This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2003-391306, filed on Nov. 20, 2003; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display unit and a gaming machine.
2. Related Background of the Invention
Generally, various types of gaming machines are known concerning a mode of a game and a cabinet incorporating a gaming device implementing such a game. For example, slot machines which are known as a kind of gaming machines include a type on which a player plays a game while sitting (a so-called slant-type) as disclosed in Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-67810, and a type on which a player plays a game while standing (a so-called upright-type) as disclosed in Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-198265.
Such a slot machine generally comprises a gaming device including a reel unit composed of a plurality of rotation reels arranged side by side in a line to be rotatable on each of which symbols are drawn; and a cabinet incorporating the gaming device therein. Further, the cabinet is provided with a display section allowing the rotation reels to be viewed, and an operation section arranged on the lower front side (the player's side) of the display section and having various operation buttons required for playing games and a coin slot.
Incidentally, among slot machines of the foregoing types, there has been a type of slot machine which includes the display section (hereinafter referred to as a “main display section”) through which the rotation reels can be viewed, and which additionally includes a secondary display section provided above the main display section, the secondary display section through which a second game (what is called a second game) is played, for example, under a predetermined condition subsequent to a game played in the main display section. Furthermore, in the slot machine of this type, the secondary display section is detachably attached to the cabinet as a liquid crystal display device. Accordingly, in this case, it is conceivable that the secondary display section (liquid crystal display device) is shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine which have similar internal structures. In addition, this secondary display section also has a purpose of providing an effect to an audience who is watching the game from the back of the player.
As shown in
As described above, the shafts 106 to detachably engage with the cabinet 102 are provided only on one side (the upper side), and the brackets 109 to be fixed onto the cabinet 102 are provided only on the other side (the lower side). This causes the following problem concerning that the secondary display section 110 is shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine, in conjunction with a characteristic of the viewing angle of the liquid crystal panel.
More specifically, the liquid crystal panel mounted on the slot machine generally has the viewing angle on the upper side different from that on the lower side. In the upright-type slot machine, the liquid crystal panel is mounted in such an orientation that the viewing angle on the lower side is wider because the viewpoints of the player and the audience are located at positions where the player and the audience look up the secondary display section 110. On the other hand, in the slant-type slot machine, the liquid crystal panel is mounted in such an orientation that the viewing angle on the upper side is wider because the viewpoints of the player and the audience are located at positions where the player and the audience look down the secondary display section 110 or positions in front of the secondary display section 110. Therefore, when the secondary display section 110 is intended to be shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine, the liquid crystal panel (the liquid crystal panel unit 100) needs to be mounted with the upper and lower portions thereof interchanged (rotated 180°) so that the viewing angles on the upper and lower sides are inverted (in this case, the screen display is vertically and horizontally inverted).
Further, when the liquid crystal panel (the liquid crystal panel unit 100) is mounted with the upper and lower portions thereof interchanged, the frame 104 having thereon the IC drive 152 for driving the liquid crystal panel and so on also needs to be mounted with the upper and lower portions thereof interchanged in accordance therewith. This is for consistency in mechanical and electrical positional relation between the IC drive and so on electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel and the liquid crystal panel. This is also because the wiring cable becomes deficient in length unless the upper and lower portions of the frame 104 are interchanged accompanying the interchange of the upper and lower portions of the liquid crystal panel, possibly causing a physical restraint such as impossibility of connection between the IC drive and so on to the liquid crystal panel.
If, however, the frame 104 is arranged with the upper and lower portions thereof interchanged in this manner, the positional relations between the shafts 106 and the brackets 109 on the frame 104 are also reversed. Accordingly, the positions of the respective shafts 106 on the frame 104 do not match the positions of the respective hook portions 108 on the cabinet 102, and the position of the respective holes 107 of the brackets 109 on the frame 104 do not match the position of the respective screw holes 105 on the cabinet 102. In other words, the frame 104 is neither able to be hooked up on the cabinet 102 nor accordingly able to be fixed to the cabinet 102. As a result, this means that the frame 104 cannot be shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine. Consequently, there has been heretofore no way but some of the frames 104 are exclusively for the slant-type slot machine and the others of the frames 104 are exclusively for the upright-type slot machine. However, from a viewpoint of reducing relevant costs, all of the secondary display sections 110 have been awaited that can be shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine.
