CN118121922A

CN118121922A - Prize acquisition game device

Info

Publication number: CN118121922A
Application number: CN202410400093.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 深泽光晴; 若生晃; 富永麻子
Original assignee: Sega Games Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sega Corp
Priority date: 2018-07-18
Filing date: 2019-07-17
Publication date: 2024-06-04
Also published as: JP2024074932A; CN112423853A; JP7535255B2; WO2020017567A1; JP7470479B2; CN118105688A; JP2020010855A; JP2023054251A; CN112423853B; JP7234521B2

Abstract

A prize acquisition game apparatus of the present invention includes: a1 st game device having a1 st coin slot; a2 nd game device which is arranged on an upper layer compared with the 1 st game device and is provided with a2 nd coin input port; a coin storage box which is arranged at the lower side compared with the 1 st coin inlet; and a coin slot for guiding the coins inserted into the 2 nd coin insertion port to the coin storage box, wherein the coins inserted into the 1 st coin insertion port drop into the coin storage box, the coins inserted into the 2 nd coin insertion port move in the coin slot and drop into the coin storage box, the coin slot is composed of at least one inclined part with a prescribed gradient, the prescribed gradient is set to enable the coins inserted into the 2 nd coin insertion port to roll and move, the at least one inclined part is composed of a1 st inclined part comprising one end of the coin slot, a 3 rd inclined part comprising the other end of the coin slot, and a2 nd inclined part connecting the 1 st inclined part and the 3 rd inclined part, and the gradient of the 1 st inclined part and the 3 rd inclined part is set to be smaller than the gradient of the 2 nd inclined part.

Description

Prize acquisition game device

The application of the invention is as follows: the international application date is 2019, 07, 17, PCT/JP2019/028165, 201980047173.X, and the divisional application of the invention application named "prize acquisition game apparatus" entering the national stage of china.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a prize acquisition game device such as a doll-grasping game.

Background

In amusement facilities and the like, a prize-acquiring game device is becoming popular in which a prize such as a doll is transported to a prize delivery port by operating a prize gripping section. There is a tendency that the number of deliveries of the prize increases when the holding force of the prize holding section is enhanced, and there is a tendency that the number of deliveries of the prize decreases when the holding force of the prize holding section is weakened. Accordingly, there has been proposed a prize acquisition game apparatus capable of adjusting the holding force of a prize holding section (for example, refer to patent documents 1 and 2).

The doll-grasping game machine described in patent document 1 changes the grasping force of the arm so that the actual prize acquisition rate calculated by the control unit approaches a predetermined prize acquisition rate. More specifically, the driving time of the motor for opening and closing the arm is prolonged when the prize acquisition rate is lower than the target, and the driving time of the motor is shortened when the prize acquisition rate is higher than the target. When the driving time of the motor is prolonged, the coil spring of the arm is correspondingly elongated and the gripping force becomes strong.

The game device described in patent document 2 includes: a pair of upper pressing members and a lower pressing member for clamping the base end portions of the plurality of arms; a coil spring for biasing the lower pressing member toward the upper pressing member; and Zhou Biban that restricts movement of the upper pressing member. The upper pressing member and the coil spring move in the up-down direction by the ball screw. The holding force of the arm is determined by the force of the coil spring that causes the arm to follow the upper pressing member. When the movement of the upper pressing member is restricted and the coil spring approaches the upper pressing member, the coil spring is compressed and the gripping force of the arm becomes strong.

The doll-grabbing game machine described in patent document 1 monitors the acquisition rate of a prize to adjust the driving time of the motor, and does not refer to the opening/closing angle of each arm at all. Similarly, the game device described in patent document 2 detects the positional relationship between the single upper pressing member and the coil spring to adjust the urging force of the coil spring, and does not refer to the opening/closing angle of each arm at all. That is, in the prize acquisition game apparatuses described in patent documents 1 and 2, the holding force of the prize holding section cannot be adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2012-29825

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication 2016-1430372

Disclosure of Invention

However, not all arms contact the prize at the same time. From the arm that comes into contact with the prize and stops operating, the energizing force of the biasing member such as a coil spring that determines the gripping force of the arm is sequentially started. The opening and closing angles of the arms are deviated according to the time difference, and the gripping force of the arms is also in a magnitude relation according to the opening and closing angles. If the driving time of the driving source is not adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm, the gripping force of the arm cannot be appropriately adjusted.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a prize-acquiring game apparatus capable of adjusting the holding force of a prize holding section based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

