Patent Publication Number: US-2005119054-A1

Title: Gaming machine

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED A IONS  
      This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-361168, filed on Oct. 21, 2003; 2004-066043, filed on Mar. 9, 2004; 2004-066044, filed on Mar. 9, 2004 the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a gaming machine on which a player can play various kinds of games.  
      2. Related Background Art  
      Conventionally, a variety of gaming machines on which various games can be played have been known. Examples of a slot machine that is known as one kind of the gaming machines include well-known two types as follows: one is a slot machine having a variable display device in which a plurality of mechanical reels each for displaying a plurality of symbols are arranged (also referred to as a reel unit); and the other is a slot machine having an image display device for displaying variable display images of a plurality of symbols as if mechanical reels are rotating (a so-called video slot machine). In addition, in the former type of slot machine, an image display device for mainly displaying a performance image may be placed on the front face of the mechanical reels.  
      On the other hand, in a conventional gaming machine, a device required for playing games (hereinafter, referred to as a “gaming unit”) such as a variable display device or an image display device is incorporated in a cabinet. Depending on the difference in structure of the cabinet, gaming machines are classified into a type on which a player plays a game while sitting (a so-called slant-type, see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-67810: Patent Document 1) and a type on which a player plays a game while standing (a so-called upright-type, see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-198265: Patent Document 2).  
      In both the slant-type and upright-type gaming machines, a visible part for the player to view the gaming unit and a plurality of operation parts where the player performs operation required for playing the game, are provided in the cabinet. The operation parts include, for example, operation buttons with which the player performs various kinds of input operation, a coin slot for throwing coins thereinto, an input device such as a touch panel or the like for inputting information according to a place where a finger touches, a card reader for reading information stored in a card, and so on.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Incidentally, in a conventional gaming machine, the visible part may have an openable/closable structure by means of a door which is freely opened/closed (an open/close door), so that when this open/close door is opened, a housing part for the gaming unit appears so that the gaming unit can be taken in/out. The open/close door is openably/closably fixed to the cabinet by, for example, a hinge mechanism so that when the open/close door is turned in a specific direction (for example, upward) from a closed position (in a normal gaming state) where it closes the housing part, the housing part appears.  
      However, in the conventional gaming machine, when the door is opened, a part of the operation parts might be hidden under the open/close door. This makes it difficult to perform operation and visual check of a part of the operation parts during maintenance of the gaming unit housed in the cabinet, presenting a problem that the maintenance of the gaming unit becomes troublesome.  
      Besides, in a conventional gaming machine, a part or all of the operation parts may be detachably mounted on the cabinet with screws or the like mainly for the purpose of maintenance. In this case, the operation part needs to be detached from the cabinet by loosening the screws and mounted to the cabinet by tightening the screws at each time of maintenance. Therefore, detachment and attachment work of the conventional gaming machine is very troublesome, presenting another problem that maintenance of the operation parts is also very troublesome.  
      The present invention has been developed to solve the above problems, and its object is to improve the maintenance property of a gaming unit and operation parts in a gaming machine including the gaming unit and the operation parts so that the maintenance work can be easily carried out.  
      To achieve the above object, the present invention is a gaming machine including a cabinet, a gaming unit required for playing a game housed in the cabinet, an open/close door capable of closing a housing part for the gaming unit in the cabinet, and operation units each including an operation part where a player performs operation required for playing the game, which is characterized in that the open/close door is formed in a shape having a fixed end portion fixed to the cabinet and a plurality of free end portions not fixed to the cabinet, and that the operation units are placed at positions where the operation units are capable of abutting on the free end portions of the open/close door.  
      In this gaming machine, since the operation units are placed at positions where the operation units are capable of abutting on the free end portions of the open/close door, the operation units never hinder the open/close door in opening/closing.  
      Further, it is possible that, in the above-described gaming machine, the operation units are placed at positions opposite each other across the housing part.  
      In this configuration, the operation units are placed at positions opposite each other across the open/close door.  
