JPH0663236A - Pachinko machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent troubles in game machines, to launch balls smoothly, and to eliminate unnecessary purchase of game balls. [Configuration] If there is a supply sensor ball existence flag, a half end sensor ball existence flag, an ejection sensor ball existence flag, and an overflow flag does not exist, the condition confirmation 1 flag is set in step S64. Also, it is determined whether or not there is an upper ball saucer full flag, and when the upper ball saucer full flag is present, it is determined that the conditions necessary for discharging balls are complete, but it is not sufficient for discharging purchased balls. Then, in step S67, the condition confirmation 2 flag is cleared. As a result, the ball lending operation of the ball lending machine 3 is stopped, and excessive holding of balls is eliminated. More than necessary game balls do not stop in the ball guide passage to the launcher,
The ball pressure caused by this prevents the occurrence of ball lumps.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pachinko gaming machine, and more particularly to a pachinko gaming machine equipped with a gaming medium lending device for lending a gaming medium within the range of valuable data read by a card reader.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a card-type pachinko game system has been proposed, in which a game is played using a magnetic card as a medium. In this card-type pachinko gaming system, for example, one pachinko gaming machine and one ball lending machine are arranged in pairs in the island facility of a gaming shop. Such a card system has an advantage that the player only has to carry around a card that is a storage medium and can reduce the time and effort to carry a large number of pachinko balls that easily fall.

[0003] A game store can also grasp the sales of pachinko game machines by the sales of ball rental machines that are paired with the game machines.

There is also a gaming machine that lends balls from a ball lending machine using a so-called prepaid card, rather than a complete card-type pachinko gaming system. The ball lending machine as described above is usually called "hamburger" or "sandwich".

In a conventional pachinko gaming machine equipped with a ball lending machine, the prize balls released in association with the winning of the game balls are usually received by a ball upper tray (hereinafter referred to as "plate") and the plate is full. At this time, the lower ball saucer (hereinafter referred to as the lower saucer) is used.

[0006]

By the way, in the conventional pachinko game machine, even if the upper plate is full, the function of purchasing balls from the ball lending machine is not stopped, and the purchased ball is the upper plate. Because it was allowed to be paid out to, the ball was held on the upper plate at the discretion of the player. Therefore, for example, when the top plate is full and the balls are purchased from the ball lending machine, the balls are excessively reserved and the ball guide passage from the ball storage part of the top plate to the launching device (the balls are arranged in one row). Unnecessarily excessive number of game balls are stopped at the place where they are made), and the ball pressure caused by this causes ball spots in the guide passage, resulting in trouble with the game machine. There was a problem that it would not be possible to fire.

Further, even if the upper plate is full, the balls can be purchased from the ball lending machine, so that there is a problem in that game balls may be unnecessarily purchased. There was room for improvement in order to improve the service.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pachinko gaming machine which prevents troubles in the gaming machine, enables smooth ball firing, and does not wastefully purchase gaming balls.

[0009]

To achieve the above object, a pachinko gaming machine (for example, a pachinko machine) according to the present invention.
Is within the range of valuable data read by the card reader,
Upon receiving a game medium lending device (for example, a ball lending machine 3) for lending a game medium (for example, a pachinko ball), a prize ball released in association with a winning of the game medium, and a ball for lending by the operation of the game medium lending device. A ball receiving tray (for example, upper tray 21), a lower ball receiving tray (for example, ball storage tray 32) communicating with the upper ball receiving tray,
In a pachinko gaming machine provided with, an upper ball saucer full detection means (for example, an upper ball saucer sensor 217) that is in a detection state when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the upper ball saucer, and the upper ball saucer Overflow detection means (for example, overflow sensor 61) that enters a detection state when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the ball passage 62 communicating with the lower ball tray.
And a game medium lending stop means (for example, CPU 210) for stopping the lending operation of the game medium based on at least one signal from the outputs of the upper ball tray full detection means or the overflow detection means. Characterize.

[0010]

In the present invention, a predetermined number or more of balls (for example,
When prize balls, balls for lending, or both) are stored (when the upper plate is full), or when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the ball passage that connects the upper plate and the lower plate (when overflowing) When any one of the conditions is detected,
The ball lending operation of the game media lending device stops.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned state, since the balls cannot be purchased from the ball lending machine, the excessive holding of the balls disappears, and more than necessary game balls do not stay in the ball guide passage from the ball storage section of the upper plate to the launching device. , It is possible to prevent the ball pressure from being caused by the ball pressure, and it is possible to shoot balls smoothly without any trouble in the gaming machine. Further, since the balls cannot be purchased from the ball lending machine in the above state, it is possible to improve the service without wastefully purchasing the game balls.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 10 show an embodiment in which a pachinko ball ejecting device according to the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine of a pucky card system. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the entire pachinko machine. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a pachinko machine, and a similar number of pachinko machines 1 are installed in a game shop. Pachinko machine 1 of this embodiment
Is roughly divided into a pachinko machine 2 and a card type ball lending machine (hereinafter, simply referred to as a ball lending machine) 3 as a game medium lending device arranged on the side of the pachinko machine 2, and these are paired. It has been installed.

