JPH09276477A - Ball launching device for play - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce production costs for an air blowing type ball launching device for play. SOLUTION: A pipe 21 for ball launch for launching and supplying a ball B for play onto a play panel is formed linear obliquely downward from a bent part 21a to a base end part and, at this base end part, an air pump P is linked. From a launch standby position S near this pump P to an approach run ending position T at the bent part 21a, it is provided as an approach 21b. At the section of the approach 21b of the pipe 21, a pipe 23 for ball collection is linked so as to join from the side, and the central axial line of the section of this pipe 23 successive to a joint point A is inclined so that the side of the launch standby position S can be an acute angle with the central axial line of the section of the approach 21b. Therefore, the ball B is accelerated at the section of the approach 21b at the time of launch and there is no danger for the air blowing output from the air pump P to branch and to flow into the side of the pipe 23 for ball collection as air leak.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game ball launching device for launching and supplying a game ball, which is used in a roulette game machine or the like, onto a board surface by utilizing the air blowing output of an air pump.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many game machines such as roulette game machines and pachinko game machines that use game balls have been installed in game centers, and these game machines launch and supply game balls to the board surface. A launching device for launching is provided. As a method for launching a game ball with this launching device, conventionally, a method of utilizing the elastic force of a biasing member and a method of utilizing the air blowing output of an air pump are known. However, since the elastic force adjustment of the urging member is complicated when the former elastic method is adopted, the latter air blowing method is often used recently.

For example, in a game ball launching device for a roulette game machine, as shown in FIG.
The ball launching pipe 54 is inserted into the cylindrical shaft 53 provided at the center of rotation of the rotary wheel 52 that constitutes part 1. The upper end of the pipe 54 is curved above the rotary wheel 52, and the lower end of the pipe 54 is connected to the air pump P. That is, the air pump P
The ball B for play is air pump P by the air blowing output from
From the launch standby position S in the vicinity, the launch is supplied upward.

Further, at the lower end of the ball launching pipe 54, above the launch standby position S, the lower end of the ball collecting pipe 55 is obliquely connected so as to join from the upper side. ing. The upper end of the ball recovery pipe 55 is connected to a ball recovery bucket 56 provided below the rotary wheel 52 at a predetermined position. Therefore, the game balls B collected through the ball collection bucket 56 after the game is finished are returned to the ball launch pipe 54 through the ball collection pipe 55, and at the same time when the next game starts, the launch standby position S is resumed.
It was supposed to be launched by the air blowing output.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned conventional air blow-out type game ball launching device has the following problems.

That is, since the ball launch pipe 54 is provided substantially vertically from the launch standby position S upward.
With the small air pump P having a weak air blowing output, it was not possible to reliably launch and supply the game ball B onto the rotating wheel 52 (board surface). Therefore, there is a problem in that a large air pump P having a strong air blowing output is required, and the manufacturing cost increases accordingly.

Further, in the above-described conventional launching device, the ball collecting pipe 55 joins the ball launching pipe 54 obliquely from the upper side at a position higher than the launch standby position S. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, after the play ball B passes through the confluence A of the pipes 54 and 55,
A part of the air blown from the air pump P was diverged into the ball collecting pipe 55 side. That is, originally, a considerable amount of the air blown out for launching the game ball B through the ball launching pipe 54 was a large air leak f due to the branch flow into the ball collecting pipe 55 side. Therefore, there is a problem that a larger air pump P is required in order to secure a strong air blowing output in consideration of these air leaks f, which further increases the manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the manufacturing cost of a game ball launching device utilizing an air blowing output.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a first pipe for launching a game ball onto a game board by utilizing the air blowing output of an air pump. , A second pipe for supplying launch balls for launch into the pipe is connected so as to merge from the side, and an air pump is provided in the first pipe rather than at a junction with the second pipe. A launch ball standby device for a game ball is set at a predetermined position on the side, and an air pump blows air at a predetermined pressure to the game ball waiting at the launch standby position. Of the one pipe, a predetermined distance portion from the launch standby position to at least the merging point is set as the runway of the playing ball at launch, and the first pipe of the runway portion is set. It is summarized in that the crossed cardiac axis with respect to the vertical direction.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the central axis of the runway portion of the first pipe is inclined at a predetermined angle so that the launch standby position side is below the confluence side. It is a summary.

