Patent Application
20240345310
This application claims the priority benefit of Japan application no. 2023-065860, filed on Apr. 13, 2023. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The invention relates to a light guide plate unit and a gaming machine.
Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, pachislot machines, slot machines, and gaming machines, are equipped with light guide plate units. The light guide plate unit includes a light guide plate and a light source supplying light to the light guide plate. By applying fine machining of any arbitrary pattern to the light guide plate, the pattern is illuminated by supplying light from a light source into the light guide plate.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gaming machine including a light guide plate unit. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a light guide plate unit (operation unit) in which a switch is mounted.
A light guide plate is a resin component formed by a transparent resin, such as acrylic or polycarbonate. Therefore, in the case of a configuration where a person directly touches the surface of the light guide plate, due to the attachment of sebum, the visibility may be affected. In addition, when a chemical, such as a cleaner, is used to wipe off sebum, the light guide plate may turn white due to chemical reaction, etc. Whitening may also occur in the case where alcohol is used for disinfection.
The light guide plate unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 is disposed in a space on the inner side covered by a glass unit in the gaming machine. As the player does not directly touch the light guide plate, there is no such issue.
In the light guide plate unit disclosed in Patent Document 2, by covering the light guide plate from the above by using a transparent top panel, the operator is unable to directly touch the light guide plate.
However, since the top panel and the light guide plate are separate components, in such configuration, the number of parts increases, and the cost necessarily increases. In addition, since the top panel is spaced apart from the light guide plate at an interval, the thickness of the light guide plate unit increases. In the light guide plate unit, since it is necessary to increase the number of light guide plates to diversify the patterns that can be switched and displayed, a thin configuration may be adopted.
The invention provides a light guide plate unit that can easily wipe off dirt by using a chemical, and can have a fewer number of parts and a reduced thickness.
A light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention includes: a light guide plate having a glass layer, wherein the light guide plate having the glass layer has a light guide plate body formed by a transparent resin, fine machining is applied to a surface on a side opposite to a light exit surface in the light guide plate body, and the light guide plate having the glass layer has the glass layer on the light exit surface; a light source, located on a side surface of the light guide plate having the glass layer and supplying light into the light guide plate body; and a housing, supporting the light guide plate having the glass layer and the light source. The housing has an opening. The light guide plate having the glass layer is disposed so that a side of the glass layer faces the opening to block the opening.
A light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention includes: a light guide plate having a glass layer, wherein the light guide plate having the glass layer has a light guide plate body formed by a transparent resin, fine machining is applied to a surface on a side opposite to a light exit surface in the light guide plate body, and the light guide plate having the glass layer has the glass layer on the light exit surface; a light source, located on a side surface of the light guide plate having the glass layer and supplying light into the light guide plate body; and a housing, supporting the light guide plate having the glass layer and the light source. The housing has an opening. The light guide plate having the glass layer is disposed so that a side of the glass layer faces the opening to block the opening.
According to the configuration, even if the player (operator) directly contact the front surface of the light guide plate having the glass layer and the sebum is attached, the sebum can be easily wiped off by using a chemical, such as a cleaner. In addition, since the light guide plate body and the glass layer are integrally formed, compared with the configuration in which the cover member is provided as a separate component, the number of parts is decreased, and the assembling man hours can also be reduced. In addition, the thickness is reduced.
According to the light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention, it may also be configured that an adhesive layer is provided between the light guide plate body and the glass layer. Accordingly, since the light guide plate body and the glass layer are adhered, the distance between the light guide plate body and the glass layer can be easily maintained uniformly, and there is hardly any interference fringes.
In such case, it may also be further configured that the adhesive layer is provided throughout an entirety between the light guide plate body and the glass layer. Accordingly, because of the entire adhesion, it is even harder to generate interference fringes.
According to the light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention, it may also be configured that a surface on a periphery of the opening in the housing and a surface of the light guide plate having the glass layer on the side of the glass layer are flush with each other. Accordingly, since the housing and the light guide plate having the glass are flush with each other, swiping cleaning is easy.
According to the light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention, it may also be configured that the operation unit further includes: The light guide plate unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
According to the light guide unit according to an aspect of the invention, it may also be configured that the light guide plate having the glass layer has a through hole, and the light guide plate unit further includes a switch part located at the through hole and receiving an operation. Accordingly, in addition to performing display, the operation unit having an operation function of receiving an operation can be configured.
