Gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of exhibiting high effectiveness without being adversely affected by an applied lubricant.SOLUTION: In the game machine provided with a prescribed component having a sliding part relatively slidable to a prescribed part and applying a lubricant to an application area including the sliding part in the prescribed component, the prescribed component is provided with a seat part with which the seat surface of a screw is brought into contact and the application area is arranged so as not to be brought into contact with the seat part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 22

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Gaming machines such as pachinko machines have various moving parts, such as movable winning mechanisms and moving bodies for performance effects (Patent Document 1). For such moving parts, lubricants are often applied to application areas including sliding parts. This improves sliding properties and suppresses the generation of abnormal noise and wear powder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-49221 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, lubricants are highly effective when applied to sliding parts, etc., but since lubricants may have adverse effects on certain parts of the gaming machine, the areas to which the lubricant is applied must be appropriately determined. Furthermore, there are several methods for applying lubricants, each with its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of work efficiency and accuracy, so it is necessary to select an appropriate application method for each part. Furthermore, there are various types of lubricants, each with different properties such as concentration and viscosity, so it is desirable to use the most appropriate type of lubricant depending on the application area. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can demonstrate high effectiveness without being adversely affected by the applied lubricant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to an amusement machine that includes a specified part having a sliding part that can slide relatively to a specified location, and in which lubricant is applied to an application area of ​​the specified part that includes the sliding part, wherein the specified part has a seating part that comes into contact with the seating surface of a screw, and the application area is positioned so as not to come into contact with the seating part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve high effectiveness without being adversely affected by the applied lubricant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a pachinko machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of the pachinko machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rear mounting base of the game board of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a third member that constitutes the central display frame unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 6] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the upper winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 7] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the upper winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 8] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the upper winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 10] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a winning device that constitutes the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 12] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 13]This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 14] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 15] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the middle winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 17] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the lower winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an oblique view of a winning device that constitutes the lower winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 19] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the lower winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 20] This is an exploded oblique view of the main parts of the winning device that constitutes the lower winning unit of the pachinko machine. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. [Figure 25] 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inner lens that constitutes the first movable effect means of the pachinko machine. [Figure 27] This is a side cross-sectional view of the lower winning unit and its surrounding area of ​​the same pachinko machine. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 to 27 illustrate an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine. In Fig. 1, a gaming machine main body 1 includes an outer frame 2 that is rectangular when viewed from the front, and a front frame 4 that is pivotally attached to the front of the outer frame 2 by a hinge 3 on one of the left and right sides, for example, the left side, so as to be able to open and close freely. A glass door 5 and a front panel 6 are arranged adjacent to each other vertically in front of the front frame 4, and are each pivotally supported on the front frame 4 by a hinge 7 on the same side as the hinge 3 so as to be able to open and close freely. Of course, the glass door 5 and the front panel 6 may be configured as a single door that can be opened and closed integrally.

[0009] An upper tray 8 is arranged at the top in front of the front panel 6, which stores game balls dispensed from the dispensing means (not shown) and supplies them to the launching means (not shown), and below the upper tray 8, a lower tray 9 is arranged at the left end, which stores surplus balls when the upper tray 8 is full, and a launch handle 10 is arranged at the right end for operating the launching means. Furthermore, operation buttons 12 and 13 for effects, a ball lending operation unit 14, etc. are arranged on an upper tray cover 11 that covers the upper tray 8 etc. from the front.

[0010] A game board 15 (Fig. 2) is removably attached to the front frame 4, corresponding to the rear side of the glass door 5. The game board 15 has a base plate 16 made of a transparent synthetic resin or the like, and a guide rail 17 that guides game balls launched from the launching means is attached in an annular shape to the front side of the base plate 16, and a game area 18 inside the guide rail 17 is arranged with unit components such as a central display frame unit 21, a start winning unit 22, and a normal winning unit 23, as well as a large number of game pegs. One or more mounting holes are formed in the base plate 16 in an area corresponding to the game area 18, penetrating the front and rear directions, and the unit components 21 to 23 are removably attached and fixed to the mounting holes from the front side. Also, within the game area 18, on the unit components 21 to 23 and at any other position, there are arranged a normal pattern starting means 31, a first special pattern starting means 32, a second special pattern starting means 33, a first big prize means 34, a second big prize means 35, multiple (here four) normal prize means 36a to 36d, outlets 37a to 37d, etc.

[0011] The central display frame unit 21 is arranged on the upper side in approximately the center of the game area 18, and is formed in a frame shape with an opening window 51 arranged in approximately the center corresponding to the rear liquid crystal display means (image display means) 50. A game ball that is launched by the launching means and enters the upper side of the game area 18 is sorted to the left and right at the top of the central display frame unit 21, and flows down either a left flow-down path 52a on the left side of the central display frame unit 21 or a right flow-down path 52b on the right side. The central display frame unit 21 is broadly composed of first to third members 53 to 55.

[0012] The first member 53 is formed in a generally arcuate shape, extending from the upper right portion of the opening window 51 through the upper side to near the center on the left side. The first member 53 is integrally provided with a front mounting plate 53a, which is disposed outside the mounting hole along the front surface of the base plate 16 and through which game balls can pass, and a peripheral wall portion 53b, which prevents game balls from entering the opening window 51. The second member 54 is formed in a generally arcuate shape, extending from near the center on the left side of the opening window 51 through the lower side to the lower right side. The left end of the second member 54 is connected to the first member 53. The second member 54 is provided with a warp inlet 54a on the left side through which game balls can enter, and a stage 54b on the lower side. A game ball that enters the warp inlet 54a while flowing down the left flow path 52a rolls freely in the left-right direction on the stage 54b, and then falls to the front from either a central drop portion 56, which is provided corresponding to the center of the left-right direction of the playing area 18, or from another portion.

[0013] The third member 55 is disposed along the guide rail 17 on the right side of the opening window 51 so as to vertically connect the first member 53 and the second member 54, and a portion of the right flow-down path 52b is provided to pass through this third member 55. The third member 55 is further composed of four parts, namely, an upper prize winning unit 55a, a middle prize winning unit 55b, a lower prize winning unit 55c, and a decorative unit 55d, with the middle prize winning unit 55b connected below the upper prize winning unit 55a, the lower prize winning unit 55c connected below the middle prize winning unit 55b, and the decorative unit 55d connected above the lower prize winning unit 55c and to the left of the middle prize winning unit 55b.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, above the upper winning unit 55a, there is provided a first passage 61 into which game balls that have been distributed to the right flow-down path 52b flow, a first large winning means 34 located downstream of this first passage 61, an outlet guide passage 62 that guides game balls that have won in the first large winning means 34 to the outlet 37a on the middle winning unit 55b side, a second passage 63 that guides game balls that have not won in the first large winning means 34 downstream, and a first branch section 68 that branches into first to fourth branch passages 64 to 67 downstream of the second passage 63.

[0015] 4 and other figures, the first large prize winning means 34 comprises a first large prize opening 71, an opening / closing member 72 that can switch this first large prize opening 71 between an open state where a game ball can enter and a closed state where a game ball cannot enter (or where a game ball is more difficult to enter than in the open state), a solenoid (drive source) 73 (FIG. 8) that drives the opening / closing member 72, and game ball detection means 74 that detects a game ball that has entered the first large prize opening 71. A second passage 63 is connected to the underside of the first passage 61, and the first large prize opening 71 is positioned so that it opens to the left toward the connecting part.

[0016] The opening / closing member 72 is formed in an elongated shape at one end thereof so as to be swingable around a rotation axis 75 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 , the opening / closing member 72 integrally comprises a front decorative plate 76 parallel to the plate surface of the base plate 16, a cylindrical shaft insertion portion 77 disposed at the rear of one end of the front decorative plate 76 and allowing the rotation axis 75 to be inserted therethrough, a ball guide wall 78 protruding from the back surface of the front decorative plate 76 with a substantially constant width, and a drive projection 79 disposed at a position spaced from the shaft insertion portion 77 and projecting rearward beyond the ball guide wall 78 and the shaft insertion portion 77. The ball guide wall 78 guides game balls on the passage in a predetermined direction and is disposed so as to substantially surround the back surface of the front decorative plate 76 except for a portion of the tip end (the end side different from the shaft end). That is, the opening / closing member 72 has a non-guiding portion 80 at its tip end where the front decorative plate 76 is present but where no ball guide wall 78 is present behind it.

[0017] The opening / closing member 72 is positioned so that the rotating shaft 75 is located near the lower end of the first large prize opening 71, and in the closed state it faces approximately upward (shown by a solid line in Figure 4), and the ball guide wall 78 closes the first large prize opening 71 to a state where prizes cannot be won while allowing game balls to flow down from the first passage 61 side to the second passage 63 side, and in the open state it faces diagonally upward to the left (shown by a dotted line in Figure 4), and game balls flowing down from the first passage 61 side are guided to the right by the ball guide wall 78 to enter the first large prize opening 71.

[0018] Furthermore, when the opening / closing member 72 is in the open state (shown by the dotted line in Figure 4), the front decorative plate 76 reaches from the right end to the left end of the inlet of the second passage 63, so to the player it appears as if all game balls flowing down from the first passage 61 side are guided towards the first large prize opening 71 side.However, the ball guide wall 78 located on the back side of the front decorative plate 76 does not reach the left end of the inlet of the second passage 63, and a gap the size of at least one game ball (non-guide section 80) exists.Therefore, even when the opening / closing member 72 is in the open state, some of the game balls flowing down from the first passage 61 side may flow down towards the second passage 63 side via the non-guide section 80 without entering the first large prize opening 71. The game ball detection means 74 is provided on the discharge guide passage 62, and the game ball that enters the first large winning opening 71 is detected by the game ball detection means 74 as it passes through the discharge guide passage 62, and then discharged to the rear side of the game board 15 from the outlet 37a on the middle winning unit 55b side.

[0019] 4, first to fourth branch passages 64 to 67 are connected to the downstream side of the second passage 63 via a first branch section 68 in which a plurality of game nails are arranged, and a game ball that has flowed down the second passage 63 without winning the first large winning opening 71 flows down one of the first to fourth branch passages 64 to 67 via the first branch section 68. The first branch passage 64 merges with the discharge guide passage 62 downstream of the game ball detection means 74, and a game ball that has flowed down the first branch passage 64 side via the first branch section 68 passes through the discharge guide passage 62 and is discharged to the rear of the game board 15 from the outlet 37a on the middle winning unit 55b side.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, above the middle winning unit 55b there are provided an outlet 37a, second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, a normal pattern starting means 31 arranged on the third branch passage 66, a second special pattern starting means 33 arranged downstream of the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, an outlet guide passage 82 that guides game balls that have won in the second special pattern starting means 33 to an outlet 81 on the lower winning unit 55c side, and a third passage 83 that guides game balls that have not won in the second special pattern starting means 33 downstream.

