gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine having features in a substrate unit.SOLUTION: A game machine is provided, including a substrate, a first cover member, and a second cover member. The first cover member is a metal member to be disposed at least on one side of the substrate. The first cover member is a member provided with a through hole at a location corresponding to a specific position on the substrate. The second cover member is a resin member to be disposed on the opposite side to the side where substrate is disposed with regard to the first cover member. Further, the substrate is a substrate in which display means indicating predetermined information is provided on the specific position. The second cover member is a permeable member and no through hole is formed at the location corresponding to the through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine represented by a pinball gaming machine (pachinko machine), a slot machine, an enclosed gaming machine, or a medalless slot machine. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a slot machine is known as one type of gaming machine, and such a slot machine is equipped with a plurality of types of board units (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-73461 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in the base unit of conventional gaming machines.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having a distinctive base unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine including a base plate, a first cover member, and a second cover member, and the first cover member is attached to at least one of the base plate. surfacethe first cover member is a metal member disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the first cover member being a member having a through hole at a position corresponding to a specific portion of the substrate, the second cover member being a resin member disposed on the side of the first cover member opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the substrate being a substrate on which a display means showing predetermined information is provided at the specific portion, the second cover member being a transparent member, the second cover member having a through hole formed at a position corresponding to the through hole, a surface of the first cover member facing one side as viewed from the one side is defined as a first surface, a surface of the second cover member facing one side as viewed from the one side is defined as a second surface, the first surface and the second surface are in a positional relationship where they overlap as viewed from the one side, and a length of the first surface in the short side direction has a portion that is shorter than a length of the second surface in the short side direction; This is a gaming machine characterized by the above. The gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine including a base plate, a first cover member, and a second cover member, and the first cover member is attached to at least one of the base plate. surface the first cover member is a metal member disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the first cover member being a member having a through hole at a position corresponding to a specific portion of the substrate, the second cover member being a resin member disposed on the side of the first cover member opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the substrate being a substrate on which a display means showing predetermined information is provided at the specific portion, the second cover member being a transparent member, the second cover member having a through hole formed at a position corresponding to the through hole, a surface of the first cover member facing upward as viewed from the one side is defined as a third surface, a surface of the second cover member facing upward as viewed from the one side is defined as a fourth surface, the third surface and the fourth surface are in a positional relationship where they overlap as viewed from above, and a length of the third surface in the short side direction has a portion that is shorter than a length of the fourth surface in the short side direction; This is a gaming machine characterized by the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a gaming machine with a distinctive base unit can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a slot machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side). [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a pay line of the slot machine 100. [Figure 3] 1A is a front view showing the slot machine 100 with the front door 102 open, and FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of the slot machine 100. [Figure 4](a) is a front view of the backlight module 630. (b) is a side view of the backlight module 630. (c) is an external perspective view of the backlight module 630, with the components thereof disassembled and viewed from the front. [Figure 5] 1 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the light emission mode of the reel front lighting 250 in time series when a replay (replay combination) is won. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the light emission mode of the reel front lighting 250 in a time series during a bonus game. FIG. [Figure 8] This is an exploded oblique view of the performance control unit 600, with the main components that make up the unit disassembled and viewed from the front side. [Figure 9] 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main components that make up the performance control unit 600, viewed from the rear side of the performance control unit 600. FIG. [Figure 10] (a) is a front view of the performance control unit 600. (b) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620 removed, showing the upper metal shield 618. (c) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620 and upper metal shield 618 removed, showing the upper board case 608. (d) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, and upper board case 608 removed, showing the sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614. [Figure 11] (a) is a perspective view showing only the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 extracted from the performance control unit 600, with the shield cover 620 seen through. (b) is an external view showing the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 in a rotated open state. (c) is an external view showing the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 in a rotated closed state. [Figure 12](a) is a front view of the lower board case 606 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, upper board case 608, sub-control board 612, and sub-peripheral board 614 removed from the performance control unit 600. (b) is a front view of the lower metal shield 604 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, upper board case 608, sub-control board 612, sub-peripheral board 614, and lower board case 606 removed from the performance control unit 600. (c) is a front view of the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b, (d) is an external perspective view showing the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b disassembled. (e) is a side view of the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b. [Figure 13] 1A is a front view of the effect device disposed at the bottom of the slot machine 100, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the effect device. [Figure 14] 1A is a front view of the lens unit 700. FIG. 1B is a rear view of the lens unit 700. FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view showing the main components of the lens unit 700. FIG. [Figure 15] (a) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 before assembly. (b) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 with the inner lens 704 attached to the lens holder 702. (c) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 with the inner lens 704 and outer lens 706 attached to the lens holder 702. (d) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 after assembly. [Figure 16] (a) is a partially enlarged view showing a main part of the lens holder 702 before the outer lens 706 and the lens cover 708 are attached, (b) is a partially enlarged view showing a main part of the lens holder 702 after the outer lens 706 is attached, and (c) is a partially enlarged view showing a main part of the lens holder 702 after the lens cover 708 and the outer lens 706 are attached. [Figure 17]1A is an exploded perspective view showing the main components of the panel unit 750. FIG. 1B is an external perspective view of the panel unit 750 as seen from the front side. FIG. 1C is an external perspective view of the panel unit 750 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 18] 10A is a side view of the panel unit 750. FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the panel unit 750 from which the panel 652 has been removed, as seen obliquely from below. FIG. 10C is a perspective view of the panel unit 750 from which the panel 652 has been removed, as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 19] (a) A front view of the panel unit 750. (b) A side cross-sectional view along line AA shown in (a) and an enlarged view of the main part. (c) A partially enlarged view of the panel unit 750 attached to the upper performance unit 650, omitting the illustration of the panel 652. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <<Embodiment 1>> Hereinafter, a gaming machine (slot machine) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Overall structure> First, the overall configuration of the slot machine 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the slot machine 100 as seen from the front side (player side).

[0011] The slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to an example of a gaming machine of the present invention, and comprises a main body 101 and a front door 102 attached to the front of the main body 101 and capable of being opened and closed relative to the main body 101.

[0012] The symbols on the reels 110-112 are displayed vertically in roughly three rows through symbol display windows 113 provided in front of each reel 110-112, so that a total of nine symbols can be seen by the player. By spinning each reel 110-112, the combination of symbols seen by the player changes. In other words, each reel 110-112 functions as a display device that variably displays a plurality of types of symbol combinations.

[0013] In addition to reels, electronic image display devices such as liquid crystal display devices can also be used as such display devices. In this embodiment, three reels are arranged in the center of the main body 101, but the number of reels and the installation positions of the reels are not limited to this.

[0014] The notification lamp 123 is a lamp that notifies a player that, for example, a specific winning combination (e.g., a bonus combination) has been internally won in an internal lottery, or that a bonus game is in progress. The medal insertion possible lamp 124 is a lamp that notifies a player that a game medal can be inserted. The replay lamp 122 is a lamp that notifies a player that the current game can be played again (no medal insertion is required) if a replay (replay), which is one of the winning combinations, was won in the previous game.

[0015] The bet button 132 is a button for inserting a predetermined number of medals (called credits) electronically stored in the slot machine 100. In this embodiment, pressing the bet button 132 inserts three medals. Hereinafter, the bet button 132 will also be referred to as the MAX bet button. The game medal insertion lamps 129 light up lamps corresponding to the number of inserted medals, and when the specified number of medals have been inserted, the game start lamp 121 lights up to indicate that a game can be started.

[0016] The effect button 156 is an operating means that can be operated by the player. In this embodiment, it is configured as a button that can be pressed by the player and is used for various effects. The operating means used for such effects is not limited to a button, and may be configured as, for example, a lever or a touch panel, or multiple operating means may be provided.

[0017] The medal insertion slot 141 is an insertion slot through which a player inserts medals when starting a game. That is, medals can be inserted electronically using the bet button 132, or actual medals can be inserted (by inserting operation) into the medal insertion slot 141, and the term "inserting" includes both.

[0018] The stored number display 125 is a display for displaying the number of medals electronically stored in the slot machine 100. The game information display 126 is a display for displaying various internal information (for example, the number of medals paid out during a bonus game) in numerical form. The payout number display 127 is a display for displaying the number of medals paid out to a player as a result of winning some kind of winning combination, and is also used as an instruction monitor for performing push order effects. In this example, the stored number display 125, the game information display 126, and the payout number display 127 are 7-segment (SEG) displays.

[0019] The start lever 135 is a lever-type switch for starting the rotation of the reels 110 to 112. That is, when the desired number of medals are inserted into the medal insertion slot 141 or the bet button 132 is operated and the start lever 135 is then operated, the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate. Operation of the start lever 135 is called a game start operation.

[0020] The stop button unit 136 is provided with stop buttons 137 to 139. The stop buttons 137 to 139 are button-type switches for individually stopping the reels 110 to 112 that have started to rotate by operating the start lever 135, and are associated with each of the reels 110 to 112. Note that light emitters may be provided inside each of the stop buttons 137 to 139, and when the stop buttons 137 to 139 can be operated, the light emitters can be lit to notify the player.

[0021] Hereinafter, operations on stop buttons 137 to 139 will be referred to as stop operations, with the first stop operation being referred to as the first stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "first stop" or "first stop"), the next stop operation being referred to as the second stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "second stop" or "second stop"), and the final stop operation being referred to as the third stop operation (hereinafter also referred to as "third stop" or "third stop").

[0022] The reels that are stopped in response to these stop operations are referred to as the first stop reel, the second stop reel, and the third stop reel, respectively. Furthermore, the order in which the stop buttons 137 to 139 are operated to stop all of the reels 110 to 112 that are spinning is referred to as the operation order (or push order).

[0023] The operation sequence (pressing order) of the stop buttons 137 to 139, when the left stop button 137 is represented as "left or R", the middle stop button 138 as "middle or C", and the right stop button 139 as "right or R", are six types: (1) left-to-middle-to-right operation sequence (left-right-right or LCR), (2) left-to-right-to-middle operation sequence (left-right-center or LRC), (3) middle-to-left-to-right operation sequence (center-left-right or CLR), (4) middle-to-right-to-left operation sequence (center-right-left or CRL), (5) right-to-left-to-middle operation sequence (right-left-center or RLC), and (6) right-to-middle-to-left operation sequence (right-center-left or RCL).

[0024] The medal return button 133 is a button that can be pressed to remove medals that have been inserted and become stuck. The settlement button 134 is a button that can be used to settle medals electronically stored in the slot machine 100 and medals that have been bet, and to dispense them from the medal payout outlet 155. The door key hole 140 is a hole into which a key can be inserted to unlock the front door 102 of the slot machine 100.

[0025] A medal payout outlet 155 and a medal tray 161 are provided below the stop buttons 137 to 139. Side lamps 144, 654 provided on the left and right sides of the front door 102 are decorative lamps to add excitement to the game.

[0026] A panel unit 750 (described in detail later) is disposed above the front door 102, and a transmissive liquid crystal display device 157 is disposed below the panel unit 750 in front of the reels 110-112. Note that any display device capable of displaying various effect images and various game information may be used, even if it is not an LCD display. For example, a multi-segment display (7-segment display), a dot matrix display, an organic EL display, a plasma display, a reel (drum), or a display device consisting of a projector and a screen may be used. The display screen is rectangular and configured so that the entire screen is visible to the player. In this embodiment, the display screen is rectangular, but it may also be square. Furthermore, decorations (not shown) may be provided around the periphery of the display screen, so that a portion of the periphery of the display screen is hidden by the decoration, making the display screen appear irregularly shaped. In this embodiment, the display screen has a flat surface, but it may also have a curved surface. The location of the panel unit 750 is not limited to this example; for example, it may be located below the front door 102.

[0027] Also provided inside the main body 101 are a setting key that can be turned on and off by a rotation operation, and a setting switch that can be pressed down to change settings (change setting values) or check settings. The setting key is an operating means for starting to change or check setting values ​​(settings 1 to 6 in this example), and the setting switch is one of the setting means that can set one setting value out of multiple setting values.

[0028] <Winning line> Next, the pay lines will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the pay lines of the slot machine 100.

[0029] As explained using Figure 1, when viewed from the player, the symbols on the reels 110 to 112 are displayed in approximately three rows vertically through the symbol display windows 113 provided in front of each reel 110 to 112, so that a total of nine symbols can be seen.

[0030] Specifically, the symbol displayed on the top row of the left reel 110 (position 1 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 1) is called the left reel top row symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the left reel 110 (position 2 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 2) is called the left reel middle row symbol, and the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the left reel 110 (position 3 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 3) is called the left reel bottom row symbol.

[0031] In addition, the pattern displayed on the top row of the middle reel 111 (position 4 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 4) is called the top row of the middle reel pattern, the pattern displayed on the middle row of the middle reel 111 (position 5 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 5) is called the middle row of the middle reel pattern, and the pattern displayed on the bottom row of the middle reel 111 (position 6 shown in the figure; also called pattern position 6) is called the bottom row of the middle reel pattern.

[0032] In addition, the symbol displayed on the top row of the right reel 112 (position 7 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 7) is called the right reel top row symbol, the symbol displayed on the middle row of the right reel 112 (position 8 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 8) is called the right reel middle row symbol, and the symbol displayed on the bottom row of the right reel 112 (position 9 shown in the figure; also called symbol position 9) is called the right reel bottom row symbol.

[0033] In this embodiment, the only winning line provided is the middle winning line L1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "winning line L1"), which is composed of the middle pattern of the left reel (pattern position 2), the middle pattern of the middle reel (pattern position 5), and the middle pattern of the right reel (pattern position 8).

[0034] Here, the winning line is a line set at the stop position of the symbols visible through the symbol display window 113, and is a line that determines whether or not a symbol combination corresponding to a winning role is displayed (whether or not it is aligned). The winning line that becomes effective (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "effective line") is predetermined by the number of medals bet as gaming media.

[0035] The slot machine 100 of this embodiment is a three-coin bet-only machine, and when the number of inserted medals is less than three, no winning line is active, and when three medals are bet, the winning line L1 is active. When the winning line is active, the start lever 135 can be operated to start the game.

[0036] Hereinafter, in the symbol display window 113, symbol positions 2, 5, and 8 on the winning line L1 may be referred to as "winning positions," and other symbol positions, i.e., symbol positions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9, may be referred to as "non-winning positions." In other words, a winning position is a position on the winning line where a symbol that constitutes a symbol combination corresponding to a winning combination stops.

[0037] The number of winning lines is not limited to one. For example, in addition to the winning line L1, three lines in total may be set as valid winning lines: an upper winning line consisting of the upper symbols on the left reel, the upper symbols on the middle reel, and the upper symbols on the right reel, and a lower winning line consisting of the lower symbols on the left reel, the lower symbols on the middle reel, and the lower symbols on the right reel. Alternatively, a number of winning lines corresponding to the number of medals bet may be set as valid winning lines.

[0038] <Internal structure> Next, the internal structure of the slot machine 100 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3(a) is a front view showing the slot machine 100 with the front door 102 open, and Figure 3(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the slot machine 100.

[0039] Main body 101 is a box-shaped body with an opening at the front. Inside main body 101, a main control board storage case 210 that stores a main control board is disposed, and three reels 110 to 112 are disposed below main control board storage case 210.

