gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of enhancing an interest in a game.SOLUTION: There is provided displacement means displaceable to a first position in which game balls can enter second ball entry means and a second position in which game balls cannot easily enter the second ball entry means. The displacement means is displaced from the second position to the first position on the basis of satisfaction of a predetermined condition in a specific game state occurring on the basis that a result of determination by determination means is a specific determination result, and the displacement means is displaced from the first position to the second position on the basis of satisfaction of a second condition in a situation in which the displacement means is positioned in the first position by first displacement control. When game balls enter first ball entry means, a predetermined game value is granted to a player. A first mode based on execution of determination, a second mode based on occurrence of a specific game state, and a third mode based on predetermined entry of game balls into the second ball entry means may at least occur. Accordingly, an interest in a game can be enhanced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides It concerns gaming machines such as pachinko machines. . [Background technology]

[0002] Gaming machines that are configured to change the display mode have been known. . [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-31695 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of pachinko machine, there is a problem that when the period during which the display mode is changed ends, the player's motivation to play decreases and the player becomes bored with the game. .

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can prevent players from quickly becoming bored with the game. . [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the gaming machine of the present invention comprises display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, operation means operable by a player, information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, determination means for making a determination based on the information stored in the storage means, identification information display means for displaying identification information indicating the determination result by the determination means, benefit awarding means for awarding a benefit advantageous to the player, and determination means for determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and when the determination means determines that a specific determination result has been obtained, the identification information display means displays the specific identification information. but display It is configured so that When the specific identification information is displayed, the special benefit is granted. but execution so that it can be It is composed of A specified period has passedA specific performance mode when a predetermined trigger is met but Display on the display means configured to be able to When the special benefit is awarded, a notification means is provided which can execute a notification effect to notify that the special benefit will be awarded, and the notification effect is executed at a timing after the specific performance mode is displayed. is configured to be able to execute During the period when the specific performance mode is displayed Numerical information Displayed Re configured to obtain R, The numerical information is first numerical information but display so that it can be The first numerical information is converted into second numerical information as the game progresses. When the numerical information reaches the second numerical information, The device is configured to allow the player to understand that the specific presentation mode will end, In a situation where the notification effect is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed and the awarding of the benefit is executed, The third numerical information is configured to be displayed by adding a predetermined value to the value of the second numerical information. R, The predetermined trigger is triggered by a predetermined operation by the operating means. but Established can be R like It is composed of:

[0007]

[0008]

[0009]

[0010] [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the gaming machine of the present invention, there is provided a display means capable of displaying a presentation mode, an operation means operable by a player, an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition, a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means, a determination means for making a determination based on the information stored in the storage means, an identification information display means for displaying identification information indicating the determination result made by the determination means, a benefit granting means for granting a benefit advantageous to the player, and a determination means for determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and when the determination means determines that a specific determination result has been made, the identification information display means displays the specific identification information. but display It is configured so that When the specific identification information is displayed, the special benefit is granted. but execution so that it can be It is composed of A specified period has passed A specific performance mode when a predetermined trigger is met but Display on the display means configured to be able to When the special benefit is awarded, a notification means is provided which can execute a notification effect to notify that the special benefit will be awarded, and the notification effect is executed at a timing after the specific performance mode is displayed. is configured to be able to execute During the period when the specific performance mode is displayed Numerical information Displayed Re configured to obtain R, The numerical information is first numerical information but display so that it can be The first numerical information is converted into second numerical information as the game progresses. When the numerical information reaches the second numerical information, The specific presentation mode is configured to allow the player to understand that the specific presentation mode will end, In a situation where the notification effect is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed and the awarding of the benefit is executed, The third numerical information is configured to be displayed by adding a predetermined value to the value of the second numerical information. R, The predetermined trigger is triggered by a predetermined operation by the operating means. but Established can be R like It is composed of:

[0012] This prevents players from quickly becoming bored with the game. It has the effect of being able to do so.

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

[0018] [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of a pachinko machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the protrusion operation unit in a state where the base displacement member and the relative displacement member are disposed at the retracted position. [Figure 8] 1(a) is an exploded front perspective view of a protruding operation unit, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear perspective view of a connecting rod. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a transmission means in a front view. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a transmission means in a front view. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of a base-side displacement member and a relative displacement member. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of a base-side displacement member and a relative displacement member. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a protrusion operation unit. [Figure 17] 17(a) is a side view of the protrusion operation unit as seen in the direction of arrow XVIIa in FIG. 16, and FIG. 17(b) is a partially enlarged side view of the protrusion operation unit at portion XVIIb in FIG. 17(a). [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the combined action unit. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the combined action unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the combined action unit. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the combined action unit. [Figure 22] 22(a) is a front view of the driven member and the driven member, and (b) is a side view of the driven member and the driven member as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIIb in FIG. 22(a). [Figure 23] 1(a) is a front view of the driven member, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear view of the driven member. [Figure 24] FIG. 23(b) is a side view of the driven member as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIV in FIG. 23(a). [Figure 25] 1(a) is a front view of the driven member, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear view of the driven member. [Figure 26] 25(a) is a side view of the driven member as viewed in the direction of arrow XXVI in FIG. 25(a). [Figure 27] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 28] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 29]FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 30] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 31] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 32] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the first guide groove, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic front view of the driven member and the driven member showing their relationship with the second guide groove. [Figure 33] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a rotational motion unit. [Figure 34] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the rotational motion unit. [Figure 35] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the rotational motion unit. [Figure 36] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rotational motion unit. [Figure 37] 37(a) is a rear view of the main body, and FIG. 37(b) is a partially enlarged rear view of the main body showing the portion XXXVII of FIG. 37(a) in an enlarged scale. [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rotational motion unit. [Figure 39] 38(a) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit taken along line XXXIXa-XXXIXa in FIG. 38(a), and FIG. 38(b) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXb-XXXIXb in FIG. 38(b). [Figure 40] 1A is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of area division settings and effective line settings on a display screen, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of an actual display screen. [Figure 41] (a) to (b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the normal hold effect. [Figure 42]10(a) to 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the eight-piece effect. [Figure 43] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display modes in the variation pattern of the composite display mode. [Figure 44] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display modes in the variation pattern of the composite display mode. [Figure 45] 10 is a timing chart showing the period setting from when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on. [Figure 46] 10(a) to 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode during the time performance period. [Figure 47] 10A is a schematic diagram showing the display mode during the time performance period, and FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the display mode during the time performance extension period. [Figure 48] 10A is a schematic diagram showing the display mode at the end of the time performance period. FIG. [Figure 49] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a second embodiment. [Figure 50] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of various counters. [Figure 51] 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing part of the contents of the ROM in the main control device, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic diagram showing part of the contents of the RAM in the main control device. [Figure 52] (a) is a schematic diagram showing a special win random number table, (b) is a schematic diagram showing a special win type selection table, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing a normal win random number table. [Figure 53] 1A is a schematic diagram showing a part of the contents of the ROM of the voice and lamp control device, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a part of the contents of the RAM of the voice and lamp control device. [Figure 54] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device. [Figure 55] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display data table. [Figure 56] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transfer data table. [Figure 57] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a drawing list. [Figure 58] 10 is a flowchart showing a timer interrupt process executed by an MPU in the main control device. [Figure 59] 10 is a flowchart showing the special symbol variation process executed by the MPU in the main control device. [Figure 60] 10 is a flowchart showing the special pattern variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device. [Figure 61] This is a flowchart showing the start-up winning process executed by the MPU in the main control unit. [Figure 62] 10 is a flowchart showing a read-ahead process executed by an MPU in the main control device. [Figure 63] This is a flowchart showing the normal pattern change processing executed by the MPU in the main control device. [Figure 64] 10 is a flowchart showing a through gate passing process executed by an MPU in the main control device. [Figure 65] 10 is a flowchart showing an NMI interrupt process executed by an MPU in the main control device. [Figure 66] 10 is a flowchart showing the startup process executed by the MPU in the main control device. [Figure 67] 4 is a flowchart showing main processing executed by an MPU in the main control device. [Figure 68] 10 is a flowchart showing the startup process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 69] 10 is a flowchart showing a time setting process executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 70] 10 is a flowchart showing the main processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 71]10 is a flowchart showing a command determination process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device. [Figure 72] 10 is a flowchart showing the advance notice selection process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 73] This is a flowchart showing the winning command receiving process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 74] 10 is a flowchart showing the variable display setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 75] 10 is a flowchart showing the variation pattern selection process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 76] 10 is a flowchart showing the button effect selection process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 77] 10 is a flowchart showing the synchronized performance management process executed by the MPU in the audio lamp control device. [Figure 78] 10 is a flowchart showing the extended performance setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 79] 10 is a flowchart showing the pending number display update process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 80] 10 is a flowchart showing the frame button input monitoring and performance processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 81] 10 is a flowchart showing the button effect execution process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 82] 10 is a flowchart showing a background image setting process executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device. [Figure 83] 10 is a flowchart showing main processing executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 84] 10 is a flowchart showing boot processing executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 85]10A is a flowchart showing command interrupt processing executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart showing V interrupt processing executed by an MPU in a display control device. [Figure 86] 10 is a flowchart showing a command determination process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 87] 10A is a flowchart showing the variation pattern command processing executed by the MPU in the display control device, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart showing the stop type command processing executed by the MPU in the display control device. [Figure 88] 10 is a flowchart showing advance command processing executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 89] 10 is a flowchart showing a pending command process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 90] 10 is a flowchart showing a rendering command process executed by an MPU in a display control device. [Figure 91] 10A is a flowchart showing a rear image change command process executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart showing an error command process executed by an MPU in a display control device. [Figure 92] 10 is a flowchart showing a display setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 93] 10 is a flowchart showing a warning image setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 94] 10 is a flowchart showing a pointer update process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 95] 10A is a flowchart showing a transfer setting process executed by an MPU in a display control device, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart showing a resident image transfer setting process executed by an MPU in a display control device. [Figure 96]10 is a flowchart showing a normal image transfer setting process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 97] 10 is a flowchart showing a drawing process executed by an MPU in the display control device. [Figure 98] 10(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine in the third embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram comparing the pixel sizes of the main liquid crystal display and the sub-liquid crystal display. [Figure 99] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 100] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 101] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display mode of a pachinko machine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 102] (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display mode of a pachinko machine in the third embodiment, and (b) is a diagram showing a comparison of the display sizes of the main LCD and sub LCD of the pachinko machine 10 in the third embodiment. [Figure 103] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a display control device for a pachinko machine in a third embodiment. [Figure 104] 10 is a flowchart showing the variation pattern command processing executed by the MPU in the display control device of the pachinko machine in the third embodiment. [Figure 105] FIG. 10 is a front view of a game board of a pachinko machine in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 106] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the internal structure of a distribution unit in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 107] 10 is a time chart for explaining the presentation control related to the reserved symbol presentation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 108] 10A is a diagram schematically illustrating area division settings and effective line settings of a display screen in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating an example of an actual display screen in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 109]10(a) to 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the normal hold effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 110] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the eight-element effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 111] (a) is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of the eight-piece effect in the fourth embodiment, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of the additional winning effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 112] 13(a) and 13(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special continuation effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 113] 13 is a time chart for explaining the flow of a composite display effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 114] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the display mode of a composite display effect in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 115] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the display mode of a composite display effect in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 116] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the display mode of a composite display effect in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 117] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of a composite display effect in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 118] 13 is a time chart for explaining the flow of time presentation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 119] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 120] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 121] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the time presentation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 122] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 123]FIG. 10(a) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a ROM in a main control device in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a RAM in a main control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 124] 10(a) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the ROM in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the RAM in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 125] (a) is a schematic diagram showing a schematic diagram of a performance time selection table in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a schematic diagram of a timetable of performance times selected by the performance time selection table in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 126] 13 is a flowchart showing a special symbol variation process 2 executed by an MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 127] 10 is a flowchart showing a variation execution determination process executed by an MPU in a main control device in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 128] 10 is a flowchart showing the special symbol 1 variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 129] 10 is a flowchart showing the special symbol 2 variation start processing executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 130] A flowchart showing the start winning process 2 executed by the MPU in the main control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 131] 10 is a flowchart showing start-up processing 2 executed by an MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 132] 10 is a flowchart showing a time setting process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 133] 10 is a flowchart showing main processing 2 executed by an MPU in the voice and lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 134]10 is a flowchart showing frame button input monitoring and performance processing 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 135] 10 is a flowchart showing an identification number input process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 136] 10 is a flowchart showing the 8-item hold effect processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 137] 10 is a flowchart showing the button presentation processing executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 138] 10 is a flowchart showing a notice selection process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 139] A flowchart showing the winning command receiving process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 140] 10 is a flowchart showing variable display setting process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 141] 10 is a flowchart showing a variation pattern selection process 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 142] 10 is a flowchart showing button effect selection processing 2 executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 143] A flowchart showing the 8-item performance setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 144] 10 is a flowchart showing the synchronous performance management process 2 executed by the MPU in the audio lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 145] A flowchart showing the performance time setting process executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 146]10 is a flowchart showing the extended performance setting process 2 executed by the MPU in the voice lamp control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 147] 13 is a flowchart showing pending command processing 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 148] 13 is a flowchart showing rendering command processing 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 149] FIG. 11 is a front view of a game board of a pachinko machine in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 150] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the internal structure of a distribution unit in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 151] 13 is a time chart illustrating the flow of special symbol variation effects performed using the main screen and sub-screen in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 152] 13(a) to 13(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special symbol variation effect in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 153] 13(a) to 13(b) are schematic diagrams showing the display mode of the special symbol variation effect in the fifth embodiment. [Fig. 154] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a pachinko machine in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 155] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a display control device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 156] 10 is a flowchart showing main processing 3 executed by an MPU in the voice and lamp control device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 157] 10 is a flowchart showing a preliminary pseudo-variation setting process executed by an MPU in a voice lamp control device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 158] 13 is a flowchart showing command determination processing 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 159] 13 is a flowchart showing drawing processing 2 executed by an MPU in a display control device according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 39, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a "pachinko machine") 10 will be described as a first embodiment. Fig. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10 in the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view of a game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, pachinko machine 10 comprises outer frame 11, an outer shell formed by wooden frames assembled into a substantially rectangular shape, and inner frame 12, which is formed to have substantially the same external shape as outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be able to open and close relative to outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support inner frame 12, and inner frame 12 is supported so as to be able to open and close towards the front, with the side where hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

[0022] A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having a number of nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc., is detachably attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. A pinball game is played by balls (game balls) flowing down the front of the game board 13. Attached to the inner frame 12 are a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 4) that launches balls into the front area of ​​the game board 13, a launching rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of ​​the game board 13, and the like.

[0023] On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper front side, and a lower tray unit 15 that covers the lower side. To support the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15, metal hinges 19 are attached at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front, with the side where the hinges 19 are installed serving as the opening and closing axis. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be unlocked by inserting a dedicated key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

[0024] The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts, electrical parts, etc., and has a window 14c formed as a roughly oval opening in its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the back side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

[0025] The front frame 14 has an upper tray 17 for storing balls, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top and extends forward, and prize balls, loan balls, etc. are discharged onto this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4). In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17. This frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, to change the stage of the effect displayed on the third pattern display device 81 (see Figure 2) or to change the content of the super reach effect.

[0026] The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting devices such as lamps around its periphery (e.g., corners). These light-emitting devices change their light-emitting modes by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state, such as when a jackpot is hit or a predetermined reach is reached, thereby enhancing the presentation effects during play. The periphery of the window 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating light-emitting devices such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps, such as jackpot lamps. When a jackpot is hit or a reach presentation is being performed, the built-in LEDs cause each illumination unit 29-33 to light up or blink, thereby indicating that a jackpot is being achieved or that the player is in a reach phase just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left corner of the front frame 14, as viewed from the front (see Figure 1), is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating light-emitting devices such as LEDs, which can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

[0027] Additionally, a small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination unit 32 from the backside so that the backside of the front frame 14 can be seen, and certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. Additionally, in the pachinko machine 10, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination units 29 to 33 to create a more dazzling appearance.

[0028] A ball dispensing operation unit 40 is disposed below the window 14c. The ball dispensing operation unit 40 is provided with a power display unit 41, a ball dispensing button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into a card unit (ball dispensing unit) (not shown) located on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are dispensed in accordance with the operation. Specifically, the power display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and an internal LED lights up to display the remaining balance numerically as the remaining balance information. The ball dispensing button 42 is operated to obtain dispensed balls based on information recorded on a card, etc. (recording medium), and dispensed balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated to request the return of a card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use card units and cash machines.

[0029] The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 in the center, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, for storing balls that cannot be stored in the upper tray 17. On the right side of the lower tray 50, an operating handle 51 is provided which is operated by the player to shoot the ball into the front of the game board 13.

[0030] The operating handle 51 contains a touch sensor 51a for permitting the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, a launch stop switch 51b that stops the launch of balls while the switch is pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the operating handle 51 is rotated clockwise by a player, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes corresponding to the amount of rotation, launching the ball with a strength (launch strength) corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, thereby hitting the ball toward the front of the game board 13 at a distance corresponding to the player's operation. When the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the launch stop switch 51b are off.

[0031] A ball ejection lever 52 is provided on the lower front portion of the lower tray 50 to be operated when ejecting balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball ejection lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, a bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are ejected. This ball ejection lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls ejected from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray 53 is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a base plate 60 machined into a generally square shape when viewed from the front, along with numerous ball-guiding nails (not shown) and a windmill, as well as rails 61 and 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 640, a variable winning device 65, a through gate 67, and a variable display unit 80, and the peripheral portion of the base plate 60 is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see FIG. 1). The base plate 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin material and is formed so that the player can see the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60 from the front side. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 640, the variable winning device 65, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing and are fixed to the front side of the game board 13 with tapping screws or the like.

[0033] The front central portion of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through a window portion 14c (see FIG. 1) of the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below mainly with reference to FIG.

[0034] An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into a generally arcuate shape is set up on the front of the gaming board 13, and an inner rail 61 formed from a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62 is set up inside the outer rail 62. The outer periphery of the front of the gaming board 13 is surrounded by the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62, and the front and back are surrounded by the gaming board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see FIG. 1), so that a gaming area where games are played based on the behavior of the ball is formed on the front of the gaming board 13. The gaming area is an area on the front of the gaming board 13 that is partitioned by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 connecting the rails (an area where winning slots and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down).

[0035] The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see Figure 4) to the top of the game board 13. A ball return prevention member 68 is attached to the tip (upper left in Figure 2) of the inner rail 61, preventing a ball that has been guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning into the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip (upper right in Figure 2) of the outer rail 62 at a position corresponding to the maximum flight point of the ball, and a ball launched with more than a predetermined force hits the return rubber 69 and bounces back toward the center while its force is reduced.

[0036] First symbol display devices 37A and 37B, each equipped with a plurality of LEDs and a 7-segment display as light-emitting means, are disposed in the lower left portion of the game area as viewed from the front (lower left portion of FIG. 2). The first symbol display devices 37A and 37B display information according to the controls performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and primarily display the game status of the pachinko machine 10. In this embodiment, the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B are configured to be selectively used depending on whether the ball has entered the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640. Specifically, when the ball has entered the first winning slot 64, the first symbol display device 37A is activated, and when the ball has entered the second winning slot 640, the first symbol display device 37B is activated.

[0037] Furthermore, the first symbol display devices 37A, 37B use LEDs to indicate whether the pachinko machine 10 is in a probability variable, time-saving, or normal mode, whether it is fluctuating, whether the stopped symbol corresponds to a probability variable jackpot, a normal jackpot, or a missing symbol, and the number of reserved balls, and also display the number of rounds during a jackpot and errors using a 7-segment display device. The multiple LEDs are configured to emit different colors (e.g., red, green, blue), and the various game states of the pachinko machine 10 can be indicated using a small number of LEDs by combining different colors.

[0038] In this pachinko machine 10, a lottery is held when a prize is won in the first prize slot 64 or the second prize slot 640. In the lottery, the pachinko machine 10 determines whether or not a jackpot has been won (jackpot lottery), and if a jackpot has been determined, it also determines the type of jackpot. The types of jackpots that can be determined here include a 15R variable jackpot, a 4R variable jackpot, and a 15R regular jackpot. The first symbol display devices 37A, 37B not only show whether or not the result of the lottery is a jackpot as the stopped symbol after the variation has ended, but also display a symbol corresponding to the type of jackpot if a jackpot has been won.

[0039] Here, a "15R probability variable jackpot" refers to a probability variable jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and a "4R probability variable jackpot" refers to a probability variable jackpot that transitions to a high probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4. Also, a "15R normal jackpot" refers to a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 15, and is in a time-saving state for a predetermined number of variations (for example, 100 variations).

[0040] Furthermore, the "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a subsequent jackpot is increased as an added value after a jackpot, i.e., during a so-called probability fluctuation (probability change state). In other words, it refers to a game state in which a transition to a special game state is likely. In this embodiment, the high probability state (probability change state) includes a game state in which the probability of a second symbol (described later) is increased, making it more likely for a ball to enter the second winning slot 640. The "low probability state" refers to a state when the probability change state is not in a probability change state, in which the jackpot probability is normal, i.e., a state in which the jackpot probability is lower than during a probability change state. Furthermore, the time-saving state (time-saving state) within the "low probability state" refers to a game state in which the jackpot probability is normal, and the jackpot probability remains the same, but only the probability of a second symbol is increased, making it more likely for a ball to enter the second winning slot 640. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state when it is neither in a probability change state nor a time-saving state (a state in which neither the jackpot probability nor the probability of a second symbol is increased).

[0041] During the probability variation or time-saving mode, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time for which the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal play. When the electric device 640a is in an open state (open state), the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640 than when the electric device 640a is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the probability variation or time-saving mode, the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

[0042] During a probability variation or a time-saving period, instead of changing the opening time of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640, or in addition to changing the opening time, a change may be made to increase the number of times the electric device 640a opens per hit compared to normal. Also, during a probability variation or a time-saving period, the probability of winning the second symbol may not be changed, but at least one of the opening time of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 and the number of times the electric device 640a opens per hit may be changed. Also, during a probability variation or a time-saving period, the opening time of the electric device 640a associated with the second winning slot 640 or the number of times the electric device 640a opens per hit may not be changed, but only the probability of winning the second symbol may be changed to be higher compared to normal.

[0043] The game area is provided with a plurality of general winning openings 63, through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the winning opening. A variable display device unit 80 is also provided in the center of the game area. The variable display device unit 80 is provided with a third symbol display device 81, which is comprised of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as "display device") that displays a variable third symbol in synchronization with the variable display in the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, triggered by a winning (initial winning) in the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 640, and a second symbol display device (not shown), which is comprised of an LED that displays a variable second symbol in response to a ball passing through the through gate 67.

[0044] Furthermore, a center frame 86 is disposed in the variable display device unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81. The third pattern display device 81 is visible through an opening in the center of the center frame 86. Furthermore, when the protruding operation unit 400 and the composite operation unit 500, which will be described later, are operated, at least a portion of their relative displacement member 450 and driven member 560 protrudes into the opening of the center frame 86 and becomes visible through the opening. For example, when the protruding operation unit 400 is placed in the rotation position by a first operation (see FIG. 14(a)), the tip portion of the relative displacement member 450 becomes visible through the opening of the center frame 86, and when the protruding operation unit 400 is placed in the protruding position by a second operation (see FIG. 15(b)), almost the entire relative displacement member 450 becomes visible through the opening of the center frame 86.

[0045] The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 15-inch liquid crystal display, and the display content is controlled by the display control device 114 (see FIG. 4), thereby displaying, for example, three symbol rows: top, middle, and bottom. Each symbol row is composed of multiple symbols (third symbols), and these third symbols are scrolled horizontally for each symbol row, so that the third symbols are variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. While the game status display associated with the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4) is performed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, the third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment performs decorative display corresponding to the display of the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B. Note that the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, reels instead of a display device.