[0021] The second to fourth branch passages 65-67 have a third branch passage 66 located in the center in the left-right direction, with the second branch passage 65 located to the right of it and the fourth branch passage 67 located to the left. A gaming ball detection means 84 constituting the normal symbol starting means 31 is located in the third branch passage 66, and gaming balls flowing down the third branch passage 66 are detected by the gaming ball detection means 84 and then flow downstream. Note that, since the third branch passage 66 is located directly below the second passage 63, gaming balls flow down the third branch passage 66 with a higher probability than the other first, second and fourth branch passages 64, 65 and 67.

[0022] The second special symbol starting means 33 includes a second special symbol starting port 91, an opening / closing member 92 that can switch the second special symbol starting port 91 between an open state where a gaming ball can enter the port and a closed state where a gaming ball cannot enter the port (or where a gaming ball is more difficult to enter than in the open state), a solenoid (driving source) 93 (FIG. 13) that drives the opening / closing member 92, and a gaming ball detection means 94 that detects a gaming ball that has entered the second special symbol starting port 91, and is disposed corresponding to the lower sides of the second and third branch passages 65, 66 of the second to fourth branch passages 65-67. The second special symbol starting port 91 is provided in the vicinity of the lower side of the second branch passage 65 as an opening facing left, and the gaming ball detection means 94 is disposed in the vicinity of the downstream side of the second special symbol starting port 91.

[0023] The opening / closing member 92 is disposed near the left side of the second special symbol starting opening 91, and is provided with an opening / closing plate 92a that is inclined downward to the right toward the second special symbol starting opening 91, and is supported in a state that allows it to slide back and forth. In the closed state, the opening / closing member 92 retracts the opening / closing plate 92a to the rear of the game ball passage, allowing game balls that have flowed down from the upper side (i.e., the second and third branch passages 65, 66 side) to continue flowing downward, and in the open state, the opening / closing plate 92a protrudes to the game ball passage side (i.e., the front side), receives game balls that have flowed down from the upper side (i.e., the second and third branch passages 65, 66 side), guides them to the right, and allows them to enter the second special symbol starting opening 91. In addition, a shutter member 95 (Figs. 11 to 13, etc.) that operates together with an opening / closing member 92 by a solenoid 93 is disposed near the entrance side of the second special symbol start opening 91, and this shutter member 95 prevents game balls from entering the second special symbol start opening 91 when the opening / closing member 92 is in a closed state (Fig. 11(a)), and allows game balls to enter the second special symbol start opening 91 when the opening / closing member 92 is in an open state (Fig. 11(b)). After being detected by game ball detection means 94, the game ball that has entered the second special symbol start opening 91 is discharged to the rear of the game board 15 through the discharge guide passage 82 and the discharge opening 81 on the lower winning unit 55c side.

[0024] A gaming ball that has flowed down the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67 flows down to the third passage 83 side if it does not win on the second special symbol starting means 33. Since the opening / closing member 92 of the second special symbol starting means 33 is disposed corresponding to the lower side of the second and third branch passages 65, 66 of the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, a gaming ball that has flowed down the fourth branch passage 67 flows down to the downstream third passage 83 with a high probability even if the second special symbol starting means 33 is in the open state.

[0025] 2 and 4, above the lower winning unit 55c, there are provided the discharge port 81, a fourth passage 101 connected to the downstream side of the third passage 83, the second special winning means 35 arranged on the fourth passage 101, the normal winning means 36d, the outlet 37b, and a second branch section 102 branching downstream of the fourth passage 101 to the normal winning means 36d side, the outlet 37b side, and the downstream side (left side). The fourth passage 101 is provided in an inclined downward to the left, and its upstream end side (right end side) is connected to the third passage 83.

[0026] The second large prize winning means 35 comprises a second large prize opening 111, an opening / closing member 112 that can switch this second large prize opening 111 between an open state where a game ball can win a prize and a closed state where a prize cannot be won (or where a prize is more difficult to win than in the open state), a solenoid (drive source) 113 (FIGS. 18 and 19) that drives the opening / closing member 112, and game ball detection means 114 that detects a game ball that has won a prize in the second large prize opening 111. The second large prize opening 111 is provided in the bottom wall of the fourth passage 101 with an upward opening, and the game ball detection means 114 is arranged downstream within the second large prize opening 111.

[0027] The opening / closing member 112 is provided with an opening / closing plate 112a formed in a downward left slope corresponding to the second large prize opening 111, and is supported in a state in which it can slide back and forth, and in the closed state, the opening / closing plate 112a protrudes into the fourth passage 101 to close the second large prize opening 111, thereby guiding game balls that have flowed down the fourth passage 101 downstream, and in the open state, the opening / closing plate 112a is retracted to the rear of the fourth passage 101 to open the second large prize opening 111, allowing game balls that have flowed down the fourth passage 101 to enter the second large prize opening 111. A game ball that has entered the second large prize opening 111 is detected by game ball detection means 114 and then discharged from a discharge port 115 to the rear of the game board 15. A gaming ball that flows down the fourth passage 101 without winning the second special winning opening 111 passes through the second branching section 102 and either wins in the normal winning means 36d, is discharged from the outlet 37b to the rear side of the gaming board 15, or flows down the downstream side (left side). A gaming ball that wins in the normal winning means 36d is detected by the gaming ball detection means 116 and then discharged to the rear side of the gaming board 15.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the start winning unit 22 is arranged along the guide rail 17 at the center below the central display frame unit 21, and includes the first special symbol starting means 32, outlet 37c, etc. The first special symbol starting means 32 is a non-operational winning means and is arranged with an upward opening directly below the central drop section 56 of the stage 54b. A gaming ball that has won the first special symbol starting means 32 is detected by the gaming ball detection means 117 and then discharged to the rear of the gaming board 15, while gaming balls that have not won the first special symbol starting means 32 are discharged to the rear of the gaming board 15 via outlet 37c. The normal winning unit 23 is arranged along the guide rail 17 below the central display frame unit 21 to the left of the start winning unit 22, and includes the normal winning means 36a to 36c, outlet 37d, etc. A gaming ball that has won in any of the normal winning means 36a to 36c is detected by any of the gaming ball detecting means 118, 119, and then discharged to the rear side of the gaming board 15.

[0029] In addition, various display means are provided on the front side of the gaming board 15, including the gaming area 18, such as a normal symbol display means 41, a normal reserved number display means 42, a first special symbol display means 43, and a second special symbol display means 44. The normal symbol display means 41 is used to display a variable normal symbol and is composed of, for example, two LEDs. When the normal symbol start means 31 detects a gaming ball, the two LEDs constituting the normal symbol light up in a normal variable light pattern. If the winning determination random number value included in the normal random number information acquired when the normal symbol start means 31 detects a gaming ball matches a predetermined winning determination value, the fluctuation stops in a winning state; otherwise, the fluctuation stops in a losing state. When the stopped symbol after the fluctuation of the normal symbol display means 41 becomes a winning state, a normal profit state occurs, and the opening / closing member 92 of the second special symbol start means 33 is switched from a closed state to an open state according to a predetermined opening / closing pattern.

[0030] In addition, when the normal symbol starting means 31 detects a gaming ball during a normal reservation period including when the normal symbol display means 41 is changing symbols and during a normal profit state, the normal random number information acquired thereby is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit of reserved number, for example, up to four, and each time the normal reservation period ends, one piece is consumed and the normal symbol is changed. The number of stored normal random number information (normal reservation number) is notified to the player by the normal reservation number display means 42, etc.

[0031] The first special pattern display means 43 is composed of a display means such as a 7-segment type that can variably display the first special pattern, and variably displays the first special pattern for a predetermined period of time on the condition that a gaming ball enters the first special pattern starting means 32, and stops in a jackpot mode if the jackpot determination random number value contained in the first special random number information obtained when the game ball enters the first special pattern starting means 32 matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, or stops in a miss mode otherwise.

[0032] The second special pattern display means 44 is composed of a display means such as a 7-segment type that can variably display the second special pattern, and variably displays the second special pattern for a predetermined period of time on the condition that a gaming ball enters the second special pattern starting means 33, and stops in a jackpot mode if the jackpot determination random number value contained in the second special random number information obtained when the game ball enters the second special pattern starting means 33 matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, or stops in a miss mode otherwise.

[0033] If the stopped pattern after the first special pattern display means 43 or the second special pattern display means 44 changes becomes a jackpot state, a jackpot state (special profit state) occurs, and the first big prize winning means 34 and the second big prize winning means 35 open according to one or more types of jackpot opening patterns.

[0034] Furthermore, when the first and second special symbol start means 32, 33 detect a gaming ball during a special reservation period, including when the first special symbol display means 43 is changing, when the second special symbol display means 44 is changing, and during a jackpot state, the first and second special random number information acquired thereby is reserved and stored in the reservation storage means, each with a predetermined upper limit of reserved number, for example, up to four each. If the reserved memory on the second special symbol side is one or more at the end of the special reservation period, one reserved memory of the second special symbol is consumed to change the second special symbol; if only the reserved memory on the first special symbol side is one or more, one reserved memory of the first special symbol is consumed to change the first special symbol. The number of first and second special random number information reserved and stored in the reservation storage means (first and second special reserved number) is notified to the player by the LCD display means 50 or the like.

[0035] In addition, when the first and second special symbols are changed by the first and second special symbol display means 43, 44, the effect symbol 45 is displayed in a changing manner on the liquid crystal display means 50 in parallel. The effect symbol 45 has a plurality of symbol rows (three in the left and right direction in the example of FIG. 2) consisting of a plurality of symbols such as number symbols, and each symbol that makes up each symbol row is composed of a symbol main body 45a consisting of numbers such as 1 to 8 and the like, and a character or other decorative part 45b that accompanies this symbol main body 45a. The display mode of the effect symbol 45 can be changed as desired, such as by enlarging or reducing it, changing the display position, or erasing the decorative part 45b.

