Gaming Machines

Abstract

To eliminate deterioration in appearance by suppressing visibility from the front side of detection means for detecting a game ball that has entered a ball entry port, when adopting a so-called transparent game board.SOLUTION: A game machine includes a game board having a transparent body plate, and first ball entry means to third ball entry means. The first ball entry means includes a transparent front side member of the transparent body plate, a rear side member on the rear side of the transparent body plate, a first ball entry port of the front side member, and first detection means of the rear side member. In the second ball entry means, a second ball entry port, an opening / closing member for opening and closing the second ball entry port, second detection means, and a front side decorative member are placed in a ball entry unit. In the third ball entry means, a gate unit having a third decorative unit on the front side and third detection means are placed in a front structure body on the front side of the transparent body plate. The first detection means is placed in the rear side member, the second detection means is placed behind a second decorative unit provided on the decorative member, and the third detection means is placed behind the third decorative unit, respectively, thereby being invisible when viewed from the front side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a game board having a game area at the front, and as a game ball launched by a launching means flows down the game area, it passes through a gate or enters the ball entry means, and based on this, a game state advantageous to the player is created, game value is awarded, etc. The game board installed in this type of gaming machine is formed by directly or indirectly mounting ball entry means and other game components, liquid crystal and other display means, main control board and other control boards, etc., on a main board formed to a certain thickness. Here, the main board used to be made of plywood or the like with a decorative sheet attached to the front, but recently transparent main boards made of polycarbonate or the like are often used (so-called transparent game boards). Such transparent game boards have the advantage of allowing greater freedom in decoration by placing decorative objects on the rear side of the transparent main body, but they have the disadvantage that electrical components such as switches and their wiring are visible from the front, which mars the appearance. Therefore, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a through passage is formed in the transparent main body plate, hidden by an opaque part, and the wiring of a ball passage detection switch (detection means) provided at the ball entrance is inserted into this through passage, making it possible to make the wiring running around the back of the transparent main body plate invisible from the front, thereby improving the appearance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-17358 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, even if it is possible to make part of the wiring invisible from the front, at least the switch (detection means) body is still visible from the front, so it cannot be said that the problem of poor appearance is fully resolved. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a gaming machine that, when using a so-called transparent gaming board, can eliminate the loss of appearance by reducing visibility from the front of the detection means that detects gaming balls that enter the ball entrance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a gaming machine having a game board with a game area on the front side, the game board having a transparent main body plate and a first ball entry means and a second ball entry means attached to the transparent main body plate, the first ball entry means comprising a front member attached to the transparent main body plate from the front side and formed to be at least partially transparent or semi-transparent, and a first ball entry port provided in the front member and through which a game ball flowing down the game area can enter, the second ball entry means comprising an entry unit attached to the transparent main body plate from the front side, the second ball entry port, an opening and closing member that can be changed between a first state in which a game ball flowing down the game area can enter the second ball entry port and a second state in which the game ball can be more difficult to enter than the first state or cannot enter, a detection means that can detect a game ball that has entered the second ball entry port, and a front decorative member, the decorative member being provided with a decorative portion and a transparent portion, By arranging the transparent portion adjacent to the decorative portion and arranging the detection means directly behind the decorative portion, the visibility of the detection means is obstructed by the decorative portion when the second ball entry means is viewed from the front side. However, by moving the line of sight, Even when the opening / closing member is in the second state 、 The inside of the second ball entry port can be seen through the transparent part, and an illuminating means is arranged in the ball entry unit so that the decorative member can be illuminated by light emitted from the illuminating means without passing through the transparent main body plate. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, when a so-called transparent game board is adopted, it is possible to eliminate the deterioration of appearance by suppressing the visibility from the front of the detection means that detects the game ball that has entered the ball entrance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the game board of the pachinko machine. [Diagram 5] 2 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view of the main parts of the game board of the pachinko machine. [Figure 9] 2 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the pachinko machine. [Figure 15] 11 is a front view of a main part of a game board of a pachinko machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 16] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a front view of a main portion of a game board of a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 18] 2 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of the game board of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 19] 13 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of a game board of a pachinko machine according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of a game board of a pachinko machine according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 to 14 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine. In Figs. 1 and 2, a gaming machine main body 1 includes an outer frame 2 and a front frame 3 arranged in front of the outer frame 2. The front frame 3 is pivotally attached to the outer frame 2 via a first hinge 4 in the up-down direction arranged at one end side in the left-right direction, for example, at the left end side, so as to be openable, closable, detachable and so on, and can be locked in a closed state relative to the outer frame 2 by a locking means 5 provided on the opposite side in the left-right direction to the first hinge 4, for example, at the right end side.

[0009] The front frame 3 comprises a main body frame 6 and a glass door 7 arranged in front of the main body frame 6. The glass door 7 is pivotally attached to the main body frame 6 via a second hinge 8 in the vertical direction arranged at one end in the left-right direction, for example, at the left end, so as to be openable, closable, and detachable, and can be locked in the closed state relative to the main body frame 6 by a locking means 5. The first hinge 4 and the second hinge 8 are arranged, for example, to be coaxial with each other.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 2, the outer frame 2 is formed in a rectangular shape by a pair of left and right vertical frame members 2a, 2b and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frame members 2c, 2d. A resin front cover member 9 is attached to the lower front side of the outer frame 2 so as to connect the lower front sides of the left and right vertical frame members 2a, 2b along the front edge of the lower horizontal frame member 2d. The front cover member 9 protrudes forward from the left and right vertical frame members 2a, 2b, and the main body frame 6 is disposed above it. In addition, the outer frame 2 has an upper outer frame hinge metal fitting 11 constituting the first hinge 4 disposed, for example, at the upper left, and a lower outer frame hinge metal fitting 12 disposed above the front cover member 9 at the lower left.

[0011] The main body frame 6 is made of resin and includes, for example, a rectangular frame portion 13 that is above the front cover member 9 and can substantially abut against the front edge of the outer frame 2, a game board mounting portion 14 provided on the upper side of the frame portion 13, and a lower mounting portion 15 provided on the lower side of the frame portion 13, which are integrally formed. A game board 16 is detachably mounted, for example, from the front side, on the game board mounting portion 14, and a launching means 17, a lower speaker 18, etc. are disposed on the front side of the lower mounting portion 15. In addition, on the main body frame 6, a main body frame upper hinge metal fitting 19 constituting the first hinge 4 and a main body frame upper hinge metal fitting 20 constituting the second hinge 8 are disposed, for example, on the upper left side, and a main body frame lower hinge metal fitting 21 constituting the first and second hinges 4, 8 are disposed, for example, on the lower left side.

[0012] The glass door 7 is provided with a resin door base 22 formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the front side of the main body frame 6. In this door base 22, a window hole 24a of a glass window 24 is formed corresponding to a play area 23 formed in front of the play board 16, and multiple (four in this case) upper speakers 25, a blower effect device 26 and other presentation means are arranged around the window hole 24a, and an upper decorative cover 27 is attached to substantially cover the upper speakers 25 etc. from the front side.

[0013] In addition, at the lower front side of the door base 22, there are arranged an upper tray 30 that stores game balls dispensed from the dispensing means 28 arranged at the rear side of the main body frame 6 and supplies them to the launching means 17, a lower tray 31 that stores surplus balls when the upper tray 30 is full, a launching handle 32 that is operated to operate the launching means 17, etc., and further, a lower decorative cover 33 that substantially covers the upper tray 30, the lower tray 31, etc. from the front side is attached. The lower decorative cover 33 is formed in a forward-facing bulge shape, and on its upper side, there are provided operation means such as a performance button 34 that can be pressed by the player and a cross operation means 35. The cross operation means 35 has four operation parts, an up key 35a on the rear side, a down key 35b on the front side, a left key 35c on the left side, and a right key 35d on the right side.

[0014] A glass unit 36 ​​is detachably attached to the rear side of the door base 22 so as to substantially cover the window hole 24a from the rear side, and a vertical hinge end side reinforcing sheet metal 37 arranged along the edge of the first and second hinges 4, 8, a vertical opening / closing end side reinforcing sheet metal 38 arranged along the edge of the opening / closing end side, and a left / right lower side reinforcing sheet metal 39 arranged below the window hole 24a are detachably fixed by screws or the like. In addition, a glass door upper hinge metal fitting 40 constituting the second hinge 8 is arranged on the upper left of the door base 22, and a glass door lower hinge metal fitting 41 is arranged on the lower left.

[0015] Also, for example, a ball feeding unit 42, a lower tray guide unit 43, etc. are attached to the back side of the lower reinforcing sheet metal 39. The ball feeding unit 42 is for supplying the game balls in the upper tray 30 one by one to the launching means 17, and is arranged corresponding to the front side of the launching means 17. The lower tray guide unit 43 is for guiding surplus balls when the upper tray 30 is full, and foul balls that have been launched by the launching means 17 but have returned without reaching the playing area 23, to the lower tray 31, and is arranged, for example, adjacent to the ball feeding unit 42 on the first and second hinges 4, 8 sides.

