JP2005270118A - Game machine, game machine control method, game ball acquiring device, and game ball conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game ball conveying device capable of accurately interrupting the flow of game balls by using a keep solenoid capable of saving power and reducing heat generation at the time of drive. <P>SOLUTION: A game ball storage part is provided with a shutter to be moved to an interrupting position at which it interrupts the flow of pachinko balls in a spiral path or a passing position at which it does not obstruct the flow of the game balls, the keep solenoid for driving the movement of the shutter, and a control part for controlling the drive of the keep solenoid. The control part performs the interruption processing of executing the control of moving the shutter to the interrupting position to the keep solenoid for a prescribed number, two or more, of times in the case that it is needed to move the shutter to the interrupting position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention includes, for example, a gaming machine including a gaming ball transport device provided in a gaming machine such as a slot machine using a pachinko ball as a gaming medium, a gaming machine control method, a gaming ball take-in device, and a gaming ball The present invention relates to a transport device.

  Conventionally, slot machines using medals as game media have been widely installed in pachinko game stores and the like. On the other hand, in recent years, various slot machines using pachinko balls as game media have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Thus, when the pachinko ball is used in the slot machine, there are the following merits in the pachinko game store.

  In pachinko amusement stores, pachinko gaming machines and slot machines are often provided side by side. Here, if the slot machine uses a pachinko ball as a game medium, the game medium can be shared by the pachinko gaming apparatus and the slot machine. That is, a pachinko ball replenishing device, a counting device, a management device, etc. in a pachinko game store can be used in common for the pachinko gaming device and the slot machine. Conventionally, pachinko gaming devices and slot machines could not be installed side by side, but by sharing game media, it is possible to install them on the same game platform (island). Become.

  A slot machine that uses pachinko balls as a game medium (hereinafter simply referred to as a gaming device) includes an upper plate for a game table for storing pachinko balls as hanging balls, and a lower plate for a game table for returning the pachinko balls to the player. It has. When the multiplier is set by the player, the pachinko balls stored in the game platform upper plate are discharged to the game ball collecting device arranged on the island. On the other hand, when a return instruction is issued by the player, the pachinko balls stored in the game table upper plate are returned to the game table lower plate. A configuration for realizing this processing is a game ball take-in device.

  The game ball take-in device is configured to discharge the game balls stored in the game ball storage unit and the game ball storage means for storing the game balls flowing in from the game platform upper plate to an external game ball collecting device or And a game ball sorting unit that sorts whether to return to the platform plate. The game ball storage section is provided with a game ball transport passage for rolling the game ball by its own weight from the game platform top plate to the game ball sorting means.

  Here, a configuration has been proposed in which the gaming device takes in pachinko balls by so-called pre-fetching. In such a configuration, when it is confirmed that the number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage corresponds to the maximum multiplier, the player can select the multiplier, and the multiplier The game can be started immediately after selection. That is, the actual discharge of the pachinko balls for the game balls to the game ball collecting device is started after the multiplier is selected, and is also performed during the game.

The number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage is counted by an inflow game ball sensor provided in the upper part of the game ball transport passage. That is, by incrementing the counter when the inflow game ball sensor detects the passage of the game ball, the number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage is counted.
JP 5-7642 A (publication date: January 19, 1993) JP 2001-204888 A (publication date: July 31, 2001)

  In such a configuration, it is important to accurately count the number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage. First, while the number of pachinko balls actually stored in the game ball transport passage is the prescribed number, the counter value based on the inflow game ball sensor is less than the prescribed number. It is possible that In this case, the gaming device does not start the game until the counter value reaches the prescribed number. However, in practice, since the prescribed number is stored, the counter does not change over time. Therefore, the game cannot be started, and maintenance by a store clerk is required.

  In addition, the number of pachinko balls actually stored in the game ball transport passage is less than the prescribed number, while the counter value based on the inflow game ball sensor is the prescribed number. It may be judged that For example, such a situation may occur due to a sensor miscount or an unauthorized operation on the sensor. In this case, the gaming device determines that the prescribed number is stored and starts the game. That is, since the gaming device side counts more than the actual number, in the worst case, the loss to the store side occurs.

  In order to solve such a problem, immediately after power-on / reset or control reset is performed on the game ball take-in device, all game balls stored in the game ball storage unit are placed in the lower plate of the game table. It is conceivable that an initial process for controlling the game ball distribution unit to be returned is performed, and after the initial process is completed, control is performed so as to wait for a game operation. In this way, by clearing the count value after the initial control is performed, it is possible to completely match the count value with the actual number of storage.

  Here, when performing the above initial processing, in order to prevent the pachinko balls stored in the game ball upper plate from flowing into the game ball storage section, the upper part of the game ball transport path is driven by a solenoid. A configuration in which a shutter is provided is conceivable. Examples of the solenoid that drives the shutter include an open frame solenoid and a keep solenoid.

  An open frame solenoid is a type of solenoid that consumes power while moving a moving object (in this case, a shutter) from a fixed position to a moving position and while moving the moving object at the moving position. is there. In other words, power is consumed during the period in which the shutter is located at a position where the flow of the pachinko balls is blocked. Further, during the period in which power is consumed, the solenoid itself generates heat, and this heat generation may adversely affect the surrounding members.

  On the other hand, the keep solenoid is a type of solenoid that consumes electric power only during movement when moving the moving object. That is, when the moving object is moved and held, no power is consumed, so that power saving can be achieved and heat generation during the holding operation of the moving object can be prevented.

  However, in the keep solenoid, when the movement of the movement target is hindered by the external force during the movement of the movement target, the movement driving force of the movement target is terminated without completing the movement. Therefore, if the pachinko ball is passing at the time when the shutter is moved, after the shutter hits the moving pachinko ball, it returns to the original position, and the flow of the pachinko ball can be blocked. There is a problem of disappearing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to accurately cut off the flow of game balls using a keep solenoid capable of saving power and reducing heat generation during driving. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine equipped with a game ball transporting device, a game machine control method, a game ball take-in device, and a game ball transporting device.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine in which a game ball is used to play a game ball. A shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls or a passing position that does not interfere with the flow of game balls, a keep solenoid that drives the movement of the shutter, and a control unit that controls the drive of the keep solenoid. A game ball transport device is provided, and when the control means needs to move the shutter to the blocking position, the keep solenoid is controlled to move the shutter to the blocking position two or more times. It is characterized by performing a blocking process.

  Further, the gaming machine according to the present invention, in the above-described configuration, is disposed on the downstream side of the flow of the game ball from the position where the shutter is disposed in the game ball transport path, and passes through the game ball transport path. An inflow game ball detection sensor for detecting a game ball to be played, and when the control means detects a game ball by the inflow game ball detection sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed after performing the blocking process The shut-off process may be performed again.

  In addition, in order to solve the above-described problems, the gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine in which a game ball is played, and a game ball transport path for rolling and transporting the game ball, and the game ball transport A shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the passage or a passing position that does not interfere with the flow of game balls, and a position downstream of the flow of game balls from the location where the shutter is disposed in the game ball transport path And an inflow game ball detection sensor that detects a game ball that passes through the game ball transport path, a keep solenoid that drives the movement of the shutter, and a control unit that controls the drive of the keep solenoid. Provided with a game ball transport device, and when the control means needs to move the shutter to the shut-off position, the shut-off position of the shutter with respect to the keep solenoid is provided. And the blocking process is performed again when a game ball is detected by the inflowing game ball detection sensor after a predetermined time has passed since the blocking process was performed. It is said.

  In addition, in order to solve the above-described problem, the game machine control method according to the present invention includes a game ball transport path that rolls and transports game balls, and a block that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport path. Control of a gaming machine in which a game is played using a game ball, comprising a game ball transport device comprising a shutter that moves to a passing position that does not interfere with the position or the flow of the game ball, and a keep solenoid that drives the movement of the shutter In the method, when it is necessary to move the shutter to the shut-off position, the keep solenoid is subjected to a shut-off process in which the control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position is performed two or more times. It is a feature.

In addition, in order to solve the above-described problems, the game machine control method according to the present invention includes a game ball transport path that rolls a game ball by its own weight, and a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport path. Alternatively, a shutter that moves to a passing position that does not obstruct the flow of game balls, and a position downstream of the flow of game balls relative to the location of the shutter in the game ball transfer passage, A control method for a gaming machine in which a game is played using a game ball, comprising a game ball transport device comprising an inflow game ball detection sensor for detecting a passing game ball and a keep solenoid for driving movement of the shutter. Then, when it is necessary to move the shutter to the shut-off position, the keep solenoid performs shut-off control to move the shutter to the shut-off position, After serial interrupting processing for a predetermined time after performing has elapsed, if the game ball is detected by the inlet game ball detection sensor is characterized in that again to perform the blocking processing.

  In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the game ball take-in device according to the present invention is a gaming machine provided with a game platform upper plate for storing game balls and a return passage for returning the game balls to the player. In the game ball take-in device provided with the game ball storage means for storing the game balls flowing in from the gaming platform upper plate, and whether the game balls stored in the game ball storage means are discharged to the game ball collection device A game ball distribution unit that distributes whether to return to the player from the return passage, and the game ball storage unit rolls and conveys the game ball from the game platform upper plate to the game ball distribution unit The game machine according to the present invention includes a game ball transport device.

  Moreover, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the gaming apparatus according to the present invention is a gaming ball transport apparatus provided in the gaming machine according to the present invention.

  As described above, the gaming machine according to the present invention includes a game ball transport device including a game ball transport path, a shutter, a keep solenoid, and a control means, and the control means places the shutter in a blocking position. When there is a need to move, a shut-off process is performed in which the keep solenoid is controlled to move the shutter to the shut-off position two or more times.

  The gaming machine control method according to the present invention controls the keep solenoid to move the shutter to the shut-off position when the shutter needs to be moved to the shut-off position as described above. This is a method of performing a blocking process that is performed a predetermined number of times two or more times.

  As described above, in the keep solenoid, when the movement of the movement target is hindered by the external force during the movement of the movement target, the movement driving force of the movement target is completed without completing the movement. Therefore, an external force is applied to the shutter depending on the position of the game ball at the position where the shutter moves. As a result, the shutter returns to its original position, and there is a problem that it is impossible to block the flow of game balls.

  Here, as in the above configuration and method, if the control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position is performed on the keep solenoid two or more times, the first shut-off control can be performed for the game ball. Even when the shutter cannot be cut, the shutter can be accurately moved to the blocking position by the second and subsequent blocking control. In other words, the shutter is shut off at least for the second and subsequent times when the game ball is flowing, so that the shutter is inserted between the flowing game balls at any shutter cutoff timing. It is possible to block the flow of game balls. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine equipped with a game ball transport device capable of accurately blocking the flow of game balls using a keep solenoid capable of saving power and reducing heat generation during driving. There is an effect that becomes possible.

  In addition, as described above, the gaming machine according to the present invention further includes an inflow game ball detection sensor, and the control means performs the inflow game ball detection sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed after performing the blocking process. When the game ball is detected by the above, the blocking process may be performed again.

In the blocking process, the control for moving the shutter to the blocking position is performed a predetermined number of times twice or more. Here, even if the control for moving the shutter to the blocking position is performed a plurality of times, there is a possibility that the shutter hits the game ball each time and the flow of the game ball cannot be blocked. On the other hand, according to said structure, it detects that the interruption | blocking process failed and performs the interruption | blocking process again. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to more reliably perform the game ball blocking process.

  In addition, as described above, the gaming machine according to the present invention includes a game ball transport device including a game ball transport path, a shutter, an inflow game ball detection sensor, a keep solenoid, and a control means, and the control When it is necessary for the means to move the shutter to the shut-off position, the keep solenoid performs a shut-off control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position, and a predetermined time after the shut-off process is performed. After the elapse of time, when the game ball is detected by the inflow game ball detection sensor, the blocking process is performed again.

  In addition, the gaming machine control method according to the present invention includes a shut-off control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position with respect to the keep solenoid when the shutter needs to be moved to the shut-off position as described above. And when the game ball is detected by the inflow game ball detection sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since the blocking process is performed, the blocking process is performed again.

  In the blocking process, control for moving the shutter to the blocking position is performed. Here, there is a possibility that when the shutter is moved to the blocking position, the shutter hits the game ball every time control is performed, and the flow of the game ball cannot be blocked. On the other hand, according to said structure and method, it detects that the interruption | blocking process failed and performs the interruption | blocking process again. Therefore, it is possible to reliably perform the game ball blocking process. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine equipped with a game ball transport device capable of accurately blocking the flow of game balls using a keep solenoid capable of saving power and reducing heat generation during driving. There is an effect that becomes possible.

  In addition, as described above, the game ball take-in device according to the present invention includes a game ball storage unit and a game ball distribution unit, and the game ball storage unit includes the game ball transport device according to the present invention. It is the composition which is.

  An initial process for controlling the game ball distribution unit so that all game balls stored in the game ball storage unit are returned to the return path immediately after power-on / reset or control reset is performed on the game ball take-in device. It is conceivable that after the initial process is completed, control is performed so as to wait for a game operation. In this way, by clearing the count value after the initial control is performed, it is possible to completely match the count value with the actual number of storage.

  Here, when performing the above initial processing, in order to prevent the game balls stored in the game ball top plate from flowing into the game ball storage section, it is driven by a solenoid above the game ball transport passage. However, according to the above configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the game balls stored in the game ball top plate from flowing into the game ball storage unit. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a game ball take-in device capable of accurately counting the number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage.

  Moreover, the game ball transport apparatus according to the present invention is a game ball transport apparatus provided in the gaming machine according to the present invention as described above. Thereby, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a game ball transport device capable of accurately counting the number of pachinko balls stored in the game ball transport passage.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 31 as follows.

(Appearance of gaming machine)
FIG. 1 shows an appearance of a gaming apparatus (game machine) 1 according to the present embodiment. The gaming device 1 is a so-called slot machine type gaming device that uses pachinko balls as gaming media. As shown in FIG. 1, symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C are provided in the upper front area of the gaming apparatus 1, and symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C are provided therein. Various symbols displayed on the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C are displayed to the player through the symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C.

  Below the symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C, a start lever 4, stop buttons 5A, 5B, and 5C, a 1BET button 6A, and a MAXBET button 6B are provided. The start lever 4 starts rotation of the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C. The stop buttons 5A, 5B, and 5C are for stopping the rotation of the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C, respectively. The 1BET button 6A and the MAXBET button 6B each determine a multiplier. Although not shown, a display for displaying a multiplier that can be bet is also provided.

  A game table upper plate 7, a game table lower plate 8, and a game ball take-in device 9 are provided below the various operation buttons. Pachinko balls as game balls are stored in the game table upper plate 7. When the game is started, the game balls are collected from the pachinko balls contained in the game table upper plate 7 into the game ball take-in device 9, and a game ball collecting device (not shown) arranged at the rear part of the game device 1. ). Also, the prize balls are supplied to the game platform upper plate 7.

  In addition, when the prize balls are supplied in a state where the pachinko balls contained in the game table upper plate 7 are full, the overflowing pachinko balls are supplied to the game table lower plate 8. Further, the game ball take-in device 9 is provided with a return button 10, and when the return button 10 is pressed, the pachinko balls contained in the game table upper plate 7 are supplied to the game table lower plate 8. It has become. Also, the pachinko balls remaining in the game ball take-in device 9 are discharged to the game platform lower plate 8 at the start of the game.

  In the present embodiment, the game table lower plate 8 is provided at the exit of the return passage for returning the game balls to the player. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The game balls may be dropped directly from the return passage into the game ball storage box (commonly called dollar box) without providing the lower plate 8.

(Outline of the game method)
Here, the gaming method in the gaming apparatus 1 as described above will be described. A player sets a multiplier for setting an effective line, a rotation start operation for rotating the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C, and a rotation stop for stopping the rotation of the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C. Perform the operation.

  The multiplier setting operation is performed by the 1BET button 6A or the MAXBET button 6B. In this embodiment, when the 1BET button 6A is pressed, 5 pachinko balls are hung, and when the MAXBET button 6B is pressed, the maximum number of pachinko balls allowed in the gaming state is hung. ing. That is, MAXBET is the same as MAXBET of the slot machine. As the BET number increases, the effective line increases.

Here, the effective line will be described. In the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C, a plurality of types of symbols are printed on the outer peripheral surface. When the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C are stopped, the symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C Each of the three symbols is displayed. That is, 3 × 3 = 9 types of symbols are displayed in the entire symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C. Here, in the case of 1 BET, in the 3 × 3 matrix, one line in the middle row is an effective line, and in the case of 2 BET, each line in the upper row, middle row, and lower row is an effective line. In the case of MAXBET, in addition to the upper, middle and lower horizontal lines, the lines from the upper left to the lower right and the lines from the upper right to the lower left are effective lines.

  When the multiplication setting operation is completed, the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C are rotated by operating the start lever 4 by the player. Then, the player presses the stop buttons 5A, 5B, and 5C at a desired timing, and the rotation of the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C is thereby stopped. When the rotation of the symbol display reels 3A, 3B, and 3C is stopped and the predetermined line order is included in the effective line set according to the multiplier, the corresponding prize ball is paid out to the player. Will be.