Further, in the invention of claim 3, the central axis of the portion of the second pipe connected to the confluence is an acute angle on the launch standby position side with respect to the central axis of the runway portion of the first pipe. The gist is that it is connected to the first pipe.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, when air is blown to the game ball in the launch standby position, the game ball starts rolling on the runway portion of the first pipe,
The air blowing output acts as a tail wind on the rolling ball. Then, receiving this tail wind on the back, the speed of the game ball is accelerated in the approach path portion. After the speed is sufficiently accelerated, the game ball is launched onto the game board.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the operation of the invention of claim 1, when the game ball is returned from the second pipe to the confluence in the first pipe after the game is finished,
The play ball starts rolling from the confluence toward the launch standby position. When it reaches the launch standby position, it stops at the same position and waits for the next air blowing.

Further, in the invention of claim 3, in addition to the operation of the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, when the play ball passes the confluence point based on the air blowing output from the air pump, immediately after the passage. The inside of the second pipe has a negative pressure. Therefore, the blown air does not branch into the second pipe from the merging point.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a game ball launching device in a roulette game machine will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a play board 12 is provided at the center of the upper surface of a body 11 which constitutes a roulette game machine. The play board 12 is composed of an annular fixed wheel 13 that cannot rotate with respect to the body 11 and a substantially disk-shaped rotating wheel 14 that can rotate with respect to the fixed wheel 13. A plurality of types of winning numbers 15 used in the game are written on the inner peripheral edge of the fixed wheel 13, and an amusement ball B is stored and held on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating wheel 14 so as to correspond to each of the winning numbers 15. A plurality of possible concave ball storage portions 16 are provided. A hemispherical transparent cover 17 is provided above the play board 12, and winning number selection switches 18 operated by the player at the start of the game are provided at four positions on the upper surface of the body 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 19 is formed at the center of the rotary wheel 14, and a cylindrical shaft 20 is formed on the back side of the rotary wheel 14 so as to communicate with the opening 19. It extends vertically. The shaft 20 is rotatably supported by the body 11 via a bearing (not shown).
In FIG. 1, the drive motor M is operatively connected via a gear mechanism. Then, a ball launching pipe (first pipe) 21 for launching and supplying the playing ball B onto the rotating wheel 14 of the playing board 12 by utilizing the air blowing output of the air pump P described later in the shaft 20. Has been inserted. The ball launching pipe 21 has the opening 1
The tip end side projecting upward from 9 is curved above the play board 12, and the ball discharge port 22 at the tip end is directed to the rotary wheel 14 side.

On the other hand, the base end side of the ball launching pipe 21 is bent so as to form an R shape at a position below the shaft 20, and a straight line is directed obliquely downward from the bent portion 21a to the base end. It is formed into a shape. That is,
As shown in FIG. 3, an air pump P is connected to the base end of the ball launch pipe 21, and a launch standby position S for the game ball B is provided in the ball launch pipe 21 near the pump P. There is. Then, from the launch standby position S to the run-up end position T in the ball launch pipe 21 at the bent portion 21a, the play ball B is formed.
It is provided as a runway 21b.

That is, the ball launching pipe 21 has a constant inclination angle θ1 (80 ° in this embodiment) so that the central axis of the runway 21b is downward with respect to the vertical direction at the base end side of the pipe 21. It is provided so as to be inclined. This inclination angle θ1 is for the game ball B
From the ball collecting pipe 23 to the ball launching pipe 2
It is an angle for rolling the game ball B from the confluence point A toward the launch standby position S when returned to the inside of 1.
As is clear from FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the ball launch pipe 21 is formed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the play ball B by the clearance for allowing the play ball B to pass.

Further, the ball collecting pipe (second pipe) 23 is provided in the approach path 21b of the ball launching pipe 21 at the confluence A which is set on the approach end position T side of the launch standby position S. The lower ends are connected so that they merge from the side. That is, the ball collecting pipe 23
Is a constant merging angle θ2 (70 ° in the present embodiment) so that the central axis of the portion connecting to the merging point A is an acute angle on the launch standby position S side with respect to the central axis of the approaching path 21b of the ball launching pipe 21. It is provided so as to be inclined.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, the approach distance l from the launch standby position S to the confluence A is 150 mm.
It has been. That is, although the run-up distance 1 is related to the pump capacity of the air pump P, at the time when the running ball B passes the confluence point A after starting the run-up from the launch standby position S, the speed of the play ball B becomes about the air blowing speed from the air pump P. It is set to a distance that can accelerate to. Further, the approach distance L from the launch standby position S to the approach end position T is 400 mm, and the approach distance L is released to the game ball B when passing the approach end position T in the bent portion 21a. It is set to a distance that can give sufficient acceleration to reach the exit 22.

