Gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine for suppressing a decrease in working efficiency.SOLUTION: A board has multiple holes provided at a predetermined interval in a predetermined direction, and a first component is disposed on the board in a state in which a predetermined interval is formed between a body part and the board. When a direction that is parallel to a board surface and is along the predetermined direction is set to a second direction and a direction that is parallel to the board surface and is vertical to the second direction is set to a first direction, identification information corresponding to the predetermined component is provided in the first direction of the first component. In a state in which force operating in the first direction is applied to the body part, a lead terminal part is bent, and the body part is in contact with a predetermined place, the identification information is visible when seen from a normal direction of the board surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 33

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

Background Art

[0002] As a gaming machine, a pachinko gaming machine including a gaming area where gaming balls (gaming values) move, a launching device for launching gaming balls into the gaming area, etc. is known. The pachinko gaming machine includes a start port provided in the gaming area, and when the entry of a gaming ball into the start port is detected, a special symbol lottery is performed. If the result of the special symbol lottery is a big win, the gaming state shifts to a special gaming state, and a plurality of special games are executed in the special gaming state. In each special game, a large winning port provided in the gaming area operates in an open state, and gaming balls are paid out based on the entry of gaming balls into the large winning port.

[0003] Also, as a gaming machine, a slot machine including a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols arranged on the outer peripheral surface, a start lever, a stop button, etc. is known. In the slot machine, when the rotation of the reels is started based on a gaming start operation, an internal lottery using a lottery table is performed. When the reels stop, a symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination selected in the internal lottery is displayed, and when the winning combination wins, as a process corresponding to the winning combination, for example, a medal payout process for paying out medals (gaming values) or a replay process for enabling a replay of the game without newly consuming medals is performed.

[0004] Gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko gaming machines include a substrate on which various electronic components are arranged, and discrete components (lead components) may be used as electronic components (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] By the way, in the case of amusement machines, it is necessary to suppress the decline in work efficiency.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a gaming machine in which a decrease in work efficiency is suppressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the gaming machine of the present invention is A substrate (for example, substrate 400) and A case for housing the aforementioned substrate (for example, a substrate case 701), A fixing member for fixing the aforementioned substrate to the case, The substrate comprises the following components: The aforementioned components include a first component (e.g., an electrolytic capacitor 810), The first component comprises a main body (for example, a main body 811) and a lead terminal portion (for example, a lead terminal portion 812) having a plurality of leads extending from the main body. The substrate is provided with a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined direction at predetermined intervals, The first component is arranged on the substrate such that the plurality of leads are inserted into the plurality of holes and a predetermined gap (e.g., gap γ) is formed between the main body and the substrate. A second direction is defined as a direction parallel to the substrate surface and aligned with the predetermined direction. If we define the first direction as the direction parallel to the substrate surface and perpendicular to the second direction, Identification information corresponding to a predetermined part is provided in the first direction of the first part, When a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body, the lead terminal portion is bent, and the main body portion is in contact with a predetermined location, the identification information is visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. The aforementioned substrate is provided with screw holes, The fixing member is a countersunk screw (for example, countersunk screw S), The countersunk screw is inserted through the screw hole from one side of the substrate and fastened to the case. A first gap is formed between the radially outer end of the head of the countersunk screw and one surface of the substrate. According to this configuration, even when a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body, causing the lead terminal portion to bend and the main body portion to contact a predetermined location, the identification information can still be visually confirmed when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. Therefore, if the lead terminal portion of the first component bends, predetermined identification information may become obscured (visibility may decrease), making it difficult to grasp the identification information and thus preventing a decrease in the efficiency of work (inspection work, etc.). Furthermore, countersunk screws have a flat top surface, resulting in a lower head height compared to pan-head screws. This allows the case to be positioned closer to the circuit board than when using pan-head screws. As a result, the case thickness can be reduced, enabling miniaturization and space saving. Additionally, countersunk screws have a smaller contact area with the circuit board compared to pan-head screws. This reduces the area on the circuit board where force is applied, thus preventing damage to the circuit board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating its external configuration. [Figure 2] This is a front view showing the external configuration of the game board. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the external configuration of the status display unit. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the general configuration of a gaming machine. [Figure 5]It is a state transition diagram of the gaming state. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the payout control board unit as seen from the front side. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the payout control board unit as seen from the front side. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the seal - attaching area. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the seal to be attached to the board case. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining the mounting part of the unmounted parts during mass production. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the appearance of the main IC of the gaming machine according to the second embodiment, where (a) is a view seen from the top surface side, and (b) is a view seen from the short - hand direction. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the socket, where (a) is a view seen from the top surface side, (b) is a view seen from the short - hand direction, and (c) is a view seen from the bottom surface side. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the socket terminals, where (a) is a diagram showing the socket terminals with odd - numbered pin numbers, (b) is a diagram showing the socket terminals with even - numbered pin numbers, and (c) is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the socket terminals Q shown in (a) and (b) in the state held by the socket body. [Figure 14] It is a plan view showing the through - hole to which the terminals of the socket are joined. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the gap formed between the mounting surface and the socket bottom surface and the solder fillet. [Figure 16] It is a diagram for explaining the gap formed between the socket and the main IC or the board, where (a) is a view of the socket seen from the top surface side, and (b) is a view of the socket seen from the bottom surface side. [Figure 17]The same diagram illustrates the relationship between the gap formed between the socket and the main IC or substrate and the ground pattern, where (a) is a view of the socket, main IC, and substrate from the longitudinal direction, and (b) is a view of the socket, main IC, and substrate from the top side. [Figure 18] Similarly, (a) is a diagram showing the connector, and (b) is a diagram showing the through-hole into which the positioning pin is inserted. [Figure 19] The diagram shows a modified socket, where (a) is a view from the bottom and (b) is a cross-sectional view from the longitudinal direction. [Figure 20] This is a view of the payout control board of a gaming machine according to the third embodiment, as seen from the front side. [Figure 21] This is a view of the dispensing control board according to the modified example, seen from the front side. [Figure 22] This is a view of the gaming machine from the rear. [Figure 23] This is an exploded perspective view showing a payout control board unit for a gaming machine according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] This is a schematic diagram showing the first surface of the circuit board. [Figure 25] This is a schematic diagram showing the first surface of the circuit board. [Figure 26] This is a perspective view of the circuit board case from the rear. [Figure 27] The same is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the circuit board, where (a) shows the state where the screws are not inserted into the through holes, and (b) shows the state where the screws are inserted into the through holes. [Figure 28] This is a perspective view showing the portion of the circuit board case where a recess is provided. [Figure 29] This is a partially enlarged view showing the area around a predetermined through-hole in the substrate. [Figure 30] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the circuit board fixed to the circuit board case. [Figure 31]This shows a component to be placed on the circuit board of a gaming machine according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. (a) shows the state before forming, and (b) shows the state after forming. (c) shows the state after the lead tip has been bent after being placed on the circuit board. [Figure 32] The same is a schematic diagram of a part of the circuit board viewed from the side, where (a) shows the state before the lead of the first component is bent, (b) shows the state after the lead of the first component is bent (part 1), (c) shows the state after the lead of the first component is bent (part 2), and (d) shows the state after the lead of the first component is bent (part 3). [Figure 33] The same is a schematic diagram of a part of the circuit board viewed from the direction normal to the circuit board surface, where (a) shows the state before the lead of the first component is bent, and (b) shows the state after the lead of the first component is bent. [Figure 34] Similarly, (a) is a schematic diagram of a portion of the substrate viewed from the side, (b) is a schematic diagram of a portion of the substrate viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface, and (c) is a schematic diagram of a portion of the substrate unit viewed from the side. [Figure 35] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a payout control board unit for a gaming machine according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 36] This figure shows a part of the first surface of the payout control board of a gaming machine according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 37] This is a diagram showing a specific IC. [Figure 38] This is a diagram showing a portion of the second side of the payout control board. [Figure 39] The same diagram shows a part of the dispensing control board; (a) shows the silk screen markings corresponding to a predetermined component on the first surface, and (b) shows the back side (second surface side) of the mounting position of the predetermined component. [Figure 40] This figure shows a part of the first surface of the payout control board of a gaming machine according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 41] This is a diagram showing a portion of the second side of the payout control board. [Figure 42]This is a diagram illustrating a modified example, and shows a portion of the first surface of the dispensing control board. [Figure 43] This is a rear-view perspective of a gaming machine according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 44] This is a perspective view from the rear, showing the rear cover removed. [Figure 45] The same is a side view of the components located on the rear side of the gaming machine, seen from the left side. (a) shows the back cover attached, and (b) shows the back cover removed. [Figure 46] This is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship of the parts in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 47] The diagram below illustrates the positional relationship of the parts in the front-to-back direction in the modified example. [Figure 48] This is a diagram illustrating the distance between the substrate surface and the case surface. [Figure 49] This is an example of a gaming machine according to the 11th embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded perspective view of the ball return prevention mechanism. [Figure 50] This is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism when the ball return prevention member is in the closed position. [Figure 51] This is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism when the ball return prevention member is in the open position. [Figure 52] This figure shows how a game ball that has entered the game area is attempting to return to the boundary area when the ball return prevention member is in a state between the closed and open state. [Figure 53] This is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dotted line shown in Figure 52. [Figure 54] This is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dotted line shown in Figure 52. [Figure 55] This diagram shows a game ball that has returned from the game area to the boundary area colliding with the ball return prevention member. [Figure 56] This diagram shows a game ball that has returned from the game area to the boundary area colliding with the ball return prevention member. [Figure 57](a) is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism when the ball return prevention member is in the closed position, and (b) is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism when the ball return prevention member is in the open position. [Figure 58] This is a front view of the ball return prevention mechanism when the ball return prevention member is in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a pachinko game machine, which is one type of game machine, will be described, but other types of game machines may also be described. In the following description, "front and back" basically means that when a player is in front of the game machine, the player's side is "front" and the game machine side is "back", "up and down" means that the top surface of the game machine is "up" and the bottom surface is "down", and "left and right" means that the left hand side of the player playing the game machine is "left" and the right hand side is "right".

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a gaming machine according to this embodiment. The gaming machine of this embodiment is used to play games using game balls (game media) rented from a game hall, and comprises an outer frame 2 that forms the outer surface of the gaming machine, a game board 6 provided inside the gaming machine that forms a game area 4 on which the game balls move, an inner frame 7 that holds the game board 6, a glass unit 8 that makes the game board 6 visible to the player but inaccessible to the player, and a front frame 10 to which the glass unit 8 is attached. The inner frame 7 is attached to the outer frame 2 via a hinge mechanism so as to be able to be opened and closed. The front frame 10 is also attached to the inner frame 7 via a hinge mechanism so as to be able to be opened and closed. The inner frame 7 (and the front frame 10) can be opened and closed between a closed position (closed state) that blocks the opening of the outer frame 2 and an open position (open state) that opens the opening of the outer frame 2.

[0013] The portion of the front frame 10 surrounding the glass unit 8 is made of a translucent material that transmits light, and multiple front frame lamps 12 that emit special effects lights to enhance the game are provided inside the portion made of the translucent material. In addition, speakers 14 (sound devices) that emit special effects sounds to enhance the game are provided on the left and right sides of the upper and lower parts of the front frame 10.

[0014] An upper tray 16 for storing game balls is provided at the lower center of the front frame 10, and a payout opening 18 for dispensing game balls from the game machine to the player is provided on the left side of the inner side of the upper tray 16. A grip unit 20 is provided on the lower right side of the front frame 10, and when the player rotates the grip unit 20 clockwise toward the game machine, a launching device (not shown) located inside the game machine is activated and game balls are launched into the game area 4. The launching device in this embodiment can launch 99 game balls per minute (1.65 per second).

[0015] A supply port 22 for supplying game balls from the upper tray 16 to the launching device is provided on the right side of the inner side of the upper tray 16. Below the upper tray 16, a lower tray 24 is provided for storing excess game balls when the upper tray 16 can no longer hold them all.

[0016] Furthermore, a performance button 26 (performance control means) is provided on the front edge of the upper tray 16, and when the player operates the performance button 26, the performance displayed on the game machine changes.

[0017] Figure 2 is a front view showing the external configuration of the game board 6 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the game board 6 is provided with a circular outer rail 28, and the area enclosed by the outer rail 28 is the game area 4 on which the game balls move. In addition, an inner rail 30 is provided in an arc shape along the outer rail 28 at the left end of the game area 4, and the outer rail 28 and inner rail 30 guide the game balls launched from a launching device (not shown) located below the game board 6 into the game area 4.

[0018] In the center of the game board 6, there is a performance unit 36 ​​which includes a liquid crystal display 32 (performance display device) that displays performance images and other elements to enhance the game, and a display frame 34 formed to surround the liquid crystal display 32. The display frame 34 is equipped with a display frame lamp 38 that outputs performance lights and other elements to enhance the game, located above the center of the liquid crystal display 32.

[0019] In this embodiment, the game balls are prevented from passing in front of the liquid crystal display 32, and the game balls launched from the launching device fall into either the game area 4a on the left side of the liquid crystal display 32 or the game area 4b on the right side. In addition, numerous game pins (not shown) are driven into the game area 4 so as to intersect with the surface of the game board 6, causing the direction of movement of the game balls as they move through the game area 4 to change randomly.

[0020] Furthermore, an opening 40 is formed on the left side of the display frame 34, through which game balls falling from the game area 4a to the left of the liquid crystal display 32 can pass. Game balls that pass through this opening 40 pass through a passage 42 provided in the display frame 34 and fall onto a stage 44 located below the liquid crystal display 32. The upper surface of this stage 44 is a smooth curved surface, and a gap is formed between the stage 44 and the glass unit 8, allowing game balls to fall downwards from the stage 44. Game balls that fall onto the stage 44 from the passage 42 move back and forth on the stage 44 before falling downwards from near the center of the stage 44.

[0021] Below the center of the stage 44, there is a first start opening 46 into which game balls that have fallen downward from near the center of the stage 44 can enter. Inside the first start opening 46, there is a first start opening switch 100 (see Figure 4) that detects game balls that have entered the first start opening 46. When the first start opening switch 100 detects a game ball (a game ball entering the first start opening 46), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then executes a first special symbol lottery as a special symbol lottery based on the input of the detection signal from the first start opening switch 100. The main control board 200 also causes the payout device 130 to dispense prize balls based on the input of the detection signal from the first start opening switch 100. Game balls that have entered the first start opening 46 are collected inside the game machine.

[0022] To the left of the first start opening 46 in the game area 4, there are multiple (3) general prize openings 47 (upper left general prize opening 47a, left-center general prize opening 47b, and lower left general prize opening 47c). The game board 6 is also equipped with a general prize opening switch 101 (see Figure 4) that detects game balls that enter the upper left general prize opening 47a, left-center general prize opening 47b, or lower left general prize opening 47c. When the general prize opening switch 101 detects a game ball (entry of a game ball into the upper left general prize opening 47a, left-center general prize opening 47b, or lower left general prize opening 47c), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then causes the payout device 130 to perform a prize ball payout operation based on the input of the detection signal from the general prize opening switch 101. Furthermore, one general prize slot switch 101 may be provided for each of the upper left general prize slot 47a, the left middle general prize slot 47b, and the lower left general prize slot 47c, or one may be provided for multiple (for example, three) general prize slots 47. In addition, general prize slots 47 and general prize slot switches corresponding to these general prize slots may also be provided.

[0023] Furthermore, a passage gate 48 is provided in the game area 4b to the right of the liquid crystal display 32, through which game balls pass without being collected inside the game machine. A gate switch 102 (see Figure 4) is also installed inside the passage gate 48 to detect when a game ball has passed through. When the gate switch 102 detects a game ball (passing through the passage gate 48), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then performs a regular symbol lottery to determine whether a regular win has occurred, based on the input of the detection signal from the gate switch 102.

[0024] Furthermore, a second start port 49 is provided below the passage gate 48 in the game area 4b to the right of the liquid crystal display 32. Inside the second start port 49 is a second start port switch 103 (see Figure 4) which detects game balls that have entered the second start port 49. When the second start port switch 103 detects a game ball (a game ball entering the second start port 49), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then executes a second special symbol lottery as a special symbol lottery based on the input of the detection signal from the second start port switch 103. The main control board 200 also causes the payout device 130 to dispense prize balls based on the input of the detection signal from the second start port switch 103. Game balls that have entered the second start port 49 are collected inside the game machine.

[0025] The second starting opening 49 is provided with a standard mechanism 54 (auxiliary means) that can operate between a reduced state (a state in which entry is not assisted) and an enlarged state (a state in which entry is assisted) that makes it difficult for game balls to enter the second starting opening 49. The standard mechanism 54 has a built-in drive device such as a solenoid and is controlled to enter the enlarged state under predetermined conditions when a regular win is achieved in the regular symbol lottery.

[0026] Furthermore, a large prize slot 50 is provided in the game area 4b to the right of the liquid crystal display 32. A count switch 104 (see Figure 4) for detecting game balls that have entered the large prize slot 50 is installed inside the large prize slot 50. When the count switch 104 detects a game ball (a game ball entering the large prize slot 50), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then causes the payout device 130 to perform a prize ball payout operation based on the detection signal input from the count switch 104. The main control board 200 also counts the number of game balls that have entered the large prize slot 50 based on the detection signal input from the count switch 104. The game balls that have entered the large prize slot 50 are then collected inside the game machine.

[0027] The large prize opening 50 is equipped with a special mechanism 56 that can operate between a closed state (second state, entry prohibited state) in which game balls cannot enter the large prize opening 50 and an open state (first state, entry permitted state) in which game balls can enter. The special mechanism 56 has a built-in drive device such as a solenoid and is controlled to be in the open state under predetermined conditions in the special game state that starts when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery (first special symbol lottery or second special symbol lottery).

[0028] Furthermore, at the bottom of the game area 4, there is an outlet 62 for collecting game balls that fall out of the game area 4 without entering any of the prize winning openings 46, 47, 49, or 50 into the game machine. Inside the game machine, there is an outlet passage (not shown) through which the game balls collected (discharged) from the game area 4 pass. In this game machine, all game balls launched into the game area 4 (all game balls collected from the game area 4) are configured to pass through the outlet passage. That is, game balls launched into the game area 4 are collected from the game area 4 and flow into the outlet passage by entering any of the prize winning openings 46, 47, 49, or 50 or by passing through the outlet 62. Specifically, game balls that enter each prize winning opening 46, 47, 49, or 50 are detected by switches 100, 101, 103, or 104 located inside the prize winning opening, and then guided to the outlet passage. Furthermore, the game balls collected from the outlet 62 are guided to the discharge path. An out switch 106 (see Figure 4) is also installed in the discharge path. When the out switch 106 detects game balls passing through the discharge path (discharge of game balls from the game area 4), it outputs a detection signal to the main control board 200. The main control board 200 then counts the number of game balls discharged from the game area 4 based on the detection signal input from the out switch 106.

[0029] The game ball launching device is configured such that the launching force of the game ball changes by adjusting the amount of rotation of the grip unit 20 shown in Figure 1. When the amount of rotation of the grip unit 20 is small, the game ball is launched so that it falls into the game area 4a on the left side of the liquid crystal display 32, and when the amount of rotation of the grip unit 20 is large, the game ball is launched so that it falls into the game area 4b on the right side of the liquid crystal display 32.

[0030] Therefore, the player adjusts the amount of rotation of the grip unit 20 according to the game situation, and launches the game ball so that it falls through the left game area 4a, or passes through the opening 40, passage 42 and stage 44 and enters the first starting opening 46 (left-handed play), or launches the game ball so that it falls through the right game area 4b, passes through the passage gate 48, or enters the second starting opening 49, or enters the large prize opening 50 (right-handed play).

[0031] In this embodiment of the gaming machine, when a game ball falls through the left-side gaming area 4a, the game ball does not pass through the passage gate 48, and therefore does not enter (win) the second starting opening 49 or the large prize opening 50. Also, when a game ball falls through the right-side gaming area 4b, the game ball does not enter the first starting opening 46, the upper left general prize opening 47a, the left middle general prize opening 47b, or the lower left general prize opening 47c.

[0032] A status indicator unit 70 is provided in the lower right part of the game board 6, outside the game area 4, which indicates various states of the game machine by turning on and off lamps or the like.

[0033] Figure 3 is a front view showing the external configuration of the status display unit 70. As shown in Figure 3, the status display unit 70 is provided with a normal symbol display unit 72, a normal hold display unit 74, a first special symbol display unit 76, a first special hold display unit 78, a second special symbol display unit 80, a second special hold display unit 82, and a game status display unit 84.

[0034] The regular symbol display unit 72 is composed of two lamps. When a regular symbol lottery is held, the two lamps flash to display a changing regular symbol, and the two lamps light up or turn off to display a stopped regular symbol, thereby displaying the result of the regular symbol lottery.

[0035] The normal hold display unit 74 consists of two lamps and displays the normal hold number corresponding to the number of normal hold numbers that are held, when a normal symbol is already being displayed in a variable or stopped state when a game ball passes through the passage gate 48, or when a normal symbol lottery cannot be performed even if a random value for normal symbol lottery is acquired. The normal hold number is displayed by a combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the two lamps.

[0036] The first special symbol display unit 76 is composed of a 7-segment display. When a game ball enters the first start opening 46 and a lottery for the first special symbol is held, the 7-segment display flashes to display the first special symbol in a variable manner, and the 7-segment display lights up in one of several different modes to display the first special symbol in a stationary state, thereby displaying the result of the lottery for the first special symbol.

[0037] The first special reserve display unit 78 consists of two lamps and displays the number of first special reserves corresponding to the number of first special random values ​​that are being held in reserve when, for example, the first special symbol or the second special symbol is already being displayed in a variable or stopped state when a game ball enters the first start opening 46, and even if a random value for special symbol lottery (lottery information) is acquired, a special symbol lottery cannot be performed. The first special reserve display unit 78 displays 0 to 4 first special reserves by combining the lighting, extinguishing, or flashing of the two lamps.

[0038] The second special symbol display unit 80 is composed of a 7-segment display. When a game ball enters the second start opening 49 and a second special symbol lottery is held, the 7-segment display flashes to display the second special symbol in a variable manner, and the 7-segment display lights up in one of several different modes to display the second special symbol in a stationary state, thereby displaying the result of the second special symbol lottery.

[0039] The second special reserve display unit 82 consists of two lamps and displays the number of second special reserves corresponding to the number of second special reserves that are being held in reserve when, for example, the first special symbol or the second special symbol is already being displayed in a variable or stopped state when a game ball enters the second start opening 49, and even if a random value for special symbol lottery is acquired, a special symbol lottery cannot be performed. The second special reserve display unit 82 displays 0 to 4 second special reserves by combining the lighting, extinguishing, or flashing of the two lamps.

[0040] The game state display unit 84 is composed of six lamps, and the type of game state currently set is displayed by the combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the six lamps. In this embodiment, four types of game states can be set: a normal state (low probability state), a probability variation state (high probability state / special state) in which the probability of winning a jackpot is set higher than in the normal state, a special game state that starts when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery, and a time-saving state (special state) in which the variation time of the first special symbol or the second special symbol is shortened, making the opportunity to execute the special symbol lottery more frequent. The game state is displayed by the combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the six lamps.

[0041] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the gaming machine of this embodiment. The gaming machine of this embodiment is controlled by a control board that includes a main control board 200 (main control means) and a sub-control board 202 (sub-control means). The functions of each board, such as the main control board 200 and the sub-control board 202, are realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.), ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), ROM (an example of an information storage medium), or RAM, and software consisting of a given program pre-stored in the ROM, etc.

[0042] The main control board 200 controls the progress of the game. The main control board 200 receives input signals from input means such as the first start gate switch 100, the general prize gate switch 101, the gate switch 102, the second start gate switch 103, the count switch 104, or the out switch 106, performs various calculations to execute the game, and controls the operation of output means such as the status display unit 70, the regular prize 54, the special prize 56, or the payout device 130 based on the calculation results.

[0043] The sub-control board 202 controls the execution of the effects based on information transmitted from the main control board 200. The sub-control board 202 receives signals from the main control board 200 and input signals from the effects button switch 150 that detect operations on the effects button 26, performs various calculations to execute effects according to the progress of the game, and controls the operation of the effects devices such as the liquid crystal display 32, lighting device, speaker 14, and effects drive device based on the calculation results.

[0044] The main control board 200 is composed of a random number generation means 210, a normal symbol lottery means 220, a normal display control means 222, a normal bonus item control means 224, a special symbol lottery means 230, a special display control means 240, a game state transition control means 250, a special game execution means 260, a payout instruction means 270, a communication control means 280, and a main memory 290.

[0045] The random number generation means 210 is a means for generating random numbers for the lottery, and is implemented by a random number generator that generates hardware random numbers or a program that generates software random numbers. Software random numbers can be generated, for example, based on the count value of an increment counter (a counter that counts numbers so as to cycle within a predetermined count range). In this embodiment, "random numbers" include not only values ​​that are generated randomly in a mathematical sense, but also values ​​that, even if their generation is regular, can function as effectively random numbers because the timing of their acquisition is irregular.

[0046] The normal symbol lottery means 220, based on the detection signal input from the gate switch 102 which detects each game ball passing through the passage gate 48, obtains a random value for normal symbol lottery from the random number generation means 210 and stores it in the normal random number storage means 2912 of the main memory 290. It then performs a normal symbol lottery to determine whether a normal win has occurred based on the random value for normal symbol lottery read from the normal random number storage means 2912. Specifically, the normal symbol lottery means 220 performs normal win determination processing as part of the normal symbol lottery.

[0047] The normal win determination process is the process of determining whether a normal win has occurred. In the normal win determination process, the normal symbol lottery means 220 selects, according to the game state, which of the multiple normal symbol lottery tables stored in the lottery table storage means 2910 of the main memory 290 to refer to for random number determination processing. Here, each normal symbol lottery table has either a normal win or a loss associated with each of the 100 normal symbol lottery random values ​​from 0 to 99. The normal symbol lottery means 220 then refers to the selected normal symbol lottery table and determines whether one of the normal symbol lottery random values ​​read from the normal random number storage means 2912 is associated with a normal win, thereby determining whether a normal win has been achieved. Then, if a regular win is achieved, the regular win winning flag in the flag storage means 2916 of the main memory 290 is set to the ON state, and if it is a loss, the regular win winning flag is set to the OFF state.

