JP4817357B2 - Board case for gaming machines - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a board case for accommodating a control board used for controlling a gaming machine such as a slot machine, and more specifically, makes it difficult to illegally open the board case, and even if it is illegally opened. The present invention relates to a board case for a gaming machine that can be easily discovered and that effectively prevents fraudulent acts on a control board.

  In gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines, control related to game play, such as winning lottery and symbol display control, is performed by a control board called a main control board. In recent years, in addition to the main control board, there is a control board that performs substantial control relating to the appearance of balls using a control board called a sub control board.

  And in such a gaming machine, by replacing the ROM that stores the control program of the main control board or the sub control board with an illegal one, or by giving an illegal signal to the control board from the outside, There is a problem with cheating such as executing different and inappropriate games. Therefore, a control board such as a main control board is accommodated in a board case made up of a transparent case base and a case lid that can be seen from the outside, and these cannot be easily opened to prevent unauthorized access to the control board. Technology is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that cylindrical container-shaped openings facing each other are formed in a case base and a case lid, respectively, and a connecting member is inserted into each opening to close the opening, so that both ends of the connecting member are formed. This is called “caulking”, in which the formed engaging projections engage with the engaging recesses in each opening, and the case base and the case lid cannot be detached unless one of the openings is separated from the substrate case. Means for preventing unauthorized opening are disclosed.

  The structure of a conventional substrate case provided with such unauthorized opening prevention means disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to the perspective view of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. The board case shown in FIG. 1 accommodates the main control board of the slot machine and is provided in the housing, and is composed of a case base 900 and a case lid 910 formed of a transparent resin. The case base 900 and the case lid 910 are connected to each other so that the hinge shafts 901 and the hinge bearings 911 can be opened and closed, and the cylindrical container-like openings 902 and 912 that open to face each other. Pairs are formed at four locations. When the main control board (not shown) is accommodated, the connection member 920 is inserted into any pair of the above-described openings to close the case lid 910 to the case base 900 side, and the elastic locking arm of the case base 900 The case lid 910 and the case base 900 are hermetically sealed so that the case lid 910 and the case base 900 can not be separated by engaging the locking hole 903a formed at the tip of the terminal 903 with the locking projection 913 on the case lid 910 side.

  FIG. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a conventional unauthorized opening prevention means. As shown in the figure, an opening 902 is extended on the lower wall surface of the case base 900 via a connecting portion 904, and an engaging recess 902 a is formed on a part of the inner wall of the opening 902. . In addition, a similar opening 912 facing the opening 902 on the case base side is extended on the lower side wall surface of the case lid 910, and an engagement recess 912a is formed on the inner wall thereof.

  The connecting member 920 is formed in a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape, and elastically deformable engaging convex portions 921 that engage with the engaging concave portions 902a and 912a of the openings 902 and 912 are formed at both ends. Has been. When the case lid 910 is closed to the case base 900, the engaging projections 921 of the connection member 920 inserted into the openings 902 and 912 and the engaging recesses 902a and 912a of the openings are engaged internally. Therefore, the openings once engaged through the connection member 920 are connected in a state in which they cannot be detached.

  In order to check the operation of the control board, etc., there are cases where the board case is opened and the control board is taken out. In that case, the connecting portion 914 on the case lid 910 side located in front is cut with a tool such as a nipper. By separating the opening 912 from the case lid 910 main body, the sealed state between the case lid 910 and the case base 900 is released to open the substrate case. That is, the trace of the opening 912 can be left as an objective history indicating the fact that the substrate case has been opened once, and even if the substrate case is illegally opened, the trace of the separation has been removed. Can be easily seen from the front, which is intended to quickly find the fact of unauthorized opening.

JP 2004-209238 A

  However, in recent years, there has been a problem that the substrate case is unreasonably opened so that no trace of fraud can be seen, and the discovery of fraudulent acts such as modification of the control board is delayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, a hole is made in the opening 902 of the case base 900 from the back of the substrate case using, for example, a drill, and a bar or the like is inserted from here to connect the connecting member 920. By releasing, there is a case where a fraudulent act by a new method of unjustly opening the case lid 910 without separating the opening 912 may be performed.

  When the case lid 910 is opened by such a method, not only the trace for cutting the connecting portion 914 is left, but also the connecting member 920 can be returned to the original opening 902 as it is after the control board is illegally modified. it can. Furthermore, since the opened hole is difficult to see from the front, it is difficult to quickly find out the fact that such unauthorized opening has been performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of these conventional problems, and effectively prevents unauthorized opening in a board case that accommodates a control board of a gaming machine, even if it is opened in an unauthorized manner. An object of the present invention is to provide a board case for a gaming machine that can prevent damages caused by such illegal acts as much as possible by making it possible to easily or quickly find the game.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 is provided in a casing of a gaming machine, and includes a front case cover that houses a control circuit board equipped with required electronic components facing each other, and A board case for a gaming machine comprising a case base on the back side, and a connection member that non-detachably engages and connects the case lid and the case base, wherein the connection member is engaged with at least one outer peripheral surface. A rectangular tube-shaped rectangular tube portion having a portion, and a rectangular parallelepiped widening that is connected to the bottom surface of the rectangular tube portion and is wider than the outer diameter of the rectangular tube portion, and one side surface direction of the rectangular tube portion is a longitudinal direction. In the case lid, the square tube portion is opened in alignment with the shape so that the square tube portion can be inserted from the inside of the case lid, and the engagement convex portion of the inserted square tube portion An opening is formed in the inner wall for an engagement recess to be engaged with the case. Inside the base, the longitudinal to match the direction perpendicular to the side wall of the case body holds the widened portion of the connecting member, the rectangular tube of the connection member to the opening of the casing lid A holding means for arranging the connecting member at a predetermined position where the connecting member can be inserted is provided, and the holding means slidably guides both side surfaces of the widened portion of the connecting member facing each other from one side wall to the inside of the case base. A pair of guide wall portions and a locking convex portion that is continuous with the respective guide wall portions and protrudes inwardly facing each of the guide wall portions are formed. The movement of the connecting member in the direction in which the case lid is detached is restricted by locking the widened portion .

