U.S. patent application number 11/191262 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-09 for game machine and media inserting apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Aruze Corp.. Invention is credited to Takao Nireki, Katsunari Nishimura.
Application Number | 20060027973 11/191262 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35414936 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060027973 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nireki; Takao ; et
al. |
February 9, 2006 |
Game machine and media inserting apparatus
Abstract
A game machine of the present invention has a slot that receives
a medal, a medal guide portion having a guide face that inclines
downward toward the slot and that guides the medal, and a medal
mount that is provided in the vicinity of the medal guide portion
and that enables a large number of medals to be mounted thereon.
The guide face has contact portions that come into contact with an
outer circumference of the medal in two points when the medal is
mounted on the guide face, where a distance between the contact
portions is smaller than the diameter of the medal.
Inventors: |
Nireki; Takao; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Nishimura; Katsunari; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEYDIG VOIT & MAYER, LTD
700 THIRTEENTH ST. NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-3960
US
|
Assignee: |
Aruze Corp.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
35414936 |
Appl. No.: |
11/191262 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 1/02 20130101; G07F
17/3297 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/440 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/00 20060101
A63F009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 5, 2004 |
JP |
2004-229350 |
Claims
1. A game machine provided with a game media inserting apparatus
that receives a game medium, comprising: a slot that receives a
game medium; a game media guide portion having a guide face that
inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the game medium;
and a game media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the game
media guide portion and that enables a large number of game media
to be mounted thereon, wherein the guide face has contact portions
that come into contact with an outer circumference of the game
medium in two points when the game medium is mounted on the guide
face, while a distance between the contact portions is smaller than
the diameter of the game medium.
2. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a
rotation roller that rotates to convert a position of the game
medium toward the slot by coming into contact with the game medium
guided by the guide face.
3. The game machine according to claim 2, wherein the rotation
roller is supported rotatably, at a position higher than a position
of an opening end of the slot.
4. The game machine according to claim 2, wherein knurling is
provided on a surface of the rotation roller.
5. The game machine according to claim 2, wherein the rotation
roller is supported to expose a surface thereof from an opening
formed on a rear wall with which the game medium sliding down along
the guide face comes into contact, and the opening is provided with
a cover to prevent a foreign substance from entering from around
the rotation roller.
6. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game media
mount is provided with a regulating part for regulating a number of
game media to be inserted in the game media guide portion.
7. The game machine according to claim 6, wherein the regulating
part is provided on the game media mount, and has regulating walls
provided with an opening width to an extent allowing the game
medium to pass through toward the game media guide portion.
8. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion
is formed on the game media mount, and the game media guide portion
is formed on a bottom of the concave portion.
9. The game machine according to claim 8, wherein the game media
mount has an area enabling game media to be mounted to both sides
and at the front of the concave portion.
10. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game media
guide portion is formed integrally with the game media mount.
11. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game media
guide portion has a length longer than an outer diameter of the
game medium to be used.
12. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the guide face
has a U-shaped cross section.
13. A game machine provided with a game media inserting apparatus
that receives a game medium, comprising: a slot that receives a
game medium; a game media guide portion having a guide face that
inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the game medium;
and a game media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the game
media guide portion and that enables a large number of game media
to be mounted thereon, wherein the guide face has a shape of
generating a gap between the guide face and an outer circumference
of the game medium when the game medium is allowed to stand
substantially vertically to the guide face.
14. A game machine provided with a game media inserting apparatus
that receives a game medium, comprising: a slot that receives a
game medium; a game media guide portion having a guide face that
inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the game medium;
a game media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the game
media guide portion and that enables a large number of game media
to be mounted thereon; and a rotation roller that rotates to
convert a position of the game medium toward the slot by coming
into contact with the game medium guided by the guide face.
15. The game machine according to claim 14, wherein the rotation
roller is supported rotatably at a position higher than a position
of an opening end of the slot.
