equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0241] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and changes and additions within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. For example, the arrangement and number of the units 10 in the gaming machine island 1 are not limited to the aspects of the above-described embodiments. When installed along the wall in the game arcade, the units 10 are not arranged back to back, but are arranged only in both side directions.

[0242] In addition, not only each member such as the frame member 113, the top plate member 13, the lower arrangement member 15, the upper arrangement member 16, the waist plate member 17, and the curtain plate member 18 that constitute the unit 10 itself, but also the rails 20 and the like can be repeatedly reused. In addition, all the members and devices related to the unit 10 or the gaming machine island 1 of the present embodiment, including the intermediate member 60, the connecting member 61, the fastening member 70 related to the structure of the gaming machine island 1, and further the storage tank 40, the conveying and polishing device 30, the supply trough 50 and other related devices, can be repeatedly reused respectively.

Industrial Applicability

[0243] The supply trough according to the present invention can be widely applied as being equipped in a gaming machine island equipped with a pachinko machine or a pachislot machine as a gaming machine.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0244] 1... Gaming machine island 1A... Gaming machine island 1B... Gaming machine island 2... Gaming machine 2A... Pachinko machine 2B... Slot machine 3... Gaming board surface 4... Handle 5... Tray 6... Ceiling decorative board 7... Side wall decorative board 8... Intermediate service machine 8a... Ball counter 9… Island attachment device 10… Unit 100… Supply device 101… Storage section 102… Replacement arrangement section 103… Gaming machine arrangement section 105… Intermediate column member 106… Intermediate column member 107… Intermediate column bracket 11… Side panel 11a… Ant groove 110… Opening 111… Handle hole 112… Notch 113… Frame member 113a… Concave groove 114… Fixing section 115… Angle section 12a… Engaging section 12b… Engaging section 121… Partition member (fixed) 122… Partition member (fixed) 125… Upper front member 126… Upper rear member 127… Upper placement member 128… Upper partition member 128a… Groove section 13… Ceiling member 130… Metal plate 131… Mounting bracket 132… Pressing bracket 133… Pressing bar 15… Lower placement member 16… Upper placement member 17… Waist plate member 170… Rotation axis 171… Lowermost placement member 172… Lowermost placement member 18… Screen member 181… Mounting piece 182… Lower end piece 183a… Groove section 19… Back panel 190… Movable back panel 20… Rail 200… Anchor bolt 21… Rail member 21a…Rail member 210…Bottom surface part 211…Fixing hole 212…Reinforcing plate 22…Base member 220…Fastening bolt 221…Engaging part 221a…Insertion hole 222…Vertical wall part 222a…Adjustment hole 223…Side wall part 224…Nut 225…Bracket 226…Bracket 227…Plate 23…Slider 231…Upper surface part 232…Leg wall part 233…Recess 234…Tab 24…Reinforcing bracket 240…Mounting bolt 241…Mounting surface part 241a…Mounting piece 242…Fitting flange 243…Mounting hole 244…Nut 25…Anchor 251…Support piece 252…Horizontal bar 253…Adjusting bolt 254…Stopper 30…Lifting and grinding device 31…Main body 310…Upper surface part 311…Cassette pedestal 312…Engaged part 313…Shutter 314…Positioning member 32…Grinding gear 32a…Large diameter part 32b…Reduced diameter part 32c…Thin large diameter part 320…Casing 320a…Grinding window 321…Guide teeth 322…Tooth groove 328…Communication passage 33… Grinding means 330… Grinding member 331… Cassette 331a… One side wall 331b… The other side wall 332… Curved surface portion 333… Guide groove 334… Guide path 335… Mounting shaft 336,337… Engaging portion 338… Rib 34… Lifting path 340… Fixed bracket 341… Lower lifting path 341a… Reinforcing wall 342… Main lifting path 35… Driving means 350… Electric motor 351… Driving gear 352… Driven gear 36… Control means 40… Storage tank 41… Tank body 41a… Step portion 410… Bottom plate 411… Side plate 412… Front panel 413… Rear panel 414… Opening 415… Ball discharge port 416… Mounting portion 42… Accessories 421,422… Fixing fittings 423,424… Pipe member 43… Upper gutter member 44… Lower sieve member 441… Introduction surface portion 442… Foreign matter dropping portion 443… Ridge 444… Partition plate 445… Ball breaking bar 446… Step 447,448… Engaging piece 45… Shutter 450… Inclined edge 50… Supply gutter 51… Gutter body 510… Upper half of the downstream 511… Detection unit 512… Detection unit 513, 514, 515, 516… Rib 517… Engagement claw 52… Path 52A… Supply path 52B… Drop path 521… Partition wall 522… Partition wall 523… Ball outlet 524… Ball outlet 525… Ball outlet 53… Receiving part 531… Supply port 532… Guide part 54… Guide wall 540… Front edge 541… Notch 55… Support bracket 551… Bottom plate 552, 553… Flange 554… Opening 555… Through hole 556… Mounting hole 557… Mounting groove 558… Mounting plate 559… Fixture 60… Inter - table member 601… Cover member 602… Cap member 61… Connecting member 62… Lower frame guide 63… Upper frame guide 70… Fastening member

Claims

Claim 1 In a supply trough that is arranged above a gaming machine and supplies game balls to the gaming machine, a plurality of rail-shaped paths through which the game balls flow down in rows are arranged in parallel in both side directions, the paths at both ends among the respective paths form supply paths for supplying game balls to the gaming machine or related devices, and the paths inside the two supply paths form a plurality of dropping paths for dropping surplus game balls, A supply trough, characterized in that a guide portion is provided for guiding the game balls received on the upstream side of each path to the supply path outside the dropping path inside.

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