[0040] A medal payout device 180 (a device that pays out medals accumulated in a bucket) is disposed below, and a power supply device (not shown) having a power supply board and the like are disposed above the medal payout device 180, i.e., below the reels 110 to 112. The power supply device converts AC power supplied from an external source to the slot machine 100 into DC, converts it to a predetermined voltage, and supplies it to each control unit and device, such as the main control unit 300 and sub-control units 400 and 500, which will be described later. Furthermore, the power supply device is provided with a power storage circuit (e.g., a capacitor) for supplying power to predetermined components (e.g., the RAM 308 of the main control unit 300) for a predetermined period (e.g., 10 days) even after the external power supply is cut off.

[0041] An auxiliary medal storage 240 is disposed on the right side of the medal payout device 180, behind which an overflow terminal (not shown) is disposed.

[0042] The front door 102 is hinged to the left side of the main body 101 via a hinge device 276, and above the symbol display window 113, there are provided a reel front light 250 (details of which will be described later), a liquid crystal display device 157, an upper speaker 272, a performance control unit 600 (details of which will be described later) that controls the liquid crystal display device 157, the speaker 272, etc. Also, below the symbol display window 113, there are provided a medal selector 170 for selecting inserted medals, a passage 265 through which medals pass when the medal selector 170 drops illegal medals, etc. into the medal tray 161, etc.

[0043] <Reel front lighting (first light-emitting means)> Next, the pre-reel lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

[0044] The reel front lighting 250 is a light-emitting means (first light-emitting means) that illuminates (illuminates) the reel bands of each reel 110 to 112 (only the reel band 111a of the middle reel 111 is shown in Figure 3(b)) from the front side (front face), and in this example, it is arranged above the pattern display window 113 on the back of the front door 102 so as to face the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112.

[0045] In this example, the reel front lighting 250 is configured with a plurality of LEDs capable of emitting light toward the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112, and a colored transparent (in this example, milky white) lens cover placed in front of these LEDs.

[0046] The "first light-emitting means" according to the present invention may be "a light-emitting means that can illuminate at least the reel band of the reel from the front side," and its structure is not particularly limited; however, if there is no lens cover or if the lens cover is made of a colorless, transparent material, the light emitted from the LED may be reflected in a granular manner on the reel band of the reels 110 to 112 (so-called "point light"), which may make the reels 110 to 112 look bad, or the light emitted from the LED may not be spread well and may not illuminate the entire reel band evenly, which may reduce the visibility of the reels 110 to 112. Therefore, it is preferable to cover the front of the LED with a lens cover made of a colored, transparent material.

[0047] The relationship between the shortest distance α from the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) to the reel band and the shortest distance β from the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) described later to the reel band is "shortest distance α<shortest distance β", and the reel front lighting 250 is positioned closer to the reel band than the reel backlight 264.

[0048] As described above, the reel front lighting 250 is provided with a lens cover because it is prone to point light due to its close distance to the reel band. On the other hand, the reel backlight 264 is provided with a lens cover because it is closer to the reel band than the reel front lighting 250, has a distance that allows the light emitted from the LED to diffuse, and the light can be sufficiently diffused by the reflector 266 described below.

[0049] <Reel backlight (second light-emitting means)> Next, the reel backlight 264 (second light emitting means) will be described with reference to FIG. 3(b) and FIG.

[0050] The slot machine 100 of this example is configured to have a left reel device (not shown) equipped with a left reel 110, a center reel device 260 (see FIG. 3(b)) equipped with a center reel 111, a right reel device (not shown) equipped with a right reel 112, and a reel frame 262 (see FIG. 3(b)) capable of accommodating these three reel devices inside.

[0051] In addition, since the structures of the left reel device and the right reel device of the slot machine 100 in this example are the same as the structure of the center reel device 260, here we will explain the center reel device 260 and omit explanations of the left reel device and the right reel device.

[0052] The middle reel device 260 is composed of a middle reel 111, a reel drive unit (not shown) that drives the middle reel 111 to rotate, a reel backlight 264 that illuminates (lights) the reel band 111a of the middle reel 111 from the rear side (back), and a reel detection unit (not shown) that detects the rotational position of the middle reel 111.

[0053] The middle reel 111 is configured with a reel band 111a on which multiple types of designs are printed at equal intervals, and a reel frame 111b that supports both sides of the reel band 111a. The reel band 111a is a flat ring-shaped member configured by bonding the longitudinal ends of a rectangular band-shaped member together.

[0054] 4(a) is a front view of the reel backlight 264, FIG. 4(b) is a side view of the reel backlight 264, and FIG. 4(c) is an external perspective view of the reel backlight 264 when the components constituting the reel backlight 264 are disassembled and viewed from the front side.

[0055] The reel backlight 264 is a light-emitting means (second light-emitting means) that illuminates (illuminates) the reel bands of each reel 110 to 112 from the rear side (back surface), and in this example, is composed of a reflector 266, an illumination board 268 that is detachably attached to the back surface of the reflector 266, and a decorative panel 270 that is arranged on the side surface of the reflector 266.

[0056] In this example, the reflector 266 of the reel backlight 264 is formed from white plastic, but the material of the reflector 266 of the reel backlight 264 is not particularly limited, and may be metal or a material of another color.

[0057] Three openings 266a to 266c that connect from the front side to the back side are formed in the reflector 266. Furthermore, six LEDs 268a are arranged on the illumination board 268 at positions corresponding to the openings 266a to 266c.

[0058] The openings 266a to 266c and the LED 268a of the reflector 266 provided on the middle reel device 260 are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions to be displayed in a stopped state in the symbol display window 113 (the positions of symbol positions 4 to 6 described using Figure 2) when attached to the middle reel device 260.

[0059] The openings 266a to 266c and the LED 266a of the reflector 266 provided on the left reel device (not shown) are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions (symbol positions 1 to 3 described using Figure 2) to be displayed in a stopped state in the symbol display window 113 when attached to the left reel device.

[0060] The openings 266a to 266c and the LED 268a of the reflector 266 provided on the right reel device (not shown) are arranged at positions corresponding to the symbol positions (symbol positions 7 to 9 described using Figure 2) to be displayed in a stopped state in the symbol display window 113 when attached to the right reel device.

[0061] In this example, six LEDs 268a are arranged at positions corresponding to the openings 266a to 266c, so that the light emitted from one opening does not interfere with the light emitted from another opening, thereby enabling the light to be uniformly irradiated onto each of the multiple symbol positions on the symbol display window 113.

[0062] For example, by turning on all the LEDs 268a, all of the symbols visible to the player can be illuminated from behind. Also, by turning on some of the LEDs 268a, some of the symbols visible to the player can be illuminated from behind. Note that the number and positions of the openings and LEDs are not limited to this example.

[0063] In this example, reflector 266 has a plurality of slits (grooves) 266d to 266g provided at predetermined intervals on the bottom surface of upper opening 266a, the top and bottom surfaces of central opening 266b, and the top surface of lower opening 266c. This allows the light emitted from LED 268a to be uniformly irradiated onto the pattern located in front, improving the visibility of the pattern.

[0064] Furthermore, slit 266d provided on the underside of upper opening 266a, slit 266e provided on the top surface of central opening 266b, slit 266f provided on the bottom surface of central opening 266b, and slit 266g provided on the top surface of lower opening 266c are arranged so that the areas where the slits are formed and the areas where the slits are not formed alternate in the vertical direction (so that the positions of the slits do not coincide above and below the partitions of the openings). This structure prevents interference between light beams emitted through the slits from adjacent openings.

[0065] The reel backlight 264 is able to sufficiently and uniformly illuminate the reel band by the reflector 266 and the slits (grooves) 266d to 266g, and therefore does not have a lens cover like the reel front lighting 250, but may have a configuration with a lens cover, which allows the reel band to be illuminated uniformly, and furthermore, since the reel backlight 264 does not need to be looked directly at during reel assembly or maintenance of the gaming machine, glare on the worker can be reduced.

[0066] <Control unit> Next, the circuit configuration of the control unit of the slot machine 100 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 5. Note that Figure 5 shows a circuit block diagram of the control unit.

[0067] The control unit of the slot machine 100 is broadly composed of a main control unit 300 that controls the progress of the game, a first sub-control unit 400 that controls the main presentation in accordance with command signals (hereinafter simply referred to as "commands") sent by the main control unit 300, and a second sub-control unit 500 that controls various devices based on the commands sent from the first sub-control unit 400.

[0068] <Main control unit> First, we will explain the main control unit 300 of the slot machine 100. The main control unit 300 is equipped with a basic circuit 302 that controls the entire main control unit 300, and this basic circuit 302 is equipped with a CPU 304, a ROM 306 for storing control program data, lottery data used in the internal lottery for winning combinations, reel stop positions, etc., a RAM 308 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 310 for controlling the input and output of various devices, a counter timer 312 for measuring time, number of times, etc., and a WDT (watchdog timer) 314. Note that other storage devices may be used for the ROM 306 and RAM 308, and this also applies to the first sub-control unit 400 and second sub-control unit 500 described below.

[0069] The CPU 304 of this basic circuit 302 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined cycle output by the crystal oscillator 315b as a system clock. Furthermore, when the power is turned on, the CPU 304 transmits frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 306 to the counter timer 312. The counter timer 312 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 304 at each interrupt time. The CPU 304 monitors the sensors and transmits drive pulses in response to this interrupt request. For example, if the clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315b is set to 8 MHz, the frequency division value of the counter timer 312 is set to 1 / 256, and the frequency division data in the ROM 306 is set to 47, the reference time for the interrupt is 256 × 47 ÷ 8 MHz = 1.504 ms.

[0070] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a random number generation circuit 316 (which is assumed to have two random number generation circuits built in) that derives a number in the range of 0 to 65535 each time it receives a clock signal output by the crystal oscillator 315a, and a start-up signal output circuit 338 that outputs a start-up signal (reset signal) when power is turned on.When a start-up signal is input from this start-up signal output circuit 338, the CPU 304 starts game control (starts the main processing of the main control unit, which will be described later).

[0071] The random number generation circuit 316 generates random numbers to be used in the basic circuit 302. The random number generation circuit 316 generates random numbers in two ways: counter mode and random number mode. In counter mode, a value that counts up (down) at a predetermined time interval is acquired and the acquired value is used as a random number. The random number mode has two further methods. In the first method, a seed value of the random number is used to perform a calculation using a predetermined function (e.g., a modulus function) and derive the result of this calculation as a random number. In the second method, a value is read from a random number table in which values ​​ranging from 0 to 65535 are randomly arranged, and the read value is used as a random number. The random number generation circuit 316 acquires irregular values ​​by utilizing white noise superimposed on signals input from various sensors 318 to the sensor circuit 320. The random number generation circuit 316 uses the value thus obtained as the initial value for a counter that counts up (down) in counter mode, as a seed for a random number, or when determining the start position for reading from the random number table.

[0072] The main control unit 300 also has a sensor circuit 320, and the CPU 304 monitors the status of various sensors 318 (bet button 132 sensor, medal acceptance sensor for medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 141, start lever 135 sensor, stop button 137 sensor, stop button 138 sensor, stop button 139 sensor, settlement button 134 sensor, medal payout sensor for medals paid out from the medal payout device 180, etc.) at each interrupt time.

[0073] When the sensor circuit 320 detects the H level of the start lever sensor, it outputs a signal indicating this detection to the random number generation circuit 316. Upon receiving this signal, the random number generation circuit 316 latches the value at that timing and stores it in a register that stores random numbers to be used in the lottery.

[0074] Two medal acceptance sensors are installed in the internal passage of the medal insertion slot 141 and detect whether a medal has passed through. Two start lever 135 sensors are installed inside the start lever 135 and detect the start operation by the player. Stop button 137 sensors, stop button 138 sensors, and stop button 139 sensors are installed on each of the stop buttons 137 to 139 and detect the operation of the stop button by the player.

[0075] The bet button 132 sensor is installed on the bet button 132, and detects the insertion operation when medals electronically stored in the RAM 308 are inserted as medals to be inserted into a game. The settlement button 134 sensor is provided on the settlement button 134. When the settlement button 134 is pressed once, the medals electronically stored are settled. The medal payout sensor is a sensor for detecting medals to be paid out by the medal payout device 180. Note that each of the above sensors may be a non-contact sensor or a contact sensor.

[0076] The main control unit 300 is equipped with a drive circuit 322 that drives the reels 110 to 112, a drive circuit 324 that drives a solenoid provided in the medal selector 170 that selects the inserted medals, a drive circuit 326 that drives a motor provided in the medal payout device 180, and a drive circuit 328 that drives various lamps 336 (winning line indicator lamp 120, notification lamp 123, game medal insertion possible lamp 124, replay lamp 122, game medal insertion lamp 129, game start lamp 121, number of stored medals indicator 125, game information indicator 126, number of paid out medals indicator 127).

[0077] In addition, an information output circuit 334 (external centralized terminal board 248) is connected to the basic circuit 302, and the main control unit 300 outputs game information (e.g., game status) of the slot machine 100 to an information input circuit 651 provided in an external hall computer (not shown) or the like via this information output circuit 334.

[0078] The main control unit 300 also includes a voltage monitoring circuit 330 that monitors the voltage value of the power supply supplied to the main control unit 300 from a power management unit (not shown), and the voltage monitoring circuit 330 outputs a low voltage signal to the basic circuit 302 indicating that the voltage has dropped when the voltage value of the power supply is below a predetermined value (9V in this embodiment).

[0079] In addition, the main control unit 300 is equipped with an output interface for sending commands to the first sub-control unit 400, enabling communication with the first sub-control unit 400. Note that information communication between the main control unit 300 and the first sub-control unit 400 is one-way communication, and the main control unit 300 is configured to be able to send signals such as commands to the first sub-control unit 400, but is configured so that signals such as commands cannot be sent from the first sub-control unit 400 to the main control unit 300.

[0080] <Sub-controller> Next, the first sub-control unit 400 of the slot machine 100 will be described. The first sub-control unit 400 includes a basic circuit 402 that receives control commands sent by the main control unit 300 via an input interface and controls the entire first sub-control unit 400 based on these control commands. The basic circuit 402 includes a CPU 404, a RAM 408 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 410 for controlling input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 412 for measuring time, number of times, etc. The CPU 404 of the basic circuit 402 operates by receiving a clock signal with a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 414 as a system clock. The ROM 406 stores control programs and data for controlling the entire first sub-control unit 400, the light color and lighting pattern of the reel front lights 250 and reel backlights 264, and data for controlling various indicators.

[0081] The CPU 404 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 406 to the counter timer 412 via the data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 412 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 404 for each interrupt time. The CPU 404 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0082] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sound source IC 418, which is connected to speakers 272, 277 via an output interface. The sound source IC 418 controls the sound output from the amplifier and speakers 272, 277 in response to commands from the CPU 404. An S-ROM (sound ROM) in which sound data is stored is connected to the sound source IC 418, and the sound data acquired from this ROM is amplified by the amplifier and output from the speakers 272, 277.

[0083] In addition, the first sub-control unit 400 is provided with a drive circuit 422, and various lamps 420 (upper lamps, lower lamps, side lamps 144, reel front lights 250, reel backlights 264, panel lighting boards 664 of panel units 750, etc.) are connected to the drive circuit 422 via input / output interfaces.

[0084] The first sub-control unit 400 is also provided with a sensor circuit 426, which is connected via an input interface to an effect button sensor 430 that can detect pressing of the effect button 156. The CPU 404 monitors the status of the shutter sensor 428 and the effect button sensor 430 at each interrupt time.

