Prize acquisition game machine

Abstract

Provided is a prize acquisition game machine capable of enhancing amusement without harming gaming enthusiasm even when playing a plurality of times.　This prize acquisition game machine 1 comprises: a target unit 20 having a target 21 to be subjected to an operation of a player in order to acquire a prize X and a target drive mechanism 22 for causing the target 21 to perform a prescribed motion; an access member 11 for applying an external force to the target 21 on the basis of the operation of the player and changing a state of the target unit 20; and a target state maintaining mechanism 40 for maintaining the target unit 20 in the accessed state each time the target 21 is accessed by the access member 11 until the state of the target unit 20 becomes a prize acquisition height P20b for acquiring the prize X.

Description

Prize-winning game machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a prize-winning game machine that allows a player to win a prize.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Prize winning game machines have been widely known in which a player controls a prize guide means such as a crane in the play space inside the cabinet by operating it, moves it to a position where a prize is placed, and then grabs the prize and guides it to a prize outlet, thereby allowing the player to win a prize.

[0003] In conventional prize-winning game machines, the prizes or targets that players aim at during game operations are basically stationary. In contrast, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there are recent games in which the prizes move to enhance the playability and allow players to win prizes according to their skill.

[0004] The game machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a prize holder configured by multiple hanging bars suspended between a pair of rotating drums, and a movement mechanism operated by the player. The hanging bars of the prize holder are provided with multiple L-shaped hooks in a side view with their tips facing backward, and key holders serving as prizes are hung from the tips of the hooks.

[0005] The moving mechanism is equipped with a moving body that moves toward the prize. Players can win the prize by colliding the moving body with the prize, which moves like a Ferris wheel due to the rotation of the rotating drum, and causing the prize to fall with the force of the impact.

[0006] In this way, the game machine of Patent Document 1, in which a moving object collides with a moving prize and the prize that falls from the hook can be won, allows the rotation direction and rotation speed of the rotating drum to be changed for each play. Furthermore, the difficulty of the game can be changed by providing a mechanism that shifts the timing at which the moving object collides with the prize. This increases the playability and allows players to win prizes according to their skill level.

[0007] However, the game machine described in Patent Document 1 only has two outcomes when a player accesses a prize: either the player wins the prize or the player doesn't; there is no concept of maintaining an intermediate state where the player is close to winning the prize, even if the player is unable to win the prize, or of clearly indicating the intermediate state to the player.

[0008] For this reason, even when a player plays multiple times, the game is repeated under the same conditions, with the results of the player's access not being reflected, making it difficult to stimulate a desire to challenge themselves. As a result, it has been difficult to maintain a high level of motivation to play the game over and over again, and to repeatedly play while feeling a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from getting closer to winning a prize.

[0009] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-319303

[0010] To provide a prize acquisition game machine that has been made in view of such problems and can enhance playability without losing motivation to play the game even when played multiple times.

[0011] This invention is characterized as a prize-winning game machine that includes a target unit having a target that is operated by a player to win a prize and a target drive mechanism that causes the target to perform a predetermined movement, an access member that applies an external force to the target based on the player's operation and changes the state of the target unit, and a state maintenance mechanism that maintains the target unit in the accessed state each time the target is accessed by the access member until the state of the target unit becomes a prize-winning state that allows the prize to be won.

[0012] The above-mentioned phrase "every time it is accessed" includes not only cases where the target is accessed multiple times by the access member, but also cases where a prize is obtained by a single access by the access member.

[0013] This invention enhances the enjoyment of the game without losing the player's interest even when playing multiple times. More specifically, the state maintenance mechanism maintains the target unit in the accessed state each time the target is accessed by the access member, thereby making it possible to change the state of the target unit each time it is accessed. The player can then recognize these differences in the state of the target unit, including the change in the relative relationship between the current state of the target unit and the prize acquisition state.

[0014] Therefore, the more a player plays the game, the more the player feels a sense of satisfaction and a sense of goal that the target state is getting closer to the prize winning state, making repeated play meaningful. When a player wins a prize as a result of playing the game multiple times, the player's sense of accomplishment is heightened, resulting in increased enjoyment. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the player's desire to try can be stimulated and the player's motivation to try again and again can be maintained, which is expected to improve profitability.

[0015] In one aspect of this invention, the state of the target unit is the vertical position of the target, i.e., its height, and the state maintenance mechanism may include a fixed pulley provided above the target unit, a suspension line hung across the fixed pulley, and a balance weight suspended on the other end of the suspension line with a weight equal to that of the target unit suspended on one end of the suspension line.

[0016] According to this invention, the weight of the target unit suspended from one end of the suspension line can be canceled by the balance weight, so that the target unit, which is a heavy object, can be reliably maintained at the accessed height each time it is accessed by the access member.

[0017] As described above, the state maintenance mechanism is preferable in that, for example, by using a balance weight having a weight approximately equal to the weight of the target unit, the target unit can be maintained in the accessed state by the weight balance between the weight and the target unit, but the configuration is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain the target unit in the accessed state, and for example, the target unit may be maintained in the accessed state by using a ratchet mechanism to make the target unit movable only in one of the specified directions.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, a display means may be provided for visually displaying the relative relationship between the state of the target unit maintained by the state maintenance mechanism and the prize acquisition state. This invention allows players to easily visually recognize the amount of descent (height change) of the target unit from its initial height to the prize acquisition height, in other words, the degree of progress from the initial height to the current height, and the remaining height required to reach the prize acquisition height. This gives players a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, and stimulates their desire to take on new challenges.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the target drive mechanism may be configured to cause the target to swing in a pendulum motion and to control at least one of the swing amplitude, swing timing, and period of the swinging target. This invention allows players to change the difficulty level of the game and win prizes according to their skill, thereby stabilizing the profits of the prize-winning game machine and increasing the enjoyment of the game.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a prize mooring mechanism that moor the prize and has a mooring member that is configured to rotate according to the state of the target unit, the mooring member having a mooring claw portion that protrudes from the mooring member and a fulcrum rotation portion that serves as a fulcrum when rotating, the prize being moored to the mooring claw portion, the prize mooring mechanism having a linkage structure that reduces the degree of mooring of the prize at the mooring claw portion as the state of the target unit changes to the prize acquisition state, and releases the prize from its mooring state when the prize acquisition state is reached.

[0021] This invention allows players to feel that the more they properly access the targets of the target unit with the access member during the game, the closer they are to winning the prize. Therefore, even during a game in which players attempt to access targets located in a different location from the prizes in the play space, the player's desire to securely obtain the prize can be maintained. At the same time, the ability to access moving targets without being restricted by the size, shape, or location of the prizes enhances the enjoyment of the game.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the prize mooring mechanism may be provided with a mooring state display means for visually displaying the relative relationship between the mooring state of the prize by the mooring member and the untethered state in which the mooring state is released.

[0023] This invention allows players to easily visually see the amount of rotation (amount of change in posture) of the mooring member from the moored state to the released state, in other words, the degree of progress until the released state, which gives players a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and stimulates their desire to take on new challenges.

[0024] In another aspect of the present invention, the mooring claw portion may be configured so that its lowest point in the protruding direction is directly below the fulcrum rotation portion, regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member. With this invention, the mooring point when a prize is hung from the mooring claw portion can be kept in a fixed position directly below (directly below) the fulcrum rotation portion, regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member, so that the prize can be stably supported directly below the fulcrum rotation portion.

[0025] Specifically, the prize moored on the mooring claw can be positioned directly below the fulcrum rotation part regardless of the position of the mooring member, so that by mooring the prize on the mooring claw, a moment load centered on the fulcrum rotation part does not act on the mooring member. Therefore, even if the weight of the prize moored on the mooring claw changes, there is no variation in the state of mooring of the prize moored on the mooring claw, and the prize can be maintained in a stable mooring state until the mooring member changes from the moored state to the released state.

[0026] In another aspect of the present invention, the tip of the access member may be provided with a contact portion that contacts the target and applies the external force, and the tip of the contact portion may be provided with an elastic claw that elastically deforms in response to the external force.

[0027] With this invention, when the target is pulled down by the access member, an external force can be applied to the target based on the elastic force of the elastic claws of the access member that are in contact with the target, thereby mitigating the impact when the access member and the target come into contact and allowing them to move smoothly relative to each other without any gouging or other damage.

[0028] Furthermore, even if the timing to pull down the target with the access member is off, the elastic claw can be bent and deformed by the momentum of swinging the access member down toward the target and the reaction force when it makes slight contact with the target. The player can then visually observe this and feel a sense of accomplishment or a sense of disappointment. This reduces the player's sense of loss due to off-timing and stimulates their desire to try again.

[0029] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a prize winning game machine that does not lose interest in playing the game even when played multiple times, and that can enhance the enjoyment of the game.

[0030] 1. An external view showing the main parts of a prize winning game machine. An external view showing the main parts of the access unit and the target unit. A cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 2 showing the main parts of the target unit. A perspective view of the main parts of the upper part of the target unit as seen from the front and right side of the device. A perspective view of the prize mooring unit as seen from the front and right side. A perspective view of the prize mooring unit as seen from the back and right side. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the prize mooring unit that interlocks with the target unit. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the prize mooring unit that interlocks with the target unit. An explanatory diagram of the soft closer mechanism and automatic locking mechanism of the door. A cross-sectional view explaining the configuration and operation of the automatic locking mechanism. A cross-sectional view showing the main parts along line A-A in Figure 1. A flowchart showing the control operation of the win / loss control drive mechanism. A perspective view showing another example of an access member.

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12. Figure 1 is an external view showing the main parts of a prize acquisition game machine 1, Figure 2 is an external view showing the main parts of an access unit 10 and a target unit 20, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 2, showing the main parts of the target unit 20.

[0032] In FIG. 1, in order to clarify the structure of the support pillar 4, a portion of the support pillar 4 in the vertical direction and a cross section taken along line A-A in the figure are shown by dashed double-dashed lines, and the access member drive mechanism 12, the target guide mechanism 30, and the target state maintenance mechanism 40 are not shown.

[0033] In addition, in Figure 2, in order to clarify the structure of the access member drive mechanism 12, the cover 17 is shown with a two-dot chain line, and the state changes of the driven access member 11 and target 21 are shown with a two-dot chain line, and the target guide mechanism 30 and target state maintenance mechanism 40 are omitted from the illustration.

