Shutter device and gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a shutter device which can switch the possibility of visual recognition of a display object with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A shutter device comprises: light sources (3-1 to 3-n); a light guide plate 2 which is arranged on the front surface side of a display object 6; and a control unit 5 which controls turn-on or turn-off of the light sources. The light guide plate 2 has a plurality of prisms 11 which are arranged in individual regions (21-1 to 21-n) provided on one surface 2b and reflect light emitted from the light sources and incident in the light guide plate 2 from an incidence surface 2c such that the reflected light is emitted from the front surface of the light guide plate 2. The light intensity of the light emitted from the light sources and the arrangement density of each prism 11 are set such that the luminance on the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 of the light emitted from the light sources, reflected by each prism 11 and emitted from the front surface of the light guide plate 2 becomes larger than the luminance on the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 of the light emitted from the display object 6 and passing through the light guide plate 2 toward the front surface 2a from the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shutter device that uses a light guide plate to realize a visual shutter, and to a gaming machine having such a shutter device. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to enable a user to switch between visibility of a predetermined object, a technique has been proposed in which a liquid crystal panel is used as a visual shutter (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-196066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a liquid crystal panel is used as a visual shutter, the structure of the shutter itself and the control of the shutter become complicated because the structures of the liquid crystal panel and the drive circuit that drives the liquid crystal panel are complicated.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shutter device that is simple in configuration and capable of switching between visibility of a display object and non-visibility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a shutter device. The shutter device includes at least one light source, a light guide plate disposed in front of a display object, the light guide plate being made of a transparent material and having an entrance surface facing the at least one light source, and a controller for controlling the on / off of the at least one light source. The light guide plate has a plurality of prisms arranged along at least one region provided on one surface of the light guide plate, the prisms reflecting light emitted from the at least one light source corresponding to the region and entering the light guide plate through the entrance surface so as to exit from the front surface of the light guide plate. The luminous intensity of the light emitted from the at least one light source and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms are set so that the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to the light emitted from the at least one light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and exiting from the front surface of the light guide plate is greater than the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the display object and transmitted through the light guide plate from the back surface of the light guide plate toward the front surface. By having such a configuration, this shutter device can switch between visibility of a display object and visibility of a display object with a simple configuration.

[0007] In this shutter device, for any one of at least one region of the light guide plate, a predetermined pattern is formed by light emitted from one of at least one light source corresponding to that region and entering the light guide plate from the incident surface, and it is preferable that the arrangement density of the multiple prisms within the predetermined pattern is different from the arrangement density of the multiple prisms outside the predetermined pattern. With this configuration, the shutter device can display a pattern in an area where the light source is turned on to block the visibility of the display object.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine having a gaming machine main body, a display object provided on the side of the gaming machine main body facing a player, a shutter device located on the player side of the display object, and a performance control device that outputs a control signal to the shutter device according to the state of the game. In this gaming machine, the shutter device has at least one light source, a light guide plate located on the player side of the display object, made of a transparent material, and having an incident surface facing the at least one light source, and a control unit that controls the turning on and off of the at least one light source in accordance with the control signal received from the performance control device. The light guide plate has, for each of at least one region provided on one surface thereof, a plurality of prisms arranged within that region that reflect light that is emitted from one of the at least one light source corresponding to that region and enters the light guide plate from the incident surface so that the light exits from the player-side surface of the light guide plate, and the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the at least one light source and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms are set so that the luminance on that surface of the light guide plate due to light that is emitted from the at least one light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and exits from the player-side surface of the light guide plate is greater than the luminance on the player-side surface of the light guide plate due to light that is emitted from the display object and passes through the light guide plate from the display-object-side surface of the light guide plate towards the player-side surface. By having such a configuration, this gaming machine can switch between visibility and non-visibility of the display object provided on the gaming machine with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a shutter device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the shutter device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate included in the shutter device. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate taken along the line indicated by the arrow AA′ in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate according to a modified example. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate according to another modified example. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pinball game machine having a shutter device according to an embodiment or a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The shutter device will be described below with reference to the drawings. This shutter device has a light guide plate formed into a plate shape from a material transparent to light emitted from one or more light sources. The light guide plate is disposed between a display object and a viewer. Of the two surfaces of the light guide plate, at least one of the side surfaces surrounding the surface facing the viewer (hereinafter referred to as the front) is formed as an incident surface facing the light source. On the other hand, a plurality of prisms are formed on the surface of the light guide plate facing the display object (hereinafter referred to as the back). The plurality of prisms reflect light emitted from the light source and entering the light guide plate so that it is emitted from the front of the light guide plate toward the viewer. When the light source is turned off, the viewer can view the display object through the light guide plate. On the other hand, when the light source is turned on, the light from the light source is reflected by the plurality of prisms and reaches the viewer. Furthermore, the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the light source and the arrangement density of the prisms are set so that the luminance at the front of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the light source and reflected by the multiple prisms of the light guide plate to reach the viewer is greater than the luminance at the front of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the display object. Therefore, when the light source is turned on, the light from the light source appears brighter than the light from the display object as seen by the viewer, and as a result, the viewer cannot see the display object.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a shutter device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the shutter device. The shutter device 1 has a light guide plate 2, a plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n (n is an integer of 2 or more, 5 in the illustrated example), a plurality of collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n, and a control circuit 5.