      Furthermore, it is suitable that the operation unit has a projecting end portion capable of coming into contact with a backside of the free end portion of the open/close door so that when the open/close door closes the housing part, the backside of the free end portion of the open/close door overlies the projecting end portion.  
      In this case, when the open/close door closes the housing part, the backside of the free end portion of the open/close door overlies the projecting end portion, so that the open/close door can retain the operation unit.  
      It is also possible that in the above-described gaming machine, the operation units have a configuration attachable to/detachable from the cabinet, and the above-described gaming machine further includes a positioning means for positioning the operation units with respect to the cabinet. This enables positioning when the operation units are attached to the cabinet.  
      In this case, it is possible that the positioning means is composed of a projection-shaped structure portion provided on any one of the operation unit and the cabinet and a recess-shaped structure portion provided on the other capable of recess-projection fitting over the projection-shaped structure portion.  
      Further, it is also preferable that the gaming machine further has a configuration that an open angle of the open/close door from a closed state thereof is settable to 90 degrees or more.  
      Furthermore, it is preferable to further include a support means for openably/closably supporting the open/close door and capable maintaining an open state of the open/close door. This allows the open state that the open/close door is kept opened to be maintained.  
      Further, the present invention provides a gaming machine including a cabinet, a gaming unit required for playing a game housed in the cabinet, a rectangular open/close door capable of closing a housing part for the gaming unit in the cabinet, and a plurality of operation units each including an operation part where a player performs operation required for playing the game, wherein the operation units are placed at positions opposite each other along a direction crossing a direction of movement of the open/close door and where the operation units are capable of abutting on any of the end portions of the open/close door.  
      In this gaming machine, the operation units are placed at position where they never hinder the open/close door in moving.  
      The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a principal part showing a state in which an open/close door of the slot machine is opened;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the open/close door is opened and a base portion and a card reader are detached;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged side view of the principal part showing a state in which the open/close door of the slot machine is opened;  
       FIG. 5  is a side view schematically showing a detachment restrained state of the base portion and the card reader by closing the open/close door;  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of another slot machine;  
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of a principal part showing a state in which an open/close door of a slot machine according to a second embodiment is opened;  
       FIG. 8  is a back view of a base portion in the slot machine according to the second embodiment;  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing an inner portion where the base portion of the cabinet in the slot machine according to the second embodiment is placed; and  
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged perspective view of the principal part showing a state in which the open/close door of the slot machine according to the second embodiment is opened to 90 degrees or more. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Preferred embodiments of a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 10  taking a slant-type slot machine as an example. Note that the same reference numbers are used for the same components and overlapping description thereof is omitted.  
     First Embodiment  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of a slot machine  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a principal part showing a state in which an open/close door  11  of the slot machine  1  is opened.  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the open/close door is opened and a base portion and a card reader are detached, and  FIG. 4  is an enlarged side view of the principal part showing a state in which the open/close door  11  of the slot machine  1  is opened. Further,  FIG. 5  is a side view schematically showing a detachment restrained state of the base portion and the card reader by closing the open/close door.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of another slot machine.  
      The slot machine  1  has a cabinet  10  and the open/close door  11  at a position on the slightly upper side of the middle in the vertical direction of the cabinet  10 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the slot machine  1  has a housing part S on the back side of an opening part P corresponding to the open/close door  11  inside the cabinet  10 , and a reel unit  5  (a gaming unit in the present invention) is incorporated in the housing part S. The reel unit  5  comprises three mechanical reels  3 L,  3 C, and  3 R arranged side by side in a line to be rotatable, on each of which symbols are drawn.  
      The open/close door  11  has a later-described liquid crystal display device  12  and a frame-shaped body  13  formed to support the periphery of the liquid crystal display device  12  from the outside, and is formed in a rectangular shape as a whole capable of closing the opening part P of the housing part S as shown in  FIG. 2 . The open/close door  11  has three vertically long window parts  10 L,  10 C, and  10 R at a substantially middle part thereof so that the reels  3 L,  3 C, and  3 R can be viewed from the outside through the respective window parts  10 L,  10 C, and  10 R.  
