Gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine which can be efficiently manufactured.SOLUTION: The game machine is provided with a game board having a game panel and a stage member 2520B for receiving, rolling and finally dropping game balls to the front surface side of the game panel. The stage member includes a first member 2521 attached to the game panel, a second member 2522 having a rolling surface part 2522a and a front release part 2518a and positioned on the rear surface of the first member, and a third member 2523 positioned on the rear surface of the second member. The first member and the third member are connected by sandwiching the second member, and the second member and the first member are positioned by a positioning means composed of a positioning pin and a positioning hole 2522j. The first member is formed with a concave cutout portion side 2521i opening upward at a portion facing the front discharge portion of the second member, and the second member is provided with a discharge projection portion side 2522k communicating with the front discharge portion, so that the discharge projection portion of the second member can be fitted into the concave cutout portion of the first member in a state where the second member is brought into contact with the rear surface of the first member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 125

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine (generally also referred to as a "pachinko machine"). [Background technology]

[0002] A known gaming machine, such as a pachinko machine, has a gaming board with a gaming area in front where the gaming ball rolls, and a frame-shaped center device attached to the front of the gaming board, with the center device having a stage that rolls the gaming ball from side to side and then releases it into the gaming area in front of the gaming board (for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of gaming machine, the gaming ball rolling on the stage is released into the gaming area from a specific part of the stage, so that there is a high probability that the ball will enter a winning hole such as a starting hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-46876 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The stage of the central role-playing device in Patent Document 1 is formed integrally with the center case (see paragraph

[0045] of Patent Document 1), but there are also versions in which this stage is molded separately and screwed to the center case. By doing so, it is possible to make repeated fine adjustments to the mold that molds the stage, and bring the movement of the game ball closer to the design specifications. However, if the stage is molded separately, an assembly process to the center case is inevitably required, which reduces the manufacturing efficiency of the center gadget and ultimately reduces the productivity of the gaming machine. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can be manufactured efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: a game panel having a game area in which game balls flow down; A gaming machine equipped with a gaming board having a stage member that can receive gaming balls flowing down the gaming area, roll them laterally, and finally drop the gaming balls onto the front side of the gaming panel, The stage member is A first member attached to the front surface of the gaming panel; a second member located behind the first member and having a rolling surface portion that can roll the game ball laterally and a front release portion that can drop the game ball from the rolling surface portion to the front side of the game panel; A third member is provided behind the second member to prevent the game ball from falling backward. the first member and the third member are connected in a state in which the second member is sandwiched between them from the front and rear, and at least the second member and the first member are positioned by a plurality of sets of positioning means each consisting of a plurality of positioning pins and a plurality of positioning holes, The first member has a recessed portion that opens upward in a portion facing the front discharge portion of the second member, The second member has a discharge protrusion provided on a front surface thereof, the discharge protrusion communicating with the front discharge portion, The present invention provides a gaming machine in which the ejection protrusion of the second member can fit into the recess of the first member when the front portion of the second member is abutted against the rear surface of the first member.

[0006] In such a gaming machine, when assembling the stage members, if one tries to align the multiple positioning pins and positioning holes of the first and second members randomly, it is time-consuming because the positions of the pins and holes cannot be visually confirmed when the first and second members are brought close together, but the engagement of the ejection protrusion of the second member with the recessed portion of the first member can be easily performed visually, and when the positions of the two members are aligned, the positions of the multiple positioning pins and positioning holes also nearly align, making it possible to efficiently align the first and second members. Therefore, gaming machines can be manufactured efficiently (see chapters [5-8c-4. Third Specific Embodiment of Stage Unit] and [5-8c-5. Summary] in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention], and Figures 124 to 127, etc. in [Drawings]). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can be manufactured efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the pachinko machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. [Figure 5] This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine seen from the front right. [Figure 6] This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine seen from the front left. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a pachinko machine seen from behind. [Figure 8] This is an oblique view of a pachinko machine seen from the front with the door frame open from the main frame and the main frame open from the outer frame. [Figure 9] This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main body frame, and an outer frame, as seen from the front. [Figure 10]This is an exploded oblique view of a pachinko machine disassembled into a door frame, a game board, a main body frame, and an outer frame, viewed from the rear. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view of the outer frame of the pachinko machine. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the outer frame from the front. [Figure 15] This is a perspective view of the outer frame from behind. [Figure 16] This is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame disassembled into its main components as seen from the front. [Figure 17] This is an exploded oblique view of the left outer frame assembly and the right outer frame assembly of the outer frame, viewed from the front. [Figure 18] This is an exploded oblique view of the lower outer frame assembly of the outer frame, viewed from the front. [Figure 19] 1A is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame upper hinge assembly of the outer frame as seen from above the front, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1A as seen from below the front. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view of the door frame from the front. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of the door frame from behind. [Figure 22] This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame from the front, with the door frame top decorative body and the door frame upper decorative body disassembled. [Figure 23] This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame from behind, with the door frame top decorative body and the door frame upper decorative body disassembled. [Figure 24] This is a front view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 25] This is a rear view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 26] This is a left side view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 27] This is a right side view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 28] This is an oblique view of the door frame from the front right, showing the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 29]This is an oblique view of the door frame from the front left, showing the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 30] This is an oblique view of the door frame from behind with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 31] This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame from the front, with the upper door frame decorative body removed and the main components disassembled into parts. [Figure 32] This is an exploded oblique view of the door frame from the rear, with the upper door frame decorative body removed and the main components disassembled into parts. [Figure 33] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. [Figure 34] 1A is a perspective view of a door frame base unit of a door frame as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the door frame base unit as seen from the back. [Figure 35] 1A is a perspective view of a door frame reinforcement unit in a door frame as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the door frame reinforcement unit in a door frame as seen from the back. [Figure 36] 1A is a perspective view of the intermediate reinforcing frame of the door frame reinforcement unit as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the intermediate reinforcing frame of the door frame reinforcement unit as seen from the back. [Figure 37] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of a portion of the intermediate reinforcing frame in a vertical cross section of the door frame. FIG. [Figure 38] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the dimensional relationship of the upper part of the intermediate reinforcing frame. FIG. [Figure 39] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 1 of the intermediate reinforcement frame in the door frame, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 2 of the intermediate reinforcement frame, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 3 of the intermediate reinforcement frame. [Figure 40] FIG. 10(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth modified example of the intermediate reinforcing frame in the door frame, and FIG. 10(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a fifth modified example of the intermediate reinforcing frame. [Figure 41] (a) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of the door frame as seen from the front, (b) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of (a) as seen from the rear-front, (c) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of a conventional pachinko machine as seen from the front, and (d) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of (a) as seen from the rear. [Figure 42] 41(a) is an exploded perspective view of the cylinder lock of FIG. 41(a) as seen from the front, and FIG. 41(b) is an exploded perspective view of the cylinder lock of FIG. 41(a) as seen from the rear. [Figure 43] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the cylinder lock in Figure 41(a) from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram of the cylinder lock shown in a state rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state in (a), and (c) is an explanatory diagram of the cylinder lock shown in a state rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the state in (a). [Figure 44] (a) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit of the door frame base unit from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit from the back. [Figure 45] (a) is an exploded oblique view of the ball feeding unit seen from the front, and (b) is an exploded oblique view of the ball feeding unit seen from the rear with the rear case and anti-tamper member removed. [Figure 46] (a) is a perspective view of the fall cover unit of the door frame base unit as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the fall cover unit as seen from the back. [Figure 47] FIG. 10 is a front view of the fall cover unit with the lid member removed. [Figure 48] This is an exploded oblique view from the front of the handle unit, plate unit, and performance operation unit in the door frame. [Figure 49] This is an exploded oblique view of the handle unit, plate unit, and performance operation unit in the door frame from behind. [Figure 50] 1 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit in the door frame as seen from the front. FIG. [Figure 51] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit in the door frame, seen from behind. [Figure 52] 1A is an explanatory perspective view showing the relationship between the handle base, handle, handle return spring, and handle touch sensor in the handle unit, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory perspective view showing an exploded view of FIG. 1A. [Figure 53]10 is an explanatory diagram showing a perspective view from behind of the relationship between the handle base, handle, handle return spring, handle touch sensor, and inner base in the handle unit. FIG. [Figure 54] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the handle unit, in a perspective view from behind, the relationship between the handle base, the handle, the handle return spring, the handle touch sensor, and the inner base. [Figure 55] (a) is an oblique view showing the performance operation unit in a state where the transparent part of the door frame is made opaque and the lever operation part is not protruding, and (b) is an oblique view showing the performance operation unit in a state where the lever operation part is protruding in (a). [Figure 56] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the performance operation unit from the right side together with the advance / retract mechanism when the lever operation part is not extended, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the lever operation part is extended in (a). [Figure 57] (a) is a perspective view of the production operation unit seen from the front with the transparent part made transparent, and (b) is a right side view of the production operation unit of (a). [Figure 58] This is an oblique view of the unit reinforcement frame in the performance operation unit of Figure 55, viewed from the front. [Figure 59] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a rotation mechanism of a rotating body in the lever operation unit. FIG. [Figure 60] This is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of an example of a security measure using a glass unit in a door frame. [Figure 61] FIG. 61 is an explanatory diagram showing the security measure using the glass unit shown in FIG. 60 from the rear. [Figure 62] 62 is an explanatory diagram showing a first modification of the crime prevention measure using a glass unit or the like in a door frame different from that shown in FIGS. 60 and 61. FIG. [Figure 63] FIG. 63 is an explanatory diagram showing a second modification of the crime prevention measure that uses a glass unit or the like that is different from that shown in FIG. 62. [Figure 64] FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body frame of the pachinko machine. [Figure 65]FIG. 2 is a rear view of the main body frame of the pachinko machine. [Figure 66] This is an oblique view of the main body frame from the front right. [Figure 67] This is an oblique view of the main body frame from the front left. [Figure 68] This is an oblique view of the main body frame as seen from behind. [Figure 69] This is an exploded oblique view of the main body frame disassembled into its main components as seen from the front. [Figure 70] This is an exploded perspective view of the main body frame disassembled into its main components and viewed from the rear. [Figure 71] (a) is an enlarged oblique view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main frame, and (b) is an enlarged oblique view showing the lower left corner of the front of the main frame when the door frame is opened relative to the main frame. [Figure 72] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the connection cable guide member of the main body frame when the door frame is opened and closed relative to the main body frame. [Figure 73] (a) is a perspective view of the ball launcher in the main body frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the ball launcher as seen from the back. [Figure 74] (a) is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit of the main frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the dispensing base unit as seen from the back. [Figure 75] 1A is a perspective view of the dispensing unit in the main body frame as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the dispensing unit as seen from the back. [Figure 76] 1A is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit as viewed from the front, with the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit as viewed from the rear, with the dispensing unit disassembled into its main components. [Figure 77] This is a rear cross-sectional view of the dispensing device of the dispensing unit, cut at the center of the dispensing blade in the front-to-rear direction. [Figure 78] (a) is a rear cross-sectional view of the dispensing device cut at the center of the dispensing blade in the front-to-back direction when the ball removal movable piece is in the open state, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut along line AA in (a). [Figure 79] An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the door frame fall cover unit and the lower full ball path unit. [Figure 80] An explanatory diagram showing the flow of game balls in the main body frame. [Figure 81] 1A is a perspective view of the board unit of the main body frame as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the board unit as seen from the back. [Figure 82] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the board unit as seen from below and behind. [Figure 83] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit, seen from the front, disassembled into its main components. [Figure 84] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit disassembled into its main components and viewed from the rear. [Figure 85] This is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the lower part of the pachinko machine cut in the center in the left-right direction. [Figure 86] 1A is a perspective view of the locking unit of the main body frame as seen from the front, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the locking unit as seen from the rear. [Figure 87] (a) is an oblique view of the base unit of the second embodiment, showing the power supply unit, dispensing control unit, and interface unit omitted, as viewed from the front right, and (b) is an oblique view of the base unit of (a), as viewed from the front left. [Figure 88] 87A is a perspective view of the board unit of FIG. 87 seen from the upper right rear, and FIG. 87B is a perspective view of the board unit of FIG. 87A seen from the lower right rear. [Figure 89] 87A is a plan view of the substrate unit of FIG. 87, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (a). [Figure 90] FIG. 89(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 89(a). [Figure 91] FIG. 88 is an exploded perspective view of the substrate unit of FIG. 87 as seen from the front. [Figure 92] FIG. 88 is an exploded perspective view of the board unit of FIG. 87 as seen from behind. [Figure 93] This is a front view of the game board, showing the transparent center gimmicks and other parts as opaque. [Figure 94] FIG. 94 is a perspective view of the game board of FIG. 93 as seen from the front right. [Figure 95] FIG. 94 is a perspective view of the game board of FIG. 93 as seen from the front left. [Figure 96] FIG. 94 is a perspective view of the game board of FIG. 93 as seen from behind. [Figure 97] This is an exploded perspective view of the game board in Figure 93, broken down into its main components and viewed from the front. [Figure 98] This is an exploded perspective view of the game board in Figure 93, broken down into its main components and viewed from behind. [Figure 99] This is a front view of the game board, showing the inside of the game area where game balls circulate, by cutting the front unit parallel to the surface of the game panel. [Figure 100] (a) is a perspective view of an assembly having a front component, a game panel and a front unit on the game board of Figure 93, as viewed from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of an assembly having a front component, a game panel and a front unit on the game board of Figure 93, as viewed from the back. [Figure 101] 101 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 100, broken down into its main components, as seen from the front. [Figure 102] 101 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 100, broken down into its main components and viewed from the rear. [Figure 103] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged oblique view of the portion of the first information display part of the game board in the previous component, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the portion of the first information display part of the game board, (c) is an explanatory diagram showing an oblique view of the first information display part of the game board and the first information sticker base disassembled, and (d) is an oblique view of the first information sticker base to which the first information sticker is affixed, viewed from the front. [Figure 104] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged oblique view of the portion of the second information display part of the game board in the previous component, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the portion of the second information display part of the game board, (c) is an explanatory diagram showing an oblique view of the second information display part of the game board and the second information sticker base disassembled, and (d) is an oblique view of the second information sticker base to which the second information sticker is affixed, viewed from the front. [Figure 105](a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged oblique view of the portion of the third information display section of the game board in the previous component, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the portion of the third information display section of the game board, (c) is an explanatory diagram showing an oblique view of the third information display section of the game board and the third information sticker base disassembled, and (d) is an oblique view of the third information sticker base with the third information sticker affixed, viewed from the front. [Figure 106] This is an oblique view of the center device of the game board as seen from the front. [Figure 107] This is an oblique view of the center device of the game board from behind. [Figure 108] (a) is a front view of the stage unit in the center prop, and (b) is a rear view of the stage unit in the center prop. [Figure 109] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit as seen from the front. [Figure 110] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit as seen from behind. [Figure 111] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing a main part of the stage unit. [Figure 112] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in Figure 111, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in Figure 111, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in Figure 111, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in Figure 111. [Figure 113] 1(a) to 1(e) are explanatory views showing various aspects of demolding traces. [Figure 114] 1(a) is a front view of the first member of the stage unit of the center role piece, which has demolding traces on both the front and rear sides, and a rear view of the first member of the stage unit, which has demolding traces on both the front and rear sides. FIG. [Figure 115] 1(a) is a front view of a second member in which a demolding trace portion is provided only on the rear side of the stage unit, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear view of the second member in which a demolding trace portion is provided only on the rear side of the stage unit. [Figure 116](a) is a front view of a third member in which a demolding trace portion is provided only on the front side of the stage unit, and (b) is a rear view of the third member in which a demolding trace portion is provided only on the front side of the stage unit. [Figure 117] 116(a) is a plan view of a second member having a demolding trace portion at a different position from that in FIG. 115, and FIG. 116(b) is a front view of a third member having a demolding trace portion at a different position from that in FIG. [Figure 118] This is an explanatory diagram showing a center device with a demolding trace portion on the front side, along with a game board. [Figure 119] FIG. 109 is a front view showing a part of a stage unit of a second specific embodiment different from that of FIG. 108 and the like. [Figure 120] 119A is a perspective view of the stage unit of FIG. 119 seen from the front, and FIG. 119B is a perspective view of the stage unit of FIG. 119A seen from the back. [Figure 121] FIG. 120 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit of FIG. 119 as seen from the front. [Figure 122] FIG. 120 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit of FIG. 119 as seen from behind. [Figure 123] 119, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line JJ in FIG. 119, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line KK in FIG. 119. FIG. [Figure 124] FIG. 120 is a front view showing a part of a stage unit of a third specific embodiment different from that of FIG. 119 and the like. [Figure 125] FIG. 125 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit (stage member) of FIG. 124 as seen from the front. [Figure 126] FIG. 125 is an exploded perspective view of the stage unit (stage member) of FIG. 124, seen from behind. [Figure 127] (a) is an end view of the LL line in Figure 124, (b) is an end view of the MM line in Figure 124, (c) is an end view of the NN line in Figure 124, (d) is an end view of the OO line in Figure 124, and (e) is a combined end view of the PpP line in Figure 124. [Figure 128] This is a front view of the game board showing the rear first rising and falling decoration moved from its normal state to an intermediate position between the standby position at the bottom and the raised position at the top. [Figure 129] This is a front view of the game board showing the second rear rising decoration moved from its normal state to an intermediate position between the standby position at the bottom and the raised position at the top. [Figure 130] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control configuration of the game board. [Figure 131] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the center device of the game board in the second embodiment. [Figure 132] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the center device of the game board of the second embodiment. [Figure 133] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the center device of the game board of the second embodiment, seen from behind. [Figure 134] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the upper left corner of the center role in Figure 131 where the role entry port is located, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing an oblique view of the area in (a) from the front, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the role entry port area in the ball passage of the center role in Figure 131. [Figure 135] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged perspective view of the upper right end of the center reel in Figure 131, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing an oblique view of (a) seen from behind, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic cross section of the part extending up and down in the ball passage of the center reel in Figure 131. [Figure 136] 1A is a front view of an attacca unit provided with a passage decorative portion, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the passage decorative portion of the attacca unit of FIG. 1A. [Figure 137] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of an example of a passage decorative portion. [Figure 138] 10(a) to 10(c) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the shape of recesses in the passage decorative portion. [Figure 139] 10(a) to 10(c) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the shape of the convex portion of the passage decorative portion. [Figure 140]10(a) to 10(c) are explanatory diagrams showing a passage decorative portion provided with a plurality of convex portions and concave portions of different shapes. [Figure 141] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part in which a second convex part of the same shape is provided on a first convex part, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part in which a second convex part of a different protrusion amount is provided on a first convex part, (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part in which a second convex part of a different shape is provided on a first convex part, and (d) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part in which a second convex part is also provided on the inclined surface of the first convex part. [Figure 142] (a1) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part in which a second convex part of the same shape is provided on a first convex part, (a2) is an explanatory diagram showing (a1) from the front, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a passage decorative part in which a recess of a different shape from (a2) is provided from the front. [Figure 143] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part that is fitted into the opening of the game panel, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a passage decorative part that is different in form from (a). [Figure 144] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the outlet notation. [Figure 145] (a) is a front view of the lower part of the game board with the outlet markings, and (b) is a perspective view of (a) seen from the front. [Figure 146] This is an explanatory diagram showing a part of a game board from the front, in which outlet markings are used to follow the pattern of the decorative part. [Figure 147] This is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of a game board from the front, in which multiple outlet markings are used with different levels of prominence. [Figure 148] (a) is a front view showing a typical pachinko machine in which an outlet marking is provided so as to overlap with the performance operation unit when viewed from the front, and (b) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a typical pachinko machine in (a) cut in the center in the left-right direction. [Figure 149] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the outlet markings and the LED when viewed from the front, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the player seated in front and the outlet markings and the LED. [Figure 150] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the area on the game board where the outlet markings are located when viewed from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the outlet markings and the LEDs when viewed from the front on the game board in (a), and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the player seated at the front and the outlet markings and the LEDs on the game board in (a). [Figure 151] (a) is a front view of a ball inlet member with multiple outlet markings, and (b) is a rear view of the ball inlet member of (a). [Figure 152] 151. (a) is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the outlet marking in a ball inlet member having an outlet marking in a different manner from that in FIG. 151, and (b) is a rear view of (a). [Figure 153] (a) is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the outlet markings on a ball inlet member which, unlike Figures 151 and 152, has the outlet markings printed on both sides, and (b) is a rear view of (a). [Fig. 154] This is a front view showing a portion of a transparent ball inlet member with an outlet notation and a transparent portion attached to a decorative sticker. [Figure 155] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the lower part of a pachinko machine from the front view when the pop-up type pressing operation part as the performance operation part is in the normal position, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the lower part of a pachinko machine from the front view when the pop-up type pressing operation part is in the raised position. [Figure 156] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the center reel from the front when the diverting piece is in the forward position, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section cut at the sub-out port in the state of (a), and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing the main part of the center reel from the front when the diverting piece is in the retracted position. [Figure 157] (a) is a front view showing a starting port unit having a first starting port and a second starting port in a normal state, (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the starting port unit of (a), (c) is an oblique view showing the portion of the second starting port in the state of (a), and (d) is an oblique view showing the portion of the second starting port when the blades are opened from the state of (c). [Figure 158]1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the lower part of a gaming board in which the lower part of the gaming area is separated into a first area and a second area. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [1. Overall structure of a pachinko machine] A first specific embodiment of a pachinko machine 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "specific embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the pachinko machine 1 of this specific embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to one specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the pachinko machine, FIG. 3 is a left side view of the pachinko machine, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the right front, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the left front, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the rear. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the front with the door frame opened from the main body frame and the main body frame opened from the outer frame. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the front, disassembled into the door frame, game board, main body frame, and outer frame, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the pachinko machine as seen from the rear, disassembled into the door frame, game board, main body frame, and outer frame.

[0010] The pachinko machine 1 of this specific form comprises a frame-shaped outer frame 2 installed in an island facility (not shown) of an amusement hall, a door frame 3 that closes the front of the outer frame 2 so that it can be opened and closed, a main frame 4 that supports the door frame 3 so that it can be opened and closed and is attached to the outer frame 2 so that it can be opened and closed, and a game board 5 that is detachably attached to the main frame 4 from the front and is visible from the player's side through the door frame 3 and has a game area 5a into which the player hits a game ball B (see Figure 78, etc.).

[0011] The outer frame 2 has a rectangular shape extending vertically when viewed from the front. The outer frame 2 includes a left outer frame assembly 10 and a right outer frame assembly 20 that are spaced apart from each other and extend vertically, an upper outer frame member 30 that connects the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, a lower outer frame assembly 40 that connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, an upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper outer frame member 30, and a lower outer frame hinge member 60 attached to the lower right side of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the left end of the upper surface of the lower outer frame assembly 40.

[0012] The outer frame 2 is attached to the island equipment of the gaming hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and the outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 and the outer frame lower hinge member 60 support the main frame upper hinge member 510 and the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 of the main frame 4 so that they can rotate coaxially, thereby attaching the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed forward around the left side when viewed from the front.

[0013] In addition, when the main frame 4 is closed, the door frame 3 has the outer frame lower assembly 40 which cooperates with the speaker unit 620a of the board unit 620 in the main frame 4 to form part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622, and by inverting the phase of the sound output to the rear of the main frame speaker 622 and radiating it forward, the player can hear a deeper bass sound.

[0014] The door frame 3 closes the game area 5a of the game board 5 into which the game balls B are shot so that it can be seen from the front, stores the game balls B to be shot into the game area 5a, and is equipped with a handle 197 that the player operates to shoot the stored game balls B into the game area 5a. The door frame 3 also decorates the entire front of the pachinko machine 1.

[0015] In addition, the door frame 3 is equipped with a performance operation unit 301 that can be operated by the player, separate from the handle 197, and when a player-participation performance is executed, the player can participate in the performance by operating the performance operation unit 301, allowing the player to enjoy not only playing with the game ball B, but also by operating the performance operation unit 301.

[0016] The main body frame 4 includes a frame-shaped main body frame base unit 500 whose rear portion can be inserted into the outer frame 2 and can support the outer periphery of the game board 5, a main body frame upper hinge member 510 and a main body frame lower hinge assembly 520 for attaching the main body frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so as to be openable and closable and for attaching the door frame 3 so as to be openable and closable, a main body frame reinforcing frame 530 that reinforces the main body frame base unit 500, a ball launching device 540 for shooting game balls B into the game area 5a of the game board 5, and a game ball supplied from the island equipment of the game hall. The pachinko machine is provided with a payout base unit 550 that receives game balls B, a payout unit 560 that pays out the game balls B received by the payout base unit 550 to the player, a board unit 620 that has a power supply board 630 equipped with a power switch 630a that can turn on the power to the pachinko machine 1 and a payout control board 633, a back cover 640 that covers the back side of the game board 5 attached to the main frame base 501, and a locking unit 650 that locks the spaces between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, and between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4.

[0017] The main body frame 4 holds a game board 5 having a game area 5a where a game is played by hitting a game ball B, and is also used to pay out the game ball B to the player and eject used game balls B to the rear of the pachinko machine 1 (towards the island equipment of the gaming hall). The main body frame 4 is formed in a box shape with an open front, and the game board 5 is detachably housed inside from the front. The main body frame 4 is openably attached to a frame-shaped outer frame 2 attached to the island equipment of the gaming hall at the top and bottom of the front end on the left side of the front face, and a door frame 3 is openably attached to close the open front side.

[0018] The game board 5 comprises a game area 5a in which game ball B is thrown by the player's operation, a front component 1000 that defines the outer periphery of the game area 5a and has an outline that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front, a plate-shaped game panel 1100 that is attached to the rear side of the front component 1000 and defines the rear end of the game area 5a, a main control unit 1300 that is attached to the rear surface of the rear box 3010 of the rear unit 3000 and has a main control board 1310, a function display unit 1400 that displays the game status based on control signals from the main control board 1310, a peripheral control unit 1500 (see Figure 10) that is located on the rear side of the game panel 1100, a performance display device 1600 that is located in the center of the game area 5a when viewed from the front and is capable of displaying predetermined performance images, a front unit 2000 that is attached to the front of the game panel 1100, and a rear unit 3000 that is attached to the rear surface of the game panel 1100. The back unit 3000 is equipped with various effect units that can perform moving effects and light-emitting effects depending on the game status.

[0019] The game area 5a of the game board 5 is provided with a plurality of obstacle nails N that come into contact with the game ball B and are planted in a predetermined gauge arrangement, as well as a general prize opening 2001, a first start opening 2002, a gate 2003, a second start opening 2004, a normal prize opening 2011, a first large prize opening 2005, and a second large prize opening 2006 that grant a player a predetermined benefit (for example, the payout of a predetermined number of game balls B) when the game ball B is received or passes through. The obstacle nails N are planted on the front surface of the game panel 1100. The general prize opening 2001, the first start opening 2002, the gate 2003, the second start opening 2004, the normal prize opening 2011, the first large prize opening 2005, and the second large prize opening 2006 are provided in the front unit 2000.