[0016] The game board 16 is a so-called transparent game board equipped with a transparent main body plate 45 formed from a transparent resin such as polycarbonate, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a guide rail 51, a central display frame means 52, a normal winning means 53, a start gate means 54, a first start winning means 55, a second start winning means 56, a big winning means 57, an LCD display means 58, a movable performance means 59, a rear decoration means 60, etc. are attached to the transparent main body plate 45.

[0017] The liquid crystal display means 58, the movable performance means 59, the rear decoration means 60, etc. are arranged on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45 via the rear support member 61, as shown in Figs. 4 to 7 and 10. The rear support member 61 integrally comprises a rear wall portion 62 arranged substantially parallel to the transparent main body plate 45 and rearward of the transparent main body plate 45, and a peripheral wall portion 63 extending substantially forward from the outer periphery of the rear wall portion 62, and is fixed by screw fastening or the like in a state in which the front edge side of the peripheral wall portion 63 is in contact with the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45. A substantially rectangular opening 62a is formed in the rear wall portion 62, and the liquid crystal display means 58 is detachably fixed to the rear side of the rear wall portion 62 in a state in which the display screen 58a corresponds to the opening 62a. The movable performance means 59 and the rear decoration means 60 are arranged in the rear support member 61 and detachably fixed to the rear wall portion 62, etc.

[0018] The guide rail 51 is for guiding the game balls launched from the launching means 17, and is disposed in a substantially annular shape on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45 so as to surround the periphery of the game area 23, and is composed of a plurality of, for example, three, first to third rail members 51a to 51c as shown in Fig. 3 etc. The first to third rail members 51a to 51c are formed, for example, from a transparent or translucent resin.

[0019] The first rail member 51a is formed in a generally arch shape from the lower left side of the transparent main body plate 45 through the approximate center of the left edge, the approximate center of the upper edge, and to the upper right part, and is integrally provided with a front wall portion 64 parallel to the transparent main body plate 45 and a peripheral wall portion 65 of a generally constant width protruding rearward from the peripheral portion of the front wall portion 64, and is detachably fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 with the rear end side of the peripheral wall portion 65 abutting against the front surface of the transparent main body plate 45. The first rail member 51a has a peripheral wall portion 65a on the play area 23 side formed in a generally arc shape when viewed from the front, forming a part of the guide rail 51.

[0020] The second rail member 51b is formed in a plate shape of a constant width in the front-rear direction that stands upright approximately vertically on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, and is disposed in an approximately arc shape so as to be parallel to the inside of the first rail member 51a from the upper left to the lower left of the transparent main body plate 45. The portion sandwiched between the first rail member 51a and the second rail member 51b forms a launch guide passage 66 that guides the game balls launched by the launching means 17 to the game area 23.

[0021] The third rail member 51c is formed in a generally L-shape in front view along the right and bottom edges of the transparent main body plate 45 so as to connect the upper right end of the first rail member 51a and the lower left end of the second rail member 51b, and integrally includes a front wall portion 67 parallel to the transparent main body plate 45 and a peripheral wall portion 68 of a generally constant width protruding rearward from the peripheral edge of the front wall portion 67, and is detachably fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 with the rear end side of the peripheral wall portion 68 abutting against the front surface of the transparent main body plate 45. The third rail member 51c has a peripheral wall portion 68a on the play area 23 side that forms a part of the guide rail 51.

[0022] The central display frame means 52 constitutes a display frame for the liquid crystal display means 58, and is detachably attached from the front side to a mounting hole (not shown) formed in the transparent main body plate 45, which is formed in a penetrating shape in the front-rear direction. The central display frame means 52 is made of transparent or translucent resin, and includes a front mounting plate 52a that is arranged outside the mounting hole along the front side of the transparent main body plate 45 and through which game balls can pass, a decorative frame 52b that is arranged in a gate shape in front view from both left and right sides to the upper side in front of the liquid crystal display means 58 and protrudes forward on the inner periphery side of the front mounting plate 52a, and a stage 71 that is arranged between the left and right lower ends of the decorative frame 52b. The game balls that are launched by the launching means 17 and enter the upper side of the game area 23 are sorted to the left and right at the top of the decorative frame 52b, and flow down either the left flow path 72a on the left side of the central display frame means 52 or the right flow path 72b on the right side.

[0023] The central display frame means 52 is provided with a warp inlet 71a through which game balls can flow, on at least one side of the left flow-down path 72a side and the right flow-down path 72b side, for example, on the left flow-down path 72a side. The game balls that flow into the warp inlet 71a roll freely in the left-right direction on the stage 71, and then fall forward from either a central drop section 73 provided corresponding to the left-right center of the game area 23 or from other parts.

[0024] In addition, various display means such as a normal symbol display means 76, a normal reserved number display means 77, a first special symbol display means 78, and a second special symbol display means 79 are provided on the central display frame means 52. Of course, these display means 76 to 79 can be arranged not only on the central display frame means 52 but also at any position on the front side of the game board 16 in a state where they can be seen from the front side.

[0025] The normal winning means (first ball winning means) 53 is located corresponding to the lower left side of the game area 23, and as shown in Figures 3 to 7, it comprises a front member 82 that is removably attached from the front side to a front-to-rear through mounting hole 81 formed in the transparent main body plate 45, and a rear member 83 that is arranged on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45 corresponding to the front member 82.

[0026] The front member 82 is made of resin that is at least partially, for example entirely, transparent or translucent, and is integrally provided with a front wall portion 84 that is arranged along the back surface of the glass unit 36, a peripheral wall portion 85 that extends rearward from the outer edge of the front wall portion 84, a mounting plate 86 that extends outward from the rear edge side of the peripheral wall portion 85 along the front surface of the transparent main body plate 45, a plurality of, for example two, ordinary prize openings 87a, 87b, one or more, for example one outlet 88, prize gutters 89a, 89b corresponding to the ordinary prize openings 87a, 87b, and an outlet gutter 90 corresponding to the outlet 88, and is fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 at a fixing portion 86a on the mounting plate 86 by screwing or the like so as to be freely attached and detached, with the lower peripheral wall portion 85a corresponding to the lower edge side of the front wall portion 84 aligned along the guide rail 51.

[0027] Incidentally, the front member 82 is composed only of integrally formed resin parts, and is not equipped with any electrical parts such as game ball detection means or an LED board, so that the fixing parts 86a for screwing are provided only on both ends in the longitudinal direction, i.e., in the direction along the guide rail 51, and are not provided in the intermediate part between the normal winning openings 87a, 87b and the outlet 88. In addition, since the front member 82 is not equipped with game ball detection means, etc., it is possible to make it more compact by arranging the normal winning openings 87a, 87b closer to the guide rail 51, and the limited space of the game area 23 can be used more efficiently.

[0028] The normal winning openings (first ball winning openings) 87a, 87b are openings facing approximately upward, and are arranged adjacent to the upper peripheral wall portion 85b corresponding to the upper edge side of the front wall portion 84 on the left and right. The outlet 88 is also an opening facing approximately upward, and is arranged adjacent to the upper peripheral wall portion 85b on the upstream side of the normal winning openings 87a, 87b, that is, on the left side. Of course, the outlet 88 does not have a game ball detection means arranged therein, but the game ball detection means is not arranged in the vicinity of the adjacent normal winning openings 87a, 87b, either, so it is difficult to determine whether it is an outlet or not based on the presence or absence of a game ball detection means. Of course, the front wall portion 84 has an outlet identification information 91 indicating that it is an outlet displayed at a position corresponding to the outlet 88, which makes it possible to recognize that it is an outlet. The outlet identification information 91 is composed of the characters "OUT", for example.

[0029] The winning gutters 89a, 89b guide game balls that have entered the normal winning openings 87a, 87b to the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45, respectively, and are provided protruding from the rear side of the front wall portion 84 at an incline downward toward the rear, with their front ends communicating with the lower sides of the normal winning openings 87a, 87b and their rear ends opening rearward through the mounting hole 81 at the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45. The out gutter 90 guides game balls that have entered the out opening 88 to the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45, and is provided protruding from the rear side of the front wall portion 84 at an incline downward toward the rear, with their front ends communicating with the lower side of the out opening 88 and their rear ends opening rearward through the mounting hole 81 at the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45.

[0030] At the upstream end of the upper peripheral wall 85b, an inclined guide portion (first inclined guide portion) 92 is formed to guide the game balls that have flowed down along the guide rail 51 toward the normal winning openings 87a, 87b. The inclined guide portion 92 is configured with a surface that slopes downward to the right, and the upstream end abuts or is close to the inner surface of the guide rail 51 at a gentle angle.

[0031] The rear member 83 is made of transparent, translucent or opaque resin, and as shown in Figures 4 to 7, is provided with a winning ball passage 93 for discharging game balls that have entered the normal winning holes 87a, 87b to the outside of the machine, and an out ball passage 94 for discharging game balls that have entered the out hole 88 to the outside of the machine.The rear member 83 is formed integrally with the rear decorative means 60, and is supported together with the rear decorative means 60 by a support portion 95 that protrudes forward from the rear wall portion 62 of the rear support member 61.

