GB2462541A

GB2462541A - Token game machine

Info

Publication number: GB2462541A
Application number: GB0914800A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinya Niwa; Kouhei Saito; Toyoji Kondou
Original assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc
Current assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc
Priority date: 2007-08-21
Filing date: 2008-08-14
Publication date: 2010-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-08-14
Also published as: GB2462541A8; CN101373548A; GB2452143B; GB0914800D0; CN101373548B; GB2452143A; GB2462541B; GB0814796D0

Abstract

A coin pusher includes means 10, 400 for dispensing tokens M and special rolling tokens AM1 onto a playfield 6, means for sorting tokens M, AM1 which fall into a win chute 4, means for storing the sorted special tokens, means 300 for transferring the stored special tokens to the dispensing means, and a control means 40. The transfer means preferably comprises a vertical tube 306 to receive and stack special tokens AM1 through a lower end, a rod or piston 302 which pushes the lowermost special token AM1 up the tube, and swing arms 308b or rollers (350R, 350L, fig. 32) which prevent the stacked tokens AM1 from falling back down the tube, such that special tokens may be sequentially placed in the lower end of the tube and the piston operated reciprocally to push the lowermost special token through the gate, thus filling the tube and discharging the uppermost special token through an upper end (not shown). The coin pusher may dispense second special rolling tokens AM2 from a dispenser 500, and special tokens AM1, AM2 may initiate a bonus game upon falling into the win chute. Special tokens AM1, AM2 are preferably balls.

Description

TOKEN GAME MACHINE

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media.

A pusher-type token game machine has been known. The pusher-type token game machine includes a stationary table having a front end that extends over a token chute, and a pusher table that slides forward and backward with respect to the token chute along the upper side of the stationary table through an insertion hole (entrance) formed at the rear of the stationary table, the stationary table and the pusher table being provided in a game space inside a housing. A number of tokens are placed on the upper side of the stationary table and the upper side of the pusher table. An opening between the upper side of the stationary table and the lower side of the pusher table is set to be smaller than thc thickness of thc tokcn so that the token placcd on the stationary tabic can be pushed by the front face of the pusher table.

When the player has inserted tokens into the game machine, tokens in the same number as the number of the inserted tokens are supplied to the game space and are placed on the upper side of the pusher table. When the pusher table moves backward while sliding along the stationary table, the pusher table is withdrawn into the insertion hole (entrance). When the pusher table is withdrawn into the insertion hole, the tokens placed at the rear of the upper side of the pusher table contact the edge of the insertion hole and are pushed relatively forward. This causes other tokens placed on the pusher table to be pushed forward one after the other so that the tokens positioned on the front end of the pusher table fall onto a space formed on the upper side of the stationary table due to the backward movement of the pusher table. When the pusher table slides forward on the stationary table, the token which has fallen onto the stationary table is pushed forward by the front face of the pusher table. The tokens which have been placed on the upper side of the stationary table are then pushed forward one after the othet Some of the tokens which have been placed on the upper side of the stationary table fall into the token chute from the front end of the stationary table, and the tokens which have fallen are discharged from the token discharge port. The player enjoys playing the game by determining an appropriate token placement position that discharges a larger number of tokens.

In recent years, a token game machine in which a bait is supplied to the stationary table as a game medium differing from the token has been known (see JP-A- 2002-253842, for example). In such a token game machine using a special game medium, when a ball supplied to the stationary table is moved together with the tokens placed on the stationary table and falls into the token chute, the ball is sorted out from the tokens, transferred to a lottery device by a recover mechanism and a transfer mechanism, and used as a lottery medium. The above-described technology implements an interesting token game by enabling a visual change due to the addition of a ball as a special game medium and using the ball as a lottery medium.

In a related-art token game machine, only one type of special game medium is placed on the stationary table, the pusher table, or the like together with a token.

Moreover, the number of special game media placed on the stationary table, the pusher table, or the like is small (e.g., one or two). Therefore, a visual effect and a lottery process utilizing the special game medium are limited.

The special game medium is generally produced using a synthetic resin (e.g., acrylic resin) from the viewpoint of a high degree of freedom of molding, cost, appearance, and the like. However, a frictional flaw or the like may occur in the special game medium due to the material characteristics, whereby the appearance may deteriorate. In particular, deterioration in appearance tends to occur to a large extent when moving the special game medium upward in the process of circulating the special game medium in the game space.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pusher-type token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media, the token game machine comprising: a token insertion section that supplies a token to a game space; a rolling element supply section that supplies a rolling element to the game space; a sorting section that sorts a token and a rolling element that have fallen into a token chute; a rolling element storage mechanism that stores the rolling element sorted by the sorting section; a rolling element transfer mechanism that transfers the rolling element stored in the rolling clement storage mechanism to supply the rolling clement from the rolling element supply section; and a control section that controls the rolling element storage mechanism and the rolling motion transfer mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front external view showing an example of the configuration of a token game machine.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views illustrative of the external shape configuration of a special game medium.

FIG 3 is a perspective top layout diagram illustrative of an outline of a circulation mechanism for a first special game medium and a second special game medium.

FTG 4 is a top view showing a sort/discharge section.

FIG. 5 is a rear side view showing a sort/discharge section.

FIG. 6A is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line A-A shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6B is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line B-B shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6C is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line C-C shown in FTG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a configuration example of a spiral rod.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are vertical cross-sectional views showing a state in which a first special game medium and a second special game medium are captured by a sort/discharge section.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are vertical cross-sectional views showing a state in which a first special game medium is discriminated.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a second special game medium is discriminated.

FIG. 11 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of a first special game medium pool section.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are vertical cross-sectional views along a line E-E in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a rear view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section according to a first embodiment.

FIGS. 14A and 14 B are views illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium pool section according to the first embodiment.

FIGS. iSA and 15B are views illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium pool section according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view along the line G-G in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a rear view showing an upper part of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 19 is a top view showing an upper part of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 20 is a view illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 21 is a view illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 22 is a front view as showing a configuration example of a second special game medium supply section.

FIG. 23 is a right side view as showing a configuration example of a second special game medium supply section.

FIG. 24 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view along a line H-H in FIG. 24.

FIGS. 26A and 26B are views illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium pool section according to the second embodiment.

FIGS. 27A and 27B are views showing a modification of the configuration of a first special game medium pool section.

FIG. 28 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a front view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view along the line J-J in FIG. 28.

FIGS. 31A and 31B are views illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium pool section according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a front view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter according to a fourth embodiment.

FTG. 33 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 34 is a view illustrative of the operation of a first special game medium lifter according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 35 is a front view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter according to the fourth embodiment.

FIGS. 36A and 36B are a top view and a side view showing a modification of the configuration of a support section of a first special game medium lifter.

FIG. 37 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter according to the third embodiment using a modification of the configuration of a support section.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a pusher-type token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media, the token game machine comprising: a token insertion section that supplies a token to a game space; a rolling element supply section that supplies a rolling element to the game space; a sorting section that sorts a token and a rolling element that have fallen into a token chute; a rolling element storage mechanism that stores the rolling element sorted by the sorting section; a rolling element transfer mechanism that transfers the rolling element stored in the rolling element storage mechanism to supply the rolling element from the rolling element supply section; and a control section that controls the rolling element storage mechanism and the rolling motion transfer mechanism.

The term "rolling element" used herein refers to an object that moves mainly by means of rotation when subjected to an external force or placed on a slope.

According to the above configuration, the token and the rolling element that have been supplied to the game space and fallen into the token chute can be sorted. The sorted rolling element can be stored and then supplied from the rolling element supply section to circulate the rolling element. Specifically, since the rolling element can be circulated in the game space, a given number of rolling elements can be supplied to the game space at a time. Moreover, the game playability can be improved by producing a change due to the supply of the rolling element. Since the number of times that the f rolling element is used can be reduced by storing the rolling element, deterioration in appearance due to wear can be suppressed.

In the token game machine, the rolling element storage mechanism may include: a receiving section that is inclined and receives the rolling elements so that the rolling elements are accumulated from the downstream side; a blocking section that has an entrance space that does not allow entrance of the rolling elements in a number larger than a given number, the blocking section being positioned at the downstream end of the receiving section to block the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section; and a driver section that moves the blocking section; and a given number of rolling elements that have entered the entrance space may be discharged by moving the blocking section.

According to the above configuration, the rolling element supplied to the game space can be accumulated from the downstream side, and a given number of rolling elements can be supplied at a time from the downstream side. Therefore, when utilizing the rolling element as a special game medium, a given number of rolling elements can be successively discharged onto a pusher table, or a given number of rolling elements can be successively moved, for example.

In the token game machine, the receiving section may be formed so that the internal width of the downstream end in the direction is at least twice the width of the rolling element; and the entrance space may have an opening that has at least the same width as the internal width of the downstream end of the receiving section.

According to the above configuration, a plurality of rolling elements can be stored in the receiving section in a row in the direction that intersects the inclination direction. Moreover, since the opening of the receiving section on the downstream end has the same open width as the internal width, the rolling elements placed in a row can be directly introduced into the blocking section. Therefore, even if a large number of rolling elements are placed in the receiving section, the rolling elements can be discharged smoothly without clogging or the like.

In the token game machine, the blocking section may move in the vertical direction and may have an extension wall section at the bottom, the extension wall section blocking the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section when the blocking section is moved.

According to the above configuration, the blocking section blocks the opening of the receiving section on the downstream end when moving in the vertical direction so that the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section can be prevented.

In the token game machine, the blocking section may have an entrance at a position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section and an outlet at a position opposite to the entrance, a given number of rolling elements that have entered the entrance space being discharged through the outlet.

According to the above configuration, the blocking section can be formed by a simple structure, and the rolling element can be discharged by a simple operation.

In the token game machine, the blocking section may be a rotatable tubular body horizontally provided on the downstream end of the receiving section, an opening may be partially formed in the side surface of the tubular body, the inner space of the tubular body may function as the entrance space when the opening is located at a position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section, and the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section may be blocked by the side surface of the tubular body when the blocking section is rotated from the position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section.

