Supply culvert

Abstract

The present invention provides a supply trough that allows game balls to flow down smoothly and without interruption, and reliably prevents jamming or overflow of game balls even when there is an oversupply. [Solution] In the supply trough 50 for supplying game balls to the game machine 2, multiple rail-shaped paths 52 are arranged in parallel on both sides, through which the game balls flow down in a single row. Each path 52 includes a drop path 52B for dropping excess game balls. The downstream end of the drop path 52B communicates with a ball outlet 525 from which the game balls are dropped. Game balls that do not enter the ball outlet 525 are set to fall separately from the ball outlet 525 without returning to the drop path 52B.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

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

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

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, one aspect of the present invention is: In a supply trough located above the gaming machine and used to supply gaming balls to the gaming machine, Multiple rail-like paths are arranged in parallel on both sides, through which the game balls flow down in a single line. Each of the aforementioned paths includes a drop path for dropping excess game balls. The downstream end of the aforementioned drop path is connected to a ball exit from which game balls are dropped, while game balls that do not enter the ball exit are set to fall separately from the ball exit without returning to the drop path. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Another perspective view showing the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing a gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a rear view showing a gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing a gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing a gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view showing the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 9] This is another perspective view of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the state in which the inter-base member according to this embodiment is attached. [Figure 11] A perspective view showing another state in which the inter-base member according to this embodiment is attached. [Figure 12] This is a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the mounting structure of the inter-base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a plan view showing the mounting structure of the space between platforms according to this embodiment in another state and a partial enlarged view thereof. [Figure 14] It is a plan view showing the mounting structure of the space between platforms according to this embodiment in yet another state and a cross-sectional view thereof. [Figure 15] It is a plan view showing the mounting structure of the space between platforms according to this embodiment in yet another state and a cross-sectional view thereof. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 17] It is another perspective view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a front view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a rear view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a side view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a plan view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 22] It is a bottom view showing a modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment. [Figure 23] It is a perspective view of the modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment seen from below. [Figure 24] It is another perspective view of the modified example of the gaming machine island according to this embodiment seen from below. [Figure 25] It is a perspective view showing the state of attaching the lower frame guide according to this embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a front view showing the state of attaching the lower frame guide according to this embodiment. [Figure 27] It is a perspective view showing the state of attaching the connecting member according to this embodiment. [Figure 28] It is a front view showing the state of attaching the connecting member according to this embodiment. [Figure 29] It is a perspective view showing the state of attaching the upper frame guide according to this embodiment. [Figure 30]This is a front view showing the state in which the upper frame guide according to this embodiment is attached. [Figure 31] This is an enlarged plan view showing the mounting structure of the lower frame guide according to this embodiment. [Figure 32] This is an enlarged plan view showing the mounting structure of the connecting member according to this embodiment. [Figure 33] This is a front view showing an example of how a gaming machine is installed in the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 34] This is a perspective view showing an example in which an island-type device is installed between units according to this embodiment. [Figure 35] This is a front view showing an example in which an island-type device is installed between units according to this embodiment. [Figure 36] This is a side view showing an example in which an island-type device is installed between units according to this embodiment. [Figure 37] This is a plan view showing an example in which an island-type device is installed between units according to this embodiment. [Figure 38] This is a perspective view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 39] This is a perspective view of the unit according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 40] This is a rear view of the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 41] This is a side view showing a unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 42] This is a front view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 43] This is a rear view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 44] This is a plan view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 45] This is a bottom view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 46] This is an exploded perspective view showing the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 47] This is an exploded perspective view of the unit according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 48]This is an exploded perspective view showing the unit and frame members according to this embodiment. [Figure 49] This is another exploded perspective view showing the unit and frame members according to this embodiment. [Figure 50] This is a perspective view showing the unit and inter-base members according to this embodiment. [Figure 51] This is a rear view of the unit and the inter-base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 52] This is a front view showing the unit and inter-base members according to this embodiment. [Figure 53] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the unit according to this embodiment with a gaming machine and related equipment housed inside. [Figure 54] This is a perspective view showing the unit according to this embodiment with the decorative panel member attached. [Figure 55] This is a front view showing the unit according to this embodiment with a decorative panel attached. [Figure 56] This is a perspective view and a partial enlargement view showing the unit according to this embodiment with each component attached to the opening front. [Figure 57] This is a front view showing the unit according to this embodiment with each component attached to the opening. [Figure 58] This is a perspective view showing the wainscoting member according to this embodiment. [Figure 59] This is a front view showing the waist panel member according to this embodiment. [Figure 60] This is a side view showing a wainscoting member according to this embodiment. [Figure 61] This is a perspective view showing an example of the installation of the movable back panel in the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 62] These are a front view, a longitudinal cross-sectional view, and a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 63] A perspective view and a partial enlargement view showing the units according to this embodiment placed back to back. [Figure 64] This is another perspective view showing the units according to this embodiment placed back to back. [Figure 65] This is a side view showing the units according to this embodiment placed back to back. [Figure 66] This is a plan view showing the units according to this embodiment placed back to back. [Figure 67] This is a bottom view showing the units according to this embodiment placed back to back. [Figure 68] This is a perspective view showing the rail installation of the unit according to this embodiment, and a partial enlarged view thereof. [Figure 69] This is a perspective view from below of the rail installation of the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 70] This is a front view showing the rail installation of the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 71] Figure 70 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA and a partially enlarged view of that line. [Figure 72] This is an exploded perspective view showing the rail installation of the unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 73] This is an exploded perspective view of the rail installation of the unit according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 74] This is a perspective view showing the rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 75] This is another perspective view showing the rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 76] This is a plan view showing a rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 77] This is a bottom view showing the rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 78] This is a front view showing a rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 79] This is an enlarged side view showing a rail member according to this embodiment. [Figure 80] An exploded perspective view and a partially enlarged view showing the rail member and base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 81] This is another exploded perspective view showing the rail member and base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 82] This is a perspective view showing the rail members connected together according to this embodiment. [Figure 83] This is a perspective view from below showing the rail members connected according to this embodiment. [Figure 84] This is a plan view showing the state in which the rail members according to this embodiment are connected. [Figure 85] This is a bottom view showing the state in which the rail members according to this embodiment are connected. [Figure 86] This is a front view showing the state in which the rail members according to this embodiment are connected. [Figure 87] This is an enlarged side view showing the state in which the rail members according to this embodiment are connected. [Figure 88] This is a perspective view showing the rail members connected together according to this embodiment. [Figure 89] This is a perspective view from below of the rail members connected according to this embodiment. [Figure 90] This is a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the rail members connected together according to this embodiment. [Figure 91] This is a perspective view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 92] This is another perspective view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 93] This is a front view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 94] This is a side view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 95] This is a plan view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 96] This is a bottom view showing the rail slider according to this embodiment. [Figure 97] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the rail slider according to this embodiment is fastened. [Figure 98] This is an explanatory diagram following Figure 97. [Figure 99] This is an explanatory diagram following Figure 98. [Figure 100] This is a perspective view and a partially enlarged view showing the state in which the rail anchor according to this embodiment is attached. [Figure 101] This is a perspective view from below showing the rail anchors attached according to this embodiment. [Figure 102] This is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of the unit and rail base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 103] This is another exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of the unit and rail base member according to this embodiment. [Figure 104] This is a perspective view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 105] This is another perspective view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 106] This is a front view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 107] This is a rear view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 108] This is a plan view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 109] This is a bottom view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 110] This is a side view showing the reinforcing bracket for the rail according to this embodiment. [Figure 111] This is a perspective view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 112] This is a perspective view of the replenishment device according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 113] This is a front view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 114] This is a rear view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 115] This is a left side view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 116] This is a right side view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 117] This is a plan view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 118] This is a bottom view showing the replenishment device according to this embodiment. [Figure 119]This is a perspective view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 120] This is a perspective view of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 121] This is a front view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 122] This is a rear view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 123] This is a left side view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 124] This is a right side view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 125] This is a plan view showing the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 126] This is a plan view showing the shutter of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment in the closed position. [Figure 127] This is a bottom view showing the shutter of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment in the closed position. [Figure 128] This is a front view showing an enlarged view of the main parts of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 129] Figure 128 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA and a partially enlarged view of that line. [Figure 130] This is a front view showing an enlarged view of the main parts of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 131] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 130. [Figure 132] This is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 133] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 132. [Figure 134] This is a front view showing an enlarged view of the main parts of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 135] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 134. [Figure 136] This is a perspective view showing a polishing gear according to this embodiment. [Figure 137] This is a perspective view of the polishing gear according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 138]This is a front view showing a polishing gear according to this embodiment. [Figure 139] This is a plan view showing a polishing gear according to this embodiment. [Figure 140] This is a bottom view showing a polishing gear according to this embodiment. [Figure 141] This is a perspective view showing the cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 142] This is a perspective view of the cassette according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 143] This is another perspective view showing the cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 144] This is another perspective view of the cassette according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 145] This is a plan view showing a cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 146] This is a bottom view showing the cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 147] This is a front view showing a cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 148] This is a rear view showing the cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 149] This is a left side view showing a cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 150] This is a right side view showing a cassette according to this embodiment. [Figure 151] A perspective view showing the main body of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 152] Another perspective view showing the main body of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 153] This is a front view showing the main body of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 154] This is a left side view showing the main body of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 155] This is a plan view showing the main body of the lifting and polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 156] This is a perspective view showing the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 157] This is a perspective view of the supply trough according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 158] This is a plan view showing a supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 159] This is a bottom view showing the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 160] This is a front view showing the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 161] This is a left side view showing a supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 162] This is a right side view showing the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 163] This is a front view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof of the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 164] This is a left side view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 165] This is a left side view of the supply trough according to this embodiment, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of it at a different position. [Figure 166] This is a left side view of the supply trough according to this embodiment, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of it at a different position. [Figure 167] This is a left side view of the supply trough according to this embodiment, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of it at a different position. [Figure 168] This is an exploded perspective view showing the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 169] This is an exploded perspective view of the supply trough according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 170] This is a perspective view showing the replenishment trough and support bracket according to this embodiment. [Figure 171] This is a perspective view from below of the supply trough and support bracket according to this embodiment. [Figure 172] This is a front view showing the replenishment trough and support bracket according to this embodiment. [Figure 173] This is a plan view showing the replenishment trough and support bracket according to this embodiment. [Figure 174] This is a magnified perspective view showing the support bracket for the replenishment trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 175] This is a plan view showing the flow of game balls in the supply path of the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 176]This is a plan view showing the flow state of game balls moving along the drop path of the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 177] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the overlapping behavior of game balls in the supply trough according to this embodiment. [Figure 178] This is a perspective view showing the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 179] This is a perspective view of the storage tank according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 180] This is a front view showing a storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 181] This is a plan view showing a storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 182] This is a bottom view showing the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 183] This is a left side view showing the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 184] This is a right side view showing the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 185] These are a perspective view and a side view showing the shutter of the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 186] This is a plan view showing the operation of the shutter of the storage tank according to this embodiment. [Figure 187] Figure 186 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA and a partially enlarged view of that line. [Figure 188] This is a perspective view showing the lower sieve member according to this embodiment. [Figure 189] This is a perspective view of the lower sieve member according to this embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 190] This is a front view showing the lower sieve member according to this embodiment. [Figure 191] This is a plan view showing the lower sieve member according to this embodiment. [Figure 192] This is a bottom view showing the lower sieve member according to this embodiment. [Figure 193] These are perspective views, front views, and plan views showing combination patterns of stud members according to this embodiment. [Figure 194]These are perspective views, front views, and plan views showing other combination patterns of the stud members according to this embodiment. [Figure 195] This is a perspective view showing the combination patterns of the stud brackets according to this embodiment. [Figure 196] This is a perspective view showing another combination pattern of the stud brackets according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figures 1 to 37 are drawings relating to the amusement machine island 1. Figures 38 to 67 are drawings relating to the units 10 that make up the amusement machine island 1. Figures 68 to 110 are drawings relating to the rails 20 on which the units 10 are installed. Figures 111 to 118 are drawings relating to the replenishment device 100 housed in the unit 10. Figures 119 to 155 are drawings relating to the lifting and polishing device 30. Figures 156 to 177 are drawings relating to the replenishment trough 50. Figures 178 to 192 are drawings relating to the storage tank 40. Figures 193 to 196 are drawings relating to the intermediate column members 106.

[0009] In each figure, the relative dimensions and shapes of the components may differ from those shown in the actual figures, as they may be subject to design modifications. Furthermore, the scale ratios in each figure are not necessarily the same. Also, hatching is partially omitted in the cross-sectional views. The components, shapes, and numerical values ​​shown in this embodiment are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Each component will now be described in detail.

[0010] <Overview of Gaming Machine Island 1> First, let me explain the overview of Gaming Machine Island 1. As shown in Figures 1 to 9, the gaming island 1 consists of one or more units 10 installed on the floor, and each unit 10 houses a gaming machine 2 as well as gaming-related equipment described later, such as a lifting and polishing device 30, a storage tank 40, a supply trough 50, etc. The units 10 that make up the gaming island 1 correspond to individual islands that are independent of each gaming machine 2.

[0011] Unit 10 is configured to allow the installation of multiple types of gaming machines 2 on a one-unit basis. Examples of multiple types of gaming machines 2 include pachinko machines 2A and pachislot machines 2B. In this embodiment, two types of gaming machines 2 are given as examples: pachinko machines 2A and pachislot machines 2B, but the configuration is not limited to these two types. When referring to pachinko machines 2A and pachislot machines 2B collectively, they are simply referred to as gaming machines 2. Panel-shaped ceiling decorative panels 6 and side wall decorative panels 7 are attached to the ceiling and side walls of the entire gaming machine island 1 formed by combining units 10. In addition, heavy-duty casters may be provided at the bottom of unit 10 to allow for movement.

[0012] Pachinko machine 2A uses game balls (pachinko balls) as the game medium for gameplay. As shown in Figure 1, pachinko machine 2A is equipped with a handle 4 for launching game balls onto the game board 3, a tray 5 for storing game balls, etc. Adjacent to pachinko machine 2A, there is an inter-machine service machine (card unit) 8 that dispenses game balls by accepting banknotes or cashless payment media (credit cards, debit cards, electronic money cards, smartphones (contactless IC payment, 2D barcode payment), etc.). Pachinko machine 2A has different external dimensions from pachislo machine 2B, which will be described next, and in particular, the handle 4 is positioned lower on the machine.