The present invention has developed focusing on the above-described situation, and its object is to provide a gaming machine in which all parts of a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal panel having different viewing angles on one side and on the other side can be shared between different types of machines having different player's viewpoint positions on the liquid crystal screen which are on one side or on the other side. In other words, the object of the present invention is to provide a display unit having a liquid crystal panel capable of being shared between gaming machines having different viewpoint positions of the player and audience, and a gaming machine including the display unit.
The display unit of the present invention comprises a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal panel unit including a liquid crystal panel and a supporting member for supporting the liquid crystal panel unit; and a housing for providing a setting area to which the liquid crystal display device is set, wherein a center axis of a viewing angle in the liquid crystal panel unit is not parallel to a normal line of a surface of the liquid crystal panel, the housing has a suspending portion from which the liquid crystal display device is suspended and a fixing portion which is provided below the suspending portion, and which fixes the liquid crystal display device to the housing, and the supporting member has a suspendable portion which is hooked up on the suspending portion and a fixable portion which is fixed to the fixing portion on one side and the other side with respect to a center of the supporting member in the direction respectively.
This display unit has the suspendable portion and the fixable portion on each of the two sides respectively. For this reason, the liquid crystal display device can be inverted in order to provide a wider viewing angle in a position where a viewpoint from which the liquid crystal panel is viewed. In other words, depending upon a position in which the display unit is provided, the liquid crystal display device can be inverted. In addition, it is preferable that the suspendable portion and the fixable portion are provided on each of the two sides in a manner symmetrical around the center of the supporting member.
In the display unit of the present invention, the supporting member may be a rectangle-shaped frame, and the suspending portion may be a hook. The fixing portion may include a fastening screw and a screw hole to which the fastening screw is screwed up. The suspendable portion may include shaft holes, which are formed on the one side and the other side respectively in a side surface of the frame, and shafts which are detachably fitted into the shaft holes respectively. The fixable portion may be a bracket including a hole through which a body of the fastening screw is passed.
In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention comprises the display unit of the aforementioned present invention. According to this gaming machine, the direction of the liquid crystal panel can be set in order to provide a wider viewing angle in a position where a viewpoint from which the liquid crystal panel is viewed.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the gaming machine of the present invention comprises: a cabinet in which an apparatus needed for a game is contained; a liquid crystal panel unit having a liquid crystal panel for displaying an image associated with the game, the liquid crystal panel having different viewing angles on one side and on the other side on a display screen thereof; and an attaching member which has a driver for driving the liquid crystal panel, and through which the liquid crystal panel unit is attached to the cabinet, wherein the attaching member has engaging means which detachably engages with the cabinet and fixable means which is fixed to the cabinet on both of the one side and the other side thereof.
In this gaming machine, the engaging means which detachably engages with the cabinet and the fixable means which is fixed to the cabinet are not provided on the two sides of the attaching member separately. The engaging means and the fixable means are provided on both sides of the attaching member respectively (i.e. to both of the one side and the other side). Accordingly, even when an engageable portions on the cabinet side for engaging with the engaging means and the fixing portion on the cabinet side to which the fixable means is fixed are provided on the two side of a liquid crystal panel setting area in the cabinet separately (in a case shown by
Additionally, with regard to the aforementioned configuration, the attaching member may be formed as a rectangle-shaped frame; the engaging means may be formed on a side surface of the frame, and may include a shaft hole into which a shaft to be hooked up on the cabinet is detachably fitted; the fixable means may include a bracket formed in the frame and a screw insertion hole, formed in the bracket, through which a screw for fixing the frame to the cabinet passes; and a pair of the shaft hole and the bracket may be provided on both of the two sides of the frame.