16. The game machine according to claim 14, wherein the guide face
has contact portions that come into contact with an outer
circumference of the game medium in two points when the game medium
is mounted on the guide face, while a distance between the contact
portions is smaller than the diameter of the game medium.
17. A media inserting apparatus that receives a medium, comprising:
a slot that receives a medium; a media guide portion having a guide
face that inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the
medium; and a media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the
media guide portion and that enables a large number of media to be
mounted thereon, wherein the guide face has contact portions that
come into contact with an outer circumference of the medium in two
points when the medium is mounted on the guide face, while a
distance between the contact portions is smaller than the diameter
of the medium.
18. The media inserting apparatus according to claim 17, further
comprising: a rotation roller that rotates to convert a position of
the medium toward the slot by coming into contact with the medium
guided by the guide face.
19. The media inserting apparatus according to claim 17, wherein
the guide face has a U-shaped cross section.
20. A media inserting apparatus that receives a medium, comprising:
a slot that receives a medium; a media guide portion having a guide
face that inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the
medium; and a media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the
media guide portion and that enables a large number of media to be
mounted thereon, wherein the guide face has a shape of generating a
gap between the guide face and an outer circumference of the medium
when the medium is allowed to stand substantially vertically to the
guide face.
21. A media inserting apparatus that receives a medium, comprising:
a slot that receives a medium; a media guide portion having a guide
face that inclines downward toward the slot and that guides the
medium; a media mount that is provided in the vicinity of the media
guide portion and that enables a large number of media to be
mounted thereon; and a rotation roller that rotates to convert a
position of the medium toward the slot by coming into contact with
the medium guided by the guide face.
22. The media inserting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein
the guide face has contact portions that come into contact with an
outer circumference of the medium in two points when the medium is
mounted on the guide face, while a distance between the contact
portions is smaller than the diameter of the medium.
Description
[0001] The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained
in Japan Patent Application No. 2004-229350 filed on Aug. 5, 2004,
which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in its
entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a game machine to play a
game using game media such as medals and coins, and more
particularly, to a game machine incorporating a game media
inserting apparatus that handles the game media.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] In general, in a game machine (such as, for example, a slot
machine, roulette machine and pusher game machine) where the game
starts by inserting a game medium (hereinafter, referred to as a
"medal") as described above, a game media inserting apparatus
(hereinafter, referred to as a "medal inserting apparatus") is
incorporated to enable a player to insert medals smoothly. For
example, JP 2003-79927 discloses a pusher game machine
incorporating a medal inserting apparatus. The medal inserting
apparatus is configured to enable a player to pick a medal up and
insert it in a slot one by one, and the inserted medal is released
to a predetermined target.
[0006] The medal inserting apparatus incorporated into the pusher
game machine as described above has the need for a player to guide
the medal to the slot, and thereby causes bother and tiredness.
Particularly, in recent games (such as a pusher game) using medals,
machines are becoming mainstream which have game characteristics
that a player is encouraged to use a large number of medals within
a predetermined time and can acquire a large number of medals when
a predetermined condition holds. Therefore, inserting a large
number of medals is burdensome in the structure where a player
guides medals to a slot to insert on a one-by-one basis. Further, a
back portion (contact portion with a medal) of the slot may sustain
damage by friction, and there arise problems of causing
disfigurement of the contact portion and the like.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a game
machine incorporating a medal inserting apparatus enabling a large
number of medals to be inserted successively with ease.
