JP2002113211A - Game ball cleaner and game machine containing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game ball cleaner and a game machine containing the same which can avoid fouling of the playing board surface, upper trays and players' hands, drop in clean looking and possible failures such as jamming of game balls by removing stains and dirt adhering to game balls. SOLUTION: A rotary brush 12 (game ball polishing means) which is rotated by a drive source is disposed on the bottom surface of a ball tank 10 for storing the game balls and polishes the game balls to separate stains and dirt adhering to the surfaces thereof before they are received by a dirt receiving tray 18 through an opening part 16. A through hole 27 is formed in a wall surface 26 of a ball path 20 which lets the game balls pass through the game machine 1 to eject the stains and dirt outside from the game balls passing therethrough by air 25 from a fan 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game ball cleaning device, and more particularly to a game ball cleaning device for removing dirt and dust adhering to a game ball, such as a pachinko machine using the game ball, and a game machine incorporating the same. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a game machine using a game ball such as a pachinko machine, a game ball is driven into a game area of a game board at a speed adjustable by a launching device. The driven game balls flow down a complicated route in the game area. Then, the player plays a game by causing a plurality of winning devices, starting devices, symbol operating gates, and the like provided in the game area to make the game balls flowing down in the game area win.

When a game ball wins a prize winning device, a predetermined number of prize balls (game balls) are paid out to a player from a prize ball payout device in the gaming machine. On the other hand, when the game ball wins the starting device, the display symbol change (scroll) such as a plurality of numbers selectively displayed on the plurality of symbol display areas of the symbol display device arranged in the game area is controlled. When these display symbols stopped and displayed after a predetermined time are predetermined symbols, the gaming machine becomes a "big hit". Then, the big winning device is opened, and the winning probability of the game ball flowing down the game area is increased.
Thereby, a gaming state advantageous to the player is obtained.

[0004]

In such a gaming machine, if dirt or dust is attached to the game balls by hand dust or other dust, the surface of the game board, the upper plate, the lower plate, etc. in the game area of the gaming machine become dirty. Therefore, not only the appearance is poor, but also the decorative effect and the cleanliness are reduced. It is extremely difficult to clean dirt on the game board surface and the like because a large number of devices are provided and a large number of nails are planted as described above. Further, there is a possibility that "ball clogging" may occur in the prize ball payout device and the game ball launching device due to contamination of the game ball or the like. If the ball is clogged during the game, the game must be cleared by clearing the ball by opening a game machine or hitting the game machine by calling a clerk of a game hall (hall).

[0005] When such ball clogging occurs, the game machine cannot be used until the ball clogging is resolved, which is disadvantageous to the player (especially during a game in a game state advantageous to the player). In addition, the operating rate of the gaming machine is reduced, and the work of the clerk is required. Therefore, the present invention has been conceived in order to solve or alleviate the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a game ball cleaning device and a game machine incorporating the same.

[0006]

A game ball cleaning device according to the present invention is provided with a detachable dust absorbing member in a passage extending from a winning ball dispensing device to an upper plate. The detachable dust absorbing member is formed near the upper plate and attached. In addition, a rotating brush rotated by a driving source is arranged at the bottom of a ball storage tank that stores a plurality of game balls, and the game balls are polished to remove dirt and dust adhering to the surface. According to a preferred embodiment of the game ball cleaning device of the present invention, the rotating brush is configured to be detachable. A ball supply unit having a ball passage formed below the ball tank is disposed, and dirt and dust separated from the game ball are received by a dust tray via an opening formed in the bottom surface of the ball supply unit.

