JPH0351434B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a pinball game machine, and in particular, the present invention relates to a pinball game machine, and in particular, an opening provided on a game board is arranged in a first state that is advantageous to the player and a first state that is disadvantageous to the player. This pinball game machine has a variable winning ball device equipped with an opening/closing member that can be freely changed to a second state, and plays a game by hitting pachinko balls.

[Prior Art] In general, pinball gaming machines such as pachinko gaming machines and coin gaming machines that play by hitting pachinko balls are widely used and are popular among players as one of the convenient cash registers.

As is well known, pachinko machines are equipped with multiple safe holes and winning ball devices (Yakumono, commonly known as tulips) on the board, and when a player drives the purchased pachinko balls along the board. When a pachinko ball enters a safe hole or a winning ball device with a certain probability, a certain number of prize balls are paid out.
The winning ball device installed in such conventional pachinko gaming machines has a beak-like part that can be opened left and right to receive pachinko balls falling along the board surface, and the beak-like part is closed in the normal state. Then, when the first pachinko ball wins, the beak is opened to make it easier for the falling pachinko balls to win, and while the beak is open, the second pachinko ball is opened. The beak closes when a pachinko ball wins a prize. In other pachinko ball gaming machines, when a pachinko ball enters a certain winning hole or winning ball device, a beak-shaped portion of the winning ball device associated with the ball is opened in advance to facilitate winning, and the opening is opened. When one pachinko ball wins a winning ball device, the beak-shaped part of the device is closed. In any case, based on certain conditions, the beak of the winning ball device was simply opened until one winning ball was found.

Therefore, in order to increase the player's interest, a variable winning ball device is provided on the game board, and when a certain condition is met, the variable winning ball device is set in a first state that is advantageous to the player. It is conceivable that the variable winning ball device be configured to be opened and, when a certain period of time has elapsed, be closed as a second state that is disadvantageous to the player.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, when the variable winning ball device is changed from the open state to the closed state after a certain period of time has elapsed,
The number of pachinko balls won in a given time varies depending on the superiority or inferiority of the gaming technique, and players with inferior gaming technique are at a disadvantage, unable to receive uniform service, and unfairness occurs.

Therefore, it is conceivable to configure the variable winning ball device to be closed as a second state disadvantageous to the player when a predetermined number of winning balls are won in the variable winning ball device. However, in this case,
When the player hits the ball slowly, the variable prize winning ball device remains in the first state for a long time, causing a problem in that the game lacks thrill.

Therefore, the main purpose of this invention is to provide a pinball game that can provide uniform and fair service regardless of the quality of gaming technology or the quality of gaming machines, and that can be full of thrills and double the players' enjoyment. The goal is to provide opportunities.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a variable winning ball device that includes an opening/closing member on a game board that can be freely changed between a first state that is advantageous to the player and a second state that is disadvantageous to the player. This is a pinball game machine having a variable prize winning ball device that allows a player to receive a variable prize winning ball device based on a pinball game entering a predetermined game state, for example, when a pachinko ball passes through a predetermined winning area. and determines that a predetermined time has elapsed since the pinball game machine entered a predetermined gaming state (a state in which the opening/closing member opens/closes or opens), and a variable prize winning state. A determination output that determines that a predetermined number of winning balls that were won when the ball device is in the first state has been won, and a determination output that a predetermined time has elapsed or a determination output that determines that the number of winning balls has reached a predetermined number. The variable winning ball device is configured to be driven and controlled from the first state to the second state based on the earlier discrimination output.