The upper end of the ball collecting pipe 23 is connected to a ball collecting bucket 24 provided below the rotary wheel 14 at a predetermined position. Therefore, since the game balls B collected through the ball collection bucket 24 after the play is returned to the ball launch pipe 21 through the ball collection pipe 23, the runway 21b is inclined. , Roll to the launch standby position S.
Then, when the next game starts, the game is launched from the launch start position S again by the air blowing output.

Next, the operation of the ball launching device of this embodiment having the above structure will be described. In the standby state for starting the game, the game ball B is housed in the launch standby position S in the ball launch pipe 21 (position in FIG. 2). When the player finishes operating the winning number selection switch 18, the air pump P is driven, and the air blown from the pump P is blown into the ball launch pipe 21. Then, the air is blown to the game ball B at the launch standby position S, and the game ball B receives the air blowing output and rolls the approach path 21b of the ball launch pipe 21 toward the confluence A. Start moving.

Then, in the portion from the launch standby position S of the approach runway 21b to the confluence A, the air blowing output acts on the game ball B from the launch standby position S side as a tail wind. Therefore, the rolling speed of the game ball B is accelerated by receiving this air blowing output on the back, and when passing through the confluence A, the speed is made almost equal to the air blowing speed from the air pump P. Immediately after the play ball B passes the confluence point A at such a speed, the inside of the ball recovery pipe 23 is temporarily in a negative pressure state. Therefore,
Even after the play ball B has passed the confluence point A, the air blown from the air pump P does not branch into the ball recovery pipe 23.

On the play ball B passing through the confluence A, the air blowing output continues to act as a tail wind in the approach runway 21b. Therefore, the playing ball B rolls toward the approaching end point T in the approaching path 21b while further increasing the speed. Then, after the direction is changed upward in the R-shaped bent portion 21a (position in FIG. 2), the ball is discharged from the ball discharge port 22 provided at the tip of the ball launching pipe 21 (position in FIG. 2). ). That is, the play ball B is provided with an acceleration necessary for being blown up inside the ball launch pipe 21 onto the play board 12 when the play ball B passes through the approach end position T.

The play ball B discharged from the ball discharge port 22 rolls on the rotating wheel 14 of the play board 12 (position in FIG. 2), and then one of the ball accommodating portions 16
Are stored and held (position in FIG. 2). Then, when the winning number 15 corresponding to the ball accommodating portion 16 and the winning number selected by the player before the game match, a predetermined prize is paid out and one game ends.

When the game ends, the play ball B is collected by a ball collection mechanism (not shown) and falls into the ball collection bucket 24 (position in FIG. 2). After that, the game ball B is guided through the ball collection pipe 23 to the confluence A with the ball launch pipe 21.
Then, the approaching path 21b of the ball launching pipe 21 at which the merging point A is located is inclined so that the base end side where the launching standby position S is provided is downward, so that the game ball B is merged. Rolling starts from the point A toward the launch standby position S. Then, the state of stopping at the launch standby position S is maintained until the next game starts.