The ball lending machine 3 is formed in a vertically long type having a relatively narrow width and has a certain depth. Further, the pachinko machine 1 is provided on the side of the pachinko machine 1 for convenience of the player. Also, the ball lending machine 3 can be separated from the pachinko machine 2 and can be replaced during repair, but at least the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 3 are connected due to a signal. Unless it is done, the game cannot be played.

The ball lending machine 3 has a built-in card reader,
The front panel 4 of the ball lending machine 3 is provided with a card insertion slot 5 into which a card of the Pucky card system corresponding to the above card reader is inserted, and a card remaining number indicator 6 for displaying the card remaining number. . It should be noted that the card insertion slot 5 used is capable of displaying the acceptance of the card, and for example, a card acceptance indicator 7 is provided on the card insertion slot 5, and the card acceptance indicator 7 is composed of a light emitting diode or the like. Display that the acceptance is valid.

The card remaining frequency indicator 6 is composed of, for example, 7-segment light emitting diodes in three rows, and the remaining frequency of the packing card inserted into the card insertion slot 5 is 10
Display in units of degrees up to zero. In the frequency unit, one degree corresponds to 100 yen, and the remaining frequency is displayed to the player by calculating degree / 100 yen.

Therefore, for example, when a packy card of 3000 yen is inserted, it is displayed on the card remaining number display 6 as 30 degrees. As a packy card, for example, a pack of 1000 yen, 2000 yen, 3000 yen, 5000 yen corresponds to, and is already on the market like the case of a pachinko type throttle machine using metal.

Here, a packy card (PAQY CA
RD) is a "prepaid card" exclusively for pachinko games.
I mean. Therefore, in this embodiment, a game can be started with a necessary ball secured by inserting a pucky card into the card insertion slot 5 in addition to bringing in a pachinko ball.

The pachinko machine 2 has a frame-shaped front frame 11 as a portion visible on the front side, and a metal frame (glass frame) 12 arranged in an opening of the frame-shaped front frame 11 and supporting a glass 12a.
It has a game board 13, a front display panel 14, and a front operation panel 15 below the front display panel 14.
The frame-shaped front frame 11 is openably and closably supported by a wooden frame body 16 in which the pachinko machine 2 is installed.
Is supported by the frame-shaped front frame 11 so as to be openable and closable.

The front display panel 14 is formed in a curved shape such that the front side is projected and slightly raised, and the front display panel 14 has a pachinko ball as a prize ball and an upper plate for receiving a rental ball by the operation of the ball lending machine 3 ( An upper ball saucer 21 is formed, and a card frequency indicator (card balance indicator) 22, a ball lending button (conversion button) 23, a card discharge button (return button) 24 and a ball lending indicator 25 are formed on the front side. Is provided. In addition, as a ball lendable display, dot L
Not limited to the ED 25, for example, an elongated display lamp 25
It may be a. One end of the front display panel 14 is openably and closably supported by the frame-shaped front frame 11. Further, reference numeral 26 is a push button for opening and closing a passage connecting the balls of the upper plate 21 to a ball storage plate 32 which will be described later.

The card frequency indicator 22 is composed of, for example, 7-segment light emitting diodes in three rows, and displays the balance of the packy card inserted into the card insertion slot 5 up to the hundreds in frequency units. In the frequency unit, 1 degree is 10
Equivalent to 0 yen, the remaining frequency is displayed to the player by calculation of 100/100 yen. Therefore, for example, when a 3000 yen packy card is inserted, it is displayed on the card frequency indicator 22 as 30 degrees.

In this embodiment, the card frequency indicator 22
In the above description, 7-segment light-emitting diodes are used to form three columns, but the present invention is not limited to this, and dot-LEDs, liquid crystals, fluorescent display tubes and the like may be used. This also applies to the card remaining number display 6. Further, the card frequency display 22 may be combined with the card remaining frequency display 6.

The ball lending button 23 is a device for ejecting a pachinko ball, which will be described later, on the back surface of the pachinko machine 2 in units of once within the range of the balance of the packy card inserted in the card insertion slot 5. It is a switch that is pushed by the player in order to discharge it from the one that also serves as the rental. In this case, the display of the state in which the pachinko balls can be lent out is performed by the ball lending indicator 25. If the pachinko balls can be lent out, the entire ball lending button 23 may be shining.