[Function] In the pinball game machine according to the present invention, when the game state becomes a predetermined specific game state, the variable prize winning ball device enters the first state that is advantageous for the player. Therefore, in that state, the player obtains a relatively large game evaluation. Then, the variable winning ball device is returned to the second state in response to the generation of a predetermined number of winning balls or the elapse of a predetermined time, which is considered as a player having acquired a predetermined gaming value.
As a result, the upper limit of the number of balls that can be won by the player can be limited to a certain number while the variable winning ball device is in the first state that is advantageous to the player, and also when a predetermined period of time has elapsed. In this case, even if the number of balls that can be acquired is less than the number of balls that can be obtained, by restricting the winnings to the variable winning ball device, the player will try to hit the ball as soon as possible, so the quality of the player's gaming technique or the quality of the gaming machine will be affected. Not only can uniform and fair service be provided regardless of the situation, but also a thrilling pinball game can be played.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, a pachinko game machine will be explained as an example of a pinball game machine. However, it should be pointed out in advance that the technical idea of this invention is not limited to pachinko gaming machines, but also applies to other pinball gaming machines, especially pinball gaming machines that use pachinko balls to play games. put.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of a pachinko game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, on the game board of the pachinko game machine 10 of this embodiment, there is a special winning hole 11 with a condition that allows a variable winning ball device to be described later to be repeatedly opened and closed in response to the winning of one pachinko ball. , safe holes 11a and 11b, a winning ball device 12 that guides the first winning ball to the back side and guides the second winning ball directly below, and can be opened and closed repeatedly or continuously based on the winning balls in the special winning hole 11. A variable winning ball device 13 that can be opened manually and a conventional winning ball device (commonly known as chulip; hereinafter referred to as Yakumono)
14 and an out ball inlet 15 are provided.

Further, at the lower front of the pachinko game machine 10, when a plurality of pachinko balls are inserted, there is a ball waiting gutter 1 that guides the pachinko balls to a ball hitting position in order to hit the balls one by one.
6, a batting ball handle 17 for adjusting the batting strength by its rotation, a batting ball switch 171 for issuing a batting command for the pachinko ball guided to the batting position by the batting ball waiting gutter 16, and a special winning prize. hole 11,
Safe hole 11a or 11b, winning ball device 12,
A prize ball payout port 18 that pays out a predetermined number of prize balls in response to pachinko balls entering either the variable winning ball device 13 or the Yakumono 14, and the prize ball payout port 1.
A surplus prize ball dispensing port 181 for dispensing surplus prize balls when the prize balls paid out to the slot 8 overflow, and a prize ball receiving tray 19 for receiving the prize balls paid from the surplus prize balls dispensing port 181 are provided.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view of the back panel of the pachinko gaming machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the back panel 20 of the pachinko game machine 10 includes
In order to detect the pachinko balls that have entered the special winning hole 11, a special winning ball detection switch 21 is provided in connection with the special winning hole 11, and the pachinko balls that have entered the winning ball device 12 are detected as winning balls. A winning ball detection switch 22 is provided in association with the winning ball device 12 to detect pachinko balls brought to the back side of the device 12, and detects pachinko balls that have won into the variable winning ball device 13 and are guided to the back side. A winning ball detection switch 23 for detection is provided in relation to the variable winning ball device 13. The back panel 20 also includes a path 241 that guides the pachinko balls that have won into the special winning hole 11 downward, a path 242 that guides the pachinko balls that have won into the winning ball device 12 downward, and the variable winning ball device 1.
Route 243 that guides the pachinko ball that won 3 downwards
, a path 244 that guides the pachinko balls guided via paths 241 and 242 downward, and paths 244 and 2.
A path 245 is provided for guiding the pachinko balls guided through the hole 43 and the pachinko balls that have won into other safe holes or yakumono to the winning ball processing mechanism 25.
A winning ball processing mechanism 25 is disposed at the end of the path 245 for detecting winning pachinko balls by sequentially dropping the winning pachinko balls one by one. The winning ball handling mechanism 25 supports a cylindrical member 251, and rotates the cylindrical member 251 downward every time a pachinko ball is placed on a pachinko ball formed at the tip of the cylindrical member 251 on the path 245 side. The switch 252 is activated by the rotation of the button to detect winning balls.
Then, when the solenoid 253 is energized after the winning balls are detected, the solenoid 253 attracts the shaft and returns the cylindrical member 251, thereby causing the pachinko balls to fall one by one downward. Pachinko balls dropped from the winning ball processing mechanism 25 are guided to a path 262 via a path 261.

A path 263 is provided on the back side of the out ball entrance 15.
is formed, and the out balls collected from the out ball inlet 15 are guided to the path 262 via the path 263. The winning balls and out balls (ie, hit balls) guided to the path 262 are collected by a pachinko ball return device (not shown) and returned to each pachinko game machine as supply balls.

