Gaming Machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of improving the appearance at the time of light emission by reducing the lightness difference of a translucent part caused by point lighting of an illumination device.SOLUTION: In a game machine including an illumination device 90 having a translucent part 98 and a plurality of LEDs 93 to cause the translucent part 98 to emit light, a non-translucent part 97 having a non-translucent character part 97a composing of a predetermined character shape is provided, the non-translucent character part 97a is arranged within the translucent part 98, and the LEDs 93 are arranged on the rear side of the non-translucent character part 97a. Further, the LEDs 93 may be arranged on the rear side of the non-translucent character part 97a correspondingly to a substantially center part in the width direction of the non-translucent character part 97a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In gaming machines such as pachinko machines, illumination devices are arranged in various parts on the front side of the gaming machine main body, and can emit light in a predetermined light pattern in synchronization with other presentation means such as image display means, movable body, and sound output means, thereby enabling presentations according to the game state. This illumination device is composed of a light-transmitting section formed in the shape of any character, pattern, picture, etc., and a light source for illuminating the light-transmitting section (Patent Document 1). Currently, most gaming machines use LEDs as the light source for the illumination device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-154668 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional illumination devices installed in gaming machines, the area of ​​the light-emitting part of each light source (LED) is very small, so especially when the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting part is short, the light-emitting parts of the light-transmitting part are concentrated near the light source (so-called point light), and the brightness difference with the surrounding area makes it look bad. Note that if the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting part is increased, the brightness difference due to the point light is reduced, but this causes new problems such as the size of the illumination device increasing and the overall brightness decreasing. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an amusement machine that can improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference in the translucent parts caused by the point light of the illumination device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a game machine having an illumination device having a light-transmitting section and a plurality of light sources for illuminating the light-transmitting section, the game machine being provided with a non-light-transmitting section having a non-light-transmitting character section that forms a predetermined character shape, and the light-transmitting section constitutes a background area for the non-light-transmitting character section; a light diffusing treatment is applied to at least the light-transmitting portion of the non-light-transmitting character portion and the light-transmitting portion in the background region thereof, and a light-emitting substrate is disposed in a space spanning a rear region of the non-light-transmitting character portion and a rear region of the light-transmitting portion; The light source, On the front side of the light emitting substrate On the rear of the non-transparent character portion In the corresponding position It is what has been placed. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference of the light-transmitting portion caused by the point light of the illumination device. [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. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the pachinko machine. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. [Diagram 5] 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. [Figure 8] 11 is a front view of a movable illumination device for a pachinko machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of a movable illumination device for a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the LED rows of the movable illumination device of the pachinko machine. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 to 7 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine. In Fig. 1, a gaming machine main body 1 includes a rectangular outer frame 2 and a front frame 4 pivotally attached to the front of the outer frame 2 by a hinge 3 on one of the left and right sides, for example, the left side, so as to be freely opened and closed. In the front frame 4, a game board 5 and the like are arranged on the upper side, and a launching means 6 for launching game balls toward a game area 5a in front of the game board 5, a lower speaker SP1, and the like are arranged on the lower side, respectively, and a glass door 7 is arranged in front of the game board 5, and a front panel 8 is arranged in front of the launching means 6, the lower speaker SP1, and the like, and is pivotally supported by a hinge 9 on the same side as the hinge 3 so as to be freely opened and closed. The glass door 7 and the front panel 8 may be formed as a single door body so as to be able to be opened and closed integrally.

[0009] The glass door 7 has a glass window 7a in the approximate center thereof, which corresponds to the game area 5a, and various presentation means such as an upper speaker SP2 and an illumination device 10 are arranged around the glass window 7a. The illumination device 10 includes an LED board 11 on the front side of which an LED 11a is arranged, and a light-emitting lens section 12 arranged in front of the LED board 11. A synthetic resin glass frame cover 13 is provided on the front side of the glass door 7 to cover the upper speaker SP2 and the like from the front side, and at least a part of the glass frame cover 13 is the light-emitting lens section 12 having translucency. The light-emitting lens section 12 is subjected to a light diffusion treatment such as uneven processing in order to make the LED board 11 and the like inside difficult to see from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LED 11a.

[0010] An upper tray 15 is disposed at the upper side in front of the front panel 8 for storing game balls dispensed from the dispensing means 14 (see FIG. 2) and supplying them to the launching means 6, and below the upper tray 15, a lower tray 16 is disposed at the left end side for storing surplus balls when the upper tray 15 is full, and a launch handle 17 is disposed at the right end side for operating the launching means 6. Furthermore, various operating means, such as an effect button 19 that can be pressed by a player, are disposed on an upper tray cover 18 that covers the upper tray 15 from the front. An illumination means may also be disposed on the upper tray cover 18.

[0011] A guide rail 20 that guides the game ball launched from the launching means 6 is attached in a ring shape to the front side of the game board 5, and various game components such as a center case 21, a normal pattern starting means 22, a special pattern starting means 23, a big prize means 24, and a normal prize means 25 are arranged in the game area 5a inside the guide rail 20.