[0008] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be
realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations particularly out hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention, and together with the general description given
above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a view showing one example of a structure of a
pusher game machine that is one example of game machines according
to the invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure of a medal
inserting apparatus;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an upper view of the medal inserting
apparatus;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front view of the medal inserting apparatus;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a portion cut in the
central portion of the medal inserting apparatus;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic front view illustrating a relationship
between a guide face of a medal guide portion and a medal;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view to explain a preferred
positional relationship between the medal guide portion and a
rotation roller;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of medals mounted on a
medal mount;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view illustrating the behavior of
a plurality of medals which are inserted in the medal guide
portion;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view illustrating the behavior
of a medal which is allowed to stand and mounded on the medal guide
portion;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view illustrating another
example of the behavior of a medal which is allowed to stand and
mounded on the medal guide portion;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view illustrating another
example of the behavior of a plurality of medals which are allowed
to stand and mounded on the medal guide portion;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a view showing another example of the structure
of the medal inserting apparatus;
[0023] FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B are views illustrating modifications
of the guide face of the medal guide portion;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a view showing still another example of the
structure of the medal inserting apparatus; and
[0025] FIG. 16 is a view-showing another embodiment of the game
machine according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] Embodiments of a game machine according to the present
invention will specifically be described below.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment of the game
machine according to the invention, and shows one example of a
structure of a pusher game machine that is one example of game
machines.
[0028] A pusher game machine 1 is provided with a housing 2, and
inside the housing 2 is provided a game area 3 visible from
outside. In the game area 3, a horizontal plane 3a is formed, while
a pusher 3b is disposed that reciprocates in the direction of the
arrow on the horizontal plane 3a. A plurality of media (medals) is
stored on the horizontal plane 3a, and the medals stored on the
horizontal plane 3a are inserted from a front cliff (not shown) by
the pusher 3b reciprocating in the direction of the arrow, and
discharged as a reward. A player releases held medals toward the
horizontal plane 3a and pusher 3b, and acquires a large number of
medals beforehand stored on the horizontal plane 3a by the
operation of the pusher 3b.
[0029] In addition, the pusher game machine of this embodiment is
provided with a specific game-mode allowing a player to acquire a
large number of medals more than released medals when a
predetermined condition holds. More specifically, targets 6 are
arranged in an area where medals are released, and when a
predetermined number of (for example, ten) medals are inserted in
the targets 6 within a predetermined time (for example, 60
seconds), many medals are released (a medal releasing portion is
omitted) to the horizontal plane 3a that is a medal mount area.
[0030] In the housing 2 is formed a base portion 7 to protrude to
the player side, and on the base portion 7 is provided a rotation
lever 8 that is rotated by a player. The rotation lever 8 is
connected at its base end with a slope (not shown) which feeds a
medal inserted from a medal inserting apparatus described later
toward the horizontal plane 3a, while being converted in direction
by operation of rotating the rotation lever 8. Then, by a player
operating the rotation of rotation lever 8, an inserted medal is
released in the direction of a desired target. In addition, with
respect to the driving mechanism that couples the rotation lever 8
and slope to rotate the slope, the mechanism that feeds a medal
into the slope from the medal inserting apparatus and the like,
these mechanisms are not of the principal constitution of the
invention, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
[0031] The base portion 7 is provided with a media inserting
apparatus (medal inserting apparatus) 10 to perform operation of
inserting medals in playing the game. The medal inserting apparatus
10 enables a player to insert many medals successively with ease,
as specifically described later.
[0032] A structure of the medal inserting apparatus 10 will be
described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.
[0033] The medal inserting apparatus 10 is provided with a
flat-shaped medal mount 11 incorporated into a panel 7a
constituting the base portion 7. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, the medal mount 11 is configured to only enable a
predetermined number of medals to be mounted thereon stably, and a
concave portion 11a is provided on the game area side of the
central portion of the medal mount 11. A bottom 11b of the concave
potion 11a is provided with a medal guide portion (media guide
portion) 12 having a guide face 12a that guides a medal, and a
slit-shaped slot 13 to insert the medal guided along the guide face
12a inside the housing. In this case, the guide face 12a is formed
to descend toward the slot 13 from the player side, and has a
length to the extent that allows a number of medals to stand to be
mounted. For the inclination angle of the guide face 12a, the face
12a is only required to incline with respect to the horizontal
plane to cause a medal to slide smoothly, and the angle is not
limited particularly.