      In addition, the open/close door  11  is placed in an upward slant form such that it falls backward on the upper side and thus rises from a front side to a rear side to allow the reels  3 L,  3 C, and  3 R to be easily viewed by a player while sitting. Furthermore, the open/close door  11  is configured to open/close in a specific direction, and its left end portion as seen from the front is a fixed end portion  11   c  fixed to the cabinet  10  and its other end portions are free end portions  11   d ,  11   d  and  11   d  which are not fixed to the cabinet  10  (see  FIG. 1 ). The open/close door  11  is configured to open/close in the width direction (the right-left direction) by means of a not-shown hinge mechanism with the fixed end portion  11   c  as an axis, so as to form a closed state shown in  FIG. 1  and an open state shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      The slot machine  1  further has a base portion  15  having a slant face gentler than the open/close door  11  below the open/close door  11 . The base portion  15 , on which various kinds of operation parts such as various kinds of game operation buttons  16  such as a BET button, a reel rotation button, a reel stop button, and so on and a slot  17  into which coins are thrown are arranged where the player performs operation required for playing games, forms an operation unit in the present invention and has a configuration integrally attachable to/detachable from the cabinet  10 .  
      Further, the cabinet  10  is provided with an armrest  20  including a flat surface extending in a substantially horizontal direction on the front side of the base portion  15 . Provision of the armrest  20  allows the player in operating the various kinds of operation members on the base portion  15  while sitting on a not-shown chair or the like to perform operation with his or her arms and wrists rested thereon.  
      Further, the cabinet  10  comprises two side-panel portions  21  vertically standing from the bottom portion on the rear side of the open/close door  11 . Besides, above the open/close door  11  and between the side-panel portions  21 , provided are, for example, a payout table  22  displaying information on games such as combinations of prize symbols and payout amount, and speakers  25 L and  25 R which generate effective performance sound to increase amusement in game during play of a game, and so on.  
      On the other hand, the slot machine  1  has a card reader  30 . The card reader  30 , which is one of the operation units in the present invention, is placed above the open/close door  11  and has a configuration integrally attachable to/detachable from the cabinet  10 . The card reader  30  has a card insertion port  30   a  as an operation part where the player performs insertion operation of a not-shown card which stores information required for playing a game, and is configured to read the information recorded on the card inserted through the card insertion port  30   a.    
      Further, the slot machine  1  has the transmissive liquid crystal display device  12  as a device for increasing the amusement in games. The liquid crystal display device  12  is provided on the open/close door  11 . The liquid crystal display device  12  comprises a protective glass, a display plate, a liquid crystal panel, a light guide plate, a reflective film, and a fluorescent lamp, to perform transmissive display within a region corresponding to the window parts  10 L,  10 C, and  10 R so that the reels  3 L,  3 C, and  3 R can be viewed. For example, the liquid crystal display device  12  displays various kinds of moving performance images, information required for the player to carry on the game, and so on in accordance with the game. The frame-shaped body  13  for supporting the liquid crystal display device  12  is composed of a table carrier package (TCP) loaded with an IC for driving the liquid crystal panel and so on.  
      As described above, the slot machine  1  has the base portion  15  provided with a plurality of operation parts and the card reader  30 , the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  being placed at positions where they can abut on the free end portions  11   d  and  11   d  of the open/close door  11  opposite each other, that is, placed at positions facing each other across the housing part S to face each other across the open/close door  11 . Placement of the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  at such positions prevents them from hindering the open/close door  11  in opening/closing. The structures of the open/close door  11 , the base portion  15 , and the card reader  30  will be described in detail below.  
      The open/close door  11  has, as shown in  FIG. 2 , arresting portions  11   a  and  11   b  at backside portions of the free end portions  11   d  and  11   d  which are opposite each other.  