On the other hand, if the pachinko balls are not ready for lending, even if the ball lending indicator 25 is turned off and the ball lending button 23 is pressed, the pachinko balls are not discharged for lending. When the ball lending button 23 is pressed once, only pachinko balls (for example, 25 balls) corresponding to one time are lent out and supplied to the upper plate 21. If you press it twice, pachinko balls equivalent to twice will be lent out.

The card ejection button 24 is used to pull out the packing card inserted in the card insertion slot 5 from the card insertion slot 5. In the present embodiment, this button is used when the player wants to end the game. By pressing, the packy card is pulled out again from the card insertion slot 5. The player can pick up the withdrawn pucky card and freely choose whether to start the game on another pachinko machine or to end the game for the time being.

An ashtray 31 is formed on the left side of the front operation panel 15 and is formed in such a shape that the center side of the front surface projects forward, and the inside of the projecting portion is a ball storage tray (lower ball tray) 32. Has become. Ball storage plate 32 is upper plate 2
It has a role of receiving prize balls when 1 is full of pachinko balls, and is also for temporarily storing balls. The ball storage tray 32 communicates with the upper tray 21 through a ball passage.
Further, the front operation panel 15 is provided with a punching lever 33 and a firing operation knob 34 of the firing device.

The ball drop lever 33 is for pulling out the balls stored in the ball storage tray 32 to the outside downward, and when the ball drop lever 33 is moved to the left, for example, the ball storage tray 32.
The bottom part of the bottom part is open so that the ball can be discharged downward. The firing operation knob 34 is for operating a firing device that causes one of the pachinko balls lined up in a row to be in a firing position one by one into the game area on the front surface of the game board 13.

On the other hand, in the upper part of the frame-shaped front frame 11 of the pachinko machine 2, from the left side, in order from the left, a prize ball discharge indicator 41 that lights up when prize balls are discharged, a ball rental discharge indicator 42 that lights up when ball rental is discharged, and a pachinko machine. 2 is provided with a completion lamp 43 that is turned on when a stopped state occurs.

The game board 13 is made of, for example, wooden veneer, and the front side thereof is a game area. The game area is a part that determines whether it is out or safe while dropping the launched pachinko ball from above, and the ball enters the winning opening of various prize equipment and variable winning devices provided in the game area and it is effectively safe. In such a case, a predetermined number of prize balls are discharged from the ball discharging device described later and are supplied to the upper plate 21. Even if the ball is fired by operating the firing operation knob 34, the pachinko ball returns to the firing position or is discharged to the ball storage tray 32 when it becomes a foul.

The game area on the game board 13 can have any structure, for example, there are so-called first type, second type, and third type. Anything can be applied to the present invention. In this embodiment, those belonging to the first type are adopted.

Next, FIG. 2 is a view showing the structure of the back mechanism of the pachinko machine 2. In FIG. 2, as a main back mechanism of the pachinko machine 2, a storage tank (upper tank) 51, a ball guiding trough 52, an external terminal board 53, a ball discharging device 54, a ball removing device 55, a discharging control device 56, a game. Board controller 57,
Safe ball payout device 58, launch control device 59, speaker 6
0 and overflow sensor 61.

The storage tank 51 stores the balls before being discharged, and a shortage of the number of balls in the storage tank 51 is detected by a replenishment sensor (not shown). Is replenished. The balls in the storage tank 51 are guided by the ball guide trough 52 and discharged by the ball discharging device 54.

The ball-outlet gutter 52 is not particularly limited, but is formed in two lines so that a large amount of balls can be discharged in a short time, and a ball-leveling member 71 for preventing the weighting of the balls is provided on the way. And a standby ball detector (half-end sensor: not shown) is provided. Further, such a two-row structure is the same in the inside of the ball discharging device 54 and the ball removing device 55.

The external terminal board 53 is for relaying input of AC power and transmission / reception of signals to / from the hall management device. The ball discharge device 54 has two discharge solenoids inside, and discharges the pachinko balls flowing from the upper ball discharge trough 52 downward using the two discharge solenoids. In the case of this embodiment, the ball is a prize ball. Emit both the corresponding ball discharge and the rental ball discharge associated with the purchase of the ball. The ball drop device 55 is for removing balls existing in the back mechanism such as the storage tank 51. When the ball removing operation is performed, the gate of the ball discharge passage is switched to the collecting side to operate to remove balls. .

Each time the safe ball payout device 58 turns on the safe solenoid, the safe ball payout device 58 moves only one safe ball and discharges it, and then immediately holds the next ball to discharge the prize ball. The safe balls are discharged according to. In this way, by temporarily holding the safe balls, it is possible to confirm that the safe balls actually occurred due to winning, and prevent fraud and trouble with the player.