[0013] Pachislo machine 2B uses tokens as a game medium, but in this embodiment, it does not use actual tokens, but rather virtual tokens that are counted as data (a tokenless machine). Pachislo machine 2B has a screen that can display each of the rotating reels and virtual tokens, as well as an operating section (not shown) with buttons to rotate and stop each of the reels on the screen. Such a pachislo machine 2B has different external dimensions from the pachinko machine 2A described above, and in particular, the operating section is located near the center of the overall height.

[0014] The gaming machine island 1 shown in Figures 1 to 9 consists of two units 10 arranged side by side, with inter-unit members 60 installed between each unit 10. Furthermore, the two units 10 are arranged back-to-back in two rows, front and back. Thus, the gaming machine island 1 comprises a total of four units 10. In this arrangement, the two units 10 in each row house the same type of gaming machine 2. However, as shown in Figure 33, the units 10 arranged side by side may house different types of gaming machines 2 on the left and right sides.

[0015] <Unit 10> As shown in Figures 38 to 45, the unit 10 is formed in the shape of a case frame with vertically elongated rectangular openings on its front and back, and has a pair of left and right side plates 11, 11 as its basic structure. Here, the side plates 11 correspond to the "side portion" of the present invention. Openings 110 are provided at the lower ends of both side plates 11, 11, which form part of the mounting structure for the rail 20 described later.

[0016] Furthermore, a handle hole 111 is provided above the opening 110. Because of this handle hole 111, the unit 10 can be easily carried during installation. The handle hole 111 is located inside the unit 11 in a position where it will not be affected by ball spillage, that is, in a position where there is no risk of balls spilling out to the outside. Specifically, for example, the position of the handle hole 111 could be below the top plate member 13. In the case of a sealed-type gaming machine, since balls will not spill, the position of the handle hole 111 may be set above the top plate portion 13 and below the notch portion 112.

[0017] The upper halves of both side panels 11, 11 are provided with notches 112 cut out from the rear edge. When the units 11 are assembled back-to-back, the notches 112 come together to form a single opening 112a (see Figure 63(a)). This opening 112a serves as a space for arranging gaming equipment (such as a transport device) that penetrates the central part of the width of the gaming island 1 as a whole.

[0018] Conventional single-island layouts did not anticipate the arrangement of related equipment to be connected between individual islands, and therefore, there were no openings of any kind that could accommodate a banknote transport device connected between individual islands. Here, the banknote transport device is a device for transporting banknotes inserted into, for example, the inter-machine service machine 8 to a banknote storage section provided at the end of the gaming machine island. However, if the inter-machine service machine 8 lends out gaming balls via cashless payment, the notch 112 that serves as the space for the banknote transport device does not need to be provided.

[0019] The interior of unit 10 is designed to accommodate multiple types of gaming machines 2 with different external dimensions. In this embodiment, unit 10 is configured to accommodate pachinko machines 2A and pachislot machines 2B, each in a separate layout. As shown in Figure 52, the interior of unit 10 is divided from bottom to top into, for example, a storage section 101, a replacement / arrangement section 102, and a gaming machine arrangement section 103, by approximately horizontal partition members 121 and 122 that form shelves, and a top plate member 13.

[0020] As shown in Figures 52 and 53, the lower partition member 121 has a width on both sides and a depth that traverses the interior of the lower side of the unit 10, and has sufficient strength to support the related equipment, the lifting and polishing device 30 described later, and is formed in the shape of a flat plate, for example, out of wood. The upper partition member 122 has a narrower depth than the partition member 121, and is used to directly support the top plate member 13, or to support the top plate member 13 via the lower support member 15.

[0021] The top plate member 13 is for mounting the gaming machine 2 and is wider in depth than the partition members 121 and 122. As shown in Figures 46 to 49, the top plate member 13 is basically made of wood and is formed in a flat shape, but the front half of its upper surface is covered with a metal plate 130. The surface of this metal plate is knurled. That is, the surface of the metal plate 130 has fine irregularities that extend parallel to the depth direction of the unit 10, which can reduce sliding resistance in particular when placing the pachislo machine 2B on it. Note that the metal plate 130 does not need to be fixed to the surface of the top plate member 13, and can be pressed down from above, for example, by a retaining bar 133 (see Figure 46) installed between the two side plates 11, 11.

[0022] In Figure 52, the storage section 101 within the unit 10 is an internal space that extends from the floor between the two side panels 11, 11, or from a bottom panel (not shown) installed on the floor as needed, through a partition member 121 positioned at a predetermined height between the two side panels 11, 11, and further up to a partition member 122 positioned above. Of the storage section 101, the space from the floor (bottom panel) to the upper partition member 121 is used to house related equipment that is not in use.

[0023] Furthermore, the space within the storage section 101 from partition member 121 to the partition member 122 above it serves as the storage space for the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30. Here, the lifting and polishing device 30 is used only with the pachinko machine 2A, but it is fixed so that it remains in the storage section 101 above partition member 121 even when it is replaced with the pachislo machine 2B. Therefore, partition members 121 and 122 are fixed horizontally to their respective positions between the side plates 11.

[0024] In the storage section 101, the space other than the polishing device 30 can accommodate, for example, a storage tank 40 and a supply trough 50 which are unnecessary in the pachislo machine 2B, as well as components such as the upper mounting member 16 and lower mounting member 15, which will be described later. As a result, there is no need to share the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 15, so even if the height of the top of the gaming machine 2 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachislo machine 2B, the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislo machine 2B can be installed interchangeably without any problems. In addition, container-shaped components such as the storage tank 40 can be used as small storage for related parts, such as the counter 8a, thereby preventing the loss of small parts.

[0025] The exchangeable equipment section 102 is the internal space between the partition member 122 and the top plate member 13 above it, between the two side plates 11, 11, and its height is maintained by the lower equipment member 15, which will be described later, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 53. The exchangeable equipment section 102 houses the storage tank 40, which is related equipment for the pachinko machine 2A, but the storage tank 40 is not required for the pachislo machine 2B. Therefore, the exchangeable equipment section 102 is not required when the pachislo machine 2B is installed in unit 10, and is integrated into the upper gaming machine equipment section 103.

[0026] In other words, as shown in the left unit 10 in Figure 53, by removing the lower mounting member 15 and the storage tank 40 and placing the top plate member 13 on the partition member 122, the gaming machine mounting section 103 becomes an area including the exchange mounting section 102, and the installation height of the gaming machine 2 can be changed to a lower position. Such a gaming machine mounting section 103 including the exchange mounting section 102 is suitable for housing a pachislo machine 2B.

[0027] As shown in Figures 46 and 47, the top plate member 13 is installed via a mounting bracket 131 that is installed between the two side plates 11, 11, and its height position can be changed. That is, the mounting position of the mounting bracket 131 installed between the two side plates 11, 11 can be changed to a position for the pachislo machine 2B on the partition member 122 and a position for the pachinko machine 2A on the lower mounting member 15 placed on the partition member 122. Changing the mounting position of the mounting bracket 131 here is best done using the same engaging parts 12a and 12b as in the case of the upper mounting member 127 which will be described later.

[0028] Furthermore, although both ends of the mounting bracket 131 are exposed on the inner surfaces of the side panels 11, 11 on the top plate member 13, these parts are all set to fit within a clearance K (see Figure 12(c)) that is hidden behind the frame edge of the frame member 113, which will be described later. In this way, the mounting bracket 131 for changing the position of the top plate member 13 when changing the gaming machine 2 inside the unit 10 is housed inside the frame members 113 that form both ends of the front opening of the unit 10.

[0029] As a result, in the front opening of unit 10, there are no other members that protrude inward beyond the edge of the frame member 11 from the inner surface of the side panel 11 when viewed from the front. Therefore, when introducing the gaming machine 2 itself or related equipment through the front opening of unit 10, there is no risk of interference with other members, and installation can be carried out efficiently. If other members such as fasteners were to protrude, they would interfere with the gaming machine 2 itself or other related equipment, requiring the use of extra studs or other gap fillers in the available space for installation.

[0030] Therefore, not only is it more expensive, but in some cases it is necessary to check each time what can be installed, which is inconvenient. Thus, the configuration in which other members do not protrude inward beyond the edge of the frame member 11 from the inner surface of the side panel 11 is not limited to the mounting location of the top plate member 13, but is also the same for the mounting locations of all members to the inner surface of the side panels 11, 11, including the upper mounting member 127 described later and the partition members 121, 122 mentioned above.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 53, when the top plate member 13 is in the position for the pachinko machine 2A, an upper partition member 128 is superimposed on the rear half of the top plate member 13 to form a stepped section. Here, the rear end of the upper partition member 128 is also held down from above by a retaining bracket 132 installed between the two side plates 11, 11. Since the depth of the pachinko machine 2A is relatively narrow, the body of the pachinko machine 2A is placed on the upper partition member 128 on the rear half of the top plate member 13, and the front half of the top plate member 13 becomes a space for placing ball boxes or for players to use individually. With the pachinko machine 2A on the top plate member 13 in this position, the handle 4 is at a height that is easy for players to operate.

[0032] On the other hand, because the pachislo machine 2B has a large depth, it cannot be accommodated by the top panel member 13 alone. Therefore, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 50, the movable back panel 190, which is part of the back panel 19 (described later), is removed and positioned horizontally so as to be connected to the rear edge of the top panel member 13. The pachislo machine 2B is then placed on the entire movable back panel 190 and the top panel member 13. With the pachislo machine 2B on the top panel member 13 in this position, the control panel is at a height that is easy for the player to operate.

[0033] As shown in Figure 38, etc., at the top of the unit 10, an upper front member 125 and an upper rear member 126 are installed between the upper ends of the two side plates 11, 11, arranged front to back. Also, below the upper front member 125 between the two side plates 11, 11, an upper mounting member 127 having a predetermined depth width is installed. The upper mounting member 127 is the part where related equipment such as the supply trough 50, which will be described later, is installed. The upper mounting member 127 is formed as a narrow plate shape extending horizontally in both directions, for example, made of wood, and a metal flange rising to a predetermined height is provided along its front edge.

[0034] The height position of the upper mounting member 127 can be changed. Specifically, the inner surfaces of both side plates 11, 11 are provided with engaging portions 12a and 12b that, for example, provide two levels of positioning, upper and lower. Each engaging portion 12a and 12b consists of a positioning material formed in the shape of a vertical plate, having a thickness and depth that allows the edge of the upper mounting member 127 to be placed on it. With both ends of the upper mounting member 127 placed on the upper edges of the opposing engaging portions 12a and 12b on the inner surfaces of both side plates 11, 11, it can be fixed with a fixing device 12c such as a bracket.

[0035] The upper mounting member 127 is used to install the supply trough 50 used in the pachinko machine 2A. In this case, as shown in the left unit 10 in Figure 52, it is fixed in a lower position (above the engaging portion 12a) by the height of the supply trough 50. On the other hand, since the supply trough 50 is not required for the pachislo machine 2B, the upper mounting member 127 can be mounted in an upper position (above the engaging portion 12b) as shown in the right unit 10 in Figure 52.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 33, 57, etc., unit 10 has a lower mounting member 15 positioned below the pachinko machine 2A and an upper mounting member 16 positioned above the pachislo machine 2B. The upper mounting member 16 is made of a metal such as aluminum and is formed in a panel shape, and is positioned vertically between the two side panels 11, 11 so as to cover the front opening on the upper partition member 128 of unit 10. The lower mounting member 15, as also shown in Figure 53, is a member with a roughly L-shaped cross-section that has a bottom wall and side walls that allow its front wall to stand on its own, and is made of a combination of wooden boards, for example.

[0037] Furthermore, the upper mounting member 16 is provided with a banknote insertion slot 16a, and a banknote identification machine (not shown) is installed inside. As a result, the height of the upper mounting member 16 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 of the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 of the pachislo machine 2B. However, as mentioned above, since a storage section 101 capable of housing either the upper mounting member 16 or the lower mounting member 15 is provided, there is no need to share the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 15, so the pachinko machine 2A and the pachislo machine 2B can be converted and installed without any problems.

[0038] The upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 15 are detachably attached without the use of fastening means such as screws. When a pachinko machine 2A is installed in unit 10, the storage tank 40 is housed in the replacement mounting section 102 (see Figure 52), and the front side of this replacement mounting section 102 is covered by the lower mounting member 15. On the other hand, when a pachislo machine 2B is installed in unit 10, the storage tank 40 and the lower mounting member 15 are removed from the replacement mounting section 102 and housed in the storage section 101. At this time, the upper front side of the pachislo machine 2B is covered by the upper mounting member 16 that was housed in the storage section 101. The specific mounting structure of the upper mounting member 16 will be described later.

[0039] On the front side of unit 10, as shown in Figure 33, a waist panel member 17 is provided below the lower arrangement member 15. The waist panel member 17 is made of wood, for example, and is formed in a flat shape. The waist panel member 17 is positioned between the two side panels 11, 11 so as to cover the lifting and polishing device 30 housed on the partition member 121 on the upper half of the storage section 101 (see Figure 52). The waist panel member 17 is installed so that it can be opened, for example, with the lower edge as the pivot point and the upper edge opening forward, in order to be opened during maintenance and inspection of the lifting and polishing device 30.

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

[0041] As an alternative mounting structure for the waist panel member 17, for example, a long groove (not shown) may be formed along both side edges of the waist panel member 17, and a rotating shaft that is slidably and rotatably fitted into this long groove may be provided on the inside of the front ends of both side plates 11, 11 or on the frame member 113. With such a configuration, the waist panel member 17 can be slid open, and it is also possible to slide the waist panel member 17 into the unit 10 and store it in the open state.

[0042] On the front side of unit 10, as shown in Figure 33, etc., the lowest position members 171 and 172 are provided, for example, vertically below the waist panel member 17. The lowest position members 171 and 172 are, for example, made of metal and formed in a panel shape, and are positioned between the two side panels 11, 11 so as to cover the space on the lower half side of the storage section 101 (see Figure 52) (below the partition member 121). Since the lowest position members 171 and 172 are opened less frequently than the waist panel member 17, a mounting structure that allows for attachment and detachment is sufficient even if they cannot be opened and closed.