[0034] Furthermore, in Fig. 3, the state changes of the driven target 21, target guide mechanism 30, and target state maintenance mechanism 40 are shown by two-dot chain lines. In Fig. 4, to clarify the structure of the target drive mechanism 22, the drive motor 23 and part of the main bracket 27 are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0035] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the main upper part of the target unit 20 as seen from the front and right side of the device, Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the prize mooring unit 60 as seen from the front and right side, Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the prize mooring unit 60 as seen from the back and right side, and Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams explaining the operation of the prize mooring unit 60 linked to the target unit 20.

[0036] Fig. 9 shows an explanatory diagram of the door soft closer mechanism 100 and the automatic locking key 120, Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view explaining the configuration and operation of the automatic locking key 120, and Fig. 11 shows a cross-sectional view showing the main parts along line A-A in Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the hit / miss control drive mechanism.

[0037] 7 to 9, Fig. 7(a1) is a front view of the display unit 52 in the initial state of the target unit 20, and Fig. 7(b1) is a front view of the prize mooring unit 60 at the same timing as that shown in (a1). Fig. 7(a2) is a front view of the display unit 52 in a state in which the prize mooring unit 60 has approached the mooring release position P60b from the initial position P60a, and Fig. 7(b2) is a front view of the prize mooring unit 60 at the same timing as that shown in Fig. 7(a2).

[0038] Fig. 8(a1) is a front view of the display unit 52 in a state closer to the mooring release position P60b than the state of Fig. 7(a2), and Fig. 8(a2) is a front view of the prize mooring unit 60 at the same timing as shown in Fig. 8(a1). Fig. 8(a2) is a front view of the display unit 52 in the mooring release position P60b, and Fig. 8(b2) is a front view of the prize mooring unit 60 at the same timing as shown in Fig. 8(a2). Fig. 9(a) shows a perspective view of the door soft-closer mechanism 100 and the automatic locking key 120 as seen from the front and left side, and Fig. 9(b) shows a perspective view of the door closing detection mechanism 121 of the automatic locking key 120.

[0039] In the following description, each direction is defined based on the state when the prize-winning game machine 1 is viewed from the front. That is, in the drawings, arrow Z indicates the up-down direction, arrow Y indicates the front-to-back direction, and arrow W indicates the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, the upper side in the up-to-down direction is referred to as the upper side Za, and the lower side in the up-to-down direction is referred to as the lower side Zb. Similarly, the front side in the front-to-back direction is referred to as the front side Ya, the rear side in the front-to-back direction is referred to as the rear side Yb, the left side in the left-to-right direction is referred to as the left side Wa, and the right side in the left-to-right direction is referred to as the right side Wb.

[0040] The prize winning game machine 1 of this embodiment mainly comprises an access unit 10, a target unit 20, a target guide mechanism 30, a target state maintenance mechanism 40, a target state display unit 50, a prize mooring unit 60, and a mooring state display unit 70.

[0041] This prize-winning game machine 1 allows a player to win a prize X moored at a location different from the target unit 20 within the play space 3, provided that the player operates the access member 11 provided on the access unit 10 to apply an external force to the target 21 provided on the target unit 20, thereby moving the target unit 20 from an initial height P20a to a prize-winning height P20b, as shown in Figure 3.

[0042] Below, we will explain each unit provided in the prize winning game machine 1 of this embodiment, but first we will explain the basic structure of the prize winning game machine 1. As shown in Figure 1, the prize winning game machine 1 has a housing 2 that is a roughly rectangular box-like shape. The housing 2 of the prize winning game machine 1 is composed of a lower housing part 2D that serves as a base, and an upper housing part 2U that is provided on the upper side Za of the lower housing part 2D.

[0043] First, we will explain the upper cabinet part 2U. The upper cabinet part 2U has a generally box-like shape that defines the play space 3 inside. The play space 3 is defined by a floor 3a and a back surface, ceiling surface, left and right side surfaces, and front surface (not shown), and is a space in which prizes X that players can win are stored (see Figure 1). Of the peripheral surfaces that define the play space 3, at least the left and right side surfaces and the front surface are formed from transparent plates such as acrylic or glass, allowing players to see the prizes X stored in the play space 3 from outside the play space 3.

[0044] A prize outlet 9, through which the prizes X fall, is provided on the floor 3a of the play space 3 and opens downward Zb (see FIG. 1). The prize outlet 9 communicates with a prize outlet 36 in the lower housing 2D, which will be described later.

[0045] In the upper cabinet 2U having such a play space 3, a front opening 8 is formed on the surface on the front side Ya. The front opening 8 is defined by left and right support posts 4 (only the left side is shown) extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the front of the play space 3, an upper edge 5 extending horizontally in the left-right direction between the upper ends of the left and right support posts 4, and a lower edge 6 extending horizontally in the left-right direction between the lower ends of the left and right support posts 4.

[0046] Additionally, the upper housing 2U is provided with a door 7 that opens and closes the front opening 8. The door 7 is a sliding door that can slide left and right and is made of a transparent plate. Providing this door 7 allows the administrator of the prize game machine 1 to access the play space 3, for example, when replenishing the prizes X or performing maintenance.

[0047] The lower housing 2D serving as a base mainly comprises an operation table 35, a prize outlet 36, a keyhole 37, and a memory unit and a control unit (not shown). As shown in Figure 1, the operation table 35 is provided on the upper front surface of the lower housing 2D along the left-right direction and has a generally trapezoidal cross section that protrudes forward Ya. The operation table 35 also comprises a start switch 38 and a coin slot 39.

[0048] The start switch 38 is a button located near the end of the left side Wa of the top surface of the operation console 35. This start switch 38 is provided to instruct the start of a downward swinging motion by the access member 11 of the access unit 10, which will be described later.

[0049] The coin slot 39 is provided near the end of the right side Wb of the top surface of the console 35, and is connected to a coin insertion detector (not shown) that detects inserted coins. A timer (not shown) is connected to this coin insertion detector. The inserted coin is detected by the coin insertion detector, which triggers the timer to start counting a predetermined amount of game time. It is also possible to set the timer to determine that a continuous play has occurred when another coin is detected within a certain period of time after the end of a game.

[0050] The prize removal opening 36 is an opening provided on the front surface of the lower housing part 2D, on the side Zb below the operation table 35. This prize removal opening 36 communicates with the prize discharge opening 9 inside the lower housing part 2D, and is provided so as to guide the prize X discharged to the prize discharge opening 9. Therefore, the prize X discharged to the prize discharge opening 9 can be removed from the prize removal opening 36.

[0051] The keyhole 37 is provided at the lower front portion of the lower housing 2D near the left side Wa, and is formed so that a key can be inserted to rotate the door 7 from the fully closed state to the locked state or the unlocked state. The keyhole 37 forms part of the automatic locking key 120, which will be described later.

[0052] The memory unit stores necessary information. Components of the memory unit include, for example, an income information memory unit that stores the amount of money inserted, a game information memory unit that stores the number of games played based on the detection signal of the coin detector that detects coins inserted into the coin insertion slot 39, a payout prize number memory unit that stores the number of prizes paid out, a difficulty information memory unit that stores game difficulty information, and a win / loss control information memory unit that forms part of the win / loss control mechanism. Of these, the win / loss control mechanism and the win / loss control information memory unit will be explained in detail later.

[0053] The control unit has a control device and an arithmetic unit, and has installed therein the computer program necessary to realize the game. The control unit drives each unit in accordance with the computer program, and causes each unit to execute predetermined processes while reading and writing data from and to the memory unit based on input.

[0054] Additionally, the cabinet 2 is provided with a speaker so that desired effects can be produced according to the game play situation. Furthermore, the cabinet 2 is equipped with a door soft-close mechanism 100 and an automatic locking key 120. The door soft-close mechanism 100 and the automatic locking key 120 will be described in detail later.

[0055] Next, the access unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The access unit 10 is equipped with an access member 11 that applies an external force to a target 21 of a target unit 20 (described later) based on the player's operation of pressing a start switch 38, thereby changing the state of the target unit 20, and an access member drive mechanism 12 that drives the access member 11.

[0056] Of these, almost the entire access member drive mechanism 12 is housed inside a rectangular parallelepiped cover 17 that is erected on the floor surface 3a of the play space 3, and is attached to the rear wall surface 17a of the cover 17 via a bracket not shown.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2, the access member 11 is a strip-shaped arm member (lever member) composed of a main body portion 111 which is a flat plate that is approximately rectangular in plan view and extends in one direction, and a finger portion 112 provided at one end of the main body portion 111.

[0058] The finger portion 112 has a base portion 112a connected to the main body portion 111 of the access member 11, and a pair of protruding pieces 112b that protrude parallel to each other in a bifurcated shape from both sides of the base portion 112a in the plate width direction toward the tip.

[0059] The base 112a of the finger portion 112 is linearly connected to the main body 111 via an elastic connecting portion 114. As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic connecting portion 114 includes a spring-loaded hinge in which a torsion spring is attached to the hinge. The elastic connecting portion 114 enables the finger portion 112 to elastically deform upward in response to a reaction force from the upper side Za received from the target 21 when an external force is applied to the target 21 from the upper side Za in a direction to pull it down. In other words, by connecting the finger portion 112 to the main body 111 of the access member 11 via the elastic connecting portion 114, the finger portion 112 can absorb the impact received from the target 21 when the target 21 is pulled down.

[0060] The access member drive mechanism 12 includes a drive motor 13 as a drive unit that drives the access member 11, a coupling 14 and a drive transmission shaft 15 as drive transmission units that transmit the driving force of the drive motor 13 to the access member 11, and a position detection unit 16 that detects a predetermined position of the access member 11.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, the drive transmission shaft 15 is coaxially coupled (directly connected) to the output shaft of the drive motor 13 by a coupling 14, and is arranged horizontally in the left-right direction so that its tip protrudes outward (to the opposite side from the drive motor 13) from the right side wall 17b of the cover 17 of the access unit 10.

[0062] In addition, the drive transmission shaft 15 is provided with a position detection unit 16 at its midpoint located inside the cover 17, and the above-mentioned access member 11 is integrally or integrally attached to the tip end protruding outside the cover 17.