A gaming machine according to an aspect of the invention includes the light guide plate according to an aspect of the invention. Accordingly, the gaming machine can be provided.
According to an aspect of the invention, it is possible to realize a light guide plate unit that can easily wipe off dirt by using a chemical, and can have a fewer number of parts and a reduced thickness.
In the following, embodiments (referred to as “the embodiment” in the following) according to an aspect of the invention is described based on the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an illustration of the invention in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. That is, in the implementation of the invention, specific configurations depending on the embodiments may be adopted as appropriate.
Firstly, an example of the situation where the invention is applied is described by using
As shown in
As shown in
In the configuration, the front surface of the first light guide plate 11 located on the outer surface of the operation unit 4 is formed by the surface laminated glass 15 and has a high resistance against chemicals. Therefore, even if the player (operator) directly touches the front surface of the first light guide plate 11 and sebum is attached, the sebum can still be wiped off easily by using a chemical. In addition, compared with the case where a transparent cover covering the display part 10, such as a top panel, is provided separately, the number of parts is reduced, and no gap is required between the top panel and the light guide plate. Therefore, the thickness is reduced.
The operation unit 4 can also be used in an operation unit of an industrial machine, a consumer machine, etc. The light guide unit may also have a display function only and not have the switch part 20.
In the following, an embodiment for an aspect of the invention is exemplified based on
As shown in
In the embodiment, the display part 10 is arranged in a rectangular shape, and, at the center of the lateral direction of the display part 10, five switch parts 20 are arranged and disposed along a longitudinal direction of the display part 10.
As shown in
In the case where the gaming machine 1 is a slot machine, the switch part 20 is assigned a role, such as a bet button for specifying a bet (number of bet) or a spin button for indicating that a spin starts.
The display part 10 includes the first light guide plate 11, the second light guide plate 12, and light guide plate lighting substrates 13. The first light guide plate 11 is a light guide plate having a glass layer. Both of the first light guide plate 11 and the second light guide plate 12 include a light guide plate body D that is a transparent and thin resin part formed by a transparent resin, such as acrylic or polycarbonate.
As shown in
As shown in
The first light guide plate 11 is disposed, so that the side having the surface laminated glass 15 is disposed to face the outer surface side of the operation unit 4. The surface laminated glass 15, for example, has a thickness of 2 mm to 3 mm, and is adhered to the light exit surface of the light guide plate body D of the first light guide plate 11 by using an adhesive, etc.
As shown in
The adhesive layer 18 may be provided throughout an entirety between the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 in the first light guide plate 11. This is because an air layer is present between the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 in the first light guide plate 11, and when the side of the surface laminated glass 15 is pressed, etc., and the distance between the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 in the first light guide plate 11 decreases to be less than a predetermined distance, rainbow-colored interference fringes called Newton's rings are visually recognizable. The Newton's rings are formed by multiple rings expanding concentrically with a closest portion as the center. By adhering the entireties of the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 in the first light guide plate 11 by using an adhesive, the occurrence of the interference fringes can be prevented.
In addition, in order to keep the distance between the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 in the first light guide plate 11 constant, a transparent spacer, etc., may also be mixed into the adhesive serving as the adhesive layer 18. Although the example of
As shown in
A pair of light guide plate lighting substrates 13 are provided. The pair of light guide plate lighting substrates 13 are disposed on two side surfaces (end surfaces in the thickness direction) extending in the longitudinal direction in the first light guide plate 11 and the second light guide plate 12. The light sources 14 are disposed on a surface facing the side surfaces of the light guide plate body D of the first light guide plate 11 and the second light guide plate 12 (see
As an example of the light source 14, an LED can be used. In the case of a full-color LED, the lighting colors of the first light guide plate 11 and the second light guide plate 12 can be changed into various colors. The light guide plate lighting substrate 13 is configured to be able to independently drive each of the light sources 14 that are mounted.
The display part 10 and the switch parts 20 are supported by the housing 30. The housing 30 supports the first light guide plate 11, the second light guide plate 12, the light guide plate lighting substrates 13, and the switch parts 20. The housing 30 includes a bottom base 31 and a frame 32. The bottom base 31 is a housing covering the back surface of the operation plate unit 4. The frame 32 is frame-shaped and has the opening 32a on the inner side, the opening 32a being fit with the first light guide plate 11. The bottom base 31 and the frame 32 are both formed by an opaque material.
