Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GAME MEDIUM CIRCULATION CONTROL SYSTEM
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a game medium circulation control
system, and more particularly to a slot-machine game apparatus
which enables an automatic and effective control of medal
circulation in units of islands each consisting of a number of
parallel arranged slot machines.
BACKGROUND ~HNOLOGY
In this type of conventional slot-machine game apparatus, it
is common practice for individual customers to bring medals
l 5 gained from slot machines for prizes to an adjustment corner for
adjustment and for these collected medals to be returned to the
individual slot machines after being polished by a medal polishing
machine.
However, it is inconvenient to individual customers to bring
a lot of medals, which are heavy, to the adjustment corner. If it is
crowded at the adjustment corner, the customers will have a long
wait for adjustments. Further, it is laborious and time-consuming
to return the adjusted and collected medals to the individual slot
machines after polishing.
D~SCLOSUl~E OF INVENl'ION
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With the foregoing problems in view, it is an object of this
invention to provide a game apparatus which enables an
automatic and effective game medium or medal circulation
S control in units of islands. According to this invention, there is
provided a game apparatus to be installed in units of islands each
consisting of a number of parallel arranged game machines, the
apparatus comprising: an upper game medium reservoir for
supplying game mediums to the individual game machines via a
10 supply conveyer; a game medium counter having a counting
display; and a game medium polishing machine for collecting the
game mediums from the game medium counter, the game
medium polishing machine communicating with the game
medium reservoir.
The game medium counter may be unitized with a printer or
a card read/writer or may be equipped with a disburse button to
be used in dispensing the game mediums after they are counted.
Therefore the medals gained from the individual game
machines such as slot machines can be counted by the medal
2 0 counter in units of islands and the value resulting from this
counting can be indicated on the counting display. In the case
where a printer or a card read/writer is connected to the medal
counter, a premium coupon or a gift card is dispensed so that a
customer can exchange it for a prize. To return the counted
2 5 medals for reuse in a game, the disburse button is depressed so
that the medals counted by lhe ~medal counter are conveyed,
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together with the spent medals discharged from the slot
machines, to the medal polishing machine where the medals are
polished and then successively conveyed to the upper medal
reservoir. From the medal reservoir, the medals can be supplied
5 to the individual slot machines by the supply conveyer. Thus it is
possible to circulate game medals within a closed system,
substantially without letting them out of the island.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
1 0
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view showing an island of slot
machines in which a game apparatus according to one
embodiment of this invention is incorporated;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a medal counter to be
15 used in this invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a printer or a card
read/writer to be used in this invention;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front view showing an island of slot
machines in which a game apparatus according to another
2 0 embodiment of this invention is incorporated;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a modified medal counter to be used in this
invention .
2 5 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION
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One embodiment of this invention will now be described
with reference to FIGS . 1 throu gh 3 .
FIG. 1 shows a portion of an island consisting of a number of
parallel arranged slot machines, there being a medal dispenser D
5 equipped between each pair of adjacent slot machines A, A so
that an amount of game medals corresponding to the value of
paper currency inserted can be dispensed. A supply conveyer 1,
extending from an upper medal reservoir 2 disposed at an upper
central portion of the island communicates with the individual
10 slot machines A and the individual medal dispensers D via
respective medal distributors 20. Above each slot machine A, a
button switch 7 is disposed. Under each slot machine A, a medal
counter B, which is equipped with a hopper 8, a counting display
3, an adjustment button 9, a counting start button 10 and a
15 disburse button 6, is disposed. Under each medal dispenser D, a
printer or a card read/writer C, which is equipped with a status
display 11, a premium coupon outlet or a gift card outlet 12 and a
card-reading-direction selecting switch 13, is disposed,
communicating with the lower portion of the individual slot
20 machine A via a conveyer. Under each medal counter B, a lower
medal reservoir 14 is provided communicating with the medal
counter B via a collecting conveyer 4. A medal polishing machine
5 is disposed between the upper and lower medal reservoirs 2, 14
for raising medals from the lower medal reservoir 14 to the
2 5 upper medal reservoir 2 while polishing. Also between the upper
and lower medal reservoirs 2, 14, a main reservoir 15 is disposed
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s
which is equipped at its lower portion with a quantitative
disburse device 16.
