gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of efficiently changing a player's sight line.SOLUTION: A covering member 787 can switch a state in which a first main decoration surface 787a1 is easily visible and a state in which a first sub-decoration surface 787a2 is easily visible according to its arrangement, thus changing a player's sight line that is assumed to see the first main decoration surface 787a1 or the first sub-decoration surface 787a2 in a mode along a route of an arrangement change in the covering member 787. While the covering member 787 is allowed to be visible larger in this side when the covering member 787 is disposed in a center side of a center frame 86, movement of the sight line is allowed to be small when seeing the covering member 787 when the covering member 787 is disposed in an edge side of the center frame 86.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 54

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In gaming machines such as pachinko machines, The device is provided with a displacement means and a relative movement means configured to be capable of moving relative to the displacement means. There is an amusement machine (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-116782 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional gaming machines described above, There is room for improvement in terms of optimizing the movement of the relative movement means. The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, The movement of the relative movement means is preferably The purpose is to provide a gaming machine that can [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve this object, the gaming machine according to claim 1 comprises a displacement means configured to be displaceable, Change relative movement means configured to be capable of moving relative to the positioning means; , drive Generates power configured to be able to A driving means; a support means; A gaming machine comprising: A first portion of the relative movement means is engaged with the displacement means, and a predetermined portion of a second portion of the relative movement means is supported by the support means, and the gaming machine is The first section and the second section The displacement means Displacement so that it can be Configured to R, The displacement means displaces the first section. will be In this case, the direction of a straight line connecting a first position and a second position at which a specific portion of the second portion different from the predetermined portion of the second portion is displaced, and the direction of the straight line connecting a first position and a second position at which the displacing means displaces the second section will beIn this case, the directions of the straight lines connecting the third position and the fourth position to which the specific part is displaced are different, and the specific part can be configured to have a first state in which the displacement means is positioned in the first section and the specific part is positioned at the first position, and a second state in which the displacement means is positioned in the second section and the specific part is positioned at the fourth position, and the specific part can be changed from the first state to the second state by at least the driving force. configured to be And, At least a predetermined situation and a specific situation different from the predetermined situation can be configured as game situations, and the game device is provided with a predetermined presentation surface that can configure at least a predetermined pattern that can be seen in the predetermined situation where the driving force is generated and a specific pattern that can be seen in the specific situation where the driving force is not generated as much as in the predetermined situation, and is configured to be able to make the player aware that a predetermined value can be given to the player in a situation where the predetermined presentation surface is in the predetermined pattern, and is configured to be able to make the player aware that a specific value different from the predetermined value can be given to the player in a situation where the predetermined presentation surface is in the specific pattern. .

[0006]

[0007] [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the gaming machine of claim 1, The movement of the relative moving means is preferable. It is possible.

[0009]

[0010] [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [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] A front oblique view of the variable prize-winning device and the distribution device. [Figure 6] 10(a) and 10(b) are front perspective views of the variable winning device. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] An exploded front oblique view of the base plate, variable winning device, collecting gutter and sorting device. [Figure 10]An exploded rear oblique view of the base plate, variable winning device, collecting gutter and sorting device. [Figure 11] An exploded front oblique view of the variable winning device. [Figure 12] An exploded rear perspective view of the variable winning device. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device along line XVI-XVI in Figure 15. [Figure 17] A cross-sectional view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device along line XVII-XVII in Figure 15. [Figure 18] A cross-sectional view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device along line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 15. [Figure 19] A cross-sectional view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device along line XVII-XVII in Figure 15. [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device along line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 15. [Figure 21] A front view of the variable prize-winning device and the distribution device. [Figure 22] This is an oblique view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device as viewed in the direction of arrow XXII in Figure 16. [Figure 23] This is an oblique view of the variable prize winning device and the distribution device as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIII in Figure 16. [Figure 24] (a) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the ROM in the main control unit, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the first winning type counter and the type of jackpot for special patterns, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the second winning random number counter and the winning type for normal patterns. [Figure 25]This is a diagram showing the time-dependent changes in the operation pattern of the opening and closing plate of the variable winning device and the operation pattern of the slide displacement member of the distribution device in the first round for each type of jackpot. [Figure 26] FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a front view of the operation unit showing an example of the operation of the operation unit. [Figure 36] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first operating unit. [Figure 37] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit. [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a first operating unit. [Figure 39] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit. [Figure 40] FIG. 10 is a front view of the first operating unit in a standby state for effect. [Figure 41] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the first operating unit in a standby state for effect. [Figure 42] 41 is a side view of the first operating unit as seen in the direction of arrow XLII in FIG. 40. FIG. [Figure 43] A front view of the first operating unit in an intermediate performance state. [Figure 44] A rear view of the first operating unit in an intermediate performance state. [Figure 45] FIG. 10 is a front view of the first operating unit in the extended state. [Figure 46] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the first operating unit in the extended state. [Figure 47] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the amount and angle of displacement of a supported member caused by rotational displacement of a rotating member; [Figure 48] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the magnitude relationship of the displacement amount on the driven side of the supported member when the rotating member rotates in the tilting direction at a constant angular velocity. [Figure 49] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing changes in angle with rotation of a rotating member. [Figure 50] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a rear case and a second operating unit. [Figure 51] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of a rear case and a second operating unit. [Figure 52] 28. (a) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIIa-LIIa in FIG. 28, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIIb-LIIb in FIG. [Figure 53] 33A is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIIIa-LIIIa in FIG. 33, and FIG. 33B is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIIIb-LIIIb in FIG. [Figure 54] 30. (a) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIVa-LIVa in FIG. 30, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the second operating unit and the center frame taken along line LIVb-LIVb in FIG. [Figure 55] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the lifting and reversing performance device. [Figure 56] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the lifting and reversing performance device. [Figure 57]10(a) and 10(b) are front views of a transmission device holding plate, a top-bottom inversion member, an intermediate arm member, a linear motion plate member, and a shaft rotation member. [Figure 58] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the transmission device holding plate, the up-down inversion member, the intermediate arm member, the linear plate member and the axial rotation member taken along the line LVIIIa-LVIIIa in Figure 57(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the transmission device holding plate, the up-down inversion member, the intermediate arm member, the linear plate member and the axial rotation member taken along the line LVIIIb-LVIIIb in Figure 57(b). [Figure 59] (a) to (c) are front views of the performance device. [Figure 60] FIG. 10 is an exploded front perspective view of a part of the configuration of a third operating unit. [Figure 61] FIG. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of a part of the configuration of the third operating unit. [Figure 62] FIG. 10 is an exploded front perspective view of a part of the configuration of a third operating unit. [Figure 63] FIG. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of a part of the configuration of the third operating unit. [Figure 64] 10(a) and 10(b) are rear views of the outer rotating member and the intermediate arm member. [Figure 65] 10(a) and 10(b) are rear views of the outer rotating member and the intermediate arm member. [Figure 66] 10(a) and 10(b) are front views of the outer rotating member and the intermediate arm member. [Figure 67] 10(a) and 10(b) are front views of the outer rotating member and the intermediate arm member. [Figure 68] 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the arrangement of the lifting arm member, the driving mode of the drive motor, and the output of the detection sensor in time series. [Figure 69] 29 is a cross-sectional view of the third operating unit taken along line LXIX-LXIX in FIG. 28. [Figure 70] 10(a) to 10(d) are schematic front views of the operational units that explain examples of combined operations of the operational units in chronological order. [Figure 71]10(a) to 10(d) are schematic front views of the operational units that explain examples of combined operations of the operational units in chronological order. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 71, 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.

[0013] In the following explanation, the front side of the paper will be referred to as the front (front) side and the back side of the paper will be referred to as the rear (rear) side with respect to the pachinko machine 10 in the state shown in Fig. 1. Also, with respect to the pachinko machine 10 in the state shown in Fig. 1, the upper side will be referred to as the upper (upper) side, the lower side will be referred to as the lower (lower) side, the right side will be referred to as the right (right) side, and the left side will be referred to as the left (left) side. Furthermore, arrows UD, LR, and FB in the figure (see Fig. 2, for example) indicate the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-back direction of the pachinko machine 10, respectively.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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 (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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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 the 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.

[0018] 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 toward the front, and prize balls, loan balls, etc. are discharged onto this upper tray 17. The bottom of the upper tray 17 is formed to slope downward 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.

[0019] 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. Furthermore, 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The lower tray unit 15, located below the upper tray 17, has a lower tray 50 on its left side, 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 hit the ball into the front of the game board 13.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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. This 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 (not shown) is attached to the left side of the lower tray 50.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the game board 13 is constructed by assembling a number of nails for guiding balls (shown below the center frame 86, not shown in the upper half of the game area) and a windmill (not shown) on a base plate 60 that has been machined into an approximately square shape when viewed from the front, as well as rails 61, 62, a general prize opening 63, a first prize opening 64, a second prize opening 140, a variable prize opening device 65, a through gate 67, a variable display device unit 80, etc., and the peripheral portion of the board is attached to the back side of the inner frame 12 (see Figure 1).

[0026] The base plate 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and allows the player to see from the front side thereof the various structures arranged on the back side of the base plate 60. The general winning opening 63, the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the variable winning device 65 are arranged in through holes formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and are fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with tapping screws or the like.

[0027] The base plate 60 may be formed from a wooden plate member. In this case, it is possible to shield various structures disposed on the rear side of the base plate 60 from the front side of the center frame 86 so that they cannot be seen by the player.

[0028] The central front 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.

[0029] 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, also 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 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 in front of the gaming board 13. The gaming area is an area (an area where winning slots and the like are arranged and where shot balls flow down) defined in front of the gaming board 13 by the two rails 61, 62 and the resin outer edge member 73 connecting the rails.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 140. 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 140, the first symbol display device 37B is activated.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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 140. 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 probability jackpot, a 4R probability jackpot, and a 4R normal 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.

[0034] 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 "4R normal jackpot" refers to a jackpot that transitions to a low probability state after a jackpot with a maximum number of rounds of 4, and is in a time-saving state for a predetermined number of variations (for example, 100 variations).

[0035] Furthermore, the "high probability state" refers to a state in which the probability of a subsequent jackpot increases as an added value after a jackpot, i.e., during a so-called probability fluctuation (probability variable) period; in other words, a gaming state in which a transition to a special gaming state is likely. In this embodiment, the high probability state (probability variable) includes a gaming state in which the jackpot probability increases for a predetermined number of fluctuations (100 fluctuations in this embodiment), the probability of a hit with the second symbol (described later) increases, and the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 140. The "low probability state" refers to a state when the probability variable is not in effect, in which the jackpot probability is normal, i.e., a state in which the jackpot probability is lower than during a probability variable period. Furthermore, the time-saving state (time-saving state) within the "low probability state" refers to a gaming state in which the jackpot probability is normal, and the jackpot probability remains the same, but only the probability of a hit with the second symbol increases, making it more likely for a ball to enter the second winning slot 140. On the other hand, the pachinko machine 10 is in a normal state when it is not in a special mode or a time-saving mode (when neither the probability of a jackpot nor the probability of hitting the second symbol has increased).

[0036] In this embodiment, when it is determined that a gaming ball has passed through the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11 of the distribution device 300 (described later) in the first round of a jackpot game, the game state after the jackpot game ends will be in a high probability state for 100 fluctuations. Note that if it is not determined that a gaming ball has passed through the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11, the game state after the jackpot game ends will be in a time-shortened state for 100 fluctuations.

[0037] During the probability variation or time reduction, not only does the probability of winning the second symbol increase, but the time for which the electric device 140a (electric device) associated with the second winning slot 140 is opened is also changed and set to a longer time than during normal play. When the electric device 140a is in an open state (open state), it becomes easier for the ball to win the second winning slot 140 than when the electric device 140a is in a closed state (closed state). Therefore, during the probability variation or time reduction, it becomes easier for the ball to win the second winning slot 140, and the number of times the jackpot lottery is held can be increased.

[0038] During a probability variation or a time-saving period, instead of changing the opening time of the electric device 140a associated with the second winning slot 140, or in addition to changing the opening time, a change may be made to increase the number of times the electric device 140a 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 time during which the electric device 140a associated with the second winning slot 140 is opened and the number of times the electric device 140a opens per hit may be changed. Also, during a probability variation or a time-saving period, the time during which the electric device 140a associated with the second winning slot 140 is opened or the number of times the electric device 140a opens per hit may not be changed, but only the probability of winning the second symbol may be changed to be increased compared to normal.

[0039] The game area is provided with a plurality of general winning slots 63, through which 5 to 15 balls are paid out as prize balls when a ball enters the slot. A variable display unit 80 is also provided in the center of the game area. The variable display unit 80 includes a third symbol display device 81, which is 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 slot 64 and the second winning slot 140, and a second symbol display device (not shown) that is an LED that displays a variable second symbol in response to a ball passing through the through gate 67. A center frame 86 is also provided in the variable display unit 80, surrounding the outer periphery of the third symbol display device 81.

[0040] In this embodiment, the third pattern display device 81 is fastened and fixed to the rear case 510 so as to fill the opening 511a of the rear case 510 described later, and the center frame 86 is arranged to frame the window portion of the base plate 60. In other words, when viewed from the front, the center frame 86 appears to be arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the third pattern display device 81, but in reality, the third pattern display device 81 and the center frame 86 are arranged separately in the front and back.

[0041] The third symbol display device 81 is configured with a large liquid crystal display, for example, 9 inches in size, 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 first symbol display devices 37A and 37B display the game status in accordance with the control of the main control device 110 (see FIG. 4), the third symbol display device 81 of this embodiment displays decorative information in accordance with 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] The pachinko machine 10 is configured so that when the changing display on the second pattern display device stops at a predetermined pattern (in this embodiment, a ``circle'' pattern), the electric device 140a attached to the second winning port 140 is activated (opened) for a predetermined period of time.

[0044] 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 140a of the second winning slot 140. Therefore, during a probability variation or time-saving mode, it is possible to create a state in which it is easier for the ball to enter the second winning slot 140.

[0045] Note that, if the state is such that the ball is more likely to enter the second winning slot 140 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 140a opens per win, the time taken for the variable display of the second symbol may be kept constant regardless of the gaming state. On the other hand, if the time taken for the variable display of the second symbol is 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 140a opens per win may be kept constant regardless of the gaming state.

[0046] The through gates 67 are attached to the game board 13 in the left and right areas of the variable display unit 80, and are configured to allow a portion of the ball shot to the game board 13 to pass through. When the ball passes through the through gate 67, a lottery for a second symbol is held. After the lottery for a second symbol is held, a variable display is performed on the second symbol display device, and if the result of the lottery for a second symbol is a win, a "○" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display, and if the result of the lottery for a second symbol is a loss, an "X" symbol is displayed as the stopping symbol of the variable display.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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 portion of the first symbol display device 37A, 37B and the third symbol display device 81. Similarly, the second symbol reserve lamp may be lit by a portion 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 two, but may be, for example, one. Furthermore, the installation position of the through gate 67 is not limited to the left or right of the variable display device unit 80, but may be, for example, below the variable display device unit 80. Furthermore, since the number of reserved balls is indicated by the first symbol display device 37A, 37B, the second symbol reserve lamp may not be illuminated.

[0049] 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.

[0050] On the other hand, a second winning opening 140 into which a ball can enter is disposed below the first winning opening 64 as viewed from the front. When a ball enters this second winning opening 140, a second winning opening switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the game board 13 is turned on, and when the second winning opening switch is turned 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.

[0051] Furthermore, each of the first winning slot 64 and the second winning slot 140 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 140, 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 140 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 140 may be five.

[0052] An electric device 140a is attached to the second winning opening 140. This electric device 140a is configured to be able to open and close, and normally the electric device 140a is in a closed state (reduced state), making it difficult for the ball to win the second winning opening 140. On the other hand, when the second pattern display device displays a "○" pattern as a result of the variable display of the second pattern, which is triggered by the passage of the ball through the through gate 67, the electric device 140a is in an open state (expanded state), making it easier for the ball to win the second winning opening 140.

[0053] As described 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 required 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 140a is in the open state (expanded state) increases. Furthermore, during the probability variation and time-saving mode, the time that the electric device 140a 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 140 than during normal play.

[0054] 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 140 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 140 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 140, and is in a state where a ball can always win a prize.

[0055] Therefore, under normal circumstances, the electric device associated with the second winning slot 140 is often in a closed state, making it difficult to win at the second winning slot 140. 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 unit 80 (the so-called "left shot"), thereby gaining more opportunities to win the jackpot by winning at the first winning slot 64 and aiming to win the jackpot.

[0056] On the other hand, during the special mode or the time-saving mode, passing the ball through the through gate 67 tends to open the electric device 140a attached to the second winning slot 140, making it easier to win at the second winning slot 140. Therefore, it is more advantageous for the player to shoot the ball toward the second winning slot 140 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 140, resulting in a 15R special mode jackpot.

[0057] In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, the game board 13 is configured symmetrically, so it is possible to aim for the first winning slot 64 by "hitting to the right" and for the second winning slot 140 by "hitting to the left." Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment does not require the player to change the way the ball is shot between "hitting to the left" and "hitting to the right" 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). This eliminates the hassle of changing the way the ball is shot.

[0058] A variable winning device 65 (see FIG. 2) is disposed below the first winning opening 64, and a specific winning opening 65a is disposed in its approximate center. In the pachinko machine 10, when a jackpot lottery held due to a winning entry into the first winning opening 64 or the second winning opening 140 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).

[0059] 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).

[0060] 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 lower right or lower left of the first winning opening 64, but may also be, for example, to the left of the variable display unit 80.

[0061] 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).

[0062] The game board 13 is provided with outlets 71. Balls that flow down the game area but do not win in any of the winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 140 are guided through the outlet 71 to a ball discharge path (not shown). The outlets 71 are arranged in pairs on the left and right of the specific winning hole 65a.

[0063] The game board 13 has many nails planted on it to appropriately distribute and adjust the direction in which the balls fall, and is also equipped with various components (gimmicks) such as windmills (not shown).

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 when a power outage occurs; the same applies below) are stored in RAM 203. On the other hand, when the power is turned on (including when the power is 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 was turned off based on the information stored in RAM 203. Writing to RAM 203 is executed by main processing (not shown) when the power is turned off, and the restoration of each value written to RAM 203 is executed in start-up processing (not shown) when the power 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.

[0075] 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 opening and closing of the specific winning port 65a to the front side with the lower side of the opening / closing plate 65b (see FIG. 11) 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 main control device 110, display control device 114, audio output device 226, lamp display device 227, other devices 228, frame button 22, etc. are connected to the input / output port 225. The other devices 228 include drive motors 631, 731, 782, and 861.

[0083] 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, a back image change command including information about the changed stage is sent to the display control device 114 so that a back image corresponding to the changed stage is displayed on the third symbol display device 81. 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 sent from the voice lamp control device 113.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] Next, the structure around the variable winning device 65 will be described. Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300, and Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) are front perspective views of the variable winning device 65. Fig. 6(a) illustrates the closed state of the opening / closing plate 65b, in which the opening / closing plate 65b is closed to restrict the flow of balls down to the specific winning opening 65a, and Fig. 6(b) illustrates the open state of the opening / closing plate 65b, in which the opening / closing plate 65b is opened to allow the flow of balls down to the specific winning opening 65a. In the explanation of Figs. 5 and 6, Fig. 2 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0090] The variable winning device 65 is formed so that when the opening / closing plate 65b is in the open state (see Figure 6(b)), the upper surface of the opening / closing plate 65b slopes downward toward the back side so that it can receive balls that land on the opening / closing plate 65b and guide them to the specific winning opening 65a.

[0091] Since the electric device 140a is located above the center of the opening and closing plate 65b (see FIG. 2), the balls that land on the opening and closing plate 65b are limited to balls that deviate from the electric device 140a and flow down. In other words, balls do not land on the opening and closing plate 65b in the center, but mainly in the areas outside the electric device 140a. In other words, the placement of balls that land on the opening and closing plate 65b is limited to positions closer to the outside of the opening and closing plate 65b.

[0092] However, this does not apply to the placement of the ball after it lands on the opening / closing plate 65b. That is, depending on how the ball flows after it lands on the opening / closing plate 65b, it may end up being placed closer to the center of the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0093] In particular, in this embodiment, the front design member 141 (see FIG. 2) that covers the electric accessory 140a from the front side is curved so as to secure space on the opening / closing plate 65b side (it is formed as a curved surface that juts out downward as it moves from the lower end of the front end that faces the glass unit 16 (see FIG. 1) toward the rear side), so that the degree to which the momentum of a ball that bounces near the center of the opening / closing plate 65b collides with the front design member 141 and is reduced can be reduced. This increases the possibility that the ball will be positioned near the center of the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0094] The center of curvature of the curved shape of the lower part of the front design member 141 may be located either front or rear. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature in a side view is positioned at the front and lower side, thereby ensuring a larger space on the opening / closing plate 65b side. Also, the front design member 141 is shaped so that its width decreases toward the bottom at the left and right ends, making it easier to ensure space between the front design member 141 and the opening / closing plate 65b on the left and right sides.

[0095] When the opening / closing plate 65b is in the open state, balls that land on the opening / closing plate 65b are guided almost without exception to the specific winning opening 65a. On the front side of the ball passage hole 163b of the detection sensor SE1, an inclined flow lower surface 163a1 that slopes downward toward the rear is arranged at a vertical position that can guide the ball into the ball passage hole 163b.

[0096] The inclined flow down surface 163a1 is formed one step lower than the left and right ends of the lower surface 163a so that balls rolling outward to the left and right by the lower surface 163a can move over with less resistance. In order to reduce the flow resistance of balls that land on the opening / closing plate 65b outside the inclined flow down surface 163a1 to the left and right, guide plate portions 163a2 are formed on the outside of the inclined flow down surface 163a1.

[0097] The guide plate portion 163a2 is a plate-like portion extending forward and inward from the rear wall portion and left and right inner wall portions of the receiving member 163, and its front end surface is formed as an inclined surface that shifts rearward as it moves inward.

[0098] As a result, when a ball rolling on the opening / closing plate 65b abuts against the front end surface of the guide plate portion 163a2, the ball can be guided down along the inclination of the inclined surface, and the ball can be guided with little resistance to the inclined flow-down surface 163a1. Therefore, when the opening / closing plate 65b starts its closing operation with a ball on it, even if the ball is positioned outside the inclined flow-down surface 163a1 to the left or right, the degree to which the closing operation of the opening / closing plate 65b is hindered can be reduced.

[0099] In other words, the possibility of malfunctions such as, for example, the flow of balls becoming poor and preventing the closing of the opening / closing plate 65b from occurring, or a ball being blown backward by the closing action of the opening / closing plate 65b bouncing off the rear wall of the receiving member 163 and hitting the opening / closing plate 65b again, applying a load in the direction (forward) that causes the opening / closing plate 65b to open unintentionally, can be reduced.

[0100] When the opening / closing plate 65b moves from the open state to the closed state, the opening / closing plate 65b closes by rising up. That is, a ball that lands on the opening / closing plate 65b is guided (swallowed) to the specific winning opening 65a by the movement of the opening / closing plate 65b, so that the balls on the opening / closing plate 65b are guided to the specific winning opening 65a almost without exception, regardless of the left or right position of the ball on the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0101] In this case, if the balls on the opening / closing plate 65b are positioned on the left or right outer side, or if there are a large number of balls, the closing operation of the opening / closing plate 65b may be delayed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the shapes of the lower surface 163a of the receiving member 163, the inclined flow lower surface 163a1, and the guide plate portion 163a2 are devised, so the flow of balls guided to the specific winning opening 65a is not stagnated, and the closing operation of the opening / closing plate 65b can be maintained quickly.