The switch parts 20 are formed on the bottom base 31, and the second light guide plate 12 and the first light guide plate 11 are disposed in order thereabove. In addition, at predetermined positions on the sides of the first light guide plate 11 and the second light guide plate 12 above the bottom base 31, the two light guide plate lighting substrates 13, 13 are disposed. From the above, the frame-like frame 32 is fit with the bottom base 31, and the frame 32 and the bottom base 31 are fixed by using screws, etc., (not shown).
As shown in
In addition, according to the embodiment, in the first light guide plate 11, the side surfaces of the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 are aligned and located in the same surface. Moreover, at the edge of the opening part 32a in the frame 32, a stepped part in which a portion facing the light guide plate body D is one step lower than a portion facing the surface laminated glass 15 is formed. The light guide plate lighting substrates 13 and the light sources 14 are disposed by using the stepped part. Accordingly, the light sources 14 are covered by the frame 32, and the light sources 14 are prevented from being directly visually recognized by the player.
In the operation unit 4, when the light source 14 facing the side surface of the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11 is lit up, the light is incident from the end surface of the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11. The incident light is propagated inside the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11 while being totally reflected repetitively. The light path of a portion of the light is reflected and changed in the prisms PP formed by fine machining, and the portion of the light is emitted from the light exit surface of the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11. The emitted light passes through the transparent adhesive layer 18 and the surface laminated glass 15 in order, and is emitted from the first light guide plate 11. Accordingly, the pattern P1 shaped on the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11 is illuminated, and the text or design drawn in the pattern P1 is displayed as a light image on the display part 10.
When the light source 14 facing the side surface of the second light guide plate 12 is lit up, like the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11, the light incident into the second light guide plate 12 travels in the second light guide plate 12 while being totally reflected, and the text or design drawn in the pattern P2 is displayed as a light image on the display part 10.
The light guide plate lighting substrate 13 is configured to be able to independently drive each of the light sources 14 that are mounted. Accordingly, it is possible to light up the light source 14 corresponding to the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11 only and illuminate only the pattern P1, or it is possible to light up the light source 14 corresponding to the second light guide plate 12 only and illuminate only the pattern P2. Moreover, it is also possible to light up both of the light sources 14 corresponding to the light guide plate body D in the first light guide plate 11 and the light source 14 corresponding to the second light plate 12 to display a light image combining the text or designs drawn in the patterns P1, P2.
In the operation unit 4 according to the configuration, the first light guide plate 11 located on the outer surface side of the operation unit 4 is a light guide plate having a glass layer including the surface laminated glass 15 on the light exit surface side (outer surface side of the operation unit 4) of the light guide plate body D. The first light guide plate 11 is disposed, so that the side of the surface laminated glass 15 faces the opening 32a of the frame 32 to block the opening 32a.
That is, the front surface of the first light guide plate 11 located on the outer surface of the operation unit 4 is configured by using the surface laminated glass 15 having a high resistance against chemicals. Therefore, in the case where the player (operator) directly touches the front surface of the first light guide plate 11 and sebum is attached, the sebum can be easily wiped off by using a chemical, such as a cleaner. Since the surface laminated glass 15 is made of glass, even if the surface laminated glass 15 is wiped and cleaned by using a chemical, such as a cleaner, whitening like a resin material does not occur.
In addition, since the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 are integrally formed, compared with the configuration in which a cover member, such as a top panel, as a separate component from the light guide plate body D is provided, the number of parts is decreased, and the assembling man hours can also be reduced. As a result, the cost is reduced.
Moreover, in the case where the cover member is a separate component, the cover member is spaced apart from the light guide plate body D with a gap, so the thickness of the light guide plate unit increases. In the above configuration, the light guide plate body D and the surface laminated glass 15 are integrally formed, so the thickness is reduced. In the operation unit, it is necessary to increase the number of the light guide plate bodies D to diversify the patterns that can be switched and displayed, and such needs can be coped with.
Although the embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, the descriptions are merely illustrative of the invention in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. Below, the same symbol is used for the same component as the above embodiment, and description is omitted suitably about the same point as the above embodiment. The following modified examples can be combined as appropriate.
For example, although the operation unit 4 including the switch parts 20 is shown, a display unit with the display part 10 but without the switch parts 20 may also be provided. In addition, in the first light guide plate 11 that is a light guide plate having a glass layer, the surface laminated glass 15 and the light guide plate body D have the same size. However, it may also be configured that the surface laminated glass 15 is slightly larger than the light guide plate body D.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-065860 | Apr 2023 | JP | national |