[0085] The CPU 404 also transmits and receives signals to the second sub-control unit 500 via the output interface. The second sub-control unit 500 performs various controls including display control of the performance image display device 157 (hereinafter also referred to as "liquid crystal display device 157"). The second sub-control unit 500 may be configured with multiple control units, such as a control unit that controls the display of the liquid crystal display device 157 and a control unit that controls various performance drive devices.

[0086] The second sub-control unit 500 is equipped with a basic circuit 502 that receives control commands sent by the first sub-control unit 400 via an input interface and controls the entire second sub-control unit 500 based on these control commands.This basic circuit 502 is equipped with a CPU 504, a RAM 508 for temporarily storing data, an I / O 510 for controlling the input and output of various devices, and a counter timer 512 for measuring time, number of times, etc.The CPU 504 of the basic circuit 502 operates by inputting a clock signal of a predetermined period output by a crystal oscillator 514 as a system clock.The ROM 506 stores control programs and data for controlling the entire second sub-control unit 500, data for image display, etc.

[0087] The CPU 504 transmits the frequency division data stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 506 to the counter timer 512 via the data bus at a predetermined timing. The counter timer 512 determines an interrupt time based on the received frequency division data, and transmits an interrupt request to the CPU 504 for each interrupt time. The CPU 504 controls each IC and each circuit based on the timing of this interrupt request.

[0088] The second sub-control unit 500 is also provided with a VDP 516 (video display processor), which is connected to the ROM 506 and VRAM 518 via a bus. The VDP 516 reads out image data and the like stored in the ROM 506 based on signals from the CPU 504, generates a display image using the work area of ​​the VRAM 518, and displays the image on the performance image display device 157.

[0089] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels> Next, a change in the light emission mode of the reel front lighting 250 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the light emission mode of the reel front lighting 250 in time series when a replay (replay combination) is won.

[0090] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / N game (start operation)> The state indicated by the symbol T1 in FIG. 6 is a state in which a start operation (a pressing operation of the start lever 135) is performed in N (N is a positive integer) games, and a replay (replay role) is internally won.

[0091] In the slot machine of this example, the first light-emitting means (e.g., reel front lighting 250) can be controlled to a third light-emitting mode (e.g., white) at least during the rotation of the reels in a certain game, and the second light-emitting means (e.g., reel backlight 264) can be controlled to a second light-emitting mode (e.g., white) of the same color or a similar color as the third light-emitting mode at least during the rotation of the reels in a certain game.

[0092] In the state indicated by the symbol T1, a start operation has been performed, so that the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate, and the reel front lights 250 (first light-emitting means) are controlled (set) to white (third light-emitting mode) to emit white light, and the reel back lights 264 (second light-emitting means) are controlled (set) to white (second light-emitting mode) to emit white light. As a result, the front and back of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 are illuminated in white.

[0093] Here, in this example, as explained using Figure 5, the reel front lighting 250 is driven by the drive circuit 422 of the first sub-control unit 400, so "controlling (setting) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)" means that the main control unit 300 sends a command to the first sub-control unit 400 to "control (set) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)", and the first sub-control unit 400, upon receiving the command, makes various settings to the drive circuit 422 to "control (set) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)" (the same applies to the control of light blue (first light-emitting mode) described below).

[0094] In addition, instead of a command to "control (set) the pre-reel lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)", a "command based on the start operation", a "command based on a winning role", or a "command based on a display determination (winning determination)" may be used, and the first sub-control unit 400 may set the light color of the reel lighting 250 in accordance with these commands.

[0095] The reel front lighting 250 may be controlled by one or three or more control units. For example, when controlled by one control unit (e.g., the main control unit 300), "controlling (setting) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)" means that the one control unit (e.g., the main control unit 300) makes various settings to "control (set) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light-emitting mode)" (the same applies to the control of light blue (first light-emitting mode) described below).

[0096] Similarly, in this example, the reel backlight 264 is driven by the drive circuit 422 of the first sub-control unit 400, so "controlling (setting) the reel backlight 264 to white (second light-emitting mode)" means that the main control unit 300 sends a command to the first sub-control unit 400 to "control (set) the reel backlight 264 to white (second light-emitting mode)", and the first sub-control unit 400, upon receiving the command, makes various settings to the drive circuit 422 to "control (set) the reel backlight 264 to white (second light-emitting mode)".

[0097] In addition, instead of a command to "control (set) the reel front lighting 250 to white (third light emission mode)", a "command based on the start operation", a "command based on a winning role", or a "command based on a display determination (winning determination)" may be used, and the first sub-control unit 400 may set the light emission color of the reel backlight 264 in accordance with these commands.

[0098] The reel backlight 264 may be controlled by one or three or more control units. For example, when controlled by one control unit (e.g., the main control unit 300), "controlling (setting) the reel backlight 264 to white (second light-emitting mode)" means that the one control unit (e.g., the main control unit 300) performs various settings to "control (set) the reel backlight 264 to white (second light-emitting mode)."

[0099] Furthermore, the color (emission color) which is one element of the "second light-emitting mode" and "third light-emitting mode" according to the present invention is not limited to white, and may be a color other than white. Furthermore, the colors which are one element of the "second light-emitting mode" and the "third light-emitting mode" may be the same color (white; color code #F0F0F0) or similar colors (for example, one may be a paste color (white with yellow in it; color code #FFF4DB) and the other may be a milky white (color code #FFFEF6)).

[0100] Furthermore, the "second light-emitting mode" and "third light-emitting mode" according to the present invention are concepts that include not only light-emitting color but also lighting patterns (blinking, on, off), brightness (brightness of light), and combinations thereof. Therefore, for example, the reel front lighting 250 may illuminate the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 with white at a first brightness, and the reel backlight 264 may illuminate the back of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 with white at a second brightness that is lower (or higher) than the first brightness. Alternatively, the reel front lighting 250 may illuminate the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 with white flashing, and the reel backlight 264 may illuminate the back of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 with solid white (non-flashing).

[0101] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / N game (1st stop operation to 3rd stop operation)> In Figure 6, the state indicated by symbol T2 is the state in which the first stop operation (the first stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the N game, and the state indicated by symbol T3 is the state in which the third stop operation (the final stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the N game.

[0102] In the slot machine of this example, when a predetermined condition is met (for example, an internal win for a replay role is achieved) in a certain game in which the first light-emitting means (for example, the reel front lighting 250) is controlled to a third light-emitting mode (for example, white) and a first timing arrives in the certain game (for example, when a third stop operation is performed), the first light-emitting means (for example, the reel front lighting 250) is controlled to a first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue) for at least a certain period (a period from the first timing in a certain game (for example, the timing of the third stop operation) to a second timing in a game following the certain game (for example, the timing of the third stop operation)), and the second light-emitting means (for example, the reel backlight 264) is configured to maintain control of the second light-emitting mode (for example, white) even when a predetermined condition is met in a certain game in which the second light-emitting means (for example, the reel backlight 264) is controlled to a second light-emitting mode (for example, white) and a first timing arrives in the certain game.

[0103] In the state indicated by the symbol T3, the third stop operation has been performed, and therefore the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 has been stopped. In this example, since a replay has been won in the N game, the symbol combination "replay-replay-replay" corresponding to the replay is displayed on the winning line L1 of the symbol display window 113.

[0104] Furthermore, in the state indicated by the symbol T3, an internal win for a replay role is achieved in the N game (a certain game) (a predetermined condition is met), and the third stop operation is performed in the N game (a certain game) (the first timing has arrived), so the pre-reel lighting 250 is controlled (set) to light blue (first light emission mode), thereby changing the light emission color of the pre-reel lighting 250 from white to light blue.

[0105] On the other hand, the reel backlights 264 (second light-emitting means) maintain the control of white light (second light-emitting mode) even when an internal win for a replay occurs (a predetermined condition is met) in an N game (a certain game) controlled to white light (second light-emitting mode) and a third stop operation is performed (a first timing arrives) in the N game (a certain game), so in the state indicated by reference symbol T3, the control of white light (second light-emitting mode) continues and the reel backlights 264 emit light in white. As a result, in the state indicated by reference symbol T3, the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in light blue, and the back is illuminated in white.

[0106] It should be noted that the "first timing" according to the present invention is not limited to the timing when the third stop operation is received, but may also be the timing when the third stop operation is released (the stop button is released), the timing when all of the reels 110 to 112 have stopped, the timing when the pattern display determination (winning determination) has ended, the timing when the winning presentation has ended, or the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since any of these timings.

[0107] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / N+1 game (betting operation, start operation)> 6, the state indicated by reference symbol T4 is a state in which a bet operation (pressing the bet buttons 130 to 132) has been performed and the N+1 game has started, and the state indicated by reference symbol T5 is a state in which a start operation (pressing the start lever 135) has been performed in the N+1 game and the internal win for the winning combination has not been won (missed). Note that, since a replay has been displayed in the N game, the bet operation indicated by reference symbol T4 may be an automatic bet accompanying the replay.

[0108] In the state indicated by symbol T5, a start operation has been performed, so that the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate, and the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) is controlled (set) to white (second light-emitting mode) to emit light in white.

[0109] On the other hand, when a replay combination is internally won in the N game (a certain game) (a predetermined condition is met) and a third stop operation is performed in the N game (a certain game) (a first timing arrives), the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled to light blue (first light-emitting mode) from the timing of the third stop operation (first timing) in the N game (a certain game) to the timing of the third stop operation (second timing) in the N+1 game (a game following the certain game). Therefore, at the timing of the bet operation in the N+1 game indicated by reference symbol T4 and the timing of the start operation in the N+1 game indicated by reference symbol T5, the reel front lighting 250 continues to be controlled to light blue (first light-emitting mode), and emits light blue. As a result, in the states indicated by reference symbols T4 and T5, the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in light blue, and the back is illuminated in white.

[0110] According to this example, the timing at which the first light-emitting means (in this example, the reel front lighting 250) is controlled to the first light-emitting mode (in this example, light blue) (in this example, the timing of the third stop operation in the Nth game, indicated by symbol T3 in Figure 6) is earlier than the timing at which the second light-emitting means (in this example, the reel backlight 264) is controlled to the second light-emitting mode (in this example, white) (in this example, the timing of the third stop operation in the N+1th game, indicated by symbol T5 in Figure 6). Therefore, by differentiating the light-emitting timings of the two types of light-emitting means, even if malfunctions of the first light-emitting means and the second light-emitting means occur at the same time, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the visibility of the reels is significantly reduced and a disadvantage is caused to the player.

[0111] In addition, in the slot machine of this example, the first light-emitting means (e.g., pre-reel lighting 250) is configured so that, during the period when it is controlled in a first light-emitting mode (e.g., light blue), control of light-emitting modes other than the first light-emitting mode is restricted.

[0112] In the state indicated by the symbol T5, when a predetermined condition is met (in this example, when the start operation is accepted), a process (change regulation process) is executed to regulate (prevent execution of) the process of setting the color, brightness, lighting pattern, etc. of the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means), which is controlled to light blue (first light-emitting mode), so that it does not change to another light-emitting mode.

[0113] According to this example, even if color change effect data is received during the change restriction process, the color is maintained as it is, so visibility is not impaired. Note that the change restriction process may be performed during the reel rotation after the start operation, whether the reel front lights 250 are emitting white light or light blue light (the same applies to the reel backlight 264).

[0114] Similarly, in this example, when a predetermined condition is met (in this example, when a start operation is received), a process (change regulation process) is executed for the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) that regulates (prevents execution of) the process for setting color, brightness, lighting pattern, etc. so that the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means), which is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), does not change to another light-emitting mode; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) may be configured not to execute the change regulation process.

[0115] According to this example, the first light-emitting means (in this example, the reel front lighting 250) is configured such that during the period when it is controlled in the first light-emitting mode (in this example, light blue), control of light-emitting modes other than the first light-emitting mode is restricted. Therefore, compared to when the restriction is not implemented, problems with the first light-emitting means can be suppressed, and the visibility of the reels can be prevented from being impaired.

[0116] Furthermore, the first light-emitting means (in this example, the reel front lighting 250) can be controlled to a first light-emitting mode (in this example, light blue) at least during rotation of the reels in a certain game, and the second light-emitting means (in this example, the reel backlight 264) can be controlled to a second light-emitting mode (in this example, white) at least during rotation of the reels in a certain game. Therefore, compared to when the first light-emitting mode is controlled with the same second light-emitting mode as the second light-emitting means, malfunctions in the first light-emitting means and the second light-emitting means can be noticed earlier, and a decrease in visibility of the reels can be suppressed when a malfunction related to the second light-emitting means occurs.

[0117] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / N+1 game (stop operation)> In Figure 6, the state indicated by symbol T6 is the state in which the first stop operation (the first stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the N+1 game, and the state indicated by symbol T7 is the state in which the third stop operation (the final stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the N+1 game.

[0118] In the state indicated by the symbol T7, the third stop operation has been performed, and therefore the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 has stopped. In this example, the internal win for the winning combination has become a non-win (loss), and therefore the symbol combination "REPLAY-REPLAY-BLANK" corresponding to the loss is displayed stationary on the winning line L1 of the symbol display window 113.

[0119] Furthermore, even if a replay role is internally won (a predetermined condition is met) in a certain game that is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (the first timing arrives) in the N game (certain game), the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) maintains control of white (second light-emitting mode). Therefore, in the state shown by symbol T7, the control of white (second light-emitting mode) continues, and the reel backlight 264 emits light in white.

[0120] On the other hand, when a replay role is internally won in the N game (a certain game) (a predetermined condition is met) and a third stop operation is performed in the N game (a certain game) (a first timing arrives), the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled to light blue (first light-emitting mode) over the period from the timing (first timing) of the third stop operation in the N game (a certain game) to the timing (second timing) of the third stop operation in the N+1 game (a game following the certain game), and therefore continues to be controlled to light blue (first light-emitting mode) until the timing (second timing) of the third stop operation in the N+1 game indicated by the symbol T7, causing the reel front lighting 250 to emit light blue.

[0121] As a result, over a period (a certain period) from the timing (first timing) of the third stop operation of the Nth game indicated by the symbol T3 to the timing (second timing) of the third stop operation of the N+1th game indicated by the symbol T7, the front of the reel bands of reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in light blue and the back is illuminated in white.

[0122] According to this example, during the period (a certain period) from the first timing in a certain game to the second timing in the game following the certain game, a variety of effects can be provided while maintaining the light emission mode of the second light-emitting means, thereby ensuring a minimum amount of light from the light-emitting means and maintaining the visibility of the reels.

[0123] Next, after the timing of the third stop operation (second timing) has passed, the change regulation process for the reel front lighting 250 and the reel backlight 264 is terminated, and the reel front lighting 250 is controlled (set) to white (third light emission mode), thereby changing the light emission color of the reel front lighting 250 from light blue to white.

[0124] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, if an internal replay is won again in the N+1 game, anticipation for a bonus game increases, so at the timing when the third stop operation is performed in the N+1 game (the timing when the first timing arrives), the pre-reel lighting 250 is controlled (set) to a fourth light emission mode (for example, yellow), thereby changing the light emission color of the pre-reel lighting 250 from light blue to yellow.

