Display device for gaming machines

Abstract

To make a display device showing the number of acquired pachinko balls and other game media easily noticeable to a player. The display device (100) is attached above the game table (200) and is equipped with a drive device (160) that moves the columnar body (110) and thus the display unit (120) up and down. By moving the columnar body (110) and thus the display unit (120) up and down, it is possible to attract the attention of surrounding players.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device that shows the number of pachinko balls or other gaming media won on a pachinko machine or other gaming machine. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a ball output number display device that shows the number of balls output from a pachinko machine is described in JP 2024-106067 A. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the interior of an arcade where the ball output number display device 1 described in the publication is installed. As shown in FIG. 23, a number of gaming machines 2 are arranged in a row inside a gaming facility, and a ball output number display device 1 stands upright on the top surface of each gaming machine 2. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the ball output number display device 1. As shown in Figure 24, the ball output number display device 1 comprises a mounting pole 19 whose lower end is fixed to the upper surface of the gaming table 2, a box-shaped outer frame 14 fixed to the upper end of the mounting pole 19, and a display panel 10 attached inside the outer frame 14.

[0003] The outer frame 14 is fixed to the gaming table 2 via an attachment pole 19. The display panel 10 displays the number of pachinko balls that have been won by the player at each gaming machine 2. The display panel 10 is attached inside the outer frame 14 so as to be rotatable relative to the outer frame 14 . 25 and 26 are front views showing the operation of the display panel 10. FIG. For example, as shown in Fig. 25, the display board 10 is rotatably attached to the inner wall of the outer frame 14 via a vertical shaft (not shown) that extends vertically at the center in the left-right direction at its upper and lower edges. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 25(A) and Fig. 25(B), the display board 10 can rotate in both left and right directions relative to the outer frame 14 around the vertical shaft.

[0004] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 26, the display board 10 is rotatably attached to the inner wall of the outer frame 14 via a horizontal shaft (not shown) extending horizontally at the center in the up-down direction on each of its two side edges. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 26(A) and Fig. 26(B), the display board 10 can rotate in both directions relative to the outer frame 14 around the horizontal shaft. In this way, since the display board 10 is rotatable, more surrounding players can see the display board 10 than if the display board 10 was fixed in a stationary state, which is expected to have an effect of attracting customers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2024-106067 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even if the display board 10 rotates, the outer frame 14 is located outside the display board 10, and a part of the display board 10 always overlaps with the outer frame 14, so it is impossible for surrounding players to see the entire display board 10. Therefore, the effect of rotating the display board 10 is halved. The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with conventional ball output number display devices as described above, and aims to provide a ball output number display device that makes it possible to display the number of balls output in a way that is easily noticeable to surrounding players. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides, as a first aspect, a display device (100) that is installed on a game table (2) and indicates the number of game media acquired on the game table (2), the display device (100) including a display unit (120) including a pillar-shaped body (110) extending upward from the game table (2), a hollow box-shaped display box (121) supported by the pillar-shaped body (110) and extending horizontally from the pillar-shaped body (110), and display plates (121A, 121B) provided on a surface of the display box (121) and indicating the number of game media acquired on the game table (2), the display device (100) being attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the game table (2), and further including a stopper (180) that fixes the pillar-shaped body (110) to the game table (2). The display device (100F) has a peripheral wall of the columnar body (110) formed with a plurality of through holes (110B) in the circumferential direction, and the stopper (300) is attached to a central shaft (316) fixed inside the display box (121) and includes a lever (310) that is rotatable around the central shaft (316) and a spring (320) disposed inside the display box (121). The lever (310) has one end that is in contact with the through hole (110B) of the columnar body (110). The spring (320) biases the protrusion (313) in a first direction in which the protrusion (313) fits into the through hole (110B) of the columnar body (110). When the lever (310) is biased at its other end in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring (320), the lever (310) rotates about the central axis (316) in a direction in which the protrusion (313) comes out of the through hole (110B). A display device (100) is provided.

[0009] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a display device (100B) that is installed on a game table (2) and indicates the number of game media acquired on the game table (2), the display device (100B) including a display unit (120) including a pillar-shaped body (110) extending upward from the game table, a hollow box-shaped display box (121) supported by the pillar-shaped body (110) and extending horizontally from the pillar-shaped body (110), and display plates (121A, 121B) provided on a surface of the display box (121) and indicating the number of game media acquired on the game table (2), the display unit (120) being attached so as to be rotatable around a central axis of the pillar-shaped body (110), The display device (100F) further includes a rotation stopper (300) for fixing the pillar-shaped body (110) to be non-rotatable with respect to the game table (2), and a plurality of through holes (110B) are formed in the peripheral wall of the pillar-shaped body (110) of the display device (100F) in the circumferential direction. The rotation stopper (300) is attached to a central shaft (316) fixed inside the display box (121), and includes a lever (310) that is rotatable around the central shaft (316) and a spring (320) arranged inside the display box (121). The lever (310) is One end of the lever (310) is provided with a protrusion (313) that can be fitted into the through hole (110B) of the columnar body (110), and the spring (320) biases the protrusion (313) in a first direction in which the protrusion (313) fits into the through hole (110B) of the columnar body (110). When the lever (310) is biased in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring (320) at the other end, the lever (310) rotates about the central axis (316) in a direction in which the protrusion (313) comes out of the through hole (110B). A display device (100B) is provided.