According to the above configuration, since a state that allows entrance of the rolling element from the receiving section and the discharge state can be switched merely by rotating the rotatable tubular body in which the opening is partially formed in the side surface to change the position of the tubular body, the structure can be simplified. Moreover, the closed tubular section can be used as a wall section that blocks thc rolling clement that has cntcrcd the blocking scction and a wall section that prevents the downward movement of other rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section during discharging. This also simplifies the structure.

In the token game machine,the rolling element transfer mechanism may include: a tubular body that has an internal dimension that allows one rolling element to pass through and is provided with one end facing downward; a push-up section that pushes up the rolling element from a position under the one end; and a fall prevention section that has a contact portion that comes in contact with the rolling element pushed up by the push-up section, the fall prevention section forming a passage that guides the rolling element to the one end by displacing the contact portion along with the push-up movement of the rolling element, and supporting the lower side of the rolling element that has passed through the passage by the contact portion to prevent a fall; the rolling elements may be sequentially placed in the tubular body and discharged from the other end in a first-in first-out manner by sequentially pushing up the rolling elements by the push-up section.

According to the above configuration, the contact portion that comes in contact with the rolling element can be displaced along with the push-up movement of the rolling element so that a passage can be provided. Specifically, friction can be reduced as compared with the case where the rolling element comes in contact with a stationary wall surface or the like, whereby deterioration in appearance due to wear or the like can be suppressed. Moreover, since the lower side of the rolling element that has passed through the passage can be supported, the structure can be further simplified to reduce cost and improve maintenance capability.

In the token game machine, the fall prevention section may include a plurality of swing arm sections, each of the plurality of swing arm sections including a roller that comes in contact with the rolling clement pushed up by the push-up section on its swing end, the interval between the rollers of the swing arm sections being increased by the push-up force applied to the rolling element to form the passage, and being reduced after the rolling element has passed.

According to the above configuration, since the roller is used for the contact portion with the rolling element, the roller rotates along with the movement of the rolling element to release the frictional force applied to the contact point. Therefore, deterioration in appearance due to wear or the like can be more effectively suppressed.

The roller may be rotated using a motor or the like. It is preferable to use a roller that can be rotated using a bearing or the like because the structure is simplified.

In the token game machine, the fall prevention section may include a first rolling body and a second rolling body provided in a push-up path of the push-up section so that their rotation surfaces are provided perpendicularly, the first rolling body and the second rolling body having a plurality of depressions that allow placement of the half or part of the rolling element at a given pitch on the outer circumference, and a rotation direction limiting section that limits the rotation directions of the first rolling body and the second rolling body to directions along the rolling element push-up direction.

According to the above configuration, the rolling element that has been moved upward is received by the space formed by disposing the rolling bodies so that the depressions face each other and the rotation surfaces are provided perpendicularly when moving the rolling element upward. Since the rolling body can be rotated in the direction along the push-up direction, the rolling body rotates along with the movement of the rolling element to release the frictional force applied to the contact point.

Therefore, deterioration in appearance due to wear can be suppressed. Since the rotation of the rolling body in the direction opposite to the push-up direction is limited, a situation in which the rolling element that has been moved upward falls between the rolling bodies can be prevented.

The token game machine may further comprise a driver section that drives the push-up section while changing the push-up amount.

According to the above configuration, the number of rolling elements to be discharged can be controlled by changing the push-up amount. Therefore, the game playability can be improved by changing the number of rolling elements discharged to the game space corresponding to the lottery result, or a visual effect can be improved by successively discharging the rolling elements to the game space to implement impressive production, for example.

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not in any way limit the scope of the invention defined by the claims laid out herein. Note that all elements of the following embodiments should not necessarily be taken as essential requirements for the invention.

First embodiment A first embodiment to which the invention is applied is described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment illustrates an example of a pusher-type token game machine using a metal token as a game medium.

Configuration of machine FIG. 1 is a front external view showing an example of the configuration of a token game machine 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the token game machine 1000 according to this embodiment has a game space GS enclosed by a transparent cover glass 2, and includes a stationary table 6 having a front end which extends upward over a token chute 4, and a pusher table 8 which cyclically reciprocates along the upper side of the stationary table 6, the stationary table 6 and the pusher table 8 being provided in the game space GS. The token game machine 1000 has a basic configuration classified as a pusher-type token game machine. A manager of the token game machine 1000 or the like places a number of tokens M on the upper side of the stationary table 6 and the upper side of the pusher table 8 in advance.

In the following description, the terms "vertical direction", "right and left direction", and "back and forth direction" respectively refer to the vertical direction, the right and left direction, and the back and forth direction with respect to the token game machine 1000. Specifically, the terms "forward direction" and "backward direction" respectively refer to the forward direction and the backward direction with respect to the token game machine 1000. The direction toward the token chute 4 with respect to the stationary table 6 is referred to as the forward direction, and the direction opposite to the direction toward the token chute 4 with respect to the stationary table 6 is referred to as the backward direction.

The player inserts a token M into a token insertion device 10 to start a game.

The token insertion device 10 includes a guide section 1 Ob having a groove which opens upward and into which the token M can be inserted in an upright state. The guide section lOb is inserted into a guide insertion slot 2a formed in the transparent cover glass 2, and is supported by a hinge mechanism so that the guide section lOb can be moved horizontally within a given angular range. The end of the guide section lOb is positioned over the front side of the pusher table 8. Therefore, the token M inserted into the guide section 1 Ob of the token insertion device 10 by the player rolls in the groove of the guide section 1 Ob, is guided to (inserted into) the game space GS, and falls onto (is placed on) the upper side of the pusher table 8.

The pusher table 8 is a plate-like member which is slidably placed on the stationary table 6 and on which the token M can be placed. The pusher table 8 is cyclically reciprocated in the back and forth direction by a reciprocation mechanism (not shown) provided on the back side of a game board 12, and moves forward and backward through a horizontal insertion hole 14 (entrance) provided at the lower end of the game board 12.

Whcn thc pusher table 8 has slid backward on thc stationary table 6, the tokcns M placed on the upper side of the pusher table 8 move backward together with the pusher table 8. When the pusher table 8 is withdrawn into the insertion hole 14, the length of the pusher table 8 extending from the insertion hole 14 is reduced by the amount of the backward movement. Therefore, the tokens placed at the rear of the upper side of the pusher table 8 come into contact with the periphery of the insertion hole 28 and are pushed relatively forward. This causes other tokens placed on the pusher table 8 to be pushed forward one after the other so that the tokens M positioned on the front end of the pusher table 8 fall onto the stationary table 6.

The front end face of the pusher table 8 pushes the tokens M that have fallen onto the upper side of the stationary table 6 and are placed on the stationary table 6 along with the forward movement so that the tokens M move forward. This causes the tokens placed on the stationary table 6 to be pushed forward one after the other.

The front end of the stationary table 6 has a slope portion 16 that inclines upward over the token chute 4. The tokens pushed forward by the pusher table 8 move upward along the slope portion 16. The tokens M incline with respect to the upper side of the stationary table 6 when moving upward along the slope portion 16. When the tokens M are pushed further forward, the tokens M move beyond the slope portion 16 and fall into the token chute 4.

The token chute 4 corresponds to the upper opening of a funnel-shaped fall passage of which the lower end communicates with a passage 20. The tokens M that have fallen into the token chute 4 are detected by a token sensor 18 provided under the fall passage, and enter the token reception section 22 through the passage 20. The tokens received by the token reception section 22 are transferred to an acquired token discharge port 24 by a transfer mechanism (not shown), and tokens in a number equal to the number of tokens M detected by the token sensor 18 are discharged to a token tray 26.

Thc stationary table 6 is formcd so that the width of thc front end is largcr than the width of the pusher table 8. The stationary table 6 is shaped so that the width of the stationary table 6 increases as the distance from the forward movement limit position of the pusher table 8 increases. A side token chute 28 that receives only the tokens M is provided in each sidewall positioned in the area in which the width of the stationary table 6 increases. The tokens M that have fallen into the side token chute 11 enter the token reception section 22 through an internal passage, but are not discharged to the token tray 26.

The token game machine 1000 according to this embodiment has a lottery function. When the player has won a special bonus by lottery, a given number of tokens are discharged from a special discharge port 30 as a bonus. The discharged tokens move downward while hitting nails 13 that protrude from the game board 12, and are placed on the pusher table 8.

In this embodiment, a first special game medium AM 1 and a second special game medium AM2 are used to determine the lottery execution timing. The first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 have an external shape differing from that of the token M used as the game medium. The second special game medium AM2 is larger than the first special game medium AM1. The first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 differ in color.

The external shape of the first special game medium AM 1 is described below as a representative of the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2. FIGS. 2A to 2C are views showing the external shape of the first special game medium AM 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the first special game medium AM 1 is an almost spherical polyhedron formed of an optically transparent synthetic resin. The first special game medium AM 1 is a rolling element that spontaneously rolls on an inclined surface. The total height (corresponding to the diameter in this case) of the first special game medium AM 1 is equal to or greater than a value twicc thc thickness of the tokcn M. The entire rolling surface of the first special game medium AM 1 according to this embodiment is covered with a number of triangular flat surfaces. The triangular flat surface is formed so that the first special game medium AM1 does not start rolling due to its weight when placed on a slope in an angle range from zero (horizontal) to a stationary limit angle OLimit and maintains a stationary state. Specifically, the angle range from zero (horizontal) to the stationary limit angle OLimit is a non-rolling slope angle range in which the first special game medium AM 1 does not roll spontaneously.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG 2B, the stationary limit angle OLimit is set to be larger than an inclination angle Om by which the token M is inclined due to the slope portion 16 of the stationary table 6. Specifically, the stationary limit angle OLimit is set so that the first special game medium AM 1 does not roll spontaneously even when the first special game medium AM1 is placed on the tokens accumulated on the slope portion 16. As shown in HG. 2C, when the surface on which the first special game medium AM1 is placed inclines by an angle On which is larger than the stationary limit angle OLimit, the first special game medium AM 1 rolls spontaneously and moves downward along the slope. The above-described relationship between the stationary limit angle and the inclination angle of the slope portion also applies to the second special game medium AM2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the token game machine 1000 according to this embodiment is configured so that the first special game medium AM1 is supplied (discharged) to the upper side of the pusher table 8 from a first special game medium supply section 400.