[0048] Furthermore, the regular symbol lottery table selected when the game state is either a probability-increasing state or a time-saving state has a higher probability of winning a regular prize compared to the regular symbol lottery table selected when the game state is neither a probability-increasing state nor a time-saving state. In other words, the regular symbol lottery conducted when the game state is either a probability-increasing state or a time-saving state has a higher probability of winning a regular prize compared to the regular symbol lottery conducted when the game state is neither a probability-increasing state nor a time-saving state.

[0049] The normal display control means 222 is a means for controlling the display of the status display unit 70 based on the lottery result of the normal symbol lottery, and performs normal symbol display control processing and normal hold display control processing.

[0050] In the normal symbol display control process, the normal display control means 222 causes the normal symbols to change and display by flashing the two lamps of the normal symbol display unit 72 until a predetermined variation time has elapsed. In the normal win determination process, depending on whether or not a normal win has been achieved, the normal symbol display unit 72 displays the result of the normal symbol lottery by turning on or off the two lamps of the normal symbol display unit 72 to stop the normal symbols.

[0051] Specifically, in this embodiment, if the game state at the time of the normal symbol draw is neither a probability variation state nor a time reduction state, the normal symbol variation time is set to 20 seconds. If the game state at the time of the normal symbol draw is a probability variation state or a time reduction state, the normal symbol variation time is set to 1 second. This ensures that the trigger for the normal symbol draw occurs more frequently when the game state is a probability variation state or a time reduction state.

[0052] In the normal hold display control process, the normal display control means 222 displays 0 to 4 normal hold numbers by a combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the two lamps of the normal hold display unit 74, according to the number of random values ​​for normal symbol lottery stored in the normal random number storage means 2912.

[0053] The ordinary feature control means 224 is a means for controlling the ordinary feature 54 based on the result of the ordinary symbol lottery. When the game state is neither a probability variation state nor a time reduction state, the ordinary feature control means 224 controls the ordinary feature 54 to expand for 0.1 seconds before returning to a reduced state when the ordinary symbol stops and displays in a manner indicating a normal win. Furthermore, when the game state is a probability variation state or a time reduction state, the ordinary feature control means 224 controls the ordinary feature 54 to expand for 20 seconds before returning to a reduced state when the ordinary symbol stops and displays in a manner indicating a normal win.

[0054] Therefore, in the case of a normal win in the normal symbol lottery, if the game state is neither a probability variation state nor a time reduction state, the normal mechanism 54 operates in such a way that the ease with which the game ball enters the second start opening 49 does not increase significantly. However, if the game state is a probability variation state or a time reduction state, the normal mechanism 54 operates in such a way that the ease with which the game ball enters the second start opening 49 increases.

[0055] The special symbol lottery means 230 obtains a random number value for special symbol lottery from the random number generation means 210 based on a detection signal input from the first start-up switch 100, which detects each game ball entering the first start-up 46, and stores it as the first special random number value in the special random number storage means 2914 of the main memory 290. The special symbol lottery means 230 also obtains a random number value for special symbol lottery from the random number generation means 210 based on a detection signal input from the second start-up switch 103, which detects each game ball entering the second start-up 49, and stores it as the second special random number value in the special random number storage means 2914. Then, the special symbol lottery means 230 uses the first or second special random number value read from the special random number storage means 2914 to perform a special symbol lottery to determine whether or not a jackpot has been won. Specifically, the special symbol lottery means 230 performs processes such as determining the jackpot and determining the symbols as part of the special symbol lottery.

[0056] The jackpot determination process involves reading one jackpot determination random number from the first special random number or second special random number stored in the special random number storage means 2914 to determine whether or not a jackpot has been won. Here, one jackpot determination random number is obtained from 65,536 jackpot determination random numbers ranging from 0 to 65,535 based on a detection signal input from the first start switch 100 or the second start switch 103, and is stored in the special random number storage means 2914 as either the first special random number or the second special random number.

[0057] In the jackpot determination process, the special symbol lottery means 230 selects, according to the game state, which of the multiple types of jackpot lottery tables stored in the lottery table storage means 2910 of the main memory 290 to refer to for random number determination processing. Here, each jackpot lottery table associates either a jackpot or a loss with each of the 65,536 jackpot determination random numbers from 0 to 65,535. The special symbol lottery means 230 then refers to the selected jackpot lottery table and determines whether the read jackpot determination random number is associated with a jackpot, thereby determining whether a jackpot has been won. Furthermore, if a jackpot is won, the special symbol lottery means 230 sets the jackpot winning flag in the flag storage means 2916 to the ON state, and if it is a loss, sets the jackpot winning flag to the OFF state.

[0058] Furthermore, the jackpot lottery table selected when the game state is in a probability variation state has a higher probability of winning a jackpot compared to the jackpot lottery table selected when the game state is in a normal state or a time-saving state. In other words, the jackpot determination process (special symbol lottery) performed when the game state is in a probability variation state has a higher probability of winning a jackpot compared to the jackpot determination process (special symbol lottery) performed when the game state is in a normal state or a time-saving state.

[0059] The symbol determination process is performed when a jackpot is won in the jackpot determination process. It involves reading one symbol determination random number from the first special random number or second special random number stored in the special random number storage means 2914 to determine whether the jackpot symbol (type of jackpot) will be a 16-round probability variation symbol, a 4-round probability variation symbol, a 16-round normal symbol, or a 4-round normal symbol. Here, one symbol determination random number is obtained from 100 symbol determination random numbers from 0 to 99 based on a detection signal input from the first start port switch 100 or the second start port switch 103, and is stored in the special random number storage means 2914 as the first special random number or the second special random number.

[0060] In the symbol determination process, the special symbol lottery means 230 selects which of the multiple symbol lottery tables stored in the lottery table storage means 2910 to refer to for random number determination processing, depending on whether the read symbol determination random number was stored as the first special random number or the second special random number. Here, each symbol lottery table has 100 symbol determination random numbers from 0 to 99, each associated with either a 16-round probability change symbol, a 4-round probability change symbol, a 16-round normal symbol, or a 4-round normal symbol. The special symbol lottery means 230 then refers to the selected symbol lottery table and determines which of the multiple types of jackpot symbols the read symbol determination random number is associated with, thereby determining which of the multiple types of jackpot symbols has been won. The special symbol lottery means 230 also sets the winning flag corresponding to the winning jackpot symbol in the flag storage means 2916 to the ON state.

[0061] The special display control means 240 is a means for controlling the display of the status display unit 70 based on the result of the special symbol lottery, and performs a first special symbol display control process, a second special symbol display control process, a first special hold display control process, and a second special hold display control process.

[0062] The first special symbol display control process is performed when a first special random value is read from the special random number storage means 2914 and a special symbol lottery is held. The special display control means 240 displays the first special symbol in a variable state by blinking the 7-segment display of the first special symbol display unit 76 until a predetermined variation time has elapsed, and then displays the first special symbol in a stopped state by lighting the 7-segment display of the first special symbol display unit 76 in a predetermined manner.

[0063] In this embodiment, the display modes of the 7-segment display are predetermined to correspond to each of the four types of winning symbols and losing symbols. The special display control means 240 lights up the 7-segment display of the first special symbol display unit 76 in a manner that corresponds to whether or not a jackpot has been won in the jackpot determination process, and if a jackpot has been won in the jackpot determination process, in a manner that corresponds to the jackpot symbol determined in the symbol determination process, thereby stopping the display of the first special symbol and displaying the result of the special symbol lottery on the first special symbol display unit 76.

[0064] The second special symbol display control process is performed when a second special random value is read from the special random number storage means 2914 and a special symbol lottery is conducted. The special display control means 240 displays the second special symbol in a variable state by blinking the 7-segment display of the second special symbol display unit 80 until a predetermined variation time has elapsed, and then displays the second special symbol in a stopped state by lighting the 7-segment display of the second special symbol display unit 80 in a predetermined manner.

[0065] The special display control means 240 then lights up the 7-segment display of the second special symbol display unit 80 in a manner that corresponds to whether or not a jackpot has been won in the jackpot determination process, and if a jackpot has been won in the jackpot determination process, in a manner that corresponds to the jackpot symbol determined in the symbol determination process, thereby stopping the display of the second special symbol and displaying the result of the special symbol lottery on the second special symbol display unit 80.

[0066] In the first special hold display control process, the special display control means 240 displays 0 to 4 first special hold numbers by a combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the two lamps of the first special hold display unit 78, according to the number of first special random values ​​stored in the special random number storage means 2914.

[0067] In the second special hold display control process, the special display control means 240 displays 0 to 4 second special hold numbers by a combination of lighting, extinguishing, or flashing the two lamps of the second special hold display unit 82, according to the number of second special random values ​​stored in the special random number storage means 2914.

[0068] As shown in Figure 5, the game state transition control means 250 performs game state transition control processing to transition the game state between the normal state, special game state, probability variation state, and time reduction state based on the fulfillment of predetermined transition conditions. The game state transition conditions may consist of one condition or multiple conditions. If multiple conditions are defined, the game state can be transitioned to another game state based on the fulfillment of one of the multiple predetermined conditions, or on the fulfillment of all of the multiple predetermined conditions.

[0069] The normal state is the initial state among several types of game states, and it is possible to transition from the normal state to the special game state. In the normal state, the normal symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a normal symbol lottery table where the probability of winning a normal win is set to approximately 1 / 20, and the special symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a jackpot lottery table where the probability of winning a jackpot is set to 1 / 319.

[0070] Furthermore, under normal conditions, the probability of winning a regular prize in the regular symbol lottery is low at approximately 1 / 20, and the variation time for the regular symbols is set to be long, while the period during which the regular mechanism 54 is in an expanded state is short at 0.1 seconds, making it difficult to get the game ball into the second start opening 49.

[0071] The special game state is initiated when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery during the normal state, probability variation state, or time reduction state, and ends when a predetermined number of rounds (executions) of special gameplay are performed according to the type of jackpot symbol.

[0072] Specifically, when the special game state is started based on the winning flag for the 16-round probability variation symbol being set to ON in the special symbol lottery, the special game state ends when the 16 rounds of special gameplay from the 1st to the 16th round have been executed.

[0073] Furthermore, if the special game state is initiated based on the winning flag for the 4-round probability variation symbol being set to ON in the special symbol lottery, the special game state will end once the 4 rounds of special gameplay from the 1st to the 4th round have been executed.

[0074] Furthermore, if the special game state is initiated based on the winning flag for the 16-round regular symbols being set to ON during the special symbol lottery, the special game state will end once the 16 rounds of special gameplay from the 1st to the 16th round have been completed.

[0075] Furthermore, if the special game state is initiated based on the winning flag for the 4-round regular symbols being set to ON during the special symbol lottery, the special game state will end once the 4 rounds of special gameplay (rounds 1 through 4) have been completed.

[0076] The probability variation state begins when a special game state, which was initiated based on the winning flag for a 16-round probability variation symbol or a 4-round probability variation symbol (probability variation symbol), ends. From the probability variation state, it is possible to transition to the special game state or the normal state. Furthermore, in the probability variation state, the normal symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a normal symbol lottery table where the probability of winning a normal win is set to approximately 19 / 20, and the special symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a jackpot lottery table where the probability of winning a jackpot is set to 1 / 31, making it more advantageous for the player than the normal state. The probability variation state ends when the number of times the special symbol lottery has been conducted in the probability variation state reaches 9999, and the player transitions to the normal state.

[0077] Specifically, when the special game state ends, the game state transition control means 250 writes a value (e.g., 9999) corresponding to a predetermined number of games (e.g., 9999) to the probability variation end determination counter 2930 in the main memory 290. Each time a special symbol lottery is held in the probability variation state, it performs a decrement update by subtracting a value (e.g., 1) corresponding to one game from the stored value of the probability variation end determination counter 2930. When the stored value of the probability variation end determination counter 2930 reaches a threshold (e.g., 0), the probability variation state ends and the normal state begins. However, in the probability variation state, the probability of winning a jackpot in the special symbol lottery is set to 1 / 31, so the special game state starts before the number of times the special symbol lottery has been held in the probability variation state reaches 9999, and it is rare for the game state to transition from the probability variation state to the normal state.

[0078] Furthermore, in the probability variation state, the probability of winning a regular win in the regular symbol lottery is high at approximately 19 / 20, and the variation time of the regular symbols is short at 1 second, while the period during which the regular mechanism 54 is in an expanded state is longer at 20 seconds. This makes it easier to get the game ball into the second start opening 49 compared to the normal state, which is advantageous to the player.

[0079] Furthermore, in the probability variation state, regardless of the number of reserved symbols, a shorter variation time is often set for the variation time of the first or second special symbol, so the opportunity to draw special symbols occurs more frequently than in the normal state.

[0080] The time-saving state begins when the special game state, which was started based on the winning flag for 16 rounds of regular symbols or 4 rounds of regular symbols being set to ON, ends. From the time-saving state, it is possible to transition to the special game state or the normal state. In the time-saving state, although the regular symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a regular symbol lottery table where the probability of winning a regular win is set to approximately 19 / 20, similar to the probability-increasing state, the special symbol lottery is conducted by referring to a jackpot lottery table where the probability of winning a jackpot is set to approximately 1 / 319, similar to the normal state, making it less favorable to the player than the probability-increasing state. The time-saving state ends when the number of times the special symbol lottery has been conducted in the time-saving state reaches 100, and the player transitions to the normal state.

[0081] Specifically, the game state transition control means 250, upon transitioning the game state to the time-saving state, writes a value (e.g., 100) corresponding to a predetermined number of games (e.g., 100) to the time-saving end determination counter 2932 in the main memory 290, and performs a decrement update by subtracting a value (e.g., 1) corresponding to one game from the stored value of the time-saving end determination counter 2932 each time a special symbol lottery is performed in the time-saving state. When the stored value of the time-saving end determination counter 2932 reaches a threshold (e.g., 0), the time-saving state is terminated.

[0082] Furthermore, in the shortened time state, similar to the probability variation state, the probability of winning a regular win in the regular symbol lottery is high at approximately 19 / 20, and the time for the regular symbol to change is short at 1 second, while the period during which the regular mechanism 54 is in an expanded state is longer at 20 seconds. This makes it easier to get the game ball into the second start opening 49 compared to the normal state, which is advantageous to the player.

[0083] Furthermore, in the time-saving state, similar to the probability variation state, a shorter variation time is often set for the variation time of the first or second special symbol, regardless of the number of reserved symbols. As a result, the opportunity to draw special symbols occurs more frequently than in the normal state.

[0084] The special game execution means 260 is a means for executing a special game based on the result of the special symbol lottery, and performs special game execution processes 1 to 4, etc.

[0085] Special game execution process 1 is executed based on the winning of a 16-round probability variation symbol in the special symbol lottery. The special game execution means 260 sets the upper limit of the round counter 2933 to a value equivalent to 16, which is the predetermined number of rounds for the 16-round probability variation symbol (for example, 16). Each time the special mechanism 56 completes its operation in a predetermined manner in each round, an increment update is performed by adding a value equivalent to the number of rounds for one round (for example, 1) to the stored value of the round counter 2933. When the stored value of the round counter 2933 reaches the upper limit (for example, 16), the special game state ends.

[0086] Specifically, in the special game execution process 1, in the special game of each round from the 1st to the 16th round, the special mechanism 56 is driven and controlled so that when the special mechanism 56 is in the open state, the open timer 2934 counts 29 seconds, or when the count switch 104 detects the entry of one game ball, a value equivalent to one game ball (for example, 1) is added to the big win counter 2936, and when the value reaches the upper limit (for example, 10), the special mechanism 56 is closed. Then, the conditions for the end of one round are met, and "1" is added to the value of the round counter 2933.

[0087] Special game execution process 2 is executed based on the winning of a 4-round probability variation symbol in the special symbol lottery. The special game execution means 260 sets the upper limit of the round counter 2933 to a value equivalent to 4, which is a predetermined number of rounds for the 4-round probability variation symbol (for example, 4). Each time the special mechanism 56 completes its operation in a predetermined manner in each round, an increment update is performed, adding a value equivalent to one round (for example, 1) to the stored value of the round counter 2933. When the stored value of the round counter 2933 reaches the upper limit (for example, 4), the special game state ends.

[0088] Specifically, in the special game execution process 2, during the special game of each round from the 1st to the 4th round, the special mechanism 56 is controlled to close when the special mechanism 56 is in the open state and the open timer 2934 counts 29 seconds, or when the value of the big win counter 2936 reaches its upper limit (for example, 10). Then, the conditions for the end of one round are met, and "1" is added to the value of the round counter 2933.

[0089] The special game execution process 3 is executed based on the winning of a 16-round regular symbol in the special symbol lottery. The special game execution means 260 sets the upper limit of the round counter 2933 to a value equivalent to 16, which is the predetermined number of rounds for the 16-round probability variation symbol (for example, 16). Each time the special mechanism 56 completes its operation in a predetermined manner in each round, an increment update is performed, adding a value equivalent to one round (for example, 1) to the stored value of the round counter 2933. When the stored value of the round counter 2933 reaches the upper limit (for example, 16), the special game state ends.

[0090] Specifically, in the special game execution process 3, during the special game of each round from the 1st to the 16th round, the special mechanism 56 is controlled to close when the special mechanism 56 is in the open state and the open timer 2934 counts 29 seconds, or when the value of the big win counter 2936 reaches its upper limit (for example, 10). Then, the conditions for the end of one round are met, and "1" is added to the value of the round counter 2933.

[0091] The special game execution process 4 is executed based on the winning of a 4-round normal symbol in the special symbol lottery. The special game execution means 260 sets the upper limit of the round counter 2933 to a value equivalent to 4, which is a predetermined number of rounds for the 4-round normal symbol (for example, 4). Each time the special mechanism 56 completes its operation in a predetermined manner in each round, an increment update is performed, adding a value equivalent to one round (for example, 1) to the stored value of the round counter 2933. When the stored value of the round counter 2933 reaches the upper limit (for example, 4), the special game state ends.

[0092] Specifically, in the special game execution process 4, during the special game of each round from the 1st to the 4th round, the special mechanism 56 is controlled to close when the special mechanism 56 is in the open state and the open timer 2934 counts 29 seconds, or when the value of the big win counter 2936 reaches its upper limit (for example, 10). Then, the conditions for the end of one round are met, and "1" is added to the value of the round counter 2933.

[0093] The payout instruction means 270 controls the payout device 130 to dispense a number of game balls corresponding to a predetermined number of prize balls for each detection signal, based on the input of a detection signal from the first start-up switch 100, a detection signal from the general prize-winning switch 101, a detection signal from the second start-up switch 103, or a detection signal from the count switch 104. Specifically, the payout instruction means 270 transmits a payout command to the payout device 130 instructing it to dispense a number of game balls corresponding to a predetermined number of prize balls for each input detection signal. The number of prize balls can be any number, one or more, and the number of prize balls dispensed may differ for each of the first start-up switch 100, general prize-winning switch 101, second start-up switch 103, or count switch 104, or they may be set to the same number of prize balls.

[0094] The dispensing device 130 performs the operation of dispensing the number of game balls instructed by the dispensing instruction means 270. The dispensing device 130 includes a dispensing control board 400, a game ball tank for storing game balls, a dispensing motor for dispensing the game balls stored in the game ball tank to the player as prize balls, and a dispensing counting switch for detecting the passage of the dispensed game balls.

[0095] The payout control board 400 controls the payout of prize balls. The payout control board 400 is equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is connected to the main control board 200 in a bidirectional manner. A payout motor is also connected to the payout control board 400. The payout control board 400 controls the payout motor based on payout commands transmitted from the main control board 200 and detection signals from the payout counting switch, causing a predetermined number of prize balls to be dispensed to the player. Specifically, the payout control board 400 starts powering the payout motor based on the payout command transmitted from the main control board 200. While the payout motor is powered and rotating, game balls are dispensed one at a time. At this time, the payout counting switch detects the passage of the dispensed game balls and transmits a detection signal to the payout control board 400. The payout control board 400 determines the number of game balls dispensed based on the detection signal, and when the number of game balls corresponding to the instruction from the main control board 200 has been dispensed, it stops the power supply to the payout motor and ends the dispensing of game balls.

[0096] The communication control means 280 controls the transmission of various commands generated according to the various calculation results of the main control board 200 to the sub-control board 202, the payout control board 400, etc. In this embodiment of the gaming machine, only unidirectional communication from the main control board 200 to the sub-control board 202 is possible between the main control board 200 and the sub-control board 202, and the communication connection is such that the sub-control board 202 cannot transmit information to the main control board 200.

[0097] Next, the sub-control board 202 will be described. The sub-control board 202 is composed of a performance control means 300 and a sub-memory 310.

[0098] The performance control means 300 controls the performance device to perform performances that enhance or assist the game by displaying performance images on the liquid crystal display 32, turning on or flashing lighting devices such as the front frame lamp 12 and the display frame lamp 38, outputting performance sounds from the speaker 14, and operating the performance device drive device, based on various commands transmitted from the main control board 200, input signals from the performance button switch 150, and performance data stored in the performance data storage means 3110 of the sub-memory 310.

[0099] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a payout control board unit 401, which includes a payout control board 400 and a board case 402, as seen from the front side. In this embodiment, the payout control board 400 is positioned so that its front surface faces the rear side (back) of the gaming machine and its back surface faces the front side (front) of the gaming machine.

[0100] In this embodiment, all components mounted on the dispensing control board 400 are mounted on the front surface of the dispensing control board 400. Hereafter, the surface on which the components of the dispensing control board 400 are mounted (the front surface) may be referred to as the mounting surface. Note that there may also be components mounted on the back surface of the dispensing control board 400.

[0101] The dispensing control board 400 has an area where electronic components to be mounted during mass production (mass-production mounted components) are placed (mass-production mounted component placement area (first component placement area) A: the area outside the dashed line in Figure 6), and an area where electronic components not mounted during mass production (mass-production unmounted components) are placed (mass-production unmounted component placement area (second component placement area) B: the area inside the dashed line in Figure 6). Specifically, mass-production unmounted component placement area B can be said to be the area occupied by mass-production unmounted components when they are placed at predetermined positions on the dispensing control board 400 (the area occupied by mounting parts 405 (lands, through-holes, etc.) for attaching (soldering) the mass-production unmounted components), and the area occupied by silk screen 406 related to mass-production unmounted components. Note that "mass production" refers to the time when a large quantity of products to be offered to the market are produced. In other words, in products (amusement machines) that are circulating in the market, the area B where unmounted components are located during mass production is basically free of components (unmounted components during mass production). Furthermore, there may be multiple areas for placing components during mass production (A) and for placing components not yet mounted during mass production (B), or they may form a single, unified area. Electronic components include, for example, ICs (including the main IC), LEDs, passive elements (resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.), switches, connectors, etc.

[0102] Examples of components not mounted during mass production include (1) development components used only during development and not mounted during mass production (development connectors, development ICs, development passive elements, etc.), (2) function expansion components that are mounted when additional functions (specifications) are decided for later models and are not mounted during mass production (in current models) (function expansion connectors, function expansion ICs, function expansion passive elements, etc.), and (3) test components used in predetermined tests conducted to provide the gaming machine to the market and not mounted during mass production (test connectors, test ICs, test passive elements, etc.). In this embodiment, the mass production unmounted component placement area B is an area where development components as mass production unmounted components are placed. The mass production unmounted component placement area B is provided with mounting sections 405 (lands, through-holes, etc.) for attaching (soldering) the development components.

[0103] The dispensing control board 400 is housed in a board case 402. The board case 402 has a front case 402a and a back case 402b. The front case 402a is a rectangular box shape with an open front. The back case 402b is a rectangular box shape with an open rear. Both the front case 402a and the back case 402b are made of transparent synthetic resin. The front case 402a and the back case 402b are combined to form a transparent box-shaped board case 402. The dispensing control board 400 is housed inside the board case 402 with the front case 402a facing the front surface of the dispensing control board 400 and the back case 402b facing the back surface of the dispensing control board 400.

[0104] In this embodiment, of the surfaces of the substrate case 402, the surface facing the surface of the dispensing control board 400 is called the top surface, and the surface facing the back surface of the dispensing control board 400 is called the bottom surface. That is, the top surface of the substrate case 402 is formed by the front case 402a, and the bottom surface of the substrate case 402 is formed by the back case 402b.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of the substrate case 402 (the top surface of the substrate case 402) facing the mass production mounting component placement area A (the area outside the dashed line in Figure 6) is defined as the first case-side region A', and the portion facing the mass production unmounted component placement area B (the area inside the dashed line in Figure 6) is defined as the second case-side region B'.

[0106] In this embodiment, the second region B' on the case side contains a visibility reduction area C (the area indicated by the diagonal lines in Figure 6) that reduces the visibility of the mass-production unmounted component placement area B. The visibility reduction area C is the part that overlaps with the mass-production unmounted component placement area B in a direction perpendicular to the board surface (front surface) of the dispensing control board 400, and is the part that obstructs the visibility of the mass-production unmounted component placement area B when the dispensing control board 400 (the surface of the dispensing control board 400) is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the board surface (front surface) of the dispensing control board 400. In other words, the visibility reduction area C is the part that reduces the visibility of at least a part of the mounting area 405 (land, through-hole, etc.) or the silk screen 406 related to the mass-production unmounted components, when viewed from that direction. Furthermore, "reducing (hindering) visibility" means that, when viewed from that direction, the visibility-reducing part C makes it difficult to see the mass-production unmounted component placement area B (the part of mass-production unmounted component placement area B that overlaps with the visibility-reducing part C) (such as the mounting parts 405 and silkscreen 406 related to mass-production unmounted components). Here, "difficult to see" includes cases where it becomes completely invisible. Also, the visibility-reducing part C only needs to reduce the visibility of at least a part of the mass-production unmounted component placement area B (such as the mounting parts 405 and silkscreen 406 related to mass-production unmounted components), but it may also reduce the visibility of the entire mass-production unmounted component placement area B. In other words, all of the mounting parts 405 for mounting mass-production unmounted components provided on the dispensing control board 400 may be located in positions that overlap with the visibility-reducing part C (at least a part of them). Furthermore, the areas where visibility is reduced due to the visibility-reducing area C can also be described as areas where visibility is reduced compared to specific mass-production mounted component placement areas A (specific areas within mass-production mounted component placement area A, such as the area where the main IC500 described later is located, or the area where the LEDs are located).

[0107] The visibility-reducing area C may be, for example, a portion with predetermined characters (character portion). That is, the circuit board case 402 may have predetermined characters attached to it, and these characters may reduce the visibility of the unmounted component placement area B during mass production. Specifically, the visibility-reducing area C may be a portion with characters related to a predetermined operating means (button, etc.) provided on the dispensing control board 400. More specifically, the visibility-reducing area C may be a portion with characters that describe the type of predetermined operating means (function of the operating means), such as the words "RAM clear button." Furthermore, if the visibility-reduced portion C is a predetermined character portion, the character portion may be formed by printing characters on the substrate case 402, by attaching a sticker or the like with printed characters, or by the uneven shape of the substrate case 402.