One embodiment of the present invention is a prize acquisition game apparatus including at least one prize holding section for holding a prize. The holding force of each prize holding section is adjusted by the control section. Each prize grasping section includes a single drive source, a plurality of arms, and a plurality of sensors. The driving force supplied from a single driving source is distributed to a plurality of arms. When the driving force is distributed, each arm is opened and closed. The sensors are respectively arranged on all the arms. Each sensor detects the opening/closing angle of the corresponding arm. The control unit controls the driving of the single driving source based on the plurality of opening/closing angles detected by the sensor.

According to this aspect, even if the opening/closing angles of the arms are deviated, the opening/closing angles of the arms can be detected. In the configuration in which a single drive source is driven to open and close the plurality of arms, the opening and closing angles of the plurality of arms are not detected together, but are detected for the respective arms, so that the holding force of the prize holding section can be appropriately adjusted.

In the above aspect, each prize grasping section may further include: a spring seat member connected to each arm and configured to rotate the arm in a closing direction; and coil springs attached to the arms, and configured to store energy when the spring seat member is operated in a direction to close the arms.

According to this aspect, a coil spring can be used as the urging member interposed between the arm and the drive source. The coil spring can easily grasp the applied force stored as a delay of the opening/closing angle of the arm with respect to the operation of the spring seat member. The coil spring may be a torsion coil spring that receives torque from a rotating spring seat member around a central axis, or may be a tension coil spring that receives tensile stress in a direction of expansion and contraction from a swinging spring seat member.

In the above aspect, each prize grasping section may further include: a feed screw that converts rotational movement of a screw shaft into linear movement of a nut; and a link mechanism connecting each arm with the nut. The single drive source may rotationally drive the screw shaft, and each arm may rotate in the opening direction or the closing direction in conjunction with the linear movement of the nut.

According to this aspect, the driving force of a single driving source can be distributed to the plurality of arms by a simple configuration in which the feed screw and the link mechanism are combined. The prize holding section can be constructed compactly and inexpensively, and is therefore particularly suitable for a prize-acquiring game apparatus of a small-sized casing.

In the above aspect, the control unit may control the driving of the single driving source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction.

The arm having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction has a weaker gripping force than the other arms. When a prize is held by a plurality of arms, even if the holding force of one arm is strong, if the holding force of an arm that is supported from the opposite direction is weak, the prize may fall off and cannot be held firmly. That is, the arm with weak holding force greatly affects the holding force of the prize holding section as a whole. According to this aspect, the gripping force of the prize gripping section can be appropriately adjusted by controlling the driving of the single driving source with reference to the opening/closing angle of the arm with the weakest gripping force.

In the above aspect, when the number of arms is 2n+1, the control unit controls the driving of the single driving source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the (n+1) th largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction. When the number of arms is 2n, the control unit drives the single drive source based on any one of the opening/closing angle of the nth largest arm, the opening/closing angle of the (n+1) th largest arm, or the average value between the opening/closing angle of the nth largest arm and the opening/closing angle of the (n+1) th largest arm.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms, it is sometimes appropriate to reference other arms than the one with the weakest grip. According to this aspect, when the number of arms is three, for example, the overall gripping force of the prize grip section can be appropriately adjusted with reference to the opening/closing angle of the arm having the second largest gripping force. When the number of arms is four, for example, the opening/closing angle of the arm having the third largest gripping force may be used as a reference, the opening/closing angle of the arm having the second largest gripping force may be used as a reference, or an average value of these may be used as a reference. The holding force of the prize holding section can be appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms.

In the above aspect, the control unit may calculate a weighted average value having a weight that is larger than the other arms with the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction, and control the driving of the single driving source based on the weighted average value.

According to this aspect, the holding force of the prize holding section can be appropriately adjusted by appropriately considering the opening/closing angles of the plurality of arms, that is, the holding force, and finely setting the weight of each opening/closing angle according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms.

In the above aspect, the prize delivery device may further include a prize delivery sensor that detects the number of prizes delivered. The control unit may acquire a delivery index based on the number of awards delivered, and may control the driving of the single driving source based on the delivery index.