According to the gaming machine board case according to claim 1, when the control circuit board equipped with the required electronic components is accommodated facing each other with the case lid on the front side and the case base on the back side, The holding means provided on the inner side of the base body holds the widened portion so that the longitudinal direction of the widened portion of the connecting member coincides with the direction perpendicular to the side wall of the case base, and the square tube portion extends to the opening of the case lid. The connection member is arranged and held at a predetermined position where insertion from the inside of the case lid becomes possible. When the case lid and the case base are closed, the rectangular tube portion of the connecting member is inserted into the opening provided in the case lid from the inside of the case lid , and the engagement convex portion and the opening on the outer peripheral surface of the square tube portion are opened. The engaging recess of the inner wall of the part engages. Thereby, the case lid and the case base are engaged and connected through the connecting member so as not to be detached.

At this time, the holding means provided inside the case base holds the widened portion of the connecting member from the side wall of the case base toward the inside so as to hold a relatively long region, so that the holding state is illegally released. It becomes difficult. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the completion of illegal activities using a drill or the like, which has been a problem in the past, and even if an illegal activity such as destroying and opening the connection member is performed, the destruction trace is also enormous. Therefore, the fraud facts can be easily or quickly discovered.

Further, according to the gaming machine board case according to claim 1, the connecting member orthogonal, by a pair of guide walls forming the holding means of the case body in the longitudinal direction of the side wall of the case body of the widened portion And the rectangular tube portion is slidably guided to a predetermined position where the rectangular tube portion can be inserted into the opening portion of the case lid from the inside of the case lid . And the latching convex part which protrudes to the inside of a guide wall part latches a wide part, and the movement to the direction which a case lid detaches | leaves with respect to the said connection member is controlled. Thereby, the connection member is prevented from coming off from the case base, and the case lid and the case base are engaged and connected so as not to be detached. Further, the widening portion of the connecting member is held in a relatively long locking region from the side wall of the case base toward the inside by the locking projection of the holding means, and it is difficult to release this holding state illegally. . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a fraudulent act using a drill or the like from being completed as a conventional problem.

According to the gaming machine substrate case of the first aspect , the widened portion of the connecting member is inserted from the insertion port of the holding means that opens inside the case base, and is slidably moved toward the side wall of the substrate case. The The connecting member is held in a relatively long region with the widened portion extending inward from the side wall of the case base, and the case lid and the case base are engaged and connected to each other so as not to be detached. , it becomes difficult to release the holding state illegally. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a fraudulent act using a drill or the like from being completed as a conventional problem.

As described above, according to the board case for gaming machines of the present invention, the rectangular tube-shaped rectangular tube portion having the engaging convex portion, and the outer diameter of the rectangular tube portion connected to the bottom surface of the rectangular tube portion is wider. In addition, the case lid and the case base cannot be detached inside the case base and the case lid via a connecting member formed from a rectangular parallelepiped widened portion whose longitudinal direction is one side surface direction of the rectangular tube portion. Is engaged and connected to receive the control circuit board. A relatively long holding region is provided by holding the widened portion with the holding means provided inside the case base so that the longitudinal direction of the widened portion of the connection member coincides with the direction orthogonal to the side wall of the case base. It is difficult to release this holding state using, for example, a drill, which has been a conventional problem. For this reason, even if an unauthorized act such as preventing the completion of such an unauthorized act and destroying and opening the connection member is performed, the trace of the destruction becomes enormous. Therefore, fraudulent facts can be detected easily or quickly, and damage can be suppressed as much as possible.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of a gaming machine including the board case of the present invention will be described by taking a slot machine as an example. Here, FIG. 3 is a front view showing the appearance of the slot machine, and FIG. 4 is a view showing the internal structure of the slot machine with the front door opened.

  First, the external structure of the slot machine SM will be described with reference to FIG. In the slot machine SM, a front door FD forming a so-called front panel is attached so as to be openable and closable with respect to a housing (MB) which is a substantially rectangular box. The front door FD is roughly divided into an upper panel portion UP and a lower panel portion LP designed to enhance the visual effect, and these are integrally formed of hard plastic. In addition, a tray unit TU in which a tray portion for storing medals is formed is provided below the front door FD.

  An upper lamp UL and a side lamp SL incorporating a high-intensity light emitting diode are disposed on the peripheral portion of the upper panel portion UP. In addition, sound emitting units SAL and SAR for production that have built-in speakers and generate sound effects related to games are arranged on the left and right of the upper panel unit UP, respectively. In addition, a liquid crystal display unit FPD as an effect display device that mainly displays an image related to the effect of the game is disposed between the effect sound emitting units SAL and SAR.

  Further, a panel unit PU having a flat panel surface is attached to the upper panel portion UP, and a substantially rectangular transparent display window FW is formed at the center thereof. Each of the reels R1, R2, and R3 viewed through the display window FW has a cylindrical shape and can be independently rotated, and three reels are arranged in the axial direction in the housing. The player can visually check the three symbols in the vertical direction and the three rows in the horizontal direction through the display window FW among the plural types of symbols arranged on the outer peripheral surface of each reel R1, R2, R3.

  Between the upper panel portion UP and the lower panel portion LP, an operation console OPT on which switches for performing a game operation are arranged is integrally formed. The console OPT is provided with a medal insertion part MD having an insertion slot for inserting medals, a bet button BET, a start lever STL, and stop buttons STB1, STB2, and STB3.