[0108] Furthermore, the area C where visibility is reduced may be the part to which a sticker of a predetermined size is attached. That is, the substrate case 402 may have a predetermined sticker attached to it, and the visibility of the area B where unmounted components are placed during mass production may be reduced by the sticker. The sticker may be partially transparent and partially colored, or it may be entirely colored. In other words, for example, it may be a sticker with predetermined characters or diagrams (figures) printed on a transparent sheet (film), or a sticker with predetermined characters or diagrams (figures) printed on a white sheet (film). In the case of a sticker with predetermined printing on a transparent sheet, the visibility of the area B where unmounted components are placed during mass production is reduced by the part with predetermined printing and predetermined color (printed part: colored part).

[0109] Furthermore, the visibility-reduced portion C may be, for example, a portion with a predetermined uneven shape (uneven shape portion). That is, the substrate case 402 may have a predetermined uneven shape, and this uneven shape may reduce the visibility of the unmounted component placement area B during mass production. Also, this uneven shape may contain predetermined information (a predetermined string of characters, a date mark, a predetermined symbol, etc.), or it may not contain predetermined information such as a stepped shape.

[0110] In this embodiment, the visibility-reduced portion C is formed by a seal 410, as shown in Figure 7. The seal 410 is attached to the seal attachment area 412 of the substrate case 402 (the top surface of the substrate case 402).

[0111] The seal application area 412 is the area for applying the seal 410. In this embodiment, the seal application area 412 is an area indicated by the uneven shape (predetermined shape) formed on the substrate case 402. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8(a), the top surface of the substrate case 402 is provided with a predetermined shape portion 413, which is a protrusion that projects in a rectangular frame shape toward the inner side (substrate side). The rectangular area surrounded by this protrusion, which is the predetermined shape portion 413, is the seal application area 412. In other words, in this embodiment, the area demarcated by the predetermined shape portion 413 can be recognized as the seal application area 412, and the worker (working device) applying the seal can identify the seal application area 412. In this embodiment, the seal 410 is applied to the outer side of the substrate case 402, but it may also be applied to the inner side. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are schematic cross-sectional views of the dispensing control board unit 401 when it is cut along a plane perpendicular to the dispensing control board 400 and extending in the left-right (and front-back) directions (horizontal plane), as viewed from above. Note that the cross-section cut along a vertical plane (a plane extending in the up-down and front-back directions) will also be similar to those shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b).

[0112] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(a), the uneven shape of the predetermined shape portion 413 is formed on the inner surface of the substrate case 402, and the portion of the outer surface of the substrate case 402 corresponding to the predetermined shape portion 413 is flat. However, as shown in Figure 8(b), the predetermined shape portion 413 may be formed as a recess (groove) that is recessed in a rectangular frame shape from the outer surface to the inner surface (together with a protrusion that is projecting in a rectangular frame shape toward the inner surface). Also, the seal application area 412 may be a region that is recessed (projects toward the inner surface) from the outer surface to the inner surface compared to the peripheral part of the seal application area 412. In other words, the predetermined shape portion 413 does not have to be rectangular frame-shaped, but may be a portion that is recessed in a rectangular shape. Also, the predetermined shape portion 413 may be a portion that is rectangular frame-shaped or a portion that is projecting outward in a rectangular shape. Furthermore, the predetermined shaped portion 413 may be one or more L-shaped protrusions or recesses, and the corners of the seal application area 412 may be indicated by the L-shaped protrusions or recesses. If there is only one L-shaped protrusion or recess, the seal application area 412 is defined as the area in which at least a portion of the seal 410 is located within the range of a virtual triangle formed by connecting the three vertices of the L (both ends and the corners) (and in the area in which the seal 410 does not straddle the L-shaped protrusion or recess).

[0113] The seal 410 is a seal of a predetermined size. Furthermore, the size (area) of the seal application area 412 is larger than the size (area) of the seal 410. That is, when viewing the substrate case 402 from a direction perpendicular to the surface (top surface) of the dispensing control board 400 (the top surface of the substrate case 402), the area of ​​the seal application area 412 is larger than the area of ​​the seal 410. As a result, the required precision for the application of the seal 410 is relaxed. In other words, the operator (working device) only needs to apply the seal 410 to any position within the seal application area 412, so it is not necessary to perfectly align the center of the seal application area 412 with the center of the seal 410, and a slightly offset position is permitted.

[0114] Furthermore, the dispensing control board 400 (the surface of the dispensing control board 400) has a seal application area facing region 420 (the area inside the dashed line in Figure 7) which faces the seal application area 412 of the board case 402. Also, the size (area) of the seal application area facing region 420 is the same as the size (area) of the seal application area 412. In other words, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the board surface (surface) of the dispensing control board 400, the seal application area facing region 420 completely overlaps with the seal application area 412. To put it another way, when viewed from that direction, the seal application area 412 does not extend beyond the dispensing control board 400 and is located inside the outer edge of the dispensing control board 400.

[0115] Here, an electronic component mounted on the dispensing control board 400 that is contained within the area facing the seal application area 420 without extending beyond that area (an electronic component whose entirety is contained within that area) is referred to as a specific electronic component. In this embodiment, even if the seal 410 is attached to any position (any position) within the area facing the seal application area 420, at least a portion of the specific electronic component will face the seal 410. That is, in this embodiment, there are multiple electronic components as specific electronic components, but even if the seal 410 is attached to any position (any position) within the area facing the seal application area 412, at least one of the multiple specific electronic components will face the seal 410. Furthermore, if there are one or more electronic components designated as specific electronic components, then all of the specific electronic components (all electronic components that are contained within the area facing the seal application area 420 without extending beyond that area) may, even if the seal 410 is applied to any position (any position) within the area facing the seal application area 412, face the seal 410, and their visibility may be reduced by the seal 410. Note that "within the range of the seal application area 412" refers to the range that does not straddle (go beyond) the outer edge of the predetermined shaped portion 413 (the range inside the dashed line f in Figures 8(a) and (b)). However, "within the range of the seal application area 412" may also refer to the range that does not straddle (go beyond) the inner edge of the predetermined shaped portion 413 (the range inside the dashed line g in Figures 8(a) and (b)). The same applies to "within the range of the seal application area facing area 420".

[0116] In other words, in this embodiment, the seal 410, as the visibility reduction part C, reduces the visibility of the unmounted component placement area B during mass production, and even when it is attached at any position (any position) within the seal attachment area 412, it faces a specific electronic component and reduces the visibility of that specific electronic component. Furthermore, the seal 410, as the visibility reduction part C, reduces the visibility of at least a portion of the unmounted component placement area B during mass production, even when it is attached at any position (any position) within the seal attachment area 412. Furthermore, it is also possible to have a configuration in which there is no mass-production unmounted component placement area B (such as mounting sections 405 and silkscreen 406 related to mass-production unmounted components) within the range of the seal application area facing area 420 (the position facing the seal 410).

[0117] Here, we will explain in more detail the reduction in visibility of electronic components (specific electronic components) due to the seal 410, which acts as a visibility-reducing part C. In this embodiment, the seal 410 has a seal body (transparent part) as a transparent sheet, and a printed part (colored part) on which predetermined characters or figures (graphics) are printed.

[0118] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the seal 410 has the following printed areas: the words "Dispensing Control Board" printed in white letters, a white rectangular (printed) field for the person who opened the board case 402, the words "Opener" printed in white letters alongside the field to indicate that it is an opening field, a white rectangular (printed) field for the date the board case 402 was opened, the words "Date Opened" printed in white letters alongside the field to indicate that it is an opening field, a string of white letters for information regarding the components mounted on the dispensing control board 400, and a white border line covering these various letters and fields. In the direction perpendicular to the board surface (surface) of the dispensing control board 400, this printed area overlaps with the area B where specific electronic components and unmounted components during mass production are located, thereby reducing the visibility of the area B where specific electronic components and unmounted components during mass production are located. Note that the printed areas (colored areas) shown here are examples only, and the seal 410 may have some of the printed areas shown here or other printed areas. In this embodiment, the seal 410 is a substrate management seal used for managing substrates, but the seal 410 may also be a manufacturer identification seal used for manufacturer identification (display). Furthermore, "information relating to components mounted on the dispensing control board 400" may be, for example, a description of the information indicated by the lighting state of an LED as a component (for example, a string of characters that explains what is indicated when each LED is lit (for example, the type of error indicated by the lighting state of the LED)), a description of the type of operating means (button, etc.) as a component (function of the operating means), or information indicating the location of the component (operating means, etc.) (for example, an arrow symbol indicating the location).

[0119] Furthermore, the substrate case 402 may have multiple seals 410 and seal application areas 412. In addition, if there are multiple seals 410 and seal application areas 412, multiple (all) seals 410 may have the features related to the reduction in visibility of the aforementioned specific electronic components and the mass production unmounted component placement area B. Alternatively, a predetermined seal 410 may have the features related to the reduction in visibility of the aforementioned specific electronic components, while other seals 410 may have the features related to the reduction in visibility of the mass production unmounted component placement area B. For example, a predetermined seal 410 may be a seal containing information about components mounted on the dispensing control board 400 (for example, a seal printed with the type of error indicated by the lighting status of an LED), while other seals 410 may be seals related to the opening of the substrate case 402 (a seal printed with the words "Opener", "Date Opened", a field for the opener to write, and a field for the date opened, etc.). Furthermore, the sizes (areas) of the multiple seals 410 and seal application areas 412 may differ from each other. By varying the sizes (areas), it is possible to prevent misapplication of the seals 410.

[0120] Furthermore, the seal 410 is not necessarily made of a transparent sheet with a predetermined print, but may be made of, for example, a white sheet with a predetermined print. In other words, the entire seal 410 may be colored, and the visibility of specific electronic components or the area B where components not mounted during mass production are placed may be reduced by this colored area.

[0121] (modified version) In this modified version of the gaming machine, as shown in Figure 10, the payout control board 400 has a specific connector mounting section 430 as a mounting section for attaching (soldering) specific connectors (development connectors, function expansion connectors, or test connectors, etc.) as components not mounted during mass production. The specific connector mounting section 430 is composed of a plurality (4) of through-holes 430a equipped with lands, and the specific connector is mounted by inserting the terminals of the specific connector through the through-holes 430a and joining them with solder. In mass production, although the specific connector is not mounted on the specific connector mounting section 430, all the through-holes of the specific connector mounting section 430 are filled with solder and are not perforated.

[0122] Furthermore, the specific connector mounting section 430 is covered by the board case 402 (front case 402a). In addition, the portion of the board case 402 facing the specific connector mounting section 430 (the region facing the specific connector mounting section) does not have an opening to expose the specific connector to the outside of the board case 402. In other words, when the specific connector is mounted, the board case 402 cannot be closed, and the dispensing control board 400 cannot be housed in the board case 402. Furthermore, no ventilation holes or the like are provided in the region facing the specific connector mounting section. In other words, no through holes are provided in the region facing the specific connector mounting section. By not providing any openings or ventilation holes to expose the specific connector in this way, it is possible to prevent fraud via the specific connector mounting section 430. In addition, because there is no opening to expose the specific connector, it is easier to understand that there is no problem even if the connector is not mounted on the specific connector mounting section 430.

[0123] Furthermore, the specific connector is arranged along a predetermined side (top side) of the payout control board 400, in a roughly straight line with other connectors (where "roughly straight line" includes cases where they are in a completely straight line). Specifically, in this embodiment, a plurality (four) of connectors are provided that are arranged at roughly equal intervals (where "roughly equal intervals" includes cases where they are perfectly equal intervals) from the specific connector. These plurality of connectors are components mounted during mass production. Specifically, these plurality of connectors are mounting component connection connectors used to connect to components mounted on the gaming machine (gaming machine mounted components), such as the control device (main control board 200) and other boards (including control boards such as the main control board 200). In addition, other connectors (such as other mounting component connectors) besides the specific connector and the four mounting component connection connectors may be provided along the designated side (at a distance greater than the distance between these connectors).

[0124] The substrate case 402 is provided with openings 432 facing each of the four mounted component connection connectors, allowing each of the four connectors to be exposed to the outside. In other words, a corresponding opening 432 is provided for each of the four mounted component connection connectors. Note that the mounted component connection connectors are not shown in Figure 10. The substrate case 402 (front case 402a) also has a recess 434 formed therein, which is recessed from the outer side to the inner side. In this recess (the bottom surface of the recess 434), four openings 432 corresponding to each of the four mounted component connection connectors and a specific connector mounting area are arranged. In other words, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the board surface (front surface) of the dispensing control board 400, the four openings 432 and the specific connector mounting area are contained within the range of the bottom surface of the recess 434 without extending beyond that range. In this embodiment, by arranging a mounting component connection connector (an opening 432 that exposes the mounting component connection connector) and a region facing the specific connector mounting section in a single recess 434, it becomes easier to notice if an unauthorized component is attached to the specific connector mounting section 430. In this embodiment, the dispensing control board 400 has mounting component connection connectors (not shown) in addition to the four mounting component connection connectors located in the recess 434. The board case 402 has a recess 438 formed separately from the recess 434, in which an opening 436 is provided to expose the other mounting component connection connectors.

[0125] Furthermore, the terminals of a specific connector (the through-hole 430a through which the terminals are inserted) are positioned inward (inward in the plane direction of the dispensing control board 400, i.e., away from the top edge) than the terminals (through-holes through which the terminals are inserted) of any of the four mounted component connection connectors located in the recess 434. This makes it easier to understand that there is no problem even if a connector is not mounted in the specific connector mounting section 430.

[0126] Furthermore, the specific connector (specific connector mounting section 430) does not necessarily have to be arranged in approximately the same line as other connectors along a predetermined side (top edge) of the dispensing control board 400. For example, it may be arranged in a position away from the periphery, such as in the center of the dispensing control board 400. Alternatively, the specific connector may be a surface-mount component, and the specific connector mounting section 430 may be constructed using lands without through-holes.

[0127] The gaming machine of this embodiment comprises a circuit board 400 and a circuit board case 402 that houses the circuit board 400. In the circuit board 400, the area on which electronic components to be mounted during mass production are mounted is designated as the mass-production mounted component placement area (first component placement area) A, and the area on which electronic components not to be mounted during mass production can be mounted is designated as the mass-production unmounted component placement area (second component placement area) B. In the circuit board case 402, the area facing the mass-production mounted component placement area A is designated as the first area A', and the area facing the mass-production unmounted component placement area B is designated as the second area B'. In the second area B', there is a visibility reduction area C that reduces the visibility of at least a portion of the mass-production unmounted component placement area B. With this configuration, the visibility reduction area C overlaps with the mass-production unmounted component placement area B, where electronic components are not mounted in the mass-produced product. Therefore, the area of ​​the visibility reduction area C that overlaps with the mass-production mounted component placement area A can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility of the parts where electronic components are mounted.

[0128] Furthermore, the gaming machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine comprising a circuit board 400 and a circuit board case 402 that houses the circuit board 400, wherein the circuit board case 402 has a seal application area 412 to which the seal 410 is attached, and if the area of ​​the circuit board 400 facing the seal application area 412 is defined as the seal application area facing region 320, then the area of ​​the seal application area 412 is larger than the area of ​​the seal 410 and is the same as the area of ​​the seal application area facing region 420, and if an electronic component that is contained within the range of the seal application area facing region 420 without extending beyond that range when viewed from a direction perpendicular to one side of the circuit board 400 is defined as a specific electronic component, then even if the seal 410 is attached at any position (any position) within the range of the seal application area 412, at least a part of the specific electronic component will face the seal 410. With this configuration, by grouping electronic components that do not pose a problem even if their visibility is reduced, or electronic components whose visibility is to be reduced, within the area facing the sticker application area 420, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility of electronic components for which a decrease in visibility should not be avoided.

[0129] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The gaming machine of this embodiment has the same configuration as the gaming machine of the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of the configuration which is the same as that of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0130] In this embodiment, all components mounted on the dispensing control board 400 are mounted on the front side of the dispensing control board 400. Hereafter, the side of the dispensing control board 400 on which the components are mounted may be referred to as the mounting side. Note that there may also be components mounted on the back side of the dispensing control board 400.

[0131] In the following explanation, the longitudinal direction (long side) of a component mounted on a circuit board generally refers to the longitudinal direction (long side) when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the short side (short side) refers to the short side (short side) when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, and the height direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. Furthermore, for components mounted on a circuit board, the bottom surface refers to the surface facing the mounting surface, and the top surface refers to the surface facing the opposite side of the mounting surface.

[0132] The dispensing control board 400 has the main IC 500 shown in Figure 11 mounted on it. The main IC 500 is an integrated IC that combines the CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. into a single chip. The main IC 500 also controls various processes performed by the dispensing control board 400.

[0133] The main IC 500 is mounted on the dispensing control board 400 via the socket 502 shown in Figure 12. In other words, the dispensing control board 400 has a socket 502 attached to it, and the main IC 500 is mounted on the socket 502.

[0134] As shown in Figure 11, the main IC 500 has an IC body 510 that is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape and incorporates a CPU, memory, etc., and a plurality of IC terminals P that are electrically connected to the circuit built into the IC body 510. The plurality of IC terminals P are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the IC body 510 and extend from the IC body 510 toward the mounting side. In other words, the plurality of IC terminals P are arranged along the longitudinal direction on both sides in the short direction of the IC body 510. To put it another way, the plurality of IC terminals P are arranged along each of the two opposing sides (two long sides) of the IC body 510. The package of the main IC 500 is a so-called DIP (Dual In-line Package).

[0135] In this embodiment, the main IC 500 has 71 terminals, designated as IC terminals P1 to P71. Of the two rows, 35 terminals, designated as IC terminals P1 to P35, are arranged in one row, and 36 terminals, designated as IC terminals P36 to P71, are arranged in the other row. Note that IC terminals P1 to P71 can also be referred to as the 1st pin (1st terminal) to the 71st pin (71st terminal) of the main IC 500, or as pins (terminals) with pin numbers (terminal numbers) 1 to 71.

[0136] The distance Px from IC terminal P1 to IC terminal P2 is 1 mm. The distance Py from IC terminal P2 to IC terminal P3 is 1 mm. The distance Pz from IC terminal P1 to IC terminal P3 is 2 mm. In other words, distance Px and distance Py are equal. Distance Pz is twice the distances of Px and Py. In addition, the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P1 to P17 is equal (1 mm), the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P18 to P35 is equal (1 mm), the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P36 to P53 is equal (1 mm), and the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P54 to P71 is equal (1 mm). The spacing between IC terminals P17 and P18, and between IC terminals P53 and P54 are longer than 1 mm. In other words, for a continuous group of IC terminals P (IC terminals P1-P17, IC terminals P18-P35, IC terminals P36-P53, or IC terminals P54-P71), the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P is equal. Also, for a continuous group of IC terminals P (IC terminals P1-P17, IC terminals P18-P35, IC terminals P36-P53, or IC terminals P54-P71), the spacing between every other IC terminal P (2mm) is twice the spacing between adjacent IC terminals P (1mm). Furthermore, the spacing between IC terminals P17 and P18, and between IC terminals P53 and P54, may be 1 mm.

[0137] As shown in Figure 12, the socket 502 has a plurality of socket terminals Q to which the IC terminals P of the main IC 500 are connected, a socket body (housing) 515 that holds these socket terminals Q and on which the main IC 500 is mounted, and a plurality of legs 517. The socket body 515 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape from an insulating resin material. The socket body 515 is also formed from a transparent or translucent resin material and is light-transmitting. Here, "light-transmitting" includes the case of being "transparent".

[0138] The top surface of the socket body 515 is the surface on which the main IC 500 is mounted (installed). The bottom surface of the main IC 500 does not need to be in contact with the top surface of the socket body 515; it is sufficient that the main IC 500 mounted on the socket body 515 is located on the top surface of the socket body 515. Furthermore, the top surface of the socket body 515 may be provided with one or more protrusions projecting toward the main IC 500, and these protrusions may be in contact with the bottom surface of the main IC 500.

[0139] Furthermore, the socket body 515 is provided with multiple legs 517. The legs 517 protrude from the bottom surface of the socket body 515 toward the mounting surface. In this embodiment, there are a total of six legs 517: four legs 517 provided at the four corners of the socket body 515, and two legs 517 provided at the center of the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, spaced apart in the short direction. The legs 517 are integrally formed with the socket body 515 from the same material (an insulating material), but they may be formed from different materials. It is preferable that the legs 517 are provided at least at the four corners of the socket 502, but the number of legs may be less than four or four or more. The height h of the legs 517 (the amount of protrusion from the bottom surface of the socket body 515) is 1 mm.

[0140] In this embodiment, the socket 502 has 71 terminals, known as socket terminals Q1 to Q71. These socket terminals Q1 to Q71 can also be referred to as the 1st pin (1st terminal) to the 71st pin (71st terminal) of the socket 502, or as pins (terminals) numbered 1 to 71. Furthermore, when the main IC 500 is mounted on the socket 502, each socket terminal Q1 to Q71 is electrically connected to the corresponding IC terminals P1 to P71 (same pin number).

[0141] The socket terminal Q has an IC terminal contact portion 520 on the side away from the mounting surface (top side) that contacts the IC terminal P, and a board connection portion 521 on the mounting surface side (bottom side) that is joined to the dispensing control board 400. The upper end of the IC terminal contact portion 520 (socket terminal Q) is located on the mounting surface side of the top surface of the socket body 515. The IC terminal contact portion 520 is also shaped so that the IC terminal P can be inserted into it. In other words, the socket body 515 has multiple (71) holes 518 into which each of the socket terminals Q is embedded, and by inserting each of the IC terminals P into each of the holes 518, the main IC 500 is mounted to the socket 502 with the IC terminal P and the IC terminal contact portion 520 in contact. The board connection portion 521 protrudes from the bottom surface of the socket body 515 toward the mounting surface side (board side). Furthermore, the substrate bonding portion 521 protrudes further toward the mounting surface side (substrate side) than the pin 517. The substrate bonding portion 521 of each socket terminal Q is inserted into each through-hole 504 of the dispensing control board 400, which will be described later, and joined by soldering, thereby attaching the socket 502 to the dispensing control board 400. The IC terminal contact portion 520 and the substrate bonding portion 521 are integrally formed from a conductive metal. The socket terminal Q electrically connects the IC terminal P (main IC 500) to the through-hole 504 (dispensing control board 400).

[0142] Each IC terminal contact portion 520 only needs to be shaped so that each IC terminal P of the main IC 500 can be connected to it. Furthermore, each IC terminal contact portion 520 may be shaped to prevent the main IC 500, which is mounted on the socket 502, from coming loose. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the IC terminal contact portion 520 is formed by bending metal into an elastic shape, and is designed to grip the IC terminal P by elastic force. The IC terminal contact portion 520 may also have a hole into which the IC terminal P can be inserted, and the IC terminal P may be fitted into this hole. Furthermore, the substrate bonding portion 521 has a shape that extends in a substantially straight line (here, "substantially straight line" includes cases where it is perfectly straight) in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface (height direction) so that it can be inserted into the through-hole 504.

[0143] In socket 502, as shown in Figure 12, multiple socket terminals Q are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. Of the multiple socket terminals Q arranged in two rows, 35 terminals Q1 to Q35 are arranged in one row, and 36 terminals Q36 to Q71 are arranged in the other row. Furthermore, the ends of the multiple socket terminals Q on the main IC 500 side (the top side of the socket body 515) are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, while the ends on the dispensing control board 400 side (the bottom side of the socket body 515) are arranged in four rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. In other words, the IC terminal contact portion 520 is arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. The board bonding portion 521 is arranged in four rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. To put it another way, the multiple socket terminals Q are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, and the ends of the socket terminals Q in each row are arranged in a straight line on the main IC 500 side and in a staggered pattern on the end on the dispensing control board 400 side.

[0144] Thus, as is clear from the fact that the multiple socket terminals Q are arranged in two rows on the main IC 500 side and four rows on the dispensing control board 400 side, at least some of the multiple socket terminals Q (for example, every other socket terminal Q in a row of socket terminals Q) have a different position between the IC terminal contact portion 520 and the board bonding portion 521 in the short-extension direction of the socket body 515. In other words, at least some of the socket terminals Q are Between the IC terminal contact portion 520 and the substrate bonding portion 521, there is a bent portion 522 that is bent in such a way that the positions of the IC terminal contact portion 520 and the substrate bonding portion 521 in the direction of short extension are different.

[0145] The bent portion 522 of the socket terminal Q in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the shape of the socket terminal Q when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the short side and height direction (long side) of the socket body 515, where (a) is a diagram showing a socket terminal Q with an odd number of pins, (b) is a diagram showing a socket terminal Q with an even number of pins, and (c) is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the socket terminals Q shown in (a) and (b) when held by the socket body 515. Note that for the socket terminals Q arranged in two rows in the long side, the socket terminals of one row are arranged in the orientation shown in Figure 13, and the socket terminals of the other row are arranged in an orientation symmetrical to the orientation shown in Figure 13.

[0146] The bent portion 522 has a first curved portion 523 located on the substrate bonding portion 521 side, a second curved portion 524 located on the IC terminal contact portion 520 side, and an intermediate portion 525 that is substantially straight (here, "substantially straight" includes cases where it is completely straight) and connects the first curved portion 523 and the second curved portion 524. The first curved portion 523 is the part that bends in the direction of the shorter side of the socket body 515 (the direction of the surface of the dispensing control board 400) from the height direction on the side (top side) away from the mounting surface of the substrate bonding portion 521 which extends in the height direction. In addition, the bending angle α of the first curved portion 523 (the angle between the substrate bonding portion 521 and the intermediate portion 525) is 120 degrees. Furthermore, the second curved portion 524 is a portion that bends in the height direction from the short direction (plane direction of the dispensing control board 400) of the socket body 515 on the side away from the substrate bonding portion 521 of the intermediate portion 525. Also, the second curved portion 524 has a bending angle β (angle between the intermediate portion 525 and the portion on the IC terminal contact portion 520 side) of 120 degrees. In addition, the intermediate portion 525 extends in the short-out direction of the socket body 515, specifically in the short-out direction and inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane direction of the dispensing control board 400. That is, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, the bent portion 522 is crank-shaped (here, "crank-shaped" includes a roughly crank shape).