[0043] Furthermore, in unit 10, a fascia member 18 is provided on the upper front side between the two side panels 11, 11. The fascia member 18 is, for example, made of metal and formed in a panel shape, and closes the opening above the upper mounting member 127. In the layout for installing the pachislo machine 2B, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 33, the fascia member 18 is connected vertically to the upper mounting member 16.

[0044] As shown in detail in Figure 62, the fascia board member 18 is a panel-like shape with a thin plate cross-section, and is formed with a cross-sectional shape that includes an attachment piece 181 that bends at a right angle backward along the upper edge with a predetermined width, and a lower end piece 182 that bends at a right angle backward along the lower edge with a shorter width. However, the fascia board member 18 may also be formed as a flat plate from, for example, wood, or, as described above with respect to the wainscoting member 17, as a flat plate of a predetermined thickness by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum.

[0045] Furthermore, the fascia board member 18 may also be attached in a way that allows it to be opened and closed, similar to the lower panel member 17 described above. That is, for example, a pair of rotating shafts projecting laterally may be provided at both ends of the upper edge of the fascia board member 18, and it may be attached to the inside of the front ends of both side panels 11, 11 or to the frame member 113 described later, via these rotating shafts, so as to be opened and closed. Moreover, as another mounting structure for the fascia board member 18, similar to the case of the lower panel member 17 described above, for example, long grooves (not shown) may be formed along both side edges of the fascia board member 18, and rotating shafts that can slide and rotate relative to these long grooves may be provided on the inside of the front ends of both side panels 11, 11 or to the frame member 113.

[0046] This allows the fascia board member 18 to be detached and reused, and because it is located on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it also allows for horizontal reinforcement of the unit 10. Therefore, by using this mounting structure for the fascia board member 18, the horizontal strength of the unit 10 can be improved, while the assembly and disassembly of the unit 10 can be performed more easily compared to conventional gaming machine islands.

[0047] Furthermore, the fascia board member 18 is located at a height that is easily visible to players, and is therefore important in the design of the gaming machine island 1. For this reason, the surface of the fascia board member 18 can be the appearance of the material itself or simply painted, but if the surface of the fascia board member 18 is configured to allow for easy attachment of decorative panels or sheets, the design of the fascia board member 18 can be easily changed. As for the configuration for attaching sheets, for example, slits or hooks can be provided at the upper and lower ends of the surface of the fascia board member 18, allowing the upper and lower ends of the sheets to be inserted into each other.

[0048] In Figure 52, when a pachislo machine 2B is installed in unit 10, as shown in the right-hand unit 10, an upper partition member 128 that separates the upper end of the gaming machine placement section 103 is installed between the two side plates 11, 11. The upper partition member 128, like the partition members 121 and 122, is formed in the shape of a flat plate, for example, out of wood, and is detachably positioned between the two side plates 11, 11. Here, the mounting structure of the upper partition member 128 should also be configured to be detachable solely by the engagement relationship between the members, without using fastening means such as screws.

[0049] As shown in Figure 62(c), the lower edge of the upper arranging member 16 engages with the front end of the upper partition member 128, and a groove 128a is formed along the front end of the upper partition member 128 into which the lower edge of the upper arranging member 16 can be detachably fitted. On the other hand, the upper edge of the upper arranging member 16 engages with the lower end piece 182 of the fascia board member 18, and a groove 183 is formed along this lower end piece 182 into which the upper edge of the upper arranging member 16 can be detachably fitted. As a result, the upper arranging member 16 can be detachably attached between the fascia board member 18 and the upper partition member 128 without using fastening means such as screws.

[0050] With this mounting structure for the upper mounting member 16, the upper mounting member 16 cannot be removed without lifting the fascia board member 18. The upper mounting member 16 is important for preventing tampering as it conceals the supply gutter 50, which will be described later, but the aforementioned mounting structure eliminates the need to secure it with a lock or simply fix it with a magnet to prevent it from opening. In addition, regarding the mounting structure for the upper mounting member 16 or the fascia board member 18, a gap large enough to allow light to leak through may be deliberately provided between the edges on both sides of each and the inner surface of each side panel 11, so that, for example, the light from an alarm lamp in the unit 10 that signals the occurrence of some kind of error illuminates the frame member 113 through the gap to provide notification.

[0051] This makes it possible to inform arcade staff of the occurrence of any kind of error (for example, a supply error described later) through indirect lighting, without having to install an obvious alarm lamp on the outside of unit 10. In addition, it is conceivable to install, for example, optical fibers between the edges on both sides of the upper mounting member 16 or the fascia member 18 and the inner surface of each side panel 11, instead of an alarm lamp, and to illuminate when an error occurs.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 40, in unit 10, the lower half of the rear opening between the two side panels 11, 11 is covered by a rear panel 19. The rear panel 19 is, for example, made of wood and formed in a flat shape, and is a rectangle that fits below the height position of the partition member 122 between the two side panels 11, 11, and is mounted vertically. Immediately above this rear panel 19, a movable rear panel 190, which is narrow in vertical width and extends in both directions, is arranged integrally.

[0053] The movable back panel 190 can be removed from the top of the back panel 19 and can be positioned horizontally in a manner connected to the rear edge of the top panel member 13, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 56. The main body of the pachislo machine 2B, which has a large depth, can be placed on the entire movable back panel 190 and top panel member 13. The surfaces of the movable back panel 190 and top panel member 13 are horizontally connected on the same plane, and in this case, the upper partition member 128 is positioned above the pachislo machine 2B.

[0054] With the unit 10 described above, it becomes possible to easily change the type of gaming machine 2 for each unit 10. In particular, in both the conversion from pachinko machine 2A to pachislot machine 2B, and vice versa, all the necessary configurations can be obtained by changing the arrangement of each component within the same unit 10, or by using components stored within that unit 10.

[0055] In particular, with this unit 10, even when switching from a pachinko machine 2A to a pachislo machine 2B, it is unnecessary to remove the lifting and polishing device 30, and the exchange work for the pachislo machine 2B can be performed even with the lifting and polishing device 30 left in the storage unit 101. This significantly reduces the time required to exchange the gaming machine 2. In addition, the storage tank 40, which has been removed from the exchange and placement unit 102 in order to expand the gaming machine placement unit 103 of the pachislo machine 2B, can be stored in the empty space at the bottom of the storage unit 101 without having to prepare a separate storage location.

[0056] Furthermore, if the pachinko machine is a sealed-type pachinko machine that circulates the game balls launched onto the game board, it can be handled in the same way as the swapping of the pachislot machine 2B and the pachinko machine 2A described above. In the case of a sealed-type pachinko machine, the lifting and polishing device 30 is not necessary, but even when changing from pachinko machine 2A to a sealed-type pachinko machine, the unit 10 can be used with or without the lifting and polishing device 30 and the storage tank 40 installed inside the unit 10.

[0057] While there have been gaming island layouts that allow for the rearrangement of gaming machine types, the components used for the layout and other island configurations corresponding to each type of gaming machine had to be procured separately or brought in from a different storage location each time. Therefore, with conventional gaming island layouts, rearranging the types of gaming machines was ultimately troublesome due to the procurement of necessary components, resulting in increased costs.

[0058] In particular, conventional gaming machine islands do not take into account the handling of the replenishment device 100 (see Figure 111), which includes the lifting and polishing device 30. For example, in a typical gaming machine island that is not a standalone island, there is always a designated space inside the island for installing the lifting and polishing device 30 and storage tank 40, which are part of the replenishment device 100. However, when rearranging the gaming machine 2 in such a gaming machine island, it was difficult to make adjustments such as changing the installation space of the replenishment device 100. Furthermore, when rearranging the gaming machine 2, it was necessary to prepare a separate place to store the various parts that were no longer needed.

[0059] <Frame member 113> As shown in Figures 46 to 49, the unit 10 is equipped with frame members 113 erected on both sides. The frame members 113 are fixed so as to stand vertically along the front edges of both side plates 11, 11. The frame members 113 are equipped with grooves 113a that open outward in the vertical direction. As will be described later, both ends of the inter-base members 60 are detachably fitted into the grooves 113a of the frame members 113 that face each other between adjacent units 10.

[0060] This allows the inter-unit member 60 to be detached and reused, and because it is located on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it also allows for horizontal reinforcement of the unit 10. Therefore, by using this mounting structure for the inter-unit member 60, the horizontal strength of the unit 10 can be improved, while the assembly and disassembly of the unit 10 can be performed more easily compared to conventional gaming machine islands.

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

[0062] The pair of flanges facing each other across the opening groove of the frame member 113 have one flange that extends longer than the other. Therefore, one end of the fixing portion 114 on the side with the longer flange is located further away from the reference surfaces (outer or inner surfaces) on both sides of the side plate 11 than the other end of the fixing portion 114 on the side with the shorter flange. This separated end of the fixing portion 114 is located on the inner surface side of the side plate 11, not the outer surface side, and forms a frame edge that protrudes into the front opening of the unit 10. A clearance K is formed between this frame edge and the inner surface of the side portion 11, so that other members attached to the inner surface are hidden behind the frame edge when viewed from the front.

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

[0064] Such a frame member 113 can be attached to the side panel 11 simply by sliding it from one end, without using any fastening means such as screws. Therefore, the installation of the frame member 113 during the construction or assembly of the unit 10 can be easily performed. In addition, the frame member 113 can be easily replaced if it is damaged or if the design is changed.

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

[0066] As shown in Figures 15 and 13, the inter-base member 60 is a vertically elongated rectangle in front view, its width is wider than the distance between the edges of the frame members 113 on both sides of each unit 10, and it is designed to be insertable between the grooves 113a on both sides while tilted diagonally from the front side of the frame members 113 around the vertical panel centerline. In other words, the inter-base member 60 can be inserted into the front opening of the unit 10 by shifting it diagonally from the front side, as shown in Figure 11, without having to insert it into each groove 113a on both sides from above.

[0067] As shown in Figures 14 and 12, the inter-base member 60 is inserted between the grooves 113a on both sides and then positioned parallel to the front surface between each frame member 113 (the front opening of the unit 10), so that when viewed from the front, both side edges of the inter-base member 60 are hidden within the grooves 113a on both sides. At this time, both lower ends of the inter-base member 60 fit between the stoppers 254 on the anchor 25, which will be described later, and are positioned in this configuration. In other words, the inter-base member 60 can be positioned in the central location where both side edges are hidden within the grooves 113a by moving it from side to side while slightly lifting it, and dropping it into the step between the stoppers 254 on both sides.

[0068] In this way, the inter-unit member 60 can be attached and detached without using fastening means such as screws, due to its engagement with the structure of the unit 10 itself, namely the frame member 113, etc. Therefore, attaching and detaching the inter-unit member 60 can be done very easily, reducing working time and costs. In particular, attaching the inter-unit member 60 between units 10 can be easily done from the front side of the unit 10 without having to lift the inter-unit member 60 above the unit 10.

[0069] Between each unit 10, inter-unit members 60 can be installed through the top and bottom. Of course, the layout can be freely set depending on how the units 10 are connected. In conventional gaming island systems, for example, there are some that allow the layout between individual islands to be freely set, but the individual members placed between each individual island are large and of different shapes and are combined. On the other hand, the inter-unit members 60 are relatively small, plate-shaped members that not only allow the layout to be freely set, but can also be easily installed integrally between each unit 10, are easy to remove and replace, and enhance the decorative appeal with a unified design.

[0070] Furthermore, in conventional gaming machine layouts, for example, when connecting individual machines with panel-like components, the use of fastening means such as screws is assumed, leading to an increase in the number of parts and installation time. Also, if the panel-like components are simply inserted from above, the panels must be lifted above the gaming machine island when attaching or detaching them. Therefore, not only is the attachment and detachment of the panel-like components difficult, but there is also the problem that attachment and detachment may not be possible in installation locations with low ceilings.

[0071] The inter-table member 60 is not limited to wood; it may also be formed into a flat plate of a predetermined thickness by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum. Patterns and colors can be added to the surface of the inter-table member 60 by printing or other means to create a desired design, and it may be possible to use it reversibly with different designs on the front and back. Of course, like the decorative panels 6 and 7 described above, multiple types of inter-table members 60 may be prepared in advance and replaced as needed. As shown in Figure 10, a narrow cover member 601 that is long in the direction of both sides is placed over the upper edge of the inter-table member 60, and cap members 602 for fixing the cover member 601 are fitted onto the upper ends of the frame members 113 located on both ends of the cover member 601.

[0072] <Connecting member 61> The gaming machine island 1A shown in Figures 16 to 24 has three units 10 arranged side by side. There are no inter-unit members 60 between the units 10, and the units 10 are connected to each other by connecting members 61. Furthermore, the three units 10 are arranged back-to-back in two rows, front and back. Thus, the gaming machine island 1A has a total of six units 10. In this arrangement, three units 10 in each row are housed with the same type of gaming machine 2, but different types of gaming machines 2 may be housed in each unit 10.

[0073] As shown in Figures 25 to 32, the connecting member 61 is a frame for connecting the side panels 11 of adjacent units 10 in a close proximity. The connecting member 61 includes a lower frame guide 62 and an upper frame guide 63 for attachment between the front edges of each side panel 11. The connecting member 61, like the inter-unit member 60, corresponds to the "inter-unit member" of the present invention that is installed between each unit 10. Furthermore, the lower frame guide 62 and the upper frame guide 63 alone also correspond to the "inter-unit member" of the present invention that is installed between each unit 10.

[0074] As shown in Figure 32, the connecting member 61 is formed as a metal frame with a roughly U-shaped cross-section, so as to cover the lower frame guide 62 and upper frame guide 63, which are joined together at the front edges of the adjacent side plates 11. The connecting member 61 is set to have a length that spans the entire height of the unit 10 and is made of an extruded product such as aluminum. The connecting member 61 can be attached so as to cover the front edges of each side plate 11, including the lower frame guide 62 and upper frame guide 63.

[0075] As shown in Figure 31, the lower frame guide 62 is formed as a metal frame with a roughly U-shaped cross-section that engages with the outward-facing dovetail grooves 11a of the front edge of each adjacent side plate 11 and covers each front edge. In addition, a partition wall 621 with a roughly T-shaped cross-section is provided in the inner center of the opening groove of the lower frame guide 62, which engages with the inward-facing dovetail grooves 11a of each front edge. The front edges of each adjacent side plate 11 can be joined by this lower frame guide 62. The upper frame guide 63 is also basically formed as a frame with a roughly U-shaped cross-section similar to the lower frame guide 62, but it is equipped with a stopper 631 (see Figure 29) at its upper end.