[0125] Furthermore, if an internal replay win occurs again in the N+2 game, which is the next game after the N+1 game, anticipation for a bonus game will increase further, so at the timing when the third stop operation is performed in the N+2 game (the timing when the first timing arrives), the pre-reel lighting 250 is controlled (set) to a fifth light emission mode (for example, red), thereby changing the light emission color of the pre-reel lighting 250 from yellow to red.

[0126] The change in the light emission mode of the reel front lighting 250 when consecutive replay wins occur is not limited to "light blue → yellow → red," and for example, other colors may be used, the color may change three or more times, or the light emission mode may change when a winning combination other than replay (for example, a special combination) is won. When the consecutive replay wins are interrupted, the reel front lighting 250 is controlled (set) to white (third light emission mode) as described above.

[0127] In addition, the lighting pattern may be changed, such as "light blue (no flashing) → light blue (medium flashing) → light blue (fast flashing)", or the brightness may be changed, such as "light blue (low brightness) → light blue (medium brightness) → light blue (high brightness)".

[0128] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / when an error occurs> In the slot machine of this example, if an error occurs during the rotation of reels 110 to 112, no processing or notification regarding the error is performed during the rotation, but rather the processing or notification regarding the error is performed after the third stop operation is performed (after all of reels 110 to 112 have stopped).

[0129] Furthermore, even if a predetermined condition is met in a certain game in which an error occurs during the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 (for example, an internal win on a replay role) and a first timing (for example, the timing of the third stop operation) arrives in the certain game, the first light-emitting means (for example, the reel front lighting 250) is not controlled to the first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue), and is controlled to the first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue) when the error is resolved.

[0130] In addition, when a predetermined condition is met in a certain game in which an error occurs during the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 (for example, an internal win on a replay role) and a first timing (for example, the timing of the third stop operation) arrives in the certain game, the first light-emitting means (for example, the reel front lighting 250) may be controlled to a first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue), and the control of the first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue) may be maintained even during the error.

[0131] With this configuration, the player will not feel anxious, such as "the replay may have disappeared" or "the replay may not be promising," and the player's motivation to play can be prevented from decreasing.

[0132] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / bonus game> Next, a change in the light emission mode of the reel lighting 250 during a bonus game will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the light emission mode of the reel lighting 250 during a bonus game in time series.

[0133] <Changes in the illumination pattern in front of the reels / Bonus game / M game (third stop operation)> The state indicated by the symbol T1 in FIG. 7 is a state in which the third stop operation (the final stop operation of the stop buttons 137 to 139) has been performed in the M game (M is a positive integer).

[0134] In the slot machine of this example, when a special game (e.g., a bonus) is won in a certain game controlled to the third light-emitting mode (e.g., white), and a first timing arrives in the certain game (e.g., when a third stop operation is performed), the first light-emitting means (e.g., reel front lighting 250) is controlled to a sixth light-emitting mode (e.g., red) over a period from the first timing to a third timing (e.g., timing of a bet operation) in a game following the final game of the special game, and the second light-emitting means (e.g., reel backlight 264) is configured to maintain control of the second light-emitting mode (e.g., white) even when a special game (e.g., a bonus) is won in a certain game controlled to the second light-emitting mode (e.g., white).

[0135] In the state indicated by the symbol T1, the third stop operation has been performed, and therefore the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 has been stopped. In this example, since a bonus has been won in the M game, the symbol combination "Seven-Seven-Seven" corresponding to the bonus is displayed on the winning line L1 of the symbol display window 113.

[0136] Furthermore, in the state indicated by the symbol T1, a bonus game (bonus) is won in the M game (a certain game), and the third stop operation is performed (the first timing has arrived) in the M game (a certain game), so the pre-reel lighting 250 is controlled (set) to red (sixth light emission mode), thereby changing the light color of the pre-reel lighting 250 from white to red.

[0137] On the other hand, the reel backlights 264 (second light-emitting means) maintain the control of white light (second light-emitting mode) even when a bonus is won in an M game (a certain game) controlled to white light (second light-emitting mode) and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (a certain game), so in the state shown by reference symbol T1, the control of white light (second light-emitting mode) continues and the reel backlights 264 emit light in white. As a result, at the timing of the third stop operation in the M game shown by reference symbol T1, the front of the reel bands of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in red and the back is illuminated in white.

[0138] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / Bonus game / M+1 game (betting operation)> The state indicated by the symbol T2 in FIG. 7 is a state in which a bet operation (pressing of the bet buttons 130 to 132) is performed in the M+1 game following the M game, and the M+1 game has started.

[0139] In the slot machine according to this embodiment, the first light emitting means (for example, the reel front lighting 250) is configured to be controllable to a sixth light emitting mode (for example, red) in response to a bet operation during the execution of a bonus game.

[0140] In the state indicated by symbol T2, a bet operation is performed and the specified number of medals is inserted, making it possible to start the game, and the pre-reel lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled (set) to red (sixth light-emitting mode), causing it to emit red light.

[0141] On the other hand, even if a bonus (benefit game) is won in a certain game in which the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) maintains the control of white (second light-emitting mode), and therefore, at the timing of a bet operation for the M+1 game indicated by reference symbol T2, the control of white (second light-emitting mode) continues, causing the reel backlight 264 to emit white light. As a result, in the state indicated by reference symbol T2, the front of the reel strips of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in red, and the back is illuminated in white.

[0142] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / Bonus game / M+1 game (start operation)> The state indicated by the symbol T3 in FIG. 7 is a state in which a start operation (a pressing operation of the start lever 135) is performed in the M+1 game and a bell role is won.

[0143] In the state indicated by symbol T3, a start operation has been performed, so that the reels 110 to 112 start to rotate, and the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) is controlled (set) to white (second light-emitting mode) to emit light in white.

[0144] On the other hand, when a bonus (benefit game) is won in an M game (a certain game) controlled to white (third light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (a certain game), the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled to a sixth light-emitting mode (e.g., red) from the timing (first timing) when the third stop operation is performed to the timing (third timing) of a bet operation in the game next to the final game of the bonus (benefit game). Therefore, at the timing of the start operation of the M+1 game indicated by reference symbol T3, the reel front lighting 250 continues to be controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode), and emits red light. As a result, in the state indicated by reference symbol T3, the front of the reel strips of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in red, and the back is illuminated in white.

[0145] In the slot machine of this example, the first light-emitting means (e.g., pre-reel lighting 250) is configured such that, during the period when it is controlled in the sixth light-emitting mode (e.g., red), control of light-emitting modes other than the sixth light-emitting mode is restricted.

[0146] In the state indicated by the symbol T3, when a predetermined condition is met (in this example, when the start operation is accepted), a process (change regulation process) is executed to regulate (prevent execution of) the process of setting the color, brightness, lighting pattern, etc. of the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means), which is controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode), so that it does not change to another light-emitting mode.

[0147] Similarly, in this example, when a predetermined condition is met for the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) (in this example, when a start operation is received), a process (change regulation process) is executed to regulate (prevent execution of) the process of setting the color, brightness, lighting pattern, etc. of the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means), which is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), so that the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) does not change to another light-emitting mode; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) may be configured not to execute the change regulation process.

[0148] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / Bonus game / M+1 game (stop operation)> In Figure 7, the state indicated by symbol T4 is the state in which the first stop operation (the first stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the M+1 game, and the state indicated by symbol T5 is the state in which the third stop operation (the final stop operation of stop buttons 137 to 139) is performed in the M+1 game.

[0149] In the state indicated by the symbol T5, the third stop operation has been performed, and therefore the rotation of the reels 110 to 112 has been stopped. In this example, since the winning combination of Bell has been won, the symbol combination "Bell-Bell-Bell" corresponding to the Bell combination is displayed on the winning line L1 of the symbol display window 113.

[0150] Furthermore, even if a bonus (benefit game) is won in an M game (certain game) that is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (certain game), the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) maintains control of white (second light-emitting mode), and therefore, at the timing of the third stop operation indicated by symbol T5, the control of white (second light-emitting mode) continues, causing the reel backlight 264 to emit light in white.

[0151] On the other hand, when a bonus (benefit game) is won in an M game (certain game) controlled to white (third light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (certain game), the reel front illumination 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode) from the timing (first timing) when the third stop operation is performed to the timing (third timing) of a bet operation in the game next to the final game of the bonus (benefit game). Therefore, at the timing of the third stop operation indicated by reference symbol T5, the reel front illumination 250 continues to be controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode), causing the reel front illumination 250 to emit red light. As a result, in the state indicated by reference symbol T5, the front of the reel strips of the reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in red, and the back is illuminated in white.

[0152] Subsequently, after the timing of the third stop operation (second timing) has passed, the change regulation process for the reel front lights 250 and the reel back lights 264 is completed.

[0153] <Changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels / Bonus game / Final game (betting operation)> 7, the state indicated by the symbol T6 is a state in which a betting operation is performed in the L game following the final game of the bonus game, and the L game has started. In other words, the operation indicated by the symbol T6 is a betting operation related to the L game.

[0154] In the slot machine of this example, the first light-emitting means (e.g., pre-reel lighting 250) is configured to be controlled to a sixth light-emitting mode (e.g., red) when a bonus game (e.g., a bonus) is won in a certain game that is controlled to a third light-emitting mode (e.g., white) and a first timing arrives in the certain game (e.g., when a third stop operation is performed), for the period from the first timing to a third timing (e.g., the timing of a bet operation) in the game following the final game of the bonus game.

[0155] In the state indicated by the symbol T6, a bet operation has been performed and a specified number of medals have been inserted, so that a game start operation is now possible.

[0156] Furthermore, even if a bonus (privilege game) is won in an M game (certain game) that is controlled to white (second light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (certain game), the reel backlight 264 (second light-emitting means) maintains control of white (second light-emitting mode), so that at the timing of the bet operation indicated by symbol T6, the control of white (second light-emitting mode) continues, causing the reel backlight 264 to emit light in white.

[0157] On the other hand, when a bonus (privilege game) is won in an M game (a certain game) that is controlled to white (third light-emitting mode), and a third stop operation is performed (first timing arrives) in the M game (a certain game), the reel front lighting 250 (first light-emitting means) is controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode) from the timing (first timing) when the third stop operation is performed to the timing (third timing) of a bet operation in the L game, which is the game following the final game of the bonus (privilege game), and therefore continues to be controlled to red (sixth light-emitting mode) until the timing (third timing) of a bet operation in the L game, which is the game following the bonus game, as indicated by symbol T6, causing the reel front lighting 250 to emit red light.

[0158] As a result, from the timing (first timing) of the third stop operation of the M game in which the bonus was won, indicated by symbol T1, to the timing (third timing) of the bet operation of the L game, which is the game following the final bonus game, indicated by symbol T6, the front of the reel bands of reels 110 to 112 is illuminated in red and the back is illuminated in white.

[0159] According to this example, during the period from the first timing in a game in which a bonus game is won to the third timing in the game following the final game of the bonus game, a variety of presentations can be provided while maintaining the light emission mode of the second light-emitting means, thereby ensuring a minimum amount of light from the light-emitting means and maintaining the visibility of the reels.

[0160] Subsequently, after the timing of the bet operation (third timing) has passed, the reel front lighting 250 is controlled (set) to white (third light emission mode), thereby changing the light emission color of the reel front lighting 250 from red to white. Then, while the L game is in progress (when the start operation is performed), a change restriction process is performed so that neither the reel front lighting 250 nor the reel backlight 264 will have a light emission mode other than white light emission (this is common to the embodiments in FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0161] <Summary of changes in the lighting pattern in front of the reels> As explained above, the gaming machine according to this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1) is a gaming machine that includes reels (for example, the reels 110-112 shown in FIG. 1) having a reel band on which a variety of symbols are arranged, a first light-emitting means (for example, the reel front light 250 shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) that illuminates at least the reel band from the front, and a second light-emitting means (for example, the reel backlight 264 shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 4) that illuminates at least the reel band from the rear, wherein the first light-emitting means is a means that can be controlled in a first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue) at least during rotation of the reels, the second light-emitting means is a means that can be controlled in a second light-emitting mode (for example, white) at least during rotation of the reels, and control of light-emitting modes other than the first light-emitting mode is restricted for the first light-emitting means during a period when the first light-emitting means is controlled in the first light-emitting mode.

[0162] According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, the first light-emitting means is configured so that control of light-emitting modes other than the first light-emitting mode is restricted during a period when the first light-emitting means is controlled in the first light-emitting mode, so that malfunctions related to the first light-emitting means can be suppressed compared to when the restriction is not implemented, and impairment of reel visibility can be prevented in advance. Furthermore, because the first light-emitting means can be controlled to the first light-emitting mode and the second light-emitting means can be controlled to the second light-emitting mode, malfunctions of the first light-emitting means and the second light-emitting means can be noticed earlier than when the first light-emitting mode is controlled in the same second light-emitting mode as the second light-emitting means, and deterioration of reel visibility in the event of a malfunction related to the second light-emitting means can be suppressed.

[0163] Furthermore, the timing at which the first light-emitting means is controlled to the first light-emitting mode (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the Nth game, indicated by symbol T3 in Figure 6) may be different from the timing at which the second light-emitting means is controlled to the second light-emitting mode (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the N+1th game, indicated by symbol T5 in Figure 6).

[0164] With this configuration, by differentiating the light emission timing of the two types of light-emitting means, even if malfunctions of the first light-emitting means and the second light-emitting means occur at the same time, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the visibility of the reels is significantly reduced and a disadvantage is caused to the player.

[0165] Furthermore, the timing at which the first light-emitting means is controlled to the first light-emitting mode (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the Nth game, indicated by symbol T3 in Figure 6) may be earlier than the timing at which the second light-emitting means is controlled to the second light-emitting mode (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the N+1th game, indicated by symbol T5 in Figure 6).

[0166] With this configuration, by differentiating the light emission timing of the two types of light-emitting means, even if malfunctions of the first light-emitting means and the second light-emitting means occur at the same time, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the visibility of the reels is significantly reduced and a disadvantage is caused to the player.

[0167] Furthermore, when a first timing (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the Nth game, indicated by symbol T3 in FIG. 6) arrives while the first light-emitting means is controlled to a third light-emitting mode (for example, white), the first light-emitting means may be controlled from the third light-emitting mode to the first light-emitting mode (for example, light blue), and the second light-emitting means may maintain control of the second light-emitting mode even when the first timing arrives while the second light-emitting means is controlled to the second light-emitting mode (for example, white).

[0168] With this configuration, it is possible to provide a variety of effects by changing the light emission mode of the first light-emitting means, while maintaining the light emission mode of the second light-emitting means, thereby ensuring a minimum amount of light from the light-emitting means and maintaining the visibility of the reels.

[0169] Further, the first light-emitting means is a means that can be controlled to the third light-emitting mode (for example, white) at least during rotation of the reel in a certain game (for example, N game shown in FIG. 6), the second light-emitting means is a means that can be controlled to the second light-emitting mode (for example, white) at least during rotation of the reel in a certain game, the third light-emitting mode and the second light-emitting mode are light-emitting modes of the same color (for example, white with color code #F0F0F0) or similar colors (for example, a kneaded color with color code #FFF4DB and a milky white with color code #FFFEF6), and the first light-emitting means is controlled to the third light-emitting mode when a predetermined condition is met (for example, an internal win for a replay role), When the first timing arrives in the certain game, the second light-emitting means is controlled to the first light-emitting mode for at least a certain period of time, and even when the predetermined condition is met in the certain game in which the second light-emitting means is controlled to the second light-emitting mode and the first timing arrives in the certain game, the second light-emitting means maintains control of the second light-emitting mode, and the certain period of time may be a period from the first timing in the certain game (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the Nth game, shown by symbol T3 in Figure 6) to the second timing in the next game of the certain game (for example, the N+1th game shown in Figure 6) (for example, the timing of the third stop operation in the N+1th game, shown by symbol T7 in Figure 6).