An example of a delivery index is the delivery rate of the purchased amount of the delivered prize divided by the amount that has been committed. For example, if a prize purchased at 500 yen is acquired at 1000 yen, the delivery rate is 50%. According to this aspect, in the control based on the detection results of the plurality of sensors described so far, the adjustment based on the delivery rate can be further increased. In an amusement ride, an operator does not need to frequently monitor the delivery rate or manually adjust the grip of the prize grip. The burden on the operator can be reduced. The delivery index is not limited to the delivery rate, and may be the number of prizes delivered per unit time. The delivery index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a prize acquisition game apparatus capable of adjusting the holding force of a prize holding section based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquiring game apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the prize grip device of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the base end portion of the arm shown in fig. 3 in an exploded manner.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a right side view showing the prize grip section shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize holding section shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for controlling a single motor based on a plurality of opening/closing angles.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a separator for a field (field).

Fig. 10 is a front view showing an example of the coin slot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a right side view showing the coin slot shown in fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the sliding door and the middle floor structure shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a front view showing the locking mechanism shown in fig. 12 in an enlarged manner.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the gap between the right side plate and the middle field structure shown in fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the prize delivery device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a prize is pushed into a folding back area (switch back area) by the barrier shown in fig. 15.

Description of the reference numerals

A 1-prize capture game apparatus, a 2-case, a 3-first game apparatus, a 4-second game apparatus, a 5-lower floor structure, a 6-middle floor structure, a 7-top, an 8-pillar, an 11, 12-front door, a 12L-left-right-push door, a 12R-right-push door, a 13-left-side plate, a 14-right-side plate, a 15-back plate, 16, 17-prize accommodation parts, 18, 19-places, a 21-first coin slot, a 22-second coin slot, 23, 24-coin selector, a 25-coin slot, 26-deposit box, 27-key, 28-lock mechanism, 281-lock bar, 282-guide, 283-hole, 31-first operation part, 32-second operation part, 33, 34-prize delivery port, 35, 36-prize delivery sensor, 37-baffle, 38-return area, 40-prize holding part, 41-bracket, 42 motor (one example of driving source), 43, 43A, 43B, 43C arm, 44A, 44B, 44C angle sensor (one example of a sensor), 45 up and down sensor, 46 lower limit sensor, 47 upper limit sensor, 51 motor shaft gear, 52 screw shaft gear, 53 screw shaft, 54 nut, 55 first part (part of link mechanism), 56 second part (part of link mechanism), 57L, 57R coil spring, 58 base end, 59 up and down sensor gear, 60 control board, 61 control part, 62 storage part, 141 shoulder washer, 142 screw, 181, 182, 183, 184 divided area of field, 251 first tilting part, 252 second tilting part, 253 third tilting part, 581 arm rotation axis, 582 gear part, 611 grip force control mechanism, 612 … the adjustment index determining means, 613 … the delivery index calculating means, the closing direction of the D1 … arm, the opening direction of the D2 … arm, n … natural number, w1, w2, w3 … weight, α, β, γ … opening and closing angle, δ, ε, ζ … gradient.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar components. One of the features of the prize acquiring game apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is to detect the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of all the arms 43A, 43B, 43C, respectively, and to control the driving of the single motor 42 based on the plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, γ (see fig. 5).

In the case where α > β > γ, for example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the largest opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, γ. For example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the second largest opening/closing angle β. For example, the driving of the motor 42 may also be controlled based on a weighted average (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) of weights having w1 > w2 > w3.

Since the holding forces of the arms 43A, 42B, and 42C are deviated according to the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ, even if the holding force of one arm 43C is strong, if the holding force of the arms 43A and 43B supported from opposite directions is weak, the prize falls off and cannot be held firmly. According to the present embodiment, since the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of the arms 43A, 43B, 43C, the gripping force of the entire prize gripping section 40 can be appropriately adjusted. Each structure will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 1 to 16.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquiring game apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the prize acquiring game apparatus 1 includes a housing 2 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 2 may have another shape such as a substantially cylindrical shape. In the example shown in fig. 1, the prize acquiring game apparatus 1 is configured to have two stages, namely, an upper stage and a lower stage, the first game apparatus 3 is disposed in the lower stage of the housing 2, and the second game apparatus 4 is disposed in the upper stage of the housing 2. The prize-acquiring game apparatus 1 may be configured to have a single layer or three or more layers. The two rows may be arranged in left and right.