  The bet button BET is a button switch for presenting the number of medals to bet on one game of the slot machine. The slot machine SM rotates the reels R1, R2, and R3 all at once when a bet is placed on the game by pressing any one of the bet buttons BET and the start lever STL is tilted. At this time, the slot machine SM performs winning lottery by internal processing. Then, the corresponding reels R1, R2, and R3 are stopped by pressing the stop buttons STB1, STB2, and STB3, respectively. When all the reels are stopped and the combination of symbols displayed on the active line set in the display window FW coincides with the winning combination won by the internal lottery, the winning is determined.

  The lower panel LP is provided with a display panel DP for displaying a picture of an appearing character and the like so that the player can recognize the model type of the slot machine SM. The saucer unit TU arranged below the lower panel portion LP has a medal payout port MEX for discharging medals to the saucer portion at the time of winning, etc., and an effect sound emitting portion SAB that has built-in speakers and produces effect sound effects. Are arranged respectively.

  Next, the internal structure of the slot machine SM will be described with reference to FIG. A main control board assembly MCA for housing a main control board MCB that controls the overall operation of the slot machine SM in a board case 100 is attached to the upper part of the back plate in the housing MB. The main control board MCB is a control circuit board formed on the basis of a microcomputer including MPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is accommodated in a board case 100 according to the present invention which is a transparent plastic case.

  A reel unit RU including reels R1, R2, and R3 is provided in the center of the housing MB. The reel unit RU has a predetermined height in the housing MB so that when the front door FD is closed on the housing MB side, the reels R1, R2, and R3 face the display window FW formed in the panel unit PU. It is positioned and attached to a fixed frame. Each reel R1, R2, R3 is rotationally driven by a stepping motor connected to the respective central axis. At the top of the reel unit RU, a rotating device board (not shown) for sending a four-phase driving pulse signal to each stepping motor is attached, and the main control board MCB applies a rotating drive (excitation) pulse to the rotating device board. By sending data, the reels are controlled to rotate, brake and stop.

  Below the reel unit RU, medals inserted from the medal insertion unit MD are stored, and a hopper device HPU that discharges medals from the medal discharge port MEX at the time of payout of a prize, and spilling medals overflowing from the hopper device HPU An auxiliary storage unit MST and a main power supply device PWU that distributes power to each device built in the slot machine SM are provided.

  Speakers SPL and SPR are attached to the upper surface of the rear surface of the front door FD so as to face the sound emitting portions SAL and SAR for effects described above. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a liquid crystal display unit FPD is attached between the speakers SPL and SPR, and a sub-control board SCB for controlling and driving the liquid crystal display unit and the like is transparent on the back side of the liquid crystal display unit. It is accommodated and attached to the substrate case. Sub-control board SCB is a display control of effect video by liquid crystal display unit FPD, illumination control using upper lamp UL and side lamp SL, and effect sound effect control using effect sound emission parts SAL, SAR, SAB Etc., mainly control related to the production of the game.

  Below the sub-control board SCB, a panel unit PU having a transparent display window FW for allowing the reels R1, R2, and R3 to be seen on the front surface is attached. Operation of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp CFL, the start lever STL, the stop buttons STB1, STB2, STB3, etc. for irradiating the outer peripheral surfaces of the reels R1, R2, R3 to brightly display the symbols on the back side of the panel unit PU A central display board CDB that functions as a relay board for transferring the output signals of the switches to the main control board MCB is provided and formed as a unit.

  A medal sorting device MSU is attached below the panel unit PU. The medal sorting device MSU is a device that determines and distributes the suitability of medals inserted into the medal insertion unit MD. The medal sensor built in the medal sorting device MSU detects a regular medal inserted in the medal insertion unit MD and sends a detection signal to the main control board MCB.

  Below the medal sorting device MSU, a guide member G1 that guides the regular medal sorted by this to the hopper device HPU, and a medal (or foreign matter) removed by the medal sorting device MSU is guided to the medal discharge port MEX. A guide member G2 is provided. In addition, a guide member G3 that guides medals discharged from the discharge port of the hopper device HPU to the medal discharge port MEX is provided at the lower back of the front door FD. Further, a speaker SPB is mounted adjacent to the medal discharge port MEX so as to face the above-described effect sound emitting unit SAB.

  The slot machine SM configured as described above enters a standby state when a prize is won in the previous game and the payout of medals is completed, or when a loss is confirmed in the previous game. By pressing the bet button BET in this standby state, a medal is bet on the game from the medal (credit) stored inside, and the game starts. When the start lever STL is tilted in the game start state, the main control board MCB rotates the three reels R1, R2, and R3 all at once. At the same time, the winning combination is internally drawn, and the result is stored in a flag (internal lottery flag).

  Next, when the player presses the stop buttons STB1, STB2, STB3 in an arbitrary order, the main control board MCB sequentially stops the corresponding reels accordingly. When it is detected that all the reels R1, R2, and R3 have stopped, it is determined whether or not the symbol displayed on each reel matches the symbol combination related to the winning combination corresponding to the flag. When the symbols related to the winning prize are displayed on the active line and the winning is confirmed, a medal with a predetermined number of dividends is added to the number of credits according to the type of the winning prize, and the number of medals to be credited is determined. When the upper limit value is exceeded, the hopper device HPU is driven to pay out a considerable number of medals to the tray portion of the tray unit TU, thereby paying the player a prize medal.

  Next, a substrate case 100 that accommodates the main control board MCB of the slot machine SM and a main control board assembly MCA using the same will be described. Here, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the main control board assembly MCA, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the board case 100 as seen from the back.

  Referring to these drawings, the main control board assembly MCA includes a main control board MCB, and a case base 200 and a case lid 300 which are opposed to each other and sandwich the main control board MCB. The substrate case 100 includes a case base 200 and a case lid 300, and the main control board assembly MCA has the case base 200 on the back side and the case lid 300 in front via a pair of left and right bracket members BRa and BRb. It is arranged on the side and attached to the inside of the back plate of the housing MB.