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

[0077] As shown in Figures 27 and 28, after attaching the lower frame guide 62 to the front edge of each side panel 11, the connecting member 61 is fitted by inserting it into the gap between the lower frame guide 62 and each side panel 11 from above the lower frame guide 62 (see Figure 32). Then, the connecting member 61 is slid downward. When the connecting member 61 moves to the lower end of each unit 10, it is configured to be positioned and fixed in that position to a detachable structure, such as the base member 22 described later, similar to the lower frame guide 62.

[0078] The connecting member 61 is a long member that extends across the entire height of the unit 10. However, when attaching it between the front edges of each side panel 11 and to the lower frame guide 62, it is sufficient to attach it from above the lower frame guide 62 without having to lift it up to the top of the unit 10. In other words, as shown in Figure 32, the connecting member 61 can be easily attached directly from the front of the unit 10 to the front edges of each side panel 11 that are not covered by the lower frame guide 62. This makes it possible to attach and detach the connecting member 61 to the front edges of each side panel 11 without any problems, even in installation locations with low ceilings.

[0079] As shown in Figures 29 and 30, after attaching the connecting member 61 between the front edges of each side plate 11, the upper frame guide 63 is inserted into the dovetail grooves 11a, 11a on both sides from above the front edges of each side plate 11, similar to the lower frame guide 62, and then slid downward. A stopper 631 is provided at the upper end of the upper frame guide 63, and when the stopper 631 moves to a position where it covers the upper side of the front edges of each side plate 11, the attachment of the connecting member 61 is complete. The upper frame guide 63 is also a relatively short member, so it can be easily handled from above each side plate 11. The attachment of the connecting member 61 as described above can be done solely by the engagement relationship between the members, without using fastening means such as screws.

[0080] This allows the connecting member 61 to be detached and reused, and because it is located on the front side of the gaming machine 2, it also allows for horizontal reinforcement of the unit 10. Therefore, by using this mounting structure for the connecting member 61, the horizontal strength of the unit 10 can be improved, while the assembly and disassembly of the unit 10 can be performed more easily compared to conventional gaming machine islands.

[0081] <Island-attached device 9> In the gaming machine island 1B shown in Figures 34 to 37, two units 10 are installed side-by-side on the front side of the back-to-back arrangement, and three units 10 are installed side-by-side on the rear side of the back-to-back arrangement, similar to the gaming machine island 1A (see Figure 16) mentioned above. Thus, the number of units 10 differs between the front and back sides of the back-to-back arrangement. On the front side, where there are fewer units 10, an island accessory device 9 is placed between each unit 10 to create a personal space for the player seated in front of each gaming machine 2.

[0082] The island attachment device 9 includes an installation section following the top plate member 13 for individual use by players, and shelves above it for storing personal belongings. A panel-shaped partition 9a that separates the front of the units 10 is also provided as an option. Specifically, such an island attachment device 9 could utilize, for example, the invention described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-210798, which has already been proposed by the present applicant. Therefore, a detailed explanation of the island attachment device 9 is omitted here, but the island attachment device 9 can also be interpreted as the "inter-unit member" of the present invention.

[0083] <Fastening member 70> As shown in Figures 63 to 67, the units 10 can be assembled back to back. That is, the units 10 can be assembled by butting the rear edges of the respective side plates 11, 11 together and fastening the fastening members 70 from the inner side, near the lower part of the notches 112 in each side plate 11, and screwing them in place. The fastening members 70 are, for example, made of metal and formed in the shape of a thin rectangular plate. Multiple screw holes are arranged along the upper and lower ends of the fastening member 70, parallel to the depth direction of the unit 10. This allows the position where the fastening members 70 are screwed to each back-to-back side plate 11 to be adjusted as appropriate.

[0084] When the units 11 are placed back to back, the notches 112 of each unit 11 come together to form a single opening 112a. This opening 112a provides space for the placement of gaming equipment (such as a transport device) that penetrates the central part of the width of the gaming island 1 as a whole. However, the back-to-back units 10 do not necessarily have to butt against each other; for example, as shown in Figure 53, they may be placed spaced apart from each other.

[0085] By combining Unit 10 back to back, it is possible to play games from both the front and back sides as a double-sided island. Furthermore, the installation area on the floor is increased, improving stability and enhancing the overall rigidity of the island. In addition, the Unit 10 combined back to back is not limited to one unit each at the front and back; as mentioned above, multiple Unit 10s can be combined back to back in rows, such as two units (see Figure 1) or three units (see Figure 16), arranged side by side.

[0086] Furthermore, the back-to-back units 10 are not necessarily limited to those of the same shape; for example, units 10 of different heights may be combined. In this case, any height difference between the units 10 may be compensated for by, for example, placing another structure to make the overall height the same. In addition, at least one of the front and rear back-to-back units 10 may be provided with another back panel to cover the rear opening above the normally provided back panel 19 and the movable back panel 190 above it. This prevents foreign matter from entering from the unit 10 behind.

[0087] For a similar reason, it is advisable to provide a contaminant on the back side of unit 10 to prevent foreign objects from flying in from back-to-back units 10 or adjacent units 10. Here, the contaminant is a flexible, flat material that can widely cover the back opening of unit 10, which is advantageous because it can be easily opened like a curtain during maintenance. Therefore, a sheet-like net material such as mesh is suitable as the contaminant.

[0088] <Rail 20> As shown in Figures 68 to 71, the unit 10 of this embodiment is fixed to the floor of a gaming establishment or the like via a rail 20. Here, the unit 10 is movable along the longitudinal direction of the rail 20 and can be fixed at any installation position on the rail 20. The rail 20 comprises a rail member 21 fixed to the floor side and serving as a reference for the installation position of the unit 10, and a base member 22 fixed to the lower end side of the unit 10 and movably engaging with the rail member 21.

[0089] With rails 20 like these, the installation position of the unit 10 can be easily adjusted along the rail members 21 on the floor. Therefore, the workload at the construction site of the gaming machine island 1 can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, even after the gaming machine island 1 has been assembled, it is possible to adjust the installation position of each unit 10 or the entire gaming machine island 1. Therefore, the arrangement and layout of the gaming machine island 1 can be easily changed, allowing for the redecoration of the gaming store.

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

[0091] As shown in Figures 82 to 87, the rail member 21 is formed from a metal material with a groove-shaped cross-section that is open on the upper side along its longitudinal direction. Here, the upper side of the rail member 21 is formed as a pair of flanges that are bent inward from the upper edges of both side walls, with a narrow opening groove extending along its center in between. The rail member 21 is set to a predetermined length, for example, but can be cut to any length as needed. In addition, shorter rail members 21a are also provided in advance for adjusting the length by adding to the rail member 20 of the basic length.

[0092] If one rail member 21 is not long enough, multiple rail members 21, or extension rail members 21a as shown in Figures 88 to 90, are connected to each other in a straight line. As shown in Figure 90(b), the bottom portion 210 of the rail members 21, 21a is provided with fixing holes 211 through which anchor bolts 200 for fixing to the floor are passed.

[0093] The fixing holes 211 located at the ends of each rail member 21, 21a are provided in the bottom surface 210 that abuts against each other, each divided into two semicircular sections. This makes it possible to fasten the ends of two rail members 21, 21a together with a single anchor bolt 200 when fastening the rail member 21 to the floor with anchor bolts 200, thereby reducing the number of anchor bolts 200 required.

[0094] As shown in Figure 71(b), a reinforcing plate 212 can be inserted inside the rail member 21 so as to overlap its bottom surface 210. The reinforcing plate 212 is made of a metal plate that extends with a width slightly smaller than the width of the bottom surface 210 of the rail member 21. If the reinforcing plate 212 is the same length as the rail member 21, it is advisable to provide semicircular fixing holes at its edge as well, similar to the fixing holes 211 in the bottom surface 210 described above. Note that there is not limited to one reinforcing plate, and the number of plates can be adjusted as appropriate according to the required strength.

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

[0096] <<Slider 23>> The slider 23 is inserted inward from the end of the rail member 21 and is formed as a clamp-like fastening fitting that is movable in the longitudinal direction of the rail. As shown in Figures 91 to 96, the upper wall 231 of the slider 23 that is in contact with the upper surface side of the rail member 21 from the back side has a rectangular shape with two long sides that are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail in a plan view. The aforementioned fastening bolt 220 is fixed approximately in the center of the upper portion 231.

[0097] The dimension of the longer side of the upper surface portion 231 is set to be smaller than the distance between the side walls inside the rail member 21, and larger than the width of the opening groove on the upper side of the rail member 21. The dimension of the shorter side of the upper surface portion 231 is set to be slightly smaller than the width of the opening groove on the upper side of the rail member 21. As a result, the slider 23 is set to be able to pass through the opening groove on the upper side of the rail member 21 only when its longer side is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail.

[0098] The slider 23 has leg walls 232, 232 hanging down from both long sides of the upper surface 231, and each leg wall 232 is provided with a bolt-avoiding recess 233 so that its lower edge does not interfere with the anchor bolt 200. In addition, on the extension lines of the diagonally opposite ends of the two long sides of the upper surface 231, there are a pair of projections 234, 234 that project in directions perpendicular to the two short sides and abut against the inner walls (both inner walls) of the rail member 21. Each projection 234 is provided such that one end of the leg wall 232 extends in the direction of the long side from the corner of the upper surface 231.

[0099] As shown in Figures 97 to 99, when the slider 23 rotates in the direction of fastening of the fastening bolt 220 and its long side becomes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail, each projection 234 abuts against the inner walls of both side walls of the rail member 21, preventing rotation. Here, the fastening direction is the direction in which the fastening bolt 220 is tightened against the nut 224 located on the engagement portion 221 of the base member 22, which will be described next. Therefore, the fastening direction is defined not as the direction in which the fastening bolt 220 is screwed into the nut 224 in a bottom view, but as the direction in which the nut 224 is tightened onto the fastening bolt 220 in a top view (clockwise in Figure 97).

[0100] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 99 to 98, when the slider 23 rotates in the opposite direction to the fastening direction of the fastening bolt 220 (counterclockwise in Figure 99) to an angle where its long side intersects the longitudinal direction of the rail, each projection 234 detaches from the inner walls of both side walls of the rail member 21. This creates a gap between the inner walls of both side walls of the rail member 21 and each projection 234, making it possible to easily move the slider 23 in the longitudinal direction of the rail within the rail member 21. Furthermore, when tightening the nut 224, the slider 23 with the fastening bolt 220 is stopped from rotating, allowing the fastening bolt 220 and nut 224 to be fastened.

[0101] <<Base member 22>> As shown in Figure 80, the base member 22 is formed as a bracket-shaped sheet metal material having an engaging portion 221 that contacts the upper surface side of the rail member 21 while straddling its opening groove, and a vertical wall portion 222 that rises substantially perpendicular to the engaging portion 221. The engaging portion 221 is a narrow plate-like shape arranged substantially horizontally, and its length is set to span across the upper surfaces of the pair of rail members 21, 21. In the engaging portion 221, a pair of through holes 221a, 221a are provided at positions that match the fastening bolts 220 of the slider 23 that are visible through the opening grooves of the pair of rail members 21, 21, through which the fastening bolts 220 pass.

[0102] The vertical wall portion 222 is a part that is fixed along the lower end of the side plate 11 of the unit 10, and is formed as a plate that rises almost vertically from one end edge of the engaging portion 221. In addition, reinforcing side wall portions 223 are integrally formed between both ends of the engaging portion 221 and both end edges of the vertical wall portion 222. The vertical wall portion 222 is provided with a pair of adjustment holes 222a, 222a side by side at the same height. Each adjustment hole 222a is a guide groove that extends vertically to allow adjustment of the fastening position of the mounting bolt 240, which will be described later, in the vertical direction.

[0103] Furthermore, in the vertical wall portion 222, a bracket 225 is provided on one side wall portion 223 that faces the front opening side of the unit 10 to receive both lower ends of the inter-base member 60. This bracket 225 is made of metal and is formed in a bracket shape. It makes contact with the floor side in front of one rail member 21, and is configured to abut the lower end of the inter-base member 60 when the inter-base member 60 is positioned in the center between the grooves 113a of the frame member 113. In addition, another bracket 226 is provided on one side wall portion 223, which is paired with the bracket 225 and makes contact with the floor side behind the other rail member 21.

[0104] <<Reinforcement bracket 24>> As shown in Figures 102 and 103, the base member 22 is fixed to the side plate 11 of the unit 10 via reinforcing brackets 24 and anchors 25. The reinforcing brackets 24 are sheet metal materials used to fix the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 to the lower end side of the wooden side plate 11 of the unit 10. As shown in Figures 104 to 110, the reinforcing brackets 24 include a mounting surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110 in the side plate 11, and a fitting flange 242 of a predetermined height that is provided on one side of the mounting surface portion 241 and fits onto the inner periphery of the opening 110.

[0105] The opening 110 cut out in the side panel 11 of unit 10 is horizontally elongated and roughly rectangular in shape. The mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24 is also horizontally elongated and roughly rectangular in shape, with a vertical width approximately equal to that of the opening 110 and a horizontal width greater than that of the opening 110, extending from both ends of the opening 110 by a predetermined width. The fitting flange 242 is provided on one side of the mounting surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110, so as to represent the inner peripheral edge of the opening 110. The fitting flange 242 in this embodiment is roughly U-shaped and in contact with the lower end edge and both side edges of the opening 110, and is slightly larger than the opening 110 so that it fits tightly when fitted.

[0106] As shown in Figures 104 to 110, a pair of mounting holes 243, 243 are provided side-by-side on the inside of the fitting flange 242 on the mounting surface 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24. Nuts 244 for tightening mounting bolts 240 are pre-fixed around each mounting hole 243. In addition, the portions of the mounting surface 241 that extend outward from the fitting flange 242, i.e., from both sides of the opening 110, are separately screwed to both sides of the opening 110 in the side plate 11 as mounting pieces 241a.