The case 2 includes front doors 11 and 12, a left side plate 13, a right side plate 14, and a back plate 15 made of a light-transmitting material such as acrylic resin and glass. The front doors 11 and 12 are attached to the first game device 3 and the second game device 4, respectively. The unlocking and locking of the front doors 11 and 12 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 12 and 13. The left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 are formed of one plate within the range of the first game device 3 and the second game device 4. Gaps are secured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15, and the first game device 3 and the second game device 4. This point will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 12 and 14.

The first game device 3 includes the lower floor structure 5 and the bottom plate of the middle floor structure 6 in addition to the front door 11, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15. The second game device 4 includes a top 7 and a majority of the middle floor structure 6 in addition to the front door 12, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15.

The lower floor structure 5, the middle floor structure 6, and the top plate 7 are arranged from below to above with a gap therebetween, and are fixed to a pair of left and right struts 8. The stay 8 stands between the left side plate 13 and the back plate 15 and between the right side plate 14 and the back plate 15, respectively.

The space between the lower floor structure 5 and the middle floor structure 6 is divided into prize accommodating sections 16 of the first game device 3. The space between the middle floor structure 6 and the top plate 7 is divided into prize accommodating sections 17 of the second game device 4. The prize accommodating sections 16 and 17 are surrounded by the translucent front doors 11 and 12, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15, and can be visually recognized from the outside.

The top surface of the lower floor structure 5 is configured as a floor 18 of the first game device 3, and the top surface of the middle floor structure 6 is configured as a floor 19 of the second game device 4. The prizes are placed on the venues 18, 19. The sites 18 and 19 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 11.

In each of the prize accommodating portions 16 and 17, a prize grasping portion (prize catcher) 40 that is movable in the fields 18 and 19 to grasp a prize is disposed. The front panel of the lower floor structure 5 is provided with a first operation unit 31 for operating the lower prize grasping unit 40 and a prize delivery port 33 for dropping the transported prize. Similarly, the front panel of the middle floor structure 6 is provided with a second operation unit 32 for operating the upper prize grasping unit 40 and a prize delivery port 34 for dropping the transported prize.

A first coin inlet 21 is provided beside the first operation portion 31. When a game credit (credit) for enabling a game is put into the first coin slot 21, an operation can be input to the first operation unit 31 to operate the lower prize holding device 40. Similarly, a second coin inlet 22 is provided beside the second operation portion 32. When a game credit for enabling a game is put into the second coin slot 22, an operation can be input to the second operation unit 32 to operate the lower prize holding device 40. Note that the banknote deposit machine and the electronic money input device may be provided at the coin deposit ports 21 and 22.

The first operation unit 31 and the second operation unit 32 used in the game are buttons, levers, and the like, for example. When the prize catch 40 is operated to drop the prize to the prize delivery openings 33, 34, the player can take out the prize from the prize delivery openings 33, 34. Prize delivery sensors 35 and 36 for detecting the number of prizes delivered are provided at the prize delivery ports 33 and 34. The internal structure of the prize delivery ports 33 and 34 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 15 and 16.

Coin selectors 23 and 24 are attached to the first coin inlet 21 and the second coin inlet 22, respectively. The coin selectors 23 and 24 detect the types and the numbers of coins inserted into the first coin insertion port and the second coin insertion port, respectively. The coin selectors 23, 24 may have a function of temporarily holding coins and returning the coins from the coin return opening when receiving a return operation.

Only the lower floor structure 5 has a coin storage box 26 built therein. Coins that are inserted into the first coin insertion port 21 fall into the coin storage box 26. Coins that are inserted into the upper second coin insertion opening 22 are guided by the coin grooves 25 to fall into the coin storage box 26 that is common to the first coin insertion opening 21 and the second coin insertion opening 22.

The coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 10 and 11. The first game device 3 and the second game device 4 have substantially the same shape and function except for the coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26. Therefore, the first game device 3 will be described in detail as a representative, and the second game device 4 will not be described repeatedly.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the prize holding section 40 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the prize grasping section 40 includes a plurality of arms 43. In the example of fig. 2, the prize grip section 40 is provided with three arms 43A, 43B, 43C. The number of arms 43 may be two or four or more. The prize grasping section 40 further includes a bracket 41 and a control board 60 fixed to the bracket 41.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III shown in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 3, the prize grasping section 40 further includes a single motor 42, a feed screw (a screw shaft 53 and a nut 54), and an angle sensor 44, which are attached to the bracket 41. The motor 42 is, for example, a brush motor with a gear head, and is an example of a drive source. Instead of the motor 42, the prize holding section 40 may be constituted by a pneumatic or hydraulic drive source. A motor shaft gear 51 is mounted on the output shaft of the motor 42 via a gear head.