[0034] The guide face 12a preferably has a length to some extent to
enable a large number of medals to be inserted successively. More
specifically, the face 12a preferably has a length at least more
than or equal to the diameter of a medal, and more preferably, has
a length more than two or three times the diameter of a medal to
enable smoother successive inserting operation with ease.
[0035] The medal mount 11 is integrally formed with the concave
portion 1a and medal guide portion 12, for example, by die-casting
of zinc (zinc alloy), and the surface of the mount 11 is chrome
plated to enhance the appearance. In this case, to improve
integration characteristics, it may be possible forming the
flat-shaped medal mount 11, and then forming the concave portion
11a and medal guide portion 12 by press molding.
[0036] In other words, it is possible to integrally form the medal
mount 11 and medal guide portion 12 with ease, for example, by
press molding a plate-shaped member in the form of a plane into the
form of a concave. Thus making both members in unit improves the
integration characteristics to the game machine. It is also
possible to form the members separately without integrally forming.
Therefore, the medal mount 11 and medal guide portion 12 may be
configured to be detachable with respect to the panel 7a.
[0037] The medal mount 11 is provided in the vicinity of the medal
guide portion 12 so that a medal is easily inserted in the guide
face 12a of the medal guide portion 12. For example, by forming the
mount 11 to extend toward the player side, i.e. frontward from the
medal guide portion 12, a player is capable of inserting medals in
the guide face 12a of the medal guide portion 12 only by pushing a
large number of medals mounted on the mount 11 backward.
[0038] In addition, the medal mount 11 of this embodiment is formed
on each side of the extending medal guide portion 12, and it is
thereby possible to insert medals from the side. Further, the medal
guide portion 12 is formed on the bottom 11b of the concave portion
11a, medals are thereby inserted in the medal guide portion 12 from
the medal mount 11, and it is thus possible to regulate a number of
inserted medals to some extent (constituting regulating means). In
other words, since medals are inserted in such a manner, even when
a large number of medals are inserted once, the medals are guided
to the slot 13 while being scattered by contact of medal-to-medal,
bounce by the bottom 11b and the like.
[0039] A frame inside the panel 7a is provided with a selector
device (not shown) to discriminate medals inserted from the slot
13. The selector device measures predetermined parameters (such as
a weight and diameter) and guides a medal determined to be proper
to the slope.
[0040] The guide face 12a of the medal guide portion 12 is
configured to come into contact in two points with the outer
circumference of a medal when the medal is mounted, where a
distance between the two points is preferably smaller than the
diameter of the medal. More specifically, the guide face 12a of
this embodiment is formed to have a U-shaped cross-section, and as
shown in FIG. 6, has contact portions P1 such that the outer
circumference of a medal M comes into contact with the face 12a in
two points when the medal is kept stand substantially vertical to
the guide face (when the medal is mounted at any states except the
horizontal state with respect to the inclination angle of the guide
face), and that a distance of the contact portions. P1 is
preferably smaller than the diameter of the medal M. Therefore, a
gap is generated between the deepest portion P of the U-shaped
cross-section guide face 12a and the lowest edge M1 of the medal,
while the contact portions P1 exist under the central position C of
the medal, and the medal M is thus unstable in holding itself.
[0041] A rectangle opening 11d is formed on a rear wall 11c of the
concave portion 11a of the panel 7a to expose the outer
circumference surface of a rotation roller 30. In this case, in a
constitution where the rotation roller is not disposed, the rear
wall 11c is not provided with the opening 11d, and is configured as
a wall portion (rear wall) situated at the back of the slot 13.