[0010] It is preferable that the columnar body (115) has an N-sided polygon (N is an integer of 3 or more) cross section, and the through-hole (110B) is formed in each of the N sides of the N-sided polygon. The display device (100C) preferably includes a rotation device (190) that rotates the display unit (120) around the central axis of the columnar body (110).

[0011] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a display device (100D) that is installed on a game table (2) and indicates the number of game media acquired on the game table (2), the display device (100D) including a pillar (110) extending upward from the game table (2), a hollow box-shaped display box (121) supported by the pillar (110) and extending horizontally from the pillar (110), and a display panel (121A, In a display device (100D) including a display unit including a pillar (110) and a display unit including a pillar (121B), the pillar (110) is attached to the game table (2) so as to be movable in the vertical direction, the display unit (120) is attached to the game table (2) so as to be rotatable around a central axis of the pillar (110), and the display device (100D) further includes a stopper (300) that fixes the pillar (110) to be immovable in the vertical direction relative to the game table (2) and fixes the pillar (110) to be immovable in the vertical direction relative to the game table (2) and immovable relative to the game table (2). In the display device (100D), a plurality of through holes (110B, 173) are formed in the peripheral wall of the columnar body (110) in the circumferential direction and the vertical direction, respectively, and the stopper (300) is attached to a central axis (316) fixed inside the display box (121) and includes a lever (310) that is rotatable around the central axis (316) and a spring (320) arranged inside the display box (121). The lever (310) has a protrusion (313) at one end that can be engaged with the through hole (110B, 173) of the columnar body (110), and the spring (320) is configured to have the protrusion (313) engage with the through hole (110B, 173) of the columnar body (110) so as to be engaged with the through hole (110B, 173) of the columnar body (110). When the lever (310) is biased at its other end in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring (320), the lever (310) rotates about the central axis (316) in a direction in which the projection (313) comes out of the through hole (110B, 173). A display device (100D) is provided.

[0012] The display device (100E) ,before The display device may further include a rotation device (190) that rotates the display unit (120) around the central axis of the columnar body (110) and stops the display unit (120) at a position after the rotation relative to the game table (2).

[0013] The reference symbols in parentheses are intended only to show the correspondence with the embodiments described later, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the display device of the present invention, the display unit moves up and down, so that surrounding players can fully see the number of balls displayed on the display unit, compared to a stationary display unit, which is expected to have an even greater effect in attracting customers. In addition, according to the display device of the present invention, since the display unit rotates, surrounding players can see the rotating display unit from the front and can fully confirm the number of balls displayed on the display unit, which is expected to attract even more customers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the display device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the display device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the display device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a plan view of the display device viewed from above when the ornament is in its first position. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the display device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a right side view of the display device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a left side view of the display device shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the display device shown in FIG. [Figure 10] A vertical cross-sectional view of a decorative object in a first position inside a display box.

[0016] [Figure 11] A front view showing the state in which the ornament has been moved to the second position. [Figure 12] A vertical cross-sectional view showing the state in which the ornament has been moved to the second position. [Figure 13] A front view showing a state in which one of the game medium storage boxes is exposed above the display unit between the first position and the second position. [Figure 14] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which one of the game medium storage boxes is exposed above the display unit between a first position and a second position. FIG. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are vertical cross-sectional views showing other configuration examples of the stopper. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a third embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a fourth embodiment; [Figure 19] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a columnar body used in a display device that is a modification of the display device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 23] 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance inside an arcade where a conventional ball output number display device is installed. [Figure 24] 24 is a perspective view of the ball output number display device shown in FIG. 23. [Diagram 25] A front view showing the operation of the display panel of the ball output number display device shown in Figure 23. [Figure 26] A front view showing the operation of the display panel of the ball output number display device shown in Figure 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front side, FIG. 2 is a side view of the display device 100, FIG. 3 is a front view of the display device 100, and FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the display device 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the display device 100 is installed on a game machine 2 (see FIG. 23) and is used to display the number of game media (for example, pachinko balls) acquired on the game machine 2. The display device 100 is composed of a pillar-shaped body 110 extending upward from the gaming table 2, a display unit 120 that displays the number of gaming media acquired, a decorative body 130, a drive unit 140 (see Figure 10) that moves the decorative body 130 up and down, and a stopper 180 that fixes the pillar-shaped body 110 to the gaming table 2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, a cavity 201 extending vertically is formed inside the game table 2, and a portion of the columnar body 110 including its lower end is located inside the cavity 201. A flange 170 that supports the pillar-shaped body 110 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the game table 2. The pillar-shaped body 110 is attached to the game table 2 via the flange 170 so as to extend in the vertical direction. A through-hole 171 that extends in the vertical direction is formed inside the flange 170, and the pillar-shaped body 110 is engaged with the through-hole 171 so as to be slidable inside the through-hole 171. In other words, the pillar-shaped body 110 is arranged so as to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the flange 170 and, by extension, the game table 2. The pillar 110 is a rigid body made of metal, resin, or other material, and has a hollow pillar shape with a circular or polygonal cross section. The display unit 120 is composed of a display box 121, display panels 121A and 121B, and a cylindrical connector 122 that extends vertically.