The discharge control device 56 performs various controls necessary for discharging balls, and the game board control device 57 similarly performs various controls necessary for executing a game on the game board 13. The firing control device 59 performs various controls necessary for firing a ball. The speaker 60 is for notifying a sound effect necessary for the game (for example, a sound effect associated with the discharge of balls), and generates various sounds according to the number of discharged balls, the prize mode and the lending of the balls to notify the player. . An overflow sensor (overflow detection means) 61 is provided in a ball passage 62 that communicates the upper tray 21 and the ball storage tray 32. When a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the ball passage 62, a ball is detected. The overflow of the storage tray 32 is detected.

Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system in the pachinko machine 1. In FIG. 3, this control system is broadly divided into a CPU 201 that performs control necessary for pachinko games, ball lending, and the like, and processing that receives various information signals and performs waveform shaping or A / D conversion as necessary. An input filter 202 that goes and outputs to the CPU 201,
A crystal 203 for engraving a basic frequency of an operation clock of the CPU 201, a driver 204 for driving a control signal from the CPU 201 to generate various drive signals and outputting them to each display unit, the CPU 201, an input filter 202. , A power supply unit 205 that supplies necessary power to the driver 204, a sensor group that detects various states related to a pachinko game and outputs necessary data to the input filter 202, and an actuator that is driven by a signal from the driver 204. It is composed of a group and.

The CPU 201, the input filter 202, the crystal 203, and the driver 204 realize the function of the discharge control device 56, and are mounted by a board unit including a microcomputer. Then, the board unit of the microcomputer exchanges control signals and data with the card reader of the ball lending machine 3, the island equipment, the management device of the amusement store, and the like.

The input filter 202 includes a discharge sensor 11
1 and the ejection sensor 112 (that is, the ball ejection device 54
2 output signals of each of the discharge sensors), an output signal of a safe sensor 211 that detects one safe ball discharged by the safe ball payout device 58, and a half-end sensor that detects a standby ball of the ball derivation trough 52 ( A standby ball detector, which will be simply referred to as a half-end sensor hereinafter) 212 output signal, award ball data from the award ball data reception signal line 213, and the game board control device 57 and the ejection control device 56 from the synchronization signal line 214. A synchronization signal for synchronizing signals, a signal from a ball lending request signal line 215 connected to the ball lending machine 3, a signal from a ball lending unit signal line 216 also connected to the ball lending machine 3, and the upper plate 21 is full. Signal from the upper tray saucer sensor 217, an overflow state detection signal from the overflow sensor (overflow detection means) 61, an output signal from the replenishment sensor 218, a ball removal switch. Ball vent signal from the switch 219, Uchidome signals and emission control device from Uchidome signal line 220 56
The signal from the reset switch 221 for resetting the operation of is input.

Here, FIG. 4 is a view showing the arrangement of the upper ball tray sensor (upper ball tray full detection means) 217. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the front display panel 14 of the pachinko machine 2 is opened,
In this figure, reference numeral 231 is a discharge opening for guiding the balls discharged from the ball discharging device 54 to the upper plate 21. Discharge opening 2
31 is connected to a rectangular outlet 232 formed on the front display panel 14, and the outlet 23
Balls flow from 2 into the ball retaining portion of the upper plate 21. In addition, 21
A is an upper plate inlet wall portion for preventing the balls from spilling downward when the balls flow into the upper plate 21.

An upper ball tray sensor 217 is provided on the side of the wall surface forming the discharge opening 231, and as the upper ball tray sensor 217, for example, a proximity sensor type sensor is used. It is detected that the upper plate 21 is full when a predetermined number of balls (the number at which the upper plate 21 is full) or more are stored in the upper plate 21 from the state where the balls are accumulated up to the portion.

Returning to FIG. 3 again, the ball-punching signal is output from a ball-punching sensor (not shown), and the ball-punching sensor is an operation for an attendant of the game shop to start the ball-punching process, that is, the pachinko machine 2 It is detected that an operation of inserting a ball punching rod (not shown) into the operation hole provided on the front surface of the.

The prize ball data output from the accessory device includes data on the number of ejected balls when the player has won various starting prize holes, for example, data of 7 or 15 prize balls. The ball lending request signal is a signal when a player inserts a packy card into a card reader and requests a ball lending, and the ball lending unit signal is a signal in which 100 yen is one unit, such as a purchase button (ball lending). Button) 24 once (ie 1
It is output each time the button is pressed.

From the driver 204, 2 of the ball discharging device 54
Each discharge solenoid 301, discharge solenoid 302,
The control signal is output to the safe solenoid 303, the punching solenoid 304, and various lamps 305 arranged on the front surface of the game board 13 and the illegal signal line 30.
6 is an illegal signal, a prize ball data transmission signal line 307 is a prize ball data transmission signal, and a ball lending completion signal line 308 is a ball lending completion signal which notifies the ball lending machine 3 that the ball lending is completed. A ball lending acceptance enable signal is output to the ball lending acceptance enable signal line 309 for notifying the acceptability status of the ball lending, and a firing stop signal is output to the firing stop signal line 310.