[0046] The second symbol display device performs a variable display in which a "circle" symbol and an "x" symbol are alternately lit for a predetermined time as a display symbol (second symbol (not shown)) each time the ball passes through the through gate 67. In the pachinko machine 10, when it is detected that the ball has passed through the through gate 67, a winning lottery is held. If the result of the winning lottery is a winning lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "circle" symbol after the second symbol is displayed in a variable manner. If the result of the winning lottery is a losing lottery, the second symbol display device displays a static "x" symbol after the third symbol is displayed in a variable manner.

[0047] The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the variable display on the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a "circle" pattern), the electric device 640a attached to the second winning slot 640 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

[0048] The time required for the second symbol to change is set to be shorter during a probability variation or time-saving mode than during a normal game state. As a result, the second symbol changes and changes over a shorter period of time during a probability variation or time-saving mode, allowing for more winning lotteries than during normal game states. This increases the chances of winning in the winning lottery, giving players more opportunities to open the electric device 640a of the second winning slot 640. Therefore, during a probability variation or time-saving mode, it is possible to create a state in which the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640.

[0049] Note that, if the state is such that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640 during a probability variation or time-saving period by other methods, such as increasing the probability of winning or increasing the opening time or number of times that the electric device 640a opens per win, the time it takes for the variable display of the second symbol may be kept constant regardless of the gaming state. On the other hand, if the time it takes for the variable display of the second symbol to be set shorter during a probability variation or time-saving period than during normal play, the probability of winning may be kept constant regardless of the gaming state, and the opening time or number of times that the electric device 640a opens per win may be kept constant regardless of the gaming state.

[0050] The through gate 67 is attached to the game board on the right side of the lower area of ​​the variable display device unit 80, and is configured to allow some of the balls that are shot onto the game board and flow down the right side of the game board to pass through. When a ball passes through the through gate 67, a winning lottery for the second symbol is held. After the winning lottery, a variable display is performed on the second symbol display device, and if the winning lottery results in a winning, a "○" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol on the variable display, and if the winning lottery results in a losing, an "X" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol on the variable display.

[0051] The number of times that a ball passes through the through gate 67 can be reserved up to a maximum of four times in total, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B and is also displayed by lighting the second symbol reservation lamp (not shown). Four second symbol reservation lamps are provided, the number being the maximum number of reserved balls, and are arranged symmetrically below the third symbol display device 81.

[0052] In addition, the variable display of the second symbol may be performed by switching on and off multiple lamps in the second symbol display device, as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first symbol display devices 37A, 37B and the third symbol display device 81. Similarly, the second symbol reserve lamp may be lit by a part of the third symbol display device 81. Furthermore, the maximum number of reserved balls for balls passing through the through gate 67 is not limited to four, but may be set to three or less, or five or more times (e.g., eight times). Furthermore, the number of installed through gates 67 is not limited to one, but may be multiple (e.g., two). Furthermore, the installation position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the right of the variable display device unit 80, but may be, for example, the left of the variable display device unit 80. Furthermore, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first symbol display devices 37A, 37B, the second symbol reserve lamp may not be illuminated.

[0053] A first winning hole 64, into which a ball can win, is disposed below the variable display unit 80. When a ball wins in this first winning hole 64, a first winning hole switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 is turned on, and when the first winning hole switch is turned on, a lottery for a jackpot is held in the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37A.

[0054] On the other hand, a second winning port 640 into which a ball can win is disposed to the right as viewed from the front of the first winning port 64. When a ball wins this second winning port 640, a second winning port switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 turns on, and when the second winning port switch turns on, a lottery for a jackpot is conducted by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the first symbol display device 37B.

[0055] Furthermore, each of the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640 is also one of the winning slots from which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the slot. In this embodiment, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 is the same as the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning slot 640, but the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 may be different; for example, the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 may be three, and the number of prize balls paid out when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 may be five.

[0056] An electric device 640a is attached to the second winning opening 640. This electric device 640a is configured to be able to open and close, and is normally in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win into the second winning opening 640. On the other hand, when a "○" symbol is displayed on the second symbol display device as a result of the variable display of the second symbol, which is triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the electric device 640a is in an open state (expanded state), making it easier for the ball to win into the second winning opening 640.

[0057] As mentioned above, during the probability variation and time-saving mode, the probability of winning the second symbol is higher than during normal play, and the time it takes for the second symbol to change is shorter, so the "○" symbol is more likely to appear in the change display of the second symbol, and the number of times that the electric device 640a is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the probability variation and time-saving mode, the time that the electric device 640a is open is longer than during normal play. Therefore, during the probability variation and time-saving mode, it is possible to create an environment in which the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 640 than during normal play.

[0058] Here, the probability of winning a jackpot when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 and when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 is the same in both low and high probability states. However, the probability of a 15R probability jackpot being selected as the type of jackpot when a jackpot occurs is set higher when a ball enters the second winning slot 640 than when a ball enters the first winning slot 64. On the other hand, the first winning slot 64 does not have an electric device like the second winning slot 640, and is in a state where a ball can always win a prize.

[0059] Therefore, under normal circumstances, the electric device associated with the second winning slot 640 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to aim for the first winning slot 64, which has no electric device, by firing the ball so that it passes to the left of the variable display device unit 80 (the so-called "left shot"), and by winning at the first winning slot 64, thereby gaining more opportunities to win the jackpot lottery and aiming to win the jackpot.

[0060] On the other hand, during the special rate or time-saving period, passing the ball through the through gate 67 tends to open the electric device 640a attached to the second winning slot 640, making it easier to win at the second winning slot 640. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball towards the second winning slot 640 so that it passes to the right of the variable display device 80 (the so-called "right hit"), pass through the through gate 67 to open the electric device, and aim for the ball to win at the second winning slot 640, resulting in a 15R special rate jackpot.

[0061] In this way, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment can allow the player to change the way the ball is shot between "left hit" and "right hit" depending on the game state of the pachinko machine 10 (whether it is in a probability variation mode, a time-saving mode, or a normal mode). Therefore, the player can have more fun playing the game because it can change the way the ball is shot.

[0062] A variable winning device 65 is disposed above and to the right of the first winning opening 64, and a horizontally elongated rectangular specific winning opening (large open opening) 65a is disposed in the approximate center of the variable winning device 65. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery resulting from a winning entry into the first winning opening 64 or the second winning opening 640 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the first symbol display device 37A or the first symbol display device 37B is illuminated to display a jackpot stop symbol, and the stop symbol corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third symbol display device 81, indicating the occurrence of a jackpot. The game state then transitions to a special game state (jackpot) in which balls are more likely to win. In this special game state, the specific winning opening 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed or until 10 balls have won).

[0063] This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after that closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated up to, for example, 15 times (15 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is being performed is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an added gaming value (game value).

[0064] Specifically, the variable winning device 65 includes a horizontally elongated rectangular opening / closing plate that covers the specific winning opening 65a, and a large opening solenoid (not shown) that drives the opening / closing plate to open and close forward around the lower edge of the opening / closing plate. The specific winning opening 65a is normally in a closed state in which a ball cannot or does not easily win a prize. In the event of a jackpot, the large opening solenoid is driven to tilt the opening / closing plate downward toward the front, temporarily creating an open state in which a ball can easily win a prize in the specific winning opening 65a, and the device operates to alternate between this open state and the normal closed state.

[0065] The special game state is not limited to the above-described form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when an LED corresponding to a jackpot is lit in the first symbol display device 37A, 37B, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time. While the specific winning opening 65a is open, a ball entering the specific winning opening 65a triggers the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a to open for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, thereby forming a special game state. The number of specific winning openings 65a is not limited to one, and one or more (e.g., three) may be provided. The location of the opening is not limited to the upper right of the first winning opening 64, but may be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

[0066] An attachment space K1 is provided in the right corner of the lower side of the game board 13 for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to the attachment space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

[0067] The game board 13 is provided with a first outlet 71. Balls flowing down the game area that do not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 640 are guided through the first outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The first outlet 71 is disposed below the first winning hole 64.

[0068] The game board 13 has many nails planted thereon to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and is also provided with various components (apparatuses) such as windmills.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is a unit equipped with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113), and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is a unit equipped with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115), and a card unit connection board 116.

[0070] The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92 that forms the protective cover and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each function, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as needed.

[0071] The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each housed in board boxes 100 to 104. The board boxes 100 to 104 are equipped with a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to house the respective control devices and boards.

[0072] Furthermore, the board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) have their box bases and box covers connected (connected by a crimping structure) by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened. A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connecting portion between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if an attempt is made to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or to forcibly open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, it is possible to know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

[0073] The payout unit 93 comprises a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping downstream, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132 and dispensing balls using a predetermined electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 4). The tank 130 is successively replenished with balls supplied from the island equipment of the gaming hall, and the payout device 133 appropriately dispenses the required number of balls. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibrations to the tank rail 131.

[0074] In addition, the payout control device 111 is provided with a state restoration switch 120, the firing control device 112 is provided with a variable resistor operation knob 121, and the power supply device 115 is provided with a RAM deletion switch 122. The state restoration switch 120 is operated to resolve ball jamming (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see Figure 4). The operation knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM deletion switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

[0075] Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

[0076] The main control device 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, which is a one-chip microcomputer that is an arithmetic device. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when the control programs stored in the ROM 202 are executed, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission / reception circuit. The main control device 110 uses the MPU 201 to execute the main processes of the pachinko machine 10, such as drawing a jackpot, setting the display on the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B and the third symbol display device 81, and drawing the display result on the second symbol display device.

[0077] In addition, in order to instruct sub-controllers such as the dispensing control unit 111 and the voice lamp control unit 113 to operate, various commands are sent from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers via a data transmission / reception circuit, but such commands are sent only in one direction from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers.

[0078] The RAM 203 has various areas, counters, flags, a stack area for storing the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 201 and return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 201, and a work area (working region) for storing values ​​of various flags, counters, I / O, etc. The RAM 203 is configured so that it can retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 203 is backed up.

[0079] When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, the stack pointer and the values ​​of each register at the time of the power outage (including the time of the power outage; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including the time of the power being turned on after the power outage is resolved; the same applies below), the state of the pachinko machine 10 is restored to the state before the power outage based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is executed by main processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is executed in start-up processing (not shown) when the power supply is turned on. Note that, when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a power outage signal SG1 is input to the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of MPU 201 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252, and when the power outage signal SG1 is input to MPU 201, NMI interrupt processing (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage processing.

[0080] An input / output port 205 is connected to the MPU 201 of the main control device 110 via a bus line 204 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 205 is connected to the payout control device 111, the sound lamp control device 113, the first symbol display devices 37A and 37B, the second symbol display device, the second symbol hold lamp, and solenoids 209 consisting of a large opening solenoid for driving the specific winning port 65a to open and close forward with the lower edge of the opening / closing plate as an axis, and a solenoid for driving the electric role device, and the MPU 201 transmits various commands and control signals to these via the input / output port 205.

[0081] In addition, the input / output port 205 is connected to various switches 208 consisting of a group of switches (not shown) and a group of sensors including a slide position detection sensor S and a rotation position detection sensor R, as well as a RAM erasure switch circuit 253 (described below) provided in the power supply device 115, and the MPU 201 performs various processes based on signals output from the various switches 208 and a RAM erasure signal SG2 output from the RAM erasure switch circuit 253.

[0082] The payout control device 111 controls the payout of prize balls and loan balls by driving a payout motor 216. The MPU 211, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 212 that stores control programs executed by the MPU 211, fixed value data, etc., and a RAM 213 that is used as a work memory, etc.

[0083] The RAM 213 of the payout control device 111, like the RAM 203 of the main control device 110, has a stack area in which the contents of the internal registers of the MPU 211 and return addresses of the control programs executed by the MPU 211 are stored, and a work area (working region) in which values ​​of various flags, counters, I / O, etc. are stored. The RAM 213 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 115 even after the power to the pachinko machine 10 is cut off, and all data stored in the RAM 213 is backed up. Like the MPU 201 of the main control device 110, the NMI terminal of the MPU 211 is also configured to receive a power outage signal SG1 from the power outage monitoring circuit 252 when the power is cut off due to a power outage or the like. When the power outage signal SG1 is input to the MPU 211, an NMI interrupt process (not shown) is immediately executed as a power outage process.

[0084] An input / output port 215 is connected to the MPU 211 of the payout control device 111 via a bus line 214 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 215 is connected to the main control device 110, payout motor 216, launch control device 112, etc. Also, although not shown, a prize ball detection switch for detecting paid-out prize balls is connected to the payout control device 111. Note that this prize ball detection switch is connected to the payout control device 111 but is not connected to the main control device 110.

[0085] When the main control device 110 issues an instruction to launch a ball, the launch control device 112 controls the ball launch unit 112a so that the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball launch unit 112a is equipped with a launch solenoid and electromagnet (not shown), and the launch solenoid and electromagnet are permitted to operate when predetermined conditions are met. Specifically, the touch sensor 51a detects that the player is touching the operating handle 51, and when the launch stop switch 51b for stopping the ball launch is off (not operated), the launch solenoid is excited in accordance with the amount of rotation (rotation position) of the operating handle 51, and the ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51.

[0086] The audio lamp control device 113 controls the output of audio from the audio output device (such as a speaker not shown) 226, the output of lighting and extinguishing from the lamp display device (such as the illumination units 29 to 33 and the display lamp 34) 227, and the setting of the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 performed by the display control device 114, such as variable performance (variable display) and advance notice performance. The MPU 221, which is a calculation device, has a ROM 222 that stores control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 221, and a RAM 223 used as a work memory, etc.

[0087] An input / output port 225 is connected to the MPU 221 of the audio and lamp control device 113 via a bus line 224 consisting of an address bus and a data bus. The input / output port 225 is connected to the main control device 110, the display control device 114, the audio output device 226, the lamp display device 227, other devices 228, the frame button 22, etc. The other devices 228 include drive motors 420, 530, and 630.

[0088] The voice lamp control device 113 determines the display mode of the third symbol display device 81 based on various commands (variation pattern command, stop type command, etc.) received from the main control device 110, and notifies the display control device 114 of the determined display mode by commands (display variation pattern command, display stop type command, etc.). The voice lamp control device 113 also monitors input from the frame button 22, and when the player operates the frame button 22, instructs the display control device 114 to change the stage displayed on the third symbol display device 81 or change the performance content during a super reach. When the stage is changed, the voice lamp control device 113 transmits a back image change command including information about the changed stage to the display control device 114 so that the third symbol display device 81 displays a back image corresponding to the changed stage. Here, the back image refers to an image displayed behind the third symbol, which is the main image displayed on the third symbol display device 81. The display control device 114 displays various images on the third symbol display device 81 in accordance with the commands transmitted from the voice lamp control device 113.

[0089] Furthermore, the voice lamp control device 113 receives a command (display command) representing the display content of the third pattern display device 81 from the display control device 114. Based on the display command received from the display control device 114, the voice lamp control device 113 outputs a voice corresponding to the display content from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content of the third pattern display device 81, and also controls the turning on and off of the lamp display device 227 in accordance with the display content.

[0090] The display control device 114 is connected to the voice lamp control device 113 and the third pattern display device 81, and controls the display of the third pattern display device 81, such as the variable performance of the third pattern, based on commands received from the voice lamp control device 113. The display control device 114 also transmits display commands to the voice lamp control device 113 as appropriate, notifying the display content of the third pattern display device 81. The voice lamp control device 113 can match the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the voice output from the voice output device 226 by outputting voice from the voice output device 226 in accordance with the display content indicated by the display command.

[0091] The power supply device 115 includes a power supply unit 251 for supplying power to each component of the pachinko machine 10, a power outage monitoring circuit 252 for monitoring power interruptions due to power outages and the like, and a RAM erasure switch circuit 253 provided with a RAM erasure switch 122 (see FIG. 3). The power supply unit 251 is a device that supplies the necessary operating voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc., via a power supply path (not shown). Briefly, the power supply unit 251 takes in 24-volt AC voltage supplied from an external source, generates 12-volt voltage for driving various switches such as the various switches 208, solenoids such as the solenoid 209, motors, etc., a 5-volt voltage for logic, a backup voltage for RAM backup, etc., and supplies the necessary voltages to each of the control devices 110-114, etc.

[0092] The power outage monitoring circuit 252 is a circuit for outputting a power outage signal SG1 to each NMI terminal of the MPU 201 of the main control unit 110 and the MPU 211 of the dispensing control device 111 when power is cut off due to a power outage or other reason. The power outage monitoring circuit 252 monitors the 24-volt DC stabilized voltage, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply unit 251, and if this voltage falls below 22 volts, it determines that a power outage (power outage, power interruption) has occurred and outputs the power outage signal SG1 to the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control device 111. By outputting the power outage signal SG1, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control device 111 recognize the occurrence of a power outage and execute NMI interrupt processing. Note that the power supply unit 251 is configured to maintain the output of the 5-volt voltage, which is the drive voltage of the control system, at a normal value for a sufficient time to execute NMI interrupt processing, even after the 24-volt DC stabilized voltage falls below 22 volts. Therefore, the main control unit 110 and the dispensing control unit 111 can execute and complete the NMI interrupt processing (not shown) normally.

[0093] The RAM clearing switch circuit 253 is a circuit for outputting a RAM clearing signal SG2 to the main control device 110 to clear the backup data when the RAM clearing switch 122 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. When the main control device 110 inputs the RAM clearing signal SG2 when the power of the pachinko machine 10 is turned on, it clears the backup data and sends a payout initialization command to the payout control device 111 to clear the backup data in the payout control device 111.

[0094] Next, the unit storage member 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are front views of the unit storage member 300, with Fig. 5 showing a state in which the operating units 400 to 800 are arranged in the retracted position, and Fig. 6 showing a state in which the protruding operating unit 400 and the composite operating unit 500 are arranged in the extended position.

[0095] 5 and 6, the unit storage member 300 is formed in a box shape with an open front side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 5) from a bottom wall plate that is rectangular when viewed from the front and outer wall plates that stand upright from the outer edges of the four sides of the bottom wall. A rectangular opening 301 when viewed from the front is formed in the center of the bottom plate of the unit storage member 300, thereby forming the unit storage member 300 into a rectangular frame when viewed from the front. The opening 301 is formed to a size that corresponds to the outer shape of the third pattern display device 81 (see FIG. 2) (i.e., so that the third pattern display device 81 can be arranged).

[0096] The unit storage member 300 stores in its internal space a protruding operation unit 400, a composite operation unit 500, a rotation operation unit 600, a retracting operation unit 700, and an extension operation unit 800, which together form an operation unit 200 as one unit.

[0097] The protruding operation unit 400 includes a base-side displacement member 440 and a relative displacement member 450, and operates (displaces) both displacement members 440, 450 between a retracted position shown in Fig. 5 and an extended position shown in Fig. 6. In the retracted position shown in Fig. 5, the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are stacked in the front-to-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 5), thereby reducing the space required for the retracted position, while in the extended position shown in Fig. 6, the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced relative to the base-side displacement member 440, thereby increasing the overall size and ensuring visibility and enhancing the presentation effect. The operation of this protruding operation unit 400 will be described later with reference to Figs. 7 to 17.

[0098] The composite motion unit 500 includes a driven member 550 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) and a driven member 560, and moves (displaces) both members 550, 560 between the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 and the extended position shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the composite motion unit 500 causes the driven member 550 to perform only rotational motion around a predetermined position as the center of rotation, while causing the driven member 560 connected to the driven member 550 to perform a motion that combines linear motion and rotational motion, thereby varying the trajectory of the driven member 560 and enhancing the dramatic effect. The operation of this composite motion unit 500 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 18 to 32.

[0099] The rotational motion unit 600 includes a first rotating body 650 and a second rotating body 660 that are concentrically arranged, and by rotating both rotating bodies 650, 660, the player can easily associate the rotation of both rotating bodies with each other, thereby achieving the dramatic effect of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660). The operation of this rotational motion unit 600 will be described later with reference to Figures 33 to 39.

[0100] In addition, the retracting operation unit 700 has a retracting member 710 that is formed so as to be able to slide, and the extending operation unit 800 has an extending member 810 that is formed so as to be able to rotate, and the retracting member 710 and the extending member 810 are operated (displaced) by sliding or rotating between the retracted position shown in Figure 5 and an extending position (not shown) in which they extend in front of the opening 301 (third pattern display device 81, see Figure 2).

[0101] Next, the protrusion operation unit 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 17. Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the protrusion operation unit 400 in a state in which the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are arranged in the retracted position. Fig. 8(a) is an exploded front perspective view of the protrusion operation unit 400, and Fig. 8(b) is a rear perspective view of the connecting rod 460.

[0102] 7 and 8 show a state in which the protruding / retracting operation unit 700, which shares the case body 410 with the protruding / retracting operation unit 400, is provided next to the protruding / retracting operation unit 400. A pair of protruding / retracting operation units 400 are provided below the opening 301, one on each side of the other with the protruding / retracting operation unit 700 sandwiched between them (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and since the pair of protruding / retracting operation units 400 are formed symmetrically and have substantially the same structure, only one of them (the one provided on the right side as viewed from the front) will be described, and a description of the other (the one provided on the left side as viewed from the front) will be omitted.

[0103] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the protrusion operation unit 400 is mainly composed of a case body 410 that forms the skeleton on the back side, a drive motor 420 arranged on the front side of the case body 410, a plurality of gears (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, and crank gear 433) that transmit the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420, a base side displacement member 440 that is rotatably supported on the case body 410, a relative displacement member 450 that is arranged on the base side displacement member 440 so that it can slide and displace, and a connecting rod 460 that connects the relative displacement member 450 and the crank gear 433 and is rotatably supported on the case body 410.

[0104] The case body 410 is made of a resin material, and a storage recess 411 having an outer shape corresponding to a plurality of gears (each of the gears 431, 432, 433) is recessed in the front (front surface) of the case body 410, and a rod support shaft 412 protrudes from the side (right side of FIG. 8(a)) of the storage recess 411, and a base support shaft 413 protrudes from below (lower side of FIG. 8(a)) the storage recess 411. The support shafts 412, 413 are made of brass, and are disposed in an orientation parallel to the rotation axes of the gears 431 to 433.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are positioned in the retracted position, as described below, the displacement members 440, 450, the connecting rod 460, and the gears 431, 432, 433 are stacked in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 13). By providing a storage recess 411 in the front of the case body 410 and storing the gears 431, 432, 433 in the storage recess 411, the protruding operation unit 400 can be made smaller in the front-to-back direction.

[0106] A pinion gear 431 is attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 420, and an intermediate gear 432 is meshed with the pinion gear 431, and the intermediate gear 432 is meshed with a crank gear 433. Therefore, when the drive shaft of the drive motor 420 is driven to rotate and the pinion gear 431 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the crank gear 433 via the intermediate gear 432, and the crank gear 433 is rotated.

[0107] The intermediate gear 432 and the crank gear 433 are journaled on the case body 410. Each of the gears 431 to 433 is formed as a spur gear with teeth carved on the outer circumferential surface parallel to the rotation axis. In this case, the crank gear 433 has radial decorations on its front surface (axial end surface), and the diameter of the front portion (axial end surface) is made larger than the tip circle of the teeth carved on the outer circumferential surface, so that the teeth can be hidden from the player when viewed from the front.

[0108] A crank pin 433a protrudes from the front surface (axial end surface) of the crank gear 433 at a position eccentric to the rotation axis of the crank gear 433. The crank pin 433a is a portion connected to the connecting rod 460, and is formed as a cylindrical body parallel to the rotation axis of the crank gear 433, and is slidably inserted into a rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). As a result, when the crank gear 433 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the connecting rod 460 via the crank pin 433a.