[0063] 2, the access member 11 is integrally attached to the drive transmission shaft 15 by a fastening member such as a bolt so that the end of the main body 111 opposite the finger portion 112 is supported by the tip of the drive transmission shaft 15, and protrudes in a cantilevered manner in the tangential direction from the attachment portion of the drive transmission shaft 15. As a result, the access member 11 rotates around the axis of the drive transmission shaft 15, which is located in a fixed position, as the output shaft of the drive motor 13 rotates. In this example, the access member 11 is set to be rotatable clockwise when viewed from the right side (viewed from the Wb side to the Wa side).

[0064] In this way, the access member 11, which is configured to be rotatable by the access member drive mechanism 12, sets the position where the finger portion 112 of the access member 11 rises the most in the above-mentioned rotational trajectory as the initial position P11a, and waits until the player presses the start switch 38. When the access member 11 is in the initial position P11a, the pair of protrusions 112b of the finger portion 112 is oriented vertically upward.

[0065] When the player presses the start switch 38, the access member 11 descends from the initial position P11a while rotating clockwise (see arrow R1 in FIG. 2). If the timing is right, this downward swing will cause the protruding piece 112b of the finger 112 to come into contact with the target 21, which is swinging back and forth as described below, from above, applying an external force to the target 21 and pulling it down a predetermined height.

[0066] On the other hand, if the timing is not right for the target 21 that is swinging in a pendulum motion (i.e., if the swing misses without hitting the target 21), an external force cannot be applied to the target 21, and the target 21 cannot be pulled down. In either case, the access member 11 rotates approximately 180 degrees from the initial position P11a, swinging downward until it reaches the lowest position P11b, and then rotates another approximately 180 degrees in the same direction to return to the initial position P11a. Then, at the initial position P11a, it waits until the player next presses the start switch 38, as described above.

[0067] The position detection unit 16 provided at the midpoint of the drive transmission shaft 15 includes a position detection sensor 161 such as a photoelectric sensor, and a light blocking plate 162 provided rotatably integrally with the drive transmission shaft 15. The position detection unit 16 is positioned such that the light blocking plate 162 is blocked by the position detection sensor 161 when the rotating access member 11 is at its highest initial position P11a.

[0068] This enables the position detection unit 16 to detect the access member 11 placed at the initial position P11a, so that the access member 11 can wait at the initial position P11a until the player presses the start switch 38 again, as described above.

[0069] In addition, the rotation speed of the access member 11 in this example is set higher during the return movement than during the down movement so that the access member 11 can quickly return to the initial position P11a after the completion of the down movement. In addition to the control of creating a difference in rotation speed between the down movement and the return movement, the control unit may also shift the timing of swinging the access member 11 down relative to the pressing operation of the start switch 38, or control the down movement speed and amount.

[0070] In this case, if a pulse motor (stepping motor) is used as the drive motor 13, the control unit may control it based on a pulse voltage, or if the drive motor 13 is equipped with an encoder, it may detect the angle and angular velocity and control the operation of the access member 11 with high precision.

[0071] Next, the target unit 20 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The target unit 20 includes a target 21 and a target drive mechanism 22. Of the target unit 20, almost the entire target drive mechanism 22 is housed inside a three-dimensional cover 28 that stands on the floor 3a of the play space 3, and is attached to a rear wall surface 28a of the cover 28 via a main bracket 27.

[0072] The cover 28 is formed to be taller than the cover 17 that houses the access member drive mechanism 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and the front surface Ya is made of a transparent panel, so that the player can see from the outside the target drive mechanism 22 housed inside, as well as the target state maintenance mechanism 40 and target state display unit 50 described below.

[0073] The target 21 is a pendulum to which the player operates in order to win the prize X. More specifically, the target 21 is a pendulum to which an external force is applied by the access member 11 described above, which operates based on the player's operation.

[0074] The target 21 is provided integrally or as an integral part of the tip (lower end) of a target shaft 29 that hangs linearly down from the tip of a drive transmission shaft 25 provided in a target drive mechanism 22 (described later). The target 21 in this example is formed as two identically sized elliptical plates 211, 212 that cross each other in cross section with their major axes aligned along the axial direction of the target shaft 29. However, as long as they can come into contact with the finger portions 112 of the access member 11, they may be, for example, plate-shaped, facing the finger portions 112, or may be other shapes such as spherical.

[0075] Of the two elliptical plates 211, 212, one elliptical plate 211 is arranged with a surface facing the direction of pendulum motion, while the other elliptical plate 212 is arranged with a surface along the direction of motion. One elliptical plate 211 has flat contact surfaces 21a on both sides of the other elliptical plate 212, against which the pair of protruding pieces 112b of the access member 11 can come into contact (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0076] The target drive mechanism 22 includes a drive motor 23 as a drive unit that drives the target 21 so that it can perform pendulum motion, a coupling 24 and a drive transmission shaft 25 as drive transmission units that transmit the driving force of the drive motor 23 to the target 21, and a position detection unit 26 that detects a predetermined position of the pendulum-moving target 21. As described above, the target drive mechanism 22 is mounted on the main bracket 27 provided on the target unit 20.

[0077] Furthermore, the main bracket 27 has a prize interlocking wire fixing portion 271 to which the lower end of the prize interlocking wire 65 hanging down from the prize mooring unit 60 (described later) is fixed (see FIG. 3). As a result, tension is applied to the upper side Za of the main bracket 27 at the prize interlocking wire fixing portion 271 based on the weight of the prize X moored to the mooring member 61 (see FIG. 1) of the prize mooring unit 60 (described later).

[0078] Like the drive transmission shaft 15 of the access unit 10, the drive transmission shaft 25 is coaxially coupled to the output shaft of the drive motor 23 by a coupling 24, and is provided horizontally in the left-right direction so that its tip (i.e., the end opposite the drive motor 23) protrudes outward from the right side wall 28b of the cover 28 that covers almost the entire target drive mechanism 22. In other words, the drive transmission shaft 25 of the target drive mechanism 22 extends in the same direction as the drive transmission shaft 15 provided in the access member drive mechanism 12 of the access unit 10, so the target 21 moves around an axis parallel to the access member 11.

[0079] In addition, the drive transmission shaft 25 is provided with a position detection unit 26 at its midpoint located inside the cover 28, and the above-mentioned target shaft 29 is integrally or integrally attached to the tip end protruding outside the cover 28 (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0080] As a result, the base end of the target shaft 29 is supported in a cantilevered manner on the tip end of the drive transmission shaft 25. Therefore, as the output shaft of the drive motor 23 rotates, the target 21 provided at the tip end of the target shaft 29 performs pendulum motion in the forward and backward directions, centered on the base end of the target shaft 29 (see arrow R2 in FIG. 2).

[0081] More specifically, target 21 is configured to be capable of pendulum motion or motion simulating pendulum motion, moving toward and away from access member 11 in the front-to-rear direction relative to target 21. When target 21 approaches access member 11 in the front-to-rear direction, target 21 is positioned so that the finger portions 112 of the swung-down access member 11 abut against it from above, allowing an external force to be applied, i.e., so that target 21 can be pulled down by the abutting finger portions 112.

[0082] 4, the position detection unit 26 provided in the middle of the drive transmission shaft 25 has position detection sensors 26a and 26b adjacent to each other along the axial direction of the drive transmission shaft 25, and is capable of detecting a predetermined rightward swing position (maximum rightward swing width) and a predetermined leftward swing position (maximum leftward swing width) of the target 21 that is performing pendulum motion. Note that these two position detection units 26 are both capable of position detection using the same mechanism as the position detection unit 16 of the access member 11, so details will be omitted.

[0083] In this way, by providing two position detection units 26 that detect the left and right swing amplitudes, respectively, the control unit is configured to enable pendulum motion relative to the target 21 by changing the rotation direction of the target 21 to the opposite direction at the timing detected by the two position detection units 26. In addition, the control unit can control the amplitude, swing timing, and pendulum speed (period) of the pendulum motion by delaying the timing of the direction change relative to the timing.

[0084] The amplitude, swing timing, and pendulum speed of the pendulum motion of the target 21 can be controlled together with the position detection unit 26 described above, or without using the position detection unit 26, a pulse motor (stepping motor) can be used as the drive motor 23 and controlled based on a pulse voltage, or the drive motor 23 can be equipped with an encoder to detect the angle and angular velocity and control the movement of the target 21 with high precision.

[0085] Next, the target guide mechanism 30 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The target guide mechanism 30 is a mechanism that drives the target unit 20 described above in the vertical direction, and includes a guide rail 31 and a slider 32 housed inside the cover 28.

[0086] The guide rail 31 is a rail having a predetermined length in the vertical direction, attached to the rear wall surface 28a of the cover 28. The slider 32 is configured to be slidable along the guide rail 31, and has the main bracket 27, on which the above-mentioned target unit 20 and the like are mounted, attached thereto. The target guide mechanism 30 configured in this manner allows the main bracket 27, on which the above-mentioned target unit 20 and the like are mounted, to slide in the vertical direction along the guide rail 31 via the slider 32.

[0087] In the movable range of the target unit 20, which slides up and down along the guide rail 31, the position on the uppermost side Za is defined as an initial height P20a, and the position at which the prize X is acquired is defined as a prize acquisition height P20b (see FIG. 3). The prize acquisition height P20b is located directly below the initial height P20a.

[0088] Furthermore, in this example, regardless of whether the target 21 is positioned at any height between the initial height P20a and the prize acquisition height P20b, it is set so that at least a portion of the target 21 overlaps with the range of motion of the access member 11 when it is approaching the access member 11 in the forward and backward directions as it swings downward.

[0089] Next, the target state maintaining mechanism 40 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The target state maintaining mechanism 40 is a mechanism that maintains the target unit 20 at the accessed height each time it is accessed by the access member 11 until the target 21's vertical position, i.e., its height, descends to the prize acquisition height P20b at which it is confirmed that prize X will be acquired, and includes a fixed pulley 41, a cone interlocking wire 42, a balance weight 43, a guide rail 44, and a slider 45.

[0090] The fixed pulley 41 is pivotally supported on the rear wall surface 28a of the cover 28 by a pivot shaft that runs along the front-to-rear direction at a position higher than the target unit 20, which is positioned at the initial height P20a, and a cone interlocking wire 42 is hung across the fixed pulley 41. One end of the cone interlocking wire 42 is fixed to the balance weight side fixing portion 40a of the main bracket 27, while the other end of the cone interlocking wire 42 is fixed to a balance weight 43, which will be described later (see FIG. 3).