Discharge solenoid 301, discharge solenoid 3
02 is a ball discharge device that operates when discharging balls, and the safe solenoid 303 is a safe ball payout device 58.
The ball-pulling solenoid 304 is built in the ball-punching device 55, and operates when ejecting a single safe ball, and the ball-pulling operation is performed when the ball existing in the back mechanism such as the storage tank 51 is plucked. In this case, the gate of the ball discharge passage is switched to the collection side. The illegal signal is output to the management device or the like of the game shop and used for management, the prize ball data transmission signal is output to the game board control device 57, and the ball lending completion signal and the ball lending acceptance possible signal are the ball lending machine 3. Is output to the card reader control circuit built into the device, and the firing stop signal is output to the firing control device 59.

The CPU 201 has a function as a game medium lending stop means, controls the operation of the ball ejecting device 54 to perform the ball ejection control and the coin removal control, and particularly in this embodiment, the upper plate 21 is full. When at least one of the time of detection and the time of detection of an overflow state is detected, control is performed such that the lending operation of the ball lending machine 3 is stopped.

Next, the procedures of various controls performed by the CPU 201 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The control by the CPU 201 is started at the same time when the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on, and the processing is repeatedly executed as long as the power is turned on.

Main Routine First, the main routine (so-called general flow) will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, this routine is repeatedly performed after the power of the pachinko machine 1 is turned on, and specifically, it is repeated with a software interrupt every 1 ms in the reset waiting process described later.

When the main routine is activated, input processing is first performed in step S1. In this input processing, for example, logic conversion from various detection switches and chattering prevention processing are performed. As the chattering prevention process, for example, C
There is a process for preventing chattering by taking into consideration the time constant of noise and the like by performing a process in which signals from various detection switches are read twice by software in the PU 201.

Then, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the power is turned on. If the power is turned on for the first time, step S3
Proceed to step 5 to clear the RAM, and step S4
Initialize with. As a result, the working area of the RAM is cleared, flags are set, output ports are reset, and subroutines are initialized.
After that, the system waits for a reset, and the main routine is repeated with a soft interrupt every 1 ms.

On the other hand, if it is not the first time the power is turned on in step S2, that is, since the power has already been turned on in the second and subsequent routines, the process branches to NO this time, and the output process is performed in step S5. Here, for example, processing such as outputting data to the output port or outputting a switching signal to the solenoid is performed. Next, in step S6, a ball payout start confirmation condition monitoring process is performed. This is for confirming whether or not the conditions for starting the discharge for the prize balls or the ball lending are satisfied by the ball discharging device 54. For example, data such as a safe ball, a ball lending request signal, etc. Based on the confirmation.

Then, in step S7, the switch (SW)
Input monitoring processing of. This is for monitoring the input information from various detection switches, and specifically, the sensor group, that is, the discharge sensor 111, the discharge sensor 112, the safe sensor 211, the half sensor 212, the prize ball data reception signal line 213, and the ball lending. Request signal line 215, ball lending unit signal line 2
16, output signals from the overflow sensor 61, the replenishment sensor 218, and the like are monitored.

In step S8, the process branches to the corresponding step based on the result of the switch input monitoring process. Steps A to H are available as branch destination steps. Here, the processing content of each branch destination step is as follows. Step A: Confirm safe balls and confirm purchase. This is because it is necessary to confirm that a safe ball has been generated by winning, and when a player presses the ball lending button 23 to purchase a ball, a ball lending request signal or a ball lending unit signal is generated. This is because it is necessary to confirm that they have been received.

Step B: Award ball data transmission / reception processing is performed. This is to receive the award ball data from the award ball data reception signal line 213 and, when the award ball data is received, transmit the award ball data. Step C: Perform processing to start the discharge of prize balls and purchased balls. As a result, the operation of the ball discharging device 54 is started and the prize balls or the purchased balls are paid out to the player.

Step D: Ball ejection processing is performed. This is because the operation timing of the ejection solenoids 301 and 302 of the ball ejection device 54 is controlled immediately before the number of ejected balls reaches the prescribed number to prevent ball clogging. Step E: Perform discharge end processing. As a result, the prescribed number is counted and the operation of the ball discharging device 54 is stopped, and the payout of the prize balls or the purchased balls is completed.

Step F: Safe ball payout and weight processing are performed. This is because when the discharge of the prize balls is completed, the safe solenoid 303 of the safe ball payout device 58 is turned on once to discharge only one safe ball this time, and thereafter, the next prize balls are continuously supplied. When paying out, a certain wait time is provided between the ball discharging operations so that a smooth discharging operation is executed. Step G: A ball removing process is performed. This is a punching device 55
Is operated to remove the balls existing in the back mechanism such as the storage tank 51. When the staff performs the ball removal operation, the gate of the ball discharge passage is switched to the collection side and the balls are removed to the hole side. Be done.