[0147] Furthermore, the bending portion 522 causes the short-side position (position perpendicular to the alignment direction and height direction of the socket terminals Q) of adjacent socket terminals Q in a row to be different (shifted), resulting in a greater number of rows in the substrate bonding portion 521 compared to the IC terminal contact portion 520.

[0148] In this embodiment, multiple types (two types) of socket terminals Q are provided. In this embodiment, the shapes of adjacent socket terminals Q arranged in a row are different, and every other socket terminal Q is the same shape. However, all socket terminals Q may be the same shape.

[0149] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the socket terminal Q is integrally formed from a conductive metal, with the IC terminal contact portion 520, the substrate bonding portion 521, and the bent portion 522 being the same. However, it may be formed from multiple parts. In other words, each socket terminal Q only needs to have the IC terminal contact portion 520 and the substrate bonding portion 521 electrically connected when the main IC 500 is mounted on the socket 502.

[0150] The distance Qx from the lower end of the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 to the lower end of the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q2 is 2.5 mm (see Figure 12). The distance Qy from the lower end of the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q2 to the lower end of socket terminal Q3 is 2.5 mm. The distance Qz from the lower end of the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 to the lower end of socket terminal Q3 is 2 mm. In other words, the distance between the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 and the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q2 is longer than the distance between the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 and the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q3. In other words, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between the substrate connections 521 of adjacent socket terminals Q is equal (2.5 mm). Also, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between the substrate connections 521 of adjacent socket terminals Q (2.5 mm) is longer than the spacing between the substrate connections 521 of every other socket terminal Q (2 mm). In other words, the spacing between the substrate connections 521 of adjacent socket terminals Q (2.5 mm) is longer than half the spacing between the substrate connections 521 of every other socket terminal Q (2 mm).

[0151] Furthermore, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between adjacent socket terminals Q is equal (1 mm). Also, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between the IC terminal contact portions 520 of adjacent socket terminals Q is equal (1 mm). Furthermore, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between every other socket terminal Q (between IC terminal contacts 520) is twice the spacing between adjacent socket terminals Q (between IC terminal contacts 520) (2 mm). Specifically, the distance from the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q1 to the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q2 is 1 mm, the distance from the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q2 to the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q3 is 1 mm, and the distance from the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q1 to the IC terminal contact 520 (upper end) of socket terminal Q3 is 2 mm. In other words, the socket terminals Q1 to Q71 (IC terminal contact portion 520) are arranged at the same intervals as the IC terminals P1 to P71.

[0152] Furthermore, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1~Q17, socket terminals Q18~Q35, socket terminals Q36~Q53, or socket terminals Q54~Q71), the distance between adjacent socket terminals Q in each group (2.5 mm) is longer than the distance between adjacent socket terminals Q in each group (1 mm). Also, the distance between adjacent socket terminals Q in each group (2.5 mm) is longer than the distance between adjacent IC terminal contacts 520 in each group (1 mm). In other words, the distance between adjacent IC terminals P of the main IC 500 (for example, the distance Px between IC terminal P1 and IC terminal P2) is greater than the distance Qx between the board connections 521 of the socket terminals Q to which adjacent IC terminals P are connected (for example, the distance Qx between the board connection 521 of socket terminal Q1 and the board connection 521 of socket terminal Q2). By widening the distance (distance Qx, Qy) between adjacent board connections 521 in this way, it is possible to prevent adjacent socket terminals Q from short-circuiting.

[0153] The dispensing control board 400 is provided with multiple through-holes 504 (the same number as the socket terminals Q) through which the socket terminals Q are inserted. The multiple through-holes 504 are arranged in four rows along the long side of the dispensing control board 400 so that the board connection portion 521 of each of the multiple socket terminals Q can be inserted. The board connection portion 521 of each socket terminal Q is inserted into each through-hole 504. The arrangement of the through-holes 504 is the same as the arrangement of the board connection portions 521 of the socket terminals Q. In other words, the spacing between the through-holes 504 is the same as the spacing between the board connection portions 521 of the corresponding socket terminals Q.

[0154] Each through-hole 504 has an annular land 526 on both the front and back sides of the dispensing control board 400. Figure 14 shows the through-hole 504 as viewed from the front side of the dispensing control board 400. The diameter (φ: outer diameter) of each land 526 is 1.5 mm. In other words, the radius of the land 526 (the length from the center of the hole in the through-hole 504 (central axis) to the outer edge of the land 526) is 0.75 mm. The width of the land 526 (the length from the outer edge of the hole in the through-hole 504 to the outer edge of the land 526 in the board surface direction of the dispensing control board 400) (land width) is 0.35 mm. The diameter of the hole in the through-hole 504 is 0.8 mm. Furthermore, the diameter of land 526 may be 1 mm or less. Also, the radius of land 526 may be 0.5 mm or less. Also, the width of land 526 may be 0.5 mm or less.

[0155] When the socket 502 is attached to the dispensing control board 400, each socket terminal Q (board connection portion 521) is inserted through each through-hole 504, and each through-hole 504 and each socket terminal Q (board connection portion 521) are joined by solder. Also, when the socket 502 is attached to the dispensing control board 400, the feet 517 come into contact with the dispensing control board 400, preventing the socket 502 from being pushed in any further. As a result, the bottom surface of the socket body 515 is raised from the dispensing control board 400, as shown in Figure 15. Therefore, when the socket 502 is attached to the dispensing control board 400, the feet 517 come into contact with (or are close to) the dispensing control board 400, and a gap Z is formed between the bottom surface of the socket body 515 and the dispensing control board 400. In other words, the feet 517 form the gap Z. In this embodiment, the height of the feet 517 is 1 mm, and the gap Z is 1 mm in length (height). Furthermore, the height (length) of the gap Z, in other words, the height of the leg 517, may be set to, for example, 1 mm or more.

[0156] Furthermore, the gap Z is such that the solder fillet of the solder joining each socket terminal Q to each through-hole 504 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the socket body 515. Now, let's describe the solder fillet formed around the socket terminal Q. In the soldering process for mounting the socket 502 to the dispensing control board 400, first each socket terminal Q (board joint portion 521) is inserted through each through-hole 504. Then, molten solder adheres to the socket terminal Q (board joint portion 521) and the through-hole 504 and solidifies. As a result, the socket 502 is fixed to the dispensing control board 400 with the socket terminal Q and the through-hole 504 (wiring pattern connected to the through-hole 504) electrically connected. At this time, if soldering is performed properly, a solder fillet of solidified solder is formed around the socket terminal Q (board joint portion 521).

[0157] The solder fillet formed on the surface side of the dispensing control board 400 is approximately conical in shape, as shown in Figure 15. Preferably, the shape of the solder fillet has a contact angle θ (the angle between the tangent to the solder surface and the substrate surface at the point where the substrate surface and the solder surface intersect) between 15 and 45 degrees. In this embodiment, the height of the leg 517 is 1 mm, so that the solder fillet with such a good shape (contact angle θ of 15 to 45 degrees) does not come into contact with the socket body 515. Here, the diameter of the solder fillet is approximately equal to the diameter of the land 526. Therefore, when the height of the solder fillet (the length from the surface of the dispensing control board 400 to the top of the solder fillet) is approximately equal to the radius of the land 526, the angle between the line segment connecting the top of the solder fillet and the outer edge of the solder fillet (the outer edge of the contact portion between the solder fillet and the dispensing control board 400) and the line segment connecting the outer edge of the solder fillet and the center of the bottom surface of the solder fillet (the angle between the generator of the solder fillet and the dispensing control board 400) is approximately 45 degrees. For this reason, in order to prevent a solder fillet with a good shape (contact angle θ of 15 to 45 degrees) from contacting the socket body 515, it is preferable to make the height of the leg 517 greater than or equal to the radius of the land 526, and at least greater than or equal to the width of the land 526. Alternatively, the height of the leg 517 may be greater than or equal to the diameter of the land 526, in other words, it may be more than twice the width of the land 526.

[0158] In this embodiment, soldering is performed from the back side of the dispensing control board 400. That is, in this embodiment, while soldering is performed from the back side, soldering is carried out in such a way that solder fillets are formed on the front side (and back side) of at least some of the socket terminals Q. In addition, solder fillets may be formed on the front side of all socket terminals Q.

[0159] In this embodiment, the socket body 515 is provided with multiple legs 517, and a gap Z is formed, which allows heat generated by the main IC 500 to be dissipated through the gap Z, thereby improving heat dissipation performance. In addition, in this embodiment, the gap Z is designed to take into account the shape of the solder fillet, which prevents a well-shaped solder fillet from coming into contact with the socket body 515.

[0160] Furthermore, if the height of the gap Z is made too high, it may become easy to attach unauthorized components to the socket terminal Q. Therefore, the height of the leg 517 is preferably 2 times or less the diameter of the land, and more preferably 1.5 times or less the diameter of the land.

[0161] Furthermore, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the bent portion 522 is located within the gap Z. Specifically, the socket terminal Q has a portion (first bend 523) that bends in the short direction of the socket body 515 (the direction of the dispensing control board 400) on the side away from the mounting surface of the substrate bonding portion 521, and this portion is located within the gap Z. The socket terminal Q also has a portion 527 (see Figure 13) that protrudes in the height direction from the bottom surface of the socket body 515, and the second bend 524 is located within the gap Z. In other words, in this embodiment, the entire bent portion 522 is located within the gap Z. To put it another way, the socket 502 of this embodiment has a portion (point D shown in Figure 13(c)) where adjacent socket terminals Q (for example, socket terminal Q1 and socket terminal Q2) split into two when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515 (a direction perpendicular to the short direction and the height direction), and this portion is located within the gap Z. In other words, when viewed from the long side of the socket body 515, the portion where adjacent socket terminals Q (for example, socket terminal Q1 and socket terminal Q2) split into two (point D shown in Figure 13(c)) and the portion where the adjacent socket terminals Q overlap and one of the socket terminals is hidden (part 527 protruding in the height direction from the bottom surface of the socket body 515) are visible. Although the distance from the mounting surface to the bottom surface of the socket body 515 (height of gap Z) is 1.0 mm, the distance from the mounting surface to the first curved portion 523 (height of the first curved portion 523) may be set to, for example, 0.8 mm, and the distance from the mounting surface to the second curved portion 524 (point D) (height of the second curved portion 524 (point D)) may be set to, for example, 0.8 mm.

[0162] Furthermore, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the bent portion 522 is located on the side further from the mounting surface than the apex of the solder fillet of the socket terminal Q (substrate bonding portion 521). Specifically, the second curved portion 524 is located on the side further from the mounting surface than the apex of the solder fillet of the socket terminal Q (substrate bonding portion 521). In other words, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, the portion where adjacent socket terminals Q (for example, socket terminal Q1 and socket terminal Q2) split into two is located on the side further from the mounting surface than the apex of the solder fillet. That is, the second curved portion 524 is formed in a position where the solder (solder fillet) joining the socket terminal Q and the through-hole 504 does not come into contact with it. In order to prevent solder from coming into contact in this way, the height of the second curved portion 524 is preferably greater than or equal to the radius of the land 526, and at least greater than or equal to the width of the land 526. Furthermore, the height of the second curved portion 524 may be greater than or equal to the diameter of the land, in other words, it may be more than twice the width of the land 526. The first curved portion 523 may be positioned on the side further from the mounting surface (a position where solder does not come into contact) than the apex of the solder fillet of the socket terminal Q (board joint portion 521). In other words, the height of the first curved portion 523 may be greater than or equal to the radius of the land 526, or greater than or equal to the width of the land 526. Furthermore, the height of the first curved portion 523 may be greater than or equal to the diameter of the land, in other words, it may be more than twice the width of the land 526. That is, the entire bent portion 522 may be located on the side further from the mounting surface than the apex of the solder fillet of the socket terminal Q (board joint portion 521).

[0163] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the socket 502 has a lower height along the long side at its center in the short side direction compared to both ends in the short side direction (the part where socket terminals Q1 to Q35 or socket terminals Q36 to Q71 are arranged). In other words, the top surface of the socket body 515 has a shape in which the center in the short side direction is recessed toward the mounting surface side along the long side direction. In other words, a first recessed groove (first concave part) 540 is formed on the top surface of the socket body 515 at the center in the short side direction, recessed toward the mounting surface side and extending toward the long side direction. The bottom surface of the socket 502 also has a shape in which the center in the short side direction is recessed toward the top surface side along the long side direction. In other words, a second recessed groove (second concave part) 542 is formed on the bottom surface of the socket body 515 at the center in the short side direction, recessed toward the top surface side and extending toward the long side direction. In other words, if the roughly rectangular parallelepiped portion of the socket body 515 that holds the socket terminals Q1 to Q35 is designated as the first holding portion 544, the roughly rectangular parallelepiped portion that holds the socket terminals Q36 to Q71 is designated as the second holding portion 546, and the portion connecting the first holding portion 544 and the second holding portion 546 is designated as the connecting portion 548, then the connecting portion 548 is thinner than the first holding portion 544 and the second holding portion 546. In other words, the connecting portion 548 is located above the bottom surface of the first holding portion 544 and the second holding portion 546, and below the top surface of the first holding portion 544 and the second holding portion 546. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality (4) of connecting portions 548 are arranged in a line along the long side direction of the socket body 515, and a plurality of holes 549 are formed between adjacent connecting portions 548 that penetrate in the height direction and connect the first groove 540 and the second groove 542.

[0164] Furthermore, a gap X is formed between the main IC 500 and the socket 502 (i.e., on the top side of the socket body 515) by the first groove 540. In other words, a gap X is formed between the main IC 500 and the socket 502, penetrating in the direction of the long side of the socket 502 (main IC 500). In addition, a gap Y is formed between the surface (mounting surface) of the dispensing control board 400 and the socket 502 (i.e., on the bottom side of the socket body 515) by the second groove 542. In other words, a gap Y is formed between the surface (mounting surface) of the dispensing control board 400 and the socket 502, penetrating in the direction of the long side of the socket 502 (main IC 500). In this embodiment, gap Y exists integrally with gap Z formed by the legs 517 of the socket 502, and gap Y and gap Z constitute a single gap.

[0165] As shown in Figure 17, the surface of the dispensing control board 400 is provided with a ground pattern (first ground pattern 560: solid ground) that passes between IC terminals P1 to P35 (socket terminals Q1 to Q35) and IC terminals P36 to P71 (socket terminals Q36 to Q71) of the main IC 500 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface, and also penetrates the main IC 500 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the back surface of the dispensing control board 400 is also provided with a ground pattern (second ground pattern 561: solid ground) that passes between IC terminals P1 to P35 and IC terminals P36 to P71 of the main IC 500 when viewed in the same direction, and also penetrates the main IC 500 in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the first ground pattern 560 and the second ground pattern 561 are provided in positions that overlap with the main IC 500 when viewed in the same direction. Furthermore, the dispensing control board 400 is provided with multiple through-holes (main IC back through-holes 562) that electrically connect the first ground pattern 560 and the second ground pattern 561. These multiple main IC back through-holes 562 are located in positions that overlap with the main IC 500 when viewed from that direction, and are also provided along the longitudinal direction of the main IC 500. By providing the first ground pattern 560 and the second ground pattern 561 in this manner, the noise immunity of the main IC 500 can be improved, and the heat dissipation can be enhanced.

[0166] Furthermore, the first ground pattern 560, the second ground pattern 561, and the main IC back through-hole 562 are formed at positions corresponding to the gap X formed between the main IC 500 and the socket 502, and the gap Y formed between the surface (mounting surface) of the dispensing control board 400 and the socket 502, respectively. In other words, at least a portion of the first ground pattern 560, the second ground pattern 561, and the main IC back through-hole 562 overlaps with gaps X and Y, respectively, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the dispensing control board 400. By providing such gaps X and Y, heat dissipation can be improved.

[0167] Furthermore, a ground pattern may be formed on at least one of the front or back surfaces of the dispensing control board 400 that communicates with the first ground pattern 560 or the second ground pattern 561 from the outside in the short-side direction of the main IC 500 (socket 502) when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the dispensing control board 400 (for example, a ground pattern that passes between IC terminals P17 and P18 of the main IC 500 and / or between IC terminals P53 to P54). In other words, a ground pattern may be formed on at least one of the front or back surfaces of the dispensing control board 400 that passes between IC terminals P (socket terminals Q) arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction when viewed in that direction (intersecting the row of IC terminals P (socket terminals Q)) and connects to the first ground pattern 560 or the second ground pattern 561.

[0168] As shown in Figure 18(a), the dispensing control board 400 is provided with a connector 570 to which a harness used for connecting to other boards is connected. The connector 570 has a housing 571 and a plurality of terminals 572. The housing 571 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape from an insulating resin material. Each terminal 572 is made of a conductive metal, and the dispensing control board 400 and other boards are electrically connected via the terminals 572. When attaching the connector 570 to the dispensing control board 400, each terminal 572 is inserted through each of the plurality of through-holes provided on the dispensing control board 400, and each through-hole and each terminal 572 are joined by solder. In this way, the connector 570 is fixed to the dispensing control board 400 with each terminal 572 and each through-hole (wiring pattern connected to the through-hole) electrically connected.

[0169] Furthermore, the housing 571 is provided with positioning pins (positioning protrusions) (feet) 574 that protrude from the bottom surface of the housing 571 toward the mounting surface, and the dispensing control board 400 is provided with through holes (holes) (non-through holes) 575 corresponding to the positioning pins 574. The through holes 575 do not have copper foil (metal plating) on ​​their inner surface (inside), and are through holes (non-conductive through holes) that do not electrically connect one surface (front) of the board to the other surface (back). When attaching the connector 570 to the dispensing control board 400, the positioning pins 574 are inserted into the corresponding through holes 575. In this embodiment, the connector 570 is attached by inserting the terminals 572 through the through holes and soldering them, so the connector 570 can be stably attached to the dispensing control board 400 even without the positioning pins 574. However, by providing the positioning pins 574, it is possible to attach the connector 570 without making a mistake in the orientation. In other words, the positioning pin 574 functions as a positioning pin when attaching the connector 570.

[0170] Furthermore, the length (height) of the positioning pin 574 is less than or equal to the thickness of the dispensing control board 400. Specifically, the length of the positioning pin 574 is more than half the thickness (plate thickness) of the dispensing control board 400, but less than half of that thickness (plate thickness). The thickness of the dispensing control board 400 is approximately 2 mm. Also, the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through hole 575 is approximately 1.2 mm. The thickness of the dispensing control board 400 is greater than the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through hole 575 (the thickness of the dispensing control board 400 is greater than or equal to the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through hole 575). In other words, the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through hole 575 is less than the thickness of the dispensing control board 400. When the connector 570 is attached to the dispensing control board 400, the positioning pin 574 does not protrude (stick out) from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400. Since the tip of the positioning pin 574 does not protrude from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400, it is possible to prevent solder from adhering to the tip of the positioning pin 574 during soldering. In other words, it is possible to prevent solder from adhering to areas where it should not be soldered. The insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through-hole 575 (approximately 1.2 mm) is greater than half the thickness of the dispensing control board 400 (approximately 1 mm) (the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 into the through-hole 575 is more than half the thickness of the dispensing control board 400). If the insertion depth of the positioning pin 574 is small, the positioning pin 574 may not function as a positioning pin, but in this embodiment, since the insertion depth is more than half the thickness of the board, it functions reliably as a positioning pin. This stabilizes the mounting position (fixed position) of the connector 570 and enables highly accurate work. Furthermore, if the positioning pin 574 is formed to be long and protrudes from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400, there is a risk that the positioning pin 574 may be damaged during soldering. Also, during the assembly of the dispensing control board 400, some kind of impact may be applied to the positioning pin 574, which may cause damage to the positioning pin 574 or the connector 570 to detach from the dispensing control board 400. In this embodiment, the positioning pin 574 is designed not to protrude from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400, thus suppressing the occurrence of such problems. Figure 18(b) shows the area around the through-hole 575 on the back surface of the dispensing control board 400. Around the through-hole 575, there is an area where no pattern is formed (insulating area NP) (insulating layer NP) (pattern-free area NP). In other words, the insulating area NP is formed in an annular (circular) shape along the outer circumference of the through-hole 575. Here, the width of the ring of the insulating region NP (radial width) is defined as the first width, and the diameter of the through hole 575 (diameter width) is defined as the second width. The first width is approximately 1 mm. The second width is approximately 1 mm. In other words, the first width and the second width are the same or approximately the same width. Approximately the same means that the difference between one and the other is within approximately 0.3 mm (±0.3 mm). Even if the positioning pin 574 is formed to be long and protrudes from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400, the presence of an insulating region NP makes it extremely unlikely that the positioning pin 574 will come into contact with the pattern (copper foil), thus preventing damage to the pattern. Furthermore, if the first width and the second width are the same or approximately the same width, the insulating region NP can be made into a region of a suitable size that prevents damage to the pattern and does not interfere with the provision of other wiring patterns.

[0171] The positioning pin 574 is integrally formed with the housing 571 using the same material (an insulating material) as the housing 571, but it may be formed from a different material. Also, in this embodiment, the connector 570 has only one positioning pin 574, but it may have multiple pins.

[0172] The rear case 402b (lower case) is slidable relative to the front case 402a (upper case). Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, one of the front case 402a and the rear case 402b is provided with an engaging projection, and the other is provided with a groove 580 into which the engaging projection is inserted, extending in the left-right direction (parallel to the top and back surfaces of the substrate case 402). When joining the front case 402a and the rear case 402b, the engaging projection is inserted into the groove 580 and the rear case 402b is slid relative to the front case 402a, thereby restricting the movement of the rear case 402b in the front-back direction (and up-down direction and towards the back in the insertion direction) relative to the front case 402a. In this state, the front case 402a and the rear case 402b are crimped together, thereby joining them. The rear case 402b is slid and locked against the front case 402a. The dispensing control board 400 is screwed to the front case 402a and fixed in place.

[0173] Furthermore, the back case 402b is provided with a plurality of ribs 581 that protrude toward the inner surface. The tips of these ribs 581 are positioned so that they contact the back surface of the dispensing control substrate 400, which is housed between the back case 402b and the front case 402a. In other words, the plurality of ribs 581 create a predetermined space between the surface of the back case 402b facing the dispensing control substrate 400 and the back surface of the dispensing control substrate 400. In addition, the plurality of ribs 581 are positioned so that they can contact the solid ground portion (i.e., the resist covering the solid ground) formed on the back surface of the dispensing control substrate 400. When the back case 402b is slid relative to the front case 402a with the dispensing control substrate 400 positioned between the back case 402b and the front case 402a, the ribs 581 can slide over the solid ground portion formed on the back surface of the dispensing control substrate 400. Rib 581 is designed to slide against the back surface of the dispensing control board 400 when the back case 402b is slid relative to the front case 402a. Here, if we define the area on the back surface of the dispensing control board 400 in which rib 581 slides as the sliding contact area, then the sliding contact area is formed solely by solid grounds (solid patterns), and no through-holes or wiring patterns are formed therein. In other words, rib 581 is designed not to slide against through-holes provided in the dispensing control board 400, terminals (leads) of various electronic components protruding from the back surface of the dispensing control board 400, or wiring patterns formed on the back surface of the dispensing control board 400. To put it another way, when the back case 402b is slid relative to the front case 402a, rib 581 is designed not to come into contact with any through-holes, terminals, or wiring patterns. Note that "wiring pattern" here refers to the wiring pattern excluding the ground pattern. In other words, "wiring pattern" here can be rephrased as the wiring pattern (signal line) through which signals pass.

[0174] (modified version) A modification of the second embodiment will now be described. In this modification, the shape of the socket 502 is different from that described above.

[0175] In this modified example, the socket 502 has a leg height h (the amount protruding from the bottom surface of the socket body 515) of 0.5 mm. The leg 517 forms a gap Z between the bottom surface of the socket body 515 and the dispensing control board 400.

[0176] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the bottom surface of the socket body 515 has a recessed shape around the socket terminals Q. In other words, the bottom surface of the socket body 515 has recesses 550 formed in the portion corresponding to the socket terminals Q, which are recessed in the direction away from the mounting surface. In this modified example, two rows of recesses (grooves) 550 are formed corresponding to the two rows of socket terminals Q arranged along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. In addition, each row of recesses 550 is divided by a foot 517 provided in the center of the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515, and a total of four recesses 550 are formed on the bottom surface of the socket body 515. The recesses (grooves) 550 may be formed in four rows, corresponding to the four rows of substrate bonding portions 521 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the socket body 515. Alternatively, one recess 550 may be provided for each socket terminal Q.

[0177] In this modified example, the recess 550 increases the height of the portion of the gap Z corresponding to the socket terminal Q. That is, in this modified example, the leg 517 makes the distance from the bottom surface of the socket body 515 to the dispensing control board 400 0.5 mm in the portion where the recess 550 is absent. In the portion corresponding to the recess 550, the distance from the dispensing control board 400 to the socket body 515 is increased to 1.0 mm.

[0178] In this modified example, since the height of the leg 517 is 0.5 mm and the diameter of the land 526 is 1.5 mm, if the recess 550 is not formed, there is a risk that a solder fillet with a good shape (contact angle θ of 45 degrees) may come into contact with the socket body 515. However, in this modified example, the recess 550 increases the height around the socket terminal Q in the gap Z, thus preventing the solder fillet from coming into contact with the socket body 515. In other words, even if the distance from the bottom surface of the socket body 515 to the dispensing control board 400 is less than or equal to the radius of the land, the recess 550 prevents contact between the solder fillet and the socket body 515.

[0179] Furthermore, in this modified example, the socket terminal Q has a bending angle α of the first curved portion 523 that is 90 degrees, and a bending angle β of the second curved portion 524 that is 90 degrees.

[0180] Furthermore, the bent portion 522 (the boundary between the bent portion 522 and the substrate bonding portion 521) is located on the side further away from the dispensing control board 400 (mounting surface) than the gap Z. In other words, the socket terminal Q has a bent portion 522 that is bent in such a way that the position of the IC terminal contact portion 520 and the substrate bonding portion 521 in the short-extension direction of the socket body 515 is different, but the bent portion 522 is located on the side further away from the mounting surface than the bottom surface of the socket body 515 (in other words, on the inside of the socket body 515).