[0107] As shown in Figures 102 and 103, the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 is fixed by screwing mounting bolts 240, which are passed through each adjustment hole 222a (see Figure 80(b)), into mounting holes 243 and nuts 244, while the base member 22 is superimposed on the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24. Furthermore, by moving the base member 22 up and down while the mounting bolts 240 are passing through the adjustment holes 222a during the tightening process, the fastening position of the base member 22 to the side plate 11 can be adjusted vertically. In addition, the mounting bolts 240 are not fastened directly to the vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22, but rather by using a plate 227, which also serves as a reinforcing material, as a buffer.

[0108] With this configuration, the fitting flange 242 of the reinforcing bracket 24 makes contact in four directions vertically within the opening 110, thus preventing misalignment. Furthermore, the mounting piece 241a of the reinforcing bracket 24 is also secured with wood screws along its longitudinal direction, so there is no risk of the reinforcing bracket 24 coming out of the opening 110. In addition, the fitting flange 242 that fits into the opening 110 serves a reinforcing function, preventing deformation of the reinforcing bracket 24. Moreover, by securely fastening the reinforcing bracket 24 to the wooden side plate 11, it becomes possible to create a structure in which sheet metal members such as the base member 22 located below it are firmly fastened to the side plate 11.

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

[0110] The anchor 25 also allows for leveling adjustments to ensure the unit 10 is horizontal on the floor at all four corners. Furthermore, the horizontal bar 252 of the anchor 25 is provided with a stopper 254 above one end, on the side closer to the front opening of the unit 10, for positioning the lower ends of the aforementioned inter-base member 60. This stopper 254, like the anchor 25, is made of metal and is formed as a block-shaped bracket. The shape of the stopper 254 is not particularly limited as long as it can position the lower ends of the inter-base member 60; for example, it may be provided on the base member 22 side instead of the anchor 25.

[0111] Traditionally, when fastening metal fittings to wood, they are typically secured using wood screws or similar fasteners through the screw holes in the fittings. However, this method presented the following problems: Since the diameter of the screw hole is larger than the screw diameter, the fittings can shift under heavy force. Furthermore, if the fitting is simply a piece of wood, it will warp along with the wood when subjected to heavy force. In some cases, the wood screws could even come loose, resulting in a complete loss of fastening force.

[0112] These conventional problems persist even when fastening metal fittings with bolts and nuts, as there is a difference between the diameter of the bolt holes and the bolt diameter, leading to misalignment. On the other hand, as mentioned above, in unit 10, the metal base member 22 is fixed to its wooden side panel 11 via reinforcing brackets 24 and anchors 25. Therefore, even if an excessive load is applied to unit 10 during a major earthquake, not only is misalignment of the base member 22 relative to the side panel 11 prevented, but deformation and damage to both can also be reliably prevented.

[0113] Furthermore, in the gaming machine island 1A shown in Figures 23 and 24, the unit 10 may be installed directly on the floor of a gaming establishment or the like without using the rail 20, as is the case with one of the back-to-back units 10. When the unit 10 is fixed to the floor via the rail 20, the base member 22 is set to a size that rests on the rail member 21. On the other hand, when the base member 22 is fixed directly to the floor, it is preferable to set the dimensions of the vertical wall portion 222 on the engaging portion 221 that contacts the floor to a larger size.

[0114] <Supply device> As shown in the left-hand unit 10 in Figure 52, when a pachinko machine 2A is installed, the inside of unit 10 houses a supply device for circulating the game balls used in the pachinko machine 2A as related equipment. As shown in Figures 111 to 118, the supply device 100 is a general term for the various devices that circulate the game balls. When the game machine 2 inside unit 10 is replaced from a pachinko machine 2A to a pachislo machine 2B, the lifting and polishing device 30 described below is left in place, but the other storage tanks 40 and supply troughs 50 are removed and stored in the storage section 101.

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

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

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

[0118] <<Grinding gear 32>> As shown in Figure 119, the polishing gear 32 is rotatably supported within a roughly cylindrical resin casing 320 and is positioned on the upper surface 310 of the main body 31. Here, the axis of the polishing gear 32 extends in the vertical direction. The polishing gear 32 is made of resin and is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape. Note that the polishing gear 32 is made by combining two vertically divided parts into one.

[0119] As shown in Figures 136 to 140, the grinding gear 32 is generally cylindrical in shape, but its upper half is a large diameter section 32a, and below the large diameter section 32a is a reduced diameter section 32b where the outer diameter gradually tapers. Furthermore, below the reduced diameter section 32b is a small diameter section 32c that extends to the same outer diameter as the minimum outer diameter at the lower end of the reduced diameter section 32b.

[0120] Multiple guide teeth 321 are provided circumferentially along the generatrix of the columnar surface on the outer circumference of the large diameter portion 32a. The tooth grooves 322 between each guide tooth 321 are formed in an arc-shaped cross-section so as to embrace more than half of the game ball. The opening width of the tooth groove 322 is set to be narrower than the diameter of the game ball so that the game ball cannot escape from inside the tooth groove 322 to the outside. In other words, the tooth groove 322 can guide the game ball received from its upper end to its lower end, and multiple game balls are arranged sequentially within the tooth groove 322 in an overlapping manner.

[0121] Furthermore, multiple locking teeth 323 are provided circumferentially on the outer circumference of the reduced diameter portion 32b, extending along the generatrix of the prism surface, continuous with the guide teeth 321. The pitch of each locking tooth 323 gradually narrows compared to the wider pitch of each guide tooth 321, and the tooth grooves 324 between each locking tooth 323 are set to gradually bring the game balls received from the tooth grooves 322 closer together and into contact. In addition, multiple locking teeth 325 are provided circumferentially on the outer circumference of the reduced diameter portion 32b, extending along the generatrix of the prism surface, continuous with the locking teeth 323. The tooth grooves 326 between each locking tooth 325 are set to maintain a state in contact between the game balls guided from the tooth grooves 324 of the locking teeth 323.

[0122] As shown in Figure 125, the upper part of the casing 320 has an opening that serves as a receiving port for receiving game balls from the storage tank 40 (described later) and guiding them to the upper end opening of the tooth groove 322 of the polishing gear 32. In addition, a polishing window 320a (see Figure 128) is provided on the peripheral wall of the casing 320 in the part facing the curved surface portion 332 of the cassette 331 (described later). The polishing window 320a is formed so that the polishing member 330 (described later) can be routed along the outer circumference of the guide teeth 321 of the polishing gear 32. Furthermore, a connecting passage 328 (see Figure 131) is provided at the bottom of the casing 320, which aligns the game balls pushed out from the lower end of the tooth groove 324 by the rotation of the polishing gear 32 and guides them to the lifting passage 34.

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

[0124] <<Polishing means 33>> As shown in Figure 129, the polishing means 33 includes a polishing member 330 positioned in a polishing window 320a of the casing 320, a cassette 331 that houses the polishing member 330 and is detachable and positioned facing the polishing gear 32, and a feeding mechanism that pulls the polishing member 330 out of the cassette 331 and moves it along the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32. The feeding mechanism includes a drive gear 351 pivotally supported on the main body 31 side and a driven gear 352 pivotally supported on the cassette 331 side.

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

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

[0127] As shown in Figures 141 to 150, the cassette 331 houses the polishing member 330. The cassette 331 is formed in the shape of a flat, box-shaped case with a curved surface portion 332 that is recessed in an arc shape on the front end of a rectangle in a plan view. The polishing member 330 is made of a material that can polish game balls, for example, a nonwoven fabric processed into a long tape. The polishing member 330 is wound in a roll on a paper core, for example, and is housed inside the cassette 331 in a rotatable state as shown in Figure 129.

[0128] As shown in Figures 143 and 144, the cassette 331 has a guide groove 333 in one side wall 331a connected to one end of the curved surface portion 332, for pulling the end of the polishing member 330 outwards. Also, as shown in Figures 141 and 142, a driven gear 352, which is opposite to the drive gear 351, is pivotally supported on the other side wall 331b connected to the other end of the curved surface portion 332. The curved surface portion 332 is formed in an arc-shaped cross-section to follow the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32, and is fitted with an elastic cushioning material such as felt.

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

[0130] In other words, as shown in Figure 129(b), the line a connecting the rotation axes of the pair of drive gears 351 and driven gear 352 is perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction b of the cassette 331. Furthermore, the line c passing through the contact point between the drive gear 351 and driven gear 352 and perpendicular to the line a connecting the rotation axes of both gears 351 and 352 is set to be parallel to the tangent to the polishing gear 32, and very close to it.

[0131] With this arrangement of the two gears 351 and 352 and the direction in which the polishing member 330 is fed, even if there is a slight error in the mounting position of the cassette 331 in its longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction), the polishing member 330 can be reliably fed when it is engaged between the two gears 351 and 352. Note that the drive gear 351 and driven gear 352 are not necessarily limited to gear-shaped objects, but may be, for example, roller-shaped objects with anti-slip processing such as knurling on their outer surface.

[0132] Furthermore, the widths of both gears 351 and 352 should be as wide as possible compared to the width of the polishing member 330. For example, if the widths of both gears 351 and 352 are narrower than the width of the polishing member 330, only a portion of the polishing member 330 in the width direction will be sandwiched between the two gears 351 and 352. If the portion of the polishing member 330 closer to the center in the width direction is sandwiched and pulled, the polishing member 330 will wrinkle and thin in the width direction, reducing the feeding efficiency.

[0133] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 150, in the example of the driven gear 352, the middle of the structure arranged in three vertical rows is the actual driven gear 352, and the upper and lower rows are gear-type feed guides that make wide contact with the polishing member 330 and allow it to rotate. The same applies to the drive gear 351 shown in Figure 128. As a result, the upper and lower feed guides, together with the gears 351 and 352, make it possible to hold the polishing member 330 in a stable position and to reliably feed the polishing member 330.

[0134] After being fed out by the drive gear 351 and driven gear 352, the polishing material 330 is discharged through a slit-shaped guide path 334 (see Figure 129) formed along the other side wall 331b of the cassette 331 from the front end (next to the driven gear 352) to the rear end. The used polishing material 330 discharged from the cassette 331 is collected together, for example, at the rear of the cassette 331 and collected as needed. When the polishing material 330 is used up, the cassette 331 is removed from the main body 31, the polishing material 330 inside is replaced with a new one, and then the cassette 331 is reattached to the main body 31.

[0135] As shown in Figure 129(a), the polishing member 330 is housed inside the cassette 331 in a rotatable manner, for example, wound in a roll on a paper core tube. The cassette 331 is configured so that, for example, its upper half can be opened. A mounting shaft 335 for pivotally supporting the core tube of the rolled polishing member 330 is provided on the inner wall of the bottom surface inside the cassette 331. Here, the mounting shaft 335 can be a simple structure such as a boss or a screw.

[0136] The end of the polishing member 330 is attached to the core tube with an adhesive force that is such that it will detach if pulled strongly. Specifically, although not shown in the illustration, it is preferable to attach it with adhesive tape or adhesive. This method of attaching the end of the polishing member 330 to the core tube makes the manufacturing of the polishing member 330 easier and is preferable in terms of both the manufacturing process and the finished quality. Furthermore, if the polishing member 330 is attached with an adhesive force that allows it to detach easily from the core tube, when the polishing member 330 is used to its fullest extent, it will detach from the core tube and be fed to the end.

[0137] This not only allows the abrasive member 330 to be used effectively until the very end, but also prevents problems that could arise from the abrasive member 330 tearing or fraying due to durability issues if it remains in place for too long. Furthermore, by supporting the core tube of the abrasive member 330 on the mounting shaft 335 as described above, the behavior of the abrasive member 330 within the cassette 331 is stabilized, and the dispensing of the abrasive member 330 can also be operated stably.

[0138] The cassette 331 is configured to be attached to and detached from the cassette base 311 located on the upper surface 310 of the main body 31 from its longitudinal direction, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. As shown in Figure 144, the bottom outer wall of the cassette 331 is provided with four claw-shaped engaging parts 336, 337 for attachment, two at the front and two at the rear. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 151, the cassette base 311 is provided with a pair of open groove-shaped engaging parts 312, 312, which engage when the cassette 331 is brought into contact with it, and when the cassette 331 is moved forward toward the polishing gear 32, the engaging parts 336, 337 engage. A simple locking mechanism may be provided on the cassette base 311 or the casing 320, etc., to restrain the cassette 331 in the mounted position.

[0139] Each engaging portion 336, 337 of the cassette 331 also serves as a structure to prevent distortion and deformation of the bottom surface of the cassette 331 when the cassette 331 is set on the cassette base 311. In addition, a rib 338 is provided on the outer wall of the bottom surface of the cassette 331, extending parallel to the direction in which the cassette 331 is attached and detached, and connected to each engaging portion 336, 337. This rib 338 not only further reinforces the bottom surface of the cassette 331, but is also designed to reduce sliding resistance with the cassette base 311 during attachment and detachment, and to prevent snagging or other issues.

[0140] As shown in Figure 119, the lifting passage 34 lifts the game balls upward as they are sequentially pushed out by the rotation of the polishing gear 32. The inner diameter of the lifting passage 34 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game balls, and it is configured to lift the game balls in a line. More specifically, the lifting passage 34 comprises a lower lifting passage 341 that forms its lower end, and a main lifting passage 342 that is connected to the lower lifting passage 341 and extends linearly upward. The lower lifting passage 341 is constructed by joining together two pre-divided semi-tubular molded parts into a tubular shape.

[0141] The lower lifting passage 341 is fixed to the main body 31 via a fixing bracket 340. The lower end inlet of the lower lifting passage 341 is connected to a connecting passage 328 (see Figure 131). The main lifting passage 342 is formed from, for example, a resin pipe. The main lifting passage 342 is removable from the upper end of the lower lifting passage 341 and can be pre-installed inside the unit 10. As shown in Figures 133 and 135, the lower lifting passage 341 is formed to bend, but a reinforcing wall 341a is provided on the outer circumference of the section where it bends with a curvature greater than a predetermined value.

[0142] The specific shape of the reinforcing wall 341a is not particularly limited, but for example, it is preferable to form it as a rib extending along the bottom of the cross-section of the two-part molded product with a predetermined width, so that the two layers are stacked. By providing the reinforcing wall 341a in the curved portion of the lower lifting passage 341, which is particularly susceptible to load from the game balls, even if the inner wall of the lower lifting passage 341 wears down, the base end of the reinforcing wall 341a is exposed to the inside, thus maintaining its function as a path for the game balls and extending the life of the lifting passage 34.