Step H: Enlargement processing is performed. this is,
This is a process for preventing the problem that the balls are caught by the discharge cam when the operation of the ball discharging device 54 is finished.

When any one of the above steps A to H is passed, the process proceeds to step S9,
Performs solenoid control processing. This is to set drive information to the corresponding solenoid according to a predetermined step state. After the solenoid control process, the process returns to the main routine.

Next, each sub-routine for executing step S6, step A, overflow monitoring processing, upper ball receiving sensor ball presence monitoring processing, and condition determination processing for ball rental in the above-mentioned main routine will be described. Step A Subroutine FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the step A subroutine. First, in step S20, it is determined whether or not there is a ball purchase signal. The purchase signal is generated when the player presses the ball lending button 23 and desires to purchase a pachinko ball. If there is a purchase signal, the process proceeds to step S21 and it is determined whether or not there is a condition confirmation 2 flag. The condition confirmation 2 flag is set when the conditions up to the ball ejecting device 54 are necessary for ejecting the balls, and the condition is not an overflow and the upper plate 21 is not full. Therefore, when the determination result of step S21 is NO (when there is no condition confirmation 2 flag), it is determined that the upper plate 21 is full, and the processes of steps S22 and S23 are not performed, but this time the main routine is directly executed. To return.

On the other hand, the determination result of step S21 is YES.
When (the condition confirmation 2 flag is present), the upper plate 21
Is not full, the number of purchased balls is set in the discharge counter in step S22, the process of the next execution step C (that is, purchase ball discharging process) is set in step S23, and the process returns to the main routine.

In this way, even if the conditions necessary for discharging the balls are complete up to the ball discharging device 54, if the upper plate 21 is full, the player pushes the ball lending button 23 to purchase a pachinko ball. Even if you want to, the ball will not be ejected. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation where an excessive amount of game balls is reserved in the upper plate 21, and more than necessary game balls do not stay in the ball guide passage from the ball storage section of the upper plate 21 to the launching device. It is possible to prevent the ball from sticking due to the ball pressure caused by, and it is possible to prevent troubles in the gaming machine and smoothly shoot the ball. In addition, it is possible to avoid useless purchase of game balls, and consequently improve the service to the player.

If there is no purchase signal in step S20, the flow advances to step S24 to determine whether or not there is a safe ball. If there are no safe balls, there is no need to pay out balls as prize balls, so this time return to the main routine.

On the other hand, if there is a safe ball, it is necessary to pay out a ball as a prize ball. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S25 and it is determined whether or not there is a condition confirmation 1 flag. The condition confirmation 1 flag is set when the conditions up to the ball ejecting device 54 for ejecting balls are complete and the condition is not an overflow. If the determination result of step S25 is YES (when there is the condition confirmation 1 flag), the process proceeds to step S26, the process of the next execution step B (that is, prize ball data transmission / reception process) is set, and the process returns to the main routine. To do. When the determination result of step S25 is NO (when there is no condition confirmation 1 flag), the process returns to the main routine. Thereby, the prize balls are paid out corresponding to the safe balls.

Ball Payout Start Confirmation Condition Monitoring Process FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the ball payout start confirmation condition monitoring process in step S6. First, an overflow monitoring process is performed in step S30 (details will be described later in a subroutine). As a result, it is monitored whether or not the overflow state has occurred. Next, in step S31, the discharge sensor 1, 2 presence determination process is performed. The ejection sensors 1 and 2 refer to the two ejection sensors 111 and 112 of the ball ejection device 54, respectively. Therefore, in this step S31
It is determined whether or not there are balls that can be discharged in the discharge sensor 111 and the discharge sensor 112 arranged in each passage of the strip.

Next, in step S32, the upper ball receiving sensor ball presence monitoring process is performed (details will be described later in a subroutine). As a result, it is monitored whether or not the upper tray 21 is full based on the output of the upper tray receiving sensor 217.
Next, in step S33, half-end sensor monitoring processing is performed.
Thus, based on the output of the half-edge sensor 212, it is monitored whether or not the standby ball exists in the ball guide trough 52.

Next, in step S34, a replenishment sensor monitoring process is performed. As a result, whether or not there are sufficient balls in the storage tank 51 is monitored based on the output of the replenishment sensor 218. Then, in step S35, condition determination processing is performed. This is to determine the necessary / sufficient conditions for ball ejection from the conditions up to the ball ejection device 54 such as whether all the conditions required for ball ejection are complete, whether it is not in an overflow state, and whether the upper plate 21 is full. The details will be described later in a subroutine.