  The first bracket member BRa located on the left side in FIG. 6 includes a flat plate portion 10 that faces and holds the back surface of the substrate case 100, and a side wall portion 11 that stands forward along the left edge of the flat plate portion 10. , And a support base portion 12 erected forward from the lower edge of the flat plate portion 10, and these are integrally formed of hard plastic. The flat plate portion 10 is appropriately formed with a number of bolt holes 10a through which a mounting bolt for mounting and fixing to the back plate of the housing MB (see FIG. 4) of the gaming machine is inserted at a predetermined position. In addition, a fitting recess 306 for stably holding the substrate case 100 by fitting a fitting protrusion 306 (see FIG. 7) formed on the side portion of the case lid 300 of the substrate case 100 inside the side wall portion 11. 11a is formed in two places at the top and bottom.

  The second bracket member BRb located on the right side in FIG. 6 is integrally formed of hard plastic like the first bracket member BRa, and the flat plate portion 20 facing the back surface of the substrate case 100; A side wall portion 21 standing on the right edge of the flat plate portion 20, a step portion 21a formed inside the side wall portion 21, and two columnar support pillar portions 23 that are implanted in the step portion 21a and extend forward. A support base portion 22 erected forward from the lower edge of the flat plate portion 20, a plurality of (for example, four) cylindrical openings 24 formed at positions close to the side wall portion 21 of the flat plate portion 20, and the flat plate portion 20 mainly includes an elastically deformable locking arm 25 extending forward from the upper edge of 20 and having a locking projection 25a formed at the tip.

  The cylindrical opening 24 of the bracket member BRb constitutes one of unauthorized removal preventing means (caulking mechanism) for mounting the main control board assembly MCA so as not to be detached, and a cylindrical connection member 500 described later is inserted thereinto. An engaging recess (24a) for engaging the mating protrusions (502, 504) is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical container. The flat plate portion 20 is formed with bolt holes 20a for attachment similar to the first bracket member BRa at appropriate locations.

  Note that the flat plate portions 10 and 20 of the first and second bracket members BRa and BRb may be integrally formed so as to be flush with each other, and the main control board assembly MCA may be attached by one bracket member.

  Next, the case base 200 constituting one side of the substrate case 100 has a substantially rectangular box shape whose front side is open and is integrally formed of transparent plastic. Then, the main control board MCB is fixed to the bottom plate 203 on which the ribs are formed via screws (not shown) (see FIG. 6).

  On the lower side wall 204 of the case base 200, hinge bearings 201 are formed at three locations at predetermined intervals for hinge connection with the case lid 300 in a swingable manner (see FIG. 6). More specifically, the lower side wall 204 of the case base 200 is formed to be slightly inwardly shifted from the lower side end of the bottom plate 203, and the arc-shaped hinge bearing 201 that opens downward is lower than the lower side end of the bottom plate 203. Each is formed at a position recessed upward.

  Further, at both ends of the upper side wall of the case base 200, a locking arm 202 having a locking hole 202a at the tip and elastically deformable in the vertical direction is formed.

  Further, on the upper side wall of the case base 200, two connection member holding portions 210 (unauthorized opening prevention means) for holding a square connection member 400 for detachably engaging the case lid 300, and a cylindrical shape are provided. A bottomed cylindrical container-like cylindrical opening 240 into which the connection member 500 is inserted to engage the case lid 300 and a cylindrical container opening 250 for storing the spare connection member 500 are formed. . The case base 200 and the case lid 300 are engaged with each other in a non-detachable manner mainly through a rectangular connecting member 400. However, even if the cylindrical connecting member 500 is inserted into the cylindrical opening 240, the case base is supplementarily provided. The members can be engaged with each other.

  The case lid 300 constituting the other side of the substrate case 100 has a substantially rectangular box shape whose back side is open, and is integrally formed of a transparent plastic. The lower portion of the case lid 300 has a double-wall structure including an outer wall 302 and an inner wall 307, and a plurality of hinge shafts 301 are aligned with the hinge bearing 201 of the case base 200 at the end of the inner wall 307. It is formed (see FIG. 7). When assembling the substrate case 100, the case cover 300 and the case base 200 can be freely opened and closed by fitting the hinge shaft 301 of the case cover 300 into the hinge bearing 201 of the case base 200 at an angle within a predetermined range. Connected.

  Locking protrusions 303 are formed on both ends of the upper side wall of the case lid 300, respectively. The case lid 300 is closed by swinging to the case base 200 side, the locking arm 202 of the case base 200 is elastically deformed, and the locking hole 202a is locked to the locking projection 303, thereby closing the case members. State is to be maintained.

  In addition, on the upper side wall of the case lid 300, a rectangular tube opening 310 with a bottom that opens in a square shape so that the rectangular tube portion 410 of the connection member 400 can be inserted is formed at two locations via connecting portions 312. Yes (means to prevent unauthorized opening). Although details will be described later, an engagement recess 311 that can be engaged with the engagement protrusion 412 of the square tube portion 410 of the inserted connection member 400 is formed on the inner wall of the square tube opening 310.

  Further, on the upper side wall of the case lid 300, a cylindrical opening 340 for opposingly engaging with the cylindrical opening 240 on the case base 200 side through the connection member 500 and a cylinder on the case base 200 side are also provided. Opposite to the container opening 250, a cylindrical container opening 350 for storing the spare connection member 500 is formed through the coupling parts 342 and 352, respectively.

  When the case lid 300 is closed to the case base 200, the surrounding frame portion 319 that surrounds the connection member holding portion 210 and the square tube opening 310 together, and the surrounding frame portion that surrounds the cylindrical openings 240 and 340 349 and a surrounding frame portion 359 surrounding the cylindrical container openings 250 and 350 are formed on the upper side wall of the case lid 300, respectively.

