JP2000070499A - Ball controller of pachinko game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the load applied to the brake means to control a ball wheel compared with a conventional machine which controls the flow of pachinko balls only by a ball wheel by controlling the flow of pinball balls by cooperative action of a ball wheel and a valve member. SOLUTION: This machine has a ball passage 3 through which balls are conveyed, a ball wheel 4 which has pawls on its periphery placed in the ball passage 3 and rotates by the weight of a ball going through it, a control means 7 with a valve member 7a to open and shut the ball passage 3 and a brake member 7b to lock the ball wheel 4, and a solenoid 5 to operate the control means. The valve member 7a is placed on the downstream side of the ball wheel 4 with a ball retaining space corresponding to one ball size, and the setting is made so that when the valve member 7a is at the open position, the brake member 7b locks the ball wheel 4 and the pawl 4a of the ball wheel 4 shuts the ball passage 3, and when the valve member 7a is in the shut position, the brake means 7b is at the unlocking position and the rotation of the ball wheel 4 becomes free.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball control device for controlling the flow of a pachinko ball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a pachinko machine, a ball control device for controlling the flow of a pachinko ball is indispensable. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a prize ball discharging device 19 for discharging a prize ball or a rental ball to a ball plate, a prize ball processing device 23 for detecting a prize ball one by one, or as shown in FIG. Automatic ball feeder 2 that sends pachinko balls from the ball plate to the ball launcher
6 and so on.

[0003] One type of conventional ball control device includes a ball passage through which pachinko balls pass in a line, a pawl provided on the outer periphery facing the ball passage, and the weight of the pachinko ball passing through the ball passage. There is a ball wheel that rotates with a ball, and the flow of the pachinko ball is controlled by stopping the rotation of the ball wheel with brake means.

[0004]

The conventional ball wheel type ball control device has a problem that an excessive load is applied to the brake means.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has a ball passage for passing pachinko balls in a line, a claw piece provided on an outer periphery of the ball passage facing the ball passage, and a ball passage for the pachinko ball. A ball wheel that rotates with the weight of the pachinko ball passing therethrough, control means provided with a valve member for opening and closing the flow path of the ball path, and a brake member for locking the ball wheel, and a drive means for operating the control means. A ball stop space for one pachinko ball is provided downstream of the ball wheel and between the ball wheel and a valve member is arranged, and the valve member is in an open position where the valve member opens a flow path of the ball passage. When the brake member locks the ball wheel, the claw piece of the ball wheel closes the passage in the ball passage, while the brake member is in the unlock position when the valve member is in the closed position closing the passage in the ball passage. Pachinko set so that the rotation of the ball car is free Providing spheres controller.

In a normal state, as shown in FIG. 4A, the valve member is in a closed position for closing the flow path of the ball passage, and at the same time, the brake member is in the unlock position and the rotation of the ball wheel is free. When the pachinko ball flows into the ball passage in this state, FIG.
As shown in (b), the first pachinko ball pushes the ball wheel to hit the valve member and stops in the ball stopping space, and the next pachinko ball hits the claw piece of the ball wheel and stops.

Next, when the control means is actuated by the drive means, the valve member opens the ball passage as shown in FIG. 4C, and at the same time the brake member locks the ball wheel. Therefore, the pachinko ball that has been in the ball stopping space flows, but the pachinko ball hitting the claw piece of the ball wheel stops and does not move. Next,
When the control means returns, the valve member returns to the closed position for closing the flow path of the ball passage, and at the same time, the brake member returns to the unlock position and the rotation of the ball wheel becomes free. The pachinko ball that has been flowed flows and stops in the ball stopping space between the valve member and the ball wheel as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the above operation is repeated, and pachinko balls are sent out one by one.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of the ball control device, FIG. 2 is a front view of the ball control device, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ball control device, and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a front view of the pachinko machine, and FIG. 6 is a rear view of the pachinko machine.

The ball control device 1 comprises two substrates 2a and 2b facing each other with a little more than one pachinko ball, a ball passage 3 provided between the substrates 2a and 2b,
A schematic configuration of a ball wheel 4 provided between a and 2b, a solenoid 5 serving as a driving means provided on the outer substrate 2a, and a control means 7 described later attached to a plunger 6 of the solenoid 5 is provided.

The ball passage 3 is large enough to allow a single pachinko ball to pass therethrough. The ball passage 3 has a downwardly inclined introduction passage 3a, a vertical ball cutting passage 3b, and a downwardly inclined discharge passage 3c. It is bent in the shape of a letter. The discharge passage 3c
Is formed by projecting the inner surfaces of the substrates 2a and 2b in a rail shape and has no bottom, but of course the pachinko ball does not fall.