[0020] A player can shoot a game ball B into the game area 5a of the game board 5 by operating the handle 197 of the handle unit 180. This allows the player to enjoy operating the handle 197 so that the game ball B is accepted into or passes through the general prize opening 2001, the first start opening 2002, the gate 2003, the second start opening 2004, the normal prize opening 2011, the first large prize opening 2005, the second large prize opening 2006, etc., within the game area 5a.

[0021] In addition, the game board 5 can entertain the player by displaying a predetermined effect image on the effect display device 1600 and by performing light-emitting effects and moving effects using the rear first effect unit 3300, rear second effect unit 3400, etc., depending on the game state that changes when the game ball B is hit into the game area 5a.

[0022] [2. Overall structure of the outer frame] The outer frame 2 of the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 16. Fig. 11 is a front view of the outer frame of the pachinko machine, Fig. 12 is a rear view of the outer frame, and Fig. 13 is a right side view of the outer frame. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the outer frame seen from the front, and Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the outer frame seen from the rear. Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame disassembled into its main components and seen from the front. The outer frame 2 is attached to an island facility (not shown) in an amusement hall or the like on which the pachinko machine 1 is installed. When viewed from the front, the outer frame 2 is formed into a rectangular frame that extends vertically.

[0023] As shown in the figure, the outer frame 2 comprises a left outer frame assembly 10 and a right outer frame assembly 20 that are spaced apart from each other and extend vertically, an upper outer frame member 30 that connects the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, a lower outer frame assembly 40 that connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, an upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper outer frame member 30, and a lower outer frame hinge member 60 attached to the lower right side of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the left end of the upper surface of the lower outer frame assembly 40.

[0024] When the main frame 4 is closed, the outer frame lower assembly 40 cooperates with the speaker unit 620a of the board unit 620 in the main frame 4 to form part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622, and can invert the phase of sound output to the rear of the main frame speaker 622 and radiate it forward.

[0025] The outer frame 2 has an upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 that can detachably support an upper main body frame hinge member 510 of the main body frame 4. The outer frame 2 can coaxially support the upper main body frame hinge member 510 and the lower main body frame hinge assembly 520 of the main body frame 4 using the upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 and the lower outer frame hinge member 60, allowing the main body frame 4 to be attached so that it can be opened and closed forward around the left side when viewed from the front.

[0026] [2-1. Left outer frame assembly and right outer frame assembly] The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view of the left outer frame assembly and the right outer frame assembly of the outer frame, respectively, as seen from the front. The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 of the outer frame 2 each extend vertically and are spaced apart from each other on the left and right. The left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20 coaxially support the upper main frame hinge member 510 and the lower main frame hinge assembly 520 of the main frame 4 so that they can rotate about the same axis, thereby attaching the main frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so that it can be opened and closed.

[0027] First, the left outer frame assembly 10 comprises a left outer frame member 11 that extends vertically with a constant width (depth) in the front-to-back direction, an upper left connecting member 12 attached to the upper end of the right side surface of the left outer frame member 11, and a lower left connecting member 13 attached to the lower end of the right side surface of the left outer frame member 11.

[0028] The left outer frame member 11 has a constant cross-sectional shape and extends vertically, and is formed from an extruded aluminum alloy. The left outer frame member 11 has a recess 11a that is flat and recessed to the right in the rear portion of the left side surface, which is one of three equal parts in the front-to-rear direction; a bulge 11b that bulges to the right from the portion of the right side surface opposite the recess 11a; and a hollow portion 11c that penetrates the bulge 11b vertically. The recess 11a and bulge 11b increase the strength and rigidity of the left outer frame member 11, and the hollow portion 11c reduces its weight.

[0029] Furthermore, multiple grooves extending vertically are formed on both the left and right side surfaces of the left outer frame member 11. The multiple grooves on the left side surface are V-shaped, and the multiple grooves on the right side surface are semicircular. The left outer frame member 11 is formed in a symmetrical shape with the right outer frame member 21 of the right outer frame assembly 20, which will be described later.

[0030] The upper-left connecting member 12 connects the upper end of the left outer frame member 11 and the left end of the upper outer frame member 30. The upper-left connecting member 12 includes a flat horizontal fixing portion 12a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 12b extending upward from the center in the front-to-rear direction on the left side of the horizontal fixing portion 12a, and a pair of flat lower lateral fixing portions 12c extending downward from both the front and rear sides of the upper lateral fixing portion 12b on the left side of the horizontal fixing portion 12a. The upper-left connecting member 12 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

[0031] The upper-left connecting member 12 is attached to the left outer frame member 11 by inserting the rear lower horizontal fixing portion 12c into the hollow portion 11c of the left outer frame member 11, abutting the horizontal fixing portion 12a against the upper end of the left outer frame member 11, and abutting the front and rear lower horizontal fixing portions 12c against the right side surface of the left outer frame member 11, and then screwing a screw into the lower horizontal fixing portion 12c from the outside of the left side surface of the left outer frame member 11. The upper-left connecting member 12 is also attached to the upper outer frame member 30 by abutting the horizontal fixing portion 12a against the underside of the left end of the upper outer frame member 30, and inserting the upper horizontal fixing portion 12b into the notch 30a on the left side surface of the upper outer frame member 30, and then screwing a screw into the upper outer frame member 30 through the horizontal fixing portion 12a and the upper horizontal fixing portion 12b.

[0032] The lower-left connecting member 13 connects the lower end of the left outer frame member 11 to the left end of the lower outer frame assembly 40 (lower outer frame member 41). The lower-left connecting member 13 includes a horizontally extending, flat horizontal fixing portion 13a, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 13b that extends upward from the left edge of the horizontal fixing portion 13a and further rearward than the horizontal fixing portion 13a, a flat lower lateral fixing portion 13c that extends downward from a position on the lower edge of the upper lateral fixing portion 13b rearward of the horizontal fixing portion 13a, and a flat abutment portion 13d that extends a short distance to the right from the rear edge of the upper lateral fixing portion 13b. The lower-left connecting member 13 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

[0033] The lower-left connecting member 13 is attached to the left outer frame member 11 by screwing a screw into the upper horizontal fixing portion 13b from the outside of the left side surface of the left outer frame member 11 with the rear surface of the abutting portion 13d abutting against the front surface of the bulging portion 11b of the left outer frame member 11, the left side surface of the upper horizontal fixing portion 13b abutting against the right side surface of the left outer frame member 11, and the lower surface of the horizontal fixing portion 13a being aligned with the lower end of the left outer frame member 11. The lower-left connecting member 13 is also attached to the lower outer frame member 41 with the horizontal fixing portion 13a abutting against the upper surface of the left end side of the lower outer frame member 41 and the lower horizontal fixing portion 13c inserted into the notch 41a on the left side surface of the lower outer frame member 41, and by screwing a screw into the lower outer frame member 41 through the horizontal fixing portion 13a and the lower horizontal fixing portion 13c.

[0034] Next, the right outer frame assembly 20 comprises a right outer frame member 21 that extends vertically with a constant width (depth) in the front-to-back direction, an upper right connecting member 22 attached to the upper end of the left side surface of the right outer frame member 21, a lower right connecting member 23 attached to the lower end of the left side surface of the right outer frame member 21, an upper hook member 24 attached to the upper part of the left side surface of the right outer frame member 21, and a lower hook member 25 attached to the lower part of the left side surface of the right outer frame member 21.

[0035] The right outer frame member 21 has a constant cross-sectional shape and extends vertically, and is formed from an extruded aluminum alloy. The right outer frame member 21 has a recess 21a that is flat and recessed to the left in a rear portion of the right side surface, which is one of three equal parts in the front-to-rear direction; a bulge 21b that bulges leftward from a portion of the left side surface opposite the recess 21a; and a hollow portion 21c that penetrates the bulge 21b vertically. The recess 21a and bulge 21b increase the strength and rigidity of the right outer frame member 21, and the hollow portion 21c reduces its weight.

[0036] The right outer frame member 21 has multiple grooves extending vertically on both the left and right side surfaces. The multiple grooves on the right side surface are V-shaped, and the multiple grooves on the left side surface are semicircular. The right outer frame member 21 is formed in a symmetrical shape to the left outer frame member 11 of the left outer frame assembly 10.

[0037] The upper right connecting member 22 connects the upper end of the outer frame right member 21 and the right end of the outer frame upper member 30. The upper right connecting member 22 includes a flat horizontal fixing portion 22a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 22b extending upward from the middle in the front-to-rear direction on the right side of the horizontal fixing portion 22a, and a pair of flat lower lateral fixing portions 22c extending downward from both the front and rear of the upper lateral fixing portion 22b on the right side of the horizontal fixing portion 22a. The upper right connecting member 22 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

[0038] The upper right connecting member 22 is attached to the outer frame right member 21 by inserting the rear lower horizontal fixing portion 22c into the hollow portion 21c of the outer frame right member 21, abutting the horizontal fixing portion 22a against the upper end of the outer frame right member 21, and abutting the front and rear lower horizontal fixing portions 22c against the left side surface of the outer frame right member 21, and then screwing a screw into the lower horizontal fixing portion 22c from the outside of the right side surface of the outer frame right member 21. The upper right connecting member 22 is also attached to the outer frame upper member 30 by abutting the horizontal fixing portion 22a against the lower surface of the right end side of the outer frame upper member 30, and inserting the upper horizontal fixing portion 22b into the notch 30a on the right side surface of the outer frame upper member 30, and then screwing a screw into the outer frame upper member 30 through the horizontal fixing portion 22a and the upper horizontal fixing portion 22b.

[0039] The lower right connecting member 23 connects the lower end of the right outer frame member 21 to the right end of the lower outer frame assembly 40 (lower outer frame member 41). The lower right connecting member 23 includes a flat horizontal fixing portion 23a extending horizontally, a flat upper lateral fixing portion 23b extending upward from the right edge of the horizontal fixing portion 23a and extending rearward beyond the horizontal fixing portion 23a, a flat lower lateral fixing portion 23c extending downward from a position on the lower edge of the upper lateral fixing portion 23b rearward beyond the horizontal fixing portion 23a, and a flat abutment portion 23d extending a short distance to the left from the rear edge of the upper lateral fixing portion 23b. The lower right connecting member 23 is formed by bending a flat metal plate.

[0040] The lower right connecting member 23 is attached to the right outer frame member 21 by screwing a screw into the upper horizontal fixing portion 23b from the outside of the right side of the right outer frame member 21, with the rear surface of the abutting portion 23d abutting against the front surface of the bulging portion 21b of the right outer frame member 21, the right side of the upper horizontal fixing portion 23b abutting against the left side of the right outer frame member 21, and the lower surface of the horizontal fixing portion 23a being aligned with the lower end of the right outer frame member 21. The lower right connecting member 23 is also attached to the lower outer frame member 41 by screwing a screw into the lower outer frame member 41 through the horizontal fixing portion 23a and the lower horizontal fixing portion 23c with the horizontal fixing portion 23a abutting against the upper surface of the right end of the lower outer frame member 41 and the lower horizontal fixing portion 23c inserted into the notch 41a on the right side of the lower outer frame member 41.

[0041] An outer frame hook 653 of a locking unit 650 in the main frame 4, which will be described later, is hooked onto the upper hook member 24 and the lower hook member 25. The upper hook member 24 includes a flat mounting portion 24a that extends vertically with a constant width in the front-to-rear direction and is attached to the left side surface of the outer frame right member 21, and a flat mounting piece 24b that extends leftward from the front edge of the mounting portion 24a and onto which the upper outer frame hook 653 is hooked.

[0042] The lower hook hook member 25 includes a flat mounting portion 25a that extends vertically with a constant width in the front-to-rear direction and is attached to the left side surface of the outer frame right member 21, a flat hooking piece portion 25b that extends leftward from the front edge of the mounting portion 25a and into which the lower outer frame hook 653 is hooked, and an insertion opening 25c that penetrates the hooking piece portion 25b in the front-to-rear direction and through which the lower outer frame hook 653 can be inserted.

[0043] [2-2. Upper outer frame member] The upper outer frame member 30 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 16. The upper outer frame member 30 is used to connect the upper ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, which are spaced apart laterally. The upper outer frame member 30 has a width in the front-to-rear direction that is approximately the same as the width of the left outer frame member 11 and the right outer frame member 21 in the front-to-rear direction, a constant thickness in the up-down direction, extends in the left-to-right direction, and is made of wood. The left-to-right length of the upper outer frame member 30 is formed to be the same as the left-to-right length of the lower outer frame member 41 of the lower outer frame assembly 40, which will be described later.

[0044] The upper outer frame member 30 has cutouts 30a at the center of the front-rear direction on both the left and right sides, which penetrate vertically and are recessed toward the center in the left-right direction. The upper horizontal fixing portion 12b of the upper left connecting member 12 and the upper horizontal fixing portion 22b of the upper right connecting member 22 are inserted into these cutouts 30a on both ends.

[0045] The upper frame member 30 also has a mounting step 30b at the left end, where the top and front surfaces are recessed from the general surface. The upper frame hinge assembly 50 (described later) is attached to this mounting step 30b.

[0046] [2-3. Lower outer frame assembly] The lower outer frame assembly 40 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 18. Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of the lower outer frame assembly of the outer frame as seen from the front. The lower outer frame assembly 40 connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, which are spaced apart on the left and right, and is used to close off and decorate the area below the door frame 3 in the pachinko machine 1.

[0047] The lower outer frame assembly 40 comprises a lower outer frame member 41 that extends left and right and connects the lower ends of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the right outer frame assembly 20, which are spaced apart left and right; a box-shaped front panel member 42 that is positioned in front of the lower outer frame member 41, extends left and right along the lower outer frame member 41, and is open at the rear; a box-shaped rear panel member 43 that is attached to the rear side of the front panel member 42 and is attached to the top surface of the lower outer frame member 41, extends left and right, and is open at the front; and a ball-jamming prevention mechanism 44 formed at the left end of the top surface of the rear panel member 43.

[0048] The lower outer frame member 41 has a width in the front-to-rear direction substantially the same as that of the left outer frame member 11 and the right outer frame member 21, a constant thickness in the up-down direction, extends in the left-to-right direction, and is made of wood. The lower outer frame member 41 is formed with a length in the left-to-right direction that is the same as that of the upper outer frame member 30.

[0049] The lower outer frame member 41 has cutouts 41a at the center of the front-to-rear direction on both left and right sides, which penetrate vertically and are recessed toward the center in the left-to-right direction. The lower lateral fixing portion 13c of the lower left connecting member 13 and the lower lateral fixing portion 23c of the lower right connecting member 23 are inserted into these cutouts 41a at both ends. This allows the lower ends of the left outer frame member 11 and the right outer frame member 21 to be connected to each other.

[0050] The outer frame lower member 41 is recessed from the top surface and has a recess 41b into which the lower part of the header rear member 43 is inserted. The recess 41b extends left and right and extends from a position toward the rear of the center in the front-to-rear direction to the front end. This recess 41b maximizes the volume of the header internal space 40a formed by the header front member 42 and the header rear member 43.

[0051] The front panel member 42 has the same left-right length as the outer frame lower member 41, is formed in the shape of a horizontally elongated rectangular box with a short depth in the front-to-back direction relative to its height, and is open on the entire rear side. The open rear side of the front panel member 42 is closed by the rear panel member 43, thereby forming, in cooperation with the rear panel member 43, a front panel internal space 40a that becomes part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622. The front panel member 42 has an elongated opening 42a on the front surface near the right end that penetrates from front to back and extends left to right.

[0052] The rear panel member 43 has a length in the left-right direction slightly shorter than that of the outer frame lower member 41 and is formed in a box shape with an open front. By attaching the front panel member 42 to the front surface of the rear panel member 43, the rear panel member 43 cooperates with the front panel member 42 to form the panel internal space 40a, which is part of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622. The rear panel member 43 has a cylindrical connecting tube portion 43a in the center of the left-right direction on its upper surface, which extends left and right and protrudes upward to communicate with the panel internal space 40a. The connecting tube portion 43a is inclined so that its upper end is positioned upward from the front end side, which is coincident with the general upper surface of the rear panel member 43, toward the rear. In this specific embodiment, the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a is inclined at a 45-degree angle.

[0053] The connecting tube portion 43a has a length in the left-right direction that is approximately one-third the length of the entire rear header panel member 43, and a depth in the front-to-rear direction that is slightly shorter than the depth of the entire rear header panel member 43. A plurality of ribs 43b that connect the front and rear ends are provided inside the connecting tube portion 43a. When the main body frame 4 is closed on the outer frame 2, the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a is connected to a connecting portion 621c of a speaker cover 621 of a speaker unit 620a of a board unit 620 in the main body frame 4, thereby communicating with the internal space of the speaker unit 620a and forming an enclosure 624.

[0054] The ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 is designed to prevent the game ball B from being pinched between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 by causing the game ball B to remain at the left end of the upper surface of the rear panel member 43, at the location of the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

[0055] The ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 is formed at the left end of the upper surface of the rear panel member 43, and comprises a flat mounting portion 44a that is formed to allow the outer frame lower hinge member 60 described later to be attached, a first discharge outlet 44b that opens upward at the left end of the mounting portion 44a, a second discharge outlet 44c that opens upward to the right of the first discharge outlet 44b in the mounting portion 44a, a standing wall portion 44d that extends upward from the rear and right sides of the mounting portion 44a, and an upper end protrusion 44e that protrudes forward from the upper end of the standing wall portion 44d and is inclined so that the upper surface is positioned upward as it extends toward the rear.

[0056] The first discharge opening 44b is formed at a position that coincides with a discharge hole 60d of the outer frame lower hinge member 60, which will be described later. The first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c are formed to a size that allows the game ball B to pass through. The first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c do not communicate with the panel internal space 40a, but open to the rear surface of the panel rear member 43. Therefore, the game ball B that enters the first discharge opening 44b and the second discharge opening 44c can be discharged to the rear of the panel rear member 43.

[0057] If an unauthorized tool such as a piano wire is inserted through the gap between the outer frame lower hinge member 60 and the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 (described later), the ball-biting prevention mechanism 44 can prevent the unauthorized tool from entering by using the upright wall portion 44d rising from the rear end of the mounting portion 44a. Even if the tip of the unauthorized tool abuts against the upright wall portion 44d and bends upward, it will abut against the upper end protrusion 44e that protrudes forward from the upper end of the upright wall portion 44d, preventing further entry. Therefore, unauthorized acts can be prevented from being committed through the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

[0058] Incidentally, if the rear end of the placement portion 44a is provided with a standing wall portion 44d, when the main frame 4 is opened relative to the outer frame 2, if a game ball B falls onto the placement portion 44a for some reason, the standing wall portion 44d will prevent the game ball B from moving rearward relative to the outer frame 2, making it easier for the game ball B to remain on the placement portion 44a. If the game ball B remains on the placement portion 44a, when the main frame 4 is closed relative to the outer frame 2, the game ball B will be caught between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4, causing a problem that the main frame 4 cannot be closed.

[0059] In contrast, in this specific form of ball jamming prevention mechanism 44, game balls B that have fallen onto the outer frame lower hinge member 60 or onto the mounting portion 44a can be discharged to the rear of the curtain board rear member 43 (rear of the outer frame 2) through the discharge hole 60d of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 and the first discharge outlet 44b, or through the second discharge outlet 44c, thereby preventing game balls B from getting caught between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4.

[0060] The lower outer frame assembly 40 comprises a pair of guide members 45 arranged spaced apart on the left and right sides of the upper surfaces of the front panel member 42 and the rear panel member 43, a flat grill member 46 that closes the opening 42a of the front panel member 42 from the rear, a port member 47 having two cylinders extending forward and backward and attached inside the front panel member 42 so as to sandwich the grill member 46 and close the opening 42a, and a frame-shaped sealing member 48 that is arranged at the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a of the rear panel member 43.

[0061] The pair of guide members 45 are contacted by the lower end of the door frame 3 when the main frame 4 is closed relative to the outer frame 2. The guide members 45 are made of a low-friction material with low friction resistance, making the lower end of the main frame 4 slide easily, facilitating opening and closing.

[0062] The grille member 46 has a strip-like shape extending in the left-right direction and multiple blades 46b spaced apart in the up-down direction. The blades 46b are inclined so that their front ends are higher than their rear ends. The grille member 46 provides ventilation between the interior of the front panel member 42 (the panel internal space 40a) and the outside through the gaps between the blades 46b.

[0063] The port member 47, consisting of two cylinders, connects the panel interior space 40a (enclosure 624) to the front of the outer frame 2 via the gap between the blade portions 46b of the grill member 46. The port member 47 is made up of two cylinders formed with a predetermined inner diameter and a predetermined length, and is able to resonate and amplify the bass sounds emitted rearward (inside the enclosure 624) from the main frame speaker 622 using the principle of Helmholtz resonance, thereby radiating rich bass sounds to the front of the outer frame 2 (toward the player). In other words, in this embodiment, the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 is a bass reflex type, allowing the player to hear deep bass sounds.

[0064] When the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2, the sealing member 48 is sandwiched and compressed between the upper end of the connecting tube portion 43a and the lower end of the connecting portion 621c of the speaker cover 621 on the main frame 4, and prevents sound from inside the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 from leaking between the connecting tube portion 43a and the connecting portion 621c.

[0065] According to the grill member 46 of this specific embodiment, the air vibrations emitted to the outside from the header internal space 40a by the main body frame speaker 622 can be directed by the inclined blade portions 46b through the notched opening 295b on the lower side of the handle cover 295 of the handle cover unit 290 located diagonally upward and forward, into the front cylinder portion 291a of the handle cover base 291 that houses the handle unit 180. As a result, when a player inserts his / her fingers inside the handle cover 295 (the front cylinder portion 291a of the handle cover base 291) and rotates the handle 197 (the device for striking the game ball B), the main body frame speaker 622 is vibrated to send air into the front cylinder portion 291a, surprising the player and providing an unprecedented performance.

[0066] Furthermore, since the port member 47 is open toward the front, a portion of the sound pressure emitted from the port member 47 through the multiple blade portions 46b of the grill member 46 is emitted forward, so that the sound effects emitted from the port member 47 can be heard by players seated in front of the pachinko machine 1 and other players wandering around the gaming hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, and the sound effects can also attract the attention of players, making it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that is highly appealing to players.

[0067] Furthermore, since the port member 47 is provided in the lower outer frame assembly 40 of the outer frame 2, the volume of the enclosure 624 of the main frame speaker 622 provided in the main frame 4 can be increased, making it possible to output a more deep bass sound, which entertains the player and prevents a decline in interest.

[0068] [2-4. Outer frame upper hinge assembly] The outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 19. Figure 19(a) is an exploded perspective view of the outer frame upper hinge assembly of the outer frame, viewed from above and front, and Figure 19(b) is an exploded perspective view of (a), viewed from below and front. The outer frame upper hinge assembly 50 is attached to the upper end of the left outer frame assembly 10 and the left end of the upper outer frame member 30, and is used to attach the main frame 4 to the outer frame 2 so that it can rotate about a hinge. The upper outer frame hinge assembly 50 includes an upper outer frame hinge member 51 attached to the upper end of the recess 11a of the left outer frame member 11 and the mounting step 30b of the upper outer frame member 30, a locking member 52 attached to the upper outer frame hinge member 51, and a mounting screw 53 that attaches the locking member 52 to the upper outer frame hinge member 51.

[0069] The outer frame upper hinge member 51 includes an upper fixing portion 51a having a horizontally extending, flat plate shape and attached to the upper surface of the mounting step portion 30b of the outer frame upper member 30, a flat forward extending portion 51b extending forward from the front edge of the upper fixing portion 51a, a bearing groove 51c extending forward from the middle of the right edge of the forward extending portion 51b to the left-right center of the forward extending portion 51b and penetrating it vertically, a flat lateral fixing portion 51d extending downward from the left edge of the upper fixing portion 51a, and a flat edge wall portion 51e extending downward from the edge of the forward extending portion 51b from the left edge around the front edge to the position where the bearing groove 51c opens and continuing with the lateral fixing portion 51d. The outer frame upper hinge member 51 is formed by stamping and bending a metal plate by press molding. The outer frame upper hinge member 51 can rotatably support a main body frame upper hinge pin 512 (described later) of the main body frame upper hinge member 510 in the bearing groove 51c.

[0070] The locking member 52 includes a band-shaped locking body 52a extending forward and backward, an operating piece 52b protruding rightward from the rear end of the locking body 52a, an elastically deformable rod-shaped elastic portion 52c extending leftward from the rear end of the locking body 52a and then diagonally forward and leftward, and a mounting hole 52d penetrating vertically near the rear end of the locking body 52a. The locking member 52 is made of synthetic resin. The locking member 52 is rotatably attached with mounting screws 53 to the underside of the forward extending portion 51b of the outer frame upper hinge member 51 at a position rearward of the bearing groove 51c.

[0071] When the locking member 52 is attached to the outer frame upper hinge member 51, the locking body 52a can block the bearing groove 51c in a plan view, and extends forward so that the right side surface near the front end can abut against a portion of the edge wall portion 51e of the outer frame upper hinge member 51 that extends to the opening of the bearing groove 51c. The tip of the elastic portion 52c extending leftward from the rear end of the locking body 52a abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the edge wall portion 51e of the outer frame upper hinge member 51. The biasing force of the elastic portion 52c biases the locking member 52 in a direction that causes the front end to pivot leftward around the mounting hole 52d. Therefore, in the normal state, the right side surface near the front end of the locking body 52a of the locking member 52 abuts against the edge wall portion 51e. In this state, a space capable of accommodating upper main body frame hinge pin 512 of upper main body frame hinge member 510 is formed in a portion of bearing groove 51c that is forward of lock body 52a.

[0072] By operating the operating piece 52b of the locking member 52, the locking body 52a can be rotated against the biasing force of the elastic portion 52c. By operating the operating piece 52b, the locking body 52a can be rotated in a direction in which its front end moves leftward, thereby retracting the locking body 52a from the bearing groove 51c in a plan view, and the bearing groove 51c can be fully opened. This allows the main body frame upper hinge pin 512 to be inserted into or removed from the bearing groove 51c.

[0073] [2-5. Hinge part under the outer frame] The lower outer frame hinge member 60 of the outer frame 2 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 16. The lower outer frame hinge member 60 has a flat horizontal portion 60a extending horizontally, a flat rising portion 60b rising upward from a position on the left side of the horizontal portion 60a rearward of the center in the front-to-rear direction, a lower outer frame hinge pin 60c protruding upward from near the front end of the horizontal portion 60a, and a discharge hole 60d that passes vertically through the horizontal portion 60a and is large enough to allow only one game ball B to pass through. This lower outer frame hinge member 60 is formed by punching and bending a metal plate by press molding.