  In addition, when the main control board assembly MCA is attached to the bracket members BRa and BRb, the cylindrical opening 330 that opens to face the cylindrical opening 24 of the bracket member BRb is connected to the side wall of the case lid 300 via the connecting portion 333, respectively. It is formed (unauthorized withdrawal prevention means).

  A rectangular frame 304 surrounding the cylindrical opening 330 is formed on the side of the case lid 300 on which the cylindrical opening 330 is formed. A locking projection 308 for locking the locking arm 25 of the bracket member BRb is formed on the upper end of the rectangular frame portion 304. Further, fitting protrusions 306 are formed at two upper and lower portions on the side wall of the case lid 300 on the opposite side where the cylindrical opening 330 is formed. In addition to these, in the case lid 300, connector insertion holes 361, 362, 363 through which connectors mounted on the main control board MCB for electrically connecting other control circuit boards, built-in devices and the like through harnesses are inserted. Are formed at corresponding positions.

  The main control board assembly MCA is assembled by attaching the main control board MCB to the case base 200 with screws and fitting the hinge shaft 301 of the case lid 300 to the hinge bearing 201 of the case base 200 at an angle within a predetermined range. The lid 300 and the case base 200 are connected so as to be freely swingable. When the case lid 300 is closed, as shown in FIG. 5, the locking hole 202a of the locking arm 202 on the case base 200 side and the locking projection 303 on the case lid 300 side are engaged. At this time, since the end portions of the peripheral walls of the case base 200 and the case lid 300 are in close contact with each other, the main control board MCB cannot be illegally accessed from the outside of the case using a wire or the like. .

  Further, simply closing the case lid 300 to the case base 200 only locks the locking arm 202 with the locking projection 303 by its elastic deformation force, and it can be easily opened by releasing these locking states. Is in a state. Accordingly, the connection member 400 is inserted into one or both of the connection members holding portions 210 of the case base 200, and the case base 200 is engaged with and connected to the rectangular tube opening 310 of the case lid 300 via the connection member 400. The main cover board MCB is accommodated in a state in which the case lid 300 is detachably connected and cannot be easily opened.

  The unauthorized opening prevention means for joining the substrate case members will be described in detail below. 8 is an external perspective view of the connection member 400 described above, FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view of the connection member holding portion 210 of the case base 200, and FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section of the connection member holding portion 210 in FIG. 11 and 11 are cross-sectional views of the connection member holding portion 210 in FIG.

  First, referring to FIG. 8, the connecting member 400 is connected to the rectangular tube portion 410 and a bottom portion of the rectangular tube portion 410, and in one direction perpendicular to the axis of the rectangular tube portion 410 (up and down in the drawing). And a widened portion 420 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is a direction), and these are integrally formed of hard plastic. The rectangular tube portion 410 is formed of a hollow and rectangular tube body 411, and the upper and lower surfaces of the tube body 411 are defined by U-shaped grooves 413 that leave one side, and projecting upward and downward, respectively. 412 is formed. The engaging convex portion 412 has a taper (a slope that gradually protrudes outward from the end toward the widened portion 420) on the insertion side of the rectangular tube portion 410, and the U-shaped groove 413 defines the cylindrical body 411. Elastic deformation is possible toward the inside.

  The widened portion 420 has a dimension that is wider than the width in the left-right direction of the rectangular tube portion 410, and the longitudinal direction thereof is longer than one side of the rectangular tube portion 410. As shown in FIG. 8, the left and right widened area surfaces on the front surface of the widened portion 420 and sandwiching the rectangular tube portion 410 are referred to as “widened surfaces” 421 here.

  FIG. 9A shows an enlarged view of the connection member holding portion 210 before the connection member 400 is inserted, and FIG. 10A shows a longitudinal section along the line Av-Av shown in FIG. FIG. 11A shows a cross section taken along line Ah-Ah shown in FIG. Referring to these drawings, the connection member holding portion 210 includes a pair of guide wall portions 212 facing each other from the upper side wall to the inside of the case (along the vertical direction in FIGS. 9 and 10), and a guide wall. The front end of the portion 212, that is, the end of each guide wall portion 212 on the side facing the case lid (300) (not shown) is bent at a substantially right angle so as to face each other, and has a locking convex portion 211 protruding inward. Is formed.

  The connecting member holding part 210 has dimensions and shapes determined in relation to the connecting member 400 so that the connecting member 400 can be held in a predetermined position and posture. That is, the above-described pair of guide wall portions 212 are parallel to each other at an interval corresponding to the width of the widened portion 420 of the connection member 400, and the locking projections 211 are opened inside the case base 200 and The protruding length of the stop convex portion 211 corresponds to the width of the widened surface 421 of the connection member 400. An insertion port 213 for inserting the connection member 400 into the connection member holding part 210 is formed at the end of the guide wall part 212 inside the case base 200.

  When the case lid 300 is engaged so as not to be detached, the connection member 400 is first inserted into the connection member holding portion 210. Here, FIG. 9B shows a front appearance of the connection member holding portion 210 in a state where the connection member 400 is inserted into a predetermined position that can be engaged with the rectangular tube opening (310) of the case lid. FIG. 10B shows a longitudinal section along the line Bv-Bv shown in FIG. 9B, and FIG. 11B shows a transverse section along the line Bh-Bh shown in FIG. 9B. As shown in these drawings, in order to insert the connection member 400 into the connection member holding portion 210, each widening portion 420 of the connection member 400 is guided from the inside of the case base 200 along the longitudinal direction thereof. It is inserted between 212 (insertion port 213), and the engaging part 410 is slid to the upper side wall of the case base body 200 in a state where the engaging part 410 protrudes from the gap between the respective locking convex parts 211. At this time, the both side surfaces of the widened portion 420 are sandwiched between the guide wall portions 212 and slidably guided, whereby the connecting member 400 is slid to a predetermined upper position while maintaining its posture (orientation).