[0012] The light guide plate 2 is a plate-shaped member that is transparent to the light emitted from each of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. The light guide plate 2 is formed by molding a resin that is transparent to visible light, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, or cycloolefin polymer. The light guide plate 2 is disposed so that a front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 faces the viewer P and a back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2 faces the display object 6. The front surface 2a and the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2 are divided into a plurality of regions 21-1 to 21-n. Each region 21-i (i = 1, ..., n) corresponds to a light source 3-i among the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. One of the side surfaces of the light guide plate 2 is formed as an incident surface 2c, and the light guide plate 2 is disposed so that the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n and the incident surface 2c face each other across collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n.

[0013] While any of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n is lit, the light guide plate 2 propagates within itself the light emitted from the lit light source and entering the light guide plate 2 from the incident surface 2c. The light guide plate 2 then reflects the light toward the viewer P located in front of it using prisms (details of which will be described later) arranged in regions corresponding to the lit light sources, among the plurality of prisms formed on the back surface 2b. As a result, the regions corresponding to the lit light sources appear to glow due to the light from those light sources, and the viewer P is unable to view the display object 6 provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2 through those regions. On the other hand, when the corresponding light source is turned off, the viewer P can view the display object 6 provided on the back surface of the light guide plate 2 through those regions. The light guide plate 2 will be described in detail later.

[0014] Each of the light sources 3-1 to 3-n has at least one light-emitting element that emits visible light. In this embodiment, the light sources 3-1 to 3-n are arranged to face the incident surface 2c formed on one side of the light guide plate 2, with the collimator lenses 4-1 to 4-n sandwiched between them.

[0015] The light-emitting elements of each light source are, for example, light-emitting diodes. The luminous intensities of the light emitted from the light-emitting elements of each of the light sources 3-1 to 3-n may be the same or different from each other. The light-emitting elements may emit the same color or different colors from each other.

[0016] While the control circuit 5 is lighting up any of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n, light emitted from the lighted light source is collimated by one of the collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n corresponding to that light source and then enters the light guide plate 2 through the incident surface 2c. After propagating through the light guide plate 2, the incident light is reflected by each of the prisms provided in the regions corresponding to the lighted light sources out of the plurality of prisms provided on the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2, and then exits from the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2. Therefore, to an observer P positioned in front of the light guide plate 2, the regions 21-1 to 21-n provided on the light guide plate 2 that correspond to the light sources that are turned on appear to glow. Furthermore, the arrangement density of the prisms in each region and the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the light sources are set so that the luminance on the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 due to light from the light sources 3-1 to 3-n, as seen from the assumed position of the viewer P, is greater than the luminance on the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 due to light emitted from the display object 6 and transmitted through the light guide plate 2 from the back surface 2b to the front surface 2a. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the viewer P to view the display object 6 through the region corresponding to the light source that is turned on due to the light from the light sources among the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. The assumed position of the viewer P can be, for example, a position several tens of centimeters away from the center of the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 along the normal direction to the front surface 2a.

