Pachinko gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a Pachinko game machine with an increased degree of freedom in performance in which a game device body is incorporated including a game board of a predetermined size having a game area for rolling game balls along the surface.SOLUTION: A Pachinko game machine incorporates a game device body including a game board for rolling game balls along the surface inside the frame body attached in a game parlor. The game device body includes a housing, and has a space between the housing and itself inside the frame body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pachinko gaming machine that can increase the degree of freedom in presentation using a presentation device corresponding to a game on a game board. [Background technology]

[0002] In pachinko gaming machines, the main body of the gaming machine is installed inside a picture frame-like frame with a roughly rectangular cross section that is attached to the gaming parlor, and the main body of the gaming machine is configured to rotate and open / close freely relative to the frame for purposes such as installation in the gaming parlor and maintenance. In other words, the size of the gaming machine main body is limited by the size of the frame, and the degree of freedom of the presentation of the presentation device included in the gaming machine main body is also restricted by this size. In addition, a minimum size is specified for the gaming board, which has a playing area in which the gaming ball rolls along its surface, and the degree of freedom of the presentation of the presentation device installed outside the gaming board is also restricted by the size of the gaming board.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 states that the size of the outer frame that defines the height and width of a gaming machine is established as an industry standard, and that it is practically difficult to change this, and then discloses a gaming machine in which connecting members are attached to each side of the gaming board to connect it to the front frame, thereby expanding the gaming board in the width direction.Even if there are certain restrictions on the width of the outer frame due to existing island equipment, it is possible to reasonably and reasonably increase the size of the gaming board within that range, ensuring a large range of movement for gaming balls regardless of the board configuration, and thereby realizing a variety of drop patterns.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 states that expanding the gaming area downward of the gaming machine is difficult because it would interfere with the launching device and foul ball passage, and then discloses that the launching device and the launched ball passage are located above the imaginary line and outside the gaming area, and the foul ball passage is located in a position that avoids being between the gaming ball payout opening and the outlet. With this configuration, it is possible to expand the gaming area downward of the gaming machine while maintaining its size, without considering the positional relationship between the passage and the gaming ball payout opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-242925 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-141347 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As mentioned above, the front of the gaming device body visible to the player is composed of the game board surface including part of the presentation device and other presentation devices, and even if the degree of freedom in the presentation corresponding to the game on the game board is increased, there is a limit to how much the presentation device can be changed in size. Therefore, there was a demand for a pachinko gaming machine that can increase the degree of freedom in the presentation by the presentation device corresponding to the game on the game board and incorporate an innovative presentation device that can clearly impress the characteristics of each gaming machine.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a pachinko gaming machine that can increase the freedom of game presentation in a pachinko gaming machine that incorporates a gaming device main body including a gaming board of a predetermined size that has a gaming area in which gaming balls roll along the surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gaming machine according to the present invention is a pachinko gaming machine that incorporates a gaming device main body that handles gaming balls, including a gaming board with a gaming area that rolls gaming balls along its surface, inside a frame that is attached to an amusement park, and is characterized in that the gaming device main body has a cabinet, and a space is provided between the cabinet and the gaming device main body inside the frame.

[0009] According to this feature, the gaming machine main body and the presentation device are housed in separate and independent spaces, and the presentation device can be designed separately from the gaming machine main body so that it can be housed in a space of a predetermined size without being dependent on the size of the gaming machine main body. This allows a large number of presentation devices to be prepared in advance, and increases the degree of freedom in presentations corresponding to games on the gaming board, such as by changing the combination of the gaming machine main body and the presentation devices.

[0010] In the above invention, the frame may have a substantially rectangular cross section, with upper and lower cross beams at its upper and lower ends, respectively, and a central cross beam between them, with the gaming device main body being incorporated between the central cross beam and the lower cross beam. Furthermore, the gaming device main body may have a vertical axis near its side, be freely rotatable around the vertical axis, and be able to move freely open and close relative to the frame. According to this feature, the gaming device main body and the presentation device can be housed separately above and below, and this combination can increase the degree of freedom in presentations corresponding to games played on the gaming board.

[0011] In the above invention, the vertical axis may be provided near the vertical center axis of the approximately rectangular cross section, and the space may be provided between the frame body and the side of the housing. According to this feature, the gaming device main body and the presentation device are housed separately above and below, and this combination increases the degree of freedom in presentations corresponding to games on the gaming board.

[0012] In the above invention, the game balls may be circulated inside the cabinet to play the game. According to this feature, the game device main body and the presentation device can be completely separated, and by combining them, the degree of freedom in presentation corresponding to the game on the game board can be further increased. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a pachinko gaming machine in one embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a top view of a pachinko gaming machine in one embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 3] A front view of a main body frame used in an amusement machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a front view of another main body frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A pachinko gaming machine as one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, gaming machine 1, which is a pachinko gaming machine, is attached inside outer frame 2, which is a frame body installed in an island facility in an amusement parlor (not shown). Gaming machine 1 includes a main body frame 5 attached to outer frame 2 so as to be freely opened and closed, and a gaming device main body 1a having a housing incorporated into main body frame 5 so as to be freely opened and closed. Gaming device main body 1a is provided below main body frame 5 so as to provide a space above, and presentation device 1b is housed in the space provided above. Note that, when directions are indicated hereinafter, the directions are those seen from the perspective of a player facing gaming machine 1 as shown in the figures.

[0016] The gaming device main body 1a has a front door 3 with an opening 3a in the center, and can be opened toward the player using the left end as a pivot. Attached to the front door 3 are a transparent plate 6 that closes the opening 3a and allows the player to see the game area 19, a handle 7 that is operated to launch game balls, and an upper tray 8 and a lower tray 9 that store game balls.