The feed screw is a slide screw, a ball screw, or the like, and converts the rotational motion of the screw shaft 53 into the linear motion of the nut 54. A screw shaft gear 52 is attached to the screw shaft 53. The screw shaft gear 52 is meshed with the motor shaft gear 51. The nut 54 and the arm 43 are connected by a link mechanism composed of a first member 55 and a second member 56. The first part 55 is fixed to the nut 54. The rotation center of the second member 56 is rotatably journaled to a base end portion 58 of the arm 43. One end of the second part 56 is connected within a slot formed in the first part 55.

In the example of fig. 3, the link mechanism is a swing link slider crank mechanism, and when the first member 55 moves up and down, one end of the second member 56 slides in a slot formed in the first member 55 to swing the second member 56. More specifically, when the first part 55 moves in the upward direction, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the closing direction D1. When the first part 55 moves in the downward direction, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the opening direction D2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the base end portion 58 of the arm 43 in an exploded manner. As shown in fig. 4, an urging member is attached to the arm 43. The force applied by the force applying member determines the holding force with which the arm 43 presses the prize. In the example of fig. 4, coil springs 57L, 57R are provided as urging members at the base end portions 58 of the arms 43.

The coil springs 57L and 57R are torsion coil springs, and are attached to the arm 43 such that the center axis of the coil coincides with the rotation axis 581 of the base end portion 58. The biasing member of the arm 43 is not limited to a torsion coil spring, and may be a spring such as a tension coil spring, or may be another elastic member. The arm portions of the coil springs 57L and 57R on one end side are fixed to the base end portion 58 in a bent manner.

The coil spring (closing direction spring) 57L biases the arm 43 toward the prize to give the arm 43 a holding force to press the prize. In addition, in the combination of the large arm 43 and the small prize, the weight of the arm 43 may act as a holding force for pressing the prize. The coil spring (opening direction spring) 57R biases the arm 43 in the opening direction D2 to equalize the weight of the arm 43.

The second part 56 of the link mechanism is constituted by a pair of spring seat members 56L, 56R sandwiching the base end portion 58. The rotation centers of the spring seat members 56L, 56R coincide with the rotation axis 581 of the base end portion 58. Spring seats for supporting the other end sides of the coil springs 57L, 57R are formed at the rotation centers of the spring seat members 56L, 56R, respectively.

When the arm 43 is rotated in the closing direction D1 by the spring seat member 56L via the coil spring 57L in a state where the arm 43 is in contact with the prize and is substantially stationary, the wrist portion on the other end side of the coil spring 57L is pressed against the bent portion of the spring seat, and the biasing force of the coil spring 57L is increased. When the spring seat member 56L rotates the arm 43 in the opening direction D2 in the reverse direction, the urging force of the coil spring 57L decreases.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V shown in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 5, one of the characteristics of the prize grip device 40 according to the present invention is that all the arms 43 (43A, 43B, 43C) are provided with angle sensors 44 (44A, 44B, 44C). In the example of fig. 5, the angle sensor 44 is a potentiometer that outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotation angle. The angle sensor 44 may be a photointerrupter or the like. The angle sensor 44 is engaged with a gear portion 582 formed around the rotation shaft 581 of the base end portion 58 of the arm 43. The control unit 61, which will be described later, controls the driving of the single motor 42 based on the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of the respective angle sensors 44.

Fig. 6 is a right side view showing the prize grip section 40. As shown in fig. 6, the prize grasping section 40 further includes an up-down sensor 45 that detects the up-down position of the nut 54. An up-down sensor gear 59 is mounted on the rotation shaft 581 of the base end portion 58. The up-down sensor 45 is a potentiometer similar to the angle sensor 44, and is engaged with the up-down sensor gear 59. The prize grasping section 40 further includes a lower limit sensor 46 (shown in fig. 7) for detecting a lower limit position and an upper limit sensor 47 (shown in fig. 7) for detecting an upper limit position. The lower limit sensor 46 and the upper limit sensor 47 detect that the nut 54 has moved to the edge of the movable range by blocking light by an unshown induction switch mounted on the nut 54 (shown in fig. 3) of the feed screw, for example, using a photointerrupter. In addition, a pressure-sensitive sensor may also be used to detect that contact has been made with the inductive switch.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize holding section 40. As shown in fig. 7, the control board 60 includes a control unit 61 and a storage unit 62. The control unit 61 and the storage unit 62 are not limited to the control board 60 mounted on the prize grasping unit 40, and may be provided with a board mounted on the lower floor structure 5 or the middle floor structure 6.