It should be noted that the configurations of the engaging means, the fixable means, the suspendable portion and the fixable portion are not limited to the aforementioned configurations, and can take on various configurations. For example, the engaging means and the suspendable portion may be hooks which can be hooked up on the shafts provided on the side of the cabinet or the housing. In addition, the engaging means and the suspendable portion may be configured in a state that the shafts have been fitted in advance into all of the shaft holes respectively, or in a state that the shafts have been fitted in advance into only the shaft holes fitted to the cabinet or the housing. In other words, the engaging means and the suspendable portion may be configured of the shaft holes and the shafts. In this case, the shafts may be provided in the shaft holes in a way that the shafts cannot be detached from the shaft holes. It is a matter of course that the engaging means and the suspendable portion may be configured only of the shafts without the shaft holes (in other words, the shafts as the engaging means and the suspendable portion may be provided on the side surfaces of the attaching member in a protruding manner). Additionally, a magnet, adhesive tape, a latch and welding can be listed as the fixable means.
Furthermore, in the aforementioned configuration, it is preferable that the attaching member has a configuration substantially symmetrical around the central line passing the center of the attaching member. If the attaching member has a configuration substantially symmetrical in this manner, the setting area and the liquid crystal display device do not interfere with each other (the liquid crystal display device can not be set into the setting area) when the liquid crystal display device is inverted by 180 degrees, in a case where, for example, the liquid crystal display device configured of the attaching member and the liquid crystal panel unit is shared between the slant-type slot machine and the upright-type slot machine, and in a case where the setting area of the liquid crystal display device in the slant-type slot machine has the same shape as the setting area of the liquid crystal display device in the upright-type slot machine does.
Concrete descriptions will be provided below for embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
The cabinet 10 comprises a main display section 31 which is configured of a liquid crystal display device through which the rotary reels 3L, 3C and 3R can be viewed. Provided on the display screen of the main display section 31A is a symbol display region 13 where symbols on the reels 3L, 3C and 3R are transmission-displayed and a effect display region 14 for displaying a effect image, information and the like.
In addition, the cabinet 10 comprises a pedestal portion (operation part) 15 having a gradually inclined surface beneath the front position of the main display section 31 (on the side of the player). Game buttons 16 (a BET button, a reels rotating button, a reels stopping button and the like) as various operation means needed for a game to be played, a slot 17 through which a coin as a medium for a game is inserted, and the like are formed on this pedestal portion 15.
Furthermore, a payout port 8 through which coins are paid out depending on a result of a game and a receiver 9 for receiving the paid-out coins are provided below the pedestal portion 15.
An upper portion of this slot machine 1 constitutes a display unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, a secondary display section 22 is provided above the main display section 31. The secondary display section 22 is one through which, for example, a second game (what is called a “second game”) is played under a predetermined condition subsequent to a game to be played through the main display section 31. This secondary display section 22 is formed as a liquid crystal display device, and is detachably attached to the cabinet 10 as described later. Speakers 25L and 25R are provided on the both sides of this secondary display section 22. The speakers 25L and 25R are ones which generates effect sounds for the purpose of enhancing the player's interest in the game while the game is being played. In other words, the display unit 2 is constituted of the secondary display section 22, the upper portion of the cabinet 10 as a housing for providing a setting area to which the secondary display section is set, and the speakers 25L and 25R.
The liquid crystal panel 32 is constituted of a pair of transparent substrates (for example, glass substrates) and liquid crystal material which is interposed and held between the pair of transparent substrates. The liquid crystal panel 32 has different viewing angles on one side and the other side of the panel area (the upper side and the lower side in a case of the present embodiment). That is, a center axis Y of a viewing angle in the liquid crystal panel unit 30 is not parallel to a normal line X of a surface (display surface) 32b of the liquid crystal panel 32. It should be noted that the center axis Y of the viewing angle is generally on a center of the liquid crystal panel 32. In this embodiment, with regard to the liquid crystal panel 32, as shown in
The rectangle-shaped light guiding plate 34 having the same size as the liquid crystal panel 32 does (for example, the light guiding plate 34 is formed of transmissive material such as acrylic resin and the like) is arranged in the back of the liquid crystal panel 32 (on the side opposite to the game player). Furthermore, the reflection plate 36 is arranged in the back of the light guiding plate 34, and the attaching member 40 is arranged in the back of the reflection plate 36.