Next, the ball wheel 4 has a plurality of (four in the embodiment) claw pieces 4a, 4a... Provided at an equal pitch on the outer periphery, and a space between the claw pieces 4a is substantially the same as the ball diameter of the pachinko ball. And is rotatably mounted on a shaft 8 between the substrates 2a and 2b and at the boundary between the ball cutting passage 3b and the discharge passage 3c of the ball passage 3. At this mounting position, the ball 4 is in a state where the claw pieces 4a enter and exit the ball cutting passage 3b and the discharge passage 3c, and can rotate like a water wheel under the weight of the pachinko ball passing through the ball passage 3.

Next, the solenoid 5 is connected to the outer substrate 2a.
The mounting base 9 is formed, and the mounting base 9 is attached to the mounting base 9 via a mounting plate 10 by fitting a positioning boss 11a and tightening a screw 11b. The solenoid 5 has a plunger 6 urged downward by a spring 12, and the plunger 6 is retracted only while power is supplied to the solenoid 5.

Next, the control means 7 controls the solenoid 5
The valve member 7a for opening and closing the flow path of the ball passage 3 and the brake member 7b for locking the ball wheel 4 are integrally attached to the lower end of the plunger 6 from the outside of the substrate 2a to the substrate 2b side. It protrudes toward. The valve member 7a
Is a plate shape, faces the ball passage 3 through the window hole 13 of the substrate 2a, and faces the discharge passage 3 with the plunger 6 lowered.
The flow path of c is closed, and conversely, the flow path of the discharge path 3c is opened with the plunger 6 raised. The valve member 7 a is located downstream of the ball wheel 4, and a ball stop space 14 for one pachinko ball is provided between the valve member 7 a and the ball wheel 4.

Further, the brake member 7b is in the form of a square material and dive below the base plate 2a to face under the ball wheel 4, and engages with the claw piece 4a in a state where the plunger 6 is raised, thereby causing the ball wheel 4 to move. When the plunger 6 is lowered, it is released from the claw piece 4a to unlock the ball wheel 4.

A stopper 15 is provided on the substrate 2a so as to face the control means 7 as shown in FIG.
The bottom of the control means 7 hits the stopper 15 and the plunger 6 stops lowering.

Further, between the substrate 2a and the control means 7, a detent means 16 for restricting the movement of the plunger 6 around the axis is formed. That is, a tapered surface 7c is formed on one side surface of the control means 7, while a contact plate 17 having a tapered surface 17a paired with the tapered surface 7c of the control means 7 on the substrate 2a.
To protrude. The taper surface 7c of the control means 7 and the contact plate 17
Of the plunger 6 is restricted by the tapered surfaces 7c and 17a being aligned with each other, and as a result, the positioning of the valve member 7a is restricted. It becomes accurate and the size of the ball stopping space 14 is always kept constant. On the other hand, when the control means 7 moves up and down to perform the ball cutting operation of the pachinko ball as described later, the taper surface 7c of the control means 7 separates from the taper surface 17a of the contact plate 17 and the plunger 6 rotates around the axis. In order to perform the ball cutting operation of the pachinko ball, the movement of the plunger 6 about the axis, that is, the movement of the control means 7 about the vertical axis, requires an appropriate play of the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b (particularly, Play in the swinging direction of the valve member 7a) contributes to smoothness of a series of operations. The tapered surface 7
An adhesion preventing means 70 for preventing adhesion between surfaces is provided between c and 17a. The illustrated adhesion preventing means 70 is a projection provided on the tapered surface 7c.
As a result, the tapered surfaces 7c and 17a are easily separated from each other, so that the movement of the control means 7 is smooth.

4 (a) to 4 (c), reference numeral 18 denotes a ball sensor provided at the bottom of the ball stopping space 14.
The ball sensor 18 detects a pachinko ball. Of course, the ball sensor 18 is not limited to this place,
It may be installed at an arbitrary place in the ball passage 3, or a ball sensor on the pachinko machine P side may be used. Also,
The type of the ball sensor 18 includes, for example, a proximity switch, a micro switch, a reed switch, an optical switch, and the like.
Anything may be used.