[0017] The collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n are disposed between the light sources 3-1 to 3-n and the incident surface 2c of the light guide plate 2. The collimating lenses 4-i (i = 1, ..., n) collimate the light emitted from the corresponding light source 3-i and direct it toward the incident surface 2c. The collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n may be refractive lenses or diffractive lenses. The collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n may also be formed to collimate the light emitted from the light sources 3-1 to 3-n only in the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2c. In this case, the collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n may be formed as cylindrical lenses that have positive refractive power in the longitudinal direction of the incident surface 2c but no refractive power in the thickness direction of the light guide plate 2, i.e., the direction from the back surface 2b to the front surface 2a.

[0018] The control circuit 5 is an example of a control unit and includes, for example, a processor, a memory, a drive circuit for driving the light sources 3-1 to 3-n, and a communication interface for communicating with other devices. The control circuit 5 controls the turning on and off of the light sources 3-1 to 3-n in accordance with shutter control information received from other devices or stored in advance in the memory.

[0019] For example, when the control circuit 5 is to allow the viewer P to see the display object 6 through one of the regions 21-1 to 21-n provided on the light guide plate 2, it turns off the light sources among the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n corresponding to the region to be made visible, and turns on the light sources corresponding to the regions other than the region to be made visible. When the entire display object 6 is to be made visible to the viewer, the control circuit 5 turns off all of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. When the entire display object 6 is to be hidden from the viewer, the control circuit 5 turns on all of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. The control circuit 5 may sequentially change the combination of light sources to be turned on among the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n, i.e., the combination of regions to hide the display object 6 from the viewer P, in accordance with shutter control information sequentially received from another device.

[0020] The display object 6 is disposed on the rear side of the light guide plate 2, and when each light source of the shutter device 1 is turned off, the observer P can view the display object 6 through the light guide plate 2. The display object 6 may be a stationary object such as a fixed accessory provided in an amusement machine, or may be an object part of which is movable. Furthermore, the display object 6 may be an object such as a liquid crystal display, which is capable of changing the content displayed on it.

[0021] The light guide plate 2 will be described in detail below.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the light guide plate 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the light guide plate 2 taken along the line indicated by the arrow AA′ in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, one of the side surfaces of the light guide plate 2 is formed as an incident surface 2c facing the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n. As described above, light emitted from each of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n enters the light guide plate 2 from the incident surface 2c via the collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n. The light from each of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n that has propagated through the light guide plate 2 is totally reflected by each of the prisms 11 arranged in the region corresponding to that light source among the plurality of prisms 11 formed on the back surface 2b of the light guide plate 2, and then exits from the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 toward the viewer P. For example, light emitted from the light source 3-1, collimated by the collimating lens 4-1, and entering the light guide plate 2 from the incident surface 2c is totally reflected by each prism 11 provided in the region 21-1 and emitted from the front surface 2a of the light guide plate 2 toward the observer P.

[0023] Each of the prisms 11 is formed, for example, as a substantially triangular groove having a predetermined length and a predetermined depth on the rear surface 2b. Each of the prisms 11 has a reflective surface that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the rear surface 2b. The predetermined angle is set to an angle at which light from the corresponding light source that is incident on the light guide plate 2 is totally reflected and directed toward the front surface 2a, for example, to an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to the rear surface 2b. The predetermined length is set to a length that allows multiple prisms to be arranged in each of the regions 21-1 to 21-n and that prevents the viewer P from distinguishing the individual prisms 11, for example, about 100 μm to several mm. The predetermined depth is also set to a length that prevents the viewer P from distinguishing the individual prisms 11, for example, about several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm.