[0109] The base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are performance members that are displaced from a retracted position to an extended position to create a performance (see Figures 5 and 6). The base displacement member 440 (axial support hole 442) is rotatably supported on the base support shaft 413 of the case body 410, and the relative displacement member 450 is arranged on the front side of the base displacement member 440 so that it can be slidably displaced.

[0110] Here, a decorative portion 454 is formed on the front side of the relative displacement member 450. The decorative portion 454 is a portion for decorating the front side of the relative displacement member 450, and is formed as a whole in a tapered shape in front view that narrows from the base end side (the rotation center side when the base-side displacement member 440 is rotated, the lower side in Figures 7 and 8) to the tip side (the rotation tip side when the base-side displacement member 440 is rotated, the upper side in Figures 7 and 8), and a first portion 454a, a second portion 454b, and a third portion 454c are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction on the front side of the decorative portion 454.

[0111] The first portion 454a, second portion 454b, and third portion 454c of the decorative portion 454 are formed to a size corresponding to the tapered shape of the entire decorative portion 454. That is, the second portion 454b, which is located more intermediate than the first portion 454a located on the tip side, and the third portion 454c, which is located more base end than the intermediate second portion 454b, are each formed to have a large outer hexagonal shape.

[0112] In this case, the first portion 454a, the second portion 454b, and the third portion 454c are arranged at different positions in the front-rear direction (positions perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 5). Specifically, the second portion 454b, which is located more intermediately than the first portion 454a, which is located on the distal end side, and the third portion 454c, which is located more proximal than the intermediate second portion 454b, are each arranged on the front (forward) side (near side of the plane of FIG. 5).

[0113] As a result, the decorative portion 454 of the relative displacement member 450 (i.e., the front surface of the relative displacement member 450) is inclined downward in a stepped manner (three-stepped manner in this embodiment) toward the case body 410 from the base end side (the rotation center side of the base displacement member 440, the lower side in Figures 7 and 8) toward the tip side (the rotation tip side of the base displacement member 440, the upper side in Figures 7 and 8).

[0114] As will be described later, this allows both displacement members 440, 450 to pass behind the decorative member 480 (see Figures 16 and 17) while preventing contact with the decorative member 480 when the base displacement member 440 is rotated (see Figures 13 and 14), thereby improving the presentation effect, and when the relative displacement member 450 is extended (see Figure 15), the decorative part 454 can be positioned in front (forward), improving the impact.

[0115] The detailed configurations of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 will be described later (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

[0116] The connecting rod 460 is a long, plate-like member for transmitting the rotation of the crank gear 433 to the relative displacement member 450, and is formed with an axle support hole 461 drilled as a circular hole on one longitudinal end side, a connecting hole 462 drilled as an elongated hole extending along the longitudinal direction on the other longitudinal end side opposite the axle support hole 461, and a rod groove 463 recessed on the back side as a recessed groove extending along the longitudinal direction between the axle support hole 461 and the connecting hole 462.

[0117] The connecting rod 460 is attached to the case body 410 in a state in which the rod support shaft 412 of the case body 410 is inserted into the shaft support hole 461 and the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is inserted into the rod groove 463. Furthermore, the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is inserted into the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). As a result, as will be described later, with the rotation of the crank gear 433, the connecting rod 460 rotates around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation (see FIGS. 9 and 10), and with the rotation of the connecting rod 460, the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 rotate (first operation) and slide and displace (second operation) (see FIG. 12), and are moved (displaced) between the retracted position and the extended position.

[0118] In this case, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the drive motor 420, the base displacement member 440, and the relative displacement member 450 are each arranged on the front (one side) side of the case body 410, so that the dimensions of the protrusion operating unit 400 in the front-to-back direction can be made smaller than when, for example, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are arranged on the front (one side) side and the drive motor 420 is arranged on the back (other side) side, with the case body 410 sandwiched between them.

[0119] Furthermore, the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed in the retracted position with the drive motor 420 positioned on an extension line of their longitudinal direction (see FIG. 13(a)), so that the drive motor 420, the base-side displacement member 440, and the relative displacement member 450 can be disposed in a straight line. Therefore, the space required for the retracted position on the front side of the case body 410 can be efficiently reduced.

[0120] In addition, in this embodiment, the transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420 to the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 is composed of a connecting rod 460 which forms a crank mechanism together with multiple gears (each of the gears 431 to 433) and the crank gear 433, and as will be described later, the arrangement of the transmission means (each of the gears 431 to 433 and the connecting rod 460) and each of the support shafts 411, 412 is set so that the portion where the connecting rod 460 (connection hole 462 and rod groove 463) is connected to the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 and the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is positioned within the area between the rod support shaft 412 of the case body 410 and the base support shaft 413.

[0121] This allows the transmission mechanism to be disposed in an area that overlaps the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 in a front view when the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are disposed in the retracted position. That is, the dead space formed on the back side of the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 disposed in the retracted position can be effectively utilized as a space for disposing the transmission mechanism. As a result, in addition to the effect of the positional relationship between the drive motor 420 and the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 described above, it is possible to synergistically achieve a reduction in the external size of the protrusion operation unit 400 in the front-rear direction and in a front view.

[0122] Next, the operation of the transmission means (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, crank gear 433, and connecting rod 460) will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figures 9 and 10 are schematic front views showing the transmission means as viewed from the front, with Figure 9(a) showing a state in which the crank gear 433 is positioned at a first rotation position, Figure 9(b) showing a state in which the crank gear 433 is positioned at an intermediate rotation position, and Figure 10 showing a state in which the crank gear 433 is positioned at a second rotation position.

[0123] 9 and 10, in order to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, the shapes of the gears 431 to 433 and the connecting rod 460 are schematically illustrated. In addition, in Figures 9 and 10, the positions of the center line of the connecting rod 460 when the crank gear 433 is disposed at the first rotation position, the intermediate rotation position, and the second rotation position are schematically illustrated as positions P1, Pm, and P2 using two-dot chain lines.

[0124] In addition, in the explanation of Figures 9 and 10, reference will be made as appropriate to Figures 13 to 15. Figure 9(a) corresponds to the state shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), Figure 9(b) corresponds to the state shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b), and Figure 10 corresponds to the state shown in Figures 15(a) and 15(b).

[0125] 9(a), when the crank gear 433 is disposed in the first rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is disposed in position P1, the base-side displacement member 440 is disposed in the retracted position and the relative displacement member 450 is disposed in the reference position (see FIGS. 12(a) and 13). In this state, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is positioned at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460.

[0126] 9(a) (i.e., rotation in a direction to retract the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from the extended position to the retracted position) can be restricted by abutting the crank pin 433a against the upper end of the rod groove 463. Therefore, even if a control failure of the drive motor 420 occurs due to, for example, an electrical factor when the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are being moved from the extended position to the retracted position, a mechanical mechanism (a stopper mechanism that restricts the crank pin 433a by the rod groove 463) can prevent the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from being displaced beyond the retracted position, thereby preventing the displacement members 440, 450 and the connecting rod 460 from colliding with other members.

[0127] When the crank gear 433 is rotated rightward (clockwise) from the state shown in FIG. 9(a), the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 slides in the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the connecting rod 460 rotates rightward (clockwise) about the rod support shaft 412. When the crank gear 433 is further rotated and reaches the intermediate rotation position as shown in FIG. 9(b), the connecting rod 460 is positioned at position Pm. In this state, the base displacement member 440 is positioned at the rotation position, and the relative displacement member 450 is positioned at the reference position (see FIGS. 12(b) and 14).

[0128] When the crank gear 433 is rotated rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 9(a) from the state shown in FIG. 9(b), the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 slides in the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412) and then toward the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side), causing the connecting rod 460 to rotate rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 9(a) around the rod support shaft 412 as the rotation center. As a result, when the crank gear 433 reaches the second rotation position as shown in FIG. 10, the connecting rod 460 is positioned at position P2. In this state, the base-side displacement member 440 is positioned at the rotation position, and the relative displacement member 450 is positioned at the extended position (see FIGS. 12(c) and 15).

[0129] Even when the crank gear 433 is positioned at the second rotation position, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is positioned at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460, just as when the crank gear 433 is positioned at the first rotation position shown in Figure 9(a).

[0130] Therefore, when the crank gear 433 is arranged in the second rotation position, rotation of the crank gear 433 to the right (clockwise) in FIG. 10 (i.e., rotation in a direction that causes the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 to extend from the retracted position to the extended position) can be restricted by abutting the crank pin 433a against the upper end of the rod groove 463. Therefore, even if a control failure of the drive motor 420 occurs due to, for example, an electrical factor when the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are arranged from the retracted position to the extended position, a mechanical mechanism (a stopper mechanism that restricts the crank pin 433a by the rod groove 463) can prevent the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 from being displaced beyond the extended position, thereby preventing the displacement members 440, 450 and the connecting rod 460 from colliding with other members.

[0131] 11 and 12, the configurations and operations of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 will be described. FIG.

[0132] As shown in Figure 11, the base side displacement member 440 is mainly formed by a main body portion 441 formed in the shape of a long plate, a support hole 442 opened as a circular hole on the back surface of the main body portion 441, and a first slide hole 443 and a second slide hole 444 drilled as elongated holes extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 441 (the up-down direction in Figure 11).

[0133] The shaft support hole 442 is a hole through which the base-side support shaft 413 of the case body 410 is inserted, and with this insertion, the base-side displacement member 440 is rotatably supported by the case body 410 around the base-side support shaft 413 as the center of rotation. That is, as will be described later, the base-side displacement member 440 is rotatably supported between a retracted position (see FIGS. 12(a) and 13) and a rotated position (see FIGS. 12(b), 12(c), 14, and 15).

[0134] In this case, the shaft support hole 442 is formed at a position lower than the center in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 441 and biased to one side (toward the protruding position) from the center in the width direction of the main body portion 441. This reduces the rotation angle required for the base-side displacement member 440 so that the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 protrude by a predetermined amount (predetermined area) from the outer edge of the case body 410, thereby shortening the time required to rotate the base-side displacement member 440 between the retracted position and the rotated position, and as a result, the dramatic effect produced by the displacement of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be enhanced.

[0135] The relative displacement member 450 is mainly formed by a main body portion 451 formed in the shape of a long plate, a connection pin 452 protruding from the back surface of the main body portion, a pair of slide pins 453 arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 451 (vertical direction in Figure 11), and a decorative portion 454 arranged on the front surface of the main body portion 451.

[0136] The connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453 are columnar portions slidably inserted into the first slide hole 443 and the second slide hole 444 of the base-side displacement member 440, respectively, and this insertion allows the relative displacement member 450 to be slidably displaced along the longitudinal direction of the base-side displacement member 440. That is, as will be described later, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed in the base-side displacement member 440 so as to be slidably displaceable between a reference position (see FIGS. 12(a), 12(b), 13, and 14) and a protruding position (see FIGS. 12(c) and 15).

[0137] In this case, the tip side of the connection pin 452 that protrudes from the first slide hole 443 of the base side displacement member 440 is slidably inserted into the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460, and as a result of this insertion, the relative displacement member 450 is connected to the crank gear 433 (see Figure 8) via the connecting rod 460.

[0138] As a result, as will be described later, by rotating the crank gear 433, the connecting rod 460 is rotated around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation (see Figure 9), which allows the base side relative displacement member 450 to rotate around the base side support shaft 413 as the center of rotation (first operation), and also allows the relative displacement member 450 to slide relative to the base side displacement member 440 as the second operation (see Figure 12).

[0139] Here, connection pin 452 and slide pin 453 are arranged at different positions (spaced apart) along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 11) of relative displacement member 450. Therefore, the points at which relative displacement member 450 is connected to base-side displacement member 440 can be dispersed in the longitudinal direction, thereby suppressing relative displacement of relative displacement member 450 with respect to base-side displacement member 440 in the front-rear direction (direction approaching and moving away from case body 410), and making it possible to stabilize slide displacement.

[0140] Furthermore, connection pin 452 is disposed closer to the longitudinal tip of relative displacement member 450 than slide pin 453 (upper side in FIG. 11). This allows the location where relative displacement member 450 is supported by case body 410 via connecting rod 460 to be closer to the longitudinal tip of relative displacement member 450. In other words, the location where relative displacement member 450 is supported by case body 410 via connecting rod 460 can be moved away from pivot hole 442 of base-side displacement member 440 toward the longitudinal tip (upper side in FIG. 11). As a result, it is possible to easily prevent the tip side of relative displacement member 450 from swinging in the front-rear direction (direction approaching or moving away from case body 410).

[0141] That is, only the base side of the base displacement member 440 in the longitudinal direction (axial support hole 442) is pivotally supported by the base support shaft 413 of the case body 410, and the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the base displacement member 440. Therefore, the longitudinal tip ends of both displacement members 440, 450 are free ends, and the tip ends are likely to swing back and forth during the first operation. This swinging creates the risk of the tip ends coming into contact with the decorative member 480. For this reason, a structure in which the position supported by the case body 410 via the connecting rod 460 is on the longitudinal tip side is effective.

[0142] A collar C is rotatably fitted onto the connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453. By interposing the collar C between the outer circumferential surfaces of the connection pin 452 and the slide pin 453 and the inner circumferential surfaces of the first slide hole 443 and the second slide hole 444, the pins 452 and 453 can slide smoothly along the slide holes 443 and 444. Furthermore, by interposing the collar C (more specifically, the large-diameter flange portion of the collar C) between the main body 441 of the base-side displacement member 440 and the main body 451 of the relative displacement member 450 and the connecting rod 460, the opposing distance between the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 and the connecting rod 460 can be kept constant.

[0143] The connecting pin 452 is prevented from coming off the connecting rod 460 by a circular plate S fastened to its distal end face with a screw, and the slide pin 453 is prevented from coming off the base-side displacement member 440 by a long, flat slide guide 470 fastened to its distal end face with a screw.

[0144] Fig. 12 is a rear perspective view of the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450. Note that Fig. 12(a) corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 13 (i.e., a state in which the crank gear 433 is disposed at the first rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is disposed at position P1), Fig. 12(b) corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 9(b) and Fig. 14 (i.e., a state in which the crank gear 433 is disposed at the intermediate rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is disposed at position Pm), and Fig. 12(c) corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 15 (i.e., a state in which the crank gear 433 is disposed at the second rotation position and the connecting rod 460 is disposed at position P2).

[0145] 12(a), in a state where the connecting rod 460 is located at position P1 (see FIGS. 9(a) and 13), the rotation position of the base-side displacement member 440 about the base-side support shaft 413 as the rotation center is located at a retracted position where it is closest to the rod support shaft 412, and the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 with respect to the base-side displacement member 440 is located at a reference position where the amount of protrusion from the base-side displacement member 440 is minimum. In this state, the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is located at the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) of the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460.

[0146] 12(a) 。 When the connecting rod 460 is rotated leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 12(a) around the rod support shaft 412 by rotation of the crank gear 433 (see FIG. 9(a)), the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 is slid in the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 are rotated rightward (clockwise) in FIG. 12(a) together with the relative displacement member 450 around the base-side support shaft 413 (first operation). When the connecting rod 460 is further rotated and reaches the intermediate position Pm as shown in FIG. 12(b) (see FIGS. 9(b) and 14), the base-side displacement member 440 is disposed at the rotation position that is the farthest from the rod support shaft 412.

[0147] In this case, the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440 can be maintained at the reference position. That is, rotation of the connecting rod 460 leftward (counterclockwise) in FIG. 12( a) about the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation causes the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 to slide in the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 toward the lower end. However, because this sliding direction is substantially along the direction of sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440, no force component is generated in the direction of sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440. Therefore, while maintaining the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440 (while restricting the occurrence of sliding displacement from the reference position), it is possible to generate only rotation of the base-side displacement member 440 about the base-side support shaft 413 as the center of rotation.

[0148] This allows both displacement members 440, 450 to rotate around base-side support shaft 413 while keeping the amount of protrusion of relative displacement member 450 from base-side displacement member 440 to a minimum, thereby reducing the distance between the rotating tip of relative displacement member 450 and drive motor 420 (see FIG. 7) or decorative member 480 (see FIGS. 16 and 17). As a result, protrusion unit 400 can be made smaller, and design freedom can be increased when defining the shape of decorative member 480.

[0149] From the state shown in FIG. 12(b), when the crank gear 433 (see FIG. 9(b)) rotates, the connecting rod 460 rotates left (counterclockwise) in FIG. 12(b) around the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation, the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 slides through the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460 toward the upper end (the end on the rod support shaft 412 side) and then toward the lower end (the end opposite the rod support shaft 412), and the relative displacement member 450 is slid and displaced relative to the base side displacement member 440 in the direction of extension along the longitudinal direction (first and second slide holes 443, 444) (second operation). As a result, when the connecting rod 460 reaches the second position P2 as shown in Figure 12(c) (see Figures 10 and 15), the sliding position of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base side displacement member 440 is positioned at the protruding position, which is the position where the protrusion amount from the base side displacement member 440 is maximum.

[0150] In this case, the rotational position of the base-side displacement member 440 can be maintained at the rotational position farthest from the rod support shaft 412. That is, rotation of the connecting rod 460 left (counterclockwise) in FIG. 12( b ) about the rod support shaft 412 as the center of rotation causes the connection pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 to slide along the connection hole 462 of the connecting rod 460. However, because this sliding direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction of sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440, only a force component in a direction that causes sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440 is generated, and no force component in a direction that causes rotation of the base-side displacement member 440 about the base-side support shaft 413 is generated. Therefore, it is possible to generate only a sliding displacement of the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base-side displacement member 440 while restricting rotation of the base-side displacement member 440 about the base-side support shaft 413 as the center of rotation.

[0151] As a result, in a state in which the amount of protrusion of the relative displacement member 450 from the base displacement member 440 is maintained at a minimum (a state in which the relative displacement member 450 is maintained at the reference position), the base displacement member 440 is rotated from the retracted position to the rotated position (first operation), and after the first operation is completed, a sliding movement (second operation) can be performed in which the relative displacement member 450 is extended along the longitudinal direction relative to the base displacement member 440 while the rotation of the base displacement member 440 is restricted (a state in which the base displacement member 440 is maintained at the rotated position). In other words, since the rotating movement and the sliding movement can be separated and each can be performed in two stages as separate movements, the player can clearly recognize the different modes of movement compared to when these rotating movement and sliding movement are performed simultaneously, and the dramatic effect achieved by displacing each of the displacement members 440, 450 can be enhanced.

[0152] The operation of the protrusion operation unit 400 configured as above will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0153] 13 to 15 are front views of the protrusion operation unit 400. As described above, Fig. 13(a) and Fig. 13(b) correspond to the states shown in Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 12(a), Fig. 14(a) and Fig. 14(b) correspond to the states shown in Fig. 9(b) and Fig. 12(b), and Fig. 15(a) and Fig. 15(b) correspond to the states shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 12(c). Fig. 13(b), Fig. 14(b), and Fig. 15(b) show a state in which the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 have been removed.

[0154] As shown in Figures 13 to 15, according to the protrusion operation unit 400, as described above, the base side displacement member 440 is formed to be rotatable between the retracted position shown in Figure 13(a) and the rotated position shown in Figures 14(a) and 15(a), and the relative displacement member 450 arranged on the base side displacement member 440 is formed to be slidably displaceable between the reference position shown in Figures 13(a) and 14(a) and the protruding position shown in Figure 15(a), making it possible to perform a first operation of rotating the base side displacement member 440 between the retracted position and the rotated position, and a second operation of displacing the relative displacement member 450 relative to the base side displacement member 440 between the reference position and the protruding position.

[0155] 13(a) and 14(a), by disposing the base-side displacement member 440 in the retracted position to the rotated position by a first operation, and sliding (extending) the relative displacement member 450 in the reference position to the protruding position by a second operation, the relative displacement member 450 can be made to protrude outward from the base-side displacement member 440, as shown in Fig. 15(a). Therefore, the base-side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be made larger as a whole, so that both displacement members 440, 450 can be sufficiently viewed by the player, and the presentation effect can be fully exerted.

[0156] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14(a), by positioning the base displacement member 440 in a rotation position by a first operation, the tip portion of the relative displacement member 450 (in this embodiment, the entire first portion 454a of the decorative portion 454) can be seen by the player through the opening in the center frame 86, and by positioning the relative displacement member 450 in a protruding position by a second operation, as shown in Figure 15(a), the player can see almost the entire relative displacement member 450 (in this embodiment, the entire third portion 454a of the striking decorative portion 454) through the opening in the center frame 86.

[0157] That is, the relative displacement member 450, which has been retracted to the retracted position and is not visible from the opening of the center frame 86, first appears from the side of the opening of the center frame 86 by a rotational movement (first action), allowing the player to see only a portion of the relative displacement member 450, and then protrudes toward the center of the opening of the center frame 86 by a linear movement (second action), allowing the player to see substantially the entire relative displacement member 450. Thus, the visible area of ​​the relative displacement member 450 can be expanded by a movement mode (linear movement) different from the movement mode (rotational movement) at the time of appearance, allowing the player to feel the unexpectedness of the change in movement mode, the sense of speed due to the expanded visible area caused by the linear movement, and the sense of unity of the combined movement caused by the successive combination of these. As a result, a dramatic effect can be achieved that cannot be achieved when the relative displacement member 450 appears and disappears from the opening of the center frame 86 simply by linear movement (moving back and forth between the retracted position and the protruding position).

[0158] On the other hand, when the base-side displacement member in the rotated position is placed in the retracted position shown in Fig. 13(a) by the first operation, the relative displacement member 450 in the extended position is slid (shortened) to the reference position by the second operation, as shown in Figs. 14(a) and 15(b), thereby preventing the relative displacement member 450 from extending outward from the base-side displacement member 440. Therefore, both displacement members 440, 450 can be made smaller overall, and the space required to accommodate both displacement members 440, 450 in the retracted position can be reduced. As a result, space can be secured for arranging other components and devices.

[0159] In this case, as described above, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed on the base-side displacement member 440 in a state in which it can be slidably displaced, and the second action is a mode in which the relative displacement member 440 is slidably displaced between the reference position and the extended position with respect to the base-side displacement member 450 as shown in Figures 14(a) and 15(a), so that, for example, the space required to displace the relative displacement member 440 from the reference position to the extended position can be reduced compared to when the second action is a mode in which the relative displacement member 440 is rotated with respect to the base-side displacement member 450, and therefore, space for arranging other components and devices can be secured accordingly. Also, since the mode of displacement (sliding displacement) of the relative displacement member 450 by the second action can be set to a mode different from the mode of displacement (rotation) of the base-side displacement member 450 by the first action, the dramatic effect of consecutively performing the first action and the second action can be enhanced.

[0160] In particular, the second operation involves sliding displacement along the longitudinal direction of both displacement members 440, 450. That is, the relative displacement member 450 is disposed relative to the base displacement member 440 in a position where their longitudinal directions are aligned, and they are slidably displaced in the longitudinal direction. This allows both displacement members 440, 450 to be efficiently extended and retracted as a whole. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15(a), when the base displacement member 440 is in the rotated position, the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced (extended) to enlarge the overall size, allowing the player to fully recognize both displacement members 440, 450 and fully demonstrating their visual effects. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13(a), when the base displacement member 440 is in the retracted position, the relative displacement member 450 is slidably displaced (retracted) to reduce the overall size, thereby reducing the space required to accommodate both displacement members 440, 450 and ensuring space for arranging other components and devices.

[0161] Furthermore, according to the protrusion operation unit 400, as described above, the transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 420 to the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 is composed of a plurality of gears (pinion gear 431, intermediate gear 432, and crank gear 433) and a connecting rod 460, as shown in Figures 13(a), 14(b), and 15(b). The connecting hole 462 of the connecting rod 460, which constitutes a crank mechanism together with the crank gear 433, is connected to the connecting pin 452 of the relative displacement member 450 within the region between the rod support shaft 412, which is the rotation center of the connecting rod 460, and the base support shaft 413, which is the rotation center of the base displacement member 440. Therefore, by rotating the crank gear 433, the first operation and the second operation can be performed in order by the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450. That is, two different operations, the first operation and the second operation, can be performed by only one drive motor 420, so that the cost of parts can be reduced, and the cost of the product can be reduced accordingly.

