JP2002065933A - Preventive device for entering gutter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a preventive device for entering a gutter having a structure wherein energy required for vertically moving a guide bar, which prevents a ball from dropping in the gutter, can be less, and at the same time, reduce the number of parts. SOLUTION: A fixing section 13 is provided at a location of the gutter 12, being close to a lane. At the same time, the guide bar 20, which prevents the ball from rolling and dropping in the gutter during a bowling game, is supported by the fixing section 13. Then, the fixing section 13 grips a non-stretching section 32 of a stretching means 31, which vertically moves the guide bar 20. At the same time, the distal end 35 of a stretching section 33 of the stretching means is directly connected with the guide bar, and thus, the stretching means is tilted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gutter prevention device used to prevent a ball from falling into a gutter by the initiative of a player who plays a bowling game and to enhance the entertainment of the game.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a bowling game, as shown in FIG. 10, a ball 2 is rolled from one end 1a of a lane 1 and several pins 3 at the other end (tip) 1b are knocked down within a predetermined number of pitches. It is a ball game where the competition score is
Gutters 4 are provided on both sides of the gutter.
If ball 2 falls in the first place, it will not be scored.

[0003] The lane 1 is relatively narrow and long, and the ball 2 is heavy.
An elderly person (unskilled player) cannot roll the ball 4 to the tip 1b of the lane 1 and drops it on the gutter 4 to lose consciousness of competition with other players. for that reason,
For an unskilled player who has once experienced a bowling game, bowling is not an interesting game, and a bowling alley loses customers.

Therefore, a fixed portion 5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the gutter 4 is provided near the lane 1, and the base end of the support arm 6 is pivotally supported at a predetermined interval on the fixed portion 5, and further supported by the fixed portion 5. A gutter prevention device has been proposed in which a guide bar 7 is attached to a tip end of an arm 6 so as to be able to advance upward from the lane 1 or the gutter 4 so as to prevent generation of gutter.

However, since the guide bar 7 of the gutter prevention device is not required for the skilled player, when the skilled player plays a bowling game, the guide bar 7 is provided below the lane 1 or the gutter 4 so as not to advance above the surface of the gutter 4. I need to dive in. Therefore, a fluid pressure cylinder is fixed to the fixing portion 5, and the tip of the cylinder rod (both not shown) is connected to the support arm 6 to extend and contract the cylinder rod, thereby tilting the support arm 6, A technique (prior art) has been proposed in which the guide bar 7 is moved upward or backward from the lane 1 or the gutter 4 while keeping the guide bar 7 horizontal (registered utility model No. 30450501).

[0006]

However, in this prior art, the distal end of the cylinder rod is connected to the support arm 6, and the support arm 6 is tilted to move the guide bar 7 up and down. The lifting / lowering action of the hydraulic cylinder with respect to the guide bar 7 is not only indirect, but also the hydraulic cylinder is operated with a certain degree of inclination with respect to the guide bar 7 itself. Inefficient use of energy. Since the guide bar 7 itself has a length corresponding to the length of the lane 1, it depends on how many hydraulic cylinders are used to move the guide bar 7 up and down. Considering that a considerable load is applied to the cylinder, energy utilization efficiency cannot be ignored, and energy loss due to rattling between the support arm 6 and the guide bar 7 cannot be overlooked (a problem of the prior art).