[0032] The winning ball passage (ball passage) 93 includes a first upstream passage section 93a whose upstream end side communicates with the winning gutter 89a on the normal winning opening 87a side, a second upstream passage section 93b whose upstream end side communicates with the winning gutter 89b on the normal winning opening 87b side, and a downstream passage section 93c where the first upstream passage section 93a and the second upstream passage section 93b join at a joining section 96 on the upstream end side and whose downstream end side communicates with a discharge passage not shown, and is disposed along the back surface of the transparent main body plate 45. A game ball detection means (first detection means) 97 capable of detecting a game ball is attached to a predetermined position on the downstream passage section 93c, for example, near the downstream end. The game ball detection means 97 is composed of a flat rectangular through-type proximity switch with a through-type detection portion 97a at one end, and is attached to the rear member 83 so that the game balls that have flowed down the downstream passage portion 93c pass through the detection portion 97a. In this way, the game balls that enter the normal winning holes 87a and 87b are detected by the common game ball detection means 97.

[0033] In addition, in a front view, the downstream passage portion 93c, including the junction portion 96, is substantially entirely disposed outside the play area 23, i.e., below the guide rail 51, and the game ball detection means 97 disposed on the downstream passage portion 93c is also disposed outside the play area 23, i.e., below the guide rail 51 (see FIG. 7). In this way, the game ball detection means 97 is disposed outside the play area 23 in a front view, and as shown in FIG. 6, the third rail member 51c is present in front of it, and the upper decorative cover 27 of the glass door 7 is present further in front of it. Therefore, although the game board 16 is a so-called transparent game board, the game ball detection means 97 is not visible or is difficult to see from the front, and deterioration of the appearance can be suppressed.

[0034] In addition, when the game ball detection means 97 is positioned outside the game area 23 when viewed from the front in this manner, the distance the game ball travels from the normal winning openings 87a, 87b to the game ball detection means (first detection means) 97, particularly the distance it travels in the vertical direction, becomes large, so that the time it takes for the game ball to be detected by the game ball detection means 97 after it enters the normal winning openings 87a, 87b becomes longer. However, since the game state for the normal winning openings 87a, 87b does not change as a result of the ball entering the normal winning openings 87a, 87b, there is no particular problem even if the time from the ball entering the normal winning openings 87a, 87b to its detection becomes longer.

[0035] The out ball passage 94 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction along the rear surface of the transparent main body plate 45 so that its upstream end communicates with the out gutter 90 and its downstream end communicates with a discharge passage not shown.

[0036] In this way, the winning ball passage (ball passage) 93 of the rear member 83 is equipped with the game ball detection means 97, but other electrical components, such as an LED board, are not installed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, no LED board is arranged in the area corresponding to the rear side of the winning ball passage (ball passage) 93 of the rear member 83 when viewed from the front.

[0037] Further, the rear decorative means (decorative body) 60 formed integrally with the rear member 83 includes a decorative plate 98 arranged along the back surface of the transparent main body plate 45, and an LED board 99 arranged behind the decorative plate 98. The decorative plate 98 is made of a translucent resin and is arbitrarily decorated, and is provided, for example, on the periphery of the winning ball passage 93 and the out ball passage 94, avoiding their front sides. The LED board 99 has a large number of LEDs 99a arranged on its front side, and is formed into a shape corresponding to the decorative plate 98.

[0038] When the LED (first light emitting means) 99a of the LED board 99 is turned on, the decorative plate 98 emits light. The light from the decorative plate 98 is then irradiated from the rear side through the transparent main body plate 45 to at least a part of the front member 82 on the front side thereof, such as the normal winning openings 87a and 87b, the outlet 88, the mounting plate 86, the front wall portion 84 (the outlet identification information 91, etc.), and the like, causing these to emit light.

[0039] The start gate means (third ball entry means) 54 is disposed on the right flow path 72b in the game area 23, and as shown in Figures 8 and 9, includes a start gate main body (front structure) 102 that is detachably attached from the front side to a front-rear penetrating attachment hole 101 formed in the transparent main body plate 45, and a game ball detection means 103 that can detect game balls. The start gate main body 102 is made of transparent or translucent resin, and a normal symbol start gate (gate portion) 104 that allows game balls that have flowed down the right flow path 72b to pass in the vertical direction is formed in a forward protruding shape relative to the transparent main body plate 45, and is fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 by screws or the like at fixing portions 102a on both the left and right sides of the normal symbol start gate 104.

[0040] The game ball detection means (third detection means) 103 is composed of a flat rectangular through-type proximity switch with a through-type detection portion 103a at one end, and is attached to the start gate main body 102 from the rear side so that the detection portion 103a coincides with the normal symbol start gate 104. The rear side of the game ball detection means 103 is inserted into the mounting hole 101 of the transparent main body plate 45, and a harness 105 drawn rearward from the rear end portion is disposed along the back side of the transparent main body plate 45 toward the outside of the game area 23, for example, facing rightward.

[0041] In addition, the start gate main body 102 has a decorative part (third decorative part) 106 formed at least on the front side of the normal pattern start gate 104. This decorative part 106 functions as a screen to make the game ball detection means 103 difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed of at least a part of an opaque decorative sheet or the like. Note that this decorative part 106 is not limited to a decorative sheet as long as it functions as a screen for the game ball detection means 103, and may be, for example, an uneven decoration applied directly to the front side of the normal pattern start gate 104. Even if it is a transparent part, it can function as a screen if unevenness is formed there and light is diffused.

[0042] In this manner, in the start gate means 54 of this embodiment, the game ball detection means 103 is disposed so that its detection section 103a is located in front of the transparent main body plate 45, and a decorative section 106 is provided as a screen on the front side of the start gate main body 102, so that the game ball detection means 103 is difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front. This is because the start gate means 54 needs to pass the game ball within the game area 23, and the game ball detection means 103 cannot be disposed behind the transparent main body plate 45 like the normal winning means 53.

[0043] In addition, a decorative portion 107 is provided on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45 between the start gate means 54 and the nearest (i.e., right) guide rail 51. This decorative portion 107 functions as a screen to make the harness 105 drawn out from the game ball detection means 103 difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed on the front side of a decorative plate 108 arranged along the front side of the transparent main body plate 45 between the start gate means 54 and the guide rail 51 on the right side thereof. The decorative plate 108 is formed integrally with the central display frame means 52, for example. The decorative portion 107 may be formed of at least a partly opaque decorative sheet or the like, like the decorative portion 106, or may be an uneven decoration directly applied to the front side of the decorative plate 108.

[0044] The first start winning means 55 is disposed at the lower side in the left-right center of the game area 23, that is, between the central display frame means 52 and the guide rail 51 below it, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, etc., includes a first start winning main body part 111 which is detachably attached from the front side to a front-rear penetrating attachment hole (not shown) formed in the transparent main body plate 45, and a game ball detection means 112 capable of detecting a game ball. An outlet 110 is provided on the guide rail 51 below the first start winning means 55.

[0045] The first start winning main body part 111 is made of, for example, transparent or translucent resin, and is integrally provided with a front mounting plate 113 arranged along the front surface of the transparent main body plate 45 and formed so that the game ball can pass through the front side, and a first special start opening 114 provided on the front side of the front mounting plate 113, and is fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 by screws or the like at the front mounting plate 113. The first special start opening 114 is formed in an upward opening shape corresponding to the lower side of the central drop part 73 provided on the stage 71.

[0046] The game ball detection means 112 is composed of a flat rectangular through-type proximity switch with a through-type detection section 112a at one end, and is attached to the first start winning main body section 111 from the rear so that the detection section 112a is located below the first special start hole 114. After the game ball enters the first special start hole 114, it is detected by the game ball detection means 112, and is guided to the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45 by a guide passage (not shown) and discharged outside the machine.

[0047] In addition, the first start winning main body 111 has a decorative part 115 formed at least on the front side of the first special start opening 114. This decorative part 115 functions as a screen to make the game ball detection means 112 difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed of at least a part of an opaque decorative sheet or the like. Note that this decorative part 115 is not limited to a decorative sheet as long as it functions as a screen for the game ball detection means 112, and may be, for example, an uneven decoration applied directly to the front side of the first special start opening 114.

[0048] In this way, in the first start winning means 55 of this embodiment, the game ball detection means 112 is disposed on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, i.e., immediately downstream of the first special start opening 114, and a decorative part 115 is provided on the front side of the first special start opening 114 as a screen, so that the game ball detection means 112 is difficult or impossible to see from the front side. This is because, as described later, the winning of a game ball into the first special start opening 114 is the starting condition for the pattern variation by the first special pattern display means 78, and therefore the distance from the first special start opening 114 to the game ball detection means 112 cannot be made too large.