[0074] The horizontal portion 60a of the lower outer frame hinge member 60 is trapezoidal in plan view, with the left side as the base. The lower outer frame hinge pin 60c is cylindrical and has a truncated cone shape with a narrowed upper end above the vertical center. This lower outer frame hinge pin 60c is attached to the left near the front end of the horizontal portion 60a. The discharge hole 60d is formed in the horizontal portion 60a so as to contact the center of the rising portion 60b in the front-to-rear direction and extend in an inverted U shape from the left side of the horizontal portion 60a to the right. This discharge hole 60d is formed to be approximately the same size as the first discharge port 44b of the ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 in the lower outer frame assembly 40.

[0075] When assembled to the outer frame 2, the rear of the horizontal portion 60a of the outer frame lower hinge member 60 is placed on the mounting portion 44a of the header panel rear member 43 of the outer frame lower assembly 40, and is fixed to the header panel rear member 43 with screws (not shown). In addition, the rising portion 60b is attached with screws (not shown) to a position forward of the bulging portion 11b on the right side surface of the outer frame left member 11. This outer frame lower hinge member 60 can cooperate with the outer frame upper hinge member 51 to attach the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed by inserting the outer frame lower hinge pin 60c into the outer frame lower hinge hole 521a in the main frame lower hinge assembly 520 of the main frame 4.

[0076] Furthermore, when the outer frame 2 is assembled, the discharge hole 60d coincides with the first discharge opening 44b of the ball jamming prevention mechanism 44 in the outer frame lower assembly 40. This allows the game ball B on the horizontal portion 60a to fall (discharge) to the rear of the outer frame 2 through the discharge hole 60d and the first discharge opening 44b. In more detail, when the main frame 4 is closed to the outer frame 2, the game ball B that has fallen between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 rolls toward the rear where the gap is wider because the gap between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 gradually narrows as the main frame 4 is closed, and can be discharged from the discharge hole 60d. In this case, the discharge hole 60d is formed at a position that is approximately the same as the rear end of the main frame 4 when the main frame 4 is closed against the outer frame 2 when assembled to the pachinko machine 1, so that game balls B that fall between the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4 can be easily prevented from rolling rearward beyond the main frame 4 by being discharged through the discharge hole 60d, making it less likely for game balls B to remain in the area of ​​the outer frame lower hinge member 60.

[0077] [3. Overall structure of the door frame] The door frame 3 of the pachinko machine 1 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 20 to 33. Figure 20 is a perspective view of the door frame as seen from the front, and Figure 21 is a perspective view of the door frame as seen from the back. Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame with the door frame top decorative body and the door frame upper decorative body disassembled from the front, and Figure 23 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame with the door frame top decorative body and the door frame upper decorative body disassembled from the rear. Figure 24 is a front view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed, Figure 25 is a rear view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed, Figure 26 is a left side view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed, and Figure 27 is a right side view of the door frame with the door frame upper decorative body removed. Figure 28 is a perspective view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed, viewed from the front right, Figure 29 is a perspective view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed, viewed from the front left, and Figure 30 is a perspective view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed, viewed from the rear. Figure 31 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed, disassembled into its main components, viewed from the front, and Figure 32 is an exploded perspective view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed, disassembled into its main components, viewed from the rear. Figure 33 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the door frame with the upper decorative body removed.

[0078] The door frame 3 is formed in a rectangular shape extending vertically in a front view, with approximately the same size as the interior of the outer frame 2, and is attached to the interior of the outer frame 2 via the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed from the front. The door frame 3 closes the game area 5a of the game board 5 into which game balls B are dropped so that it can be seen from the front, stores game balls B to be dropped into the game area 5a, and is equipped with a handle 197 that is operated by the player to drop the stored game balls B into the game area 5a. The door frame 3 also decorates the entire front of the pachinko machine 1.

[0079] The door frame 3 includes a door frame base unit 100 having a rectangular frame-like shape with an outer shape extending vertically when viewed from the front, a glass unit 160 that is detachably attached to the door frame base unit 100 and closes a playing area 5a of a playing board 5 attached to the main frame 4 so as to be visible from the front, a security cover 170 that is attached to the door frame base unit 100 so as to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear, a handle unit 180 that is attached to the front right corner of the door frame base unit 100, a handle cover unit 290 that covers the outer periphery of the handle unit 180, and a door frame base unit 100. The door frame base unit 100 includes a tray unit 200 attached to the lower front of the base unit 100, a left side unit 420 attached to the left front of the base unit 100 above the tray unit 200, a right side unit 430 attached to the right front of the base unit 100 above the tray unit, a top unit 450 attached to the upper front of the base unit 100 above the left side unit 420 and the right side unit 430, and an upper decorative body 480 attached to the top unit 450.

[0080] The door frame base unit 100 comprises a door frame base 101 whose outline when viewed from the front is formed as a square (rectangle) extending vertically and has a door window 101a that penetrates from front to back, a speaker duct 103 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the lower right corner when viewed from the rear, a door frame main relay board 104 attached to the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 near the right end when viewed from the rear, a door frame sub-relay board 105 attached to the left side of the door frame main relay board 104 when viewed from the rear, a post-handle relay board attached to the left side of the door frame sub-relay board 105 when viewed from the rear, a door frame relay board cover 107 that covers the door frame main relay board 104 and part of the door frame sub-relay board 105 from the rear, a post-handle relay board cover 108 that covers the post-handle relay board from the rear, and a cable cover 109 that covers the wiring cable.

[0081] The door frame base unit 100 also includes a frame-shaped door frame reinforcement unit 110 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101, an upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and a lower door frame hinge member 125 attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a cylinder lock 130 for opening and closing attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a ball feeding unit 140 attached above the rear handle relay board on the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a fall cover unit 150 attached to the right side of the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 when viewed from behind.

[0082] The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 to reinforce and rigidify the door frame base 101. The upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and the lower door frame hinge member 125 are used to attach the door frame 3 to the main frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed. The cylinder lock 130 works in cooperation with the locking unit 650 of the main frame 4 to lock and open the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, and to open and close the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4.

[0083] The ball feeding unit 140 is for supplying the game balls B in the upper tray 201 one by one to the ball launching device 540 of the main frame 4. The foul cover unit 150 is for guiding the game balls B (foul balls) that have been launched by the ball launching device 540 but have not reached the game area 5a of the game board 5 to the lower tray 202, and for guiding the game balls B paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 or the lower tray 202.

[0084] The glass unit 160 has a transparent glass plate 162 and closes the door window 101a of the door frame base 101. The security cover 170 is attached to the door frame base 101 so as to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear. The handle unit 180 has a handle 197 that can be rotated by the player, and the handle unit 180 is used to play a game in which the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is shot into the game area 5a of the game board 5 by the ball launcher 540 by operating the handle cover unit 290 that covers the outer periphery.

[0085] A handle 197 operated by a player is provided on the handle unit 180. The handle 197 of the handle unit 180 protrudes forward beyond the handle cover unit 290.

[0086] The door frame right-side unit 430 has a right-side left panel 442 detachably provided on the left side surface, and a right-side right panel 443 detachably provided on the right side surface. Therefore, when replacing the game board 5 in the pachinko machine 1 due to a change in specifications or a change in model, the right-side left panel 442 and the right-side right panel 443 can be replaced with ones that have decorations or patterns that correspond to the decoration (concept) of the game board 5, thereby making it easy to accommodate a change in model, etc., and making it easier to provide a pachinko machine 1 that is highly appealing to players.

[0087] The door frame top unit 450 has a door frame top decorative body 453 that is detachably attached to the door frame top base 451. The door frame top decorative body 453 can be removed forward by loosening a hand screw 469 that is screwed into the rear of the door frame base unit 100. Therefore, when replacing the game board 5 in the pachinko machine 1 due to a change in specifications or a model change, the door frame top decorative body 453 can be replaced with one that has a decoration that corresponds to the decoration (concept) of the game board 5, thereby easily responding to model changes, etc., and making it easier to provide a pachinko machine 1 that is highly appealing to players.

[0088] [3-1. Overall structure of the door frame base unit] The door frame base unit 100 of the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 34. Figure 34(a) is a perspective view of the door frame base unit of the door frame of the second embodiment as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the door frame base unit as seen from the back.

[0089] The door frame base unit 100 is attached to the main body frame 4 on its left side when viewed from the front so that it can rotate on a hinge, closing the front of the main body frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed, and making it possible to view the playing area 5a of the playing board 5 attached to the main body frame 4 from the front. The door frame base unit 100 comprises a door frame base 101 which is a rectangular, flat plate-like door frame base that extends vertically, and a speaker duct 103 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the lower right corner when viewed from behind.

[0090] The door frame base unit 100 also includes a door frame main relay board 104 attached to the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 near the right end when viewed from behind, a door frame sub-relay board 105 attached to the left of the door frame main relay board 104 when viewed from behind at the lower rear side of the door frame base 101, a post-handle relay board attached to the left of the door frame sub-relay board 105 when viewed from behind at the lower rear side of the door frame base 101, a door frame relay board cover 107 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the door frame main relay board 104 and part of the door frame sub-relay board 105 from the rear, a post-handle relay board cover 108 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the post-handle relay board from the rear, and a cable cover 109 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and covering the wiring cable.

[0091] Furthermore, the door frame base unit 100 mainly comprises a frame-shaped door frame reinforcement unit 110 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101, an upper door frame hinge assembly 120 and a lower door frame hinge member 125 attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a cylinder lock 130 for opening and closing attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a ball feeding unit 140 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a foul cover unit 150 attached to the right side of the lower rear side of the door frame base 101 when viewed from behind.

[0092] This door frame base unit 100 has a handle unit 180 and a handle cover unit 290 attached to the lower front corners, a tray unit 200 attached to the lower front surface of the door window 101a, a door frame left side unit 420 attached to the left outer front surface of the door window 101a, a door frame right side unit 430 attached to the right outer front surface of the door window 101a, and a door frame top unit 450 attached to the upper outer front surface of the door window 101a.

[0093] In addition, a glass unit 160 is attached to the door frame base unit 100 so as to close the door window 101a from the rear, and a transparent security cover 170 is attached so as to cover the lower part of the glass unit 160 from the rear.

[0094] [3-1a. Door frame base] The door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 34 etc. The door frame base 101 has an outer shape formed into a square (rectangle) extending vertically when viewed from the front. The door frame base 101 penetrates from front to back and is provided with a door window 101a whose inner periphery when viewed from the front is formed into a substantially square shape extending vertically. The upper and left and right sides forming the inner periphery of the door window 101a are respectively close to the outer periphery of the door frame base 101, and the lower side forming the inner periphery is located approximately one-third of the height in the vertical direction from the bottom end of the door frame base 101. In this way, the door frame base 101 is formed into a frame shape as a whole by the door window 101a penetrating from front to back. This door frame base 101 is integrally molded from synthetic resin.

[0095] The door frame base 101 has a handle mounting seat formed in the lower right corner of the front surface when viewed from the front, which is inclined so that the left end protrudes slightly forward more than the right end, a cylinder insertion hole 101d which penetrates front to back between the handle mounting seat surface and the door window 101a and into which the cylinder mounting frame 115 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 is inserted, and a ball feeding opening 101e which penetrates front to back on the left side of the cylinder insertion hole 101d and the handle mounting seat surface when viewed from the front, allowing the entrance 141a and ball removal opening 141b of the ball feeding unit 140 to be exposed forward.

[0096] The door frame base 101 also has a lower tray ball passage port 101f that penetrates front to back at a position to the left of the center in the left-right direction and at approximately the same height as the handle mounting seat surface, allowing the ball discharge port 150d of the fall cover unit 150 to face forward, an upper tray ball passage port 101g that penetrates front to front adjacent to the lower edge of the door window 101a near the left end when viewed from the front, allowing the through ball passage 150a of the fall cover unit 150 to face forward, and a glass unit mounting portion 101h that is recessed from the rear surface toward the front along the inner circumference of the door window 101a, and into which the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 is inserted.

[0097] The door frame base 101 also has a plurality of vertically elongated slits 101i formed in the lower left corner (below the upper tray ball passage opening 101g) when viewed from the front, which penetrate from front to back. A speaker duct 103 is attached to the rear side of the plurality of slits 101i. When the pachinko machine 1 is assembled, the plurality of slits 101i have the speaker opening 211b of the tray unit base 211 in the tray unit 200 located in front thereof, and the main body frame speaker 622 in the speaker unit 620a of the main body frame 4 located in the rear thereof, so that sound from the main body frame speaker 622 can be emitted forward.

[0098] Furthermore, the door frame base 101 has a through-hole that penetrates from front to back below the door window 101a and above the handle mounting surface. This through-hole is for inserting a wiring cable (not shown) that connects the door frame base unit 100 side and the tray unit 200 side, and is formed to match the through-hole 117f of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 in the door frame reinforcing unit 110 described later.

[0099] [3-1b. Speaker duct] The speaker duct 103 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 34. This speaker duct 103 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is attached to a portion of the rear side of the door frame base 101 where multiple slits 101i are formed. When the pachinko machine 1 is assembled, the rear end of the cylindrical portion of the speaker duct 103 is located in front of the main body frame speaker 622 of the main body frame 4. This allows the sound radiated (output) from the main body frame speaker 622 of the main body frame 4 to be guided forward without being diffused, and can be well guided to the front of the pachinko machine 1 (towards the player) through the multiple slits 101i of the door frame base 101 and the speaker port 211b in the plate unit base 211 of the plate unit 200.

[0100] Furthermore, the speaker duct 103 is provided with a cable holder 103a on the rear surface below the cylindrical portion, which holds the connection cable 503. The cable holder 103a is disposed to the left of the door frame relay board cover 107 when viewed from the front, and holds the connection cable 503 connected to the door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 so that the connection cable 503 extends to the left end side of the door frame 3.

[0101] [3-1c. Door frame main relay board, door frame sub relay board, handle rear relay board] The following describes the door frame main relay board 104, door frame sub-relay board 105, and handle rear relay board of the door frame base unit 100. The door frame main relay board 104 has a rectangular shape that extends vertically, and is attached to the lower right corner of the rear lower part of the door frame base 101 when viewed from behind. The door frame main relay board 104 relays the connection between the handle rear relay board and the interface board 635 in the board unit 620 of the main body frame 4, and is connected to a portion of the connection cable 503 (see Figures 71 and 72) extending from the main body frame 4.

[0102] The door frame sub-relay board 105 has an inverted L-shaped exterior, with a vertically extending rectangle joined to the right of the upper part of the rectangle when viewed from the front, and is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 so that the vertically extending portion is adjacent to the left of the door frame main relay board 104 when viewed from the rear. The door frame sub-relay board 105 relays connections between the handle decorative board 184 of the handle unit 180, the dish unit relay board 214 of the dish unit 200, the door frame left-side upper decorative board 422 and door frame left-side lower decorative board of the door frame left-side unit 420, the door frame right-side upper decorative board and door frame right-side lower decorative board of the door frame right-side unit 430, the door frame top relay board of the door frame top unit 450, etc., and the interface board 635 of the main frame 4, and the remainder of the connection cable 503 extending from the main frame 4 is connected to it.

[0103] The door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 are attached to the door frame base 101 so that the connection terminals protrude rearward. When the door frame base unit 100 is assembled, the door frame main relay board 104 and the door frame sub-relay board 105 have their rear sides covered by the door frame relay board cover 107, and the remaining part of the door frame sub-relay board 105 has its rear side covered by the fall cover unit 150.

[0104] The handle rear relay board has a rectangular outer shape that extends left and right, and is attached to the rear side of the handle mounting surface below the ball feed opening 101e on the rear side of the door frame base 101. The handle rear relay board is used to relay the connection between the door frame main relay board 104 and the handle rotation detection sensor 189, handle touch sensor 192, single button operation sensor 194 of the handle unit 180, and the ball feed solenoid 145 of the ball feed unit 140. When the door frame base unit 100 is assembled, the rear side of the handle rear relay board is covered by the handle rear relay board cover 108.

[0105] [3-1d. Door frame relay board cover, handle rear relay board cover, cable cover] The frame relay board cover 107, the handle rear relay board cover 108, and the cable cover 109 of the frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figure 25. The frame relay board cover 107 is attached to the rear of the frame base 101 to cover the rear sides of the frame main relay board 104 and part of the frame sub-relay board 105 (the parts extending up and down in an inverted L shape). The frame relay board cover 107 is formed in a box shape that is open on the front and left side when viewed from the front. When assembled to the frame base unit 100, the connection terminals of the frame main relay board 104 and the frame sub-relay board 105, which cover the rear sides, are exposed inside the frame relay board cover 107, and a connection cable 503 (see Figure 71) can be inserted into the open left side and connected to these terminals.

[0106] The handle rear relay board cover 108 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 so as to cover the rear side of the handle rear relay board. The cable cover 109 is attached to the rear side of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 in the door frame reinforcing unit 110, and is intended to cover the wiring cable (not shown) that connects the door frame main relay board 104 and the ball dispensing operation unit 220 of the dish unit 200. The cable cover 109 is formed in a box shape that extends left and right, and has openings near the left end of the front surface and in the center of the bottom surface in the left-right direction for passing the wiring cable through.

[0107] [3-1e. Door frame reinforcement unit] The door frame reinforcement unit 110 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 35 to 38. Figure 35(a) is a perspective view of the door frame reinforcement unit in the door frame as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the door frame reinforcement unit in the door frame as seen from the rear. Figure 36(a) is a perspective view of the intermediate reinforcement frame of the door frame reinforcement unit as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the intermediate reinforcement frame of the door frame reinforcement unit as seen from the rear. Figure 37 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of a portion of the intermediate reinforcement frame in a vertical cross section of the door frame. Figure 38 is an explanatory diagram showing the dimensional relationship of the upper part of the intermediate reinforcement frame.

[0108] The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 to reinforce the flat door frame base 101 made of synthetic resin, thereby providing rigidity to the door frame base unit 100. The door frame reinforcement unit 110 includes a left reinforcement frame 111 and a right reinforcement frame 112 that extend vertically and are arranged spaced apart from each other on the left and right sides, an upper reinforcement frame 113 that extends horizontally and connects the upper ends of the left reinforcement frame 111 and the right reinforcement frame 112, an intermediate reinforcement frame 117 that connects portions of the left reinforcement frame 111 and the right reinforcement frame 112 from their lower ends upward, a cylinder mounting frame 115 (see Figure 34, etc.) attached to the right reinforcement frame 112, and a plurality of hook hook members 116 that are attached to the rear side of the right reinforcement frame 112 at vertical intervals and on which door frame hooks 652 of the locking unit 650 of the main frame 4 are hooked.

[0109] The left reinforcing frame 111 has a substantially constant width and extends vertically for a length substantially equal to the height of the door frame base 101, and has a bulge 111a that protrudes rightward from the bottom end toward the top. The left end of the middle reinforcing frame 117 is attached to the bulge 111a of the left reinforcing frame 111.

[0110] The right reinforcing frame 112 extends vertically with a substantially constant width and a length substantially equal to the height of the door frame base 101, and has a bulge 112a that protrudes leftward from its lower end toward the top. The right end of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 is attached to the bulge 112a of the right reinforcing frame 112. A cylinder mounting frame 115 is attached to the front of the bulge 112a. The right reinforcing frame 112 has multiple insertion holes that are spaced apart vertically and penetrate the frame in the front-to-rear direction. The tips of the door frame hooks 652 of the locking unit 650 are inserted into these insertion holes when the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main frame 4.

[0111] The upper reinforcing frame 113 has a constant width in the vertical direction and extends left and right with a length approximately equal to the left and right width of the door frame base 101.

[0112] The door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 with a plurality of screws (not shown). When this door frame reinforcement unit 110 is attached to the door frame base 101, the through-holes 117f of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 are aligned with the through-holes of the door frame base 101, and the cylinder mounting frame 115 is inserted into the cylinder insertion holes 101d of the door frame base 101.

[0113] [3-1e-1. Intermediate reinforcement frame] Next, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 in the door frame reinforcement unit 110 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 36, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is attached so as to connect the bulging portion 111a of the left reinforcement frame 111 and the bulging portion 112a of the right reinforcement frame 112. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117 extends left and right with a width greater than the vertical width of the upper reinforcement frame 113. The lower edge of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is linear and extends left and right, while the upper edge near both ends becomes higher as it extends outward in the left and right directions. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117 has a through-hole 117f that penetrates from front to back near the right end and a square opening 117g that penetrates from front to back near the left end. The through-hole 117f is located at a position that coincides with the through-hole in the door frame base 101. The opening 117g is located to coincide with the upper tray ball passage opening 101g in the door frame base 101.

[0114] The intermediate reinforcement frame 117 has a strip-shaped base plate portion 117a with its plate surface facing in the front-to-rear direction, an upper flange portion 117b extending rearward from the upper edge of the base plate portion 117a, a rear flange portion 117c extending upward from the rear edge of the upper flange portion 117b, and a lower flange portion 117d extending forward from the lower edge of the base plate portion 117a.

[0115] Furthermore, a plurality of bead portions 117e that protrude forward and are long in the left-right direction are provided on the base portion 117a of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117. These plurality of bead portions 117e increase the strength and rigidity of the base portion 117a (intermediate reinforcing frame 117).

[0116] As shown in FIG. 36(b), the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 is composed of a first sheet metal portion 118a having the same thickness as the sheet metal forming the left reinforcing frame 111 and the right reinforcing frame 112, and a second sheet metal portion 118b having a thickness greater than that of the first sheet metal portion 118a. The first sheet metal portion 118a has a base plate portion 117a, an upper flange portion 117b, and a lower flange portion 117d. The second sheet metal portion 118b has the base plate portion 117a, the upper flange portion 117b, and a rear flange portion 117c. The upper flange portion 117b, the rear flange portion 117c, and the lower flange portion 117d are formed by bending sheet metal. The first sheet metal portion 118a and the second sheet metal portion 118b are attached to each other with a plurality of rivets at the base plate portion 117a, with the first sheet metal portion 118a facing forward.

[0117] The left-right length of the first sheet metal part 118a is the same as the left-right length of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117. The left-right length of the second sheet metal part 118b is shorter than that of the first sheet metal part 118a. The second sheet metal part 118b is attached so as to overlap the left-right central part of the first sheet metal part 118a. The thickness tc of the second sheet metal part 118b is approximately 1.7 times the thickness of the first sheet metal part 118a.

[0118] When assembled to the door frame 3, this intermediate reinforcing frame 117 is located below the door window 101a and behind the tray unit 200 (the performance operation unit 300, described later) (see Figures 33 and 37). As shown, the lower end of the glass frame 161 (locking piece 161b) of 160 abuts against the upper surface of the upper flange portion 117b of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117. In other words, the glass unit 160 is placed on the upper flange portion 117b. Furthermore, the front surface of the rear flange portion 117c of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 abuts against the rear surface of the lower part of the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 (the rear surface of the locking piece 161b). This allows the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 to restrict downward movement of the glass unit 160 and rearward movement of the lower part of the glass unit 160. In this embodiment, the rear surface of the rear flange portion 117c is located forward of the rear surface of the glass unit 160 and does not protrude rearward.

[0119] In this specific embodiment, the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 has a larger vertical width at both left and right ends than the vertical width at the center in the left and right direction, and is attached to the left reinforcing frame 111 and the right reinforcing frame 112 at the larger vertical width portion, so it is attached more firmly than the intermediate reinforcing frames in conventional door frames.

[0120] The intermediate reinforcing frame 117 has an upper flange portion 117b, a rear flange portion 117c, and a lower flange portion 117d, and is formed with a cross-sectional shape that resembles a combination of two crank shapes. The intermediate reinforcing frame 117 is also composed of two metal sheets, a first metal sheet portion 118a and a second metal sheet portion 118b. As a result, the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 has greater strength and rigidity than the intermediate reinforcing frame 114 of the door frame 3 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the door frame reinforcing unit 110 itself has greater strength and rigidity than the door frame reinforcing units of conventional door frames.

[0121] In this way, because the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110) is increased, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110) will not be distorted (plastically deformed) even if a player grabs the upper tray 201 or the lower tray 202 and pulls hard, or pulls hard on the lever operation part 304 of the performance operation unit 300 described later. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the door frame 3 and the main body frame 4 due to distortion of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117.

[0122] Furthermore, even if someone attempts to commit fraud by strongly pulling the upper tray 201 or the lever operating part 304 forward to form a gap between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, as described above, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110), which has increased strength and rigidity, will cause the door frame 3 to plastically deform and no gap will be formed between it and the main frame 4, thereby providing a pachinko machine 1 that has a high deterrent effect against fraudulent activities.

[0123] Furthermore, the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 has an upper flange portion 117b on which the glass unit 160 is placed, and a rear flange portion 117c extending upward from the upper flange portion 117b, so that it can support the weight of the glass unit 160, and even if an attempt is made to insert an illegal tool between the upper flange portion 117b and the lower end of the glass unit 160, the upwardly extending rear flange portion 117c can prevent the illegal tool from entering, thereby providing a pachinko machine 1 that has a high deterrent effect against illegal activities.

[0124] 38, the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 is configured such that the distance L1 from the rear surface of the base plate portion 117a to the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b is slightly shorter than the distance L2 from the upper surface of the upper flange portion 117b to the upper end of the rear flange portion 117c. Furthermore, the distance L0, which is the sum of the distances L1 and L2, is longer than the distance (not shown) from the rear surface of the base plate portion 117a to the rear end of the door frame 3. Therefore, if the rear flange portion 117c is extended rearward in the same manner as the upper flange portion 117b without being bent upward, its rear end will protrude rearward beyond the rear end of the door frame 3. In other words, the angle at which the rear flange portion 117c is extended (bent) relative to the upper flange portion 117b is set to a length that allows its rear end to enter the game board 5 at the rear.

[0125] [3-1e-2. Modified intermediate reinforcement frame] Next, modified examples (modifications 1 to 5) of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 39 and 40. Figure 39(a) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 1 of the intermediate reinforcing frame in the door frame, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 2 of the intermediate reinforcing frame, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 3 of the intermediate reinforcing frame. Figure 40(a) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 4 of the intermediate reinforcing frame in the door frame, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing modified example 5 of the intermediate reinforcing frame. Note that, here, parts with the same configuration as the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0126] (Modification 1 of the intermediate reinforcement frame) The intermediate reinforcing frame 117A shown in Figure 39(a) is made of a single thick metal plate (sheet metal). This intermediate reinforcing frame 117A also provides the same effects as those described above. Furthermore, because this intermediate reinforcing frame 117A is made of a single sheet metal, it does not require assembly using rivets or the like, as compared to when it is made of multiple sheets of metal, making it possible to reduce costs. Note that this intermediate reinforcing frame 117A may also be provided with a bead portion 117e.