[0020] The display box 121 has a hollow box-like shape, one end of which (the right end in FIG. 3) is fixedly attached to a connector 122 and extends horizontally from the connector 122. The display boards 121A, 121B are attached to both sides of the display box 121 (see FIG. 2), and the number of game media won on the game machine 2 and other information are displayed on each of the two display boards 121A, 121B. The connector 122 is fixedly attached to the post 110 so as to be concentric with the post 110 . In this way, the display box 121 and the display boards 121A, 121B are attached to the columnar body 110 via the connecting body 122, and since the columnar body 110 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the gaming table 2, the display box 121 and the display boards 121A, 121B are also movable in the vertical direction relative to the gaming table 2.

[0021] A screw hole 172 is formed in the vertical wall of the flange 170, and a bolt 175 can be fitted into the screw hole 172. The screw hole 172 and the bolt 175 constitute a stopper 180 that fixes the columnar body 110 to the game table 2. That is, by moving the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) up and down, fitting the bolt 175 into the screw hole 172 at any position, and pressing the columnar body 110 with the tip of the bolt 175, it is possible to fix the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) in that position. The decorative body 130 (see Figures 2 and 3) comprises five game media storage boxes 131-135 stacked vertically, and a second game media storage box 136 placed on top of the uppermost game media storage box 135. For example, each of the game medium storage boxes 131-135 is a box modeled after a box for storing pachinko balls (called a "dollar box"), and the second game medium storage box 136 is a box modeled after a box in which medals (or game media such as pachinko balls) as game media are packed so tightly that they overflow onto the top (a state called "kachi-mori").

[0022] The decoration 130 is intended to attract the player's attention and does not need to have a particular shape and can be any shape. As described above, the interior of the display box 121 is hollow, and an opening (not shown) through which the ornament 130 can pass is formed on the upper surface of the display box 121. The ornament 130 is disposed inside the display box 121, and moves up and down between a first position and a second position described below via this opening. A drive device 140 (see FIG. 10) that moves the ornament 130 up and down is also disposed inside the display box 121. Figure 5 is a plan view of the display box 121 when the decorative body 130 is in its first position, Figure 6 is a front view, Figure 7 is a right side view, Figure 8 is a left side view, and Figure 9 is a bottom view. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the jewelry object 130 in a first position inside the display box 121. As shown in FIG.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 10, the driving device 140 is made up of a motor 141, a gear train 142, a conversion mechanism 143 that converts rotational motion into linear motion, and a cylindrical body 144 having a cylindrical shape. The operation of the motor 141 is controlled by a control device 150 that is external (or internal) to the display device 100 . When the motor 141 is rotated by the control device 150, the rotational force is transmitted to the gear train 142, and then the rotational motion is converted into linear motion (up and down motion) by the conversion mechanism 143 (for example, a rack and pinion mechanism). The cylinder 144 is attached to the back side of the display board 121A (or 121B) via an attachment device (not shown) so as to be movable up and down. The cylinder 144 is operatively connected to the conversion mechanism 143, and the linear motion converted from the rotational motion by the conversion mechanism 143 is transmitted to the cylinder 144, and as a result, the cylinder 144 moves up and down.

[0024] Each of the five game medium storage boxes 131-135 is attached to a cylinder 144, and when the cylinder 144 moves up and down, the game medium storage boxes 131-135 and the second game medium storage box 136 also move up and down accordingly. The display device 100 having the above structure operates as follows. 10, in the first position, the four game media storage boxes 131-134 are positioned inside the display box 121 in a mutually overlapping state (positioned below the top of the display box 121), and only the game media storage box 135 at the top position and the second game media storage box 136 are exposed upward from the display box 121. Furthermore, in the first position, the second game media storage box 136 is stored inside the game media storage box 135, and the game media storage box 135 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the game media storage box 134 directly below it. Before the display device 100 starts to operate, the ornament 130 is in the first position (FIGS. 6 and 10).

[0025] When the number of game media acquired on the game machine 2 exceeds a predetermined number (for example, 100), a signal is sent from a game media counter (not shown) to the control device 150. The control device 150 receives this signal and activates the motor 141 to move the cylinder 144 upward. As the cylinder 144 moves upward, the decorative body 130 moves from the first position to the second position. 11 and 12 are a front view and a vertical cross-sectional view showing the state in which the ornament 130 has been moved to the second position. 11 and 12, in the second position, all five of the game media storage boxes 131-135 and the second game media storage box 136 are exposed upward from the display box 121. Furthermore, in the second position, the five game media storage boxes 131-135 are positioned apart from one another at a predetermined interval, and the second game media storage box 136 is also positioned above and apart from the uppermost game media storage box 135 among the five game media storage boxes 131-135 at a predetermined interval.