[0102] Furthermore, instead of modifying the shape of the receiving member 163, the rolling surface of the opening / closing plate 65b on which the ball rests in the open state is formed flat (see FIG. 6(b)). Therefore, when the opening / closing plate 65b is in the open state, the ball that lands on the opening / closing plate 65b flows backward once, and then flows left and right due to the effect of the shape of the receiving member 163 and is guided into the ball passage hole 163b of the detection sensor SE1, which makes it easier to avoid the ball colliding with the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0103] That is, even if multiple balls land on the opening-closing plate 65b at the same time, the balls will first move backward in a parallel motion, thereby preventing the balls from colliding with each other on the opening-closing plate 65b. Therefore, compared to when the rolling surface of the opening-closing plate 65b is shaped like the lower surface 163a, which has a lateral inclination, causing a lateral flow of the rolling balls, the possibility of the balls moving irregularly on the opening-closing plate 65b can be reduced, thereby preventing unintended malfunctions.

[0104] The receiving member 163 is formed with contact surfaces 163a3 that come into contact with the pivoting tip ends at both left and right ends of the opening and closing plate 65b when the opening and closing plate 65b is in the closed state, thereby improving the reproducibility of the positioning of the opening and closing plate 65b. The contact surfaces 163a3 are formed as a pair on the left and right, and are designed to match the shape of the opening and closing plate 65b so as to allow for surface contact rather than point contact. This makes it easier to stabilize the positioning of the opening and closing plate 65b, and since the load at the time of contact is received by the surface, stress concentration can be avoided, thereby improving durability.

[0105] Further, an auxiliary abutment surface 163a4 is formed below the abutment surface 163a3 and has a surface shape that is substantially parallel to the opposing opening / closing plate 65b with a small gap therebetween. The auxiliary abutment surface 163a4 is provided as a fail-safe in case the abutment between the abutment surface 163a3 and the opening / closing plate 65b fails for some reason.

[0106] In this embodiment, a fixed member 161 that restricts the downward flow of the balls is disposed in front of the contact surface 163a3, and the balls are basically configured not to collide with the contact surface 163a3. However, for example, if the pivoting tip of the opening / closing plate 65b that contacts the contact surface 163a3 is chipped, it may become impossible to maintain the reproducibility of the position of the opening / closing plate 65b in the closed state.

[0107] In contrast, in this embodiment, when normal contact between the opening / closing plate 65b and the contact surface 163a3 cannot be maintained, the front-rear width portions at the left and right ends of the opening / closing plate 65b come into surface contact with the auxiliary contact surface 163a4, thereby maintaining the stability of the position of the opening / closing plate 65b. This improves the reproducibility of the position of the opening / closing plate 65b in the closed state.

[0108] The auxiliary abutment surface 163a4 may be configured to abut against the opening-closing plate 65b even when the abutment surface portion 163a3 has a normal shape. In this case, since the abutment surface portion 163a3 abuts against the opening-closing plate 65b even when the shape of the abutment surface portion 163a3 is normal, there may be a disadvantage that loads are likely to accumulate. However, since the area over which the load is distributed can be increased, it is possible to reduce the magnitude of the local load that the abutment surface portion 163a3 receives when it abuts against the opening-closing plate 65b.

[0109] When the opening / closing plate 65b moves from an open state to a closed state, the game balls that are on their way to being received by the opening / closing plate 65b can be configured to be received in a manner that pushes them into the opening / closing plate 65b due to the shape of the front design member 141 described above.

[0110] That is, if the ball comes into contact with the lower shape of the front design member 141 while being received (for example, while being sandwiched between the rotating tip of the opening / closing plate 65b and the opening frame of the specific winning opening 65a and sliding sideways), the ball can be guided by the curved shape to flow down into the specific winning opening 65a. This makes it easier to prevent the ball that has deviated from the opening / closing plate 65b from falling down the front side of the third flow path forming portion 336, making it easier to ensure visibility into the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0111] When the opening / closing plate 65b is in the closed state, balls do not land on the opening / closing plate 65b, so when the opening / closing plate 65b is in the closed state, the position of balls flowing down the front side of the opening / closing plate 65b is limited to the left and right outside of the electric device 140a.

[0112] Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when the opening and closing plate 65b is closed, the placement of the balls that flow down without being guided to the specific winning opening 65a can be limited to positions outside the left and right of the electric device 140a. This ensures visibility below the electric device 140a at positions inside the left and right ends of the electric device 140a.

[0113] Next, the configuration downstream of the specific winning opening 65a (the side where the ball that has passed through the specific winning opening 65a flows) will be described. Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the game board 13, and Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the game board 13. Note that Figures 7 and 8 show a state in which the configurations arranged on the base plate 60, other than the first winning opening 64, the second winning opening 140, and the variable winning device 65, have been removed.

[0114] As shown in Figure 8, a collecting gutter 150 is arranged at a rear position of the variable winning device 65 on the back side of the base plate 60, which forms a path for flowing balls that enter the first winning port 64, the second winning port 140 and the general winning port 63 (see Figure 2) to a ball discharge path (not shown).

[0115] The collecting gutter 150 has a groove-like portion that forms a flow path, and the front side of the groove-like portion that faces the base plate 60 is open. When this open portion is closed by the base plate 60, a path for flowing the balls to the ball discharge path is completed.

[0116] The collecting gutter 150 comprises a first flow path section 151 that forms a flow path for balls that enter the first winning opening 64, a second flow path section 152 that forms a path for balls that enter the second winning opening 140, and a plurality of third flow path sections 153 that form flow paths on the left and right for balls that enter the general winning openings 63 located on both the left and right sides.

[0117] The first flow path section 151 is configured as a flow path that slopes downward and left from a position behind the first winning opening 64, and the second flow path section 152 is configured as a flow path that slopes downward and right from a position behind the second winning opening 140. The third flow path section 153 is configured as a flow path that extends below the general winning opening 63.

[0118] Therefore, when viewed from the front, the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 are configured to be located in the left-right center position of the game area, but the flow of balls that enter the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140 is directed from the left-right center position to the left-right outer sides by the collecting gutter 150. This makes it possible to provide space below the first winning opening 64 and the second winning opening 140, and this space can be used to install the variable winning device 65 and the distribution device 300, which will be described later.

[0119] Fig. 9 is an exploded front perspective view of the base plate 60, the variable winning device 65, the collecting gutter 150, and the sorting device 300, and Fig. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of the base plate 60, the variable winning device 65, the collecting gutter 150, and the sorting device 300. Note that Figs. 9 and 10 only show the lower half of the base plate 60, omitting to show other parts, and omitting to show other components assembled to the base plate 60, so that the base of the base plate 60 can be seen. Also, for ease of explanation, Fig. 9 shows the center frame 86 assembled to the base plate 60.

[0120] The following describes the fixing of the variable winning device 65, collecting gutter 150, and sorting device 300. The variable winning device 65 is disposed in a through-hole formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and is fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with a tapping screw or the like. The collecting gutter 150 is disposed in a through-hole formed in the base plate 60 by router processing, and is fixed from the back side of the game board 13 with a tapping screw or the like.

[0121] The sorting device 300 has the insertion holes 311 fastened to the variable winning device 65 at the top, and the insertion holes 331 fastened to the collecting gutter 150 at the left and right. In other words, unlike the variable winning device 65 and the collecting gutter 150, which are fixed directly to the base plate 60, the presence or absence of the sorting device 300 does not affect the completion of the game board 13.

[0122] In other words, the variable winning device 65 and the collecting gutter 150 in this embodiment can be used as is whether the sorting device 300 is installed or not. This allows the variable winning device 65 and the collecting gutter 150 to be used in common regardless of whether the sorting device 300 is installed or not.

[0123] Next, details of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 will be described. The variable winning device 65 is configured to be able to receive balls from the game area through the specific winning opening 65a, and the sorting device 300 forms a flow path along which the balls received by the variable winning device 65 flow. In this embodiment, the profit obtained by the player is controlled to change based on the detection result of the balls flowing through the flow path of the sorting device 300, and details will be described later.

[0124] 11 is an exploded front perspective view of the variable winning device 65, and Fig. 12 is an exploded rear perspective view of the variable winning device 65. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the variable winning device 65 includes a fixed member 161 fixed from the front side of the game board 13 with a tapping screw or the like, a front design member 162 arranged on the front side of the fixed member 161 and fastened to the fixed member 161, a receiving member 163 arranged on the back side of the fixed member 161, fastened to the fixed member 161, and configured to be able to receive balls that have passed through the specific winning opening 65a, an intervening member 164 arranged on the back side of the receiving member 163, fastened to the receiving member 163, and intervening as a connecting part with the sorting device 300, and a state switching device 165 arranged on the back side of the receiving member 163, fastened to the receiving member 163, and configured to be able to switch the open / closed state of the opening / closing plate 65b depending on whether or not electricity is applied.

[0125] The fixed member 161 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and its front side is flat except for the through holes for inserting screws, the fastening position with the front design member 162, and the specific winning opening 65a. On the other hand, the rear side of the fixed member 161 has a three-dimensional shape that protrudes toward the rear side inside the thin-walled portion that abuts the base plate 60 on the outer periphery.

[0126] In particular, the boundary portion 161a with the thin-walled portion is formed in a horizontally elongated, approximately elliptical frame shape, and a through-hole large enough to accommodate this boundary portion 161a is formed through the base plate 60. In other words, the boundary portion 161a is the portion that is inserted into the through-hole of the base plate 60.

[0127] Inside the boundary portion 161a, a specific winning opening 65a and an extended support plate 161b are formed, which are composed of a pair of left and right roughly T-shaped portions, each having a horizontally elongated plate-like portion that extends rearward slightly below the lower edge of the specific winning opening 65a and is parallel to the lower edge of the specific winning opening 65a, and a vertically elongated plate-like portion that extends downward midway through the horizontally elongated plate-like portion.

[0128] The extended support plate 161b functions to support both the area behind the specific winning opening 65a and the flow path of the sorting device 300, which will be described later. A protruding support portion 161c protruding from the horizontally elongated plate portion of the extended support plate 161b, a protruding support portion 161d protruding from the vertically elongated plate portion of the extended support plate 161b, and a protruding support portion 161e protruding from the upper surface of the lower edge of the boundary portion 161a all function as portions that support the sorting device 300, and details will be described later.

[0129] Inside the boundary portion 161a, the symmetrical protrusion portion 161f, which is protruded in a symmetrical shape below the center position on the left and right of the specific winning opening 65a, has the function of abutting against the balls flowing down the sorting device 300 and guiding the balls as they flow down.

[0130] A plurality of through holes 161g for inserting fastening screws that are threaded into the front design component 162 are arranged inside and outside the boundary portion 161a. A plurality of fastened portions 161h having female thread portions for threading the fastening screws that are threaded into the receiving component 163 are arranged inside the boundary portion 161a.

[0131] The fastening portion 161i, which has a female thread portion for threading in the fastening screw inserted into the intervening member 164, is arranged outside the boundary portion 161a at the gap (center position between the left and right) of the boundary portion 161a. In other words, the fastening portion 161i is arranged at the connecting portion (see FIG. 9) between the through hole for inserting the boundary portion 161a and the through hole for inserting the second winning opening 140 and the electric role device 140a, among the through holes formed in the base plate 60.

[0132] The front design element 162 is made of a light-transmitting resin material, and the front side is formed in a flat shape to make the distance to the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) uniform. The balls can flow down the area between the back side of the front design element 162 and the front side of the fixed element 161.

[0133] The rear side of the front design member 162 is provided with a plurality of fastening portions 162a which are arranged at positions that align with the through holes 161g of the fixed member 161 and have female threaded portions formed so that fastening screws inserted into the through holes 161g can be screwed in, and a plurality of extension portions 162b, 162c which extend to the rear side in a shape that covers the fastening portions 162a from above.

[0134] The extension portions 162b and 162c prevent balls flowing down between the fixed member 161 and the front design member 162 from directly colliding with the fastened portion 162a, thereby improving the durability of the fastened portion 162a.

[0135] Furthermore, by forming the upper surfaces of the extensions 162b and 162c as inclined surfaces, the flow path of the balls can be restricted. That is, by forming the upper surfaces of the extensions 162b (two locations on the left and right center sides) that extend near the left and right edges of the specific winning opening 65a as inclined surfaces that slope downward outward to the left and right, it is possible to prevent balls that land on the extensions 162b from flowing toward the specific winning opening 65a. That is, a ball that landed on the extensions 162b falls downward on the left and right outside of the extensions 162b, and then flows down along the inner rail 61 (see FIG. 2) toward the outlet 71.

[0136] Furthermore, by forming the upper surfaces of extension portions 162c (two portions on both the left and right ends) that extend to both the left and right ends as inclined surfaces that slope downwards inwardly to the left and right, the flow path of the balls that flow on extension portion 162c can be unified with the flow path of the balls that flow on extension portion 162b. This makes it possible to narrow the area in which the flowing balls are arranged compared to the number of balls flowing down (increasing the ball arrangement density), and to secure areas where visibility is not obstructed by the balls (space where no flow path is formed).

[0137] 11 is plain and has good visibility on the back side, but the front design element 162 does not have to be plain. For example, the front side of the front design element 162 may be decorated by attaching a sticker with a pattern or character, or the front design element 162 may have grooves with a geometric pattern carved into it, and the geometric pattern may be made visible by shining light into the grooves. Furthermore, the front design element 162 may be plain or may have the above-mentioned decorations added, and then be configured to be opaque.

[0138] The receiving member 163 is formed from a light-transmitting resin material in the shape of a horizontally long frame (or box) with an open front side, and is equipped with the above-mentioned guide plate portion 163a2, a contact surface portion 163a3, an auxiliary contact surface 163a4, a lower surface portion 163a that forms a flow-down surface inside the frame, a ball passing hole 163b that is arranged as a through hole through which balls that have flowed down the lower surface portion 163a can pass, a plurality of insertion holes 163c that are positioned to match the fastening portions 161h of the fixed member 161 and through which fastening screws that are fastened to the fastening portions 161h are inserted from the back side, a pair of fastening portions 163d that are female threaded portions that are arranged on the left-right center side and into which fastening screws that are inserted into the intervening member 164 are screwed, and a plurality of fastening portions 163e that have female threaded portions into which fastening screws that are inserted into the state switching device 165 are screwed.

[0139] The lower surface portion 163a is formed as a left and right inclined surface that slopes downward outward to the left and right with the center of the left and right as an apex, and is provided with an inclined flow lower surface 163a1 that slopes downward to the rear at a position one step below the outer left and right ends of the left and right inclined surfaces, so that balls flowing down the rear end of the inclined flow lower surface 163a1 can pass through the ball passage hole 163b with little resistance.

[0140] The ball passing hole 163b is a detection hole formed in the detection sensor SE1 that is engaged with the rear side of the receiving member 163. That is, the passage of the ball through the ball passing hole 163b is detected by the detection sensor SE1.

[0141] The intervening member 164 is formed from a light-transmitting resin material and includes a main body 164a having a light-refractive surface that slopes downward toward the rear, a pair of insertion holes 164b formed through the upper part of the main body 164a and into which fastening screws that are screwed into the fastening portions 163d of the receiving member 163 can be inserted, a light-emitting substrate 164c that is positioned above the insertion holes 164b and on which LEDs are arranged, a pair of fastening portions 164d formed at both left and right ends of the lower end of the main body 164a and have female threaded portions into which fastening screws that are inserted into the distribution device 300 can be screwed, and an insertion hole 164e formed through the upper part of the main body 164a and into which fastening screws that are screwed into the fastening portions 161i of the fixed member 161 can be inserted.

[0142] The light emitting board 164c is disposed with the surface on which the LEDs are arranged facing diagonally upward and forward, and in the assembled state is disposed directly above the specific winning opening 65a when viewed from the front (see FIG. 6) and directly below the second winning opening 140. Due to this arrangement, the light from the light emitting board 164c easily enters the field of view of a player who is gazing diagonally downward and rearward at the location hoping for a ball to land in the second winning opening 140 or the specific winning opening 65a.

[0143] Therefore, by controlling the LED of the light-emitting substrate 164c to light up when a ball is detected entering the second winning port 140 or the specific winning port 65a, the player can easily understand whether or not a ball has entered the second winning port 140 or the specific winning port 65a.

[0144] With the above-described configuration, the intervening member 164 is fastened to both the fixed member 161 and the receiving member 163. This allows the fixed member 161 and the receiving member 163 to be more firmly fixed together than when the fixed member 161 and the receiving member 163 are only fastened together. Furthermore, since the arrangement of the sorting device 300, which is connected and fixed to the fixed member 161 and the receiving member 163 via the intervening member 164, can be stabilized, it is possible to suppress relative positional deviation between the fixed member 161, the receiving member 163, and the sorting device 300.

[0145] The state switching device 165 has a plurality of insertion portions 165a through which fastening screws that are threaded into the fastened portions 163e of the receiving member 163 are inserted, and is equipped with a lower case portion 165b that is formed in a deep box shape with an open top and a plurality of openings for passing wiring and for heat dissipation, an electromagnetic solenoid 165c housed in the lower case portion 165b, a sliding portion 165d that engages with the tip of the plunger of the electromagnetic solenoid 165c and slides together with the plunger, a rotating portion 165e that is rotatably supported on the lower case portion 165b in an arrangement such that the rotating tip protrudes from the front end of the lower case portion 165b and rotates as the sliding portion 165d slides, and an upper cover portion 165g that is fastened and fixed to the lower case portion 165b by fastening screws that are inserted into a plurality of insertion holes 165f.

[0146] The tip of the rotating part 165e is recessed so that the rod-shaped part can engage with it, and a transmission protrusion 65c protruding rightward from the right end of the opening-closing plate 65b fits into this recess and engages with it. The transmission protrusion 65c is positioned eccentrically from a metal shaft rod 65d that forms the rotation axis for the opening and closing movement of the opening-closing plate 65b. With this configuration, the opening and closing movement of the opening-closing plate 65b can be caused to occur in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating part 165e.

[0147] 13 and 14 are exploded front perspective views of the sorting device 300. Fig. 13 shows a perspective view of the sorting device 300 seen from above, and Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of the sorting device 300 seen from below.

[0148] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the sorting device 300 includes an upper member 310 having a pair of insertion holes 311 formed therethrough so that fastening screws that are screwed into the fastened portions 164d of the intervening member 164 can be inserted therethrough, a middle member 330 that is fastened and fixed to the upper member 310 in the vertical direction and has a pair of insertion holes 331 formed therethrough so that fastening screws that are screwed into the female threaded portions of the collecting gutter 150 can be inserted therethrough, a substrate 350 that is housed between the middle member 330 and the upper member 310 and has a light emitting means 351 such as an LED disposed on the front side, and the middle member 330. The state switching device 360 ​​is accommodated at a position between the upper member 310 and configured to be able to switch its state depending on whether or not electricity is applied; a sliding displacement member 370 is arranged below the middle member 330 and slides back and forth between a front position and a rear position as the state switching device 360 ​​switches its state; and a lower member 380 is arranged below the middle member 330 so as to sandwich the sliding displacement member 370 between it and the middle member 330, and has an insertion hole 381 formed therethrough so that a fastening screw threaded into the female thread portion of the collecting gutter 150 can be inserted.

[0149] Before describing the details of the configuration of each part, we will explain an outline of the function of the sorting device 300. The sorting device 300 is a device that forms a flow path along which balls that have passed through the ball passing hole 163b (see FIG. 12) of the detection sensor SE1 flow down.

[0150] The balls that pass through the ball passage hole 163b flow down through the interior of the upper member 310, the flow path configuration sections 334, 335, and 336 formed between the upper member 310 and the middle member 330, and then the interior of the lower member 380, and the balls that flow down from the lower member 380 are discharged into a ball discharge path (not shown).

[0151] The balls flowing down inside the distribution device 300 are configured to be visible to the player, and the way they flow down not only provides a dramatic effect that is pleasing to the player's eyes, but also has an effect related to gaming profits, such as bringing about changes in the profits that the player can obtain.

[0152] The difference in the manner in which the balls flow down inside the sorting device 300 is mainly due to the arrangement of the slide displacement member 370. That is, when the balls flow down from the middle member 330 to the lower member 380, the arrangement of the slide displacement member 370 affects which part of the lower member 380 the balls pass through.

[0153] Therefore, the player's gaze will naturally tend to be focused on the location where the ball flows down from the middle member 330 to the lower member 380 (the location where the slide displacement member 370 is located, as will be described later), so in this embodiment, measures have been taken that take into account the concentration of the gaze.

[0154] Next, the details of the configuration of each part of the sorting device 300 will be described. The upper member 310 is a thin member that is made of a light-transmitting resin material and has a U-shape when viewed from above, and includes the above-mentioned insertion hole 311, a pair of openings 312 formed therethrough so as to be able to receive balls, a pair of colored (red in this embodiment) transparent seal members 313 that are attached as markers, a pair of upper surface portions 314 that extend from the lower edge of the openings 312 along the outer periphery to the front side, a plurality of insertion tube portions 315 that have through holes through which fastening screws that will be screwed into the middle member 330 can be inserted, a fastened portion 316 that has a female thread through which the fastening screws inserted into the middle member 330 can be screwed, and the upper member 310. 10 downward from the underside of the upper member 310, a pair of long front-rear protrusions 317 which are elongated in the front-rear direction and arranged side by side on the left and right, a pair of left and right inner protrusions 318 which are elongated in the left-right direction and protrude downward from the underside of the upper member 310, and are arranged between the pair of long front-rear protrusions 317, a pair of left and right outer protrusions 319 which are elongated in the left-right direction and protrude downward from the underside of the upper member 310, and are arranged outside the pair of long front-rear protrusions 317 on the left and right sides, and an accommodating recess 320 which is formed as a recess large enough to accommodate the upper part of the substrate 350.

[0155] The opening 312 is a passage-like portion (tunnel-like portion) that receives balls that have passed through the ball passage hole 163b of the variable winning device 65 and allows them to flow downward, and its upper front edge is shaped like it has been cut with an inclined surface so that it is flush with the back surface of the plate of the detection sensor SE1 (see Figure 12) in an inclined position. This allows the upper front edge of the opening 312 to come into contact with the back surface of the plate of the detection sensor SE1.

[0156] Furthermore, the opening 312 is formed to an extent that it does not penetrate into the inside of the opening of the sphere passing hole 163b when viewed from the opening direction of the sphere passing hole 163b. This reduces the flow resistance when guiding the spheres that have passed through the sphere passing hole 163b to the opening 312.

[0157] The seal member 313 receives light irradiated from the light emitting means 351 of the substrate 350 and becomes dazzlingly visible, thereby functioning as a member that attracts the attention of players, as will be described in detail later.

[0158] The upper surface portion 314 is a thin plate portion that is sloped to match the path of the ball below the upper member 310. The first upper surface portion 314a, which is located on the front side of the opening 312, is sloped downward toward the front side, and the second upper surface portions 314b, which are connected to the front end of the first upper surface portion 314a and located on the left and right inner sides, are sloped downward toward the left and right inner sides. The left and right distance between the second upper surface portions 314b is configured to be longer toward the front, thereby ensuring a clear field of view for the player viewing the ball through the second upper surface portions 314b.

[0159] A counterbore for receiving the head of the fastening screw is formed on the upper surface of the insertion tube portion 315. Therefore, even though the fastening screw is inserted from above, it is possible to easily prevent the head of the fastening screw from being visible to the player.