[0170] With this configuration, it is possible to provide a variety of effects during the period (a certain period) from the first timing in a certain game to the second timing in the game following that certain game, while maintaining the light emission mode of the second light-emitting means, thereby ensuring a minimum amount of light from the light-emitting means and maintaining the visibility of the reels.

[0171] The third timing for changing the reel front lighting 250 from red to white is set to the timing when a bet operation is performed for the game next to the final bonus game (Lth game), but it is not limited to this and may be the timing when a start operation for the Lth game is performed, the timing of the third stop operation in the final bonus game, or the timing when the payout after the third stop operation is completed. In any case, by changing the light color from red to white until the Lth game is advanced (until the reels are spun), it is possible to clearly indicate that the bonus game has ended or that the bonus game will not continue until the next game, and it is possible to prevent the player from mistaking the Lth game as a bonus game.

[0172] <Performance control unit> Next, the performance control unit 600 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0173] As explained using Figure 3(a), the performance control unit 600 is a unit that houses various boards that control the liquid crystal display device 157, speakers 272, 277, various lamps 420, etc., and in this example, it is disposed above the pattern display window 113 on the back surface of the front door 102. It goes without saying that the location of the performance control unit 600 is not limited to this example.

[0174] Figure 8 is an exploded oblique view of the performance control unit 600, with the main components that make up the unit disassembled and viewed from the front, and Figure 9 is an exploded oblique view of the performance control unit 600, with the main components that make up the unit disassembled and viewed from the back.

[0175] The performance control unit 600 is composed of a board mounting base 602 fixed to the back of the front door 102, a lower sheet metal shield 604 arranged on the front of the board mounting base 602, a lower board case 606 arranged on the front of the lower sheet metal shield 604, a sub-control board 612 and a sub-peripheral board 614 housed in a box-shaped board case (storage case) 610 consisting of the lower board case 606 and the upper board case 608, a performance peripheral board 616 arranged on the upper back of the board mounting base 602, and an upper sheet metal shield 618 and a shield cover 620 rotatably arranged on the front of the upper board case 608.

[0176] 10(a) is a front view of the performance control unit 600, and FIG. 10(b) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620 removed to show the upper metal shield 618. FIG.

[0177] Also, Figure (c) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620 and upper metal shield 618 removed, showing the upper board case 608, and Figure (d) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, and upper board case 608 removed, showing the sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614.

[0178] <Shield cover> Next, the shield cover 620 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10(a).

[0179] Shield cover (second cover member) 620 is a box-shaped member made of colorless and transparent resin, and in this example, is configured to have base portion 620a that is rectangular in front view, plate-like wall portion 620b that is formed to protrude in the thickness direction from the outer edge of base portion 620a as a base end, and hinge 620c that is formed to protrude outward from the right end portion of base portion 620a as seen from the front. Note that the material and color of shield cover 620 are not particularly limited, and may be a member such as plastic, ceramic, rubber, or glass, or a member of another color.

[0180] Shield cover (second cover member) 620 is disposed on the side of upper metal shield (first cover member) 618 opposite to the side on which sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614 are disposed, and is disposed so as to cover upper metal shield (first cover member) 618. Note that the "second cover member" according to the present invention may be any member disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the "first cover member" according to the present invention.

[0181] According to this example, if liquid is poured from above the gaming machine, the liquid can be prevented from accumulating around the board, thereby preventing electrical failures caused by the liquid. Also, since the upper metal shield (first cover member) 618 becomes very hot due to heat generated by the components mounted on each board, it is possible to prevent employees of the gaming establishment from getting burned when inspecting the boards.

[0182] In base portion 620a of shield cover 620, ventilation holes 620a1 are formed at a position corresponding to fan 624 (see FIG. 10(d)) of sub-control board 612, a volume knob opening 620a2 is formed at a position corresponding to volume knob 625 of sub-control board 612, and a fitting hole 620a3 is formed at the left end as viewed from the front, into which fitting protrusion 604c (see FIG. 12(b)) of lower sheet metal shield 604 can fit. In addition, locking claws 620b1 are formed on wall portion 620 on the upper side as viewed from the front of shield cover 620, which can be locked with locking portions 608b1 (see FIGS. 10(c) and 8) of upper board case 608.

[0183] <Upper metal shield> Next, the upper metal shield 618 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10(b).

[0184] The upper metal shield (first cover member) 618 is a box-shaped member made of metal, and in this example, is configured to have a base portion 618a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, and a plate-shaped wall portion 618b that protrudes in the thickness direction from the outer edge of this base portion 618a as its base end.

[0185] Upper metal shield (first cover member) 618 is placed on one side of sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614 (in this example, on the front side of each board), and is arranged so as to cover board case 610 (accommodation case) in a state in which sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614 are accommodated. Note that the "first cover member" according to the present invention may be any member arranged so as to cover at least a portion of the accommodation case in a state in which the boards are accommodated.

[0186] According to this example, the substrate can be protected by at least the storage case (substrate case 610), the first cover member (upper metal shield 618), and the second cover member (shield cover 620), thereby preventing any unauthorized acts against the substrate and improving security.

[0187] Furthermore, if the circuit board case itself were made of metal, there is a risk that the circuit board case itself would become very hot immediately after play due to heat generation and heat dissipation from the components, which could interfere with inspection and replacement work. However, by covering the circuit board case with an upper metal shield and shield cover as in this example, static electricity countermeasures are achieved while preventing the circuit board case itself from becoming very hot, which would interfere with inspection and replacement work immediately after play.

[0188] In the base portion 618a of the upper metal shield 618, a ventilation hole 618a1 is formed at a position corresponding to the fan 624 (see Figure 10(d)) of the sub-control board 612, a volume knob opening 618a2 is formed at a position corresponding to the volume knob 625 of the sub-control board 612, a fitting hole 618a3 is formed at the left end when viewed from the front, into which the fitting protrusion 604c (see Figure 12(b)) of the lower metal shield 604 can be fitted, and a monitor LED confirmation hole 618a4 consisting of a through hole is formed at a position corresponding to the monitor lamp (light emitting means) 627 (see Figure 10(d)) of the sub-control board 612.

[0189] In this example, the first metal cover member (upper metal shield 618) can protect the circuit board from static electricity and the like, preventing malfunctions of the circuit board in advance, and also allows game information to be grasped through the light-emitting means (monitor lamp 627) arranged on the circuit board, improving maintainability and convenience.

[0190] FIG. 11(a) is a perspective view showing only the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 extracted from the performance control unit 600, with the shield cover 620 seen through.

[0191] The upper metal sheet shield 618 is housed inside the shield cover 620 in an overlapping (stacked) state, and is fixed to the shield cover 620 while being entirely covered by the shield cover 620. Specifically, the shield cover 620 is fixed by an engagement claw (not shown) of the shield cover 620 engaging with an engaged portion 618a5 provided on the upper metal sheet shield 618. Since the shield cover 620 in this example is made of a colorless and transparent resin, the monitor LED confirmation hole 618a4 and the like formed in the upper metal sheet shield 618 can be seen from the outside through the shield cover 620.

[0192] Length L1 of upper wall portion 618b of upper sheet metal shield 618 in front view is shorter than length L2 of upper wall portion 620b of shield cover 620 that overlaps (overlaps) the wall portion 618b outwardly, and length L3 of left wall portion 618b of upper sheet metal shield 618 in front view is shorter than length L4 of left wall portion 620b of shield cover 620 that overlaps (overlaps) the wall portion 618b outwardly. Note that, although not shown, the same is true for lower and right wall portions 618b of upper sheet metal shield 618 in front view.

[0193] In other words, the upper metal shield 618 (first cover member) has a shorter short-side length L1 of the wall portion 618b (one surface) that overlaps with the shield cover 620 (second cover member) than the shield cover 620 (second cover member).

[0194] According to this example, even if the board is covered with a first metal cover member (upper metal shield 618), part of the board can be seen from the outside through the second resin cover member (shield cover 620), thereby increasing convenience for game parlor staff and the like.

[0195] Furthermore, since length L1 is shorter than length L2, and length L3 is shorter than length L4, the board (sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614) and board case 610 can be seen by shining a light from above or from the side without rotating shield cover 620.

[0196] Figure 11(b) is an external view showing the state in which the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 have been rotated open, and Figure 11(c) is an external view showing the state in which the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 have been rotated closed.

[0197] The upper sheet metal shield 618 and the shield cover 620 are configured to be able to rotate (pivot) together around a hinge 620c of the shield cover 620 as the center of rotation (details will be described later).

[0198] <Upper board case> Next, the upper substrate case 608 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10(c).

[0199] The upper substrate case 608 is a box-shaped member made of colorless and transparent resin, and in this example, is composed of a base portion 608a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, and a plate-shaped wall portion 608b that protrudes in the thickness direction from the outer edge of this base portion 608a as its base end.

[0200] A ventilation hole 608a1 is formed in the base portion 608a of the upper substrate case 608 at a position corresponding to the fan 624 (see Figure 10(d)) of the sub-control substrate 612, and an opening 608a2 for the volume knob is formed at a position corresponding to the volume knob 625 of the sub-control substrate 612.

[0201] In addition, the upper wall 608b of the upper substrate case 608 when viewed from the front is formed with a locking portion 608b1 to which the locking claw 620b1 of the shield cover 620 is locked, a locking portion 608b2 to which the locking claw 606b of the lower substrate case 606 is locked, and a crimping member 608b3 that is sealed together with the crimping member 606c of the lower substrate case 606 by the substrate case crimping member 621 (see Figures 8 and 9).

[0202] Furthermore, if the board case crimping member 621 is configured to leave a mark when the seals on the upper board case 608 and the lower board case 606 are released, fraudulent acts can be deterred, and even if fraudulent acts are committed, the fact that fraudulent acts have been committed can be reliably discovered from the mark, allowing for rapid response to the fraudulent acts.

[0203] <Sub-control board, sub-peripheral board> Next, the sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10(d).

[0204] The board case 610, which is composed of an upper board case 608 and a lower board case 606, houses a sub-control board 612 on the right side when viewed from the front, and a sub-peripheral board 614 on the left side when viewed from the front, and these sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614 are connected BtoB (board-to-board connection) via an inter-board connector 622.

[0205] The sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614 are boards that make up the first sub-control unit 400 described using Figure 5, and are boards that perform control related to games and presentations. A monitor lamp 627 and a cooling fan 624 are arranged on the board of the sub-control board 612, and the top of this fan 624 is covered with a fan cover 626 (see Figure 8).

[0206] The monitor lamp (light emitting means) 627 is a means capable of notifying game information (predetermined status), and in this example, is composed of a plurality of LEDs. The game information (predetermined status) that can be notified by the monitor lamp 627 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include information regarding the game status, instruction information, RT status, number of payouts, operating condition device, advantageous zone, reel drive, error, door open, setting change, setting confirmation, power supply status to the board and power supply status in the board, operating status of the liquid crystal display device, ON / OFF status and operating status of various components and sensors directly or indirectly electrically connected to the board, communication status with other boards and components connected to the board, etc.

[0207] Furthermore, the "board" according to the present invention is not limited to the sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614. Therefore, for example, the board case 610 may house one or three or more boards, or may house boards that perform controls other than performance control (for example, payout control of game value, main control board, power supply circuit).

[0208] <Lower board case> Next, the lower substrate case 606 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 12(a).

[0209] Figure 12(a) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, upper board case 608, sub-control board 612, and sub-peripheral board 614 removed, showing the lower board case 606.

[0210] The lower substrate case 606 is a plate-shaped member made of colorless and transparent resin, and in this example, is composed of a base portion 606a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, a plurality of locking claws 606b that protrude from the outer edge of this base portion 606a, and a crimping member 606c that is sealed together with the crimping member 608b3 of the upper substrate case 608 by a substrate case crimping member 621 (see Figures 8 and 9).

[0211] <Lower sheet metal shield> Next, the lower metal shield 604 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 12(b).

[0212] Figure 12(b) is a front view of the performance control unit 600 with the shield cover 620, upper metal shield 618, upper board case 608, sub-control board 612, sub-peripheral board 614, and lower board case 606 removed, showing the lower metal shield 604.

[0213] The lower sheet metal shield 604 is a box-shaped member made of metal, and in this example, is configured to have a base portion 604a that is rectangular when viewed from the front, a plurality of locking claws 604b that protrude in the thickness direction from the outer edge of this base portion 618a as a base end and can be locked to the board case 610, a fitting protrusion 604c that can be fitted into a fitting hole 620a3 of the shield cover 620 and a fitting hole 618a3 of the upper sheet metal shield 618, and an earth connection portion 604d to which an earth wire is connected.

[0214] In this embodiment, the lower sheet metal shield 604 is described as being box-shaped and made of a metal member, but it may also be plate-shaped and most of the shield is made up of the base portion 604a.

[0215] As described with reference to FIGS. 11(b) and (c), the shield cover 620 and the upper sheet metal shield 618 are integrally rotatable around the hinge 620c of the shield cover 620 as the center of rotation.

[0216] As shown in Figure 11(b), when the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 are rotated (opened) in a direction away from the board mounting base 602, with the hinge 620c of the shield cover 620 as the rotation center, the upper board case 608 is exposed to the outside, and the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618 are in an open state.

[0217] In this open state, the board case 610 can be removed from the board mounting base 602 and the board case crimping member 621 can be released from its seal, thereby enabling access to the sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614 inside the board case 610.

[0218] 11(c), when the shield cover 620 and the upper sheet metal shield 618 are rotated (closed) around the hinge 620c of the shield cover 620 as the rotation center in a direction approaching the board mounting base 602, and the fitting hole 620a3 of the shield cover 620 and the fitting hole 618a3 of the upper sheet metal shield 618 are fitted into the fitting protrusion 604c of the lower sheet metal shield 604, the upper sheet metal shield 618 and the lower sheet metal shield 604 are locked in contact with each other, and the shield cover 620 and the upper sheet metal shield 618 are placed in a closed state. In addition, in the closed state, the locking claw 604b of the lower sheet metal shield 604 abuts against the upper wall portion 618b of the upper sheet metal shield 618 when viewed from the front.

[0219] In this closed state, the board case 610 is covered by the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618, making it impossible to access the sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614, and the upper metal shield 618 comes into contact with the lower metal shield 604 and is earthed via the lower metal shield 604.

[0220] In this example, by closing the shield cover 620 and the upper metal shield 618, the lower metal shield 604 and the upper metal shield 618, which are arranged to sandwich the circuit board case 610, can be reliably earthed, and static electricity prevention measures can be reliably taken against electronic components such as circuit boards and circuits arranged in the performance control unit 600.

[0221] <Peripheral circuit board> Next, the performance peripheral board 616 will be described with reference to Figures 8, 9 and 12(b).