[0162] In this case, a possible transmission mechanism would be a gear provided on the rod support shaft 412 side of the connecting rod 460, with the teeth of the crank gear 433 meshing with the gear to rotate the connecting rod 460. However, in such a structure, the crank gear 433 and the connecting rod 460 are arranged side by side in a plane, with no overlapping area in front view, which would require a large amount of space for their arrangement. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the crank pin 433a of the crank gear 433 is inserted into the rod groove 463 of the connecting rod 460, so that the crank gear 433 and the connecting link 460 can be arranged so that they always have an overlapping area in front view, as shown in Figures 13(a), 14(b), and 15(b). This overlapping area reduces the space required for the arrangement of the crank gear 433 and the connecting link 460.

[0163] Next, the relationship between relative displacement member 450 and decorative member 470 when base-side displacement member 440 is rotated (first operation) will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0164] Fig. 16 is a front perspective view of the protruding operation unit 400. Fig. 17(a) is a side view of the protruding operation unit 400 as viewed in the direction of arrow XVIIa in Fig. 16, and Fig. 17(b) is a partially enlarged side view of the protruding operation unit 400 at portion XVIIb in Fig. 17(a). Figs. 16 and 17 show a state in which a decorative member 480 is attached to the protruding operation unit 400. However, to simplify the drawings and make them easier to understand, only the decorative member 480 necessary for explaining the relationship with the relative displacement member 400 is shown.

[0165] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, a decorative member 480 is disposed above the protruding operation unit 400 (upper side in Figure 16) (see Figures 5 and 6). The decorative member 480 is a decorative resin member formed from a light-transmitting resin material. Therefore, the player can see other members located behind the decorative member 480 through (transmitting) light.

[0166] In this embodiment, decorative member 480 is formed so that a portion thereof protrudes downward (lower side in FIG. 17(b)), and as shown in FIG. 17(b), decorative member 480 is formed with an overlapping margin of dimension L between base-side displacement member 440 and relative displacement member 450 in front view. As a result, when base-side displacement member 440 is rotated (first operation) from the retracted position to the rotated position (see FIGS. 13 and 14), the rotation trajectories of base-side displacement member 440 and relative displacement member 450 can be made to overlap a portion of decorative member 480 in front view.

[0167] That is, since the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 can be displaced while passing through the back side of the decorative member 480, the decorative member 480 and both displacement members 440, 450 can be crossed, and the decorative member 480 can be seen through the decorative member 480 during the crossing, making both displacement members 440, 450 visible, thereby enhancing the dramatic effect of displacing both displacement members 440, 450. In particular, in this embodiment, the tip side of the base displacement member 440, which is separated from the decorative member 480, protrudes more than the tip side of the relative displacement member 450, which is closer to the decorative member 480, making it less likely to come into contact with the decorative member 480. As a result, the dimension L, which is the overlapping area, can be increased. This enhances the dramatic effect of the crossing.

[0168] In this case, as described above, the decorative portion 454 forming the front side (right side of FIG. 17(b)) of the relative displacement member 450 is inclined in a stepped manner from the base end side (toward the rotation center of the base displacement member 440, lower side of FIG. 17(b)) to the tip side (toward the rotation tip side of the base displacement member 440, upper side of FIG. 17(b)) toward the case body 410 (left side of FIG. 17(b)). Also, the tip side of the base displacement member 440, which is disposed on the back side (left side of FIG. 17(b)) of the relative displacement member 450, is made to protrude further than the tip side of the relative displacement member 450. Therefore, the base displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 as a whole can be shaped so that the tip side is disposed in a position recessed toward the case body 410 (back side, left side of FIG. 17(b)).

[0169] As a result, when the base side displacement member 440 rotates (first operation) from the retracted position to the rotated position (see Figures 13 and 14), its rotation trajectory overlaps with the decorative member 480 when viewed from the front, thereby improving the presentation effect while preventing contact between the base side displacement member 440 and the relative displacement member 450 and the decorative member 480.

[0170] In this case, the base-side displacement member 440 is supported by the base-side support shaft 413 on only one longitudinal side, with the tip end being the free end (see FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b)), so the tip end is likely to swing back and forth (toward or away from the case body 410, perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5) during the first operation, which could result in contact with the decorative member 480. For this reason, the configuration of this embodiment (a shape that is inclined so that the tip end is closer to the case body 410) is particularly effective.

[0171] On the other hand, the relative displacement member 450 is shaped so that the entire decorative portion 454 is not close to the case body 410, but is positioned closer to the front (forward) side (right side in FIG. 17(b)) as it approaches the base end side (closer to the rotation center of the base side displacement member 440, lower side in FIG. 17(b)) than the tip end side (closer to the rotation tip end of the base end displacement member 440, upper side in FIG. 17(b)). In other words, the decorative portion 454 is inclined upward in a stepped manner in a direction away from the case body 410 (right side in FIG. 17(b)) as it moves from the tip end side to the base end side.

[0172] As a result, when the relative displacement member 450 is slid from the reference position to the extended position (second operation) (see FIGS. 14 and 15), the relative displacement member 440 can be positioned closer to the front (forward) side (i.e., closer to the player), thereby increasing the impact. In particular, in this embodiment, the outer shape of the portion positioned closer to the front (forward) side (the second portion 454b is larger than the first portion 454a, and the third portion 454c is larger than the second portion 454b) is made larger, which can more effectively increase the impact.

[0173] Next, the combined action unit 500 will be described with reference to Fig. 18 to Fig. 30. Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 are front perspective views of the combined action unit 500. Note that Fig. 18 illustrates a state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the retracted position (see Fig. 5), and Fig. 19 illustrates a state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the extended position (see Fig. 5).

[0174] Here, a pair of composite operation units 500 are arranged above the opening 301, one on each side of the rotation operation unit 600 (see Figures 5 and 6). Since the pair of composite operation units 500 are formed symmetrically and have substantially the same structure, only one of them (the one arranged on the right side when viewed from the front) will be described, and the description of the other (the one arranged on the left side when viewed from the front) will be omitted.

[0175] 18 and 19, the composite operating unit 500 displaces the driven member 550 by the driving force of the drive motor 530, and also displaces the driven member 560 in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550, thereby displacing the driven member 560 between the retracted position shown in Fig. 18 and the extended position shown in Fig. 19. In this case, the driven member 560 is driven by the driven member 550 while changing its relative position with respect to the driven member 550 by rotation and sliding displacement, as will be described later (see Figs. 27 to 29).

[0176] As a result, even when the driven member 550 rotates at a constant speed in a constant orbit around a predetermined position (shafts 553, 554) as the center of rotation, the driven member 560 can be displaced in a different orbit from the driven member 550, and the manner of displacement of the driven member 560 can be changed. In other words, the composite motion unit 500 can change the manner of displacement of the driven member 560 while maintaining the output of the drive motor 530 constant. The detailed configuration of such composite motion unit 500 will be described below.

[0177] 20 and 21 are exploded front perspective views of the composite action unit 500. Also, Fig. 22(a) is a front view of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560, and Fig. 22(b) is a side view of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIIb in Fig. 22(a).

[0178] 20 corresponds to the disassembled state of the composite operation unit 500 shown in Fig. 18, and Fig. 21 corresponds to the disassembled state of the composite operation unit 500 shown in Fig. 19. Also, Figs. 22(a) and 22(b) correspond to the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 in the states shown in Figs. 18 and 20.

[0179] As shown in Figures 20 to 22, the composite operating unit 500 is mainly composed of a front case body 510 and a rear case body 520 that form its skeleton, a drive motor 530 arranged on the rear side of the rear case body 520, a crank member 540 attached to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530, a driven member 550 that is driven by the driving force of the drive motor 530 transmitted via the crank member 540, and a driven member 560 that is connected to the driven member 550 so as to be able to move relative to it.

[0180] Front case body 510 and rear case body 520 are formed from a resin material in the shape of flat plates, are arranged opposite each other with a predetermined distance between them, and are configured as housing members that form an internal space between their opposing surfaces by fastening them together with screws (not shown). Driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552), driven member 560 (intervening plate portion 561), and crank member 540 are housed in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of front case body 510 and rear case body 520 in a displaceable state.

[0181] The front case body 510 includes a shaft support hole 511, an insertion hole 512, and a first guide groove 513. The shaft support hole 511 is a circular hole in front view for rotatably supporting a shaft portion 553 of the driven member 540. The insertion hole 512 is an opening through which the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is inserted, and is formed with a size that allows the crank pin 541 to move back and forth. The crank pin 541 can be connected to the driven member 560 (drive shaft 561a) via this insertion hole 512.

[0182] First guide groove 513 is an opening in interposed plate portion 561 of driven member 560 through which first pin 561a is inserted, and is formed in a shape that is a portion of a circular ring (i.e., a groove shape that curves in an arc, see FIGS. 27(a) to 29(a)). The groove width of first guide groove 513 is set to a dimension that is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of first pin 561a, and as will be described later, by sliding (guiding) first pin 561a along the extension direction of first guide groove 513, the attitude of interposed plate portion 561 (driven member 560) (in particular, the relative rotational position with respect to driven member 550) can be determined (see FIGS. 27(a) to 29(a)).

[0183] The rear case body 520 includes a shaft support hole 521, an insertion hole 522, and a second guide groove 523. The shaft support hole 521 is a hole that is circular in front view for rotatably supporting a shaft portion 554 of the driven member 540, and is disposed concentrically with the shaft support hole 511 of the front case body 510 described above. That is, the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 can rotatably support the driven member 550 by having the shaft support holes 511, 521 respectively support the shaft portions 553, 554 of the driven member 550. The insertion hole 522 is an opening through which the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 is inserted, and the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 can be connected to the crank member 540 via this insertion hole 522.

[0184] The second guide groove 513 is an opening in the interposed plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 through which the connecting shaft 561b is inserted, and is formed in a shape that is a portion of a circular ring (i.e., a groove that is curved in an arc, see FIGS. 27(b) to 29(b)). The groove width of the second guide groove 523 is set to a dimension that is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the connecting shaft 561b, and as will be described later, by sliding (guiding) the connecting shaft 561b along the extension direction of the second guide groove 523, the attitude of the interposed plate portion 561 (driven member 560) (in particular, the sliding position relative to the driven member 550) can be determined (see FIGS. 27(b) to 29(b)).

[0185] As described above, the crank member 540 is attached to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530, and the crank member 540 has a crank pin 541 disposed at a position eccentric to the rotation axis (drive shaft 531) when the crank member 540 is driven to rotate by the drive motor 530. The crank pin 541 is inserted into a drive groove 551a of the driven member 550. Therefore, by rotating the crank member 540 by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 slides along the drive groove 551a of the driven member 550, thereby rotating the driven member 550 (see FIGS. 30 to 32).

[0186] As described above, the driven member 550 is a member that is rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 and displaces the driven member 560 in accordance with the rotation, and is rotatably held by the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 by having its shafts 553, 554 pivotally supported in the pivot support holes 511, 521. Here, the detailed configuration of the driven member 550 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0187] Fig. 23(a) is a front view of the driven member 550, and Fig. 23(b) is a rear view of the driven member 550. Fig. 24 is a side view of the driven member 550 as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIV in Fig. 23(a).

[0188] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the driven member 550 is mainly composed of a long, plate-shaped front plate portion 551, a long, plate-shaped intervening plate portion 552 that intersects the front plate portion 551 at approximately right angles when viewed from the front, a cylindrical shaft portion 553 that connects the front plate portion 551 and the intervening plate portion 552, and a cylindrical shaft portion 554 that protrudes from the back surface of the intervening plate portion 552 at a position concentric with the shaft portion 553.

[0189] The front plate 551 is a member disposed on the front of the front case body 510 (see FIGS. 20 and 21), and has a drive groove 551a that is oval in front view formed in one end thereof (the side opposite to the side to which the shaft 553 is connected). The drive groove 551a is an opening through which the crank pin 541 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) of the crank member 540 is inserted, and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the front plate 551. The groove width of the drive groove 551a is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the crank pin 541. Therefore, by rotating the crank member 540 with the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the crank pin 541 can slide along the drive groove 551a, and thereby the driven member 550 can be rotated around the shafts 553, 554 (see FIGS. 30 to 32).

[0190] The interposed plate 552 is a member disposed in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 (see FIGS. 20 and 21), and has a connecting groove 552a that is oval in front view drilled at one end thereof (the side opposite to the side connected to the front body body 551). The connecting groove 552a is an opening through which the connecting shaft 561b (see FIGS. 20 and 21) of the driven member 560 is inserted, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the interposed plate 552. The groove width of the connecting groove 552a is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the connecting shaft 561b. Therefore, the connecting groove 552a can hold the connecting shaft 561b rotatably and slidably. That is, the driven member 560 is connected to the driven member 550 in a rotatable and slidable state (see FIGS. 27 to 29).

[0191] Here, the connecting groove 552a has an area that overlaps with the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520 in a front view when the driven member 550 is rotated around the shafts 553, 554, and is configured so that the connecting shaft 561b can be placed within that area (see FIGS. 27(a) to 27(c)). This allows the sliding displacement of the driven member 560 relative to the driven member 550 to be regulated based on the shape (outline) of the second guide groove 523, as will be described later.

[0192] The driven member 550 has an interposed plate portion 552 and shaft portions 553, 554 formed integrally from a resin material, while a front plate portion 551 is formed from a resin material as a separate member from these portions 552 to 554.The driven member 550 is assembled by abutting the axial end face of the shaft portion 553 (the end face opposite the interposed plate portion 552) against the back surface of the base end side of the front plate portion 551 (the side opposite to the side where the drive groove 551a is drilled) and fastening the two together with screws.

[0193] In this case, four pins 553a protrude from the axial end face of shaft portion 553, while holes 551b for receiving the four pins 553a respectively are drilled at four locations on the base end side of front plate portion 551, and assembly is performed with each pin 553a received in each hole 551b. This reduces the number of screws, reduces parts costs, and reliably prevents relative rotation between flat plate portion 551 and interposed plate portion 552.

[0194] Returning to FIG. 20 and FIG. 23 , the following description will be given. As described above, the connecting shaft 561b of the interposed plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted into the connecting groove 552a of the interposed plate portion 552 of the driven member 550, thereby connecting the driven member 560 to the driving member 550 so as to be capable of relative displacement (rotation and sliding displacement). As described above, the driven member 560 is a member that is driven in accordance with the displacement of the driving member 550, and by inserting the connecting shaft 561b of the interposed plate portion 561 into the connecting groove 552a of the interposed plate portion 552 of the driven member 550 and the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520, the driven member 560 is held in a rotatable and slidable state relative to the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520. Here, the detailed configuration of the driven member 560 will be described with reference to FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 .

[0195] Figure 25(a) is a front view of the driven member 560, and Figure 25(b) is a rear view of the driven member 560. Figure 26 is a side view of the driven member 560 as viewed in the direction of arrow XXVI in Figure 25(a).

[0196] As shown in Figures 25 and 26, the driven member 560 is mainly composed of a plate-shaped interposed plate portion 561, a decorative portion 562 having a pair of elongated portions with decorative shapes formed on the front, and a back plate portion 563 that is connected to the side of the decorative portion 562 and to the back side of the interposed plate portion 561.

[0197] The interposed plate portion 561 is a member disposed in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 (see FIGS. 20 and 21), and has a first pin 561a protruding from its front surface and inserted into a first guide groove 513 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) of the front case body 510, and a connecting shaft 561b protruding from its rear surface at a position eccentric to the first pin 561a. As described above, the connecting shaft 561b is inserted into the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (interposed plate portion 552) and the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520, respectively (see FIGS. 20 and 21).

[0198] Therefore, when the driven member 550 is rotated around the shaft portions 553, 5554 as the center of rotation, the first pin 561a slides (guided) along the first guide groove 513, causing the interposed plate portion 561 (i.e., the driven member 560) to rotate relative to the driven member 550 and the rear case body 520 around its connecting shaft 561b as the center of rotation (see Figures 27(a) to 29(a)), and the connecting shaft 561b slides (guided) along the second guide groove 523, causing the interposed plate portion 561 (i.e., the driven member 560) to slide and displace relative to the driven member 550 in the sliding direction along the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (see Figures 27(b) to 29(b)).

[0199] Here, the same effect as described above can be obtained by inserting the connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560 only into the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552) and inserting a pin separately provided on the intervening plate portion 561 into the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520.

[0200] In contrast to this, in the present embodiment, a connecting shaft 561b of a driven member 560 is inserted into both the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520 and the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 (intervening plate portion 552), and the connecting shaft 561b serves both of the following roles: regulating the displacement of the driven member 560 relative to the rear case body 520 by being guided by the second guide groove 523 (i.e., causing the driven member 560 to slide relative to the driven member 550), and connecting the driven member 560 to be capable of relative displacement (rotation and sliding displacement) by being inserted into the connecting groove 561b. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and reduce product costs, and also to simplify the structure and improve the reliability and durability of the movable member.

[0201] The rear plate 563 is a circular member in front view that is disposed on the rear surface of the rear case body 520 (see FIGS. 20 and 21), and has a contact portion 563a that protrudes from its front surface (the side facing the paper in FIG. 25(a)). The contact portion 563a is a portion that abuts against the rear surface of the rear case body 520, and is formed in an annular shape in front view that is concentric with the connection shaft 561b. In other words, only the peripheral portion of the rear plate 563 (the protruding tip surface of the abutment portion 562a) abuts against the rear surface of the rear case body 520.

[0202] In this way, by providing the abutment portion 563 concentric with the connecting shaft 561b on the rear plate portion 563, even when the driven member 560 rotates relatively to the rear case body 520 around the connecting shaft 561b as the rotation center due to the rotational action of the first pin 561a and the first guide groove 523 when the connecting shaft 561b slides (guided) along the second guide groove 523 (see FIGS. 27 to 29), it is possible to keep the abutment state against the rear surface of the rear case body 520 constant and suppress changes in the support reaction force. As a result, the driven member 560 can be displaced in a stable state.

[0203] The driven member 560 has a decorative portion 562 and a back plate portion 563 integrally formed from a resin material, while an intervening plate portion 561 is formed from a resin material as a separate member from these portions 562, 563, and is assembled by abutting the axial end face of a connecting shaft 561b of the intervening plate portion 561 against the front face of the back plate portion 563 and fastening them together with screws. Note that the structure in which a plurality of pins 561c protruding from the axial end face of the connecting shaft 561b are received in a plurality of holes 563b in the back plate portion 563, thereby connecting the two so that they cannot rotate relative to each other, is the same as in the case of the driven member 550 described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0204] Returning to Fig. 20 and Fig. 22, the explanation will be made. The composite action unit 500 can be assembled as follows. First, the shaft 553 of the driven member 550 is inserted into the shaft support hole 511 of the front case body 510, and the interposed plate 561 of the driven member 550 and the front plate 551 are fastened and fixed together. This makes it possible to rotatably assemble the driven member 550 to the front case body 510. When assembling, the connecting shaft 561b of the interposed plate 561 of the driven member 560 is inserted in advance into the connecting groove 552 of the driven member 550 (interposed plate 552).

[0205] Next, the crank member 540 is attached to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 through the insertion hole 522 of the rear case body 520, and the crank pin 541 is inserted into the drive groove 551a of the driven member 550 (front plate portion 551) through the insertion hole 512 of the front case body 510. At the same time, the connection shaft 561b of the driven member 560 (intervening plate portion 561) is inserted into the second guide groove 523 of the rear case body 520, and the intervening plate portion 561 of the driven member 560 and the rear plate portion 563 are fastened and fixed to each other. This allows the driven member 560 to be rotatably assembled to the rear case body 520 and connected to the driven member 550 in a rotatable and slidable manner, and also creates a state in which the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 can be transmitted to the driven member 550 via the crank member 540.

[0206] Thereafter, the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 are fastened together with screws (not shown). As a result, the composite action unit 500 can be unitized as a single device in a state in which the driven member 550 can be displaced by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, and the driven member 560 can be displaced (driven) in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550. In this way, the composite action unit 500 can be assembled by sequentially assembling each component to the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520, which not only reduces the assembly cost but also makes it easier to assemble the unit into the unit storage member 300 (the gaming machine main body, see FIGS. 5 and 6), thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the pachinko machine 10.

[0207] Next, the operation of the composite operating unit 500 will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 32. Figures 27(a), 28(a), and 29(a) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the first guide groove 513, and Figures 27(b), 28(b), and 29(b) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the second guide groove 523.

[0208] Similarly, Figures 30(a), 31(a) and 32(a) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the first guide groove 513, and Figures 30(b), 30(b) and 30(b) are schematic front views of the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 showing their relationship with the second guide groove 523.

[0209] 27 and 30 correspond to a state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the retracted position (the state shown in FIGS. 18 and 20), and Figures 29 and 32 correspond to a state in which the driven member 560 is disposed in the extended position (the state shown in FIGS. 19 and 20). Also, the state shown in Figures 28 and 31 corresponds to a state in which the driven member 560 is disposed between the retracted position and the extended position.

[0210] 27 and 30, when the driven member 560 is in the retracted position, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is located on the right side of the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530 as viewed from the front (right side in FIG. 30(a)). As a result, the driven member 550 is in a position in which the tip end side of the front plate portion 551 (the portion where the drive groove 551a is formed) is tilted to the right side as viewed from the front (right side in FIG. 30(b)). Also, the tip end side of the interposed plate portion 552 (the portion where the connection groove 552a is formed) is raised upward (upper side in FIG. 30(b)). In other words, the driven member 550 is located at a rotation position which is the end of rotation in the clockwise direction as viewed from the front, with the shaft portions 553, 554 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) as the rotation center.

[0211] On the other hand, as described above, when the driven member 550 is in a position where the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 is lifted upward, the driven member 560 is in a position where the connecting shaft 561b is pushed up to the upper end side of the second guide groove 523 (upper side in FIG. 27(b)). That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at the uppermost position in the up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 30(b)) and at the leftmost position in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 30(b)). Furthermore, when the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 is positioned at the upper end side of the first guide groove 513 (upper left side in FIG. 27(a)), the driven member 560 is in a horizontal position where the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) faces leftward when viewed from the front (left side in FIG. 27(a)). That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at a rotation position that is the end of rotation in the counterclockwise (left-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the connecting shaft 561b as the rotation center.

[0212] When the driven member 560 shown in Figures 27 and 30 is positioned in the retracted position, and the crank member 540 is rotated counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 while rotating the drive shaft 531, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 slides along the drive groove 551a in the front plate portion 551 of the driven member 550, causing the driven member 550 to rotate counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front around the shaft portions 553, 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the center of rotation, and the driven member 560 is positioned approximately halfway between the retracted position and the extended position, as shown in Figures 28 and 31.

[0213] 28 and 31, when the driven member 560 is disposed at a position approximately midway between the retracted position and the extended position, the driven member 550 is oriented such that the front plate portion 551 is approximately upright and the interposed plate portion 552 is approximately horizontal. In other words, the driven member 550 is disposed at a rotation position approximately midway within the rotatable range around the shaft portions 553, 554 (see FIGS. 20 and 21).

[0214] On the other hand, when the driven member 550 is in a position where the interposed plate portion 552 is substantially horizontal, the connected shaft 561b of the connected plate portion 552 is pushed down and positioned at the middle position of the second guide groove 523. That is, the connected member 560 is positioned at a position that is substantially middle of the range of displacement in the up-down direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 31(b)), and is positioned at the rightmost position in the left-right direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 30(b)). Furthermore, when the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 is positioned at a position that is substantially middle of the first guide groove 513, the connected member 560 is in an inclined position where the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) faces upper left when viewed from the front (the upper left side in FIG. 28(a)). That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at a rotation position that is approximately the middle of the rotatable range around the connecting shaft 561b.