[0160] The insertion tube portion 315 is disposed at a position that matches a fastening portion 332d having a female thread portion formed in the inner member 330. In particular, the fastening portion 332d corresponding to the left insertion tube portion 315 also serves as a support portion that supports the rotating portion 363, as will be described in detail later.

[0161] The fastening screws that are screwed into the fastening portion 316 are positioned with the threaded portion facing upward and the screw head facing downward. Therefore, even though the fastening portion 316 is configured to be positioned on the front side, the screw heads are made less noticeable to players viewing from diagonally above. This makes it possible to securely fasten the upper member 310 and the middle member 330 together while preventing the fastening screws from spoiling the appearance of the sorting device 300.

[0162] The reason why the fastening portion 316 is formed only on the right side is that, since the insertion tube portions 315 are already arranged in two places on the rear side, one fastening position on the front side is sufficient, and although the screw heads are facing downward and are not very noticeable, omitting them if unnecessary improves the appearance of the sorting device 300. However, the arrangement of the fastening portion 316 is not limited to this. For example, it may be arranged on the left side, or it may be arranged in a pair on the left and right.

[0163] The fastened portion 316 is positioned to avoid the path of the balls flowing down and to minimize any deterioration in the appearance of the sorting device 300, as will be described in detail later.

[0164] The undersides of each pair of long front-rear projections 317, inner left-right projections 318, and outer left-right projections 319 are curved so that they slope downward as they move away from the same reference point. These curved surfaces have different shapes for long front-rear projections 317, inner left-right projections 318, and outer left-right projections 319, and the difference in shape is intended to control the way the ball flows down.

[0165] The central member 330 comprises the pair of insertion holes 331 described above, a rear frame-shaped portion 332 formed in a frame shape (approximately box-shaped) having a lower bottom at the rear side, a pair of front frame-shaped portions 333 formed in a frame shape (approximately box-shaped) having a lower bottom at the front side, a pair of first flow path forming portions 334 recessed on the left and right outer sides of the front frame-shaped portion 333 to form a flow path for the balls, a pair of second flow path forming portions 335 connected to the front ends of the first flow path forming portions 334 to form a flow path for the balls and recessed in front of the front frame-shaped portion 333, and a pair of third flow path forming portions 336 connected to the left and right inner ends of the second flow path forming portions 335 to form a flow path for the balls and recessed on the left and right inner sides of the front frame-shaped portion 333.

[0166] The central member 330 also includes a discharge hole 337 that is elongated in the left-right direction and penetrates the lower base at the rear side of the rear end of the third flow path component 336, and functions as a discharge path for the balls; a partition plate portion 338 that is formed in the shape of a long plate in the front-to-rear direction so as to separate the discharge hole 337 and the third flow path component 336 into left and right portions; and a pair of alignment protrusions 339 that protrude as elongated rectangular protrusions in the left-to-right direction from the lower surface at the rear end of the third flow path component 336.

[0167] Unlike the front portion which forms a path for the balls to flow down, the rear frame portion 332 does not form a path for the balls to flow down, but is mainly configured as a portion supporting the substrate 350 and the state switching device 360. The rear frame portion 332 includes an arrangement through-hole 332a which is formed to penetrate in the up-down direction at the front end of the left-right center portion and is configured to allow the slide displacement member 370 to be arranged therein, a guide hole 332b which is formed to penetrate in the lower bottom portion as a long through-hole in the left-right direction and guides the slide displacement of the guided portion 362c of the state switching device 360, a plurality of fastened portions 332c which have female threaded portions formed so that fastening screws inserted into the lower member 380 can be threaded therein, and a cylindrical fastened portion 332d which has at its upper tip a female threaded portion into which a fastening screw inserted into the insertion tube portion 315 of the upper member 310 can be threaded.

[0168] The front frame portion 333 has a light diffusion treatment applied to the inside of the frame and the front and back surfaces of the lower bottom, which reduces visibility of the far side of the front frame portion 333. The front frame portion 333 is formed in a frame shape that is roughly square when viewed from above, and has insertion holes 333a formed as countersunk holes through which fastening screws that are threaded into the fastened portions 316 of the upper member 310 can be inserted.

[0169] The first flow path component 334, the second flow path component 335, and the third flow path component 336 are each parts that form the flow path of the balls, and are designed so that the flow direction and inclination angle of the balls differ, but details will be given later.

[0170] The open portion 335a, which is open on the front side at the connection position between the second flow path forming portion 335 and the third flow path forming portion 336, is a gap that allows the symmetrical protrusion portion 161f (see FIG. 12) of the variable winning device 65 to enter. In other words, the symmetrical protrusion portion 161f is positioned to enter the inside of the flow path through the open portion 335a so that it can abut against the balls flowing down the sorting device 300.

[0171] Discharge holes 337 are configured as a pair of left and right holes separated by partition plate portion 338, and are formed to a size that allows balls to be discharged in at least two paths. That is, the left and right length is at least twice the diameter of the ball. In this embodiment, multiple detection sensors SE1 are arranged side by side on lower member 380, which is disposed below discharge holes 337, so the shape of discharge holes 337 can be designed to match the arrangement of the ball through holes of those detection sensors SE1.

[0172] The partition plate portion 338 not only functions to separate the third flow path forming portion 336 as described above, but also functions as a guide portion that guides the displacement of the slide displacement member 370, as will be described in detail later. The alignment protrusion portion 339 is fitted with the protrusion portion 383a of the lower member 380 and is a portion that prevents misalignment between the middle member 330 and the lower member 380, as will be described in detail later.

[0173] The substrate 350 is formed in an inverted T shape with the lower portion 353 being laterally longer than the upper portion 352, and has a recessed portion 354 for alignment at the lower end on the left side of the lower portion 353.

[0174] The recessed portion 354 engages with a corresponding portion of the internal shape of the middle member 330 to determine left-right positioning, the long left-right lower portion 353 is supported by being sandwiched from the front and rear by the rear frame-shaped portion 332 of the middle member 330 to determine front-rear positioning, and the upper portion 352 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 320 of the upper member 310 to prevent it from falling off upwards, thereby fixing the arrangement; details of this arrangement, along with the intention behind the arrangement of the light-emitting means 351, will be described later.

[0175] The state switching device 360 ​​is a device housed in the rear frame-shaped portion 332 of the central member 330, and includes an electromagnetic solenoid 361, a sliding portion 362 that engages with the tip of a plunger supported by the electromagnetic solenoid 361 so as to be displaced linearly in the left-right direction and slides together with the plunger, and a rotating portion 363 that is supported rotatably by being inserted into the fastened portion 332d on the left side and rotates in accordance with the sliding displacement of the sliding portion 362.

[0176] The slide portion 362 includes a recessed portion 362a that is recessed so as to be able to receive the disk portion 361a at the tip of the plunger of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 from above, a protruding portion 362b that protrudes to the right from the right side surface, and a guided portion 362c that protrudes downward from the center of the front and rear of the lower surface and is formed with an oval cross section that is long in the left-right direction.

[0177] Since the disc portion 361a supports the slide portion 362 from above in the direction in which the recessed portion 362a is formed, it is possible to prevent the slide portion 362 from falling off upward. Therefore, the arrangement of the slide portion 362 can be maintained between the disc portion 361a and the lower bottom portion of the inner member 330 without fixing the slide portion 362 to the disc portion 361a with an adhesive or the like.

[0178] The guided portion 362c is a portion that prevents the displacement direction of the sliding portion 362 from deviating from the left-right direction by being inserted into the guide hole 332b of the inner member 330. In particular, in this embodiment, the guided portion 362c is formed long in the left-right direction, and therefore, engagement between the guided portion 362c and the guide hole 332b can maintain the posture of the sliding portion 362. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the guided portion 362c is not necessarily limited to this, and may be, for example, circular or rectangular.

[0179] The rotating portion 363 is formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from above, and includes a support tube portion 363a formed in a long cylindrical shape in the vertical direction at the connection portion of the L-shape and having a through hole large enough to insert the fastened portion 332d of the central member 330, an upper cylindrical portion 363b protruding cylindrically upward from the tip of the short side of the L-shape and inserted into the through hole of the protrusion portion 362b, and a lower cylindrical portion 363c protruding cylindrically downward from the tip of the long side of the L-shape and inserted into the recessed portion 378 of the slide displacement member 370.

[0180] With the above-described configuration, the rotating portion 363 is configured to be rotatable around the support cylinder portion 363a as a central axis. Displacement of this rotating portion 363 occurs due to a change in the state of the electromagnetic solenoid 361. That is, when the plunger slides and displaces and the slide portion 362 displaces in the left-right direction by energizing the electromagnetic solenoid 361, the upper cylindrical portion 363b inserted into the through-hole of the protruding portion 362b is displaced, and accordingly the lower cylindrical portion 363c is displaced, resulting in displacement of the slide displacement member 370.

[0181] The sliding displacement member 370 is a member supported so as to be able to slide and displace in the front-to-rear direction at a position between the middle member 330 and the lower member 380, and comprises a thin plate portion 371 that is supported by being sandwiched from above and below between the lower bottom portion of the rear frame-shaped portion 332 of the middle member 330 and the lower member 380, a pair of upper protruding portions 376 that protrude upward from the thin plate portion 371 on the left and right, and a recessed portion 378 that is recessed at the protruding end of the protruding portion that protrudes upward at the center of the left and right rear of the upper protruding portions 376 and is formed so as to be able to receive the lower cylindrical portion 363c of the rotating portion 363.

[0182] The thin plate portion 371 is provided with a pair of supported holes 371a formed on the left and right sides in the rear half portion, a recessed portion 372 recessed from the front end portion in the left-right center portion to a long length in the front-to-rear direction with a left-to-right width shorter than the spacing between the upper protrusions 376, a pair of lower protrusions 373 protruding downward in the form of protrusions along the edges of the recessed portion 372, a plurality of upper and lower protrusions 374 protruding in both the up and down directions in the form of protrusions along the left and right edges of the rear half portion, and a cylindrical protrusion 375 protruding downward from the rear end portion in a cylindrical shape and inserted into a long guide hole 386 of the lower member 380.

[0183] The lower protrusion 373 and the upper and lower protrusions 374 are intended to face and slide against the central member 330 or the lower member 380 arranged above and below, and are protrusions for reducing the contact area with the central member 330 and the lower member 380 compared to flat contact. Reducing the contact area reduces the displacement resistance of the sliding displacement member 370, making it possible to prevent the displacement speed of the sliding displacement member 370 from slowing down.

[0184] The upper protruding portion 376 is a columnar portion that is generally trapezoidal in front view, and is disposed so as to pass through the disposition through-hole 332a and extend above the lower bottom portion of the rear frame portion 332. The width length of the gaps on the left and right inner sides of the upper protruding portion 376 is designed to be slightly longer than the left and right thicknesses of the partition plate portion 338 of the central member 330. With this configuration, the partition plate portion 338 can guide the displacement of the upper protruding portion 376.

[0185] In other words, the upper protrusions 376 are arranged in the left-right inner gaps so as to sandwich the partition plate 338, and are configured to suppress misalignment in the left-right direction by abutting against the partition plate 338. This makes it possible to effectively guide the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370, and to maintain the displacement direction of the sliding displacement member 370 in the front-rear direction.

[0186] The recessed portion 378 is formed as a long hole elongated in the left-right direction so as to accommodate the displacement of the lower cylindrical portion 363c of the rotating portion 363 required to cause the sliding displacement member 370 to displace in the front-rear direction.

[0187] The protruding portion in which the recessed portion 378 is formed is configured to pass through the placement through-hole 332a and enter above the lower bottom portion of the rear frame-shaped portion 332, so that the lower cylindrical portion 363c of the rotating portion 363 can be easily inserted into the recessed portion 378.

[0188] In this way, the shape of the placement through hole 332a is designed as a through hole having a shape that includes the entire area within which the upper protruding portion 376, which is intended to be inserted, and the protruding portion in which the recessed portion 378 is formed, are placed.

[0189] The lower member 380 includes the above-mentioned insertion hole 381, a plate-like portion 382 formed in the shape of a long, thin plate on the left and right, and a sensor holding frame portion 389 formed in the shape of a frame on the underside of the plate-like portion 382, ​​which allows multiple (four in this embodiment) detection sensors SE1 to be arranged side by side on the left and right.

[0190] The sensor holding frame portion 389 is formed in a frame shape with openings on the rear side where the detection sensor SE1 is inserted and on the top and bottom sides through which the ball passes through the through hole of the detection sensor SE1, and the other parts are closed.

[0191] The plate-shaped portion 382 has through holes formed at positions that match the through holes of the detection sensors SE1, just as the sensor holding frame portion 389 has through holes formed in the up-down direction. The plate-shaped portion 382 has a protrusion portion 383 that protrudes upward in the front-rear direction at the intermediate position between the two detection sensors SE1 on the left and right inside, a pair of protrusion portions 383a that protrude from the front end of the protrusion portion 383 at positions spaced apart on the left and right, and a pair of support holes 371a of the slide displacement member 370 that are formed behind the protrusion portion 383. the guide protrusions 384 projecting at positions where they can be inserted into the guide protrusions 383; a pair of guide protrusions 385 formed as long protrusions in the front-to-rear direction at positions both to the left and right of the guide protrusions 384 on the outside; a long guide hole 386 extending in the same straight line as the protrusions 383 in a top view; a curved surface portion 387 formed on the front side surface with a curved surface shape that protrudes rearward; and an insertion hole 388 formed through the guide protrusions 384 so that a fastening screw that is screwed into the fastened portion 332c of the intermediate member 330 can be inserted therethrough.

[0192] The protruding portion 383 is formed as a protruding portion with a left-right thickness slightly shorter than the left-right gap width of the recessed portion 372 of the sliding displacement member 370, and the sliding displacement member 370 is arranged so that the recessed portion 372 sandwiches the protruding portion 383. In other words, the protruding portion 383 functions as a guide portion that guides the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 in the front-rear direction.

[0193] The protrusions 383a are designed so that their left and right inner ends are positioned at the same positions as the left and right outer ends of the alignment protrusions 339 of the central member 330. That is, the left and right outer ends of the alignment protrusions 339 are fitted into the left and right inner ends of the pair of protrusions 383a so that they abut against each other, thereby making it possible to appropriately determine the left-right position of the central member 330 relative to the lower member 380. At the same time, the back side of the front frame portion of the lower member 380 (the portion connecting the protrusions 383 and the protrusions 383a at their front ends) abuts against the front side of the alignment protrusions 339, making it possible to appropriately determine the front-rear position of the central member 330 relative to the lower member 380.

[0194] This makes it possible to easily avoid misalignment between the third flow path forming portion 336 as a component of the middle member 330 and the detection sensor SE1 as a component of the lower member 380.

[0195] The guide protrusion 384 is formed in an oval shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is inserted into the supported hole 371a of the sliding displacement member 370 to limit the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370. In other words, the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 is limited to the range in which the guide protrusion 384 is disposed inside the supported hole 371a.

[0196] This prevents the sliding displacement member 370 from colliding with the protruding portion 383, and therefore improves the durability of the protruding portion 383 compared to, for example, a configuration in which the forward displacement end point is determined at the position where the sliding displacement member 370 collides with the protruding portion 383. Therefore, the guiding effect of the protruding portion 383 can be maintained for a long period of time.

[0197] Note that even if the guide protrusion 384 is damaged, it does not immediately affect the operation of the slide displacement member 370, but rather functions to prevent collision with the protrusion 383. Therefore, while the guide protrusion 384 is usually designed to have a strength sufficient to maintain use for a set period (e.g., three years) without damage, the strength of the guide protrusion 384 and the protrusion 383 may be designed in anticipation of use in a state in which the protrusion 383 and the slide displacement member 370 collide after the guide protrusion 384 is damaged. In other words, the life of the guide protrusion 384 may be set to less than the set period (e.g., two years), and the strength of the protrusion 383 may be designed to withstand the remaining period. In this case, the flexibility in selecting the resin material used for the lower member 380 and the flexibility in its shape can be improved.

[0198] The guide ribs 385 are arranged with a gap width slightly longer than the left-to-right width of the thin plate portion 371 of the sliding displacement member 370, and are formed so that the thin plate portion 371 can be placed in the gap. Displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 is limited to displacement on the left-to-right inner side of the guide ribs 385. This allows the sliding displacement member 370 to be displaced in the front-to-rear direction with little positional deviation in the left-to-right direction.

[0199] The elongated guide hole 386 is an elongated hole formed with a left-right width that allows the insertion of the cylindrical protrusion 375 of the sliding displacement member 370. The direction of displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 is limited to the front-rear direction by the cylindrical protrusion 375 being guided by the elongated guide hole 386.

[0200] The curved surface 387 is an abutment surface for guiding the flow of balls that flow below the central member 330. In this embodiment, the curved surface 387 guides the flow of balls that enter the outlet 71, as will be described in detail later.

[0201] The fastening screws are inserted into the insertion holes 388 with their heads facing downward. This prevents the fastening screws from being conspicuously visible. The insertion holes 388 are positioned on the left and right outer sides and rearward of the area where the multiple detection sensors SE1 are arranged. This reduces the possibility that the fastening screws inserted into the insertion holes 388 will obstruct the view of the ball passing near the detection sensor SE1 or through the through-hole of the detection sensor SE1.

[0202] As described above, the sliding displacement member 370 is guided and displaced in the front-to-rear direction by a plurality of portions, namely, the guide protrusion 385 for the thin plate portion 371, the guide protrusion portion 384 for the supported hole 371a, the protrusion portion 383 for the recessed portion 372 and the lower protrusion portion 373, the guide elongated hole 386 for the cylindrical protrusion portion 375, and the partition plate portion 338 for the upper protrusion portion 376. This allows the load during guiding to be shared among a plurality of positions, making it possible to avoid the load being applied locally and to avoid damage to the sliding displacement member 370 and the guiding portions that guide the sliding displacement member 370.

[0203] As can be seen from this, the sliding displacement member 370 is not guided by a single member, but is guided by multiple members, at least the middle member 330 and the lower member 380. That is, the sliding displacement member 370 has at least a pair of upper protruding portions 376 guided by the partition plate portion 338 of the middle member 330, and the recessed portion 372 guided by the protruding portion 383 of the lower member 380.

[0204] Therefore, if the assembly between the middle member 330 and the lower member 380 is poor and there is a large misalignment, the movement of the sliding displacement member 370 will be hindered. Here, it is preferable to minimize misalignment between the middle member 330 and the lower member 380 as they are parts that continuously configure the ball flow path, and the good displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 ensures that there is minimal misalignment.

[0205] In other words, if the misalignment of the lower member 380 relative to the middle member 330 becomes excessively large, the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 will not be performed properly, and by detecting that the displacement of the sliding displacement member 370 is poor, it is possible to control the system to issue an error notification, indicating that the relative positioning of the middle member 330 and the lower member 380 may be poor.

[0206] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the game from continuing with the middle member 330 and the lower member 380 in an improper relative positioning, thereby reducing the possibility that the player will suffer an unexpected disadvantage.

[0207] Next, we will explain the details of the internal structure of the sorting device 300. Here, we will mainly explain the configuration related to the flow of balls inside the sorting device 300 and the configuration entering the flow path side of the balls.

[0208] Figure 15 is a front view of the receiving member 163 and the sorting device 300, Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 along line XVI-XVI in Figure 15, Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 along line XVII-XVII in Figure 15, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 along line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 15.

[0209] 15 to 18, the opening / closing plate 65b is shown in a closed state, and the slide displacement member 370 is shown in a state where it is disposed at the front position. First, the flow path of the balls flowing down inside the sorting device 300 will be described in detail.

[0210] When the opening / closing plate 65b is in the open state (see FIG. 6(b)), a ball that lands on the opening / closing plate 65b rolls on the lower surface 163a of the receiving member 163 and is guided to the ball passing hole 163b. The ball that passes through the ball passing hole 163b passes through the opening 312 of the upper member 310 and is guided to the first flow path forming portion 334 of the middle member 330. The first flow path forming portion 334, the subsequent second flow path forming portion 335, and the subsequent third flow path forming portion 336 are all configured as inclined flow paths that slope downward, and the connected flow paths are formed in a spiral shape that forms an angle of 90 degrees when viewed from above.

[0211] That is, the first flow path component 334 is formed as an inclined flow path that causes the balls to flow down to the front side in the front-to-back direction, the second flow path component 335 is formed as an inclined flow path that causes the balls to flow down in left-to-right directions rotated 90 degrees based on the flow direction of the balls flowing down the first flow path component 334, and the third flow path component 336 is formed as an inclined flow path that causes the balls to flow down to the back side in the front-to-back direction rotated 90 degrees in the same direction as the previous rotation based on the flow direction of the balls flowing down the second flow path component 335.

[0212] In this way, by forming the flow path in a spiral shape with a right-angle bend, it is possible to reduce the degree to which the flow velocity of the sphere increases downstream. More specifically, while the sphere flows down the first flow path component 334, it accelerates toward the front, and the flow direction in the subsequent second flow path component 335 does not have a front-to-back component, so it is possible to realize a flow pattern in which the influence of the acceleration in the first flow path component 334 is reduced. Furthermore, in the third flow path component 336 following the second flow path component 335, the sphere flows backward, which is the opposite of the acceleration direction in the first flow path component 334, so it is possible to realize a flow pattern in which the influence of the acceleration in the front-to-back direction is reduced.

[0213] Therefore, unlike a flow pattern in which the ball flows down in the same direction (e.g., leftward) from start to finish, it is possible to easily prevent the ball from flowing down too fast downstream. In other words, it is possible to make the ball's flow speed uniform throughout the entire flow path, which has the effect of keeping the player's attention on the ball high and making it easier to prevent the player from losing sight of the ball.

[0214] Furthermore, for example, it is possible not to form the second flow path component 335, but forming the second flow path component 335 makes it easier to prevent clogging and backflow of balls. If the second flow path component 335 is not formed (if the left-right length of the second flow path component 335 is zero), that is, if the first flow path component 334 and the third flow path component 336 are connected, it becomes necessary to reverse the flow direction of the balls by 180 degrees from the forward flow to the rearward flow at the connection point. In this case, the change angle of the flow direction of the balls is large, and in particular, the velocity direction must be reversed back and forth, making it difficult to cause the balls to flow smoothly. This may lead to ball retention, clogging, or backflow, which may cause problems.

[0215] In contrast, as in this embodiment, if the flow direction switching angle is 90 degrees or less (90 degrees in this embodiment), the ball's speed direction does not reverse, so the ball can flow smoothly, making it easier to avoid the ball becoming stuck, clogging, or backflowing.

[0216] We will now explain the flow path shape at the connection end of each flow path forming portion 334 to 336. At the connection end of second flow path forming portion 335 and third flow path forming portion 336, the above-mentioned symmetrical protrusion portion 161f is disposed as a portion that guides the flow of the balls in a manner that bends the flow direction of the balls.

[0217] The symmetrical protrusions 161f are formed so that the portion located downstream of the ball is further back from the path of the ball than the portion located upstream of the ball. For example, the width of the opposing symmetrical protrusions 161f is longer than the width of the adjacent partition plate 338. In addition, the rear end portions of the opposing left and right ends of the symmetrical protrusions 161f are positioned closer to the front than the flow path side surface of the second flow path forming portion 335 near the open portion 335a (see FIG. 17).

[0218] This makes it possible to prevent the ball from being excessively decelerated or from flowing backward when the ball collides with the symmetrical protruding portion 161f.