FIG. 3 is a specific illustration of the variable winning ball device 13 and the opening mechanism 30 for opening the variable winning ball device 13. In the figure, variable winning ball device 13
The machine has a beak-shaped part (tullip petals) 131 to receive pachinko balls falling along the board, and the beak-shaped part 131 is attached to a plate 132 and arranged on the board of the pachinko game machine. ing. The beak-shaped portion 131 opens left and right depending on the winning ball.
A lever 133 is provided in conjunction with the beak 131 for guiding winning balls to the back side of the gaming machine. In order to detect winning balls, the winning ball detection switch 23 is provided below the lever 133. A pin 134 is formed on the lever 133. And the beak-shaped part 131 of the winning ball device 13
An opening mechanism 30 is provided to control opening.

The opening mechanism 30 has one end of an L-shaped lever 33 fixed to the tip of a solenoid shaft 32 that is attracted by the urging of a solenoid 31.
A plate-like piece 34 is fixed to the other end of the plate. A through hole is formed in the plate-like piece 34, and by inserting the pin 134 into the through-hole, the pin 134 and the plate-like piece 34 are engaged with each other when the L-shaped lever 33 moves in the vertical direction. It is composed of L-shaped lever 33
is supported by a screw 35 at its vertical center so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and is slid downward in conjunction with the solenoid shaft 32 being sucked downward by the suction of the solenoid 31. The pin 134 is pushed down to open the beak 131.

In addition, when the winning ball falls on the lever 133, the beak-shaped part 131 changes depending on the first winning ball.
It may be configured such that the beak-shaped portion 131 is opened and the beak-shaped portion 131 is closed depending on the next winning ball.

FIG. 4 is a detailed diagram showing an example of such another variable winning ball device. To explain the structure of this variable prize winning ball device 40, a plate-like piece (plate) 42 that can be opened toward the front of the game board is rotatably supported below the side wall of a frame member 41. At the upper part of the frame member 41, there is a pachinko ball receiving part 43 in which pachinko balls can be won.
is formed, but it is not necessarily necessary in the present invention. The lever 4 is attached to the plate 42.
4 is fixed, and the plate 42 can be opened forward by pulling the lever 44 upward. One end of a lever 45 is engaged with the lever 44, and the other end of the lever 45 is pivotally supported by a support shaft protruding from a mounting plate 46. A portion of one end of the lever 45 is the lever 47
It is connected to the plunger 49 of the solenoid 48 via. When the solenoid 48 is energized, the plunger 49 is sucked and the lever 45 is rotated upward via the lever 47, thereby causing the lever 44 engaged with one end of the lever 45 to rotate.
The plate 42 is opened by pulling up and pushing the plate 42 forward of the game board. When the solenoid 48 is deenergized, the plunger 49 is pushed downward by the elastic force of the spring, and the lever 45 is rotated downward, thereby closing the plate 42. Therefore, by intermittently energizing or deenergizing the solenoid 48 and repeating this process,
Repeated opening and closing operations of the plate 42 can be achieved.

FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the configuration, the control circuit of this example has the following configuration:
an opening/closing drive command signal generating means 51 that detects a gaming state in which the variable winning ball device can be repeatedly opened and closed and derives an opening/closing drive command signal; and a drive control device that repeatedly opens and closes the variable winning ball device or continuously opens the variable winning ball device. 52, and a stop control means 53 for controlling the repeated opening and closing operations of the variable winning ball device.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the specific configuration and operation of FIG. 5 will be described.

When a player puts a pachinko ball purchased from a ball rental machine into the ball waiting gutter 16, rotates the ball handle 17 to adjust the strength of the ball, and then presses the ball command switch 171, the transistor 54 becomes conductive and the ball motor starts. 55 and rotates the ball hitting motor 55. Due to the rotational drive of the ball hitting motor 55, a ball hitting rod (not shown) is intermittently rotated, and the pachinko balls guided to the ball hitting position by the ball waiting gutter 16 are
Hit the balls one after the other. The hit pachinko ball is placed in the special winning hole 11, the safe hole 11a or 11b,
When a winning ball is won in either the winning ball device 12 or 14, the winning ball is guided to the winning ball processing mechanism 25,
It is detected by the winning ball detection switch 252.
In response to the output of the winning ball detection switch 252, a winning ball payout mechanism (not shown) does not operate and pays out a fixed number of winning balls to the winning ball payout port 18.