[0012] The center case 21 is located, for example, approximately in the center of the game area 5a, and has a roughly rectangular display window 27 corresponding to an image display means 26 such as a liquid crystal type, and on a decorative frame 28 surrounding the display window 27, various display means such as a normal pattern display means 31, a special pattern display means 32, a normal reserved number display means 33, a first special reserved number display means 34, as well as a stage 35, a movable performance means 36, etc. are provided.

[0013] The stage 35 is arranged in the left-right direction on the lower front side of the image display means 26, and allows the game balls that flow into the side of the center case 21, for example the warp entrance 35a on the left side, to roll freely and then drop to the front, for example from a central drop section in the center in the left-right direction or a side drop section on either side of that.

[0014] The movable performance means 36 includes a movable illumination device 40, a movable body guide means 41 that movably supports the movable illumination device 40, and a drive means 42 that drives the movable illumination device 40. The movable illumination device (illumination device) 40 is formed in a horizontally long shape, and an arbitrary decoration (here, the characters "Kappa Densetsu", which is the title of the gaming machine) is formed three-dimensionally on the front side of the movable illumination device, and a predetermined part (here, the characters of "Kappa Densetsu") is illuminated in an arbitrary color by lighting up the LEDs 73 arranged inside. The details of the movable illumination device 40 will be described later.

[0015] The movable body guide means 41 supports the movable illumination device 40 in a state in which it can move in a predetermined direction (here, the vertical direction) along the front side of the display screen 26a of the image display means 26, and is provided with a pair of guide rails 43 arranged in the vertical direction along both the left and right sides of the display screen 26a of the image display means 26, and both left and right ends of the movable illumination device 40 are supported so as to be vertically movable by each of the guide rails 43. This movable body guide means 41 allows the movable illumination device 40 to move in the vertical direction between an upper position on the upper side of the image display means 26 and a lower position on the front side of the image display means 26, and is normally held in the upper position which is the origin position.

[0016] The driving means 42 is constituted, for example, by a stepping motor and is arranged on the rear side of the decorative frame 28, and is capable of moving the movable illumination device 40 in the vertical direction according to a predetermined operating pattern via a belt or the like (not shown).

[0017] The normal pattern starting means 22 is used to start pattern variation by the normal pattern display means 31, and is composed of a passing gate through which the game ball can pass. It is located to the left of the center case 21 and is equipped with a game ball detection means (not shown) capable of detecting the passage of the game ball.

[0018] The normal pattern display means 31 is used to variably display normal patterns and is equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) corresponding to a plurality of normal patterns (e.g., two types, "○" and "X"). Based on the detection of a gaming ball by the normal pattern starting means 22, the plurality of light-emitting elements blink to emit light in a predetermined sequence. If the winning judgment random number value included in the normal random number information acquired when the normal pattern starting means 22 detects a gaming ball matches a predetermined winning judgment value, the light-emitting element corresponding to the winning state, for example, on the "○" side, lights up, and otherwise the light-emitting element corresponding to the losing state, for example, on the "X" side, lights up and stops.

[0019] The normal random number information acquired when the normal symbol starting means 22 detects a gaming ball is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit, for example, four pieces, and is consumed in sequence each time a pattern change is started by the normal symbol display means 31. The number of stored normal random number information (normal reserved number) is notified to the player by the normal reserved number display means 33, etc.

[0020] The special symbol starting means 23 is for starting the variation of symbols by the special symbol display means 32, and is provided with, for example, two upper and lower start winning means 23a, 23b, an opening / closing means 46 for opening and closing the lower start winning means 23b, and game ball detection means (not shown) for detecting the game balls that have won in the start winning means 23a, 23b, and is disposed, for example, below the center case 21. The upper start winning means 23a is a non-opening / closing type winning means that does not have an opening / closing means, and is disposed directly below the center drop part of the stage 35 with an upward opening. The lower start winning means 23b is an opening / closing type winning means that can be switched by the opening / closing means 46 between an open state in which the game ball can win a prize, and a closed state in which a prize is not possible (or a prize is more difficult to win than in the open state), and is arranged below the upper start winning means 23a, and is configured so that the opening / closing means 46 changes from a closed state to an open state for a predetermined time in a normal profit state that occurs when the stopped pattern after the change of the normal pattern display means 31 becomes a winning pattern.

[0021] The special pattern display means 32 is for variably displaying special patterns, and is composed of a display means such as a 7-segment type capable of variably displaying one or more special patterns, for example one special pattern, and when the special pattern start means 23 detects a game ball (when the pattern start condition is met), that is, when the game ball enters either of the two upper and lower start winning means 23a, 23b, the special pattern is variably displayed for a predetermined period of time, and if the jackpot determination random number value contained in the special random number information obtained at the time of the game ball entering the start winning means 23a, 23b matches a predetermined jackpot determination value, it stops in a predetermined jackpot mode, and if they do not match, it stops in, for example, a miss mode.