[0049] However, there may be cases where it is not possible to provide a sufficient distance from the first special starting port 114 to the outlet 110 in order to widen the game area 23. In that case, the game ball detection means 112 may be disposed behind the transparent main body plate 45 by reducing the vertical movement of the game ball that entered the first special starting port 114 and allowing it to flow down to the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45.

[0050] The second start winning means 56 is arranged on the front mounting plate 52a on the right side of the central display frame means 52, downstream of the start gate means 54 on the right flow down path 72b, and as shown in Figure 3, is equipped with a second special start opening 121 formed on the front mounting plate 52a, an opening / closing member 122 that can change this second special start opening 121 between an open state where the game ball can enter and a closed state where the game ball cannot enter (or where it is more difficult to enter than in the open state), and a game ball detection means 123 that can detect the game ball.

[0051] The opening / closing member 122 can swing, for example, around a left-right rotation axis provided on the lower side, and in the closed state, for example, it is roughly flush with the front mounting plate 52a, allowing the game balls to pass through the front side, and in the open state, it is inclined downward at the rear in front of the front mounting plate 52a, allowing the game balls to enter facing backwards.

[0052] The game ball detection means 123 is composed of a flat rectangular through-type proximity switch with a through-type detection part on one end side, and is arranged in the vicinity of the downstream side of the second special starting port 121. In addition, a decorative part 124 is formed on the front mounting plate 52a in correspondence with the front side of the game ball detection means 123. This decorative part 124 functions as a screen so that the game ball detection means 123 is difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed of at least a part of an opaque decorative sheet or the like. Note that the decorative part 124 is not limited to a decorative sheet as long as it functions as a screen for the game ball detection means 123, and may be, for example, a concave and convex decoration directly applied to the front side of the front mounting plate 52a.

[0053] In this way, in the second start winning means 56 of this embodiment, the game ball detection means 123 is disposed near the downstream side of the second special start opening 121, and a decorative part 124 is provided as a screen on the front mounting plate 52a in front of it, so that the game ball detection means 123 is difficult to see or cannot be seen from the front side. This is because, as described later, the entry of a game ball into the second special start opening 121 is the starting condition for the pattern variation by the second special pattern display means 79, so the distance from the second special start opening 121 to the game ball detection means 123 cannot be made too large, and the opening and closing member 122 needs to be closed when a specified number of game balls enter the second start winning means 56, so that the number of balls entering the second start winning means 56 is much more than the specified number.

[0054] The large prize winning means (second ball winning means) 57 is arranged along the guide rail 51 downstream of the second start winning means 56 on the right flow down path 72b, and is composed of a large prize winning unit (ball winning unit) 132 that is removably attached from the front side to a front-to-rear penetrating mounting hole 131 formed in the transparent main body plate 45, as shown in Figures 4, 10 to 13, etc.

[0055] The large prize unit 132 comprises a front mounting plate 133 arranged around the mounting hole 131 along the front surface of the transparent main body plate 45, a front structure 134 protruding forward from the front mounting plate 133, and a rear structure 135 protruding rearward from the front mounting plate 133, and with the rear structure 135 inserted into the mounting hole 131 from the front side, the front mounting plate 133 is fixed to the transparent main body plate 45 by screwing or the like.

[0056] The front structure 134 is made of a transparent or semi-transparent resin, and has an inclined surface 136 on its upper portion that guides the game ball toward the inside (left side) of the game area 23, and a large prize winning opening (second ball winning opening) 137, a normal prize winning opening 138, and an outlet 139 are all formed on the inclined surface 136 in the form of an opening that faces approximately upward. The large prize winning opening 137 is horizontally elongated, and the normal prize winning opening 138 is located on its upstream side (right side), and the outlet 139 is located further upstream (right side) near the guide rail 51. At the upper part of the upstream side of the inclined surface 136, an inclined guide section (second inclined guide section) 140 that guides the game ball toward the large prize winning opening 137 side, i.e., toward the left side, is formed integrally with the front structure 134, for example.

[0057] Incidentally, the front decorative plate (decorative member) 134a on the front side of the front structure 134 protrudes above the inclined surface 136, and the player can see the movement of the game ball on the inclined surface 136 from the front side through this transparent or semi-transparent front decorative plate 134a. Also, on the front decorative plate 134a, out exit identification information 91 consisting of the letters "OUT" or the like is displayed at a position corresponding to the out exit 139, which makes it possible to recognize that it is an out exit.

[0058] The front structure 134 is also provided with a prize guide section 141 (Figure 11) that guides backward a game ball that has entered the large prize opening 137, a prize gutter 142 (Figure 12) that guides backward a game ball that has entered the normal prize opening 138, and an outlet gutter 143 (Figure 13) that guides backward a game ball that has entered the outlet 139.

[0059] The rear structure 135 is made of transparent or translucent resin, and as shown in Figures 10 to 13, is integrally provided with a winning ball passage 144 for discharging gaming balls that have entered the big winning opening 137 to the outside of the machine, a winning ball passage 145 for discharging gaming balls that have entered the normal winning opening 138 to the outside of the machine, and an out ball passage 146 for discharging gaming balls that have entered the out opening 139 to the outside of the machine.

[0060] The winning ball passage 144 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction such that its upstream end communicates with the winning guide 141 and its downstream end communicates with a discharge passage not shown, and a game ball detection means (second detection means) 147 capable of detecting game balls is attached at a predetermined position, for example, near the upstream end. The game ball that enters the big winning opening 137 is guided backward by the winning guide 141, and after being detected by the game ball detection means 147, it is discharged outside the machine via the winning ball passage 144.

[0061] The winning ball passage 145 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction such that its upstream end communicates with the winning gutter 142 and its downstream end communicates with a discharge passage not shown, and a game ball detection means 148 capable of detecting a game ball is attached at a predetermined position, for example, near the upstream end. The game ball that enters the normal winning opening 138 is guided backward by the winning gutter 142 and detected by the game ball detection means 148 on the way to be discharged outside the machine via the winning ball passage 145.

[0062] The out ball passage 146 is disposed in a generally vertical direction such that its upstream end communicates with the out gutter 143 and its downstream end communicates with a discharge passage not shown in the figure. The game ball that enters the out port 139 is discharged outside the machine via the out gutter 143 and the out ball passage 146.

[0063] As described above, the big prize unit 132 of this embodiment has the outlet 139 on the upstream end side of the inclined surface 136, so there is no need to provide a ball flow path from the upstream end side of the inclined surface 136 to the outlet 110 along the guide rail 51. This allows the big prize unit 132 to be arranged along the guide rail 51, making it possible to use the limited space of the game area 23 more efficiently.

[0064] The rear structure 135 is provided with an opening / closing means 149 for opening and closing the large prize opening 137. The opening / closing means 149 is composed of an opening / closing member 151 corresponding to the large prize opening 137 and an opening / closing drive means 152 for driving the opening / closing member 151. The opening / closing member 151 is a plate-like member corresponding to the large prize opening 137, and is formed in a left-downward inclination in accordance with the inclined surface 136, and is supported in a state in which it can slide back and forth between a protruding position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 11) in which it protrudes forward from the front mounting plate 133 and a retreated position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 11) in which it does not protrude forward from the front mounting plate 133. When the opening / closing member 151 is in the protruding position on the front side, the large prize opening 137 is closed and the game ball cannot enter the opening (closed state), and when the opening / closing member 151 is in the retreated position on the rear side, the large prize opening 137 is opened and the game ball can enter the opening (open state).

[0065] The opening / closing drive means 152 is composed of an electromagnetic solenoid or the like, and its movable part 152a is connected to the opening / closing member 151 by a connecting means not shown in the figure.When OFF, the opening / closing member 151 is held in a protruding position to close the large prize opening 137, and when ON, the opening / closing member 151 is slid backward to a retracted position to change the large prize opening 137 to an open state.

[0066] The opening / closing member 151 is made of opaque resin of a predetermined color (e.g., red) and is visible from the front side through the transparent or semi-transparent front decorative plate 134a. By making the opening / closing member 151 opaque in comparison with the transparent or semi-transparent front structure 134 in this way, the position of the special prize opening 137 and its open / closed state can be easily seen from the front side. Also, since the opening / closing member 151 is opaque in this way, when a player looks down from diagonally above the front, the game ball detection means 147 arranged at the rear lower part of the special prize opening 137 is blocked by the opening / closing member 151 and cannot be seen or is difficult to see if the opening / closing member 151 is in a closed state (protruding position), but is visible through the opened special prize opening 137 if the opening / closing member 151 is in an open state (retracted position).