      On the other hand, the base portion  15  has, on the open/close door  11  side as shown in  FIG. 3 , a projecting end portion  15   a  projecting in a band shape long in the width direction and in a manner to be in contact with the arresting portion  11   a . Further, the base portion  15  has, on the armrest  20  side as shown in  FIG. 5 , an engagement protrusion  15   b  having an L-shaped cross section long in the width direction.  
      Besides, the card reader  30  has, as shown in  FIG. 3 , such an entire shape as to correspond to a fit-in recess  50  ensured between the open/close door  11  and the payout table  22  in the cabinet  10 . The card reader  30  further has, at a lower portion of a front panel  30   d , a projecting end portion  30   b  projecting in a band shape long in the width direction and in a manner to be in contact with the arresting portion  11   b . Further, the card reader  30  has, on the upper face as shown in  FIG. 5 , an arresting protrusion  30   c  in a band shape long in the width direction.  
      The base portion  15  and the card reader  30  having the above-described configurations are attachable to/detachable from the cabinet  10  without using a fixing means such as a screw or the like and, in addition, their detachment from the cabinet  10  is restrained only by the open/close door  11 . This point will be described below.  
      The base portion  15  has the engagement protrusion  15   b  and the projecting end portion  15   a  at positions opposite each other. The engagement protrusion  15   b  is designed, as shown in  FIG. 5 , to be able to latch on from the lower side a protruding piece  40  formed on the side face of the armrest  20  on the base portion  15  side. When the engagement protrusion  15   b  is latched on the protruding piece  40 , the engagement protrusion  15   b  engages with the protruding piece  40 , so that the base portion  15  cannot be raised upward any further (in a B-direction shown in  FIG. 5 ). Besides, the projecting end portion  15   a  has a structure projecting in a band shape in a manner to be in contact with the arresting portion  11   a , and thus projects toward the housing part S side. Therefore, when the open/close door  11  closes the housing part S as shown in  FIG. 5 , the arresting portion  11   a  overlies the projecting end portion  15   a  from the above. Consequently, closing the housing part S by the open/close door  11  can retain the base portion  15 .  
      The card reader  30  has the arresting protrusion  30   c  and the projecting end portion  30   b . The arresting protrusion  30   c  is designed, as shown in  FIG. 5 , to be able to latch on from the inside of the fit-in recess  50  the cabinet  10 . Besides, the projecting end portion  30   b  has a structure projecting in a band shape and thus projects toward the housing part S side. Therefore, when the open/close door  11  closes the housing part S as shown in  FIG. 5 , the arresting portion  11   b  overlies the projecting end portion  30   b  from the above. In addition, when the open/close door  11  closes the housing part S, the end portion of the open/close door  11  abuts on the front panel  30   d  of the card reader  30 . Accordingly, closing the housing part S by the open/close door  11  can retain the card reader  30  and hold it in the fit-in recess  50  to prevent the card reader  30  from being pulled out frontward (an A-direction shown in  FIG. 5 ).  
      As described above, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  are latched on the armrest  20  and the cabinet  10  respectively, and then the housing part S is closed by the open/close door  11 , resulting in a detachment restrained state in which the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  are installed in the cabinet  10  and cannot be detached as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      On the other hand, when the open/close door  11  is turned in a specific direction (leftward in the present embodiment) from the closed state of the open/close door  11  to thereby open the open/close door  11  as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the detachment restrained state by the open/close door  11  is released. Then, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  can be detached from the cabinet  10  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In other words, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  change between respective attachable/detachable states and unattachable/undetachable states, to/from the cabinet  10 , in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the open/close door  11 . As a result, in the slot machine  1 , by just performing the opening/closing operation of the open/close door  11  in the specific direction, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  can be brought into the detachment restrained state, or the detachment restrained state can be released. The slot machine  1  has a structure that requires no troublesome operation such as loosening or tightening screws in attachment/detachment of the operation unit to/from the cabinet  10 .  