A game machine incorporating the game ball cleaning device according to the present invention includes a game area arranged substantially in the center, a ball tank arranged above the game area and storing game balls therein, and a ball. It has a ball passage for sending the game ball in the tank to the upper plate below the game area, and drives the game ball in the upper plate into the game area to play the game, and the ball inside the ball tank holds the game ball inside. Providing a polishing means for polishing, forming a through hole in the wall of the ball passage, sending the wind from the blower into the ball passage, and discharging dirt and dust separated from the surface of the game ball passing inside to the outside of the ball passage I do. According to a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, the through-hole is formed in a substantially vertical portion of the ball passage, and the dirt and dust of the game ball separated by the wind from the blower disposed adjacent to the through-hole are garbage. Receive in a saucer.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The construction and operation of a preferred embodiment of a game ball cleaning apparatus according to the present invention and a game machine incorporating the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a game ball cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. This game ball cleaning device,
The ball tank 10 has a substantially rectangular shape, a ball supply unit 14 located below the ball tank 10, and a dust receiving tray 18.
The ball tank 10 has an inclined bottom surface 11 on one side and a rotating brush (game ball polishing means) 12 disposed on the bottom. The rotating brush 12 is rotationally driven by a driving source (not shown), and is preferably detachable so that it can be replaced as needed. The rotating brush 12 has a metal or plastic brush on a metal rotating shaft. This rotating brush
12 may be rotated in one direction at all times, or may be inverted and rotated at a constant cycle.

The sphere supply unit 14 is disposed below the sphere tank 10 and includes a plurality of elongated openings 16, a sphere passage 15, and a rectification unit 17 corresponding to the rotating brush 12. As described below,
The opening 16 allows the dirt (dust) removed from the surface of the game ball by the rotating brush 12 to drop into a dust tray 18 that is replaceably mounted below the ball supply unit 14. The game balls cleaned by the rotating brush 12 are supplied in one direction via the ball passage 15 and the flow straightening unit 17.

[0011] Game balls (not shown) borrowed from the ball rental device by the player are stored in a ball tank 10. These game balls are flown toward the rotating brush 12 by the inclined bottom surface 11. Then, when the rotating brush 12 is rotated by a driving source (not shown), these game balls are polished, and dirt and dust on the surfaces thereof are separated or separated. Dirt and dust separated from the surface of the game ball are received by a lower dust tray 18 through a plurality of elongated openings 16. The garbage received in the garbage tray 18 can be disposed of by removing the garbage tray 18 at an appropriate time. On the other hand, the cleaned game balls are supplied in one predetermined direction via the ball passage 15 and the flow straightening unit 17. For example, it is sent to the upper plate of a gaming machine, and is shot into the gaming area of the gaming machine by the launching device.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a game machine incorporating a game ball cleaning device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 (A).
2 is a rear view of the gaming machine 1, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 2A. The gaming machine 1 has a game area 27 substantially in the center,
The upper ball tank 10, a ball passage 20 for sending game balls to an upper plate (not shown) below the game area 27, a firing device (not shown) for driving game balls into the game area 27, and a ball passage 20 It includes a blower 22 disposed substantially adjacent to the vertical portion and a refuse tray (or box) 24 disposed below and opposite to the blower 22.

[0013] The dirt adhering to the game ball is generally relatively sticky. Therefore, even if the dirt and dust are separated from the surface of the game ball by the rotary polishing of the rotary brush 12 described with reference to FIG. 1, the dust or the dust is not always received on the dust tray by being attached to another game ball. Therefore, a ball tank 1 as shown in FIG.
0, a game ball passing (or falling) through a ball passage 20 for sending the game ball from the ball tank 10 to, for example, the upper plate of the game machine 1,
It is effective to send a wind 25 from the blower 22 to receive dirt and dust separated from the game balls from the ball passage 20 to an external dust tray 24.

Next, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a game ball cleaning device portion, and corresponds to FIG. 2B described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the ball passage 20 is divided into a plurality (four in the illustrated example). A large number of through holes 27 are regularly formed in a wall surface 26 of the ball passage 20 facing the blower 22. As described above, a game ball having dirt and dust removed from the surface of the game ball by the rotating brush 12 shown in FIG. 1 passes (or falls) in the ball passage 20. Then, when the game ball passes through the wind 25 from the blower 22, dirt and dust are separated from the game ball. The separated dirt and dust are discharged to the outside of the ball passage 20 by the wind 25 from the blower 22 and received in the dust receiving box 24. This garbage is disposed of as appropriate.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of another embodiment of the game ball cleaning device used in the game machine of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This embodiment is an example in which a detachable mat-shaped dust absorbing member 35 is used. 4A shows a state in which the detachable dust absorbing member 35 is attached, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the detachable dust absorbing member 35 is removed.