Additionally, light sources 35a and 35b are arranged along the upper and lower edge surfaces of the light guiding plate 34 respectively. These light sources 35a and 35b are for making a beam of light incident onto the light guiding plate 34. In cooperation with the light guide plate 34, the light sources 35a and 35b constitute a back light for the liquid crystal panel 32 (supply the back light to the liquid crystal panel 32). Cold-cathode tubes and fluorescent lamps may be used as the light sources 35a and 35b. Otherwise, LEDs may be used as the light sources 35a and 35b.
In addition, as shown in
With regard to each of the two side surfaces 40a and 40b of the attaching member 40, an engaging portion which detachably engages with the cabinet 10 or a suspendable portion which is suspended from an upper portion of the cabinet 10, and a fixable portion which is fixed to the cabinet 10 are provided on each of the lower side D and the upper side U corresponding respectively to one side and the other side of the liquid crystal panel 32 of which viewing angle is different between one side and the other side. Specially, the engaging portions (suspendable portions) include upper shaft holes 46A which are formed on the upper sides U respectively of the two side surfaces 40a and 40b of the attaching member 40, and lower shaft holes 46B which are formed on the lower sides D respectively of the two side surfaces 40a and 40b of the attaching member 40. In addition, shafts 50 (see
Next, a description will be provided for a case where the liquid crystal panel unit 30 with the aforementioned configuration is attached to the upright-type slot machine 1 through the attaching member 40.
First of all, as shown in
Here, in the upright-type slot machine 1, as shown in
On the other hand, when, by changing the direction of the secondary display section 22 from this state, the secondary display section 22 is used for a slant-type slot machine 1A (see
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the secondary display section 22 of the slot machine 1 is configured of the liquid crystal panel unit 30 and the attaching member 40. In addition, the attaching member 40 through which the liquid crystal panel unit 30 is fitted to the cabinet 10, is provided with shaft holes 46A and 46B as the engaging portions (i.e. suspendable portions) which detachably engages with the cabinet 10, and fixable portions 43A, and 43B, on the upper side U and the lower side D, respectively. Note that, when the shafts 50 are fitted into the shaft holes 46A or 46B, these shafts 50 are included in the engaging portions.
Accordingly, both in a first state (a state shown by
It should be noted that, in the aforementioned embodiment, the shafts 50 may be fitted in advance into all of the four shaft holes 45A, 45B, 46A and 46B. Otherwise, the shafts may be unable to be removed from the shaft holes 45A, 45B, 46A and 46B.
According to the gaming machine of the present invention, all parts of a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal panel having different viewing angles on one side and on the other side can be shared between different types of machines having different player's viewpoint positions on the liquid crystal screen which are on one side or on the other side (for example, the upper side and the lower side). Consequently, reduction in relevant costs can be realized.
In other words, according to the present invention, provided are a display unit capable of being shared between gaming machines having different viewpoint positions of the player and audience, and a gaming machine including the display unit. Consequently, according to the present invention, reduction in costs for the gaming machine can be achieved.
It should be noted that the present invention can be adapted to various gaming machines such as a pachinko machine and the like in addition to being adapted to the slot machine as described in the aforementioned embodiment. The present invention is effective in a case where all of the parts of the liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal panel whose viewing angle is different between one side and the other side thereof, or the liquid crystal panel whose viewing angle is deviated to one side, are used for both of the different types of gaming machines, between which a viewpoint of the player on the liquid crystal screen is different on one side and the other side.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2003-391306 | Nov 2003 | JP | national |