[0222] The performance peripheral board 616 is a board that constitutes the second sub-control unit 500 described using Fig. 5, and is a board that performs control related to games. This performance peripheral board 616 is disposed on the upper rear surface of the board mounting base 602, and is electrically connected to the sub-control board 612 and sub-peripheral board 614 disposed on the front side of the board mounting base 602 via multiple cables and connectors (not shown).

[0223] Figure 12(c) is a front view of the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b, Figure 12(d) is an external perspective view showing the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b disassembled, and Figure 12(e) is a side view of the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b.

[0224] The performance peripheral board cover 616a is a long, narrow box-shaped member made of colorless, transparent plastic, and is fixed to the upper front surface of the board mounting base 602 so as to cover the front surface of the performance peripheral board 616.

[0225] The performance peripheral board harness cover 616b is a long, narrow box-shaped member made of colorless, transparent plastic that can house the performance peripheral board cover 616a inside, and is arranged superimposed (stacked) on the outside of the performance peripheral board cover 616a so as to cover the performance peripheral board cover 616a and the cables that are led from the performance peripheral board 616 to the front of the board mounting base 602. This performance peripheral board harness cover 616b is rotatable relative to the performance peripheral board cover 616a, around a hinge 616a1 that is arranged on the right side of the performance peripheral board cover 616a when viewed from the front.

[0226] The upper surface of the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b is composed of an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward from the back side to the front side, as shown in the side view of Figure 12(e), so that when liquid is poured from the top of the slot machine 100, the liquid will not remain on the upper surface of the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b, but will flow downward along the slope of the upper surface.

[0227] According to the performance peripheral board harness cover 616b of this example, if liquid is poured from the top of the slot machine 100, the liquid can be prevented from accumulating around the performance peripheral board 616 and cables, thereby preventing electrical failures caused by liquid.

[0228] As explained above, the gaming machine according to this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1) is a gaming machine that includes a board (for example, the sub-control board 612 and the sub-peripheral board 614 shown in FIG. 8), a first cover member (for example, the upper metal shield 618 shown in FIG. 8), and a light-emitting means (for example, the monitor lamp 627 shown in FIG. 10(d)), wherein the first cover member is a metal member that is arranged on at least one side of the board, the first cover member has a through-hole (for example, the monitor LED confirmation hole 618a4 shown in FIG. 10(b)) at a position corresponding to a specific location on the board, the light-emitting means is a means that can notify a predetermined situation (for example, game information), and the light-emitting means is arranged at the specific location.

[0229] According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, the first metal cover member can protect the board from static electricity and the like, preventing malfunctions of the board in advance, and also allows game information to be grasped through the light-emitting means arranged on the board, improving maintainability and convenience.

[0230] In addition, a second cover member (for example, shield cover 620 shown in FIG. 8) may be provided, the second cover member being a resin member, and the second cover member may be arranged on the opposite side of the first cover member from the side on which the substrate is arranged.

[0231] This configuration can prevent liquid from pooling around the board when liquid is poured into the gaming machine from above, thereby preventing electrical failures caused by liquid and preventing game parlor staff from getting burned when inspecting the board.

[0232] The device may also include a storage case (for example, substrate case 610 shown in FIG. 8) capable of storing the substrate, wherein the first cover member is arranged to cover at least a portion of the storage case when the substrate is stored therein, and the second cover member is arranged to cover at least a portion of the first cover member.

[0233] With this configuration, the substrate can be protected by at least the storage case, the first cover member, and the second cover member, thereby preventing fraudulent acts against the substrate and improving security.

[0234] Furthermore, if the circuit board case itself were made of metal, the circuit board case itself would become very hot immediately after playing due to heat generation and heat dissipation from the components, which could hinder inspection and replacement work. However, by covering the circuit board case with an upper metal shield and shield cover as in this example, static electricity countermeasures are achieved while the circuit board case itself does not become very hot, allowing inspection and replacement work to be carried out immediately after playing.

[0235] Furthermore, the first cover member may have a shorter length in the short side direction of at least one surface that overlaps with the second cover member than the second cover member.

[0236] With this configuration, even if the board is covered with a first metal cover member, part of the board can be seen from the outside through the second resin cover member, thereby increasing convenience for game store staff and others. The gaming machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine comprising a base, a first cover member, and a second cover member, wherein the first cover member is a metal member arranged on at least one side of the base, the first cover member is a member having a through hole at a position corresponding to a specific location on the base, the second cover member is a resin member arranged on the side of the first cover member opposite the side on which the base is arranged, the base is a base on which a display means showing predetermined information is provided at the specific location, the second cover member is a transparent member, and the second cover member does not have a through hole formed at a position corresponding to the through hole. The first cover member may have a surface facing one side in a front view as a first surface, the second cover member may have a surface facing the one side in a front view as a second surface, the first surface may be located at a position overlapping the second surface, and the first surface may have a predetermined portion whose short-side length is shorter than that of the second surface. The gaming machine may also have a door body that can be opened forward, the first cover member and the second cover member may be provided on a back side of the door body, and the predetermined portion may be located on an open end side of the door body. The gaming machine may further include a door body that can be opened forward, the first cover member and the second cover member being provided on a rear side of the door body, and the specific portion being located on an open end side of the door body, the first cover member being provided on a rear side of the door body, and the specific portion being located on an open end side of the door body.

[0237] <Lens unit assembly structure> Next, the assembly structure of the lens unit 700 will be described.

[0238] FIG. 13(a) is a front view of the effect device disposed at the bottom of the slot machine 100, as seen from the front side, and FIG. 13(b) is a rear view of the effect device as seen from the rear side.

[0239] The slot machine 100 includes an upper performance unit 650, a panel unit 750 arranged below the upper performance unit 650, and side lamps 654 arranged on both sides of the upper performance unit 650 and the panel unit 750.

[0240] The upper performance unit 650 is composed of a lens unit 700 capable of outputting light, a plurality of speakers 660 capable of outputting sound, and a performance cover 662 that supports the lens unit 700, speakers 660, etc.

[0241] The panel unit 750 is configured to include a plate-shaped panel 652, a panel lighting reflector 658 disposed on the rear side of the panel 652, a panel lighting board 664 disposed in front of the panel lighting reflector 658, and a panel partition 656 that supports the lower part of the panel 652. Details of the panel unit 750 will be described later.

[0242] <Lens unit> Next, the lens unit 700 will be described.

[0243] 14(a) is a front view of the lens unit 700, FIG. 14(b) is a rear view of the lens unit 700, and FIG. 14(c) is an exploded perspective view showing the main components that make up the lens unit 700.

[0244] The lens unit 700 is composed of a lens holder 702, an inner lens 704 attached to the lens holder 702, an outer lens 706 arranged in front of the inner lens 704, and a lens cover 708 arranged to cover the outer lens 706 and the inner lens 704.

[0245] <Lens unit / lens holder> The lens holder 702 is a mounting member to which mounting members such as an illumination board (not shown), an inner lens 704, an outer lens 706, and a lens cover 708 are attached, and in this example, is configured to have a base portion 702a made of a plate-like member having an inverted triangular shape when viewed from behind, a wall portion 702b protruding from the outer edge of this base portion 702a, and an illumination board (not shown) fixed to the base portion 702a.

[0246] A total of three inner lens engaging portions 702a1, one at each end of the upper portion and one at the lower portion, are formed on the base portion 702a of the lens holder 702, with which the plate-shaped engaging pieces 704b1 of the inner lens 704 can engage. It goes without saying that the number and positions of the engaging pieces 704b1 of the inner lens 704 and the inner lens engaging portions 702a1 of the lens holder 702 are not limited to those in this example.

[0247] In addition, the wall portion 702b of the lens holder 702 is formed with a total of four outer lens engagement portions (first engagement portions) 702b1, two at the top and two at the bottom, with which the outer lens engagement pieces 706a of the outer lens (first mounting member) 706 can engage, and a total of six lens cover engagement portions (second engagement portions) 702b2, three at the top and three at the bottom, with which the lens cover engagement pieces 708a of the lens cover (second mounting member) 708 can engage.

[0248] It goes without saying that the number and positions of the outer lens engagement pieces 706a of the outer lens 706, the lens cover engagement pieces 708a of the lens cover 708, the outer lens engagement portions 702b1 and the lens cover engagement portions 702b2 of the lens holder 702 are not limited to this example.

[0249] Furthermore, the inner lens engaging portion 702a1, the outer lens engaging portion 702b1, and the lens cover engaging portion 702b2 are arranged alternately and have a one-to-one correspondence with the inner lens 204, the outer lens 706, and the lens cover 708, so even if engaging pieces of different lenses are inserted into different engaging portions, they will not be properly attached to the lens holder 702, making it easy to notice assembly errors.

[0250] The illumination board (not shown) is a board on which a plurality of LEDs are mounted, and is fixed to the surface of the base portion 702a on the inner lens 704 side, and is configured to be able to emit light toward the inner lens 704.

[0251] <Lens unit / inner lens> The inner lens 704 is a member that can emit and diffuse light emitted from an LED mounted on the lighting board of the lens holder 702 toward the outer lens 706 and the lens cover 708. In this example, the inner lens 704 is made of a plate-like member that has an inverted triangular shape when viewed from the rear, and is configured with a base portion 704a having multiple reflectors, and a wall portion 704b that protrudes from the outer edge of the base portion 704a.

[0252] The wall portion 704b of the inner lens 704 has three engaging pieces 704b1 that can engage with the inner lens engaging portion 702a1 of the lens holder 702, one on each end of the upper portion and one on the lower portion.

[0253] <Lens unit / outer lens> The outer lens (first mounting member) 706 is a colored, transparent (orange in this example) member that is arranged in front of the inner lens 704, and in this example, is composed of a cylindrical member that has an inverted triangular shape when viewed from behind and has an internal space that can accommodate part of the inner lens 704.

[0254] The opening of the outer lens 706 is formed with a total of six outer lens engagement pieces 706a, three at the top and three at the bottom, which can be engaged with the outer lens engagement parts 702b1 of the lens holder 702.

[0255] Details will be described with reference to FIG. 16(b), but the outer lens engaging piece 706a has an engaging hole 706a1 formed therein that can engage with the engaging claw 702b12 of the outer lens engaging portion 702b1.

[0256] <Lens unit / lens cover> The lens cover (second mounting member) 708 is a colorless and transparent member arranged to cover the outer lens 706 and the inner lens 704, and in this example, is composed of a cylindrical member that has an inverted triangular shape when viewed from the rear and has an inner space that can accommodate part of the outer lens 706.

[0257] The opening of the lens cover 708 is formed with a total of six lens cover engagement pieces 708a, three at the top and three at the bottom, which can be engaged with the lens cover engagement parts 702b2 of the lens holder 702.

[0258] Details will be explained using FIG. 16(c), but the lens cover engaging piece 708a has an engaging hole 708a1 formed therein that can engage with the engaging claw 702b22 of the lens cover engaging portion 702b2.

[0259] <Lens unit / assembly process> Next, the assembly process of the lens unit 700 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0260] FIG. 15(a) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 before assembly, and FIG. 15(b) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 with the inner lens 704 attached to the lens holder 702.

[0261] Also, Figure 1(c) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 with the inner lens 704 and outer lens 706 attached to the lens holder 702, and Figure 1(d) is an exploded view showing the lens unit 700 after assembly.

[0262] When assembling the lens unit 700, first, as shown in Figures 15(a) and (b), the inner lens 704 is attached to the lens holder 702 by engaging the three engagement pieces 704b1 of the inner lens 704 with the three inner lens engagement portions 702a1 of the lens holder 702.

[0263] 15(b) and (c), the four outer lens engaging pieces 706a of the outer lens 706 are engaged with the four outer lens engaging portions 702b1 of the lens holder 702 with the inner lens 704 attached, thereby attaching the outer lens 706 to the lens holder 702. As a result, the outer lens 706 is fixed in an overlapping state on the outside of the inner lens 704.

[0264] 15(c) and (d), the six lens cover engagement pieces 708a of the lens cover 708 are engaged with the six lens cover engagement portions 702b2 of the lens holder 702 with the outer lens 706 and inner lens 704 attached, thereby attaching the lens cover 708 to the lens holder 702. As a result, the lens cover 708 is fixed to the outside of the outer lens 706 in an overlapping state.

[0265] As shown in FIG. 15(d), when the lens unit 700 is assembled, the four outer lens engagement pieces 706a of the outer lens 706 and the lens cover engagement pieces 708a of the lens cover 708 are alternately arranged in the lens holder 702.

[0266] In this example, an assembly process has been described in which inner lens 704 is attached to lens holder 702, then outer lens 706 is attached, and finally lens cover 708 is attached. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an assembly process in which inner lens 704, outer lens 706, and lens cover 708 are attached to lens holder 702 in a stacked state is also possible.

[0267] This is because the engagement piece 704b1 of the inner lens 704, the outer lens engagement piece 706a, and the lens cover engagement piece 708a are positioned in an alternating manner, and since these three components do not interfere with each other even when stacked, they can be attached to the lens holder 702 in a stacked state, which makes the assembly process more efficient.

[0268] According to this example, on one surface of the mounting member (in this example, lens holder 702), engagement portions (in this example, outer lens engagement portion 702b1) with the first mounting member (in this example, outer lens 706) and engagement portions (in this example, lens cover engagement portion 702b2) with the second mounting member (in this example, lens cover 708) are arranged alternately, so that the first mounting member and the second mounting member do not easily come off the mounting member, and the attachment strength of the first mounting member and the second mounting member can be increased.

[0269] <Lens unit / lens holder engagement part> Next, the engagement portion of the lens holder 702 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0270] Figure 16(a) is a partially enlarged view showing the main parts of the lens holder 702 before the outer lens 706 and lens cover 708 are attached, Figure 16(b) is a partially enlarged view showing the main parts of the lens holder 702 after the outer lens 706 is attached, and Figure 16(c) is a partially enlarged view showing the main parts of the lens holder 702 after the lens cover 708 and outer lens 706 are attached.

[0271] As shown in Figure 16(a), the outer lens engagement portion 702b1 of the lens holder 702 is configured to have an insertion hole 702b11 through which the outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706 can be inserted, an engagement claw 702b12 that can engage with the engagement hole 706a1 formed in the outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706, and an engagement passage 702b13 into which the outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706 can be fitted.

[0272] The mating passage 702b13 has a first portion along the short direction of the wall portion 702b and a second portion extending in the opposite direction to the side on which the outer lens 706 is attached, and the engagement claw 702b12 is provided at the tip side of the second portion of the mating passage.

[0273] On the other hand, as shown in the same figure (a), the lens cover engagement portion 702b2 of the lens holder 702 is configured to have an engagement passage 702b21 ​​into which the lens cover engagement piece 708a of the lens cover 708 can be fitted, and an engagement claw 702b22 into which the engagement hole 708a1 formed in the lens cover engagement piece 708a of the lens cover 708 can be engaged.

[0274] The mating passage 702b21 ​​has a first portion along the short direction of the wall portion 702b and a second portion extending in the opposite direction to the side on which the outer lens 706 is attached, and the engagement claw 702b22 is provided at the tip side of the second portion of the mating passage 702b21.

[0275] The engagement claw 702b12 of the outer lens engagement portion 702b1 is a portion that protrudes downward (inward of the lens holder 702), while the engagement claw 702b22 of the lens cover engagement portion 702b2 is a portion that protrudes upward (outward of the lens holder 702), and the two protrude in directions that are 180 degrees different.