[0143] Furthermore, although omitted in some figures, as shown in Figure 119, the main body 31 is provided with a shutter 313 between the polishing gear 32 and the electric motor 350, which can be inserted into and removed from the main body 31 through a slit opened in the upper surface 310, for example. The shutter 313 opens and closes a gap that connects, for example, the communication passage 328 located below it and the lower lifting passage 341. The shutter 313 is normally held in a position that does not obstruct the gap, but by inserting it downwards and closing the gap, it is possible to prevent game balls from flowing out of the polishing gear 32. Figures 126 and 127 show the main body 31 with the shutter 313 installed in the closed position.

[0144] Such a shutter 313 prevents game balls from spilling out during maintenance and inspection of the lifting and polishing device 30. Here, the shutter 313 does not need to be a special part; for example, the positioning member 314 of the lifting and polishing device 30 can be used as a substitute. When the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30 is placed on the partition member 121 (installation surface) of the unit 10, a flat positioning member 314 is used to position one end of the main body 31. It is also conceivable to use this positioning member 314 as is in place of the shutter 313.

[0145] In the lifting and polishing device 30, another configuration for stopping the flow of game balls is to change the point at which the flow of game balls is stopped by using a shutter 313 or a positioning member 314. For example, in the main body 31, a shutter 313 or the like could be inserted and removed in the middle of the movement path of the game balls from the receiving port side of the casing 320 that receives the game balls to the polishing gear 32, thereby stopping the supply of game balls to the polishing gear 32.

[0146] Furthermore, in the cassette 331, it is preferable to provide a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the polishing member 330 along the movement path of the polishing member 330 from the guide groove 333 to the pair of gears 351 and 352. For example, the detection unit could be placed next to the guide groove 333 shown in Figure 143, in a position that does not interfere with the polishing member 330. The detection unit determines that all of the polishing member 330 in the cassette 331 has been used up by detecting the presence or absence of the polishing member 330. Specifically, such a detection unit can be composed of various sensors, such as an optical sensor or a proximity sensor.

[0147] Furthermore, the main body 31 integrally incorporates a drive means 35, which is the power system for the lifting and polishing device 30, and a control means for controlling the operation of the drive means 35. As mentioned above, the drive means 35 is located on the upper surface 310 of the main body 31. Although not shown in the illustration, the control means is configured as a circuit board equipped with a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and controls the electric motor 350 of the drive means 35. It is preferable to house such a control means inside the main body 31. With this configuration, the entire device can be made more compact, and the amount of wiring can be reduced.

[0148] Incidentally, the lifting and polishing device 30 is housed in the storage section 101 within the unit 10, but it can remain on the partition member 121 even when replacing the pachinko machine 2A with a pachislo machine 2B. This makes the reconfiguration of the gaming machine 2 easier. On the other hand, since the drive means 35 and control means are integrated into the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30, it is easy to replace the unit during maintenance or in case of trouble. The lifting and polishing device 30 is housed in a state where it can be pulled out from the storage section 101 by opening the lower panel member 17.

[0149] <Supply trough 50> As shown in Figures 52 and 53, the supply trough 50 is located inside the unit 10 above the gaming machine 2 and is a component that supplies the lifted gaming balls to the gaming machine 2. The supply trough 50 comprises a trough body 51 on which multiple rail-shaped paths 52 are arranged in parallel on both sides, through which the gaming balls flow down in a single row. The trough body 51 is formed in the shape shown, for example, from resin. Each path 52 extends linearly parallel to the longitudinal direction of the trough body 51, and the bottom wall of each path is formed in an arc-shaped cross-section that is slightly wider than the diameter of the gaming ball.

[0150] In this embodiment, four paths 52 are provided as four-way culverts. Of the paths 52 at both ends form a pair of supply paths 52A, 52A that supply game balls to the game machine 2 or the inter-machine service machine 8. In addition, the paths 52 inside the supply paths 52A, 52A at both ends form a pair of drop paths 52B, 52B that drop excess game balls. The supply paths 52A, 52A at both ends are positioned higher than the drop paths 52B, 52B, and the excess game balls in each supply path 52A are set to move to the drop path 52B due to the difference in height. Note that when referring to the supply paths 52A and drop paths 52B collectively, they are simply written as path 52, but in the drawings they are distinguished as 52A or 52B.

[0151] As shown in Figures 156 and 158, a receiving section 53 for receiving game balls lifted by the lifting and polishing machine 30 is provided at the base end of the trough body 51 where the upstream side of each path 52 is located. Each path 52 branches into four from the receiving section 53 at its respective upstream side. As shown in Figure 163(b), each supply path 52A is arranged at the same height along both ends of the trough body 51, and inside them, each drop path 52B is arranged at the same height at a slightly lower position.

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

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

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

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

[0156] Also, due to the portions where the width narrows step by step on both sides of the guide wall 54, the game balls overlapping on each supply path 52A can be collapsed into the inner dropping path 52B. Here, notch portions 541 that create gaps on the lower end side of the guide wall 54 are provided at the portions where the width narrows step by step on both sides of the guide wall 54. With such notch portions 541, the game balls flowing down the supply path 52A do not strongly interfere with the lower end side of the guide wall 54, and it is possible to prevent the generation of a bridge where the game balls overlap along the guide wall 54.

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

[0158] As shown in Figures 156 and 158, the receiving section 53 is provided with a guide section 532 for guiding the supplied game balls from the inner drop path 52B to the outer supply path 52A. The guide section 532 is located in front of the supply opening 531 and is formed as a semicircular block with a semicircular cross-section, leaving a passage through which the game balls can pass between it and the semicircular enclosure portion of the guide wall 54. The exit of the passage is set to face the upstream ends of the supply paths 52A, 52A on both sides. In other words, the game balls supplied to the receiving section 53 are guided from the drop path 52B to the supply path 52A.

[0159] As shown in Figure 165(b), the height of the guide section 532 is set lower than the height of the guide wall 54. As a result, if an excess of game balls are lifted into the receiving section 53, the game balls will not pass over the guide section 532 and will be guided to the drop path 52B instead of passing through the passage. Here, since the guide wall 54 is higher than the guide section 532, the game balls will not go over the guide section 532 and then over the guide wall 54 and fall out.

[0160] With such a supply trough 50, as shown in Figure 175, the game balls lifted into the receiving section 53 flow down evenly into the supply paths 52A, 52A on both sides. When one of the supply paths 52A, 52A is filled with game balls, as shown in Figure 176, the supply path 52A through which the game balls lifted into the receiving section 53 flow down becomes only the other supply path 52A. As a result, some of the game balls are guided over the partition wall 521 (see Figure 163(b)) to the inner drop path 52B.

[0161] As shown in Figure 156, one of the supply routes 52A on both sides supplies game balls to the pachinko machine 2A, and its downstream end communicates with a ball outlet 523 that bends downward toward the pachinko machine 2A located below. The ball outlet 523 is connected to the game machine 2 via a flexible pipe member (not shown) called a bellows. The other supply route 52A on both sides supplies game balls to the inter-machine service machine 8, and its downstream end communicates with a ball outlet 524 that extends laterally toward the inter-machine service machine 8 located to the side. The ball outlet 524 is connected to the inter-machine service machine 8 via a flexible pipe member (not shown) called a bellows.

[0162] Each drop path 52B is designed to drop excess game balls that overflow into the storage tank 40, which will be described later. The downstream end of each path communicates with a ball outlet 525 that is bent downward toward the storage tank 40 located below. Each ball outlet 525 is connected to the storage tank 40 via a flexible pipe member (not shown) called a bellows. One ball outlet 525 is bent away from the other ball outlet 525 midway. This is to prevent interference by giving the pipe members connected to each ball outlet 525 different directions.

[0163] As shown in Figure 163(b), each path 52 is formed with an arc-shaped cross-section as described above. This allows the inner surfaces of each path 52 to be smoothly continuous at the connection points with the cylindrical ball outlets 523-525. If each path 52 were a flat-bottomed planar path, a constricted section would be created at the connection point with the ball outlets 523-525. Such a constricted section would create a reverse step, which could obstruct the flow of the game balls at that point.

[0164] Furthermore, if a game ball that has flowed down each drop path 52B does not enter the ball exit 525 but instead jumps onto the downstream upper half 510 described below, the game ball is set to continue flowing down the downstream upper half 510 and fall downwards. This prevents game balls that did not enter the ball exit 525 from returning to the drop path 52B side and causing a jam.

[0165] As shown in Figures 168 and 169, the tip of the gutter body 51 is formed by dividing the upper half into a downstream upper half 510 and the lower half being integrally assembled with the lower half. Each of the ball outlets 523, 524, and 525 is provided on the tip side of the gutter body 51, but the lower half of the tip side of the gutter body 51 and the downstream upper half 510 are each formed by being divided into two parts and then integrally assembled. If interlocking protrusions and recesses are provided at the joints between the two halves of each ball outlet 523, 524, and 525, it is possible to prevent the joints from shifting or coming apart due to vibration or the like.

[0166] In the downstream upper section 510, detection units 511 and 512 capable of detecting game balls are provided at positions overlapping above each ball outlet 523 and 524. Each detection unit 511 and 512 is set to remain ON when game balls remain in the ball outlets 523 and 524, and outputs a signal to detect a ball jam as a supply error when the ON state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds) or longer. Specifically, each detection unit 511 and 512 is composed of various sensors such as magnetic sensors and proximity sensors.

[0167] As shown in Figures 170 to 173, the replenishment trough 50 is installed in the upper part of the unit 10 (see Figure 52) via a support bracket 55. As shown in Figures 164(b) and 165(b), ribs 513 and 514 are provided on the bottom side of the trough body 51 to ensure a slope that causes each path 52 to incline downward from the upstream end to the downstream end when the trough body 51 is placed on the horizontal support bracket 55. Also, as shown in Figure 167, the downstream end of each path 52 is open at the tip side of the trough body 51, but reinforcing ribs 515 and 516 are provided in appropriate places to ensure the necessary strength.

[0168] As shown in Figure 174, the support bracket 55 is formed from a rectangular sheet metal material that extends in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and flanges 552 and 553 are formed at the front and rear ends of its bottom plate 551, rising vertically to a predetermined height. The front flange 552 and the bottom plate 551 next to it are provided with openings 554 that are large enough to allow the replenishment gutter 50, which has been removed from the support bracket 55, to be inserted downwards.

[0169] The bottom plate 551 is provided with a through hole 555 for connecting through the upstream end of the main lifting channel 342, at a position that matches the supply port 531 on the bottom side of the supply trough 50 installed on top of it. This through hole 555 is elongated to absorb installation errors of the supply trough 50. The upper end of the main lifting channel 342 is fixed by inserting it into the supply port 531 with a predetermined length of fitting allowance, and this fixing makes it possible to hold it in a state hanging down from the supply trough 50.

[0170] To attach the replenishment gutter 50 to the bottom plate 551 of the support bracket 55, the engaging claws 517, 518 on the front and rear of the bottom side of the gutter body 51 can be easily snap-fit ​​engaged with the mounting holes 556 and mounting grooves 557 in the bottom plate 551. Specifically, the pair of engaging claws 517, 517 on the front side of the gutter body 51 can engage with and disengage from the pair of mounting holes 556, 556 located in front of the opening 554 of the bottom plate 551. In addition, the pair of engaging claws 518, 518 on the rear side of the gutter body 51 can engage with and disengage from both ends of the mounting grooves 557 in the bottom plate 551.

[0171] Furthermore, a mounting plate 558 that hangs downward is integrally provided on the bottom plate 551 of the support bracket 55, near the front of one of its long sides. As shown in Figure 174, this mounting plate 558 is provided with a bracket-shaped fixing device 559 capable of gripping and fixing a pipe member (not shown) that communicates with each bulb outlet 525. The pipe member used is a flexible type known as a bellows, as mentioned above.

[0172] <Storage Tank 40> As shown in Figure 111, etc., the storage tank 40 can be detachably fixed to the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30. As shown in Figure 52, inside the unit 10, the lifting and polishing device 30, including the main body 31, is installed in the storage section 101, and the storage tank 40 is installed in the replacement and arrangement section 102. The partition member 122 separating the storage section 101 and the replacement and arrangement section 102 is narrow in depth (see Figure 53), and behind the partition member 122, the lifting and polishing device 30 and the storage tank 40 are assembled together vertically as a single unit.

[0173] As shown in Figures 178 to 184, the storage tank 40 is formed from sheet metal or the like in a roughly rectangular box shape with an open top. The storage tank 40 comprises a tank body 41 which forms its main part, and an accessory part 42 connected to the upstream side of the tank body 41. The accessory part 42 is also formed from sheet metal or the like in a roughly rectangular box shape with an open top, but it is shorter in length and shallower in depth.

[0174] By dividing the storage tank 40 into two parts, namely the tank body 41 and the accessory part 42, it becomes possible to detach them partially. Even if there are installation dimension errors due to wiring arrangement or other factors, they can be fully accommodated. Hereinafter, in the longitudinal direction of the storage tank 40, the side far from the accessory part 42 will be referred to as the "front side", and the side close to the accessory part 42 will be referred to as the "rear side" for explanation. Note that as a whole, the accessory part 42 is the most upstream end in the flowing direction of the game balls.

[0175] The accessory part 42 is box-shaped with an opening at the front, and is configured to be detachable from the stepped part 41a provided as the upstream end of the tank body 41. When the accessory part 42 is attached to the tank body 41, it forms a continuous internal space with the tank body 41, and the bottom surface of the accessory part 42 is continuous with the bottom surface of the stepped part 41a. On the other hand, even when the accessory part 42 is separated, the game balls will not leak from the opening side of the stepped part 41a, and the tank body 41 can store the game balls.

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

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

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

[0179] The upper gutter member 43 is formed of resin in a roughly rectangular plate shape, and is made of transparent resin to allow for downward visibility. The upper gutter member 43 consists of two pieces arranged front to back. The upper gutter member 43 on the front plate 412 side is positioned so that its upstream rear edge connects to the accessory part 42 described later. The upper gutter member 43 on the rear plate 413 side is positioned away from the front plate 412 so that its downstream front edge forms a drop-off opening for game balls between it and the front plate 412. Because the upper gutter member 43 is transparent and allows for downward visibility, it is possible to check for blockages of foreign objects on the downstream side, and maintenance can be easily performed. The upper gutter member 43 is configured to be detachable by being fitted into the tank body 41.