Such a rear wall without the opening acts as a guide to guide a
medal to the slot 13 when the medal sliding downward along the
guide face 12a comes into contact with the wall.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 7, the rotation roller 30 is supported so
that the position of the rotation center E (support position) is
higher than an edge position (end position of the opening of the
slot 13) P2 between the deepest portion P of the guide face 12a and
the slot 13. By supporting the rotation roller 30 in such a
positional relationship with the guide face 12a of the medal guide
portion 12, it is possible to make a contact position of a medal
lower than a virtual line X which is passed through the center E of
the rotation roller and parallel to the extending direction of the
guide face 12a, and it is thus possible to drive and rotate the
rotation roller downward reliably. In other words, the contact
position of the medal with the rotation roller becomes lower than a
position E1 at which the virtual line X intersects the roller outer
circumference, and when a medal slides down near the slot and comes
into contact at its end face with the rotation roller 30, the
rotation roller 30 can be driven to rotate downward with
reliability (when a medal contacts a position higher than the
position E1, the roller becomes hard to rotate downward). By such
downward rotation of the rotation roller 30, the medal contacting
the roller converts its position downward with ease by assistance
of the weight of the medal as well as the rotation of the rotation
roller 30, and is inserted inside the slot 13 smoothly.
[0043] In addition, it is actually preferable to set the support
position of the rotation roller 30 such that a height H from the
deepest portion P to the position E1 is larger than a height h from
the deepest portion P when a number of medals (herein, assuming
five or six medals) that can generally be picked up the easiest are
mounted on the guide face 12a while lying (h<H). In other words,
by supporting the rotation roller in such a position, when mounting
a number of medals that can be picked up the easiest on the guide
face 12a and sliding the medals, since the contact position with
the rotation roller 30 is reliably lower than the position E1, the
rotation roller 30 is driven to rotate downward with reliability
(in FIG. 7, the virtual line X' is positions where the medal
contacts the guide face 12a when the medal is mounted on the guide
face 12a while lying).
[0044] As described above, installation of the rotation roller 30
on the rear wall portion suppresses contact of medals with the rear
wall portion, and the rear wall is thereby prevented from
sustaining damage by friction, while disfigurement of the medal
contact portion is eliminated.
[0045] The rotation roller 30 is preferably formed of, for example,
urethane rubber to be low in cost. Further, it is preferable to
form means for enhancing friction, for example, knurling 30a on the
surface to cause the rotation roller 30 to rotate more easily when
coming into contact with a medal. In other words, as the rotation
roller 30 rotates more easily, friction is more reduced that
interferes with a medal inserted in the slot 13.
[0046] Further, as described above, in the constitution where the
rotation roller 30 is provided on the rear wall, as shown in FIGS.
2 and 5, it is preferable that a cover 32 is disposed around the
exposed rotation roller. By thus providing the cover around the
rotation roller 30, it is possible to effectively cover areas of
upper, lower, left and right of the rotation roller 30 exposed from
the opening, and it is thus possible to prevent foreign substances
from coming inside the housing from gap portions around the
rotation roller. In addition, the cover 32 of this embodiment is
formed of PA based resin with particle-shaped glass mixed therein,
attached around the opening 11d formed in the rear wall 11c, and
configured to expose the surface portion.
[0047] According to the game machine configured as described above,
as shown in FIG. 8, a player can make preparations to start the
game by beforehand mounting many medals on the medal mount 1. Then,
by the many medals mounted in the vicinity of the medal guide
portion 12, the player is capable of performing the operation of
inserting medals with ease (the operation of inserting is carried
out by simply pushing medals mounted on the medal mount 11 to
insert successively the medals in the medal guide portion 12, by
the player picking up medals mounted on the medal mount 11 and
inserting the medal in the medal guide portion 12, or the like, as
described below).
[0048] In other words, when performing the operation of inserting
medals, a player beforehand mounts many medals on the medal mount
11 provided in the vicinity of the medal guide portion 12, then
merely performs the operation of feeding the medals to the guide
face 12a of the medal guide portion 12, and thereby is capable of
performing the operation of inserting many medals successively with
ease.