[0091] The guide rail 44 is a rail having a predetermined length in the vertical direction and attached to the rear wall surface 28a of the cover 28. The slider 45 is attached to the guide rail 44 and is configured to be slidable along the guide rail 44. The balance weight 43 described above is attached to this slider 45.

[0092] More specifically, the balance weight 43 is made up of multiple metal plates 43a of a predetermined weight stacked in the vertical direction, and is supported by a slider 45. The balance weight 43 is smoothly guided in the vertical direction along the guide rail 44 via the slider 45.

[0093] Here, as described above, the main bracket 27 is constantly biased upward Za at the prize linkage wire fixing portion 271 based on the weight of the prize X, and is constantly biased downward Zb by the weight of the target unit 20, which is a heavy object.

[0094] In contrast, the balance weight 43 is configured by stacking multiple metal plates 43a in the vertical direction as described above, so that its weight is equal to the weight of the target unit 20 (its own weight) minus the biasing force toward the upper side Za at the prize-linked wire fixing portion 271.

[0095] As described above, the balance weight 43 is linked to the main bracket 27 via the cone linking wire 42. For this reason, for example, when the target unit 20 is located at the highest initial height P20a, it is located at the lowest height within the vertical movable range, and when the target unit 20 is located at the lowest prize acquisition height P20b, it moves up and down along the guide rail 44 so as to be located at the highest height.

[0096] As a result, an additional urging force toward the upper side Za due to the weight of the balance weight 43 is applied to the balance weight side fixing portion 40a of the main bracket 27. This urging force can offset (cancel) the urging force toward the lower side Zb equivalent to the difference between the urging force toward the lower side Zb due to the weight of the target unit 20 minus the urging force toward the upper side Za at the prize interlocking wire fixing portion 271.

[0097] Therefore, the target unit 20 is maintained at the accessed height each time the target 21 is accessed by the access member 11, until it descends from the initial height P20a to the prize acquisition height P20b, due to the weight balance of the balance weight 43. In other words, the target unit 20 is maintained at that height unless it is pulled down by the access member 11.

[0098] The total weight of the balance weight 43 can be adjusted according to the number of stacked metal plates 43a. This allows the weight balance of the main bracket 27 to be easily maintained by changing the number of metal plates 43a, even if the weight of the prize X changes and the weight balance of the main bracket 27 changes.

[0099] Next, the target status display unit 50 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The target status display unit 50 includes a height detection sensor 51 that detects the height of the target unit 20, and a display unit 52 that displays the height of the target unit 20 during play based on the height detection sensor 51.

[0100] The height detection sensor 51 includes a reflective optical sensor 53 having a light emitter and a light receiver, and a reflector 54 that reflects light emitted from the light emitter toward the light receiver, and these are arranged facing each other in the vertical direction. The light received by the light receiver of the optical sensor 53 is transmitted to the above-mentioned control unit as height information of the target unit 20, which changes based on the amount of light.

[0101] Specifically, the optical sensor 53 has a light emitter and a light receiver attached to the main bracket 27 facing downward Zb and moves up and down together with the target unit 20, while the reflector 54 is attached in a fixed position directly below the optical sensor 53.

[0102] The reflector 54 is provided at a position on the lower side Zb of the optical sensor 53 that has descended to the prize-winning height P20b, and is disposed so that its flat upper surface serves as a reflective surface and faces the optical sensor 53 located on the upper side Za. As the target unit 20 descends from the initial height P20a to the prize-winning height P20b, the optical sensor 53 approaches the reflector 54, and the amount of light received by the optical receiver increases.

[0103] On the other hand, the display unit 52 has a plurality of LEDs 55 (15 in this example) arranged in a vertical line facing the front. The display unit 52 displays the current height from the initial height P20a to the height before reaching the prize winning height P20b in stages according to the number of the LEDs 55.

[0104] Specifically, as shown in Figures 7(a1) (a2) and 8(a1), for example, based on the light intensity information input from the height detection sensor 51 as described above, the display unit 52 sequentially lights up, among the multiple LEDs 55, the LED 55 corresponding to the current height of the target unit 20 descending from the initial height P20a to the height before reaching the prize acquisition height P20b in a color different from the other LEDs 55, and lights up all the other LEDs 55 in the same color.

[0105] As a result, the display unit 52 has a display form that allows the player to recognize the position of the target 21 during play by lighting up the LEDs 55, which light up in a color different from the other LEDs 55, in conjunction with the downward movement of the target unit 20, and moving one by one to the downward side Zb.

[0106] In particular, as described above, instead of lighting only the LED 55 corresponding to the current position among the plurality of LEDs 55, all of the LEDs 55 are turned on, thereby making it possible to visually recognize the relative relationship between the initial height P20a of the target unit 20 and the prize acquisition height P20b. In other words, the plurality of LEDs 55 are used as a display form that allows the player to intuitively recognize the progress of the target 21 from the initial height P20a during play and the remaining distance to the prize acquisition height P20b.

[0107] Furthermore, in this example, as shown in Figure 8 (a2), when the prize winning height P20b is reached, all of the LEDs 55 flash rapidly, thereby visually informing the player that he or she has won the prize X.

[0108] Next, the prize mooring unit 60 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. The prize mooring unit 60 includes a mooring member 61, a mooring member support bracket 62, a first pulley 63, a second pulley 64, a prize interlocking wire 65, and a mooring status display unit 70.

[0109] The mooring member 61 is located directly above the prize discharge opening 9 in the housing 2, and is formed as a plate having a thickness in the front-to-rear direction as a whole, and is integrally formed with a main body 611 and a mooring claw 612 that protrudes in a hook shape from the bottom of the main body 611 to the upper left when the main body 611 is not tilted. A prize interlocking wire 65, which will be described later, is fixed to this mooring member 61, and when pulled by the target unit 20 fixed to the tip of the prize interlocking wire 65, the mooring member 61 tilts in conjunction with the movement of the target unit 20, thereby changing its posture.

[0110] Here, in the mooring member 61 that tilts as described above, the posture corresponding to the state in which the target unit 20 is located at the initial height P20a is referred to as the initial posture P60a, and the posture corresponding to the state in which the target unit 20 is located at the prize acquisition height P20b is referred to as the untethered posture P60b. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the mooring member 61 will be described as being in the initial posture P60a.

[0111] The main body 611 is a plate-like body having a semicircular protrusion 611a at the upper left end when viewed from the front. The main body 611 has a mooring member force point 613 and a shock absorbing roller 614. The protrusion 611a is provided with a fulcrum rotation part 66 that is pivotally supported on a mooring member support bracket 62 (described later) so as to be swingable about an axis along the front-rear direction (see FIG. 6).

[0112] The mooring member force point portion 613 is provided near the end of the lower side Zb of the main body portion 611, and is a fixing point to which a prize interlocking wire 65, described below, is fixed on the back side of the main body portion 611. This mooring member force point portion 613 is applied with tension that pulls up the mooring member 61 via the prize interlocking wire 65 as the target unit 20 descends, and therefore acts as a force point for the mooring member 61. The impact absorbing roller 614 is a disk-shaped elastic member attached near the end of the right side Wb and lower side Zb of the main body portion 611 when viewed from the back.

[0113] The mooring claw portion 612 is formed to protrude upward Za and leftward Wa from the portion directly below (directly below) the fulcrum rotation portion 66 of the main body portion 611 in a front view, in an arc shape centered on the fulcrum rotation portion 66. The prize X is moored by the mooring claw portion 612.

[0114] In this example, the prize X is a large, vertically elongated stuffed animal that occupies almost the entire vertical area of ​​the floor surface 3a of the play space 3 from the mooring member 61, and one such prize X is moored to the mooring claw portion 612 via a hanging string 81 (see Figure 1).

[0115] The mooring member support bracket 62 is attached at its upper surface to the underside of the ceiling that defines the play space 3 in the cabinet 2, and is attached so as to hang down from the ceiling. The mooring member support bracket 62 supports the mooring member 61, the first pulley 63, and the mooring status display unit 70 (described later).

[0116] More specifically, the mooring member support bracket 62 has the mooring member 61 attached to it near the end on the lower side Zb in the vertical direction via a fulcrum rotation part 66 (see Figure 6), and the first pulley 63 attached to it near the end on the upper side Za.

[0117] 6, the mooring member support bracket 62 has a plate-like stopper 67 provided along the left-right direction on the lower side Zb of the main body 611 of the mooring member 61. The stopper 67 is a plate-like body provided along the lower end of the main body 611 of the mooring member 61, and abuts against the lower end of the main body 611.

[0118] Note that the stopper 67 allows the above-mentioned mooring member 61 to rotate only counterclockwise when viewed from the front from the initial position P60a. In addition, when the mooring member 61 returns from the mooring release position P60b to the initial position P60a, the shock absorbing roller 614 abuts against the stopper 67, thereby positioning the mooring member 61 at the initial position P60a.

[0119] As described above, the first pulley 63 is pivotally supported on the upper front surface of the mooring member support bracket 62, and is provided directly above the mooring member force point portion 613 of the mooring member 61. On the other hand, the second pulley 64 is provided directly above the prize interlocking wire fixing portion 271 of the target unit 20. The first pulley 63 and the second pulley 64 are disposed at approximately the same height so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction that coincides with the left-right direction, and both are rotatable around an axis that extends along the front-rear direction.

[0120] The prize interlocking wire 65 is stretched between the main bracket 27 of the target unit 20 and the mooring member 61 of the prize mooring unit 60 via a first pulley 63 and a second pulley 64. The end of the prize interlocking wire 65 on the mooring member 61 side, hanging down from the first pulley 63, is connected to the mooring member 61 at the mooring member force point part 613. The end of the prize interlocking wire 65 on the target unit 20 side, hanging down from the second pulley 64, is connected to the main bracket 27 at the prize interlocking wire fixing part 271 described above.

[0121] When the mooring member 61 is pulled upward to the side Za at the mooring member force point 613 by the prize interlocking wire 65, it rotates counterclockwise from the initial position P60a around the fulcrum rotation part 66 as the rotation center when viewed from the front, and assumes a tilted position according to the magnitude of the tension toward the upward side Za from the target unit 20 side. In other words, the prize interlocking wire 65 is configured as a part of an interlocking mechanism that can interlock the mooring member 61 and the target unit 20.