  In the state in which the connection member 400 is inserted in a predetermined position in the connection member holding portion 210, the widening surface 421 of the connection member 400 abuts on the locking convex portion 211 protruding inward of the guide wall portion 212. Reference numeral 400 denotes a state in which the movement in the direction in which the case lid 300 is detached is restricted and prevented from coming off.

  Next, the details of the square tube opening 310 on the case lid 300 side, which is another component of the above-described unauthorized opening prevention means, will be described. Here, FIG. 12A is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting member holding portion 210 of the case base 200 and the rectangular tube opening 310 facing the connecting member holding portion 210, and FIG. 12B is engaged and connected via the connecting member 400. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connection member holding | maintenance part 210 and the square tube opening part 310 showing a state.

  As described above, the rectangular tube opening 310 is formed in a container shape having a rectangular opening in alignment with the dimensional shape of the rectangular tube portion 410 so that the rectangular tube portion 410 of the connecting member 400 can be inserted and fitted. The case lid 300 is connected to the main body via a connecting portion 312 that can be cut using a tool such as a nipper. In addition, on the inner wall of the square tube opening 310, engagement concave portions 311 that are stepped portions having an enlarged diameter that can be engaged with the engagement convex portions 412 of the square tube portion 410 are formed at two locations, upper and lower. A surrounding frame portion 319 is extended on the upper side wall of the case lid 300 so as to surround the outer edge of the rectangular tube opening 310.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the case lid 300 is closed to the case base 200, the rectangular tube portion 410 of the connection member 400 is inserted into the rectangular tube opening 310 of the case lid 300. The engagement convex portion 412 of the connection member 400 once elastically deforms inward so as to follow the side surface of the rectangular tube portion 410, and when it reaches the engagement concave portion 311, it returns to the original protruding state and enters the engagement concave portion 311. Engage. On the other hand, on the case base 200 side, the widened portion 420 of the connecting member 400 abuts against the locking convex portion 211 of the connecting member holding portion 210 and is prevented from coming off. Thus, since the unauthorized opening prevention means is engaged and connected inside the case base 200 and the case lid 300 via the connection member 400, these board case members can be separated from each other once in the engaged state. become unable.

  According to the unauthorized opening prevention means for connecting the substrate case members to each other, the case lid 300 and the case base 200 are opened unless the connecting portion 312 is cut and the rectangular tube opening 310 is separated from the case lid 300 main body. Can not be. In other words, when the substrate case 100 is opened to check the operation of the main control board MCB, it is intended to cut the connecting portion 312 to separate the square tube opening 310 from the case body. That is, when the state of the connecting portion 312 is viewed, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the substrate case 100 is opened.

  Further, in the conventional unauthorized opening prevention means (see FIG. 2), a hole is made in the opening (902) provided in the substrate case member (900) located on the back side, and unauthorized access is made from here. There is a case where an illegal act of releasing the engagement state of the member (920) may be performed, and there is a problem that it is difficult to find a trace when the member (920) is illegally opened. On the other hand, in the unauthorized opening prevention means of the present embodiment, the connecting member 400 is formed by having a rectangular tube-shaped square tube portion 410 and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped widened portion 420 wider than the rectangular tube portion 410. On the case base 200 side, both ends of the widened portion 420 are locked in a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the widened portion 420 is orthogonal to the upper side wall of the case base 200, so that the connection member 400 is held so as not to come off. Yes. That is, since the connection member holding part 210 is provided with a relatively long locking region from the upper side wall of the case base 200 toward the inside of the case and holds the widened part 420 of the connection member 400, for example, illegally using a drill. Even if the locked state is to be released, the locked state cannot be released unless the case base 200 is completely destroyed. For this reason, it is difficult to complete the fraud, and the locking state of the retaining member cannot be released unless the entire widened portion 420 of the connecting member 400 is destroyed. Accordingly, if the widened portion 420 is destroyed until the locked state is released, the destruction trace becomes enormous. Therefore, the fact of such an illegal act can be easily or quickly detected, and the damage is minimized. be able to.

  Next, an illegal detachment preventing means for detachably attaching the main control board assembly MCA to the housing MB via the bracket members BRa and BRb will be described. Here, FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of the connection member 500 used for the unauthorized detachment preventing means, and FIG. 14 is a structure of the cylindrical opening 24 of the bracket member BRb and the cylindrical opening 330 on the case lid 300 side facing this. FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 13, the connecting member 500 has a hollow cylindrical tube body 501, and rotation restricting grooves 506 and 507 that are notched grooves having a predetermined width are formed at both ends of the tube body 501. In the vicinity of each end of 501, a pair of engaging convex portions 502 and 504 that are defined by U-shaped grooves 503 and 505 that leave one side and project radially outward are formed.

  The engaging projections 502 and 504 have inclined surfaces that gradually protrude outward from the respective ends of the cylinder 501 toward the center, and are directed toward the inside of the cylinder 501 by the U-shaped grooves 503 and 505. And elastically deformable. Furthermore, the engaging convex portions 502 and 504 have tapered surfaces 502a and 504a in which corner portions in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the respective end sides are cut out obliquely.

  The rotation restricting grooves 506 and 507 and the engaging projections 502 and 504 formed at both ends of the connecting member 500 are in a positional relationship in which the phase is shifted by about 90 degrees around the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical body 501. is there.