[0181] Furthermore, in this modified example, the distance Qx from the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q1 to the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q2 is 2.0 mm. Also, the distance Qy from the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q2 to the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q3 is 2.0 mm. Also, the distance Qz from the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q1 to the substrate connection portion 521 (lower end) of socket terminal Q3 is 2.0 mm. In other words, the distance between the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 and the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q2 is equal to the distance between the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q1 and the substrate connection portion 521 of socket terminal Q3. In other words, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between the substrate bonding portions 521 of adjacent socket terminals Q is equal (2.0 mm). Also, for a continuous group of socket terminals Q (socket terminals Q1-Q17, socket terminals Q18-Q35, socket terminals Q36-Q53, or socket terminals Q54-Q71), the spacing between the substrate bonding portions 521 of adjacent socket terminals Q (2.0 mm) is equal to the spacing between the substrate bonding portions 521 of every other socket terminal Q (2.0 mm). The arrangement of the through-holes 504 is the same as the arrangement of the substrate bonding portions 521 of the socket terminals Q. By arranging the substrate bonding portion 521 (through-hole 504) in this manner, the socket 502 is stably held in the through-hole 504. In this embodiment, "equal" for each interval means that the lengths are equal in design, and manufacturing errors may occur. In other words, "equal" in this embodiment includes cases where the intervals are approximately equal.

[0182] The gaming machine of this embodiment comprises a circuit board 400 and a circuit board case 402 for housing the circuit board 400. The circuit board 400 has a plurality of through-holes 504 used for mounting a socket 502 on which an IC 500 is mounted. The through-holes 504 have lands 526. The socket 502 has a plurality of socket terminals Q that electrically connect the IC terminals P to the through-holes 504, a socket body 515 that holds the socket terminals Q, and a plurality of legs 517 that support the socket body 515. The plurality of legs 517 form a predetermined gap Z between the socket body 515 and the circuit board surface (mounting surface) of the circuit board 400. The gap Z is such that the distance from the socket body 515 to the circuit board surface (mounting surface) is greater than or equal to the width of the lands 526, and the solder joining the socket terminals Q and the through-holes 504 does not come into contact with the socket body 515. With this configuration, the gap Z formed between the socket body 515 and the mounting surface improves the heat dissipation of the IC 500. In addition, the height of the gap Z, at least in the portion corresponding to the socket terminal Q, is greater than or equal to the width of the land 526, preventing the solder from coming into contact with the socket body 515. This further improves heat dissipation and prevents damage to the socket 502. Furthermore, by preventing the solder from coming into contact with the socket body 515 in this way, unexpected short circuits can be prevented.

[0183] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, the IC terminal P includes a first terminal (IC terminal P1), a second terminal (IC terminal P2), and a third terminal (IC terminal P3) arranged in a continuous line in a predetermined direction, and the socket terminal Q includes a first socket terminal (socket terminal Q1) to which the first terminal is connected, a second socket terminal (socket terminal Q2) to which the second terminal is connected, and a third socket terminal (socket terminal Q3) to which the third terminal is connected, and in each socket terminal Q, through holes 504 If the soldered portion is defined as the board joint 521, the distance from the first terminal P1 to the second terminal P2 and the distance from the second terminal P2 to the third terminal P3 are both equal to a first length, and the distance from the board joint 521 of the first socket terminal Q1 to the board joint 521 of the second socket terminal Q2 and the distance from the board joint 521 of the first socket terminal Q1 to the board joint 521 of the third socket terminal Q3 are both equal to a second length, with the second length being longer than the first length. With this configuration, the spacing between the board joints of adjacent socket terminals Q can be made wider than the spacing between adjacent terminals P of the IC, ensuring sufficient distance between the soldered portions and preventing short circuits. Furthermore, by making the distance from the substrate connection portion 521 of the first socket terminal Q1 to the substrate connection portion 521 of the second socket terminal Q2 equal to the distance from the substrate connection portion 521 of the first socket terminal Q1 to the substrate connection portion 521 of the third socket terminal Q3, the socket 502 is stably held in the through-hole 504.

[0184] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, a connector 570 is mounted on the circuit board 400, the connector 570 has a positioning pin 574, and a hole 575 into which the positioning pin 574 is inserted is formed in the circuit board 400, and the length of the positioning pin 574 is less than or equal to the thickness of the circuit board 400.

[0185] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The gaming machine of this embodiment has the same configuration as the gaming machines of the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the description of the configurations that are the same as those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0186] In this embodiment, the dispensing control board 400 is a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction. Also in this embodiment, all components mounted on the dispensing control board 400 are mounted on the front side of the dispensing control board 400. Hereafter, the side of the dispensing control board 400 on which the components are mounted (front side) may be referred to as the mounting surface. Note that there may also be components mounted on the back side of the dispensing control board 400.

[0187] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 20, when the dispensing control board 400 (the surface of the dispensing control board 400) is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the board surface (the dispensing control board 400) and the dispensing control board 400 is divided by two straight lines passing through the center of the dispensing control board 400 and perpendicular to each other, the upper right region will be called the first region R1, the upper left region the second region R2, the lower left region the third region R3, and the lower right region the fourth region R4. In other words, when facing the dispensing control board 400, the X-axis is defined as a virtual line passing through the center of the dispensing control board 400 and extending in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction), and the Y-axis is defined as a virtual line passing through the center of the dispensing control board 400 and extending in the transverse direction (up-down direction). In the XY plane, the first quadrant corresponds to the first region R1, the second quadrant corresponds to the second region R2, the third quadrant corresponds to the third region R3, and the fourth quadrant corresponds to the fourth region R4. Furthermore, when facing the dispensing control board 400, if the dispensing control board 400 is divided into two by a line (plane) passing through the center of the dispensing control board 400 (center in the transverse direction) and parallel to a predetermined side (long side) of the dispensing control board 400, one region will be called the first specific region S1, and the other region will be called the second specific region S2. In this embodiment, the first specific region S1 is composed of the first region R1 and the second region R2, and the second specific region S2 is composed of the third region R3 and the fourth region R4. For example, the first specific region S1 may be composed of the first region R1 and the fourth region R4, and the second specific region S2 may be composed of the second region R2 and the third region R3. The dispensing control board 400 may have a shape in which a portion is missing from a rectangular plate. In the case of such a shape, the straight lines (virtual lines) that demarcate each region as described here and that pass through the center of the dispensing control board 400 can be understood as straight lines (virtual lines) that pass through the center of a virtual rectangle along the outer edge of the dispensing control board 400 (a virtual rectangle as it would be if the portion were not missing) (see Figure 21).

[0188] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when facing the dispensing control board 400, the upper long side is referred to as the first long side, the lower long side as the second long side, the right short side as the first short side, and the left short side as the second short side. That is, the first specific region (first and second regions) can also be called the region on the first long side, and the second specific region (third and fourth regions) can also be called the region on the second long side. Also, the first and fourth regions can also be called the region on the first short side, and the second and third regions can also be called the region on the second short side.

[0189] As shown in Figure 20, the payout control board 400 has multiple connectors (mounted component connection connectors) 600 mounted on it, which are used to connect to components mounted on the gaming machine (gaming machine mounted components), such as a control device (main control board 200) and other boards (including control boards such as the main control board 200). The payout control board 400 is electrically connected to the gaming machine mounted components via each connector 600 and the harnesses connected to each connector 600. The gaming machine mounted components may also be boards, etc., for connecting the gaming machine (payout control board 400) to devices outside the gaming machine (for example, so-called hall computers or CR units). Furthermore, the gaming machine mounted components may also be, for example, various switches, sensors, motors, solenoids, etc.

[0190] In this embodiment, the payout control board 400 is connected to the payout control board 400 via a first predetermined board, and the payout control board 400 is equipped with a connector 600, which is used to connect to the first predetermined board. The external terminal board is a board for connecting the gaming machine to external electronic devices (such as data display devices and hall computers), and various external information signals representing the status of the gaming machine are output from this external terminal board to the external electronic devices. Furthermore, the payout control board 400 is connected to the payout control board 400 via a second predetermined board, and the payout control board 400 is equipped with a connector 600, which is used to connect to the second predetermined board. Furthermore, the dispensing control board 400 is equipped with a connector 600, which is used to connect to the main control board 200.

[0191] Multiple connectors 600 are arranged in the first specific region S1. Specifically, within the first specific region S1, connectors 600 are arranged near the edge facing the boundary with the second specific region S2. In other words, within the first specific region S1, connectors 600 are arranged on the first long side. Specifically, multiple connectors 600 are lined up along (or near) this edge. Note that all connectors 600 may be arranged along (or near) this edge (see Figure 21). Also, all connectors 600 may be arranged in the first region R1.

[0192] The second specific region S2 contains the main IC 500 and the mass production unmounted component placement region B (the region inside the dashed line in Figure 20). Specifically, the main IC 500 and the mass production unmounted component placement region B are located in the third region R3. In this embodiment, the main IC 500 is mounted on the dispensing control board 400 via the socket 502, but it may also be mounted (soldered) directly to the dispensing control board 400 without using the socket 502.

[0193] In this embodiment, the mass production unmounted component placement area B is an area where test components (test connectors, test ICs, test passive elements, etc.) are placed as mass production unmounted components. The mass production unmounted component placement area B is provided with mounting areas 405 (lands, through-holes, etc.) for placing (soldering) the test components, as well as silk screen 406 related to the test components. In other words, test components can be mounted in the second specific area S2 (third area R3). Furthermore, the test component may also be a component that will be mounted during mass production (a component mounted during mass production).

[0194] Furthermore, the connector 600 is not located in the third region R3. Specifically, the connector 600 is not located in the second specific region S2. In other words, in this embodiment, when the dispensing control board 400 is divided into two regions in a predetermined direction (up and down), the connector 600 is located in one region (the upper region: first specific region S1), and the main IC 500 and test components can be mounted on one side of the other region (the lower region: second specific region S2) when it is further divided into two regions in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction (left and right direction) (the left side when facing the dispensing control board 400: third region R3). Furthermore, the connector 600 is not located in the other side (third region R3), or more specifically, in the other region (second specific region S2).

[0195] (modified version) As shown in Figure 21, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, the main IC 500 and the verification terminal 602 may be arranged in the third region R3 (second specific region S2). In this case, test components may or may not be mountable in the third region R3 (second specific region S2). Here, the verification terminal 602 is a connector (terminal) used for a predetermined inspection, capable of outputting predetermined information, and is a connector that can be connected to an inspection terminal (inspection equipment). The verification terminal 602 is not normally connected to the inspection terminal, and is connected to the inspection terminal only during inspection. By connecting the inspection terminal to the verification terminal, it is possible to inspect whether or not there have been any unauthorized modifications to the dispensing control board 400. Here, the predetermined information output from the verification terminal 602 is the ID of the dispensing control board 400, etc. In this embodiment of the gaming machine, which is a mass-produced product, all of the multiple connectors 600 are connected by wiring (harnesses), and the payout control board 400 does not have any connectors other than the matching terminal 602 that are not connected by wiring (harnesses). However, for example, there may be other connectors besides the matching terminal 602 that are not connected by wiring (harnesses). For example, a test connector as a test component may be implemented in the mass-produced product, and this test connector may be a connector that is not connected by wiring (harness). Furthermore, such a test connector may be located in the third region R3 (second specific region S2).

[0196] The main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602 are connected via electronic components and wiring patterns. Specifically, the dispensing control board 400 has predetermined signal lines 604, 604 as wiring patterns that connect the main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602, and resistors 606, 606 are provided as predetermined electronic components on these signal lines 604, 604. The resistor 606 is a leaded linear resistor and has a resistor body and two leads (terminals: legs) extending from the resistor body. The resistor 606 is attached to the dispensing control board 400 by soldering with the two leads inserted through holes provided on the dispensing control board 400.

[0197] The height of resistor 606 is lower than the height of main IC 500. Specifically, when mounted on the dispensing control board 400, the height of resistor 606 is less than half the height of main IC 500. Furthermore, the height of resistor 606 is lower than the height of verification terminal 602. Specifically, when mounted on the dispensing control board 400, the height of resistor 606 is less than half the height of verification terminal 602. Here, "height" for each electronic component refers to the distance in the height direction from the mounting surface of the dispensing control board 400 to the tip of the protruding part of each electronic component (the part furthest from the mounting surface).

[0198] In this embodiment, there are two signal lines 604 connecting the main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602, and a resistor 606 is provided on each of the two signal lines 604. Furthermore, there are no other electronic components on the signal lines 604 connecting the main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602 besides the resistors 606. In other words, in the dispensing control board 400, all electronic components on the signal lines 604 connecting the main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602 are shorter in height than both the main IC 500 and the matching terminal 602. In this embodiment, the matching terminal 602 has four terminals, two of which are connected to signal lines 604, 604, and the other two are connected to ground patterns.

[0199] In this embodiment, the payout control board 400 is mounted in the arrangement shown in Figure 22. Figure 22 is a view of the gaming machine from the rear (back) side. As shown in Figure 22, the payout control board 400 is positioned below the main control board 200. The connector 600a used for connecting to the main control board 200 is positioned on the upper part of the payout control board 400, and the payout control board 400 and the main control board 200 are electrically connected via this connector 600a.

[0200] Furthermore, no other circuit boards are located below the payout control board 400. In other words, the payout control board 400 is the lowest-located circuit board among all the circuit boards installed in the gaming machine. In this context, "no other circuit boards are positioned below it (it is the lowest circuit board)" means that the upper edges of all other circuit boards are not positioned below the lower edge of the dispensing control board 400. However, the lower edges of all other circuit boards may be positioned above the lower edge of the dispensing control board 400 (at least at approximately the same position or higher in the vertical direction as the lower edge of the dispensing control board 400).

[0201] Furthermore, the payout control board 400 is arranged to overlap with other boards in the front-to-back direction (the direction perpendicular to the surface (board surface) of the payout control board 400). Specifically, the power supply board 610, which is one of the other boards, is located in front of the payout control board 400. The power supply board 610 is connected to each board, and power is supplied to each board from the commercial power supply via the power supply board. In addition, the payout control board 400 is located at the rearmost position among the multiple boards that are arranged to overlap in the front-to-back direction. In other words, when viewing the gaming machine from the rear side (with the inner frame 7 open and facing the payout control board 400), the payout control board 400 is located at the frontmost position (on the observer's side) among the boards that overlap in the front-to-back direction. To put it another way, when viewing the mounting surface of the payout control board 400 from the rear side of the gaming machine (with the inner frame 7 open and viewing the mounting surface of the payout control board 400), the view is not obstructed by other boards.

[0202] The gaming machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine equipped with a circuit board 400 on which electronic components are mounted. When the circuit board 400 is divided into two in a predetermined direction, a connector 600 used for electrical connection with components mounted on the gaming machine is located in one of the regions (first specific region S1). When the other region (second specific region S2) is further divided into two in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, one side (third region R3) contains control means (main IC 500) for controlling processing on the circuit board 400, and a mounting section 405 on which predetermined electronic components can be mounted, but on which the predetermined electronic components are not mounted. The connector 600 is not located in this region. With this configuration, the control means 500 is located in one region (third region R3) when the circuit board 400 is divided into four, and the connector 600 used for electrical connection with components mounted on the gaming machine is not located in this region. This prevents the visibility of the control means 500 from being reduced by harnesses or the like connected to the connector 600. Furthermore, by placing the mounting section 405, on which no electronic components are mounted, in this area, the visibility of the control means 500 can be improved. Also, by placing the mounting section 405 in this area, the visibility of the control means 500 can be ensured while increasing the flexibility of the placement of the connector 600.

[0203] Furthermore, the gaming machine of this embodiment is a gaming machine equipped with a circuit board 400 on which electronic components are mounted. When the circuit board 400 is divided into two in a predetermined direction, one region (first specific region S1) has a connector 600 that is used for electrical connection with components mounted on the gaming machine. When the other region (second specific region S2) is further divided into two in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, one side (third region R3) has a control means (main IC 500) that controls processing on the circuit board 400 and an inspection terminal (verification terminal 602) used for predetermined inspections, but no connector 600 is provided. With this configuration, when the circuit board is divided into four, one region (third region R3) has a control means 500, and the connector 600 used for electrical connection with components mounted on the gaming machine is not provided in this region. This prevents the visibility of the control means 500 from being reduced by harnesses or the like connected to the connector 600. Furthermore, by placing the test terminal 602 used for predetermined tests, that is, a connector to which the harness is not normally connected, in this area, the visibility of the control means can be ensured while increasing the flexibility of the placement of other connectors 600.

[0204] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the gaming machine of this embodiment has basically the same configuration as the gaming machine of the first embodiment, the explanation of the configuration which is the same as that of the gaming machine of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified. The following explanation will be given using a payout control board unit 700 equipped with a payout control board 400 (hereinafter referred to as board 400), but the present invention is applicable to other predetermined board units equipped in a gaming machine.

[0205] Figure 23 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing control board unit 700. The dispensing control board unit 700 has a roughly rectangular shape. Specifically, it is longer in the left-right direction and shorter in the up-down direction. The dispensing control board unit 700 mainly consists of a board 400 (dispensing control board, dispensing control means), a board case 701 that houses (storages, seals) the board 400 inside, screws (not shown), etc.

[0206] The circuit board case 701 comprises a first case 710 that covers the front side (first surface side) of the circuit board 400 and a second case 720 that covers the rear side (second surface side) of the circuit board 400. The first case 710 and the second case 720 each have a top surface (bottom surface) and predetermined sides (side walls), and are roughly box-shaped. By assembling the first case 710 and the second case 720, a space is formed inside, and the circuit board 400 is housed in this space. The circuit board case 701 is made of transparent synthetic resin, and the circuit board 400 placed inside can be seen from the outside.

[0207] Here, the front side (front face) of the circuit board 400 is referred to as the first surface (front), and the rear side (back face) is referred to as the second surface (back). The first surface of the circuit board 400 faces the top surface (first top surface) of the first case 710. The second surface of the circuit board 400 faces the top surface (second top surface) of the second case 720. The top surface of the first case 710 may be referred to as the top surface of the circuit board case 701, and the top surface of the second case 720 may be referred to as the bottom surface of the circuit board case 701.

[0208] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the first surface of the substrate 400 as seen from the front. The substrate 400 is rectangular in shape, with its longer sides extending horizontally and its shorter sides extending vertically, and its orientation such that the direction normal to the substrate surface (thickness direction) is the front-to-back direction. One of the longer sides of the substrate 400 is located on the top, the other on the bottom, one of the shorter sides is located on the right, and the other on the left.

[0209] The substrate 400 has a plurality of through holes 450 that penetrate the first surface and the second surface. In this embodiment, the through holes 450 are formed at each of the four corners of the substrate 400. There may be four or more through holes 450. Alternatively, there may be fewer than four through holes 450; for example, there may be two through holes, one at each of the diagonally opposite corners of the substrate 400. In this embodiment, some of the through holes 450 are used for fixing to the substrate case 701 (first case 710), and others are used for positioning the substrate 400 (described later).

[0210] Although the illustration is simplified (omitted), multiple components (various electronic components) are mounted (arranged) on the first surface of the substrate 400. These components include connectors, ICs, resistors, capacitors, diodes, and switches. Although not shown in the illustration, identification information (identification codes) for identifying each electronic component are provided near the placement location of each electronic component on the substrate 400. The identification information consists of predetermined characters or strings of characters (the strings may include numbers and symbols). For example, in the case of a connector assigned the number "1", the string is "CN1", a combination of the alphabet "CN" representing the connector and the number "1". This identification information is formed (displayed) by silk printing and is white in this embodiment. The identification information can also be called silk text. In this embodiment, the substrate 400 is a green substrate. In other words, the resist color of the substrate 400 is green. Although not shown in the illustration, multiple through-holes are provided on the substrate 400.

[0211] As shown in Figure 23, the first case 710 is provided with two mounting holes 711 (substrate mounting sections). The mounting holes 711 are located in positions corresponding to (opposing) the through holes 450 provided at diagonal corners of the substrate 400. The substrate 400 is fixed to the first case 710 by passing a screw (not shown) through the through hole 450 from the second side (back side) of the substrate 400 and screwing (inserting) the screw into the mounting hole 711.

[0212] Furthermore, the first case 710 is equipped with two positioning pins 712. The positioning pins 712 are positioned to correspond to (oppose) through holes 450, which are provided at diagonal corners of the substrate 400. The positioning pins 712 protrude a predetermined length from the front to the rear, are formed in a cylindrical shape, and have a diameter that allows them to be inserted into the through holes 450. When the positioning pins 712 are inserted into the through holes 450, the rotation of the substrate 400 is restricted.

[0213] Here, using Figures 25 to 27, we will show another example of a substrate and a substrate case (fixing the substrate to the substrate case). The substrate 400 shown in Figure 25 has five through holes 450. The through holes 450 are provided at the four corners and approximately in the center in the left-right direction on the lower edge.

[0214] Figure 26 is a view of the first case 710, corresponding to the substrate 400 shown in Figure 25, from the rear side. The first case 710 is equipped with five bosses 715 (substrate mounting sections). The bosses 715 are provided in positions corresponding to (opposite) the through holes 450 of the substrate 400. The bosses 715 protrude for a predetermined length from the front to the rear side and are formed in a columnar (cylindrical) shape. The bosses 715 are provided with screw holes for inserting screws (for tightening screws). The diameter of these screw holes can also be called the inner diameter of the bosses 715. The substrate 400 is fixed (fastened) to the first case 710 by passing screws through the five through holes 450 from the second side (back side) of the substrate 400 and then screwing (inserting) the screws into the screw holes of the bosses 715.

[0215] When the screw is screwed in and inserted into the screw hole by a predetermined amount (a predetermined length), the tip surface of the boss 715 comes into contact with the first surface of the substrate 400, and the head of the screw comes into contact with the second surface of the substrate 400. In other words, the substrate 400 is sandwiched and fixed between the tip surface of the boss 715 and the head of the screw (fixed state). At this time, the screw is in a state where it cannot rotate any further (the screw is tightened without loosening). This may be called the maximum insertion state of the screw. When the substrate 400 is fixed, the head of the screw protrudes from the second surface of the substrate 400.

[0216] In this embodiment, patterns made of copper foil are formed on the first and second surfaces of the substrate 400 (copper foil is attached). The patterns include wiring patterns through which signals pass and ground patterns (solid ground planes).

[0217] Figure 27(a) shows the second surface of the substrate 400 shown in Figure 25. In this embodiment, a predetermined area (a predetermined range) including at least the periphery of the through-holes 450 is an area where no pattern is formed (pattern-free area N: shaded area in the figure). In this embodiment, the periphery of each through-hole 450 (5 locations) and the peripheral edge of the substrate 400 (edge ​​of each side) are pattern-free areas N (insulating areas), but it is sufficient that at least the periphery of each through-hole 450 is a pattern-free area N. Each through-hole 450 is provided in a pattern-free area N.

[0218] Figure 27(b) shows the state in Figure 27(a) where screws are inserted through each through hole 450 and the screw heads are in contact with the substrate 400. The pattern-free region N is large enough that at least the screw head does not protrude outside the pattern-free region N (the screw head does not intrude into the pattern-forming region). In other words, the screw head is sized to fit inside the pattern-free region N. Specifically, the distance (shortest distance) between the end (outer circumference) of the screw head and the copper foil is, for example, about 1 mm to 2 mm. Therefore, when the screw is tightened, the screw head contacts the pattern-free region N, and the screw head does not contact the pattern (copper foil). This prevents electrical conductivity between the screw and the pattern (ground, etc.) from causing a short circuit, which would damage the component (cause a malfunction). It also prevents damage to the pattern due to contact by the screw head.

[0219] Although not shown in the illustration, in Figure 27(a), for example, a through-hole 450 is provided in the center of the substrate 400, and a predetermined area around the through-hole 450 may be a pattern-free region N. In other words, a predetermined pattern-free region N may be provided so as not to be continuous with other pattern-free regions N (in isolation). Note that the pattern-free region N is an area where a pattern is not provided, but a resist is provided.

[0220] In addition to pan head screws, countersunk screws can also be used. Because the head of a countersunk screw has a conical shape, using a countersunk screw allows for a greater distance (shortest distance) from the copper foil compared to using a pan head screw. In other words, it makes it less likely for the screw to come into contact with the copper foil.

[0221] Next, the first surface side will be described. The tip surface of the boss 715 (Figure 26) is in contact with the first surface of the substrate 400, but the boss 715 (substrate mounting portion) also functions as a substrate support portion (contact surface, receiving surface) that supports the substrate. As this substrate support portion, a predetermined shape other than the boss 715 may be provided on the first case 710. Examples of predetermined shapes include protrusions (convex portions) erected at the corners (positions opposite the corners of the substrate) and ribs (convex portions) formed to extend inward from the side surface (inner surface of the side wall) of the case for a predetermined length. For example, if substrate support portions (convex portions) are provided at positions corresponding to the four corners of the substrate, as well as at positions corresponding to the approximate center of the substrate in the left-right direction, then the approximate center of the substrate in the left-right direction, in addition to the four corners of the substrate, will be supported from the first surface side. Therefore, when force is applied to the substrate from the second surface side, the substrate can be made less likely to bend (bending of the substrate can be suppressed).

[0222] As shown in Figure 25, in this embodiment, a pattern-free region N (shaded area) is also provided on the first surface of the substrate 400. The substrate support portion (boss 715) is in contact with the pattern-free region N. In other words, at least the portion of the first surface of the substrate 400 that is in contact with the substrate support portion is the pattern-free region N. To put it another way, a predetermined area on the first surface of the substrate 400, including the area in contact with the substrate support portion, is the pattern-free region N. In this embodiment, when comparing the pattern-free region N around a predetermined through hole 450 on the first surface and the second surface, the area on the first surface is larger. This is because, in this embodiment, the diameter of the boss 715 is larger than the diameter of the screw head. Note that the shortest distance between the outer circumference of the boss 715 and the copper foil on the first surface may be smaller than the shortest distance between the outer circumference of the screw head and the copper foil on the second surface. Also, the pattern-free regions may be formed similarly (to the same extent) on the first surface and the second surface. Furthermore, predetermined information (such as a substrate management number) may be displayed in the pattern-free regions N of the first and second surfaces.

[0223] The bosses, ribs, and other shapes that serve as substrate support are made of resin and do not conduct electricity even if they come into contact with the pattern (copper foil). However, if they come into contact with the pattern (copper foil) and press down on it, there is a risk of damaging the pattern or causing a disconnection. In this embodiment, since the substrate support parts are in contact with the non-patterned area N, damage to the pattern or disconnection due to pressing will not occur, and malfunctions (damage to components) can be suppressed.

[0224] Although not shown in the illustration, the first and second surfaces of the substrate 400 shown in Figure 24 also have pattern-free areas N, thereby avoiding contact between the screws and the patterns, and also avoiding contact between the substrate support (resin part) and the patterns.