On the other hand, when the driven pachinko ball enters the special winning hole 11, it is guided to the back side and detected by the special winning ball detection switch 21, and then guided to the winning ball processing mechanism 25 via the path 241. The output of this special prize winning ball detection switch 21 causes the flip-flop 511 to be set. flip flop 51
The set output of 1 is applied to AND gate 521. The AND gate 521 includes a pulse oscillation circuit 5
Since 22 output pulses (the period of this output pulse is selected based on the time for opening and closing the variable winning ball device only once with one pulse) are always given, the AND gate 521 is connected to the flip-flop 51.
When a set output of 1 is given, the output pulse of the pulse oscillation circuit 522 is derived, and the transistor 523 is intermittently turned on and off, thereby controlling the solenoid 31 intermittently. Accordingly, the solenoid 31 is repeatedly energized or deenergized intermittently, thereby repeatedly sucking or releasing the suction on the plunger 32, thereby causing the pulse oscillation circuit 522
The L-shaped lever 33 is repeatedly slid up and down in synchronization with the pulse oscillation period. Therefore, the pin 134 of the variable winning ball device 13 moves up and down in conjunction with the sliding of the L-shaped lever 33, and by intermittently rotating the lever 133 up and down, the beak-shaped part 131
repeatedly open and close left and right.

Note that if a gate signal generation circuit that generates a gate signal is provided in place of the pulse oscillation circuit 522 and this gate signal is applied to the AND gate 521, the beak-shaped portion 131 can be kept in an open state during the period of the gate signal. I can do it. In this way, the beak 131
In this specification, the state in which the variable prize winning ball device is opened and closed or continuously opened is defined as a first state in which the variable winning ball device is advantageous to the player. On the contrary, in this specification, when the beak-shaped portion 131 is closed, the variable winning ball device is in a second state that is disadvantageous to the player.
It is defined as the state of

As mentioned above, the beak 1 of the variable winning ball device 13
Based on the output of whichever comes first, it is detected that a certain period of time has elapsed since the opening/closing or opening of the 31, or that a predetermined number (for example, N) of winning balls have been received. Beak 1
The repeated opening/closing operation or opening operation of 31 is stopped. That is, in order to stop the repeated opening and closing operation of the variable winning ball device after a certain period of time,
A timer 531 is provided which operates according to the detection output of the special winning ball detection switch 21, and this timer 5
31 derives a high-level time-up output signal after a predetermined period of time from when the output of switch 21 is applied, the time-up signal is sent to flip-flop 51 via OR gate 532.
1 to the set release input terminal of the flip-flop 511 to release the set state of the flip-flop 511.

In addition, when a predetermined number of winning balls are received after the start of the repeated opening/closing operation of the variable winning ball device 13 or the start of the opening operation, the winning balls An N-ary counter 533 is provided to count the output of the detection switch 23, and the set output of the flip-flop 511 is differentiated by a differentiating circuit 534 to reset the N-ary counter 533. It is applied to the reset input terminal of flip-flop 511.

As a result, when the flip-flop 511 is set by the output of the switch 21, the count value of the N-ary counter 533 is reset once, and the variable winning ball device 13 is intermittently turned on to open/close or continuously. In the open drive state, each time the winning ball detection switch 23 detects a winning ball, the N-ary counter 533 counts the number of winning balls, and the N-ary counter 533 counts the number of winning balls (N
When the number of winning balls) is counted, the flip-flop 511 is set by the count-up output, and the repeated opening/closing operation or continuous opening operation of the variable winning ball device 13 is stopped.

As mentioned above, by applying the output of the timer 531 and the output of the N-ary counter 533 to the reset input terminal of the flip-flop 511 via the OR gate 532, the repeated opening/closing operation or opening operation of the three variable winning ball device 13 is started. Based on the output of the flip-flop 51, whichever comes first, it detects that a certain period of time has elapsed since then, or that a predetermined number of winning balls have been received.
1 is reset, the repeated opening/closing operation or continuous opening/closing operation of the variable winning ball device 13 can be stopped.