In this embodiment, since the game ball launching device is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The air blowing output from the air pump P acts as a tail wind on the playing ball B rolling on the approaching path 21b of the ball launching pipe 21. Therefore, unlike the case where the vehicle is blown straight upward from the launch standby position S,
Acceleration can be applied to the game ball B rolling on the runway 21b by the air blowing output. Therefore, since it is not necessary to increase the pump capacity of the air pump P in order to increase the air blowing output, the cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced by using the small air pump P. (2) Since the ball launch pipe 21 is inclined with a constant inclination angle θ1 so that the base end side is downward, the game ball B returned from the ball recovery pipe 23 to the confluence point A is It can be rolled toward the launch standby position S. Therefore, it is possible to quickly prepare the preparation system for the start of the next game with a simple configuration. (3) At launch, the play ball B passes through the confluence point A at a speed almost equal to the air blowing speed, and the inside of the ball collecting pipe 23 is temporarily made a negative pressure. There is no risk of branching into the recovery pipe 23. Therefore, such a ball recovery pipe 2
Since it is not necessary to consider the air leakage due to the branch inflow to the third side, the small air pump P can be adopted, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, but may be as follows. (A) In the above embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the approach path 21b of the ball launch pipe 21 is set to 80 °.
It is not limited to this angle (80 °). However,
If the value of the inclination angle θ1 is set to be too small, the slope of the runway 21b portion becomes steep, so that acceleration may not be effectively imparted to the game ball rolling on the runway 21b by the air blowing output. There is. Therefore, for this inclination angle θ1, a good setting range for effectively imparting acceleration by the air blowing output is 70 ° to
85 ° is a guideline. (B) In the above embodiment, the runway 21b portion of the ball launch pipe 21 is provided so as to be inclined.
The b portion may be provided so as to extend in the horizontal direction. With this configuration, the acceleration can be more effectively applied to the game ball B which starts to roll in the horizontal direction from the launch standby position S based on the air blowing output. In that case, an actuator or the like for rolling the play ball B returned from the ball collecting pipe 23 into the ball launching pipe 21 from the joining point A to the launch standby position S side is provided separately. Good. (C) In the above embodiment, the merging angle θ2 of the ball collecting pipe 23 with respect to the ball launching pipe 21 is set to 70 °, but the angle is not limited to this angle (70 °). However, if the value of the inclination angle θ2 is set too small, the cross-sectional shape of the confluent portion of the ball collecting pipe 23 with the ball launching pipe 21 becomes an extremely elongated elliptical shape. Therefore, for the convenience of connecting the two pipes 21 and 23, the inner diameter of the ball launching pipe 21 has to be made considerably larger than the diameter of the ball B, and there is a possibility that the clearance causing the air leakage f becomes large. . On the other hand, if the value of the inclination angle θ2 is set to near 90 °, air leakage f to the ball collecting pipe 23 side immediately after the play ball B passes through the joining point A is likely to occur, which is not preferable. Therefore, as a preferable setting range of this inclination angle θ2, 60 ° to 80
° is used as a guide.

Next, technical ideas other than the invention described in the claims which can be grasped from the embodiment will be described together with their effects. (A) In the invention according to claim 2 or 3, the game ball launching in which the inclination angle formed by the central axis of the runway portion of the first pipe with respect to the vertical direction is set in the range of 70 ° to 85 ° apparatus. According to this structure, it is possible to surely accelerate the speed of the play ball rolling on the runway portion based on the air blowing output of the small air pump and launch and supply it to the play board. (B) In the invention of claim 3, the inclination angle formed by the central axis of the portion connecting to the confluence point of the second pipe with respect to the central axis of the runway portion of the first pipe is in the range of 60 ° to 80 °. Ball launch device for play set in. According to this structure, it is possible to more surely eliminate the possibility that the air blowing output from the air pump branches and flows into the second pipe side as an air leak after the play ball passes through the confluence.

[0031]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the acceleration can be applied to the play ball rolling on the runway portion of the first pipe by the air blowing output which acts as a tail wind, so that the small air pump is adopted. The cost of the entire device can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, it is necessary to separately provide a device structure for returning the game ball from the joining point in the first pipe to the launch standby position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cost of the entire apparatus from rising.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect of the invention, when the play ball passes through the confluence point, a negative pressure is temporarily generated in the second pipe. As a result, the air blowing output can be prevented from branching into the second pipe side as an air leak. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the air leakage due to the branch inflow, so that the small air pump P can be adopted and the manufacturing cost can be surely reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roulette game machine according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a launch device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a main part of a launch device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional launch device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a main part of a conventional launch device.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 ... First pipe (ball launch pipe), 21b
... runway, 23 ... second pipe (ball collecting pipe), A ... merging point, P ... air pump, S ... launch standby position, θ1 ... tilt angle, θ2 ... merging angle.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first pipe for launching a game ball onto a game board by using an air blowing output of an air pump, and a second pipe for supplying a launch game ball into the pipe. The pipes are connected so as to join sideways, and a launch standby position for the play ball is set in the first pipe at a predetermined position on the air pump side with respect to the joining point with the second pipe. In a game ball launching device in which an air pump blows air at a predetermined pressure to a game ball standing by at a standby position, in the first pipe, from the launch standby position to at least the joining point. A game ball launching device in which a predetermined distance portion is set as the runway of the play ball at the time of launch, and the central axis of the first pipe in the runway portion is intersected with the vertical direction. . 2. The play ball according to claim 1, wherein the center axis of the runway portion of the first pipe is inclined at a predetermined angle so that the launch standby position side is lower than the merging point side. Launch device. 3. The second pipe is connected to the first pipe in such a manner that a central axis line of a portion connecting to the confluence point has an acute angle on a launch standby position side with respect to a central axis line of a runway portion of the first pipe. The ball launch device for play according to claim 1 or 2.