[0122] The operation of the mooring member 61 will be briefly described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. First, when the mooring member 61 is in the initial position P60a as shown in Figure 7(b1), the mooring claws 612 are set so that the base ends in the protruding direction are the lowest points in the protruding direction of the mooring claws 612. Therefore, when a prize X is moored to the mooring claws 612 via the hanging string 81, the base ends become the portions where the hanging string 81 is located (hereinafter referred to as "prize mooring points"). In other words, when the mooring member 61 is in the initial position P60a, the base ends of the mooring claws 612 are in a mooring state in which the mooring margin is maximized in the protruding direction (the degree of mooring is greatest).

[0123] Next, as shown in Figures 7 (b2) and 8 (b1), when the mooring member 61 is tilted counterclockwise from the initial position P60a around the fulcrum rotation portion 66, the prize mooring point located at the lowest point of the mooring claw portion 612 gradually displaces toward the tip of the mooring claw portion 612 in the protruding direction while remaining directly below the fulcrum rotation portion 66, and the mooring allowance (degree of mooring) of the prize X gradually decreases.

[0124] At the same time, the tip of the mooring claw portion 612, which had been pointing upward Za, gradually tilts to point horizontally, and finally, when the mooring member 61 is rotated counterclockwise by approximately 90 degrees as shown in Figure 8 (b2), the mooring state of the prize X is released.

[0125] The mooring member 61 and the target unit 20, which operate in this manner, are linked via the prize linking wire 65 as described above. In this case, the linking structure is such that when the target unit 20 is at the initial height P20a, the mooring member 61 takes the initial position P60a, and when the target unit 20 moves to the prize acquisition height P20b, the mooring member 61 takes the untethered position P60b.

[0126] After the mooring member 61 assumes the untethered position P60b and the prize X is won, the administrator of the prize-winning game machine 1 manually returns the target unit 20 from the prize-winning height P20b to the initial height P20a. At this time, because the weight of the main bracket 27 of the target unit 20 is balanced with the balance weight 43 as described above, the administrator can return the target unit 20 to the initial height P20a with less force. At the same time, the administrator also returns the mooring member 61, which is linked to the target unit 20 via the prize-linking wire 65, from the untethered position P60b to the initial position P60a.

[0127] As described above, regardless of the position (inclination) of the mooring member 61, the lowest point in the protruding direction of the mooring claw portion 612 is set to be directly below the fulcrum rotation portion 66. On the other hand, when the prize X is moored to the mooring claw portion 612 via the hanging string 81, the prize mooring point is located at the lowest point in the protruding direction of the mooring claw portion 612.

[0128] Therefore, regardless of the position (degree of tilt) of the mooring member 61, the prize mooring point can be positioned directly below the fulcrum rotation part 66. In other words, while the mooring member 61 rotates around the fulcrum rotation part 66 from the initial position P60a to the released position P60b, the prize mooring point is always located directly below the fulcrum rotation part 66. Therefore, by mooring the prize X to the mooring claw part 612, no moment load centered around the fulcrum rotation part 66 acts on the mooring member 61.

[0129] Therefore, even if the weight of the prize X moored to the mooring claw portion 612 changes, there is no variation in the degree of inclination of the mooring member 61, i.e., the degree of mooring of the prize X moored to the mooring claw portion 612, and the prize X can be maintained in a stable mooring state until the mooring member 61 reaches the mooring release position P60b from the initial position P60a.

[0130] 5 to 8, the mooring status display unit 70 provided in the prize mooring unit 60 will be described. The mooring status display unit 70 includes a tilt detection sensor (not shown) that detects the degree of tilt of the mooring member 61 from at least the initial position P60a to the released position P60b, and a display unit 71 that displays the mooring status based on the detection result of the tilt detection sensor.

[0131] The tilt detection sensor is built into the lower part of the mooring member support bracket 62, on the rear side of the mooring claw 612 of the mooring member 61, and detects the position of the tip of the mooring claw 612, which changes in accordance with the tilt of the mooring member 61. At this time, position information of the tip of the mooring claw 612 detected by the tilt detection sensor is sent as an electrical signal to the control unit provided in the lower housing part 2D described above.

[0132] Meanwhile, the display unit 71 has a plurality of LEDs 72 arranged in a semicircular arc in a row along the protruding direction of the mooring claws 612 of the mooring members 61, with all of them facing forward, on the lower part of the mooring member support bracket 62 (see FIG. 5). Similar to the display unit 52 of the target state display unit 50, this display unit 71 sequentially lights up the LEDs 72 corresponding to the current tilt of the mooring member 61, which tilts from the initial position P60a to the released position P60b, in a color different from that of the other LEDs 72, based on light intensity information detected by the tilt detection sensor.

[0133] Specifically, of the multiple LEDs 72, the LED 72 on the uppermost side Za and leftmost side Wa corresponds to the initial position P60a of the mooring member 61, and the LED 72 on the lowermost side Zb and rightmost side Wb corresponds to the mooring release position P60b of the mooring member 61.

[0134] The display section 71 of such mooring status display unit 70 is provided with the same number of LEDs 72 as the LEDs 55 provided on the display section 52 of the target status display unit 50. Furthermore, the display section 52 of the target status display unit 50 and the display section 71 of the mooring status display unit 70 are configured to have a display form in which the movement timing of the LEDs 55, which light up in different colors as the target unit 20 descends from the initial height P20a to the prize acquisition height P20b, is synchronized with the movement timing of the LEDs 72, which light up in different colors as the mooring member 61 changes position from the initial position P60a to the position just before the mooring release position P60b.

[0135] For example, as shown in Figure 7 (a1), when the target unit 20 indicates the initial height P20a, the first LED 55 from the top lights up in a color different from the other LEDs 55, and correspondingly, at the same timing, when the mooring member 61 indicates the initial position P60a, the display section 71 of the mooring status display unit 70 lights up in a color different from the other LEDs 72, as shown in Figure 7 (b1).

[0136] Similarly, as shown in Figure 7 (a2), when the ninth LED 55 from the top of the target status display unit 50 lights up in a different color than the other LEDs 55, correspondingly, at the same timing, the ninth LED 72 from the top of the mooring status display unit 70 lights up in a different color than the other LEDs 72, as shown in Figure 7 (b2).

[0137] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8 (a1), when the 14th LED 55 from the top of the target status display unit 50 lights up in a color different from the other LEDs 55, correspondingly, at the same timing, the 14th LED 72 from the top of the mooring status display unit 70 lights up in a color different from the other LEDs 72, as shown in Figure 8 (b1).

[0138] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8 (b2), the display section 71 of the mooring status display unit 70 has a display mode in which all of the LEDs 72 flash rapidly when the mooring member 61 reaches the mooring release position P60b, in the same manner as the display section 52 of the target status display unit 50.

[0139] Next, the door soft-close mechanism 100 and the automatic lock key 120 provided in the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.

[0140] The door soft closer mechanism 100 is a mechanism for slowly and quietly opening and closing the door 7 at the upper part 2U of the housing of the prize winning game machine 1, and is mainly composed of a buffer member 101 provided on the upper edge portion 5.

[0141] 9(a), the buffer member 101 includes a main body 102 and a plurality of engaging claws 103 protruding downward from the main body 102, and is formed entirely from an elastic material. The main body 102 is formed in the shape of an elongated plate having a predetermined thickness in the front-to-rear direction along the upper edge 5 of the front opening 8, and has through holes 104 that penetrate through the plate in the thickness direction along the upper edge 5. This provides a lightening effect so that the door 7, which slides in the closing direction, can easily elastically deform in response to the impact when the door leading end 7a of the door 7 abuts against the support post 4 when the door 7 is fully closed.

[0142] Meanwhile, a roller 75 that rolls along the underside of the buffer member 101 is provided at a portion of the upper part of the door 7 that is located directly below the buffer member 101 when the door 7 is fully closed. The engaging claw 103 of the buffer member 101 described above is provided to protrude downward Zb at a position just before the door-front end 7a abuts against the support post 4 so as to be able to elastically collide with the roller 75 provided on the door 7 in the opening and closing direction of the door 7.

[0143] When the door 7 is slid in the closing direction to fully close it, the roller 75 provided on the door 7 elastically collides with the engaging claw 103 of the buffer member 101 just before (just before) it comes into contact with the support post 4, i.e., the entire buffer member 101 including the engaging claw 103 is flexibly deformed, thereby absorbing the impact of the collision. This reduces the momentum of the door 7 sliding toward the support post 4 when closing the door 7, allowing the door edge of the door 7 to come into contact with the support post 4 with appropriate force.

[0144] On the other hand, the engaging claws 103 of the buffer member 101 are bent and deformed as described above when the rollers 75 of the door 7 slide in the opening and closing direction and come into contact with them. The rollers 75 of the door 7 slide in the opening and closing direction so as to climb over the bent and deformed engaging claws 103, ensuring smooth opening and closing operations.

[0145] In addition, the door 7 soft closer mechanism is not limited to a configuration equipped with the above-mentioned buffer member 101, and may employ other elastic members such as springs or dampers, as long as it is configured to open and close the door 7 slowly and quietly.

[0146] Next, we will explain the automatic locking key 120. As shown in Figures 9(a), (b) and 10, the automatic locking key 120 includes a door-closed detection mechanism 121 (see Figures 9(a) and (b)), a cam portion 125, a keyhole portion 37, an engaging projection portion 126, an engaging projection receiving portion 127, and an electric cam drive portion (not shown).

[0147] 9( a) and 9(b), the door closing detection mechanism 121 includes a swing element 122, a biasing spring 123, and a door closing detection sensor 124. The swing element 122 is formed in a fan shape when viewed from the front, and is provided in the vicinity of the support pillar 4 side of the buffer member 101 at the upper edge 5 of the front opening 8, as shown in Fig. 1. The swing element 122 is pivotally supported such that its base end can swing about an axis extending in the front-rear direction between a protruding position P122a where the swing element 122 protrudes below the upper edge of the door 7 to the side Zb below the upper edge of the door 7 so as to be able to abut against the door-front end 7a of the door 7 when the door 7 is closed, and a retracted position P122b where the swing element 122 is retracted above the upper end of the door 7 to the side Za above the top edge of the door 7.