  Next, referring to FIG. 14, the cylindrical opening 24 formed in the flat plate portion 20 of the bracket member BRb has a cylindrical container shape, and one end of the connection member 500 is inserted into the inner wall thereof. At this time, the engagement recess 24a for engaging the engagement projection 504 (or the engagement projection 502) is formed as a stepped portion whose diameter is increased at two opposing positions. Two protrusions 24 b are formed on the bottom inner wall of the cylindrical opening 24.

  The cylindrical opening 330 on the case lid 300 side has a bottomed cylindrical container shape that opens toward the bracket member BRb, and is connected to the main body of the case lid 300 via a connecting portion 333. Engagement recesses 331 are formed at two opposing positions on the inner wall of the cylindrical opening 330, and protrusions 332 are formed at two opposite positions on the bottom inner wall of the cylindrical opening 330.

  The procedure for mounting the main control board assembly MCA assembled with the main control board MCB so as not to be detached through the bracket members BRa and BRb is as follows. Here, the bracket members BRa and BRb are fixed in advance by inserting mounting bolts (not shown) through the bolt holes 10a and 20a and fastening them to the housing back plate of the gaming machine.

  First, one end of the connection member 400 is inserted into any cylindrical opening 24 formed in the bracket member BRb. At this time, the engaging convex portion 504 is once elastically deformed to the inside of the cylinder, then returns to the original protruding state, engages with the engaging concave portion 24a, and fits into the cylindrical opening 24. On the other hand, the case main body is moved toward the bracket member while the fitting protrusion 306 (see FIG. 7) formed on the side wall of the case lid 300 is fitted to the fitting recess 11a (see FIG. 6) of the bracket member BRa at an appropriate angle. The support column part 23 is inserted through the support hole 305 of the rectangular frame part 304. At this time, the other end of the connecting member 400 inserted into the cylindrical opening 24 of the bracket member BRb is inserted into the cylindrical opening 330 of the opposing case lid 300, and the engaging convex portion 502 is the cylindrical opening. The engagement recess 331 of 330 is engaged and fitted. Thereby, the main control board assembly MCA is attached to the bracket member BRb so as not to be detached. Note that the main control board assembly MCA may be mounted on the bracket members BRa and BRb after the connection member 500 is first fitted into the cylindrical opening 330 of the case lid 300.

  The board case body of the main control board assembly MCA is supported by the flat plate part 10, the side wall part 11, the support base part 12 of the bracket member BRa, and the flat plate part 20 and the step part 21a of the bracket member BRb. When the locking projection 25a of the locking arm 25 and the locking projection 308 at the upper end of the case lid 300 are locked, the brackets BRa and BRb are stably mounted (see FIG. 5). Further, since the bolt holes 10a and 20a for fixing the bracket members BRa and BRb to the housing are closed by the back surface of the case base 200, the main control board assembly MCA is played together with the bracket members BRa and BRb unless the case base 200 is removed. It is not taken away from the machine casing.

  When the main control board assembly MCA is removed from the housing in order to inspect the main control board MCB, the connecting part 333 of the cylindrical opening 330 into which the connecting member 500 is inserted is cut to separate the cylindrical opening. Thus, the substrate case 100 can be detached from the bracket member BRb. Further, by looking at the cut state of the connecting portion 333, it can be confirmed whether or not there is a history that the main control board assembly MCA has been removed from the casing.

  For example, when the gaming machine is shipped from the factory, the connection member 500 is inserted into the lowest cylindrical opening of the plurality of cylindrical openings 24 and 330, and the main control board assembly MCA is engaged and connected. Then, when inspecting the main control board MCB after installing a gaming machine in a pachinko hall or other gaming store, the connecting portion 333 is cut using a tool such as a nipper and the cylindrical opening 330 is moved to the bracket member BRb side. The main control board assembly MCA is removed from the casing while remaining.

  After the inspection, to connect the main control board assembly MCA back to the bracket members BRa and BRb, the connecting member 500 is inserted into the unused cylindrical openings 24 and 330 and engaged. At this time, the spare connection member 500 stored in the cylindrical container openings 250 and 350 (see FIG. 6) may be used, but the connection member 500 is removed from the used cylindrical opening 330 that has lost its connection function. It may be taken out and reused.

  That is, when the cylindrical opening 330 left on the bracket member BRb side is rotated counterclockwise, the taper surface 502a (or 504a) of the connection member 500 is engaged with the engaging recess 331 (or 24) of the cylindrical opening 330 (or 24). 24a) Since they are brought into contact with the side stepped portion and elastically deformed and drawn in the radial center direction, these engagement states are released. In this state, the separated cylindrical opening 330 can be pulled out from the cylindrical opening 24, and the internal connection member 500 can be taken out.

  Each cylindrical opening 330 of the case lid 300 is provided with an alphabetic identification code in the order of, for example, A, B, C, D from the bottom, and the case lid is adjacent to each cylindrical opening. 300 is engraved on the front surface. When the main control board assembly MCA is removed and inspected as described above, the identification code of the re-engaged cylindrical opening 330 and the inspection history such as the inspection date, the name of the person inspecting the inspection, the inspection result, and the like are displayed. It is written and managed on the inspection sheet affixed to.

  As described above, according to the substrate case 100 of this embodiment provided in a gaming machine such as the slot machine SM, the rectangular tube portion 410 having a rectangular tube shape and the widened portion 420 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape wider than the rectangular tube portion. The unauthorized opening is effectively prevented by provision of an unauthorized opening prevention means for detachably engaging and connecting the case base 200 and the case lid 300 via the connecting member 400 comprising: Even if it is done, the fact can be easily or quickly discovered.

  That is, the connection member holding part 210 provided on the case base 200 provides a relatively long locking region in the inner direction of the case base 200 to lock and hold the widened part 420 of the connection member 400. Even if the widened portion 420 is destroyed by using a drill or the like to illegally release the locked state, the case base 200 must be completely destroyed. For this reason, it is difficult to complete such an illegal act, and if the widened portion 420 is destroyed until the locked state is released, the destruction trace becomes enormous, so that the fact of unauthorized opening can be easily or quickly Be able to discover.