The storage unit 62 has a function of storing various programs and an operating system. The storage unit 62 also has a function as a work area for temporarily storing various data during the processing performed by the control unit 61. The storage unit 62 is implemented by, for example, a ROM. Further, RAM and the like are also possible. Various programs and data necessary for controlling the driving of the motor 42 are stored in the ROM. The ROM is composed of any one of or a suitable combination of a volatile memory typified by DRAM, a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory typified by mask ROM, and a rewritable nonvolatile memory typified by flash memory, for example.

The control unit 61 can be realized by, for example, a function of a CPU mounted on the control board 60. The CPU expands and executes a program stored in the ROM on the memory of the storage unit 62, and includes: a gripping force control mechanism 611 that cooperates with other hardware units or components to adjust the gripping force of the prize gripping section 40 by causing the apparatus constituting the prize gripping section 40 to realize various functions; and an adjustment index determination means 612 for determining an adjustment index to be referred to when the grip force control means 611 executes. The control unit 61 may further include a delivery index calculation means 613 for calculating a delivery index based on the number of prizes delivered.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for controlling the driving of the single motor 42 based on the plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, γ. When the operation of the player is input to the first operation section 31, the prize grasping section 40 moves in accordance with the operation of the player (step S1). When the player' S operations are all completed, the prize grasping section 40 descends and simultaneously starts an action of closing the plurality of arms 43 (step S2). The arm 43 stops when it abuts against the prize or closes to a limit angle. If the arm 43 is not stopped, the control unit 61 returns to step S2 to repeat the closing operation of the arm 43 (step S3).

On the other hand, when the arms 43 are stopped, the opening/closing angle of each arm 43 is detected (step S4). The control unit 61 (adjustment index determination means 612) applies the detected opening/closing angle to a condition set by the operator (for example, the opening/closing angle is maximum) to determine an adjustment index of the gripping force (step S5). The index of adjustment of the gripping force is not limited to the opening/closing angle α of the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1, and the condition may be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43.

For example, when the number of arms 43 is 2n+1, the opening/closing angle of the arm 43 having the greater opening/closing angle n+1 in the closing direction D1 may be set. For example, when the number of arms 43 is 2n, the opening/closing angle of the (n+1) -th large arm 43 may be the opening/closing angle of the (n) -th large arm 43. The opening/closing angle of the (n+1) th large arm 43 may be set. The average value between the opening/closing angle of the (n+1) -th large arm 43 and the opening/closing angle of the (n) -th large arm 43 may be used.

For example, a weighted average value (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) of the weight in which the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1 is larger than the other arms 43B and 43C may be calculated. The control unit 61 (grip force control means 611) controls the driving of the single motor 42 based on the adjustment index of the grip force determined in step S5 (step S6).

The control unit 61 may add correction values of the delivery index and the like to the main adjustment index. The control unit 61 (delivery index calculating means) acquires a delivery index based on the number of prizes delivered. An example of a delivery indicator is the delivery rate of the number of prizes delivered divided by the amount that has been awarded. The delivery index is not limited to the delivery rate, and may be the number of prizes delivered per unit time. The delivery index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

In the case of adjusting the holding force of the prize holding section 40 based on the delivery index, the land 18, 19 may be divided into a plurality of lands, and the delivery rate may be calculated or the holding force of the prize holding section 40 may be adjusted for each land. Fig. 9 shows an example of dividing the field 18 into a plurality of areas. As shown in fig. 9, the site 18 may be divided into two areas 181 to 182 and 183 to 184.

Although not shown, the site 18 may be divided into two areas 181 to 183 and an area 184. The site 18 may also be divided into two into a region 181 and regions 182-184. The site 18 may also be divided into three into a region 181, regions 182-183, and a region 184. It is possible to divide further finely. For example, if the area in which a certain prize is placed is reduced according to the number of the stored prizes and another prize is added to the space left free, the reduced prizes can be placed in an attractive manner.