      In addition, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  are placed at positions capable of abutting on the free end portions  11   d  and  11   d  of the open/close door  11  opposite each other, and thus never hindering the open/close door  11  in opening/closing operation and never be hidden under the open/close door  11  even if the open/close door  11  is opened. Therefore, even when performing maintenance of the device housed in the cabinet  10  such as the reel unit  5  or the like, operation required for the maintenance of the various operation parts placed on the base portion  15  (for example, insertion or taking out of a card into/from the card reader  30 , operation of the game operation buttons  16  during the maintenance of the various devices in the cabinet  10 ) is easily carried out, and visual check thereof during the maintenance can be performed without any trouble.  
      Further, by just performing the opening/closing operation of the open/close door  11  in the specific direction, the card reader  30  and the base portion  15  can change between their detachment restrained states and released states, leading to a reduction in the number of assembly steps and improvement in disassembly maintenance property in the slot machine  1 . In other words, when the card reader  30  and the base portion  15  are disassembled for maintenance, it is not necessary to loosen the screws so as to remove the card reader  30  and the base portion  15  every time but only necessary to open the open/close door  11 . Therefore, disassemble work of the slot machine  1  for maintenance is very simple. Further, closing the housing part S by the open/close door  11  can install the card reader  30  and the base portion  15  into the cabinet  10 , resulting in a reduction in the number of steps such as tightening the screws and the like and good assembly property.  
      It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in variously modified ways within a scope without departing from the gist. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  are placed above and below the open/close door  11  so that the open/close door  11  is opened/closed in the right-left direction. However, it is also adoptable that the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  are placed on the right and left of the open/close door  11  so that the open/close door  11  is opened/closed in a top-bottom direction.  
      Further, the open/close door  11  is configured to open/close by turning of the hinge mechanism, but may be configured, as shown in  FIG. 6 , to be long in the width direction so that the open/close door  11  is slid to the right and left by a guide means such as guide rails  41  and  42  which recess-projection fit each other (the guide rail  41  being in a recessed shape and the guide rail  42  being in a projecting shape) to be opened/closed. In this case, the base portion  15  and the card reader  30  will be placed in a direction crossing a direction in which the open/close door  11  is slid (an F-direction in the drawing).  
      Besides, it is adoptable to employ, as the operation unit, an input device such as a touch panel (a liquid crystal device) or the like in addition to the base portion  15 , the card reader  30 , and so on.  
     Second Embodiment  
      Next, a slot machine according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the following description will be presented mainly on points different from the slot machine according to the first embodiment, and description on common points will be omitted or simplified.  
      The slot machine according to the present embodiment is provided with, as shown in  FIG. 7 , a gas spring  50  between an open/close door  11  and a cabinet. The gas spring  50  is a support means capable of keeping the open state of the open/close door  11 , and has a cylinder  50   a  forming a gas chamber and a piston  50   b  inserted in the cylinder  50   a  in a manner to freely advance and retract and operate by a gas pressure. Further, an end portion of the cylinder  50   a  is pivotally attached to the cabinet  10  side, and a tip portion of the piston  50   b  is pivotally attached to a rear face of the open/close door  11 .  
      Further, in the slot machine according to the present embodiment, a base portion  15  and a card reader  30  have attachable/detachable configurations as in the slot machine according to the first embodiment, so that they can be detached from the cabinet  10 . However, the slot machine according to the present embodiment, different from the slot machine  1  according to the first embodiment, has a positioning means for positioning with respect to the cabinet  10  the base portion  15  which is attachable to/detachable from the cabinet  10 . In the slot machine according to the present embodiment, the positioning means is composed of later-described positioning pins  60  and  62  and pin holes  74  and  76 .  
      The positioning pins  60  and  62 , which are projection-shaped structure portions in the present invention, have a projecting-shape structure projecting in a rod shape from a rear face of the base portion  15  (a face opposing the cabinet  10  when they are attached to the cabinet  10 ) as shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , and are arranged with an appropriate interval therebetween. Further, an engagement protrusion  64  is formed near the positioning pin  62 .  