[0049] Then, in the game machine with the above-mentioned
configuration, when a player picks up a medal and places the medal
on the guide face 12a of the medal guide portion 12 (while letting
the medal relatively lie or stand) so as to insert the medal in the
slot 13, the medal comes into contact with the guide face 12a in
two points of the outer circumference where a distance between the
two points is smaller than the diameter, and therefore, becomes
unstable. Since the guide face 12a inclines downwardly, when the
player takes player's fingers off the medal, the medal is naturally
guided toward the slot 13 along the inclined guide face 12a while
falling by the weight of the medal and the action of moment. In
other words, in inserting a medal, by placing the medal on the
guide face 12 and releasing the fingers, the medal slides while
falling to be parallel with the inclination by the action of moment
due to its weight, comes into contact with the rotation roller 30
situated behind the slot 13, and eventually is inserted in the slot
13, whereby it is possible to perform the operation of inserting
medals more smoothly and comfortably.
[0050] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, when simply inserting
medals from the medal mount 11 (by pushing medals on the medal
mount 11 to insert, picking up a plurality of medals to insert
while letting the medals lie, or the like), each of the medals
slides downward along the inclined guide face 12a. Then,
eventually, each of the medals comes into contact at its end face
with the rotation roller 30 sequentially, undergoes downward
conversion of its position due to the action of rotation (action of
downward rotation) of the rotation roller and the weight of the
medal, and is inserted successively without clogging the slot
13.
[0051] In this case, if the medals are sliding while being stacked,
when the stacked medals contact the rotation roller 30 and undergo
position conversion by the rotation of rotation roller 30, a rear
end region toward the player side of an uppermost medal of the
stacked medals is able to rotate in the direction of the arrow D1
(second and subsequent medals are not able to rotate in the
direction of the arrow D1 due to the medal (s) thereon). Thus, the
medals are inserted in the slot 13 sequentially from an upper medal
while undergoing the position conversion. Meanwhile, medals sliding
on a one-by-one basis successively come into contact with the
rotation roller 30 sequentially to undergo the position conversion,
and are inserted in the slot 13.
[0052] Further, in this embodiment, since the guide face 12a is
formed to have the U-shaped cross section, in the case of inserting
a medal from the medal mount 11 to the side of the medal guide
portion 12, of pushing a large number of medals once to insert or
the like, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3, a medal located to the
side of the central area of the guide face 12a slides toward the
center of the extending direction along the surface of the guide
face 12a. The medal thus sliding down is acted upon by rolling
moment, and gradually shifts to a horizontal state with respect to
the inclination of the medal guide portion as nearer the slot 13,
as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4.
[0053] Then, immediately before being inserted in the slot 13, the
medal eventually becomes a substantially horizontal state, contacts
the rotation roller 30, undergoes position conversion, and is
inserted in the slot without change. In other words, even when
performing the operation of inserting from the side as described
above, by the above-mentioned action (automatic axis adjustment
effect of the rolling moment), a medal located to the side of the
guide face 12a ultimately becomes a substantially horizontal state
that causes the easiest insertion and contacts the rotation roller
30 immediately before being inserted in the slot 13, and is
inserted in the slot 13 smoothly.
[0054] When a player handles a relatively small number of medals,
for example, the player picks up a single medal M from the medal
mount 11 and stands the medal substantially vertically to the guide
face 12a on the front side of the medal guide portion 12, as shown
in FIG. 10, the medal contacts the U-shaped medal guide portion 12
in the position P1 (see FIG. 6) lower than its center C, and is
kept unstable with the lower end floated. At this point, the center
position of gravity of the medal M (center position C of the medal)
is above the contact position P1, while the inclination face 12a
inclines downward, and therefore, an upper portion of the medal M
allowed to stand is acted upon by the moment due to its weight of
the medal M to fall forward as shown by the arrow in the figure.