[0215] From the state shown in Figures 28 and 31, when the crank member 540 is further rotated counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530 while rotating the drive shaft 531, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 slides along the drive groove 551a in the front plate portion 551 of the driven member 550, causing the driven member 550 to rotate counterclockwise (left) as viewed from the front around the shaft portions 553, 554 (see Figures 20 and 21) as the rotation center, and the driven member 560 is positioned in the extended position as shown in Figures 29 and 32.

[0216] 29 and 32, when the driven member 560 is disposed in the extended position, the crank pin 541 of the crank member 540 is located on the left side as viewed from the front (left side in FIG. 32(a)) relative to the drive shaft 531 of the drive motor 530, whereby the driven member 550 is positioned such that the tip side of the front plate portion 551 (the portion where the drive groove 551a is formed) is tilted to the left side as viewed from the front (left side in FIG. 32(b)), and the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 (the portion where the connection groove 552a is formed) is dropped downward (lower side in FIG. 32(b)). In other words, the driven member 550 is disposed at a rotation position which is the end of rotation in the counterclockwise (left-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the shaft portions 553, 554 (see FIGS. 20 and 21) as the rotation center.

[0217] On the other hand, as described above, the driven member 560 is in a position in which the connecting shaft 561b is pressed down toward the lower end side of the second guide groove 523 (lower side in FIG. 29(b)) by the driven member 550 being in a position in which the tip side of the interposed plate portion 552 is dropped downward. That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at the lowest position in the up-down direction (up-down direction in FIG. 32(b)) and at the leftmost position in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 32(b)). Furthermore, by the first pin 561a of the interposed plate portion 561 being positioned at the lower end side of the first guide groove 513 (lower right side in FIG. 29(a)), the driven member 560 is in an upright position in which the tip side of the interposed plate portion 561 (the portion where the first pin 561a is disposed) faces upward (upper side in FIG. 29(a)) when viewed from the front. That is, the driven member 560 is disposed at a rotation position that is the end of rotation in the clockwise (right-handed) direction as viewed from the front, with the connecting shaft 561b as the rotation center.

[0218] As described above, according to the composite motion unit 500, when the driven member 550 is displaced (rotated) by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 530, the driven member 560 can be displaced relative to the driven member 550 and moved accordingly. That is, even if the displacement of the driven member 550 is rotation about the shafts 533 and 554 as a rotation center and the displacement is constant, the driven member 560 can be displaced in a different trajectory (displacement pattern) from the driven member 550. Furthermore, since such a change in the displacement pattern is caused by the relative displacement of the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550, even if the driven member 550 is displaced (rotated) at a constant speed, the driven member 560 can be displaced in a different trajectory (displacement pattern) from the driven member 550. As a result, the displacement pattern of the driven member 560 can be changed while maintaining a constant output from the drive motor 530.

[0219] In this embodiment, the means for relatively displacing the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550 (displacement regulating means) is formed by the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 of the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 and the first pin 561a and connecting shaft 561b of the driven member 560. That is, the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b are guided along the respective guide grooves 513 and 523, thereby regulating the displacement of the driven member 560 with respect to the respective case bodies 510 and 520. This allows the relative displacement of the driven member 560 with respect to the driven member 550 to be regulated according to the contours (shapes) of the respective guide grooves 513 and 523. As a result, the displacement regulating means can be formed using mechanical elements, namely, the guide grooves and the shaft-shaped bodies guided by them, simplifying the structure and reducing product costs. Furthermore, the use of simple mechanical elements improves the reliability and durability of the movable part.

[0220] Furthermore, by setting the contours (shapes) of first guide groove 513 and second guide groove 523, the manner of relative displacement of driven member 560 with respect to driven member 550 can be set arbitrarily, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design when setting the manner of displacement of driven member 560. As a result, it becomes easier to ensure a variety of modes of displacement that can be imparted to driven member 560.

[0221] In particular, in this embodiment, driven member 560 is connected to driven member 550 so as to be rotatable and slidable, and a first guide structure, which is constituted by first guide groove 513 and first pin 561a and mainly regulates rotation, and a second guide structure, which is constituted by second guide groove 523 and connecting shaft 561b and mainly regulates sliding displacement, are provided. This not only increases the variety of changes that can be imparted to the mode of displacement, but also makes it possible to appropriately guide each of the displacements (rotation and sliding displacement) of driven member 560 relative to driven member 550 by the first and second guide structures. As a result, the displacement of driven member 560 can be stabilized, improving the reliability of the movable member.

[0222] Here, the above-described first guide structure can also be configured, for example, such that first guide groove 513 is formed in interposed plate portion 561 or rear plate portion 563, and first pin 561a is formed in front case body 510 or rear case body 520. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, first guide groove 513 is formed in front case body 510, and first pin 561a is formed in interposed plate portion 561. This makes it easier to ensure space for forming first guide groove 513.

[0223] That is, since the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520 need to hold the driven member 550 and the driven member 560 while ensuring space for the displacement of these members, they are forced to be formed with a relatively large outer shape, which tends to result in dead space being formed on their plate surfaces. Therefore, by forming the first guide groove portion 513 on the front case body 510, the dead space can be effectively utilized to ensure sufficient space for forming the first guide groove 513. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the contour (shape) and extension length of the first guide groove 513, thereby increasing the variety of changes that can be imparted to the displacement mode. Note that the second guide structure is similar to the first guide structure, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0224] The first guide structure and the second guide structure can also be realized by a configuration in which both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 are formed in the rear case body 520. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the first guide groove 513 is formed in the front case body 510, and the second guide groove 523 is formed in the rear case body 520, so that the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 can be formed without considering the forming positions of each other.

[0225] That is, when both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 are formed in the rear case body 520, it is necessary to form the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 so that they do not intersect, which limits the degree of freedom in designing their outlines (shapes) and extension lengths. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the outlines (shapes) and extension lengths of both the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 can be set arbitrarily without considering their positional relationship with each other, which increases the degree of freedom in design and accordingly increases the variety of changes that can be imparted to the mode of displacement.

[0226] Next, the rotational motion unit 600 will be described with reference to Figures 33 to 39. Figure 33 is a front perspective view of the rotational motion unit 600.

[0227] As shown in Figure 33, the rotational operation unit 600 has a first rotating body 650 that is circular when viewed from the front and is arranged around a spherical liquid crystal device 670, and a second rotating body 660 that is circular when viewed from the front and is arranged concentrically on the back side of the first rotating body 650, and in this embodiment, the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 rotate at different rotational speeds and in opposite directions to each other.

[0228] However, in conventional machines in which multiple rotating bodies are positioned at separate locations, it is difficult for players to associate the rotation of these multiple rotating bodies. In other words, in conventional machines, each rotating body rotates independently without interacting with the other rotating bodies, and therefore the effect of rotating multiple rotating bodies cannot be fully realized.

[0229] In contrast, according to the rotational motion unit 600 of this embodiment, the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 are arranged concentrically around the spherical liquid crystal device 670, and these two rotating bodies rotate in different rotational modes (modes in which the rotational speed and rotational direction are different from each other), so that these rotations can be easily associated with each other and recognized by the player, and the effect of rotating multiple rotating bodies can be achieved. The detailed configuration of such a rotational motion unit 600 will be described below.

[0230] Fig. 34 is an exploded front perspective view of the rotational action unit 600, and Fig. 35 is an exploded rear perspective view of the rotational action unit 600. Fig. 36 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotational action unit 600. Note that the spherical liquid crystal device 670 is omitted from Figs. 35 and 36. The cross section shown in Fig. 36 corresponds to a cross section of the rotational action unit 600 taken along a plane including the rotation centers of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660.

[0231] As shown in Figures 34 to 36, the rotational motion unit 600 is mainly composed of a front case body 610 and a rear case body 620 that form its skeleton, a drive motor 630 arranged on the rear side of the rear case body 620, a plurality of gears (first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 and a front gear 646) that serve as transmission means for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, a first rotating body 650 and a second rotating body 660 that are rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 transmitted via these gears, a spherical liquid crystal device 670 arranged on the inner side of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, and a light-emitting device 680 arranged in front of the front case body 610.

[0232] The front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 are formed from a resin material in the shape of flat plates, and are arranged facing each other with a predetermined distance between them. They are fastened together with screws (not shown) to form an internal space between their opposing surfaces, and are configured as housing members. The internal spaces (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 house the first to fifth housing gears 641 to 645 and a housing flange portion 653 of the first rotor 650, respectively.

[0233] The front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 are formed with circular openings 611 and 621, respectively, in a front view, and these openings 611 and 621 are arranged concentrically in an assembled state. A cylindrical portion 612 is provided on the front side of the front case body 610, protruding toward the front (forward) at a position concentric with the openings 611 and 621. The opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610 have the same inner diameter, and a main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 610 is rotatably supported on the inner peripheral sides of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612. Furthermore, a second rotating body 620 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 612.

[0234] In this way, by rotatably supporting the first rotating body 650 (main body portion 651) and the second rotating body 660 by the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, the arrangement positions of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. Therefore, as will be described later, the positional relationship between the gears (first and second outer peripheral gears 653a, 661a) engraved on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first rotating body 650 (storage flange portion 653) and the second rotating body 660, and the second storage gear 642 and front gear 646 arranged in the front case body 610 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. As a result, the meshing state between the outer peripheral gears 653a, 661a of the rotating bodies 650, 660 and the second housing gear 642 and the front gear 646 can be stabilized, thereby suppressing uneven wear of the gears and reducing driving resistance.

[0235] Drive motor 630 has a pinion gear 631 attached to its drive shaft, and is mounted on the back surface of rear case body 620, thereby meshing pinion gear 631 with first storage gear 641 of the multiple gears that make up the transmission means. Therefore, the rotational driving force of drive motor 420 can be transmitted to the transmission means (multiple gears) via pinion gear 431, and as a result, first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660 can each be rotated, as described below.

[0236] As described above, the first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 and the front gear 646 are a group of gears for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, and are each formed as a spur gear with teeth cut into the outer circumferential surface parallel to the rotation axis. The first to fifth storage gears 641 to 645 are rotatably supported on the back side of the front case body 610, and are connected (meshed) in series to form a gear train with the first storage gear 641 at the front and the fifth storage gear 645 at the rear.

[0237] The front gear 646 is rotatably supported on the front side of the front case body 610 in a state in which it can rotate synchronously with the fifth storage gear 645. That is, the front gear 646 and the fifth storage gear 645 are fixed to one end and the other end, respectively, of a rotating shaft that is disposed to penetrate the front case body 610, and these two gears 645, 646 and the rotating shaft rotate integrally.

[0238] With the gear group configured in this manner, when the drive motor 630 is rotationally driven, the rotational drive force is transmitted to the first housing gear 641 via the pinion gear 631, causing the first housing gear 641 to rotate. The rotation of the first housing gear 641 is transmitted to the fifth housing gear 645 by the action of the gear train, and the rotation of the fifth housing gear 645 causes the front gear 646 to rotate.

[0239] Here, as will be described later, a first outer peripheral gear 653a of a first rotating body 650 (storing flange portion 653) is meshed with the second housing gear 642, and a second outer peripheral gear 661a of a second rotating body 660 is meshed with the front gear 646, so that the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be rotated in accordance with the rotational driving of the drive motor 630. In other words, the rotational driving of one drive motor 630 can rotate two rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) simultaneously.

[0240] In this case, in this embodiment, an even number of gears (third and fourth housing gears 643, 644) are interposed between the second housing gear 642 and the fifth housing gear 645. Therefore, not only can the rotational speed between the front gear 646, which rotates synchronously with the fifth housing gear 645, and the second housing gear 642 be made different, but also the rotational direction between the second housing gear 642 and the front gear 646 can be made different. As a result, as will be described later, the rotational speed and rotational direction between the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be made different.

[0241] In this embodiment, a gear train including the second storage gear 642 is disposed on the rear side of the front case body 610, and a front gear is disposed on the front side of the front case body 610, and the second storage gear 642 and the front gear 646 are meshed with the first outer peripheral gear 653a of the first rotating body 650 and the second outer peripheral gear 651a of the second rotating body 660 on the front and rear sides of the front case body 610, respectively. Therefore, compared to a structure in which, for example, the second storage gear 642 and the front gear 646 are both disposed on the front side of the front case body 610 and these gears 642, 646 are meshed with the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660, not only can the transmission structure that transmits the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 be simplified, but also the structures of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 themselves can be simplified.

[0242] Furthermore, by arranging the gear train and the storage flange portion 653 of the first rotating body 650, with which the second storage gear 642 of the gear train is engaged, on the back side of the front case body 610, the gear train and storage flange portion 653 can be shielded by the front case body 610 from a player looking at the rotational motion unit 600 from the front. In other words, a shielding structure for shielding the gear train and storage flange portion 653 so that they are not visible can be simply formed by using the rear case body 610, without the need to provide a separate member.

[0243] The first rotating body 650 is a performance component that rotates around the spherical liquid crystal device 670 to produce a performance (see Figure 33), and mainly comprises a main body portion 651, a front performance portion 652 that is integrally formed on one axial side of the main body portion 651, and a storage flange portion 653 that is fastened and fixed to the other axial side (axial end face) of the main body portion 651 by screws.

[0244] The main body 651 is a part formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material, and is inserted into the opening 611 and the inner circumferential side of the tubular portion 612 in the front case body 610. That is, the first rotating body 650 is rotatably held by the front case body 610 (the opening 611 and the tubular portion 612) with the main body 651 as the rotation axis. Here, a detailed configuration of the main body 651 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0245] Fig. 37(a) is a rear view of main body 651, and Fig. 37(b) is a partially enlarged rear view of main body 651 showing an enlarged portion XXXVII of Fig. 37(a). Note that in Fig. 37(b), for ease of understanding, the diameters of first protrusion 651a and second protrusion 651b are schematically shown enlarged from their actual sizes, and an imaginary circle IS inscribed with the apexes of first protrusion 651a and second protrusion 651b is shown using a two-dot chain line.

[0246] As shown in Figures 37(a) and 37(b), a first protrusion 651a and a second protrusion 651b are formed on the main body 651, and an offset portion 651c is formed at a position corresponding to the second protrusion 651b.

[0247] The first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are formed to protrude from the outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface of the main body 651, respectively, and are extended along the axial direction of the main body 651 (perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 37(a)) and over the entire length of the main body 651 (see Figure 35), and are formed at multiple locations (a total of eight locations in this embodiment) that are equally spaced circumferentially, with the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b being arranged alternately and scattered circumferentially.

[0248] That is, first protruding portion 651a is formed by embedding a cylindrical body with a circular cross section and a diameter larger than the thickness of main body portion 651 in main body portion 651 with its axial direction aligned with that of main body portion 651, and by portions (parts of the cylindrical body) of this embedded cylindrical body that protrude from the outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface of main body portion 651. Second protruding portion 651b is similar to first protruding portion 651a except that the diameter of the cylindrical body embedded in main body portion 651 is larger than that of first protruding portion 651a.

[0249] In this way, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b protruding from the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 651 extend along the axial direction over the entire length of the main body portion 651, thereby increasing the rigidity of the main body portion 651.

[0250] The second protrusion 651b extends further axially from the axial end face (the side face on the front side of the paper in FIG. 37(b)) of the main body 651. Therefore, as will be described later, when the storage flange 653 is fastened to the main body 651 with screws, the axially extending portion of the second protrusion 651b is fitted into a recess formed in the front face of the storage flange 653, thereby firmly joining the main body 651 and the storage flange 653 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other (see FIG. 36).

[0251] The offset portion 651c is a portion of the main body 651 near the portion where the second protrusion 651b is formed, offset toward the inner periphery while maintaining the plate thickness, and is formed over a range (circumferential direction) that is approximately three times the diameter of the second protrusion 651b. That is, the offset portion 651c is curved in an arc shape that is concentric with the main body 651 when viewed in the axial direction of the main body 651 shown in FIG. 37(b). By forming the offset portion 651c in the main body 651 in this way, it is possible to offset the axis of the second protrusion 651b toward the axis, as will be described later, and it is also possible to increase the rigidity of the main body 651 as a whole.

[0252] The plurality of (four in this embodiment) first protrusions 651a are set to have the same protrusion amount from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 651, and the plurality of (four in this embodiment) second protrusions 652b are set to have the same protrusion amount from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 651 and are also set to have the same protrusion amount as the first protrusions 651a due to offsets by the offset portions 651c. The plurality of (eight in this embodiment) first protrusions 651a and second protrusions 652b are set to have the same protrusion amount from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 651. As a result, as shown in FIG. 37(b), an imaginary circle IS inscribed with the apexes of the first protrusions 651a and the second protrusions 652b can be set concentrically on the outer periphery of the main body 651. In this case, the diameter of the imaginary circle IS is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameters of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 in the front case body 610.

[0253] Therefore, when the main body 651 of the first rotating body 650 is inserted into the opening 611 of the front case body 610 and the inner circumferential side of the cylindrical portion 612, the contact area can be limited to the tops of the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b, thereby suppressing contact resistance and allowing the main body 651 to rotate smoothly on the inner circumferential side of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612.

[0254] In particular, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b are curved in an arc shape when viewed in the axial direction (more specifically, the cross-sectional shape when cut by a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the main body 651 is an arc shape that convex outward), which not only reduces the contact area but also allows the tops of the first and second protrusions 651a, 651b to smoothly contact the opening 611 of the front case body 610 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 612, so that even if there is rattle due to dimensional tolerances, the main body 651 can rotate more smoothly on the inner side of the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612.

[0255] As described above, the first protrusion 651a and the second protrusion 651b protrude not only from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 651 but also from the inner circumferential surface of the main body 651. As a result, when the main body 651 is molded using a resin mold, the shape of the main body 651 can be made uniform (symmetrical) on the outer circumferential surface side and the inner circumferential surface side, ensuring moldability.

[0256] In particular, in this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction of main body portion 651 shown in Fig. 37(b), the protruding dimension of the portion of first protruding portion 651a that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of main body portion 651 is the same as the protruding dimension of the portion of second protruding portion 651a that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of offset portion 651c is the same as the protruding dimension of the portion of second protruding portion 651a that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of offset portion 651c. This makes it possible to make the shapes of the outer peripheral surface side and the inner peripheral surface side of main body portion 651 more uniform (symmetrical), thereby further ensuring its formability.

[0257] Further, second protruding portion 651b has a hole with a circular cross section drilled along its axial direction over its entire length (see FIG. 36). This allows the thickness of second protruding portion 651b, which has a larger diameter than first protruding portion 651a, to be uniform with other portions (main body portion 651, offset portion 651c, first protruding portion 651a, etc.), thereby ensuring the moldability of main body portion 651.

[0258] In this case, an internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the hole drilled in second protrusion 651b, and a screw for fastening storage flange 653 can be screwed into the hole (see FIG. 36). In this way, second protrusion 651b, which is formed with a relatively large diameter, serves as the screw fastening portion for fastening the screw, thereby ensuring the strength of the screw fastening portion. In particular, second protrusion 651b is a portion formed in offset portion 651c, and the rigidity of main body 651 is enhanced. Therefore, by having second protrusion 651b serve as the connecting portion between main body 651 and storage flange 653, the two can be firmly connected and durability can be improved.

[0259] Returning to Figures 34 and 36, the explanation will be made. The front performance section 652 is the part that is visible to the player as the performance part, and is formed by projecting radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body section 651 in a flange-like shape. The front (front surface, appearance forming surface) of the front performance section 652 is plated, giving the front performance section 652 an appearance that imitates shiny metal. Note that the front performance section 652 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, but by plating it, it is possible to prevent the light-emitting device 680 (light-emitting element 681) from being visible to the player through the front performance section 652.

[0260] The front view shape of the front performance part 652 is formed in a sawtooth shape with irregular peaks (second part) and valleys (first part) repeated along the circumferential direction, and in this embodiment, 16 peaks (valleys) are arranged at irregular intervals (irregular pitch) along the circumferential direction. As will be described later, when the first rotating body 650 rotates, the peaks and valleys of the front performance part 652 pass in order in front of the light-emitting element 681 of the light-emitting device 680, allowing the player to intermittently and selectively view the light-emitting element 681 (see FIG. 39).

[0261] The storage flange portion 653 is a portion that is stored in the internal space (between the opposing surfaces) of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620, and is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed from the front, and is fastened and fixed via opening 611 to the axial end surface of the main body portion 651 that is inserted into the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610. In detail, the storage flange portion 653 is fastened and fixed to the main body portion 651 by threading the screw inserted into the storage flange portion 653 into the second protrusion portion 651b of the main body portion 651, as described above.

[0262] The thickness dimension of the storage flange portion 653 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the distance between the opposing surfaces of the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620, and the outer diameter dimension is set to be larger than the inner diameter dimensions of the openings 611, 621 in the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620. Therefore, the axial position of the first rotating body 650 can be determined by abutting the front or rear surface of the storage flange portion 653 against the rear surface of the front case body 610 or the front surface of the rear case body 620.

[0263] A first outer peripheral gear 653a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the storage flange 653, and this first outer peripheral gear 653a is meshed with the second storage gear 642 of the above-mentioned gear train disposed on the back surface of the front case body 610. Therefore, when the gear train is rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, the rotation is transmitted to the storage flange 653 via the second storage gear 642 and the first outer peripheral gear 653a, and the first rotating body 650 is rotated.

[0264] In this way, the first rotating body 650 has a first outer peripheral gear 653a engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the storage flange portion 653, and the second storage gear 642 of the gear train arranged along the periphery of the opening 511 of the front case body 610 is meshed with the first outer peripheral gear 653a, so that the transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the first rotating body 650 can be simplified. In particular, since the first rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape and a projection surface portion 671 of the spherical liquid crystal device 670 (described later) is arranged on its inner peripheral side, it is difficult to secure space on the inner peripheral side. Therefore, it is effective to arrange the above-mentioned transmission structure on the outer peripheral side of the first rotating body 650.

[0265] Furthermore, as described above, the first rotating body 650 (main body portion 651) is rotatably supported on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, and therefore the position of the first rotating body 650 can be determined with the front case body 610 as the reference. Therefore, the positional relationship between the gear (first outer peripheral gear 653a) engraved on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body 650 (storing flange portion 653) and the second housing gear 642 disposed in the front case body 610 can be determined with the front case body 610 as the reference. As a result, the meshing state between the first outer peripheral gear 653a of the first rotating body 650 and the second housing gear 642 can be stabilized, and therefore uneven wear of the gears can be suppressed and driving resistance can be suppressed.

[0266] The second rotating body 660 is a performance component that rotates on the back side of the first rotating body 650 to create a performance (see Figure 33), and mainly comprises a main body portion 661 formed in a cylindrical shape from a light-transmitting resin material, and a front performance portion 662 formed integrally with the axial end face of the main body portion 661.

[0267] The main body portion 661 has an inner diameter dimension set to be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of the cylindrical portion 612 in the front case body 610, and is rotatably held in the front case body 610 (cylindrical portion 612) by being fitted onto the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 612 (i.e., by inserting the cylindrical portion 612 into the inner periphery of the main body portion 661).

[0268] A second outer peripheral gear 661a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 661, and this second outer peripheral gear 661a is meshed with the above-mentioned front gear 646 disposed on the front of the front case body 610. Therefore, when the above-mentioned gear train and front gear 646 are rotated by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630, the rotation is transmitted to the main body 661 via the front gear 646 and the second outer peripheral gear 661a, and the second rotating body 660 is rotated.

[0269] In this way, the second rotating body 660 has the second outer peripheral gear 661a engraved on its outer peripheral surface, and the front gear 646 disposed on the front of the front case body 610 is meshed with the second outer peripheral gear 661a, so that the transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the drive motor 630 to the second rotating body 660 can be simplified. In particular, the second rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is rotatably held by being externally fitted into the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, so that it is difficult to secure space on the inner peripheral surface side. Therefore, it is effective to be able to arrange the above-mentioned transmission structure on the outer peripheral side of the second rotating body 660.