The second special game medium AM2 is supplied (discharged) to the upper side of the stationary table 6 from a second special game medium supply section 500. The supply of the special game media from the first special game medium supply section 400 and the second special game medium supply section 500 is controlled by a control unit 40.

The number of special game media supplied is controlled so that a plurality of (e.g., five to seven) first spccial game media AM1 arc necessarily placcd on the stationary tabic 6 and the pusher table 8. The number of special game media supplied is controlled so that a small number of (e.g., one or two) second special game media AM2 are necessarily placed on the stationary table 6 and the pusher table 8.

The first special game medium AM 1 discharged from the first special game medium supply section 400 is directly placed on the upper side of the pusher table 8, or is placed on the token M positioned on the upper side of the pusher table 8. The first special game medium AM1 is pushed and falls onto the stationary table 6 due to the forward and backward movement of the pusher table 8. Likewise, the second special game medium AM2 discharged from the second special game medium supply section 500 is directly placed on the upper side of the stationary table 6, or is placed on the token M positioned on the upper side of the stationary table 6.

The first special game medium AM1 placed on the pusher table 8 moves together with the tokens M placed on the pusher table 8 along with the forward and backward movement of the pusher table 8. The first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 placed on the stationary table 6 move together with the tokens M toward the token chute 4.

When the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 have fallen into the token chute 4, the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 which have fallen are detected, and the control unit then executes a lottery process.

The control unit 40 includes electronic/electric components such as a central processing unit (CPU) 42 and an IC memory 44. The CPU 42 performs various calculation processes according to a program stored in the TC memory 44 to control each section of the token game machine 1000.

The control unit 40 executes a first lottery process and a second lottery process as the lottery process according to this embodiment.

The first lottery process is a first privilege granting process that is executed on condition that the first special game medium AM 1 which has fallen into the token chute 4 has been detected. The control unit 40 causes a liquid crystal display 32 provided in the game board 12 to display a screen in which a virtual slot machine 34 operates, and display symbols corresponding to the lottery result. For example, when the player has won a special bonus as a result of lottery, the control unit 40 causes the liquid crystal display 32 to display three identical symbols (e.g., "777"). When the player has won a special bonus, a given number of tokens M are discharged from the special discharge port 30 onto the upper side of the pusher table 8 as a bonus.

The second lottery process is a second privilege granting process that is executed on condition that the second special game medium AM2 which has fallen into the token chute 4 has been detected. For example, the control unit 40 causes the liquid crystal display 32 to display a roulette 36, and display the start of roulette and the roulette result corresponding to the lottery result. Tn the example shown in FTG. 1, the roulette 36 is formed of small circular marks and a star mark displayed circularly. The control unit 40 causes the liquid crystal display 32 to display a roulette 36 so that one of the marks emits light when the roulette starts. The control unit 40 controls the display so that the light-on position moves clockwise until the roulette stops and the light-on position stops at a position corresponding to the lottery result. When the player has won a bonus in the second lottery process, the light-on position stops at the position of the star mark so that the game mode transitions to a probability change state (probability change mode) in which the probability that the player wins the first lottery is temporarily increased. If the player can cause the first special game medium AM1 to fall into the token chute 4 in the probability change mode, the player can win a bonus with high probability in the first lottery process.

Circulation mechanism A circulation mechanism that circulates the first special game medium AM 1 and the second spccial game medium AM2 is described below. FIG 3 is a top perspcctivc layout diagram illustrative of an outline of the circulation mechanism according to this embodiment that circulates the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2. In FIG. 3, the upper side corresponds to the front side of the machine, and the lower side corresponds to the rear side of the machine.

As shown in HG. 3, the token game machine 1000 includes a sort/discharge section 100, a first special game medium pooi section 200, a first special game medium lifter 300, the first game medium supply section 400, and the second special game medium supply section 500 as the circulation mechanism.

The sort/discharge section 100 sorts the tokens M and the special game media which have fallen into the token chute 4. The sort/discharge section 100 selectively captures the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2, and transfers the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 to a given location. The sort/discharge section 100 distinguishes the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 that have been captured and transferred. The sort/discharge section 100 discharges the first special game medium AM1 to the first special game medium pool section 200, and discharges the second special game medium AM2 to the second special game medium supply section 500.

The first special game medium pool section 200 temporarily pools (stores) the first special game medium discharged from the sort/discharge section 100. The first special game medium pool section 200 discharges a given number of first special game media to the first special game medium lifter 300.

The first special game medium lifter 300 lifts the supplied first special game media AM1 to the first special game medium supply section 400 provided over the first special game medium lifter 300. The first special game media that have been lifted to the first special game medium supply section 400 roll due to their weight along an inclined path that is separated toward the right side and the left side on the back side of the game board 12, and are discharged to the upper side of the pusher table 8 from the right side and the left side of the game board 12.

The second special game medium supply section 500 moves the supplied second special game medium AM2 upward, and discharges the second special game medium AM2 into the game space GS.

1. Sort/discharge section Each section of the circulation mechanism is described in detail below.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing the sort/discharge section 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear side view showing the sort/discharge section 100 from the rear side. FIG. 6A is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line A-A shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6B is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line B-B shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6C is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line C-C shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in HGS. 4 and 5, the sort/discharge section 100 is a funnel-shaped member having a rectangular (oblong) horizontal cross section. The right portion of an upper opening 102 of the funnel-shaped body corresponds to the token chute 4, and a lower opening 104 is connected to the passage 20 that is connected to the token reception section 22 (see FIG 1). Specifically, a portion from the right portion of the upper opening 102 to the lower opening 104 forms the fall passage connected to the token chute 4.

A side fall -106 that inwardly guides an object which has fallen into the token chute 4 is provided on each end of the portion of the sort/discharge section 100 corresponding to the token chute 4. A front fall guide 108 that forms a slope which inclines downward is provided on the front inner wall of the portion of the sort/discharge section 100 corresponding to the token chute 4. The front fall guide 108 guides an object which has fallen into the token chute 4 rearward. A spiral rod 110 and a rear fall guide 112 are provided at a position diagonally downward and rearward from the front fall guidc 108 (i.e., a position whcre an object which has fallen into thc tokcn chute 4 is guided by the front fall guide 108).

The spiral rod 110 is a rod member having a spiral shape. The spiral rod 110 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the sort/discharge section 100 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the token chute 4), and is pivotally supported by the right and left walls of the sort/discharge section 100. The right end of the spiral rod 110 passes through the wall of the sort/discharge section 100 and is connected to a rotaly shaft of a motor 114 that is secured on the outer wall of the sort/discharge section 100 and is always operated.

As shown in FIG 7, a wire llOb is spirally wound clockwise (clockwise with respect to the axial direction) around the periphery of a center shaft 1 lOa of the spiral rod 110 (spiral section) according to this embodiment at a given pitch. A winding pitch (spiralpitch)Psofthewire ll0bissettobesmallerthanadiameterDl ofthefirst special game medium AM1 and a diameter D2 of the second special game medium AM2 so that only one first special game medium AM1 or second special game medium AM2 can be supported by the wire 11 Ob corresponding to one pitch. Specifically, one first special game medium AM1 or one second special game medium AM2 is supported by the wire liOb corresponding to one pitch.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6A, 6B and 6C, the sort/discharge section 100 according to this embodiment is configured so that an opening W2 between the spiral rod 110 and the inner side of a rear wall 116 that does not interfere with the rear fall guide 112 is larger than the thickness of the token M and the diameter Dl of the first special game medium AM 1, but is smaller than the diameter D2 of the second special game medium AM2. An opening W3 between the lower end of the front fall guide 108 and the spiral rod 110 is set so that the token M can pass through the opening W3, but the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 cannot pass through the opening W3. Therefore, the token M that has fallen through the upper opening 102 (token chutc 4) falls through thc opcning W2, but the sccond special game mcdium AM2 is caught and supported at a contact position P2a with the spiral rod 110 and a contact position P2b with the inner side of the rear wall 116 (i.e., the second special game medium AM2 does not fall through the opening W2) (see FIG. 8B).

The sort/discharge section 100 includes the rear fall guide 112 that forms a forward slope along the longitudinal direction of the spiral rod 110 and is provided on the inner side of the rear wall at a position lower than the spiral rod 110. A minimum opening Wi between the rear fall guide 112 and the spiral rod 110 is set to be larger than the thickness of the token M, but is smaller than the diameter Dl of the first special game medium AM 1. Therefore, the token M that has passed through the opening W2 falls through the opening Wi and reaches the lower opening 104. The first special game medium AM1 passes through the opening W2, but is caught and supported at a contact position Pla with the spiral rod 110 and a contact position Pib with the rear wall 116 (i.e., the first special game medium AM1 does not fall through the opening Wi) (see FIG. 8A). Specifically, the sort/discharge section 100 sorts the token M, the first special game medium AM1, and the second special game medium AM2 that have fallen into the token chute 4.

The second special game medium AM2 captured at the opening W2 between the spiral rod 110 and the rear wall 116 and the first special game medium AM 1 captured at the opening Wi between the spiral rod 110 and the rear fall guide 112 respectively engage and are supported by the wire 11 Oh corresponding to one pitch. The spiral rod is rotated around the axis by the motor 114 clockwise with respect to the axial direction. Therefore, the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 which have been captured are transferred by the spiral rod 110 to the left portion of the sort/discharge section 100 along a linear transfer path (from right to left).

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6C, a first rear side opening 120 and a second rear side opening 122 are formed in the rear wall 116 positioned in the left portion of the sort/dischargc scction 100 in this ordcr from the upstream sidc (right in FIGS. 4 and 5) in the transfer direction at positions on the side of the spiral rod 110. The first rear side opening 120 and the second rear side opening 122 are respectively connected to gutter-shaped guide slopes 124 and 126 that incline rearward.

Each of the guide slopes 124 and 126 has a length that can accommodate a given number of first special game media AM 1 or second special game media AM2. The inclination angle of the slope is set to be larger than the stationary limit angle OLimit of the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2. The guide slope 124 is connected to the first special game medium pool section 200, and the guide slope 126 is connected to the second special game medium supply section 500.