[0024] In each of the regions 21-1 to 21-n, the plurality of prisms 11 are arranged in that region, for example, in a lattice pattern or a staggered pattern. Furthermore, each of the plurality of prisms 11 is formed so that its reflective surface faces the incident surface 2c. Therefore, each prism 11 reflects light emitted from the corresponding light source and propagating through the light guide plate 2 toward the front side. Therefore, while any of the plurality of light sources 3-1 to 3-n is lit, the region of the regions 21-1 to 21-n corresponding to the lit light source appears to the viewer P to be lit. As a result, the shutter device 1 can prevent the display object 6 located on the back side of the light guide plate 2 from being viewed through the region corresponding to the lit light source.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the light guide plate 2 according to a modified example, showing the arrangement of the prisms 11. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the collimating lenses 4-1 to 4-n are omitted. Each of the multiple prisms 11 is arranged so that its reflective surface faces the light source corresponding to the region in which the prism 11 is arranged among the regions 21-1 to 21-n. That is, the individual prisms 11 are arranged concentrically around the light source corresponding to the region in which the prism 11 is arranged. For example, the individual prisms 11 provided in the region 21-1 are arranged concentrically around the light source 3-1. As a result, for each of the regions 21-1 to 21-n, the angle of incidence of light emitted from the light sources corresponding to the other regions and propagating through the light guide plate 2 becomes large with respect to the reflective surface of the individual prisms 11 arranged in that region. Therefore, light emitted from light sources corresponding to other regions is reflected by prisms 11 and exits the light guide plate 2 from the front surface 2a at a large exit angle, and is not directed toward the viewer P. For example, as indicated by arrow 501, light that is emitted from light source 3-1 corresponding to region 21-1, propagates through the light guide plate 2, and reaches prisms 11 arranged in region 21-2 adjacent to region 21-1 is reflected in a direction significantly deviated from the front surface direction of the light guide plate 2. Therefore, when a light source corresponding to a specific region is turned on so that the display object 6 cannot be viewed in that specific region, it is possible to prevent the display object 6 from becoming invisible in regions other than the specific region.

[0026] It should be noted that in FIGS. 3 to 5, the size of each prism and the thickness of the light guide plate 2 are exaggerated to make the drawings easier to see.

[0027] The arrangement density of the prisms 11 in each of the regions 21-1 to 21-n of the light guide plate 2 is preferably set so that, when the light source corresponding to that region is turned off, the viewer P perceives the display object 6 located behind the light guide plate 2 as if viewing it through a transparent member or empty space. For example, the arrangement density of the prisms 11 in each region is preferably determined so that the haze value, which represents the ratio of diffused light to total transmitted light in the light guide plate 2, is equal to or less than the upper limit of the haze value at which the viewer P perceives the display object 6 as if viewing it through a transparent member or empty space. On the other hand, the lower the arrangement density of the prisms 11, the lower the utilization efficiency of light from each light source. Therefore, if the arrangement density of the prisms 11 is too low, the viewer P will be able to view the display object 6 through the light guide plate 2 even when each light source is turned on, which is undesirable. Therefore, the arrangement density of the prisms 11 is preferably set as close to the upper limit of the haze value as possible. For example, under certain conditions, if the arrangement density of the prisms 11 corresponding to the upper limit of the haze value of 28% is 30%, the arrangement density of the prisms 11 is preferably set to, for example, 20% to 30%.

[0028] As described above, this shutter device includes a light guide plate disposed between the viewer and a display object. A plurality of prisms are arranged within each of a plurality of regions provided on the light guide plate. Light emitted from a light source illuminating the region and entering the light guide plate is reflected by the prisms toward the front, causing the region to appear to glow. As a result, the viewer cannot see the display object disposed behind the light guide plate. Meanwhile, for a region corresponding to an unlit light source, the viewer can see the display object through that region of the light guide plate. In particular, the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the light source and the arrangement density of the prisms are set so that the luminance at the front of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the light source and reflected by the prisms of the light guide plate is greater than the luminance at the front of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the display object and transmitted from the back of the light guide plate to the front. Therefore, when a light source is turned on, the light from that light source appears brighter than the light from the display object, making the viewer unable to see the display object. In this way, this shutter device can switch between visibility of a display object with a simple configuration.

[0029] According to a modified example, only one region may be provided on the light guide plate 2. In this case, only one light source may be provided. The shutter device can switch between making the display object 6 visible through the entire light guide plate 2 and making the display object 6 invisible by switching the light source on and off.

[0030] According to another modification, the prisms 11 may be arranged along a specific pattern in one or more of the individual regions 21-1 to 21-n of the light guide plate 2. In this case, the shutter device 1 can set the shape of the region that obstructs the visibility of the display object 6 in the region where the corresponding light source is lit to a shape that corresponds to the pattern in which the prisms 11 are arranged.