[0270] Furthermore, as described above, the second rotating body 660 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 611 of the front case body 610, and therefore the position of the second rotating body 660 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. Therefore, the positional relationship between the gear (second outer peripheral gear 661a) engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 660 and the front gear 646 disposed on the front case body 610 can be determined with the front case body 610 as a reference. As a result, the meshing state between the second outer peripheral gear 661a of the second rotating body 660 and the front gear 646 can be stabilized, and therefore uneven wear of the gears can be suppressed and driving resistance can be suppressed.

[0271] The axial dimension of the main body 661 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the opposing distance between the front of the front case body 610 and the back of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650. Therefore, the axial position of the second rotating body 650 can be determined by abutting the end face on one axial side or the end face on the other axial side of the main body 661 against the back of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 or the front of the front case body 610.

[0272] The main body 661 has a front convex rib 661b and a rear convex rib 661c respectively protruding from one axial end face and the other axial end face of the main body 661. The front convex rib 661b is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed from the front, and the rear convex rib 661c is formed in a shape obtained by dividing the circular ring shape at multiple points when viewed from the front. This reduces the frictional resistance between the main body 661 and the front case 610 and the second rotating body 650 (front performance part 652) when rotating the first rotating body 660, thereby suppressing the load on the drive motor 630.

[0273] The front performance part 662 is located on the back side of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650, and is a part that is visible to the player as a performance part together with the performance part 652, and is formed by projecting radially outward in a flange-like shape from the outer circumferential surface of the main body part 661. The front performance part 662 comprises an outer circumferential side part 662a formed in a sawtooth shape with irregularly shaped peaks and valleys repeated along the circumferential direction, and an inner circumferential side part 662b which is a part that is annular in shape when viewed from the front on the inner circumferential side of the outer circumferential side part 662a.

[0274] The front surface (front face, exterior forming surface) of the front performance section 662 is plated in the same manner as the front performance section 652 of the first rotating body 650. However, while in the first rotating body 650 described above the entire surface (entire range) of the front performance section 652 is plated, in the second rotating body 650 only the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance section 662 is plated, and the inner peripheral portion 662b is not plated.

[0275] Therefore, as will be described later, when the front side (forward) of the light-emitting element 681 of the light-emitting device 680 passes through the peaks (second part) and valleys (first part) of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 in sequence, allowing the player to view the light-emitting element 681 intermittently and selectively, it is possible for the player to view the light-emitting element 681 through the inner peripheral part 662b (i.e., the part that is not plated) of the front performance part 662 (see Figure 39).

[0276] The spherical liquid crystal device 670 mainly comprises a projection surface 671 formed as a spherical shell from a light-transmitting material, and a case body 672 that houses a projection device that projects an image onto the inner surface of the spherical shell of the projection surface 671, allowing a player to view the image projected from the projection device and transmitted through the outer surface of the projection surface 671. In the assembled state, the case body 672 is fastened and fixed to the back surface of the rear case body 620, and the projection surface 671 is disposed on the inner periphery of the first rotating body 650 in a position where approximately half of the spherical shell protrudes forward from the front of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 (see FIG. 33).

[0277] The light-emitting device 680 mainly comprises a case body 681 having a circular ring shape when viewed from the front and fitted onto the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case 610, a circuit board housed in the case body 681, and a plurality of (12 in this embodiment) light-emitting elements 682 arranged (mounted) on the front (front) side of the circuit board, and in the assembled state is arranged on the back side of the front performance portions 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660.

[0278] On the front surface (front face) of the case body 681, openings having an outer shape larger than the light-emitting elements 682 are formed at 12 locations equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the light-emitting elements 682 are mounted on the circuit board corresponding to the opening positions of the openings. That is, in a front view of the light-emitting device 680, the light-emitting elements 682 are exposed from the openings of the case body 681, and light emitted from the light-emitting elements 682 can be irradiated through the openings of the case body 681 toward the front side (front performance portions 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660).

[0279] As described above, the front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 are arranged on the front (front face) side of the light-emitting device 680, and by rotating the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650, it is possible to make the player intermittently and selectively view the light emitted by the light-emitting element 682. Here, the structure that makes the player intermittently and selectively view the light emitted by the light-emitting element 682 will be described with reference to Figures 38 and 39.

[0280] Figure 38 is a front view of the rotational motion unit 600, and Figures 38(a) and 38(b) show states in which the first rotors 650 are arranged at different rotational positions. Figure 39(a) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXa-XXXIXa in Figure 38(a), and Figure 39(b) is a cross-sectional view of the rotational motion unit 600 taken along line XXXIXb-XXXIXb in Figure 38(b).

[0281] In addition, in Figure 38, only the first rotating body 650 and the light-emitting device 680 of the rotational operation unit 600 are shown in order to clarify the phase relationship between the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680, and in Figure 39, a disassembled state in which the second rotating body 660 is added to the first rotating body 650 and the light-emitting device 680 shown in Figure 38 is schematically illustrated in order to clarify the radial position relationship between the front performance parts 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 and the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680.

[0282] As shown in Figures 38 and 39, the front view shape of the front performance section 652 of the first rotating body 650 is formed in a sawtooth shape with irregular peaks (second part) and valleys (first part) repeated along the circumferential direction, and the arrangement position of the light-emitting element 682 in the light-emitting device 680 is set at a radial position (vertical position in Figure 39(a)) that is radially outer than the bottom of the valley in the front performance section 652 (upper side in Figure 39(a)) and radially inner than the peak of the peak in the front performance section 652 (lower side in Figure 39(a)).

[0283] In this case, as described above, the inner circumferential portion 662b of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 is not plated on the front (front surface) and is formed to be light transmissive, and the formation range of this inner circumferential portion 662b (the range indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 39) is set to a range that includes the bottom of the valley in the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680. In other words, when viewed from the front, the player can see the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680 from the valley part in the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 through (i.e., through) the inner circumferential portion 662b of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660.

[0284] Furthermore, as described above, the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 is plated on the front (front surface) to give it an appearance that imitates a shiny metal, and this outer peripheral portion 662a is disposed opposite the back side of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650. In other words, when viewed from the front, the player can see the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 from the valley part of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650.

[0285] Thus, according to the rotation operation unit 600, peaks and valleys are formed alternately in the circumferential direction in the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 in an area that overlaps with the light-emitting element 682 of the light-emitting device 680 in a front view, and therefore, as the first rotating body 650 rotates, the peaks and valleys of the front performance portion 652 pass alternately in front of the light-emitting element 682, allowing the player to intermittently see the light emitted from the light-emitting element 682 through the inner peripheral portion 662b of the front performance portion 682 of the second rotating body 660. This makes it possible to effectively produce an effect in which a plurality of rotating bodies (the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660) rotate around the spherical liquid crystal device 670 as the center.

[0286] Furthermore, an outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance part 662 of the second rotating body 660 is plated to give it an appearance that imitates a shiny metal, and the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650 is disposed on the front (front) side of the outer peripheral portion 662a. Therefore, as described above, when the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 rotate in opposite directions to each other, the player can visually recognize, via the valley portion of the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650, how the outer peripheral portion 662a of the front performance part 652 of the second rotating body 660 rotates in the opposite direction to the front performance part 652 of the first rotating body 650.

[0287] That is, according to the rotation operation unit 600, a player viewing the first rotating body 650 from the front can see the light emitting element 682 of the light emitting device 680 intermittently at the bottom side of the mountain-valley shape of the front performance portion 652, and can see the front performance portion 662 (outer peripheral portion 662a) of the second rotating body 660 rotating in the opposite direction to the front performance portion 652 (mountain-valley shape) of the first rotating body 650 at the peak side of the mountain-valley shape of the front performance portion 652. This makes it easier for the player to associate the rotation of the first rotating body 650 with the rotation of the second rotating body 660, and as a result, it is possible to effectively perform the performance of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660).

[0288] Furthermore, according to the rotating performance unit 600, as described above, valleys are formed in 16 locations in the circumferential direction in the front performance section 652 of the first rotating body 650, while the light-emitting elements 682 of the light-emitting device 680 are arranged in 12 locations in the circumferential direction, allowing the player to selectively view only specific light-emitting elements 682 from among the light-emitting elements 682 arranged in those 12 locations.

[0289] In other words, by making the circumferential spacing of the valleys in the front performance section 652 and the circumferential spacing of the light-emitting elements 682 different, for example, in the state shown in Figure 38(a), the light-emitting elements 682 arranged in four locations (top, bottom, left, and right) are visible, while when the first rotating body 650 (front performance section 652) is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle from the state shown in Figure 38(a), a different light-emitting element 682 is selected, as shown in Figure 38(b), and the light-emitting elements 682 arranged in four locations (top right, bottom right, bottom left, and top left) are visible.

[0290] This not only allows the light-emitting elements 682 of the light-emitting device 680 to be viewed intermittently, but also allows the position of the visible light-emitting elements 682 to be changed in the circumferential direction, making it possible to more effectively produce the effect of rotating each of the multiple rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660).

[0291] 34 to 36, the overall structure of the rotational motion unit 600 will be described. As described above, the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 are formed in the front case body 610, and the first rotating body 650 has a storage flange portion 653 formed separately from the main body portion 651 and the front performance portion 652. Therefore, the second rotating body 660 is attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, the main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 650 is inserted into the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, and the storage flange portion 653 is fastened and fixed to the inserted main body portion 651, and then the rear case body 620 is fastened and fixed to the front case body 610, so that the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 can be held in a rotatable state by the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620.

[0292] That is, the first rotating body 650 is rotatably supported by the front case body 610 by inserting its main body portion 651 into the opening 611 and the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610. In this case, the storage flange portion 653 of the first rotating body 650 can abut against the rear surface of the front case body 610 and the front surface of the rear case body 620, respectively, and this makes it possible to restrict displacement of the first rotating body 650 to the front side (forward) and rear side (rearward) relative to both case bodies 610, 620.

[0293] At the same time, the second rotating body 660 is fitted onto the cylindrical portion 612 of the front case body 610, and is rotatably supported by the front case body 610. In this case, the second rotating body 660 (front convex strips 661b and rear convex strips 662c) abuts against the rear surface of the front performance portion 652 of the first rotating body 650 and the front surface of the case body 681 of the light emitting device 680, respectively, thereby restricting the displacement of the second rotating body 660 toward the front side (forward) and rear side (rearward) relative to both case bodies 610, 620.

[0294] In this way, according to the rotational motion unit 600, it is possible to rotatably hold a plurality of rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660), while the rotating body (first rotating body 650) itself also serves as a part that restricts displacement of the second rotating body 660, thereby simplifying the structure. Furthermore, since the holding structure that can rotatably hold a plurality of rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660) can be formed simply by fastening and fixing the storage flange portion 653 to the main body portion 651 of the first rotating body 650, it is possible to simplify the assembly process. As a result, it is possible to reduce product costs.

[0295] Furthermore, according to the rotational motion unit 600, the first rotating body 650 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an opening 621 is formed in the rear case body 620. Therefore, after the front case body 610 and the rear case body 620 rotatably hold the plurality of rotating bodies (first rotating body 650 and second rotating body 660), the assembly of the rotational motion unit 600 can be completed simply by attaching the spherical liquid crystal device 670 from the rear side of the rear case body 620 and fastening and fixing it (see FIG. 33). In other words, the spherical liquid crystal device 670 can be attached to the assembly of the case bodies 5610, 620 and the rotating bodies 650, 660 in a separate process. This also simplifies the assembly process and contributes to reducing product costs.

[0296] The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above form in any way, and it can be easily inferred that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0297] In the protrusion operation unit 400 in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the relative displacement member 450 is disposed so as to be slidably displaceable with respect to the base-side displacement member 440, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the relative displacement member 450 may be disposed so as to be rotatable with respect to the base-side displacement member 440. That is, as in the above embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the first operation rotates the base-side displacement member 440 between the retracted position (see FIG. 13) and the rotated position (see FIG. 14), and the second operation rotates the relative displacement member 450 between the reference position (see FIG. 14) and the extended position (see FIG. 15) with respect to the base-side displacement member 440.

[0298] Even with this configuration, the base displacement member 450, which is in the retracted position, is positioned to the rotated position by the first action, and the relative displacement member 450, which is in the reference position, is positioned to the extended position by the second action, so that the player can fully see both displacement members 440, 450 as a whole, and the presentation effect can be fully exerted, while the relative displacement member 450, which is in the extended position, is rotated to the reference position by the second action, and the base displacement member 440, which is in the rotated position, is positioned to the retracted position by the first action, so that the overall size of both displacement members 440, 450 can be reduced, and the space required to accommodate the displacement members can be reduced.

[0299] In the above embodiment, the protrusion operation unit 400 has been described as a case where, when the base displacement member 440 is positioned in the retracted position (see Figure 17(b)), the tip side of the base displacement member 450 protrudes further toward the decorative member 480 (upper side in Figure 17(b)) than the tip side of the relative displacement member 450, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and conversely, a configuration may be adopted in which the tip side of the relative displacement member 450 protrudes further toward the decorative member 480 (upper side in Figure 17(b)) than the tip side of the base displacement member 450.

[0300] This configuration also allows the rotation trajectories of both displacement members 440, 450 to intersect with decorative member 480, and at the time of this intersection, both displacement members 440, 450 can be seen through decorative member 480, thereby enhancing the dramatic effect achieved by displacing both displacement members 440, 450. Furthermore, this configuration allows the area of ​​decorative portion 454 located on the front (forward) side to be further enlarged when relative displacement member 450 is extended (see FIG. 15), thereby further improving the impact.

[0301] In the above embodiment, the composite motion unit 500 has been described as having the connecting groove 552a of the driven member 550 formed in an elongated hole shape, thereby connecting the driven member 560 (connecting shaft 561b) to the driven member 550 (connecting groove 552a) in a state in which the driven member 560 (connecting shaft 561b) can rotate and slide. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and a configuration in which the connecting groove 552a is formed in a circular shape, thereby disabling sliding displacement of the driven member 560 (connecting shaft 561b) relative to the driven member 550 (connecting groove 552a) (i.e., a configuration in which only rotation is permitted) may be employed. Even with this configuration, when the driven member 560 is displaced relative to the driven member 550 in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550, the relative angle of the driven member 560 to the driven member 550 can be changed, thereby changing the trajectory of the driven member 560 and enhancing the dramatic effect.

[0302] In this case, the displacement regulating means constituted by first guide groove 513 and first pin 561a may be constituted by a gear disposed concentrically with connecting shaft 561b of driven member 560, and a curved rack gear meshed with the gear, formed along an arc centered on drive shaft 551a of driven member 550, and disposed on front case body 510 or rear case body 520. In this way, when driven member 560 is relatively displaced in accordance with the displacement of driven member 550, the gear rolls on the rack gear, thereby making it possible to change the relative angle of driven member 560 with respect to driven member 550.

[0303] In the above embodiment, the composite motion unit 500 has been described as having the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 formed in the front case body 510 and the rear case body 520, and the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b inserted into these guide grooves 513, 523, respectively, formed in the driven member 560. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and conversely, a configuration may be adopted in which the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 are provided in the driven member 560, and portions inserted into these guide grooves 513, 523 (members corresponding to the first pin 561a and the connecting shaft 561b) are provided in the front case body 510 and / or the rear case body 520. This configuration also allows the driven member 560 to perform a motion that combines linear motion and rotational motion in accordance with the displacement of the driven member 550, thereby changing the trajectory of the driven member 560 and enhancing the dramatic effect.

[0304] In the above embodiment of combined action unit 500, the first guide groove 513 is formed (opened) in front case body 510, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and first guide groove 513 may be formed as a recessed groove having a U-shaped cross section, for example. That is, the first guide groove 513 may have any shape that can guide first pin 561a along the extension direction thereof.

[0305] In the above embodiment, the composite motion unit 500 has been described as having the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 extending in a curved manner while the connecting groove 551a extends linearly. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. Conversely, a configuration may be adopted in which the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 extend linearly while the connecting groove 551a extends in a curved manner. In particular, the first guide groove 513 and the second guide groove 523 have been described as having arc shapes with a constant radius of curvature. However, this is not limited to this. Naturally, it is possible to adopt a shape (e.g., an S-shape) combining arc shapes with multiple radii of curvature. This allows the trajectory of the driven member 560 to change more complexly, thereby enhancing the dramatic effect.

[0306] Specifically, for example, when first guide groove 513 or second guide groove 523 is set to have an arc shape, it is preferable to make the radius of the arc shape larger than a reference value (to make the curvature smaller) when driven member 550 is located at or near the rotation starting point or terminal end in the rotation direction around shaft portions 553, 554. That is, it is preferable to make the radius of first guide groove 513 or second guide groove 523 in a first range at and near the starting point or in a second range at and near the terminal end or the third range between the first and second ranges larger than a reference value, or to make the radius larger than a third range located between the first and second ranges. This reduces the load at the initial stage when drive motor 530 starts driving driven member 550 that is in a stopped state, allowing for a smooth start of driving.

[0307] Alternatively, while the driven member 560 is not visible due to the front case body 510, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value larger than the reference value, and from the time when a part of the driven member 560 begins to be exposed (made visible) outside the area of ​​the front case body 510 until the entire driven member 560 is exposed (made visible) outside the area of ​​the front case body 510, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value smaller than the reference value. According to this, in the former case, the movement of the driven member 560 is not visible to the player, so the load on the drive motor 530 can be reduced without affecting the presentation effect; in the latter case, the movement of the driven member 560 can be made faster in the range where part of the driven member 560 is shielded by the front case body 510, so it is possible to create a presentation in which the driven member 560 suddenly appears from the front case body 510 or a presentation in which the driven member 560 quickly hides behind the front case body 510.

[0308] Alternatively, while the driven member 560 is in a horizontal position (a position in which the center of gravity of the decorative part 562 is located within a range defined by a pair of imaginary lines inclined 45 degrees above and below the horizontal line passing through the connecting axis 561b when viewed from the direction of the connecting axis 561b (see Figure 30)), the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value larger than the reference value, and while the driven member 560 exceeds the horizontal position, the radius of the first guide groove 513 or the second guide groove 523 may be set to a value smaller than the reference value. According to this, in areas where it is relatively necessary for the driving force of the drive motor 530 to support the weight of the driven member 560 (the action of gravity), the radius can be increased to reduce the influence of frictional resistance in each guide groove 513, 514 and the inertial force due to changes in the posture of the driven member 560, thereby reducing the load on the drive motor 530, while in areas where it is relatively little necessary for the driving force of the drive motor 530 to support the weight of the driven member 560 (the action of gravity), the radius can be decreased to increase the change in the operation of the driven member 560 and enhance the presentation effect.

[0309] In the rotational motion unit 600 in the above embodiment, the case where the main body 651 and the front performance part 652 are integrated and the storage flange part 653 is separate in the first rotating body 650 has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration where the main body 651 and the storage flange part 653 are integrated and the front performance part 652 is separate, thereby forming the first rotating body 650. With this configuration, as in the above embodiment, it is possible to simplify the structure and assembly process for rotatably holding multiple rotating bodies, and to reduce product costs.

[0310] In the rotational motion unit 600 of the above embodiment, the inner peripheral portion 662b of the front performance portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is described as having a flat front surface. However, this is not necessarily limited to this, and part or all of the front surface may have another shape instead of a flat surface. Examples of other shapes include a surface having multiple concaves and convexes, a surface formed with a corrugated cross section, an inclined surface, a curved surface, or a surface that is a combination of these. When these other shapes are employed, not only can the light emitted from the light-emitting element 682 and passing through the inner peripheral portion 662b be diffused or refracted, but the direction of the diffused reflection or refraction can also be made to move as the second rotating body 660 rotates, thereby enhancing the performance effect (see FIG. 39).

[0311] In the rotational motion unit 600 of the above embodiment, the outer diameter of the front effect portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 is set to a size that overlaps only a portion of the front gear 646 in a front view (see FIG. 36 ). However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The outer diameter of the front effect portion 662 of the second rotating body 660 may be set to a size that overlaps the entire front gear 646 in a front view. This allows the front gear 646 to be shielded by the front effect portion 662, eliminating the need for a separate component to make the front gear 646 invisible to the player. Furthermore, if the front gear 646 can be made invisible to the player, the front gear 646 can be made a larger gear, thereby increasing the flexibility in setting the gear ratio. This allows for a larger change in rotation of the second rotating body 660 relative to the first rotating body 650.

[0312] In the rotation operation unit 600 of the above embodiment, the description of the stop positions of the first rotating body 650 and the second rotating body 660 has been omitted, but it may be configured as follows. That is, the mountain shape of at least one or both of the front performance portions 652, 662 of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 may be formed to a size that can shield the front gear 646 when viewed from the front, and the rotation of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 may be stopped at a phase position where the mountain-shaped portion is positioned in front of the front gear 646. In this way, the front gear 646 can be made invisible to the player when the rotation of the first rotating body 650 or the second rotating body 660 has stopped.

[0313] The present invention may be implemented in pachinko machines and the like of a type different from the above-described embodiments. For example, it may be implemented as a pachinko machine (commonly referred to as a two-time right machine or a three-time right machine) in which, once a jackpot is hit, the expected jackpot value is increased until multiple jackpot states (e.g., two or three times) occur, including the first jackpot. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that generates a special game that awards a predetermined game value to the player by requiring the ball to land in a predetermined area after a jackpot symbol is displayed. It may also be implemented as a pachinko machine that has a prize-winning device with a special area such as a V-zone, and that requires the ball to land in that special area to enter the special game state. Furthermore, it may also be implemented as various gaming machines other than pachinko machines, such as arepachi, mahjong ball, slot machines, and gaming machines that combine a pachinko machine and a slot machine.

[0314] Slot machines are well-known devices in which, for example, a coin is inserted to determine a symbol payline, and then an operating lever is operated to change the symbols, and the symbols are stopped and fixed by operating a stop button. Therefore, the basic concept of a slot machine is "a slot machine equipped with a display device that variably displays a string of identification information consisting of a plurality of identification information and then displays the determined identification information, the variable display of the identification information being started due to operation of a start operating means (for example, an operating lever), the variable display of the identification information being stopped and fixed due to operation of a stop operating means (for example, a stop button) or after a predetermined time has passed, and the slot machine generates a special game that awards a predetermined game value to the player, provided that the combination of identification information at the time of the stop is a specific one," and in this case, typical examples of the game medium are coins, medals, etc.

[0315] Another example of a gaming machine that combines pachinko and slot machines is one that has a display device that displays a varying sequence of symbols and then determines the symbols, but does not have a handle for shooting balls. In this case, after a predetermined number of balls are inserted based on a predetermined operation (button operation), the symbols begin to change, for example, due to the operation of a control lever. The change is stopped, for example, due to the operation of a stop button or after a predetermined time has passed. If the determined symbol at the time of the change is a so-called jackpot symbol, a special game is triggered, awarding the player with a predetermined gaming value, and a large number of balls are paid out to the player in a tray at the bottom. If such a gaming machine were used instead of a slot machine, the gaming hall would be able to treat only balls as gaming value, thereby eliminating problems seen in current gaming halls where pachinko and slot machines are mixed, such as the burden on facilities and restrictions on the location of gaming machines, which are caused by the separate handling of medals and balls as gaming value.

[0316] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 40 to 97. In this second embodiment, the control processing (processing related to the control of games such as display effects) executed in the pachinko machine 10 described in the first embodiment will be described.

[0317] <Mechanical configuration in the second embodiment> Next, the configuration of a pachinko machine 10 in a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 is a front view of a game board 13 of the pachinko machine 10, and Figure 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10.