In the example of fig. 9, physical barriers may also be further provided at the boundaries of the site 18. If a physical barrier is provided, it becomes visually easy to distinguish. In addition, since the prizes in the adjacent areas can be prevented from being mixed, the types of the prizes can be clearly distinguished. Further, when the grip force adjustment described above is performed for each area with reference to fig. 1 to 8, it is possible to appropriately process the divided areas in consideration of the delivery rates of prizes having different prices. The position of the prize holding section 40 in the region partitioned by the partition plate can be grasped from a sensor provided in a horizontal movement mechanism of the prize holding section 40, not shown, or the number of steps of a stepping motor that moves horizontally.

The prize acquiring game apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above distributes the driving force of the single motor 42 to the plurality of arms 43. Since the prize holding section 40 can be constructed compactly and inexpensively, the prize-acquiring game apparatus 1 is suitable for being divided into two upper and lower layers and having small prize accommodating sections 16 and 17. As shown in fig. 5, since the angle sensors 44 are provided on all the arms 43, even if the opening and closing angles of the arms 43A, 43B, and 43C are different, the opening and closing angles α, β, and γ can be detected, respectively, and therefore, the holding force of the prize holding section 40 can be appropriately adjusted.

When α > β > γ, the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on the largest opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, γ, for example. When the prize is held by the plurality of arms 43A, 43B, 43C, even if the holding force of one arm 43C is strong, if the holding force of the arms 43A, 43B that support from opposite directions is weak, the prize may fall off and cannot be held firmly. Therefore, the drive of the single motor 42 can be controlled based on the opening/closing angle of the arm 43A having the smallest gripping force, and the gripping force of the prize grip section 40 can be appropriately adjusted.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43, it may sometimes be appropriate to reference the other arms 43B, 43C, rather than the weakest gripping arm 43A. For example, if the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on a weighted average (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) of weights having w1 > w2 > w3, and the weight of each opening/closing angle is finely set according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43, the holding force of the prize holding section 40 can be appropriately adjusted. For example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the arm 43 having a moderate gripping force. The condition for determining the adjustment index is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43.

Next, features of the housing 2 of the prize acquiring game apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 16. First, the coin slot 25 will be described with reference to fig. 10 and 11. As described above, the casing 2 has the first coin insertion port 21 and the second coin insertion port 22 corresponding to the upper and lower floors 18 and 19, respectively, but the coin storage box 26 is disposed only in the lower floor structure 5. The first coin inlet 21 is located to the left of the front panel of the lower floor structure 5, and the second coin inlet 22 is located to the right of the front panel of the middle floor structure 6.

The prize-acquiring game apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a coin slot 25 for guiding coins inserted into the upper-layer second coin insertion port 22 to the lower-layer coin storage box 26. If the coin slot 25 is vertically formed, there is a risk that the coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26 are broken by the impact of the coin falling. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, the first to third inclined portions 251, 252, 253 constituting the coin slot 25 are provided with slopes δ, ε, ζ, respectively, so as to alleviate the impact of the coin falling. In the illustrated example, epsilon > delta and zeta, the coin rolls on the gentle slopes delta and zeta in the first inclined portion 251 and the third inclined portion 253. In the second inclined portion 252, the coin slides on a steep slope epsilon. By providing the slopes δ, ε, ζ, breakage of the coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26 due to impact caused by direct drop of coins can be prevented.

Next, the locking structure of the front doors 11 and 12 will be described with reference to fig. 12 and 13. Since the front doors 11 and 12 have substantially the same shape and function, the front door 12 will be described in detail as a representative, and the overlapping description of the front door 11 will be omitted. If the front doors 11, 12 are opened in the left-right direction, the front doors 11, 12 may interfere with pedestrians during the prize replenishment.

As shown in fig. 12, the front door 12 of the present embodiment is configured as a left-right sliding door so as not to obstruct a pedestrian. If the door is left and right, lock cylinders are usually installed on the left sliding door and the right sliding door respectively. However, in the case of a vertically long two-layer type structure with a small left-right space as in the present embodiment, it is difficult to secure a space for the lock cylinder to lock the right sliding door 12R in addition to the lock cylinder 27 to lock the left sliding door 12L. Further, since there are a plurality of sites, if two lock cylinders are installed for each site, the cost becomes high.