The present inventor has conducted intensive studies on the above-mentioned problems. As a result, the root cause is that the support arm 6 has two functions of a function of supporting the guide bar 7 and a function of moving the guide bar 7 up and down. However, it has been found that if the above two functions are provided to the expansion and contraction means represented by a direct fluid pressure cylinder, not only the efficiency of energy use for raising and lowering the guide bar is improved, but also the prior art The inventors have found that such a support arm becomes unnecessary, and have completed the present invention. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gutter preventing apparatus having a structure in which when the guide bar is moved up and down by a base at a fixed portion provided near a gutter lane by a telescopic means, the energy required for elevating and lowering the guide bar is reduced. Another object of the present invention is to reduce the number of parts by eliminating the support arm of the device.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gutter preventing apparatus, wherein a fixed portion extending in the longitudinal direction is provided near a gutter lane, and the fixed portion grips a non-stretchable portion of a telescopic means. In addition, a guide bar for preventing a ball from rolling down into the gutter during a bowling game is directly connected to a distal end portion of the expansion / contraction portion of the expansion / contraction means. However, in the case where the ball comes into contact with the guide bar and the expansion and contraction portion of the expansion and contraction means is easily bent outward of the lane, the gutter prevention device according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured to suppress bending of the expansion and contraction means. 2. The gutter prevention device according to claim 1, wherein a specific flexure suppressing unit having a structure different from that of the prior art support arm is provided between the fixed portion and the guide bar to support the expansion and contraction unit. And

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a gutter prevention device embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, in the gutter prevention device 11, a fixed portion 13 that extends in a gutter shape near the lane (not shown) of the gutter 12 and is integrated with the gutter 12. The expansion / contraction means 31 typified by a fluid cylinder is attached to the fixed portion 13.

The expansion and contraction means 31 makes the cylinder 32 into which the fluid is injected and discharged by the fluid pump a non-expansion part,
The piston at the base end is displaced in the cylinder 32 by the injection and discharge of the fluid, and the rod 33 whose distal end 35 expands and contracts is configured as an expansion and contraction portion. The cylinder 32 is gripped by a specific gripper 26 described later. Then, the gripper 26 is fixed to the fixing portion 13 to be attached to the fixing portion 13.

The rod 33 extends obliquely upward from the cylinder 32 through a through hole 34 formed in the bottom portion 13a of the fixed portion 13, and has a tip portion 35 at which an unskilled player plays a ball during bowling game. In order to prevent the guide bar 20 from falling down, the guide bar 20 is directly connected to the guide bar 20 extending along the fixing portion 13 via a pin 37.

The gripper 26 is pivotally mounted via a pin 27 to an inclined end surface 23a of a side trapezoidal base 23 fixed to the bottom portion 13a of the fixing portion 13 with two bolts 24 and nuts 25. As shown in FIG. 4, a hook member 28 having an inverted U-shaped front surface, a side-convex connecting member 29 that locks a central portion of the hook member 28 and is connected to the inclined end surface 23a, It mainly comprises a locking pin 30 for rotatably locking the expansion / contraction means 31. The hook member 28 may be formed by bending a strip-shaped flat plate, or may be formed by attaching an L-shaped bent formed body to the joint 3.
6 to form an inverted U shape as a whole.

The guide bar 20 has a substantially right-angled triangular cross section, and is composed of an upper portion 22 having a concave curved inclined surface 22a on the upper surface and a lower portion 21 having forked pieces 21a and 21b on the lower surface. The inclined surface 22a is one element constituting the gutter 12 when the guide bar 20 is lowered without exerting its function (shown in FIG. 7).
3 is pinched by a pin 37 while holding the distal end portion 35 (shown in FIG. 2).

As described above, the rod 3
The guide bar 20 supported by the tip portion 35 has a function of preventing the ball from rolling down into the gutter during the bowling game, but the more the function is exerted, the more the ball comes into contact with the guide bar 20. Since the frequency of the movement is increased, the rod 33 of the expansion / contraction means 31 is easily bent outward unless it is formed of a material having a relatively high rigidity. Therefore, in this embodiment, a bending suppressing means 40 having a specific structure for suppressing the bending of the rod 33 in cooperation with the expansion / contraction means 31 is provided between the fixing portion 13 and the guide bar 20.