Overflow Monitoring Process FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of overflow monitoring process. First, in step S40, the overflow switch (that is, the overflow sensor 6
It is determined whether or not 1) is turned on, and when it is turned on, it is determined that balls may overflow into the ball storage tray 32, and the counter 100 that counts 100 ms in step S41 is set. After clearing, it is determined in step S42 whether or not the counter 2000 which counts 2 seconds has timed up.

If the counter 2000 has not timed out, the routine of this time is ended, and when the time is up,
That is, if the ON state of the overflow switch continues for 2 seconds or more, it is determined that the balls have overflowed the ball storage tray 32, the overflow flag is set in step S43, and the counter 2 is set in step S44.
Clear 000 and then return.

As a result, the overflow lamp, which is one of the lamps 305, is turned on to notify the player. When the player sees the overflow lamp lighting, the ball storage tray 32
The overflow condition disappears when the ball is pulled out from.

On the other hand, if the overflow switch is off in step S40, the process branches to step S45 to clear the counter 2000. Next, in step S46, it is determined whether or not the counter 100 has timed out. When the counter 100 times out (10
(When 0 ms has elapsed), the process proceeds to step S47, the overflow flag is cleared, and step S4
At 8, the counter 100 is cleared and the process returns. on the other hand,
If 100 ms has not elapsed, the process returns and the loop is repeated. In this way, if the off state of the overflow switch continues for 100 ms or longer, the overflow flag is cleared and the above-mentioned treatment is canceled.

Upper ball saucer sensor ball presence monitoring processing FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of upper ball saucer sensor ball presence monitoring processing. First, in step S50, it is determined whether or not the upper tray saucer sensor 217 is turned on. When it is turned on, it is determined that the upper tray 21 may be full of balls, and in step S51, 1000 ms ( The counter 1000 which counts 1 second) is cleared, and step S5
At 2, it is determined whether or not the counter 2000 has timed out.

If the counter 2000 has not timed out, the routine of this time is ended, and when the time is up,
That is, when the upper ball saucer sensor 217 remains on for 2 seconds or more, it is determined that the upper tray 21 is full of balls, the upper ball saucer full flag is set in step S53, and the counter 2000 is set in step S54. Clear and return.

On the other hand, in step S50, the upper tray saucer sensor 2
When 17 is off, the process branches to step S55,
Counter 2000 that counts 2000 ms (2 seconds)
To clear. Next, in step S56, the counter 10
It is determined whether 00 has timed up. Counter 1
If 000 has not timed out, the routine of this time is ended, and if timed up, that is, 1000 ms has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S57 to clear the upper ball saucer full flag, and at step S58 the counter 1
Clear 000 and return. In this way, when the upper ball saucer sensor 217 remains off for 1000 ms (1 second) or longer, the upper ball saucer full flag is cleared.

Condition Judgment Processing FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the condition judgment processing. First, whether there is a supply sensor ball presence flag in step S60, a half-end sensor ball presence flag in step S61, a discharge sensor ball presence flag in step S62, and whether an overflow flag exists in step S63. Determine each.

Supply sensor ball presence flag is supply sensor 218
It is set when it is detected that there is a ball in the storage tank 51 by. The half-end sensor ball presence flag is set by the half-end sensor 212 when the standby ball exists in the ball guide trough 52. Emission sensor ball presence flag is emission sensor 1
11 and 112 are set when a ball exists in the discharging cam portion of the ball discharging device 54. The overflow flag is set when a ball overflows in the ball storage tray 32.

If there is a supply sensor ball existence flag, a half-end sensor ball existence flag, an ejection sensor ball existence flag, and an overflow flag does not exist, the process proceeds to step S64 and the condition confirmation 1 flag is set.

The condition confirmation 1 flag is set because
(I) There are sufficient balls in the storage tank 51, and (II) balls before discharge are present in the ball derivation trough 52 by an amount corresponding to the number of lending balls or the number of prize balls of one unit, and (III) balls Ejector 54
When the balls are continuously present in the two passages of (4) and (IV) the ball storage tray 32 does not overflow (the balls can be discharged into the tray), the four conditions are met. is there. At this time, the condition confirmation 1 flag = 1 and the necessary and sufficient condition for starting the ball discharging process, that is, the ball discharging start condition is satisfied. Therefore, the balls are paid out according to the prize ball data signal and the ball lending request signal, and the discharge of a certain number of balls is guaranteed. The condition that the upper plate 21 is not full is not included in the condition confirmation 1 flag setting condition. Thereby, the prize balls are paid out even when the upper plate 21 is full, and it is possible to avoid problems such as the safe balls accumulating in the safe ball discharging device 58 and causing troubles.
In addition, prize balls that are directly linked to the player's profit are surely paid out.