[0180] As shown in Figure 187, two lower sieve members 44 for separating foreign objects from game balls are provided on the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41, arranged in a front-to-back configuration. As shown in Figure 179, openings 414 are provided at the mounting locations of each lower sieve member 44 on the bottom surface 410 to allow foreign objects to fall downward. As shown in Figures 188 to 194, the lower sieve members 44 are made of resin and include an introduction surface portion 441 on the side facing the direction of flow of game balls, and a foreign object drop portion 442 that follows the introduction surface portion 441.

[0181] The introduction surface 441 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the upper surface through which the game balls flow is set to an incline that is approximately the same as the incline angle of the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41. The foreign object drop section 442 has lanes arranged side by side on the left and right, and each lane consists of a vertical plate-shaped protrusion 443 that forms a narrow lane bottom surface the thickness of the plate, and partition plates 444 that divide both sides of it at intervals that allow game balls to pass through.

[0182] The ridges 443 of the lane have a different inclination angle than the inlet surface 441. That is, in the normal installation state of the storage tank 40, the inclination angle of the inlet surface 441, which is on the upstream side of the lower sieve member 44 itself, is set to be steeper than the inclination angle of the ridges 443 that form the bottom surface of the lane in the foreign object drop section 442. This prevents overlapping (commonly known as bridging) due to a decrease in the flow velocity of the game balls when the game balls flowing down the lower sieve member 44 separate into each lane in the foreign object drop section 442.

[0183] Furthermore, the upper edge of each partition plate 444 is inclined from the introduction surface 441 toward the rear in the opposite direction to the inclination of the bottom plate 410, allowing the balls to be sorted and flowed down one row at a time. In addition, a ball-disrupting bar 445 is installed between the rear ends of the upper edges of each partition plate 444 to break up the overlapping of the game balls and level them into a single row.

[0184] As shown in Figure 187, the rear end of the foreign object dropping section 442 on the front panel 412 side of the lower sieve member 44 and the front end of the introduction surface section 441 on the rear panel 413 side of the lower sieve member 44 are connected to each other. A step 446 is provided at the connection point between each of the lower sieve members 44, which is lowered by one step on the downstream side. This step 446 adds a movement that causes the game balls to fall, making it possible to more reliably remove foreign objects that are on top of the game balls downwards. To attach the lower sieve member 44 to the bottom surface 410 of the tank body 41, the engaging claws 447 and 448 on the front and rear of the bottom surface of the lower sieve member 44 can be easily snap-fit ​​engaged with the mounting holes (not shown) around the opening 414 of the bottom surface 410.

[0185] Furthermore, the downstream end of the bottom surface 410 of the tank body 41 forms a substantially horizontal surface, and a ball discharge port 415 is provided at this portion. As shown in Figure 111, etc., when the storage tank 40 is assembled on the main body 31 of the lifting and polishing device 30, the ball discharge port 415 of the tank body 41 is set to communicate with the receiving port of the casing 320 on the main body 31. Next to the ball discharge port 415, there is a mounting portion 416 from which a shutter 45 for opening and closing the ball discharge port 415 can be inserted and removed.

[0186] As shown in Figure 185, the shutter 45 is formed from a roughly rectangular flat sheet metal, with flanges rising from one short side which is the operating side and from both long sides which are guided to the mounting portion. As shown in Figure 186, the shutter 45 is inserted below the ball outlet 415 from an insertion direction a perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the tank body 41. In the shutter 45, the other short side facing the insertion direction a is not parallel to the short side which is the operating side, but is formed as an inclined edge 450 that intersects with the insertion direction a.

[0187] The inclined edge 450 of the shutter 45 is inclined to allow the game balls to escape towards the downstream end rather than the upstream end in the direction of the flow of game balls within the tank body 41. With such an inclined edge 450, even when game balls are overlapping and pressing against the underside of the ball discharge port 415, it is possible to insert them under the ball discharge port 415 with little force. In other words, game balls in contact with the inclined edge 450 are pushed away towards the downstream end in the direction of the flow, so they can be easily inserted under the ball discharge port 415.

[0188] <Stud member 106> Furthermore, as shown in Figure 33, intermediate support members 105, etc., are provided on both sides of the gaming machine 2 installed in the unit 10 to close the gaps between the inner surfaces of the side panels 11, 11. As shown in the left unit 10 in Figure 33, when a pachinko machine 2A is installed, an inter-machine service machine 8 is provided on its left side, while on the right side, two intermediate support members 106 are provided, each with a wide front wall 106a facing forward.

[0189] On the other hand, as shown in the right-hand unit 10 in Figure 33, when the pachislo machine 2B is installed, a dedicated stud member 105 is provided on the right side, while on the left side, two stud members 106 are provided, one with a wide front wall 106a facing forward and the other with a narrow side wall 106b facing forward. Thus, the stud member 105 has a wide front wall 106a and a narrow side wall 106b.

[0190] As shown in Figure 193, by combining the two intermediate support members 106 so that their respective front walls 106a face each other, a wider gap can be closed between the gaming machine 2 and the side panel 11. As shown in Figure 194, by combining the two intermediate support members 106 so that one has a wide front wall 106a and the other has a narrow side wall 106b facing each other, the width will be narrower than in the case of Figure 193.

[0191] Thus, even with just one stud member 106, it is possible to select two different widths, and it is possible to adjust the structure to fill various gaps with a small number of parts. As shown in Figure 33, there is no increase or decrease in the number of stud members 106 when installing the pachinko machine 2A and when installing the pachislo machine 2B; in both cases, only two are sufficient.

[0192] Furthermore, while the stud member 106 is attached using stud brackets 107 at both the top and bottom, a single stud bracket 107 can accommodate the two positions of the stud member 106 mentioned above. That is, the stud bracket 107 comprises a wide mounting piece 107a and a narrow mounting piece 107b that bends perpendicularly to it, and can be attached to the upper and lower ends of the stud bracket 107 in different orientations.

[0193] When fixing the wide front wall 106a of the stud member 106 facing forward, it is attached to the upper and lower ends of the stud bracket 107 in the position shown in Figures 195(a) and (b). On the other hand, when fixing the narrow side wall 106b of the stud member 106 facing forward, it is attached to the upper and lower ends of the stud bracket 107 in the position shown in Figures 196(a) and (b). In Figures 195 and 196, the front is on the left front side of the page.

[0194] Incidentally, the wide front wall 106a of the intermediate stud member 106 is set to the same width as the inter-table service machine 8. Therefore, when installing the inter-table service machine 8, only one intermediate stud member 106 needs to be removed. At this time, the remaining intermediate stud member 106 can be installed, for example, behind the already installed intermediate stud member 106.

[0195] <About this invention> Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention derived from the embodiments described above will be described below. [1] In a supply trough 50 located above the gaming machine 2 and supplying gaming balls to the gaming machine 2, Multiple rail-like paths 52 are arranged in parallel on both sides, through which the game balls flow down in a single line. Each of the aforementioned paths 52 includes a supply path 52A for supplying game balls to the game machine 2 or related equipment 8, and a drop path 52B for dropping excess game balls in a path adjacent to the supply path 52A. The upstream side of the supply route 52A is enclosed by a guide wall 54 of a predetermined height, extending from the rear, which is opposite to the direction of the downward spherical flow, towards the front, which is the direction of the downward spherical flow, and is characterized in that a portion is formed on the side of the guide wall 54 where the width narrows by one step.

[0196] [2] The guide wall 54 is characterized in that a notch 541 is provided on the lower side of the guide wall 54 at the portion where the width of the side of the guide wall 54 narrows by one step.

[0197] <Regarding the separate invention 1> Furthermore, the embodiments described above also lead to the following alternative invention 1. [1] In a structure (unit 10) of a gaming island 1 in which multiple types of gaming machines 2 can be installed on a one-unit basis, It has a lower mounting member 15 positioned below one gaming machine 2A and an upper mounting member 16 positioned above another gaming machine 2B, and is equipped with a storage section 101 capable of housing the lower mounting member 15 or the upper mounting member 16. When changing from the first gaming machine 2A to the other gaming machine 2B, the upper mounting member 16 stored in the storage section 101 is removed and placed above the other gaming machine 2B, and the lower mounting member 15 is removed and stored in the storage section 101. When changing from the aforementioned other gaming machine 2B to the first gaming machine 2A and installing it, the lower placement member 15 stored in the storage section 101 is removed and placed below the first gaming machine 2A, and the upper placement member 16 is removed and stored in the storage section 101.

[0198] [2] The lower mounting member 15 and the upper mounting member 16 are characterized in that they are formed in a flat plate shape.

[0199] [3] The storage section 101 is characterized in that it is located below the lower arrangement member 15.

[0200] [4] The storage section 101 is characterized in that it houses a lifting machine for lifting game media. Here, the lifting machine may be the aforementioned lifting and polishing machine 30, which has an added function of polishing the game medium.

[0201] In conventional gaming machine islands, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-224826, when installing pachinko machines, a ball tray shelf is installed on the upper surface of the lower frame, a tray (top plate member) is installed on top of this ball tray shelf, and the pachinko machine is installed on top of that. When installing pachislo machines, a tray is installed on the upper surface of the lower frame, the pachislo machine is installed on top of that, and then a ball tray shelf is installed on top of that.

[0202] In this case, it is assumed that the height difference between the trays of the pachinko machine and the pachislot machine matches the height of the ball tray. Therefore, it is possible to use the ball tray as a shared component between the pachinko machine and the pachislot machine. However, this method cannot be applied if the height above the gaming machine does not match the height difference between the trays of the pachinko machine and the pachislot machine due to the installation of a banknote recognition machine, etc.

[0203] In contrast, the structure of this gaming machine island 1 (unit 10) includes an upper mounting member 16 positioned above the pachislo machine 2B and a lower mounting member 15 positioned below the pachinko machine 2A, and is equipped with a storage section 101 capable of housing either the upper mounting member 16 or the lower mounting member 15. As a result, there is no need to share the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 15, so it can be applied without problems even when the height above the gaming machine 2 does not match the height difference between the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachinko machine 2A and the top plate member 13 corresponding to the pachislo machine 2B.

[0204] <Regarding the separate invention 2> Furthermore, the embodiments described above lead to the following alternative invention 2, which is related to the alternative invention 1. [1] The interior of the unit 10 is divided into, from bottom to top, at least a storage section 101, a replacement / arrangement section 102, and a game machine arrangement section 103. The exchange and arrangement section 102 can be integrated into the gaming machine arrangement section depending on the type of gaming machine. When installing one gaming machine 2A, the related equipment of the gaming machine 2A is housed in the exchange / arrangement section 102, and the front side of the exchange / arrangement section 102 is covered by the lower arrangement member 15. When another gaming machine 2B is to be installed, the related equipment of the first gaming machine 2A is removed from the exchange / arrangement section 102 and housed in the storage section 101 together with the lower arrangement member 15. The vacant exchange / arrangement section 102 is then integrated with the gaming machine arrangement section to house the other gaming machine 2B, and the upper front side of the other gaming machine 2B is covered by the upper arrangement member 16 that was housed in the storage section 101. Here, the related equipment for a gaming machine 2A housed in the exchange and arrangement section 102 includes, for example, a storage tank 40.

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

[0206] [3] The unit 10 is characterized by having partition members 121, etc., that divide the inside of the unit 10 into multiple regions vertically.

[0207] [4] The unit 10 is characterized in that an engaging portion 12a, etc., on which the partition member 121, etc., can be installed is provided on the inner surface of the unit 10. Here, the engaging portion 12a, etc., may be provided in multiple locations at different positions on the upper and lower sides of the inner surface of the side plate 11 of the unit 10.

[0208] [5] The unused partition members 121 etc. can be stored in any area inside the unit 10. Here, one of the regions is, for example, the storage section 101.

[0209] <Regarding the separate invention 3> Furthermore, the embodiments described above also lead to the following alternative invention 3. [1] In a gaming island 1 consisting of units 10 on which gaming machines 2 can be installed, The unit 10 is fixed to the floor via rails 20, The unit 10 is characterized in that it is movable along the longitudinal direction of the rail 20 and can be fixed at any installation position on the rail 20.

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

[0211] [3] The rail member 21 is formed in a groove-shaped cross-section with an open upper surface in the longitudinal direction, The base member 22 is provided with an engaging portion 221 that contacts the upper surface side of the rail member 21 in a manner that straddles its opening. The rail member 21 is equipped with a slider 23 that is inserted inside and movable, The engaging portion 221 of the base member 22 is screwed to the slider 23 with the upper surface of the rail member 21 in between, and the upper surface of the rail member 21 is clamped and fixed between the slider 23 by the tightening of the screw. The term "screw" here also includes bolts.

[0212] [4] The rail members 21 are provided as a pair arranged front to back in the depth direction of the unit 10, The base member 22 is provided on the lower end side of both ends of the unit 10, The engaging portion 221 of each base member 22 is characterized in that it is positioned to straddle the upper surfaces of the pair of rail members 21.

[0213] [5] The slider 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a pair of protrusions 234, 234 are provided at the ends of two long sides that are diagonally opposite to each other and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail, respectively, which abut against the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21. The pair of projections 234, 234 are characterized in that when the slider 23 rotates in the direction of screw fastening and the two long sides become perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail, they abut against the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21 to prevent rotation, while when the slider 23 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of screw fastening and the two long sides intersect the longitudinal direction of the rail at an angle, they detach from the inner walls on both sides of the rail member 21.

[0214] [6] The base member 22 is fixed to the lower end side of the side plates 11 that make up both ends of the unit 10 via a metal reinforcing bracket 24, The base member 22 is provided with a vertical wall portion 222 that rises substantially vertically from the engaging portion 221 and runs along the lower end side of the side plate 11. The reinforcing bracket 24 comprises a mounting surface portion 241 that covers the opening 110 cut out in the side plate 11, and a flange 242 provided on the mounting surface portion 241 that fits onto the inner periphery of the opening 110. The vertical wall portion 222 of the base member 22 is overlapped with the mounting surface portion 241 of the reinforcing bracket 24 and fixed in place with screws.