[0026] When the decorative body 130 is in the first position, the four game media storage boxes 131-134 are stacked on top of each other, which indicates that the four game media storage boxes 131-134 are empty and, therefore, the four game media storage boxes 131-134 are closely stacked on top of each other. In contrast, when the decorative body 130 is in the second position, the five game media storage boxes 131-135 are positioned apart at a predetermined distance from each other because the five game media storage boxes 131-135 are filled with game media (e.g., pachinko balls). Therefore, unlike the case of Figure 10, the five game media storage boxes 131-135 cannot be placed close to each other and there is a need to leave a gap between them. The positional relationship between the second game medium storage box 136 and the game medium storage box 135 is also similar.

[0027] For example, when a predetermined time (e.g., 10:00 a.m.) arrives, or when a predetermined time (e.g., one hour) has elapsed, the control device 150 reverses the rotation of the motor 141 to lower the cylinder 144. As a result, the ornament 130 lowers from the second position (FIGS. 11 and 12) to the first position (FIGS. 6 and 10). As described above, with the display device 100 of this embodiment, at a gaming machine 2 where a player has acquired a large amount of gaming media, the decorative body 130 at the second position, i.e., the decorative body 130 located above the gaming machine 2, is positioned prominently and attracts the attention of other players, which is expected to have an effect of attracting customers. In particular, in the decorative body 130 in the second position, each of the five game media storage boxes 131-135 is full of game media (and therefore the five game media storage boxes 131-135 cannot be stacked closely together), which is likely to stimulate other players' desire to play and attract even more customers.

[0028] Furthermore, as described above, in the display device 100 according to this embodiment, the pillar 110 (and thus the display unit 120) moves up and down relative to the gaming table 2, and is fixed at any position via the stopper 180. Therefore, by raising the pillar 110 (and thus the display unit 120), the display unit 120 can be positioned even higher, so that the display unit 120 and the decorative body 130 are more likely to catch the eye of other players, and a greater customer attraction effect can be expected. The structure of the display device 100 according to this embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and various modifications are possible. In the display device 100 of this embodiment, when the decorative body 130 is in the first position, only the game media storage box 135 (the second game media storage box 136 is hidden inside the game media storage box 135) is exposed from above the display unit 120 (see Figures 6 and 10), but it is also possible to arrange it so that all five game media storage boxes 131-135 are located inside the display unit 120.

[0029] When the decorative body 130 is in the first position, it is sufficient that the majority of the lower part of the decorative body 130 (for example, three or more or four or more game medium storage boxes) is located inside the display unit 120. Similarly, when the decorative body 130 is in the second position, it is sufficient that the majority of the upper part of the decorative body 130 (e.g., three or more or four or more game medium storage boxes) is located above the display unit 120. Furthermore, the number of ornaments 130 is not limited to five, but any number equal to or greater than three can be selected. Furthermore, a lighting device (not shown) can be placed inside the decorative body 130. The lighting device is turned on and off by the control device 150. For example, the control device 150 causes the lighting device to emit light when the columnar body 110 and thus the decorative body 130 are raised or lowered. Alternatively, the control device 150 can cause the lighting device to light up when the decorative object 130 moves above the display unit 120 and turn off when the decorative object 130 moves down inside the display unit 120.

[0030] The lighting device may be configured to emit multiple colors of light, some of which may be emitted simultaneously. For example, a rainbow of colors may be produced using seven colors of light. Also, when the control device 150 raises the ornament 130, it may emit a first color of light, and when the control device 150 lowers the ornament 130, it may emit a second color of light different from the first color. In the display device 100 of the first embodiment, the decorative object 130 is configured to move up and down between a first position (Figures 6 and 10) and a second position (Figures 11 and 12), but it can also be configured to stop between the first position and the second position.

[0031] For example, when the decorative body 130 is in the first position, only the topmost game medium storage box 135 (with the second game medium storage box 136 hidden inside it) is exposed above the display unit 120, but when the player acquires a predetermined number of game media, the control device 150 drives the motor 141 so that the game medium storage box 134 located directly below the game medium storage box 135 is exposed above the display unit 120, and when the player acquires another predetermined number of game media (twice the predetermined number in total), the control device 150 drives the motor 141 so that the game medium storage box 133 located directly below the game medium storage box 134 is exposed above the display unit 120. 13 and 14 are a front view and a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the game medium storage box 133 is exposed above the display unit 120 between the first position and the second position. That is, each time the player acquires a predetermined number of game media, the game media storage boxes 131-135 rise one by one so as to be exposed above the display unit 120. Finally, when the player acquires four times the predetermined number of game media, the decoration 130 (all of the game media storage boxes 131-135) rises to the second position.