[0276] When attaching the outer lens 706 to the lens holder 702, as shown in Figure 16(b), the outer lens engagement piece 706a is inserted into the insertion hole 702b11 of the outer lens engagement portion 702b1, and then the engagement hole 706a1 of the outer lens engagement piece 706a is engaged (fitted) with the engagement claw 702b12 of the outer lens engagement portion 702b1, thereby fixing the outer lens 706 to the lens holder 702.

[0277] As a result, the outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706 abuts against the back surface (first surface) of the wall portion 702b of the lens holder 702 and is fixed to the lens holder 702 while being pressed in the direction of the back surface (first surface) of the wall portion 702b.

[0278] On the other hand, when removing the outer lens 706 from the lens holder 702, the outer lens engagement piece 706a is pushed inward (first direction, downward in Figure 16) into the lens holder 702 to disengage the engagement claw 702b12 of the outer lens engagement portion 702b1 from the engagement hole 706a1 of the outer lens engagement piece 706a, and then the outer lens engagement piece 706a is withdrawn from the insertion hole 702b11 of the outer lens engagement portion 702b1 to remove the outer lens 706 from the lens holder 702.

[0279] Furthermore, when attaching the lens cover 708 to the lens holder 702, as shown in Figure 16(c), the lens cover engagement piece 708a is pushed along the engagement passage 702b21 ​​of the lens cover engagement portion 702b2, and then the engagement hole 708a1 of the lens cover engagement piece 708a is engaged (fitted) with the engagement claw 702b22 of the lens cover engagement portion 702b2, thereby fixing the lens cover 708 to the lens holder 702.

[0280] As a result, the lens cover engagement piece 708a of the lens cover 708 abuts against the surface (second surface) of the wall portion 702b of the lens holder 702, and is fixed to the lens holder 702 while being pressed toward the surface (second surface) of the wall portion 702b. In this state, the upper surfaces of the walls on both sides of the fitting passage 702b21 ​​of the lens cover engagement portion 702b2 and the upper surface of the lens cover engagement piece 708a of the lens cover 708 are substantially flush with each other, so that the number of uneven portions of the lens unit 700 can be reduced, and interference with other components can be prevented.

[0281] On the other hand, when removing the lens cover 708 from the lens holder 702, the lens cover engagement piece 708a is pulled outward from the lens holder 702 (second direction; upward in Figure 16) to disengage the engagement claw 702b22 of the lens holder engagement portion 702b2 from the engagement hole 708a1 of the lens cover engagement piece 708a, and then the lens cover engagement piece 708a is pulled out along the mating passage 702b21 ​​of the lens holder engagement portion 702b2 to remove the lens cover 708 from the lens holder 702.

[0282] According to this example, no tools or screws are required to attach the mounting member (in this example, outer lens 706, lens cover 708), which increases convenience when assembling the mounting member and the mounting member (in this example, lens holder 702).Furthermore, since the first engagement portion (in this example, outer lens engagement portion 702b1) and the second engagement portion (in this example, lens holder engagement portion 702b2) release their engagement with the mounting member in different directions, the mounting member will not easily come off the mounting member, which increases the attachment strength of the mounting member.

[0283] Furthermore, since the direction in which the first mounting member (in this example, the outer lens 706) and the first engagement portion (in this example, the engagement portion 702b1 for the outer lens) engage is different from the direction in which the second mounting member (in this example, the lens cover 708) and the second engagement portion (in this example, the engagement portion 702b2 for the lens holder) engage, it is possible to reduce errors in attaching the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the first mounting member and the second mounting member will not easily come off the mounting member, thereby increasing the attachment strength of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

[0284] Furthermore, when removing the first mounting member (in this example, the outer lens 706) and the second mounting member (in this example, the lens cover 708) from the mounting member (in this example, the lens holder 702), it is necessary to move the first mounting member and the second mounting member in opposite directions to release the engagement with the mounting member, so the first mounting member and the second mounting member do not easily come off the mounting member, and the attachment strength of the first mounting member and the second mounting member can be increased.

[0285] Furthermore, since the mounting member (in this example, the outer lens 706 and the lens cover 708) is attached so as to clamp the mounting member (in this example, the lens holder 702), the mounting member will not easily come off the mounting member, and the mounting strength of the mounting member can be increased.

[0286] In this example, an engagement claw 702b12 is provided on the engagement portion of the mounting member (engagement portion 702b1 for the outer lens of the lens holder 702), and an engagement hole 706a1 is provided on the mounting member (outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706). However, an engagement claw that can engage with the engagement portion of the mounting member may be provided on the mounting member (outer lens engagement piece 706a of the outer lens 706), and an engagement hole that can engage with the mounting member may be provided on the engagement portion of the mounting member (engagement portion 702b1 for the outer lens of the lens holder 702).

[0287] Furthermore, an engagement claw 702b22 is provided on the engagement portion of the mounting member (lens holder engagement portion 702b2 of lens holder 702) and an engagement hole 708a1 is provided on the mounting member (lens cover engagement piece 708a of lens cover 708), but it is also possible to provide an engagement claw on the mounting member (lens cover engagement piece 708a of lens cover 708) that can engage with the engagement portion of the mounting member, and to provide an engagement hole on the engagement portion of the mounting member (lens holder engagement portion 702b2 of lens holder 702) that can engage with the mounting member.

[0288] <Lens unit assembly structure / Summary> As described above, the gaming machine of this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in Figure 1) is a gaming machine equipped with an attachment member (for example, the lens holder 702 shown in Figure 16) to which an attachment member (for example, the outer lens 706 and the lens cover 708 shown in Figure 16) can be attached, and the attachment member has a plurality of engagement portions that can engage with the attachment member, and the plurality of engagement portions include a first engagement portion (for example, the engagement portion 702b1 for the outer lens shown in Figure 16) and a second engagement portion (for example, the engagement portion 702b2 for the lens holder shown in Figure 16), and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion have different directions for releasing engagement with the attachment member.

[0289] According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, no tools or screws are required to attach the mounting member, which increases convenience when assembling the mounting member and the attachment member.In addition, since the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion have different directions for releasing engagement with the mounting member, the mounting member will not easily come off the attachment member, which increases the attachment strength of the mounting member.

[0290] Furthermore, the mounting member may be capable of mounting a plurality of the mounting members (hereinafter referred to as "a plurality of mounting members"), one of the plurality of mounting members being a first mounting member and one of the plurality of mounting members being a second mounting member, the plurality of mounting members including a first mounting member (e.g., outer lens 706 shown in FIG. 16) and a second mounting member (e.g., lens cover 708 shown in FIG. 16), the first engaging portion being engageable with the first mounting member, the second engaging portion being engageable with the second mounting member, and the direction in which the first mounting member and the first engaging portion engage with each other may be different from the direction in which the second mounting member and the second engaging portion engage with each other.

[0291] With this configuration, the direction in which the first mounting member and the first engaging portion engage is different from the direction in which the second mounting member and the second engaging portion engage, which reduces the chance of incorrect installation of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and also prevents the first mounting member and the second mounting member from easily coming off the mounting member, thereby increasing the attachment strength of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

[0292] Furthermore, the direction in which the first mounting member is released from engagement with the first engagement portion is a first direction on one surface of the mounting member (e.g., toward the inside of the lens holder 702), and the direction in which the second mounting member is released from engagement with the second engagement portion is a second direction on the one surface of the mounting member (e.g., toward the inside of the lens holder 702), and the first direction and the second direction may be opposite directions.

[0293] With this configuration, when removing the first mounting member and the second mounting member from the mounting member, it is necessary to move the first mounting member and the second mounting member in opposite directions to release their engagement with the mounting member, so the first mounting member and the second mounting member do not easily come off the mounting member, and the attachment strength of the first mounting member and the second mounting member can be increased.

[0294] Furthermore, the second mounting member may be attached to the outside of the first mounting member in a state in which the first mounting member is attached to the mounting member.

[0295] With this configuration, the attachment strength of the first attachment member and the second attachment member that are attached to the attachment member in an overlapping manner can be increased.

[0296] Furthermore, the gaming machine according to this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1) is a gaming machine equipped with an attachment member (for example, the lens holder 702 shown in FIG. 16) to which an attachment member (for example, the outer lens 706 and the lens cover 708 shown in FIG. 16) can be attached, and the attachment member has a plurality of engagement portions that can engage with the attachment member, and the plurality of engagement portions include a first engagement portion (for example, the outer lens engagement portion 702b1 shown in FIG. 16) and a second engagement portion (for example, the lens holder engagement portion 702b2 shown in FIG. 16), and the attachment member and the first engagement portion are engaged with each other at a first surface of the attachment member, and the attachment member and the second engagement portion are engaged with each other at a second surface of the attachment member, and the first surface and the second surface may be surfaces that are reverse to each other.

[0297] With this configuration, no tools or screws are required to attach the mounting member, which increases convenience when assembling the mounting member and the attachment member.In addition, since the mounting member is attached so as to clamp the attachment member, the mounting member will not easily come off the attachment member, which increases the attachment strength of the mounting member.

[0298] Furthermore, the first engagement portion may have a first fitting portion (e.g., the insertion hole 702b11 shown in FIG. 16) on a first surface of the mounting member into which a portion of the first mounting member can be fitted, and the second engagement portion may have a second fitting portion (e.g., the mating passage 702b21 ​​shown in FIG. 16) on a second surface of the mounting member into which a portion of the second mounting member can be fitted, and the first surface and the second surface may be surfaces that are reverse to each other.

[0299] With this configuration, the mounting member is attached so as to sandwich the mounting member, so that the mounting member does not easily come off the mounting member, and the mounting strength of the mounting member can be increased.

[0300] In addition, the first engagement portion may have a first protruding piece (for example, engagement claw 702b12 shown in Figure 16) protruding in a first direction, and the second engagement portion may have a second protruding piece (for example, engagement claw 702b22 shown in Figure 16) protruding in a direction opposite to the first direction.

[0301] With this configuration, no tools or screws are required to attach the mounting member, which increases convenience when assembling the mounting member and the attachment member.In addition, since the mounting member is attached so as to clamp the attachment member, the mounting member will not easily come off the attachment member, which increases the attachment strength of the mounting member.

[0302] Furthermore, the first mounting member (e.g., outer lens 706 shown in FIG. 16) and the second mounting member (e.g., lens cover 708 shown in FIG. 16) may be light-transmitting members of different colors.

[0303] With this configuration, even if there is only one type of light emission color, the light emission color can be changed to various colors depending on the combination of the first and second attachment members, thereby enhancing the dramatic effect.

[0304] The first attachment member may be unable to be attached to the attachment member when the second attachment member is attached to the attachment member.

[0305] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the chance of incorrectly attaching the first and second attachment members.

[0306] <Panel shadow prevention structure> Next, the shadow prevention structure of the panel 652 will be described. Prior to this description, however, the panel unit 750 will be described with reference to FIG. <Shadow prevention structure for panels / panel unit> Figure 17(a) is an exploded perspective view showing the main components that make up the panel unit 750, Figure 17(b) is an external perspective view of the panel unit 750 as seen from the front side, and Figure 17(c) is an external perspective view of the panel unit 750 as seen from the back side.

[0307] The panel unit 750 is composed of a plate-shaped panel 652, a panel lighting reflector 658 arranged on the back side of the panel 652, a panel lighting board 664 on which multiple LEDs 664a are mounted, and a panel partition 656 that supports the lower part of the panel 652.

[0308] As explained using Figure 13, this panel unit 750 is attached below the upper performance unit 650 via the upper performance unit attachment portion 658d provided on the panel lighting reflector 658.

[0309] <Shadow prevention structure for panels / panel units / panels> The panel 652 is a member (first member) that is capable of transmitting at least a portion of the light emitted from the panel lighting board 664 (light-emitting means), and in this example, is composed of a colored translucent plate-like member with decorations (letters, figures, symbols, patterns, characters, etc.) on the front surface 652a.

[0310] It should be noted that the "first member" according to the present invention is not limited to a decorated, colored, translucent plate-like member, but may be undecorated, may be partially made of a light-transmitting material and partially made of an opaque material, or may not be a plate-like member.

[0311] <Panel shadow prevention structure / Panel unit / Panel lighting reflector> The panel lighting reflector 658 is a member (second member) that supports the panel (first member) 652, and in this example, is configured with a plate-shaped base portion 658a having a plurality of lighting board mounting portions 658a1, a plate-shaped wall portion 658b formed extending in the thickness direction from the outer edge of the base portion 658a as a base end, a panel partition mounting portion 658c provided below the outer edge of the base portion 658a, and an upper performance unit mounting portion 658d provided above the outer edge of the base portion 658a. The detailed structure of this panel lighting reflector 658 will be described later.

[0312] <Shadow prevention structure for panels / panel unit / panel lighting board> The panel lighting board 664 (light-emitting means) includes a plurality of LEDs 664a that can emit light toward the panel 652. The panel lighting board 664 (light-emitting means) is screwed to the lighting board attachment portion 658a1 of the panel lighting reflector 658, and is fixed to the base portion 658a of the panel lighting reflector 658 with the plurality of LEDs 664a directed toward the panel 652.

[0313] <Panel shadow prevention structure / Panel unit / Panel divider> The panel partition 656 is a long, rod-shaped member that can support the panel 652 from below, and in this example, is composed of a panel support portion 656a on which the panel 652 can be placed (supported), and a reflector mounting portion (not shown) provided on the back surface.

[0314] The panel partition 656 supports the bottom of the panel 652 at the panel support portion 656a, and is screwed to the panel partition mounting portion 658c of the panel lighting reflector 658 via a reflector mounting portion (not shown), and is fixed to the lower edge of the panel lighting reflector 658.

[0315] <Panel shadow prevention structure / Detailed structure of panel lighting reflector> Next, the detailed structure of the panel illumination reflector 658 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0316] Figure 18(a) is a side view of the panel unit 750, Figure 18(b) is an external perspective view of the panel unit 750 with the panel 652 removed, viewed from diagonally below, and Figure 18(c) is an external perspective view of the same state, viewed from diagonally above.

[0317] The wall portion 658b erected on the outer edge of the base portion 658a of the panel lighting reflector 658 is composed of an abutting portion 658b1 that abuts against the panel (first member) 652, a non-abutting portion 658b2 that does not abut against the panel (first member) 652, and a chamfered portion 658b3 that is partially chamfered.

[0318] The contact portion 658b1 of the wall portion 658b comes into contact with the rear surface 652b of the panel 652 and functions as a portion that supports the rear surface 652b of the panel 652 when the panel unit 750 is assembled.

[0319] On the other hand, the non-contact portion 658b2 of the wall portion 658b has a structure in which the tip of the contact portion 658b1 is cut out, and the maximum height of the non-contact portion 658b2 is lower than the maximum height of the contact portion 658b1, and is configured so as not to contact the back surface 652b of the panel 652 when the panel unit 750 is assembled.

[0320] That is, the wall portion 658b has a shape with a recess, and the non-recessed portion abuts against and supports the back surface 652b of the panel 652. In other words, the wall portion 658b can be said to have a first wall region (abutting portion 658b1) that faces (extends) toward the panel 652, and a second wall region (non-abutting portion 658b2) that faces (does not extend) toward the panel 652 further than the first wall region.