      On the other hand, the pin holes  74  and  76 , which are recess-shape structure portions in the present invention, have a recess-shape structure sized to allow the positioning pins  60  and  62  to be inserted thereinto, and are formed in a pair of brackets  72   a  and  72   a . The pair of brackets  72   a  and  72   a  have the pine holes  74  and  76  with an arrangement interval corresponding to the arrangement interval of the positioning pins  60  and  62 , and are formed at open side end portions of frame-shaped bodies  72  shown in  FIG. 9 . Besides, the frame-shaped bodies  72  have a structure capable of capturing a back side portion and a side face portion of a coin selector  70  housed in the cabinet  10 , and are formed with the pair of brackets  72   a  and  72   a  on the front side. Further, a pair of rollers  78  and  78  capable of elastically holding the engagement protrusion  64  therebetween are provided near the bracket  72   a  at an end portion of the cabinet  10 .  
      Since the above-described positioning pins  60  and  62  have a projection-shaped structure and the pin holes  74  and  76  have a recess-shaped structure, the positioning pins  60  and  62  and the pin holes  74  and  76  can recess-projection fit each other. Therefore, when the base portion  15  is attached to the cabinet  10 , the base portion  15  is positioned with respect to the cabinet  10 . In other words, the base portion  15  can be attached to the cabinet  10  such that the positioning pins  60  and  62  fit in the pin holes  74  and  76 , so that the positions of the positioning pins  60  and  62  with respect to the pin holes  74  and  76  are fixed, whereby the position of the base portion  15  with respect to the cabinet  10  is fixed. This eliminates troublesome positional adjustment when attaching the base portion  15  to the cabinet  10 , leading to simplified assembly work. Further, since the pin holes  74  and  76  in the recess-shaped structure provided on the cabinet  10  side and the positioning pins  60  and  62  in the recess-shaped structure provided on the base portion  15  side constitute the positioning means, the base portion  15  can be accurately reattached to the cabinet  10  by such a simple configuration.  
      Note that the above-described positioning means has a recess-projection fittable configuration. The positioning means in the present invention, however, may have a structure other than the recess-projection fittable configuration. It is also adoptable to provide a recess-shaped structure portion on the base portion  15  side and a projection-shaped structure on the cabinet  10  side. It is also adoptable to provide a recess-shaped structure portion or a projection-shaped structure portion on the card reader  30  and a projection-shaped structure portion or a recess-shaped structure portion on the cabinet  10 .  
      Furthermore, in the slot machine according to the present embodiment, an open angle α from the closed state of the open/close door  11  can be set at 90 degrees or more as show in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 10 , so that the open/close door  11  can be opened to 90 degrees or more. Therefore, the open/close door  11  of the slot machine according to the present embodiment can be opened enough to ensure a large work space which can be used for a maintenance work of the card reader  30  and the base portion  15 . Accordingly, the maintenance work can be performed on the slot machine according to the present embodiment. If the open/close door  11  is opend enough, the card reader  30  and the base portion  15  never be hidden by the open/close door  11 .  
      Further, the slot machine according to the present embodiment has the gas spring  50  so that the open/close door  11  can be openably/closably supported by the gas spring  50 . Therefore, the open state of the open/close door  11  can be maintained with the open/close door  11  kept opened at 90 degrees or more from the closed state, thus preventing a situation that the open/close door  11  is suddenly closed during the maintenance work. Moreover, it is also possible to design such that the weight of the open/close door  11  does not always act on the gas spring  50  when the open/close door  11  is opened to almost 90 degrees from the closed state as shown in  FIG. 10 . Consequently, in the slot machine according to the present embodiment, early deterioration of the gas spring  50  can be prevented, and even if the gas spring  50  is deteriorated, sudden closing of the open/close door  11  can be prevented.  
      In addition to the slot machine as illustrated in the previously described embodiments, the present invention is applicable to various gaming machines comprising devices on both sides of the open/close door such as a pachinko (pinball) machine and so on. Note that an elastic member comprising a mechanical spring or an air-pressure spring is able to use as the support means.  
      It is apparent that various embodiments and modifications of the present invention can be embodied, based on the above description. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out the present invention in the other modes than the above best mode, within the following scope of claims and the scope of equivalents.