Amusement devices: games – Surface projectile game; game element – Ball games
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-11-06
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Surface projectile game; game element
Ball games
C463S020000, C273S12100R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311974
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 10-279446 filed on Sep. 14, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine and, in particular, to an antibacterial gaming machine suitable as a coin or medal gaming machine such as a ball-shooting gaming machine like a pachinko machine or as a rotary drum type gaming machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, various articles and apparatus have adopted antibacterial specifications. Among gaming machines, pachinko machines with antibacterial specifications, for example, have been proposed Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-57614).
Currently, many of pachinko machines are managed as a unit of “territory,” i.e., a group of about 10 to 20 machines; and pachinko balls, which are a gaming medium, are supplied, collected, and cleansed by this territory unit.
In the above-mentioned prior art, an ultraviolet irradiating device is disposed in the middle of a cleansing apparatus, where pachinko balls having surfaces coated with a titanium oxide photocatalyst are irradiated with ultraviolet rays so as to enhance their bactericidal effects, and then the pachinko balls are cleansed and further are subjected to sterilization with ozone.
The above-mentioned prior art concerning pachinko machines, however, necessitates pachinko balls coated with a titanium oxide photocatalyst, thus increasing their cost, and this coating has to be taken into account in each event of purchase, exchange, and the like. The apparatus itself is large and expensive. Further, since it requires cleansing, the cleansing liquid itself always has to be kept clean, thus making its management troublesome. Also, it incurs a cost therefor.
In the case of a centralized management system, pachinko balls reach their pachinko machines by way of long supply paths after leaving the cleansing apparatus, so as to be stored in their corresponding storage devices. The supply paths and storage devices usually lack a completely sealed structure and thus are exposed to dust, tobacco smoke, and the like in game arcades. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently clean these individual sections if a degree of cleanliness is to be maintained truly.
On the other hand, there are rotary drum type gaming machines, which are a medal gaming machine, as the so-called other leader of gaming machines, but no antibacterial apparatus such as the one mentioned above has yet been proposed therefor. Therefore, it is often heard that women are reluctant to touch medals in game arcades.
The above-mentioned prior art may be applied to such gaming machines. However, unlike the pachinko machines, the rotary drum type gaming machines often do not carry out centralized management of medals, which are their gaming medium, in general.
Therefore, the above-mentioned prior art cannot simply be applied to rotary drum type gaming machines which are not based on the centralized management system though being similarly categorized as gaming machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, to make antibacterial specifications more effective in gaming machines in general including pachinko machines and rotary drum type gaming machines, and to realize a new antibacterial specification in the rotary drum type gaming machines.
In the present invention, in order to attain the above-mentioned object, light-emitting means for emitting a light beam for sterilizing a gaming medium is disposed in the gaming machine itself at a position where the light beam irradiates a stored gaming medium or a passing gaming medium, the light-emitting means being shielded from eyes of a player.
Specifically, the present invention is applied to a ball-shooting gaming machine.
Specifically, the present invention is applied to a coin or medal gaming machine.
Specifically, the light-emitting means is disposed at a position where the light beam irradiates a gaming medium flowing into storage means within the gaming machine or a gaming medium stored in the storage means.
Specifically, the light-emitting means is disposed at a position where the light beam irradiates a gaming medium stored in a tray located outside the gaming machine.
Preferably, the light-emitting means is disposed within a housing of the gaming machine, and is turned off in synchronization with an opening action of all open/close panel of the housing of the gaming machine when the open/close panel is caused to open.
Preferably, the light beam is an ultraviolet ray.
REFERENCES:
patent: 10057614 A (1998-03-01), None
patent: 5-266298 A (1993-10-01), None
Aruze Corporation
Kasick Julie
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Snider Ronald R.
Snider & Associates
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