  The board case 100 according to the present invention may contain not only the use of the main control board of the slot machine but also other control circuit boards such as a sub control board that mainly controls the production. Further, the present invention can also be applied to a control circuit board mounted on other game machines that operate by a microcomputer such as a pachinko machine or a ball ball game machine.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a conventional substrate case. FIG. 2A is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional means for preventing unauthorized opening of a substrate case. FIG. 2B is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional unauthorized opening prevention means for explaining the problem to be solved by the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the appearance of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the structure inside the housing by opening the front door of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the main control board assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the main control board assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a substrate case according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of a connection member used for the unauthorized opening prevention means according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view showing the connecting member holding portion of the unauthorized opening preventing means according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connection member holding portion of the unauthorized opening preventing means according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the connection member holding portion of the unauthorized opening prevention means according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the unauthorized opening prevention means according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a connection member used in the unauthorized detachment preventing means according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the unauthorized detachment preventing means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

SM ... slot machine,
FD ... Front door, MB ... Case,
UP ... upper panel, LP ... lower panel,
TU ... Tray unit, UL ... Upper lamp, SL ... Side lamp,
SAL, SAR, SAB ... Sound emission part for production, FPD ... Liquid crystal display unit,
PU ... Panel unit, FW ... Display window,
RU ... reel unit, R1, R2, R3 ... reel,
OPT ... console, STL ... start lever,
STB1, STB2, STB3 ... stop button, MEX ... medal payout exit,
MCB ... main control board, MCA ... main control board assembly,
HPU ... Hopper device, SCB ... Sub control board,
CFL: Cold cathode fluorescent lamp, CDB: Central display board,
MSU ... medal sorting device, G1, G2, G3 ... guide member,
SPR, SPL, SPB ... speaker,
BRa, BRb ... Bracket member,
10 ... Flat plate part, 10a ... Bolt hole,
11 ... side wall part, 11a ... fitting recessed part, 12 ... support base part,
20 ... Flat plate part, 20a ... Bolt hole, 21 ... Side wall part, 21a ... Step part,
22 ... support base part, 23 ... support column part,
24 ... Cylindrical opening, 24a ... Engaging recess, 24b ... Projection,
25 ... Locking arm, 25a ... Locking protrusion,
100 ... substrate case,
200: Case base,
201 ... Hinge bearing, 202 ... Locking arm, 202a ... Locking hole,
203 ... bottom plate, 204 ... lower side wall,
210: connecting member holding portion, 211 ... locking projection, 212 ... guide wall, 213 ... insertion port,
240 ... cylindrical opening, 250 ... cylindrical container opening,
300 ... case lid,
301 ... Hinge shaft 302 ... Outer wall 303 ... Locking protrusion 304 ... Rectangular frame part
305 ... Support hole, 306 ... Fitting protrusion, 307 ... Inner wall, 308 ... Locking protrusion,
310 ... Square tube opening, 311 ... Engaging recess, 312 ... Connection part, 319 ... Enclosing frame part,
330 ... cylindrical opening,
331 ... engaging recess, 332 ... projection, 333 ... coupling part,
340 ... cylindrical opening, 342 ... connecting part, 349 ... surrounding frame part,
350 ... cylindrical container opening, 352 ... connecting part, 359 ... surrounding frame part,
361, 362, 363 ... connector insertion holes,
400 ... connection member,
410 ... Square cylinder part, 411 ... Cylinder body, 412 ... engagement convex part, 413 ... groove,
420 ... Widened portion, 421 ... Widened surface,
500 ... connecting member,
501 ... Cylinder, 502 ... engagement convex part, 502a ... taper surface, 503 ... groove,
504 ... engaging convex portion, 504a ... tapered surface, 505 ... groove, 506, 507 ... rotation restricting groove,
900 ... case base,
901 ... Hinge shaft, 902 ... Opening, 902a ... Engaging recess,
903 ... Elastic locking arm, 903a ... Locking hole, 904 ... Connection part,
910: Case lid, 911: Hinge bearing, 912 ... Opening, 912a ... Engaging recess,
913 ... Locking protrusion, 914 ... Connection part,
920 ... connecting member, 921 ... engaging convex part

Claims (1)

A front case cover and a case base on the back side, which are provided inside the case of the gaming machine and accommodate the control circuit boards equipped with required electronic components, and the case cover and the case base cannot be detached. A board case for a gaming machine comprising a connection member engaged with and connected to,
The connecting member includes a rectangular tube-shaped rectangular tube portion having an engagement convex portion on at least one outer peripheral surface, and is connected to a bottom surface of the rectangular tube portion and is wider than an outer diameter of the rectangular tube portion, and the rectangular tube. A rectangular parallelepiped widened portion with the one side direction of the portion as the longitudinal direction,
In the case lid, the square tube portion is opened in alignment with the shape so that the square tube portion can be inserted from the inside of the case lid, and is engaged with the engagement convex portion of the inserted square tube portion. An opening in which a recess is formed in the inner wall is provided;
On the inner side of the case base, the longitudinal direction is made to coincide with the direction perpendicular to the side wall of the case base to hold the widened portion of the connection member, and the corner of the connection member to the opening of the case lid A holding means for arranging the connecting member at a predetermined position where the cylindrical portion can be inserted is provided,
The holding means includes a pair of guide wall portions facing each other from one side wall to the inside of the case base and slidingly guiding both side surfaces of the widened portion of the connection member, and each guide wall continuous to the guide wall portions. Formed with a locking projection protruding inwardly facing the part,
A board case for a gaming machine, wherein the locking projection locks the widened portion of the connection member, thereby restricting movement of the connection member in a direction in which the case lid is detached .

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