Thereby, the variable winning ball device is in the first state advantageous to the player, that is, the number of balls that the player can win while the variable winning ball device is repeatedly opened/closed or continuously opened. The upper limit can be limited to a certain number, and when a predetermined time has passed, the variable winning ball device 13
By restricting winnings, players will try to hit the ball as quickly as possible, so it is not only possible to provide uniform and fair service regardless of the quality of the player's gaming technique or the quality of the gaming machine. You can play a thrilling pinball game.

In addition, in the explanation of the operation of each control circuit in FIG. 5 above, the operation in the case of the variable winning ball device shown in FIG. 3 as an example of the variable winning ball device was explained.
It goes without saying that even with the variable winning ball device shown in FIG. 4, the plate 42 can be repeatedly driven to open/close or open.

In addition, in the above embodiment, as an example of a game state in which the variable winning ball device can be repeatedly opened and closed or continuously opened, a winning ball is placed in the special winning hole 11 provided on the game board surface of the pachinko game machine 10. Although the case has been described, it goes without saying that other game states may be used. For example, the pachinko game machine 10 is provided with a variable display device capable of variably displaying identification information on the game board, and when a pachinko ball enters a certain winning hole, the display state of the variable display device is variably controlled. Based on the display state of the variable display device becoming a predetermined display state,
As mentioned above, the variable winning ball device 13 (or 40)
may be controlled to be repeatedly driven to open/close or open/close.

In addition, as another example of a pinball game machine to which this invention can be applied, for example, a plurality of pachinko ball sockets are provided below the game board, and different numbers are drawn on each socket to prevent pachinko balls from falling. In a coin game machine which lights up and displays a display lamp corresponding to a socket into which a pachinko ball is inserted, a variable winning ball device is provided on a game board surface so as to award coins as prizes according to the falling of pachinko balls. Then, under the condition that pachinko balls fall into the sockets of the predetermined combination, the variable winning ball device is repeatedly opened/closed or opened and controlled,
During that time, control may be performed to make it easier to win prizes by making it easier for pachinko balls to enter the variable winning ball device.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the variable winning ball device is put into the first state that is advantageous for the player based on a certain condition, and the variable winning ball device is put in the first state that is advantageous for the player. When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after entering the first advantageous state, the variable winning ball device enters a second state disadvantageous to the player even if a predetermined number of winning balls have not been won. Since the player tries to hit the ball as quickly as possible, the player can play the thrilling pinball game.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a pachinko game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view of the back panel of the pachinko gaming machine. FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the opening/closing mechanism of the variable winning ball device. FIG. 4 is a detailed diagram showing another example of the variable winning ball device. Fifth
The figure is a game control circuit diagram of an embodiment of this invention. In the figure, 10 is a pachinko game machine that is an example of a pinball game machine, 11 is a special winning hole, 13 and 40 are variable winning ball devices, 51 is an opening/closing drive command signal generation means, 52 is a drive control means, and 53 is a stop control means,
21 is a special winning ball detection switch, 511 is a flip-flop, 521 is an AND gate, 523,5
4 is a transistor, 522 is a pulse oscillation circuit, 5
34 is a differential circuit, 531 is a timer, 23 is a winning ball detection switch, 533 is an N-ary counter, 532 is an OR gate, and 171 is a batted ball command switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An opening/closing member disposed on the game board of a pinball game machine that can freely change an opening between a first state that is advantageous to the player and a second state that is disadvantageous for the player. a variable winning ball device; a specific gaming state detection means for detecting that the pinball game has entered a predetermined gaming state; a time determining means for determining; a winning ball detecting means for detecting a winning ball that has entered the variable winning ball device when the variable winning ball device is in a first state; A predetermined number of winning balls determining means for determining that a predetermined number of winning balls have been won; and responding to the output of the specific gaming state detecting means, placing the variable winning ball device in a first state, and determining the time. A pinball game machine comprising a drive control means for driving the variable winning ball device to a second state based on the output of the determination means or the determination output of the predetermined winning ball number determination means, whichever is earlier. .