The configuration and operation of the preferred embodiment of the gaming machine with a game ball cleaning device according to the present invention have been described above in detail. However, such an embodiment is merely an example of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any way. Without departing from the gist of the present invention, various modifications and
Changes are possible. For example, among the garbage sent to the gaming machine together with the gaming ball, there are many relatively non-sticky garbage. Therefore, the rotary brush provided in the ball tank 10 of the gaming machine 1 shown in FIG. Of course, the blower arranged adjacent to the ball passage 20 may be used alone.

[0017]

As will be understood from the above description, according to the gaming machine with the game ball cleaning device of the present invention, the following remarkable practical effects can be obtained. That is, the game balls stored in the ball tank are polished by a polishing means such as a rotating brush to separate dirt and dust adhering to the game balls. Further, the air from the blower is sent to the game balls falling in the ball passage polished by the rotating brush to remove dirt and dust from the game balls. As a result, depending on the gaming ball used in the gaming machine,
The surface of the gaming board, the upper plate and the lower plate of the gaming machine, the hands of the player, and the like are not stained, and the cleanness of the gaming machine is improved. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent inconvenience such as clogging of balls in the gaming machine.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a preferred embodiment of a game ball cleaning device according to the present invention, wherein (A) shows an assembled state, and (B) shows a state excluding the ball tank of (A). .

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine incorporating a gaming ball cleaning device according to the present invention, wherein FIG.
(B) is an enlarged view of a part B of (A).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a game ball cleaning device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of another embodiment of a gaming machine incorporating a gaming ball cleaning device according to the present invention, wherein (A) shows a state in which a detachable dust absorbing member is attached, and (B) shows a state in which the dust absorbing member is detachable. 7 shows a state where a possible dust absorbing member is removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Game machine 10 Ball tank 12 Rotary brush (game ball polishing means) 14 Ball supply unit 15, 20 Ball passage 16 Opening 18, 24 Dust pan 22 Blower 25 Wind 26 Wall passage wall 27 Through hole 30 Upper plate 32 Concavity 34 Discharge port 35 Detachable dust absorbing material

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A game machine incorporating a game ball cleaning device, wherein a detachable dust absorbing member is provided in a passage from the winning ball payout device to the upper plate. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the removable dust absorbing member is formed near and attached to the upper plate. 3. A rotating brush, which is rotated by a driving source, is disposed at the bottom of a ball tank for storing a plurality of game balls, and the game balls are polished to remove dirt and dust adhering to the surface. Playing ball cleaning device. 4. The game ball cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the rotating brush is configured to be detachable. 5. A ball supply unit having a ball passage formed below the ball tank, and dirt and dust separated from the game ball are passed through an opening formed on a bottom surface of the ball supply unit. The game ball cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the game ball cleaning device receives the garbage on a trash tray. 6. A game area arranged at a substantially central portion, a ball tank arranged above the game area and storing game balls therein, and a game ball in the ball tank being placed on an upper plate below the game area. A game machine having a ball passage for feeding into the game area, wherein a game ball in the upper plate is driven into the game area, and a through hole is formed in a wall surface of the ball passage to send wind from a blower into the ball passage. A game machine having a built-in game ball cleaning device for discharging dirt and dust separated from the surface of a game ball passing through the inside of the ball passage. 7. The dirt and dirt of the ball ball, which is formed in a substantially vertical portion of the ball passage and separated by wind from the blower disposed adjacent thereto, is received in a dust receiving tray. A gaming machine incorporating the gaming ball cleaning device according to claim 6.