[0219] Furthermore, at the connection end between the second flow path forming portion 335 and the first flow path forming portion 334, side wall portions 334a formed in a curved shape at the front left and right ends of the central member 330 are formed as portions that guide the flow of the balls in a manner that bends the flow direction of the balls.

[0220] In addition, at the upstream end of the first flow path forming portion 334, a curved protrusion 334b ​​protruding upward from the flow down surface portion of the first flow path forming portion 334 has a curved surface shape (see Figure 16) that descends as it approaches the front side, and is formed as a part that guides the flow down of the balls in a manner that bends the flow down direction of the balls.

[0221] That is, the ball that passes through opening 312 rolls on curved protrusion 334b, flows down the first flow path forming portion 334, and while flowing down, it abuts against side wall portion 334a, which changes the flow direction, flows down the second flow path forming portion 335, and while flowing down, it abuts against symmetrical protrusion portion 161f, which changes the flow direction, flows down the third flow path forming portion 336, and reaches discharge hole 337.

[0222] The side wall portion 334a is formed in a shape that can be engaged with and aligned with the protruding support portion 161d of the fixed member 161. That is, the side wall portion 334a is supported so as to be sandwiched between the left and right protruding support portions 161d, and positional deviation in the left-right direction is restricted, so that the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 can be aligned in the left-right direction.

[0223] The following describes the longitudinal inclination angle and length ratio of each of the flow path forming sections 334 to 336. Regarding the longitudinal inclination angle, the first flow path forming section 334 has an inclination angle of approximately 7 degrees relative to the horizontal, the second flow path forming section 335 has an inclination angle of approximately 5 degrees relative to the horizontal, and the third flow path forming section 336 has an inclination angle of approximately 5 degrees relative to the horizontal. That is, the inclination angle is set to the maximum in the first flow path forming section 334, and a slightly gentler common inclination angle is set in the second flow path forming section 335 and the third flow path forming section 336.

[0224] Regarding the length, each of the flow path forming portions 334 to 336 is formed so that the front frame portion 333, which has a square outer shape in top view, forms the inner side surface, and a large square having the same center as the center of the square formed by the front frame portion 333 forms the outer side surface. Here, in this embodiment, the length of one side of the front frame portion 333 is 21 mm, and the length of one side of the large square is 45 mm, thereby forming a flow path having a width of 12 mm around the periphery.

[0225] Therefore, for a normally used 11 mm diameter sphere, the clearance between the flow path and the sphere is 1 mm in total on both sides, so the sphere flows down with almost no misalignment in the width direction. Considering that the distance between the base plate 60 (see Figure 2) and the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1) is set at about 19 mm, this is a small clearance, and it is possible to suppress misalignment of the sphere as it flows down.

[0226] Of the portions that form the ends of each flow path forming portion 334-336 that are arranged on a square surrounding the square-shaped front frame portion 333, only the curved protrusion 334b ​​that forms the upstream end of the first flow path forming portion 334 is arranged inside (toward the front) the vertex of the square, and therefore the first flow path forming portion 334 is shorter than the second flow path forming portion 335 and the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0227] In terms of actual measurements when viewed from above, the flow paths formed by the second flow path forming portion 335 and the third flow path forming portion 336 are of approximately the same length (33 mm center-to-center spacing of the spheres), and this length is approximately 1.5 times the length of the flow path formed by the first flow path forming member 334 (22 mm center-to-center spacing of the spheres).

[0228] The above-described ratio of the inclination angle and length in the longitudinal direction of each of the flow path constituent parts 334 to 336 explains why the time required for a ball to pass through each of the flow path constituent parts 334 to 336 is not constant. That is, the time required for a ball to pass through first flow path constituent part 334, which has the largest inclination angle and the shortest flow path length, is shorter than the time required for the ball to pass through second flow path constituent part 335 and third flow path constituent part 336, which have a gentler inclination angle and a path length 1.5 times longer.

[0229] In this embodiment, by configuring the detection sensor SE1 in this way, the position of the detection sensor SE1 shifts to the rear side when it passes through the ball passage hole 163b, and part of the detection sensor SE1 is hidden by the non-transparent resin part, making the ball less visible. This allows the ball to be displaced to the front side early, switching the state to one where the ball is closer to the player and has high visibility. This makes it easier to avoid situations where the player loses sight of the ball that has passed through the ball passage hole 163b.

[0230] Furthermore, when the visibility of the ball is high, the speed at which the ball flows down can be slowed down, eliminating the need for the player to quickly move their gaze toward the ball, thereby reducing the burden on the player who is focusing on the ball (eye strain caused by eye movement).

[0231] When focusing on a ball flowing down the second flow path component 335 and the third flow path component 336, which have high visibility in this way, the amount of displacement of the ball when viewed from the front is smaller when the ball flows down in the front-to-back direction along the third flow path component 336 than when the ball flows down in the left-to-right direction along the second flow path component 335, so the gaming burden on the player focusing on the ball can be minimized when focusing on the ball flowing down the third flow path component 336.

[0232] In other words, since the lengths and inclination angles are the same, the time required for a ball to pass through the second flow path component 335 and the time required for a ball to pass through the third flow path component 336 are considered to be the same. However, since the amount of displacement of the ball when viewed from the front is different, the apparent flow speed of the ball (the displacement speed of the ball when viewed from the front) is slower for a ball flowing down the third flow path component 336 than for a ball flowing down the second flow path component 335.

[0233] The only place where the ball's flow path changes is at the rear end of third flow path forming section 336, where the burden on the player is minimized and the player is likely to pay attention to the ball, and the ball's flow path in other areas is the same for each of flow path forming sections 334 to 336. Therefore, the player's line of sight is naturally likely to be focused on the rear end of third flow path forming section 336, and the burden on the player who focuses their gaze in this way can be effectively reduced.

[0234] In addition, in order to ensure the player's field of vision when focusing on the rear end of the third flow path component 336, in this embodiment, an opening 335a is formed on the front side of the second flow path component 335 (see Figure 17), thereby preventing the flesh of the second flow path component 335 from obstructing the line of sight toward the third flow path component 336.

[0235] Furthermore, the symmetrical protruding portion 161f disposed inside the open portion 335a is formed only with a portion necessary for contacting and guiding the flowing balls, and no shaped portion is formed above or below it. In other words, the symmetrical protruding portion 161f is formed as a thin plate-like portion on both the top and bottom, and spaces are secured above and below it (see FIG. 18). Therefore, compared to when the symmetrical protruding portion 161f is formed with thickness on both the top and bottom, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the symmetrical protruding portion 161f will obstruct the line of sight toward the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336, thereby improving visibility.

[0236] Additionally, the third flow path forming portion 336 is configured so that balls that deviate from the opening / closing plate 65b and head toward the outlet 71 gather toward the field of view centered on the rear end portion of the third flow path forming portion 336 (see FIG. 5). In particular, in this embodiment, balls that enter the outlet 71 flow downward below the third flow path forming portion 336, come into contact with the curved surface portion 387 of the lower member 380, and are discharged downward.

[0237] Therefore, assuming that the balls flowing down third flow path constituent part 336 are viewed from diagonally above and in front, the balls entering outlet 71 will flow down the back side of third flow path constituent part 336. As a result, the balls flowing down third flow path constituent part 336 and the balls entering outlet 71 will be viewed as overlapping from the front to the back, and the total number of balls that enter the field of view when focusing on the rear end of third flow path constituent part 336 will be increased.

[0238] In other words, regardless of whether the ball enters the specific winning port 65a and flows down the third flow path component 336, or whether the ball does not enter the specific winning port 65a but enters the outlet port 71, the ball will enter a field of view that draws attention to the rear end of the third flow path component 336.

[0239] Therefore, regardless of the ease with which balls are directed toward the specific winning opening 65a, that is, the configuration of nails (the so-called quality of the gauge) implanted in the base plate 60, the rear end portion (the portion that attracts the player's attention) of the third flow path forming portion 336 is positioned at a position that overlaps in the front-to-rear direction with the position where most of the shot balls (balls excluding those that have entered the other winning openings 63, 64, 140) gather. This allows the flowing balls to efficiently guide the player's gaze to the rear end portion of the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0240] As described above, visibility has been improved at positions closer to the front side, but in this embodiment, visibility at positions closer to the back side is reduced except for the rear end portion of the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0241] For example, a light diffusion surface 333b having a shape similar to a prism and intended to diffuse light is formed on the inner surface of the front frame portion 333 of the inner member 330. In Fig. 17, the portion visually recognized as sawtooth is the light diffusion surface 333b, which is formed on almost the entire inner periphery of the inner surface, from top to bottom.

[0242] When the light diffusion effect occurs, the light is diffused in multiple directions, making the entire surface appear to be shining, and while the surface can be made to shine brilliantly, the light blocks the view, making it difficult to see what is behind it. According to this embodiment, visibility is poor when light is irradiated from the light-emitting means 351 of the substrate 350, but conversely, when light is not irradiated, visibility can be improved at least compared to when light is irradiated.

[0243] On the other hand, if there is an object blocking the light, the shadow of the object will be visible as a black dot, making it easier to determine its position.

[0244] Surfaces similar to light diffusion processed surface 333b are also formed in other portions, such as light diffusion processed surface 319a formed on the rear side surfaces of left and right outer protrusions 319, and light diffusion processed surface 332e formed on the rear side surface of the front frame part of rear frame-shaped portion 332 (see FIG. 17).

[0245] Examples of processed surfaces formed in a similar shape include light diffusion processed surface 314c, which is formed on the upper surface side of a plate-like portion extending to the back side of second upper surface portion 314b of upper member 310 and which covers front frame-shaped portion 333 of middle member 330 in the assembled state, and light diffusion processed surface 340, which is formed over the entire lower surface of the portion of middle member 330 that is forward of rear frame-shaped portion 332.

[0246] With these configurations, in this embodiment, light diffusion surfaces are formed on the back side, bottom side, inner surface of the vortex, and upper surface of the vortex of the flow path formed in a spiral shape from each flow path component 334 to 336, thereby achieving the effect of changing visibility due to light irradiation.

[0247] When no light is irradiated onto the light diffusion processed surface, from the player's point of view looking at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 from the front side, a ball that has changed direction left or right from the third flow path forming portion 336 is hidden by the front frame-shaped portion 333, making it immediately difficult to see.

[0248] Furthermore, even if a player viewing the ball flowing down the third flow path configuration portion 336 from an obliquely upward direction tries to see the ball after it has passed through the detection sensor SE1 held in the sensor holding frame portion 389 and fallen, his or her line of sight will pass through the light diffusion processed surface 340, and since light is irradiated onto the light diffusion processed surface 340, it becomes difficult to identify the ball after it has passed through the detection sensor SE1 and fallen.

[0249] In this embodiment, as will be described later, the profit that the player can obtain is controlled to change depending on how the ball flows down the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0250] Therefore, in order to understand how the ball flows down from the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336, it becomes necessary to check the behavior of the ball at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336, which further improves the ability to focus attention on the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0251] On the other hand, if light is emitted from the light emitting means 351, it is possible to create a state in which the shadow of the sphere is easily visible as a black dot. In this way, by switching whether or not light is emitted depending on the situation, it is possible to switch between good and bad visibility of the sphere. Also, depending on whether or not a sphere is placed in front of the black dot, it is possible to create a state in which the black dot is hidden by the sphere, and a state in which the black dot is visible and not hidden by the sphere.

[0252] As described above, the light diffusion processed surfaces 319a, 332e, 333b, 340 are formed near each flow path component 334-336, but are consistently formed on the side that does not come into contact with the spheres flowing down the flow paths formed by each flow path component 334-336.

[0253] This prevents the light diffusion processed surfaces 319a, 332e, 333b, and 340 from being scraped off by contact with the spheres, so that the shape of the light diffusion processed surfaces 319a, 332e, 333b, and 340 can be maintained for a long period of time, and the light diffusion effect can be maintained.

[0254] Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the balls from coming into contact with the light diffusion processed surfaces 319a, 332e, 333b, and 340, which would hinder the flow of the balls or slow them down. In addition, by ensuring visibility inside the flow paths, it is possible to prevent the visibility of the balls from decreasing even while they are flowing down the flow paths formed by the flow path components 334 to 336.

[0255] Alternatively, the light diffusion surfaces 319a, 332e, 333b, and 340 may be formed on the flow path side. In this case, depending on the size of the prism, it is possible to achieve both the effect of diffusing light and the effect of decelerating the balls by colliding with them.

[0256] In the front frame portion 333 of the inner member 330, the formation of the light diffusion processed surface 333b is omitted at the fastening position with the fastened portion 316 due to the difficulty of processing, and there is a possibility that high visibility will be maintained without any measures. Therefore, in this embodiment, an attempt is made to reduce visibility due to the fastening screws.

[0257] That is, by utilizing the fact that the fastening screws that are screwed into fastened portions 316 are made of metal and are non-transparent, they can be used to conceal areas where it would be difficult to form light diffusion surface 333b. When light is irradiated onto front frame portion 333, light diffusion surface 333b shines brilliantly, and in areas where light diffusion surface 333b is not formed, the fastening screws reflect the light and shine, so that it is possible to reduce the visibility of the back side of front frame portion 333 when viewed from the front, including areas where light diffusion surface 333b is not formed.

[0258] The light diffusion processed surface 332e of the inner member 330 is formed on the back side of each of the flow path forming sections 334 to 336, and the purpose of this is to not only make it shine brilliantly but also to function as a screen for the board 350 and the state switching device 360 ​​that are disposed on the back side. In particular, since the state switching device 360 ​​is disposed on the back side of the board 350 (see FIG. 17), the board 350 acts as a screen, making it easier to prevent the state switching device 360 ​​from being seen by a player.

[0259] The substrate 350 is accommodated in a manner that it is supported by the rear frame-shaped portion 332 of the inner member 330, and is disposed with a gap between it and the lower bottom of the rear frame-shaped portion 332 at the left-right center, with the sliding displacement member 370 disposed in that gap (see FIG. 18). That is, the substrate 350 is disposed in a position where the sliding displacement member 370 is sandwiched between it and the lower bottom of the rear frame-shaped portion 332.

[0260] More specifically, the substrate 350 is supported such that the lower portion 353 is sandwiched from the front and rear by the rear frame-shaped portion 332 at the left and right ends (see FIG. 17). At this support location, the lower bottom of the rear frame-shaped portion 332 is provided with a thick portion 332f (see FIG. 16), and near the left-right center position, a gap is created due to the absence of this thick portion, and a sliding displacement member 370 can be placed in the gap (see FIG. 18).

[0261] As shown in FIG. 18, the upper portion 352 of the substrate 350 is inserted into the accommodating recess 320 of the upper member 310, and is disposed opposite the light diffusion processed surface 164f formed on the interposition member 164 in the front and rear directions.

[0262] Therefore, when light is irradiated from the light-emitting means 351 arranged on the upper part 352, the light-diffusing processed surface 164f of the intervening member 164 can be made to shine brilliantly, and further, the visibility of the area on the back side of the intervening member 164 can be reduced.

[0263] Here, the light emitting means 351 arranged on the upper side portion 352 irradiates light near the lower end of the light diffusion processed surface 164f, and since the light diffusion processed surface 164f has a cross-sectional shape imitating a prism formed along the entire surface in the vertical direction, the light irradiated from the light emitting means 351 is visually recognized as a light with a wide vertical width. Therefore, from the player's perspective, it can be made to appear as if light is being emitted from above and below the specific winning opening 65a.

[0264] In addition, when viewed from the front, the light diffusion processed surface 164f is positioned at the center position on the left and right of the receiving member 163, but even if it is positioned on the back side of the detection sensor SE1, the detection sensor SE1 will obstruct the field of view and it will not be possible to see it clearly, so as long as it is formed within the placement gap of at least one pair of detection sensors SE1, a sufficient effect can be achieved.

[0265] The lower portion 353 of the substrate 350 is arranged so as to irradiate light onto the sealing member 313 and the portion disposed below it through which the spheres flow downward, as will be described in detail later.

[0266] Next, the switching of the flow path of the balls that have passed through the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 and its significance will be described with reference to Figures 19 and 20. In the description of Figures 19 and 20, Figures 15 to 18 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0267] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 taken along line XVII-XVII in Figure 15, and Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of the variable winning device 65 and the sorting device 300 taken along line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 15. In Figures 19 and 20, the opening / closing plate 65b is shown in a closed state, and the slide displacement member 370 is shown in a state where it is positioned at the rear position.

[0268] Here, the four detection sensors SE1 on the left and right sides supported by the sensor holding frame portion 389, the flow of balls to each detection sensor SE1, and the function of each detection sensor SE1 will be described.

[0269] The four detection sensors SE1 are arranged in two sets symmetrically, and include a probability change detection sensor SE11 and a normal detection sensor SE12, which share the same function. The probability change detection sensor SE11 is arranged on the inside in the left-right direction, and the normal detection sensor SE12 is arranged on the outside in the left-right direction.

[0270] The function of these four detection sensors SE1 is different from that of the detection sensor SE1 located behind the opening / closing plate 65b. The detection sensor SE1 located behind the opening / closing plate 65b is a ball entry sensor that causes the payout of prize balls. That is, when a ball that has entered the specific winning opening 65a is detected by the detection sensor SE1 behind it, a predetermined number of prize balls (in this embodiment, 10 balls per detection) are paid out to the player by the payout control device 111 (see FIG. 4).

[0271] On the other hand, the detection sensor SE1 supported by the sensor holding frame portion 389 is not a detection sensor that causes the payout of prize balls, but rather functions as a detection sensor that detects balls entering the machine and changes the game state after the jackpot game ends.

[0272] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the detection sensor SE1 disposed in the sensor holding frame 389 is used to switch whether or not to transition to the probability variable state, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the detection sensor SE1 may function as a ball entry sensor to switch whether or not to acquire the next jackpot.

[0273] When the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the front position (see Figures 17 and 18), the slide displacement member 370 is positioned so that the thin plate portion 371 covers the upper side of the probability change detection sensor SE11, preventing the ball from passing through the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11. Therefore, the ball passing through the rear end of the third flow path configuration portion 336 is guided by the upper protrusion portion 376 of the slide displacement member and is guided to the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0274] The front surface 376a of the upper protrusion 376 that faces the ball is formed in an arc shape with a concave side facing the flow path, so that the flowing ball can be smoothly guided toward the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0275] On the other hand, when the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the rear position (see Figures 19 and 20), the slide displacement member 370 retreats rearward from above the probability change detection sensor SE11, allowing the ball to pass through the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0276] That is, which detection sensor SE1 the ball passes through corresponds to the position (front position or rear position) of the slide displacement member 370. When it is detected that the ball has passed through the through-hole of the probability variation detection sensor SE11 during a jackpot game, the game state after that jackpot game is controlled to be the probability variation state. In other words, when it is not detected that the ball has passed through the through-hole of the probability variation detection sensor SE11, and the ball has passed only through the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12, the game state after that jackpot game is controlled to be the normal state (or time-saving state).

[0277] Here, in this embodiment, as described above, there are provided two types of jackpots, a variable jackpot and a normal jackpot. To achieve this, in this embodiment, different operation patterns are provided as the operation patterns of the slide displacement member 370 for each type of jackpot.

[0278] In other words, in the case of a special jackpot, the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to operate in an operating pattern that makes it easy for the ball to pass through the through-hole of the special jackpot detection sensor SE11, and in the case of a normal jackpot, it is controlled to operate in an operating pattern that makes it difficult for the ball to pass through the through-hole of the special jackpot detection sensor SE11 and makes it easy for the ball to pass through the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12; details of this control will be described later.

[0279] In this way, the placement of the sliding displacement member 370 is directly linked to the profits that the player can obtain, and so naturally the placement attracts the player's attention. On the other hand, there have been many cases of fraudulent attempts to fraudulently change the placement of the sliding displacement member 370, and it is important to take measures against this.

[0280] As a premise, the position of the slide displacement member 370 is switched depending on whether or not current is applied to the electromagnetic solenoid 361 of the state switching device 360. That is, when current is not applied to the electromagnetic solenoid 361, the plunger and slide portion 362 of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 are positioned on the right side by a biasing spring (not shown), and the lower cylindrical portion 363c of the rotating portion 363 is positioned on the front side, so that the slide displacement member 370 is maintained in the front position.

[0281] On the other hand, when the electromagnetic solenoid 361 is energized, the plunger and slide portion 362 of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 are moved to the left by electromagnetic force, and the lower cylindrical portion 363c of the rotating portion 363 (see FIG. 13, the portion inserted into the recessed portion 378 of the slide displacement member 370) is displaced toward the rear side, thereby maintaining the slide displacement member 370 in the rear position. This is the normal operating mode, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between the energization of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 and the arrangement of the slide displacement member 370.

[0282] A person committing the above-mentioned fraudulent acts may, for example, insert a thin metal wire such as a piano wire into the inside of the distribution device 300 through the ball dispensing opening or the gap between the outer frame 11 and the front frame 14 (see Figure 1), and press the thin metal wire against the slide displacement member 370, pushing the slide displacement member 370 toward the back, thereby fraudulently creating a state in which a ball can enter the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0283] In contrast, in this embodiment, the sliding displacement member 370 is arranged such that the thin plate portion 371 is disposed below the lower bottom portion of the third flow path forming portion 336 (see FIG. 18 ), and therefore, when a thin metal wire is passed through the third flow path forming portion 336 and pressed against the sliding displacement member 370, it is difficult to press the thin plate portion 371 against the front end portion thereof, and the thin plate portion 371 ends up being pressed against the upper protruding portion 376. As described above, the front side surface 376a of the upper protruding portion 376 has a curved surface shape that releases a load outward to the left and right. Therefore, even if a thin metal wire is pressed against the front side surface 376a, the load can be released outward to the left and right, making it easier to avoid a situation in which the sliding displacement member 370 is improperly displaced to the rearward position.

[0284] Furthermore, the path taken to reach the sliding displacement member 370 is not straight but spirals, and the sliding displacement member 370 itself is positioned far away (approximately 10 cm) from the front side to the rear side of the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1), which makes it difficult for the thin metal wire to reach the sliding displacement member 370 in the first place.

[0285] These configurations also have the effect of improving the degree of freedom in designing the configuration of the state switching device 360. That is, in the past, in response to the above-mentioned fraudulent acts, the position of the sliding displacement member 370 was often maintained by mechanically devising (displacement restriction) a mechanism for transmitting driving force, in which case the configuration of the state switching device 360 ​​was limited. In contrast, in this embodiment, by configuring the sliding displacement member 370 so that it is difficult to apply a load to it in the first place, it is possible to partially omit the conditions required for the state switching device 360, and the degree of freedom in designing the state switching device 360 ​​can be increased.

[0286] Furthermore, when a pressing load is applied to the slide displacement member 370 by a thin metal wire that is threaded through the third flow path forming portion 336, the thin metal wire itself will obstruct the flow of the ball that is attempting to flow down the third flow path forming portion 336, making it difficult for the ball to reach the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0287] As mentioned above, the profit a player can obtain varies greatly depending on whether the ball passes through the through-hole of the special rate detection sensor SE11 or the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12, so it is desirable to avoid balls entering the machine by mistake as much as possible.

[0288] In conventional models, it was common for the configuration to restrict balls from entering the normal detection sensor SE12 when balls were allowed to enter the special rate detection sensor SE11. However, in this embodiment, no movable part is provided to restrict balls from entering the normal detection sensor SE12 when balls were allowed to enter the special rate detection sensor SE11 (see Figures 19 and 20), and the configuration allows balls to enter the normal detection sensor SE12 as well.