The bending restraining means 40 includes a strip-shaped main plate 42 whose lower end portion is locked to the fixing portion 13 via the first pin 41 and whose upper end portion is a free end and rises vertically vertically.
The main plate 42 is composed of strip-shaped side plates 43a and 43b fixed to both end surfaces of both sides by welding. The main plate 42 has a lateral width direction oriented in a direction orthogonal to the guide bar 20, and the side plates 43 a and 43 b are located at an outer position (farther from the expansion / contraction means 31) than a mounting position of the first pin 41. ) Is attached to the guide bar 20 via a second pin 44 provided at (position). When the rod 33 is extended, the hook portion 42a formed at the lower end of the main plate 42 is first locked by the first pin 41, and then the side plates 43a, 43
Since b is restrained by the second pin 44, the deflection suppressing means 40 is in a tensioned state as the guide bar 20 is raised,
The main plate 42 resists bending in the width direction. Conversely, when the rod 33 is contracted, the deflection suppressing means 40 rotates about the first pin 41 and the hook portion 42a tilts without coming off from the first pin 41. Since the tongue-shaped locking auxiliary portion 45 is provided, even if the main plate 42 continues to tilt and finally becomes horizontal (shown in FIG. 6), it functions as a lever and serves as a lever. To maintain the locked state.

Gutter prevention device 11 having such a structure
Acts as follows and exerts its function. Now, Figure 1
If the guide bar 20 is higher than the gutter 12 (or the lane) as shown in FIG. 3, even if an unskilled player rolls a ball on the lane in that state, the ball does not fall into the gutter 12. Prevention device 11
Exerts its function.

Next, when it is time for the skilled player to lower the guide bar 20 below the gutter 12 in order to play the bowling game, the expansion / contraction means 31 is driven to contract the rod 33 in the direction shown by the arrow A. Let it. Then, the guide bar 20 directly connected to the distal end portion 35 of the rod 33 is displaced in the direction shown by the arrow B,
As shown in FIG. 5, the guide bar 20 descends, and the deflection suppressing means 40 whose upper part is connected to the guide bar 20 tilts in the direction shown by the arrow C.

When the rod 33 of the expansion / contraction means 31 is further contracted, as shown in FIG.
3 and is finally stored in the fixed part 13 as shown in FIG.
2a is flush with the curved surface of the gutter 12. Therefore, the gutter 12 exhibits its original function. Then, when the guide bar 20 is raised again, each element is displaced in the opposite direction.

A comparison of the load of the expansion and contraction means 31 in the above-described displacement process with that of the prior art means that, when the expansion and contraction means 31 is driven, a substantial intersection point between the distal end portion 35 of the rod 33 and the guide bar 20 is obtained. The pin 37 draws the locus m shown in FIG. Assuming that the pin 30 of the gripper 26 of the expansion and contraction means 31 is located at the position of the point o, the expansion and contraction means 31 includes a line connecting the lowest position p of the locus m and the point o, and a tangent drawn from the point o to the locus m. And rotate between.

Similarly, in the prior art in which the distal end of the expansion / contraction means is connected to the support arm corresponding to the deflection suppressing means 40,
The pin 38 of the connecting part draws a locus n, and the stretching means is a point r,
It rotates within the range of the angle formed by connecting o and s. This rotation angle is smaller than the rotation angle according to the present invention, but the elevation angle β when viewing the pin 38 from the point o is smaller than the elevation angle α according to the present invention. Therefore, the component force for raising the guide bar 20 is clearly smaller than that of the anti-gutter device according to the present invention. (Evidence suggests that the prior art requires a specific grip below the fixing portion to increase the elevation angle β. The mounting position of the telescopic means is considerably lower than the mounting position of the present invention by mounting the tool / see FIG. 1 of the prior art). In other words, the device according to the present invention has higher energy utilization efficiency for raising and lowering the guide bar 20. Further, in the present invention, since the lifting energy is not transmitted to the guide bar 20 via the first pin 44, the energy loss required for absorbing the rattling generated between the support arm and the guide bar in the prior art is reduced. Absent.