[0318] As shown in Figure 1, pachinko machine 10 comprises outer frame 11, an outer shell formed by wooden frames assembled in a substantially rectangular shape, and inner frame 12, which is formed in substantially the same external shape as outer frame 11 and is supported so as to be able to open and close relative to outer frame 11. Metal hinges 18 are attached to outer frame 11 at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), in order to support inner frame 12, and inner frame 12 is supported so as to be able to open and close towards the front, with the side where hinges 18 are provided serving as the axis for opening and closing.

[0319] A game board 13 (see FIG. 2) having numerous nails and winning holes 63, 64, etc., is detachably attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. A pinball game is played by balls flowing down the front of the game board 13. Attached to the inner frame 12 are a ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 49) that launches balls into the front area of ​​the game board 13, a launching rail (not shown) that guides the balls launched from the ball launching unit 112a to the front area of ​​the game board 13, and the like.

[0320] On the front side of the inner frame 12, there is a front frame 14 that covers the upper front side, and a lower tray unit 15 that covers the lower side. To support the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15, metal hinges 19 are attached at two locations, top and bottom, on the left side when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and the front frame 14 and the lower tray unit 15 are supported so that they can be opened and closed toward the front, with the side where the hinges 19 are installed serving as the opening and closing axis. The locks on the inner frame 12 and the front frame 14 can be unlocked by inserting a dedicated key into the keyhole 21 of the cylinder lock 20 and performing a specified operation.

[0321] The front frame 14 is fitted with decorative resin parts, electrical parts, etc., and has a window 14c formed as a roughly oval opening in its approximate center. A glass unit 16 having two glass plates is disposed on the back side of the front frame 14, and the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 16.

[0322] In the front frame 14, an upper tray 17 for storing balls is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top that protrudes forward, and prize balls, loan balls, etc. are discharged into this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed with a downward slope to the right when viewed from the front (see Figure 1), and this slope guides balls dropped into the upper tray 17 to the ball launching unit 112a. In addition, a frame button 22 is provided on the top surface of the upper tray 17.

[0323] The frame button 22 is operated by the player, for example, when changing the background mode of the effect displayed on the third symbol display device 81 (see FIG. 2) described later, when changing the contents of the preview effect, etc. The frame button 22 may also be configured to be used as a switch for driving a driving device or the like provided in the gaming machine.

[0324] The front frame 14 is provided with various light-emitting devices such as lamps around its periphery (e.g., corners). These light-emitting devices change their light-emitting modes by lighting or blinking in response to changes in the game state, such as when a jackpot is hit or a predetermined reach is reached, thereby enhancing the presentation effects during play. The periphery of the window 14c is provided with illumination units 29-33 incorporating light-emitting devices such as LEDs. In the pachinko machine 10, these illumination units 29-33 function as presentation lamps, such as jackpot lamps. When a jackpot is hit or a reach presentation is being performed, the built-in LEDs cause each illumination unit 29-33 to light up or blink, thereby indicating that a jackpot is being achieved or that the player is in a reach phase just before a jackpot. In addition, the upper left corner of the front frame 14, as viewed from the front (see Figure 1), is provided with an indicator lamp 34 incorporating light-emitting devices such as LEDs, which can indicate when prize balls are being paid out and when an error has occurred.

[0325] Additionally, a small window 35 is formed by attaching transparent resin to the underside of the right-side illumination unit 32 from the backside so that the backside of the front frame 14 can be seen, and certificate stamps and the like affixed to the attachment space K1 (see Figure 2) on the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front of the pachinko machine 10. Additionally, in the pachinko machine 10, a plated member 36 made of chrome-plated ABS resin is attached to the area around the illumination units 29 to 33 to create a more dazzling appearance.

[0326] A ball dispensing operation unit 40 is disposed below the window 14c. The ball dispensing operation unit 40 is provided with a power display unit 41, a ball dispensing button 42, and a return button 43. When the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is operated with bills, cards, etc. inserted into a card unit (ball dispensing unit) (not shown) located on the side of the pachinko machine 10, balls are dispensed in accordance with the operation. Specifically, the power display unit 41 is an area where the remaining balance information of the card, etc. is displayed, and an internal LED lights up to display the remaining balance numerically as the remaining balance information. The ball dispensing button 42 is operated to obtain dispensed balls based on information recorded on a card, etc. (recording medium), and dispensed balls are supplied to the upper tray 17 as long as there is a remaining balance on the card, etc. The return button 43 is operated to request the return of a card, etc. inserted into the card unit. In addition, in pachinko machines where balls are directly dispensed from a ball dispensing device to the upper tray 17 without going through a card unit, i.e., in so-called cash machines, the ball dispensing operation unit 40 is not necessary, but in this case, a decorative sticker or the like may be added to the installation part of the ball dispensing operation unit 40 to make the parts configuration common. It is possible to standardize pachinko machines that use card units and cash machines.

[0327] The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 in its center, which is formed in a roughly box-like shape with an open top, for storing balls that do not fit in the upper tray 17. An operating handle 51, which is operated by the player to launch a ball into the front of the game board 13, is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50. The operating handle 51 contains a touch sensor 51a for enabling the operation of the ball launching unit 112a, a push-button-type launch stop switch 51b that stops the launch of balls while the switch is pressed, and a variable resistor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51 by changes in electrical resistance. When the player rotates the operating handle 51 clockwise, the touch sensor 51a is turned on and the resistance value of the variable resistor changes in accordance with the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51. The ball is launched with a strength corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor, which changes in accordance with the amount of rotation of the operating handle 51, thereby launching the ball into the front of the game board 13 at a distance corresponding to the player's operation. Furthermore, when the operating handle 51 is not being operated by the player, the touch sensor 51a and the stop switch 51b are turned off.

[0328] A ball removal lever 52 is provided on the lower front portion of the lower tray 50 to be operated when discharging balls stored in the lower tray 50 downward. This ball removal lever 52 is always biased to the right, and by sliding it to the left against this bias, a bottom opening formed on the bottom surface of the lower tray 50 opens, and the balls fall naturally from the bottom opening and are discharged. The ball removal lever 52 is usually operated with a box (commonly called a "senryo box") placed below the lower tray 50 to receive the balls discharged from the lower tray 50. As mentioned above, the operating handle 51 is disposed on the right side of the lower tray 50, and an ashtray 53 is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

[0329] As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling numerous ball-guiding nails, windmills, and rails 61 and 62, a general winning opening 63, a first winning opening 64, a second winning opening 640, an electric device 640a, a variable winning device 65, and a variable display unit 80 on a wooden base plate 60 machined into a generally square shape when viewed from the front. The peripheral portion of the game board 13 is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 640, the variable winning device 65, and the variable display unit 80 are arranged in through-holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing and are fixed to the front side of the game board 13 with wood screws or the like. The center portion of the front of the game board 13 can be seen from the front side of the inner frame 12 through a window 14c (see FIG. 1) in the front frame 14. The configuration of the game board 13 will be described below, mainly with reference to FIG. 2.

[0330] An outer rail 62 formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate into a substantially circular arc shape is set up on the front of the gaming board 13, and an inner rail 61 formed from a strip-shaped metal plate like the outer rail 62 is set up inside the outer rail 62. The outer periphery of the front of the gaming board 13 is surrounded by the inner rail 61 and the outer rail 62, and the front and back are surrounded by the gaming board 13 and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1), so that a gaming area where games are played based on the behavior of the ball is formed on the front of the gaming board 13. The gaming area is a substantially circular area (an area where winning holes and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) on the front of the gaming board 13, partitioned by the two rails 61, 62 and the arc member 70.

[0331] The two rails 61, 62 are provided to guide the ball launched from the ball launching unit 112a (see FIG. 49) to the top of the game board 13. A ball return prevention member 68 is attached to the tip (upper left in FIG. 2) of the inner rail 61, preventing a ball once guided to the top of the game board 13 from returning to the ball guide passage. A return rubber 69 is attached to the tip (upper right in FIG. 2) of the outer rail 62 at a position corresponding to the maximum flight point of the ball. A ball launched with more than a predetermined force hits the return rubber 69, reducing its momentum and bouncing back toward the center. In addition, a resin arc member 70, formed with an arc on the inner surface connecting the rails, is driven into the base plate 60 between the tip on the lower right side of the inner rail 61 and the tip on the upper right side of the outer rail 62.

[0332] In this pachinko machine 10, when a ball enters the first winning slot 64, a lottery for special symbol 1 (first symbol) is held, when a ball enters the second winning slot 640, a lottery for special symbol 2 (first symbol) is held, and when a ball passes through the through gate 67, a lottery for a normal symbol (second symbol) is held. In the lottery for special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 (hereinafter, special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 will be referred to as the special symbol) held for a ball entering the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640, a judgment is made as to whether or not a jackpot for the special symbol has been won, and if a jackpot for the special symbol has been decided, the type of jackpot is also judged. When a special symbol jackpot occurs, the pachinko machine 10 transitions to a special game mode, and the specific winning port 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have passed or until 10 balls have entered), and this opening is repeated 16 times (16 rounds). As a result, a large number of balls enter the specific winning port 65a, and a larger number of prize balls are paid out than usual. There are two types of special symbol jackpots: "Jackpot A" and "Jackpot B," and after the special game mode ends, the player is given a gaming value (game value) corresponding to the type of jackpot as added value after the jackpot ends.

[0333] Furthermore, when a lottery for special symbol 1 (first symbol) or special symbol 2 (first symbol) is held, the first symbol display device 37 starts displaying the special symbol in a variable manner, and after a predetermined time (e.g., 8 to 30 seconds) has elapsed, the special symbol indicating the lottery result is displayed stationary. If a ball enters the first winning slot 64 while the first symbol display device 37 is displaying the special symbol in a variable manner, the number of balls entering the slot is reserved up to a maximum of four, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first symbol display device 37 and also by the third symbol display device 81. Similarly, if a ball enters the second winning slot 640 while the special symbol is changing, the number of balls entering the slot is reserved up to a maximum of four, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first symbol display device 37 and also by the third symbol display device 81. The number of reserved balls for special symbol 1 and special symbol 2 are displayed by the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81 in a distinguishable display manner, respectively. As will be described in more detail later, the third pattern display device 81 is configured to make it easier for players to identify the number of balls in reserve, the variable display mode of the special pattern, the judgment results, etc. than the first pattern display device 37, and players are usually configured to play by looking at the display mode of the third pattern display device 81.

[0334] When the variable display on the first symbol display device 37 ends, if there are any reserved balls remaining for the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640, a lottery for the next special symbol is held, and a variable display corresponding to the lottery is initiated. Note that, as will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the number of reserved balls for the second winning slot 640 takes priority over the number of reserved balls for the first winning slot 64, and a lottery for special symbol 2 is held, and a variable display corresponding to the lottery is initiated. Therefore, the lottery for the reserved balls for the first winning slot 64 is configured to be executed when there are no reserved balls in the second winning slot 640. While the variation of special symbol 2 is being executed, the variation of special symbol 1 is not executed. In other words, the configuration is such that there is no period during which special symbol 1 and special symbol 2 change simultaneously.

[0335] In this embodiment, the special symbols 1 and 2 do not change at the same time, but they may change at the same time. By configuring in this way, more game lotteries can be performed in a short time and the results can be displayed, allowing for more time-efficient play.

[0336] As shown in FIG. 2, the second winning opening 640 has an electric device 640a equipped with a blade member that can rotate between an open state where the game ball can be guided into the ball entrance and a closed state where the game ball cannot enter the ball entrance. This electric device 640a is operated for a predetermined time from the closed state to the open state based on the winning of a normal symbol (second symbol) described below. Normally, the electric device 640a is held upright to prevent game balls from entering from both sides of the ball entrance, and the first winning opening 64 is positioned to prevent game balls from entering between the blade members. Therefore, the second winning opening 640 is normally configured to allow balls to enter only when the electric device 640a is operated in the open state. Therefore, normally, the machine is configured so that the game ball can easily enter the first winning opening 64, and the player plays by firing the game ball in an attempt to get the game ball to enter the first winning opening 64.

[0337] The special winning opening 65a, which opens and closes when the pachinko machine 10 transitions to the special game state, is located immediately below the second winning opening 640. Therefore, during the special game state, the player hits the ball in an attempt to make it enter the special winning opening 65a, and many balls also enter the first winning opening 64. Therefore, in most cases, the number of reserved balls for the first winning opening 64 reaches its maximum (four times) while the pachinko machine 10 is transitioning to the special game state.

[0338] On the other hand, in the lottery for the normal symbol, which is conducted when a ball passes through the through gate 67, a determination is made as to whether or not the normal symbol is a winning combination. There are two types of winning combinations for the normal symbol: a normal winning combination and a long-term winning combination, in which the opening time and number of times are increased compared to the normal winning combination. When a normal winning combination or a long-term winning combination occurs for the normal symbol, the electric device attached to the second winning slot 640 is opened a predetermined number of times for a predetermined time (for example, 0.2 seconds or 2 seconds), making it easier for the ball to enter the second winning slot 640. In other words, when a winning combination occurs for the normal symbol, it becomes easier for the ball to enter the second winning slot 640, and as a result, it becomes easier for the lottery for the special symbol to be drawn.

[0339] Furthermore, when a lottery for a normal symbol (second symbol) is conducted, the second symbol display device 83 starts displaying a variable normal symbol, and after a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds or 30 seconds) has elapsed, the normal symbol indicating the lottery result is displayed statically. If a ball passes through the through gate 67 while the variable display is being conducted on the second symbol display device 83, the number of times it has passed is reserved up to a maximum of four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed on the first symbol display device 37 and also on the second symbol reserved lamp 84. When the variable display on the second symbol display device 83 has ended, if there are reserved balls remaining for the through gate 67, the next normal symbol is drawn, and the variable display corresponding to that lottery is started.

[0340] As mentioned above, there are two types of jackpots for special symbols: "Jackpot A" and "Jackpot B." When either "Jackpot A" or "Jackpot B" occurs, the game enters a special game state with 16 rounds (16R jackpot). After that, in the case of "Jackpot A," as an added value after the jackpot ends, the pachinko machine 10 transitions to a high-probability state for special symbols (special symbol probability change state) from the end of the jackpot until the start of the next jackpot game for special symbols. Meanwhile, for "Jackpot B," the probability of winning a normal symbol increases from the end of the jackpot until 100 special symbol lotteries have been completed. Note that even in the high-probability state, the probability of winning a normal symbol is also increased.

[0341] Here, the "high probability state for special symbols" refers to a state in which the probability of winning a special symbol is increased, i.e., a special symbol probability state (during a special symbol probability change), in other words, a game state in which it is easy to transition to a special game state (16R jackpot). In contrast, when not in a "high probability state for special symbols," it is called a "low probability state for special symbols," which indicates a state in which the probability of winning a jackpot is lower than in a special symbol probability change state, i.e., the probability of winning a special symbol jackpot is normal (normal state for special symbols or low probability game state). In addition, the "time-saving state for normal symbols" (during a time-saving state for normal symbols or a time-saving game state) refers to a game state in which the probability of winning a normal symbol is increased and it is easy for the ball to enter the second winning slot 640. In contrast, when the machine is not in the "normal symbol time-saving state," it is called the "normal symbol state" (normal game state), which means that the probability of winning with the normal symbol is in the normal state, that is, the probability of winning is lower than during the time-saving state. Hereinafter, the period when the pachinko machine 10 is in a high probability state for the special symbol after the end of the jackpot for the special symbol is called the special symbol probability period.

[0342] In addition, in this embodiment, when the jackpot type is "jackpot A," the period from the end of "jackpot A" to the start of the next jackpot is set as the probability variable period, but it is not limited to this, and the period during which a predetermined number of special symbol lotteries (for example, 20 times, 100 times, etc.) are executed may be set as the probability variable period. Also, it may be configured so that both "jackpot A" and "jackpot B" are set as probability variable periods for a predetermined number of times. Furthermore, the probability variable period may naturally be set as a predetermined time (2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.).

[0343] In this pachinko machine 10, when initial settings are made by turning on the power, etc., it is always set to a "low probability state of special symbols." After that, if a jackpot with a special symbol occurs, it transitions to a "high probability state of special symbols" and also to a "time-saving state of normal symbols."

[0344] Furthermore, if a new special symbol jackpot occurs while the "high probability state of special symbols" is continuing and the jackpot type is "jackpot A," the "high probability state of special symbols" will continue from the end of the new special symbol jackpot until the start of the next jackpot game.

[0345] At the upper right side of the game area when viewed from the front (upper right side of Fig. 2), a first symbol display device 37 is provided, which is provided with a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter abbreviated as "LED") 37a as light emitting means and a 7-segment display 37b. The first symbol display device 37 displays according to the various controls performed by the main control device 110, which will be described later, and mainly displays the game status of the pachinko machine 10. The multiple LEDs 37a indicate the change by indicating, by their lighting state, whether or not the lottery for special pattern 1 or special pattern 2, which is held in conjunction with a ball entering the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (initial winning), is currently being held; they indicate, by their lighting state, whether special pattern 1 (first pattern) or special pattern 2 (first pattern) will be the stopping pattern after the change has ended, depending on the result of the lottery for that special pattern; and they indicate, by their lighting state, the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls that have entered the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 but have not yet been changed (reserved balls).

[0346] If a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 while the first pattern display device 37 is displaying a variable display of special pattern 1 (first pattern) or special pattern 2 (first pattern), the number of times the ball enters is reserved up to a maximum of four times, and the number of reserved balls is displayed by the first pattern display device 37 and also by the third pattern display device 81. In this embodiment, the balls entering the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640 are each configured to be reserved up to four times, but the maximum number of reserved times is not limited to four, and may be set to three or less, or five or more times (e.g., eight times).

[0347] The 7-segment display 37b displays the number of rounds during a jackpot and any errors. The LEDs 37a are configured so that each LED emits a different color (e.g., red, green, or blue), and by combining these colors, it is possible to display various game states of the pachinko machine 10 (such as a high probability state for a special symbol or a time-saving state for a normal symbol) with a small number of LEDs. Furthermore, the LEDs 37a not only indicate whether the result of the lottery for special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 as the stopped symbol after the variation has ended is a jackpot, but also, if a jackpot is determined, display a special symbol (first symbol) corresponding to the type of jackpot (jackpot A or jackpot B).

[0348] Separate dedicated LEDs 37a are assigned to display the special symbols 1 and 2, respectively, one for displaying the symbol and the other for displaying the number of reserved balls. By configuring in this way, it is possible to configure the system so that the player can more easily distinguish between special symbols 1 and 2.

[0349] The game area is also provided with a plurality of general winning openings 63, through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters. A variable display device unit 80 is also provided in the center of the game area. The variable display device unit 80 is provided with a third symbol display device 81 made up of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as "display device") and a second symbol display device 83 made up of LEDs. A center frame 86 is provided in the variable display device unit 80 so as to surround the outer periphery of the third symbol display device 81.

[0350] The third pattern display device 81 performs a decorative display according to the display of the first pattern display device 37. For example, when a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640 (start winning), this triggers the first pattern display device 37 to perform a variable display of a special pattern (first pattern) corresponding to the start slot into which the ball entered. Furthermore, the third pattern display device 81 performs a variable display of a third pattern corresponding to the variable display of the special pattern in synchronization with the variable display of the special pattern.

[0351] The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large 8-inch liquid crystal display, and the display content is controlled by a display control device 114 (described later), thereby displaying, for example, three symbol rows, left, center, and right. Each symbol row is composed of multiple symbols, and these symbols are vertically scrolled for each symbol row, so that the third symbol is variably displayed on the display screen of the third symbol display device 81. In this embodiment, the game status display in accordance with the control of the main control device 110 is performed by the first symbol display device 37, while the third symbol display device 81 displays decorative information corresponding to the display of the first symbol display device 37. Note that the third symbol display device 81 may be configured using, for example, reels instead of a display device.

[0352] Here, referring to Fig. 40, the display contents of the third symbol display device 81 will be explained. Fig. 40 is a drawing for explaining the display screen of the third symbol display device 81, Fig. 40(a) is a diagram showing the area division setting and the effective line setting of the display screen in a schematic manner, and Fig. 40(b) is a diagram showing an example of the actual display screen.

[0353] The third symbol is composed of the main symbols of the numbers "0" to "9." In addition, in the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, if the result of the lottery for the special symbol performed by the main control device 110 (see FIG. 49), which will be described later, is a jackpot, a variable display in which the same main symbols are lined up is performed, and the jackpot occurs after the variable display ends. On the other hand, if the result of the lottery for the special symbol is a miss, a variable display in which the same main symbols are not lined up is performed.

[0354] For example, if the result of the special symbol lottery is "Jackpot A," a variable display will be performed in which the odd-numbered main symbols "1, 3, 5, 7, 9" are aligned and stopped. Also, if it is "Jackpot B," a variable display will be performed in which the even-numbered main symbols "0, 2, 4, 6, 8" are aligned.

[0355] As shown in Figure 40(a), the display screen of the third pattern display device 81 is roughly divided into two parts, top and bottom, with the upper two-thirds being the main display area Dm which displays the changing third pattern, and the remaining lower one-third being the secondary display area Ds which displays preview effects, characters, number of reserved balls, etc.

[0356] The main display area Dm is divided into three display areas Dm1-Dm3: left, center, and right. Three symbol columns Z1, Z2, and Z3 are displayed in each of the three display areas Dm1-Dm3. The third symbols described above are displayed in a predetermined order in each of the symbol columns Z1-Z3. That is, the main symbols are arranged in ascending numerical order in each of the symbol columns Z1-Z3, and the display changes periodically by scrolling from top to bottom for each of the symbol columns Z1-Z3. The approximate center of the main display area Dm is set as the pay line L1, and during each game, the third symbols are stopped and displayed on the pay line L1 in the following order: left symbol column Z1 → right symbol column Z3 → center symbol column Z2. If the third symbols are stopped and a jackpot symbol combination (in this embodiment, the same main symbol combination) is aligned on the pay line L1, a jackpot animation is displayed.

[0357] On the other hand, the sub-display area Ds is provided horizontally below the main display area Dm, and is further divided horizontally into three equal small areas Ds1 to Ds3. Of these, small area Ds1 is an area that displays the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have not yet been changed among the balls that have entered the first winning opening 64, small area Ds2 is an area that displays a preview effect image, and small area Ds3 is an area that displays the number of reserved balls, which is the number of balls (reserved balls) that have not yet been changed among the balls that have entered the second winning opening 640.

[0358] On the actual display screen, as shown in Figure 40(b), a total of three main symbols of the third symbol are displayed stopped in the main display area Dm. Note that when the display is variable, in addition to the main symbol displayed in the center, the main symbols located before and after it are also displayed visibly, so a total of up to nine main symbols may be displayed. In the sub-display area Ds, one "●" symbol is displayed for each reserved ball, and reserved symbols are displayed corresponding to up to four reserved balls for special symbol 1 and special symbol 2. In other words, a maximum of eight reserved symbols are displayed in the sub-display area Ds.

[0359] In this embodiment, the same reserved pattern (design) is used for special pattern 1 and special pattern 2, but this is not limited to this, and it may be configured to display different patterns (for example, a "●" pattern for special pattern 1 and a "□" pattern for special pattern 2).

[0360] This makes it possible to easily distinguish between the reserved balls in the first winning port 64 and the second winning port 640, i.e., the reserved balls of special symbol 1 and special symbol 2. In addition, the display mode of the reserved ball that enters the second winning port 640 is displayed differently depending on the type of normal symbol win, so the player can easily distinguish that it is a reserved ball that has occurred as a result of a long-term win.

[0361] In this embodiment, in addition to the main pattern, reserved pattern, etc., the main display area Dm and the sub-display area Ds of the third pattern display device 81 appropriately display text display, character preview display, total number of changes, etc. Also, if no reserved pattern is displayed, it indicates that the number of reserved balls is 0, that is, there are no reserved balls.