Then, ultimately, the medal M falls down to be along the surface of
the guide face 12a as shown by chain double-dashed lines, and is
naturally guided toward the slot 13 without change. The fallen
medal contacts the rotation roller 30 in an end face M2 opposed to
the rotation roller 30 or in a surface portion M3 outward in the
diameter direction by momentum caused by falling down, is converted
in position perpendicularly toward the slot 13 due to the action of
the rotation (action of the downward rotation) and the weight of
the medal, and inserted in the slot 13 smoothly. In other words,
only by picking up medals mounted on the medal mount 11 and placing
the medals on the medal guide portion 12 while letting the medals
stand without any other operation, the player is capable of
performing successive inserting (successive release) of medals with
ease.
[0055] Moreover, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, when a player
picks up a single medal M from the medal mount 11 and stands the
medal to let it relatively lie on the guide face 12a on the front
side of the medal guide portion 12, the medal is kept unstable with
the lower end floated. At this point, the center position of
gravity of the medal M (center position C of the medal) is above
the contact position P1, while the guide face 12a inclines
downward, and therefore, an upper portion of the medal M allowed to
stand is acted upon by the moment to cause the medal M to fall
toward the player side due to its weight of the medal M as shown by
the arrow in the figure. Then, ultimately, the medal M falls down
to be along the surface of the guide face 12a as shown by chain
double-dashed lines, and is naturally guided toward the slot 13
without change. The fallen medal contacts the rotation roller 30 in
an end face M4 opposed to the rotation roller, is converted in
position perpendicularly toward the slot 13 due to the action of
the rotation (action of the downward rotation) and the weight of
the medal, and inserted in the slot 13 smoothly.
[0056] In addition, in the modes as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 as
described above, also when a player picks up a plurality of medals
and takes the fingers off while letting the medals stand on'the
front side of the guide face 12a of the medal guide portion 12 in
the same way as described above, each of the medals comes into
contact with the rotation roller 30 sequentially according to the
track as described above, and is inserted in the slot 13
successively. Thus, in the case of inserting a small number of
medals, it is only required picking up the medals mounted on the
medal mount 11 by fingers, placing the medals to let them stand on
the front side of the guide face 12a, and taking the fingers off
the medals without change. The medals removed from the fingers fall
down from an upper portion in a standing state toward the slot side
or toward the player side, eventually contact the rotation roller
30 in an end face area opposed to the rotation roller 30 or an
outer surface area in the diameter direction, undergo the position
conversion due to the action of the rotation, and are inserted in
the slot 13. In other words, according to the constitution as
described above, it is possible to perform the operation of
inserting medals with more smoothly and comfortably.
[0057] Further, even in the case of picking up a large number of
medals mounted on the medal mount 11 or the like to handle the
medals, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a player lets a large
number of medals stand on the guide face 12a in multilayer form. At
this point, each of the medals moves downward along the guide face
12a sequentially due to its weight, eventually comes into contact
with the surface of the rotation roller 30, is guided downward by
the rotating rotation roller 30, and inserted in the slot 13
sequentially without change.
[0058] As described above, by beforehand mounting a large number of
medals on the medal mount 11 in the vicinity of the medal guide
portion 12, the need is eliminated of the inserting operation using
both hands (such as the inserting operation for holding a container
storing medals by one hand, and picking up a medal from the
container by the other hand to insert in the slot), and it is
thereby possible to insert a large number of medals successively
with ease. Further, in the constitution of this embodiment, the
rotation roller 30 is disposed, and a medal is thereby easily
converted in position to the vertical direction, and thus assisted
to be inserted in the slot 13. Therefore, such inconvenience is
resolved that inserting of medals in the slot 13 cannot catch up
with the operation of inserting medals, and smooth inserting
operation is achieved.