[0148] A biasing spring 123 is provided at the base end of the swinging element 122 and biases the swinging element 122 to the protruding position P122a. A door closing detection sensor 124 detects that the door 7 is completely closed when the swinging element 122 swings to the retracted position P122b. In other words, when the door 7 is slid in the closing direction to fully close it, the door leading end 7a abuts against the swinging element 122, which is at the protruding position P122a, from the side opposite the support post 4 in the left-right direction, and slides so as to push the swinging element 122 toward the retracted position P122b.

[0149] As a result, the oscillator 122 rotates clockwise in a front view from the protruding position P122a to the retracted position P122b against the biasing force of the biasing spring 123, and the door closing detection sensor 124 detects that the door 7 is fully closed. The electric signal detected by this door closing detection sensor 124 is sent to the cam electric drive unit.

[0150] As shown in Fig. 10 , the cam portion 125 is an egg-shaped plate cam in front view, and a rotation axis is set at a predetermined position eccentric to the center of the longitudinal axis, allowing rotation around an axis along the front-rear direction. As described above, the keyhole portion 37 is provided on the front surface of the lower housing portion 2D (see Fig. 1 ). As shown in Fig. 10 , the keyhole portion 37 of the automatic locking key 120 is provided coaxially with the rotation axis. An inserted key engages the cam portion 125, and in this engaged state, the cam portion 125 is rotatable about the rotation axis within a range of approximately 90 degrees between a locked position in which the cam portion 125 is upright and a non-locked position in which the cam portion 125 is laid down (see arrow R4 in Fig. 10 ).

[0151] The engaging projection 126 is provided adjacent to and immediately above the rotation axis of the cam portion 125 so as to project upward toward the upper side Za. The engaging projection 126 is provided so as to be able to move up and down (movable up and down) between a raised position P126a where it is pushed up when the cam portion 125 is in the locked position, and a lowered position P126b where it is released from the pushed-up state and lowered by its own weight when the cam portion 125 is in the unlocked position.

[0152] The engaging protrusion receiving portion 127 is provided at the bottom of the door 7 at a location that faces the engaging protrusion portion 126 on the upper side Za when the door 7 is fully closed, and has a hole portion 127a that opens toward the lower side Zb so that the raised engaging protrusion portion 126 can be inserted from the lower side Zb.

[0153] The cam electric drive unit, although not shown, is composed of a solenoid or motor connected to the cam portion 125 so that it can be electrically driven, and based on the above-mentioned electrical signal from the door closed detection sensor 124, that is, when the door closed detection sensor 124 detects that the door 7 is in a fully closed state, the cam portion 125 is rotated approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise when viewed from the front from the unlocked position to the locked position, even without the key inserted in the keyhole portion 37 being manually rotated.

[0154] In addition, the cam electric drive unit is not restricted except when the cam portion 125 is rotated by the above-mentioned electric drive, and is allowed to rotate freely, and is configured so as not to interfere with the manual rotation operation of the key inserted into the keyhole portion 37.

[0155] As shown in Figure 1, the cam portion 125, engaging protrusion portion 126, engaging protrusion receiving portion 127 and cam electric drive portion are built into the housing 2 near the above-mentioned keyhole portion 37 provided on the front surface of the lower part 2D of the housing on the side Zb below the front opening 8.

[0156] The mechanism by which the automatic locking key 120 operates to automatically lock the door 7 in the closed state when the door 7 is changed from an open state to a fully closed state will be briefly explained below with reference to Figure 10. Before the door 7 is fully closed, the automatic locking key 120 is in the unlocked state, and no key is inserted in the keyhole 37.

[0157] When the door 7 is fully closed, as described above, this is detected by the door-closed-state detection sensor 124, and the electrical signal detected by the door-closed-state detection sensor 124 is sent to the cam electric drive unit. This causes the cam electric drive unit to rotate the cam portion 125 counterclockwise by approximately 90 degrees in a front view, from an unlocked position in which the long axis is horizontally laid down to an upright locked position. The engaging projection 126 is then pushed up by the cam portion 125 against its own weight from the lowered position P126b to the raised position P126a, and the tip end protruding upward is inserted into the hole 127a of the engaging projection receiving portion 127, thereby entering the locked state.

[0158] On the other hand, when unlocking, inserting a key into the keyhole 37 and rotating it clockwise rotates the cam portion 125 integrally from the locked position to the unlocked position, causing the engaging projection 126 to descend by its own weight from the raised position P126a to the lowered position P126b. This releases the insertion of the tip of the engaging projection 126 into the hole 127a of the engaging projection receiving portion 127, allowing the lock to be released manually. Needless to say, the locking operation can be performed manually by reversing the procedure of the manual unlocking operation described above.

[0159] In addition, in the prize-winning game machine 1 of this embodiment, the entire support columns 4 provided on the left and right sides of the front of the upper cabinet 2U are made of a transparent acrylic material so that the play space 3 can be seen from the outside through the support columns 4. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the support columns 4 have a rectangular horizontal cross section over their entire length in the vertical direction, and are made up of a first support column component 4a that corresponds to approximately one half of one side in the horizontal cross section, and a second support column component 4b that corresponds to approximately one half of the other side.

[0160] The first and second support component members 4a and 4b are configured with a main surface and a pair of protruding pieces extending from the main surface, forming a generally rectangular U-shape in cross section. The first and second support component members 4a and 4b are slightly different in size, and the main surface of the shorter main surface is fitted between the pair of protruding pieces on the longer main surface in the front-to-rear direction, and are joined using fastening members such as bolts (see FIG. 11 ). In this embodiment, the first support component member 4a is slightly larger than the second support component member 4b. The support component 4 configured in this manner is hollow, with an internal space 4S extending vertically between the first and second support component members 4a and 4b.

[0161] Furthermore, because the support columns 4 configured in this manner are entirely made of transparent acrylic material as described above, the prize-winning game machine 1 of this embodiment allows the play space 3 to be seen from the outside, including not only the left and right side and front portions of the upper cabinet 2U, but also the support columns 4 provided between them. This improves the visibility of the play space 3 compared to when the support columns 4 are not transparent, allowing the player to more accurately grasp the game situation.

[0162] Next, the above-mentioned win / loss control mechanism will be described. The storage unit provided in the lower housing 2D has a win / loss control information storage unit that constitutes part of the win / loss control mechanism as described above.

[0163] This hit / miss control mechanism detects whether a change in the movement of the target 21 of a certain magnitude or more due to a match between the movement of the target 21 caused by the target drive mechanism 22 and the operation of the access member 11 caused by the access member drive mechanism 12 is the expected hit timing, and if it is the hit timing, it executes a shift operation to shift at least one of the target drive mechanism 22, the access member 11 and the access member drive mechanism 12 from the hit timing in accordance with preset selection conditions when it is a miss.

[0164] The win / loss control information that constitutes the win / loss information storage unit is information necessary to execute the above-mentioned shifting operation that shifts the win timing, and is composed of win timing information and selection condition information such as the winning probability and upper limit amount required for the lottery that are set appropriately.

[0165] Here, the hit timing is the timing at which a change in the movement of the target 21 of a certain degree or more is expected due to a match between the movement of the target 21 by the target unit 20 and the operation of the access member 11 in the access unit 10, and the movement of the target 21 is specified within a predetermined range.

[0166] Specifically, when the start switch 38 for starting the downward swing of the access member 11 is pressed while the target 21 is at a predetermined position in its trajectory, the impact timing is determined based on whether the target 21 is pulled down a certain height, the speed of the target 21 and the access member 11, the amount of rotation of the target 21, the shape of the access member 11, etc. The width of the impact timing narrows or widens depending on the speed of the target 21 and the access member 11, the amount of rotation of the target 21, and the shape of the access member 11.

[0167] At this time, whether or not it is the timing to win is determined by whether or not the target 21, whose position is detected by the position detection unit 26 (see FIG. 4) in the target drive mechanism 22 or an appropriately provided target position detection means (not shown), such as an encoder, is within the range of the timing to win when the start switch 38 is pressed to start the operation of the access member 11. The winning probability and upper limit amount in the selection condition information are information for the so-called lottery mode and ceiling mode, respectively, and are set to be changeable depending on the difficulty level of the game, the cost of prize X, etc.

[0168] The control operation of this win / loss control mechanism will be explained below using the flowchart in Figure 12. First, the control unit waits for an ON signal to be input from the start switch 38 (step S1) and starts timing using a timer (step S2).

[0169] Simultaneously with these operations, the control unit causes the target position detection means to detect the position of the target 21 (step S3), and then compares the position information with the hit timing information stored in the memory unit to determine whether or not the timing corresponds to the hit timing (step S4).

[0170] If it is determined in step S4 that it is not the timing for a hit (step S4: NO), the control unit does nothing and allows the operation of the target drive mechanism 22 of the target unit 20 and the access member drive mechanism 12 of the access unit 10 to continue as is (see e1 in Figure 12).

[0171] At this time, it is not the timing for a hit, so even if the access member 11 rotates toward the target 21 that is swinging in a pendulum motion, the access member 11 will either miss without coming into contact with the target 21 or will not be able to pull down the target 21 even if it does come into contact with it, and the prize X will not fall.

[0172] If it is determined in step S4 that it is time to win (step S4: YES), the control unit determines whether the current game is a "win" or a "lose" (step S5). A "win" or a "lose" indicates whether or not the payout of prize X is permitted; in the former case, payout is permitted, and in the latter case, payout is not permitted.

[0173] If the selection condition is based on the probability of winning, the control unit executes a probability calculation using a known random calculation, compares the calculation result with a preset probability of winning, and determines whether the result is a "win" or a "loss." If the selection condition is the maximum amount of money, the control unit compares the amount of money accumulated according to the number of games played with the maximum amount of money, and determines whether the result is a "win" or a "loss" depending on whether the amount of money accumulated has reached the maximum amount of money.

[0174] If it is determined in step S5 that there is a hit (step S5: NO), the control unit does nothing and allows the operation of the target driving mechanism 22, the access member 11, and the access member driving mechanism 12 to continue as is (see e2 in Figure 12).

[0175] At this time, it is the winning timing, and when the access member 11 rotates toward the target 21 which is performing a pendulum motion, there is a high probability that the access member 11 will come into contact with the target 21, hook the finger portion 112, and pull down the target 21. When the target 21 is pulled down to the prize winning height P20b, the mooring member 61 assumes the mooring release position P60b, and the prize X which has been moored to the mooring claw portion 612 via the hanging string 81 is released, causing the prize X to fall.