[0362] In this embodiment, balls entering the first winning slot 64 are reserved up to four times. However, the maximum number of reserved balls is not limited to four and may be set to three or fewer times, or five or more times (e.g., eight times). Instead of displaying the reserved ball number symbol in the small area Ds1 or the small area Ds3, the number of reserved balls may be displayed numerically in a portion of the third pattern display device 81, or in four divided areas with different modes (e.g., colors or lighting patterns) corresponding to the number of reserved balls. Since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first pattern display device 37, the third pattern display device 81 may not display the number of reserved balls. Furthermore, the variable display device unit 80 may be provided with four reserved lamps indicating the number of reserved balls, the number corresponding to the maximum number of reserved balls, and the number of reserved balls may be displayed according to the number of lit reserved lamps.

[0363] Next, with reference to Figs. 41 to 44, the display mode of the reserved effect performed in the third symbol display device 81 will be described. In the second embodiment, the display mode of the reserved symbol of special symbol 1 or special symbol 2 is variably displayed to notify the result of the game win / loss judgment and the type of variable pattern to be selected. In this embodiment, a normal reserved effect as shown in Fig. 41 and an 8-symbol effect as shown in Fig. 42 are respectively set. For the normal reserved effect, as shown in Figs. 41(a) to (b), when the number of reserved symbols is less than 8, one symbol of the reserved symbols is variably displayed as a symbol displayed as "push" (Fig. 41(a)). After the symbol displayed as "push" is variably displayed, when the player presses the frame button 22, the symbol is variably displayed as a "△" symbol (see Fig. 41(b)).

[0364] In this embodiment, when a reserved pattern for which a super reach is selected is stored among the reserved patterns stored, or when a reserved pattern for which the win / loss determination result is a win is stored, if a lottery determines that a normal reserved pattern will be executed, the reserved pattern is displayed changed to a "push" pattern as shown in Figure 41(a). Note that this "push" pattern is an informing reserved pattern that notifies the player to press (operate) the frame button 22. Unless the frame button 22 is pressed, the informing reserved pattern is displayed in the display mode that maintains the informing reserved pattern until the informing reserved pattern starts to change.

[0365] In this embodiment, the notification pending symbol is displayed until the change starts, but it may be configured to be displayed only for a certain period of time. Also, the normal pending effect is configured to be executed by lottery when a reserved symbol resulting in a super reach is stored and when a reserved symbol resulting in a jackpot is stored, but it is not limited to this and may be configured to be executed by lottery in other cases (for example, normal reach, complete miss, etc.). A variety of symbols may be set to be displayed by changing from the notification pending symbol, and the type, color, etc. of the symbol may be used to notify the result of the hit / miss determination, the type of reach, etc. Also, by configuring the normal pending effect to be more likely to be drawn when the hit / miss determination result is a jackpot, it is possible to make the expectation of a jackpot higher when the normal pending effect is displayed.

[0366] Next, the eight-piece effect will be described with reference to Fig. 42. In this embodiment, when the number of reserved symbols reaches the maximum of eight, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to execute an eight-piece effect (see Fig. 42(a)-(b)) using all eight reserved symbols, and when it is determined that an eight-piece effect will be executed, all reserved symbols are displayed changed to an annunciation reserved symbol of a "push" symbol, as shown in Fig. 42(a). Then, an annunciation mode (an annunciation mode that is not a reserved symbol) showing the words "Please push it!!" is displayed on the right end, and is configured to prompt the player to press the frame button 22.

[0367] When the player presses the frame button 22 while these eight effects are being executed, the notification pending symbols are changed one by one into letters and displayed as shown in Figure 42(b). Here, each time the frame button 22 is pressed once, one notification pending symbol is changed and displayed. The notification pending symbols are changed in order, starting from the notification pending symbol displayed on the left.

[0368] Whether or not the 8-piece effect will be performed is determined by lottery when there is a reserved memory that will result in a super reach or a reserved memory that will result in a jackpot among the 8 reserved patterns that have been stored.

[0369] In the eight-reserved effect, the player is notified by text using eight reserved symbols. Specifically, when the text "Jackpot!!!!" is displayed, it notifies the player that there is a reserved memory among the eight reserved memories whose hit / miss judgment result is a jackpot (a jackpot is confirmed). On the other hand, when the text "Jackpot!!!?" is displayed, it notifies the player that there is a possibility that a reserved memory that will be a jackpot is stored among the eight reserved memories (it is not confirmed that a reserved memory that will be a jackpot is stored among the eight reserved memories).

[0370] With this configuration, when the player presses the frame button 22 once after the eight-item notification reserve symbol is displayed, the leftmost notification reserve symbol changes to "Big" and is displayed. When this character is displayed, the player first expects the character "Jackpot" and then presses the frame button 22. When "Tat" is displayed, the player then presses the frame button 22, expecting the character "Ri" to appear. In this way, the seven notification reserve symbols are displayed in a variable manner, and when the character "Jackpot!!!" is displayed, the player's anticipation of a jackpot increases, as the last remaining notification reserve symbol (the rightmost reserved symbol) may change to "!". The player can then determine the notification result by operating the frame button 22. In this way, with the eight-item notification reserve symbol, the player can play while anticipating the next character to be displayed each time the frame button 22 is pressed, providing a fun experience for the player.

[0371] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the reserved balls are consumed and start to change, the remaining notification reserved patterns that have been changed in the eight-piece performance are maintained and displayed, so the player can predict what characters (notification mode) have been set from the characters of the remaining notification reserved patterns.

[0372] In this embodiment, by storing eight reserved balls, an effect that is advantageous to the player is executed, so that the player can play so that more reserved balls are stored. Specifically, when a variation pattern with a long variation time (high expectation of a jackpot) such as a super reach is selected, the player may stop firing game balls and play, but during that time, reserved balls are likely to accumulate, so that even if the player misses, the eight-ball effect is executed, so that the player can play without stopping firing game balls.

[0373] Also, it may be configured so that for a certain period of time after the eight ball effect is executed, the eight ball effect is executed when eight reserved balls are stored. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to make the player continue to shoot game balls in an attempt to generate more reserved balls.

[0374] In addition, the notification mode (displayed characters) determined at the timing when the eight-ball effect is executed may be configured to be changed depending on the judgment result when a new reserved ball occurs. By configuring it in this way, the player can enjoy deciding the timing to change the notification reserved pattern.

[0375] Next, referring to Figs. 43 and 44, a composite display effect displayed on the third symbol display device 81 in the second embodiment will be described. In the composite display effect, when a reach display mode is reached, a main symbol that is a miss is temporarily stopped and displayed as a center symbol, and then a sub-symbol (blank symbol "△") is changed to a "push" symbol and displayed, and then the "push" symbol moves to the center of the third symbol display device 81 and is combined with the main symbol to change to a larger "push" symbol and displayed. After that, when the player presses the frame button 22, a combination of main symbols indicating the win / loss determination result is displayed again. Specifically, if the win / loss determination result is a win, a combination indicating a jackpot such as "777" is displayed. On the other hand, if the win / loss determination result is a miss, a symbol indicating a miss such as "717" is displayed.

[0376] FIG. 43(a) shows a state in which a variation pattern of the composite display mode is displayed, a reach display mode of the "7" symbol is displayed, and the middle symbol is displayed in a variable manner. In a variation pattern other than the composite display mode, when a reach is reached, the middle symbol is displayed in a variable manner (dynamic display) beyond the reach symbol. In other words, the reach symbol passes through the reach effective line once and is displayed as a scroll. However, in the variation pattern of the composite display mode, the reach symbol is set to temporarily stop just before the reach effective line without passing through it. In other words, the reach period is set to be shorter than that of the normal reach display mode.

[0377] As shown in Figure 43(b), after the "5" symbol before the reach symbol stops on the reach valid line, three seconds later, the sub-symbol (blank symbol "△") located between the main symbols of the left symbol row and the right symbol row is changed to a small "push" symbol notification symbol and displayed. Among the variation patterns of the composite display mode, the variation pattern of the pseudo composite display mode is configured so that once it has been changed to this notification symbol, it will not change back to the composite display mode. In this case, by pressing the frame button 22, an effect is executed in which the stopped center symbol "5" is changed again.

[0378] On the other hand, in the variation pattern that is changed to the composite display mode, as shown in Fig. 44(a), the "push" symbol is displayed moving toward the "5" symbol in the middle symbol row displayed in the center part of the third symbol display device 81. After that, as shown in Fig. 44(b), the "5" symbol is covered and a large "push" symbol is displayed. The variation pattern of the composite display mode in which this large "push" symbol is displayed is configured to be extremely likely to be selected when the hit / miss determination result is a jackpot, so the player can have high expectations of a jackpot when this composite display mode is displayed.

[0379] Next, with reference to FIGS. 45 to 48, the time-based effect in this embodiment will be described. The time-based effect is an effect mode in which the background image is changed to a preset dedicated background image at regular intervals (fixed periods) for a predetermined time (five minutes in this embodiment) after the pachinko machine 10 is powered on. In this embodiment, the time-based effect is provided by a timekeeping means 292 configured by an RTC (real-time clock) and an internal power source (a battery in this embodiment) dedicated to the time-based effect 292. Therefore, timekeeping can continue even when power is not supplied to the pachinko machine 10. Here, when manufacturing pachinko machines 10, the same time (for example, the current time) can be set in the time-based effect means. By configuring multiple pachinko machines 10 to be powered on simultaneously, the same input time information can be acquired among the pachinko machines 10. With this configuration, time-based effect can be executed synchronously among multiple pachinko machines 10.

[0380] Figure 45 is a timing chart showing the timing of executing the time effect period. When the power is turned on to the pachinko machine 10, the current time information is acquired from the clocking means 292 by the time setting process (Figure 69, S1214) in the start-up process (see Figure 68) executed by the MPU 221 of the sound lamp control device 113 described later. Based on the acquired time information, the time effect period (effect mode B) is set when 55 minutes have elapsed. Note that the normal gaming machine period (effect mode A) is set for the period until this time effect period is set. The time effect period is normally set to 5 minutes, and when these 5 minutes have elapsed, the normal gaming period is set.

[0381] Here, when five minutes of the time presentation period have elapsed, it is determined whether the pending memory or the special pattern that is changing at that time is set to be a big hit as a result of the hit / miss judgment, and if a big hit is set, the time presentation extension period (presentation mode C) is set to the time until the change ends.

[0382] 46(a) is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of the time effect displayed on the third pattern display device 81 when the remaining time in the time effect period is 180 seconds. During the time effect period, the background image is displayed in a display mode in which a special school of fish is displayed.

[0383] FIG. 46(b) is a diagram showing an example of a display mode displayed on the third symbol display device 81 when there are three seconds remaining in the time effect period. In the example of FIG. 46(b), the actual third symbol is reduced in size and displayed variably in the lower right corner of the display area of ​​the third symbol display device 81. A similar effect symbol to the third symbol is displayed as a stop symbol indicating a miss. In this case, the effect symbol is displayed with a slight fluctuation to indicate that the stop symbol is not completely stopped. Although the timing of the end of the time effect period and the timing of the stop of the third symbol rarely coincide, by switching to the effect symbol and displaying it to make it appear as if the third symbol has stopped, it is possible to make the player believe that the third symbol is stopped at the same time as other pachinko machines 10. The effect symbol is also displayed when the timing of the stop of the third symbol coincides with the time effect period. This configuration ensures that the display mode at the end of the time effect period is consistent, thereby preventing the player from feeling uneasy.

[0384] When the effect symbols are statically displayed with three seconds remaining, a premonition display mode is displayed in which the effect symbols are slightly trembling for the remaining three seconds, as shown in FIG. 47(a). Then, after the words "Super School of Fish Time," indicating that the time effect period is over, a notification mode, "End?", indicating whether or not the time effect period will be extended, is displayed. After that, when the time effect extension period is set, the words "Super School of Fish Time Extended!!" are displayed to notify that the time effect period has been extended, as shown in FIG. 47(b), and the background image of the school of fish is displayed again. In this case, the effect symbols begin to change at the same time as the extension begins, informing the player that a new special symbol has started to change. Furthermore, since the extension period is the period until the changing display that results in a jackpot ends, the remaining time (115 seconds in the example of FIG. 47(b)) is displayed.

[0385] In this embodiment, the time effect period is extended when a reserved memory that will result in a jackpot has been set or when the change has already started (changing), so the extension of the time effect notifies the player 4a of a jackpot. Here, the same effect is executed synchronously between the same pachinko machines 10 for the time effect period, and an effect indicating whether or not an extension period will be set is displayed at the same timing (see FIG. 47(a)). This allows other players to determine that a jackpot will occur for the pachinko machine 10 for which an extension period has been set, and also stimulates the gambling spirit of other players.

[0386] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 48, if the extended effect is not set, the words "Super School of Fish Time Ended!!" are displayed to notify that the time effect period has ended. After that, if the third symbol is changing, the effect symbol is displayed for the same time as the remaining time of the third symbol change, and then is displayed still. From the next change, the reduced display of the third symbol is canceled, and the third symbol is displayed in its normal size. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable even when the time effect period has ended. On the other hand, if the timing of the stopped display of the third symbol coincides with the end of the time effect period, the reduced display of the third symbol is canceled and displayed from the start of the next change.

[0387] In addition, if the fluctuation has already ended at the end of the time performance period and the reserved memory has not been stored, the premonition performance will not be executed.

[0388] In this embodiment, the condition for setting an extension is a jackpot, but it is not limited to this and may also be set when a reserved memory is set that selects a variable pattern that results in a super reach, or when a lottery is held and a win is obtained.

[0389] Returning to Figure 2, the explanation will continue. The second symbol display device 83 displays a change by indicating whether or not the lottery for the normal symbol, which is carried out as the ball passes through the through gate 67, is being executed by lighting up, and displays a normal symbol (second symbol) according to the lottery result for the normal symbol as the stopping symbol after the change is completed by lighting up.

[0390] More specifically, the second symbol display device 83 displays a variable display that alternately lights up a "circle" symbol and an "x" symbol as the second symbol each time a ball passes through the through gate 67. The pachinko machine 10 is configured such that, when the variable display on the second symbol display device 83 stops on a predetermined symbol (the "circle" symbol in this embodiment), the electric device 640a associated with the second winning opening 640 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time, thereby making it easier for balls to enter the second winning opening 640. A maximum of four balls can be held through the through gate 67, and the number of held balls is displayed by the first symbol display device 37 and also illuminated by the second symbol holding lamp 84. Four second symbol holding lamps 84 are provided, corresponding to the maximum number of held balls, and are arranged symmetrically below the third symbol display device 81.

[0391] In addition, the variable display of the normal symbol (second symbol) may be performed by switching on and off a plurality of lamps in the second symbol display device 83 as in this embodiment, or may be performed using a part of the first symbol display device 37 and the third symbol display device 81. Similarly, the second symbol reserve lamp 84 may be lit by a part of the third symbol display device 81. Furthermore, as with the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640, the maximum number of reserved balls passing through the through gate 67 is not limited to four times, but may be set to three or less, or five or more times (e.g., eight times). Furthermore, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first symbol display device 37, the second symbol reserve lamp 84 may not be illuminated.

[0392] Below the variable display unit 80, a first winning slot 64 and a second winning slot 640 into which a ball can enter are disposed. When a ball enters the first winning slot 64 or the second winning slot 640, a first winning slot switch and a second winning slot switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 are turned on, and when the first winning slot switch and the second winning slot switch are turned on, a lottery for special symbol 1 and special symbol 2 is conducted by the main control device 110, and a display according to the lottery result is shown on the LED 37a of the first symbol display device 37. Furthermore, the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 640 are also winning slots into which five balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters each slot.

[0393] In this embodiment, the number of prize balls awarded when a ball enters the first prize slot 64 and the second prize slot 640 is the same, but this is not limiting and different numbers of prize balls may be awarded. For example, the number of prize balls awarded for the second prize slot 640 may be set to be greater than the number of prize balls awarded for the first prize slot 64, such that three prize balls are awarded when a ball enters the first prize slot 64 and four prize balls are awarded when a ball enters the second prize slot 640.

[0394] On the other hand, if the number of prize balls set for the second prize slot 640 is less than that of the first prize slot 64, it becomes possible to design the game so that more game balls enter the second prize slot 640 during the probability variation period or the time reduction, and the number of reserved balls for the special pattern 2 can be maintained at a larger number, allowing for more efficient play. Therefore, the play time during the time reduction and probability variation period can be shortened, and sales for the gaming parlor can be increased.

[0395] A variable prize-winning device 65 is disposed below the second prize-winning opening 640, and a horizontally elongated rectangular specific prize-winning opening (large open opening) 65a is provided in the approximate center of the variable prize-winning device 65. In the pachinko machine 10, when a special symbol lottery performed by the main control device 110 results in a jackpot, after a predetermined time (variable time) has elapsed, the LED 37a of the first symbol display device 37 is illuminated to show the jackpot stop symbol, and the third symbol stop symbol corresponding to the jackpot is displayed on the third symbol display device 81, indicating the occurrence of the jackpot. The game state then transitions to a special game state (16-round jackpot) in which a larger number of prize balls are paid out than usual. In this special game state, the specific prize-winning opening 65a, which is normally closed, is opened for a predetermined time (for example, until 30 seconds have elapsed or until 10 balls have been awarded).

[0396] This specific winning opening 65a is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, and after that closure, the specific winning opening 65a is opened again for a predetermined time. The opening and closing operation of this specific winning opening 65a can be repeated 16 times (16 rounds). The state in which this opening and closing operation is being performed is one form of a special game state that is advantageous to the player, and the player is paid out a larger number of prize balls than usual as an added gaming value (game value).

[0397] Specifically, the variable winning device 65 includes a horizontally elongated rectangular opening / closing plate that covers the specific winning opening 65a, and a large opening solenoid (not shown) that drives the opening / closing plate to open and close forward around the lower edge of the opening / closing plate. The specific winning opening 65a is normally in a closed state in which a ball cannot or does not easily win a prize. In the event of a jackpot, the large opening solenoid is driven to tilt the opening / closing plate downward toward the front, temporarily creating an open state in which a ball can easily win a prize in the specific winning opening 65a, and the device operates to alternate between this open state and the normal closed state.

[0398] The special game state is not limited to the above-described form. A large opening that opens and closes separately from the specific winning opening 65a may be provided in the game area, and when the LED 37a corresponding to a jackpot is lit in the first pattern display device 37, the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time, and when a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a while the specific winning opening 65a is open, the large opening provided separately from the specific winning opening 65a is opened for a predetermined time and a predetermined number of times, thereby forming a game state as a special game state.

[0399] At the left and right corners of the lower side of the game board 13, attachment spaces K1 and K2 are provided for attaching stamps, identification labels, etc., and the stamps, etc. attached to attachment space K1 can be seen through a small window 35 in the front frame 14 (see Figure 1).

[0400] Furthermore, the game board 13 is provided with an outlet 66. Balls that do not enter any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a are guided through the outlet 66 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The game board 13 is provided with a large number of nails to appropriately distribute and adjust the falling direction of the balls, and various components (gimmicks) such as windmills are also provided.

[0401] As shown in Fig. 3, the rear side of the pachinko machine 10 is mainly equipped with control board units 90, 91 and a back pack unit 94. The control board unit 90 is a unit equipped with a main board (main control device 110), a voice lamp control board (voice lamp control device 113), and a display control board (display control device 114). The control board unit 91 is a unit equipped with a payout control board (payout control device 111), a launch control board (launch control device 112), a power supply board (power supply device 115), and a card unit connection board 116.

[0402] The back pack unit 94 is a unit consisting of the back pack 92 that forms the protective cover and the payout unit 93. In addition, each control board is equipped with an MPU as a one-chip microcomputer that controls each function, ports for communicating with various devices, a random number generator used in various lotteries, a clock pulse generating circuit used for time counting and synchronization, etc. as needed.

[0403] The main control device 110, the voice lamp control device 113 and the display control device 114, the payout control device 111 and the launch control device 112, the power supply device 115, and the card unit connection board 116 are each housed in board boxes 100 to 104. The board boxes 100 to 104 are equipped with a box base and a box cover that covers the opening of the box base, and the box base and the box cover are connected to each other to house the respective control devices and boards.

[0404] Furthermore, the board box 100 (main control device 110) and the board box 102 (dispensing control device 111 and launch control device 112) have their box bases and box covers connected (connected by a crimping structure) by a sealing unit (not shown) so that they cannot be opened. A sealing seal (not shown) is attached to the connecting portion between the box base and the box cover, spanning the box base and the box cover. This sealing seal is made of a brittle material, and if an attempt is made to peel off the sealing seal to open the board box 100, 102 or to forcibly open the board box 100, 102, it will be cut into the box base side and the box cover side. Therefore, by checking the sealing unit or sealing seal, it is possible to know whether the board box 100, 102 has been opened.

[0405] The payout unit 93 comprises a tank 130 located at the top of the back pack unit 94 and opening upward, a tank rail 131 connected to the bottom of the tank 130 and gently sloping downstream, a case rail 132 connected vertically to the downstream side of the tank rail 131, and a payout device 133 provided at the most downstream part of the case rail 132 and dispensing balls using a predetermined electrical configuration of a payout motor 216 (see Figure 49). Balls are successively replenished in the tank 130 from the island equipment of the gaming hall, and the required number of balls are dispensed by the payout device 133 as appropriate. A vibrator 134 is attached to the tank rail 131 to impart vibrations to the tank rail 131.

[0406] In addition, the payout control device 111 is provided with a state restoration switch 120, the firing control device 112 is provided with a variable resistor operation knob 121, and the power supply device 115 is provided with a RAM deletion switch 122. The state restoration switch 120 is operated to resolve ball jamming (return to normal state) when a payout error occurs, such as ball jamming in the payout motor 216 (see Figure 49). The operation knob 121 is operated to adjust the firing force of the firing solenoid. The RAM deletion switch 122 is operated when the power is turned on to return the pachinko machine 10 to its initial state.

[0407] <Regarding the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10> Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to Figure 49. Figure 49 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10.

[0408] The main control unit 110 is equipped with an MPU 201, a one-chip microcomputer that is a calculation unit. The MPU 201 contains a ROM 202 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when the control programs stored in the ROM 202 are executed, and various other circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data transmission / reception circuit. Note that various commands are transmitted from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers, such as the dispensing control unit 111 and the voice lamp control unit 113, via the data transmission / reception circuit to instruct the sub-controllers to operate, but these commands are transmitted in only one direction, from the main control unit 110 to the sub-controllers.

[0409] The main control device ...

Claims

[Claim 1] a display means capable of displaying a performance mode; an operating means operable by a player; an information acquisition means for acquiring information based on the establishment of an acquisition condition; a storage means for storing the information acquired by the information acquisition means; a determination means for performing determination based on the information stored in the storage means; an identification information display means for displaying, on the display means, identification information indicating the determination result by the determination means; a bonus awarding means capable of awarding a bonus advantageous to a player; a determination means for determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied, The determining means determines that a specific determination result has been obtained, and when the determining means determines that a specific determination result has been obtained, the identification information display means displays specific identification information, When the specific identification information is displayed, the awarding of the benefit is executed, When a predetermined period of time has elapsed and a predetermined opportunity has been established, a specific performance mode can be displayed on the display means, a notification means for executing a notification effect to notify the player that the benefit will be provided when the benefit is provided; The notification effect is executed at a timing after the specific effect mode is displayed, The display is configured to display numerical information during the period in which the specific performance mode is displayed, The display device is configured to display first numerical information as the numerical information, The first numerical information is configured to reach the second numerical information as the game progresses, The system is configured to allow a player to understand that the specific presentation mode will end when the numerical information reaches the second numerical information, The notification effect is executed at a timing before the specific identification information is displayed, and third numerical information obtained by adding a predetermined value to the value of the second numerical information is displayed in a situation where the award is executed. A gaming machine characterized in that the predetermined opportunity can be realized by a predetermined operation by the operating means.

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