[0032] In this way, by gradually raising the ornament 130 according to the number of gaming media acquired by the player, the player's motivation to play can be gradually stimulated. FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the stopper 180. As shown in FIG. For example, instead of constructing the stopper 180 from a combination of the screw hole 172 and the bolt 175, it is also possible to construct it from a combination of a plurality of through holes 173 equally spaced in the vertical direction in the peripheral wall of the columnar body 110 and a pin 176 that can be fitted into the through hole 173, as shown in FIG. 15. After the columnar body 110 is raised to a desired position, the through-hole 174 (formed so that the pin 176 can be fitted) formed in the vertical wall of the flange 170 is aligned with the through-hole 173, and the pin 176 is inserted into both the through-holes 174, 173. This allows the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) to be fixed in that position.

[0033] The structure of the stopper 180 is not limited to the above example. As long as it is possible to fix the columnar body 110 to the flange 170 (and thus to the game table 2), the stopper 180 may have any structure. In this embodiment, the cavity 201 is formed inside the game table 2, but it is not necessarily required to form the cavity 201. It is also possible to move the columnar body 110 up and down within the space above the game table 2, that is, within the range of the internal space of the flange 170, without forming the cavity 201 (see FIG. 17 described later).

[0034] Second Embodiment In the display device 100 according to the first embodiment, the pillars 110 are manually moved up and down and fixed in position, but it is also possible to automatically move the pillars 110 up and down mechanically and fix them in position. The display device 100A of the second embodiment includes, instead of the stopper 180 in the first embodiment, a columnar body driving device 160 that moves the columnar body 110 in the vertical direction and stops the columnar body 110 at a position relative to the gaming table 2 after the movement. FIG. 16 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100A according to the second embodiment. The display device 100A according to this embodiment is different from the display device 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a columnar body driving device 160 instead of the stopper 180. Except for this point, the display device 100A has the same structure as the display device 100.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 16, the columnar body driving device 160 is composed of a rack 111 fixedly attached to the inner wall 110A of the columnar body 110, a pinion 112, and a motor 113 that drives the pinion 112. The rack 111 extends vertically, and has teeth 111A formed on its outward surface. The teeth 111A of the rack 111 mesh with a pinion 112, and the pinion 112 is connected to a motor 113. The pinion 112 is driven by the motor 113 to rotate the pinion 112, whereby the columnar body 110 (and hence the display unit 120) moves up and down according to the rotation direction of the motor 113. As the columnar body 110 moves up and down, the display unit 120 also moves up and down. Furthermore, when the motor 113 stops, the rotation of the pinion 112 stops, and the rack 111 and thus the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) stop at that position.

[0036] As described above, according to the display device 100A of this embodiment, the pillars 110 (and hence the display unit 120) can be mechanically moved up and down and stopped at any position. Furthermore, by continuously moving the pillars 110 (and thus the display units 120) up and down, it is possible to attract the attention of other players. Third embodiment In the display device 100 of the first embodiment, the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) is configured to be capable of moving up and down, but instead of moving the display unit 120 up and down, it is also possible to configure the display unit 120 to be rotatable. FIG. 17 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100B according to the third embodiment.

[0037] In this embodiment, the columnar body 110 is attached to the upper surface 202 of the game table 2 via a flange 170 so as to stand upright. A ring-shaped protrusion 123 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the connector 122, and the connector 122 is supported by the columnar body 110 so as to be rotatable around the central axis of the columnar body 110 by fitting the protrusion 123 to the inner wall 110A of the columnar body 110. Therefore, the display unit 120 is rotatable around the central axis of the columnar body 110. As described above, according to the display device 100B of this embodiment, the pillar 110 and therefore the display unit 120 can rotate around the central axis of the pillar 110 relative to the gaming machine 2. By rotating the display unit 120, players around the gaming machine 2 can view the rotating display unit 120 from the front, which can attract more attention from surrounding players and is expected to have a greater effect of attracting customers.

[0038] (Fourth embodiment) In the third embodiment, the pillar 110 (and thus the display unit 120) is configured to be rotatable relative to the gaming table 2, but there is a risk that the pillar 110 may rotate unintentionally. In order to prevent such unintentional rotation of the pillar 110, it is possible to additionally provide a rotation stopper that fixes the pillar 110 to the gaming table 2 so that it cannot rotate. 18 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100F according to a fourth embodiment. The display device 100F according to this embodiment is additionally provided with a rotation stopper 300 compared to the display device 100B according to the third embodiment. 18, in the display device 100F according to this embodiment, the inside of the connector 122 has an open bottom surface, a hole 122A extending vertically upward from the open bottom surface, and the column 110 rotatably engages with the inner wall of the hole 122A. That is, the connector 122 (and thus the display unit 120) is rotatably supported with respect to the column 110 by the column 110 engaging with the hole 122A.

