Illumination device and gaming machine equipped with same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469357-B2
Application number	US-202318305436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2023
Priority date	May 16, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

An illumination device 10 includes a reel 13 a , a motor 13 e , a roulette wheel 14 c , a motor 14 i , and LED tapes 14 ba and 14 bb . The reel 13 a has a substantially cylindrical shape, rotates around a rotary shaft, and has a substantially circular first side surface, a second side surface that is disposed opposite the first side surface, and an outer peripheral surface that connects the first side surface and the second side surface. The motor 13 e rotates the reel 13 a around a substantially cylindrical center shaft. The roulette wheel 14 c is provided inside the reel 13 a when viewed from a side of the first side surface, and has a roulette graphics formed thereon. The motor 14 i rotates the roulette wheel 14 c around the center thereof. The LED tapes 14 ba and 14 bb are provided to the reel 13 a and produce effects with light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An illumination device installed in a gaming machine, comprising:
a rotating body that has a substantially cylindrical shape and configured to rotate around a rotary shaft, and that has a substantially circular first side surface, a second side surface that is disposed opposite the first side surface, and an outer peripheral surface that connects the first side surface and the second side surface; a first rotary drive unit configured to rotate the rotating body around a substantially cylindrical center shaft; a disk-shaped member that is provided inside the rotating body when viewed from a side of the first side surface and has a first graphic formed thereon; a second rotary drive unit configured to rotate the disk-shaped member as a rotational center of a center of the disk-shaped member; a decorative illumination unit that is provided to the rotating body and gives an effect with light, and a first display control unit configured to control the first light source unit so as to switch a display of a plurality of graphics on the substantially circular first side surface of the rotating body depending on whether or not the incident surface of the light guide plate is lit, according to a state of play on the gaming machine, wherein the decorative illumination unit comprises:
a first light source unit that emits light in a specific direction; and
a light guide plate that has an incident surface on which the light emitted from the first light source unit is incident and an exit surface from which the light incident from the incident surface is emitted, and that is disposed on a side of the disk-shaped member on which the first graphic is formed,
on the first side surface, the first display control unit:
causes a second graphic to be displayed by the light reflected by a plurality of prisms that are disposed in a specific pattern on the light guide plate and reflect, in a specific direction, the light emitted from the first light source unit onto the incident surface when the first light source unit is controlled so as to irradiate the light guide plate with light, and
causes the first graphic of the disk-shaped member disposed on a back side of the light guide plate to be displayed through the light guide plate when the first light source unit is controlled so as not to irradiate the light guide plate with light.

2 . The illumination device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the decorative illumination unit further has a second light source unit that is disposed on a back side of the disk-shaped member and emits light toward a part of the disk-shaped member, and the illumination device further comprises a second display control unit configured to control the second light source unit so as to display part of a graphic of the disk-shaped member.

3 . The illumination device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first display control unit controls the first light source unit to irradiate the light guide plate with light on the first side surface, and causes a second graphic to be displayed by the light reflected by a plurality of prisms that are disposed in a specific pattern on the light guide plate and that reflect, in a specific direction, the light emitted from the first light source unit onto the incident surface, and in this state, the second display control unit controls the second light source unit to display part of the graphic on the disk-shaped member, whereupon a part of the first graphic on the disk-shaped member is displayed on the first side surface through a part of the second graphic.

4 . The illumination device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the decorative illumination unit further has a design sheet that is provided on a side of the second side surface of the rotating body, has a specific graphic formed thereon, blocks light from the second side surface, and transmits light from the first side surface.

5 . The illumination device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the decorative illumination unit further has a reflector that is disposed on a back side of the design sheet when viewed from a side of the second side surface, and reflects light from a side of the design sheet.

6 . An illumination device installed in a gaming machine, comprising:
a rotating body that has a substantially cylindrical shape and configured to rotate around a rotary shaft, and that has a substantially circular first side surface, a second side surface that is disposed opposite the first side surface, and an outer peripheral surface that connects the first side surface and the second side surface; a first rotary drive unit configured to rotate the rotating body around a substantially cylindrical center shaft; a disk-shaped member that is provided inside the rotating body when viewed from a side of the first side surface and has a first graphic formed thereon; a second rotary drive unit configured to rotate the disk-shaped member as a rotational center of a center of the disk-shaped member; and a decorative illumination unit that is provided to the rotating body and gives an effect with light, and a first display control unit configured to control the first light source unit so as to switch a display of a plurality of graphics on the substantially circular first side surface of the rotating body depending on whether or not the incident surface of the light guide plate is lit, according to a state of play on the gaming machine, wherein the decorative illumination unit comprises:
a first light source unit that emits light in a specific direction;
a light guide plate that has an incident surface on which the light emitted from the first light source unit is incident and an exit surface from which the light incident from the incident surface is emitted, and that is disposed on a side of the disk-shaped member on which the first graphic is formed;
a fifth light source unit configured to emit light onto a surface of the first graphic of the disk-shaped member; and
a fifth display control unit configured to control the fifth light source unit so as to irradiate the surface of the first graphic with light in a state in which the first display control unit controls the first light source unit so as not to irradiate the light guide plate on the first side surface, and the first graphic of the disk-shaped member disposed on a back side of the light guide plate is displayed through the light guide plate.

7 . An illumination device installed in a gaming machine, comprising:
a rotating body that has a substantially cylindrical shape and configured to rotate around a rotary shaft, and that has a substantially circular first side surface, a second side surface that is disposed opposite the first side surface, and an outer peripheral surface that connects the first side surface and the second side surface; a first rotary drive unit configured to rotate the rotating body around a substantially cylindrical center shaft; a disk-shaped member that is provided inside the rotating body when viewed from a side of the first side surface and has a first graphic formed thereon; a second rotary drive unit configured to rotate the disk-shaped member as a rotational center of a center of the disk-shaped member; and a decorative illumination unit that is provided to the rotating body and gives an effect with light, wherein the decorative illumination unit comprises: a design sheet that is provided on a side of the second side surface of the rotating body, has a specific graphic formed thereon, blocks light from the second side surface, and transmits light from the first side surface; a reflector that is disposed on a back side of the design sheet when viewed from a side of the second side surface, and reflects light from a side of the design sheet;

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Sumi Masaaki
• Yasuda Eiji
• Ono Takahiro
• Agata Takehiro

Classifications

• G07F17/3258

  Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots · CPC title

• G07F17/329

  Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards · CPC title

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title

• G07F17/3202

  Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof · CPC title

• G07F17/3213

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title