[0215] <Regarding the separate invention 4> Furthermore, the following alternative invention 4 can be derived from the embodiments described above. [1] In a gaming island 1 equipped with multiple units 10 on which gaming machines 2 can be installed one at a time, The units 10 are arranged side by side, and the inter-unit members 60 can be detachably attached between adjacent units 10 by engagement with the structure of the unit 10 itself. Here, the inter-base member 60 refers not only to the panel-shaped inter-base member 60, but also to the connecting member 61 that connects the units 10 together.

[0216] [2] The unit 10 comprises frame members 113 erected on both ends thereof. The frame member 113 is provided with a groove 113a that opens outward along its vertical direction, The end of the inter-base member 60 is detachably fitted into the grooves 113a of the frame members 113 that face each other between adjacent units 10.

[0217] [3] The inter-base member 60 is formed in a panel shape, and both side edges are fitted into the groove 113a.

[0218] [4] The unit 10 is provided with side portions (side plates) 11 that are parallel to each other at both ends thereof, The frame member 113 is fixed along the front edge of the side portion 11. The frame member 113 is characterized in that the frame edge that frames the front opening of the unit 10 is fixed along the front end edge of the side portion 11 so as to protrude inward from the inner surface of the side portion 11, and a clearance is formed between the frame edge and the inner surface of the side portion 11 such that other members attached to the inner surface are hidden behind the frame edge when viewed from the front.

[0219] [5] The frame member 113 is provided with a fixing portion 114 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that engages with a dovetail groove 11a formed on the front edge of the side portion 11 and covers the front edge, with one end of the fixing portion 114 forming the frame edge. The invention is characterized in that an angle portion 115 is integrally provided along the front end of the fixing portion 114, forming the groove 113a which, together with the front end, has a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

[0220] [6] The width of the inter-base member 60 is wider than the dimension between the frame members 113 of each unit 10, and is set to be insertable between the grooves 113a on both sides in a state where it is tilted diagonally around the vertical panel centerline from the front side between the frame members 113. The inter-base member 60, inserted between the grooves 113a on both sides, is positioned parallel to the front surfaces between the frame members 113, and both side edges are hidden within the grooves 113a on both sides. The inter-base member 60 is characterized by having stoppers 254 that fit into these stoppers, positioning it in that configuration.

[0221] [7] The unit 10 includes a rear portion (movable rear plate) 190 that covers at least a part of its rear side, The rear portion (movable rear plate) 190 is detachable and, when removed, can be installed between the two side portions 11 and used as part of the mounting surface of the gaming machine 2.

[0222] <Regarding the separate invention 5> Furthermore, the embodiments described above lead to the following alternative invention 5, which is related to the alternative invention 4. [1] In a unit 10 in which gaming machines 2 can be installed on a one-unit basis, The unit 10 is characterized by having a frame member 113 erected at the corner, a groove 113a formed in the frame member 113, and a fitting member provided on the front or rear side of the gaming machine 2 and around the gaming machine 2, and the fitting member being attached by fitting its opposing edges into the groove 113a.

[0223] [2] The fitting member is characterized in that it is a base member 60 attached between the units 10 which are spaced apart from each other.

[0224] [3] The fitting member is characterized in that it is a decorative panel member 18 attached to the upper part of the gaming machine 2. With respect to the fascia board member 18, for example, if a pair of rotating shafts protruding laterally are provided at both ends of the upper edge, and it is attached to the inside of the front ends of both side panels 11, 11 or to the frame member 113 so as to be openable and closable via these rotating shafts, it can also be interpreted as a type of fitting member.

[0225] Furthermore, with respect to the connecting member 61, if the lower frame guide 62 and the upper frame guide 63 are considered to correspond to "frame members," and a part of them is considered to correspond to a "groove," then it is also possible to interpret it as a type of fitting member.

[0226] Furthermore, regarding the attachment of the back panel 19, the movable back panel 190, the lower mounting member 15, and the upper mounting member 16, it is conceivable that they be configured to be attachable using the groove 113 of the frame member 113, or that the frame member 113 be provided with a groove separate from the groove 113 into which the lower mounting member 15, etc., can be fitted and attached. With such a configuration, the back panel 19, the movable back panel 190, the lower mounting member 15, and the upper mounting member 16 can also be interpreted as a type of fitting member.

[0227] In conventional gaming machine island designs, such as those described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-144343, when attaching side decorative panels to the side panels, it was necessary to add special fastening means such as receiving parts and insertion parts. The side decorative panels could be attached to the side panels by inserting the receiving parts into the insertion parts from above. Similarly, the rear decorative panels were attached to the case frame by inserting the receiving parts located above and below the inner wall of the rear decorative panel into the insertion parts on the lower and upper reinforcing plates on the rear side of the case frame from above.

[0228] In contrast, in the unit 10 of this embodiment, fitting members are provided on the front or rear side of the gaming machine 2 and around the gaming machine 2. By fitting the opposing edges of the fitting members into the grooves 113a of the frame member 113, the fitting members that can be used for reinforcement can be reused. Furthermore, while improving the horizontal strength of the gaming machine island 1, the assembly and disassembly of the gaming machine island 1 can be performed more easily compared to conventional gaming machine islands.

[0229] <Regarding the separate invention 6> Furthermore, the following alternative invention 6 can be derived from the embodiments described above. [1] In a storage tank 40 for storing game balls used in the gaming machine 2, It comprises a tank body 41 and an attachment part 42 that can be attached to or detached from the tank body 41, When the attached part 42 is mounted on the tank body 41, it forms a series of internal spaces with the tank body 41. The tank body 41 is characterized in that it can store game balls even when the attached part 42 is separated.

[0230] [2] The attachment 42 is detachably attached to the upstream end of the tank body 41, The attached portion 42 is characterized in that a plurality of tubular members 423, 424 for receiving game balls from the outside are fixed to the inside of the attached portion 42 in an orderly, removable manner via separate fixing brackets 421, 422, in an overlapping manner.

[0231] [3] In the middle section of the tank body 41, an upper trough member 43 is provided which is inclined in the opposite direction to the inclination of the bottom plate 410 of the tank body 41. The upper gutter member 43 is characterized by being formed from a transparent resin that allows for transparency downwards.

[0232] [4] The tank body 41 is characterized in that lower sieving members 44 for separating foreign matter from game balls are arranged in a front-to-back configuration on the bottom plate 410, and a step 446 is provided between each of the adjacent lower sieving members 44, with the step being lower from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0233] <Regarding the separate invention 7> Furthermore, the following alternative invention 7 can be derived from the embodiments described above. [1] In a polishing device 30 that lifts and polishes the game media recovered from the game machine 2, The device comprises a polishing gear 32 that holds the game medium in tooth grooves 322 arranged in the circumferential direction and is rotatable around its axis, and a polishing member 330 that is arranged along the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32 and is capable of polishing the game medium in contact with it. The polishing member 330 is a long tape wound into a roll and stored in the cassette 331, and the cassette 331 is detachable from the main body 31 on which the polishing gear 32 is provided. The cassette 331 is characterized in that, when attached to the main body 31, the polishing member 330, which has been pulled out to the outside of the cassette 331, is guided along the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32, and then fed out in a direction parallel to the attachment / detachment direction of the cassette 331.

[0234] [2] In order to feed out the polishing member 330, a pair of rotating bodies 351, 352 are provided that can rotate while holding the polishing member 330 in the middle, The pair of rotating bodies 351 and 352 are characterized in that the line connecting their respective axes of rotation is perpendicular to the direction in which the cassette 331 is attached and detached. Here, the rotating bodies 351 and 352 are not limited to gears; they could also be rollers with anti-slip processing on their outer circumference.

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

[0236] [4] The cassette 331 comprises a curved surface portion 332 that is recessed in an arc shape along the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32 at its front end, and a guide groove 333 provided in one side wall 331a connected to one end of the curved surface portion 332, which pulls the polishing member 330 outwards. The driven rotating body 352 is positioned on the other side wall 331b which is connected to the other end of the curved surface portion 332. The polishing member 330 is characterized in that it is pulled out from the guide groove 333 to one end of the curved surface portion 332, moves along the outer circumference of the polishing gear 32, and is fed out by the driving rotating body 351 and the driven rotating body 352.

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

[0238] [6] The main body 31 is characterized in that a drive means 35, which is the power system of the polishing device 30, and a control means for controlling the operation of the drive means 35 are integrally assembled to it.

[0239] [7] When the main body 31 is placed on the installation surface, a flat plate-shaped positioning member 314 is provided for positioning one end of the main body 31 by resting it on the surface. The positioning member is removable from the main body 31 along the path of movement of the game balls from the polishing gear 32 to the game ball discharge side, and when inserted along this path, it also functions as a shutter to stop the outflow of game balls from the polishing gear 32.

[0240] [8] The system includes a lifting passage 34 for lifting the game balls upward as they are sequentially pushed out by the rotation of the polishing gear 32, A feature of the aforementioned lifting path 34 is that a reinforcing wall 341a is provided on the outer circumference of the section where the path bends with a curvature greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0241] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. For example, the arrangement and number of units 10 in the gaming machine island 1 are not limited to the embodiments described above, and when installed against a wall in a gaming store, the units 10 are arranged only in the direction of both sides, not back to back.

[0242] Furthermore, not only the frame members 113, top plate members 13, lower arrangement members 15, upper arrangement members 16, waist plate members 17, and skirting plate members 18 that constitute the unit 10 itself, but also the rails 20 and the like can be reused repeatedly. In addition, all the members and equipment related to the unit 10 or the amusement machine island 1 of this embodiment, including the inter-machine members 60, connecting members 61, fastening members 70 related to the structure of the amusement machine island 1, and related equipment such as the storage tank 40, lifting and polishing device 30, and supply trough 50, can also be reused repeatedly. [Industrial applicability]

[0243] The supply trough according to the present invention can be widely applied as equipment to amusement machine islands that are equipped with pachinko machines and pachislot machines as amusement machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0244] 1... Gaming machine island 1A... Gaming machine island 1B... Gaming machine island 2… Gaming machines 2A... Pachinko machine 2B... Slot machine 3…Game board 4…Handle 5... Saucer 6… Ceiling decorative panels 7…Side wall decorative panel 8... Inter-machine service machine 8a... Ball counter 9…Island-attached equipment 10... Units 100…Supply device 101...Storage section 102...Replacement arrangement part 103... Gaming machine placement section 105... Stud member 106... Stud members 107... Stud bracket 11…Side plate 11a…Dovetail groove 110...Opening 111...Handle hole 112... Notch 113... Frame components 113a...concave groove 114...Fixed part 115...Angle section 12a...Engagement part 12b...Engagement part 121... Partition member (fixed) 122... Partition member (fixed) 125…Top end front member 126…Top end rear member 127… Upper mounting member 128... Upper partition member 128a...Groove 13…Top plate component 130...Metal plate 131…Mounting bracket 132... Retaining bracket 133...Press bar 15…Lower placement member 16…Upper arrangement member 17...Waist board member 170... Rotation axis 171...Lowest-most component 172...Lowest-most component 18… Skirting board component 181... Mounting piece 182…Lower end piece 183a...Groove 19...Back plate 190…Movable back plate 20... Rails 200... Anchor bolts 21… Rail components 21a... Rail member 210…Bottom part 211…Fixing hole 212…Reinforcement plate 22…Base component 220… Fastening bolts 221...Engaging part 221a... Through hole 222...Vertical wall part 222a…adjustment hole 223... Side wall section 224... Nut 225...bracket 226…bracket 227...plate 23... Slider 231...Top part 232…Leg wall part 233…recess 234...projection piece 24…Reinforcement bracket 240…Mounting bolts 241... Mounting surface 241a... Mounting piece 242…Matching flange 243…Mounting holes 244... Nut 25… Anchor 251...Support piece 252... Horizontal bar 253...Adjuster bolt 254... Stopper 30…Lift polishing device 31...Main unit 310…Top part 311... Cassette stand 312...Engaged part 313...Shutter 314…Positioning member 32...Gears for polishing 32a...Large diameter part 32b…Reduced diameter part 32c…Thin diameter part 320...Casing 320a…Polishing window 321... Guide tooth 322… Tooth groove 328... Connecting passage 33...polishing means 330… Abrasive material 331... Cassette 331a…One side wall 331b…Other side wall 332...Curved surface part 333... Guide groove 334... Guide path 335…Mounting shaft 336,337…Engaging parts 338... Rib 34…Unloading route 340…Fixed bracket 341…Lower liftway 341a... Reinforced wall 342…Main unloading route 35…Driving means 350…Electric motor 351… Drive gear 352…Driver gear 36... Control means 40... Storage tank 41... Tank body 41a...Stepped section 410…Bottom plate 411…Side plate 412...Front plate 413...Rear plate 414…Opening 415...Ball outlet 416... Mounting part 42...Attachments 421,422… Fixing brackets 423,424…Pipe members 43…Upper gutter component 44…Lower sieve member 441...Introduction surface part 442... Foreign object drop section 443...projection 444... Partition plate 445... Ball-breaking bar 446... Step 447,448…Engaging pieces 45...Shutter 450...Slanted edge 50... Supply chute 51…Gutter body 510…Upstream upper half 511...Detection unit 512...Detection unit 513, 514, 515, 516… Ribs 517...Engaging claw 52… Route 52A... Supply Route 52B... Falling path 521... Partition wall 522... Partition wall 523…Ball exit 524…Ball exit 525…Ball exit 53…Acceptance Department 531... Supply port 532... Guide Section 54... Guide wall 540... Front edge 541... Notch 55…Support bracket 551...Bottom plate 552, 553… Flange 554…Opening 555... Through hole 556…Mounting hole 557... Mounting groove 558…Mounting plate 559…Fixing tool 60...Inter-base member 601...Cover component 602... Cap component 61…Connecting member 62...Lower frame guide 63…Upper frame guide 70… Fastening member

Claims

[Claim 1] In a supply trough located above the gaming machine and used to supply gaming balls to the gaming machine, Multiple rail-like paths are arranged in parallel on both sides, through which the game balls flow down in a single line. Each of the aforementioned paths includes a drop path for dropping excess game balls. The downstream end of the aforementioned drop path is connected to a ball outlet from which game balls are dropped, while game balls that do not enter the ball outlet are set to fall separately from the ball outlet without returning to the drop path.

Images