[0289] Even with this configuration, if at least one of the ten balls flows down and passes through the through-hole of the probability variation detection sensor SE11, the probability variation state after the jackpot game is ensured. Based on this concept, in this embodiment, by omitting the placement of the movable member that opens and closes the normal detection sensor SE12, material costs can be reduced, and product costs can be reduced. Furthermore, as a result of not placing a movable member, maintenance associated with malfunctions or breakdowns of the movable member is not required, and the useful life of the pachinko machine can be extended beyond the lifespan of the movable member, which is a favorable effect.

[0290] Meanwhile, as a measure separate from the movable member, the shape of the flow path and the arrangement and shape of the fixed protrusions 317, 318, and 319 have been devised to guide the balls to the appropriate detection sensor SE1. That is, a mechanism is implemented by the shape of the parts fixedly disposed inside the flow path (i.e., the protrusions 317, 318, and 319) to prevent more balls than expected from flowing to the normal detection sensor SE12 when the sliding displacement member 370 is disposed in the rear position. This will be explained below.

[0291] First, the design of the flow path shape will be described. The lower bottom surface 336a of the third flow path forming portion 336 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward at an angle of 5 degrees with respect to the horizontal in the short side direction toward the center in the left-right direction (toward the partition plate portion 338) (see FIG. 15).

[0292] This inclination angle is set to be the same angle and direction as the longitudinal inclination of the second flow path component 335, so that the bouncing of the balls (bouncing away from the partition plate portion 338) when they flow from the second flow path component 335 to the third flow path component 336 can be reduced.

[0293] This inclination in the short side direction allows the placement of the balls flowing down the third flow path forming portion 336 to be closer to the partition plate portion 338. Therefore, when the balls flow down from the rear end portion of the third flow path forming portion 336 toward the detection sensor SE1 side, they can be placed on the side close to the partition plate portion 338, which reduces the possibility of the balls accidentally passing through the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12 (detection sensor SE1 placed away from the partition plate portion 338) when the slide displacement member 370 is placed at the rear position.

[0294] Furthermore, regardless of the inclination of the lower bottom surface 336a in the short-side direction, the flow paths formed by the flow path components 334 to 336 have their left-right paths formed only by the second flow path component 335, and the inclination direction is toward the left-right center (toward the partition plate portion 338), so that the left-right velocity occurs inwardly to the left and right. This also reduces the possibility of the ball erroneously passing through the through-hole of the normal detection sensor SE12 (detection sensor SE1 arranged away from the partition plate portion 338).

[0295] Next, the arrangement and shape of fixed protrusions 317, 318, and 319 will be described. The left and right inner protrusions 318 are the first to be positioned adjacent to a ball that has flowed down third flow path forming portion 336. Although left and right inner protrusions 318 are the smallest of protrusions 317, 318, and 319, they are positioned closer to the front than the center of detection sensor SE1 and closer to the front than upper protrusion 376 of slide displacement member 370. As a result, they come into complete contact with balls that slide along partition plate 338 and pass the rear end of third flow path forming portion 336.

[0296] The protruding tip surfaces of the left and right inner protruding portions 318 are configured as curved surfaces that are concave downward when viewed from the front (see FIG. 15), and the rear end sides of the protruding portions are formed to extend outward and downward to the left and right more than the front end sides of the protruding portions, so that the front and rear end portions are connected by a concave curved surface (see FIG. 17). Therefore, a ball that passes through the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 and abuts against the left and right inner protruding portions 318 receives a load in a direction that is a mixture of a left and right outward component and a downward component, and flows downward.

[0297] On the other hand, because left and right inner protrusions 318 are formed small, the direction of the ball's flow, whether downward or outward, is not determined solely by the load received from left and right inner protrusions 318, but rather functions solely as a momentum imparting element. Furthermore, because left and right inner protrusions 318 are positioned upstream of slide displacement member 370, the momentum imparted above occurs regardless of the position of slide displacement member 370.

[0298] The following describes the flow of the ball downward after contacting the left and right inner protrusions 318. When the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the front position, the ball rolls on the thin plate portion 371 of the slide displacement member 370 while contacting the upper protrusion 376 and the front-rear long protrusion 317 (see FIG. 18), and flows toward the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0299] The protruding end of the long front-rear protrusion 317 has the same purpose as the upper protrusion 376. That is, since it is formed as a curved surface for switching the flow direction of the ball, the radius of curvature of the curved surface is approximately the same as the radius of curvature of the front side surface 376a of the upper protrusion 376. As a guideline, the upper protrusion 376 forms a curved surface that starts from the inner left and right sides and ends at a position rearward of the center position of the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11 when viewed from above (see FIG. 17). On the other hand, the long front-rear protrusion 317 forms a curved surface that starts from the ceiling surface of the flow path and ends at a position close to the end position (rear end position) of the front side surface 376a at the front position of the sliding displacement member 370 when viewed from the left and right (see FIG. 18).

[0300] Here, the upper surface of the thin plate portion 371 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward outward to the left and right, and the ball that is forced outward to the left and right by contact with the left and right inner protruding portions 318 uses that momentum to flow down in the outward left and right direction, thereby allowing the ball to flow down smoothly.

[0301] Furthermore, the left and right outer protrusions 319 are formed above the ball flowing down in the left and right outward direction, and the ball bounce is suppressed, thereby allowing the ball to flow down smoothly. Since the purpose of the left and right outer protrusions 319 is not to change the direction in which the ball flows down, but to suppress the ball bounce, its shape is significantly different from the front and rear long protrusions 317, and its protruding end is formed as a curved surface with a large radius of curvature that extends from above the probability change detection sensor SE11 to above the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0302] In particular, in this embodiment, since the left and right external protrusions 319 are disposed closer to the front than the center of the opening of the detection sensor SE1 (i.e., the center of the flow path) (see FIG. 19), when the left and right external protrusions 319 and the ball come into contact with each other in the vertical direction, the center of the ball is likely to be disposed rearward of the center of the thickness of the left and right external protrusions 319. Therefore, when the left and right external protrusions 319 and the ball come into contact with each other in the vertical direction, a load having a rearward component can be easily applied to the ball, which makes it possible to prevent the ball from flowing back toward the front.

[0303] These configurations make it easier to prevent ball clogging and backflow when multiple balls flow down.

[0304] When the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the rear position, the thin plate portion 371 and the upper protrusion 376 are retracted rearward of the long protrusion 317, so that the ball abuts against the long protrusion 317 and flows.

[0305] The surface shape of the protruding end (curved surface) of the long front-rear protruding portion 317 is such that the normal passes through the center of the third flow path forming portion 336, and the center of the thickness is located directly behind the center position of the through-hole of the probability change detection sensor SE11, so that it is easy to apply a load with a suppressed left-right component to the abutting ball. This load functions as a load that flows the ball diagonally downward and forward, because the protruding tip of the long front-rear protruding portion 317 is formed into a concave curved surface shape (see Figure 20).

[0306] Therefore, the ball that does not go far enough to the right with the momentum from the left and right inner protrusions 318 receives a load from the front and rear long protrusions 317 diagonally downward and forward, and flows toward the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0307] Here, depending on the location of impact with the front-to-rear long protrusion 317, there is a concern that the ball may bounce back toward the front (causing a backflow), but in this embodiment, as described above, the ball is given momentum diagonally downward to the left and right by contact with the left and right inner protrusions 318, so even if the ball bounces back toward the front, it will only collide with the rear end of the lower bottom of the third flow path forming portion 336 (see Figure 20) or the rear side surface of the front frame-shaped portion 333 (see Figure 19), making it easier to avoid the ball flowing back through the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0308] What is unique about this embodiment is that even when the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the rear and the ball flows toward the probability change detection sensor SE11, the ball is displaced outward to the left and right due to the load from the left and right inner protrusions 318, just as when the slide displacement member 370 is positioned at the front and the ball flows toward the normal detection sensor SE12. This use will be described later.

[0309] The slide displacement member 370 is configured to be able to slide between a front position and a rear position, and if the slide displacement member 370 performs a closing operation (movement from the rear position to the front position) while the ball is flowing down the third flow path component 336 toward the slide displacement member 370, there is a possibility that a forward load will be applied to the ball, and a load will be applied to the ball in a direction (forward) that will cause it to flow backward through the third flow path component 336.

[0310] To prevent this, it is preferable to control the displacement operation of the sliding displacement member 370. For example, if the closing operation is controlled to be completed before the ball reaches the sliding displacement member 370, the possibility of the ball colliding with the sliding displacement member 370 during operation can be eliminated, thereby reducing the possibility of the ball flowing back.

[0311] Furthermore, by forming the front surface of the upper protruding portion 376 of the sliding displacement member 370 as a curved surface facing outward to the left and right, and by arranging the left and right inner protruding portions 318 so that they collide with all the balls, it is possible to produce an action of guiding the balls that have reached the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 outward to the left and right, thereby making it difficult for the balls to flow backward.

[0312] Furthermore, the opening operation of the sliding displacement member 370 (operation from the front position to the rear position) is not an operation in a direction opposite to the ball, but an operation away from the ball, so even if the operation is performed when the ball is resting on the thin plate portion 371 of the sliding displacement member 370, a load that pushes the ball back toward the front is unlikely to be generated. Therefore, even if the opening operation is controlled to be performed at any timing without taking the position of the ball into consideration, it is thought that it will not make it easier for the ball to flow back.

[0313] When the ball rolls on the thin plate portion 371 while rotating forward on the upper surface of the slide displacement member 370 (still in the stage before it flows outward to the left or right), the opening operation of the slide displacement member 370 applies a load to the ball in a direction that suppresses the rotation (in a direction that causes it to roll backward), so the rotation of the ball can be stopped, the flow of the ball can be stopped, and it can easily be made to fall freely.

[0314] Therefore, when the slide displacement member 370 performs an opening operation while the ball is rolling on the thin plate portion 371, it is possible to easily avoid the ball being guided to the normal detection sensor SE12 by the momentum of the ball's rolling up to that point, and it is possible to easily guide the ball to the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0315] In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment equipped with the above-mentioned sorting device 300, how the sorting device 300 appears from the player's line of sight will be described. Below, as an example, cases where the angle of the line of sight relative to the horizontal direction is different will be described separately.

[0316] Figure 21 is a front view of the variable winning device 65 and the distribution device 300, Figure 22 is an oblique view of the variable winning device 65 and the distribution device 300 as viewed in the direction of arrow XXII in Figure 16, and Figure 23 is an oblique view of the variable winning device 65 and the distribution device 300 as viewed in the direction of arrow XXIII in Figure 16.

[0317] As a premise, a player operating the pachinko machine 10 can play in any posture he or she likes, except for gripping and rotating the operating handle 51 (see FIG. 1). For example, a player may play by keeping his or her head sufficiently away from the pachinko machine 10 and looking at the inside of the glass unit 16 (see FIG. 1) from a horizontal or downward tilt of about 5 degrees from the horizontal (see FIG. 22), or by bringing his or her head closer to the pachinko machine 10 and looking at the inside of the glass unit 16 from a downward tilt of about 30 degrees from the horizontal (see FIG. 23). Generally, the former ensures a wider field of view but makes it difficult to notice small details, while the latter narrows the field of view but makes it easier to notice small details within that field of view.

[0318] Figure 21 is shown as a reference, and the following description will be mainly made in comparison with Figures 22 and 23. For convenience, Figures 21 to 23 show the open state of the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0319] In Figure 21, the light emitting means 351 is shown by imaginary lines. Although the light emitting means 351 are arranged symmetrically (see Figure 13), only the left half is shown for ease of understanding. The function of the light emitting means 351 arranged at the top has been described above, so here we will explain the three light emitting means 351 in the left half arranged in the lower part 353.

[0320] First, the upper light emitting means 351 irradiates light toward the seal member 313. As described above, the seal member 313 is formed to be red and transparent, so when light is irradiated from the light emitting means 351, the periphery of the seal member 313 is illuminated in red. This can increase the player's attention to the seal member 313 and its surroundings. The seal member 313 is disposed directly above the third flow path forming portion 336 (see FIG. 18), so it can draw attention to the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0321] The light diffusion surface 332e is not formed on the front side of the upper light emitting means 351 (see FIG. 18). This prevents the light from the light emitting means 351 from being visually stretched in the vertical direction by the light diffusion surface 332e, and allows the area around the sealing member 313 to be illuminated in a concentrated manner.

[0322] There are no limitations on the light emission control, but for example, during a jackpot game, in a situation where it is desired to draw attention to the ball flowing down the third flow path component 336, by controlling the light to be irradiated onto the sealing member 313, attention can be drawn to the sealing member 313, and the gaze can be naturally guided to the rear end of the third flow path component 336 located below it.

[0323] Next, the light emitting means 351 arranged side by side on the lower side correspond to the positions directly above the probability change detection sensor SE11 and the normal detection sensor SE12, respectively. That is, the light emitting means 351 is controlled so that when the ball enters the probability change detection sensor SE11, the light emitting means 351 arranged directly above the probability change detection sensor SE11 emits light, and when the ball enters the normal detection sensor SE12, the light emitting means 351 arranged directly above the normal detection sensor SE12 emits light, thereby notifying the player of the location where the ball has passed.

[0324] Light emitted from these light emitting means 351 arranged side by side on the lower side is directed toward the light diffusion surface. That is, the light emitting means 351 on the left and right center sides is arranged opposite the light diffusion surface 332e (see FIG. 18), and the light emitting means 351 on the left and right outer sides is arranged opposite the light diffusion surface 319a (see FIG. 17). The light diffusion surfaces 319a and 332e are formed across the top and bottom of each part.

[0325] Therefore, the position at which the light from the light emitting means 351 is visible is not limited to the height position of the LED of the light emitting means 351, but is formed as a range that spreads vertically (visible as a strip of light extending vertically). Therefore, as shown in Figures 21 to 23, even if the angle of the player's line of sight changes, the visibility of the light from the light emitting means 351 can be improved.

[0326] The angle of the downward inclination from the horizontal (5 degrees) in Fig. 22 is the same as the inclination angle of the third flow path forming portion 336. Therefore, in Fig. 22, it is possible to visually confirm the outline of the slide displacement member 370 arranged at the rear end portion of the third flow path forming portion 336. However, because the slide displacement member 370 displaces in the front-rear direction, it is difficult to grasp changes due to the displacement of the slide displacement member 370 from this field of view.

[0327] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 23, when viewed from a direction at an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal, the vertical width of the field of view at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 is narrower, making it more difficult to confirm the change in the flow-down pattern of the balls at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 compared to when viewed from the direction of Fig. 22. However, in this field of view, it is easier to grasp the displacement of the upper protruding portion 376 when the slide displacement member 370 is displaced in the front-rear direction.

[0328] Furthermore, since the placement through-hole 332a of the central member 330 is formed as an opening of a minimum size sufficient to pass the upper protruding portion 376 of the slide displacement member 370 through, the state switching device 360 ​​(see Figure 17) placed inside the rear frame-shaped portion 332 can be hidden so that it is difficult to see.

[0329] During an actual jackpot game, multiple balls are guided to the specific winning port 65a during a round of play, and flow down in order through each of the flow path components 334 to 336. When multiple balls are placed in each of the flow path components 334 to 336 at the same time, there is a possibility that the line of sight to the ball at the back may be obstructed by the ball at the front.

[0330] For example, when multiple spheres are arranged in the third flow path forming portion 336, these spheres are arranged at the same position in Fig. 22. Therefore, the sphere on the front side hides the sphere on the back side.

[0331] Furthermore, when a ball flows toward normal detection sensor SE12, it flows outward in the left-right direction from the rear end of third flow path forming portion 336. After it leaves third flow path forming portion 336 in the left-right direction, visibility is reduced by light diffusion processed surface 333b of front frame portion 333, so it is preferable to grasp the movement of the ball in the process of leaving third flow path forming portion 336 in the left-right direction. However, if there is a ball (a ball slightly deviating left-right from third flow path forming portion 336) flowing from the downstream end position of second flow path forming portion 335 (position of sphere P1) to the upstream end position of third flow path forming portion 336 (position of sphere P2), that ball will hide the ball in the process of leaving the rear end of third flow path forming portion 336 in the left-right direction.

[0332] In other words, whether the ball has flowed to the probability variation detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12 can be determined by visually checking whether the ball's flow direction has switched to the left or right outward at the rear end of the third flow path component 336, and by focusing on the inside and right edge of the third flow path component 336. In contrast, in this embodiment, the ball is configured to flow down a path that includes the inside and right edge of the third flow path component 336 at the connection position between the third flow path component 336 and the second flow path component 335 on the upstream side of the line of sight (movement from the position of ball P1 to the position of ball P2). Therefore, depending on the position of the ball flowing down the upstream side, it may be difficult to determine whether the ball has flowed to the probability variation detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0333] 23, the spheres flowing through the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 and the spheres flowing through the second flow path forming portion 335 are clearly separated in the vertical direction, which makes it easy to avoid a situation where the spheres on the upstream side are obscured. On the other hand, since the vertical width of the flow path visible at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 is narrow, the area of ​​the spheres visible in the direction is small.

[0334] In particular, as described above, the ball that has passed through the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 flows diagonally downward to the right, and then switches between a flow path toward the probability change detection sensor SE11 and a flow path toward the normal detection sensor SE12, regardless of the arrangement of the slide displacement member 370. Therefore, the area of ​​the ball visible at the switching position is smaller than when the ball flows straight down or when the flow direction of the ball switches to the right.

[0335] As another example of the switching mode, it is assumed that the switching position is located further upstream, such as when the ball's flow path switches between flowing straight down and switching to the right. For example, if the left and right inner protrusions 318 are not formed and the ball heading toward the probability change detection sensor SE11 flows straight down from the rear end of the third flow path component 336, the switching position will be at least a position behind the center line of the third flow path component 336.

[0336] In contrast, when the switching position is displaced to the right of the rear of the center line of the third flow path component 336, as in this embodiment, the ball falls below the lower bottom of the third flow path component 336 (it falls by the vertical difference between the upper surface of the lower bottom of the third flow path component 336 and the upper surface of the thin plate portion 371 of the slide displacement member 370, see Figure 18), and in addition to the effect of part of the ball being hidden by the third flow path component 336 itself, the ball is displaced to the left and right outward from the range that can be seen through the third flow path component 336, so that part of the ball is hidden by the front frame-shaped portion 333.

[0337] Therefore, the area that can be seen from the player's point of view of the ball that has passed the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 is reduced, making it difficult to grasp which path the ball has flowed down. This further increases the player's ability to notice the ball flowing down near the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336.

[0338] Thus, according to this embodiment, advantages and disadvantages are set for each of the multiple directional views (see FIGS. 22 and 23) described above as directional views for identifying the flow direction of balls flowing down the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336. As a result, even when it comes to the way of viewing the sorting device 300, rather than requiring the player to play in a one-sided manner, the player can adjust and select the viewing method he or she prefers, and since this allows for a variety of game modes, it is possible to prevent the player from becoming bored with the game.

[0339] Ensuring the player's visibility can be achieved in various ways, but in this embodiment, in particular, by forming a gap between the second upper surface portions 314b of the upper member 310, it is possible to make it appear as if the roof portion of the third flow path component 336 has been removed, making it easier to see the third flow path component 336.

[0340] 22 and 23, visibility on the front side of the sorting device 300 will be described. Although not shown in Figures 22 and 23, the fixed member 161 and the front design member 162 (see Figure 5) are arranged on the front side of the sorting device 300, and the thickness of the members reduces the amount of light that passes through, blocking the view.

[0341] Since the area of ​​view obstructed by the front design element 162 is narrower, it may be easier to see the balls flowing down inside the sorting device 300 when viewed in the direction of Figure 23 than when viewed in the direction of Figure 22.

[0342] The fixed member 161 and the front design member 162 are basically flat as described above, and are configured to reduce the refraction of light (see FIG. 12). This prevents the visibility of the sorting device 300 from being impaired.

[0343] Even in areas that cannot be made flat for functional reasons, they are formed to minimize the impact on visibility. For example, the protruding support portions 161c-161e for positioning and engaging the sorting device 300 are arranged outside the line of sight of the player looking at the flow path configuration portions 334-336 (upper rear, left and right outer sides, left and right lower sides) so as not to block the line of sight of the player looking diagonally downward.

[0344] Also, for example, the symmetrical protrusions 161f are formed at the height of the center of the ball and are thin-walled to the minimum thickness necessary for strength (see FIG. 18). This prevents the entire ball from being hidden even if the symmetrical protrusions 161f are positioned between the ball and the player's eyes, ensuring visibility of the ball flowing down the flow path configurations 334-336.

[0345] Balls that miss the specific winning opening 65a flow down between the fixed member 161 and the front design member 162, and flow down toward the outlet 71. The effect on visibility caused by balls flowing down toward the outlet 71 will be described below.

[0346] 22 and 23 show an example of the arrangement of balls flowing down toward the outlet 71 when the opening / closing plate 65b is open. When the opening / closing plate 65b is open, balls flowing down from above the opening / closing plate 65b land on the opening / closing plate 65b and are guided toward the specific winning opening 65a, so balls flowing down toward the outlet 71 deviate to the left or right of the opening / closing plate 65b. These balls flow down between the extension portions 162b and 162c, and are guided by the inner rail 61 to flow down toward the outlet 71.

[0347] As shown in Figures 22 and 23, from the player's point of view, the position of the balls flowing on the inner rail 61 is lower than each of the flow path components 334 to 336, making it easier to avoid the balls flowing on the inner rail 61 reducing the visibility of the balls flowing down each of the flow path components 334 to 336.

[0348] On the other hand, the balls flowing down the inner rail 61 flow toward the left-right center of the play area at a gentle angle, similar to the balls flowing down the second flow path component 335, and therefore have the effect of guiding the player's line of sight to the left-right center of the play area, similar to the balls flowing down the second flow path component 335. This effect guides the player's line of sight to the outlet 71 as well as to the third flow path component 336. In other words, because the outlet 71 and the third flow path component 336 are located in the same left-right position (left-right center position), the player's line of sight is guided to a state where both the outlet 71 and the third flow path component 336 are visible by moving their line of sight up and down.

[0349] Therefore, regardless of whether the balls shot towards the game area are likely to enter the specific winning port 65a efficiently (meaning fewer wasted balls during a jackpot game) or whether balls frequently deviate and flow down between the extension portions 162b and 162c (meaning frequent wasted balls during a jackpot game), the flowing down balls can have the effect of guiding the player's gaze to the third flow path configuration portion 336.

[0350] In other words, when the ball enters the specific winning port 65a, the player's gaze can be guided to the third flow path component 336 as it flows down the second flow path component 335, and when the ball misses the specific winning port 65a, the player's gaze can be guided to the third flow path component 336 as it flows down the inner rail 61.

[0351] Normally, balls heading towards the outlet 71 are considered wasted balls and have no effect on the game, but in this embodiment, by configuring as described above, balls heading towards the outlet 71 can have the role of guiding the player's gaze towards the third flow path configuration section 336.

[0352] Furthermore, when the opening / closing plate 65b is in the closed state, the balls may flow along the front side of the opening / closing plate 65b and pass through the front side of the second flow path forming portion 335, which may reduce the visibility of the second flow path forming portion 335.