[0225] At least one connector is located on the first surface of the circuit board 400, and as shown in Figure 28, the portion of the first case 710 corresponding to the predetermined connector (and its surroundings) is a recessed area 718 (concave shape) that is recessed on the inside of the case (towards the circuit board 400). An opening is provided in this recessed area 718, through which the connector is exposed to the outside.

[0226] In this embodiment, the bottom (bottom surface) of the recess 718 and the first surface of the substrate 400 (the part around the connector) are in surface contact, but the substrate 400 in this surface contact area may be a pattern-forming area (an area to which copper foil is attached). In other words, a location where a mating component can make surface contact (a location with a relatively large contact area), such as the bottom of the recess 718 in the substrate case 701 (first case 710), may be a pattern-forming area rather than a pattern-non-forming area N. The contact area is large, and the load (stress) is distributed and less likely to concentrate in one place. On the other hand, a location where a mating component can make point contact (a location with a relatively small contact area), such as the tip of the boss 715 (Figure 26) in the substrate case 701, is a pattern-non-forming area N (an area to which copper foil is not attached). This is because the contact area is small and the load (stress) is likely to concentrate.

[0227] Figure 29 is a partially enlarged view showing a predetermined through-hole 450 and its surroundings on a predetermined surface of the substrate 400. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the pattern-forming region (the region with copper foil) and the non-pattern-forming region N (the region without copper foil), multiple ground through-holes H are provided along the edge of the pattern-forming region. This strengthens the ground, improves the noise immunity of the substrate, and enables stable operation of the substrate. Although wiring patterns through which signals pass are formed in the pattern-forming region, the ground through-holes H are provided even further outside than the wiring pattern located on the outermost edge of the substrate. Therefore, the influence of noise on the outermost wiring pattern can be reduced. Furthermore, because multiple ground through-holes H are provided at the outer edge of the pattern-forming region (multiple paths for current flow are provided) and the ground is strengthened, even if electricity (static electricity) flows in through screws used to fix the substrate, for example, that electricity can be more reliably dissipated. Furthermore, the ground through-holes H located at this boundary can be either filled with solder (in a state where solder has seeped inside) or not filled with solder (in a state where solder has not seeped inside).

[0228] In this embodiment, the substrate unit (payout control substrate unit 700) is positioned in the gaming machine so that the direction of the substrate surface normality is in the front-to-back direction. However, it may also be positioned in the gaming machine so that the direction of the substrate surface normality is in the up-and-down direction (for example, so that the first surface faces upwards).

[0229] Figure 30 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the substrate 400 fixed to the first case 710 (boss 715). Note that some hatching to indicate a cross-section has been omitted in Figure 30. Figure 30 shows the state in which the screw α is tightened without loosening and the substrate 400 is properly fixed to the first case 710 (boss 715) (specific state, first state).

[0230] The first surface of the circuit board 400 and the top surface of the first case 710 (upper case) are facing each other. The first surface of the circuit board 400 can be seen through the top surface of the first case 710. Specifically, various electronic components arranged on the first surface can be seen. In Figure 30, the lead component β and connector γ can be seen through the top surface of the first case 710. Connector γ is a connector (non-exposed connector) that is covered by the top surface of the first case 710 and is not exposed through an opening provided in the first case 710. Examples of non-exposed connectors include development connectors that are used only during development and not in mass production, function expansion connectors that are used when additional functions (specifications) are decided for later models and are not used in mass production of the current model, and test connectors that are used in prescribed tests conducted to provide the gaming machine to the market but are not used in mass production.

[0231] The second surface (back side) of the circuit board 400 and the top surface of the second case 720 (lower case) are facing each other. The second surface of the circuit board 400 can be seen through the top surface of the second case 720. In Figure 30, the terminals of the lead component β and the head of the screw α can be seen through the top surface of the second case 720.

[0232] The electronic components arranged on the first surface of the circuit board 400 include those comprising a main body and lead terminals (leads) (terminals) extending from the main body (lead components β). Examples of lead components β (discrete components β) include diodes, ICs, capacitors, resistors, etc. The lead components β are soldered to the circuit board 400 with the lead terminals inserted through holes formed in the circuit board 400, and are fixed (mounted) to the circuit board 400. The lead terminals protrude from the second surface of the circuit board 400 by a predetermined length. Furthermore, if the part of the lead terminal opposite to the side connected to the main body is considered the tip side of the lead terminal, then in this embodiment, the tip side of the lead terminal is bent. For example, in the case of a resistor with two leads, the tips of each terminal are bent so that they face inward. Note that the electronic components arranged on the circuit board 400 may include not only lead components but also chip components (chip-type components).

[0233] As shown in FIG. 30, the height dimension of the boss 715 (substrate mounting portion) is defined as dimension L. Dimension L is the dimension from the top surface (inner surface) of the first case 710 to the tip of the boss 715 (the first surface of the substrate 400). Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the height dimension of the connector γ (non-exposed connector) from the first surface of the substrate 400 is defined as dimension M. When a plurality of non-exposed connectors such as the connector γ are arranged on the substrate 400, among them, the height dimension of the one with the highest (largest) height from the first surface is defined as dimension M. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the dimension from the first surface of the substrate 400 to the tip of the screw α inserted into the boss 715 is defined as dimension N. The tip of the screw α is the end on the side opposite to the head of the screw α.

[0234] In the present embodiment, dimension L (the sixth dimension) is larger than dimension M (the seventh dimension). When the screw α is tightened and the substrate 400 is attached to the first case 710 (boss 715), the connector γ does not contact the top surface of the first case 710. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the connector γ from being damaged. Also, dimension N (the eighth dimension) is smaller than dimension M (the seventh dimension). If dimension N is larger than dimension M, there is a high possibility that the connector γ will contact the top surface of the first case 710 as the screw α is inserted deeper into the boss 715. However, in the present embodiment, since dimension N is set smaller than dimension M, such a possibility can be reduced.

[0235] Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the dimension from the second surface (back surface) of the substrate 400 to the tip (top) of the head of the screw α is defined as dimension B (second dimension). Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the dimension (protrusion amount) from the second surface (back surface) of the substrate 400 to the tip of the lead terminal portion of the lead component β is defined as dimension A (first dimension). When a plurality of lead components β (diodes, ICs, capacitors, resistors, etc.) are arranged on the substrate 400, dimension A is the protrusion amount of the lead terminal portion having the largest height from the second surface. Note that the plurality of lead components β may be configured such that dimension A is the same for all of them. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the dimension (distance) from the second surface (back surface) of the substrate 400 to the top surface (inner surface) of the second case 720 is defined as dimension C (third dimension).

[0236] In this embodiment, dimension B is larger than dimension A. In this embodiment, dimension C is larger than dimension B. In the state where the substrate 400 is attached to the first case 710, the head of the screw α and the tip of the lead terminal portion of the lead component β do not contact the top surface of the second case 720. Thereby, damage to the second case 720, the lead component, etc. can be prevented.

[0237] Here, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the insertion amount (amount of screw engagement) of the screw α into the boss 715 is defined as dimension E (fifth dimension). In other words, dimension E is the length (dimension) by which the screw α is inserted into the screw hole of the boss 715. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 30, the distance (dimension) from the tip (top) of the head of the screw α to the top surface (inner surface) of the second case 720 is defined as dimension D (fourth dimension). Note that dimension D can also be said to be the difference between dimension C and dimension B. In this embodiment, dimension E is larger than dimension D.

[0238] Here, we consider the case where the screw α loosens due to vibration or other factors, causing the circuit board 400 to move towards the second case 720 along with the screw α. If dimension E is smaller than dimension D (or if dimension D is larger than dimension E), dimension E becomes 0 before the head of the screw α contacts the top surface of the second case 720, causing the screw α to fall off the boss 715. In this case, because the screw α is absent, the terminals of the lead component β may contact the top surface of the second case 720, potentially causing the lead component β to detach from the circuit board 400 or to be damaged.

[0239] In this embodiment, dimension E is larger than dimension D. Therefore, when the head of screw α contacts the top surface of the second case 720 (i.e., when dimension D = 0), dimension E > 0 (the insertion amount of screw α is secured), and screw α does not fall out of boss 715. Therefore, even when the head of screw α contacts the top surface of the second case 720, the presence of screw α prevents the terminals of lead component β from contacting the top surface of the second case 720 (a gap is secured between the terminals of lead component β and the top surface of the second case 720). Therefore, if the tightening of screw α loosens, it is possible to prevent the terminals of lead component β from contacting the top surface of the second case 720, which could cause lead component β to detach from the substrate 400 or be damaged. In the above explanation, dimension E was used as the insertion depth of screw α, but dimension E' shown in Figure 30 may also be used as the insertion depth of screw α. In other words, the insertion depth of screw α may be either dimension E or dimension E'. Dimension E' is the distance from the contact point between the head of screw α and the second surface of the substrate 400 to the tip of screw α. Since dimension E' is larger than dimension D, when screw α loosens and the head of screw α contacts the top surface of the second case 720 (i.e., when dimension D=0), dimension E'>0, and screw α does not fall out (does not come loose). Therefore, even when the head of screw α contacts the top surface of the second case 720, the presence of screw α prevents the terminals of lead component β from contacting the top surface of the second case 720.

[0240] The gaming machine of this embodiment is It comprises a circuit board 400, a circuit board case 701, and screws. The substrate case comprises a first case 710 that covers the first side of the substrate and a second case 720 that covers the second side of the substrate. The substrate is fixed to the first case by inserting the screws from the second side and screwing them into the substrate mounting portion of the first case. The terminals of the electronic component inserted from the first side of the substrate protrude from the second side by a predetermined length. The electronic components are visible through the top surface of the first case, which is opposite the first surface of the substrate. The terminals of the electronic component and the head of the screw are visible through the top surface of the second case, which is facing the second surface of the substrate. With the aforementioned screws tightened securely and the circuit board fixed to the first case, The dimension from the second surface of the substrate to the tip of the terminal of the electronic component is defined as the first dimension. The second dimension is defined as the distance from the second surface of the substrate to the tip of the screw head. If the dimension from the second surface of the substrate to the top surface of the second case is defined as the third dimension, The third dimension is larger than the second dimension, The second dimension is larger than the first dimension.

[0241] When the screw is tightened securely and the circuit board is fixed to the first case, the third dimension is larger than the second dimension, and the second dimension is larger than the first dimension. As a result, the tip of the screw head and the tip of the terminal of the lead component do not come into contact with the top surface of the second case. This prevents damage to the second case and the lead component, etc.

[0242] Furthermore, the gaming machine of this embodiment is It comprises a circuit board 400, a circuit board case 701, and screws. The substrate case comprises a first case 710 that covers the first side of the substrate and a second case 720 that covers the second side of the substrate. The substrate is fixed to the first case by inserting the screws from the second side and fastening them to the substrate mounting portions (711, 715) of the first case. The terminals of the electronic component inserted from the first side of the substrate protrude from the second side by a predetermined length. The electronic components are visible through the top surface of the first case, which is opposite the first surface of the substrate. The terminals of the electronic component and the head of the screw are visible through the top surface of the second case, which is facing the second surface of the substrate. With the aforementioned screws tightened securely and the circuit board fixed to the first case, The distance from the second surface of the substrate to the tip of the terminal of the lead component is defined as the first dimension (dimension A). The distance from the second surface of the substrate to the tip of the screw head is defined as the second dimension (dimension B). The dimension from the second surface of the substrate to the top surface of the second case is defined as the third dimension (dimension C). The distance from the tip of the screw head to the top surface of the second case is defined as the fourth dimension (dimension D). If the length to which the screw is inserted into the substrate mounting portion is the fifth dimension (dimension E), The third dimension is larger than the second dimension, The second dimension is larger than the first dimension, The fifth dimension is larger than the fourth dimension.

[0243] When the screw is tightened securely and the circuit board is fixed to the first case, the third dimension is larger than the second dimension, and the second dimension is larger than the first dimension. Therefore, the tip of the screw head and the tips of the terminals of the lead component do not come into contact with the top surface of the second case. This prevents damage to the second case and the lead component. Furthermore, since the fifth dimension is larger than the fourth dimension, even if the screw becomes loose and moves towards the top surface of the second case, causing the screw head to come into contact with the top surface of the second case and the fourth dimension to become 0, the fifth dimension will still be greater than 0. Therefore, even if the screw head comes into contact with the top surface of the second case, the screw is inserted into the circuit board mounting section by a predetermined amount, and the screw does not fall out of the circuit board mounting section. Consequently, the terminals of the lead component do not come into contact with the top surface of the second case due to the screw falling out (or the screw not being present). This prevents the lead component from coming off the circuit board or being damaged if the screw becomes loose.

[0244] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The dimension from the first surface of the substrate to the top surface of the first case is defined as the sixth dimension (dimension L). The height from the first surface of the connector, which is positioned on the first surface of the substrate and covered by the top surface of the first case, is defined as the seventh dimension (dimension M). If the distance from the first surface of the substrate to the tip of the screw inserted into the substrate mounting portion is defined as the eighth dimension (dimension N), The sixth dimension is larger than the seventh dimension, The eighth dimension is smaller than the seventh dimension.

[0245] Since the sixth dimension is larger than the seventh dimension, the screw is tightened without loosening, and in the state where the substrate is fixed to the first case, the connector does not contact the top surface portion of the first case. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the connector from being damaged. Further, if the eighth dimension is larger than the seventh dimension, there is a high possibility that the connector contacts the top surface portion of the first case because the screw is inserted deeper into the substrate mounting portion. However, in the present embodiment, since the eighth dimension is set smaller than the seventh dimension, such a possibility can be reduced.

[0246] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the description of the configuration similar to that of the gaming machine according to the fourth embodiment described above will be omitted or simplified. Further, although the substrate 400 of the payout control substrate unit 700 will be used for the description, the present invention is also applicable to other predetermined substrates included in the gaming machine.

[0247] FIG. 31(a) shows an electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component), which is one of the lead components arranged on the substrate 400. The electrolytic capacitor 810 includes a columnar main body portion 811 and lead terminal portions 812 extending from the bottom of the main body portion 811. The lead terminal portions 812 are composed of two leads (a pair of leads). The two leads are provided at a predetermined interval α in a predetermined direction (along). (The interval between the leads is α.)

[0248] Although not shown, the substrate 400 is provided with through holes (holes) through which the lead terminal portions 812 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 can be inserted. When the pitch of the through holes (holes) is β, in the present embodiment, the interval β is larger than the interval α. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 31(b), the lead terminal portions 812 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 are subjected to bending processing (forming) so that the interval on the tip side becomes β.

[0249] The electrolytic capacitor 810 is soldered to the substrate 400 with its lead terminals 812 inserted through holes in the substrate 400, thereby fixing it to the substrate 400. Figure 31(c) shows the second side of the substrate 400, and in the state where the electrolytic capacitor 810 is attached to the substrate 400, the tips of the lead terminals 812 are bent. In this embodiment, the tips of each lead are facing outward (diagonally outward).

[0250] As shown in Figure 32(a), a predetermined distance γ is secured between the main body portion 811 (the bottom portion) and the surface of the substrate 400 (first surface, mounting surface) (a predetermined gap γ is formed). In other words, the electrolytic capacitor 810 (main body portion 811) is floating by a predetermined distance γ from the surface of the substrate 400 (first surface). Because the lead terminal portion 812 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is formed to match the hole pitch (spacing β), the main body portion 811 does not come into contact with the substrate 400, and is positioned on the substrate 400 floating by a predetermined distance γ. Although not shown in the diagram, when the circuit board 400 is housed in the circuit board case 701 (see the fourth embodiment), a predetermined gap is secured between the tip of the electrolytic capacitor 810 and the top surface of the first case 710, so that the electrolytic capacitor 810 does not come into contact with the top surface of the first case 710.

[0251] Figure 33(a) is a view of the first surface of the substrate 400 as seen from the direction normal to the substrate surface. The substrate 400 has a plurality of holes (through holes) into which the leads of the electrolytic capacitor 810 are inserted, provided at predetermined intervals in a predetermined direction. Here, the direction parallel to the substrate surface and along the predetermined direction is called the second direction. In Figure 33(a), the second direction coincides with the up and down direction in the figure. The direction parallel to the substrate surface and perpendicular to the second direction (orthogonal to the second direction) is called the first direction. Note that perpendicular is not limited to 90° and includes approximately perpendicular; for example, the angle between the first direction and the second direction may be approximately 75° to 105°. The electrolytic capacitor 810 is a relatively tall component compared to other electronic components (e.g., resistors) placed on the substrate 400, and is therefore more susceptible to force (external force) during assembly compared to other electronic components.

[0252] Here, we consider two cases when force is applied to the electrolytic capacitor 810 (main body 811): when the force is applied along a first direction and when the force is applied along a second direction. When a force is applied along the first direction (a force directed toward the first direction), the electrolytic capacitor 810 (main body 811) is more likely to tip over (the lead terminal portion 812 is more likely to bend) than when a force is applied along the second direction (a force directed toward the second direction). In other words, the electrolytic capacitor 810 is weak against external forces along the first direction, and the lead terminal portion 812 is more likely to bend. On the other hand, the electrolytic capacitor 810 is strong against external forces along the second direction, and the lead terminal portion 812 is less likely to bend compared to when an external force is applied along the first direction.

[0253] As shown in Figure 32(a), the distance (height) from the surface of the substrate 400 (first surface) to the tip of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is defined as distance δ (specific distance). Distance δ can be said to be the height of the electrolytic capacitor 810 (from the first surface). Also, as shown in Figure 33(a), the specific range ε ​​is defined as the area inside a circle (virtual circle) with distance δ as the center and the placement position of the electrolytic capacitor 810 as the center. In this embodiment, the ceramic capacitor 820 (second component) is placed within the specific range ε ​​and at a position that is in the first direction of the electrolytic capacitor 810 (a position adjacent to the electrolytic capacitor 810 in the first direction).

[0254] As shown in Figure 32(b), when the electrolytic capacitor 810 is tilted toward the ceramic capacitor 820 due to an external force along the first direction (when the leads are bent), the electrolytic capacitor 810 and the ceramic capacitor 820 come into contact. In other words, the electrolytic capacitor 810 stops tilting (remains in a state where it cannot tilt any further) by coming into contact with the ceramic capacitor 820. To put it another way, the ceramic capacitor 820 is positioned so as to come into contact with the electrolytic capacitor 810 when an external force is applied in the first direction and the leads are bent (within a range where contact is possible).

[0255] The ceramic capacitor 820 is equipped with two leads (a pair of leads) extending from its main body. The two leads are inserted through holes in the substrate 400 and soldered to the substrate 400, thereby fixing it to the substrate 400. The distance between the main body of the ceramic capacitor 820 and the substrate 400 is smaller than the predetermined distance γ mentioned above, making the ceramic capacitor 820 less likely to tip over (its leads are less likely to bend) than the electrolytic capacitor 810. Furthermore, the direction in which the holes into which the leads are inserted are provided in the ceramic capacitor 820 (the direction in which the spacing between the holes is formed) is perpendicular to the direction in which the holes into which the leads of the electrolytic capacitor 810 are provided (the second direction mentioned above). For this reason, the ceramic capacitor 820 is prone to tipping over in the second direction mentioned above, but is less likely to tip over in the first direction mentioned above. Consequently, even if the electrolytic capacitor 810 tips over and is subjected to force (a force acting in the first direction), the ceramic capacitor 820 can support the electrolytic capacitor 810 without tipping over together with it.

[0256] As shown in Figure 33(a), identification information (silk screen lettering) "C32" corresponding to the ceramic capacitor 820 is indicated on the substrate 400 near the ceramic capacitor 820. In this embodiment, the identification information "C32" is indicated within a specific range ε ​​and at a position that is in the first direction from the electrolytic capacitor 810. Specifically, in the first direction, the identification information "C32" is indicated at a position that is approximately opposite to the electrolytic capacitor 810, with the ceramic capacitor 820 in between. The identification information "C32" is a string of characters formed by combining the letter "C," which represents a capacitor, and the number "32" assigned to that capacitor. For example, a capacitor assigned the number "3" would be "C3," and a capacitor assigned the number "108" would be "C108."

[0257] As shown in Figure 33(b), in this embodiment, even if the electrolytic capacitor 810 is tilted (leads bent) and in contact with the ceramic capacitor 820, and the ceramic capacitor 820 is covered (hidden) and no longer visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface, the identification information "C32" of the ceramic capacitor 820 (contacted component) remains visible without being hidden (obstructed) (i.e., the visibility of the identification information "C32" is ensured). Note that "visible" does not mean that the entire thing is completely visible, but rather that even if the visibility of a part (for example, a part of a number) is impaired (hidden), it is still visible if the worker can identify it as the identification information "C32". In other words, for example, in the case of identification information "C32", which consists of two types of characters, a character indicating the type of component (capacitor) ("C") and a character indicating the component number (a number indicating which capacitor it is) ("32"), it is sufficient that at least the "C" is visible. Even in a configuration where only "C" is visible, the type of component can be identified. Therefore, the decrease in work efficiency compared to when "C32" is completely covered can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the vertical direction, at least the upper half or lower half of the identification information "C32" may be visible. Specifically, for example, on the lower side, a predetermined area smaller than the lower half may be covered by a component (electrolytic capacitor 810) and therefore not visible, but on the upper side, the upper half or more may not be covered by the component (electrolytic capacitor 810) and be visible, allowing the character (identification information) to be identified. In Figures 33(a) and 33(b), the identification information "C32" is assumed to be within a specific range ε. However, "C32" being within a specific range ε ​​does not mean that all the characters of "C32" are within the specific range ε; it may also mean that "C" is outside the range and "32" is within the range (or that only a part of it is within the range). In this case, "32" may be configured to be visible when the component (electrolytic capacitor 810) is tilted (its leads are bent) and in contact with the ceramic capacitor 820.

[0258] The identification information "C32" is marked in a position that is not covered by the electrolytic capacitor 810 which is in contact with the ceramic capacitor 820. In this embodiment, the electrolytic capacitor 810, which is placed on the substrate 400 while floating by a predetermined distance γ, will bend its leads when force is applied in the first direction, but the amount of bending is within a range that does not cover the identification information "C32" on the ceramic capacitor 820.

[0259] Furthermore, the identification information "C62" corresponding to the electrolytic capacitor 810 is located on one side of the second direction, which makes it difficult for the main body 811 to tip over. Therefore, the identification information "C62" remains visible even when the electrolytic capacitor 810 tips over in the first direction and comes into contact with the ceramic capacitor 820.

[0260] Furthermore, in Figure 33(a), the ceramic capacitor 820 is positioned on one side (left side) adjacent to the electrolytic capacitor 810 in the first direction. However, the ceramic capacitors 820 may be positioned on both sides adjacent to the electrolytic capacitor 810 in the first direction. In other words, the electrolytic capacitor 810 may come into contact with the ceramic capacitor 820 and stop falling regardless of which side it falls to in the first direction. In that case, regardless of which side the electrolytic capacitor 810 falls to in the first direction and comes into contact with the ceramic capacitor 820, the identification information of each ceramic capacitor 820 can be seen when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface.

[0261] In this embodiment, an electrolytic capacitor 810 has been described as the first component, but the first component is not limited to the electrolytic capacitor 810 and may be any other leaded component. Specifically, it may be any leaded component having a main body and leads (lead terminals) extending from the main body, where the main body is placed on the substrate 400 with the main body floating by a predetermined distance, and where the leads can bend, causing the main body to fall over. Furthermore, the number of leads may be two or more; for example, there may be three leads. In the case of three leads, the substrate 400 is provided with three holes into which the leads of the first component are inserted, at predetermined intervals in a predetermined direction.

[0262] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the component located within a specific range ε ​​and positioned in the first direction of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is defined as the ceramic capacitor 820 (second component). However, the second component is not limited to the ceramic capacitor 820; it may be any other electronic component. The second component, however, is assumed to have a predetermined height from the substrate surface (first surface) and to be able to contact the first component in a bent state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) is tilted and in contact with the ceramic capacitor 820 (second component), the identification information "C32" of the ceramic capacitor 820 is visible without being obscured when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. However, this identification information is not limited to that of the second component, but may correspond to other electronic components. For example, if the identification information "C62" corresponding to the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) is provided on one side of the first direction, the identification information "C62" may remain visible even when the first component is tilted in the first direction. This prevents the predetermined identification information from being obscured (reducing visibility) when the lead terminal portion of the first component is bent, making it difficult to grasp the identification information and thus reducing the efficiency of work (inspection work, etc.). In this embodiment, the first component is assumed to tilt in a first direction and come into contact with the second component, stopping its tilt. However, the first component may also come into contact with a component other than the second component (a predetermined location), stopping its tilt. For example, as shown in Figure 32(c), the bottom of the main body of the first component may contact (bump against) the substrate (first surface, substrate surface) to stop it from tipping over. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 32(d), the main body of the first component may contact (bump against) the substrate case (first case 710) to stop it from tipping over.

[0263] Furthermore, the electrolytic capacitors arranged on the substrate 400 may include an electrolytic capacitor 840 (second electrolytic capacitor) (fourth component) in addition to the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first electrolytic capacitor) described above. Figure 34(a) shows electrolytic capacitors 810 and 840. Electrolytic capacitor 840 comprises a cylindrical body portion 841 and lead terminal portions 842 extending from the bottom of the body portion 841. The diameter of the body portion 841 of electrolytic capacitor 840 is larger than the diameter of the body portion 811 of electrolytic capacitor 810. In other words, the size of the body portion 841 of electrolytic capacitor 840 is larger than the size of the body portion 811 of electrolytic capacitor 810.

[0264] As previously described, the electrolytic capacitor 810 has a formed lead terminal portion 812 and is placed on the substrate 400 with a predetermined distance γ gap between the main body portion 811 and the substrate 400. On the other hand, in the electrolytic capacitor 840, the distance (gap) between the main body portion 841 and the substrate 400 (surface) is smaller than the predetermined distance γ (the distance between the main body portion 811 and the substrate 400 in the electrolytic capacitor 810). Being smaller than the predetermined distance γ (a state smaller than the predetermined distance γ) includes a state where there is no gap (gap is 0). In this embodiment, the electrolytic capacitor 840 is placed on the substrate 400 with no gap between the main body portion 841 and the surface of the substrate 400 (i.e., the main body portion 841 is in contact with the substrate 400). Although not shown in the figures, a minute gap (a gap smaller than the predetermined distance γ) may be provided between the main body portion 841 and the surface of the substrate 400. The smaller the gap between the main body 811 (main body 840) and the surface of the circuit board 400, the greater the stability when the electrolytic capacitor is placed on the circuit board 400. When placed on circuit board 400, electrolytic capacitor 810 is taller than electrolytic capacitor 840.