[0067] In addition, the front decorative plate 134a is formed with a decorative portion 153 corresponding to the front side of the game ball detection means 147, 148. This decorative portion 153 functions as a screen to make the game ball detection means 147, 148 difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed of at least a part of an opaque decorative sheet or the like. Note that the decorative portion 153 is not limited to a decorative sheet as long as it functions as a screen for the game ball detection means 147, 148, and may be, for example, a concave and convex decoration directly applied to the front side of the front decorative plate 134a. Furthermore, the position between the opening and closing member 151 and the decorative portion 153 in the front decorative plate 134a may be made transparent without decoration, so that the inside of the big winning opening 137 and the game ball detection means 147 can be seen through this transparent portion even when the opening and closing member 151 is closed. This is to enable visual confirmation in the unlikely event that a game ball becomes stuck inside the big winning opening 137 after the opening / closing member 151 is closed.

[0068] In this manner, in the special prize means 57 (special prize unit 132) of this embodiment, the game ball detection means 147 is disposed near the special prize opening 137, and the front side of the front decorative plate 134a is provided with a decorative portion 153 as a screen, so that the game ball detection means 147 is difficult or impossible to see from the front side. This is because the special prize opening 137 is controlled to switch to a closed state when the number of winning balls (the number of balls detected by the game ball detection means 147) after it is opened reaches a predetermined upper limit number, so the distance between the special prize opening 137 and the game ball detection means 147 cannot be made as large as that of the normal prize means 53.

[0069] In other words, in this embodiment, the distance that the game ball travels from the normal winning openings (first ball entry openings) 87a, 87b in the above-mentioned normal winning means (first ball entry means) 53 to the game ball detection means (first detection means) 97 is longer in at least any of the up-down, front-back, and left-right directions compared to the distance from the large winning opening (second ball entry opening) 137 in the large winning means (second ball entry means) 57 to the game ball detection means (second detection means) 147, making it possible to position the game ball detection means (first detection means) 97 in a position that is invisible or difficult to see when viewed from the front, i.e., outside the game area 23.

[0070] In addition, in the large prize unit 132, for example, an LED board 154 is arranged on the rear side of the front decorative plate 134a in the front structure 134, and when an LED (second light-emitting means) 154a arranged on the front side of the LED board 154 is turned on, the light is irradiated from behind onto the outlet identification information 91 and decorative portion 153 of the front decorative plate 134a without passing through the transparent main body plate 45.

[0071] This is because if a rear decorative means (decorative body) were placed behind the big prize winning unit 132 as in the normal prize winning means 53, and the light emitted through the rear decorative means (decorative body) were to be used to illuminate the front decorative plate 134a, the electrical components such as the game ball detection means 147, 148 and the opening / closing drive means 152 would cast shadows, degrading the appearance, so an LED board 154 is placed behind the front decorative plate 134a of the big prize winning unit 132.

[0072] In addition, the harness 155 pulled out from electrical components such as the game ball detection means 147, 148, opening / closing drive means 152, LED board 154, etc. mounted on this large prize means 57 (large prize unit 132) is arranged toward the outside of the game area 23, passing through the rear side of the rear structure 135, and since, as mentioned above, there is no ball flow path between the large prize unit 132 and the guide rail 51, it is possible to arrange the harness 155 in a state that is difficult or impossible to see from the front, despite the use of a transparent main body plate 45.

[0073] 3, 5 and 10, the movable performance means 59 includes a movable body 161 and a driving means 162 for driving the movable body 161, for example, in the vertical direction. The movable body 161 is disposed in a horizontally elongated shape in front of the liquid crystal display means 58, and a decorative part 161a formed in, for example, any shape (here, a three-dimensional shape with an airplane motif) is provided on the front side of the movable body 161, and both left and right ends of the decorative part 161a are supported in a state in which they can move in the vertical direction by a pair of driving means 162, 162 attached to the front side of the rear wall part 62 corresponding to the left and right sides of the liquid crystal display means 58.

[0074] The movable body 161 has an LED board 163 arranged inside a decorative portion 161a, and when an LED 163a arranged on the front side of the LED board 163 is turned on, the decorative portion 161a emits light.

[0075] The normal symbol display means 76 is for displaying normal symbols in a variable manner, and is provided with a plurality of light-emitting bodies (e.g., LEDs) corresponding to a plurality of normal symbols (e.g., two types, "○" and "×"). When a game ball flowing down the right flow-down path 72b passes through the normal symbol start gate 104, and the game ball detection means 103 detects it, the plurality of light-emitting bodies blink so as to emit light in a predetermined sequence. When the winning judgment random number value included in the normal random number information acquired when the game ball is detected by the game ball detection means 103 matches a predetermined winning judgment value, the light-emitting body on the "○" side corresponding to the winning mode (predetermined mode), for example, lights up, and otherwise the light-emitting body on the "×" side corresponding to the losing mode, for example, lights up and stops. When the stopped symbol after the variation of the normal symbol display means 76 becomes a winning mode, a normal profit state occurs. In the normal profit state, the opening and closing member 122 of the second start winning means 56 changes from a closed state to an open state for a predetermined time, and the game ball can enter the second special start port 121.

[0076] In addition, when a game ball passes through the normal symbol start gate 104 during a normal reservation period including during the pattern change of the normal symbol display means 76 and during the normal profit state, the normal random number information acquired thereby is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit of reserved number, for example, 4 pieces, and each time the normal reservation period ends, one piece is consumed and the normal symbol is changed. The number of stored normal random number information (normal reservation number) is notified to the player by the normal reservation number display means 77, etc.

[0077] The first special symbol display means 78 is composed of a display means such as a 7-segment type capable of variably displaying one or more first special symbols, for example, one first special symbol, and variably displays the first special symbol for a predetermined time on the condition that a game ball enters the first special starting hole 114 and is detected by the game ball detection means 112, and when the jackpot determination random number value included in the first special random number information acquired when the game ball is detected by the game ball detection means 112 matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, the first special symbol stops in the first jackpot mode, and otherwise stops in the first miss mode. When the stopped symbol after the variance of the first special symbol display means 78 becomes the first jackpot mode, a first special advantage state occurs.

[0078] In addition, because there is a route for the ball to enter the first special starting port 114 from the warp entrance 71a on the left flow path 72a via the stage 71, there is a higher probability that a game ball that has flowed down the left flow path 72a will enter the first special starting port 114 than a game ball that has flowed down the right flow path 72b.

[0079] The second special symbol display means 79 is composed of a display means such as a 7-segment type that can variably display one or more second special symbols, for example, one second special symbol, and variably displays the second special symbol for a predetermined time on the condition that a game ball enters the second special start hole 121 that has been opened during a normal winning state and the game ball detection means 123 detects it, and when the jackpot determination random number value included in the second special random number information acquired when the game ball is detected by the game ball detection means 123 matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, the second special symbol stops in the second jackpot mode, and otherwise stops in the second miss mode. When the stopped symbol after the variation of the second special symbol display means 79 becomes the second jackpot mode, a second special winning state occurs.

[0080] In addition, when a game ball enters the first and second special starting holes 114, 121 during a special reservation period including during the pattern change of the first special pattern display means 78, during the pattern change of the second special pattern display means 79, and during the first and second special advantage states, the first and second special random number information acquired thereby is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit of reserved number, for example, 4 pieces each. Then, when the special reservation period ends, if the reserved memory on the second special pattern side is 1 or more (if the pattern change start condition for the second special pattern is established), the reserved memory of the second special pattern is consumed and the second special pattern is changed, and if only the reserved memory on the first special pattern side is 1 or more (if the pattern change start condition for the first special pattern is established), the reserved memory of the first special pattern is consumed and the first special pattern is changed. In this embodiment, the first special symbol and the second special symbol are not both variable, and when there are reserved memories on both the first special symbol side and the second special symbol side, the second special symbol is given priority for variable. The number of stored first and second special random number information (number of first and second special reserved numbers) is notified to the player by the liquid crystal display means 58 or the like.

[0081] When the first and second special advantage states occur by the first and second special patterns of the first and second special pattern display means 78, 79 changing and then stopping in the first and second jackpot modes, the opening / closing member 151 of the big prize means 57 opens according to a predetermined opening pattern, allowing the game ball flowing down the inclined surface 136 to enter the big prize opening 137.

[0082] Here, the opening pattern of the opening / closing member 151 is configured to execute a predetermined unit opening operation for a predetermined number of rounds, such as 5R, 10R, etc. Here, the unit opening operation is an operation to close the large prize opening 137 (end the specific state) on the condition that a predetermined upper limit time (e.g., 28 seconds) has elapsed since the large prize opening 137 was opened (switched from the normal state to the specific state) or a predetermined upper limit number of game balls (e.g., 9 balls) have entered the large prize opening 137 by that time. In this way, the large prize opening 137 is controlled to be closed (end the specific state) when the number of game balls entering the large prize opening 137 while the large prize opening 137 is open (during the specific state) reaches a predetermined upper limit number. Therefore, in the large prize winning means 57, the distance from the large prize opening 137 to the game ball detection means 147 cannot be made too large, and the game ball detection means 147 is disposed in the vicinity of the downstream side of the large prize opening 137.