In the case where it is unnecessary to issue a premium
coupon for the adjustment of medals, the printer for issuing
5 premium coupons may be omitted.
FIGS. 4 and 5 shows another embodiment which is identical
with the previous embodiment except for the following. In this
embodiment, above each medal dispenser D there are disposed a
medal counter B, which is equipped with two counting displays 3,
10 two adjustment buttons 9, two disburse buttons 6, two card-
reading-direction selecting switches 13 and two premium coupon
or a gift card outlets 12, and a printer or a card read/writer C,
which is unitized with the medal counter B.
FIG. 6 shows a modified medal counter B which is equipped
15 with, in addition to a counting display 3, an adjustment button 9
and two disburse buttons 6, a game machine number 19, a switch
17 and a call lamp 18.
Alternatively, a single medal counter B may be installed at
one end of the island, or two medal counters may be installed at a
2 0 central portion of the island, namely, at front and rear sides of the
medal polishing machine.
When the medals gained from a slot machine A are put into
the hopper 8, they are counted by the medal counter B and the
result of this counting is indicated on the counting disp]ay 3. At
2 5 that time, when the adjustment button 9 is depressed, a premium
coupon or a gift card is dispcnsed from the outlet 12 of the
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printer or card read/writer C so that the customer may bring it to
the adjustment corner for exchange with a premium or prize. To
return the counted medals for reuse in the game, the disburse
button 6 is simply depressed. The medals counted by the medal
5 counter B are conveyed by the collecting conveyer 4 and are then
polished and raised to the upper medal reservoir 2 by the medal
polishing machine 5. Upon issuance of a supply requ~st signal
from the individual slot machine A or the medal dispenser D, the
medals stored in the medal reservoir 2 are supplied to the slot
10 machine A or the medal dispenser D by the supply conveyer 1,
and keep being supplied until the signal is canceled. When the
medal reservoir 2 is filled up with medals, the overflowing
medals are conveyed to the main reservoir 15 from an overflow
circuit. When the level in the medal reservoir 2 is lowered to
15 activate a level sensor, the quantitative disburse device 1 6 acts to
supply medals into the lower part of the medal polishing machine
5. The medals used by a customer are supplied to the hopper in
the slot machine A. When the hopper is filled with the medals,
the overflowing medals are conveyed to the collecting conveyer 4.
20 On the contrary, when the level of the medals in the hopper is
lowered to activate a level sensor, a medal supplier and the
supply conveyer 1 are activated to continue the supply of medals
until the signal is canceled. Also upon issuance of a supply
request signal from the hopper of the medal dispenser D, the
2 5 medal supplier and the supply conveyer 1 are activated to
continue the supply of medals until the signal is canceled.
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Thus the circulation of medals can be controlled in such a
manner that medals are circulated within the island, and the need
to remove them from the island is substantially obviated.
This invention can also applied to pachinko game machines.
5 In such a case, it is possible to circulate pachinko balls as game
mediums within a closed system, substantially without letting
them be removed from the island.
UTILITY OF INVENTION
1 0
According to this invention, game mediums such as medals
gained from individual game machines such as slot machines are
counted in units of islands by the medal counter, and the medals
counted by the medal counter are circulated, together with the
15 spent medals discharged from the slot machines, while being
polished by the medal polishing machine. Thus it is possible to
circulate medals in the island efficiently, substantially free of
letting them be removed from the island, so that the medals can
be conveniently used by customers, thus realizing a game
2 0 machine system such as a slot machine game apparatus having a
good operativity. In the case where a premium coupon or a gift
card corresponding to the number of gained medals is to be
dispensed after counting, the customer may bring only it to the
adjustment corner for exchange with a premium or prize. To
2 5 return the counted medals for reuse in game, the disburse button
is simply depressed.