[0039] The pillar 110 has a hollow cylindrical shape. A plurality of through holes 110B are formed in the peripheral wall of the pillar 110 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (only one of them is shown in FIG. 18). The rotation stopper 300 is composed of a lever 310, a spring 320, and a hollow button 330 formed in a cylindrical shape. As shown in Figure 18, lever 310 comprises a lever body 311 which is long in the vertical direction, an extension 312 extending upward from lever body 311, a cylindrical protrusion 313 which extends horizontally in one direction (to the right in Figure 18) from extension 312, is positioned opposite through hole 110B of columnar body 110 and is engageable with through hole 110B, and a cylindrical base portion 314 which extends from extension 312 in the direction opposite to the extension direction of protrusion 313.

[0040] A hole 122B extending in the horizontal direction is formed inside the connector 122, and a base portion 314 of the lever 310 is housed inside the hole 122B so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. A spring 320 is disposed inside the hole 122B, and the base portion 314 is housed inside the spring 320. The spring 320 is sandwiched between the bottom of the hole 122B and the extension portion 312 of the lever 310 (the portion behind the protrusion 313), and exerts a biasing force on the extension portion 312 and therefore the lever 310 in a direction in which the protrusion 313 fits into the through-hole 110B of the columnar body 110. A central axis 316 extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 18 is provided inside connector 122. Central axis 316 is located at a position farther from columnar body 110 than protrusion 313 in the horizontal direction (a position on the left side in Fig. 18). A through hole 315 is formed in the lever body 311 of the lever 310, and the lever body 311 is rotatably attached to the connector 122 by fitting a central shaft 316 into the through hole 315. The lever body 311, and therefore the lever 310, are rotatable in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions about the central shaft 316.

[0041] Connector 122 has one end that opens to the outside of connector 122 and a through hole 122C that extends horizontally (to the right in FIG. 18) from the opening, and button 330 slidably fits inside through hole 122C. One end of button 330 (the left end in FIG. 18) is always exposed to the outside from through hole 122C. A second through hole 317 is formed in the lever body 311 below the through hole 315. A support shaft 318 is provided on the inner wall of the button 330, and the support shaft 318 is rotatably engaged with the second through hole 317 of the lever body 311 inside the button 330. Therefore, when the button 330 slides inside the through hole 122C, the lever body 311 rotates in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions around the support shaft 318 depending on the moving direction of the button 330.

[0042] The rotation stopper 300 is used as follows. 18, in a normal state, the protrusion 313 is engaged with the through hole 110B of the columnar body 110 by the biasing force of the spring 320. Therefore, the display unit 120 is unable to rotate relative to the columnar body 110 (and thus the gaming table 2). When rotating the display unit 120 relative to the pillar 110 (and thus the gaming table 2), the button 330 is pushed inward (towards the pillar 110). Lever body 311 of lever 310 is connected to button 330 via support shaft 318, so when button 330 is pressed to the rear (right side in FIG. 18), lever body 311 rotates counterclockwise around central shaft 316. As a result, the protrusion 313 moves in a direction (leftward in FIG. 18) away from the through-hole 110B of the columnar body 110 against the biasing force of the spring 320. That is, the connection body 122 (and therefore the display unit 120) is released from the columnar body 110, and the connection body 122 (and therefore the display unit 120) becomes rotatable relative to the columnar body 110 (and therefore the game table 2).

[0043] Next, while the button 330 is still pressed, the connecting body 122 (the display unit 120) is rotated by an arbitrary angle relative to the columnar body 110, and then the button 330 is released. When the button 330 is released, the biasing force of the spring 320 again acts on the lever body 311 of the lever 310, so that the protrusion 313 is pushed rightward in Fig. 18 and engages with the through-hole 110B of the columnar body 110 (the through-hole 110B facing the protrusion 313 after the connector 122 is rotated). As a result, the display unit 120 is again fixed unrotatably to the columnar body 110 (and thus to the gaming table 2).

[0044] As described above, the rotation stopper 300 is capable of rotating the connecting body 122 (and thus the display unit 120) at any angle relative to the columnar body 110, and is also capable of fixing the connecting body 122 in the position after rotation. The display device 100F according to this embodiment may be partially modified. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a pillar 115 that is used in place of pillar 110 in a display device that is a modification of display device 100F. The columnar body 115 has an octagonal cross section and is hollow inside. The columnar body 115 is inscribed within a hole 122A formed in the connector 122. A through hole 110B (see FIG. 18) is formed in each of the eight faces of the columnar body 115, and the protrusions 313 of the rotation stopper 300 can be fitted into each of the eight through holes 110B. When using a cylindrical pillar 110, the amount of rotation (angle of rotation) of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120) can be determined arbitrarily by the operator, but in that case, it is often difficult to visually maintain the amount of rotation of the connecting body 122 at a constant value.