[0059] Moreover, the medal guide portion 12 is formed on the bottom
11b inside the concave portion 11a of the medal mount 11, and it is
designed inserting a medal from the medal mount 11. By this means,
it is possible to regulate the number of medals to insert to some
extent, and to insert medals in scattered state. Thus, since it is
possible to regulate the number of medals inserted from the medal
mount 11, the inserting operation to provide scattered medals can
be performed successively. Further, it is possible to prevent a
large number of medals from being inserted once into the medal
guide portion 12 while exceeding the speed of insertion from the
slot 13, and clogging with medals and the like can be suppressed
effectively.
[0060] The embodiment of the present invention is described in the
foregoing, and further, the invention is capable of being modified
as described below, for example.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the back of the slot 13
may be configured as a vertical wall portion (rear wall 11c)
without being provided with a rotation roller to guide a medal in
contact therewith directly to the slot 13. Further, in the case of
providing the rotation roller, the medal guide portion 12 needs
only to incline toward the slot, is not limited in the form of a
cross section to the shape as shown in FIG. 6, and may have a
flat-plane-shaped cross section. Furthermore, in the
above-mentioned embodiment, the guide face 12a is configured to
have the curve portion with the U-shaped cross section so that a
medal comes into contact with two points. However, the guide face
12a needs only to have a contact portion such that the outer
circumference of a portion smaller than the diameter of a medal
comes into contact with the face 12a in at least two points when
the medal is mounted, and be in the form of having a gap between
the lowest edge of the medal and the contact portion. For example,
the guide face 12a may be modified as appropriate to have a
V-shaped cross section. (having straight line portions) as shown in
FIG. 14A, a generally U-shaped cross section (having curve portions
and straight line portions) as shown in FIG. 14B, or asperities on
the surface of the guide face 12a.
[0062] Further, the medal guide portion 12 in the medal inserting
apparatus 10 may extend from the game machine leftward and
rightward with respect to a player, extend obliquely, or have a
configuration for a medal to be inserted from the game area side to
the player side, opposite to this embodiment.
[0063] Furthermore, as another example of the structure of the
regulating means as described above, for example, as shown in FIG.
15, the medal mount 11 may be provided with regulating walls 45 to
regulate the number of medals inserted in the medal guide portion
12. The regulating walls 45 are formed on both sides of the medal
guide portion 12 at an opening position on the inserting side, have
an opening width W to the extent allowing a single medal to pass
through, and are configured so that the medal guide portion 12 is
situated within a range of the opening width W. Also in such a
structure, since it is possible to regulate the number of medals
inserted in the medal guide portion 12 while being pushed out of
the medal mount 11, the inserting operation to provide scattered
medal can be carried out successively. Naturally, the regulating
means needs only to have a structure enabling regulation of the
number of medals inserted in the medal guide portion 12, and is not
limited to the aforementioned structure.
[0064] Moreover, the medal inserting apparatus 10 may have a
structure such that the structural members such as the medal mount
11, rotation roller 30 and the like are configured as units in
advance and incorporated into the game machine body. Further, the
medal mount 11 allowed to mount a large number of medals may be
formed to incline toward the medal guide portion 12 to some extent,
or configured to have a combination of a horizontal plane and
incline plane. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the
medal guide portion 12 is formed inside the concave portion so that
a medal is inserted from the medal mount 11, but it may be possible
to configure an end portion of the medal guide portion 12 and the
medal mount 11 on the substantially same plane.
[0065] The present invention is applicable to various game machines
such as, for example, a slot machine and a machine as shown in FIG.
16. As one example, a game machine 200 as shown in the figure is
configured so that a card game is carried out in a game area 203,
where a medal inserting apparatus 10 having the medal mount 11 as
described above is provided in a front plate (base) 12 of a front
door 202 that is part of the housing.
[0066] The above-mentioned medal inserting apparatus in the present
invention is applicable to various apparatuses in which a medium
such as a coin or medal is inserted, other than the above-described
game machines, such as, for example, a vending machine and ticket
dispenser that issues various tickets.
[0067] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its
broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and
representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly,
various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the
appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *