JP2003210821A - Medal-renting out machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent medals from being put out to a medal receiving section of a game machine. <P>SOLUTION: A storage tank 30 which temporarily stores medals 48 which are put out is provided on the top of a nozzle-turning unit 35. At a medal- putting out port 31 of the storage tank 30, a shielding plate 32 which rocks by a motor 34 is provided, and at an opening 37 of the nozzle-turning unit 35, a shutter 40 which slides between an opening location and a closing location by a sliding mechanism 41 is provided. When the medals 48 are stored in the storage tank 30, if a medal putting out button is depressed, the shielding plate 32 is rocked, and the medals 48 drop from the medal feeding out port 31, and pass through the opening 37. After passing through the opening 37, the medals 48 are detected by a medal sensor 42. Then, when a counting value of a putting out quantity counter has reached 50 pieces, the shielding plate 32 stops at a location for shielding the medal feeding out port 31, and the shutter 40 slides to the closing location. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medal lending, which is installed between, for example, a slot machine and which dispenses medals stored by inserting a value-added medium such as banknotes into a predetermined number of coins. It is about machines.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A medal lending machine is installed between a slot machine and a slot machine, and throws a value-added medium such as a 1,000-yen bill from a banknote slot provided at the top to be a value-added medium slot By doing so, a predetermined number (for example, 50) of medals stored inside are paid out. In this medal lending machine, there are a type that pays out paid-out medals to a tray and a type that pays out medals to a medal tray provided on the front surface of the slot machine through a nozzle. Among them, a medal lending machine has been devised in which the medals to be paid out can be paid out directly to the medal insertion slot of the slot machine through a nozzle. In this case, the game can be played immediately by inserting a bill or the like, which is convenient for the player.

[0003]

However, in the case of the above-described medal lending machine, the only bills that can be inserted are 1,000-yen bills, and depending on the skill of the player, the number of medals paid out can be immediately consumed. Therefore, it is troublesome to insert a 1,000 yen bill each time the paid out medals are consumed. In addition, the maximum number of medals that can be credited inside the slot machine is 50, and when you insert a plurality of 1,000-yen bills at the start of the game and change to a large number of medals, medals that exceed the maximum number of credits are , It is inconvenient to pay out to the medal tray of the slot machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a medal lending machine which can pay out a large number of medals at one time in small amounts.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the medal lending machine of the present invention, in response to the addition of a value-added medium, creates medals corresponding to the value-added medium, A hopper device provided inside is for paying out via a nozzle, and a storage tank for temporarily storing the medals sent from the hopper device, and a predetermined medal from the medals stored in this storage tank. An operation member for paying out the number of coins is provided, and when the operation member is operated, a predetermined number of medals are paid out from the storage tank. In addition,
The value-added medium is, for example, a bill, a coin, a prepaid card, an IC card, a credit card, or the like, which is a value medium necessary for purchasing or lending a medal.

Further, in a medal passage between the medal delivery port provided in the storage tank and a nozzle, an opening position for opening the medal passage and paying out medals, and a medal passage by cutting off the medal passage. A shutter that is movable between a shut-off position that prohibits payout and a counter that is provided on the downstream side of this shutter and in the vicinity thereof and that counts the medals passing through the medal passage when the shutter is moved to the open position. Provided, the count value of this counter is
When the upper limit value of the medals to be paid out is reached, the shutter is driven to the blocking position, and the payout of the medals temporarily stored in the storage tank is completed.

[0007]

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a medal lending machine embodying the present invention. In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the value-added medium is a bill (thousand-yen bill) will be described. The medal lending machine 2 includes a bill identifying unit 4 for inserting a bill 3, and a bill 3 when the bill is inserted.
And a medal payout unit 5 for paying out medals 48 (see FIG. 5) corresponding to the above.

On the front surface of the bill discriminating section 4, there are provided a bill insertion slot 6 for inserting bills 3, and a display panel 7 for displaying the number of medals to be paid out by inserting the bills 3 and whether or not medals can be lent out. ing. The bill identifying unit 4 includes a control device 8 and a bill storage box 9 that stores the inserted bills 3.

The medal payout unit 5 comprises a medal storage box 10 and a hopper device 11. In the medal payout unit 5, a predetermined number of medals are paid out when the banknotes 3 are inserted from the bill insertion slot 6. On the front surface of the medal payout unit 5, there is provided a nozzle 15 that rotates within a predetermined range with the longitudinal direction of the medal lending machine 2 as a rotation axis. Through the nozzle 15, the medal payout unit 5
The predetermined number of medals sent out from are paid out. Incidentally, reference numeral 16 is a medal supply port, and the medal storage box 10
It is provided to replenish the medals 48.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the medal lending machine 2. The control device 8 is provided to electrically control the medal lending machine 2. The bill drawing device 20 is provided integrally with the bill storage box 9 and draws the bills 3 fed from the bill insertion slot 6 into the bill storage box 9. The identification sensor 21 is incorporated in the bill storage box 9 similarly to the bill drawing device 20, and is provided to identify whether the bill 3 inserted from the bill insertion slot 6 is a corresponding bill. . When the bill 3 drawn by the identification sensor 21 is identified as the corresponding bill, the bill 3 is drawn into the bill storage box 9 as it is by the bill drawing device 20. on the other hand,
If the drawn-in bill 3 is not a bill,
The drawing of the bill 3 by the bill drawing device 20 is stopped, and the bill 3 is sent to the bill insertion slot 6.

The hopper device 11 is driven by receiving the payout signal of the control device 8 when the bill 3 inserted from the bill insertion slot 6 is judged by the identification sensor 21 to be a corresponding bill, and the medal storage box is operated. Medals stored in 10 48
Are discharged to the storage tank 30 (see FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, the number of medals to be paid out to the storage tank 30 by the hopper device 11 when the banknote 3 (thousand yen bill) is inserted is set to 50.

The medal payout button 25 is provided on the front surface of the medal payout unit 5, and is provided for paying out, for example, 50 medals 48 from the medals temporarily stored in the storage tank 30. This medal payout button 25
By pressing the button, for example, 50 medals are paid out through the nozzle 15.

As shown in FIG. 3, the storage tank 30 is provided above the nozzle rotating portion 35. This storage tank 3
The upper surface of 0 is open, and the medal 48 from the hopper device 11 is fed from the upper surface of the storage tank 30. The inner wall of the storage tank 30 has an inclined portion 30.
a is provided, and the medal 48 sent from the upper surface of the storage tank 30 falls along the inclined surface 30a. A medal sending port 31 is formed in the lower part of the storage tank 30 so as to be continuous with the inclined portion 30a. The medal delivery port 31 is normally shielded by the shielding plate 32, and the medal 48 delivered from the hopper device 11 is
It is adapted to be temporarily stored in the storage tank 30.
The storage tank 30 is preferably made of a transparent material so that the remaining amount of medals in the tank can be visually checked.

The shield plate 32 is attached to a motor 34 via a rotating shaft 33, and is adapted to swing by being driven by the motor. As a result, the medal delivery port 31 is opened, and the medals 48 temporarily stored in the storage tank 30 are gradually dropped.

At the lower part of the storage tank 30, there is arranged a nozzle rotating part 35 integrally attached to the nozzle 15 for rotating the nozzle 15. The upper surface of the nozzle rotating portion 35 is open, and the medals dropped from the medal sending port 31 fall into the medal rotating member 35. The inside of the medal rotating member 35 is an inclined surface 35a, and a medal groove 36 is formed continuously with the inclined surface 35a. A substantially rectangular opening 37 is formed between the medal groove 36 and the inclined surface 35 a.
Shielded by 0. The shutter 40 has a closed position where the slide mechanism 41 closes the opening 37 and an opening 3
It is slidable between the open position where 7 is opened. The width of the opening 37 is formed to be equal to or less than the thickness of two medals, and each medal passes through the opening 37.

A medal sensor 42 such as a magnetic sensor is attached to the side wall of the medal groove 36 to detect a medal 48 passing through the opening 7. This medal sensor 42
In response to the output from, the payout number counter 43 counts the number of paid-out medals 48. When the count value reaches 50, the control device 8 drives the slide mechanism 41 to slide the shutter 40 to the closed position, and the shielding plate 32 causes the medal sending port 3
The motor 34 is driven so that 1 is shielded. The medals 48 that have dropped from the openings 37 into the medal grooves 36 are rolled in a medal passage 45 provided in the nozzle 15 and are paid out to a medal receiving portion of a slot machine such as a medal receiving tray.

Next, the operation of the medal lending machine 2 thus configured will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the player inserts the bill 3 from the bill insertion slot 6, the bill drawing device 20 is driven to draw the bill 3 into the medal lending machine 2. At the same time as the bill 3 is pulled in, the bill 3 is identified by the identification sensor 21, and when the drawn bill 3 is the corresponding bill (thousand-yen bill), the controller 8 drives the hopper device 11. The medals 48 paid out by driving the hopper device 11 are 50
All the sheets are temporarily stored in the storage tank 30. In addition, when the banknote 3 inserted from the banknote insertion slot 6 is not the corresponding banknote, the banknote pull-in device 20 causes the banknote 3 to be inserted from the banknote insertion slot 6.
Will be refunded.

When the banknotes 3 are continuously inserted after 50 medals 48 have been paid out to the storage tank 30, 50 medals 48 are similarly temporarily stored in the storage tank 30. When the medal payout button 25 on the front surface of the medal payout unit 5 is pressed, a pressing signal is output to the control device 8 and the payout of the medals 48 is started.

As shown in FIG. 5, the medal payout button 2
When 5 is pressed, the control device 8 first drives the motor 34 to swing the shield plate 32 arranged at the medal delivery port 31 of the storage tank 30. The swing of the shielding plate 32 opens the medal delivery port 31 within a predetermined range, and the medals 48 stored below fall from the medal delivery port 31. The medal 48 dropped from the medal delivery port 31 reaches the opening 37 through the inclined portion 35 a inside the nozzle rotating portion 35. At the same time as the motor 34 is driven, the control device 8 drives the slide mechanism 41 to move the shutter 40 to the open position, so that the medal 48 is moved to the medal groove 3.
It falls to 6 and stands up. As a result, the temporarily stored medals 48 are paid out without being clogged.

When the medal 48 falls into the medal groove 36,
The medal sensor 42 detects the medal 48. The detection signal is output to the payout number counter 43 via the control device 21, and the count value is counted up. When the count value reaches 50, the controller 2
In 1, the slide mechanism 41 is driven to move the shutter 40 to the closed position. At the same time, the shielding plate 32 drives the motor 34 so as to shield the medal delivery port 31. This completes the temporary payout of the medals 48 from the storage tank 30. The medals 48 that have passed through the medal groove 36 roll in the medal passage 45 of the nozzle 15 and are paid out to a medal insertion slot, a medal tray, etc. of the slot machine.

When the medals 48 are exhausted during the game of the slot machine, when the payout button 25 of the medal lending machine 2 is pressed, the medals are paid out from the storage tank 30 in the same manner. As a result, even if a large number of medals are exchanged in advance at the start of the game, the medals can be stored in the medal lending machine 2, so that the banknote 3 is inserted into the medal lending machine 2 each time there are no medals during the game. There is no need.

When paying out the medals 48 without the banknotes 3 having to be inserted once, the medal payout button 25 is pressed after inserting the banknotes 3 to pay out the medals 48. As a result, it is possible to exchange medals as in the conventional medal lending machine.

In the present embodiment, bills are taken as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to prepaid cards and the like. Further, the bills are 1,000-yen bills, but other 10,000-yen bills and 5,000-yen bills may be inserted.

In the present embodiment, the number of medals to be paid out when the medal payout button is pressed is set to 50, but it is not limited to this. For example, a payout number selection button is provided on the front part of the medal lending machine to play a game. The number of coins to be paid out may be determined by the selection of the player, and then the medals may be paid out.

Further, a remaining number-of-medals counter for counting the number of remaining medals stored in the storage tank may be provided. The remaining number of medals counter counts the number of medals sent from the hopper device, and subtracts the count value of the paid-out number counter to count the number of remaining medals.
At this time, it is desirable to display the remaining number of medals in the storage tank on a display panel or the like.

[0026]

As described above, according to the medal lending machine of the present invention, a storage tank for temporarily storing the medals sent out from the hopper device, and a predetermined number of medals from the medals stored in the storage tank. The operating member for executing the payout is provided, and when a predetermined number of medals are paid out from the storage tank when the operating member is operated, the amount of money invested by the player is determined. Even if the medals are exchanged in advance, the medals can be temporarily stored in the storage tank without paying them out to the medal receiving portion of the gaming machine. In addition, when there are no more medals, a predetermined number of medals can be paid out from the storage tank, so it is not necessary to insert a value-added medium each time the medals are consumed, so the medal payout time is minimized. Can be suppressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medal lending machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the medal lending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a storage tank and a nozzle rotating portion.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of medal lending.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a storage tank and a nozzle rotating portion when paying out medals.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 medal lending machine 5 medal payout section 8 control device 11 Hopper device 15 nozzles 25 medal payout button 30 storage tanks 31 medal sending port 32 Shield 40 shutters 41 Slide mechanism 42 medal sensor 43 Payout counter 45 medal passage

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Susumu Iman             1-14-17 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo Stocks             Company Olympia (72) Inventor Kenji Kishi             1-14-17 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo Stocks             Company Olympia (72) Inventor Yoshimune Sekine             1-14-17 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo Stocks             Company Olympia F term (reference) 2C088 BC72 BC73 BC79 EA41 EA48

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A medal lending machine which, in response to the addition of a value-added medium, dispenses medals corresponding to the value-added medium through nozzles by driving a hopper device provided therein. A storage tank for temporarily storing the medals sent out from the hopper device and an operation member for paying out a predetermined number of medals from the medals stored in the storage tank are provided, and the operation member is operated. A medal lending machine, wherein a predetermined number of medals are paid out from the storage tank when broken. 2. A medal passage provided between the storage tank and a medal delivery port to a nozzle, an opening position for opening the medal passage and paying out medals, and a medal passage for blocking the medal passage. A shutter that can move between a shut-off position that prohibits payout and a downstream side of this shutter,
And provided in the vicinity, and a counter for counting the medals passing through the medal passage when the shutter is moved to the open position, and when the count value of this counter reaches the upper limit of the medals to be paid out, The medal lending machine according to claim 1, wherein the shutter is driven to a shut-off position to end the payout of the medals temporarily stored in the storage tank.