[0045] In contrast, by using an octagonal columnar body 115, it becomes easy to maintain the amount of rotation of the connector 122 at a constant value. The inclination angle of each of the eight faces of the octagon is 45°. 360÷8=45(degrees) Therefore, if each of the eight faces is rotated by one degree, the amount of rotation of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120) is 45 degrees. For example, assuming that the operator is looking at pillar 115 from the direction of arrow X, if the operator rotates face 115A of pillar 115 located in the front right direction to the left (clockwise direction in Figure 19) so that face 115B adjacent to face 115A comes to the position of face 115A, then pillar 115 will have been rotated 45 degrees. In this way, by using an octagonal pillar 115, each of the eight faces of the pillar 115 serves as a guide for the amount of rotation of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120), so that the amount of rotation of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120) can be maintained constant.

[0046] The cross-sectional shape of the pillars 115 is not limited to an octagon. The cross-sectional shape of the pillar 115 can be an N-sided polygon (N is an integer of 3 or more), in which case the amount of rotation (rotation angle) of one face is 360÷N (degrees). For example, if the cross-sectional shape of column 115 is a dodecagon (N=12), then rotating one face of column 115 rotates connector 122 (display unit 120) by 30 degrees (360÷12). In this embodiment, the rotation stopper 300 is used to stop the rotation of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120), but the rotation stopper 300 can also be used to adjust the height of the connecting body 122 (display unit 120). For example, like the display device 100 shown in FIG. 15, through holes 173 are formed at equal intervals in the vertical direction in the peripheral wall of the columnar body 110, and rotation stoppers 300 are used instead of the pins 176. After the button 330 is pressed and the protrusion 313 is removed from the through-hole 173, the connector 122 (display unit 120) is moved up and down relative to the columnar body 110, and after the height of the connector 122 (display unit 120) is determined, the button 330 is released. As a result, the protrusion 313 is engaged with the opposing through-hole 173 by the biasing force of the spring 320, and the connector 122 (display unit 120) is fixed at that height.

[0047] Fifth embodiment In the display device 100B according to the third embodiment, the display unit 120 is manually rotated relative to the columnar body 110, but it is also possible to rotate the display unit 120 mechanically. FIG. 20 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100C according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, a display device 100C according to the fifth embodiment includes a rotation device 190 that mechanically rotates the display unit 120 around the central axis of the columnar body 110. The rotation device 190 is composed of a rod-shaped, vertically elongated gear 124 extending downward from the bottom surface of the connecting body 122, a pinion 125 that meshes with the gear 124, and a motor 126 that rotates the pinion 125. By rotating the pinion 125 by the motor 126, the connecting body 122 (and therefore the display unit 120) rotates around the central axis of the columnar body 110 according to the direction of rotation of the motor 126. As described above, in the display device 100C according to the fifth embodiment, the display unit 120 can be mechanically rotated.

[0048] (Sixth embodiment) In the display device 100 of the first embodiment, the pillar-shaped body 110 is configured independently so as to be movable up and down relative to the gaming table 2, and in the display device 100B of the third embodiment, the display unit 120 is configured independently so as to be rotatable relative to the gaming table 2. However, it is also possible to configure the pillar-shaped body 110 so as to be movable up and down relative to the gaming table 2 and the display unit 120 so as to be rotatable relative to the gaming table 2. FIG. 21 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100D according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21, the display device 100D according to this embodiment has a structure that combines the display device 100 according to the first embodiment (FIG. 4) and the display device 100B according to the third embodiment (FIG. 17).

[0049] Therefore, the display device 100D according to this embodiment has both the functions of the display device 100 according to the first embodiment and the functions of the display device 100B according to the third embodiment. That is, in the display device 100D according to this embodiment, the columnar body 110 (and thus the display unit 120) can move up and down relative to the gaming table 2, and the display unit 120 can rotate relative to the gaming table 2. The display device 100D of this embodiment can attract more attention from players around the gaming machine 2 than when the display device 100 of the first embodiment and the display device 100B of the third embodiment are used alone. It is also possible to fix the pillar body 110 to the gaming table 2 so as not to move in the vertical direction, and to provide a stopper that fixes the pillar body 110 to the gaming table 2 so as not to rotate. For example, by additionally providing a stopper 160 (FIG. 4) to the display device 100F (FIG. 18) according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to restrict the vertical movement and rotation of the columnar body 110.

[0050] In this case, a plurality of through holes 110B (see FIG. 18) formed in the circumferential direction are formed in a plurality of rows in the vertical direction in the peripheral wall of the columnar body 110 (or a plurality of through holes 173 (see FIG. 15) formed in the vertical direction are formed in a plurality of rows in the circumferential direction). That is, the through holes 110B (or the through holes 173) are formed in a matrix pattern in the peripheral wall of the columnar body 110. After moving the columnar body 110 in the vertical direction, the projection 313 of the rotation stopper 300 can be engaged with any of the through-holes 110B to fix the columnar body 110 at that height. Alternatively, the connector 122 (display unit 120) can be rotated relative to the columnar body 110 and then the projection 313 of the rotation stopper 300 can be engaged with any of the through-holes 110B to stop unintended rotation of the connector 122 (display unit 120).