[0017] A game board 10 is fixed to the game device main body 1a, forming a game area 19 between itself and a transparent plate 6 fitted into the front door 3, along whose surface game balls roll. The game board 10 is further provided with prize openings such as a start chucker 13 and an attacker 14, as well as other prize openings, nails, and other accessories (not shown), and can allocate the path of the game balls that fall while rolling within the game area 19 along its surface. The game device main body 1a can handle game balls and progress the game by itself, even without the presentation device 1b.

[0018] On the other hand, the presentation device 1b includes a first presentation unit 12 using a liquid crystal display device to display the results of the lottery process for a jackpot with effects and notify the player, a second presentation unit 4 that produces effects using LEDs, and another presentation unit that produces audio effects using a speaker (not shown). There are no particular restrictions on the presentation units and presentation contents of the presentation device 1b, and other combinations may be used. Also, some presentation functions may be included in the gaming device main body 1a, separate from the presentation device 1b.

[0019] Referring also to FIG. 3, the main body frame 5 to which the gaming device main body 1a and the presentation device 1b are attached is a frame body having a substantially rectangular cross section in a front view so as to conform to the outer frame 2. The main body frame 5 has an upper cross beam 5a and a lower cross beam 5c at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with a central cross beam 5b therebetween. An upper hinge 11a and a lower hinge 11c are provided at the left ends of the upper cross beam 5a and the lower cross beam 5c, respectively. The upper hinge 11a and the lower hinge 11c are assembled to the outer frame 2, allowing the main body frame 5 to rotate freely relative to the outer frame 2 with the left end serving as a rotation axis A1. A middle hinge 11b is provided near the left side of the central cross beam 5b, and the gaming device main body 1a can be assembled to rotate freely around a vertical axis A2 between the lower hinge 11c and the central cross beam 5b. The gaming device main body 1a is housed in a lower space 22 between the lower cross beam 5c and the central cross beam 5b inside the main body frame 5, and the presentation device 1b is housed in an upper space 21 between the central cross beam 5b and the upper cross beam 5a. In other words, the gaming device main body 1a can be freely opened and closed relative to the main body frame 5, and the gaming machine 1 including the gaming device main body 1a and the presentation device 1b can be opened and closed together with the main body frame 5 relative to the outer frame 2. The main body frame 5, together with the outer frame 2, can also have a cross section of another shape, such as an ellipse, when viewed from the front.

[0020] As shown in the figure, the front side of the performance device 1b is larger in the left and right and upward directions than the back side, and is housed in the main body frame 5 by being inserted so as to slide from the front side to the back side. In addition, the performance device 1b is provided so as to protrude from the front side of the upper part of the front door 3 when the gaming device main body 1a is closed.

[0021] As described above, by accommodating the gaming device main body 1a and the presentation device 1b in separate and independent spaces, the presentation device 1b can be designed to be accommodated in the upper space 21 of a predetermined size, regardless of the size of the gaming device main body 1a. This allows the presentation device 1b to be designed separately from the gaming device main body 1a. In other words, many different presentation devices 1b can be prepared in advance, and the combination with the gaming device main body 1a can be changed, increasing the degree of freedom in presentations corresponding to games on the gaming board 10.

[0022] Furthermore, the central cross beam 5b allows the gaming device main body 1a and the presentation device 1b to be housed separately in upper and lower sections, and the combination of these upper and lower sections can increase the degree of freedom in presentation.

[0023] 4, instead of the vertical axis A2, a vertical axis A2' may be provided closer to the vertical center axis of the rectangular cross section of the main body frame 5. A second lower hinge 11c' for obtaining the vertical axis A2' is newly provided and positioned together with the middle hinge 11b' closer to the center axis than the left end of the main body frame 5, and the gaming device main body 1a is then assembled. This forms a side space 23 on the left side of the gaming device main body 1a. Other presentation devices can be housed in the side space 23, which further increases the degree of freedom in presentation.

[0024] It is also preferable that the gaming device main body 1a is a circulation type gaming machine in which gaming balls are circulated inside the cabinet to play games. In this case, a gaming ball passage for guiding gaming balls from the island equipment is not required, and the gaming device main body 1a and the presentation device 1b can be completely separated.

[0025] Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications based thereon have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these examples. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will be able to find various alternative embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention or the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1. Gaming machines 1a Gaming device main body 1b Performance device 2 Outer frame 5 Main frame 10 Game Board

Claims

1. A pachinko gaming machine incorporating a gaming device body that handles gaming balls and includes a game board with a game area that rolls the gaming balls along the surface and a handle that is operated to launch the gaming balls, and a performance device that includes a liquid crystal display device, a performance unit that uses LEDs to perform performances related to winning and lottery, and a performance unit that performs audio performances using a speaker, inside a frame that is attached to a gaming facility, The frame has a substantially rectangular cross section in front view, and includes an upper cross beam and a lower cross beam at its upper end and lower end, respectively, and a central cross beam therebetween; The gaming device main body has a housing, and is incorporated between the central cross beam and the lower end cross beam, and the space accommodating the housing inside the frame body and the space accommodating the performance device are separate and independent without overlapping when viewed from the front, and the gaming device main body has a vertical axis near a side of the gaming device main body, is rotatable around the vertical axis, and moves freely to open and close relative to the frame body; A pachinko gaming machine characterized in that the vertical axis is located closer to the center than the inner side end of the frame body when viewed from the front, and a space for accommodating the presentation device is also provided between the frame body and the side of the cabinet.

2. 2. The pachinko gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the game balls are circulated inside the cabinet to play the game.

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