[0176] If it is determined in step S5 that the target has missed (step S5: YES), the control unit executes a shifting operation, i.e., the target drive mechanism 22, the access member 11, and the access member drive mechanism 12 are shifted from the contact timing (see e3 in FIG. 12).

[0177] When the access member 11 and the access member drive mechanism 12 are caused to perform a shifting operation, the control unit controls the drive motor 23 of the access unit 10 to change its speed in milliseconds. That is, the control unit controls the drive motor 23 to slightly delay (slow down) or accelerate (speed up) the movement. In addition, the control unit can also control the start delay, which delays the start timing by a small amount in milliseconds.

[0178] When the target drive mechanism 22 performs a shifting operation, a very slight movement delay or movement acceleration is generated in the drive motor 23 of the target unit 20, in the range of milliseconds, just as when the access member 11 and the access member drive mechanism 12 are performed.

[0179] At this time, whether to delay or accelerate and how much to shift are determined depending on the position of the target 21 within a certain range of hit timing when the start switch 38 is pressed.

[0180] If it is anticipated that the range of impact timing is wide and that the shift in timing can be visually confirmed by shifting only one of the target drive mechanism 22, the access member 11, and the access member drive mechanism 12, it is advisable to perform the shifting operation on all of the target drive mechanism 22, the access member 11, and the access member drive mechanism 12.

[0181] If a shifting operation is performed, the timing is missed even though it was the hit timing, so even if the access member 11 rotates, the access member 11 will miss or will not be able to pull down the target 21 even if it comes into contact with it, and the prize X will not fall.

[0182] In this way, prize X can be obtained basically when it is determined in step S4 that it is a winning timing (step S4: YES) and the selection result in step S5 is "winning" (step S5: NO). As described above, the system is configured to control the payout of prize X by comparing the accumulated amount according to the number of games played with the upper limit amount, or by taking into consideration the payout rate of prize X in the past, so that profitability can be reliably ensured.

[0183] Furthermore, it is possible to set the payout rate of the prize X to be higher as the accumulated amount according to the number of games increases, so that the desire of the user who wants to get the prize X without fail can be satisfied.

[0184] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S5 that the game has "missed" (step S5: YES), even if an operation is performed on the target drive mechanism 22, the access member 11, and the access member drive mechanism 12 to shift the timing from the hit, this is done within a range of timing that would predict a certain degree of change in the movement of the access member 11 or the target 21, so the player will not feel uncomfortable with these movements or the flow of the game, and the enjoyment of the game can be improved. As described above, the hit / miss control mechanism can provide a sense of satisfaction to both the player and the game machine owner.

[0185] Next, an outline of the operation of the prize-winning game machine 1 in this embodiment will be described. It is assumed that, in the initial state, the target unit 20 is located at an initial height P20a, and the mooring member 61 is in an initial position P60a. Accordingly, in the display unit 52, only the uppermost LED 55, which indicates the initial height P20a, is lit in red (see FIG. 7(a1)), and the other LEDs 55 are lit in blue. Similarly, in the display unit 71, only the uppermost LED 72, which indicates the initial position P60a, is lit in red, and the other LEDs 72 are lit in blue (see FIG. 7(b1)).

[0186] First, the control unit executes standby mode according to the program, and performs audio effects using the speaker, and if necessary, drives the target drive mechanism 22, access member 11, and access member drive mechanism 12 to perform demonstration movements.

[0187] In this state, the coin insertion detector detects a coin, and when this signal is input to the control unit, the game begins. At this time, the control unit initializes the target drive mechanism 22 and the access member drive mechanism 12. When the access member drive mechanism 12 is in the initial state, the access member 11 waits at the initial position P11a (see FIG. 2).

[0188] At the same time, the control unit starts counting down the game time using a timer, and starts driving the target driving mechanism 22 based on a predetermined automatically set difficulty level or a manually set difficulty level. As a result, the target 21 starts to swing at a constant amplitude and speed. The control unit also outputs predetermined performance information read from the memory unit to the speaker.

[0189] When the player presses the start switch 38 at a timing appropriate for when the target 21, which is swinging in a pendulum motion, approaches the access member 11 in the forward / backward direction, the control unit operates the drive motor 23 of the access unit 10 in accordance with the input signal under predetermined conditions that reflect the predetermined difficulty level. As a result, the access member 11 swings down from the initial position P11a.

[0190] If the timing is right, this downward swinging motion will contact the target 21, which is swinging back and forth as described above, from above, and an external force will be applied to the target 21. As a result, the entire target unit 20, including the target 21, will be pulled down a predetermined height from the initial height P20a against the weight of the balance weight 43, the prize X, etc.

[0191] On the other hand, if the timing is not right for the target 21 that is swinging in a pendulum motion, that is, if the external force cannot be applied because the swing misses and does not come into contact with the target 21, the target 21 cannot be pulled down from the initial height P20a, and the target 21 is maintained at the initial height P20a.

[0192] In this way, when the target 21 is pulled down by the access member 11, the target 21 is maintained at the height (state) immediately after being pulled down, and when the target 21 is not pulled down, the target 21 is maintained at the initial height P20a or the height (state) before being pulled down.

[0193] At this time, when the access member 11 moves away from the target 21 and no external force is applied to the target 21, the balance between the target unit 20's own weight and the weight of the balance weight 43, prize X, etc. is again maintained, so that the target unit 20 does not descend any further and is maintained at a height (state) pulled down by a predetermined height.

[0194] In other words, the target unit 20, including not only the target 21 but also the main bracket 27 mounted on the target driving mechanism 22, gradually descends while being maintained in the accessed state each time the target 21 is accessed by the access member 11 from the initial height P20a to the prize acquisition height P20b (see, for example, arrow R3 in Figure 2).

[0195] Furthermore, when the target unit 20 is pulled down by a predetermined height, as described above, the LED 55 located on the uppermost side Za on the display section 52 of the target state display unit 50 changes in a stepwise manner from a state in which the LED 55 located on the uppermost side Za is lit in red to a state in which the LED 55 at the corresponding position below is lit in red. When the target unit 20 is maintained at a height lowered by a predetermined height from the initial height P20a, only the LED 55 corresponding to that height is displayed lit in a red color different from the other LEDs 55 (for example, see FIGS. 7(a2) and 8(a1)).

[0196] Furthermore, as the target unit 20 is pulled down a predetermined height, the mooring member 61 is biased upward Za by the prize-linking wire 65 at the mooring member force point 613, causing the mooring member 61 to tilt counterclockwise in front view from the initial position P60a at a predetermined angle corresponding to the biasing force (see FIGS. 7(b2) and 8(b1)). Furthermore, in the display section 71 of the mooring status display unit 70, similar to the display section 52 of the target status display unit 50, the LED 72 located at the upper left gradually changes from a state in which it is lit in red to a state in which the LED 72 at the corresponding position on the right side also lights up in red (see the same figures). When the mooring member 61 is maintained in a state tilted by a predetermined angle from the initial position P60a, only the LED 72 corresponding to that tilt is displayed as lit in a different red color from the other LEDs 72.

[0197] Then, when the player performs the above-described play multiple times based on the amount of money inserted and finally pulls the target unit 20 down to the prize acquisition height P20b, the mooring member 61 is urged upward Za at the mooring member force point portion 613 via the prize interlocking wire 65 with a force corresponding to the amount the target unit 20 has been pulled down.

[0198] As a result, the mooring member 61 tilts until it assumes the mooring release position P60b, and the prize X, which had been moored to the mooring claw portion 612 via the hanging string 81, is released (see FIG. 8(b2)). The prize X is dropped into the prize outlet 9 directly below, and the player can acquire the prize X from the prize removal opening 36. At this time, all LEDs 55, 72 on the display section 71 of the mooring status display unit 70 and the display section 52 of the target status display unit 50 flash rapidly to indicate that the prize X has been acquired (see FIGS. 8(a2) and 8(b2)).

[0199] In addition, the prize winning game machine 1 of this example does not exclude the possibility of pulling the target 21 down from the initial height P20a to the prize winning height P20b in one play, i.e., by one downward swing of the access member 11.

[0200] In addition to the components described above, the prize-winning game machine 1 of this embodiment is also equipped with an intrusion detection sensor (not shown) that can detect the intrusion of a foreign object into the play space 3 when the access member 11 or the target 21 is in motion or is capable of moving and an administrator or the like opens the door 7 and inadvertently reaches into the play space 3.

[0201] In addition, the control unit has an emergency stop function that stops the operation of the target unit 20 and the access unit 10 based on the detection signal from the intrusion detection sensor, thereby ensuring the safety of the prize acquisition game machine 1.

[0202] As described above, the prize acquisition game machine 1 of this embodiment comprises a target unit 20 having a target 21 that is operated by a player in order to acquire a prize X, a target drive mechanism 22 that causes the target 21 to perform a predetermined movement, an access member 11 that applies an external force to the target 21 based on the player's operation and changes the state of the target unit 20, and a target state maintenance mechanism 40 that maintains the target unit 20 in the accessed state each time the target 21 is accessed by the access member 11 until the state of the target unit 20 reaches the prize acquisition height P20b that will allow the prize X to be acquired.

[0203] This invention does not diminish the player's interest in the game even when played multiple times, and enhances the enjoyment of the game. More specifically, the target state maintaining mechanism 40 maintains the target unit 20 in the accessed state each time the target 21 is accessed by the access member 11, thereby making it possible to provide a difference in the state, i.e., height, of the target unit 20 each time it is accessed by the access member 11, and allowing the player to recognize this difference (change in state).

[0204] This allows the player to be interested not only in whether the state of the target unit 20 has changed since before the access, but also in the degree of change in state, each time the game is played.

[0205] Therefore, the player is unlikely to get bored of the game, and the more the player plays the game, the more the player will feel a sense of satisfaction as the state of the target 21 approaches the prize acquisition height P20b, and the more the player will develop a sense of goal. In other words, repeated play can be given meaning, which stimulates the player's desire to take on challenges and keeps the player motivated to try again and again.

[0206] Therefore, when the player wins prize X after repeated attempts, the player's sense of accomplishment can be enhanced, which in turn can enhance the enjoyment of the game and can also be expected to increase profitability.