[0127] (Modification 2 of the intermediate reinforcement frame) The intermediate reinforcing frame 117B shown in Figure 39(b) has a lower flange portion 117d extending rearward from the lower end of the base portion 117a. The lower flange portion 117d extending rearward also increases the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117B, achieving the same effects as those described above. The intermediate reinforcing frame 117B may be made of a single sheet metal as shown in the figure, or may be made of multiple sheets of metal like the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 described above. The intermediate reinforcing frame 117B may also be provided with a bead portion 117e.

[0128] (Modification 3 of the intermediate reinforcement frame) In the intermediate reinforcement frame 117C shown in FIG. 39(c), the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b extends to the rear surface of the glass unit 160, and the rear flange portion 117c, which extends upward from the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b, is located rearward of the glass unit 160. This intermediate reinforcement frame 117C also achieves the same effects as those described above. Furthermore, in this intermediate reinforcement frame 117C, the width (depth) of the upper flange portion 117b in the front-to-rear direction is wider than that of the upper flange portion 117b of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 described above, so that the glass unit 160 can be supported over a wider area. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117C may be formed of a single sheet metal as shown in the figure, or may be formed of multiple sheets metal like the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 described above. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117C may also be provided with a bead portion 117e. Furthermore, the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 may be provided with a locking piece 161b similar to that described above.

[0129] (Modification 4 of the intermediate reinforcement frame) The intermediate reinforcement frame 117D shown in FIG. 40(a) has a rear flange portion 117c extending downward from the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b. Specifically, the rear flange portion 117c hangs down from the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b. This configuration also increases the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117D, preventing distortion (plastic deformation) even when the upper tray 201 or the lever operating portion 304 of the door frame 3 is pulled forward strongly. Furthermore, the glass unit 160 can be placed on the upper flange portion 117b of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117D. While FIG. 40(a) shows a frame in which the rear surface of the rear flange portion 117c does not protrude rearward beyond the rear surface of the glass unit 160, the rear flange portion 117c may protrude rearward beyond the glass unit 160. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117D may be constructed from a single sheet metal as shown, or may be constructed from multiple sheets metal, as with the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 described above. The intermediate reinforcing frame 117D may also be provided with a bead portion 117e. The glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 may also be provided with a locking piece 161b similar to that described above.

[0130] (Modification 5 of intermediate reinforcement frame) The intermediate reinforcement frame 117E shown in FIG. 40(b) has a rear flange portion 117c extending downward from the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b. Specifically, the rear flange portion 117c extends diagonally downward from the rear end of the upper flange portion 117b. This configuration also increases the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117E, preventing distortion (plastic deformation) even when the upper tray 201 or the lever operation portion 304 of the door frame 3 is pulled forward strongly. When the door frame 3 is closed, the rear end of the rear flange portion 117c of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117E is inserted into the gaming board 5 (here, into the front component 1000). Insertion of the rear flange portion 117c forms a serpentine gap, which prevents the rear flange portion 117c from blocking any attempt to insert an illegal tool along the front of the gaming board 5, thereby enhancing deterrence against illegal activity.

[0131] The rear flange portion 117c of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117E may be configured to contact the gaming board 5. This allows the door frame 3 and the gaming board 5 to be positioned via the rear flange portion 117c, and the gaming board 5 to be supported by the rear flange portion 117c. When the rear flange portion 117c is configured to contact the gaming board 5, it may be grounded to the gaming board 5. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117E may be configured from a single metal plate as shown in the figure, or may be configured from multiple metal plates like the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 described above. The intermediate reinforcement frame 117E may also be provided with a bead portion 117e. The glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 may also be provided with a locking piece 161b similar to the above.

[0132] [3-1e-3. Other countermeasure examples] Next, we will explain measures to prevent a gap from being formed between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4 when the upper tray 201 or the like is pulled forward. As a specific example 1, for example, a distance sensor (e.g., a simple switch, optical sensor, magnetic sensor, proximity sensor, displacement sensor, etc.) may be provided to detect the distance (change in distance) between the game board 5 and the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117, and when the signal from the distance sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alarm may be issued to that effect. In this case, the distance sensor may be provided on the main frame 4, the game board 5, or the door frame 3.

[0133] In Example 1, as described above, the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 (door frame reinforcing unit 110) are increased, so that the door frame 3 will not undergo plastic deformation even if it is pulled forward with great force. However, pulling it too hard may cause elastic deformation, changing the distance between the door frame 3 and the game board 5 and creating a gap, so a gap sensor is provided to detect this distance. This allows the distance sensor to detect changes in the distance due to elastic deformation, making it possible to notify the player that the door frame 3 has been pulled too hard in response to a detection signal from the distance sensor. This prevents players from pulling the door frame 3 unnecessarily hard or from pulling it too hard in an attempt to commit fraud, making it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 with high crime prevention effects.

[0134] As a second specific example, for example, the door frame opening switch (not shown) provided near the right end on the front side of the main frame 4 may be provided at the rear near the center in the left-right direction of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117. As a result, when the upper tray 201 of the door frame 3 or the like is pulled strongly and the center in the left-right direction of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is elastically deformed so as to move forward, the door frame opening switch detects the opening of the door frame 3 and issues an alert to that effect. In this case, the door frame opening switch may be provided both near the right end of the main frame 4 and near the center in the left-right direction. Also, the door opening switch near the center in the left-right direction may be provided on the game board 5.

[0135] Furthermore, as a third specific example, for example, a strain sensor may be provided on the intermediate reinforcing frame 117, and when a signal from the strain sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold, a warning to that effect may be issued.

[0136] As a fourth specific example, for example, a hook-shaped intermediate hook (not shown) that moves in conjunction with the door frame hook 652 of the locking unit 650 may be provided at a rear portion near the center in the left-right direction of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 in the main frame 4, so that when the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main frame 4, the intermediate hook engages with the intermediate reinforcing frame 117. In this way, even if the upper tray 201, etc., is pulled forward, the engagement of the intermediate hook prevents the center in the left-right direction of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 from being distorted (plastically or elastically deformed) so as to bulge forward.

[0137] [3-1e-4.Summary] The door frame reinforcement unit 110 has the following technical features.

[0138] (Background of technical features) A pachinko machine as a gaming machine comprises a main frame that supports a game board so that it can be attached and detached from the front, and a door frame that is attached to the main frame so that it can be opened and closed from the front. The door frame is hinged and rotatable on one of the left and right front edges of the main frame, and is provided with a window section closed by a glass plate, through which the playing area of ​​the game board can be seen from the front.

[0139] In this type of gaming machine, a frame-shaped reinforcing metal plate made up of multiple metal plates is attached to the door frame, and multiple hooks are engaged from the main frame side to the edge of the reinforcing metal plate on the open side opposite the hinge side, preventing the door frame from opening even when pulled forward (for example, patent document: JP 2008-110159 A).

[0140] However, with the technology of the above-mentioned patent document, for example, if a spherical dish (e.g., an upper dish, a lower dish, etc.) provided on the front of the door frame is put under a hand and pulled forward, the door frame (reinforcing metal plate) may be distorted so that the center of the door frame in the left-right direction bulges forward. When the door frame is distorted, a gap is formed between the door frame and the main frame, and there is a risk that an illegal tool may be inserted into the gaming machine through the gap.

[0141] Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, the following means aims to provide a gaming machine that makes it difficult for a gap to form between the door frame and the main body frame even when the door frame is pulled, thereby preventing fraudulent acts using such gap.

[0142] (Technical feature solution) Means 1: In the gaming machine, "A main frame detachably supports a game board having a game area where games are played with game balls from the front, a door frame having a window portion that allows the play area to be viewed from the front and that is provided so as to be openable and closable from the front relative to the main body frame; A gaming machine equipped with: The door frame is a reinforcing sheet metal unit having a first reinforcing portion extending laterally along a lower edge of the window portion, The first reinforcing portion is a substrate portion parallel to an opening surface of the window portion; an upper flange portion extending rearward from an upper edge of the base plate portion; a rear flange portion extending upward or downward from a rear end edge of the upper flange portion; It is characterized by being equipped with the following features.

[0143] Here, examples of the "first reinforcing portion" include "one made of one metal plate (sheet metal)" and "one made of multiple metal plates (sheet metal)."

[0144] According to the configuration of Means 1, the gaming machine comprises a main frame supporting a game board having a game area where games are played with game balls in a detachable manner from the front, and a door frame having a window that allows the game area to be viewed from the front and that is attached to the main frame in a manner that can be opened and closed from the front, wherein the door frame comprises a reinforcing sheet metal unit having a first reinforcing portion extending left and right along the lower edge of the window, and the first reinforcing portion comprises a base portion parallel to the opening surface of the window, an upper flange portion extending rearward from the upper edge of the base portion, and a rear flange portion extending upward or downward from the rear edge of the upper flange. (See Chapter 3-1. Overall Configuration of Door Frame Base Unit, the description of the door frame reinforcing unit 110, Figures 35 to 40, etc. in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention].)

[0145] As a result, a reinforcing sheet metal unit is provided in the door frame, which is mounted on the main frame so that it can be opened and closed from the front, thereby increasing the strength and rigidity of the door frame. This reinforcing sheet metal unit has a first reinforcing portion extending left and right along the lower edge of the window portion of the door frame. The first reinforcing portion has a flat base portion, an upper flange portion extending rearward from the upper edge of the base portion, and a rear flange portion extending upward or downward from the upper flange portion. When the rear flange portion extends upward from the rear edge of the upper flange portion, the cross-sectional shape of the first reinforcing portion is crank-shaped. When the rear flange portion extends downward from the rear edge of the upper flange portion, the cross-sectional shape of the first reinforcing portion is U-shaped. This allows for greater strength and rigidity than conventional reinforcing portions (reinforcing sheet metal) with linear or L-shaped cross-sections. In other words, because the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing part of the reinforcing sheet metal unit are higher than before, even if the door frame is pulled forward strongly near the center in the left-right direction, the first reinforcing part will not warp (plastically deform), and no gap will be formed between the door frame and the main frame. Therefore, even if someone tries to commit fraud by pulling the door frame forward to form a gap between the door frame and the main frame, the first reinforcing part (reinforcing sheet metal unit) with its increased strength and rigidity will not warp the door frame and form a gap between it and the main frame, making it possible to provide a gaming machine that is highly deterrent to fraud.

[0146] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the first reinforcing part (reinforcing sheet metal unit) will not be distorted even if the door frame is pulled forward strongly near the center in the left-right direction, so it is possible to provide a shape that is easy for the player to pull forward (for example, an upper or lower tray, a lever-shaped performance operation part, a protruding or protruding push button-shaped performance operation part, a protruding decorative body, a recessed decorative body, etc.), making it possible to provide a gaming machine that can provide even more enjoyment to players.

[0147] A glass unit that closes the window may be placed on the upper flange. This allows the weight of the glass unit to be supported by the upper flange (reinforced sheet metal unit), which reduces the load on the synthetic resin member that makes up the door frame (for example, the door frame base) compared to when the glass unit is supported by the resin member, making up the door frame less likely to deteriorate early due to excessive load.

[0148] In addition, when the glass unit is placed on the upper flange, if the front surface of the rear flange extending upward from the rear edge of the upper flange abuts against the rear surface of the glass unit, the rear flange can prevent the lower end of the glass unit from moving rearward. This makes it possible to attach the glass unit to the door frame by fixing the upper end of the glass unit, making it easier to install (attach and detach).

[0149] Furthermore, in the first reinforcing portion, it is desirable that the sum of the lengths of the upper flange portion and the rear flange portion in the direction along their respective surfaces be longer than the length from the base portion to the front surface of the gaming board. This makes the sum of the lengths of the upper flange portion and the rear flange portion in the extension direction longer than the distance (length) from the base portion to the front surface of the gaming board, which increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing portion compared to when that length is shorter, and makes it less likely to distort even when the door frame is pulled forward.

[0150] Furthermore, as described above, if the sum of the lengths of the upper flange portion and the rear flange portion is longer than the length from the base portion to the front surface of the gaming board, the tip of the rear flange portion can be positioned behind the front surface of the gaming board. In other words, the rear flange portion can be inserted into the gaming board from the front. As a result, even if an illegal tool is attempted to be inserted along the front surface of the gaming board, the insertion of the illegal tool can be prevented by the rear flange portion inserted into the gaming board, thereby providing a gaming machine with a high deterrent effect against illegal activities.

[0151] It is also desirable that the first reinforcing portion be provided with a lower flange portion extending forward or rearward from the lower edge of the base plate portion. This means that the first reinforcing portion has an upper flange portion extending rearward from the upper edge of the base plate portion, as well as a lower flange portion extending forward or rearward from the lower edge of the base plate portion, which further increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing portion and makes it possible to provide a gaming machine that can reliably achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0152] Furthermore, it is desirable to make the first reinforcing part thicker than the metal sheets of the other reinforcing parts in the reinforcing sheet metal unit, which also increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing part, thereby providing a gaming machine that can achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0153] The gaming machine may also be provided with a gap sensor that detects the gap between the first reinforcing portion and the gaming board. As described above, the first reinforcing portion (reinforcing sheet metal unit) has increased strength and rigidity, so the door frame will not undergo plastic deformation even if pulled forward with great force. However, pulling too hard can cause elastic deformation, changing the gap between the door frame and the gaming board and creating a gap. Therefore, a gap sensor may be provided to detect this gap. This allows the gap sensor to detect changes in the gap due to elastic deformation, making it possible to notify the player that the door frame has been pulled too hard in response to a detection signal from the gap sensor. This can prevent players from pulling the door frame unnecessarily hard or from pulling it too hard to commit fraud, thereby providing a gaming machine with high security.

[0154] Means 2: In the configuration of Means 1, "The upper flange portion is A glass unit that closes the window is placed on it. It is characterized by:

[0155] According to the configuration of the second aspect, a glass unit that closes the window is placed on the upper flange. (See the description of upper flange 117b and Figure 37 in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention").

[0156] This allows the weight of the glass unit to be supported by the upper flange portion (reinforcing sheet metal unit), thereby reducing the load on the resin member (e.g., the door frame base) made of synthetic resin that makes up the door frame, and preventing early deterioration of the resin member due to excessive load.

[0157] In addition, since the glass unit is placed on the upper flange, when the front surface of the rear flange extending upward from the rear edge of the upper flange abuts against the rear surface of the glass unit, the rear flange can prevent the lower end of the glass unit from moving rearward. This makes it possible to attach the glass unit to the door frame by fixing the upper end of the glass unit, making it easy to install (attach and detach).

[0158] Means 3: In the configuration of means 1 or means 2, "The first reinforcing portion is The sum of the lengths of the upper flange portion and the rear flange portion in the directions along their respective surfaces is longer than the length from the base portion to the front surface of the game board. It is characterized by:

[0159] According to the configuration of the third aspect, the sum of the lengths of the upper flange and the rear flange in the direction along the respective faces of the first reinforcing portion is longer than the length from the base portion to the front face of the game board. (See the description of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 and Figure 38 in the "Description of the Invention").

[0160] As a result, the sum of the extension lengths of the upper flange portion and the rear flange portion is longer than the distance (length) from the base portion to the front of the game board, which increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing portion compared to when the length is shorter, making it less likely to distort even when the door frame is pulled forward.

[0161] Furthermore, because the sum of the lengths of the upper flange and rear flange is longer than the length from the base to the front of the gaming board, the tip of the rear flange can be positioned behind the front of the gaming board. In other words, the rear flange can be inserted into the gaming board from the front. As a result, even if someone tries to insert an illegal tool along the front of the gaming board, the rear flange inserted into the gaming board can prevent the tool from entering, providing a gaming machine with a high deterrent against illegal activities.

[0162] Means 4: In any one of the configurations from means 1 to means 3, "The first reinforcing portion is It has a lower flange portion extending forward or rearward from the lower edge of the base portion. It is characterized by:

[0163] According to the fourth aspect, the first reinforcing portion is provided with a lower flange portion extending forward or rearward from the lower edge of the base portion. (See the description of lower flange portion 117d and FIG. 36 in the "Description of the Preferred Embodiments").

[0164] As a result, the first reinforcing portion has an upper flange portion extending rearward from the upper edge of the base portion, and a lower flange portion extending forward or rearward from the lower edge of the base portion, which further increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing portion and makes it possible to provide a gaming machine that can reliably achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0165] Means 5: In any one of the configurations from means 1 to means 4, "The first reinforcing portion is The thickness of the sheet metal is thicker than that of the other reinforcing parts in the reinforcing sheet metal unit. It is characterized by:

[0166] According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the first reinforcing portion is made thicker than the metal plates of the other reinforcing portions in the reinforcing sheet metal unit (see the description of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 and Figure 36 in the "Description of the Preferred Embodiments").

[0167] This makes the plate thickness of the first reinforcing part thicker than the plate thickness of the other reinforcing parts, which also increases the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing part, making it possible to provide an amusement machine that can achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0168] The first reinforcing portion may have a thick plate thickness over its entire length in the left-right direction, or may have a thick plate thickness over a portion of its entire length in the left-right direction (for example, within a predetermined range from the center in the left-right direction).

[0169] Means 6: In any one of the configurations from means 1 to means 5, A distance sensor that detects the distance between the first reinforcing portion and the game board, The invention is characterized by the fact that it further comprises:

[0170] Here, examples of "distance sensors" include "switches," "optical sensors," "magnetic sensors," "proximity sensors," and "displacement sensors." The distance sensor may be provided on the first reinforcing portion (door frame), on the game board, or on the main body frame. The switch used as the distance sensor may be, for example, a switch (door opening switch) used in a door opening sensor. By using a switch similar to the door opening sensor, the input circuit can be designed in the same way as the input circuit for the door opening sensor. Furthermore, since it is a simple contact, depending on the connection method, it is possible to easily combine multiple inputs using a connection such as a wired OR.

[0171] According to the configuration of Means 6, the gaming machine further includes a distance sensor that detects the distance between the first reinforcing portion and the gaming board. (See Section [3-1e-3. Other Examples of Measures] in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention].)

[0172] In this configuration, as described above, the strength and rigidity of the first reinforcing portion (reinforcing sheet metal unit) are increased, so the door frame will not undergo plastic deformation even if it is pulled forward with great force. However, pulling too hard can cause elastic deformation, which can change the distance between the door frame and the game board, creating a gap. Therefore, a gap sensor is provided to detect this gap. This allows the gap sensor to detect changes in the distance due to elastic deformation, making it possible to notify the player that the door frame has been pulled too hard in response to a detection signal from the gap sensor. This can prevent players from pulling the door frame unnecessarily hard or pulling it too hard to commit fraud, thereby providing a gaming machine with high security effects.

[0173] In this way, according to the above solution, it is possible to provide an amusement machine that makes it difficult for a gap to form between the door frame and the main body frame even when the door frame is pulled, thereby preventing fraudulent activities using such gap.

[0174] (Relationship between the solution and specific form of technical features) The door window 101a of the door frame base 101 in the door frame base unit 100 of the door frame 3 in this specific form corresponds to the window portion of the above-mentioned solution means, the door frame reinforcement unit 110 of the door frame base unit 100 in this specific form corresponds to the reinforcing sheet metal unit of the above-mentioned solution means, and the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (intermediate reinforcement frame 117A to intermediate reinforcement frame 117E) of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 in this specific form corresponds to the first reinforcement portion of the above-mentioned solution means.

[0175] (Characteristic effects of this specific embodiment) According to the pachinko machine 1 of this specific embodiment, a door frame reinforcement unit 110 made up of a combination of multiple metal plates is provided on the door frame 3, which is provided so as to be able to be opened and closed from the front relative to the main body frame 4, and the strength and rigidity of the door frame 3 are increased by the door frame reinforcement unit 110. The door frame reinforcement unit 110 has an intermediate reinforcement frame 117 extending in the left-right direction along the lower edge of the door window 101a of the door frame 3, and the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is provided with a flat base plate portion 117a, an upper flange portion 117b extending rearward from the upper edge of the base plate portion 117a, and a rear flange portion 117c extending upward or downward from the upper flange portion 117b. When the rear flange portion 117c extends upward from the rear edge of the upper flange portion 117b, the cross-sectional shape of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 (intermediate reinforcing frame 117A, intermediate reinforcing frame 117B, intermediate reinforcing frame 117C) is crank-shaped, and when the rear flange portion 117c extends downward from the rear edge of the upper flange portion 117b, the cross-sectional shape of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117D (intermediate reinforcing frame 117E) is U-shaped, which makes it possible to increase the strength and rigidity compared to conventional reinforcing parts (intermediate reinforcing frames) with a linear or L-shaped cross-sectional shape. In other words, because the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 are higher than conventional ones, even if the door frame 3 is pulled strongly forward near the center in the left-right direction, the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 will not warp (plastically deform), and no gap will be formed between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4. Therefore, even if someone tries to commit fraud by pulling the door frame 3 forward to form a gap between the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110), which has increased strength and rigidity, will not cause the door frame 3 to distort and form a gap between it and the main frame 4, thereby providing a pachinko machine 1 that has a high deterrent effect against fraud.

[0176] Furthermore, as mentioned above, even if the door frame 3 is pulled forward strongly near the center in the left-right direction, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110) will not be distorted, so it is possible to provide a shape that is easy for the player to pull forward (for example, an upper tray 201 or lower tray 202, a lever-shaped performance operation unit (lever operation unit 304), a protruding or protruding push button-shaped performance operation unit (push operation unit 303), a protruding decorative body, a recessed decorative body, etc.), making it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that can provide even more enjoyment to players.

[0177] Furthermore, since the glass unit 160 that closes the door window 101a is placed on the upper flange portion 117b, the weight of the glass unit 160 can be supported by the upper flange portion 117b (door frame reinforcement unit 110).This reduces the load on the resin member (e.g., door frame base 101) made of synthetic resin that constitutes the door frame 3, and prevents early deterioration of the resin member due to excessive load.

[0178] Furthermore, since glass unit 160 is placed on upper flange portion 117b and the rear surface of glass unit 160 abuts against the front surface of rear flange portion 117c extending upward from the rear edge of upper flange portion 117b, rear flange portion 117c can prevent rearward movement of the lower end of glass unit 160. This makes it possible to attach glass unit 160 to door frame 3 by fixing only the upper end side of glass unit 160, making it easy to attach (remove) glass unit 160.

[0179] Furthermore, in the intermediate reinforcement frame 117, the sum (L0) of the lengths (L1 and L2) along the respective surfaces of the upper flange portion 117b and the rear flange portion 117c is longer than the length from the base portion 117a to the front surface of the game board 5, so that the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 can be increased compared to when the length is shorter, and it can be made less likely to distort even when the door frame 3 is pulled forward.

[0180] Furthermore, because the sum (L0) of the length L1 of the upper flange portion 117b and the length L2 of the rear flange portion 117c is longer than the length from the base portion 117a to the front surface of the gaming board 5, it is possible to position the tip of the rear flange portion 117c behind the front surface of the gaming board 5. In other words, it is possible to insert the rear flange portion 117c into the gaming board 5 from the front, as with the intermediate reinforcing frame 117E. As a result, even if an illegal tool is attempted to be inserted along the front surface of the gaming board 5, the insertion of the illegal tool can be prevented by the rear flange portion 117c inserted into the gaming board 5, and it is possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that is highly deterrent to illegal activities.

[0181] Furthermore, since the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is provided with a lower flange portion 117d extending forward or backward from the lower edge of the base portion 117a in addition to the upper flange portion 117b, the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 can be further increased, and a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that can reliably achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0182] Furthermore, the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 is made thicker than the metal sheets of the other reinforcement parts in the door frame reinforcement unit 110 (left reinforcement frame 111, right reinforcement frame 112, upper reinforcement frame 113), which also increases the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcement frame 117 (door frame reinforcement unit 110), making it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 that can achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0183] Furthermore, a gap sensor may be further provided to detect the gap between the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 and the game board 5. That is, as described above, the strength and rigidity of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 (door frame reinforcing unit 110) are increased, so that the door frame 3 will not be plastically deformed even if it is pulled forward with great force. However, pulling it too hard may cause elastic deformation, changing the gap between the door frame 3 and the game board 5 and creating a gap, so a gap sensor is provided to detect this gap. This allows the gap sensor to detect changes in the gap due to elastic deformation, making it possible to notify the player that the door frame 3 has been pulled too hard in response to a detection signal from the gap sensor. This prevents a player from pulling the door frame 3 unnecessarily hard or from pulling the door frame 3 too hard in an attempt to commit fraud, thereby providing a pachinko machine 1 with high crime prevention effects.

[0184] [3-1f. Door frame upper hinge assembly] The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 34 and 35. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 is attached to the upper left corner of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 when viewed from the front. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 is used to attach the door frame 3 to the main frame 4 so that it can rotate about a hinge in cooperation with the lower door-frame hinge member 125. The upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 includes a hinge bracket 121 attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110, a upper door-frame hinge pin 122 attached to the hinge bracket 121 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a flange member 123 attached to the upper door-frame hinge pin 122, and a lock spring 124 that biases the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 so as to move upward.

[0185] The hinge bracket 121 includes a flat mounting piece 121a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, and flat protruding pieces 121b that extend forward from the upper and lower sides of the mounting piece 121a. The mounting piece 121a of the hinge bracket 121 is attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110. The hinge bracket 121 is formed by bending a metal plate.

[0186] The upper door-frame hinge pin 122 is a cylindrical metal rod bent into an L-shape. When assembled to the upper door-frame hinge assembly 120, the portion of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 that extends vertically penetrates from below near the front ends of a pair of protruding pieces 121b of the hinge bracket 121, with the upper end extending upward beyond the upper protruding piece 121b, and the portion that extends horizontally abuts against the underside of the lower protruding piece 121b. The upper end of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 is rotatably inserted into the upper door-frame hinge hole 511a of the upper hinge body 511 of the main-frame upper hinge member 510 of the main frame 4.

[0187] The flange member 123 is an E-ring, and is attached to a portion of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 between the pair of protruding pieces 121b. The lock spring 124 is formed in a coil shape, and is fitted around the portion of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 that extends vertically, between the flange member 123 and the lower protruding piece 121b of the hinge bracket 121. The lock spring 124 urges the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 upward via the flange member 123.

[0188] In the upper door-frame hinge assembly 120, the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 is biased upward by the lock spring 124, and the horizontally extending portion of the lower end of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 abuts against the lower surface of the lower protruding piece 121b, thereby restricting further upward movement. In this state, the upper end of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 protrudes a predetermined amount above the upper surface of the upper protruding piece 121b.

[0189] In the door-frame-upper hinge assembly 120, when the horizontally extending portion of the lower end of the door-frame-upper hinge pin 122 is moved downward against the biasing force of the lock spring 124, the entire door-frame-upper hinge pin 122 can be moved downward, and the upper end of the door-frame-upper hinge pin 122 can be retracted below the upper surface of the upper protruding piece 121b. Therefore, in the door-frame-upper hinge assembly 120, the upper end of the door-frame-upper hinge pin 122 can be inserted from below into the door-frame upper hinge hole 511a of the main-frame-upper hinge member 510 and removed downward. As a result, by inserting the upper end of the door-frame-upper hinge pin 122 into the door-frame upper hinge hole 511a of the main-frame-upper hinge member 510, the upper left end of the door frame 3 in a front view can be supported so as to be hinge-rotatable relative to the main frame 4.