Next, the deflection suppressing means 40 will be described. When the rod 33 of the expansion and contraction means 31 is sufficiently extended to exert the function of the guide bar 20, the hook portion 42a of the bending suppression means 40 pivotally supported and suspended by the guide bar 20 is moved to the first position. Since it is locked by the pin 41, the deflection suppressing means 40 itself is tensed. Since the strip-shaped main plate 42 is provided inside the deflection suppressing means 40, the main plate 42 resists bending in the width direction. Therefore, the deflection suppressing means 40 cooperates with the stretching means 31 to exhibit its function.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but may be variously modified within the scope of the present invention according to the purpose and application. In other words, if a large expansion / contraction portion having large deflection resistance is used, it is also possible to use a deflection suppressing means in combination, and even when the restraining means must be used, the present invention is not limited to the above-described means. As shown in FIG. 9, a mode in which a deflection suppressing member 39 disposed in parallel with the expansion and contraction means 31 on the fixing portion 13 may be adopted.

When a ball falls into the gutter 12 in a normal bowling game, the detection means senses the signal, calculates the signal by a computer, and displays that the score at the time of the pitch is gutter. Although the player is notified via the display means, when the anti-gutter device according to the present invention is operating, that is, when the guide bar 20 rises and the ball in the bowling game rolls down to the gutter 12. Is not required, the above-mentioned notification becomes unnecessary. Therefore, in the present invention, a stopping means for temporarily stopping the function of the sensing means can be provided in at least one element selected from the guide bar, the bending suppression means, the expansion / contraction means, or the drive control system of the expansion / contraction means.

[0024]

As described in detail above, the present invention is applicable to a case in which a guide bar for preventing a ball from falling into a gutter is moved up and down by a fixed portion provided near a lane of the gutter by a telescopic means. It is possible to provide a gutter prevention device having a structure requiring less energy, and to provide an excellent effect that components such as a support arm for supporting the guide bar and a connecting member for connecting the support arm and the expansion / contraction means can be omitted. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken side view showing a main part of a gutter prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a partially broken side view showing a stage in the middle of elevating and lowering the guide bar in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partially broken side view showing a stage where the guide bar is lowered.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway sectional view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a rotation angle of the expansion / contraction means.

FIG. 9 is a partially broken side view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

11; anti-gutter device, 12; gutter, 13;
20; guide bar, 31; telescopic means, 32; non-telescopic part (cylinder), 33; telescopic part (rod), 40;

Claims (7)

[Claims] A fixed part (13) extending in the longitudinal direction of the gutter (12) is provided near the lane of the gutter (12), and the fixed part grips a non-contractible part (32) of a telescopic means (31). A gutter preventing device, wherein a guide bar (20) for preventing a ball from rolling down into the gutter during a bowling game is directly connected to a tip end of an expansion / contraction part (33) of the expansion / contraction means. 2. The fixing part (13) and a guide bar (20).
2. The anti-gutter device according to claim 1, further comprising a bending restraint means (40) for restraining the expansion and contraction portion (33) from bending. 3. The fixed portion (13) is attached to the fixed portion (13) so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane direction.
Or the gutter prevention device according to claim 2. 4. The bending restraining means (40) includes a strip-shaped main plate (42) that stands vertically long in a width direction in a direction orthogonal to the guide bar (20), and two longitudinal end surfaces of the main plate. 3. The anti-gutter device according to claim 2, comprising a side plate (43a, 43b) joined thereto. 5. The anti-gutter device according to claim 2, wherein the deflection suppressing means (40) is tiltable in accordance with expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction means (31). 6. When the guide bar (20) rises to prevent the ball in the bowling game from rolling down to the gutter (12), the gutter sensing function provided for the gutter is temporarily stopped. The stopping means for stopping at least one is provided in at least one element selected from the guide bar (20), the bending suppression means (40), the expansion / contraction means (31), and the drive control system of the expansion / contraction means. Item 6. The anti-gutter device according to any one of items 5. 7. The anti-gutter device according to claim 1, wherein the expansion and contraction means is a fluid cylinder.