[0207] Furthermore, the state of the target unit 20 is set to the state in the up-down direction of the target 21, and the target state maintenance mechanism 40 is provided with a fixed pulley 41 provided on the upper side Za of the target unit 20, a cone linkage wire 42 hung on the fixed pulley 41, and a balance weight 43 suspended on the other end of the cone linkage wire 42 with a weight equivalent to that of the target unit 20 suspended on one end of the cone linkage wire 42.

[0208] This allows the weight of the target unit 20 suspended from one end of the cone-shaped interlocking wire 42 to be canceled by the balance weight 43. Therefore, each time the target unit 20 is accessed by the access member 11, the heavy target unit 20 can be reliably maintained at the accessed height.

[0209] The device also includes a display unit 52 that visually displays the relative relationship between the state of the target unit 20 maintained by the target state maintenance mechanism 40 and the prize acquisition height P20b. This allows the player to easily visually recognize the amount of descent (height change) of the target unit 20 from the initial height P20a to the current height, i.e., the progress, or in other words, the amount of descent (height change) required to reach the prize acquisition height P20b, i.e., the remaining amount. This gives the player a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, and stimulates their desire to take on the challenge.

[0210] The target driving mechanism 22 is configured to make the target 21 perform a pendulum motion and to control the swing amplitude, swing timing, and period of the target 21 performing the pendulum motion.

[0211] This allows the player to change the difficulty of the game and acquire the prize X according to his / her skill while stabilizing the profits of the prize acquisition game machine 1, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of the game.

[0212] The prize mooring unit 60 also includes a prize mooring unit that moors the prize X and has a mooring member 61 that is configured to be rotatable depending on the state of the target unit 20. The mooring member 61 has a protruding mooring claw portion 612 and a fulcrum rotation portion 66 that serves as a fulcrum when rotating. The prize X is moored to the mooring claw portion 612, and the prize mooring unit 60 has an interlocking structure that reduces the degree to which the prize X is moored at the mooring claw portion 612 as the state of the target unit 20 changes to the prize acquisition height P20b, and releases the mooring state of the prize X when the prize acquisition height P20b is reached.

[0213] This allows the player to realize that the more properly he or she accesses the target 21 of the target unit 20 with the access member 11 during the game, the closer he or she is to winning the prize X. Therefore, during the game in which the player attempts to access the target 21 provided in a different location from the prize X in the play space, the user's desire to definitely obtain the prize X can be sustained. On the other hand, the ability to access the moving target 21 without being restricted by the size, shape, or location of the prize X enhances the enjoyment of the game.

[0214] The prize mooring unit 60 is also provided with a display section 71 that visually displays the relative relationship between the mooring state of the prize X by the mooring member 61 and the mooring release position P60b in which the mooring state is released. This allows the player to easily visually recognize the amount of rotation (amount of posture change) required for the mooring member 61 to move from the mooring state to the mooring release position P60b, in other words, the degree of progress required to reach the mooring release position P60b. This gives the player a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, and stimulates their desire to take on new challenges.

[0215] In particular, in this example, the mooring point at which the prize X is moored via the hanging string 81 in the protruding direction of the mooring claw portion 612 remains directly below the fulcrum rotation portion 66 regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member 61. However, even in this case, as described above, the display portion 71 makes it easy to visually recognize the degree of rotation of the mooring member 61 from the moored state to the released position P60b.

[0216] Furthermore, regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member 61, the mooring claw 612 is configured so that its lowest point in the protruding direction is directly below the fulcrum rotation part 66. As a result, the mooring point when the prize X is hung from the mooring claw 612 can be directly below the fulcrum rotation part 66 regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member 61, so the prize X can be supported directly below the fulcrum rotation part 66.

[0217] As a result, even if the weight of the prize X moored by the mooring claw portion 612 changes, the degree of rotation of the mooring member 61 does not change. Therefore, there is no variation in the degree of mooring of the prize X moored by the mooring claw portion 612, and the prize X can be maintained in a stable mooring state until the mooring member 61 reaches the mooring release position P60b from the mooring state.

[0218] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiments, the prize corresponds to the prize X, and similarly thereafter, the target corresponds to the target 21, the target drive mechanism corresponds to the target drive mechanism 22, the target unit corresponds to the target unit 20, the access member corresponds to the access member 11, the prize acquisition state corresponds to the prize acquisition height P20b, the state maintenance mechanism corresponds to the target state maintenance mechanism 40, the prize acquisition game machine corresponds to the prize acquisition game machine 1, the height direction corresponds to the up and down direction, the fixed pulley corresponds to the fixed pulley 41, the suspension wire corresponds to the cone interlocking wire 42, the balance weight corresponds to the balance weight 43, the display means corresponds to the display unit 52, the mooring member corresponds to the mooring member 61, the prize mooring mechanism corresponds to the prize mooring unit 60, the released state corresponds to the released position P60b, The mooring status display means corresponds to the display unit 71, the fulcrum rotation unit corresponds to the fulcrum rotation unit 66, the abutment unit corresponds to the finger units 112, 112A, and the elastic claw corresponds to the elastic claw 115 described below, but this invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0219] For example, the target state maintenance mechanism 40 is configured to maintain the target unit 20 at its current height using a balance weight 43. However, the target state maintenance mechanism 40 is not limited to this configuration as long as it can maintain the target unit 20 at its current height. For example, it may be configured to use a ratchet mechanism so that the target unit 20 can be moved only to the downward side Zb in the up-down direction by the application of an external force from the access member 11. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0220] The target driving mechanism 22 is configured to control the swing amplitude, swing timing, and period of the pendulum-moving target 21. However, the target driving mechanism 22 may be configured to control only one of the swing amplitude, swing timing, and period of the target 21. Even in this case, the difficulty level of the game can be changed while stabilizing the profits of the prize-winning game machine 1, thereby increasing the enjoyment of the game.

[0221] Furthermore, the target 21 is configured to perform a pendulum motion in the forward and backward directions. However, the movement of the target 21 is not limited to this, and it may also move, for example, in the up and down direction or the left and right direction. In this case, the movement of the access member 11 can be appropriately changed in accordance with the movement of the target 21, thereby making it possible to create a prize acquisition game machine with enhanced playability.

[0222] Furthermore, the access member 11 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and may be configured as a modified access member 11A shown in Fig. 13. Specifically, the access member 11A shown in Fig. 13 has elastic claws 115 at the tips of a pair of protruding pieces 112Ab of a finger portion 112A, which are elastically deformed by an external force when the finger portion 112A comes into contact with the target 21 and applies the external force.

[0223] The pair of protruding pieces 112Ab have substantially the same shape as the protruding pieces 112b in the above embodiment, but are formed so that their protruding length is shorter than that of the protruding pieces 112b.

[0224] The elastic claws 115 provided at the tips of the protruding pieces 112Ab are provided on each of the protruding pieces 112Ab, and each protrudes further from the tip of the protruding piece 112Ab. The total protruding length including the elastic claws 115 of the finger portion 112 of the modified example is set to be the same as the protruding length of the protruding piece 112b of the above-mentioned embodiment that does not have the elastic claws 115.

[0225] By using such an access member 11A, when the target 21 is pulled down, an external force can be applied to the target 21 based on the elastic force of the elastic claws 115 of the access member 11A that are in contact with the target 21, thereby mitigating the impact when the access member 11A and the target 21 come into contact and allowing them to move smoothly relative to each other without any gouging or the like.

[0226] 2, the base 112a of the finger 112 of the access member 11 is linearly connected to the main body 111 via the elastic connecting portion 114. In contrast, in a configuration in which the tip of the finger 112 is provided with an elastic claw 115, such as the finger 112A of the modified example described above, the main body 111 and the finger 112A of the access member 11A may be connected without the elastic connecting portion 114.

[0227] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Prize winning game machine 11, 11A...Access member 20...Target unit 21...Target 22...Target driving mechanism 40...Target state maintaining mechanism 41...Fixed pulley 42...Cyme interlocking wire 43...Balance weight 52...Display unit 60...Prize mooring unit 61...Mooring member 66...Fulcrum rotation unit 71...Display unit 112, 112A...Finger unit 115...Elastic claw P20b...Prize winning height P60b...Mooring release position X...Prize

Claims

1. A prize-winning game machine comprising: a target unit having a target that is operated by a player to win a prize and a target drive mechanism that causes the target to perform a predetermined movement; an access member that applies an external force to the target based on the player's operation and changes the state of the target unit; and a state maintenance mechanism that maintains the target unit in the accessed state each time the target is accessed by the access member until the state of the target unit becomes a prize-winning state that allows the prize to be won.

2. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 1, wherein the state of the target unit is the height position of the target, and the state maintenance mechanism comprises a fixed pulley provided above the target unit, a suspension line stretched across the fixed pulley, and a balance weight suspended on one end of the suspension line with a weight equivalent to that of the target unit suspended on the other end of the suspension line.

3. A prize-winning game machine according to claim 1, further comprising a display means for visually displaying the relative relationship between the state of the target unit maintained by the state maintenance mechanism and the prize-winning state.

4. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the target drive mechanism causes the target to perform a pendulum motion and controls at least one of the swing amplitude, swing timing, and period of the target as it performs the pendulum motion.

5. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 1, comprising a prize-winning mooring mechanism having a mooring member that moors the prize and is configured to rotate according to the state of the target unit, the mooring member having a mooring claw portion that protrudes from the mooring member and a fulcrum rotation portion that serves as a fulcrum when rotating, the prize being moored to the mooring claw portion, the prize-winning mooring mechanism having an interlocking structure that reduces the degree of mooring of the prize at the mooring claw portion as the state of the target unit changes to the prize-winning state, and releases the mooring state of the prize when the prize-winning state is reached.

6. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 5, wherein the prize mooring mechanism is provided with a mooring state display means for visually displaying the relative relationship between the mooring state of the prize by the mooring member and the untethered state in which the mooring state is released.

7. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 5, wherein the lowest point of the mooring claw portion in the protruding direction is directly below the fulcrum rotation portion, regardless of the degree of rotation of the mooring member.

8. A prize-winning game machine as described in claim 1, wherein the tip of the access member is provided with a contact portion that contacts the target and applies the external force, and the tip of the contact portion is provided with an elastic claw that elastically deforms in response to the external force.

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