[0353] On the other hand, according to the configuration of this embodiment in which the second winning opening 140 and the electric device 140a are disposed above the center position in the left-right direction of the specific winning opening 65a, and the third flow path component 336 is disposed below the center position in the left-right direction of the specific winning opening 65a, the second winning opening 140 and the electric device 140a can prevent balls from flowing down, so that it is possible to prevent balls from flowing down the front side of the third flow path component 336. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which visibility around the third flow path component 336 and its rear end is reduced due to balls flowing down the front side of the opening / closing plate 65b.

[0354] In this embodiment, the length of the flow path forming portions 334-336 ensures the time it takes for the ball that has entered the specific winning opening 65a to reach the slide displacement member 370, but an increase in the arrangement space that tends to be a drawback of this is avoided. That is, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, the arrangement distance between the specific winning opening 65a of the variable winning device 65 and the slide displacement member 370, which serves as a guide for the arrangement of the third flow path forming portion 336, is formed short from the player's line of sight.

[0355] Furthermore, since the sliding displacement member 370 is positioned at the lower rear of the specific winning opening 65a (see Figure 18), when the player looks diagonally downward and rearward, which is a frequent line of sight, as shown in Figure 23, it appears as if the sliding displacement member 370 is positioned so close that its outer shape is embedded into the outer shape of the specific winning opening 65a.

[0356] In addition, the ball that enters the specific winning opening 65a, which is configured to be long from side to side, passes through the ball passage holes 163b of the detection sensors SE1 located at both left and right ends, and then flows down through the symmetrical flow path components 334-336, gathering at the lower left-right center of the specific winning opening 65a. This shortens the time it takes for the ball to reach the slide displacement member 370 compared to when the ball flows down the left-right width of the specific winning opening 65a. In addition, the structure required for the ball's flow path can be designed so that its left-right length decreases toward the bottom, making it easier to place it near the lower edge of the curved inner rail 61.

[0357] In particular, in this embodiment, the design concept is to position the specific winning opening 65a close to the outlet 71, and instead of a structure in which balls flow directly downward from the left and right inner ends of the second flow path forming section 335, a structure in which balls flow backward from the left and right inner ends of the second flow path forming section 335 via the third flow path forming section 336 is adopted, so that the outlet 71 (an opening disposed on the front side (upstream side) of the curved surface section 387) can be formed directly below the second flow path forming section 335. This shortens the vertical distance between the specific winning opening 65a and the outlet 71.

[0358] In this way, by being able to shorten the vertical and horizontal widths of the specific winning opening 65a and the sliding displacement member 370 from the player's line of sight, it is possible to shorten the vertical width of the area occupied by the specific winning opening 65a and the sliding displacement member 370 when designing a gaming area whose size when viewed from the front is limited to a certain standard, thereby improving the design freedom of the gaming area.

[0359] For example, as in this embodiment, the specific winning opening 65a can be arranged near the bottom end of the game area, so that the variable winning device 65 can be effectively used in a game area that is symmetrical on both sides.

[0360] Next, we will explain the flow of the balls after they enter the distribution device 300 and an example of an operating pattern of the movable devices (variable winning device 65, slide displacement member 370) that takes this flow into consideration.

[0361] First, as a premise, a ball that has passed through opening 312 flows down through first flow path forming portion 334, second flow path forming portion 335, and third flow path forming portion 336 in that order (see FIGS. 16 and 17). The time required for a ball to pass through each of flow path forming portions 334-336 can be set arbitrarily, but in this embodiment, it is designed so that the ball passes through each of flow path forming portions 334-336 in approximately 0.3 seconds.

[0362] In other words, after the ball enters the specific winning port 65a, it takes 0.3 seconds to pass through the first flow path component 334, 0.3 seconds to pass through the second flow path component 335, and 0.3 seconds to pass through the third flow path component 336.

[0363] Therefore, even if a ball enters the specific winning opening 65a immediately after the opening / closing plate 65b of the variable winning device 65 is opened, the ball is configured not to reach the detection sensor SE1 located at the rear end of the third flow path forming portion 336 for 0.9 seconds. As a result, for 0.9 seconds after the opening / closing plate 65b is opened, the ball cannot pass through either the variable chance detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12 regardless of the position of the slide displacement member 370, so the operation pattern of the slide displacement member 370 can be designed without worrying about the ball entering the winning position by mistake.

[0364] Therefore, for example, it is possible to eliminate the need for a control (which involves unnatural operation of the opening and closing plate) that opens the opening and closing plate for a short time at the start of round play R to prevent erroneous winning into the V winning sensor, as is commonly seen in pachinko machines equipped with a V probability change attacker. This makes the operation of the opening and closing plate that opens and closes the specific winning port a natural operation, providing an environment in which players can enjoy playing with peace of mind.

[0365] Furthermore, in the pachinko machine equipped with the V-type probability attacker in the above example, a ball that enters the machine immediately after the V-type probability attacker is opened is likely to result in an erroneous winning entry, but in the variable winning device 65 of this case, as will be described later, a ball that enters the machine immediately after the attacker is opened can actually have a favorable effect (for example, the effect of hiding the operation of the slide displacement member 370 with the ball), so there is no need to take measures to prevent a ball from entering the machine immediately after the attacker is opened.

[0366] The time required for the ball to pass through can be set arbitrarily depending on the length and inclination of each of the flow path forming portions 334 to 336, the shape of the flow path inner wall (whether smooth or uneven, etc.), and the like.

[0367] The contents of the ROM 202 (see FIG. 4) in the first control example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 24. Fig. 24(a) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the ROM 202 in the main control device 110, Fig. 24(b) is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the first winning type counter C2 and the big winning type in the special pattern, and Fig. 24(c) is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the second winning random number counter C4 and the winning in the normal pattern.

[0368] As shown in Figure 24(a), the ROM 202 of the main control unit 110 stores at least a first winning random number table 202a, a first winning type selection table 202b, a second winning random number table 202c, and a variation pattern selection table 202d as part of the above-mentioned fixed value data.

[0369] The first winning random number table 202a is a data table that stores the jackpot determination value of the first winning random number counter, which is updated periodically (for example, every 2 msec). If the value of the first winning random number counter obtained based on the start winning coincides with any of the determination values ​​defined in the first winning random number table 202a, it is determined to be a jackpot of a special symbol.

[0370] The first winning type selection table 202b (see FIG. 24(b)) is a data table in which judgment values ​​for determining the type of jackpot are stored, and the judgment values ​​of the first winning type counter C2 are specified in association with each jackpot type and the type of winning slot that triggered the lottery for the special symbol. In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, when a jackpot with a special symbol is determined to be a jackpot, the value of the first winning type counter C2 obtained based on the start winning is compared with the first winning type selection table 202b, and the jackpot type corresponding to the value of the first winning type counter C2 is selected.

[0371] Specifically, when a jackpot is won in the lottery for special pattern 1 (a lottery based on the ball entering the first winning slot 64), the value of the first winning type counter C2 is set to the range of "0 to 9" and is associated with jackpot A1 (see 202b1 in Figure 24(b)).

[0372] If a jackpot A1 is hit, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the first operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in the operation pattern X (details will be described later).

[0373] The value range of the first winning type counter C2 from "10 to 19" is defined to be associated with the big winning A2 (see 202b2 in FIG. 24(b)).

[0374] If a jackpot A2 is hit, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the first operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern Y (details will be described later).

[0375] The value range of the first winning type counter C2 from "20 to 39" is defined to be associated with the big winning B1 (see 202b3 in FIG. 24(b)).

[0376] If a jackpot B1 is achieved, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the second operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern X (details will be described later).

[0377] The value range of the first winning type counter C2 from "40 to 49" is defined to be associated with the big winning B2 (see 202b4 in FIG. 24(b)).

[0378] If a jackpot B2 is achieved, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the second operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern Y (details will be described later).

[0379] The value range of the first winning type counter C2 from "50 to 79" is defined to be associated with the big winning C1 (see 202b5 in FIG. 24(b)).

[0380] If a jackpot C1 is achieved, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the third operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern X (details will be described later).

[0381] The range of the value of the first winning type counter C2 from "80 to 99" is defined to be associated with the big winning C2 (see 202b6 in FIG. 24(b)).

[0382] If a jackpot C2 is achieved, four rounds of jackpot play are executed in the third operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern Y (details will be described later).

[0383] As described above, if a jackpot is won in the lottery for special symbol 1 (a lottery based on a ball entering the first winning slot 64), a four-round jackpot game is selected in either case. Therefore, compared to a jackpot in the lottery for special symbol 2, which will be described later, a large number of prize balls cannot be expected. On the other hand, since a four-round jackpot game is completed in a shorter time than a 15-round jackpot game, balls can be shot earlier in order to win a subsequent jackpot.

[0384] On the other hand, if a jackpot is won in the lottery for special pattern 2 (a lottery based on the ball entering the second winning slot 140), the value of the first winning type counter C2 is set to correspond to the range of "0 to 99" and is defined as jackpot a (see 202b7 in Figure 24(b)).

[0385] If jackpot a is hit, 15 rounds of jackpot play are played in the third operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 (details will be described later), and the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to displace in operation pattern X (details will be described later).

[0386] As described above, if a jackpot is won in the lottery for special symbol 2 (a lottery based on a ball entering the second winning port 140), a 15-round jackpot game is selected in either case. Therefore, a player who wins a jackpot in the lottery for special symbol 2 can obtain a larger number of payout prize balls than a player who wins a jackpot in the lottery for special symbol 1, and this can increase the player's motivation to play a game to win the lottery for special symbol 2 (a game in which a ball is fired to enter the second winning port 140).

[0387] Furthermore, because the operation pattern of the slide displacement member 370 is fixed to operation pattern X, there is little possibility that the player will suffer a large disadvantage even if the visibility of the slide displacement member 370 is not ensured. Therefore, when there is a third operation pattern which has the disadvantage of slightly worsening the visibility of the slide displacement member 370 but the advantage of making it easier for a ball to enter the specific winning hole 65a, by setting the operation pattern of the variable winning device 65 for the jackpot in the lottery for special symbol 2 to the third operation pattern, the impact of the disadvantage can be reduced and only the advantage of being able to shorten the time required for the jackpot game can be highlighted.

[0388] That is, since it is possible to reduce the possibility that the big win game in the lottery of the special symbol 2 will be prolonged, it is possible to realize a big win game that is pleasant for the player (with good time efficiency in paying out prize balls).

[0389] However, the setting of the jackpot type for the special symbol 2 is not limited to this. For example, a jackpot type in which the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to be displaced by the operation pattern Y may be set as the jackpot type for the special symbol 2. This jackpot type may also be set at a small rate (for example, about 20%).

[0390] This can increase the player's attention to the sliding displacement member 370, preventing the player from playing the jackpot game aimlessly. In other words, the player can visually recognize the displacement movement of the sliding displacement member 370, and the timing of the displacement movement can make the player happy or sad, thereby increasing the player's interest.

[0391] As described above, during the special symbol probability change, the probability of winning the normal symbol increases, the normal symbol fluctuation time is shortened (3 seconds), and the opening time of the electric device 140a when the normal symbol wins is extended (1 second x 2 times). This makes it easier to get a ball into the second winning slot 140, making it easier to draw the special symbol 2. Therefore, once the special symbol probability change state is reached, it is more likely to result in a special symbol jackpot, and if a jackpot is reached, the special symbol probability change state, which is likely to result in jackpot A (a jackpot with a good profit balance), is more likely to be repeated, making it easier for the player to win a large number of prize balls. This allows the player to play while strongly anticipating the transition to the special symbol probability change state, thereby increasing the player's interest in the game.

[0392] The second winning random number table 202c (see FIG. 24(c)) is a data table in which winning determination values ​​for normal symbols are stored. Specifically, in the normal state of normal symbols, "5 to 28" are specified as the determination value for winning a normal symbol (see 202c1 in FIG. 24(c)). Also, in the high probability state of normal symbols, "5 to 204" are specified as the determination value for winning a normal symbol (see 202c2 in FIG. 24(c)). In the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment, the value of the second winning random number counter C4 acquired based on the ball passing through the normal winning opening 67 and the second winning random number table 202c are referenced to determine whether or not a normal symbol has won. The variation pattern selection table 202d is a data table in which the determination value of the variation type counter for determining the display mode of the variation pattern is specified for each display mode.

[0393] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the change over time in the operation pattern of the opening / closing plate 65b of the variable winning device 65 and the operation pattern of the slide displacement member 370 of the sorting device 300 in the first round for each big win type.

[0394] When the MPU 201 (see FIG. 4) determines a jackpot in the special symbol hit determination, it starts controlling the jackpot game (of the determined type) after the special symbol change display (symbol change performance) ends. Below, we will explain the operation control of the opening and closing plate 65b of the variable winning device 65 and the slide displacement member 370 of the distribution device 300 that is performed when a jackpot game is awarded. In addition, in the explanation of FIG. 25, FIG. 24 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0395] In this control example, the driving mode differs depending on the type of jackpot only in the first round, and the driving mode is the same from the second round onwards. Therefore, the driving mode of the first round for each type of jackpot will be explained below.

[0396] In the case of a jackpot A1 or A2, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c (see FIG. 11) so that the opening and closing plate 65b operates based on the first operation pattern. When the special symbol variation display (symbol variation performance) ends, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c so that the opening and closing plate 65b is kept closed until a timer means (not shown) has elapsed a predetermined opening time OP (10 seconds), and after the opening time OP has elapsed, the first round of round play R starts.

[0397] That is, the timer means starts measuring the first operation time T1 (maximum 30 seconds), and the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced from the closed state to an open state that allows balls to enter the specific winning opening 65a. The initial open state is maintained for 0.2 seconds. In the first operation pattern, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled so that this 0.2-second opening operation is performed at 1.0-second intervals, causing the opening / closing plate 65b to operate for a long period of time.

[0398] The initial opening time is set to a period longer than the period during which at least one game ball can enter the specific winning port 65a if the game balls continue to be fired, and shorter than the period required for the specified number of game balls (10 in this embodiment) to enter the specific winning port 65a.

[0399] Then, when the round end condition (the round play time (30 seconds, which is the maximum value of the first operating time T1) has elapsed or a specified number of pachinko balls (10 in this embodiment) have won) is met in the first round of round play R, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to displace the opening / closing plate 65b to a closed state and close the specific winning port 65a, thereby ending the first round of round play R.

[0400] The 0.2-second opening time in the first operation pattern is set to limit the number of balls that enter either the left or right side of the specific winning opening 65a to one while the opening / closing plate 65b is open. This opening time is set to prevent multiple balls from entering either the left or right side of the specific winning opening 65a in succession (hereinafter also referred to as "successive balls entering"), and is not intended to limit the number of balls that enter the specific winning opening 65a to one. In other words, even with an opening time of 0.2 seconds, it is possible that one ball will arrive on each side of the specific winning opening 65a and enter the specific winning opening 65a at the same time.

[0401] In the case of a jackpot A1, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 361 (see FIG. 17) to operate the slide displacement member 370 based on the operation pattern X. The control of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 is set based on the control of the opening / closing plate 65b, and in this embodiment, the control of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 is set so that the slide displacement member 370 is displaced from the front position to the rear position at the same time that the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced to the open state.

[0402] Therefore, the ball that enters the specific winning port 65a passes through each of the flow path components 334 to 336 (see FIG. 19), passes in front of the slide displacement member 370, and passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11 (see FIG. 20).

[0403] At this time, since the number of balls placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side is limited to one, the visibility of other balls is not reduced. Therefore, the player can easily see the situation where the ball passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0404] In the case of a jackpot A2, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 361 (see FIG. 17) to operate the slide displacement member 370 based on the operation pattern Y. The control of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 is set based on the control of the opening / closing plate 65b, and in this embodiment, the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to be displaced from the front position to the rear position at the same time that the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced to the open state, and after 0.8 seconds has elapsed, the slide displacement member 370 is controlled to be displaced from the rear position to the front position.

[0405] As described above, the time required for the ball to pass through each flow path component 334-336 (see Figure 17) is set to approximately 0.9 seconds, so the slide displacement member 370 is displaced to the front position before the ball reaches the slide displacement member 370.

[0406] Therefore, the ball that enters the specific winning opening 65a passes through each of the flow path components 334 to 336 (see FIG. 17), passes above the slide displacement member 370, and passes through the normal detection sensor SE12 (see FIG. 17).

[0407] At this time, since only one ball is placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side, the visibility is not impaired by other balls, and therefore the player can easily see the situation where the ball passes through the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0408] The displacement start time of the slide displacement member 370, 0.8 seconds, is set based on the idea that this is a time shorter than the time required for the ball to pass through each flow path component 334-336 and a time longer than the time required for the ball to reach the third flow path component 336.

[0409] In other words, according to this embodiment, the ball passes through the second flow path component 335 and reaches the third flow path component 336 approximately 0.6 seconds after entering the specific winning opening 65a, so even if the ball enters the specific winning opening 65a just before the end of the 0.2 second opening time of the opening / closing plate 65b, the slide displacement member 370 can be displaced after the ball reaches the third flow path component 336.

[0410] Therefore, as long as a ball enters the specific winning port 65a, the movement of the slide displacement member 370 can be hidden by the ball arranged in the third flow path forming portion 336 regardless of the timing of the ball entering (see FIG. 22). This makes it possible to prevent the displacement movement of the slide displacement member 370 from being conspicuous, and it is possible to increase the attention to the ball flowing down each flow path forming portion 334-336 as a ball entering the probability change detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0411] The displacement start time of the slide displacement member 370 is not limited to 0.8 seconds. For example, it may be set to 0.4 seconds. In this case, the slide displacement member 370 can be displaced before the ball reaches the third flow path forming portion 336, so that the ball is unlikely to block the player's line of sight, and the player can visually recognize the displacement of the slide displacement member 370.

[0412] However, even in this case, since the second flow path forming portion 335 is disposed close to the front plate portion of the fixed member 161 and is disposed closer to the player than the slide displacement member 370, the player's eyes tend to be drawn to the ball flowing down the second flow path forming portion 335. In other words, by drawing attention to the ball flowing down the second flow path forming portion 335 (for example, by displaying "Pay attention to the flowing ball!" on the third pattern display device 81), it is possible to easily avoid the player from seeing the displacement of the slide displacement member 370.

[0413] On the other hand, in this embodiment, each flow path component 334 to 336 is configured to be separated in the center left and right, so if a ball enters the specific winning port 65a on one side, the displacement of the slide displacement member 370 can be seen without being obstructed by the balls flowing down by focusing on the rear of the third flow path component 336 on the side where no balls are entering (see Figure 22).

[0414] In this way, in the case of a jackpot A1 or A2, the number of balls placed in each of the flow path components 334 to 336 on either the left or right side is limited to one, which increases the attention to that ball and allows the player to easily see whether the ball passes through the special chance detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0415] In the case of a jackpot B1 or B2, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c (see FIG. 11) so that the opening and closing plate 65b operates based on the second operation pattern. When the special symbol variation display (symbol variation performance) ends, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c so that the opening and closing plate 65b is kept closed until a timer means (not shown) has elapsed a predetermined opening time OP (10 seconds), and after the opening time OP has elapsed, the first round of round play R starts.

[0416] That is, the timer means starts measuring the first operation time T1 (maximum 30 seconds), and the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced from the closed state to an open state that allows a ball to enter the specific winning opening 65a. The initial open state is maintained for 1.0 second. In the second operation pattern, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled so that this 1.0 second opening operation is performed at 1.0 second intervals, causing the opening / closing plate 65b to operate for a long period of time.

[0417] The initial opening time is set to a period longer than the period during which at least one game ball can enter the specific winning port 65a if the game balls continue to be fired, and shorter than the period required for the specified number of game balls (10 in this embodiment) to enter the specific winning port 65a.

[0418] Then, when the round end condition (the round play time (30 seconds, which is the maximum value of the first operating time T1) has elapsed or a specified number of pachinko balls (10 in this embodiment) have won) is met in the first round of round play R, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to displace the opening / closing plate 65b to a closed state and close the specific winning port 65a, thereby ending the first round of round play R.

[0419] The opening time of 1.0 second in the second operation pattern is set as the time during which multiple balls can enter either the left or right side of the specific winning opening 65a while the opening / closing plate 65b is open. This opening time is set to allow multiple balls to enter in succession on either the left or right side of the specific winning opening 65a (hereinafter also referred to as "successive balls entering").

[0420] In this control example, the interval between balls being released is set to 0.6 seconds, so even if the interval between balls flowing down remains the same as when they were released, two balls can enter the specific winning opening 65a while the opening / closing plate 65b opens once every 1.0 seconds. On the other hand, because the opening interval of the opening / closing plate 65b is limited to every 1.0 second, it is possible to prevent the next ball from entering each of the flow path components 334-336 before the two balls have passed through each of the flow path components 334-336.

[0421] In the case of a jackpot B1, the MPU 201 controls the drive of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 (see FIG. 17) so that the slide displacement member 370 operates based on the above-mentioned operation pattern X. In addition, in the case of a jackpot B2, the MPU 201 controls the drive of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 so that the slide displacement member 370 operates based on the operation pattern Y. Therefore, in the case of a jackpot B1, a ball that passes through each of the flow path configuration units 334 to 336 passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11, and in the case of a jackpot B2, a ball that passes through each of the flow path configuration units 334 to 336 passes through the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0422] At this time, the appearance of each of the flow path components 334-336 differs depending on whether there is one ball placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side, or two (or more). When there is one ball placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side, the visibility is not reduced by other balls, just as in the case of jackpots A1 and A2, so the player can easily see the situation where the ball passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0423] On the other hand, when two or more balls are placed in each of the flow path configuration sections 334-336 on either the left or right side, the upstream ball is placed in the line of sight of the player watching the downstream ball, which may reduce the visibility of the downstream ball. Therefore, it is possible to improve the attention of the player who wants to know whether the ball will pass through the probability change detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12 to the ball flowing down each of the flow path configuration sections 334-336.

[0424] In the case of a jackpot C1, a jackpot C2, or a jackpot a, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c (see FIG. 11) so that the opening and closing plate 65b operates based on the third operation pattern. When the special symbol variation display (symbol variation performance) ends, the MPU 201 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c so that the opening and closing plate 65b is kept closed until a timer means (not shown) has elapsed a predetermined opening time OP (10 seconds), and after the opening time OP has elapsed, the first round of round play R starts.

[0425] That is, the timer means starts measuring the first operating time T1 (maximum 30 seconds), and the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced from the closed state to an open state that allows the ball to enter the specific winning opening 65a, and the opening / closing plate 65b is made to operate for a long period of time up to the first operating time T1.

[0426] Then, when the round end condition (the round play time (30 seconds, which is the maximum value of the first operating time T1) has elapsed or a specified number of pachinko balls (10 in this embodiment) have won) is met in the first round of round play R, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to displace the opening / closing plate 65b to a closed state and close the specific winning port 65a, thereby ending the first round of round play R.

[0427] In this control example, since the opening / closing plate 65b remains open during the first round of play R, a situation may arise in which multiple balls enter the specific winning opening 65a in succession on either the left or right side. On the other hand, since the opening interval of the opening / closing plate 65b is not limited, unlike the second actuation pattern, a situation may arise in which a next ball enters each of the flow path components 334-336 before two balls have passed through each of the flow path components 334-336. Therefore, compared to the second actuation pattern, the third actuation pattern is more likely to cause a situation in which the visibility of a ball located downstream of each of the flow path components 334-336 is reduced by a ball located upstream.