(Configuration of game ball take-in device)
Next, the configuration of the game ball take-in device 9 will be described. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the game ball take-in device 9. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the game ball take-in device 9 in an exploded state. As shown in these drawings, the game ball take-in device 9 includes an upper cover 11, a game ball storage unit (game ball storage unit) 12, a lower cover 13, and a game ball distribution unit (game ball distribution unit) 14. It becomes the composition. The upper cover 11 is provided so as to cover the upper part of the game ball storage part 12, and the lower cover 13 is provided so as to cover the game ball distribution part 14 provided in the lower part of the game ball storage part 12. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper cover 11 is provided with a game ball intake port 11A, and the lower cover 13 is provided with a game ball discharge port 13A and a game ball return port (return passage) 13B. It has been. The game ball inlet 11 </ b> A is an opening serving as an entrance when a pachinko ball is introduced from the game platform upper plate 7 to the game ball storage unit 12. The game ball discharge port 13A is an opening serving as an outlet when discharging the pachinko balls collected from the game ball sorting unit 14 to the game ball collection device. The game ball return port 13 </ b> B is an opening serving as an exit when discharging the pachinko balls paid out from the game ball distribution unit 14 to the game platform lower plate 8.

  Here, the game ball intake port 11 </ b> A, the game ball discharge port 13 </ b> A, and the game ball return port 13 </ b> B are all provided on the central surface of the game device 1 in the game ball intake device 9. That is, the opening directions of the game ball intake port 11A, the game ball discharge port 13A, and the game ball return port 13B are all the same direction. The reason for this will be described below.

  The game ball take-in device 9 is arranged on the right side of the game table upper plate 7 and the game table lower plate 8 when viewed from the front side of the game device 1. That is, it is preferable to provide the game ball intake port 11A and the game ball return port 13B in the direction in which the game table upper plate 7 and the game table lower plate 8 are arranged.

  On the other hand, on the back side of the game apparatus 1, the game ball collection passage from the game ball collection apparatus is basically disposed near the center on the back side of the game apparatus 1. This is because the structure of the so-called pachinko gaming apparatus is configured to discharge pachinko balls from the vicinity of the center of the back side of the pachinko gaming apparatus. In order to divert such a game ball collection facility, it is preferable that the game ball discharge port 13 </ b> A is provided in the direction toward the center of the game apparatus 1.

Therefore, if the opening direction of the game ball inlet 11A, the game ball discharge port 13A, and the game ball return port 13B are all in the same direction as in the above configuration,
Each return route can be shortened. Therefore, problems such as an increase in the size of the game ball take-in device 9, a complicated structure, a complicated maintenance, and an increase in the movement time of the game ball can be solved.

  In addition, the surface on which the game ball intake port 11A, the game ball discharge port 13A, and the game ball return port 13B are not necessarily required to be the same surface. It does not matter if there is a displacement of the surface.

(Composition of game ball storage part)
Next, the configuration of the game ball storage unit 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). FIG. 4A shows the appearance of the game ball storage unit 12. As shown in the figure, the game ball storage unit 12 includes a center cover 21, a spiral path (game ball transport path) 22, a game ball count sensor 23, a solenoid bracket 24, a solenoid 25, a shutter 26, and a coil spring 27. It becomes the composition.

  The center cover 21 functions as a cover while fixing and supporting each component in the game ball storage unit 12. The spiral passage 22 is a passage for storing game balls in the game ball storage unit 12. Pachinko balls that flow into the game ball storage unit 12 from the game platform upper plate 7 through the game ball intake port 11 </ b> A enter the spiral passage 22 from the spiral passage intake port 22 </ b> A serving as the upstream end of the spiral passage 22. be introduced.

  The game ball count sensor 23 is provided in the vicinity of the spiral passage inlet 22 </ b> A in the spiral passage 22 and is a sensor that counts pachinko balls that pass through the spiral passage 22. This game ball count sensor 23 is constituted by a dual sensor, and can detect whether the flow of the pachinko ball is in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

  Here, in the dual sensor constituting the game ball count sensor 23, the sensor arranged on the upstream side of the flow of the pachinko ball is referred to as sensor A, and the sensor arranged on the downstream side is referred to as sensor B. When the pachinko ball flows from the upstream side to the downstream side, that is, in the forward direction, the sensor A first detects the pachinko ball, and then the sensor B detects the pachinko ball. That is, the detection signals in the sensors A and B are as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the pachinko ball flows from the downstream side to the upstream side, that is, in the reverse direction, the sensor B first detects the pachinko ball, and then the sensor A detects the pachinko ball. That is, the detection signals in the sensors A and B are as shown in FIG.