[0022] The special random number information acquired when the game ball enters the special symbol starting means 23 is reserved and stored up to a predetermined upper limit, for example, up to four pieces, and is consumed in sequence each time the special symbol display means 32 starts changing the patterns. The number of stored special random number information (special reserved number) is notified to the player by the first special reserved number display means 34, the second special reserved number display means 49 described later, etc.

[0023] The big prize means 24 is an opening / closing type prize means equipped with an opening / closing plate 47 that can be switched between an open state in which the game ball can win a prize and a closed state in which the game ball cannot win a prize, and is arranged, for example, below the special pattern starting means 23, and in a special profit state that occurs when the stopped pattern after the change of the special pattern display means 32 becomes a big win state, the opening / closing plate 47 opens to the front according to a predetermined opening pattern, allowing the game ball that falls onto it to win a prize inside.

[0024] The image display means 26 also includes a performance symbol display means 48, a second special reserved number display means 49, etc. The performance symbol display means 48 displays the performance symbol P in a variable manner in parallel with the display of the special symbol by the special symbol display means 32. The performance symbol P has a plurality of symbol rows (three in the left and right direction in the example of FIG. 1) consisting of a plurality of symbols including numerical symbols and the like, and starts to vary by vertical scrolling or the like for each symbol row according to a predetermined variation pattern at approximately the same time as the start of variation of the special symbol, and finally stops at approximately the same time as the stop of the special symbol variation so that the stopped symbols on a predetermined effective line become a predetermined mode. In the performance symbol P, for example, when all the stopped symbols on the effective line are the same, it is a big win performance mode, and otherwise it is a miss performance mode, and when the special symbol becomes a big win mode or a miss mode, the performance symbol P becomes a big win performance mode or a miss performance mode.

[0025] The second special reserved number display means 49 is for notifying the number of special reserved items, and can display reserved display images Q4-Q1 for the number of special reserved items (maximum 4 items) and a changing reserved image Q0 corresponding to the changing performance pattern P at a predetermined position on the display screen 26a, for example, at the bottom side. When the number of special reserved items increases due to the entry of a game ball into the special pattern starting means 23, the second special reserved number display means 49 displays one additional reserved display image Q1- at the end of the queue (for example, the left end side), and when a new change of the special pattern starts and the number of special reserved items decreases, for example, the changing reserved image Q0 is erased and the reserved display image Q1- is shifted by one toward the front of the queue (for example, the right side), and the pushed-out front reserved display image Q1 is changed to the new changing reserved image Q0.

[0026] In addition to the movable performance means 36, illumination devices 50 are arranged on various game components such as the center case 21 on the game board 5. The illumination device 50 includes an LED board 51 having LEDs 51a arranged on the front side, and a light-emitting lens section 52 arranged in front of the LED board 51. The light-emitting lens section 52 is composed of a light-transmitting section provided on at least a part of the decorative frame 28. The light-emitting lens section 52 is subjected to a light diffusion treatment such as uneven processing in order to make the LED board 51 and the like inside difficult to see from the front side and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 51a.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the control system of this pachinko machine. In Fig. 2, the main control board 61 controls the game operation in an integrated manner, and the normal symbol starting means 22, the special symbol starting means 23, the big prize means 24, the normal prize means 25, the normal symbol display means 31, the special symbol display means 32, the normal reserved number display means 33, the first special reserved number display means 34, etc. on the game board 5 are connected via, for example, a relay board not shown, etc., and below it are connected a sub-control board 62 that controls the performance such as image display by the image display means 26, sound output by the speakers SP1, SP2, light emission by the illumination devices 10, 40, 50, and movable body drive by the drive means 42 based on the control command from the main control board 61, a payout control board 63 that controls the payout means 14 based on the control command from the main control board 61, and a launch control board 64 that controls the launch means 6 based on the launch control signal from the payout control board 63, etc.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the movable illumination device 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 7 and the like. As shown in Figs. 3 to 6 and the like, the movable illumination device 40 is composed of a front cover body 71, a base body 72, and an LED board 74 on which a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 73 are arranged. The front cover body 71 is made of a synthetic resin having translucency, and integrally includes a front plate 75 and an outer peripheral plate 76 that is extended backward along the outer periphery of the front plate 75. The front plate 75 of the front cover body 71 is subjected to a non-translucent treatment on the front side, except for a character area corresponding to the character string "Kappa Legend" written in horizontal Gothic font (non-translucent portion 77), and thus a translucent character portion (translucent portion) 78 constituting the horizontal character string "Kappa Legend" is formed on the front plate 75. As shown in Fig. 3, the translucent character portion 78 is composed of a plurality of (here, 14) translucent regions 78a to 78n separated from each other by the non-translucent portion 77. For example, the character "ka" is made up of one light-transmitting region 78a, and the character "tsu" is made up of three light-transmitting regions 78b to 78d.

[0029] The non-light-transmitting treatment for forming the non-light-transmitting portion 77 may be any treatment, such as plating, pasting of a non-light-transmitting sheet, etc. The non-light-transmitting portion 77 is not required to be completely non-light-transmitting, but only needs to have a sufficiently low light transmittance compared to the light-transmitting character portion 78. It is also desirable to apply the non-light-transmitting treatment to the outer surface side of the outer peripheral plate 76 of the front cover body 71.

[0030] The front plate 75 of the front cover body 71 is formed in a horizontally elongated shape that is slightly larger than the outline of the horizontally written character string "Kappa Legend" that constitutes the light-transmitting character portion 78, and a non-light-transmitting border portion 77a of a substantially constant width is formed in a forward-protruding shape along the outer periphery of each character that constitutes the light-transmitting character portion 78. In this embodiment, the area outside the non-light-transmitting border portion 77a is the non-light-transmitting portion 77, and the area inside the non-light-transmitting border portion 77a is the light-transmitting character portion 78. Note that the non-light-transmitting border portion 77a does not necessarily need to be formed in a forward-protruding shape, and may be formed to the same thickness as the other non-light-transmitting portions 77.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, on the inner surface of the front cover body 71, lens cutting and other light diffusion treatments are applied at least to the area corresponding to the light-transmitting character portion 78 in order to make the LED board 74 and the like less visible from the front and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LED 73 (light diffusion portion 79).

[0032] In FIG. 6, an example in which the light diffusion treatment is applied not only to the region behind the light-transmitting character part 78 but also to the region behind the non-light-transmitting part 77 is shown, but the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to the region behind the light-transmitting character part 78, and not to the region behind the non-light-transmitting part 77. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to the rear side of the non-light-transmitting part 77, the light diffusion treatment may be applied only to a certain region corresponding to the front side of the LED 73, not to the entire non-light-transmitting part 77. When the light diffusion treatment is applied to both the light-transmitting character part 78 and the non-light-transmitting part 77, the type of light diffusion treatment (for example, the type of lens cutting) may be different between the rear side of the light-transmitting character part 78 and the rear side of the non-light-transmitting part 77. In this case, the type of lens cutting may be any type, such as ball cutting, knurling, diamond cutting, ice cutting, etc. With regard to the light-transmitting character part 78, the light-transmitting character part 78 side (i.e., the front side) may be subjected to the same or different type of lens cutting as the inner side.

[0033] The front cover body 71 is detachably fixed to the front side of the base body 72 by means of screws or the like. The base body 72 is made of a synthetic resin having no translucency, and integrally includes a front plate 81 formed in substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the front cover body 71, and an outer peripheral plate 82 extending rearward along the outer periphery of the front plate 81, and the front cover body 71 is fixed to the front side of the front plate 81. The rear side of the front cover body 71 is substantially closed by the front plate 81 of the base body 72, so that a light emitting chamber 83 is formed in the front cover body 71. Rail connection parts 84 that are slidably attached to the guide rails 43 are provided on both the left and right ends of the base body 72.

[0034] The LED board 74 is shaped to fit the inner surface of the outer peripheral plate 76 of the front cover body 71, and comprises a board main body 85 which is larger than the translucent character portion 78 and has its edges formed to fit the outer shape of the translucent character portion 78, a number of LEDs 73 arranged on the front side of the board main body 85, and a connector 86 arranged on the back side of the board main body 85, and is fixed to the front plate 81 of the base body 72 by screwing or the like while being positioned at a predetermined rear position within the light-emitting chamber 83 and removably attached.

[0035] A boss 87 for supporting the board is formed on the front plate 81 of the base body 72 so as to protrude forward, and this boss 87 supports the LED board 74 with a certain gap maintained between it and the base body 72. A harness 88 connected to the connector 86 is led out to the rear side of the movable illumination device 40 through an opening 89 formed in the base body 72, and is connected to the sub-control board 62 via a relay board or the like.

[0036] On the LED board 74, 3×10=30 LEDs 73 are arranged corresponding to the light-transmitting character portion 78 on the front cover body 71 side, i.e., the character string "Kappa Legend". That is, on the LED board 74, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of LED rows (light source rows) each consisting of a plurality of (three in this case) LEDs 73 arranged in the short side direction of the movable illumination device 40 (here, the up-down direction which is the width direction of the character string) are arranged in a plurality of (ten pairs of A to J in this case) in the long side direction of the movable illumination device 40 (here, the left-right direction which is the arrangement direction of the character string). The LEDs 73 on the LED board 74 are controlled to emit light in a different channel for each LED row. This makes it possible to easily perform light emission control such as sequentially changing the light emission state (light emission color and light emission mode such as on / off) of the LEDs 73 in the arrangement direction of the character string.

[0037] 5, the 30 LEDs 73 are distinguished by adding the reference characters A to J (FIG. 7) indicating the LED column to which they belong, and the reference characters 1 to 3 indicating the number within each LED column. For example, the first LED 73 belonging to LED column A is LED 73A1, and the third LED 73 belonging to LED column B is LED 73B3.

[0038] Moreover, all of the 30 LEDs 73 are arranged on the rear side of the non-transparent border 77a along the boundary between the light-transmitting character portion 78 and the non-transparent border 77a so that at least a part of each LED 73 overlaps the rear side of the non-transparent character portion 77 in a front view. Specifically, the LEDs 73 (here, LEDs 73G3, 73I1, 73I2, and 73J2) arranged corresponding to the non-transparent character portion 77 (middle non-transparent portion) sandwiched between a plurality of light-transmitting character portions 78 adjacent to each other are arranged on the rear side of the non-transparent character portion 77 in correspondence with the approximate center (positions approximately equidistant from each light-transmitting character portion 78). The LEDs 73 (here, 73F1) arranged corresponding to the non-transparent character portion 77 substantially surrounded by the light-transmitting character portions 78 are arranged on the rear side of the non-transparent character portion 77 in correspondence with the approximate center (positions approximately equidistant from the surrounding light-transmitting character portions 78). In these cases, depending on the size relationship between the width of the non-transmitting portion 77 and the LED 73, if the LED 73 is larger (e.g., LED 73I1), a portion of the LED 73 will protrude toward the translucent character portion 78, but if the LED 73 is smaller (e.g., LED 73J2, 73J3), the entire LED 73 will overlap the rear side of the non-transmitting portion 77.

[0039] On the other hand, when the other LEDs 73, i.e., the non-transmitting portion 77 having a sufficient width is in contact with the translucent character portion 78, the LEDs 73 (here, LEDs 73A1-73A3, 73B1-73B3, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-transmitting portion 77 are arranged so that the edges of the LEDs 73 approximately coincide with the front-rear boundary between the non-transmitting portion 77 and the translucent character portion 78. In this case, it is preferable that the edges of the LEDs 73 do not extend beyond the translucent character portion 78, but they may be arranged so that they extend partially.

[0040] In this way, by positioning the LED 73 behind the non-translucent portion 77, the light emitted from the LED 73 directly ahead is not (or is minimally) irradiated directly onto the translucent character portion 78, thereby eliminating spot light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent character portion 78.

[0041] Among the multiple light-transmitting regions 78a-78n, in specific light-transmitting regions (here, light-transmitting regions 78a, 78d-78f, 78h, 78i, and 78n) in which the multiple LEDs 73 are arranged, the LEDs (specific light sources) 73 corresponding to each specific light-transmitting region are arranged as follows: That is, each LED 73 corresponding to a specific light-transmitting region is arranged such that the entire straight line path to at least one of the other LEDs 73 corresponding to that specific light-transmitting region passes through the specific light-transmitting region in a front view.

[0042] Specifically, among the LEDs 73A1 to 73A3 and 73B1 to 73B3 corresponding to the specific light-transmitting region 78a, for the LED 73A1, the straight path L1 for the LED 73A2 and the straight path L2 for the LED 73A3 each entirely pass through the specific light-transmitting region 78a in a front view. Similarly, for the LED 73A2, the straight path L1 for the LED 73A1 and the straight path L3 for the LED 73B1 each entirely pass through the specific light-transmitting region 78a in a front view. The same is true for the other LEDs 73A3 and 73B1 to B3. As a result, the light-emitting regions of the multiple LEDs 73 overlap each other in the specific light-transmitting region, making it possible to further reduce the brightness difference of the light-transmitting character portion 78 due to point light.

[0043] As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 5, the LED 73 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and three terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f are arranged on predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b of the four sides. Then, from each of the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f, the wiring patterns 70a-70c, 70d-70f are drawn straight and parallel to the direction perpendicular to the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b at least to a predetermined distance X, and then bent in any direction or directly connected to a via or the like. Therefore, for the LED 73 arranged near the edge of the LED substrate 74, and particularly for the LED 73 whose distance to the substrate edge is less than the predetermined distance X, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 5, the side 73c on which no terminals are provided, other than the predetermined opposite sides 73a, 73b on which the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f are provided, is arranged so as to face the edge of the LED substrate 74. This has the advantage that, although the LEDs 73 must be disposed near the edge of the LED substrate 74, the wiring pattern can be easily laid out.

[0044] As described above, the pachinko machine of this embodiment is equipped with a movable illumination device (illumination device) 40 having a translucent character portion (translucent portion) 78 and a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 73 that illuminate the translucent character portion 78, and a non-translucent portion 77 is provided on the outer edge of the translucent character portion 78 and the LEDs 73 are positioned behind the non-translucent portion 77. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance when illuminated by reducing the brightness difference of the translucent character portion 78 caused by the point light of the movable illumination device 40.