[0265] The spacing (pitch) of the holes in the substrate 400 into which the lead terminal portion 812 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is inserted is β, and in this embodiment, the spacing β is 5.5 mm. Similarly, the spacing (pitch) of the holes into which the lead terminal portion 842 of the electrolytic capacitor 840 is inserted is also β (5.5 mm). In other words, the spacing of the lead terminal portion 842 is β. Note that the lead terminal portion 842 is not formed. The holes into which the electrolytic capacitor 810 and the electrolytic capacitor 840 are mounted have the same pitch (the spacing of the leads of the electrolytic capacitor 810 and the spacing of the leads of the electrolytic capacitor 840 are the same). By keeping the hole pitch the same (keeping the lead spacing the same), it is possible to enjoy the effect of simplifying the pattern design.

[0266] An electrolytic capacitor 810 placed on the substrate 400 with a predetermined distance γ gap is more prone to lead bending than an electrolytic capacitor 840 placed on the substrate 400 with a gap smaller than the predetermined distance γ (including 0). In this embodiment, for the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first electrolytic capacitor) whose leads are prone to bending, even if the leads bend and come into contact with a predetermined component (an adjacent component), the identification information of the predetermined component remains visible.

[0267] As shown in Figure 33(a), the ceramic capacitor 820 (second component) is positioned within a specific range ε ​​and in a position that is in the first direction relative to the electrolytic capacitor 810. This ceramic capacitor 820 is a component that is more heat-resistant (has higher heat resistance) than IC830. In addition, the ceramic capacitor 820 generates less heat (less heat) than IC830.

[0268] IC830 (third component) comprises a rectangular plate-shaped main body 831 and a lead terminal portion 832 extending from the main body 831. Multiple leads constituting the lead terminal portion 832 are provided at predetermined intervals along each longitudinal side (each of the pair of long sides) of the main body 831. IC830 is fixed to the substrate 400 by soldering with the lead terminal portion 832 inserted through holes in the substrate 400. At least a portion of IC830 is positioned within a specific range ε ​​and in a second direction relative to the electrolytic capacitor 810. IC830 is a component that is less resistant to heat (has lower heat resistance) than ceramic capacitor 820. Also, IC830 generates more heat (greater heat) than ceramic capacitor 820. In this embodiment, IC830 is an IC in a plastic package. IC830 is a motor driver, and depending on the frequency and conditions of use, it is a component that generates more heat (has a higher surface temperature) than ceramic capacitor 820 when the game is played normally in the amusement machine and it continues to operate for a predetermined period of time.

[0269] Electrolytic capacitor 810 is designed to degrade faster (degrade more quickly) when used in high-temperature environments compared to low-temperature environments. In other words, the electrolytic capacitor 810 degrades more rapidly in high-temperature environments.

[0270] In this embodiment, the IC830, which has low heat resistance, is positioned in the second direction of the electrolytic capacitor 810, but the leads of the electrolytic capacitor 810 are less likely to bend in the second direction. In other words, the heat-sensitive component (IC830) is positioned in a location where it is less likely to come into contact with the electrolytic capacitor 810. To put it another way, the electrolytic capacitor 810 is less likely to come into contact with the IC830 (the heat-sensitive component). This prevents the electrolytic capacitor 810 from coming into contact with the IC830 and damaging the IC830 due to heat. Furthermore, the ceramic capacitor 820, which is positioned in a location where its leads are easily bent and the electrolytic capacitor 810 is likely to come into contact with it, is heat-resistant, making it less likely to be damaged even if the electrolytic capacitor 810 comes into contact with it.

[0271] Furthermore, although IC830, which generates a large amount of heat, is positioned in the second direction relative to electrolytic capacitor 810, the leads of electrolytic capacitor 810 are less likely to bend in the second direction. In other words, the component that generates a large amount of heat (IC830) is positioned in a location where it is less likely to come into contact with electrolytic capacitor 810. To put it another way, electrolytic capacitor 810 is less likely to come into contact with IC830. This prevents electrolytic capacitor 810 from coming into contact with IC830, which would cause it to overheat and accelerate its deterioration. Furthermore, the ceramic capacitor 820, which is positioned in a location where its leads are easily bent and it is likely to come into contact with the electrolytic capacitor 810, generates little heat. Therefore, even if the electrolytic capacitor 810 comes into contact with the ceramic capacitor 820, the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is less likely to be accelerated.

[0272] The gaming machine of this embodiment is Circuit board 400 and, The substrate comprises the following components: The aforementioned components include a first component (electrolytic capacitor 810) and a second component (ceramic capacitor 820). The first component comprises a main body portion 811 and a lead terminal portion 812 having a plurality of leads extending from the main body portion. The substrate is provided with a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined direction at predetermined intervals, The first component is arranged on the substrate such that the plurality of leads are inserted into the plurality of holes and a predetermined gap is formed between the main body and the substrate. A second direction is defined as a direction parallel to the substrate surface and aligned with the predetermined direction. The first direction is a direction parallel to the substrate surface and perpendicular to the second direction. If the distance from the substrate to the tip of the main body is defined as a specific distance, On the substrate, the second component is arranged within a circle centered on the position of the first component and having a radius of the specified distance, and identification information corresponding to the second component is displayed on the substrate. The second component and the identification information are provided in the first direction of the first component, When a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body, causing the lead terminal portion to bend and the main body portion to contact the second component, the identification information is visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface.

[0273] When a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body, causing the lead terminal portion to bend and the main body to contact the second component, the identification information is visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. Therefore, even if at least a part of the second component is covered by the contact of the main body, making it difficult to see the second component, the second component can still be identified through the identification information corresponding to the second component. This prevents a decrease in work efficiency (inspection work, etc.) when bending of the lead terminal portion of the first component occurs, making it difficult to identify the component (second component) covered by the first component.

[0274] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The first component is such that when a force acting in the second direction is applied to the main body, the lead terminal portion is less likely to bend than when a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body. The identification information corresponding to the first component is provided in the second direction of the first component.

[0275] Identification information corresponding to the first component is provided in the second direction, which makes it difficult for the lead terminal portion to bend. Therefore, when the lead terminal portion is bent, the visibility of the identification information corresponding to the first component is suppressed.

[0276] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The component includes a third component (IC830) which is positioned on the substrate such that at least a portion of it is included within the range of the circle and is located in the second direction of the first component. The third component generates more heat than the second component which is positioned in the first direction of the first component. The first component deteriorates more rapidly in high-temperature environments. The first component is such that when a force acting in the second direction is applied to the main body, the lead terminal portion is less likely to bend than when a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body.

[0277] The first component is one whose degradation is accelerated in high-temperature environments, and the third component, which generates a large amount of heat, is positioned in the second direction of the first component, but the lead terminal portion of the first component is designed to be difficult to bend in the second direction. By positioning the third component, which generates a large amount of heat, on the side where the lead terminal portion is difficult to bend, it is possible to suppress the first component from coming into contact with the third component, which would cause the first component to become hot and accelerate its degradation. Furthermore, the second component, which is positioned on the side where the lead terminal portion is more likely to bend (the side where the first component is more likely to come into contact), generates less heat than the third component. Therefore, even when the first component comes into contact with the second component, the first component is not affected by the ambient temperature and becomes hot, which can suppress the acceleration of deterioration of the first component.

[0278] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The component includes a third component (IC830) which is positioned on the substrate such that at least a portion of it is included within the range of the circle and is located in the second direction of the first component. The third component has lower heat resistance than the second component which is positioned in the first direction of the first component. The first component is such that when a force acting in the second direction is applied to the main body, the lead terminal portion is less likely to bend than when a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body.

[0279] The third component, which has low heat resistance, is positioned in the second direction of the first component, but the lead terminal portion of the first component is designed to be difficult to bend in the second direction. By positioning the third component on the side where the lead terminal portion is difficult to bend (the side where the first component is less likely to come into contact), it is possible to prevent the first component from coming into contact with the third component and causing the third component, which has low heat resistance, to fail (deteriorate). Furthermore, by placing the second component, which has higher heat resistance than the third component, on the side of the lead terminal that is prone to bending (the side that the first component is likely to come into contact with), it is possible to suppress the failure of the second component when the first component comes into contact with it.

[0280] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The aforementioned component includes a fourth component (electrolytic capacitor 840) which is of the same type as the first component, but whose main body is larger than that of the first component. The first and fourth components have the same spacing between the holes into which the lead terminals are inserted. The fourth component is positioned on the substrate such that the gap between the main body and the substrate is smaller than the predetermined gap in the first component.

[0281] The lead terminal portion of the first component is bent to match the spacing of the holes in the substrate into which the lead terminal portion is inserted (the same as the spacing of the holes into which the lead terminal portion of the fourth component, which is larger than the first component, is inserted). The first component is placed on the substrate with a predetermined gap formed between the main body portion (main body portion of the first component) and the substrate. On the other hand, the fourth component is placed on the substrate with a gap between the main body portion (main body portion of the fourth component) and the substrate that is smaller than the predetermined gap. The lead terminal portion of the first component is more easily bent than that of the fourth component. In this embodiment, even if a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body (main body of the first part) of the first part, which is different from the fourth part, causing the lead terminal portion (lead terminal portion of the first part) to bend and the main body (main body of the first part) to come into contact with the second part, the identification information (identification information of the second part) remains visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. This prevents a decrease in work efficiency (inspection work) when bending of the lead terminal portion of the first part occurs, making it difficult to identify the part covered by the first part (the second part).

[0282] In Figure 31(c), in the case of the electrolytic capacitor 810, the tips of the terminals of the pair of leads are each facing outward (diagonally outward). On the other hand, in Figure 30 relating to the fourth embodiment, in the case of the lead component β, the tips of the terminals of the pair of leads are each facing inward. Here, the lead component β is a resistor. By differentiating the bending of the lead tips according to the type of component (establishing rules for how to bend the leads), it is possible to identify (narrow down) the type of component by looking only at the second side of the circuit board 400. This improves the efficiency of tasks such as inspection.

[0283] As shown in Figure 34(b), specific information S1 (silk printing) relating to a given electronic component may be printed on the substrate 400 directly below the main body of the electronic component (lead component). Examples of specific information S1 include symbols (circuit diagram symbols). The specific information S1 is printed within the space between the leads so that it is not partially hidden (covered) by the mounting of the electronic component (lead). By placing the specific information S1 within the range between leads, the correspondence between the specific information S1 and the electronic component to be placed (inserted) becomes clearer compared to when it is placed outside that range, thereby suppressing the incorrect insertion of electronic components. Furthermore, by placing the specific information S1 within the range between leads, space can be used more effectively compared to when it is placed outside that range, and space can be secured for other displays (such as identification information). In addition, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, the specific information S1 is covered by the electronic component, reducing its visibility (making it invisible), thus improving the anti-tampering performance. In Figure 34(b), the electronic component is shown as an electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component), but the first component may be any other electronic component (leaded component) besides the electrolytic capacitor 810.

[0284] In Figure 34(b), specific information S1 is displayed directly below the main body 811 of the electrolytic capacitor 810. A gap γ (Figure 34(a)) is formed between the main body 811 and the substrate 400. Relatively tall electronic components E1 are arranged in the first direction of the electrolytic capacitor 810. In this case, no electronic components taller than gap γ are placed in a specific range in the second direction of the electrolytic capacitor 810. However, electronic components shorter than gap γ may be placed in the specific range. Here, the width of the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) is defined as width W1. If the first component is elongated in a predetermined direction (e.g., rectangular), the width in the longitudinal direction is defined as width W1. The specific range is the area in the second direction from the end (outer end) of the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) to a position corresponding to a distance of width W1 (approximately the width of one electronic component). Since no electronic components taller than the gap γ are placed within the specified range, the specific information S1 can be seen when viewed from an oblique angle in the second direction. In other words, it is possible to prevent the specific information S1 directly below the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) from becoming completely invisible.

[0285] As shown in Figure 34(c), line P1 is a virtual line that is oblique to the substrate surface and aligns with a predetermined direction (first direction), connecting one end X (the rear end) of the specific information S1 to the top plate of the substrate case (first case 710). A virtual plane that includes line P1 and is perpendicular to the substrate surface is defined as plane Q1 (not shown). Angle α1 is defined as the angle between line P1 and the substrate surface on plane Q1. Angle α1 is approximately 35°. Line P1 can be drawn without contacting the main body 811 (its bottom surface). The virtual line P2 shown in Figure 34(c) is a line on plane Q1 that connects the other end Y (front end) of the specific information S1 to the top plate of the substrate case (first case 710), and on plane Q1, the angle it makes with the substrate surface is angle α2. Angle α2 is smaller than angle α1. Angle α2 is approximately 20°. On plane Q1, the angle between lines P1 and P2 is approximately 15° to 20°. Line P2 can be drawn without contacting the main body 811 (its bottom surface). In this example, for any end of the specific information S1 (for all ends), it is possible to draw a straight line connecting that end to the top plate on the plane Q1 without it coming into contact with the main body 811 (its bottom surface). When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface (directly above), the specific information S1 is covered by the electrolytic capacitor 810 (first component) and cannot be seen. However, when viewed from an oblique direction to the substrate surface (for example, diagonally above in the first direction), the gap γ (lead height) between the main body 811 and the substrate 400 is set such that the entire specific information S1 directly below the main body 811 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 can be seen through the substrate case (top plate) within the range (angle) between the straight line P1 and the straight line P2. Furthermore, the gap γ (lead height) between the main body 811 and the substrate 400 may be set such that, when viewed from an oblique direction relative to the substrate surface (for example, from diagonally above in the first direction), more than half of the specific information S1 directly below the main body 811 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is visible. For example, a hypothetical straight line P1' (not shown) is a straight line oblique to the substrate surface along a predetermined direction (first direction), connecting the center of the specific information S1 and the top plate of the substrate case (first case 710), and the gap γ (lead height) between the main body 811 and the substrate 400 may be set such that, within the range (angle) between straight line P1' and straight line P2, half of the specific information S1 directly below the main body 811 of the electrolytic capacitor 810 is visible. The circuit board case (first case 710) consists of a top panel and wall panels (side walls). When the circuit board case is installed in the gaming machine, other circuit board cases and peripheral components are positioned opposite the wall panels (adjacent to other components). This arrangement, with components lined up on the wall panel side, is intended to save space in the depth direction of the gaming machine. In other words, it is difficult to look inside the circuit board case from the wall panel side. In this embodiment, with the circuit board case attached to the gaming machine, specific information S1 (silk screen markings) directly below the lead components can be seen from the top of the circuit board case. This allows for inspection (verification) of the inside of the circuit board case without disassembling the gaming machine (without removing the circuit board case).

[0286] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the description of configurations similar to those of the gaming machine in the fourth embodiment described above will be omitted or simplified. Furthermore, although the explanation will use the circuit board 400 of the payout control board unit 700, the present invention is also applicable to other predetermined circuit boards provided in the gaming machine.

[0287] Figure 30 shows the case in which the substrate 400 is fixed to the first case 710 (boss 715) using a screw α, and a pan head screw is used for screw α. However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 35, a countersunk screw S is used as the screw (fixing member) to fix the substrate 400 to the first case 710 (first member). A metal countersunk screw S has a flat top surface and a conical seating surface. Countersunk screws S are used, for example, when a counterbore is provided in the mating member to be fastened and the head does not want to protrude. However, in this embodiment, a countersunk screw S is used without providing a counterbore in the substrate 400, which is the mating member to be fastened. Here, the dimension of the substrate case 701 (case) in the same direction as the thickness direction of the substrate 400 is referred to as the "thickness of the substrate case 701". The substrate case 701 is required to be thin, from the viewpoint of securing space for mounting other components.

[0288] Because the top surface of the countersunk screw S is flat, the height of the head is lower than that of a pan-head screw (the axial dimension B is smaller). A predetermined gap (dimension D) is secured between the screw head and the substrate case 701 (second case 720), but because the dimension B is smaller for the countersunk screw S than for a pan-head screw, the second case 720 (second member) can be positioned closer to the substrate 400 when using the countersunk screw S than when using a pan-head screw (the space inside the substrate case 701 can be reduced). In other words, when using the countersunk screw S, the substrate case 701 can be made thinner than when using a pan-head screw, resulting in miniaturization and space saving.

[0289] Furthermore, assuming a constant thickness for the circuit board case 701 (the internal space of the circuit board case 701), using a countersunk screw S allows for a larger distance (gap) (dimension D) between the screw head and the second case 720 compared to using a pan head screw. This reduces the possibility of the screw head contacting the second case 720 and damaging it. Additionally, comparing the contact area between the head of the countersunk screw S and the head of the pan head screw and the circuit board 400 (flat circuit board surface) (second surface), the contact area of ​​the head of the countersunk screw S is smaller than that of the head of the pan head screw. This reduces the area over which force is applied to the circuit board when the screw is tightened, thereby suppressing damage to the circuit board.

[0290] As shown in Figure 29 and other figures, a roughly circular pattern-free region N (an area where copper foil is not provided) is provided around the through-hole 450 (screw insertion hole) (screw hole) of the substrate 400. The roughly circular shape includes a circular shape (an isolated circle), and also includes cases where a part of the circle is connected to another pattern-free region N and is not a complete circle. Outside the roughly circular pattern-free region N (radially outward) is the region where the pattern is formed (a region where copper foil is provided).

[0291] Although not shown in the diagram, the diameter of the pattern-free region N around the through-hole 450 is larger than the diameter of the head of the countersunk screw S. For example, the diameter of the pattern-free region N is approximately 1 to 3 mm larger than the diameter of the head of the countersunk screw S. The pattern-free region N is sized such that, when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface (second surface), the head of the countersunk screw S does not protrude outside the pattern-free region N (the head of the countersunk screw S fits inside the pattern-free region N). Therefore, it is possible to suppress electrical conduction and damage to the component due to contact between the screw and the copper foil. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent damage to the copper foil due to contact by the screw. In addition, even if a screw with a larger head diameter (different from the designed diameter) is used, the possibility of the screw head contacting the copper foil can be reduced.

[0292] Here, the radially outer end of the head of the countersunk screw S is defined as the outer end of the head of the countersunk screw S. As shown in Figure 35, when the countersunk screw S is fastened to the first case 710 (the substrate 400 is fixed by the countersunk screw S), the gap between the second surface of the substrate 400 and the outer end of the head of the countersunk screw S (the gap in the axial direction of the screw) is defined as the first gap.

[0293] Electronic components are mounted on the first surface of the substrate 400. The heads of countersunk screws S are located on the second surface of the substrate 400. Here, of the spaces formed inside the substrate case 701, the space on the first surface side is referred to as the first space, and the space on the second surface side is referred to as the second space. In this embodiment, when the substrate 400 is sealed (stored) inside the substrate case 701, a second gap is provided that connects the first space and the second space. The air inside the substrate case 701 can move between the first space and the second space through the second gap. The second gap is formed, for example, between a predetermined outer edge (outer end) of the substrate 400 and the inner surface (inner surface) of the substrate case 701.

[0294] The second gap is smaller than the size of the electronic components (parts) placed on the first surface of the substrate 400. In other words, the electronic components placed on the first surface of the substrate 400 are larger than the second gap. The second gap is small enough that the electronic components placed on the first surface of the substrate 400 cannot pass (move) from the first space to the second space. When we say "the second gap is smaller than the size of the electronic components placed on the first surface of the substrate 400," it means that the second gap is smaller than the smallest width (dimension) of the electronic component in each direction (up / down, left / right, radial, etc.). For example, in the case of a long plate-shaped electronic component, if the thickness dimension is smaller than the dimension in the short side direction, the thickness dimension is the "smallest width." Even if an electronic component placed on the first surface of the substrate 400 becomes detached and moves, that electronic component cannot move from the first space to the second space through the second gap. Therefore, it is possible to check for the presence or absence of a detached component (lost component) by looking only at the first space side.

[0295] Electronic components placed on the first surface of the circuit board 400 may break off in some parts due to deterioration or other reasons. It is possible that these broken components (fragments) may be smaller than the second gap. In other words, it is possible that the broken components (fragments) may move from the first space to the second space through the second gap. If the broken component moves to the second space, its presence or absence can be confirmed by checking the second space. However, if the broken component is stuck in the first gap, it becomes difficult to notice its presence.

[0296] In this embodiment, the first gap is smaller than the second gap. Therefore, even if a broken part (fragment) moves from the first space to the second space through the second gap, it is difficult for the part to get stuck (enter) into the first gap. In other words, the possibility of a broken part getting stuck (entering) into the first gap is reduced. This increases the likelihood of finding the broken part even if the part is damaged and broken.

[0297] In this embodiment, the size of the dispensing control board unit 700 is reduced and space-saving is achieved by using countersunk screws to fix the board 400 to the board case 701. However, in certain board units that are placed in locations where space constraints are not particularly strict, either pan head screws or countersunk screws may be used to fix the board to the board case. Also, in design parts other than the board unit, either pan head screws or countersunk screws may be used to fix certain components. In other words, countersunk screws can be used in board units where space saving is required, and countersunk screws can be used as appropriate in other locations.

[0298] The gaming machine of this embodiment is The device comprises a substrate (400), a case (701) for housing the substrate, and a fixing member for fixing the substrate to the case. The aforementioned substrate is provided with screw holes, The aforementioned fixing member is a countersunk screw (S), The countersunk screw is inserted through the screw hole from one side of the substrate and fastened to the case. A first gap is formed between the radially outer end of the head of the countersunk screw and one surface of the substrate.

[0299] The countersunk screw has a flat top surface on its head, and its head height is lower than that of a pan-head screw. Therefore, the case can be positioned closer to the substrate than when a pan-head screw is used. This allows the case to be made thinner. As a result, miniaturization can be achieved, and space can be saved. In addition, the countersunk screw has a smaller contact area with the substrate compared to when a pan-head screw is used. Therefore, the area over which force is applied to the substrate is reduced, and damage to the substrate can be suppressed.

[0300] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The case comprises a first member (first case 710) that covers the first surface of the substrate and a second member (second case 720) that covers the second surface of the substrate. The countersunk screw is inserted into the screw hole from the second side of the substrate and fastened to the first member. The components are arranged on the first surface side of the substrate, The head of the countersunk screw is positioned on the second surface side of the substrate. A second gap is provided within the case that connects the space on the first side and the space on the second side. The second gap is smaller than the size of the component located on the first surface side of the substrate. The first gap is smaller than the second gap.

[0301] Since the second gap is smaller than the size of the component placed on the first surface side of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the component from moving from the space on the first surface side to the space on the second surface side through the second gap. Furthermore, since the first gap is smaller than the second gap, even if a part of the component placed on the first surface side of the substrate is chipped and the chipped component (fragment) moves from the space on the first surface side to the space on the second surface side through the second gap, it is possible to prevent the component from getting stuck (entering) into the first gap. This increases the likelihood of detecting the chipped component.

[0302] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, The area around the screw hole on the second surface is a roughly circular region where no copper foil is formed. The diameter of the region is larger than the diameter of the head of the countersunk screw.

[0303] Since the diameter of the region is larger than the diameter of the head of the countersunk screw, it is possible to prevent the head of the countersunk screw from coming into contact with the copper foil and causing electrical conductivity, which would damage the component. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent damage to the copper foil due to such contact. In addition, even if a screw with a large head diameter is used, the possibility of the screw head coming into contact with the copper foil can be reduced.

[0304] (Seventh Embodiment) Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the description of configurations similar to those of the gaming machine in the first embodiment described above will be omitted or simplified.

[0305] As shown in Figure 7, the front case 402a is a cover member positioned on the rear side of the gaming machine and is made of transparent resin. In this embodiment, ABS resin (a copolymer synthetic resin of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene) is used as the resin. On the other hand, the back case 402b is a base member positioned on the front side of the gaming machine and is made of transparent resin. In this embodiment, PC (polycarbonate) resin is used as the resin. Both the front case 402a and the back case 402b are made of transparent resin, but they are made of different materials. As shown in Figure 7, a seal (seal 410) is attached to the front case 402a. On the other hand, no seal is attached to the back case 402b.

[0306] Heat-generating components (heat-generating components) are provided around the payout control board 400 (board case 402) (payout control board unit 401). The payout control board 400 is located inside the board case 402, and various electronic components are arranged on the payout control board 400, including components that generate heat. In addition, heat-generating components (heat-generating components) are arranged around (near) the board case 402. These components are, for example, located on the front side of the board case 402 (back case 402b: base member) that houses the payout control board 400 (the back side of the board case 402 when viewed from the rear of the gaming machine). These components may also be located on the left, right, top, or bottom side of the board case 402 (payout control board 400) when viewed from the rear of the gaming machine. An example of such a component is a power supply board (power supply board unit). The power supply board has multiple components arranged on it, and among these components, the coil and power supply IC in particular generate relatively large amounts of heat. Furthermore, some boards have components such as motors, motor drivers (ICs), and LED drivers (ICs) mounted on them. There may be more than one heat-generating component arranged around the board case 402. To save space within the enclosure, these components may be placed relatively close to the dispensing control board 400 (dispensing control board unit 401).

[0307] In environments where temperature changes occur (for example, at high temperatures), gas may be generated from the surface of the case (component) made of PC resin. Therefore, if a seal is applied to the surface of the case, the generated gas may be trapped inside the seal, causing bubbles to form inside the seal (accumulating bubbles), and resulting in unevenness on the surface of the seal (the surface becoming bumpy). As shown in Figure 9, the seal 410 has fields for the person who opened it and the date of opening, and may contain written text. If such unevenness is formed, the visibility of the written text will decrease (it will become difficult to read the text). In addition, if such unevenness is formed, it will be difficult to write on the seal 410. The seal 410 is made of polyvinyl chloride film, which has excellent heat resistance and weather resistance. Therefore, unlike paper seals, it has low breathability, and internal bubbles do not easily pass through (they do not easily escape to the outside). As a result, if gas is generated and unevenness is formed, it is difficult to eliminate the unevenness.

[0308] In environments where temperature changes occur (for example, at high temperatures), cases made of ABS resin generate less gas than cases made of PC resin. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front case 402a to which the seal 410 is attached is made of ABS resin, and the back case 402b to which the seal is not attached is made of PC resin. By attaching the seal 410 to the surface of the ABS front case 402a, the formation of irregularities on the surface of the seal 410 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress the difficulty in reading the characters written on the seal 410 and writing characters on the seal 410.