[0036] The effect symbols 45 start to vary by vertical scrolling or the like for each symbol row according to a predetermined variation pattern, for example, approximately simultaneously with the start of variation of the first and second special symbols, and finally stop, for example, approximately simultaneously with the stop of the first and second special symbols, so that the stopped symbols on a predetermined effective line become a predetermined pattern. Note that with effect symbols 45, for example, when all the stopped symbols on an effective line are the same, it becomes a jackpot effect mode, and otherwise it becomes a miss effect mode, and when the first and second special symbols become a jackpot effect mode or a miss effect mode, the first and second special symbols become a jackpot effect mode or a miss effect mode.

[0037] After the jackpot state ends, a special benefit state (e.g., either a probability variable state or a time-saving state) occurs with a predetermined probability. During the time-saving state, the fluctuation time of the first and second special symbol display means 43, 44 for the first and second special symbols is switched to a shortened fluctuation time, which is shorter than the normal fluctuation time. For the normal symbol, the win probability is switched from a normal probability to a high probability, the fluctuation time is switched from a normal fluctuation time to a shortened fluctuation time, and the opening / closing pattern of the second special symbol activation means 33 in the normal benefit state is switched from a normal opening / closing pattern (e.g., 0.2 seconds x 1 opening) to a special opening / closing pattern (e.g., 2 seconds x 3 openings). The time-saving state begins when the jackpot state ends and ends, for example, when the first and second special symbols have fluctuated a predetermined number of times (e.g., 50 times) or when the next jackpot state occurs. During the probability variable state, in addition to the same switching as the time-saving state, the jackpot probability is also switched from a low probability to a high probability. The probability of a special state begins when the big win state ends, and ends when the next big win state occurs, for example.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the liquid crystal display means 50, a plurality of types, for example, three types of first to third movable effect means 46-48, are mounted on the rear side of the base plate 16 of the game board 15 via a rear mounting base 49. The first to third movable effect means 46-48 include first to third movable bodies 46a-48a, respectively. The first movable effect means 46 is disposed in a position corresponding to the upper left side of the liquid crystal display means 50, and the first movable body 46a, which is disposed in front of the liquid crystal display means 50, is movable between an origin position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3) and an operating position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) closer to the liquid crystal display means 50 than the origin position. As the first movable body 46a moves between the origin position and the operating position, a second operation (here, a separation / collection operation by multiple parts) different from the first moving operation is performed.

[0039] The second movable performance means 47 is arranged at a position corresponding to the upper right side of the liquid crystal display means 50, and the second movable body 47a arranged in front of the liquid crystal display means 50 is movable between an origin position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3) and an operating position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) closer to the liquid crystal display means 50 than the origin position. Similarly, the third movable performance means 48 is arranged at a position corresponding to the lower side of the liquid crystal display means 50, and the third movable body 48a arranged in front of the liquid crystal display means 50 is movable between the origin position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3) and an operating position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) closer to the liquid crystal display means 50 than the origin position.

[0040] Next, we will explain the use of lubricants in the gaming machine main body 1. As described above, the gaming machine main body 1 is equipped with multiple moving parts, and lubricants are applied to the application areas, including the sliding parts, as necessary to improve the sliding properties of these moving parts and suppress the generation of abnormal noise and wear powder. Lubricants are broadly classified into liquid, semi-solid, and solid types. Here, we will use liquid lubricants, and in the following explanation, we will simply refer to these liquid lubricants as "lubricants." Lubricants are composed of a thickener such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), a base oil, a solvent, etc. Lubricants have different properties such as concentration and viscosity depending on the components and their ratios. Therefore, it is desirable to use a lubricant with optimal properties (viscosity, etc.) depending on the conditions of the moving parts and application areas.

[0041] Furthermore, care must be taken when there are areas where lubricant should not be applied (hereinafter referred to as "application-prohibited areas") on a part where lubricant should be applied (application areas). Possible application-prohibited areas include ball contact areas with which a game ball may come into contact, screw parts, seating areas where the screw seating surface comes into contact, attachment areas where adhesives are attached, and decorative lens parts. With regard to ball contact areas, application of lubricant can not only cause the game ball to become dirty, but can also affect the direction and speed of the game ball's roll. With regard to screw parts and seating areas, application of lubricant can cause them to become loose. With regard to attachment areas, application of lubricant can result in insufficient adhesive strength, making adhesives more likely to slip or peel. With regard to decorative lens parts, application of lubricant can cause unevenness in translucency or cause the paint to peel off. Therefore, it is desirable to designate all of these as "application-prohibited areas."

[0042] Known methods for applying lubricants include brush application (including the use of a brush or cotton swab), immersion (so-called hot-dip immersion or partial immersion), and spray application. While immersion and spray application are highly efficient, they make it difficult to apply finely divided layers. Brush application allows for finely divided layers, but is less efficient. As such, each lubricant application method has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency and accuracy, so it is necessary to select an appropriate application method for each part.

[0043] Next, among the unit components that include movable parts, we will specifically explain the application areas and application methods of lubricant for each of the upper winning unit 55a, middle winning unit 55b, and lower winning unit 55c that make up the central display frame unit 21, and the first movable performance means 46 of the three first to third movable performance means 46 to 48.

[0044] First, we will explain the upper winning unit 55a. The upper winning unit 55a is provided with the first special winning means 34 as a movable part, and as shown in Figures 4 to 8, it includes an opening / closing member 72, a base plate member 121 attached and fixed to the base plate 16 and supporting the opening / closing member 72 from the rear, a front decorative member 122 supporting the opening / closing member 72 from the front, a solenoid 73, a mechanism cover member 123 that houses the solenoid 73, a link member 124 connecting the drive shaft 73a of the solenoid 73 to the opening / closing member 72, a rotating shaft 75 of the opening / closing member 72, the game ball detection means 74, and a decorative sheet 125 attached to the front of the front decorative member 122. The rotating shaft 75 is slidably inserted into a shaft insertion hole 126 in the front-rear direction formed in the shaft insertion portion 77 of the opening / closing member 72.

[0045] The base plate member 121 has a back plate 131 arranged along the front surface of the base plate 16, and the back plate 131 has side wall portions 132 protruding forward that form the side walls of the first passage 61, the discharge guide passage 62, the second passage 63, etc., as well as a shaft fixing hole 133 that supports the rear end side of the rotating shaft 75, a stopper portion 134 for regulating the opening / closing member 72 in the open and closed positions, an insertion hole 135 for inserting the drive protrusion portion 79 of the opening / closing member 72 to the rear side of the back plate 131, and a switch accommodating portion 136 for accommodating the game ball detection means 74.

[0046] A substantially circular rear sliding surface 137 is provided on the front side of the back plate 131, against which the rear end surface of the shaft insertion portion 77 on the open-close member 72 slides, and a shaft fixing hole 133 is formed in the center of the rear sliding surface 137 as a rearward-facing recess into which the rear end of the rotating shaft 75 can be inserted. Also, a stopper portion 134 and an insertion hole 135 are provided near the outer periphery of the rear sliding surface 137. The stopper portion 134 is located near the upper side of the rear sliding surface 137 and is integrally formed so as to protrude forward from the front side of the back plate 131.

[0047] This stopper portion 134 is disposed within the space behind the open-close member 72 when the open-close member 72 is attached, i.e., within the space surrounded by the sphere guide wall 78, and is formed in a generally triangular shape in front view, with a closed-side restricting surface 134a against which a first inner surface portion of the sphere guide wall 78 abuts when the open-close member 72 is closed, and an open-side restricting surface 134b against which a second inner surface portion of the sphere guide wall 78 abuts when the open-close member 72 is open. The insertion hole 135 is an elongated hole that penetrates the back plate 131 from front to back, is disposed on one side in the left-right direction of the stopper portion 134 (the right side in this case), and is formed in an arc shape with the shaft fixing hole 133 as its center, corresponding to the movement trajectory of the drive protrusion 79 due to the swinging action of the open-close member 72.

[0048] The front decorative member 122 includes a front plate 141 parallel to the plate surface of the base plate 16. A plurality of screw bases 142 for screwing the front plate 141 to the base plate 121 and a shaft fixing portion 143 for supporting the front end of the rotation shaft 75 are integrally provided on the rear side of the front plate 141. The front plate 141 is attached to the front side of the base plate 121 so that the rear side of the front plate 141 abuts against the front edge of the side wall portion 132 of the base plate 121, and is detachably fixed by screws or the like. The front plate 141 forms the front walls of the first passage 61, discharge guide passage 62, second passage 63, etc., and at least the portions corresponding to the passages 61-63 are transparent so that game balls passing through the passages 61-63 can be seen from the front side. An attachment area 125a (FIG. 5) is provided on the front side of the front decorative member 122, and a decorative sheet 125 is attached to the attachment area 125a. The decorative sheet 125 has any pattern or letter printed thereon, but at least the portions corresponding to the passages 61 to 63 are made transparent.

[0049] The shaft fixing portion 143 is disposed in front of the shaft fixing hole 133 on the base plate member 121 side, and is formed in the shape of a short cylinder that protrudes rearward from the front plate 141. The front end of the rotating shaft 75 is inserted into a shaft fixing hole 144 formed in the center, and is fixed in place. Note that the open-close member 72 has a rearward-facing recess 145 formed on the front end of the shaft insertion portion 77 that corresponds to the shaft fixing portion 143.

[0050] The mechanism cover member 123 has a solenoid housing portion 151, a link guide portion 152, etc. on its front side, and is detachably fixed to the back side of the base plate member 121 by screws or the like. The solenoid 73 is attached and fixed to the solenoid housing portion 151 with its drive shaft 73a facing downward. The link guide portion 152 guides the link member 124 in the movement direction, and has a guide hole 153 that is long in the vertical direction.

[0051] The link member 124 is for converting the up and down movement of the solenoid 73 into a rotational (swinging) movement of the opening / closing member 72, and is integrally provided with a drive-side engaging portion 154 that engages with the drive shaft 73a of the solenoid 73 in the axial direction (vertical direction), a movable-side engaging portion 155 that engages with the drive protrusion 79 of the opening / closing member 72 in the vertical direction in a freely rotatable state, a link portion 156 that connects the drive-side engaging portion 154 and the movable-side engaging portion 155, a guided portion 157 that corresponds to the link guide portion 152, and a sliding portion 158. The guided portion 157 is formed in the vicinity of the drive-side engaging portion 154 (near the rear portion in this case) so as to protrude backward, and is slidably engaged with the guide hole 153 of the link guide portion 152 from the front side. The sliding portions 158 are formed near both sides of the guided portion 157, sandwiching the guided portion 157, so as to protrude rearward with a smaller protrusion amount than the guided portion 157, and are adapted to come into sliding contact with the front surface of the link guide portion 152 on both sides of the guide hole 153. As a result, the link member 124 is guided by the link guide portion 152 and moves back and forth up and down in response to the ON / OFF switching of the solenoid 93, causing the opening / closing member 72 to swing between the open state and the closed state.