Next, the operation of the ball control device 1 of the present invention will be described. First, in a normal state, the solenoid 5 is turned off and the plunger 6 is lowered. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4A, the valve member 7a is in the closed position for closing the flow path of the ball passage 3 (discharge passage 3c), and at the same time, the brake member 7b is in the unlocked position and The rotation is free. In this state, as shown in FIG.
When B2... Flows into the ball passage 3, the leading pachinko ball B1 enters the ball cutting passage 3b and rests on the claw piece 4a as shown by the two-dot chain line, and the pachinko ball as shown in FIG. B1 pushes and turns the ball wheel 4 to enter the ball stopping space 14 and hits the valve member 7a to stop. And the following pachinko balls B2 ...
As shown in FIG. 4 (b), it stops in a state where it hits the claw piece 4a of the ball wheel 4.

Next, when the solenoid 5 is energized, the control means 7 rises together with the plunger 6, and the valve member 7a opens the ball passage 3 (discharge passage 3c), and at the same time, the brake member 7b
Strikes the claw 4a of the ball wheel 4 to lock the rotation of the ball wheel 4. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the leading pachinko ball B1 in the ball stopping space 14 flows due to the downward inclination of the discharge passage 3c, but the following pachinko ball B2 placed on the claw piece 4a of the ball wheel 4 Stops and does not move.

Next, when the solenoid 5 is turned off and the control means 7 returns to the original position where it hits the stopper 15, the valve member 7a returns to the closed position for closing the flow path of the spherical passage 3 (discharge passage 3c). Brake member 7b is claw piece 4a
The ball wheel 4 is rotated by the weight of the pachinko ball B2 that has been placed on the claw piece 4a until the ball wheel 4 is returned to the unlocked position where the pachinko ball B2 is on the claw piece 4a. ), The ball enters the ball stopping space 14 between the valve member 7a and the ball wheel 4 and stops. Thereafter, each time the solenoid 5 is operated once, the operations shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C are repeated, and the pachinko balls are sent out one by one to the discharge passage 3c.

Since the ball control device 1 of the present invention is configured as described above, if it is incorporated into the mechanism plate 20 as the prize ball discharging device 19 as shown in FIG. It can be released by the number. Of course, in this case, the introduction passage 3a is connected to the outlet gutter 21 of the mechanism plate 20,
The discharge passage 3c is connected to the prize ball discharge gutter 22. The solenoid 5 operates a set number of times according to a prize ball release signal or a lending ball signal, and the sphere sensor 18 checks the number of released prize balls or lending balls.

Further, if the ball control device 1 of the present invention is incorporated in the mechanism plate 20 as a winning ball processing device 23 as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to accurately detect winning balls one by one.
In this case, the introduction passage 3a is connected to the winning ball collecting gutter 24,
The discharge passage 3c is connected to the winning ball discharge gutter 25. The solenoid 5 is activated by a signal from the ball sensor 18 detecting a winning ball, and counts a winning ball based on a signal from the ball sensor 18.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the ball control device 1 of the present invention can be used as an automatic ball-supplying device 26 as shown in FIG. In this case, the pachinko balls can be accurately sent one by one to the hit ball launching device. In this case, the introduction passage 3a is connected to the upper ball tray 28, and the discharge passage 3c is connected to the shooting ball supply unit. Note that the solenoid 5 is activated by a signal indicating that the ball sensor 18 has detected a pachinko ball.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the application of the ball control device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the prize ball discharging device 19, the winning ball processing device 23, and the automatic hit ball supply device 26 described above. In addition, in the embodiment, the ball passage 3 is bent substantially in the shape of the letter “C”.
As shown in FIG. 7, the ball passage 3 may be bent substantially in a crank shape, or although not shown, the introduction passage 3a and the ball cutting passage 3b may be linearly continuous. In addition,
If the introduction passage 3a and the ball cutting passage 3b are bent and the ball wheel 4 is arranged near the bent portion, the introduction passage 3
The ball pressure of a is dispersed at the bent portion, and the load on the ball wheel 4 and the control means 7 can be reduced. In the embodiment, the solenoid 5 is used as the driving means. However, for example, a rotary solenoid, an electric motor, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder may be used.

The control means 7 is not limited to the structure of the embodiment. For example, the control unit 7 of the embodiment
Has a structure in which the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b are integrally moved up and down. For example, FIG.
As shown in (b), the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b may be provided separately and connected to each other by a swing link 7d.

That is, the control means 7 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B shows that the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b are vertically slidable in the slide rail 29 protruding from the inner surface of the substrate 2b. The valve member 7a and the brake member 7b
The pins 7e and 7f projecting from the long hole 7d of the swing link 7d
g and 7g. In addition, since the swing link 7d has its center portion pivotally attached to the inner surface of the substrate 2b and movement is limited to seesaw operation, when the valve member 7a rises, the brake member 7b descends, and when the valve member 7a descends. The brake member 7b moves up.