The first rear side opening 120 has a shape that allows the first special game medium AM1 to pass through, The upper end of the first rear side opening 120 is positioned higher than the contact position Pib of the first special game medium AM1 and the rear fall guide 112, but is positioned lower than the contact position P2b of the second special game medium AM2 and the rear wall 116. The left end of the rear fall guide 112 reaches the right end of the first rear side opening 120. Specifically, the rear fall guide 112 ends at the right end of the first rear side opening 120.

Therefore, when the first special game medium AM 1 transferred due to the axial rotation of the spiral rod 110 has reached the position of the first rear side opening 120, the contact position Pib with the rear fall guide 112 is removed so that the first special game medium AM1 rolls down into the guide slope 124. An extension piece 128 that projects from a position near the lower end of the first rear side opening 120 toward the lower side of the spiral rod 110 extends the guide slope 124 forward so that the first special game medium AM 1 that rolls down into the guide slope 124 is more reliably guided to the guide slope 124 (FIG. 9A).

On the other hand, when the second special game medium AM2 transferred due to the axial rotation of the spiral rod 110 has reached the position of the first rear side opening 120, thc second special gamc mcdium AM2 is still supported at the contact position P2a with the spiral rod 110 and the contact position P2b with the rear wall 116, and is further transferred leftward in the sort/discharge section 100 through the first rear side opening 120 (FIG. 9B).

The second rear side opening 122 has a shape that allows the second special game medium AM2 to pass through. The upper end of the second rear side opening 122 is positioned higher than the contact position P2b of the second special game medium AM2 and the rear wall 116. Therefore, when the second special game medium AM2 transferred due to the axial rotation of the spiral rod 110 has reached the position of the second rear side opening 122, the rear wall 116 does not support the second special game medium AM2 so that the second special game medium AM2 rolls down into the guide slope 126. An extension piece 130 that projects from a position near the lower end of the second rear side opening 122 toward a position under the spiral rod 110 extends the guide slope 126 forward so that the second special game medium AM2 that rolls down into the guide slope 126 is more reliably guided to the guide slope 126 (FIG. 10).

Therefore, the sort/discharge section 100 according to this embodiment can sort the token M from objects that have fallen into the token chute 4 and guides the token M to the passage 20. Moreover, the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 can be selectively captured by utilizing the opening W2 between the spiral rod 110 and the rear wall 116 and the opening Wi between the spiral rod 110 and the rear fall guide 112.

The sort/discharge section 100 according to this embodiment can transfer the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2 captured by the spiral rod 110 rotated by the motor 114 to a discrimination section including the first rear side opening 120 and the second rear side opening 122. Since the first rear side opening 120 and the second rear side opening 122 that form the discrimination section have the above-described opening shape and opening position and the first rear side opening 120 is disposed on the upstream side of the transfer path, the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 transferred due to the movement of the spiral rod 110 are distinguished and distributed to the guide slopes 124 and 126, respectively.

The first special game medium AM distributed to the guide slope 124 is discharged to the first special game medium pool section 200, and the second special game medium AM2 distributed to the guide slope 126 is discharged to the second special game medium supply section 500.

2. First special game medium pool section The first special game medium pool section 200 as a rolling element storage mechanism is described below.

FIGS. 11, 1 2A, 1 2B, and 13 are views showing an example of the configuration of the first special game medium pool section 200 according to this embodiment. FTG.

ills a top view, FIGS. 12A and 12B are vertical cross-sectional views along the line E-E shown in FTG. 11 viewed from the left side, and HG. 13 is a rear view.

As shown in HGS. 11, 12A, 12B, and 13, the first special game medium pooi section 200 includes (1) a receiving section 202 that receives the first special game medium AM1 distinguished by and discharged from the sort/discharge section 100, and pools a number of first special game media AM1 in rows from the downstream side, (2) a metering section 204 that has an entrance space which does not allow entrance of the rolling elements in a number larger than a given number, positioned at the downstream end of the receiving section 202 to block the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section 202, and extracts a given number of first special game media AM1 from the pooled first special game media AM1, (3) a lift section 206 that changes the position of the metering section 204 by moving the metering section 204 to discharge the first special game media AM1 stored in the metering scction 204, and (4) a dischargc scction 208 that rcccivcs the first special gamc media AM 1 discharged from the metering section 204, linearly arranges the first special game media AM 1, and discharges the first special game media AM 1 to the first special game medium lifter 300.

The receiving section 202 forms an inclined space of which the right side, the left side, and the upstream portion are enclosed by a wall section of which the internal height is larger than the total height of the rolling element (first special game medium AM 1), but is smaller than a value twice the total height of the rolling element. When the inclination direction is referred to as a forward direction, the receiving section 202 forms a rectangular area (when viewed from the upper side) that is long in the forward and backward direction, and is provided to be almost horizontal in the rightward and leftward direction. The width in the direction perpendicular to the inclination is set so that a given number of first special game media AM1 can be placed in one row in the widthwise direction. A ceiling portion is not illustrated in FTG. 11. Note that a ceiling portion may be appropriately provided so that a situation in which the rolling elements are stacked in the inclined space in the vertical direction is more reliably prevented.

A connection opening 202u is formed in the wall section of the receiving section 202 on the upstream side, and is connected to the guide slope 124 of the sort/discharge section 100. The downstream end of the receiving section 202 is open in the direction perpendicular to the inclination (widthwise direction) over a width equal to or larger than a value twice the total width of the rolling elements placed in the receiving section 202, and is in contact with the metering section 204.

The metering section 204 has the same width (the width in the upward and downward direction in HG. 11) as that of the receiving section 202. The metering section 204 is adjacent to the lower end of the receiving section 202 to form the lower end of a receiving space for the first special game medium AM 1. The width of the metering section 204 in the inclination direction (the width in the rightward and leftward direction in FIG 11) is larger than the diameter Dl of the first special game medium AM 1 to only a small extent. A wall section that blocks the first special game medium AM 1 is provided on each end (the ends in the upward and downward direction in FIG. 11), and the upper end and the lower end in the inclination direction are open over the full width.

The metering section 204 is normally set in a first state in which an opening 204u of the metering section 204 on the upstream end is connected to an opening 202d of the receiving section 202 on the downstream end (see FIG. 12A). A stationary wall 210 is provided on the downstream side of the opening 204d on the downstream end of the metering section 204, the first special game medium AM1 being unable to move beyond the stationary wall 210 in spite of the rolling motion due to the inclination of the receiving section 202, so that an inclined space with a closed lower end is integrally formed from the receiving section 202 to the metering section 204. Specifically, the metering section 204 also functions as a blocking section that is positioned on the downstream end and blocks the downstream movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section 202.

When the metering section 204 has been moved upward by the moving section 206, the metering section 204 is set in a second state in which an opening 204d of the metering section 204 on the downstream end is located at a position higher than the stationary wall 210 (see FIGS. 12B and 13). When the metering section 204 is moved downward by the lift section 206, the metering section 204 returns to the first state from the second state.

An entrance prevention plate 205 is suspended from the metering section 204, the entrance prevention plate 205 being a wall section that extends from the lower side of the opening 204u on the upstream end. When the metering section 204 has been moved upward by the lift section 206, the entrance prevention plate 205 closes the opening 202d of the receiving section 202 on the downstream end to prevent the downward movcment of the first spccial game medium AM1 placed in the recciving section 202.

The lift section 206 may be implemented by a known lift mechanism. In this embodiment, the lift section 206 includes a guide roller 214 secured on each side of the metering section 204, a guide rail 216 that guides the guide roller 214 in the vertical direction, a cam 220 that is swung by a stepping motor 218 controlled by the control unit 40, and a cam receiving frame 222 secured on the lower side of the metering section 204. Therefore, the metering section 204 is set in the first state when the cam 220 is positioned horizontally (FIG. 12A). When the cam 220 is rotated to the upward position, the cam receiving frame 222 is pushed upward so that the metering section 204 is set in the second state (FIG. 12B).

The first special game medium pooi section 200 according to this embodiment includes the discharge section 208 in the front of the stationary wall 210.

The discharge section 208 includes an oblong gutter section 226 of which the upper side and the right end (the lower end in FIG. 11 and the right end in FIG. 13) are open. The discharge section 208 is secured on a rotation shaft of the stepping motor 230 that is horizontal in the forward and backward direction by an arm section 228 suspended from the lower side of the gutter section 226. The rotation of the motor 230 is controlled by the control unit 40 so that the gutter section 226 is held almost horizontally during the normal operation. The motor 230 is rotated when a given condition is satisfied so that the gutter section 226 is set in a state (third state) in which the gutter section 226 is inclined downward toward the right end. The right end of the inclined gutter section 226 is connected to the first special game medium lifter 300.

The operation of the first special game medium pool section 200 is described below with reference to FIGS. 14A, 14B, iSA and 15B. As shown in FIG. 14A, when the metering section 204 is set in the first state, the metering section 204 integrally forms the receiving space together with the receiving section 202. The first special game medium AM1 that has entered the receiving space through the connection opening 202u rolls and moves downward due to the inclination of the receiving section 202.

When the receiving space is empty, the first special game medium AM1 enters the metering section 204 and stops at the stationary wall 210. The width of the metering section 204 is set so that a given number of first special game media AM1 can be horizontally arranged in a row in the same manner as the receiving section 202.

Therefore, the first special game media AM1 that sequentially enter the receiving space are stored and accumulated in a state in which the first special game media AM1 are horizontally arranged in a row.

The total number of first special game media AM 1 in the token game machine 1000 is set at a value several times the number of first special game media AM 1 that should be placed in the game space GS. A number of first special game media AM1 corresponding to several rows are always pooled in the first special game medium pool section 200.

The control unit 40 controls the supply of the first special game media AM1 so that the first special game media AM 1 in a number equal to or larger than a reference number are always placed in the game space GS. Specifically, when a token sensor 134 (see FIG 5) has detected that a given number of first special game media AM1 has passed through the guide slope 124 of the sort/discharge section 100, the control unit 40 determines that the supply condition is satisfied, and causes a given number of first special game media AM1 to be supplied from the first special game medium pool section 200 to the first special game medium lifter 300.