[0428] In the case of a jackpot C1 or a jackpot, the MPU 201 controls the drive of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 (see FIG. 17) so that the slide displacement member 370 operates based on the above-mentioned operation pattern X. In addition, in the case of a jackpot C2, the MPU 201 controls the drive of the electromagnetic solenoid 361 so that the slide displacement member 370 operates based on the operation pattern Y. Therefore, in the case of a jackpot C1 or a, a ball that passes through each of the flow path configuration units 334 to 336 passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11, and in the case of a jackpot C2, a ball that passes through each of the flow path configuration units 334 to 336 passes through the normal detection sensor SE12.

[0429] In this way, the control mode is such that the opening and closing plate 65b is kept in the open state regardless of whether the ball is passed through the probability change detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12, but since the time required for the ball to reach the slide displacement member 370 is managed structurally, the possibility of the slide displacement member 370 malfunctioning due to the ball getting stuck can be eliminated.

[0430] At this time, the appearance of each of the flow path components 334-336 differs depending on whether there is one ball placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side or whether there are two balls placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side. When there is one ball placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side, as in the case of jackpots A1 and A2, the visibility is not reduced by other balls, so the player can easily see the situation where the ball passes through the probability change detection sensor SE11.

[0431] On the other hand, when two balls are placed in each of the flow path components 334-336 on either the left or right side, the upstream ball is placed in the line of sight of the player watching the downstream ball, which may reduce the visibility of the downstream ball. Therefore, it is possible to improve the attention of the player who wants to know whether the ball will pass through the probability change detection sensor SE11 or the normal detection sensor SE12 to the ball flowing down each of the flow path components 334-336.

[0432] In the third operation pattern, there is no restriction on the timing at which the ball can enter the specific winning hole 65a in the first round of the round game R, so compared to the second operation pattern, the arrangement of the balls in each of the flow path components 334 to 336 is more likely to become disordered. Therefore, the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 is more likely to decrease.

[0433] On the other hand, the fact that there is no restriction on the timing at which balls can enter the specific winning port 65a has the effect of enabling the progress of the round game R to proceed early. In other words, it is easier to quickly fulfill the round end condition (the passage of the round game time (30 seconds, which is the maximum value of the first operation time T1) or the entry of a specified number of balls (10 in this embodiment) of pachinko balls), and it is possible to avoid the jackpot game from being prolonged.

[0434] In particular, in the case of a jackpot with special symbol 2, the slide displacement member 370 is driven and controlled with the operation pattern X with a 100% probability, so if the ball enters the specific winning slot 65a, it is guaranteed that the ball will pass through the probability change detection sensor SE11. In this case, the player's attention to the detection sensor SE and the slide displacement member 370 is low to begin with.

[0435] Therefore, even if the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 is allowed to be reduced, the disadvantage felt by the player is small. In the third operation pattern, while the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 is allowed to be reduced, priority is given to avoiding the jackpot game from being prolonged, thereby realizing the progress of the jackpot game in a short period of time and increasing the player's interest in the jackpot game.

[0436] Regardless of the type of jackpot, when the first round of round play R ends, the timer means controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c to keep the opening / closing plate 65b closed until the first interval time Int1 between rounds (2.0 seconds) has elapsed, and after the first interval time Int1 between rounds has elapsed, the second round of round play R begins.

[0437] In the second round, as in the start of the first round, the timer means starts measuring the first operating time T1 (maximum 30 seconds), and the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to displace the opening / closing plate 65b from the closed state to the open state, opening the specific winning opening 65a, causing the opening / closing plate 65b to operate for a long time. From the second round onwards, the slide displacement member 370 is always maintained in the front position, so that balls that enter the specific winning opening 65a pass through the normal detection sensor SE12 and are discharged (see Figure 17).

[0438] Then, when the round end condition (the round play time (30 seconds, which is the maximum value of the first operating time T1) has elapsed or a specified number of pachinko balls have won) is met in the second round of the round game R, the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to displace the opening / closing plate 65b to a closed state and close the specific winning port 65a, thereby ending the second round of the round game R.

[0439] From then on, similar to the second round, the round games R from the third round to the final round (fourth round) are repeated with a first interval time Int1 between each round game R, and the opening / closing plate 65b is displaced between the closed state and the open state, and the electromagnetic solenoid 165c is driven and controlled to open and close the specific winning port 65a.

[0440] Then, when the final round game R ends, the timer means controls the electromagnetic solenoid 165c to keep the opening / closing plate 65b closed until the first interval time Int1 between rounds and the ending time ED (11 seconds) have elapsed, and the jackpot game ends as the time elapses.

[0441] In this control example, the displacement operation of the opening / closing plate 65b for short opening and the drive control of the slide displacement member 370 are performed only in the first round, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, they may be performed in all rounds, or in rounds other than the first round (for example, the third round, the eighth round, the twelfth round, etc.).

[0442] In this way, according to this control example, the manner in which the ball enters the opening / closing plate 65b can be changed by changing the opening pattern (first to third operation patterns) of the opening / closing plate 65b, and the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 located downstream of each of the flow path configuration parts 334 to 336 and the third flow path configuration part 336 can be changed. This can motivate a player who pays attention to the ball passing the detection sensor SE1 located downstream of the third flow path configuration part 336 to devise a way to launch the ball.

[0443] For example, since a decrease in the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 may occur when multiple balls are placed simultaneously in each of the flow path components 334-336, the decrease in the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 can be suppressed by intentionally increasing the interval between ball launches as necessary (for example, in the case of the jackpot type of the second or third activation pattern). Note that in the first activation pattern, balls entering the specific winning opening 65a are restricted, so the decrease in the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 can be avoided regardless of the launch mode.

[0444] On the other hand, if the interval between ball shots is increased, the time it takes for the specified number of balls to enter the specific winning port 65a will be extended, which may result in a prolonged round of play R. In other words, the player can select how to play the round of play R between a game mode that prioritizes the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 and a game mode that prioritizes avoiding prolonged round of play R.

[0445] For example, in order to visually confirm the displacement of the slide displacement member 370, a ball may be allowed to enter the specific winning hole 65a after a short period of time (for example, 1.0 second) has elapsed since the start of the round game R. In this case, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a ball is placed in the third flow path forming portion 336 at the timing when the displacement of the slide displacement member 370 occurs (the timing 0.8 seconds after the start of the round game R in the case of the operation pattern Y), and therefore it is possible to avoid the displacement action of the slide displacement member 370 being blocked by the ball.

[0446] On the other hand, if the period until the balls are released is increased, the period until the specified number of balls enters the specific winning port 65a will be extended, which may prolong the round game R. In other words, the player can select how to play the round game R between a game mode that prioritizes the visibility of the detection sensor SE1 and a game mode that prioritizes avoiding prolongation of the round game R.

[0447] For example, according to this embodiment, the flow path components 334 to 336 and the slide displacement member 370 are configured symmetrically, and balls can be placed through the specific winning opening 65a from either the left or right side.

[0448] In other words, for example, the above-mentioned effect can be achieved by maintaining the above-mentioned launch pattern that widens the interval between ball launches or the launch pattern that leaves a gap between ball launches when the ball lands on the left side, and launching the ball in any launch pattern when the ball lands on the right side.

[0449] Specifically, the balls aimed at the specific winning port 65a can be shot to the left and right in a shooting pattern in which at least the first ball is shot to the right, several balls (for example, the second ball) are shot to the left, and the remaining balls are shot to the right.

[0450] In this case, by not paying attention to the balls flowing down the right flow path of each of the flow path components 334-336 but paying attention to the balls flowing down the left flow path, it is possible to visually confirm whether or not the balls flowing down the left flow path pass through the probability change detection sensor SE11 while avoiding having your line of sight blocked by other balls. In addition, in this case, since balls are constantly being shot toward the right part of the specific winning opening 65a, it is possible to avoid extending the period until the specified number of balls enter the specific winning opening 65a, and it is possible to avoid the round game R from being prolonged.

[0451] The purpose of this splitting of balls into left and right directions is not to limit the number of balls that enter the left flow path to one. In particular, it is sufficient to limit the number of balls placed in each of the left flow path components 334-336 to one during the approximately 0.9 seconds until a certain ball has passed through the left flow path, and during the rest of the time, it is sufficient to split the balls so that they enter the left and right flow paths as desired.

[0452] This makes it possible to prevent balls heading toward the specific winning opening 65a from colliding with each other and spilling one outside the left or right of the specific winning opening 65a, even when the open width above the specific winning opening 65a is not long as in this embodiment (for example, when the ball entry paths are limited to a small number of paths due to the arrangement of the electric device 140a or the nail arrangement (see Figure 2)). Note that although the nail arrangement in Figure 2 is asymmetrical, it may also be symmetrical.

[0453] Next, we will explain the structure of the operation unit 500 that is fastened and fixed to the back side of the game board 13. The operation unit 500 is a unit that is fastened and fixed to the base plate 60 (see FIG. 2) of the game board 13 from the back side.

[0454] Fig. 26 is a front perspective view of the operating unit 500, and Fig. 27 is a rear perspective view of the operating unit 500. Note that Fig. 27 does not show the liquid crystal display device (variable display device unit 80) disposed in the opening 511a of the rear case 510, and shows the rear side visible through the opening 511a. In addition, Fig. 2 will be referred to as appropriate in the description of Figs. 26 and 27.

[0455] The operating unit 500 includes a rear case 510 formed in a box shape with the front side open from a bottom wall portion 511 and an outer wall portion 512 erected from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 511. The rear case 510 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front by forming a rectangular opening 511a in the center of the bottom wall portion 511. The opening 511a is formed to a size corresponding to the outer shape (outer edge) of the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 (i.e., capable of dividing the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 when viewed from the front).

[0456] The rear case 510 is provided as a flat plate extending from the front end of the outer wall portion 512 along the rear surface of the game board 13 (for example, arranged parallel to it), and is provided with a support plate portion 513 that provides surface support for the game board 13 in the assembled state (see Figure 2).

[0457] The support plate portion 513 has a positioning protrusion 513a that protrudes toward the front side and has a shape that can fit into a fitting recess (not shown) formed in the base plate 60 of the game board 13, and a plurality of insertion holes 513b that are drilled so that fastening screws that are fastened to the base plate 60 can be inserted through them.

[0458] The rear case 510 is positioned relative to the base plate 60 by fitting the positioning protrusion 513a into the fitting recess of the base plate 60, and the fastening screw is inserted into the insertion hole 513b and screwed into the base plate 60, thereby fixing the game board 13 and the operating unit 500 together, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the game board 13 and the operating unit 500.

[0459] The shape of the positioning protrusion 513a is not limited in any way, and various embodiments are exemplified. For example, the positioning protrusion 513a may have an outer shape slightly smaller than the inner shape of the fitting recess of the base plate 60 (circular or oval in this embodiment), or may have a shape (even smaller outer shape) that increases the fitting gap in consideration of ease of assembly. Furthermore, if the inner shape of the fitting recess is rectangular, it is naturally assumed that the positioning protrusion 513a will also be rectangular in shape accordingly.

[0460] The operation unit 500 is disposed on the rear side of the game board 13, and various light-emitting means and various operation units are disposed inside. That is, the operation unit 500 includes a rear case 510, a first operation unit 600 disposed on the inside right part of the rear case 510, a second operation unit 700 disposed on the inside lower part of the rear case 510, and a third operation unit 800 disposed on the inside upper part of the rear case 510. In addition, disposed on the inside left part of the rear case 510 are a substrate having light-emitting means such as LEDs, and a diffusion decorative plate LB1 disposed so as to cover the substrate from the front side, made of a light-transmitting material, and having a light-diffusing finish formed all over.

[0461] Specifically, the first operating unit 600 is disposed to the right of the opening 511a, the second operating unit 700 is disposed below the opening 511a, and the third operating unit 800 is disposed above the opening 511a, all on the bottom wall 511 of the rear case 510. First, an overview of the operation control of the operating units 500 will be described.

[0462] 28 to 35 are front views of the operating unit 500 showing an example of the operation of the operating unit 500. Fig. 28 illustrates each operating unit 600-800 in a performance standby state, Fig. 29 illustrates a state in which the first operating unit 600 has changed from the performance standby state of each operating unit 600-800 to the extended state, and Fig. 30 illustrates a state in which the second operating unit 700 has changed from the performance standby state of each operating unit 600-800 to the extended state.

[0463] 30, the second operating unit 700 is illustrated in a state where the surface of the covering member 787 facing the front side is different from that of the second operating unit 700 illustrated in FIG.

[0464] 28 to 35, the inner shape of the center frame 86 is shown by imaginary lines. Inside this, the third pattern display device 81 arranged on the back side can be clearly seen, but outside the center frame 86, although the base plate 60 is made of a transparent resin member, the view is easily obstructed by nails arranged on the base plate 60, various winning holes 63, 64, 65a, 140, etc., and the through gate 67 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, for example, when arranged outside the center frame 86 as shown in FIG. 28, the visibility of each operating unit 600 to 800 when viewed from the front is easily reduced.

[0465] Note that the frame shape of the center frame 86 differs from that shown in Fig. 2 in order to match the configuration of the operating unit 500, but its function is the same. Also, the inner frame shape of the center frame 86 is curved and protrudes downward on the front side of the third operating unit 800, but it does not curve downward to the outer frame of the center frame 86; rather, a circular transparent decorative thin plate protrudes from the inner frame side of the center frame 86 so as to cover the front side of the third operating unit 800. Therefore, the function of rolling a ball placed on the upper side of the center frame 86 to both the left and right is also the same as that shown in Fig. 2, and the upper frame part of the actual center frame 86 (upper outer frame part) is disposed so as to straddle the upper side of the third operating unit 800 from left to right.

[0466] 31 and 32 show the state in which the third operating unit 800 has changed from the standby state of each operating unit 600 to 800 to the extended state. In Fig. 31, the first decorative member 870 faces forward, showing the individual combined state of the third operating unit 800, and in Fig. 32, the second decorative member 880 faces forward, showing the combined state of the third operating unit 800.

[0467] The displacement that switches between the state of Figure 31 and the state of Figure 32 occurs in a displacement pattern that combines linear displacement and rotational displacement, so if it is executed when the third operating unit 800 is in a performance standby state, decorative members 870 and 880 will collide with the surrounding decorative members, causing a malfunction, so it is executed when the third operating unit 800 is in an extended state.

[0468] In other words, in this embodiment, the third operating unit 800 is in an extended state (or a state in which it has been displaced downward from the performance standby state to an extent sufficient to avoid collision with the decorative members 870, 880) and is in a state in which it is able to allow the decorative members 870, 880 to displace in the virtual circle 800F (see Figure 32), and is controlled by the audio lamp control device 113 (see Figure 4) to perform a reverse displacement (switching rotation operation), details of which will be described later.

[0469] Figure 33 shows the third operating unit 800 in an extended state and the second operating unit 700 in an intermediate performance state where it is displaced slightly downward from the extended state, Figure 34 shows the state where the first operating unit 600 has displaced from the state of Figure 33 to the intermediate performance state, and Figure 35 shows the state where the third operating unit 800 has displaced from the state of Figure 33 to a performance standby state and the first operating unit 600 has displaced to the extended state.

[0470] 28 to 35, the displacement trajectory of the third operating unit 800 partially overlaps with the displacement trajectory of the first operating unit 600 or the displacement trajectory of the second operating unit 700 in a front view. Therefore, for example, when the third operating unit 800 is in the extended state (see FIG. 31), if the first operating unit 600 or the second operating unit 700 changes state from the performance standby state, there is a possibility of a collision.

[0471] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the state change of the first operation unit 600 from the standby state for performance is controlled to be executable on the condition that the third operation unit 800 is also in the standby state for performance, and the state change of the third operation unit 800 from the standby state for performance is controlled to be executable on the condition that the first operation unit 600 is also in the standby state for performance, thereby making it possible to prevent the first operation unit 600 and the third operation unit 800 from overlapping in a front view. Therefore, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in the placement of the first operation unit 600 and the third operation unit 800 (it is possible to allow the front-to-back positions to overlap).

[0472] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state change of the second operating unit 700 to the extended state is controlled to be executable on the condition that the first operating unit 600 and the third operating unit 800 are in a performance standby state, and by placing the second operating unit 700 in an intermediate performance state (see FIG. 33) when the third operating unit 800 is in the extended state, it is possible to prevent the second operating unit 700 from overlapping with the other operating units 600, 800 in a front view. Therefore, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in the placement of each operating unit 600 to 800 (it is possible to allow overlapping of the front and rear positions).

[0473] In particular, by configuring the second operating unit 700 to be visible in multiple states, including a state in which it is protruding closer to the opening 511a, and a state in which it is slightly receding from the opening 511a but positioned close to the third operating unit 800, the function of the second operating unit 700 as a performance device is improved.

[0474] As shown in Figures 28 to 35, the first operating unit 600 moves to the right of the third symbol display device 81. The second decorative rotating member 660 of the first operating unit 600 has a box-shaped member 661 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the box-shaped member 661 has a first performance surface 661a facing diagonally left in a performance standby state, a second performance surface 661b formed on the back side of the first performance surface 661a, and a third performance surface 661c adjacent to the first performance surface 661a and the second performance surface 661b. Each of the performance surfaces 661a to 661c is optionally decorated with figures, patterns, letters, etc.

[0475] When the first operating unit 600 is in the standby state for presentation, the second decorative rotating member 660 is positioned to the right of the third pattern display device 81, where visibility from the front side is likely to be reduced due to the positioning of the center frame 86. However, the first presentation surface 661a is positioned diagonally toward the player (the front surface is tilted 45 degrees toward the arrow L side with arrow FB as the reference), thereby improving the visibility of the first presentation surface 661a from the player's point of view when viewing the second decorative rotating member 660 from inside the frame of the opening between the third pattern display device 81 and the center frame 86, looking diagonally through the gap between the center frame 86 and the third pattern display device 81.

[0476] On the other hand, when the first operating unit 600 is in the extended state, the second decorative rotating member 660 extends in front of the third pattern display device 81, and faces the player viewing the inside of the center frame 86. In this case, the second decorative rotating member 660 is oriented so that the second presentation surface 661b faces directly ahead, thereby improving the visibility of the second presentation surface 661b from the player's line of sight viewing the second decorative rotating member 660.

[0477] In this way, the second decorative rotating member 660 is configured to be able to switch the presentation surfaces 661a to 661c that are visible to the player depending on its placement, and is also configured to be able to switch its posture depending on its placement in order to improve the visibility of each presentation surface 661a to 661c that is visible to the player.

[0478] In other words, it is not limited to a change in posture in a plane parallel to the glass unit 16 (see Figure 1), but is designed to have an angle change intended to correspond to the player's line of sight. That is, the closer to the center of the frame of the center frame 86 the player's line of sight is more likely to be in the front-to-back direction, making it easier to face directly, so visibility can be improved by having the presentation surface facing forward (in the direction of arrow F), but on the other hand, the closer to the frame of the center frame 86 the player's line of sight is more likely to be oblique, so visibility can be improved by making the presentation surface oblique so that it is directly aligned with the player's line of sight.

[0479] The protruding decorative portion 652b is displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the second decorative rotating member 660. The protruding decorative portion 652b is decorated with figures, patterns, etc. on the front of the board, and is hidden from view by being positioned in the upper right corner of the rear case 510 when the first operating unit 600 is in the performance standby state (see FIG. 28) and the intermediate performance state (see FIG. 34).

[0480] On the other hand, when the first operating unit 600 is in the extended state (see Figure 28), the protruding decorative portion 652b is configured to be visible to the player by being positioned inside the center frame 86 so that it overlaps with the right edge of the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 at the front and rear when viewed from the front.

[0481] In this state, the right edge of the outer shape of the protruding decorative portion 652b is located to the right of the right edge of the third pattern display device 81. Therefore, by utilizing the decoration on the front of the board of the protruding decorative portion 652b, it is possible to perform a display effect that gives the player the illusion that the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 is expanding.

[0482] In detail, the right edge of the area in which the display of the third pattern display device 81 is visible is determined by the first operating unit 600, and when the first operating unit 600 is in the performance standby state, the left edge of the first performance surface 661a of the second decorative rotating member 660 and the right edge RE1 of the area in which the display of the third pattern display device 81 is visible roughly coincide with each other.

[0483] In contrast, in the protruding state of the first operating unit 600, the protruding decorative portion 652b is positioned so as to extend beyond the right edge RE1 of the area to the right. Therefore, by associating or matching the display of the third pattern display device 81 with the decoration on the front of the board of the protruding decorative portion 652b, the player can visually recognize as if the display area of ​​the third pattern display device 81 has expanded beyond the right edge RE1 of the area. This allows for the realization of an unexpected effect.

[0484] Examples of matching the above-mentioned display and decoration include displaying polka dots on the third pattern display device 81 and decorating the front of the plate of the protruding decorative part 652b with a similar polka dot pattern, or writing a certain number on the front of the plate of the protruding decorative part 652b in the same font as the number that is displayed variably on the third pattern display device 81 (for example, the number that indicates the result of a lottery).

[0485] Examples of associating the above-mentioned display with decoration include, for example, a case in which six of the seven colors that make up the rainbow are displayed on the third pattern display device 81 and the front of the plate of the protruding decorative portion 652b is colored with the remaining color, or a case in which a wooden stick is displayed on the third pattern display device 81 with its right end aligned with the right edge of the area RE1 and the front of the plate of the protruding decorative portion 652b is decorated with a flame-like decoration, thereby evoking the image of fire when the first operating unit 600 is in the protruding state.

[0486] The presentation pattern of the protruding decorative portion 652b is not limited to one type, and multiple types of presentation patterns can be created by controlling the brightness of the protruding decorative portion 652b, but the light-emitting means for changing the brightness of the protruding decorative portion 652b will be described later.

[0487] Furthermore, by arranging a small liquid crystal device with a display surface on the front side instead of the protruding decorative part 652b, the display of the liquid crystal device can be changed in multiple types, thereby avoiding restrictions on the display mode of the third pattern display device 81 when the display area is expanded beyond the right end RE1 of the area.

[0488] Furthermore, the object associated with the decoration of the overhang decorative portion 652b is not limited to a display, and various embodiments are exemplified. For example, the decoration of the overhang decorative portion 652b may be associated with decorations (first decoration, second decoration) formed on a member of the second operating unit 700 (e.g., covering member 787), or the decoration of the overhang decorative portion 652b may be associated with decorations (decoration of the first covering portion 875, decoration of the second covering portion 885) formed on a member of the third operating unit 800 (e.g., first decorative member 870, second decorative member 880).

[0489] Figure 36 is a front perspective view of the first operating unit 600, and Figure 37 is a rear perspective view of the first operating unit 600. The first operating unit 600 is configured to have a complex displacement pattern in which the second decorative rotation member 660 rotates while changing its posture, and the protruding decorative portion 652b of the first decorative rotation member 650 is displaced relative to the second decorative rotation member 660, allowing the player to visually recognize different appearances before and after the displacement.

[0490] FIG. 38 is an exploded front perspective view of the first operating unit 600, and FIG. 39 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first operating unit 600. As shown in FIG.

[0491] As shown in Figures 38 and 39, the first operating unit 600 comprises a fixed means 610 fastened to the rear case 510, a rotating member 620 rotatably supported on the fixed means 610, a drive transmission device 630 that transmits a driving force to rotate the rotating member 620, a supported member 640 having one end rotatably supported on the rotating tip of the rotating member 620, a first decorative rotating member 650 rotatably arranged on the other end of the supported member 640, a second decorative rotating member 660 rotatably supported on the first decorative rotating member 650, and a decorative fixing member 670 fixed to the front side of the lower half of the fixed means 610.