In a normal state, as shown in FIG.
The valve member 7a is in a closed position where it protrudes from under the ball passage 3 (discharge passage 3c) to close the flow path, and the brake member 7b is lowered to the unlock position so that the rotation of the ball wheel 4 is free. In this state, the pachinko ball B as shown by the solid line in FIG.
Flow into the ball passage 3 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8 (a), the leading pachinko ball B1 pushes the ball wheel 4 to stop in the ball stopping space 14, and the subsequent pachinko ball B2. Hits the claw 4a of the ball wheel 4 and stops.

Next, when the pin 7f of the brake member 7b is pulled up by a driving means such as a solenoid as shown in FIG. 8B, the valve member 7a is moved through the swing link 7d.
To open the ball passage 3 (discharge passage 3c), and the top of the brake member 7b hits the claw piece 4a to lock the rotation of the ball wheel 4. Therefore, the leading pachinko ball B1 in the ball stopping space 14 flows due to the downward inclination of the discharge passage 3c, and the subsequent pachinko ball B2 placed on the claw piece 4a of the ball wheel 4 does not move.

Next, when the driving means is turned off and the brake member 7b is lowered, the valve member 7a is raised and the ball passage 3
(Returning to the closed position where the flow path of the discharge passage 3c is closed), the brake member 7b returns to the unlocked position where the pawl 4a is separated from the pawl 4a, and the rotation of the ball wheel 4 becomes free.
The ball wheel 4 rotates with the weight of the pachinko ball B2 on
The pachinko ball B2 enters the ball stopping space 14 between the valve member 7a and the ball wheel 4 like the pachinko ball B1 in FIG. After that, each time the driving means operates once, FIG.
The operation of (b) is repeated, and the pachinko balls are sent out one by one to the discharge passage 3c.

The pin 7f of the brake member 7b is slidably attached to the elongated hole 70b of the brake member 7b.
8A, the pin 7f is pressed against the lower end of the long hole 70b as shown in FIG.
Operate integrally. However, even when the top of the brake member 7b hits the ball wheel 4, if the push-up pressure still acts on the pin 7f, the pin 7f rises along the elongated hole 70b against the bias of the spring 71b as shown in FIG. 8B. I do. Then, when the pin 7f starts to descend, the brake member 7b descends after the pin 7f hits the lower end of the elongated hole 70b. Such a structure is advantageous for adjusting the operation timing of the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b, for example, locking the ball wheel 4 with the brake member 7b before the valve member 7a opens the flow path, An operation such as locking the ball wheel 4 with the brake member 7b until the valve member 7a closes the flow path can be easily performed.

As a means for operating the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b separately of the control means 7, in addition to the above, rack gears are formed on opposing surfaces of the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b, respectively. A single pinion gear may be interposed between the rack gears so that the valve member 7a and the brake member 7b are interlocked by the pinion gear. Of course, also in this case, the valve member 7a and the brake member 7
b move in opposite directions because they mesh with one pinion gear.

[0032]

According to the ball control device of the present invention, the flow of pachinko balls is controlled by the cooperative action of the ball wheel and the valve member. Thus, the load applied to the brake means for controlling the ball car can be drastically reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball control device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the ball control device.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a ball control device.

4 (a) to 4 (c) are cross-sectional front views of main parts for explaining the operation.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the pachinko machine.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the pachinko machine.

FIG. 7 is a sectional front view of a main part of a ball control device according to another embodiment.

8 (a) and 8 (b) are cross-sectional front views of main parts showing another embodiment of the control means.

[Explanation of symbols]

P ... pachinko machine B1, B2 ... pachinko ball 1 ... ball control device 3 ... ball passage (introduction passage 3a, ball cutting passage 3b, discharge passage 3c) 4 ... ball car 4a ... claw piece 5 ... solenoid (driving means) 7 ... Control means 7a: valve member 7b: brake member

Claims (1)

[Claims] A ball passage for passing pachinko balls in a row, a ball wheel having a claw provided on an outer periphery thereof facing the ball passage, and rotating by the weight of the pachinko ball passing through the ball passage; Control means provided with a valve member for opening and closing the flow path of the above and a brake member for locking the ball wheel, and drive means for operating the control means, the ball wheel being downstream from the ball wheel and being The ball member is arranged by providing a ball stopping space for one pachinko ball between and the brake member locks the ball wheel when the valve member is in the open position to open the flow path of the ball passage, and The pawl piece closes the flow path of the ball passage, while the brake member is in the unlocked position when the valve member is in the closed position closing the flow path of the ball passage, and the ball wheel is set to be free to rotate. A ball control device for a pachinko machine.