[0051] Seventh embodiment The display device 100D according to the sixth embodiment described above is a manual type, but it can also be configured as a mechanical type. The display device 100E according to the seventh embodiment is a display device 100D according to the sixth embodiment configured as a mechanical type. FIG. 22 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a display device 100E according to this embodiment. As is clear from a comparison between Figures 16 and 20, the display device 100E of this embodiment is basically a structural combination of the display device 100A of the second embodiment and the display device 100C of the fifth embodiment. However, instead of gear 124 in the second embodiment, a longer gear 124A is used. Since connector 122 moves up and down together with columnar body 110, gear 124A also moves up and down together with connector 122. If a short gear 124 is used, the meshing between gear 124 and pinion 125 will be released when connector 122 rises, so by using a longer gear 124A, it is possible to maintain the meshing between gear 124A and pinion 125 even if connector 122 and therefore gear 124A rise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100 Display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention Display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention 100B Display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention 100F Display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention 100C Display device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention 100D Display device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention 100E Display device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention 110 Column 120 display units 130 Decorations 140 Drive unit 150 Control device 160 Pillar body drive device 180 Stopper 190 Rotating Device

Claims

1. A display device that is installed on a gaming machine and shows the number of gaming media acquired on the gaming machine, A columnar body extending upward from the gaming table; a display unit including a hollow box-shaped display box supported by the columnar body and extending horizontally from the columnar body, and a display board provided on a surface of the display box for indicating the number of game media acquired at the game machine; In a display device comprising: The columnar body is attached so as to be movable in the up and down direction relative to the game table, Further provided with a stopper for fixing the columnar body to the gaming table, A plurality of through holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the columnar body in the vertical direction, The stopper is a lever attached to a central shaft fixed inside the display box and rotatable around the central shaft; A spring disposed inside the display box; Equipped with the lever has a protrusion at one end thereof that can be fitted into the through hole of the columnar body, the spring biases the protrusion in a first direction in which the protrusion engages with the through hole of the columnar body; A display device in which, when the lever is biased at its other end in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring, the lever rotates about the central axis in a direction in which the protrusion comes out of the through hole.

2. A display device that is installed on a gaming machine and indicates the number of gaming media acquired on the gaming machine, A columnar body extending upward from the gaming table; a display unit including a hollow box-shaped display box supported by the columnar body and extending horizontally from the columnar body, and a display board provided on a surface of the display box for indicating the number of game media acquired at the game machine; In a display device comprising: the display unit is attached so as to be rotatable around the central axis of the columnar body; Further provided is a rotation stopper for fixing the columnar body to the game table so that the columnar body cannot rotate, A plurality of through holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the columnar body in the circumferential direction, The rotation stopper is a lever attached to a central shaft fixed inside the display box and rotatable around the central shaft; A spring disposed inside the display box; Equipped with the lever has a protrusion at one end thereof that can be fitted into the through hole of the columnar body, the spring biases the protrusion in a first direction in which the protrusion engages with the through hole of the columnar body; A display device in which, when the lever is biased at its other end in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring, the lever rotates about the central axis in a direction in which the protrusion comes out of the through hole.

3. 3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the pillar has an N-sided polygon (N is an integer of 3 or more) cross section, and the through-hole is formed in each of N sides of the N-sided polygon.

4. 3. The display device according to claim 2, further comprising a rotation device that rotates the display unit around a central axis of the columnar body.

5. A display device that is installed on a gaming machine and indicates the number of gaming media acquired on the gaming machine, A columnar body extending upward from the gaming table; a display unit including a hollow box-shaped display box supported by the columnar body and extending horizontally from the columnar body, and a display board provided on a surface of the display box for indicating the number of game media acquired at the game machine; In a display device comprising: The columnar body is attached so as to be movable in the up and down direction relative to the game table, the display unit is attached so as to be rotatable around the central axis of the columnar body; The columnar body is fixed to the gaming table so as not to be movable in the vertical direction, and a stopper is further provided to fix the columnar body to the gaming table so as not to be rotatable, A plurality of through holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the columnar body in the circumferential direction and the vertical direction, The stopper is a lever attached to a central shaft fixed inside the display box and rotatable around the central shaft; A spring disposed inside the display box; Equipped with the lever has a protrusion at one end thereof that can be fitted into the through hole of the columnar body, The spring biases the protrusion in a first direction in which the protrusion engages with the through hole (173) of the columnar body, A display device in which, when the lever is biased at its other end in the same direction as the first direction against the biasing force of the spring, the lever rotates about the central axis in a direction in which the protrusion comes out of the through hole.

6. A display device as described in Claim 5, characterized in that it is provided with a rotation device that rotates the display unit around the central axis of the columnar body and stops the display unit at a position after rotation relative to the gaming table.

7. 6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the pillar has an N-sided polygon (N is an integer of 3 or more) cross section, and the through-hole is formed in each of N sides of the N-sided polygon.

Images