[0492] The fixing means 610 comprises a base member 611 arranged facing the bottom wall portion 511 of the rear case 510 from front to back, and a front cover member 612 arranged on the front side of the base member 611 and fastened to the base member 611 while creating a space between the base member 611 and the front cover member 612.

[0493] The front cover member 612 comprises a transmission arrangement portion 613 for arranging the drive transmission device 630, a fixing portion 614 for fixing the decorative fixing member 670 on the front side of the transmission arrangement portion 613, a support fastening portion 615 for rotatably supporting the rotating member 620 inside the fixing portion 614, and a guide elongated hole 616 formed as a long hole for guiding the other end of the supported member 640.

[0494] The guide slot 616 is formed from a unique shape that is a mixture of straight and curved portions, the details and function of which will be described later.

[0495] The rotating member 620 comprises a main body 621 formed in the shape of a long plate, a tubular portion 622 arranged at one end (lower end) of the main body 621 and externally fitted and supported by the support fastening portion 615 of the fixed means 610, a transmission long hole 623 formed in the middle of the main body 621 as a long hole extending in a linear direction, a circular through hole 624 drilled as a circular hole in the other end (upper end) of the main body 621 in a drilling direction parallel to the axial direction of the tubular portion 622, and a gear tooth portion 625 formed in the shape of gear teeth along a portion of a circle centered on the circular through hole 624.

[0496] A torsion spring SP1 is wound around the cylindrical portion 622. The torsion spring SP1 is configured so that one arm abuts against the side wall of the main body portion 621 and the other arm abuts against a protruding piece of the front cover member 612, and is configured to generate a biasing force in a direction that raises the rotating member 620 (clockwise direction when viewed from the front).

[0497] In addition, when supporting the cylindrical portion 622, a fastening screw is screwed into a female screw portion formed at the tip of the support fastening portion 615, with the support fastening portion 615 inserted into the cylindrical portion 622. In this way, the rotating member 620 is supported by the support fastening portion 615 so that it cannot fall off.

[0498] The long transmission hole 623 functions as a guide hole through which the cylindrical portion 634a of the drive transmission device 630 is inserted, and the circular through hole 624 functions as an insertion hole through which the tubular portion 642 of the supported member 640 is rotatably inserted and fixed, as will be described in detail later.

[0499] The drive transmission device 630 includes a drive motor 631 fastened to the front side of the front cover member 612, a drive gear 632 fixed to a drive shaft that protrudes to the rear side through a through hole 613a in the front cover member 612, a transmission gear 633 journaled on the cylindrical portion 613b of the front cover member 612 while meshing with the drive gear 632, and a transmission gear cam 634 journaled on the cylindrical portion 613c of the front cover member 612 while meshing with the transmission gear 633.

[0500] Note that, with the cylindrical portions 613b and 613c inserted through the transmission gear 633 and the transmission gear cam 634, fastening screws are threaded into the female threads formed at the tip ends of the cylindrical portions 613b and 613c. As a result, the transmission gear 633 and the transmission gear cam 634 are pivotally supported on the front cover member 612 so as not to fall off.

[0501] The front cover member 612 is formed with an arc-shaped hole 613d that penetrates along an arc centered on the cylindrical portion 613c, and a cylindrical portion 634a that protrudes cylindrically toward the front side at an eccentric position of the transmission gear cam 634 is inserted into the arc-shaped hole 613d.

[0502] The transmission gear cam 634 is a rotating member having a gear portion that meshes with the transmission gear 633, and has the above-mentioned cylindrical portion 634a and an extension portion 634b that extends in a plate-like shape in the outer diameter direction from an angular position including the cylindrical portion 634a.

[0503] Cylindrical portion 634a is inserted into arc-shaped hole 613d, and its front side is inserted into elongated transmission hole 623 of rotating member 620. Here, the widths of arc-shaped hole 613d and elongated transmission hole 623 are designed to be slightly longer than the outer diameter of cylindrical portion 634a. This makes it possible to reduce sliding resistance when cylindrical portion 634a slides through arc-shaped hole 613d and elongated transmission hole 623.

[0504] The extension portion 634b is configured to be able to enter the detection groove of the photocoupler type detection sensor KS1 fastened and fixed to the front cover member 612. This allows the voice lamp control device 113 (see FIG. 4) to grasp the position of the transmission gear cam 634 by reading the change in the output of the detection sensor KS1.

[0505] The supported member 640 comprises a long main body 641, a tubular portion 642 protruding from the back side of the main body 641 with a cylindrical cross section that can be inserted into the circular through hole 624 of the rotating member 620, a tubular portion 643 protruding parallel to the tubular portion 642, an intermediate gear 644 formed so as to be able to mesh with the gear teeth portion 625 of the rotating member 620 while being journaled on the tubular portion 643, a bottomed tubular portion 645 formed in the shape of a large diameter cylinder with a perforated bottom on the back side of the intermediate gear 644, and an extended support portion 646 extended toward the front side at the end opposite to the end where the bottomed tubular portion 645 is located.

[0506] With the above-described configuration, as the rotating member 620 is rotated and displaced, a driving force can be transmitted between the gear teeth portion 625 and the intermediate gear 644 by meshing.

[0507] With the cylindrical portions 642, 643 inserted through the rotating member 620 and the intermediate gear 644, fastening screws are threaded into the female threads formed at the tip ends of the cylindrical portions 642, 643. As a result, the rotating member 620 and the intermediate gear 644 are pivotally supported on the main body 641 of the supported member 640 so as not to fall off.

[0508] The bottomed tubular portion 645 has a rear side of the bottom disposed close to the front edge of the front lid member 612, and is provided with an opening 645a formed in the peripheral surface at the front side of the bottom so that the intermediate gear 644 can mesh with the gear teeth 654a of the first decorative rotation member 650, and an insertion hole 645b formed in a circular shape centered on the tubular center and through which the cylindrical support portion 651a can be inserted. Details of the shape will be described later.

[0509] The extended support portion 646 functions as a support portion for rotatably supporting the second decorative rotation member 660, and will be described in detail later.

[0510] The first decorative rotating member 650 comprises a main body member 651 that forms an orthogonal rotation axis, a front rotating member 652 that is journaled between the main body member 651 and the bottomed tubular portion 645, an illumination board 653 that is fixed to the back side of the decorative portion 652b of the front rotating member 652 and has light-emitting means such as LEDs arranged on the front side, a rear rotating member 654 that is coaxial with the front rotating member 652 and fastened to the rear side, a wire receiving member 655 that is fastened to the main body member 651 from the front side and forms a cylindrical space for wiring, a front decorative portion 656 that is arranged on the front side of the wire receiving member 655 and fastened by screwing a fastening screw inserted into the main body member 651 from the back side, and an axis-perpendicular rotating member 657 that is journaled and externally supported on the cylindrical portion formed by the wire receiving member 655 and the main body member 651.

[0511] The main body member 651 has a cylindrical support portion 651a extending cylindrically on the back side, and the cylindrical support portion 651a has a pair of female screw portions 651b formed at the diameter position of the tip, and has a notch portion 651c cut out so as to reduce the wall portion on one side of a plane passing through the female screw portions 651b.

[0512] The cylindrical support portion 651a is formed with a thickness that allows electrical wiring to be inserted therethrough, and the notch portion 651c functions as an opening for securing an entrance for the electrical wiring.

[0513] The cylindrical support portion 651a is inserted, in order from the base end, into the central hole of the front rotating member 652, the central hole of the rear rotating member 654, the insertion hole 645b of the bottomed cylindrical portion 645, the stepped ring-shaped collar C1, and the long guide hole 616 of the front cover member 612, and is fastened and fixed by threading a fastening screw inserted into the dish-shaped cover portion C2 into the female threaded portion 651b at the tip end.

[0514] That is, the above-mentioned cylindrical support portion 651a, front rotating member 652, rear rotating member 654, bottomed cylindrical portion 645, collar C1 and dish-shaped lid portion C2 are supported coaxially on an axis O1 extending in the front-to-rear direction, and are configured to be displaceable along the guide elongated hole 616.

[0515] The dish-shaped cover C2 has an opening C2a formed in a part of the circumference thereof, and this opening C2a is disposed opposite the notch 651c of the main body member 651 in the assembled state, thereby forming a path for electrical wiring.

[0516] Some of the electrical wiring passes through the inside of the axis-perpendicular rotation member 657 and is guided into the inside of the second decorative rotation member 660, where terminals are connected to a connector arranged on the illumination board 662. The remaining wiring passes through a gap formed between the main body member 651 and the wire receiving member 655 (a gap formed on the upper side, i.e., on the side opposite the top and bottom of the semi-cylindrical portion 655a that faces the main body member 651), and is guided to the back of the protruding decorative portion 652b, where terminals are connected to a connector on the illumination board 653.

[0517] The rear rotation member 654 has gear teeth 654a formed along the circumference of the rear end, and these gear teeth 654a are formed so as to be able to mesh with the intermediate gear 644. Note that the gear teeth 654a are formed along a portion of the circumference, rather than along the entire circumference, so as to be arranged in a manner sufficient for the operation described below.

[0518] The front rotating member 652 has gear teeth 652a formed as a bevel gear and a protruding decorative portion 652b that protrudes radially outward. An illumination board 653 is fastened and fixed to the back side of the protruding decorative portion 652b, and light from a light-emitting means arranged on the illumination board 653 can be used to light up or flash the protruding decorative portion 652b.

[0519] Since the front rotation member 652 is fastened and fixed to the rear rotation member 654, the rear rotation member 654 and the front rotation member 652 rotate integrally.

[0520] The axis-perpendicular rotation member 657 is rotatably supported on a circular cylindrical portion formed by the semi-cylindrical portion 651d of the main body member 651 and the semi-cylindrical portion 655a of the wiring receiving member 655, and is provided with gear teeth 657a formed as a bevel gear that can mesh with the gear teeth 652a of the front rotation member 652.

[0521] With this configuration, the axis-perpendicular rotation member 657 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the front rotation member 652. That is, the front rotation member 652, the rear rotation member 654, and the axis-perpendicular rotation member 657 are interlocked, and details of their operation will be described later. Note that the gear teeth 652a, 657a are formed along part of the circumference, rather than along the entire circumference, in an arrangement sufficient for the operation described later.

[0522] The second decorative rotating member 660 comprises a box-shaped member 661 fastened to the axis-perpendicular rotating member 657, an electric decorative board 662 fixed to the box-shaped member 661 inside the box-shaped member 661, and a wiring retaining plate 663 arranged between the box-shaped member 661 and the axis-perpendicular rotating member 657 and fastened to the tip ends of the semi-cylindrical portions 651d, 655a.

[0523] In this embodiment, as the box-shaped member 661 described below rotates, the illumination board 662 also undergoes rotational displacement, which may cause the electrical wiring passing between the semi-cylindrical portions 651d, 655a to become twisted or arranged in a disorderly manner when being guided into the connector of the illumination board 662. However, the function of the wiring retaining plate 663, which has a through hole for temporarily securing the wiring, is to prevent the wiring from twisting or being arranged in a disorderly manner.

[0524] In this embodiment, twisting of the electrical wiring is unavoidable because the electrical wiring is fixed to the illumination board 662. On the other hand, the rotational displacement of the second decorative rotation member 660 is not generated by more than one rotation, but is a rotational displacement that reverses at a rotation angle of 135 degrees, so it is possible to avoid excessive strain on the electrical wiring or the electrical wiring from being twisted and broken.

[0525] The second decorative rotation member 660 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis (the rotation axis formed by the semi-cylindrical portions 651d, 655a) parallel to the longest side of the rectangular side surface having the longest side.

[0526] The axis-perpendicular rotation member 657 is supported by the semi-cylindrical portions 651d, 655a so as not to come off, with the wiring retaining plate 663 functioning as a retainer. The second decorative rotation member 660 is fastened and fixed to the axis-perpendicular rotation member 657, so that the second decorative rotation member 660 can be prevented from coming off the semi-cylindrical portions 651d, 655a.

[0527] The illumination board 662 is arranged so that the thickness direction of the board coincides with the thickness direction of the box-shaped member 661. On the thickness-wise side of the illumination board 662, a first performance surface 661a is illuminated by a light-emitting means such as an LED arranged on the front side and with its optical axis facing the thickness direction, a second performance surface 661b is illuminated by a light-emitting means such as an LED arranged on the back side and with its optical axis facing the thickness direction, and a third performance surface 661c is illuminated by a light-emitting means such as an LED arranged on the back side (the side that illuminates the second performance surface 661b) and with its optical axis facing the width direction.

[0528] In this way, the light-emitting means arranged on the illumination board 662 functions to illuminate each performance surface 661a to 661c individually, but since the LED that illuminates the third performance surface 661c is arranged on the back side (the side that illuminates the second performance surface 661b), when the LED that illuminates the third performance surface 661c (the surface facing upward) is illuminated when the second performance surface 661b is positioned on the front side (the extended state of the first operating unit 600), the light that travels at an angle from the optical axis of the LED can illuminate the second performance surface 661b.

[0529] That is, unlike when LEDs are arranged behind the illumination board 662, it is possible to prevent the light from being hidden by the illumination board 662, and the light illuminating the third performance surface 661c can also illuminate the second performance surface 661b. This makes it possible to increase the variety of performance modes that illuminate the second performance surface 661b and improve the brightness of the second performance surface 661b during light-emitting performance.

[0530] The decorative fixing member 670 is made of a light-transmitting resin material and has decorative letters and figures formed on it so that they are visible to the player. It is equipped with an illumination board 671 that projects light diagonally to the left front from its back side. The position of the decorative fixing member 670 is fixed to the right side of the third symbol display device 81, so that the player's line of sight toward the decorative fixing member 670 is always tilted diagonally to the right. In other words, by tilting the direction of the light projected from the illumination board 671 to the left, the light can be projected on the side where the player's eyes are likely to be located.

[0531] The decorative fixing member 670 has a lower edge and a right edge that are raised toward the rear side, and a front-to-rear gap is formed between the upper edge and the left edge and the front cover member 612. This front-to-rear gap functions as a gap through which the rotating member 620 passes when tilting.

[0532] Fig. 40 is a front view of the first operating unit 600 in a performance standby state, Fig. 41 is a rear view of the first operating unit 600 in a performance standby state, and Fig. 42 is a side view of the first operating unit 600 as viewed in the direction of arrow XLII in Fig. 40. In order to make the shape easier to understand, the base member 611 (see Fig. 38) and fastening screws are not shown.

[0533] In the standby state for performance, the displacement start direction SD1 of the cylindrical portion 634a of the drive transmission device 630 is configured to be along (for example, parallel to) the longitudinal direction of the elongated transmission hole 623. This makes it possible to reduce the displacement resistance when the cylindrical portion 634a starts to displace while sliding along the elongated transmission hole 623. That is, at the start of the displacement, there is less assistance from inertia than during the displacement, and the driving force that needs to be generated by the drive motor 631 tends to become large, but by configuring to reduce the displacement resistance as in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the burden on the drive motor 631 at the start of the displacement.

[0534] The same holds true for the displacement start direction SD2 of the cylindrical portion 634a in the extended state (see FIG. 45). That is, in this embodiment, the displacement of the cylindrical portion 634a (i.e., the shape of the transmission gear cam 634) is designed so that the displacement direction of the cylindrical portion 634a arranged in the transmission elongated hole 623 at both end positions of the turning member 620 (the position in the performance standby state and the position in the extended state) is along (for example, parallel to) the longitudinal direction of the transmission elongated hole 623. This makes it possible to reduce the burden on the drive motor 631 when the turning member 620 starts to displace from both end positions.

[0535] 41, the gear teeth portion 625 of the rotating member 620 and the gear teeth 654a of the first decorative rotating member 650 mesh with each other from both sides of the intermediate gear 644. In this embodiment, the radius R1 of the gear teeth portion 625 and the radius R2 of the gear teeth 654a are designed to be the same length, so the rotation angle of the gear teeth portion 625 relative to the intermediate gear 644 and the rotation angle of the rear rotating member 654 relative to the intermediate gear 644 are the same angle.

[0536] Therefore, the rotation angle of the rear rotation member 654 can be configured to be variable depending on the design of the rotation angle (angle θ) generated between the intermediate gear 644 and the gear teeth portion 625.

[0537] As shown in Figure 42, the gear teeth 652a of the front rotating member 652 and the gear teeth 657a of the axis-perpendicular rotating member 657 are meshed with each other, and the rotational driving force transmitted to the front rotating member 652 is transmitted to the second decorative rotating member 660, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0538] The rotation angle of the second decorative rotation member 660 is similar to the rotation angle of the gear teeth 657a, and the rotation angle of the gear teeth 657a is proportional to the rotation angle of the gear teeth 652a of the front rotation member 652. In other words, the rotation angle of the second decorative rotation member 660 is proportional to the rotation angle generated between the intermediate gear 644 and the gear tooth portion 625 (see FIG. 41).

[0539] In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the gear teeth 657a and the rotation angle of the gear teeth 652a are configured to be the same (gear ratio is 1), so the rotation angle of the second decorative rotating member 660 is the same as the rotation angle generated between the intermediate gear 644 and the gear tooth portion 625.

[0540] Next, the displacement of the first operating unit 600 from the standby state for performance will be explained in chronological order. Fig. 43 is a front view of the first operating unit 600 in the intermediate performance state, and Fig. 44 is a rear view of the first operating unit 600 in the intermediate performance state. Fig. 45 is a front view of the first operating unit 600 in the extended state, and Fig. 46 is a rear view of the first operating unit 600 in the extended state. Note that to make the shape easier to understand, the base member 611 and fastening screws are omitted from the illustration.

[0541] Between the performance standby state and the intermediate performance state, the rotation angle of the rotating member 620 is set to 19 degrees, and between the intermediate performance state and the extended state, the rotation angle of the rotating member 620 is set to 26 degrees.

[0542] In the intermediate performance state of the first operating unit 600, the box-shaped member 661 of the second decorative rotating member 660 is oriented so that the narrower third performance surface 661c faces the front. In the extended state of the first operating unit 600, the second performance surface 661b faces the front (see FIG. 45).

[0543] As shown in Figure 44, the guide slot 616 has a linear portion 616a formed on a straight line extending vertically from the upper end, and a curved portion 616b connected to the lower end of the linear portion 616a and formed on a curve (approximately arc shape).

[0544] In the intermediate performance state of the first operating unit 600, the axis O1 is located at the lower end position of the straight portion 616a, i.e., at the connection portion between the straight portion 616a and the curved portion 616b. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 46, in the extended state of the first operating unit 600, the axis O1 is located at the lower end position of the curved portion 616b.

[0545] Therefore, the displacement of the axis O1 between the performance standby state and the intermediate performance state is a linear displacement along the straight portion 616a, and the displacement of the axis O1 between the intermediate performance state and the extended state is a curved displacement along the curved portion 616b.

[0546] As described above, the first operating unit 600 is configured to be able to change its state, and the part located on the base end side of the state change is the rotating member 620. That is, the rotating member 620 receives a driving force from the drive transmission device 630 and is displaced, and the supported member 640, the first decorative rotation member 650, and the second decorative rotation member 660 are driven by the displacement of the rotating member 620.

[0547] Therefore, without any countermeasures, there is a possibility that the sliding displacement of the part guided by the guide slot 616 will increase the displacement resistance between the part and the guide slot 616. However, in this embodiment, this is suppressed by configuring the longitudinal direction of the guide slot 616 to be in line with the displacement direction of the rotating member 620.

[0548] For example, the displacement of the gear tooth portion 625 of the rotating member 620 from the performance standby state (FIG. 41) is a displacement of tilting downward, and the guide elongated hole 616 is also formed to extend downward. Furthermore, for example, the displacement of the gear tooth portion 625 of the rotating member 620 from the extended state (see FIG. 46) is a displacement of rising diagonally upward to the right, and the guide elongated hole 616 is also formed to extend diagonally upward to the right.

[0549] In this way, by aligning the displacement direction of the rotating member 620 with the longitudinal direction of the guide slot 616, the displacement resistance of the portion (and axis O1) that displaces inside the guide slot 616 can be suppressed.

[0550] Next, with reference to Fig. 47, the effects of the shape of the elongated guide hole 616 will be described, including other effects. Fig. 47 is a schematic diagram showing the amount of displacement and displacement angle of the supported member 640 accompanying the rotational displacement of the rotating member 620, and Figs. 48(a) and 48(b) are schematic diagrams showing the magnitude relationship of the amount of displacement of the driven side of the supported member 640 when the rotating member 620 rotates in the tilting direction at a constant angular velocity. Note that positive and negative numerical values ​​are shown with positive representing the amount of downward displacement and negative representing the amount of upward displacement, and Fig. 48(b) illustrates the numerical values ​​of Fig. 48(a) as a bar graph.

[0551] In Figure 47, the arrangement of the support positions of the supported member 640 as the rotating member 620 rotates is shown at 10 degree intervals as the rotation angle of the rotating member 620, and the rotating member 620 in its posture when the first operating unit 600 is extended is shown in solid lines.

[0552] In FIG. 47, the angle θ is illustrated as the angle between the line segment connecting the axis O1 and the center of the circular through-hole 624 and the line segment connecting the center of the circular through-hole 624 and the center of the cylindrical portion 622.

[0553] The elongated guide hole 616 functions as a slot that guides the end of the supported member 640 along which the axis O1 is disposed. The displacement in the elongated guide hole 616 is caused by the displacement of the cylindrical portion 642 of the supported member 640, which is connected to the circular through hole 624 of the rotating member 620, as the rotating member 620 rotates. Therefore, hereinafter, the cylindrical portion 642 of the supported member 640 will also be referred to as the driving side of the supported member 640, and the end of the supported member 640 along which the axis O1 is disposed will also be referred to as the driven side of the supported member 640.

[0554] An overview of the operation centered on rotating member 620 will be described. The vertical displacement of supported member 640 supported by rotating member 620 occurs as a result of the sum of the vertical displacement of the rotation tip (the driving side of supported member 640) due to the...

Claims

[Claim 1] A gaming machine comprising: a displacement means configured to be displaceable; a relative movement means configured to be capable of relative movement with respect to the displacement means; a drive means configured to be able to generate a drive force; and a support means, a first portion of the relative movement means engaged with the displacement means; a predetermined portion of the second portion of the relative movement means is supported by the support means; The gaming machine includes: The displacement means is configured to be able to displace the first section and the second section, a direction of a straight line connecting a first position and a second position, to which a specific portion of the second portion different from the predetermined portion of the second portion is displaced when the displacement means is displaced in the first section, is different from a direction of a straight line connecting a third position and a fourth position, to which the specific portion is displaced when the displacement means is displaced in the second section, a first state in which the displacement means is positioned in the first section and the specific part is positioned at the first position, and a second state in which the displacement means is positioned in the second section and the specific part is positioned at the fourth position, configured to be changed from the first state to the second state by at least the driving force, As the game situation, at least a predetermined situation and a specific situation different from the predetermined situation can be configured, A predetermined presentation surface is provided that can configure at least a predetermined aspect that can be seen in a situation where the driving force is being generated in the predetermined situation and a specific aspect that can be seen in a situation where the driving force is being generated less than in the predetermined situation, The device is configured to allow a player to recognize that a predetermined value may be awarded to the player when the predetermined presentation surface is in the predetermined mode, A gaming machine characterized in that it is configured to make the player aware that when the specified presentation surface is in the specified mode, the player may be awarded a specific value different from the specified value.

Images