[0190] Furthermore, in the upper door-frame hinge assembly 120, the portion of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 that extends vertically is positioned coaxially with a lower door-frame hinge pin 126 of a lower door-frame hinge member 125, which will be described later. This allows the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 and the lower door-frame hinge pin 126 to hinge rotate the door frame 3 relative to the main frame 4 in a favorable state.

[0191] [3-1g. Door frame bottom hinge material] The lower door frame hinge member 125 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 34 and 35. The lower door frame hinge member 125 is attached to the lower left corner of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 when viewed from the front. The lower door frame hinge member 125 cooperates with the upper door frame hinge assembly 120 to attach the door frame 3 to the main frame 4 so that it can rotate about the hinge.

[0192] The door frame lower hinge member 125 is attached to the door frame reinforcement unit 110 and comprises a flat mounting piece 125a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, a flat protruding piece 125b that extends forward from the lower edge of the mounting piece 125a, and a door frame lower hinge pin 126 (see Figure 35, etc.) that protrudes downward from the underside near the front end of the protruding piece 125b.

[0193] The mounting piece 125a and protruding piece 125b of the lower door-frame hinge member 125 are formed by bending a metal plate. The lower door-frame hinge pin 126 is a cylindrical metal rod with a tapered chamfer on the outer periphery of the lower end. When assembled to the door frame base unit 100, this lower door-frame hinge pin 126 is attached to a portion of the protruding piece 125b that is coaxial with the portion of the upper door-frame hinge pin 122 of the upper door-frame hinge assembly 120 that extends vertically.

[0194] This door frame lower hinge member 125 can support the door frame 3 relative to the main frame 4 so that it can rotate about the hinge by inserting the door frame lower hinge pin 126 into the door frame lower hinge hole 522a of the main frame lower hinge assembly 520.

[0195] [3-1h. Cylinder lock] The cylinder lock 130 in the door frame base unit 100 of the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 41 to 43. Figure 41(a) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of the door frame as seen from the front, (b) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of (a) as seen from the rear-front, (c) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock in a conventional pachinko machine as seen from the front, and (d) is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of (a) as seen from the rear. Figure 42(a) is an exploded perspective view of the cylinder lock of Figure 41(a) as seen from the front, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of the cylinder lock of Figure 41(a) as seen from the rear. Figure 43(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the movable mechanism of the cylinder lock of Figure 41(a) from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram of the cylinder lock rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state of (a), and (c) is an explanatory diagram of the cylinder lock rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the state of (a).

[0196] The cylinder lock 130 is attached to the cylinder mounting frame 115 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110, and works in cooperation with the locking unit 650 of the main frame 4 to open and close the door frame 3 and the main frame 4, and to lock and open the outer frame 2 and the main frame 4. The cylinder lock 130 comprises a cylindrical cylinder body 131 that extends forward and backward, a keyhole 132 formed in the front end face of the cylinder body 131, and a rotation transmission member 133 that is provided at the rear of the cylinder body 131 and rotates together with the rotation of a regular key inserted in the keyhole 132.

[0197] The cylinder body 131 of the cylinder lock 130 penetrates the front piece of the cylinder mounting frame 115 from the rear, and its rear end is attached to the front piece. The rotation transmission member 133 is formed in a cylindrical shape (more specifically, a conical cylinder whose diameter increases toward the rear) that is open at the rear, and has a pair of notches cut out from the rear end toward the front at positions opposite each other across the central axis. The rotation transmission member 133 is formed so that a transmission cylinder 654 of a locking unit 650 in the main body frame 4 can be inserted from the rear, and by inserting a pair of protrusions of the transmission cylinder 654 into the pair of notches, the rotation of the rotation transmission member 133 (the key inserted in the keyhole 132) can be transmitted to the transmission cylinder 654, causing it to rotate.

[0198] In more detail, the cylinder lock 130 comprises a first cam member 134 provided at the rear end of the cylinder body 131 and which rotates together with the rotation of a genuine key inserted into the keyhole 132; a second cam member 135 which is rotatably attached around a longitudinal axis at a position below the cylinder body 131 on the cylinder mounting frame 115; a strip-shaped first arm 136 which has an upper end rotatably attached to a position to the right of the center of rotation of the first cam member 134 and a lower end rotatably attached to a position to the right of the center of rotation of the second cam member 135; and a strip-shaped second arm 137 which has an upper end rotatably attached to a position below the center of rotation of the first cam member 134 and a lower end rotatably attached to a position below the center of rotation of the second cam member 135.

[0199] The cylinder lock 130 also includes a rear cover 138 attached to the cylinder mounting frame 115 so as to cover the cylinder body 131, the first cam member 134, the first arm 136, and the second arm 137 from the rear, excluding the second cam member 135 (rotation transmission member 133), and rivets 139 that attach the upper and lower ends of each of the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 to the first cam member 134 and the second cam member 135, respectively, so that they can rotate.

[0200] The first cam member 134 has an upper end side of a first arm 136 attached to the rear side, and an upper end side of a second arm 137 attached to the front side. The second cam member 135 is rotatably attached from the rear side by the cylinder mounting frame 115, and a rotation transmission member 133 is attached to the rear side across the front side of the cylinder mounting frame 115 so as to be rotatable integrally with the second cam member 134. The second cam member 135 has a lower end side of the first arm 136 attached to the front side, and a lower end side of the second arm 137 attached to the front side and forward of the first arm 136.

[0201] In each of first cam member 134 and second cam member 135, the portion where first arm 136 is attached and the portion where second arm 137 is attached are spaced apart at an angle of 90 degrees around the respective rotation axes. In addition, in each of first cam member 134 and second cam member 135, the portion where first arm 136 is attached is located farther from the center of rotation than the portion where second arm 137 is attached.

[0202] The rear cover 138 is removably attached to the cylinder mounting frame 115 at its upper end with screws (not shown), with the cylindrical shafts 138a protruding outward from the lower ends of both the left and right sides engaged with L-shaped locking slits 115b in the cylinder mounting frame 115.

[0203] In this cylinder lock 130, the cylinder mounting frame 115, the cylinder body 131, the rotation transmission member 133, the first cam member 134, the second cam member 135, the first arm 136, and the second arm 137 are made of metal.

[0204] When the cylinder lock 130 is assembled to the door frame 3, the front end of the cylinder body 131 is substantially aligned with the front end of the cylinder insertion opening 440b of the door frame right side unit 430.

[0205] Here, we will explain the conventional cylinder lock 130A. As shown in Figures 41(c) and (d), the conventional cylinder lock 130A has a cylinder body 131 that penetrates the front piece of the cylinder mounting frame 115A from the rear and has its rear end attached to the front piece. In this cylinder lock 130A, a rotation transmission member 133 is provided on the axis of the cylinder body 131.

[0206] Next, we will explain the operation of the cylinder lock 130 of this specific embodiment. In a conventional cylinder lock 130, as shown in Figures 41(c) and (d), a rotation transmission member 133 is provided on the axis of the cylinder body 131, whereas in the cylinder lock 130 of this specific embodiment, as shown in Figures 41(a) and (b), the rotation transmission member 133 is provided at a position spaced downward from the axis of the cylinder body 131.

[0207] 43(a), in the normal state of this cylinder lock 130, both upper and lower ends of the first arm 136 are attached to the right of the rotation centers of the first cam member 134 and the second cam member 135, respectively, and both upper and lower ends of the second arm 137 are attached to the lower of the rotation centers of the first cam member 134 and the second cam member 135. With the use of a regular key, the cylinder body 131 can be rotated by 90 degrees both clockwise and counterclockwise from the normal state.

[0208] In this state, when the first cam member 134 is rotated counterclockwise via the cylinder of the cylinder body 131 using a key inserted in the keyhole 132, the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 move upward. At this time, because the upper end side of the first arm 136 is attached to the right of the rotation center of the first cam member 134, a large force acts from the first arm 136 to rotate the second cam member 135 counterclockwise, whereas because the upper end side of the second arm 137 is attached below the rotation center of the first cam member 134, almost no force acts from the second arm 137 to rotate the second cam member 135 counterclockwise.

[0209] In this way, when first cam member 134 rotates counterclockwise from the normal state, force is transmitted mainly via first arm 136, causing second cam member 135 to rotate counterclockwise, and rotation transmission member 133 to rotate together with second cam member 135. The upward force acting due to this counterclockwise rotation of first cam member 134 is proportional to the left-right distance between the positions where first arm 136 and second arm 137 are attached to first cam member 134 and the rotation center of first cam member 134. Therefore, as first cam member 134 rotates counterclockwise from the normal state, the upward force acting on first arm 136 decreases, while the upward force acting on second arm 137 increases.

[0210] Therefore, when first cam member 134 rotates counterclockwise beyond 45 degrees from the normal state, the force acting upward on second arm 137 becomes greater than that on first arm 136, and second cam member 135 rotates counterclockwise mainly via second arm 137. Then, the key inserted in keyhole 132 can be rotated counterclockwise up to an angle of 90 degrees from the normal state (see Figure 43(b)).

[0211] Furthermore, when the key is used to rotate the key counterclockwise 90 degrees from the normal state, and then rotate it clockwise 90 degrees to return it to the normal state, the operation is the reverse of the above.

[0212] On the other hand, when, from the normal state, first cam member 134 is rotated clockwise via the cylinder of cylinder body 131 with a key inserted in keyhole 132, first arm 136, whose upper end is attached to the right of the rotation center of first cam member 134, moves downward, and second arm 137, whose upper end is attached below the rotation center of first cam member 134, moves upward. At this time, because the upper end of first arm 136 is attached to the right of the rotation center of first cam member 134, a large force acts on first arm 136 to rotate second cam member 135 in the clockwise direction, whereas because the upper end of second arm 137 is attached below the rotation center of first cam member 134, almost no force acts on second arm 137 to rotate second cam member 135 in the clockwise direction.

[0213] In this way, when first cam member 134 rotates clockwise from the normal state, force is transmitted mainly via first arm 136, causing second cam member 135 to rotate clockwise, and rotating rotation transmission member 133 together with second cam member 135. The force transmitting the rotation of first cam member 134 by first arm 136 and second arm 137 to second cam member 135 is proportional to the left-right distance between the positions at which first arm 136 and second arm 137 are attached to first cam member 134 and the rotation center of first cam member 134. Therefore, as first cam member 134 rotates clockwise from the normal state, the force of first arm 136 attempting to rotate second cam member 135 decreases, whereas the force of second arm 137 attempting to rotate second cam member 135 increases.

[0214] Therefore, when first cam member 134 rotates clockwise beyond 45 degrees from the normal state, the force of second arm 137 tending to rotate second cam member 135 becomes stronger than that of first arm 136, and second cam member 135 rotates clockwise mainly via second arm 137. Then, the key inserted in keyhole 132 can be rotated clockwise up to an angle of 90 degrees from the normal state (see Figure 43(c)).

[0215] Furthermore, when the key is used to rotate the key 90 degrees clockwise from the normal state to return it to the normal state by rotating it 90 degrees clockwise, the operation is the reverse of the above.

[0216] In this way, according to the cylinder lock 130 of this specific embodiment, the first cam member 134 and the second cam member 135 are connected by the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 which are attached at a 90-degree angle from each other, and rotation is transmitted thereby. Therefore, regardless of the rotation position of the first cam member 134 (the key inserted in the keyhole 132), rotation can be transmitted by at least one of the first arm 136 and the second arm 137, causing the second cam member 135 (rotation transmission member 133) to rotate, thereby enabling good locking and unlocking of the door frame 3 and the main frame 4.

[0217] Furthermore, according to the cylinder lock 130 of this specific embodiment, by transmitting rotation using the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 as a rotation transmission mechanism, the axis of the rotation transmission member 133 (transmission cylinder 654 of the locking unit 650 in the main frame 4) can be set at a different position relative to the axis of the cylinder body 131, so that the position of the cylinder body 131 in the door frame 3 can be changed to any position without changing the locking unit 650, and the cylinder body 131 (keyhole 132) can be set at a location that does not interfere with the decoration of the door frame 3, making it possible to provide a pachinko machine 1 with a highly decorative door frame 3.

[0218] Furthermore, as described above, even if the position of the cylinder body 131 is changed in the door frame 3, there is no need to change the locking unit 650 in the body frame 4, so the locking unit 650 can be reused, thereby suppressing any increase in costs associated with the pachinko machine 1.

[0219] In the conventional cylinder lock 130A, the rotation transmission member 133 is provided at the rear of the cylinder body 131, so there is a risk that a fraudster who knows this configuration could insert a tool from the front to the rear of the cylinder body 131 and use the tool to fraudulently rotate the rotation transmission member 133, thereby opening the door frame 3 and committing fraud. In contrast, the cylinder lock 130 of this specific embodiment has the rotation transmission member 133 provided at a position away from the axis (rear) of the cylinder body 131. Therefore, even if a tool is inserted at the rear of the cylinder body 131 to rotate the rotation transmission member 133, the rotation transmission member 133 cannot be rotated because the rotation transmission member 133 is not present at that position, and fraudulent acts such as opening the door frame 3, the main body frame 4, etc. can be prevented.

[0220] Furthermore, in cylinder lock 130, second arm 137 connects portions of first arm 136 that are spaced apart by a rotation angle of 90 degrees on first cam member 134 and second cam member 135. Therefore, even if the portions of either first arm 136 or second arm 137 attached to first cam member 134 and second cam member 135 are positioned on a line connecting the center of first cam member 134 and the center of second cam member 135, the other of first arm 136 or second arm 137 connects the portions that are furthest from the line connecting the center of first cam member 134 and the center of second cam member 135. Therefore, even if one of first arm 136 or second arm 137 is positioned at the dead center of first cam member 134 and second cam member 135 and therefore cannot transmit the rotation from first cam member 134 to second cam member 135, the other of first arm 136 or second arm 137 can transmit the rotation from first cam member 134 to second cam member 135, so there is no significant resistance to the rotation of first cam member 134 and the key inserted in keyhole 132 can be rotated smoothly, making it easy to lock and unlock, and also preventing the key inserted in the keyhole from being forced to rotate, preventing damage to the key.

[0221] Furthermore, the rotation of the key inserted into the keyhole 132 is transmitted to the rotation transmission member 133, which is located at an eccentric position, by two arms, the first arm 136 and the second arm 137. Therefore, even if one arm is damaged for some reason, the rotation can be transmitted by the remaining arm, and a pachinko machine 1 having a highly reliable cylinder lock 130 can be provided.

[0222] Furthermore, the rotation of the key inserted into the keyhole 132 is transmitted to the rotation transmission member 133, which is located at an eccentric position, by the smooth rod-shaped (strip-shaped) first arm 136 and second arm 137. If the rotation were transmitted by a gear, there is a risk that the gear would rotate and rotate the rotation transmission member 133 by hooking the tip of a tool onto the gear teeth. However, by making the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 rod-shaped with a smooth surface, it is possible to make it difficult for the tip of a tool to become caught on the first arm 136 or the second arm 137, and it is possible to prevent the rotation transmission member 133 from being rotated by moving the first arm 136 or the second arm 137. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the locking unit 650 from being operated improperly and causing the door frame 3 or the main frame 4 to be unlocked.

[0223] In addition, in this specific embodiment of the cylinder lock 130, the first arm 136 and the second arm 137 are used as the rotation transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the first cam member 134 to the second cam member 135, but this is not limited to this and may be, for example, a rotation transmission mechanism using multiple gears, a rotation transmission mechanism using a gear and a rack gear, a rotation transmission mechanism using a sprocket and a chain, a rotation transmission mechanism using a pulley and a belt, etc.

[0224] [3-1i. Ball feeding unit] The ball feeding unit 140 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figures 44 and 45. Figure 44(a) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit of the door frame base unit as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the ball feeding unit as seen from the rear. Figure 45(a) is an exploded perspective view of the ball feeding unit as seen from the front, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of the ball feeding unit as seen from the rear with the rear case and anti-tamper member removed. The ball feeding unit 140 can feed game balls B supplied from the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 one by one to the ball launcher 540 of the main frame 4, and can also extract game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray 202 by operating the upper tray ball extraction button 222.

[0225] The ball feeding unit 140 comprises a box-shaped front cover 141 having an entrance 141a penetrating in the front-to-rear direction through which the game balls B are supplied from the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 and a ball ejection port 141b opening below the entrance 141a, and an open rear end; a rear cover 142 that closes the rear end of the front cover 141 and is box-shaped and has an open front end, and has a ball supply port 142a for supplying the game balls B that enter from the entrance 141a of the front cover 141 penetrating in the front-to-rear direction to the ball launching device 540; The rear cover 142 is provided with a ball removal member 143 rotatably supported around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction between the front cover 141 and the front cover 141, and having a partition 143a that separates the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b at the rear of the front cover 141, a ball feeding member 144 that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the up-down direction between the front cover 141 and the rear cover 142 and sends the game balls B on the partition 143a of the ball removal member 143 one by one to the ball supply opening 142a of the rear cover 142, and a ball feeding solenoid 145 that rotates the ball feeding member 144.

[0226] As shown in the figure, when viewed from the front, this ball feeding unit 140 has a ball feeding member 144 located to the right of the entrance 141a, a ball removal member 143 located to the left of the ball feeding member 144, and a ball feeding solenoid 145 located to the right of the ball feeding member 144.

[0227] The front cover 141 of the ball feeding unit 140 has an arc-shaped slit 141c formed concentrically with the center of rotation of the ball removal member 143 to the left of the ball removal opening 141b when viewed from the front, and the operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143, which will be described later, extends forward from this slit 141c. In addition, the upper side of the front cover 141 extends upward from the upper edge of the entrance 141a, and is formed so that when the door frame 3 is assembled, the rear side closes the rear-open portion of the ball feeding guide path and ball removal guide path 241c of the rear base 241 in the upper tray ball removal unit 240.

[0228] The ball removal member 143 comprises a partition section 143a that is located below the entrance 141a and acts as a partition between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, and whose upper surface becomes lower toward the ball feeding member 144; a pivoting rod section 143b that extends downward from the end of the partition section 143a opposite the ball feeding member 144 and bends in an L-shape from near the middle in the vertical direction toward the lower center of the ball removal opening 141b, with its lower end supported rotatably around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction; a rod-shaped operating rod 143c that protrudes forward from the upper end of the rotating rod section 143b; and a weight section 143d that protrudes below the operating rod 143c from the side of the rotating rod section 143b on the opposite side from the partition section 143a. The operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143 is formed so as to protrude forward through an arc-shaped slit 141c formed in the front cover 141 (see Figure 44(a)). The operating rod 143c abuts against the upper end (upper surface) of the operating transmission part 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, which moves downward by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200, through the ball feed opening 101e of the door frame base 101.

[0229] The ball feeding member 144 includes a blocking portion 144a that is fan-shaped in plan view and is centered on the rotation axis, facing the entrance 141a and the partition portion 143a of the ball extracting member 143 and extending vertically toward the entrance 141a and the partition portion 143a of the ball extracting member 143; a ball holding portion 144b that is recessed in an arc shape from the rear end of the blocking portion 144a toward the rotation axis; and a rod-shaped shaft portion 144c that extends downward from the rear end of the ball holding portion 144b. The blocking portion 144a and the ball holding portion 144b of the ball feeding member 144 are adjacently formed within an angular range of approximately 180° centered on the rotation axis. Furthermore, the ball holding portion 144b of the ball feeding member 144 is sized to hold one game ball B. The ball feeding member 144 rotates around the rotation axis when the shaft portion 144c, which is positioned eccentrically from the rotation axis, is moved left and right by the drive of the ball feeding solenoid 145.

[0230] This ball feeding member 144 is configured to rotate between a supply position in which the blocking portion 144a faces the direction of the partition portion 143a and the ball holding portion 144b faces in a direction communicating with the ball supply port 142a, and a holding position in which the ball holding portion 144b faces the direction of the partition portion 143a. When the ball feeding member 144 is in the supply position, the game ball B held in the ball holding portion 144b is supplied from the ball supply port 142a to the ball launching device 540, and the game ball B that has entered the partition portion 143a from the entrance 141a is prevented from moving toward the ball holding portion 144b (ball supply port 142a) by the blocking portion 144a, and remains on the partition portion 143a. On the other hand, when the ball feeding member 144 rotates to the holding position, the ball holding portion 144b faces the partition portion 143a, and the end portion of the ball holding portion 144b on the shaft portion 144c side closes the ball supply port 142a, and only one game ball B on the partition portion 143a is held in the ball holding portion 144b.

[0231] The ball feeding unit 140 also includes a ball feeding operating rod 146 whose tip swings up and down when driven (energized) by the ball feeding solenoid 145, and a ball feeding crank 147 which rotates around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction due to the movement of the tip of the ball feeding operating rod 146 swinging up and down, and which rotates the ball feeding member 144 around an axis extending in the up and down direction.

[0232] The ball feeding operating rod 146 is provided with an iron plate 146a below the ball feeding solenoid 145. The ball feeding operating rod 146 extends left and right, and its end opposite the ball feeding crank 147 (the right end) is attached to the front cover 141 and the rear cover 142 so that it can rotate around an axis extending forward and backward. When the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven, the generated magnetic force pulls the iron plate 146a toward the ball feeding solenoid 145 (upward), causing the ball feeding operating rod 146 to rotate around the right end so that the left end closest to the ball feeding crank 147 moves upward. Thereafter, when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is deactivated, the magnetic force disappears, causing the weight of the iron plate 146a to rotate around the right end so that the left end closest to the ball feeding crank 147 moves downward, returning the rod to its original position. As a result, the ball feeding operating rod 146 is caused to swing up and down at its left end (tip) near the ball feeding crank 147 by the ball feeding solenoid 145.

[0233] The ball feeding crank 147 comprises an engagement portion 147a extending in the left-right direction and capable of engaging with the up-and-down moving tip of the ball feeding operating rod 146, an axle portion 147b positioned on the opposite side of the engagement portion 147a engaging with the ball feeding operating rod 146 and rotatably supported around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction between the front cover 141 and the rear cover 142, and a transmission portion 147c extending upward from the axle portion 147b and engaging with a rod-shaped rod portion 144c (see Figure 45(b)) protruding downward from a position eccentric to the rotation center of the ball feeding member 144.

[0234] This ball feeding unit 140 can rotate the ball feeding crank 147 around an axis extending forward and backward via the ball feeding operating rod 146 by moving the tip (left end) of the ball feeding operating rod 146 upward by driving the ball feeding solenoid 145.

[0235] When the ball feeding solenoid 145 is not driven (normally), the ball feeding unit 140 is in a state where the ball feeding operating rod 146 is separated from the lower end of the ball feeding solenoid 145 and its tip is positioned downward, and in this state the ball feeding member 144 is positioned in the feeding position. Also, when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven, the ball feeding operating rod 146 is attracted to the lower end of the ball feeding solenoid 145 and its tip (left end) is positioned upward, and the ball feeding member 144 rotates to the holding position. In other words, when the ball feeding solenoid 145 is driven (ON state), the ball feeding member 144 receives one game ball B, and when the drive of the ball feeding solenoid 145 is released (OFF state), the game ball B received by the ball feeding member 144 can be sent (supplied) to the ball launcher 540 side. The drive of the ball feeding solenoid 145 in this ball feeding unit 140 is controlled in synchronization with the drive control of the firing solenoid 542 by the launch control unit 633b (see Figure 130) of the payout control board 633.

[0236] In addition, the ball feeding unit 140 is configured to be rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the front by the ball removal member 143, which is rotatably supported by a shaft, or by the weight portion 143d. However, the rotation of the ball removal member 143 is restricted by the operating rod 143c protruding forward from the ball removal member 143 coming into contact with the upper end of the operating transmission portion 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, which is operated by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200. Therefore, under normal conditions, the partition portion 143a of the ball removal member 143 is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, and the game ball B does not enter the ball removal opening 141b side.

[0237] When the player presses the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the tray unit 200 downward, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 slides downward together with the operation transmission part 242b, and as the operation transmission part 242b moves downward, the operation rod 143c also moves downward relatively. When the operation rod 143c moves downward together with the operation transmission part 242b, the ball removal member 143 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and the partition part 143a moves from between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, releasing the partition. As a result, the game ball B that entered through the entrance 141a falls toward the ball removal opening 141b, and is discharged from the ball removal opening 141b into the ball removal guide path 241c of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 in the tray unit 200, and can be discharged (supplied) to the lower tray 202 via the lower tray ball supply opening 211c.

[0238] Furthermore, the upper tray ball removal slider 242, which has an operating transmission part 242b that contacts the operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143, is biased upward by a spring, so that even if a game ball B is supplied forcefully onto the partition part 143a, the impact can be absorbed by the spring via the operating rod 143c, preventing damage to the ball removal member 143 etc. and preventing the game ball B from bouncing off the partition part 143a.

[0239] Furthermore, ball feeding unit 140 has a rectangular mounting recess 142b (see Figure 45(b), etc.) recessed forward at the upper right when viewed from behind ball supply port 142a in rear cover 142, and anti-tampering member 148 is attached to mounting recess 142b. Anti-tampering member 148 of ball feeding unit 140 is formed from a hard metal plate such as tool steel or stainless steel, and is attached to mounting recess 142b of rear cover 142 from the rear side so as to be detachable.

[0240] The anti-tamper element 148 has a rectangular shape extending laterally in front view. It includes an upper piece 148a and a lower piece 148b, which are separated vertically at approximately the center in the vertical direction a predetermined distance to the left of the right edge, and inclined portions 148c, each formed in a C-chamfered shape at the tip end (right end in front view) of the opposing edges of the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b. The upper piece 148a of the anti-tamper element 148 is bent relative to the general surface of the anti-tamper element 148 so that its right end in front view protrudes rearward. The lower piece 148b extends on the same plane as the general surface of the anti-tamper element 148. As a result, the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b form a V-shaped groove that widens toward the right in plan view.

[0241] When the tamper-proof member 148 is attached to the attachment recess 142b of the rear cover 142, the V-shaped groove formed by the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b is in communication with the inside of the ball supply port 142a.

[0242] According to this fraud prevention member 148, when a fraudulent game ball B with a string attached is shot into the game area 5a from the upper tray via the ball feeding unit 140 by the ball launching device 540, and the string attached to the fraudulent game ball B is manipulated to move the fraudulent game ball B into or out of the first starting hole 2002 or the like, the momentum of the fraudulent game ball B shot (shot) by the ball launching device 540 causes the string attached to the fraudulent game ball B to be inserted between the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b, and then the string can be cut by the narrow V-shaped portion formed by the upper piece 148a and the lower piece 148b, thereby preventing fraudulent activities using fraudulent game balls B with a string attached.