Then, in step S65, it is determined whether or not there is an upper ball saucer full flag. If the upper ball saucer full flag is set, the conditions necessary for discharging the balls are complete, but it is determined that the conditions are not sufficient for discharging the purchased balls, and step S6
In step 7, the condition confirmation 2 flag is cleared and the process returns. If the upper ball saucer full flag is not present, it is determined that the conditions necessary for discharging the balls and the sufficient conditions for discharging the purchased balls are complete, and the condition confirmation 2 flag is set in step S66, and the process returns.

Therefore, the condition confirmation 2 flag is set because (I) there are sufficient balls in the storage tank 51,
(II) The number of balls before discharge is equal to or more than the number of lendable balls and the number of prize balls of one unit, and the balls are present in the ball outflow gutter 52, and (III) balls are continuously connected to the two passages of the ball discharge device 54. Exists,
This is when the four conditions are satisfied: (IV) the ball storage tray 32 has not overflowed (the balls can be discharged to the tray), and (V) the upper tray 21 is not full. At this time, the condition confirmation 2 flag = 1 and the necessary and sufficient condition for starting the discharge processing of the purchased balls, that is, the discharge start condition of the purchased balls is satisfied. Therefore, the balls are paid out according to the ball lending request signal, and the discharge of a certain number of balls is guaranteed.

On the other hand, the above conditions (I) and (I
If any one of I), (III) and (IV) is missing,
In step S68, the condition confirmation 1 flag is cleared, and in step S69, the condition confirmation 2 flag is cleared and the process returns. This case is a case where the necessary conditions for starting the ball discharging process are not satisfied.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the upper plate 21 becomes full due to the discharge of the prize balls or the rental balls, the ball lending operation of the ball lending machine 3 is stopped. Therefore, ball lending machine 3
Since it is not possible to purchase balls from the ball, it is possible to eliminate the excessive holding of balls, and there is no excessive number of game balls stopped in the ball guide passage from the ball storage part of the upper plate 21 to the launching device. It is possible to prevent balls from sticking due to pressure, eliminate troubles in the game machine, and shoot balls smoothly. In addition, it is possible to avoid useless purchase of game balls, and consequently improve the service to the player.

When a predetermined number or more of balls are accommodated in the ball passage 62 which connects the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 32 to each other and an overflow occurs, both the condition confirmation 1 flag and the condition confirmation 2 flag are cleared. Since neither the prize balls nor the rental balls are discharged, similarly, excessive retention of the balls can be eliminated, and the ball pressure can prevent the balls from becoming unusable. In this way, plate 2
Conventionally, there is no one that limits the storage amount of purchased balls in 1
The technique of this embodiment is new and meaningful.

The location of the ball lending machine is not limited to the above example. For example, it may be integrated with the pachinko machine by being provided on the front display panel portion or the dish front decorative body portion.

Further, the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to the example applied to the pachinko machine of the packing card system as in the above embodiment. For example, it can be applied to a credit-type pachinko machine.

[0084]

According to the present invention, when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the upper plate or when one of the overflow conditions of the lower plate is detected, the ball lending of the game medium lending device is performed. Since the operation is stopped, the balls are not purchased from the ball lending machine, and the excessive holding of the balls can be eliminated. Therefore, more than necessary game balls do not stay in the ball guide passage from the ball storage section of the upper plate to the launching device, and it is possible to prevent ball balls from occurring due to ball pressure resulting from this, The ball can be fired smoothly without the trouble of the machine. In addition, it is possible to avoid useless purchase of game balls, and consequently improve the service to the player.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a pachinko gaming machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a back mechanism of the pachinko gaming machine of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the pachinko gaming machine of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of upper tray sensors of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control main routine of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of step A of the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of a ball payout start confirmation condition monitoring process of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of overflow monitoring processing of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of an upper-ball saucer sensor ball presence monitoring process of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of condition determination processing of the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Pachinko machine 2 Pachinko machine 3 Ball lending machine (game medium lending device) 11 Frame-shaped front frame 21 Upper plate (upper ball tray) 32 Ball storage tray (lower ball tray) 54 Ball discharging device 55 Ball removing device 56 Emission control device 57 game board control device 58 safe ball payout device 61 overflow sensor (overflow detection means) 201 CPU (game medium lending stop means) 217 upper ball saucer sensor (upper saucer full detection means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A game medium lending device for lending a game medium within a range of valuable data read by a card reader, and a prize ball released along with a prize for a game medium and a ball lending by operation of the game medium lending device. In a pachinko gaming machine equipped with an upper ball saucer for receiving and a lower ball saucer communicating with the upper ball saucer, the upper ball saucer full that becomes a detection state when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in the upper ball saucer A detection means, an overflow detection means that is in a detection state when a predetermined number or more of balls are stored in a ball passage that communicates the upper ball saucer and the lower ball saucer, and the upper ball saucer full detection means or the overflow detection means A pachinko game machine, which is provided with a game medium lending stop means for stopping the lending operation of the game medium based on at least one of the outputs of the above.