[0052] Regarding the upper winning unit 55a described above, the lubricant application area, application prohibited area, application method, etc. will be explained. Of the components of the upper winning unit 55a, the lubricant application area is provided for the base plate member 121, front decorative member 122, mechanism cover member 123, link member 124, and opening / closing member 72. The specified components to which lubricant is applied include a first component, the entirety of which is set in the application area, and a second component, only a portion of which is set in the application area.

[0053] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the base plate member (second component) 121, the rear sliding surface 137, with which the rear end surface of the shaft insertion portion 77 slides, is set as the application area A1, and lubricant is applied by brushing. The shaft fixing hole 133 formed in the center of the rear sliding surface 137 supports the rear end side of the rotating shaft 75, and therefore its inner surface is not set as the application area. Furthermore, the stopper portion 134 is a portion that restricts the swinging movement of the opening / closing member 72 between the open and closed positions, and therefore its outer surface is set as the application prohibited area N1. This is to ensure smooth operation of the opening / closing member 72.

[0054] Further, near the application area A1, an application-prohibited area N2 is set on the opposite side of the rear sliding surface 137 across the insertion hole 135. This application-prohibited area N2 is a portion corresponding to the inner surface of the discharge guide passage 62 (game ball contact portion). Note that between this application-prohibited area N2 and the application area A1, there is the insertion hole 135 as a buffer area that is neither an application area nor an application-prohibited area, and since the application area A1 is not in contact with the application-prohibited area N2, it is possible to effectively prevent the accidental application of lubricant to the application-prohibited area N2. Furthermore, on the front side of the base plate member 121, not only the application-prohibited area N2 but also the portion corresponding to the inner surface (back and side) of the game ball passages such as the discharge guide passage 62 and the second passage 63 (game ball contact portion) is set as an application-prohibited area N3.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the front decorative member (second part) 122, the outer surface of the shaft fixing portion 143, with which the recessed portion 145 of the opening / closing member 72 slides, is set as the application area A2, and lubricant is applied by brushing. The shaft fixing hole 144 formed in the center of the shaft fixing portion 143 supports the front end of the rotating shaft 75, and its inner surface is not set as the application area. On the back side of the front decorative member 122, the portions (game ball contact portions) that form the inner surfaces (front surfaces) of the game ball passages, such as the discharge guide passage 62 and the second passage 63, are set as the application prohibited area N4. Although the application area A2 and the application prohibited area N4 are both provided on the back side of the front decorative member 122, the two areas are not in contact, and a buffer area exists between them, effectively preventing the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N4. 9, the attachment area 125a on the front side of the front decorative member 122 where the decorative sheet 125 is attached is the application prohibited area N5. In this way, the application prohibited area N5 is located on a different surface (front surface) from the application area A2, so that the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N5 can be effectively prevented.

[0056] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the opening / closing member (second part) 72, the rear end surface of the shaft insertion portion 77, which is in sliding contact with the rear sliding surface 137 on the front decorative member 122 side, the inner surface of the recessed portion 145, which is in sliding contact with the shaft fixing portion 143 on the front decorative member 122 side, and the inner surface of the shaft insertion hole 126 through which the rotating shaft 75 is slidably inserted, are set as application area A3, and lubricant is applied by brushing. In addition, the outer surface of the ball guide wall 78 and the back surface of the front decorative plate 76 corresponding to the non-guiding portion 80 are areas that come into contact with game balls and are therefore set as application-prohibited area N6. The application area A3 and application-prohibited area N6 do not contact each other, and a buffer area exists between them, which effectively prevents the accidental application of lubricant to the application-prohibited area N6.

[0057] 8, in the mechanism cover member (second part) 123, the surface of the link guide part 152 with which the guided part 157 and sliding part 158 ​​on the link member 124 side slide, i.e., the inner surface of the guide hole 153 and the front sides on both the left and right sides thereof, are set as application area A4, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. Also, the entire outer surface of the link member (first part) 124 is set as application area A5, and the lubricant is applied to the entire surface by so-called dipping.

[0058] In this way, in the upper winning unit 55a, brush painting is used for the base plate member 121, front decorative member 122, mechanism cover member 123 and opening / closing member 72, which correspond to the second parts and are only partially set in the application area, while dipping is used for the link member 124, which corresponds to the first part and is almost entirely set in the application area, and the lubricant application methods are different for the first part and the second part.

[0059] Next, the middle winning unit 55b will be described. The middle winning unit 55b is provided with the second special symbol starting means 33 as a movable part, and as shown in Figures 9 to 11, etc., it is equipped with a base plate member 161 attached and fixed to the base plate 16, a front decorative member 162 attached to the front side of the base plate member 161, a winning device 163 attached to the rear side of the base plate member 161, and a decorative sheet 164 attached to the front of the front decorative member 162.

[0060] 10 and the like, the base plate member 161 is provided with a back plate 171 arranged along the front surface of the base plate 16. This back plate 171 constitutes the back walls of the game ball passages such as the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, the discharge guide passage 82, the third passage 83, etc., and has an opening / closing member insertion hole 172 for allowing the opening / closing member 92 constituting the second special symbol starting means 33 to go in and out, and a switch insertion hole 173 for allowing the game ball detection means 94 constituting the second special symbol starting means 33 to protrude forward from the back plate 171, formed in a penetrating shape in the front-to-rear direction.

[0061] 10 and other figures, the front decorative member 162 has a front plate 174 parallel to the plate surface of the base plate 16, and side wall portions 175 that form the side walls of the game ball passages, such as the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, the discharge guide passage 82, and the third passage 83, are provided on the front plate 174 and protrude rearward, and are attached to the front side of the base plate member 161 so that the rear edges of these side wall portions 175 abut against the back plate 171 of the base plate member 161, and are detachably fixed by screws or the like. The front plate 174 forms the front walls of the second to fourth branch passages 65 to 67, the third passage 83, and so on, and at least the portions corresponding to the passages 65 to 67 are made transparent so that game balls passing through these passages 65 to 67 can be seen from the front side. An attachment area 164a (FIG. 9) is provided on the front side of the front decorative member 162, and a decorative sheet 164 is attached to the attachment area 164a. Any pattern, lettering, etc. is printed on the decorative sheet 164, but at least the portions corresponding to the passages 65 to 67, etc. are made transparent.

[0062] As shown in Figures 11 to 15, the winning device 163 comprises an opening / closing member 92, a solenoid 93, a solenoid base member 181 that houses the solenoid 93, an opening / closing base member 182 that is arranged below the opening / closing member 92, an opening / closing cover member 183 that is arranged above the opening / closing member 92, a drive head member 184 that is attached to the drive shaft 93a of the solenoid 93, an opening / closing arm member 185 that connects the drive head member 184 and the opening / closing member 92, a shutter member 95, and a game ball detection means 94.

[0063] The opening / closing member 92 integrally comprises an opening / closing plate 92a, a guided portion 191 arranged on the underside of the opening / closing plate 92a, a lower sliding portion 192 also arranged on the underside of the opening / closing plate 92a, side sliding portions 193 arranged on the left and right side edges of the opening / closing plate 92a, and a shutter driving portion 194 arranged on the rear side of the opening / closing plate 92a. The guided portion 191 is arranged on the underside of the rear end of the opening / closing member 92 and is formed in the shape of a downward protrusion with a substantially rectangular cross section, and further below it, a driven pin 195 with a circular cross section is provided so as to protrude downward.

[0064] The lower sliding portion 192 and the side sliding portion 193 are portions that slide on the opening / closing base member 182 when the opening / closing member 92 moves in the front-to-rear direction. The lower sliding portion 192 is formed to protrude downward from the underside of the opening / closing plate 92a, and the side sliding portions 193 are formed to protrude laterally from the left and right side edges of the opening / closing plate 92a. The lower sliding portion 192 is formed to be elongated in the front-to-rear direction, and a plurality of lower sliding portions 192 (three in this example) are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-to-right direction. Note that because the opening / closing plate 92a is formed to be inclined in the left-to-right direction, the protruding heights of the plurality of lower sliding portions 192 vary depending on the height from the opening / closing base member 182. The shutter driving portion 194 is formed to protrude laterally (to the right in this example) from the rear end of the opening / closing plate 92a and is formed to be inclined downward toward the front.

[0065] The solenoid base member 181 includes a solenoid housing portion 201 that houses the solenoid 93, and an arm shaft 202 that rotatably supports the opening / closing arm member 185. The solenoid 93 is detachably attached to the solenoid housing portion 201 with the drive shaft 93a facing left. The arm shaft 202 is disposed on the drive shaft 93a side (left side) of the solenoid housing portion 201, and is formed to protrude upward.

[0066] The opening / closing arm member 185 is integrally provided with a vertical shaft insertion portion 203, a first arm portion 204 protruding from the shaft insertion portion 203 in a predetermined radial direction (here, substantially rightward), a drive engagement portion 205 provided on the tip side of the first arm portion 204 and engaging with the driven pin 195, and a second arm portion 207 protruding from the shaft insertion portion 203 in a predetermined radial direction (here, substantially rearward) different from that of the first arm portion 204 and having a drive connecting shaft 206 protruding from the tip side in the vertical direction (here, downward), and is rotatably supported on the solenoid base member 181 by inserting the arm shaft 202 into the shaft insertion portion 203. The drive engagement portion 205 rotatably engages with the driven pin 195 on the opening / closing member 92 side in the operating direction of the opening / closing member 92, i.e., the front-to-rear direction.