[0321] It should be noted that it is not necessary for all of the contact portions to be in contact with the panel 652, and a structure in which only some of the contact portions are in contact is also acceptable. Also, a gap may be formed between the panel 652 and the contact portions, and by forming the gap, when an impact is applied to the panel 653, the impact can be lessened from being transmitted to the panel lighting reflector 658.

[0322] The maximum height of non-contact portion 658b2 may be appropriately designed depending on whether or not a shadow is generated on panel 652, and may be about 3 / 4 or 1 / 2 of the maximum height of contact portion 658b1. In this example, contact portion 658b1 and non-contact portion 658b2 are integrally formed, but they may also be separate bodies.

[0323] As shown in the external oblique views of Figures 18(b) and (c), the panel lighting reflector 658 is made up of a polygonal member having multiple (six in this example) corners CP, and the abutting portions 658b1 are arranged in areas including these corners CP, while the non-abutting portions 658b2 are arranged in areas excluding these corners CP, approximately symmetrically in the longitudinal direction of the panel lighting reflector 658.

[0324] According to this example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of shadows uniformly on both the left and right sides of the first member (in this example, panel 652), and it is possible to ensure the design of the first member while preventing the shadow of the second member (in this example, panel lighting reflector 658) from being reflected on the first member. Furthermore, even if an external impact is applied to the front of the first member, the impact force can be dispersed to the left and right, preventing damage to the first member and ensuring durability.

[0325] Furthermore, by arranging abutment portions at the corners of the second member (in this example, the panel lighting reflector 658), the strength of the second member can be increased, and the second member can stably support the first member (in this example, the panel 652).

[0326] 18(b), the chamfered portion 658b3 of the wall portion 658b has a structure in which the tip of the abutting portion 658b1 is beveled, and is configured so that when the panel unit 750 is assembled, the tip abuts against the back surface 652b of the panel 652, and the portion other than the tip does not abut against the back surface 652b of the panel 652. In this example, only one chamfered portion 658b3 is arranged in the center of the upper edge of the panel lighting reflector 658.

[0327] Various decorations and characters are often drawn on panel 652, with prominent characters and decorations often being drawn in the center. Chamfered portion 658b3 is located approximately in the center of panel 652 in the longitudinal direction, but if chamfering is not performed in this area, a dark area will also be created in the center of the panel, which will dull the appearance of the most prominent part of the panel.

[0328] On the other hand, if this portion were cut out like the other non-contact portions, durability against impact would not be guaranteed. Therefore, in this example, the wall portion 658b is chamfered at a portion that is approximately the center of the panel 52 in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving the appearance and durability of the panel 652.

[0329] According to this example, the abutting portion (tip) of the chamfered portion 658b3 maintains the function of supporting the first member (in this example, the panel 652) with the second member (in this example, the panel lighting reflector 658), while the non-abutting portion (chamfered portion) of the chamfered portion 658b3 prevents the shadow of the second member from being reflected on the first member.

[0330] The chamfered portion 658b3 may be absent or may be provided in two or more. Also, a part or all of the non-contact portion 658b2 may be configured with the chamfered portion 658b3.

[0331] <Shadow prevention structure of the panel / Function of the non-contacting part and chamfered part> Next, the functions of the non-contact portion 658b2 and the chamfered portion 658b3 in the panel unit 750 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0332] FIG. 19(a) is a front view of the panel unit 750, and FIG. 19(b) is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 19(a) and an enlarged view of the main part thereof.

[0333] The light emitted from the LED 664a of the panel lighting board 664 toward the back surface 652b of the panel 652 can be classified into light that reaches the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly and light that is reflected by the wall portion 658b of the panel lighting reflector 658 and reaches the back surface 652b of the panel 652.

[0334] For example, in Figure 19(b), the light indicated by the symbol L1 is light that travels in the opposite direction from the wall portion 658b of the panel lighting reflector 658 and reaches the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly, the light indicated by the symbol L2 is light that passes above the non-contact portion 658b2 of the panel lighting reflector 658 and reaches the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly, and the light indicated by the symbol L3 is light that is reflected by the non-contact portion 658b2 of the panel lighting reflector 658 and reaches the back surface 652b of the panel 652.

[0335] In conventional gaming machines, the wall portion 658b of the panel lighting reflector 658 is composed only of the portion corresponding to the abutment portion 658b1 in this example, and does not have the non-abutment portion 658b2 and chamfered portion 658b3 in this example. Therefore, the light L1 shown in Figure 18(b) can reach the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly, but the light L2 shown in the same figure (b) is reflected by the portion corresponding to the abutment portion 658b1 in this example and reaches the back surface 652b of the panel 652, and therefore cannot reach the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly.

[0336] For this reason, in conventional gaming machines, the amount (amount of light) of light L2 that directly reaches the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 is relatively small, causing the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 to be darker than the center of the back surface 652b of the panel 652, resulting in a problem where the appearance of the panel 652 from the front is poor.

[0337] In this regard, the panel lighting reflector 658 in this example has a non-contact portion 658b2 that does not contact the panel 652 and a chamfered portion 658b3 that does not partially contact the panel 652, and therefore the light L2 shown in Figure 18(b) can pass through the gap (space) formed between the panel 652 and the non-contact portion 658b2 (or between the panel 652 and the chamfered portion 658b3) and reach the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 directly, and the amount (light amount) of light L2 illuminating the edge of the back surface 652b of the panel 652 can be increased compared to conventional gaming machines.

[0338] According to this example, the second member (in this example, the panel lighting reflector 658) has a non-contact portion 658b2 that does not contact the first member (in this example, the panel 652). This prevents a situation in which a portion of the light emitted toward the first member is reflected by the second member, causing a shadow of the second member to be cast on the first member and reflected onto the first member, thereby improving the appearance of the first member without interfering with the design of the first member.

[0339] Furthermore, while the contact portion 658b1 maintains the function of supporting the first member (in this example, panel 652) with the second member (in this example, panel lighting reflector 658), the non-contact portion 658b2 can prevent a situation in advance where the shadow of the second member is cast on the first member. Furthermore, because the non-contact portion 658b2 has a structure in which the contact portion 658b1 is cut out, the structure of the second member is not complicated, and the second member can be easily processed.

[0340] <Shadow prevention structure for panels / components surrounding the panel unit> Next, the members around the panel unit 750 will be described with reference to FIG. 19(c).

[0341] Figure 19(c) is a partially enlarged view showing the panel unit 750 attached to the upper performance unit 650, with the panel 652 not shown.

[0342] When the panel unit 750 is attached to the upper performance unit 650, both longitudinal sides of the panel unit 750 (panel 652 and panel lighting reflector 658) are positioned behind the side lamp cover 654a of the side lamp 654, in a position overlapping with this side lamp cover 654a (position overlapping in the front-to-rear direction). In other words, the side lamp cover 654a is positioned to protrude forward from the panel unit 750.

[0343] In this state, the upper short-side side of the panel unit 750 (panel 652 and panel lighting reflector 658) is arranged on the rear side of the performance cover 662 of the upper performance unit 650 in a position overlapping with this performance cover 662 (a position overlapping in the front-to-rear direction), and the lower short-side side of the panel unit 750 (panel 652 and panel lighting reflector 658) is arranged on the rear side of the panel divider 656 in a position overlapping with this panel divider 656 (a position overlapping in the front-to-rear direction). In other words, the performance cover 662 is arranged to protrude forward more than the panel unit 750.

[0344] According to this example, the longitudinal and lateral edges of panel 652 can be covered with other components (in this example, side lamp cover 654a, performance cover 662, and panel divider 656), so that even if the shadow of the second component (in this example, panel lighting reflector 658) is reflected on the edge of the first component (in this example, panel 652), the reflection of the shadow can be made less noticeable, and the appearance of the first component can be improved without interfering with the design of the first component.

[0345] In addition, in this example, the surface of the edge of the side lamp cover 654a (third member) near the panel unit 750 and the surface of the edge of the performance cover 662 (third member) near the panel unit 750 are plated.

[0346] According to this example, a plated third member (in this example, side lamp cover 654a, effect cover 662) is provided, and the third member is arranged around at least a portion of the first member (in this example, panel 652). Therefore, light from fluorescent lamps or the like installed in the amusement arcade can be reflected by the third member and irradiated around the first member. Even if the shadow of the second member (in this example, panel lighting reflector 658) is reflected on the edge of the first member (in this example, panel 652), the reflection of the shadow can be made less noticeable, and the appearance of the first member can be improved without interfering with the design of the first member.

[0347] The "third member" according to the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, plating may be applied to either the surface of the edge near the panel unit 750 on the side lamp cover 654a or the surface of the edge near the panel unit 750 on the performance cover 662, or further, plating may be applied to the surface of the edge near the panel unit 750 on the panel partition 656.

[0348] In addition, an example has been shown in which a plated third member (in this example, side lamp cover 654a, performance cover 662) is arranged around at least a portion of the periphery of a first member (in this example, panel 652), but in addition to (or instead of) arranging a plated third member, it is also possible to provide a backing around at least a portion of the periphery of the front of the first member (in this example, panel 652) so that the shadow of the edge of panel 652 is not noticeable.

[0349] <Summary of Panel Shadow Prevention Structure> As described above, the gaming machine according to this embodiment (for example, the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1) is a gaming machine including a first member (for example, the panel 652 shown in FIG. 17(a)), a second member (for example, the panel lighting reflector 658 shown in FIG. 17(a)) that supports at least a portion of the first member, and a light-emitting means (for example, the panel lighting board 664, LED 664a shown in FIG. 17(a)) that can illuminate the first member supported by the second member, wherein the first member is capable of transmitting at least a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting means, and the second member has a first portion that faces the first member (for example, the abutment portion 658b1 shown in FIGS. 18(a) to 18(c)) and a second portion that faces less toward the first member than the first portion (for example, the non-abutment portion 658b2 shown in FIGS. 18(a) to 18(c)).

[0350] According to the gaming machine of this embodiment, the second member has a non-contact portion that does not contact the first member, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which a portion of the light emitted toward the first member is reflected by the second member, causing a shadow of the second member to be cast on the first member and reflected onto the first member, thereby improving the appearance of the first member without interfering with the design of the first member.

[0351] Furthermore, the first portion may be a contact portion that contacts the first member (for example, contact portion 658b1 shown in Figures 18(a) to 18(c)), the second portion may be a non-contact portion that does not contact the first member (for example, non-contact portion 658b2 shown in Figures 18(a) to 18(c)), the second member may have a wall portion that protrudes toward the first member (for example, wall portion 658b shown in Figure 18(a)), the wall portion may include the contact portion and the non-contact portion, and the non-contact portion may have a structure in which the contact portion is cut out.

[0352] With this configuration, the abutting portion maintains the function of supporting the first member with the second member, while the non-abutting portion prevents the shadow of the second member from being cast on the first member. Furthermore, because the non-abutting portion has a structure in which the abutting portion is cut out, the structure of the second member is not complicated, and the second member can be easily processed.

[0353] The non-contact portions may be arranged symmetrically in the longitudinal direction of the second member.

[0354] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of shadows uniformly on both the left and right sides of the first member, and it is possible to ensure the design of the first member while preventing the shadow of the second member from being reflected on the first member. Furthermore, even if an external impact is applied to the front of the first member, the impact force can be dispersed to the left and right, preventing damage to the first member and ensuring its durability.

[0355] Furthermore, the second member may be composed of a polygonal member having multiple corners (for example, corners CP shown in Figures 18(b) and (c)), and the abutment portions may be arranged at least at the multiple corners, and the non-abutment portions may be arranged in areas excluding the multiple corners.

[0356] With this configuration, by placing a contact portion at the corner of the second member, the strength of the second member can be increased, and the first member can be stably supported by the second member.

[0357] In addition, the lamp may be provided with a plated third member (for example, a side lamp cover 654a or a performance cover 662 shown in Figure 19(c)), and the third member may be arranged at least in part near the periphery of the first member.

[0358] With this configuration, light from fluorescent lamps or the like installed in an amusement arcade can be reflected by the third member and shone around the first member, and even if the shadow of the second member is reflected on the edge of the first member, the reflection of the shadow can be made less noticeable, thereby improving the appearance of the first member without interfering with the design of the first member.

[0359] The gaming machine according to the present invention can also be applied to an enclosed gaming machine. Here, an "enclosed gaming machine" is a gaming machine that circulates gaming balls enclosed within the gaming machine. The main control unit, first sub-control unit, and second sub-control unit may be configured on a single chip, or the main control unit and the first sub-control unit may be configured to enable bidirectional communication. Furthermore, while bidirectional communication is enabled between the main control unit and the first sub-control unit, communication from the first sub-control unit to the second sub-control unit may be unidirectional.

[0360] Furthermore, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most preferable actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, by applying the content described in one of the multiple configurations described in the examples to another configuration, the range of play may be further expanded. [Industrial Applicability]

[0361] The gaming machine according to the present invention can be applied to gaming machines such as pinball gaming machines (pachinko machines), slot machines, enclosed gaming machines, and medal-less slot machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0362] 100 slot machines 110~112 reels 113 Pattern display window 130~132 bet button 135 Start lever 137~139 Stop button 156 Performance button 157 Visual display device (liquid crystal display device) 250 Reel front lighting 264 Reel Backlight 300 Main control unit 400 First sub-control section 500 Second sub-control section 600 Production Control Unit 604 Lower sheet metal shield 606 Lower board case 608 Upper board case 610 PCB case 612 Sub-control board 614 Sub-peripheral board 614 618 Upper Sheet Metal Shield 620 Shield Cover 652 Panel 658 Panel Lighting Reflector 700 Lens Unit 702 Lens holder 704 Inner Lens 706 outer lens 708 Lens Cover 750 Panel Unit

Claims

1. A substrate; a first cover member; A gaming machine equipped with a second cover member, the first cover member is a metal member disposed on at least one surface side of the substrate, the first cover member is a member having a through hole at a position corresponding to a specific portion of the substrate, the second cover member is a resin member that is disposed on the side of the first cover member opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the substrate is a substrate on which a display means for displaying predetermined information is provided at the specific location, the second cover member is a permeable member, the second cover member does not have a through hole formed at a position corresponding to the through hole, a surface of the first cover member facing one side as viewed from the one surface side is defined as a first surface; a surface of the second cover member facing the one side as viewed from the one side is defined as a second surface; When viewed from the one side, the first surface and the second surface are in an overlapping positional relationship, The first surface has a portion whose length in the short side direction is shorter than the length of the second surface in the short side direction. A gaming machine characterized by the above.

2. A substrate; a first cover member; A gaming machine equipped with a second cover member, the first cover member is a metal member disposed on at least one surface side of the substrate, the first cover member is a member having a through hole at a position corresponding to a specific portion of the substrate, the second cover member is a resin member that is disposed on the side of the first cover member opposite to the side on which the substrate is disposed, the substrate is a substrate on which a display means for displaying predetermined information is provided at the specific location, the second cover member is a permeable member, the second cover member does not have a through hole formed at a position corresponding to the through hole, a surface of the first cover member facing upward as viewed from the one surface side is defined as a third surface; a surface of the second cover member facing upward as viewed from the one surface side is defined as a fourth surface; When viewed from above, the third surface and the fourth surface are in an overlapping positional relationship, the third surface has a portion whose short-side length is shorter than the short-side length of the fourth surface; A gaming machine characterized by the above.

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