The control unit 40 causes the lift section 206 to lift the metering section 204 to set the metering section 204 in the second state, as shown in FTGS. 14B and 15A. The opening 204d of the metering section 204 on the downstream end is located at a position higher than the stationary wall 210 so that the first special game media AM1 corresponding to one row stored in the metering section 204 roll out from the metering section 204 due to the inclination of the bottom of the metering section 204, and fall onto the gutter section 226 of the discharge section 208 provided in front of the metering section 204.

When the metering section 204 is lifted by the lift section 206, the entrance prevention plate 205 closes the opening 202d of the receiving section 202 on the downstream end to prevent the downward movement of the first special game media AM1 placed in the receiving section 202 so that the first special game media AM1 do not fall into the open space of the metering section 204.

When a given period of time has elapsed after the metering section 204 has been lifted by the lift section 206, the control unit 40 rotates the stepping motor 230 to incline the gutter section 226 (see FIG.15B) so that the first special game media AM1 are discharged to the first special game medium lifter 300 (third state). When a given period of time has elapsed after the above operation, the control unit 40 reversely rotates the stepping motor 230 to recover the horizontal state of the gutter section 226, and reversely rotates the stepping motor 180 to lower the metering section 204 to the first state.

As described above, the first special game medium pool section 200 according to this embodiment can store a number of first special game media AM 1, measure and extract a given number of first special game media AM 1 when a given condition is satisfied, and discharge the first special game media AM1 to the first special game medium lifter 300 to supply the first special game media AM1 to the game space GS.

When the metering section 204 has been lifted by the lift section 206, the gutter section 226 is held almost horizontally so that the fall distance from the opening 204d of the metering section 204 on the downstream end is almost constant, as shown in FTG.

1 5A. The fall distance is set so that the first special game medium AM 1 that rolls out from the metering section 204 is not rebound from the bottom of the gutter section 226 to leave the gutter section 226. When the gutter section 226 is placed in a state in which the gutter section 226 inclines toward the right end, the fall distance from the first special game medium AM 1 increases on the right side so that the first special game medium AM1 may be rebound from the bottom of the gutter section 226 to leave the gutter section 226. This may cause a situation in which the first special game medium AM 1 rebound from the bottom of the gutter section 226 runs on to another first special game medium AM 1 that moves downward from the upstream side (the left side of the gutter section 226) to leave the gutter section 226 or cause clogging. According to this embodiment, since the gutter section 226 is held almost horizontally when the metering section 204 has been lifted by the lift section 206, such a situation can be prevented.

3. First special game medium lifter The first special game medium lifter 300 that is one of the rolling element transfer mechanisms according to this embodiment is described below.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing a configuration example of the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment. FTG. 17 is a cross-sectional view along the line G-G in FIG. 16. FIGS. 18 and 19 are a rear view and a top view showing the main portion of the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 16, the first special game medium lifter 300 includes (1) a lift mechanism section 304 that moves the first special game medium AM1 upward by moving the push rod 302 upward and downward, (2) a rolling element receiving section 306 that receives a given number of first special game media AM 1 moved upward by the lift mechanism section 304 in the vertical direction, and discharges the first special game medium AM1 in a first-in first-out manner when another first special game medium AM 1 has been moved upward, (3) a support section 308 that supports the lower end of the first special game medium AM1 placed in the rolling element receiving section 306, (4) a guide passage section 310 that guides the first special game medium AM1 discharged from the first special game medium pooi section 200 toward the upper end of thc push rod 302, and (5) a rolling clement detection section 312 that detects the first special game medium AM 1 positioned in the guide passage section 310.

The lift mechanism section 304 includes the push rod 302 that is supported by a guide shaft 322 in a casing 320 so that the push rod 302 can be moved upward and downward in the vertical direction, a stepping motor 324 controlled by the control unit 40, and a swing cam 330 that includes a cam roller 328 on the end of a crank 326 rotated by the stepping motor 324.

The cam roller 328 of the swing cam 330 engages between an upper fork element 332 and a lower fork element 334 secured on the push rod 302 at a given interval. When causing the crank 326 to make one rotation, the cam roller 328 moves the upper fork element 332 upward and then moves the lower fork element 334 downward so that the push rod 302 is vertically raised and lowered by one round trip.

The standard position of the push rod 302 may be determined by detecting a state in which the crank 326 faces downward using an angle detection function of the stepping motor 332, or may be determined by detecting the position of the lower fork element 334 using a token sensor 336, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

The guide passage section 310 includes a tubular inclined passage section 31 Oa of which each end is open and is inclined so that the rolling element rolls due to its weight, a side guide 3 lOb, and a guide slope 310c, the side guide 310b and the guide slope 31 Oc guiding the first special game medium AM 1 that has reached the lower opening of the inclined passage section 310a toward the lower end of the rolling element receiving section 306. The inclined passage section 310a has a length sufficient to temporarily store at least the first special game media AM1 measured by the metering section 204 of the first special game medium pooi section 200. The first special game media AM1 discharged from the first special game medium pooi section 200 are sequentially and linearly guided to the lower part of the rolling element receiving section 306 by the side guide 310b and the guide slope 310c.

The slope formed by the guide slope 31 Oc is partially formed by a seesaw swing slope 31 2a. The swing slope 31 2a inclines toward (forward) the lower part of the rolling element receiving section 306 when the first special game medium AM1 is positioned in the lower part of the rolling element receiving section 306 and the guide slope 310c. The swing slope 312a inclines backward due to its weight balance when the first special game medium AM 1 is absent so that the rear end of the swing slope 31 2a is detected by a detection sensor 312b. The detection sensor 312b outputs a detection signal to the control unit 40. Therefore, whether or not the first special game medium AM1 remains in the lower part of the rolling element receiving section 306 and the guide passage 310 can be determined based on the presence or absence of the detection signal from the detection sensor 3 12b.

The rolling element receiving section 306 is a tubular body that has an internal dimension that allows one rolling element to pass through and is provided with one end facing downward. A rolling element receiving space 307 in the shape of the letter "C" when viewed from the upper side is formed at the bottom of the rolling element receiving section 306, the right side, the left side, and the front side of the rolling element receiving space 307 being enclosed by a wall surface, and only the rear side rolling element receiving space 307 being open. The upper end of the push rod 302 normally protrudes into the receiving space 307 to only a small extent. The first special game medium AM 1 that has rolled in the guide passage 310 is positioned on the upper end of the push rod 302. The first special game medium AM1 is present when the swing slope 3 12a inclines forward and the detection signal is not output from the detection sensor 3 12b.

The support section 308 that supports the lowermost rolling element placed in the rolling element receiving section 306 to prevent the lowermost rolling element from falling is provided around the receiving space 307 at the bottom of the rolling element receiving section 306.

In thc cxample shown in FIG 16, a pair of swing arms 308b that pivotally support a roller 308a on the end are disposed to be able to swing around a swing shaft 308c. The right and left swing arms 308b are connected through a spring 308d suspended on spring suspension elements 308e that extend from the intermediate position near the end to the rear side (see FIG. 18), and are biased so that the lower ends move in opposite directions (i.e., the distance between the upper ends is shorter than the distance between the lower ends). In the biased state, the distance between the right and left rollers 308a is smaller than the diameter Dl of the first special game medium AM1.

The push-up distance of the push rod 302 from the normal position is set to a value sufficient to move the first special game medium AM 1 upward from the receiving space to a position higher than the upper end position of the support section 308 in the biased state.

The operation of the first special game medium lifter 300 is described below.

FTGS. 20 and 21 are views illustrative of the operation of the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment. FIG. 20 is a view showing a process in which the first special game medium AM 1 enters the receiving space 307. In FTG.

20, (1) and (2) are vertical cross-sectional views of the upper portion, and (3) and (4) are top views. FIG. 21 is a view illustrative of a process in which the first special game medium AM1 is moved upward from the receiving space 307 to the rolling element receiving section 306.

As shown in FIG. 20, the push rod 302 is normally set at the lower limit position ((1) and (3)). When the first special game medium AM1 is discharged from the first special game medium pooi section 200, the first special game medium AM1 rolls downward in the inclined passage section 310a of the guide passage 310, and is guided to the receiving space 307 by the side guide 31 Ob and the guide slope 31 Oc ((2) and (4)).

When the first special game medium AM1 has entered the receiving space 307, the inclined slope 312 swings due to the weight of the first special game medium AM 1 and inclincs forward. The control unit 40 determines that thc first special game mcdium AM1 is positioned on the upper end of the push rod 302 on condition that the detection signal from the detection sensor 3 12b is stopped, and causes the stepping motor 324 to make one rotation to move the push rod 302 upward and downward.

FIG 21 is a view illustrative of the operation of the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment. The guide passage section 310 and the rolling element detection section 312 are omitted so that the first special game medium AM1 that is moved upward is readily observed.

As shown in FIG. 21, when the push rod 302 has moved the first special game medium AM1 in the receiving space 307 upward, the upper portion of the first special game medium AM 1 comes in contact with the rollers 308a that protrude into the lift path from the right side and the left side to spread the support sections 308 in the rightward direction and the leftward direction. When the right and left support sections 308 have been spread to such an extent that the diameter Dl of the first special game medium AM1 is exceeded to provide the lift path of the first special game medium, the first special game medium AM 1 moves further upward, and is then located at a position higher than the upper end position of the support sections 308 in a biased state. Since the first special game medium AM1 is always in contact with the roller 308a during this operation, the first special game medium AM 1 made of a resin wears down due to strong friction that occurs between the first special game medium AM 1 and the roller 308a. However, in the configuration according to this embodiment, the roller 308a rotates to move the contact position in the moving direction of the first special game medium AM 1, thereby suppressing friction.

As described above, the push-up distance of the push rod 302 is set at a value sufficient to move the first special game medium AM 1 upward from the receiving space to a position higher than the upper end position of the support sections 308 in a biased state. Therefore, when the push rod 302 has reached the upper limit position, the first special game medium AM1 does not come in contact with the rollers 308a of the right and left support sections 308 so that the spread support sections 308 return to the biased state. When the push rod 302 moves downward, the first special game medium AM1 is supported by the support sections 308 that have recovered the original state and is placed at the lowermost position of the rolling element receiving section 306.

Since the rolling element receiving section 306 is formed so that a given number of first special game media AM1 can be placed, when another first special game medium AM 1 has entered the rolling element receiving section 306 through the lower opening, the first special game medium AM 1 that has been placed in the rolling element receiving section 306 earlier than the other first special game media AM1 is discharged.