[0067] The drive head member 184 is integrally provided with a shaft fixing portion 211 for fixing to the drive shaft 93a of the solenoid 93, and a connecting shaft engaging portion 212 for engaging with the drive connecting shaft 206. The connecting shaft engaging portion 212 is rotatably engaged with the drive connecting shaft 206 on the opening / closing arm member 185 in the drive shaft direction of the solenoid 93, i.e., in the left-right direction. In this manner, the drive head member 184 and the opening / closing arm member 185 convert the left-right driving operation of the solenoid 93 into the front-back movement of the opening / closing member 92. The drive head member 184 reciprocates left and right in response to the ON / OFF switching of the solenoid 93, which in turn swings the opening / closing arm member 185 and moves the drive engaging portion 205 back and forth, thereby causing the opening / closing member 92 to reciprocate back and forth in the front-back direction via the driven pin 195 between the open state and the closed state. In addition, in the closed state, the opening / closing member 92 is retracted rearward of the back plate 171 of the base plate member 161 (Figure 11(a)), and in the open state, it protrudes forward of the back plate 171 of the base plate member 161 through the opening / closing member insertion hole 172 (Figure 11(b)).

[0068] 13 and the like, is detachably attached to the upper side of the solenoid base member 181 so as to cover the solenoid 93, the drive head member 184, the opening / closing arm member 185, etc. The opening / closing base member 182 is provided with an opening / closing guide hole 221 into which the guided portion 191 on the opening / closing member 92 side is inserted from above, a lower guide portion 222 with which the lower sliding portion 192 on the opening / closing member 92 side makes sliding contact, a side guide portion 223 with which the side sliding portion 193 on the opening / closing member 92 side makes sliding contact, a switch accommodating portion 224 for accommodating the game ball detecting means 94, etc.

[0069] The opening / closing guide hole 221 is a long hole extending in the front-rear direction, into which the guided portion 191 on the opening / closing member 92 is fitted from above so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. As a result, the driven pin 195 passes through the opening / closing guide hole 221 and protrudes downward from the opening / closing base member 182, and engages with the drive engagement portion 205 of the opening / closing arm member 185. The lower guide portions 222 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the opening / closing guide hole 221 in correspondence with the lower sliding portion 192 on the opening / closing member 92, and are formed in the shape of a groove or a plane in the front-rear direction. In addition, side wall portions 225 protrude upward from the upper surface of the opening / closing base member 182 along the left and right side edges of the opening / closing plate 92a, and the side surfaces of the side wall portions 225 form side guide portions 223.

[0070] The switch accommodating section 224 is disposed corresponding to the right side of the opening / closing member 92, and supports the gaming ball detecting means 94 so that the detection hole 94a faces diagonally upward to the left. As shown in Fig. 10, the gaming ball detecting means 94 supported by the switch accommodating section 224 has the detection hole 94a protruding forward through the switch insertion hole 173 formed in the back plate 171 of the base plate member 161, and the entrance side of this detection hole 94a serves as the second special symbol starting hole 91.

[0071] The open / close cover member 183 covers the open / close member 92 from above, and as shown in Figures 11 and 12, is arranged above the open / close member 92 and the game ball detection means 94, and is detachably attached to the open / close base member 182, etc. The open / close cover member 183 has an upper guide portion 226 formed on its underside, and is integrally provided with a switch cover portion 227, etc. that supports the game ball detection means 94 from above.

[0072] The upper guide portion 226 is a portion that guides and restricts upward movement of the opening / closing member 92 when it operates in the front-to-rear direction, and is formed so as to protrude downward on the lower surface side of the opening / closing cover member 183 in correspondence with the upper surface side of the opening / closing member 92. The upper guide portion 226 is formed elongated in the front-to-rear direction, and a plurality of upper guide portions 226 (two in this case) are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-to-right direction, with their lower edges located close to the upper surface side of the opening / closing member 92. Note that because the opening / closing plate 92a is formed inclined in the left-to-right direction, the protruding lengths of the plurality of upper guide portions 226 each differ depending on the distance to the upper surface side of the opening / closing member 92.

[0073] The shutter member 95 is used to open and close the second special pattern start opening 91 in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member 92, and as shown in Figures 11 to 13, is located near the entrance side (left side) of the second special pattern start opening 91, i.e., the detection hole 94a of the game ball detection means 94, and near the upper side of the shutter drive unit 194 of the opening and closing member 92. This shutter member 95 is supported at its rear end so that it can rotate freely around a horizontal axis, and has a ball entry restriction piece 95a at its front end and a driven part 95b in the middle in the fore-and-aft direction.When the opening / closing member 92 is in the closed state (rear position), the ball entry restriction piece 95a is located on the entrance side of the second special pattern starting opening 91, thereby preventing a ball from entering the second special pattern starting opening 91 (Figure 11(a)).When the opening / closing member 92 moves forward from the closed state and changes to the open state, the driven part 95b is pushed by the inclined surface of the shutter drive part 194 and swings upward, causing the ball entry restriction piece 95a to retreat to the upper side of the second special pattern starting opening 91, allowing a ball to enter the second special pattern starting opening 91 (Figure 11(b)).

[0074] Regarding the above-described middle winning unit 55b, the lubricant application area, application prohibited area, application method, etc. will be described. Of the components of the middle winning unit 55b, the open / close member 92, open / close cover member 183, drive head member 184, and open / close arm member 185 are provided with a lubricant application area.

[0075] 12 to 15, in the opening / closing member (second part) 92, the surfaces of the lower sliding portion 192 and the side sliding portion 193, which are in sliding contact with the lower guide portion 222 and the side guide portion 223 on the opening / closing base member 182 side, are set as the application area A11, and the side surface of the guided portion 191, which is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the opening / closing guide hole 221, is set as the application area A12, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. In addition, the upper surface side of the opening / closing plate 92a is the game ball contact portion and is therefore set as the application prohibited area N11. Note that although the application areas A11, A12 and the application prohibited area N11 are both provided on the opening / closing member 92, they are located on different surfaces (the lower surface side and the upper surface side) from each other, so that the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N11 can be effectively prevented.

[0076] 12, etc., in the opening / closing cover member (second part) 183, the surface of the upper guide part 226 that can slide against the upper surface of the opening / closing member 92 is set as the application area A13, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. In addition, in the driving head member (first part) 184 and the opening / closing arm member (first part) 185, the entire outer surfaces are set as the application areas A14, A15, and the lubricant is applied to the entire surfaces by so-called dipping.

[0077] In this way, in the middle winning unit 55b, brush application is used for the opening / closing member 92 and the opening / closing cover member 183, which correspond to the second part and are only partially set in the application area, while dipping is used for the drive head member 184 and the opening / closing arm member 185, which correspond to the first part and are almost entirely set in the application area, and the lubricant application methods are different for the first part and the second part.

[0078] Next, the lower winning unit 55c will be described. The lower winning unit 55c is provided with the second large winning means 35 as a movable part, and as shown in Figures 16 to 18, etc., is equipped with a base plate member 231 attached and fixed to the base plate 16, a front decorative member 232 attached to the front side of the base plate member 231, a winning device 233 attached to the rear side of the base plate member 231, and a decorative sheet 234 attached to the front of the front decorative member 232.

[0079] The base plate member 231 is provided with a back plate 241 that is arranged along the front surface of the base plate 16. This back plate 241 constitutes the back wall of the game ball passages such as the fourth passage 101, the second branch section 102, and the discharge guide passage 82, and has an opening / closing member insertion hole 242 formed therein that penetrates in the front-rear direction and allows the opening / closing member 112 that constitutes the second special winning means 35 to enter and exit.

[0080] The front decorative member 232 has a front plate 251 parallel to the plate surface of the base plate 16, and side wall portions 252 protruding rearward from the front plate 251 form the side walls (including the top and bottom walls) of the game ball passages such as the fourth passage 101, the second branch portion 102, and the discharge guide passage 82, and are attached to the front side of the base plate member 231 so that the rear edge sides of these side wall portions 252 abut against the back plate 241 of the base plate member 231, and are detachably fixed by screws or the like. The second large winning opening 111 constituting the second large winning means 35 is constituted by a cutout portion formed in a predetermined position on this side wall portion 252.

[0081] The front panel 251 constitutes the front walls of the fourth passage 101, the second branch section 102, etc., and at least the portions corresponding to the fourth passage 101, the second branch section 102, etc. are formed transparently so that the game balls passing through them can be seen from the front side. In addition, an attachment area 234a is provided on the front side of the front decorative member 232, and a decorative sheet 234 is attached to the attachment area 234a. Any pattern, letter, etc. is printed on the decorative sheet 234, and at least the portions corresponding to the fourth passage 101, the second branch section 102, etc. are formed transparently.

[0082] As shown in Figures 17 to 20, the winning device 233 comprises an opening / closing member 112, a solenoid 113, a solenoid holder member 261 that houses the solenoid 113, an opening / closing base member 262 that supports the opening / closing member 112 so that it can slide freely, a drive head member 263 that is attached to the drive shaft 113a of the solenoid 113, and an opening / closing arm member 264 that connects the drive head member 263 and the opening / closing member 112.

[0083] The opening / closing member 112 integrally comprises an opening / closing plate 112a, side edge sliding portions 271 arranged along the left and right edges of the opening / closing plate 112a, a lower sliding portion 272 arranged on the lower surface of the opening / closing plate 112a, and an upper sliding portion 273 arranged on the upper surface of the opening / closing plate 112a. In addition, a through hole or other engaged portion 275 with which a drive engaging portion 274 of the opening / closing arm member 264 engages from below is provided near the rear end of the opening / closing plate 112a.

[0084] The side edge sliding portions 271 are portions that slide on the opening / closing base member 262 when the opening / closing member 112 moves in the front-to-rear direction, and are provided along the left and right edges of the opening / closing plate 112a, and are composed of upper protrusions 271a that protrude upward from the edges of the opening / closing plate 112a and lower protrusions 271b that protrude downward from the edges of the opening / closing plate 112a. The lower protrusions 271b are provided over substantially the entire front-to-rear direction of the left and right edges of the opening / closing plate 112a, but the upper protrusions 271a are provided only in a predetermined range on the rear end side of the left and right edges of the opening / closing plate 112a, so that even when the opening / closing member 112 is in the closed state, i.e., when it has moved to the front position, the upper protrusions 271a do not protrude forward of the back plate 241 on the base plate member 231 side.

[0085] The lower sliding portion 272 is a portion that slides on the solenoid holder member 261 when the opening-closing member 112 moves in the front-rear direction, and is formed in a downwardly protruding, elongated shape in the front-rear direction at a predetermined position on the lower surface of the opening-closing plate 112a, for example, near the side of the engaged portion 275. The upper sliding portion 273 is a portion that slides on the opening-closing base member 262 when the opening-closing member 112 moves in the front-rear direction, and is formed in an upwardly protruding shape at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the opening-closing plate 112a, for example, near the side of the engaged portion 275. In this embodiment, the upper sliding portion 273 is shaped like a short cylinder facing upward, and a plurality of upper sliding portions 273 (two in this example) are arranged along the front-rear direction within a predetermined range on the rear end side of the opening-closing plate 112a, and are configured so that the upper sliding portions 273 do not extend forward of the back plate 241 on the base plate member 231 side, even when the opening-closing member 112 is in the closed state, i.e., when it has moved to the front position.

[0086] The solenoid holder member 261 includes a solenoid accommodating portion 281 that accommodates the solenoid 113, and a lower guide portion 282 that guides the lower sliding portion 272 on the opening / closing member 112 side in the front-to-rear direction. The solenoid 113 is detachably attached to the solenoid accommodating portion 281 with the drive shaft 113a facing rightward. The lower guide portion 282 is formed in the shape of a groove in the front-to-rear direction on the upper surface of the solenoid holder member 261 at a position corresponding to the lower sliding portion 272 on the opening / closing member 112 side.

[0087] The opening / closing base member 262 includes side guide portions 283 that slidably support the opening / closing member 112 at its left and right edges, an upper guide portion 284 that guides the upper sliding portion 273 on the opening / closing member 112 side in the front-to-rear direction, and an arm shaft 285 that rotatably supports the opening / closing arm member 264. The side guide portions 283 are provided on both left and right ends of the upper wall of the opening / closing base member 262, and are formed with a generally U-shaped cross section that covers the side, top, and bottom sides of each side edge of the opening / closing member 112 on which the side edge sliding portion 271 is provided. The upper guide portion 284 is formed in the shape of a groove in the front-to-rear direction on the bottom side of the upper wall of the opening / closing base member 262 at a position corresponding to the upper sliding portion 273 on the opening / closing member 112 side.

[0088] The arm shaft 285 is formed to protrude downward from the opening / closing base member 262. This arm shaft 285 is arranged below the opening / closing member 112 and above the drive shaft 113a of the solenoid 113. The opening / closing arm member 264 integrally includes a vertical shaft insertion portion 286, an arm portion 287 protruding from the shaft insertion portion 286 in a predetermined radial direction (here, substantially leftward), a drive engagement portion 274 provided at the tip side of the arm portion 287, and an engaged portion 288 arranged from the shaft insertion portion 286 in a predetermined radial direction different from that of the arm portion 287 (here, substantially forward). The arm shaft 285 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 286, so that the opening / closing arm member 264 is rotatably supported by the opening / closing base member 262. The drive engagement portion 274 rotatably engages with the engaged portion 275 on the opening / closing member 112 side in the operating direction of the opening / closing member 112, i.e., the front-to-rear direction.

[0089] The drive head member 263 is integrally provided with a shaft fixing portion 291 for fixing to the drive shaft 113a of the solenoid 113, and a drive engagement portion 292 for engaging with the engaged portion 288 on the opening / closing arm member 264. The drive engagement portion 292 is composed of a pair of upward protrusions on the left and right, and engages with the engaged portion 288 on the opening / closing arm member 264 from below so as to sandwich the engaged portion 288 on both sides in the rotation direction. In this way, the drive head member 263 and the opening / closing arm member 264 convert the left-right driving action of the solenoid 113 into forward-backward action of the opening / closing member 112. The drive head member 263 reciprocates left and right in response to the ON / OFF switching of the solenoid 113, which causes the opening / closing arm member 264 to swing via the drive engagement portion 292 and the engaged portion 288, thereby causing the opening / closing member 112 to reciprocate forward and backward between the open state and the closed state via the drive engagement portion 274 and the engaged portion 275. In the open state, the opening / closing member 112 opens the second large prize opening 111 by retracting rearward from the back panel 241 of the base plate member 231 (Figure 18(b)), and in the closed state, it closes the second large prize opening 111 by protruding forward from the back panel 241 of the base plate member 231 through the opening / closing member insertion hole 242 (Figure 18(a)).

[0090] Regarding the lower winning unit 55c described above, we will now explain the lubricant application area, application prohibited area, application method, etc. Of the components of the lower winning unit 55c, the lubricant application areas are provided on the opening / closing member 112, the solenoid holder member 261, the opening / closing base member 262, the drive head member 263, and the opening / closing arm member 264.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, in the opening / closing member (second component) 112, the left and right side edges of the opening / closing plate 112a and the surfaces of the side edge sliding portions 271 provided along these edges are set as application areas A21, the surfaces of the lower sliding portion 272 are set as application areas A22, and the surfaces of the upper sliding portion 273 are set as application areas A23, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. Furthermore, the front area of ​​the upper surface of the opening / closing plate 92a, which is located forward of the back plate 241 of the base plate member 231 when in the closed state, is a game ball contact area and is therefore set as an application prohibited area N21. Although the application areas A21 to A23 and the application prohibited area N21 are both provided on the opening / closing member 112, they are not in contact with each other and a buffer area exists between them, which effectively prevents the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N21.

[0092] 19, in the solenoid holder member (second part) 261, the inner surface of the lower guide part 282 with which the side edge sliding part 271 on the opening / closing member 112 side slides is set to the application area A24, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. In the opening / closing base member (second part) 262, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the inner surface of the side guide part 283 with which the side edge sliding part 271 on the opening / closing member 112 side slides is set to the application area A25, and the inner surface of the upper guide part 284 with which the upper sliding part 273 slides is set to the application area A26, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. In addition, with respect to the drive head member (first part) 263 and the opening / closing arm member (first part) 264, the entire outer surfaces are set to the application areas A27 and A28, and the lubricant is applied to the entire surface by so-called dipping.

[0093] In this way, in the lower winning unit 55c, brush application is used for the opening / closing member 112, solenoid holder member 261 and opening / closing base member 262, which correspond to the second parts and are only partially set in the application area, while dipping is used for the drive head member 263 and opening / closing arm member 264, which correspond to the first parts and are almost entirely set in the application area, and the lubricant application methods differ between the first part and the second part.

[0094] Next, we will explain the first movable performance means 46. As shown in Fig. 3, the first movable performance means 46 is arranged in front of and corresponding to the upper left of the liquid crystal display means 50, and as shown in Figs. 21 to 26, etc., it is equipped with a mechanism base body 301 attached to and fixed on the rear mounting base 49, an opening / closing mechanism 302 attached to the front side of this mechanism base body 301 so as to be swingable, an opening / closing decorative member 303 attached to the front side of this opening / closing mechanism 302 so as to be able to open and close, a motor 304 for driving the opening / closing decorative member 303 via the opening / closing mechanism 302, and a drive transmission means 305 for transmitting the driving force of the motor 304 to the opening / closing mechanism 302.

[0095] As shown in Figures 22 and 23, the mechanism base body 301 comprises a drive base portion 306 formed in a horizontally elongated shape, a oscillating base portion 307 formed in a vertically elongated shape facing downward from one end side (here, the left end side) of the drive base portion 306, a drive gear support portion 308 arranged near the oscillating base portion 307 side end (left end) of the drive base portion 306, a motor mounting portion 309 arranged near the end side (right end) of the drive base portion 306 opposite the oscillating base portion 307, a drive base oscillating shaft 310 arranged near the end side (lower end) of the oscillating base portion 307 opposite the drive base portion 306, and an opening / closing arm guide hole 311 arranged near the end side (upper end) of the oscillating base portion 307 on the drive base portion 306 side.

[0096] The drive gear support portion 308 rotatably supports the drive gear member 312, and is provided in a recess 313 formed rearward relative to the front side of the drive base portion 306. The drive gear support portion 308 includes a drive gear shaft portion 314 for rotatably supporting the drive gear member 312, a retaining base portion 315 disposed on the tip side (front end side) of the drive gear shaft portion 314, and a drive gear sliding contact portion 316 with which the back side of the drive gear member 312 slides. The drive gear shaft portion 314 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape protruding forward from a bottom wall 313a of the recess 313, and rotatably supports the drive gear member 312 by slidably fitting into a shaft hole portion 317 of the drive gear member 312.

[0097] The retaining base 315 is used to secure the retaining screw 318, and protrudes coaxially from the tip end of the drive gear shaft 314. It is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the drive gear shaft 314, and is inserted into an insertion hole 319 on the drive gear member 312 side. The insertion hole 319 has a smaller diameter than the shaft hole 317, and is provided in front of the shaft hole 317 in the drive gear member 312. By screwing the retaining screw 318 into the retaining base 315 from the front side of the insertion hole 319 in the drive gear member 312, the drive gear member 312 is held in a state where it is supported by the drive gear shaft 314.

[0098] The drive gear sliding contact portion 316 is a protrusion provided at a constant height on the bottom wall 313a of the recessed portion 313, and is arranged in a substantially circular shape so as to concentrically surround the periphery of the drive gear shaft portion 314. The drive gear member 312 constitutes a part of the drive transmission means 305, and integrally includes a drive gear portion 321 having an axial hole portion 317 and an insertion hole 319 provided in the center, a dog portion 322 provided in a predetermined circumferential range of the drive gear portion 321, and a forward-protruding guide protrusion 323 provided at a predetermined circumferential position a predetermined distance from the center. A sensor 324 capable of detecting the dog portion 322 is arranged near the drive gear member 312, and the rotation of the drive gear member 312, i.e., the drive of the motor 304, is controlled based on information about the rotational position of the drive gear member 312 obtained by this sensor 324.

[0099] The motor mounting portion 309 is provided on the front side of the drive base portion 306, and the motor 304 is detachably mounted thereon with its drive shaft 304a exposed at the rear side of the drive base portion 306. As shown in Fig. 22, a plurality of gears 325-327 (three in this example) constituting the drive transmission means 305 are arranged between the motor 304 and the drive gear member 312. The gears 325-327 are arranged on the back side (rear side) of the drive base portion 306, and are arranged such that the drive gear 325 is fixed to the drive shaft 304a of the motor 304, the relay gear 326 meshes with the drive gear portion 321 of the drive gear member 312, and the relay gear 327 meshes with both the drive gear 325 and the relay gear 326.

[0100] The drive base swing shaft 310 swingably supports the drive base body 331 that constitutes the opening / closing mechanism 302, and is formed to protrude forward from the front side of the swing base part 307. The open / close arm guide hole 311 guides the guide protrusion 354 of the open / close arm 332 that constitutes the opening / closing mechanism 302, and is formed as an elongated hole that slopes downward to the right.

[0101] The opening / closing mechanism 302 is driven by a motor 304 to swing, and converts this swinging motion into the opening and closing motion of the opening / closing decorative member 303. As shown in Figures 22 to 26, it comprises a drive base body 331, an opening / closing arm 332, an opening / closing mechanism cover 333, an LED board 330, an inner lens 334, and opening / closing links 335 to 342. The drive base body 331 comprises an elongated base plate 343 arranged with its plate surface facing forward, and the base plate 343 is provided with a swing shaft insertion hole 344, a drive gear guide hole 345, an opening / closing arm swing shaft 346, guide holes 347a and 347b, and a screw hole 348.

[0102] The oscillation shaft insertion hole 344 is the oscillation center of the drive base body 331, and is arranged near the lower end of the drive base body 331 as shown in Figures 22 and 23, and is formed as a circular hole in the front-to-rear direction into which the drive base oscillation shaft 310 on the mechanism base body 301 side can be rotatably inserted. The oscillation shaft insertion hole 344 is attached to the drive base oscillation shaft 310 via a rear end bush 349a arranged on the rear end side and a front end bush 349b arranged on the front end side. The front end bush 349b also serves to prevent the drive base body 331 from coming off, and is detachably fixed to the drive base oscillation shaft 310 with screws.

[0103] The drive gear guide hole 345, which guides the guide protrusion 323 of the drive gear member 312, is located on the left edge side of the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the drive base body 331 and is formed as an elongated hole slightly inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drive base body 331. As a result, when the drive gear member 312 is rotated by the driving of the motor 304, the guide protrusion 323 of the drive gear member 312 moves within the drive gear guide hole 345, and accordingly the drive base body 331 swings around the drive base swing shaft 310. The guide protrusion 323 is inserted into the drive gear guide hole 345 via a pair of bushings 350a, 350b which are located on both the front and rear sides of the drive gear guide hole 345.

[0104] The opening / closing arm swing shaft 346 rotatably supports the opening / closing arm 332, and is disposed approximately in the longitudinal center of the drive base body 331 as shown in Figure 22, etc., and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape that protrudes rearward. The guide holes 347a, 347b are disposed on either side of the opening / closing arm swing shaft 346 at the front and rear ends of the drive base body 331 in the longitudinal direction, and are each formed in an arc shape of a predetermined length centered on the opening / closing arm swing shaft 346. A peripheral wall portion 360 surrounding the outer periphery protrudes at a certain height from the back side of the guide holes 347a, 347b, and the front side of the opening / closing arm 332 is able to slide against it. The screw holes 348 are for screwing the opening / closing mechanism cover 333 to the front side of the drive base body 331, and are arranged in multiple locations (four locations in this case) including near both ends of the base plate 343, and the rear end thereof is formed with a conical or other seating portion 348a against which the head of the screw abuts.

[0105] The opening / closing arm 332 is disposed on the rear side of the drive base body 331 and includes an elongated arm plate 351 that is shorter than the drive base body 331. The arm plate 351 is provided with a swing shaft insertion hole 352, guide holes 353a and 353b, and a guide protrusion 354. The swing shaft insertion hole 352 is the swing center of the opening / closing arm 332 and is disposed near the longitudinal center of the arm plate 351. It is formed as a circular hole in the front-rear direction through which the opening / closing arm swing shaft 346 on the drive base body 331 side can be rotatably inserted. The swing shaft insertion hole 352 is attached to the opening / closing arm swing shaft 346 via a bush 355 disposed on its rear end and a washer 356 disposed on its front end. The guide holes 353a, 353b correspond to the guide holes 347a, 347b of the drive base body 331, and are arranged on both ends of the opening / closing arm 332 in the longitudinal direction, sandwiching the oscillating shaft insertion hole 352, and are formed in the shape of elongated holes along the longitudinal direction of the opening / closing arm 332.

[0106] The guide protrusion 354 corresponds to the opening / closing arm guide hole 311 on the mechanism base body 301 side, and is formed in a rearward protruding shape near one end (lower end) of the arm plate 351, and is inserted rearward into the opening / closing arm guide hole 311 via a pair of bushes 357a, 357b arranged on the rear and front sides of the opening / closing arm guide hole 311.

[0107] 24 and other figures, the cover plate 361 is provided with a cover plate 361 formed in a cross shape in front view by a vertical plate portion 361a and a horizontal plate portion 361b, and is disposed in front of the drive base body 331 with the open-close links 335-342 interposed therebetween, and is detachably fixed to the drive base body 331 by screws. Link swing shafts 362-369 for swingably supporting the open-close links 335-342, respectively, and a screw base 370 corresponding to the screw hole 348 on the drive base body 331 side are formed on the back side of the cover plate 361 so as to protrude rearward.

[0108] Of the link swing shafts 362-369, the link swing shafts 362-365 are arranged in a row at intervals from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction along the left edge of the vertical plate portion 361a, and the link swing shafts 366-369 are similarly arranged in a row at intervals from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction along the right edge of the vertical plate portion 361a. The left link swing shafts 362-365 and the right link swing shafts 366-369 correspond to the left and right, respectively, and all have the same horizontal spacing. Screw fastening bases 370 are provided at multiple locations (four locations in this example) corresponding to the screw fastening holes 348 on the drive base body 331. In this embodiment, of the link swing shafts 362-369, the link swing shafts 366 and 369 also serve as the screw fastening bases 370.

[0109] Each of the opening and closing links 335-342 has a swing shaft insertion hole 371 through which the link swing shaft 362-369 is rotatably inserted, and an opening and closing shaft insertion hole 381 through which the opening and closing shaft 372-379 on the opening and closing decorative member 303 side is rotatably inserted. The distance between the swing shaft insertion hole 371 and the opening and closing shaft insertion hole 381 in each of the opening and closing links 335-342 is the same. In addition, each of the opening and closing links 336, 337, 340, and 341 has an interlocking gear 382 provided around the center axis of the swing shaft insertion hole 371, and the interlocking gears 382 of the adjacent opening and closing links 336, 340 and opening and closing links 337, 341 on the left and right mesh with each other so that their swing movements are interlocked. Furthermore, the opening / closing links 337, 340 have opening / closing drive shafts 383a, 383b formed to protrude rearward at positions a predetermined distance from the center of the oscillation shaft insertion hole 371. The opening / closing drive shafts 383a, 383b correspond to the guide holes 347a, 347b on the drive base body 331 side and the guide holes 353a, 353b on the opening / closing arm 332 side, and the opening / closing drive shaft 383a is slidably inserted through the guide hole 347a and the guide hole 353a on the rear side thereof, and the opening / closing drive shaft 383b is slidably inserted through the guide hole 347b and the guide hole 353b on the rear side thereof.

[0110] An inner lens 334 is attached to the front side of the opening / closing mechanism cover 333, sandwiching the LED substrate 330. The inner lens 334 is a decorative lens that is translucent and emits light using light from the LED substrate 330. The inner lens 334 is formed in a cross shape when viewed from the front by a vertical plate portion 391a and a horizontal plate portion 391b to match the shape of the cover plate 361 of the opening / closing mechanism cover 333, and is detachably fixed to the opening / closing mechanism cover 333 by screws or the like. The LED substrate 330 is formed in a cross shape when viewed from the front corresponding to the inner lens 334, and a plurality of LEDs 330a are arranged on its front side.

[0111] 26, a sliding portion 392 for opening and closing is formed on the front side of the inner lens 334 in a forward-protruding manner. This sliding portion 392 for opening and closing is intended to maintain a certain gap between the inner lens 334 and the opening and closing decorative member 303 when the opening and closing decorative member 303 opens and closes (sliding along the front surface of the inner lens 334). It is formed to a protruding height so that it comes close to or makes sliding contact with the rear side of the opening and closing decorative member 303, and is symmetrically arranged near both widthwise edges at multiple locations (two locations each in this case) along the length of each of the vertical plate portion 391a and the horizontal plate portion 391b. Also, an opening and closing restriction portion 393 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner lens 334 in an outward-protruding manner. This opening / closing regulating portion 393 is designed to restrict further movement by approaching or abutting the inner surface of the opening / closing decorative member 303 when the opening / closing decorative member 303 is in the closed state, and is arranged symmetrically on both sides of the width at multiple locations (here, two locations each) along the longitudinal direction of each of the vertical plate portion 391a and the horizontal plate portion 391b.

[0112] In the above-described opening / closing mechanism 302, when the drive base body 331 and the like are driven by the motor 304 to swing between a first position (FIG. 25(a)) which is an origin position and a second position (FIG. 25(b)), the opening / closing arm 332 swings accordingly between a third position (origin position) and a fourth position relative to the drive base body 331. Then, due to the relative swinging movement of the opening / closing arm 332 relative to the drive base body 331, the opening / closing links 337 and 340 swing between a fifth position (origin position) and a sixth position, and the opening / closing links 336 and 341 also swing between the fifth position (origin position) and the sixth position via the interlocking gear 382.

[0113] The opening / closing decorative member 303 simultaneously performs swinging and opening / closing operations on the front side of the opening / closing mechanism 302, and as shown in Figures 21, 24, etc., it is composed of a front panel 401 formed in the shape of a cross when viewed from the front, which corresponds to the shape of the inner lens 334, and a peripheral wall portion 402 protruding rearward from the outer edge side of the front panel 401 along the outer periphery of the inner lens 334, and is separated into four upper, lower, left and right members, namely upper left member 303a, lower left member 303b, upper right member 303c, and lower right member 303d, by the center lines of the vertical and horizontal plate portions that form the cross shape.

[0114] The opening / closing decorative member 303 is integrally provided with opening / closing shafts 372-379, which are approximately cylindrical and protrude rearward from the back side of the front panel 401. Of these, opening / closing shafts 372 and 373 are arranged on the upper left member 303a, opening / closing shafts 374 and 375 on the lower left member 303b, opening / closing shafts 376 and 377 on the upper right member 303c, and opening / closing shafts 378 and 379 on the lower right member 303d. The opening / closing shafts 372-379 are rotatably inserted into opening / closing shaft insertion holes 381 of the opening / closing links 335-342 via the inner lens 334 and the outer periphery of the opening / closing mechanism cover 333, respectively.

[0115] The opening and closing links 335-342 have opening and closing shafts 372-379 of the opening and closing decorative member 303 inserted through their respective opening and closing shaft insertion holes 381, so that the distance between the opening and closing shaft insertion holes 381 between the opening and closing links 335, 336, between the opening and closing links 337, 338, between the opening and closing links 339, 340, and between the opening and closing links 341, 342 is fixed, and this distance is the same as the distance between the respective swing shaft insertion holes 371. In other words, the opening and closing links 335, 336, the opening and closing links 337, 338, the opening and closing links 339, 340, and the opening and closing links 341, 342 each have four insertion holes 371, 371, 381, 381 that form the four vertices of a parallelogram. As described above, the opening / closing links 337, 340 and the opening / closing links 336, 341 swing between the fifth position (Fig. 25(a)) and the sixth position (Fig. 25(b)), changing the shape of their parallelograms and shifting the position of the opening / closing shaft insertion hole 381. Accordingly, the opening / closing decorative member 303 slides (opens and closes) between a closed state (Fig. 25(a), Fig. 21(a)) in which the members 303a-303d are centered to form a cross shape, and an open state (Fig. 25(b), Fig. 21(b)) in which the members 303a-303d are spaced apart. Of course, because the opening / closing decorative member 303 is supported by the opening / closing mechanism 302, it not only opens and closes, but also swings along with the opening / closing mechanism 302.

[0116] The following describes the lubricant application area, application prohibited area, application method, etc., for the above-described first movable performance means 46. Among the components of the first movable performance means 46, the lubricant application areas are provided for the mechanism base body 301, drive base body 331, inner lens 334, opening / closing links 335 to 342, relay gears 326 and 327, as well as various bushings, etc.

[0117] 23, in the mechanism base body (second component) 301, the surface of the drive gear shaft portion 314 with which the shaft hole portion 317 of the drive gear member 312 slides and the surface of the drive gear sliding portion 316 with which the back side of the drive gear member 312 slides are set as the application area A31, and lubricant is applied by brushing. Meanwhile, in the mechanism base body 301, the front end face of the retaining base portion 315 with which the seating surface of the retaining screw 318 comes into contact and its central screw hole are set as the application prohibited area N31. Note that although the application area A31 and the application prohibited area N31 are both provided on the mechanism base body 301, they are not in contact with each other and a buffer area exists between them, which effectively prevents the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N31.

[0118] 22, in the drive base body (second component) 331, the surface of the peripheral wall portion 360 of the guide holes 347a, 347b with which the opening / closing arm 332 slides is set as the application area A32, and the lubricant is applied by brushing. Meanwhile, in the drive base body 331, the seating portion 348a of the screw fastening hole 348 is set as the application prohibited area N32. Note that although the application area A32 and the application prohibited area N32 are both provided on the drive base body 331, they are not in contact with each other and a buffer area exists between them, which effectively prevents the accidental application of lubricant to the application prohibited area N32.

[0119] 26, the surfaces of the opening / closing sliding portion 392 and the opening / closing restricting portion 393, which the opening / closing decorative member 303 slides or abuts against, are set as application areas A33 in the inner lens (second component) 334, and lubricant is applied by brushing. Meanwhile, in the inner lens 334, a fixed-width area along the center line of the vertical plate portion 391a and the horizontal plate portion 391b is set as the application-prohibited area N33 to prevent poor appearance due to uneven light transmission, because this area is illuminated by light from the rear LED 330a. Note that although the application area A33 and the application-prohibited area N33 are both provided on the inner lens 334, they are not in contact with each other and a buffer area exists between them, which effectively prevents accidental application of lubricant to the application-prohibited area N33.

[0120] The entire outer surfaces of the opening / closing links 335-342, relay gears 326, 327, bushings 349a, 350a, 350b, 355, 357a, 357b, and washer 356 are set as application area A34 (first part), and lubricant is applied to the entire surfaces by so-called dipping in a hot water bath. The bushing 349b is not just a bushing but also serves to prevent the drive base body 331 from coming off, and a screw insertion hole for fixing to the drive base oscillation shaft 310 is formed on its front side. Therefore, as shown in Figures 23 and 24, the bushing portion on the back side of the bushing 349b is set as application area A35, and the front side constituting the screw seat and the inner surface of the screw insertion hole are set as application prohibited area N34 (second part), and lubricant is applied by brushing. Although the application area A35 and the application-prohibited area N34 are both provided on the bush 349b, they are provided on different surfaces, so that the application-prohibited area N34 can be effectively prevented from being accidentally applied with lubricant.

[0121] In this way, in the first movable performance means 46, brush painting is used for the mechanism base body 301, drive base body 331, inner lens 334 and bush 349b, which correspond to the second parts that are only partially set in the application area, while dipping is used for the opening and closing links 335 to 342, relay gears 326, 327, bushes 349a, 350a, 350b, 355, 357a, 357b and washer 356, which correspond to the first parts that are almost entirely set in the application area, and the lubricant application methods differ between the first and second parts.

[0122] In the first movable effect means 46, among the multiple components provided with lubricant application areas, the concentration of the lubricant (second lubricant) used for the inner lens (translucent component) 334 including the decorative lens (translucent component) is lower than the concentration of the lubricant (first lubricant) used for the other components (non-translucent components) that do not include translucent components such as decorative lenses. This is because using a low-concentration lubricant makes application marks less noticeable, and even if lubricant is applied to the decorative lens component, it does not significantly impair the appearance.

[0123] Furthermore, it is desirable to use different viscosities of lubricants for the upper winning unit 55a, middle winning unit 55b, and lower winning unit 55c described above, and the first movable performance means 46. That is, it is desirable to use a higher viscosity of the lubricant (first lubricant) for the parts (first parts) of the first movable performance means 46 that use a motor as a driving source than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) for the upper winning unit 55a, middle winning unit 55b, and lower winning unit 55c (second parts) that use a solenoid as a driving source. This is because the load on the sliding parts is greater in the case of the first movable performance means 46 that uses a motor as a driving source, compared to the case of the upper winning unit 55a, etc. that use a solenoid as a driving source.

[0124] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, when comparing the first movable performance means 46 and the upper winning unit 55a, etc., the weight of the movable part of the former is greater than that of the latter, and therefore the load on the sliding part is thought to be greater, so it is desirable to make the viscosity of the lubricant (first lubricant) used for the former part (first part) higher than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) used for the latter part (second part).

[0125] Furthermore, when there are two movable means with different operating distances, the loads on the sliding parts are different, so it is desirable to use a higher viscosity lubricant (first lubricant) for the part (first part) of the movable means with the longer operating distance than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) for the part (second part) of the movable means with the shorter operating distance.When there are two movable means with different operating speeds, the loads on the sliding parts are different, so it is desirable to use a higher viscosity lubricant (first lubricant) for the part (first part) of the movable means with the faster operating speed than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) for the part (second part) of the movable means with the slower operating speed.

[0126] Furthermore, even when there are two moving means that use motors as drive sources, the load on the sliding parts differs depending on factors such as the torque of the motors used, so it is desirable to use a higher viscosity lubricant (first lubricant) for the part of the moving means with the greater motor torque (first part) than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) for the part of the moving means with the lesser motor torque.Also, when there are two moving means that use solenoids as drive sources, the load on the sliding parts differs depending on factors such as the suction force of the solenoids used, so it is desirable to use a higher viscosity lubricant (first lubricant) for the part of the moving means with the greater solenoid suction force (first part) than the viscosity of the lubricant (second lubricant) for the part of the moving means with the lesser solenoid suction force (second part).

[0127] In the case of so-called shutter-type winning means such as the second special symbol starting means 33 and the second special winning means 35, a lubricant is applied to the sliding parts of the opening / closing member (movable body) and the main case (support) that supports it for sliding movement. However, to minimize contact of the game ball with the lubricant-applied area on the main case side, when the opening / closing member is retracted from the game area 18 to the main case side (rear side) (second state; closed state (FIG. 11(a)) for the second special symbol starting means 33, and open state (FIG. 18(b)) for the second special winning means 35), the tip side of the opening / closing member (end on the game area side) may be configured to protrude forward from the front end of the main case (i.e., from the lubricant-applied area on the main case side). Figure 27 is a side cross-sectional view of the second special winning means 35, showing the open state in which the opening / closing member 112 is retracted rearward. As shown in the figure, even in the open state, the tip of the open / close member 112 protrudes forward from the front end X of the open / close base member 262 that constitutes the main body case. This reduces the possibility that the tip of the open / close member 112 will become an obstacle and cause the gaming ball flowing down the fourth passage 101 to come into contact with the open / close base member 262, thereby effectively preventing the lubricant applied to the application area A25 of the side guide portion 283 from adhering to the gaming ball.

[0128] In the embodiment, an example was shown in which a lubricant application area was basically set on the sliding portion and applied to it, but even the sliding portion may not be applied with lubricant or may be set as an application-prohibited area. For example, in a clamp fixing means for fixing a fixed component such as a glass unit or a circuit board case, the clamp that holds the fixed component slides around its axis to switch between a fixed state and an unlocked state, but it is desirable to set this sliding portion as an application-prohibited area. This is because applying lubricant to the sliding portion of the clamp fixing means weakens the fixing strength, which may easily switch to the unlocked state and cause the fixed component to come off.

[0129] It is also possible to provide no coating area in a portion facing a coating-prohibited area such as a ball contact portion (for example, the upper surface side of the opening / closing member 92 in Figure 12), i.e., in a portion that may come into contact with the coating-prohibited area (for example, the upper guide portion 226 in Figure 12).

[0130] In the embodiment, the application of lubricant to each component of the winning units 55a-55c and the movable effect means 46 was described. However, these components are all located on the gaming board 15 and are not easily touched by players or even by gaming hall employees. Therefore, there is little risk that the lubricant will spread to prohibited areas when an employee touches the applied area. On the other hand, it is desirable not to apply lubricant to movable parts that can be easily touched by gaming hall employees, such as the glass unit and the board case attachment / detachment mechanism, and where employees are expected to perform predetermined operations (such as attachment / detachment operations). This is because there is a risk that the lubricant will accidentally spread to prohibited areas of other components when employees operate them.

[0131] Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly implemented in various pinball gaming machines such as arrange ball machines and mahjong ball gaming machines, as well as gaming machines other than pinball gaming machines such as slot machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 46 1st movable performance means 55a Upper winning unit 55b Medium winning unit 55c and below winning unit

Claims

[Claim 1] a predetermined part having a sliding part that is slidable relative to a predetermined part; The lubricant is applied to the application area including the sliding portion of the predetermined part. In gaming machines, the predetermined part has a seat portion with which the seat surface of the screw comes into contact, The application area is arranged so as not to come into contact with the seating portion. A gaming machine characterized by:

Images