Accordingly, as shown in fig. 12 and 13, only the left sliding door 12L is provided with the key cylinder 27 that is unlocked and locked from the outside. When the prize is replenished, the lock cylinder 27 of the left sliding door 12L is unlocked and the left sliding door 12L is slid to the right. When a prize is disposed at a position distant from the left sliding door 12L, it is sometimes desirable to slide the right sliding door 12R to the left to replenish the prize. In view of that, a lock mechanism 28 that can be unlocked by hand is provided on the inner side of the right sliding door 12R.

As shown in fig. 13, the lock mechanism 28 is constituted by a lock bar 281, a guide 282 for holding the lock bar 281 in the standing posture, and a hole 283 fitted in the lock bar 281. The right sliding door 12R can be slid to the left by lifting the locking bar 281 to be taken out of the hole 283. In the locked state, the right sliding door 12R is slid rightward. When the right sliding door 12R returns to the original position, the locking bar 281 is guided by the guide 282 to fall into the hole 283 by its own weight, thereby locking the right sliding door 12R.

Next, the gaps secured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 and the middle floor structure 6 will be described with reference to fig. 12 and 14. As described above, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 are mounted across the first game device 3 and the second game device 4. A middle field structure 6 is disposed between the upper and lower fields 18, 19.

When the transparent plate such as the right side plate 14 is fixed to the middle floor structure 6, the transparent plate is fixed to the middle floor structure 6 with a gap therebetween, so that it is possible to prevent the transparent plate from being scratched by contact with the middle floor structure 6 due to vibration during transportation from a factory to an entertainment facility or the like. As shown in fig. 14, the right side plate 14 is fixed to the middle floor structure 6 by a shoulder washer 141 and a screw 142. Is fixed with a gap maintained by a shoulder washer 141 and a spacer rubber not shown.

Next, the internal structure of the prize delivery ports 33 and 34 will be described with reference to fig. 15 and 16. The prize-acquiring game apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has two layers, namely, an upper layer and a lower layer, and therefore, the space is limited greatly. In the present embodiment, even if a large prize falls down to the prize delivery ports 33 and 34 in a vertically aligned manner, a fold-back area 38 for rotating the prize is secured so that the prize can be taken out. When the shutter 37 is pushed up, the prize rolls down on the floor of the inner space of the prize delivery ports 33, 34. When the shutter 37 is pushed up further, the prize moves to the fold-back area 38 divided on the inner side of the internal space of the prize delivery ports 33, 34, and the shutter 37 can be pushed up to the upper limit to take out the prize. According to the present embodiment, even a small-sized casing can take out a large prize similarly to a normal-sized casing.

The embodiments described above are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit and explain the present invention. The arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, and the like of the elements included in the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated, and may be appropriately changed. In addition, the configurations shown in the different embodiments can be partially replaced or combined with each other.

Claims

1. A prize-acquiring game device is configured to have two or more layers, and is characterized by comprising:

a1 st game device having a1 st coin slot;

A2 nd game device which is arranged on an upper layer compared with the 1 st game device and is provided with a2 nd coin input port;

A coin storage box disposed at a lower side than the 1 st coin inlet; and

A coin slot for guiding the coins input into the 2 nd coin input port to the coin storage box,

The prize-acquiring game apparatus is configured such that coins inserted into the 1st coin insertion port drop into the coin storage box, coins inserted into the 2 nd coin insertion port move in the coin slot and drop into the coin storage box,

The coin slot is composed of at least one inclined part provided with a prescribed gradient for rolling and moving the coins which are put into the 2 nd coin input port,

The at least one inclined portion is constituted by a1 st inclined portion including one end of the coin slot, a3 rd inclined portion including the other end of the coin slot located on the opposite side of the one end, and a 2 nd inclined portion connecting the 1 st inclined portion and the 3 rd inclined portion,

The slope of the 1 st inclined portion and the 3 rd inclined portion is set smaller than the slope of the 2 nd inclined portion.

2. A prize-acquiring game device is configured to have two or more layers, and is characterized by comprising:

a1 st game device having a1 st coin slot;

A coin storage box disposed at a lower side than the 1 st coin inlet; and

The at least one inclined portion includes three inclined portions having different magnitudes of slopes.