Therefore, the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment can lift the first special game medium AM 1 to a given position while suppressing wear of the first special game medium AM1. In this embodiment, the first special game medium AM1 is lifted to the first special game medium supply section 400 by the first special game medium lifter 300.

The first special game medium supply section 400 forms a gutter that is separated on the back side of the game board 12 and extends forward through the right end and the left end of the game board 12. The first special game media AM 1 lifted by the first special game medium lifter 300 are supplied to the first special game medium supply section 400 on the back side of the game board 12, and supplied to the upper side of the pusher table 8 from each side of the game board 12.

In the first special game medium lifter 300 according to this embodiment, the push rod 302 moves upward to lift the first special game medium AM 1 as long as the first special game medium AM1 is placed in the receiving space 307. Specifically, an attractive supply operation can be produced in which a given number of first special game media AM 1 are discharged to the first special game medium supply section 400 corresponding to the first special game media AM1 discharged from the first special game medium pool section 200, and successively supplied to the upper side of the

pusher table 8.

4. Second special game medium supply section The second special game medium supply section 500 that is another rolling element transfer mechanism according to this embodiment is described below.

FIGS. 22 and 23 are views showing a configuration example of the second special game medium supply section 500 according to this embodiment. FIG. 22 is a front view, and FTG. 23 is a right side view. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the second special game medium supply section 500 generally has a vertically long rod shape. The second special game medium supply section 500 includes a hollow columnar section 502 that is provided in the upper portion of the second special game medium supply section 500 and has an open upper end, and a push-up mechanism section 504 that is provided in the lower portion of the second special game medium supply section 500 and pushes up the second special game medium AM2 inside the hollow columnar section 502.

The hollow columnar section 502 forms a hollow portion into which the second special game medium AM2 can be inserted. The hollow columnar section 502 includes an entrance 505 that is provided on the front lower end, and is connected to the guide slope 124 of the sort/discharge section 100 so that the second special game medium AM2 that rolls down along the guide slope 124 due to its weight can be introduced into the hollow portion. A lift section 506 that is moved upward and downward in the hollow portion by the push-up mechanism section 504 is disposed in the hollow columnar section 502.

The push-up mechanism section 504 includes a lift shaft 510 that forms a rack on the side and is supported by guide rollers 508 to be slidable in the vertical direction, a pinion gear 514 that engages a rack 512 of the lift shaft 510, a motor 516 that is rotated under control of the control unit 40, the pinion gear 514 being connected to a rotary shaft of the motor 516, a position sensor 518 that detects the upper limit position of the lift shaft 510, a position sensor 520 that detects the lower limit position of the lift shaft 510, and a special game medium detection sensor 522 that detects the second special game medium AM2 on the lift section 506.

The position sensors 518 and 520 are sensors that detect the presence of the lower end of the lift shaft 510 and output a detection signal to the control unit 40. For example, the position sensors 518 and 520 are implemented by a shading sensor, a gap sensor, a swing switch, a range sensor, or the like. The special game medium detection sensor 522 is a sensor that detects the second special game medium AM2 on the lift section 506 and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 40. For example, the special game medium detection sensor 522 is implemented by a shading sensor, a swing switch, a range sensor, or the like.

When the second special game medium AM2 is not positioned in the hollow columnar section 502, the lift shaft 510 is set at the lower limit position. When the control unit 40 has received the detection signal from the special game medium detection sensor 522, the control unit 40 drives the motor 516 according to a given program to move the lift shaft 510 upward to the upper limit position. Therefore, the second special game medium AM2 that has entered the hollow columnar section 502 is lifted to the upper opening 526 together with the lift section 506.

The upper portion of the right wall of the hollow columnar section 502 diagonally extends over the upper opening 526 in the upper left direction so that a discharge guide 528 is formed. A hollow portion 530 is formed on the left side of the upper opening 526 so that the second special game medium AM2 easily rolls out from the hollow columnar section 502. Therefore, the second special game medium AM2 lifted to the upper opening 526 is pushed leftward due to collision with the slope formed by the discharge guide 528, and rolls out through the hollow portion 530.

A guide rail 532 having a width smaller than the diameter D2 of the second special gamc mcdium AM2 is providcd on the left side of thc uppcr end of the hollow columnar section 502 downward from the position of the hollow portion 530. The second special game medium AM2 pushed out from the hollow portion 530 falls while being guided by the guide rail 532.

In this embodiment, the second special game medium supply section 500 is configured so that the upper portion of the hollow columnar section 502 protrudes into the game space GS (see FIG. 1), and the end of the guide rail 532 is directed toward the upper side of the stationary table 6. Therefore, the second special game medium AM2 that has fallen into the token chute 4 is sorted and transferred by the sort/discharge section 100, and is supplied (circulated) to the upper side of the stationary table 6 by the second special game medium supply section 500.

As described above, the token game machine 1000 according to this embodiment is configured so that the sort/discharge section 100 can sort the token M, the first special game medium AM 1, and the second special game medium AM2 that have fallen into the token chute 4. The sort/discharge section 100 discharges the token M to the passage 20. On the other hand, the sort/discharge section 100 can selectively transfer the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 to the dedicated discharge ports (first rear side opening 120 and second rear side opening 122).

The first special game medium AM1 passes through the first special game medium pool section 200 and the first special game medium lifter 300 and is supplied (circulated) to the game space GS from the first special game medium supply section 400. The second special game medium AM2 is supplied (circulated) to the upper side of the pusher table 508 by the second special game medium supply section 500.

Therefore, even if a plurality of types of special game media are used in addition to the token, the special game media can be sorted and transferred to circulate special game media. This makes it possible to implement various types of lotteries and processes using a plurality of types of special gamc media, whereby thc game playability can bc improved.

Moreover, since the sort/discharge section 100 according to this embodiment is configured so that the spiral rod 110 can be used as a means that presses (moves) the first special game medium AM 1 and the second special game medium AM2, the structure can be simplified and reduced in size to reduce the production cost and the operation cost.

Moreover, only one first special game medium AM 1 or second special game medium AM2 engages the spiral rod 110 corresponding to one pitch. Therefore, the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 can be pressed (moved) individually so that the first special game medium AM1 and the second special game medium AM2 can be reliably transferred without clogging. For example, even if the first special game medium AM1 or the second special game medium AM2 is a resin capsule of which the center-of-gravity position is displaced due to an object corresponding to a weight enclosed in the resin capsule, the first special game medium AM 1 or the second special game medium AM2 can be captured and then transferred.

Even if the first special game medium AM1 is produced using a synthetic resin or the like, since the first special game medium lifter 300 can suppress deterioration in appearance due to friction when lifting the first special game medium AM 1, the first special game medium AM 1 can be circulated while maintaining a beautiful appearance for a long time. Since a number of first special game media AM1 are pooled in the first special game medium pool section 200 and are circulated in a first-in first-out manner, the number of times that the first special game medium AM1 is used is reduced so that deterioration in appearance can be further suppressed.

Second embodiment A second embodiment to which the invention is applied is described below. The configuration according to this embodiment is basically the same as the configuration according to thc first embodimcnt, but differs from the configuration according to thc first embodiment as to the configuration of the first special game medium pool section (particularly the metering section). The elements described in the first embodiment are indicated by the identical symbols. Description of these elements is omitted.

FIG. 24 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section 200B according to this embodiment. FTG. 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line H-H in FIG. 24.

The first special game medium pool section 200B according to this embodiment is configured so that a generally cylindrical metering section 204B having an opening in the side surface is disposed adjacent to the receiving section 202 along the lower opening of the receiving section 202 and is pivotally supported so that the metering section 204B can be rotated in the direction that intersects the inclination direction of the receiving section 202. The pivot shaft is connected to the rotation shaft of a stepping motor 240 controlled by the control unit 40.

The metering section 204B is a tubular body in which an opening 204f through which the first special game medium AM1 can pass through is formed in the side surface and which has internal dimensions sufficient to receive the first special game media AM 1 in a row (in the direction that intersects the inclination direction of the receiving section 202). In other words, the metering section 204B is a gutter-shaped body that has a semicircular section 204g corresponding to the bottom of the gutter and has a wall section on each end in the axial direction.

FIGS. 26A and 26B are views illustrative of the operation of the first special game medium pooi section 200B according to this embodiment. FIGS. 26A and 26B are cross-sectional views along the line H-H in HG. 24.

As shown in HG. 26A, the metering section 204B is normally disposed so that the closed section 204g corresponding to the bottom of the gutter is located at a position opposite to the inclination direction of the receiving section 202. In this state, the metering scction 204B forms an cntrancc space that allows thc first special game mcdia AM 1 that have rolled down through the receiving section 220 due to their weight to enter the metering section 204B. The first special game media AM 1 are then blocked by the closed section 204g.

As shown in FIG. 26B, when discharging the first special game media AM1, the metering section 204B is rotated so that the closed section 204g moves toward the upstream side of the receiving section 202 through the bottom of the metering section 204B. In FIG. 26B, the metering section 204B is rotated counterclockwise, as indicated by an arrow. As a result, the gutter formed by the metering section 204B inclines sideways toward the discharge section 208 so that the opening 204f faces diagonally downward towards the discharge section 208. Therefore, the first special game media AM1 placed in the metering section 204B roll into in the gutter section 226 of the discharge section 208.

The closed section 204g of the metering section 204B moves upward from the position under the lower opening 202d of the receiving section 220 to block the first special game media AM 1 placed in the receiving section 220. When a given period of time has elapsed after the above operation, the stepping motor 240 is rotated so that the metering section 204B recovers the normal state, whereby the first special game media AM 1 placed in the receiving section 202 spontaneously enter the metering section 204B.

Therefore, the metering section 204B according to this embodiment functions in the same manner as the metering section 204B according to the first embodiment, and and can simplify the structure for discharging the first special game media to the discharge section 208.

The first special game medium pool section 200B may have a configuration shown in FIG. 27A, for example.