[0309] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the back case 402b (base member) has a larger volume than the front case 402a (cover member). That is, the back case 402b, which has a larger volume than the front case 402a, is made of PC resin, while the front case 402a, which has a smaller volume than the back case 402b, is made of ABS resin. PC resin has higher strength than ABS resin. Also, in a gaming machine, the back case 402b is a component that is positioned closer to the player than the front case 402a. By forming the back case 402b, which has a larger volume and is positioned closer to the player, with a stronger material (PC resin) than the front case 402a, the anti-fraud performance can be improved.

[0310] Furthermore, the front case 402a and the back case 402b are crimped and joined together. Therefore, the circuit board case 402 cannot be opened without destroying the crimped portion. In this embodiment, this crimped portion is formed of PC (part of the back case 402b). In other words, a part of the PC back case 402b is crimped. By forming the crimped portion with PC resin, which has higher strength than ABS resin, it is possible to make it more difficult to destroy the crimped portion. This improves the anti-tampering performance.

[0311] The front case 402a is equipped with bosses having screw holes, and the dispensing control board 400 is fixed to the front case 402a by screwing it in. If the front case 402a were made of PC, its high strength would require a large force to screw it in, reducing workability. In this embodiment, since the front case 402a is made of ABS resin instead of PC resin, such a reduction in workability can be avoided.

[0312] The gaming machine of this embodiment is The device comprises a substrate (400) and a case (402) for housing the substrate, The case comprises a first member (front case 402a) that covers one side of the substrate and a second member (back case 402b) that covers the other side of the substrate. A sticker (410) on which predetermined information can be written is attached to the first member. The first member is made of ABS resin, The second member is made of polycarbonate resin.

[0313] If the first member is formed from polycarbonate resin and the seal is attached to the first member, gas generation may cause bubbles to form inside the seal, resulting in unevenness on the surface of the seal. In this case, it becomes difficult to write predetermined information to the seal, and if predetermined information is written on the seal, it becomes difficult to see that information. In this embodiment, since the first member to which the seal is attached is formed from ABS resin, which generates less gas than polycarbonate resin, the formation of unevenness on the surface of the seal can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress the difficulty in writing predetermined information to the seal and in seeing the predetermined information written on the seal. Furthermore, by forming the second member from polycarbonate resin, which has higher strength than ABS resin, instead of ABS resin, the anti-fraud performance can be improved.

[0314] Furthermore, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, A heat-generating component is provided around the aforementioned case. No seal is attached to the second component. The volume of the second member is greater than the volume of the first member.

[0315] Although heat-generating components are provided around the case, the seal is attached to the first component made of ABS, and not to the second component made of PC. This prevents the formation of irregularities on the surface of the seal. Furthermore, the second component, which has a larger volume than the first component, is made of PC resin, which has higher strength than ABS resin. By making the larger component (the second component) out of a higher-strength material, the anti-fraud performance can be improved.

[0316] (Eighth embodiment) Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the description of configurations similar to those of the gaming machine in the fourth embodiment described above will be omitted or simplified.

[0317] Figure 36 is a view of a portion of the mounting surface (front surface) (first surface) of the substrate 400 (dispensing control substrate 400) of this embodiment, as seen from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface (direction of the first surface normality). In this embodiment, an insertion-mount type main IC 900 (specific IC) (CPU) (specific integrated circuit) is mounted on the substrate 400. The main IC 900 controls various processes performed by the substrate 400. In this embodiment, multiple types of ICs are arranged on the substrate 400, and the main IC 900 is one of them, with one main IC 900 being arranged. The main IC 900 comprises a main body (package) 910 formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape, which houses the CPU, memory, etc., and a plurality of IC terminals (lead pins) T electrically connected to the circuit built into the main body 910.

[0318] In this embodiment, a ZIP (Zigzag In-Line Package) type IC 900 is used, and the IC terminals T extend alternately in a zigzag pattern from one side of the main body 910 toward the mounting surface. The main IC 900 may also be a SIP (Single In-Line Package) type, in which case the IC terminals T extend in a single line from one side of the main body 910 toward the mounting surface.

[0319] Figure 37 is a schematic diagram of the location of the main IC 900 on the circuit board 400, viewed from the direction directly opposite (side) the board surface of the main IC 900's body portion 910. Here, for the roughly rectangular board-shaped body portion 910, the direction along the longer side is referred to as the "longitudinal direction," and the direction along the shorter side is referred to as the "short direction." The thickness direction of the body portion 910 is referred to as the "thickness direction." The main IC 900 is positioned such that one side of the body portion 910 in the longitudinal direction faces the mounting surface, and each side of the body portion 910 in the short direction is approximately perpendicular (including perpendicular) to the mounting surface of the circuit board 400. Here, the side of the body portion 910 facing the mounting surface of the circuit board 400 is referred to as the bottom surface of the body portion 910. The bottom surface can be said to be one of a pair of opposing sides of the body portion 910 in the short direction.

[0320] Multiple IC terminals T extend from the bottom surface of the main body 910 toward the mounting surface and are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main body 910. In this embodiment, the multiple IC terminals T are provided in an alternating zigzag pattern. In other words, the multiple IC terminals T are provided in two alternating rows. In this embodiment, 64 IC terminals T are provided, numbered IC terminals T1 to IC terminal T64. Each IC terminal T is made of a conductive metal.

[0321] The circuit board 400 has 64 through-holes corresponding to IC terminals T1 to T64. These through-holes can be called through-holes for mounting the main IC 900. The main IC 900 is joined to the circuit board 400 by inserting IC terminals T1 to T64 into each through-hole and soldering them. In other words, the main IC 900 is placed on the circuit board 400 with each IC terminal T and each through-hole (wiring pattern connected to the through-hole) electrically connected.

[0322] The circuit board 400 has several components (electronic components) mounted on it in addition to the main IC 900. These components may include not only leaded components but also surface-mount components. The circuit board 400 is provided with wiring patterns (signal lines) that connect the main IC 900 to predetermined components. In other words, the circuit board 400 is provided with wiring patterns (signal lines) that connect the IC terminal T (corresponding to the through-hole) of the main IC 900 to the terminal (corresponding to the through-hole) of the predetermined component.

[0323] Figure 38 is a view of a portion of the back surface (second surface) of the substrate 400 (the back side of the mounting position of the main IC 900) from a direction perpendicular to the back surface (direction of the second surface normality). In this embodiment, all wiring patterns 920 connecting the main IC 900 and the components placed on the substrate 400 are connected to the IC terminal T of the main IC 900 on the second surface of the substrate 400, at least in the portion on the main IC 900 side.

[0324] The wiring pattern 920 includes a type of wiring pattern 921 in which all paths are provided on the back side (second side) of the circuit board 400, and a type of wiring pattern 922 in which a portion (the part on the main IC 900 side) is provided on the back side (second side) of the circuit board 400, and a portion (the part on the mating component side) is provided on the front side (first side) of the circuit board 400. Note that the black areas in the diagram indicate where solder is attached.

[0325] The wiring pattern 922 has a predetermined length wiring pattern (IC-side wiring pattern 922a) formed on the back surface of the substrate 400, which includes a connection portion to a predetermined IC terminal T (corresponding through-hole) of the main IC 900, and as shown in Figure 36, a predetermined length wiring pattern (mating side wiring pattern 922b) formed on the front surface of the substrate 400, which includes a connection portion to a predetermined terminal (corresponding through-hole) of the mating component, and the two are connected via vias 923 (via holes) (through-holes). In this embodiment, of the wiring patterns that connect a predetermined terminal T of the main IC 900 to a predetermined terminal of another component, at least a predetermined length wiring pattern including a connection portion to terminal T is provided on the back surface of the substrate 400.

[0326] As shown in Figure 36, on the surface (mounting surface) of the substrate 400, a ground pattern Y (ground pattern region Y) (solid ground region Y) is provided around all the through-holes (through-holes into which IC terminals T are inserted) for the main IC 900, surrounding all of the said through-holes. In other words, on the surface of the substrate 400, there are no wiring patterns (wiring patterns 920) connecting the main IC 900 to other components around all the through-holes (all IC terminals T) for the main IC 900, and a ground pattern region Y is provided that is not separated by such wiring patterns.

[0327] Furthermore, a ground pattern area Z is provided on the back surface of the substrate 400, including the area around the through-hole for the main IC 900. Ground pattern area Y (first ground pattern) and ground pattern area Z (second ground pattern) are electrically connected via ground through-holes (such as ground through-hole 960).

[0328] This configuration improves the noise immunity of the main IC 900. It also improves heat dissipation. Furthermore, by omitting the wiring patterns connected to IC terminal T on the surface of the board 400, and instead using a simple configuration (ground plane), unauthorized actions can be easily detected. In other words, the anti-tampering performance can be improved.

[0329] Furthermore, a frame-shaped silk screen marking 930 is provided in the ground pattern area Y to indicate the mounting position (mounting area) of the main IC 900. The silk screen marking 930 (frame) is formed, for example, with white silk screen printing. The main IC 900 is positioned inside the silk screen marking 930. The size and shape of the silk screen marking 930 will be described later.

[0330] In this embodiment, all wiring patterns 920 connecting the main IC 900 and the components arranged on the substrate 400 are connected to the IC terminal T of the main IC 900 on the second surface of the substrate 400, at least in the portion on the main IC 900 side. Here, the "at least the portion on the main IC 900 side," i.e., the IC-side wiring pattern 922a, will be described. The mating wiring pattern 922b (Figure 36) is connected to the IC-side wiring pattern 922a (Figure 38) provided on the back surface of the substrate 400 via a predetermined via 923 provided outside the silk screen marking 930. The mating wiring pattern 922b is designed not to straddle the silk screen marking 930. In other words, the mating wiring pattern 922b is formed so as not to enter inside the silk screen marking 930. On the back surface of the substrate 400, the IC-side wiring pattern 922a is formed with a predetermined length connecting a predetermined position (via 923) outside the silk screen marking 930 on the surface and a predetermined terminal T of the main IC 900. The IC-side wiring pattern 922a includes a connection portion with terminal T and has a predetermined length that extends at least to the outside of the silkscreen marking 930 on its surface.

[0331] As shown in Figure 36, for predetermined IC terminals (pins) of the main IC 900, the IC terminals may be connected to each other on the surface (mounting surface) of the substrate 400 using a wiring pattern J (excluding the ground pattern). In other words, a wiring pattern (signal line) connecting predetermined IC terminals may be provided on the surface of the substrate 400. Allowing the formation of such wiring patterns on the surface can improve the efficiency of pattern design.

[0332] The main IC 900 may be a DIP (Dual In-Line Package) type, where terminals extend from both sides of the main body (each of the opposing pair of sides) toward the mounting surface, rather than from one side of the main body. In Figure 17, for the main IC 500, where IC terminals extend from both sides of the main body, a first ground pattern 560 and a second ground pattern 561 are provided between IC terminals P1 to P35 and IC terminals P36 to P71, and multiple through-holes 562 on the back of the main IC are provided as through-holes that electrically connect the first ground pattern 560 and the second ground pattern 561. Even with a DIP type main IC, as in this embodiment, all wiring patterns 920 (at least the IC-side wiring pattern 922a) may be provided on one side, and the ground pattern area Y may be provided on the other side.

[0333] When the main IC 900 is a ZIP type, the IC terminal T extends from one side (bottom) of the main body 910. As a result, the area of ​​contact between the main body 910 and the mounting surface of the circuit board 400 is smaller compared to the main IC 500, and the spacing between the IC terminals T, which are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the main body 910, is also smaller. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a ground pattern or ground through-hole in the area on the surface of the circuit board 400 that is opposite the bottom of the main body 910 (the area behind the main IC). Even if one is provided, it will result in a narrow and small-area ground pattern (solid ground area).

[0334] Therefore, in this embodiment, all wiring patterns 920 (at least the IC-side wiring patterns 922a) are provided on the back surface of the substrate 400, and at least the IC-side wiring patterns 922a are not provided on the front surface of the substrate 400, forming a ground pattern region Y surrounding the through-hole for the main IC 900. This improves noise immunity even when using a ZIP-type main IC 900. It also improves heat dissipation.

[0335] In this embodiment, all wiring patterns 920 (at least the IC-side wiring pattern 922a) may be provided on the front surface (first surface) of the substrate 400, and a ground pattern area Y may be provided on the back surface (second surface) of the substrate 400. However, if the surface on which the main IC 900 is placed and the surface on which the ground pattern area Y is formed are the same surface (Figure 36), the area around the main IC 900 will have a simpler configuration, making it easy to detect any tampering.

[0336] In this embodiment, the substrate 400 is a two-layer substrate, but it is not limited to this and may be a multilayer substrate. In the case of a multilayer substrate, the ground can be further strengthened by designating a predetermined layer as a ground layer. In this embodiment, even in the case of a two-layer substrate, noise immunity of the main IC 900 is achieved by providing all the wiring patterns 920 (at least the IC-side wiring pattern 922a) on one side of the substrate 400 and providing the ground pattern area Y on the other side, as described above.

[0337] Furthermore, for components other than the main IC900, the wiring patterns connecting the other components (connecting terminals to terminals of the other components) may be provided on the front surface of the circuit board 400, on the back surface of the circuit board 400, or on both the front and back surfaces of the circuit board 400.

[0338] (Silk screen display) Multiple components, including the main IC 900, are arranged on the mounting surface (front surface) (first surface) of the circuit board 400. The mounting surface of the circuit board 400 is also provided with silkscreen markings (indications) indicating the mounting area (mounting position) of each component. These silkscreen markings are formed, for example, by white silkscreen printing. The silkscreen marking 930 (first indication) shown in Figure 36 is a silkscreen marking indicating the mounting area of ​​the main IC 900. The silkscreen markings may be indicated in a way that shows the outline of each component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface (matching the outline of each component), or they may be indicated in a shape different from the said outline (for example, a rectangular frame).

[0339] In this embodiment, the external shape of the main IC 900 and the external shape of the silkscreen marking 930 are different when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. The silkscreen marking 930 may be formed to correspond to the external shape of the main body 910 when the main IC 900 is viewed from a direction directly facing the board surface of the main body 910 (side view) (Figure 37).

[0340] Here, the components placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400, other than the main IC 900, are referred to as "predetermined components 940". In other words, the components placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400 are divided into the main IC 900 and the predetermined components 940. At least one predetermined component 940 is provided. Examples of predetermined components 940 include ICs (different from the main IC 900), resistor arrays (ladder resistors), connectors, electrolytic capacitors, etc.

[0341] The mounting surface of the substrate 400 is provided with silkscreen markings 950 (second markings) indicating the mounting area of ​​a predetermined component 940. Here, we will describe IC941, which is one of the predetermined components 940. IC941 is a different type of IC from the main IC900. As shown in Figure 36, in this embodiment, multiple IC941s are arranged on the mounting surface of the substrate 400. Also, as shown in Figure 39(a), the mounting surface of the substrate 400 is provided with silkscreen markings 951, which are silkscreen markings 950 corresponding to IC941. The silkscreen markings 951 are formed to correspond to the outer shape of IC941 (the main body) and have a semicircular cutout (recess).

[0342] As shown in Figure 36, one of the predetermined components 940 is a resistor array 942. Furthermore, a silkscreen marking 952 corresponding to the resistor array 942 is provided on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400. Although not shown, the predetermined component 940 also has a connector, and a silkscreen marking 950 corresponding to the connector's outline is provided on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400. Also, although not shown, the predetermined component 940 also has an electrolytic capacitor, and a silkscreen marking 950 corresponding to the electrolytic capacitor's outline is provided on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400.

[0343] In this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the size of the silkscreen marking 930 relative to the size of the main IC 900 is larger than the size of the silkscreen marking 950 relative to the size of the predetermined component 940. Regardless of whether the predetermined component 940 is an IC 941, a connector, an electrolytic capacitor, or any other component (any component in which the silkscreen marking is formed to conform to its outer shape), the size of the silkscreen marking 930 relative to the size of the main IC 900 is larger than the size of the silkscreen marking 950 relative to the size of the predetermined component 940. Here, "size" refers to the area when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, but it may also refer to the length of the outer circumference when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface.

[0344] Furthermore, the size of the silkscreen marking 950 relative to the size of the specified component 940 may be 1 or less. In other words, the specified component 940 and the silkscreen marking 950 may be the same size, or the size of the silkscreen marking 950 may be smaller than the size of the specified component 940 (for example, IC941).

[0345] When the predetermined component 940 is any IC other than the main IC 900 (other ICs) placed on the substrate 400, in this embodiment, the size of the silkscreen marking 930 relative to the size of the main IC 900 is larger than the size of the silkscreen marking 950 relative to the size of any of the other ICs. In other words, the ratio of the size of the silkscreen marking 930 to the size of the main IC 900 is larger than the ratio of the size of the silkscreen marking 950 relative to any of the other ICs (any other predetermined ICs).

[0346] The main IC 900 is a core component that controls various processes performed by the circuit board 400. In this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the area of ​​the part outside (around) the main IC 900 and inside the silkscreen marking 930 (first margin) is larger than the area of ​​the part outside (around) the predetermined component 940 and inside the silkscreen marking 950 (second margin). Because the first margin is relatively large, the main IC 900 can be easily identified. This allows for quick identification and verification of the main IC 900 when checking for defects in the circuit board 400. Therefore, the efficiency of the inspection work can be improved.

[0347] The main IC 900 is a ZIP (Zip-Type) IC with IC terminals T located on one side (bottom) of the main body 910. The surface area between the main body 910 and the mounting surface of the circuit board 400 is small, and the spacing between the two rows of IC terminals T arranged along the longitudinal direction of the main body 910 is also small. As a result, it is difficult to provide a ground through-hole for the main IC 900 in the area on the surface of the circuit board 400 that faces the bottom of the main body 910 (the area behind the main IC), i.e., between the two rows of IC terminals T (inside).

[0348] In this embodiment, at least one ground through-hole 960 (specific ground through-hole) is provided at a predetermined position near the placement location of the main IC 900 and outside the IC terminal T, connecting the ground pattern area Y (first ground pattern) on the mounting surface of the substrate 400 with the ground pattern area Z (second ground pattern) on the back surface of the substrate 400, thereby reinforcing the ground. Providing a ground through-hole 960 near the placement location of the main IC 900 means, for example, that if the distance between the main IC 900 and a component placed near the main IC 900 is defined as the first distance, the ground through-hole 960 is provided at a position closer to the main IC 900 than the midpoint of the first distance (the midpoint of the first distance).

[0349] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 36, four ground through-holes 960 are provided. The silk screen markings 930 are formed to enclose each ground through-hole 960 on their insides. In other words, the silk screen markings 930 are formed to surround both the main IC 900 and the four ground through-holes 960. When using a ZIP-type main IC 900, it is difficult to provide ground through-holes on the back of the main IC, which increases the necessity (importance) of providing ground through-holes 960 in the vicinity (periphery) of the main IC 900. That is, the ground through-holes 960 are a configuration of high importance from the standpoint of ground reinforcement.

[0350] By providing silk-screen markings 930 so that the ground through-hole 960 is included on the inside, it becomes clear that the ground through-hole 960 is an important component related to the main IC 900. This helps to prevent, for example, inadvertently removing the ground through-hole 960 during the design phase or moving its position away from the main IC 900.

[0351] The ZIP-type main IC 900 is a component with a relatively large height from the mounting surface. Therefore, when the main body 910 is subjected to impact or other forces, the main body 910 is relatively prone to tipping over in the thickness direction (left-right direction in Figure 36). Here, the position in which the shorter side of the main body 910 is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the substrate 400 is defined as the reference position (tilt of 0 degrees). In this embodiment, even if the main IC 900 (main body 910) is tilted by about 10 to 15 degrees relative to the reference position, the main body 910 does not protrude outside the silkscreen marking 930 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. If the main body 910 protrudes outside the silkscreen marking 930 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, there is a risk that the main IC 900 may be judged as not being placed in the correct position. In this embodiment, the range (size) of the silkscreen marking 930 is set taking into account the tilt of the main body 910, so the risk of such a judgment can be reduced.

[0352] The DIP-type IC941 (Figure 36) has multiple terminals extending along both sides (a pair of long sides) of its main body. The IC941 is soldered to the circuit board 400 with these multiple terminals inserted into multiple through-holes on the board 400, thereby joining it to the board 400. In other words, each terminal and each through-hole (the wiring pattern connected to the through-hole) is electrically connected and positioned on the circuit board 400.

[0353] Figure 39(b) shows the location where a specific IC941 is mounted, viewed from the back side (second side). The IC941 has a larger land (pad) size (area) corresponding to the terminals at the four corners (through-holes at the four corners) than the land size (area) corresponding to the terminals other than the four corners (through-holes other than the four corners). In other words, the amount of solder (solder adhesion) at the locations where the terminals at the four corners are fixed is greater than the amount of solder (solder adhesion) at the locations where the terminals other than the four corners are fixed. To put it another way, the amount of solder attached to each terminal at the four corners is greater than that at each terminal other than the four corners. For example, the lands corresponding to the terminals at the four corners are roughly elliptical in shape, while the lands corresponding to terminals other than the four corners are roughly circular in shape. This improves the bonding strength between the IC941 and the substrate 400. In other words, the fixation of the IC941 to the substrate 400 can be made stronger. Note that if the IC941 is a surface mount component, for example, the term "land" may be replaced with "pad".

[0354] Although multiple components are arranged on the circuit board 400, in this embodiment, there are no components other than IC941 that have relatively large lands corresponding to the terminals at the four corners. Therefore, the mounting position and number of IC941 can be determined by looking only at the back side (second side) of the circuit board 400. Furthermore, if a different type of IC (for example, the main IC900) is arranged on the circuit board 400, IC941 (a specific type of IC) can be identified by looking only at the second side of the circuit board 400. This improves the efficiency of inspection work.

[0355] On the mounting surface of the circuit board 400, the distance (shortest distance) between the main IC 900 and the predetermined component 940 located closest to the main IC 900 is defined as the first distance. For all predetermined components 940 other than the main IC 900, the distance (shortest distance) between the predetermined component 940 and the predetermined component 940 located closest to it is defined as the second distance. In this embodiment, the first distance is set to be greater (longer) than the second distance. The main IC 900 can be more easily identified because a relatively large distance is secured from the predetermined components 940 (it is located in isolation).

[0356] Furthermore, on the mounting surface of the circuit board 400, if the distance between the main IC 900 and the IC (different from the main IC 900) that is placed closest to the main IC 900 (the shortest distance) is defined as the first distance, and the distance between the closest ICs other than the main IC 900 is defined as the second distance, then the first distance is set to be greater (longer) than the second distance.

[0357] The gaming machine of this embodiment is The device comprises a substrate (400) and a specific integrated circuit (900) disposed on the substrate, The aforementioned specific integrated circuit comprises a rectangular plate-shaped main body (910) and a plurality of terminals (T) extending from the main body, The substrate is provided with a plurality of through-holes formed so that each of the plurality of terminals can be inserted through them. The aforementioned specific integrated circuit is arranged on the substrate with the plurality of terminals inserted through the plurality of through-holes. A ground pattern region (Y) surrounding the plurality of through-holes is formed on one side of the substrate. All wiring patterns (920) connecting the specific integrated circuit and the components arranged on the substrate are connected to the terminals on the other side of the substrate, at least on the side of the specific integrated circuit (922a).

[0358] All wiring patterns connecting the specific integrated circuit and the components arranged on the substrate are connected to the terminals on the other side of the substrate, at least in the portion on the specific integrated circuit side, and a ground pattern region surrounding the plurality of through-holes is formed on one side of the substrate. Therefore, the ground pattern region is formed without being demarcated by the wiring patterns, and by providing such a ground pattern region, the noise immunity of the specific integrated circuit can be improved and the heat dissipation can be improved.

[0359] Furthermore, the gaming machine of this embodiment is If one of the pair of opposing sides in the shorter direction of the main body is defined as the bottom surface, The aforementioned plurality of terminals extend from the bottom surface and are provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body.

[0360] The aforementioned specific integrated circuit is of a type in which a plurality of terminals extend from the bottom surface of the main body, and the plurality of terminals are provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body. In this case, it is difficult to form a ground pattern region on the substrate at a position opposite to the bottom surface of the specific integrated circuit (the back of the specific integrated circuit). In this embodiment, the ground pattern region is a region formed without being demarcated by the wiring pattern, and by providing such a ground pattern region, it is possible to improve the noise immunity and heat dissipation of the specific integrated circuit even when it is difficult to provide a ground pattern region on the back of the specific integrated circuit.

[0361] Furthermore, the gaming machine of this embodiment is The device comprises a substrate (400) and a plurality of components (900, 940) arranged on the first surface of the substrate, The first surface of the substrate is provided with markings (930, 950) indicating the mounting areas for each of the aforementioned components. The aforementioned plurality of components include a specific integrated circuit (900) and predetermined components other than the specific integrated circuit (940), If the marking corresponding to the specific integrated circuit is designated as the first marking (930), and the marking corresponding to the predetermined component is designated as the second marking (950), When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate, the size of the first display relative to the size of the specific integrated circuit is larger than the size of the second display relative to the size of the predetermined component.

[0362] The size of the first indicator relative to the size of the specific integrated circuit is larger than the size of the second indicator relative to the size of the pr...

Claims

[Claim 1] circuit board and A case for housing the aforementioned substrate, A fixing member for fixing the aforementioned substrate to the case, The substrate comprises the following components: The aforementioned component includes the first component, The first component comprises a main body and a lead terminal portion having a plurality of leads extending from the main body, The substrate is provided with a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined direction at predetermined intervals, The first component is arranged on the substrate such that the plurality of leads are inserted into the plurality of holes and a predetermined gap is formed between the main body and the substrate. A second direction is defined as a direction parallel to the substrate surface and aligned with the predetermined direction. If we define the first direction as the direction parallel to the substrate surface and perpendicular to the second direction, Identification information corresponding to a predetermined part is provided in the first direction of the first part, When a force acting in the first direction is applied to the main body, the lead terminal portion is bent, and the main body portion is in contact with a predetermined location, the identification information is visible when viewed from the direction normal to the substrate surface. The substrate has a plurality of through-holes used for mounting a socket on which an IC is mounted, The through-hole has a land, The aforementioned socket is Multiple socket terminals that electrically connect the terminals of the IC and the through-holes, A socket body formed from an insulating resin material, which holds the socket terminals, The socket body has multiple legs that support it, The plurality of legs form a predetermined gap between the socket body and the substrate surface of the substrate, The gap is such that the distance from the socket body to the substrate surface is greater than or equal to the distance from the outer edge of the through-hole to the outer edge of the land, and less than or equal to the diameter of the land. The solder joining the socket terminal and the through-hole does not come into contact with the socket body. Gaming machine.

Images