[0031] Furthermore, in one or more of the regions 21-1 to 21-n of the light guide plate 2, the arrangement density of the prisms 11 arranged within a specific pattern may be made different from the arrangement density of the prisms 11 arranged outside the specific pattern. For example, the prisms 11 may be arranged so that the arrangement density of the prisms 11 within the specific pattern is higher than the arrangement density of the prisms 11 outside the specific pattern. Conversely, the prisms 11 may be arranged so that the arrangement density of the prisms 11 within the specific pattern is lower than the arrangement density of the prisms 11 outside the specific pattern. In this case, the size of the prisms 11 within the specific pattern may be made different from the size of the prisms 11 outside the specific pattern, thereby making the arrangement density of the prisms 11 different inside and outside the specific pattern. Furthermore, the arrangement density of the prisms 11 may be made different between specific patterns provided in two or more different regions. By thus varying the arrangement density of the prisms 11 inside and outside a specific pattern, when a corresponding light source is turned on, the shutter device 1 can make the specific pattern visible to an observer in the area where the specific pattern is provided while obstructing the visibility of the display object 6. Furthermore, by setting the arrangement density of the prisms 11 inside or outside a specific pattern so that the luminance of light from the corresponding light source at the front of the light guide plate 2 is lower than the luminance of light from the display object 6 at the front of the light guide plate 2, the shutter device 1 can make the specific pattern and the display object 6 appear to overlap.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a light guide plate 2 according to this modification. In this modification, the light guide plate 2 is divided into five regions 21-1 to 21-5, and a portion of each of star-shaped patterns 22-1 to 22-3 is formed in each region. The density of the prisms 11 within the star-shaped patterns 22-1 to 22-3 is lower than the density of the prisms 11 outside these patterns. Therefore, for each of the regions 21-1 to 21-5, turning on the corresponding light source among the light sources 3-1 to 3-5 reduces visibility of the display object 6, and the portions of the patterns 22-1 to 22-3 formed in that region appear darker than their surroundings. For example, turning on the light sources 3-1 and 3-2 prevents the viewer from viewing the display object 6 through the regions 21-1 and 21-2, but allows the viewer to view the pattern 22-1 that spans the regions 21-1 and 21-2. Thus, according to this modification, the shutter device 1 can not only make the display object invisible, but also display a specific pattern.

[0033] According to yet another modification, each of the light sources 3-1 to 3-n may include a plurality of light-emitting elements having different emission colors. The control circuit 5 may then light up a light-emitting element having an emission color closest to the color of the display object 6 for a light source corresponding to a region of the light guide plate 2's regions 21-1 to 21-n that obstructs the visibility of the display object 6. In this case, information indicating the color of the display object 6 may be included in the shutter control information, and a lookup table indicating the relationship between the color of the display object 6 and the light-emitting element to be illuminated may be stored in advance in the memory of the control circuit 5. The processor of the control circuit 5 may then refer to the shutter control information and the lookup table to determine the light-emitting element to be illuminated for each light source. According to this modification, the shutter device can appropriately obstruct the visibility of the display object 6 even when the display object 6 is an object whose emission color can be changed, such as a liquid crystal display.

[0034] The shutter device according to the above embodiment or modified example may be mounted on a gaming machine such as a pinball gaming machine or a slot machine. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a pinball game machine having a shutter device according to the above embodiment or modified example, as seen from the player's side. As shown in FIG. 7, the pinball game machine 100 has a game board 101, which is the game machine body and is provided in most of the area from the top to the center, a ball receiving section 102 provided below the game board 101, an operation section 103 provided with a handle, a liquid crystal display 104 provided on the side facing the player at approximately the center of the game board 101, and a shutter device 105 provided in front of the liquid crystal display 104.

[0035] The pinball game machine 100 also has a gadget 106 that is arranged in front of the game board 101, below the game board 101, or around the shutter device 105, to create a game effect. Rails 107 are also arranged on the sides of the game board 101. A number of obstacle nails (not shown) and at least one winning device 108 are also provided on the game board 101.

[0036] The operation unit 103 launches game balls with a predetermined force from a launching device (not shown) in accordance with the amount of rotation of the handle operated by the player. The launched game ball moves upward along a rail 107 and falls between numerous obstacle nails. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the game ball has entered one of the winning devices 108, a main control circuit (not shown) provided on the back of the game board 101 pays out a predetermined number of game balls corresponding to the winning device 108 into the ball receiving unit 102 via a ball payout device (not shown). The main control circuit also drives the liquid crystal display 104 and the shutter device 105 via a performance CPU (not shown) provided on the back of the game board 101. The performance CPU is an example of a performance control device, and outputs a control signal including shutter control information corresponding to the game status to the shutter device 105.

[0037] The shutter device 105 is an example of a shutter device according to the above embodiment or modified example, and is attached to the game board 101 in front of the liquid crystal display 104, i.e., on the player side, so that the back surface of the light guide plate faces the liquid crystal display 104 and the front surface of the light guide plate faces the player. The control circuit of the shutter device 105 switches between turning on and off each light source in accordance with shutter control information included in a control signal from the performance CPU, thereby switching whether or not the player can see the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 104 provided on the back side of the shutter device 105. The liquid crystal display 104 is an example of a display object.

[0038] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Shutter device 2 Light guide plate 2a front 2b Back 2c entrance plane 3-1~3-n light source 4-1~4-n Collimating Lens 11 Prism 21-1~21-n area 22-1~22-3 Pattern 5 Control circuit 100 Pinball Game Machine 101 Game Board 102 Ball receiving part 103 Operation section 104 LCD display (display object) 105 Shutter device 106 Special 107 Rail 108 Prize Winning Device

Claims

1. at least one light source; a light guide plate disposed on the front side of the display object, the light guide plate being made of a transparent material and having an incident surface facing the at least one light source; a control unit that controls turning on or off the at least one light source; and the light guide plate has a plurality of prisms arranged along at least one region provided on a back surface of the light guide plate facing the display object, the prisms reflecting light emitted from a light source corresponding to the region among the at least one light source and incident on the light guide plate from the incident surface so as to be emitted from a front surface of the light guide plate; the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the at least one light source and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms are set so that the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to the light emitted from the at least one light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and emitted from a front surface of the light guide plate is greater than the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to the light emitted from the display object and transmitted through the light guide plate from a rear surface of the light guide plate toward a front surface of the light guide plate, In any of the at least one region of the light guide plate, a predetermined pattern is formed, which is displayed by light emitted from a light source of the at least one light source corresponding to the region and incident into the light guide plate from the incident surface, and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms within the predetermined pattern is different from the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms outside the predetermined pattern, and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms within the predetermined pattern and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms outside the predetermined pattern are set so that, for both inside the predetermined pattern and outside the predetermined pattern in the region, the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the corresponding light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and emitted from the front surface of the light guide plate is higher than the luminance at the front surface of the light guide plate due to light emitted from the display object and transmitted through the light guide plate from the back surface of the light guide plate toward the front surface. Shutter device.

2. A gaming machine body, A display object provided on the side of the gaming machine main body facing the player; a shutter device disposed closer to the player than the display object; a performance control device that outputs a control signal to the shutter device according to the game state; The shutter device at least one light source; a light guide plate that is disposed closer to the player than the display object, is made of a transparent material, and has an incident surface that faces the at least one light source; a control unit that controls turning on or off the at least one light source in accordance with the control signal received from the performance control device; and the light guide plate has a plurality of prisms arranged in at least one region provided on a surface of the light guide plate facing the display object, the prisms reflecting light emitted from a light source corresponding to the region among the at least one light source and incident on the light guide plate from the incident surface so as to be emitted from the player-side surface of the light guide plate; the luminous intensity of the light emitted from the at least one light source and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms are set so that the luminance at the player-side surface of the light guide plate, which is produced by light emitted from the at least one light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and emitted from the player-side surface of the light guide plate, is greater than the luminance at the player-side surface of the light guide plate, which is produced by light emitted from the display object and transmitted through the light guide plate from the surface of the light guide plate facing the display object toward the player-side surface of the light guide plate; In any of the at least one region of the light guide plate, a predetermined pattern is formed that is displayed by light that is emitted from a light source of the at least one light source that corresponds to that region and that enters the light guide plate from the incident surface, and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms within the predetermined pattern is different from the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms outside the predetermined pattern, and for both inside the predetermined pattern and outside the predetermined pattern in that region, the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms within the predetermined pattern and the arrangement density of the plurality of prisms outside the predetermined pattern are set so that the luminance on the player-side surface of the light guide plate, which is caused by light that is emitted from the corresponding light source, reflected by the plurality of prisms, and emitted from the player-side surface of the light guide plate, is higher than the luminance on the player-side surface of the light guide plate, which is caused by light that is emitted from the display object and passes through the light guide plate from the surface of the light guide plate that faces the display object toward the player-side surface. Gaming machine.

Images