Specifically, the metering section 204B is formed in the shape of a cylinder in which an opcning that allows cntrancc of the first spccial game media AM1 is longitudinally provided as a slit-shaped opening, and the discharge section 208 is provided under the metering section 204B. When discharging the first special game media AM 1, the metering section 204B is rotated so that the opening 204f faces downward. In FIG. 27B, the metering section 204B is rotated clockwise, as indicated by an arrow. As a result, the first special game media AM1 placed in the cylinder fall into the gutter section 226 of the discharge section 208. The closed section 204g of the metering section 204B closes the lower opening 220d of the receiving section 220 along with the rotation of the metering section 204B to block the first special game media AM1 placed in the receiving section 220.

When a buffer means (e.g., buffer sheet) is provided at the bottom of the gutter section 206 of the discharge section 208 to suppress the bounce of the first special game media AM1 that fall into the gutter section 206, the gutter section 206 of the discharge section 208 can be fixed in an inclined state so that the arm section 228 and the motor 230 can be omitted.

Third embodiment A third embodiment to which the invention is applied is described below. The configuration according to this embodiment is basically the same as the configuration according to the first embodiment, but differs from the configuration according to the first embodiment as to the configuration of the first special game medium pool section.

The elements described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are indicated by the identical symbols. Description of these elements is omitted.

FIG. 28 is a top view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium pool section 200C according to this embodiment. FTG. 29 is a front view showing a configuration example of the first special game medium pooi section 200C.

FIG 30 is a cross-sectional view along the line J-J in FIG. 28. The forward direction of the first special game medium pool section 200C corresponds to the downward direction in FIG 28, the lcftward direction corresponds to the rightward direction in FIG 28, and the rightward direction corresponds to the leftward direction in FIG. 28.

The first special game medium pool section 200C according to this embodiment includes a metering section 204C in which the first special game media AM1 can be placed in a row, the metering section 204C being provided adjacent to the lower opening 202d of the receiving section 202.

The bottom of the metering section 204C forms a slope together with the receiving section 202. The metering section 204C has an opening 202d having the same width as that of the lower opening 204h of the receiving section 202, the opening 202d being provided adjacent to the lower opening 202d of the receiving section 202. The downstream side and the right sidewall of the metering section 204C form a side wall 204j that blocks the rolling element that rolls down due to the inclination of the receiving section 202. The metering section 204C does not have a left sidewall so that the first special game medium AM 1 can pass through.

An extension element 204k perpendicularly extends downward on the lower end of the upstream-side opening 204h of the metering section 204C. The left end of the extension element 204k extends leftward (rightward in FIG. 28) to form a swing arm 204m. The swing arm 204m is connected to the horizontal rotation shaft of the stepping motor 230 controlled by the control unit 40, the rotation shaft being provided in the forward and backward direction. The position of the metering section 204C can be changed from a normal position horizontal with respect to the direction that intersects the inclination direction of the receiving section 202 to an inclined position in which the right end is lifted by causing the stepping motor 240 to make given rotations. The passage of the first special game medium lifter 300 is disposed to be adjacent to the opening on the left end in a state in which the metering section 204C is set in the inclined position so that the first special game medium AM1 discharged from the metering section 204C is introduced into the first special game medium lifter 300.

FIGS. 31A and 31B arc views illustrative of the operation of the first special game medium pool section 200C according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 1A, when the metering section 204C is set in the normal position, the metering section 204C is almost horizontal with respect to the direction that intersects the inclination direction of the receiving section 202 in a state in which the opening 204h faces the lower opening 202d of the receiving section 202. The first special game mediaAMl placed in the receiving section 202 roll downward due to their weight to enter the metering section 204C, and are arranged in a row.

Although the left end of the metering section 204C is open, a portion 300a of the first special game medium lifter 300 is disposed at a position that is adjacent to the opening on the left end and is higher than the bottom of the metering section 204C when the metering section 204C is set in the normal position so that the first special game media AM1 are prevented from rolling out from the opening on the left end.

As shown in HG. 31B, when discharging the first special game media AM1, the control unit 40 drives the stepping motor 230 so that the metering section 204C is inclined at an angle equal to or greater than the stationaly limit angle OLimit toward the left end (right end in FIGS. 3 1A and 3 1B) to discharge the first special game media AM1 placed in the metering section 204C. The extension element 204k moves upward with respect to the lower opening 202d of the receiving section 202 when the metering section 204C is inclined to block the first special game media AM1 placed in the receiving section 220.

When a given period of time has elapsed after the metering section 204C has been inclined, the control unit 40 drives the stepping motor 230 so that the metering section 204C recovers the normal state. The first special game media AM1 blocked by the extension element 204j then roll downward and enter the metering section 204C.

Fourth embodiment A fourth embodiment to which the invention is applied is described below. The configuration according to this embodiment is basically the same as the configuration according to the first embodiment, but differs from the configuration according to the first embodiment as to the configuration of the first special game medium lifter. The elements described in the first to third embodiments are indicated by the identical

symbols. Description of these elements is omitted.

FIG. 32 is a front view showing a configuration example of the main portion of a first special game medium lifter 300B according to this embodiment. FIG. 33 is a top view showing the first special game medium lifter 300B.

The first special game medium lifter 300B according to this embodiment includes a pair of rolling bodies 350R and 350L on either side of the push-up path for the first special game medium AM1 so that the rotation surface is provided perpendicularly.

The rolling body 350R and the rolling body 350L are disk-shaped bodies having an identical shape. Two disk-shaped side plates 352 (see FTG. 33) having an identical diameter and concentrically disposed in parallel are connected through a cylinder 355 having a diameter smaller than that of the disk-shaped side plate 352. A plurality of inner walls 354 protrude from the outer circumference of the cylinder 355 at equal intervals. Specifically, the rolling body 350R and the rolling body 350L have a shape similar to that of a bladed wheel. A plurality of depressions 356 having an identical shape are formed by inner walls 354 in the outer space of the cylinder 355 placed between the two disk-shaped side plates 352. The interval of the disk-shaped side plates 352, the shape of the cylinder 355, and the interval of the inner walls 354 are set so that the depression 356 has a shape and a volume that allow placement of the half or part of the first special game medium AM 1.

In the first special game medium lifter 300B according to this embodiment, the two rolling bodies 350R and 350L having an identical shape are disposed on either side of the push-up path for the first special game medium AM1 using the push rod 302 so that the depressions 356 face each other under the lower opening of the rolling element receiving section 306. The receiving space 307 is formed under the opposing portion of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L.

Each of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L is rotatably supported by a shaft 360 provided in the forward and backward direction. The shaft 360 is secured on a frame by a ratchet mechanism 362 formed by a rotation direction limiting section. The left rolling body 350R shown in FIG. 32 can be rotated only counterclockwise, and the right rolling body 350L can be rotated only clockwise.

A recess 358 is formed in the middle of the outer edge of the inner wall 354 of each of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L. The recess 358 is a semicircular recess, for example. The recesses 358 of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L face each other to form a circular insertion hole through which the push rod 302 that has moved upward can be inserted without coming in contact with the rolling bodies 350R and 350L.

FTG. 34 is a view illustrative of the operation of the first special game medium lifter 300B according to this embodiment. In FIG. 34, the guide passage section 310 and the rolling element detection section 312 are omitted so that the first special game medium AM 1 that is moved upward is readily observed.

As shown in FIG. 34, the first special game medium AM1 guided along the guide passage 310 is positioned on the upper end of the push rod 302, and is moved upward by the push rod 302. In this case, the first special game medium AM1 moved upward by the push rod 302 comes in contact with the inner waIls 354 of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L to push the inner walls 354 upward. Since the rolling bodies 350R and 350L are pivotally supported, the rolling bodies 350R and 350L rotate in the rotation directions permitted by the ratchet mechanism 362 when the inner walls 354 have been pushed upward. Specifically, the contact point with the first special game medium AM 1 is displaced along the push-up direction of the first special game medium AM 1 to form push-up path. Therefore, the force applied to the contact point is released so that thc friction due to the first spccial game medium AM 1 is suppressed.

When the first special game medium AM1 has been moved upward to the opposing portion of the rolling bodies 350R and 350L, the first special game medium AM1 is received by the opposing depressions 356. Specifically, the depressions 356 corresponding to a water receiving section of a water mill form a path in which the first special game medium AM1 is moved upward (HG. 34(1)).

When the push rod 302 has reached the upper limit position, the first special game medium AM1 is moved upward into the rolling element receiving section 306 through the lower opening of the rolling element receiving section 306. The first special game medium AM 1 has passed through the opposing portion of the rolling bodies 350R and35OL.

When the push rod 302 moves downward, an insertion hole is formed by the recesses 358 of the inner walls 354 50 that the push rod 302 can move downward without interfering with the rolling bodies 350R and 350L. The first special game medium AM1 then starts to fall so that the weight of the first special game medium AM1 in the rolling element receiving section 306 is applied to the inner walls 354 to reversely rotate the rolling bodies 350R and 350L. However, since reverse rotation is limited by the ratchet mechanism 362, the first special game medium AM1 is supported by the inner walls 354 (FIG. 34(2)). As a result, the first special game medium AM1 is received by the rolling element receiving section 306 each time the first special game medium AM1 is moved upward by the push rod 302. When the receiving capacity has been exceeded, the first special game medium AM 1 is discharged in a first-in first-out manner.

Fifth embodiment A fifth embodiment to which the invention is applied is described below. The configuration according to this embodiment is basically the same as the configuration according to the first embodiment, but differs from the configuration according to the first embodimcnt as to the configuration and control of thc lift scction of the first spccial game medium lifter. The elements described in the first to fourth embodiments are indicated by the identical symbols. Description of these elements is omitted.

FIG. 35 is a front view showing a configuration example of a first special game medium lifter 300C according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 35, the first special game medium lifter 300C includes a rack 340 provided on the push rod 302.

The rack 340 is sandwiched between a pinion gear 342 connected to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 324 and a guide roller 338 to form a rack-and-pinion mechanism.

The lengths of the push rod 302 and the rack 340 are set so that the first special game medium AM1 can be moved upward by an amount corresponding to the sum of a first push-up amount when moving a new first special game medium AM 1 upward to the rolling element receiving section 306 and a second push-up amount obtained by multiplying the diameter of the first special game medium by a given number (e.g., several times the diameter of the first special game medium that can be received by the rolling element receiving section 306).