[0083] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid crystal display means 58 displays a varying performance pattern 171 in parallel with the varying display of the first and second special patterns by the first and second special pattern display means 78, 79, and also displays various images such as first and second reserve display images X1-X4, Y1-Y4 indicating the number of first and second special reserves.

[0084] Here, the performance pattern 171 is composed of a combination of a pattern image 171a consisting of numbers 1 to 9 and the like and a character or other decorative image 171b, and can change in multiple rows in the left-right direction, for example, in three rows, and starts changing by vertical scrolling or the like according to a predetermined change pattern substantially simultaneously with the start of the change of the first and second special patterns, and stops in a predetermined order such as left, right, and center so as to finally stop substantially simultaneously with the stop of the change of the first and second special patterns. Note that, for example, when all the performance patterns 171 are aligned with the same pattern, it is a big win performance mode, and otherwise it is a miss performance mode, and when the first and second special patterns are in the first and second big win modes, the performance pattern 171 is in the big win performance mode, and when the first and second special patterns are in the first and second miss modes, the performance pattern 171 is in the miss performance mode.

[0085] Fig. 14 is a block diagram of the control system of this pachinko machine. In Fig. 14, the main control board 181 controls the overall game operation, and in addition to the display means such as the normal symbol display means 76, the first and second special symbol display means 78, 79, etc., the game ball detection means 103, 112, 123, 147, 97, 148, etc. provided corresponding to the normal symbol start gate 104, the first and second special start gates 114, 121, the big prize gate 137, and the normal prize gates 87a, 87b, 138 are connected.

[0086] In addition, various control boards such as a performance control board 182, a liquid crystal control board 183, a payout control board 184, and a launch control board 185 are connected below the main control board 181. The performance control board 182 controls performance based on control commands from the main control board 181, and is connected to various performance means such as an illumination means 186, speakers 18, 25, and a movable performance means 59, as well as operation means such as a performance button 34 and a cross operation means 35. The illumination means 186 is composed of various light emitting means such as LED boards 99, 154, 163, etc., arranged on the front frame 3 and the game board 16.

[0087] The liquid crystal control board 183 controls the liquid crystal display means 58 based on control commands from the performance control board 182. The payout control board 184 controls the payout means 28 based on control commands from the main control board 181, and a launch control board 185 is connected below it. The launch control board 185 controls the launch means 17 based on a launch control signal from the payout control board 184, an operation signal from the launch handle 32, and the like. The launch control board 185 is disposed, for example, on the back side of the launch means 17.

[0088] The main control board 181 is equipped with a normal random number creation processing means 191, a normal start port check processing means 192, a normal random number memory means 193, a normal pattern processing means 194, a normal pattern display control means 195, a normal advantage state generating means 196, a special random number creation processing means 197, a special start port check processing means 198, a special random number memory means 199, a special pattern processing means 200, a special pattern display control means 201, a special advantage state generating means 202, a special game state generating means 203, a prize processing means 204, a control command transmitting means 205, etc.

[0089] The normal random number creation processing means 191 is configured to repeatedly generate winning judgment random numbers and the like at predetermined time intervals to be used to determine whether the normal symbol after the change is a winning pattern. The normal start gate check processing means 192 performs processing based on the detection of a gaming ball by the normal symbol start gate 104, and is configured to obtain normal random number information such as winning judgment random number values ​​created by the normal random number creation processing means 191 based on the gaming ball passing through the normal symbol start gate 104 and being detected by the gaming ball detection means 103, and to store the normal random number information in a first-in, first-out type normal random number storage means 193 up to a predetermined upper limit of reserved numbers (for example, 4).

[0090] The normal pattern processing means 194 performs processing related to the variable display of normal patterns, and is equipped with a hit determination function which, on condition that the normal pattern display means 76 is in a state capable of variable display and one or more hit determination random number values ​​are stored in the normal random number storage means 193 (the normal reserved number is 1 or more), retrieves a hit determination random number value from the head of the queue of normal random number information stored in the normal random number storage means 193 and determines whether or not the hit determination random number value matches a predetermined hit determination value, a normal stop pattern selection function which selects the type of stop pattern after the normal pattern changes based on the hit / miss determination result, and a change time selection function which selects the change time of the normal pattern.

[0091] In this embodiment, the probability of winning (e.g., 1 / 1.3) during a special game state (time-saving state and special bonus state) described below is set higher than the probability of winning (e.g., 1 / 10) during other normal game states, and the variable time during the special game state (e.g., 2.7 seconds) is set shorter than the variable time during the normal game state (e.g., 27 seconds).

[0092] The normal pattern display control means 195 controls the display of the normal pattern display means 76 based on the normal pattern processing by the normal pattern processing means 194, and starts varying the normal pattern by the normal pattern display means 76 on the condition that the normal pattern display means 76 is in a state capable of variable display and one or more pieces of normal random number information are stored in the normal random number storage means 193 (the normal reserved number is 1 or more), and stops the variation of the normal pattern at the stop pattern selected by the normal pattern processing means 194 based on the elapse of the variation time selected by the normal pattern processing means 194.

[0093] The normal profit state generating means 196 generates a normal profit state in which the opening and closing member 122 of the second special starting port 121 changes to an open state according to, for example, one of a plurality of opening and closing patterns when the stopped pattern after the variation of the normal pattern display means 76 becomes a winning pattern based on the result of the winning judgment by the normal pattern processing means 194 being a winning one. In this embodiment, two types of opening and closing patterns are set: a normal opening and closing pattern (for example, 0.2 seconds x 1 opening) and an extended opening and closing pattern (for example, 2 seconds x 3 openings) set so that the opening time is longer than that of the normal opening and closing pattern, and the normal opening and closing pattern is selected during the normal game state, and the extended opening and closing pattern is selected during the special game state.

[0094] The special random number creation processing means 197 is configured to perform special random number creation processing to repeatedly generate jackpot determination random numbers used to determine jackpot / miss, pattern determination random numbers used to select the stopping pattern after the special pattern changes, fluctuation pattern random numbers used to select the fluctuation pattern, and other specified random numbers.

[0095] The special start port check processing means 198 performs processing based on the entry of a game ball into the first and second special start ports 114, 121, and is configured to obtain first and second special random number information such as a jackpot determination random number value and a jackpot pattern random number value created by the special random number creation processing means 197 based on the entry of a game ball into either the first or second special start port 114, 121, and store the first and second special random number information in the special random number storage means 199 up to a predetermined upper limit of the number of reserved items (for example, 4 items), and to transmit first and second reserve increase commands specifying the increased number of first and second special reserved items, etc. to the performance control board 182 via the control command transmitting means 205.

[0096] The special start port check processing means 198 also includes a look-ahead determination means 198a. The look-ahead determination means 198a is configured to perform look-ahead determination as to whether or not the jackpot determination random number value included in the first and second special random number information, which is obtained when a game ball enters the first and second special start ports 114 and 121, matches the first and second jackpot determination values, for example, at the time of acquisition. The look-ahead determination result is transmitted to the performance control board 182, etc., by a reserved increase command transmitted based on the game ball entering either the first or second special start port 114 or 121.

[0097] The special pattern processing means 200 performs processing related to the variable display of the first and second special patterns, and when the first and second special pattern display means 78, 79 are in a state where they can be variable displayed, it takes out the top jackpot determination random number value from the queue of the second special random number information if the second special reserved number is 1 or more, or from the queue of the first special random number information if only the first special reserved number is 1 or more, and is equipped with a jackpot determination function that determines whether or not there is a jackpot / miss depending on whether the jackpot determination random number value matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, a special stop pattern selection function that selects the stop pattern after the first and second special patterns have changed based on the jackpot pattern random number value contained in the first and second special random number information depending on the result of the jackpot determination, and a change pattern selection function that selects a change pattern of the first and second special patterns from multiple types depending on the result of the jackpot determination.

[0098] Also, when the first and second special symbols start to change, a first and second reserved reduction command that specifies the number of first and second special reserved symbols after the reduction, a change pattern command that specifies the change pattern of the performance symbol 171, a pattern designation command that specifies the stop pattern of the first and second special symbols, etc. are transmitted to the performance control board 182 via the control command transmission means 205. On the other hand, when the first and second special reserved numbers are both in a state of 0 and the first and second special symbols are put into a waiting state for change, such as by ending the change of the first and second special symbols, a customer waiting demo command is transmitted to the performance control board 182 via the control command transmission means 205.

[0099] The special symbol display control means 201 controls the display of the first and second special symbol display means 78 and 79, and starts the variation of the first and second special symbols by the first special symbol display means 78 or the second special symbol display means 79 based on the special symbol processing by the special symbol processing means 200, and stops the variation of the first and second special symbols at the selected stop symbol based on the lapse of the variation time corresponding to the selected variation pattern. When the variation of the first and second special symbols ends, a variation stop command instructing the variation stop of the performance pattern 171 is transmitted to the performance control board 182 via the control command transmission means 205.

[0100] The special advantage state generating means 202 is for generating first and second special advantage states advantageous to the player, and is configured to generate first and second special advantage states (advantage states) that open the large prize opening 137 according to a predetermined opening pattern when the result of the jackpot determination by the special pattern processing means 200 is a jackpot and the stopped pattern after the variation of the first and second special patterns becomes the first and second jackpot patterns (specific patterns).

[0101] The special game state generating means 203 is for generating a special game state advantageous to the player after the end of the first and second special advantage states, and is configured to generate a special game state, for example, either a time-saving state or a special bonus state, depending on the jackpot pattern random number value when the jackpot determination random number value included in the first and second special random number information matches the jackpot determination value.

[0102] During the time-saving state, for example, the fluctuation time of the first and second special symbols is switched to a shortened fluctuation time shorter than the normal fluctuation time, the probability that the normal symbols will be in a winning state is switched from a normal probability (for example, 1 / 10) to a high probability (for example, 1 / 1.3), the fluctuation time of the normal symbols is switched from a normal fluctuation time (for example, 27 seconds) to a shortened fluctuation time (for example, 2.7 seconds), and the opening and closing pattern of the second special starting port 121 is switched from a normal opening and closing pattern (for example, 0.2 seconds x 1 opening) to an extended opening and closing pattern (for example, 2 seconds x 3 openings). The time-saving state starts after the first and second special advantage states end, and ends when the next special advantage state occurs or when the first and second special symbols have changed a predetermined number of times (for example, 50 times) before that.

[0103] During the probability change state, the probability that the first and second special symbols will become the first and second jackpot patterns is switched to a higher probability (e.g., 1 / 35) than the normal probability (e.g., 1 / 350). In addition, during the probability change state, in principle, switching is also performed in the same way as in the time-saving state. Note that the probability change state begins after the end of the first and second special advantage states, and ends when the next special advantage state occurs, but other ending conditions such as the number of times the first and second special symbols change may be added.

[0104] The winning processing means 204 performs processing related to the payout of prize balls resulting from the winning of game balls into each winning port, i.e., the normal winning ports 87a, 87b, 138, the first and second special start ports 114, 121, and the large winning port 137. For example, the winning number of each of the winning ports 87a, 87b, 138, 114, 121, 137 is counted based on detection signals from the game ball detection means 97, 148, 112, 123, 147, and based on the count value of the number of winning balls for each winning port and the number of prize balls set for each winning port, a payout number designation command for each winning is transmitted to the payout control board 184 via the control command transmitting means 205.

[0105] The winning processing means 204 also includes an abnormal winning determination means 204a. The abnormal winning determination means 204a is for determining abnormal winning suspected to be cheating, and is configured to perform abnormal winning determination based on detection signals from the game ball detection means 97, 148, 112, 123, 147 provided corresponding to each winning port 87a, 87b, 138, 114, 121, 137. When the abnormal winning determination means 204a determines that an abnormal winning has occurred, an error notification or other error processing is performed. In this embodiment, with respect to the start gate means (third ball entry means) 54, abnormality determination based on detection signals from the game ball detection means (third detection means) 103 is not performed.

[0106] In this embodiment, the following processing is performed for the first abnormal winning judgment regarding winning at the normal winning ports 87a, 87b provided in the normal winning means (first ball winning means) 53, and the second abnormal winning judgment regarding winning at the special winning port 137 provided in the special winning means (second ball winning means) 57.

[0107] That is, in the first abnormal winning judgment (first abnormality detection judgment), an abnormality is judged when a predetermined number of winnings are detected in a predetermined time regardless of the game state. In the case of the normal winning ports 87a and 87b, since there is a possibility of winning in any game state, an abnormality cannot be judged by one winning detection, but by multiple winning detections.

[0108] As one specific example of the first abnormal winning judgment, in a timer interruption every 4 ms, it is judged whether or not the game ball detection means 97 corresponding to the normal winning openings 87a, 87b is ON, and if it is ON, the abnormality judgment counter is incremented (+1), and if it is OFF, the abnormality judgment counter is cleared to 0, and when the abnormality judgment counter reaches 250 (a predetermined value), that is, when the game ball detection means 97 has been ON for 1000 ms (250 timer interrupts), an abnormality is judged. In addition, as another specific example of the first abnormal winning judgment, when the game ball detection means 97 is turned ON, a timer starts counting a predetermined time (for example, a 5000 ms timer countdown) and starts counting the number of times the game ball detection means 97 is turned ON, and an abnormality is judged when the count value exceeds 10 times (a predetermined number of times) during the timer counting the predetermined time.

[0109] In the normal winning means 53 of this embodiment, the game ball detection means 97 is positioned in a position that is not visible or is difficult to see from the front, so it may be difficult to visually confirm cheating behavior against the game ball detection means 97, and therefore it is effective to constantly perform abnormal winning judgment as described above.

[0110] In addition, in the second abnormal winning judgment (second abnormality detection judgment), if the game ball detection means 147 corresponding to the large winning port 137 turns ON when it is not during a specific period including a special advantage state (specific state), it is judged as abnormal. The specific period starts at the start of the special advantage state and ends when the effective winning time has elapsed after the special advantage state ends. The effective winning time is the time required for all game balls that have won in the large winning port 137 during the special advantage state to pass through the game ball detection means 147, and is set to a predetermined time such as 30 seconds. For the large winning port 137, the game ball detection means 147 turns ON due to a regular winning only during the specific period, so if the game ball detection means 147 turns ON even once outside the specific period, it can be judged as abnormal at that time. In other words, it is possible to judge an abnormality by detecting winning fewer times compared to the case of a normal winning port.

[0111] The control command transmitting means 205 transmits various control commands to a control board such as the performance control board 182 to give control instructions.

[0112] As described above, in the pachinko machine of this embodiment, the normal winning means (first ball winning means) 53 comprises a front member 82 attached to the transparent main body plate 45 from the front and at least a portion of which is formed to be transparent or translucent, and a rear member 83 attached to the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45, and normal winning ports (first ball winning ports) 87a, 87b through which game balls that have flowed down the game area 23 can enter are arranged in the front member 82, and game ball detection means (first detection means) 97 capable of detecting game balls that have entered the normal winning ports 87a, 87b is arranged in a position on the rear member 83 that is invisible or difficult to see when viewed from the front.Therefore, when a so-called transparent game board is adopted, it is possible to eliminate the deterioration of appearance by suppressing the visibility from the front of the game ball detection means 97 that detects game balls that have entered the normal winning ports 87a, 87b.

[0113] The game board 16 also has a large prize winning means (second ball winning means) 57 consisting of a large prize winning unit (ball winning unit) 132 attached to the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, and in the large prize winning unit 132, a large prize winning port (second ball winning port) 137, an opening / closing member 151 that can be changed between an open state in which a game ball that has flowed down the game area 23 can enter the large prize winning port 137 and a closed state in which it is more difficult for the ball to enter than the open state or the ball cannot enter at all, and a game ball detection means (second detection means) 147 that can detect a game ball that has entered the large prize winning port 137, and by making the vertical distance from the normal prize winning ports 87a, 87b to the game ball detection means 97 in the normal prize winning means 53 longer than the vertical distance from the large prize winning port 137 to the game ball detection means 147 in the large prize winning means 57, the game ball detection means 97 is positioned in a position that is not visible or difficult to see when viewed from the front.

[0114] In addition, the big prize means 57 is switchable between a normal state in which the opening / closing member 151 is maintained in a closed state and a specific state in which the opening / closing member 151 is changed to an open state, and is configured to terminate the specific state when the number of game balls detected by the game ball detection means 147 during the specific state reaches a predetermined upper limit number.

[0115] In addition, the game ball detection means 97 is disposed at a position corresponding to the outside of the game area 23 on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45 .

[0116] In addition, the front member 82 is provided with an inclined guide section (first inclined guide section) 92 upstream of the normal prize openings 87a, 87b, which guides the game ball toward the normal prize openings 87a, 87b, and the big prize unit 132 is provided with an inclined guide section (second inclined guide section) 140 upstream of the big prize opening 137, which guides the game ball toward the big prize opening 137.

[0117] In addition, the normal winning means 53 is provided with multiple normal winning ports 87a, 87b for one game ball detection means 97, and a junction 96 in a winning ball passage (ball passage) 93 that guides game balls from the multiple normal winning ports 87a, 87b toward the single game ball detection means 97 is positioned in a position that is invisible or difficult to see when viewed from the front.

[0118] Further, the game ball detection means 147 of the special prize means 57 is disposed behind a decorative portion 153 provided on the front decorative plate (decorative member) 134a in a state where it is not visible or difficult to see when viewed from the front.

[0119] In addition, the game ball detection means 147 is disposed at a position where it can be seen through the big prize opening 137 when the opening / closing member 151 is in the open state. In addition, the opening / closing member 151, which is formed opaque, can be seen from the front side through the front decorative plate 134a.

[0120] In addition, the start gate means (third ball entry means) 54 comprises a start gate main body portion (front structure) 102 which is attached to the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, a normal pattern start gate (gate portion) 104 which is configured to allow game balls to pass within the game area 23 and has a decorative portion (third decorative portion) 106 on the front side, and a game ball detection means (third detection means) 103 which can detect game balls passing through the normal pattern start gate 104, and by arranging the game ball detection means 103 behind the decorative portion 106 on the normal pattern start gate 104, it is made invisible or difficult to see from the front.

[0121] In addition, with regard to the normal winning means 53, a first abnormality detection judgment is made based on the passage of time and the number of detections by the game ball detection means 97, with regard to the big winning means 57, a second abnormality detection judgment is made based on detection by the game ball detection means 147 when the specific period including the specific state that changes the opening / closing member 151 to the open state is not in progress, and with regard to the start gate means 54, no abnormality detection judgment is made based on detection by the game ball detection means 103.

[0122] In addition, it is possible to illuminate the front member 82 through the transparent main body plate 45 by light emitted through the rear decorative means (decorative body) 60 arranged on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45, and it is possible to illuminate the front decorative plate 134a by light from the LED (light-emitting means) 154a provided in the large prize unit 132 without passing through the transparent main body plate 45.

[0123] In addition, the big prize unit 132 is provided with an outlet 139, and outlet identification information (identification information) 91 indicating the outlet is displayed on the front decorative plate 134a, and light from the LED 154a is arranged to irradiate the outlet identification information 91.

[0124] Figures 15 and 16 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the first embodiment, in which the game ball detection means 97 in the normal winning means 53 is positioned at a position corresponding to the game area 23 when viewed from the front, and a decorative part 211 is positioned at a position corresponding to the front side of the game ball detection means 97 on the transparent main body plate 45.

[0125] The normal winning means 53 of this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that the normal winning ports 87a, 87b, outlet 88, etc. are arranged in the front member 82, and the winning ball passage 93, game ball detection means 97, etc. are arranged in the rear member 83, but the shape of the winning ball passage 93 and the position of the game ball detection means 97 are different from those of the first embodiment.

[0126] In other words, almost the entire winning ball passage 93, including the junction 96, is positioned so that it corresponds to the playing area 23 when viewed from the front, and the playing ball detection means 97 arranged on the winning ball passage 93 is also arranged at a position that corresponds to the playing area 23 when viewed from the front.

[0127] In this embodiment, a decorative portion 211 is formed in the transparent main body plate 45 at a position corresponding to the front side of the junction 96 of the game ball detection means 97 and the winning ball passage 93. This decorative portion 211 functions as a screen to make the game ball detection means 97 and the like difficult or impossible to see when viewed from the front, and is formed of at least a part of an opaque decorative sheet or the like. Note that the decorative portion 211 is not limited to a decorative sheet as long as it functions as a screen for the game ball detection means 97 and the like, and may be, for example, an uneven decoration directly applied to the front side of the transparent main body plate 45. Even if it is a transparent part, it can function as a screen if unevenness is formed there and light is diffused. Note that in this embodiment, the decorative portion 211 is provided on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, but it may be provided on the back side.

[0128] In this way, by arranging the game ball detection means 97 behind the decorative portion 211 provided on the transparent main body plate 45, it is possible to make the game ball detection means 97 invisible or difficult to see when viewed from the front, even if it is arranged at a corresponding position within the game area 23. Note that, although an example in which the decorative portion 211 is provided on the transparent main body plate 45 has been shown in this embodiment, the decorative portion 211 may be provided on a member arranged on the front side of the transparent main body plate 45, such as the front wall portion 84 of the front member 82, or may be provided on a member arranged on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45, such as the front side of the winning ball passage 93.

[0129] 17 and 18 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the first embodiment, in which the front member 82 of the normal winning means 53 is illuminated by light from a movable body 221 provided on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45. The only difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that a new movable performance means 220 is provided.

[0130] In the game board 16 of this embodiment, a movable performance means 220 is arranged on the rear side of the transparent main body plate 45 separately from the movable performance means 59. This movable performance means 220 includes a movable body 221 and a driving means 222 for driving the movable body 221 to swing, for example. The movable body 221 has a transparent resin decorative plate 223 arranged on its front side and an LED board 224 arranged inside, and is supported to be swingable between an origin position (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 17) where the movable body 221 is substantially entirely retracted outside the display frame defined by the central display frame means 52 by driving the driving means 222, and an operating position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 17) where at least a part of the movable body 221 advances into the display frame defined by the central display frame means 52.

[0131] When the movable body 221 is at the origin position, at least a part of the movable body 221 overlaps the rear side of the normal winning means 53. As a result, when the LED 224a on the front side of the LED board 224 is turned on when the movable body 221 is at the origin position, the decorative plate 223 emits light, and the light from the decorative plate 223 illuminates the front member 82 in front of it from the rear side through the rear member 83 and the transparent main body plate 45. Note that it is not only the light from the movable body 221 that illuminates the front member 82 from the rear side, but also the light from the rear decoration means 60 illuminates a part of the front member 82 from the rear side, as in the first embodiment.

[0132] In this manner, the front member 82 of the normal winning means 53 may be illuminated from behind by light from the movable body 221 disposed behind the transparent main body plate 45 .

[0133] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment, an example was shown in which the opening and closing member 151 for opening and closing the big prize opening (second ball entrance) 137 is a sliding type, but the opening and closing member 151 is not limited to a sliding type, and it is possible to use a type that swings around a horizontal axis on the lower side, or any other opening and closing member. In addition, the position of the big prize winning means (second ball entrance means) 57 is arbitrary, and for example, it may be located on the lower side at approximately the center in the left-right direction of the game area 23. Similarly, the positions of the start gate means 54, the first start winning means 55, the second start winning means 56, etc. are also arbitrary.

[0134] In the embodiment of the normal winning means (first ball entry means) 53, an example is shown in which one game ball detection means 97 is arranged for two normal winning ports (first ball entry ports) 87a, 87b, but one game ball detection means may be arranged for three or more normal winning ports, or one game ball detection means may be arranged for each normal winning port.

[0135] In the embodiment, the rear member 83 constituting the normal winning means 53 is integrally provided with the rear decoration means 60, but as shown in FIG. 19, the rear member 83 may be provided separately from the rear decoration means 60. In the embodiment, the LED board 99 of the rear decoration means 60 is arranged to avoid the rear member 83, but as shown in FIG. 20, the LED board 99 of the rear decoration means 60 may be arranged so that a part of it is located behind the winning ball passage 93 in the rear member 83. In this case, it is preferable to form the winning ball passage 93 and the out ball passage 94 so that at least a part of them, for example the whole of them, is transparent or translucent like the front member 82, so that the front member 82 can be effectively illuminated through the winning ball passage 93, the out ball passage 94, and the transparent main body plate 45.

[0136] The above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner. For example, the third embodiment is exemplified by partially modifying the first embodiment, but the second embodiment may be partially modified to be configured as the third embodiment.

[0137] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to pachinko machines, but can also be implemented in other gaming machines such as arrange ball machines and mahjong ball gaming machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 16 Game Board 23 Gaming sector 45 Transparent main body plate 53 Normal means of winning (first means of winning) 54 Starting gate means (third ball entry means) 57 Big prize winning method (second winning method) 82 Front member 83 Rear member 87a Normal prize opening (1st entrance) 87b Normal prize opening (1st entrance) 97 Game ball detection means (first detection means) 102 Starting gate body (front structure) 103 Game ball detection means 104 Normal pattern start gate (gate section) 106 Decorative Section (3rd Decorative Section) 132 Big Winner Unit (Ball Winner Unit) 134a Front decorative plate (decorative member) 137 Big prize opening (second ball entrance) 147 Game ball detection means (second detection means) 151 Opening and closing parts

Claims

[Claim 1] A game board having a game area on the front side is provided, The game board has a transparent main body plate, and a first ball entry means and a second ball entry means attached to the transparent main body plate. In the gaming machine, The first ball entry means includes a front member attached to the transparent main body plate from the front side and having at least a portion formed to be transparent or translucent, and a first ball entry port provided in the front member and through which a game ball flowing down the game area can enter; The second ball entry means is a ball entry unit attached to the front side of the transparent main body plate, and includes a second ball entry port, an opening / closing member that can change between a first state in which a game ball that has flowed down the game area can enter the second ball entry port and a second state in which the game ball is more difficult to enter than the first state or cannot enter at all, a detection means that can detect a game ball that has entered the second ball entry port, and a decorative member at the front; The decorative member is provided with a decorative portion and a transparent portion; By arranging the transparent portion adjacent to the decorative portion and arranging the detection means directly behind the decorative portion, the visibility of the detection means is hindered by the decorative portion when the second ball entrance means is viewed from the front side. However, by moving the line of sight, the inside of the second ball entrance can be viewed through the transparent portion even when the opening / closing member is in the second state. A light emitting means is disposed in the ball entrance unit, and the decorative member can be illuminated by light emitted from the light emitting means without passing through the transparent main body plate. A gaming machine characterized by:

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