[0243] [3-1j. Foul Cover Unit] The foul cover unit 150 of the door frame base unit 100 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 46 and 47. Figure 46(a) is a perspective view of the foul cover unit of the door frame base unit as seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view of the foul cover unit as seen from the rear. Figure 47 is a front view of the foul cover unit with the cover member removed. The foul cover unit 150 is attached to the right side of the lower rear part of the door frame base 101 as seen from the rear. The foul cover unit 150 guides game balls B (foul balls) that are launched by the ball launching device 540 but do not reach the game area 5a of the game board 5 to the lower tray 202, and also guides game balls B paid out from the payout device 580 to the upper tray 201 or the lower tray 202. As shown in the figure, the fall cover unit 150 comprises a shallow box-shaped unit body 151 attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 and open at the front, and a flat lid member 152 attached to the front of the unit body 151.

[0244] The fall cover unit 150 is equipped with a through ball passage 150a that penetrates from front to back at the upper left corner when viewed from the front and connects the lower normal dispensing passage 610a of the lower full ball path unit 610 of the main frame 4 with the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit 200, and a full ball receiving port 150b that opens toward the rear on the lower right side when viewed from the front of the through ball passage 150a and can connect with the lower full dispensing passage 610b of the lower full ball path unit 610 of the main frame 4.

[0245] The foul cover unit 150 also has a foul ball receiving port 150c that opens upward on the right side of the full ball receiving port 150b when viewed from the front and receives game balls B (foul balls) that have been launched by the ball launching device 540 of the main frame 4 but have not reached the game area 5a, and a ball discharge port 150d that opens forward near the lower right corner when viewed from the front and discharges game balls B received in the full ball receiving port 150b and the foul ball receiving port 150c forward, and is connected to the lower tray ball supply port 211c of the tray unit 200.

[0246] Furthermore, the foul cover unit 150 is provided with a storage passage 150e formed by the unit body 151 and the lid member 152 between the full ball receiving port 150b, the foul ball receiving port 150c and the ball discharge port 150d, and having a width large enough to store a predetermined amount of game balls B.

[0247] The through ball passage 150a is formed across both the unit body 151 and the lid member 152. The full ball receiving port 150b and the foul ball receiving port 150c are formed in the unit body 151. The ball discharge port 150d is formed in the lid member 152. The storage passage 150e is formed by the unit body 151 and the lid member 152.

[0248] The fall cover unit 150 also includes a flat movable piece 153 that forms part of the inner wall of the storage passage 150e and whose lower end is rotatably attached to the unit body 151 and the cover member 152, a full tank detection sensor 154 that detects the rotation of the movable piece 153 in a direction away from the storage passage 150e, and a spring 155 that urges the movable piece 153 toward the storage passage 150e.

[0249] When the lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200 is filled with game balls B and game balls B are no longer released toward the lower tray 202 from the ball release port 150d, this foul cover unit 150 can store a certain number of game balls B in the storage passage 150e. Then, when a certain number of game balls B are stored in the storage passage 150e, the weight of the game balls B causes the movable piece 153 to rotate so that the upper end of the movable piece 153 moves away from the storage passage 150e against the biasing force of the spring 155, and this rotation is detected by the full tank detection sensor 154. This makes it possible to determine that the lower tray 202 is full of game balls B, so when the full tank detection sensor 154 detects that the lower tray 202 is full, the payout of any more game balls B is stopped and a notification to that effect is sent to the player, a game hall attendant, or the like, to urge them to unclog the lower tray 202.

[0250] The ball cover unit 150 is attached to the rear of the unit body 151, below the through-ball passage 150a, and is provided with a door opening / closing abutment 150f against which the operating protrusion 613a of the dispensing passage opening / closing door 613 of the lower full-ball passage unit 610 in the dispensing unit 560 (described later) of the main body frame 4 can abut (see Figure 79). The door opening / closing abutment 150f is inclined so that it moves forward as its rear surface faces downward. When the operating protrusion 613a of the dispensing passage opening / closing door 613 abuts against this door opening / closing abutment 150f, the dispensing passage opening / closing door 613 can be rotated to open the downstream ends (front openings) of the lower normal dispensing passage 610a and the lower full-ball dispensing passage 610b.

[0251] [3-2. Glass unit] The glass unit 160 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 31 and 32. The glass unit 160 is inserted into the glass unit mounting portion 101h from the rear and removably mounted so as to close the door window 101a of the door frame base 101 in the door frame base unit 100. When the door frame 3 is closed relative to the main body frame 4, this glass unit 160 makes the playing area 5a of the playing board 5 mounted on the main body frame 4 visible from the player side (front), and also closes off the front of the playing area 5a.

[0252] The glass unit 160 comprises a frame-shaped glass frame 161 that is larger than the inner peripheral shape of the door window 101a of the door frame base 101 and can be attached to the glass unit mounting portion 101h, two transparent glass plates 162 that close the frame of the glass frame 161 and have their outer peripheries attached to the glass frame 161, and a pair of glass unit mounting members 163 that are rotatably attached to the rear side of the door frame base 101 in the door frame base unit 100 and are used to attach the glass frame 161 to the door frame base 101.

[0253] The glass frame 161 has a pair of mounting pieces 161a extending outward in a flat plate-like manner from positions below the upper left and right corners in a front view, and a band-like locking piece 161b protruding downward from the lower end and extending along the lower edge. The mounting pieces 161a of the glass frame 161 are adapted to abut against the protrusions 163b of the glass unit mounting member 163. The locking piece 161b is adapted to be inserted into the space between the door frame base 101 and the rear flange portion 117c of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 so as to be placed on the upper flange portion 117b of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 (see Figures 37 and 85). In this specific embodiment, the rear surface of the locking piece 161b abuts against the front surface of the rear flange portion 117c. Two glass plates 162 are attached to the front and rear ends of the glass frame 161, respectively, and are spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions so as to form a space between them.

[0254] The glass unit mounting member 163 has a disk-shaped base 163a that is rotatably attached around an axis extending forward and backward on the rear side of the door frame base 101, and a rod-shaped protrusion 163b that protrudes from the base 163a in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The glass unit mounting member 163 is rotatably attached to the outside of each of the two upper corners of the four corners of the door window 101a on the rear surface of the door frame base 101.

[0255] To attach the glass unit 160 to the door frame base 101, first, the glass unit attachment member 163 attached to the door frame base 101 is rotated so that the protrusion 163b is positioned above the base 163a. ​​Then, from the rear side of the door frame base 101, the locking piece 161b of the glass frame 161 of the glass unit 160 is inserted from above into the gap between the door frame base 101 and the rear flange portion 117c of the intermediate reinforcing frame 117 of the door frame reinforcement unit 110 and placed on the upper flange portion 117b, and the front end of the glass frame 161 is brought into contact with the rear surface of the glass unit attachment portion 101h of the door frame base 101. Then, the glass unit attachment member 163 is rotated so that the protrusion 163b is positioned below the base 163a, and the protrusion 163b is brought into contact with the rear surface of the attachment piece 161a of the glass frame 161. This attaches the glass unit 160 to the door frame base 101.

[0256] When removing the glass unit 160 from the door frame base 101, the above procedure can be reversed to remove it. This makes the glass unit 160 detachable from the door frame base 101 (door frame base unit 100).

[0257] In addition, in glass unit 160, when protrusion 163b of glass unit mounting member 163 is in a rotation position positioned below base 163a, protrusion 163b restricts rearward movement of glass frame 161, so even if vibration or the like acts on glass unit mounting member 163, protrusion 163b will not rotate to a position where protrusion 163b is above base 163a. ​​Therefore, the restriction on rearward movement of glass frame 161 will not be released naturally, and glass unit 160 will not naturally come off door frame base 101.

[0258] [3-3. Security cover] The security cover 170 for the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 31 and 32, etc. The security cover 170 is attached to the rear side of the door frame base unit 100 so as to cover the lower rear surface of the glass unit 160, and is made of transparent synthetic resin. The security cover 170 includes a flat main body 171 having an outer periphery formed into a predetermined shape, a flat rear projection 172 that projects rearward slightly along the outer periphery of the main body 171, and a pair of locking pieces 173 that are spaced apart on the left and right, project forward beyond the main body 171, and are capable of being locked to the rear side of the door frame base 101.

[0259] The main body 171 of the security cover 170 is formed so that its lower end protrudes downward below the lower end of the glass unit 160 when attached to the door frame base unit 100. The main body 171 also has an upper end formed in a shape that follows the lower end of the playing area 5a of the playing board 5 when assembled to the pachinko machine 1. More specifically, the upper end of the main body 171 is formed in a shape that follows a part of the inner rail 1002, the out guide part 1003, a part of the lower right rail 1004, and the right rail 1005 of the component member 1000 described below, and is formed so as not to protrude into the playing area 5a when assembled to the pachinko machine 1.

[0260] The rear protrusion 172 is formed around substantially the entire outer periphery of the main body 171. Therefore, the security cover 170 is formed by the main body 171 and the rear protrusion 172 in the shape of a shallow box that is open to the rear, and has high strength and rigidity. The rear protrusion 172 also protrudes rearward from a part of the rear surface of the main body 171 that is different from the outer periphery of the main body 171. The rear protrusion 172 protruding rearward from a part of the rear surface of the main body 171 is formed so as to fit along a part of the outer rail 1001 of the front component 1000 of the game board 5 when assembled into the pachinko machine 1.

[0261] It should be noted that the rear protrusion 172 is not formed in a portion of the game board 5 that is located between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 when assembled into the pachinko machine 1. As a result, the game ball B (game ball B launched by the ball launcher 540) that passes between the outer rail 1001 and the inner rail 1002 does not come into contact with the rear protrusion 172 of the security cover 170, and does not hinder the game ball B from being shot into the game area 5a.

[0262] The pair of locking pieces 173 are elastically locked to the rear side of the door frame base unit 100 (speaker duct 103 and cable cover 109). This allows the security cover 170 to be easily attached to and detached from the door frame base unit 100.

[0263] When the security cover 170 is assembled to the pachinko machine 1, the front surface of the main body 171 abuts against the rear surface of the glass unit 160 (the rear end of the glass frame 161), and the rear projection 172, excluding the portion that projects rearward from the bottom edge of the main body 171, is inserted into the security recess 1009 of the front component 1000. In addition, the security cover 170 is in a state where the rear projection 172 that projects rearward from the bottom edge of the main body 171 projects rearward beyond the front surface of the front component 1000 so as to contact the bottom surface of the front component 1000. As a result, the area between the security cover 170 and the game board 5 (front component 1000) is bent in a complex manner by the rear protrusion 172 of the security cover 170 and the security recess 1009 of the front component 1000, so that even if an attempt is made to insert an illegal tool such as a piano wire into the game area 5a through the gap between the security cover 170 and the front component 1000 from below the front of the game board 5, the attempt will be blocked by the rear protrusion 172 and the security recess 1009, preventing the illegal tool from entering the game area 5a.

[0264] [3-4a.Handle unit] Next, the handle unit 180 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 48 to 52. Figure 48 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit, the tray unit, and the performance operation unit in the door frame as seen from the front, and Figure 49 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit, the tray unit, and the performance operation unit in the door frame as seen from the rear. Figure 50 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit in the door frame as seen from the front, and Figure 51 is an exploded perspective view of the handle unit in the door frame as seen from the rear. Figure 52(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a perspective view of the relationship between the handle base, handle, handle return spring, and handle touch sensor in the handle unit, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded perspective view of (a). Figure 53 is an explanatory diagram showing a perspective view of the relationship between the handle base, handle, handle return spring, handle touch sensor, and inner base in the handle unit as seen from the rear. Note that in Figure 53, the position of the first mounting portion 190a in the handle return spring 190 has been changed for ease of understanding.

[0265] The handle unit 180 in this specific form is attached to the door frame base unit 100 from the front within the cylindrical handle cover unit 290, and when operated by the player, the game ball B in the upper tray 201 can be shot into the game area 5a of the game board 5.

[0266] The handle unit 180 comprises a handle base 181 whose rear end is attached to the handle mounting surface of the door frame base 101, a handle 197 rotatably attached to the front end of the handle base 181, a disc-shaped cover base 183 attached to the handle base 181 so as to cover the center of the front end side of the handle 197, a handle decoration board 184 attached to the front side of the cover base 183 and having multiple LEDs 184a mounted on the front side, and a handle front lens 185 attached to the cover base 183 so as to cover the front side of the handle decoration board 184.

[0267] The handle unit 180 also includes an inner base 186 attached to the front of the handle base 181 behind the handle 197, an axial member 187 having the handle 197 attached to its front end and rotatably attached by the inner base 186 and the handle base 181, and having a drive gear portion 187a on its outer periphery, a transmission gear 188 meshing with the drive gear portion 187a of the axial member 187, and a handle rotation detection sensor 189 having a detection shaft 189a that rotates integrally with the transmission gear 188 and is sandwiched between the handle base 181 and the inner base 186.

[0268] Furthermore, the handle unit 180 is provided with a handle return spring 190 having one end attached to the handle base 181 and the other end attached to the handle 197, which urges the handle 197 to return to its initial rotation position (the end of rotation in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front), and an auxiliary spring 191 having one end attached to the inner base 186 and the other end attached to the transmission gear 188, which urges the detection shaft 189a of the handle rotation detection sensor 189 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front via the transmission gear 188.

[0269] The handle unit 180 also includes a handle touch sensor 192 attached to the handle base 181 behind the inner base 186, a single button 193 whose tip end protrudes outward from the left side of the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the handle base 181 when viewed from the front and whose base end is attached to the handle base 181 behind the inner base 186 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending forward and backward, and a single button operation sensor 194 attached to the handle base 181 and detects the pressing operation of the single button 193.

[0270] The handle base 181 of the handle unit 180 includes a cylindrical base portion 181a extending longitudinally, a disk-shaped front end portion 181b protruding radially from the front end of the base portion 181a, and three grooves 181c recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base portion 181a, extending axially, and formed at uneven intervals in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the base portion 181a of the handle base 181 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the rear cylindrical portion of the handle cover base 291 of the handle cover unit 290. The three grooves 181c are formed at positions corresponding to the three ridges of the handle cover base 291. Therefore, the base portion 181a can be inserted into the rear cylindrical portion of the handle cover base 291 with the three grooves 181c aligned with the three ridges, and the handle base 181 cannot rotate relative to the handle cover base 291 when the ridges are inserted into the three grooves 181c.

[0271] The handle base 181 also includes a sensor accommodating recess 181d that accommodates the handle touch sensor 192 from the front, a tab abutment portion 181e that abuts against the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192, and an attachment hole 181f provided in the tab abutment portion 181e (see FIG. 52). The handle touch sensor 192 is accommodated in the sensor accommodating recess 181d, and the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 abuts against the tab abutment portion 181e. Then, the rear portion of the inner base 186 is inserted into the handle base 181 from the front, and the attachment piece 186a (see FIG. 53) of the inner base 186 is positioned in front of the tab-shaped terminal 192a. Then, by screwing and tightening a mounting screw (not shown) into the mounting hole 181f from the front of the mounting piece 186a of the inner base 186, the handle touch sensor 192 can be mounted to the handle base 181 together with the inner base 186. At this time, by screwing the mounting screw in so that the U-shaped second mounting portion 190b provided on the rear end side of the handle return spring 190 is sandwiched between the mounting piece 186a of the inner base 186 and the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192, the rear end side of the handle return spring 190 can be mounted to the handle base 181 and the handle return spring 190 and the handle touch sensor 192 can be electrically connected. The portion of the tab abutment portion 181e on the handle base 181 can be seen from the front through a slit 197e (described later) in the handle 197, and a screwdriver as a tool can be approached from the front through the slit 197e.

[0272] A conductive plating layer is provided on the surface of handle 197. Handle 197 has four projections, a first projection 197a, a second projection 197b, a third projection 197c, and a fourth projection 197d, which protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface at a distance in the circumferential direction, two slits 197e which extend in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis (shaft member 187) and penetrate in the front-to-rear direction, a spring attachment piece 197f provided at one end of one of slits 197e in a portion recessed toward the center of handle 197 and facing forward, and an attachment hole 197g which penetrates spring attachment piece 197f in the front-to-rear direction.

[0273] With the annular first mounting portion 190a provided at the front end of the handle return spring 190 abutting against the upper surface of the spring mounting piece 197f of the handle 197, a mounting screw (not shown) can be screwed into the mounting hole 197g from the front and tightened, thereby attaching the front end side of the handle return spring 190 from the front and electrically connecting the plated layer on the surface of the handle 197 to the handle return spring 190. This electrically connects the handle touch sensor 192 and the handle 197 via the metal handle return spring 190, making it possible to detect contact with the handle 197 by the player.

[0274] The four protrusions on the handle 197, that is, the first protrusion 197a, the second protrusion 197b, the third protrusion 197c, and the fourth protrusion 197d, are provided in this order in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front.

[0275] In this way, according to the handle unit 180 of this specific embodiment, since both ends of the metal handle return spring 190 that electrically connects the handle touch sensor 192 and the handle 197 are attached with mounting screws, a more reliable electrical connection can be achieved compared to when both ends of the handle return spring 190 are simply in contact, and poor contact (detection failure of the handle touch sensor 192) can be reliably prevented. Therefore, even if a chemical solution such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite used for cleaning in an amusement hall where this pachinko machine 1 is installed gets into the handle unit 180, or if gas or the like is generated from the chemical solution and adheres to the handle return spring 190, causing corrosion or oxidation of the surface, poor contact will not occur, and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the touch of the player.

[0276] Furthermore, in the handle unit 180 of this specific embodiment, a screwdriver for turning the mounting screws can be approached from the front through the slit 197e in the handle 197 to the first mounting portion 190a and the second mounting portion 190b, which are both ends of the handle return spring 190, making the handle unit 180 easy to assemble and maintain.

[0277] This handle unit 180 is attached to the handle attachment seat of the door frame base 101 via a handle cover unit 290. The handle attachment seat of this door frame base 101 is inclined so that the right end is located further back than the left end in a plan view, and faces outward (toward the open side), so the handle unit 180 is also inclined outward in a plan view (in other words, its tip is inclined so that it faces toward the outside of the pachinko machine 1 with respect to a line perpendicular to the front surface of the pachinko machine 1), and is attached and fixed to the door frame 3. This makes it easy for a player to grip the handle 197 of the handle unit 180, allowing for a comfortable rotation operation.

[0278] [3-4a-1. Modified examples of the handle unit] Next, modified examples of the handle unit will be described. Note that of the multiple modified examples shown below, only one of the modified examples may be used, or multiple modified examples may be used in appropriate combination with the above specific embodiment.

[0279] (Variation 1) In the above specific embodiment, the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 and the second mounting portion 190b of the handle return spring 190 are attached together with a mounting screw, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a protrusion may be provided on the handle 197, and the front end of the handle return spring 190 (first mounting portion 190a) may be shaped to fit a portion of the outer periphery of the protrusion on the handle 197, so that the front end of the handle return spring 190 engages with the protrusion. This allows the front end of the handle return spring 190 to make line contact with the protrusion, which increases the contact area compared to point contact and prevents poor contact. In this case, it is desirable to provide the protrusion on the handle 197 in a location that is unlikely to be exposed to chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite used for cleaning. Alternatively, a cover may be provided in that location to prevent exposure to chemicals such as alcohol.

[0280] (Variation 2) Alternatively, for example, a configuration such as that shown in FIG. 54 may be used. FIG. 54 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified handle unit in a perspective view from behind, illustrating the relationship between the handle base, handle, handle return spring, handle touch sensor, and inner base. In this modified example, handle 197 is composed of main body 197A and an annular ring 197B, and ring 197B is formed of metal or resin having a plated layer on its surface. Ring 197B of handle 197 is provided so that the outer circumferential surface is exposed to the outside at the rear end of handle 197 (front end of handle base 181). Ring 197B and handle touch sensor 192 may be electrically connected by electric wire 198.

[0281] Specifically, one round terminal 198a of an electric wire 198, which has round terminals 198a on both ends, is sandwiched between the mounting piece 186a of the inner base 186 and the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 and screwed together with the mounting piece 186a and the tab-shaped terminal 192a with a mounting screw, and the other round terminal 198a of the electric wire 198 is screwed to the mounting portion 197h of the ring portion 197B of the handle 197. As a result, when a player grips the handle 197, his / her fingers come into contact with the ring portion 197B, and the contact can be detected via the ring portion 197B and the electric wire 198. Therefore, as described above, poor contact (detection failure of the handle touch sensor 192) can be reliably prevented, so that even if chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite are used for cleaning in a gaming hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, poor contact will not occur and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the player's contact.

[0282] Incidentally, ring portion 197B of handle 197 may be fixed to main body portion 197A and provided so as to be rotatable integrally therewith, or may be provided so as to be rotatable relative to main body portion 197A or handle base 181 while being guided by the main body portion 197A or handle base 181. Also, although an annular ring portion 197B is shown above, a non-annular ring portion 197B that does not go all the way around, such as a C-shape, may also be used.

[0283] Furthermore, in the above description, the handle 197 is shown to be composed of a main body portion 197A and a ring portion 197B, but this is not limited to this, and the ring portion 197B may be an independent portion having a separate configuration from the handle 197.

[0284] (Variation 3) Alternatively, for example, the handle touch sensor 192 may be provided in a different position, and an electric wire 198 having round terminals 198a on both ends may be used, with one round terminal 198a screwed together with the tab-shaped terminal 192a and the other round terminal 198a screwed together with the second mounting portion 190b of the handle return spring 190. This also reliably prevents poor contact (detection failure of the handle touch sensor 192), as described above. Therefore, even if chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite are used for cleaning in a gaming hall where the pachinko machine 1 is installed, poor contact will not occur, and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the player's touch. In this case, the front end side (first mounting portion 190a) of the handle return spring 190 may be attached to the handle 197 with a mounting screw, or may be engaged with a protrusion provided on the handle 197.

[0285] (Variation 4) Alternatively, for example, a mounting hole may be provided on the back surface of the handle 197, and one of the round terminals 198a of an electric wire 198 having round terminals 198a on both ends may be screwed together with a tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 with a mounting screw, and the other round terminal 198a may be screwed with a mounting screw that is threaded into the mounting hole of the handle 197. In this case, the length of the electric wire 198 is set to a length that allows the handle 197 to rotate. Note that, as for the portion of the handle 197 where the round terminal 198a of the electric wire 198 is screwed, for example, when the handle 197 has a ring portion 197B as shown in FIG. 54, the ring portion 197B may be provided to rotate integrally with the main body portion 197A, and the round terminal 198a may be screwed to a mounting portion 197h of the ring portion 197B. This also ensures that poor contact (detection failure of the handle touch sensor 192) is prevented, as described above. Therefore, even if chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite are used for cleaning in the gaming hall where this pachinko machine 1 is installed, poor contact will not occur, and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the player's contact.

[0286] (Other variations) In the above, the screw fastening is shown to the plating layer provided on the handle 197, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, if a metal part is provided on the handle 197, the screw fastening may be to the metal part to be electrically connected to the handle touch sensor 192. As this metal part, for example, the above-mentioned ring part 197B may be made of metal.

[0287] In addition, in the above description, the handle touch sensor 192 has the tab-shaped terminal 192a, but this is not limiting and the handle touch sensor may have a connector. In this case, the tip end of the electric wire connected to the connector may be electrically connected to the handle 197 directly or via the handle return spring 190.

[0288] [3-4a-2.Summary] The handle unit 180 has the following technical features. (Background of technical features) Pachinko machines as gaming machines are provided with a handle that a player operates to launch gaming balls into a gaming area and a touch sensor that detects the player's touch of the handle (for example, Patent Document: JP 2020-137794 A). In conventional gaming machines such as those described in the above patent document, the touch sensor and the handle are electrically connected via a spring that returns the handle to its original position, and the touch of the player to the handle is detected. In this type of conventional gaming machine, the end of the spring that returns the handle, on the touch sensor side, is brought into contact with the end of the handle side using the biasing force of the spring.

[0289] Incidentally, in gaming halls where gaming machines are installed, chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite may be used to clean and disinfect the gaming machines. If the chemicals used for cleaning seep into the handle or if gases are generated and adhere to springs, the surfaces of the springs may corrode or oxidize, causing poor electrical contact. This poor contact may cause the launch of gaming balls to become unstable or even impossible, which may reduce the player's interest.

[0290] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the following means aims to provide a gaming machine that can reliably detect contact of the handle by a player.

[0291] (Technical feature solution) Means 1: In the gaming machine, "A gaming machine equipped with a handle unit for launching gaming balls into a gaming area, The handle unit includes: A rotatable handle and a handle base that rotatably supports the handle; a touch sensor provided on the handle base; The touch sensor is characterized by comprising a metal linear body formed in a linear shape, one end of which is screwed together with the electrode tab of the touch sensor or the tip of the electric wire connected to the electrode tab or the connector of the touch sensor, and the other end of which is in contact with the plated part or metal part of the handle.

[0292] Here, examples of "linear body" include "springs" and "electric wires."

[0293] According to the configuration of means 1, a gaming machine is provided with a handle unit for launching gaming balls into a gaming area, the handle unit comprising a rotatable handle, a handle base rotatably supporting the handle, a touch sensor provided on the handle base, and a metal linear body having one end screwed together with an electrode tab of the touch sensor or the tip of an electric wire connected to the electrode tab or the connector of the touch sensor, and the other end contacting a plated or metal part of the handle (see chapter [3-4a. Handle Unit], Figures 50 to 54, etc. in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]).

[0294] In this configuration, in a handle unit for launching game balls into a game area, one end of a metal linear body, the other end of which is in contact with a plated or metal portion of the handle, is screwed together with an electrode tab of a touch sensor provided on a handle base, or with the tip of an electric wire connected to the electrode tab or the connector of the touch sensor. In other words, one end of the linear body is screwed together with the electrode tab of the touch sensor or the tip of an electric wire electrically connected to the touch sensor via the electrode tab or the connector. This prevents contact failure and allows the touch sensor to reliably detect a player's touch with the handle via the linear body, even if chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite used for cleaning the gaming machine penetrate into the handle or if gases are generated and adhere to the spring, causing corrosion or oxidation of the surface, compared to when one end of the linear body is simply in contact without being screwed. Therefore, a gaming machine can be provided in which the launch of the game ball does not become unstable or the game ball cannot be launched due to a detection malfunction of the touch sensor, allowing the player to enjoy the game in good conditions and preventing the player's interest from declining.

[0295] It is desirable that the touch sensor be attached to the handle base by screwing the electrode tab of the touch sensor, which allows the attachment of one end of the linear body and the touch sensor to be performed simultaneously, thereby reducing the effort required for assembly and disassembly.

[0296] The other end of the linear body may be engaged with a protrusion protruding from the handle, which allows for electrical connection by engaging the other end of the linear body with the protrusion on the handle, thereby reducing the effort (man-hours) required for assembling and disassembling the handle unit and suppressing increases in the cost of the gaming machine.

[0297] Furthermore, the other end of the linear body may be screwed to the handle. In this way, since the other end of the linear body is also screwed to the handle, contact failure is unlikely to occur at both the one end and the other end. Therefore, even if the linear body is corroded or oxidized by chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite when cleaning the gaming machine, contact failure will not occur, and the touch sensor can reliably detect the player's contact with the handle via the linear body.

[0298] Furthermore, when the other end of the linear body is also screwed as described above, it is desirable to be able to approach the screws (mounting screws) on both ends of the linear body from the same direction with a tool such as a screwdriver. This allows both ends of the linear body to be screwed from the same direction, which reduces the effort required to assemble the handle unit and suppresses increases in the cost of the gaming machine.

[0299] Furthermore, it is desirable that the linear body be a spring that biases the handle around the axis. In this way, the linear body that electrically connects the handle and the touch sensor is the spring that biases the handle, so the number of parts in the handle unit can be reduced compared to when the linear body is a member separate from the spring (for example, an electric wire), and an increase in the cost of the gaming machine can be suppressed.

[0300] Means 2: In the configuration of Means 1, "The other end of the linear body is engaged with a protrusion that protrudes from the handle." It is characterized by being something.

[0301] Here, "protrusions" include "those integrally molded with the handle," "those insert-molded into the handle (e.g., metal pins)," and "those attached to the handle as separate parts (e.g., metal pins, screws, etc.)."

[0302] According to the configuration of Means 2, the other end of the linear body is engaged with a protrusion protruding from the handle. (See Section [3-4a. Handle Unit] in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention].)

[0303] This allows the other end of the linear body to be electrically connected by engaging it with the protrusion on the handle, thereby reducing the effort (man-hours) required to assemble and disassemble the handle unit and suppressing increases in the costs of the gaming machine.

[0304] The other end of the linear body may be engaged with a protrusion on the handle and then screwed in. This makes it difficult for contact failure to occur on the other end of the linear body in addition to one end, and allows the touch sensor to reliably detect contact with the handle by the player.

[0305] Means 3: In the configuration of means 1 or means 2, "The other end of the linear body is screwed to the handle." It is characterized by being something.

[0306] According to the configuration of the third aspect, the other end of the linear body is screwed to the handle. (See the description of the handle return spring 190 and FIG. 52 in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention").

[0307] This allows the other end of the linear body to be screwed to the handle, making it difficult for poor contact to occur on both the one end and the other end. Therefore, even if the linear body corrodes or oxidizes due to chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite when cleaning the gaming machine, poor contact will not occur, and the touch sensor can reliably detect the player's contact with the handle via the linear body.

[0308] Since one end and the other end of the linear body are screwed together, it is desirable to be able to approach each screw (mounting screw) with a tool such as a screwdriver from the same direction. This allows both ends of the linear body to be screwed together from the same direction, reducing the effort required to assemble the handle unit and suppressing increases in the cost of the gaming machine.

[0309] Means 4: In any one of the configurations from means 1 to means 3, "The linear body is a spring that biases the handle around its axis." It is characterized by:

[0310] According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the linear body is a spring that biases the handle around its axis. (See the description of the handle return spring 190 in the "Description of the Preferred Embodiments").

[0311] As a result, the linear body electrically connecting the handle and the touch sensor is made to be a spring that biases the handle, so the number of parts in the handle unit can be reduced compared to when the linear body is a separate member from the spring (for example, an electrical wire), and the increase in costs associated with the gaming machine can be suppressed.

[0312] In this way, according to the above solution, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can reliably detect contact of the handle by the player.

[0313] (Relationship between the solution and specific form of technical features) The handle unit 180 in the door frame 3 of this specific form corresponds to the handle unit of the above-mentioned solution, the handle base 181 of the handle unit 180 in this specific form corresponds to the handle base of the above-mentioned solution, the handle return spring 190 of the handle unit 180 in this specific form corresponds to the linear body and spring of the above-mentioned solution, the handle touch sensor 192 of the handle unit 180 in this specific form corresponds to the touch sensor of the above-mentioned solution, the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 in this specific form corresponds to the electrode tab of the above-mentioned solution, and the handle 197 of the handle unit 180 in this specific form corresponds to the handle of the above-mentioned solution.

[0314] (Characteristic effects of this specific embodiment) According to the pachinko machine 1 of this specific embodiment, in the handle unit 180 for shooting the game ball B in the door frame 3 into the game area 5a, one end side (second attachment portion 190b side) of the handle return spring 190 as a metal linear body, the other end side (first attachment portion 190a side) of which is in contact with the plating portion of the handle 197, is screwed together with the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 provided on the handle base 181. In other words, one end side of the handle return spring 190 is screwed to the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192. As a result, compared to when one end of the handle return spring 190 is simply in contact without being screwed, even if a chemical liquid such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite used when cleaning the pachinko machine 1 gets into the handle unit 180 or a gas is generated and adheres to the spring, causing corrosion or oxidation of the surface, poor contact does not occur, and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the player's contact with the handle 197 via the handle return spring 190. Therefore, a detection malfunction by the handle touch sensor 192 does not cause the launch of game ball B to become unstable or prevent game ball B from being launched, and a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that allows the player to enjoy the game in good condition and prevents the player's interest from declining.

[0315] Furthermore, when the tab-shaped terminal 192a of the handle touch sensor 192 is screwed, the handle touch sensor 192 can be attached to the handle base 181, so that the attachment of one end side (second attachment portion 190b side) of the handle return spring 190 and the attachment of the handle touch sensor 192 can be performed simultaneously, thereby reducing the effort required for assembly and disassembly.

[0316] Furthermore, since the other end side (first attachment portion 190a side) of the handle return spring 190 is screwed to the handle 197, poor contact is unlikely to occur not only at the one end side (second attachment portion 190b side) but also at the other end side (first attachment portion 190a). Therefore, even if the handle return spring 190 and the like are corroded or oxidized by chemicals such as alcohol or sodium hypochlorite when cleaning the pachinko machine 1, poor contact will not occur, and the handle touch sensor 192 can reliably detect the player's contact with the handle 197 via the handle return spring 190.

[0317] Furthermore, at one end side (second mounting portion 190b side) and the other end side (first mounting portion 190a side) of the handle return spring 190, a tool such as a screwdriver can be approached from the same direction (the front in this case) for each screw (mounting screw), and since both ends of the handle return spring 190 can be screwed from the same direction, the effort required to assemble the handle unit 180 can be reduced and the increase in costs associated with the pachinko machine 1 can be suppressed.

[0318] Furthermore, since the linear body electrically connecting the handle 197 and the handle touch sensor 192 is the handle return spring 190 that biases the handle 197, the number of parts in the handle unit 180 can be reduced compared to when the linear body is a separate member (for example, an electric wire) from the handle return spring 190, and the increase in costs associated with the pachinko machine 1 can be suppressed.

[0319] The other end side (first attachment portion 190a side) of the handle return spring 190 may be engaged with a protrusion protruding rearward from the handle 197. In this way, the other end side of the handle return spring 190 is electrically connected by engaging it with the protrusion of the handle 197, so that the effort (man-hours) required for assembling and disassembling the handle unit 180 can be reduced, and an increase in the cost of the pachinko machine 1 can be suppressed.

[0320] [3-4b. Handle cover unit] The handle cover unit 290 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The handle cover unit 290 comprises a handle cover base 291 which covers the outer periphery behind the handle 197 in the handle unit 180 and has its rear end attached to the handle mounting seat surface of the door frame base 101, and a handle cover 295 which covers the outer periphery with a gap between it and the handle cover base 291 and has its rear end attached to the dish unit main body 252 of the dish unit 200.

[0321] The handle cover base 291 has a cylindrical rear tube portion that extends forward and backward with an inner diameter that allows the base 181a of the handle base 181 to be inserted, and multiple (here, three) protrusions that protrude inward from the inner circumference of the rear tube portion and extend forward and backward, and are provided at positions corresponding to the groove portions 181c of the handle base 181 in the circumferential direction.

[0322] The rear end of the rear cylindrical portion is attached to the handle mounting surface of the door frame base 101. This rear cylindrical portion is formed to the same length as the base 181a of the handle base 181, and the base 181a of the handle base 181 is inserted into the rear cylindrical portion. The three protrusions correspond to the three grooves 181c of the handle base 181, and by inserting them into the grooves 181c, the handle base 181 can be made non-rotatable relative to the handle base 181.

[0323] The handle cover 295 has a front hole 295a at its front end that is larger in diameter than the handle 197, and is formed in a cylindrical shape resembling a truncated spindle (such as an igloo or bowl) that bulges out towards the rear, with multiple (four in this case) cutout openings 295b cut out from the rear end towards the front provided in the circumferential direction. The rear end of the handle cover 295 is attached to the dish unit main body 252 of the dish unit 200.

[0324] Even if liquid such as a drink or game balls B enters the cylinder, the handle cover unit 290 of this specific embodiment can be discharged downward through the lower cutout opening 295b.

[0325] Furthermore, the cutout opening 295b on the lower side of the handle cover 295 is provided on an extension line of the inclination direction of the blade portions 46b of the grill member 46 in the outer frame lower assembly 40 of the outer frame 2. This allows wind (wind pressure) emitted diagonally upward and forward from the grill member 46 via the blade portions 46b due to vibration of the main body frame speaker 622 to enter the cylinder through the cutout opening 295b. Therefore, when a player inserts his or her fingers into the cylinder of the handle cover 295 and rotates the handle 197 (the device for driving the game ball B), the main body frame speaker 622 is vibrated to send wind into the front cylinder portion 291a, surprising the player and providing an unprecedented performance. In other words, the sound pressure can stimulate the fingers of the player operating the handle 197, which can surprise the player, make them sense that a chance is coming, or cause them to change the amount of handle operation, thereby entertaining the player and preventing them from becoming bored, thereby preventing a decline in interest in the game.

[0326] Furthermore, sound pressure (sound wind) from the main frame speaker 622 can be supplied into the handle cover unit 290 through the cutout opening 295b, making it possible to cool the inside of the handle cover unit 290 and making the environment around the player's fingers operating the handle 197 more comfortable, thereby alleviating stress on the player and preventing a decline in interest in the game.

[0327] Furthermore, as described above, the sound pressure (sound wind) emitted forward from the port member 47 provided in the lower frame assembly 40 of the outer frame 2, which is different from the door frame 3 in which the handle 197 and handle cover unit 290 are provided, is guided by the multiple blade portions 46b of the grill member 46 to stimulate the fingers of the player who is operating the handle 197 with his or her fingers inserted into the handle cover unit 290. Therefore, compared to a case in which a vibration device is provided in the handle 197, there is no damage to the various sensors (handle rotation detection sensor 189, handle touch sensor 192, single button operation sensor 194, etc.) and bearing mechanism provided in the handle 197, and it is possible to make the handle unit 180 less likely to be damaged, and it is possible to avoid causing discomfort to the player due to damage to the handle unit 180 and suppress a decrease in the player's interest in the game.

[0328] Furthermore, since the handle cover 295 has a cutout opening 295b, when opening the door frame 3 or the main frame 4, the right cutout opening 295b can be hooked with a finger and pulled, and can be used as a handle when opening the door frame 3, etc.

[0329] Furthermore, because the handle cover 295 has the notch opening 295b, the rotational position of the handle 197 can be easily fixed by gripping the handle 197 and the notch opening 295b with one's fingers, and the game ball B can be continuously shot into the game area 5a with a constant force without continuously twisting one's hand. In this way, the handle 197 can be rotated in a variety of ways to shoot the game ball B, and therefore a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that allows the player to select a shooting operation that suits them.

[0330] Furthermore, handle 197 is provided in the lower right corner of door frame 3 on the side opposite to the hinge side, and cutout opening 295b is provided in the part of the outer peripheral surface of handle cover 295 of handle cover unit 290 facing right, so that cutout opening 295b can be used as a handle for opening and closing door frame 3. Therefore, there is no need to provide a handle that would unsightly the door frame 3, and the appearance of the door frame 3 can be improved.

[0331] [3-5. Overall structure of the dish unit] The tray unit 200 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The tray unit 200 is attached to a portion below the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100. The tray unit 200 comprises an upper tray 201 that stores game balls B to be shot into the game area 5a, and a lower tray 202 that is positioned below the upper tray 201 and can store game balls B supplied from the upper tray 201 and the fall cover unit 150.

[0332] The dish unit 200 comprises a dish base unit 210 having an upper dish 201 and attached to the front of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, a dish decoration unit 250 having a lower dish 202 attached to the front of the dish base unit 210, and a performance operation unit 300 attached to the front of the dish decoration unit 250 and the dish base unit 210 and operable by the player.

[0333] The dish base unit 210 comprises a flat dish unit base 211 extending left and right, an upper dish main body 212 attached to the upper front of the dish unit base 211 and holding an upper dish 201, an attachment base (not shown) attached to the right of the upper dish main body 212 and protruding forward, a dish unit relay board (not shown) attached to the right of the attachment base, a ball lending operation unit 220 attached to the top surface of the attachment base, an upper dish pre-ball removal unit (not shown) attached below the attachment base, and an upper dish post-ball removal unit 240 attached to the rear of the upper dish pre-ball removal unit.

[0334] The plate decoration unit 250 comprises a lower plate body 251 attached to the lower front part of the plate unit base 211 and having a lower plate 202, a plate unit body 252 attached to the front part of the plate unit base 211 so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower plate body 251, a lower plate ball removal unit 260 attached to the underside of the lower plate body 251, and a left plate decoration unit 270 and a right plate decoration unit 275 attached to the upper front part of the plate unit body 252, spaced apart from each other on the left and right.

[0335] The performance operation unit 300 is equipped with a performance operation section 301 that can be operated by a player, which includes a pressing operation section 303 that can be pressed by a player, a lever operation section 304 that allows a player to operate the lever in the forward and backward directions, and the performance operation section 301 that can be operated by a player. The performance operation unit 300 is equipped with a base unit 400 that is attached to the dish base unit 210, and a lever operation section unit 410 that is attached to the base unit 400 so as to be rotatable around an axis that extends in the left-right direction. The pressing operation section 303 is provided on the top surface of the base unit 400.

[0336] The tray unit 200 bulges forward as a whole, and the performance operation unit 300 is positioned in the center left to right so that the top surface of the performance operation unit 301 faces diagonally upward and forward, with the upper tray 201 positioned to the left of the performance operation unit 300 on the top surface and the ball lending operation unit 220 positioned to the right of the performance operation unit 300, and the lower tray 202 positioned below the upper tray 201 and to the left of the performance operation unit 300.

[0337] [3-5a. Upper plate] The upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The upper tray 201 is formed by a tray unit base 211 and an upper tray main body 212, and is formed like an upwardly open container, with the left side bulging forward more than the center when viewed from the front. The upper tray 201 (upper tray main body 212) bulges forward most from the left end to the right, approximately one-third of the width of the door frame 3. The front end of the upper tray 201 recedes backward from the most bulging part toward the right when viewed from the front, and has a guide passage portion 201a (see Figure 37) whose depth in the front-to-back direction is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The entire bottom surface of the upper tray 201, including the guide passage portion 201a, is inclined so that the right end is lower, and the right end of the guide passage portion 201a when viewed from the front is recessed below the ball dispensing operation unit 220.

[0338] When assembled to the tray unit 200, the upper tray 201 has a bottom surface that slopes downward from a position below the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit base 211 to a position slightly below the outer diameter of the game ball B relative to the upper end of the upper tray ball feed port (not shown). This allows the game ball B released forward from the upper tray ball supply port 211a to be received and stored within the upper tray 201, and the received game ball B can be supplied from the right end of the guide passage portion 201a through the upper tray ball feed port to the ball feed unit 140 side.

[0339] In addition, the guide passage section 201a is equipped with a metal earth fitting that is electrically grounded (earthed) in the pachinko machine 1, and when the game ball B comes into contact (rolls) with it, the static electricity charged to the game ball B can be removed.

[0340] [3-5b. Lower plate] The lower tray 202 of the tray unit 200 will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figure 48 etc. The lower tray 202 is located below the upper tray 201, to the left of the left-right center of the tray unit 200 (door frame 3) when viewed from the front. The lower tray 202 is formed of a lower tray main body 251 and a tray unit base 211. The lower tray 202 is formed in the shape of a container capable of storing game balls B, and is provided with a lower tray ball removal hole 202a that penetrates the bottom wall vertically and allows game balls B to be discharged (see Figure 29). The lower tray ball removal hole 202a of the lower tray 202 is closed openably and closably by a lower tray ball removal lid of the lower tray ball removal unit 260.

[0341] The lower tray 202 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view that extends left and right, with the front end on the left side protruding further forward than the right side from the center in the left-right direction. The lower tray 202 has a lower tray ball ejection hole 202a that penetrates from top to bottom, located near the front end near the right end. The bottom surface of the lower tray 202 is inclined so that it slopes lower toward the lower tray ball ejection hole 202a. When assembled into the tray unit 200, the lower tray ball ejection hole 202a of the lower tray 202 is located below the performance operation unit 300, to the left of the front of the lower tray ball supply port 211c.

[0342] When the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed, the lower tray 202 can store game balls B released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c, and by opening the lower tray ball removal hole 202a, the stored game balls B can be discharged below the tray unit 200 (for example, to a cash box). Also, when the lower tray ball removal hole 202a of the lower tray 202 is open, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is positioned in front of the lower tray ball supply port 211c, so that the game balls B released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c can be quickly discharged downward from the lower tray ball removal hole 202a by moving the shortest distance.

[0343] [3-5c. Plate base unit] The dish base unit 210 in the dish unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The dish base unit 210 comprises a flat dish unit base 211 attached to the lower front of the door frame base unit 100 and extending to the left and right, an upper tray body 212 attached to the upper front of the dish unit base 211 and holding the upper tray 201, and a dish unit relay board 214 attached to the rear of the dish unit base 211 near the lower right corner.

[0344] The tray base unit 210 also includes a ball lending operation unit 220 attached to the upper front part of the tray unit base 211, an upper tray pre-ball removal unit (not shown) attached to the front part of the tray unit base 211 below the ball lending operation unit 220, and an upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 attached to the rear side of the tray unit base 211 behind the upper tray pre-ball removal unit.

[0345] [3-5c-1. Dish unit base] The dish unit base 211 of the dish base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The dish unit base 211 is attached below the door window 101a on the front surface of the door frame base 101 of the door frame base unit 100, and is formed in the shape of a flat plate (a shallow box shape with an open rear) extending left and right across the entire width of the door frame base 101.

[0346] The tray unit base 211 is equipped with an upper tray ball supply port 211a that penetrates from front to back near the upper left corner when viewed from the front and extends cylindrically to the rear, a speaker port 211b that penetrates from front to back below the upper tray ball supply port 211a and has punched metal attached to the front, a lower tray ball supply port 211c that penetrates from front to back at the lower part toward the left of the center when viewed from the front and extends cylindrically to the rear, a cutout 211d that is cut out in the right wall of the part that extends cylindrically to the rear of the lower tray ball supply port 211c to a size that allows game ball B to pass through, and an upper tray ball delivery port (not shown) that penetrates from front to front on the upper right side of the lower tray ball supply port 211c when viewed from the front and extends vertically, with its upper part located at the right end of the upper tray main body 212.

[0347] When assembled to the door frame 3, the upper tray ball supply port 211a of the tray unit base 211 has its front end opening into the rear wall of the upper tray 201, and its cylindrical rear end passes through the upper tray ball passage port 101g of the door frame base 101 from the front side and connects to the front end of the through ball passage 150a of the fall cover unit 150. As a result, the game ball B paid out from the payout device 580 of the payout unit 560 is supplied (paid out) into the upper tray 201 through the upper tray ball supply port 211a.

[0348] When assembled to the door frame 3, the lower tray ball supply port 211c has its front end opening into the rear wall of the lower tray 202, and its cylindrical rear end passes through the lower tray ball passage port 101f of the door frame base 101 from the front side and connects to the front end of the ball discharge port 150d of the fall cover unit 150. This allows game balls B circulating within the storage passage 150e of the fall cover unit 150 to be supplied into the lower tray 202 through the lower tray ball supply port 211c. In addition, the downstream end of the ball removal guide path 241c in the rear base 241 of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 is connected to the cutout portion 211d formed in the cylindrically extending portion of the lower tray ball supply port 211c. As a result, by operating the upper tray ball removal button 222, the game ball B stored in the upper tray 201 is discharged from the lower tray ball supply port 211c into the lower tray 202 through the upper tray ball supply port, the entrance 141a and ball removal port 141b of the ball supply unit 140, the ball supply guide path and ball removal guide path 241c of the upper tray post-ball removal unit 240, and the cutout portion 211d.

[0349] When assembled to the tray base unit 210, the upper tray ball supply port is located in front of the ball receiving port (not shown) of the rear base 241 of the upper tray ball removal unit 240, and the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is supplied from the ball receiving port of the upper tray ball removal unit 240 to the ball supply guide path.

[0350] [3-5c-2. Upper tray body] The upper tray body 212 of the tray base unit 210 will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The upper tray body 212 is attached to the front of the tray unit base 211 and cooperates with the tray unit base 211 to form the upper tray 201. The upper tray body 212 is formed in a container-like (dish-shaped) shape with an open top and rear. The upper tray body 212 extends left and right, with the left side bulging forward more than the center when viewed from the front. The front end of the upper tray body 212 recedes rearward from the most forward-bulging part toward the right when viewed from the front, and the depth in the front-to-back direction is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the game ball B. The bottom surface of the upper tray body 212 is inclined so that the right end is lowest. The upper part of the upper tray body 212 near the right end is closed.

[0351] When the upper tray body 212 is assembled to the tray unit 200, the part that is closed at the top near the right end is attached so that it fits under the ball dispensing operation unit 220. In addition, the upper tray body 212 has a performance operation unit attachment part 212a formed in the middle part in the left-right direction at the top, and a part of the performance operation unit 300 is attached to this performance operation unit attachment part 212a.

[0352] [3-5c-3. Dish unit relay board] The dish unit relay board 214 of the dish base unit 210 is intended to relay the connection between the door frame sub-relay board 105 (see Figure 72) in the door frame base unit 100 and the left dish decorative board, right dish decorative board, and rotating body decorative board 416, etc. The dish unit relay board 214 is attached near the lower right corner of the rear surface of the dish unit base 211. When attached to the dish unit base 211, the rear surface of this dish unit relay board 214 faces the rear side of the dish unit base 211.

[0353] [3-5c-4. Ball lending operation unit] The ball dispensing operation unit 220 of the tray base unit 210 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. This ball dispensing operation unit 220 is used to discharge game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 onto the lower tray 202, to dispense a predetermined number of game balls B into the upper tray 201 of the tray unit 200 after inserting cash or a prepaid card into a ball dispensing machine (not shown) provided adjacent to the pachinko machine 1, to display the remaining amount of cash or a prepaid card inserted into the ball dispensing machine, to return the cash or a prepaid card inserted into the ball dispensing machine minus the amount of the dispensed game balls B, to adjust the volume, and to adjust the amount of light.

[0354] The ball lending operation unit 220 includes an upper tray ball removal button 222, a ball lending button 224, a return button 225, a ball lending display unit 226, and an adjustment button 229 consisting of four buttons arranged in a cross shape.

[0355] The upper tray ball removal button 222 is cylindrical and protrudes upward, and can be moved downward by the player pressing it. The ball lending button 224 is circular and has the character "ball" (ball) printed on its top surface. The return button 225 is triangular. The ball lending display unit 226 is composed of three 7-segment LEDs and one bullet-shaped LED, and can be easily seen by the player when illuminated.

[0356] The ball lending operation unit 220 can eject game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 into the lower tray by pressing the upper tray ball removal button 222. Furthermore, when cash or a prepaid card with remaining balance is inserted into the ball lending machine and the ball lending button 224 is pressed, a predetermined number of game balls B are supplied to the upper tray 201. When the return button 225 is pressed, the amount of the loaned game balls B is deducted from the cash or prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine and returned. The ball lending display unit 226 displays the remaining balance of the cash or prepaid card inserted into the ball lending machine. Furthermore, the ball lending display unit 226 displays an error code when the ball lending machine malfunctions.

[0357] The adjustment button 229 is used to adjust the volume of the music, voice, sound effects, and other sound effects output from the top center speaker and top side speaker of the door frame 3 and the bass main frame speaker 622 of the main frame 4, as well as to adjust the light intensity (brightness) of the LEDs on the various decorative boards provided on the door frame 3 and the game board 5, and the brightness of the display screen of the effect display device 1600.

[0358] Incidentally, when adjusting the volume or light intensity using the pressing operation unit 303 of the effect operation unit 301, when a player-participation effect that requires the operation of the effect operation unit 301 is not being executed, the effect operation unit 301 is operated appropriately to display a setting menu for adjusting the volume, light intensity, etc. on the effect display device 1600, and the item to be adjusted is selected, and then the pressing operation unit 303 or the lever operation unit 304 is operated to change the volume, brightness, etc., which takes time and effort to adjust the volume or light intensity. In contrast, according to this specific embodiment, the volume and light intensity can be adjusted directly by operating the adjustment button 229, and a pachinko machine 1 can be provided that simplifies the time and effort required to adjust the volume and light intensity and enables adjustments to be made in a short time.

[0359] [3-5c-5. Upper tray ball removal unit] The upper tray pre-ball removal unit and upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 in the tray base unit 210 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 49. The upper tray post-ball removal unit 240 works in cooperation with the ball feeding unit 140 to discharge the game balls B stored in the upper tray 201 to the lower tray 202 when the upper tray ball removal button 222 of the ball lending operation unit 220 is pressed.

[0360] The upper tray ball removal unit 240 comprises a rear base 241 attached to the rear surface of the tray unit base 211 so as to close the upper tray ball supply port from the rear, an upper tray ball removal slider 242 attached to the front surface of the rear base 241 so as to be able to slide in the vertical direction, a spring (not shown) that urges the upper tray ball removal slider 242 upward, and a rear cover 244 attached to the rear side of the rear base 241.

[0361] The rear base 241 is equipped with a ball receiving port (not shown) that protrudes upward from the portion where the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is slidably attached and opens toward the front, allowing the game ball B to pass through, a ball feed guide path that guides the game ball B received in the ball receiving port downward on the rear surface of the rear base 241 and then rearward, and a ball removal guide path 241c that guides the game ball B downward from a position lower than the ball feed guide path on the rear surface of the rear base 241 and then to the right when viewed from behind.

[0362] When assembled to the tray base unit 210, the ball receiving port is formed at the downstream end (right end when viewed from the front) of the guide passage section 201a of the upper tray 201, in a position that opens forward through the upper tray ball supply port of the tray unit base 211. When assembled to the door frame 3, the ball supply guide path is formed so that the entrance 141a of the ball supply unit 140 is located at the rear of the lower part. This allows the game ball B supplied to the upper tray 201 to enter the entrance 141a of the ball supply unit 140 through the ball receiving port and the ball supply guide path.

[0363] The portion of the ball removal guideway 241c extending to the left and right protrudes further to the right in rear view than the portion where the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is slidably mounted, is inclined so that the right end is lower in rear view, and opens to the right side in rear view. The rear side of the portion of the ball removal guideway 241c extending to the left and right is closed by a rear cover 244. When assembled to the door frame 3, the ball removal guideway 241c is formed so that the upper part of the portion extending up and down below the ball feeding guideway is located in front of the ball removal opening 141b of the ball feeding unit 140, and the right end of the portion extending to the left and right in rear view is connected to the cutout portion 211d of the lower tray ball supply opening 211c in the tray unit base 211. As a result, the game ball B discharged from the ball ejection port 141b of the ball feeding unit 140 is released into the lower tray 202 from the lower tray ball supply port 211c via the ball ejection guide path 241c and the cutout portion 211d.

[0364] The upper tray ball removal slider 242 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and includes an actuation receiving part (not shown) that protrudes forward from the upper left corner, and an actuation transmitting part 242b that protrudes rearward from the rear surface behind the actuation receiving part. The actuation receiving part has a flat upper surface. The actuation transmitting part 242b has an upper surface that slopes downward as it extends rearward, and a lower surface that extends horizontally to connect with the rear end of the upper surface.

[0365] When the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is assembled to the door frame 3, the actuation receiving part protrudes forward through the tray unit base 211 from the rear side, and the lower end of the upper tray ball removal button 222 abuts against the upper surface of the actuation receiving part. Also, when the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is assembled to the door frame 3, the actuation transmission part 242b protrudes rearward from the rear base 241, and the actuation rod 143c of the ball removal member 143 of the ball feeding unit 140 abuts against the upper surface.

[0366] The spring has its upper end attached to the rear base 241 and its lower end attached to the upper tray ball removal slider 242, and urges the upper tray ball removal slider 242 upward. Therefore, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is positioned at the upper limit of its upward movement due to the spring's urging force, and can move downward by resisting the spring's urging force.

[0367] The upper tray ball removal unit 240 positions the upper tray ball removal slider 242 at the upper end of its upward movement due to the spring force, and also positions the upper tray ball removal button 222 at the upper end of its upward movement via the actuation receiving part of the upper tray ball removal slider 242. In addition, because the upper tray ball removal slider 242 is positioned at the upper end of its upward movement due to the spring force, the actuation rod 143c abutting the upper surface of the actuation transmission part 242b is prevented from moving downward, and the partition part 143a of the ball removal member 143 is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, separating the two.

[0368] Therefore, when the upper tray ball removal button 222 is not pressed, the ball feeding unit 140 has a partition between the entrance 141a and the ball removal port 141b, and the game ball B sent from the upper tray 201 to the ball receiving port can be sent from the entrance 141a and the ball feeding member 144 to the ball supply port 142a to the ball launching device 540 side.

[0369] On the other hand, when the upper tray ball removal button 222 is pressed downward against the spring force, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 moves downward, allowing the operating rod 143c of the ball removal member 143, which is in contact with the upper surface of the operating transmission part 242b of the upper tray ball removal slider 242, to move downward, and the ball removal member 143 rotates due to the load of the weight part 143d of the ball removal member 143, causing the partition part 143a to move back from between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b. As a result, the game ball B that has entered the entrance 141a from the upper tray 201 through the ball receiving opening and the ball feed guideway is ejected forward from the ball removal opening 141b, which opens below the entrance 141a. Then, the game ball B discharged forward from the ball discharge port 141b passes through the ball discharge guide path 241c and is guided from the cutout portion 211d into the lower tray ball supply port 211c, and then is released from the lower tray ball supply port 211c into the lower tray 202, and the game ball B in the upper tray 201 is discharged into the lower tray 202.

[0370] When the downward pressure on the upper tray ball removal button 222 is released, the upper tray ball removal slider 242 moves upward due to the spring force, the upper tray ball removal button 222 rises, and the ball removal member 143 rotates due to the operating rod 143c abutting the operating transmission part 242b, so that the partition part 143a is positioned between the entrance 141a and the ball removal opening 141b, returning to its original state.

[0371] In this way, the upper tray ball removal unit 240 can feed the game ball B in the upper tray 201 to the ball launching device 540 side via the ball feeding unit 140, or discharge it to the lower tray 202 side.

[0372] [3-5d. Plate decoration unit] The plate decoration unit 250 in the plate unit 200 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 48 etc. The plate decoration unit 250 has a lower plate 202 and is attached to the front of the plate base unit 210, with a performance operation unit 300 attached from the front in the center in the left-right direction. The plate decoration unit 250 decorates almost the entire plate unit 200.

[0373] The plate decoration unit 250 comprises a lower plate body 251 attached to the lower front part of the plate unit base 211 and working together with the plate unit base 211 to form the lower plate 202, a plate unit body 252 attached to the front part of the plate unit base 211 so as to cover the outer periphery of the lower plate body 251, a lower plate ball removal unit 260 attached to the underside of the lower plate body 251, and a left plate decoration unit 270 and a right plate decoration unit 275 attached to the upper front part of the plate unit body 252, spaced apart from each other on the left and right.

[0374] [3-5d-1. Lower plate body] The lower tray body 251 in the tray display unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 48 etc. The lower tray body 251 cooperates with the tray unit base 211 of the tray base unit 210 to form the lower tray 202. The lower tray body 251 extends left and right and is formed in a container shape (dish shape) that is open at the top and rear. This lower tray body 251 is attached to the lower front of the tray unit base 211 at a location to the left of the center in the left-right direction, so that the open rear is closed.

[0375] The lower tray body 251 has a generally rectangular shape extending left and right in plan view, with the front end on the left side protruding further forward than the right side from the center in the left-right direction. A lower tray ball removal hole 202a that penetrates vertically is formed in the lower tray body 251 near the front end on the right side in plan view. The bottom surface of the lower tray body 251 is inclined so that it becomes lower toward the lower tray ball removal hole 202a. The lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed openably and closably by a lower tray ball removal cover of the lower tray ball removal unit 260.

[0376] When the lower tray body 251 is assembled to the tray decoration unit 250, the outer periphery and part of the underside are covered by the tray unit body 252. Furthermore, when the lower tray body is assembled to the tray unit 200, the bottom surface is located below the lower tray ball supply port 211c of the tray unit base 211, and the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is located in front of the lower tray ball supply port 211c. This allows the game balls B released forward from the lower tray ball supply port 211c to be stored.

[0377] [3-5d-2. Dish unit body] The dish unit main body 252 in the dish decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 48 and 49. The dish unit main body 252 is attached to the front of the dish unit base 211 in the dish base unit 210 and decorates the front of the dish unit 200. The dish unit main body 252 bulges out so that the center in the left-right direction protrudes forward on the upper side, and bulges out so that the left side in the left-right direction protrudes forward on the lower side. In addition, the top surface of the dish unit main body 252 is curved so that the center in the left-right direction is lowest. The dish unit main body 252 is formed in a box shape that is open to the rear.

[0378] The dish unit main body 252 comprises upper side bulges 252a at the top that bulge forward from both the left and right ends toward the center in the left-right direction and extend downward and are spaced apart on the left and right, a lower front decorative portion at the bottom that bulges forward on the left side of the center in the left-right direction to cover the outer periphery of the lower dish main body 251, and a lower dish opening 252d that penetrates front to back between the left upper side bulge 252a and the lower front decorative portion. A left dish decorative unit 270 and a right dish decorative unit 275 are attached to the front of the left and right upper side bulges 252a, respectively.

[0379] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the dish unit main body 252 is provided with a performance operation unit mounting portion formed between a pair of upper side bulges 252a in the center in the left-right direction, to which the performance operation unit 300 is attached. The performance operation unit mounting portion is formed with a width that is approximately 1 / 3 of the width of the dish unit main body 252 in the left-right direction.

[0380] When assembled to the dish unit 200, the dish unit main body 252 is formed to entirely cover the front surface of the dish base unit 210, with the speaker port 211b facing forward through the lower dish opening 252d.

[0381] [3-5d-3. Bottom tray ball removal unit] The lower tray ball removal unit 260 in the tray decoration unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 48 etc. The lower tray ball removal unit 260 is attached to the underside of the lower tray main body 251, and is used to store game balls B in the lower tray 202 and to discharge game balls B from the lower tray 202 by opening and closing the lower tray ball removal hole 202a.

[0382] The lower tray ball removal unit 260 is equipped with a lower tray ball removal button 263 and a lower tray ball removal cover that opens and closes the through hole by operating the lower tray ball removal button 263.

[0383] When the lower tray ball removal unit 260 is assembled to the tray decoration unit 250, the lower tray ball removal button 263 is aligned with the front surface of the lower front decoration part of the tray unit main body 252, and the lower tray ball removal lid closes the lower tray ball removal hole 202a. In this normal state, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is closed by the lower tray ball removal lid, and game balls B can be stored in the lower tray 202.

[0384] In the normal state, when the lower tray ball removal button 263 is pressed backward, the lower tray ball removal lid moves, opening the lower tray ball removal hole 202a, allowing the game ball B in the lower tray 202 to be ejected below the tray unit 200 through the lower tray ball removal hole 202a.

[0385] Furthermore, when the lower tray ball removal lid is moved by pressing the lower tray ball removal button 263, the lower tray ball removal lid remains moved, the lower tray ball removal hole 202a is kept open, and the game balls B in the lower tray 202 can be continuously discharged downward.

[0386] To close the lower tray ball ejection hole 202a from this state, press the lower tray ball ejection button 263, which is set back from the front of the lower front decorative part, backward and then release the pressure.The lower tray ball ejection cover returns to its normal position and the lower tray ball ejection hole 202a is closed.This allows the game ball B to be stored in the lower tray 202.

[0387] [3-5d-4. Left and right decorative units] The left dish decorative unit 270 and the right dish decorative unit 275 of the dish decorative unit 250 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figure 48 etc. The left dish decorative unit 270 and the right dish decorative unit 275 are attached to the upper front surface of the upper side bulge 252a of the dish unit main body 252. The left dish decorative unit 270 and the right dish decorative unit 275 are located at the top of the dish unit 200 and decorate both the left and right sides of the performance operation unit 300.

[0388] The left-plate decorative unit 270 comprises a translucent left-plate decorative body 271 that is semi-cylindrical and extends left and right, and a left-plate decorative board that is provided behind the left-plate decorative body 271 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface. The multiple LEDs mounted on the left-plate decorative board are full-color LEDs that can be illuminated to decorate the left-plate decorative body 271.

[0389] The left decorative element 271 extends in a curved line, moving forward and downward as it moves from the left end to the right end, and is attached to the top of the left upper side bulge 252a. The left decorative element 271 bulges forward in a semicircular arc, with the central axis extending diagonally upward and left at the left end and the central axis extending left and right at the right end, forming a twisted semicylinder shape. The left decorative element 271 is milky white in color.

[0390] When assembled to the door frame 3, the left end of the dish left decorative unit 270 is continuous with the lower end of the door frame left side unit 420. Since the dish left decorative unit 270 does not have ribs along the length of the dish left decorative body 271, when the multiple LEDs on the dish left decorative board are illuminated, the entire front of the dish left decorative body 271 can be illuminated and decorated in a substantially uniform manner, giving the appearance of embedded fluorescent lights.

[0391] The right-side dish decorative unit 275 comprises a translucent, semi-cylindrical right-side dish decorative body 276 that extends left and right, and a right-side dish decorative board that is provided behind the right-side dish decorative body 276 and has multiple LEDs mounted on the front surface. The multiple LEDs mounted on the right-side dish decorative board are full-color LEDs that can be illuminated to decorate the right-side dish decorative body 276.

[0392] The right decorative element 276 extends in a curved line, moving both forward and downward as it moves from the right end to the left end, and is attached to the top of the upper right-side bulge 252a. The right decorative element 276 is formed as a semicircular arc that bulges forward, with the central axis extending diagonally upward and to the right at the right end and the central axis extending left and right at the left end, resembling a twisted semicylinder. The right decorative element 276 is milky white in color.

[0393] When assembled to the door frame 3, the right end of the dish right decorative unit 275 is continuous with the lower end of the door frame right side unit 430. Since the dish right decorative unit 275 does not have ribs along the length of the dish right decorative body 276, when the multiple LEDs on the dish right decorative board are illuminated, the entire front of the dish right decorative body 276 can be illuminated and decorated in a substantially uniform manner, giving the appearance of embedded fluorescent lights.

[0394] When assembled to the door frame 3, the left and right decorative units 270 and 275 protrude upward from the front end of the upper side bulge 252a of the main body 252 of the decorative unit 250, forming a step between the upper side bulge 252a and the left and right decorative units 270 and 275, making them higher. This allows players to use the step between the left and right decorative units 270 and 275 and the upper side bulge 252a to hook their fingers and provide a fingerhold when leveling the game balls B in the upper tray 201 or operating the performance control unit 301, which will be described later. Furthermore, the step between the left and right decorative units 270 and 275 and the upper side bulge 252a prevents the game balls B on the upper side bulge 252a from spilling forward.

[0395] [3-5e. Production Operation Unit] Next, the performance operation unit 300 in the door frame 3 will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figures 55 to 59. Figure 55(a) is a perspective view showing the performance operation unit in a state where the transparent portion of the door frame is opaque and the lever operation unit is not protruding, and (b) is a perspective view showing the performance operation unit in (a) with the lever operation unit protruding. Figure 56(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the performance operation unit from the right side with the lever operation unit not protruding, along with the advance / retreat mechanism, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing (a) with the lever operation unit protruding. Figure 57(a) is a perspective view of the performance operation unit seen from the front with the transparent portion made transparent, and (b) is a right side view of the performance operation unit in (a). Figure 58 is a perspective view of the unit reinforcement frame in the performance operation unit of Figure 55 seen from the front. Figure 59 is an explanatory diagram showing the rotation mechanism of the rotating body in the lever operation unit.

[0396] The effect operation unit 300 in this specific form is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the plate unit 200, and not only decorates the plate unit 200 but also allows the player to operate it and participate in the effect when a player-participation type effect is executed. The effect operation unit 300 is attached to the plate base unit 210 (see Figure 48, etc.).

[0397] The effect operation unit 300 is equipped with an effect operation section 301 that can be operated by a player. The effect operation section 301 is composed of a pressing operation section 303 that can be pressed by the player, and a lever operation section 304 that allows the player to operate the lever in the forward and backward directions, and can accept operations from the player and move (vibrate) the effect operation section 301, allowing the player to not only shoot the game ball B but also to participate in the effects during play. The pressing operation section 303 of the effect operation section 301 is provided on the top surface of the door frame 3, to the left of the center in the left-right direction. The lever operation section 304 is provided in the center in the left-right direction of the door frame 3.

[0398] The performance operation unit 300 includes a base unit 400 attached to the dish base unit 210, and a lever operation unit 410 attached to the base unit 400 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The pressing operation unit 303 is provided on the top surface of the base unit 400.

[0399] The base unit 400 includes a unit body 401 having an operation unit accommodating recess 401a capable of accommodating the rear portion of the lever operation unit 410, an advancing / retreating mechanism 402 that moves the lever operation unit 410 forward and backward by rotating it in the front-rear direction, and a unit reinforcing frame 403 for supporting the lever operation unit 410. The base unit 400 also includes a spring (not shown) that biases the lever operation unit 410 in a direction that causes it to protrude forward.

[0400] The unit body 401 has an upper bulge 401b that bulges forward to connect with the left and right decorative elements 271 and 276 provided at the front end of the upper tray 201, and a lower bulge 401c that extends forward and downward in an arc from the underside of the upper bulge 401b, with its lower end protruding further forward than the lower tray 202. The pressing operation unit 303 is provided on the upper surface of the upper bulge 401b, to the left of the operation unit accommodating recess 401a. The upper bulge 401b of this unit body 401 is opaque, while the lower bulge 401c is transparent. The internal unit reinforcing frame 403 and the rotating body 412 (described later) can be seen through the transparent lower bulge 401c (see Figure 57).

[0401] 56, the advancing / retreating mechanism 402 is provided on the right side of the operation portion accommodating recess 401a in the unit body 401. The advancing / retreating mechanism 402 includes an advancing / retreating drive motor 402a attached to the unit body 401, a drive gear 402b attached to the rotation shaft of the advancing / retreating drive motor 402a, a large-diameter transmission gear 402c meshing with the drive gear 402b, and a small-diameter transmission gear 402d that rotates integrally with the large-diameter transmission gear 402c and has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter transmission gear 402c. The small-diameter transmission gear 402d of the advancing / retreating mechanism 402 meshes with an arc-shaped advancing / retreating rack gear 411b provided on the right side of the lever operation portion unit 410.

[0402] The advance / retract mechanism 402 can advance / retract (rotate around the rotation shaft 403e) the lever operation unit 410 via the advance / retract rack gear 411b by rotating the drive gear 402b in an appropriate direction using the advance / retract drive motor 402a.

[0403] As shown in Figure 58, the unit reinforcement frame 403 comprises a flat left reinforcement plate 403a, a flat right reinforcement plate 403b, a flat rear reinforcement plate 403c connecting the rear ends of the left reinforcement plate 403a and the right reinforcement plate 403b, a flat upper reinforcement plate 403d connecting the upper parts of the left reinforcement plate 403a and the right reinforcement plate 403b, a cylindrical pivot shaft 403e connecting the front ends of the lower parts of the left reinforcement plate 403a and the right reinforcement plate 403b, and a cylindrical connecting shaft 403f connecting the front-to-rear middle parts of the lower parts of the left reinforcement plate 403a and the right reinforcement plate 403b.

[0404] The left reinforcing plate 403a and the right reinforcing plate 403b of the unit reinforcing frame 403 are formed with an arc-shaped front edge that moves rearward as it extends upward. The left reinforcing plate 403a and the right reinforcing plate 403b are provided with multiple decorative openings 403g that penetrate from left to right. These decorative openings 403g are shaped to fit the rotating body 412, which will be described later. The rotating body 412 can be seen through these decorative openings 403g (see Figure 57).

[0405] The rear reinforcing plate 403c is integral with the left reinforcing plate 403a, and is formed by bending its rear portion to the right. The pivot shaft 403e supports the lower front end of the lever operation portion unit 410 so that it can pivot about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0406] The lever operation unit 410 comprises a transparent unit cover 411, a circular rotating body 412 provided within the unit cover 411, a rotation mechanism 413 provided within the unit cover 411 for rotating the rotating body 412, and a vibration mechanism 414 provided at the rear lower end within the unit cover 411.

[0407] The unit cover 411 of the lever operation section unit 410 is formed so that its rear section is accommodated in the operation section accommodating recess 401a of the unit main body 401 in the base unit 400. The unit cover 411 has a transparent cylindrical section 411a that is arc-shaped and has its center on an axis extending in the left-right direction. This cylindrical section 411a is formed to a thickness that can be grasped (held) by a player, and constitutes the lever operation section 304 of the effect operation section 301. A part of the rotating body 412 is inserted into the inside of this cylindrical section 411a.

[0408] Additionally, an advance / retract rack gear 411b is provided on the right side of the unit cover 411. The advance / retract rack gear 411b is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation shaft 403e. Furthermore, the unit cover 411 is provided on its left and right sides with a plurality of mounting portions 411c to which mounting screws for assembly can be attached.

[0409] Incidentally, the mounting portion 411c provided on the side surface of the unit cover 411 of the lever operation unit 410 is arranged to overlap the unit main body 401 in a side view, regardless of whether the lever operation unit 410 is in a retracted position where it is retracted backward or in a protruding position where it is protruding forward, and therefore it is not possible to approach the mounting portion 411c with a tool such as a screwdriver (see FIG. 56). On the other hand, when the lever operation unit 410 is in the protruding position, the mounting portion 411c can be seen through the gap between the side surface of the unit cover 411 and the inner surface of the operation portion accommodating recess 401a of the unit main body 401 in the base unit 400. This makes it possible to check for the presence or absence of mounting screws in the mounting portion 411c, as well as whether the mounting screws are loose.

[0410] The rotating body 412 of the lever operation unit 410 is provided within the unit cover 411 and is formed in a doughnut shape with a portion passing through the cylindrical portion 411a. The surface of the rotating body 412 is provided with a plated portion with metallic luster and a light-transmitting portion with translucency. The rotating body 412 is provided to slide along the outer periphery of an annular ring base 415 (see FIG. 33) provided within the unit cover 411, and is provided to rotate about an axis in the left-right direction by sliding along the outer periphery. As shown in FIG. 59 and other figures, the rotating body 412 has an annular ring gear 412a on its inner periphery with the tips of the gear teeth facing the center. The rotating body 412 is rotated by a rotation mechanism 413 via the ring gear 412a.

[0411] Although not shown in detail, the ring base 415 (see FIG. 33), which rotatably supports the rotating body 412, is attached to the unit cover 411 via support stays by left and right support metal plates provided on the left and right outer sides of the rotating body 412. The left and right support metal plates are formed in a shape similar to the left reinforcing plate 403a and right reinforcing plate 403b of the unit reinforcing frame 403 in the base unit 400. The left and right support metal plates are provided with multiple openings penetrating in the left-right direction, through which the rotating body 412 can be seen from the side. A rotating body decorative board 416 (see FIG. 33), on which multiple LEDs 416a are mounted to illuminate and decorate the rotating body 412, is also attached to the ring base 415.

[0412] As shown in FIG. 59 , the rotation mechanism 413 of the lever operation unit 410 is provided inside the unit cover 411 and includes a rotary drive motor 413a with a rotary shaft facing left and right, a drive gear 413b attached to the rotary shaft of the rotary drive motor 413a, a first transmission gear 413c meshing with the drive gear 413b, a second transmission gear 413d that rotates integrally with the first transmission gear 413c and has half the number of teeth of the first transmission gear 413c, and a third transmission gear 413e meshing with the second transmission gear 413d and with a ring gear 412a of the rotor 412. The first transmission gear 413c and the second transmission gear 413d have the same diameter. The rotor 412 can be rotated by rotating the drive gear 413b using the rotary drive motor 413a of the rotation mechanism 413.

[0413] 59, the vibration mechanism 414 of the lever operation unit 410 is provided on the unit cover 411, and includes a vibration motor 414a with a rotation axis facing in the left-right direction, a drive gear 414b attached to the rotation axis of the vibration motor 414a, a driven gear 414c meshing with the drive gear 414b, and a weight 414d that rotates integrally with the driven gear 414c and has its center of gravity eccentric with respect to the center of rotation. The vibration mechanism 414 can generate vibrations by rotating the weight 414d with the vibration motor 414a.

[0414] In this specific embodiment of the performance operation unit 300, the center of gravity of the lever operation unit 410 is located behind the rotation axis 403e, and in a normal state, the lever operation unit 410 is in a retracted position, retracted backward against the biasing force of a spring (not shown). The advance / retract mechanism 402 that advances and retracts the lever operation unit 410 has a drive gear 402b, a large-diameter transmission gear 402c, and a small-diameter transmission gear 402d formed by spur gears, so that when the lever operation unit 410 (lever operation unit 304) is pulled forward, it can be moved to the extended position. When the lever operation unit 410 is not powered on (or when the advance / retract drive motor 402a is not driven), if the lever operation unit 304 is pulled forward to the extended position and then released, it will return to the retracted position under its own weight.

[0415] With this presentation operation unit 300, regardless of whether a player participation type presentation is being executed or not, the pressing operation section 303 provided on the top surface can be pressed at any time, and the lever operation section 304 can be advanced and retreated.

[0416] In the performance operation unit 300, the annular rotating body 412 can be seen from the outside through the transparent portion of the unit main body 401 and the transparent unit cover 411. The rotating body 412 can also be seen from the outside through a plurality of decorative openings 403g provided in each of the left reinforcing plate 403a and the right reinforcing plate 403b of the unit reinforcing frame 403. In this case, because the opening shape of the decorative openings 403g is formed to have a design feature, the appearance is not impaired even if the left reinforcing plate 403a and the right reinforcing plate 403b are visible.

[0417] In the performance operation unit 300, the rotating body 412 can be rotated in any direction by driving the rotation drive motor 413a of the rotation mechanism 413, and it is possible to enjoy the moving performance caused by the rotation of the rotating body 412. In addition, in the performance operation unit 300, by illuminating the multiple LEDs 416a provided on the rotating body decorative board 416, it is possible to illuminate the rotating body 412 even while it is rotating, and it is possible to enjoy the illumination performance of the rotating body 412.

[0418] In addition, in the effect operation unit 300, the lever operation unit 410 (lever operation unit 304) moves to a forward protruding position by driving the advance / withdraw drive motor 402a of the advance / withdraw mechanism 402 in response to the execution of a player participation-type effect. The effect of this lever operation unit 304 may, for example, be to prompt the player to grip the lever operation unit 304, and when the player pushes or pulls the lever operation unit 304, the advance / withdraw drive motor 402a drives the lever operation unit 304 to move in the opposite direction to the player's operation, thereby applying a load (operation resistance) to the operation of the lever operation unit 304. This imparts a feeling of operation to the operation of the lever operation unit 304, making the effect of the lever operation unit 304 enjoyable. At this time, the operation resistance of the lever operation unit 304 may be increased or decreased to suggest to the player the degree of expectation for the game (for example, the occurrence of an advantageous game state in which the player has an advantage, such as a "jackpot" game).

[0419] Furthermore, when operating the lever operation unit 304, the vibration motor 414a of the vibration mechanism 414 can be driven to give the player a sense of operation of the lever operation unit 304, which can be entertaining. In this case, the vibration motor 414a may ...

Claims

[Claim 1] a game panel having a game area in which game balls flow down; A gaming machine equipped with a gaming board having a stage member that can receive gaming balls flowing down the gaming area, roll them laterally, and finally drop the gaming balls onto the front side of the gaming panel, The stage member is A first member attached to the front surface of the gaming panel; a second member located behind the first member and having a rolling surface portion that can roll the game ball laterally and a front release portion that can drop the game ball from the rolling surface portion to the front side of the game panel; A third member is provided behind the second member to prevent the game ball from falling backward. the first member and the third member are connected in a state in which the second member is sandwiched between them from the front and rear, and at least the second member and the first member are positioned by a plurality of sets of positioning means each consisting of a plurality of positioning pins and a plurality of positioning holes, The first member has a recessed portion that opens upward in a portion facing the front discharge portion of the second member, The second member has a discharge protrusion provided on a front surface thereof, the discharge protrusion communicating with the front discharge portion, A gaming machine characterized in that when the front portion of the second member is abutted against the rear surface of the first member, the ejection protrusion of the second member can fit into the recess of the first member.

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