In this embodiment, the control unit 40 performs a first control process that controls the stepping motor 324 so that the push rod 302 is moved upward by the first push-up amount on condition that the detection signal is not input from the detection sensor 31 2b in the same manner as in the first embodiment. When the control unit 40 has determined that a given successive discharge condition is satisfied, the control unit performs a second control process that controls the stepping motor 324 so that the push rod 302 is moved upward by a push-up amount obtained by summing up the first push-up amount and the second push-up amount. As the given successive discharge condition, a condition whereby the first control has been repeated corresponding to the number of first special game media measured by the metering section 204 of the first special game medium pool section 200 and the lottery result of the lottery process is a given result whereby the push-up amount is set at the second push-up amount and the like may be appropriately set. When the second push-up amount is set at a value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the first special game medium AM1 by the number of first special game media measured by the metering section 204 of the first special game medium pool section 200, a given number of first special game media AM 1 discharged from the first special game medium pool section 200 may be stored and then discharged at a time, for example. Therefore, the rolling elements can be supplied with a visual effect, such as supplying a large number of first special game media AM1 to the game space GS at a time.

Modification The embodiments to which the invention is applied have been described above.

Note that the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Elements may be appropriately added, modified, or omitted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

For example, a configuration in which the pool section (first special game medium pooi section 200) is provided for only the first special game medium AM1 has been described above. Note that a similar pooi section may also be provided for the second special game medium AM2.

The first special game medium AM 1 may be discharged as a gift, and the first special game medium pooi section 200, 200B, or 200C may be utilized as a gift discharge device, for example. Specifically, the first special game medium AM1 is formed of a resin capsule which can be opened. A plurality of tokens M are enclosed in the resin capsule, and an automatic supply mechanism that supplies the first special game medium AM 1 to the game space GS is provided. . A privilege discharge port is provided in the token game machine 1000, and the first special game medium AM 1 is discharged to the discharge port by the discharge section 208. The control unit 40 executes a given program. When the control unit 40 has determined that a given discharge condition is satisfied based on the lottery result or the like, the control unit 40 operates thc discharge section 208 to discharge a given numbcr of first special gamc media AM 1 at a time. This implements a variety of production using a plurality of types of first special game media AM1 and second special game media AM2 while implementing a mechanism that discharges a large number of gifts at a time.

The biasing means of the support section 308 according to the first embodiment is not limited to the configuration in which the spring 308d is suspended from the right and left swing arms 308b.

As indicated by a top view and a side view of a support section 308D shown in FIGS. 36A and 36B, a hair spring 308f may be inserted into the swing shaft 308c to bias the swing arm 308b, and a stopper 308g that specifies the swing limit may be provided.

In this case, the support section 308 swings individually utilizing the roller 308a, the swing arm 308b, the swing shaft 308c, the hair spring 308f, and the stopper 308g.

Therefore, as indicated by a top view of a first special game medium lifter 300D shown in FIG. 37, support sections 308D may be disposed from three directions at intervals of 1200 so that the rotter 308a is inserted between the receiving space 307 and the lower opening of the rolling element receiving section 306.

According to this configuration, since the first special game medium AM 1 comes in contact with the three rollers 308a when moved upward, the first special game medium AM1 can pass through the support sections 308D without staggering even if the restoring force of the support sections 308D is applied. Moreover, since the lowermost first special game medium AM1 positioned in the rolling element receiving section 306 can be supported by the three rollers 308a, the stability of the first speciat game medium AM1 increases.

The second special game medium supply section 500 may have the same configuration as that of the first special game medium lifter 300, for example.

The first special game medium lifter 300 may not be utilized as only part of the rolling element circulation path. For example, the first special game medium may be discharged to the player, and may be moved upward to the discharge port using the first special game medium lifter 300. The transfer direction of the first special game medium lifter 300 is not limited to the upward transfer direction emptoyed in the above-described embodiments. The first speciat game medium lifter 300 may be transferred diagonally or horizontatty.

In the above-described embodiments, a circular tube or a flexible tube (e.g., a tube such as a synthetic resin hose) may be used as the rolling element receiving section 306.

Although only some embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the embodiments without materiatty departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention. Accordingty, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A pusher-type token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media, the token game machine comprising: a token insertion section that supplies a token to a game space; a rolling element supply section that supplies a rolling element to the game space; a sorting section that sorts a token and a rolling element that have fallen into a token chute; a rolling element storage mechanism that stores the rolling element sorted by the sorting section; a rolling element transfer mechanism that transfers the rolling element stored in the rolling element storage mechanism to supply the rolling element from the rolling element supply scction; and a control section that controls the rolling element storage mechanism and the rolling motion transfer mechanism, the rolling element transfer mechanism including: a tubular body that is provided with one end facing downward; a push-up section that pushes up the rolling element from a position under the one end; and a fall prevention section that includes a plurality of swing arm sections, each of the plurality of swing arm sections including a roller that comes in contact with the rolling element pushed up by the push-up section on its swing end, the interval between the rollers of the swing arm sections being increased by the push-up force applied to the rolling element to guide the rolling element to the one end, and reduced after the rolling element has passed to support the lower side of the rolling element by the roller to prevent a fall, the rotting elements being sequentiatty placed in the tubutar body and discharged from the other end in a first-in first-out manner by sequentially pushing up the rolling elements by the push-up section.
2. A pusher-type token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media, the token game machine comprising: a token insertion section that supplies a token to a game space; a rolling etement supply section that supplies a rolling etement to the game space; a sorting section that sorts a token and a rolling element that have fallen into a token chute; a rolling element storage mechanism that stores the rolling element sorted by the sorting section; a rolling clement transfer mechanism that transfers the rolling element stored in the rolling element storage mechanism to supply the rolling element from the rolling element supply section; and a controt section that controls the rolling element storage mechanism and the rolling motion transfer mechanism, the rolling element transfer mechanism including: a tubular body that is provided with one end facing downward; a push-up section that pushes up the rolling element from a position under the one end; and a fall prevention section that includes a first rolling body and a second rolling body provided in a push-up path of the push-up section so that their rotation surfaces are provided perpendicularly, the first rolling body and the second rotling body having a plurality of depressions that allow ptacement of the half or part of the rolling element at a given pitch on the outer circumference, and a rotation direction limiting section that limits the rotation directions of the first rolling body and the second rolling body to directions along the rolling element push-up direction, the rolling elements being sequentially placed in the tubular body and discharged from the other end in a first-in first-out manner by sequentially pushing up the rolling elements by the push-up section.
3. The token game machine as defined in either of claims 1 and 2, further comprising a driver section that drives the push-up section while changing the push-up amount.
4. A pusher-type token game machine that uses a token and a rolling element as game media, the token game machine comprising: a token insertion section that supplies a token to a game space; a rolling clement supply scction that supplies a rolling clement to the gamc space; a sorting section that sorts a token and a rolling element that have fallen into a token chute; a rotting etement storage mechanism that stores the rotting etement sorted by the sorting section; a rolling element transfer mechanism that transfers the rolling element stored in the rolling element storage mechanism to supply the rolling element from the rolling element supply section; and a control section that controls the rolling element storage mechanism and the rolling motion transfer mechanism.
5. The token game machine as defined in claim 4, the rotting element storage mechanism including: a receiving section that is inclined and receives the rolling elements so that the rolling elements are accumulated from the downstream side; a blocking section that has an entrance space that does not allow entrance of the rolling elements in a number larger than a given number, the blocking section being positioned at the downstream end of the receiving section to block the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section; and a driver section that moves the blocking section; and a given number of rolling elements that have entered the entrance space being discharged by moving the blocking section.
6. The token game machine as defined in claim 5, the receiving section being formed so that the internal width of the downstream end in the direction is at least twice the width of the rolling element; and the entrance space having an opening that has at least the same width as the internal width of the downstream end of the receiving section.
7. The token game machine as defined in claim 5 or 6, the blocking section moving in the vertical direction and having an extension wall section at the bottom, the extension wall section blocking the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section when the blocking section is moved.
8. The token game machine as defined in claim 7, the blocking section having an entrance at a position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section and an outlet at a position opposite to the entrance, a given number of rolling elements that have entered the entrance space being discharged through the outlet.
9. The token game machine as defined in claim 5 or 6, the blocking section being a rotatable tubular body horizontally provided on the downstream end of the receiving section, an opening being partially formed in the side surface of the tubular body, the inner space of the tubular body functioning as the entrance space when the opening is located at a position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section, and the downward movement of the rolling elements accumulated in the receiving section being blocked by the side surface of the tubular body when the blocking section is rotated from the position opposite to the downstream side of the receiving section.
10. The token game machine as defined in any one of claims 4 to 9, the rolling element transfer mechanism including: a tubular body that has an internal dimension that allows one rolling element to pass through and is provided with one end facing downward; a push-up section that pushes up the rolling element from a position under the one end; and a fall prevention section that has a contact portion that comes in contact with the rolling element pushed up by the push-up section, the fall prevention section forming a passage that guides the rolling element to the one end by displacing the contact portion along with the push-up movement of the rolling element, and supporting the lower side of the rolling element that has passed through the passage by the contact portion to prevent a fall; the rolling elements being sequentially placed in the tubular body and discharged from the other end in a first-in first-out manner by sequentially pushing up the rolling elements by the push-up section.
11. The token game machine as defined in claim 10, the fall prevention section including a plurality of swing arm sections, each of the plurality of swing arm sections including a roller that comes in contact with the rolling element pushed up by the push-up section on its swing end, the interval between the rollers of the swing arm sections being increased by the push-up force applied to the rolling element to form the passage, and being reduced after the rolling element has passed.
12. The token game machine as defined in claim 10, the fall prevention section including a first rolling body and a second rolling body provided in a push-up path of the push-up section so that their rotation surfaces are provided perpendicularly, the first rolling body and the second rolling body having a plurality of depressions that allow placement of the half or part of the rolling element at a given pitch on the outer circumference, and a rotation direction limiting section that limits the rotation directions of the first rolling body and the second rolling body to directions along the rolling element push-up direction.
13. Thc tokcn game machinc as dcfined in any onc of claims 10 to 12, furthcr comprising a driver section that drives the push-up section while changing the push-up amount.