[0045] In addition, the LED 73 is positioned at the boundary between the translucent character section 78 and the non-translucent section 77 so that at least a portion of it overlaps the rear of the non-translucent section 77 when viewed from the front of the movable illumination device 40, and further, for the intermediate non-translucent section of the non-translucent section 77 that is sandwiched on both sides by the translucent character sections 78, the LED 73 is positioned behind it, corresponding to approximately the center in the width direction. This makes it possible to eliminate spot lights and make the entire translucent character section 78 emit light more brightly and as evenly as possible.

[0046] In addition, the light-transmitting character portion 78 has a plurality of light-transmitting regions 78a-78n separated from one another by non-light-transmitting portions 77, and a plurality of LEDs 73 (hereinafter, specific light sources) are arranged behind the outer periphery of the non-light-transmitting portion 77 in correspondence with specific light-transmitting regions among the plurality of light-transmitting regions 78a-78n. These specific light sources are arranged so that the entire straight line path for at least one of the other specific light sources passes through the specific light-transmitting region when viewed from the front of the movable illumination device 40. Therefore, the light-emitting regions of the multiple specific light sources overlap each other within the specific light-transmitting region, thereby making it possible to reduce the brightness difference in the light-transmitting character portion 78 caused by point light.

[0047] Furthermore, LED rows (rows of light sources) consisting of multiple LEDs 73 arranged in the short direction of the movable illumination device 40 are arranged in multiple rows in the long direction of the movable illumination device 40, and the LEDs 73 are controlled by different channels for each LED row. This makes it easy to perform illumination control that sequentially changes the light emission state of the LEDs 73 (light emission color, light emission mode such as on / off, etc.) in the direction of the arrangement of the string of characters.

[0048] In addition, the LED substrate 74 is formed so that at least a portion of its edge conforms to the outline of the translucent character portion 78, and the LEDs 73 near the edge of the LED substrate 74 are positioned so that the side other than the specified opposite side on which the terminals are provided faces the edge of the LED substrate 74. This has the advantage that even though the LEDs 73 must be positioned near the edge of the LED substrate 74, it is easy to route the wiring pattern.

[0049] 8 to 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the first embodiment, in which a non-translucent character section made of a non-translucent section is provided in the translucent section, and LEDs are arranged behind the non-translucent character section. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the arrangement of the translucent section / non-translucent section in the movable illumination device, the associated arrangement of the LEDs, and the shape of the movable illumination device. The configuration of the movable illumination device will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0050] As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the movable illumination device 90 of this embodiment is composed of a front cover body 91, a base body 92, and an LED board 94 on which a plurality of LEDs (light sources) 93 are arranged, similarly to the movable illumination device 40 of the first embodiment. The front cover body 91 is made of a synthetic resin having translucency, and integrally includes a front plate 95 and an outer peripheral plate 96 extending backward along the outer periphery of the front plate 95. The front plate 95 of the front cover body 91 is subjected to a non-translucent treatment on the front side of a character area (non-translucent character part 97a) corresponding to the character string "Kappa Legend" written in horizontal Gothic font, for example, and a frame area (non-translucent frame part 97b) surrounding each of these characters individually, so that the characters "Ka", "Tsu", "Pa", "Den", and "Setsu" constituting the non-translucent character part 97a are formed in five rectangular translucent parts 98 on the front plate 95. The front plate 95 of the front cover body 91 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that conforms to the outer shape of the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b.

[0051] The non-light-transmitting treatment for forming the non-light-transmitting portions 97a, 97b may be any treatment such as plating, attachment of a non-light-transmitting sheet, etc. The non-light-transmitting portions 97a, 97b are not required to be completely non-light-transmitting, but only need to have a sufficiently low light transmittance compared to the light-transmitting portion 98. It is also desirable to apply the non-light-transmitting treatment to the outer surface side of the outer peripheral plate 96 of the front cover body 91.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, on the inner surface of the front cover body 91, lens cutting and other light diffusion treatments are applied at least to the area corresponding to the translucent portion 98 in order to make the LED board 94 and the like less visible from the front and to appropriately diffuse the light emitted from the LEDs 93 (light diffusion portion 99).

[0053] In FIG. 10, an example in which the light diffusion treatment is performed not only on the region behind the light-transmitting portion 98 but also on the region behind the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b is shown, but the light diffusion treatment may be performed only on the region behind the light-transmitting portion 98, and not on the region behind the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. When the light diffusion treatment is performed on the rear sides of the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b, the light diffusion treatment may be performed only on a certain region corresponding to the front side of the LED 93, not on the entire non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. When the light diffusion treatment is performed on both the light-transmitting portion 98 and the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b, the type of light diffusion treatment (for example, the type of lens cutting) may be different between the rear side of the light-transmitting portion 98 and the rear side of the non-light-transmitting portions 97a and 97b. In this case, the type of lens cutting may be any type, such as ball cutting, knurling, diamond cutting, or ice cutting. Further, regarding the light transmitting portion 98, the light transmitting portion 98 side (ie, the front side) may be subjected to the same or different type of lens cutting as that on the inner side.

[0054] The front cover body 91 is detachably fixed to the front side of the base body 92 by means of screws or the like. The base body 92 is made of a synthetic resin having no translucency, and integrally includes a front plate 101 formed in substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the front cover body 91, and an outer peripheral plate 102 extending rearward along the outer periphery of the front plate 101, and the front cover body 91 is fixed to the front side of the front plate 101. The rear side of the front cover body 91 is substantially closed by the front plate 101 of the base body 92, so that a light emitting chamber 103 is formed within the front cover body 91. Rail connection parts 104 are provided on both the left and right ends of the base body 92 so as to be slidably mounted on the guide rails 43.

[0055] The LED board 94 comprises a board main body 105 formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that conforms to the inner surface of the outer peripheral plate 96 of the front cover body 91, a plurality of LEDs 93 arranged on the front side of the board main body 105, and a connector 106 arranged on the back side of the board main body 105, and is fixed to the front plate 101 of the base body 92 by screwing or the like while being positioned at a predetermined rear position within the light-emitting chamber 103 and removably attached thereto.

[0056] A boss 107 for supporting the board is formed on the front plate 101 of the base body 92 so as to protrude forward, and this boss 107 supports the LED board 94 with a certain gap maintained between it and the base body 92. A harness 108 connected to the connector 106 is led out to the rear side of the movable illumination device 90 through an opening 109 formed in the base body 92, and is connected to the sub-control board 62 via a relay board or the like.

[0057] On the LED board 94, 3×9=27 LEDs 93 are arranged corresponding to the non-translucent character portion 97a on the front cover body 91 side, i.e., the character string "Kappa Legend". That is, on the LED board 94, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of LED rows (light source rows) each consisting of a plurality of (three in this case) LEDs 93 arranged in the short side direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the up-down direction which is the width direction of the character string) are arranged in a plurality of (nine sets of A to I in this case) in the long side direction of the movable illumination device 90 (here, the left-right direction which is the arrangement direction of the character string). The LEDs 93 on the LED board 94 are controlled to emit light by different channels for each LED row. This makes it possible to easily perform light emission control such as sequentially changing the light emission state (light emission color and light emission mode such as on / off) of the LEDs 93 in the arrangement direction of the character string.

[0058] 9, the 27 LEDs 93 are distinguished by adding the symbols A to I (FIG. 11) indicating the LED column to which they belong, and the symbols 1 to 3 indicating the number within each LED column. For example, the first LED 93 belonging to LED column A is LED 93A1, and the third LED 93 belonging to LED column B is LED 93B3.

[0059] All 27 LEDs 93 are disposed behind the non-translucent character portion 97a, and are disposed at approximately the center in the width direction of the non-translucent character portion 97a when viewed from the front. This means that the light emitted from the LEDs 93 directly ahead is not (or is minimally) irradiated directly onto the translucent portion 98, eliminating point light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent portion 98, and making the silhouette of the non-translucent character portion 97a stand out more clearly.

[0060] 12 and 13 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is a partial modification of the second embodiment, in which the LEDs 93 are arranged not only behind the non-light-transmitting character portion 97a but also behind the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment only in the arrangement of the LEDs 93. The following description will focus on the differences from the second embodiment.

[0061] In the LED board 94 of this embodiment, 3×16=48 LEDs 93 are arranged corresponding to the non-translucent character portion 97a and the non-translucent frame portion 97b on the front cover body 91 side. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the LED board 94 has a plurality of LED rows (light source rows) (here, 16 pairs of A to P) arranged in the longitudinal direction (here, the left-right direction in which the character strings are arranged) of the movable illumination device 90, each of which is composed of a plurality of (three in this case) LEDs 93 arranged in the short-side direction (here, the up-down direction in which the character strings are arranged) of the movable illumination device 90. The LEDs 93 on the LED board 94 are controlled to emit light by different channels for each LED row. This makes it possible to easily perform light emission control such as sequentially changing the light emission state (light emission color, light emission mode such as on / off, etc.) of the LEDs 93 in the arrangement direction of the character strings.

[0062] 12, the 48 LEDs 93 are distinguished by adding the symbols A to P indicating the LED column to which they belong and the symbols 1 to 3 indicating the number within each LED column. For example, the first LED 93 belonging to LED column A is LED 93A1, and the third LED 93 belonging to LED column B is LED 93B3.

[0063] All of the 48 LEDs 93 are disposed behind either the non-light-transmitting character portion 97a or the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b. The LEDs 93 (e.g., LEDs 93B2, 93B3) corresponding to the non-light-transmitting character portion 97a disposed inside the light-transmitting portion 98 are disposed substantially in the center in the width direction of the non-light-transmitting character portion 97a in a front view. Among the LEDs 93 corresponding to the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b arranged outside the light-transmitting portion 98, the LEDs 93 (e.g., LEDs 93D2, 93G2, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b sandwiched between two light-transmitting portions 98 are arranged on the rear side in correspondence with approximately the center of the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b (positions approximately equidistant from each non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b), and the other LEDs 93, that is, when a non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b of sufficient width is in contact with the light-transmitting portion 98, the LEDs 93 (here, LEDs 93A1 to 93A3, 93B1, 93C3, etc.) arranged corresponding to the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b are arranged so that the edges of the LEDs 93 approximately coincide with the front-rear boundary between the non-light-transmitting frame portion 97b and the light-transmitting portion 98. In either case, it is preferable that the edges of the LEDs 93 do not protrude toward the light-transmitting portion 98, but they may be arranged so that they protrude partially.

[0064] By arranging the LEDs 93 in this manner, the light emitted from the LEDs 93 directly ahead is not (or is barely) irradiated directly onto the translucent portion 98, thereby eliminating point light and reducing the brightness difference of the translucent portion 98, and also making the silhouette of the non-translucent letter portion 97a stand out more clearly.

[0065] 12, the LED 93 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and three terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f are arranged on each of the predetermined opposite sides 93a, 93b of the four sides. Then, wiring patterns 70a-70c, 70d-70f are respectively drawn straight and parallel from each of the terminals 69a-69c, 69d-69f to at least a predetermined distance X in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined opposite sides 93a, 93b, and then bent in any direction or directly connected to a via or the like. Therefore, the LEDs 93 (LEDs 93A1 to 93A3, 93B1, etc.) that are arranged near the edge of the LED substrate 94 formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape and that are particularly located less than the predetermined distance X from the substrate edge are arranged so that the side 93c on which no terminals are provided, which is different from the predetermined opposite sides 93a and 93b on which the terminals 69a to 69c and 69d to 69f are provided, faces the edge of the LED substrate 94, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 12. The LEDs 93 are arranged to avoid the vicinity of the corners of the LED substrate 94 (for example, LED 93A1). This has the advantage that the wiring pattern can be easily routed even when the LEDs 93 must be arranged near the edge of the LED substrate 94 as in this embodiment.

[0066] 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, the configuration of the movable illumination device of the embodiment can be applied to the illumination device 50 fixedly arranged on the game components on the game board 5, such as the center case 21, and the illumination device 10 fixedly arranged on the front frame 4 side. Of course, it can be applied to the case where the movable illumination device is provided on the front frame 4 side.

[0067] In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the light-transmitting portion was in the shape of letters (light-transmitting letter portion 78), but the light-transmitting portion in this case is not limited to being in the shape of letters, and may be any shape, such as a graphic such as a logo mark, or a pattern such as a character. Also, in the second and third embodiments, an example was shown in which a non-light-transmitting portion in the shape of letters (non-light-transmitting letter portion 97a) was arranged in the light-transmitting portion, but the non-light-transmitting portion in this case is not limited to being in the shape of letters, and may be any shape, such as a graphic such as a logo mark, or a pattern such as a character.

[0068] In the embodiment, the translucent and non-translucent portions are formed by applying a non-translucent treatment to a portion of the translucent front cover body 71, but the translucent and non-translucent portions may also be formed, for example, by combining a non-translucent first member with a translucent second member (for example, by fitting the second member to the back side of a first member having a letter-shaped opening).

[0069] In the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the illumination device is arranged facing the front of the gaming machine main body 1, but the illumination device may be arranged diagonally with respect to the front of the gaming machine main body 1, for example, by arranging the illumination device on the upper side of the front frame 4 diagonally downward so that the front faces the player. In this case, it is preferable that the LED (light source) of the illumination device is arranged behind the non-transparent part when viewed from the front of the illumination device, rather than when viewed from the front of the gaming machine main body 1.

[0070] In the embodiment, the number of LEDs belonging to the LED row of the same channel is three, but it may be two or four or more.

[0071] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various pinball gaming machines such as arrange ball machines and mahjong ball gaming machines, as well as gaming machines other than pinball gaming machines such as slot machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 40 Movable lighting device 73 LED (light source) 77 Non-transparent part 78 Transparent text area (transparent area) 78a~78n Translucent area 93 LED (light source) 97a Non-translucent text part (non-translucent part) 97b Non-light-transmitting part (non-light-transmitting part) 98 light-transmitting part

Claims

[Claim 1] The present invention is provided with an illumination device having a light-transmitting portion and a plurality of light sources for illuminating the light-transmitting portion. In the gaming machine, providing a non-light-transmitting portion having a non-light-transmitting character portion forming a predetermined character shape; A background area for the non-transparent character portion is formed by the transparent portion, a light diffusion treatment is applied to at least the light-transmitting portion of the non-light-transmitting character portion and the light-transmitting portion of the background region; A light-emitting substrate is disposed in a space spanning a rear region of the non-light-transmitting character portion and a rear region of the light-transmitting portion; The light source is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear side of the non-transparent character portion on the front side of the light-emitting substrate. A gaming machine characterized by:

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