  Here, when the detection signal of sensor A rises from the OFF state to the ON state while the detection signal of sensor A is ON, the pachinko ball count is incremented by 1, and the detection signal of sensor A is ON. In this state, when the detection signal of the sensor B falls from the ON state to the OFF state, the pachinko ball count is set to minus one. This makes it possible to accurately count pachinko balls even when, for example, the pachinko balls that have been stored bounce back and flow backward, or when unauthorized processing is performed. The dual sensor that constitutes the game ball count sensor 23 includes, for example, a combination of a photo sensor that optically detects a pachinko ball and a proximity sensor that detects the pachinko ball by a change in a magnetic field.

In the present embodiment, the game ball count sensor 23 is configured by a dual sensor. However, if it is not necessary to detect the direction of the pachinko ball flow, the game ball count sensor 23 is configured by a single sensor. It doesn't matter.

  The shutter 26 is provided in the spiral passage 22 between the spiral passage inlet 22A and the game ball count sensor 23, and blocks the flow of pachinko balls into the spiral passage 22. The solenoid 25 is a drive member that moves the shutter 26. The solenoid bracket 24 is a member for fixing and supporting the solenoid 25. The coil spring 27 is a spring for applying an assisting force that moves the shutter 26 in the opening direction. In a normal state, the shutter 26 is disposed at a position that does not prevent the inflow of the pachinko balls, and is moved to a position where the inflow of the pachinko balls is blocked only when the plunger of the solenoid 25 is sucked.

  FIG. 11 shows a state when the game ball storage unit 12 is viewed from the front direction of the spiral passage intake 22A. As shown in the figure, the shutter 26 partially enters the spiral passage 22 to block the inflow of pachinko balls. As described above, in order to block the inflow of the pachinko balls, it is not necessary to block the entire cross section of the spiral passage 22, and the shutter 26 may be moved into the spiral passage 22 to the extent that the pachinko balls cannot pass. Become. Therefore, since the moving amount of the shutter 26 can be relatively reduced, the solenoid 25 can be reduced in size.

  In the present embodiment, a keep solenoid is used as the solenoid 25. The keep solenoid is a type of solenoid that consumes electric power only during movement when moving a moving object. That is, when the moving object is moved and held, no power is consumed, so that power saving can be achieved and heat generation during the holding operation of the moving object can be prevented. In this embodiment, a keep solenoid is used as the solenoid 25, but a normal open frame solenoid may be used.

  FIG. 4B shows a cross section in the vicinity of the downstream end portion of the spiral passage 22 in the game ball storage portion 12. The spiral passage 22 is basically constituted by a sloped passage, but the direction of the passage changes vertically downward in the vicinity of the lower end portion. Here, in the spiral passage 22, a portion constituted by the sloped passage is referred to as a slope portion, and a portion in the vertically downward direction is referred to as a vertical passage portion. Then, the pachinko balls discharged from the spiral passage discharge port 22 </ b> B serving as the lower end portion of the spiral passage 22 are introduced into the game ball sorting section 14.

  A game ball holding portion 28 and a coil spring 29 are provided at a boundary portion between the vertical passage portion and the slope portion. The game ball holding part 28 is provided in the upper part of the vertical passage part, and is arranged to be movable vertically upward. Further, the coil spring 29 applies a force for pressing the game ball pressing portion 28 vertically downward. Thereby, when the pachinko ball is continuously filled from the slope portion to the vertical passage portion, even when a force is applied to push the pachinko ball upward from the game ball sorting portion 14 side, this force is used as the game ball. The holding part 28 can be released by moving vertically upward. Details of the operation of the game ball holding unit 28 will be described later.

(Composition of game ball distribution part)
Next, the configuration of the game ball distribution unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). FIG. 5A shows a state when the appearance of the game ball sorting unit 14 is viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 5B shows a cross section of the spiral shaft 37. As shown in these drawings, the game ball distribution unit 14 includes a distribution unit bracket 31, a drive motor 32, a motor shaft knob 33, a drive gear 34, an HP sensor 35, a driven gear 36, a spiral shaft 37, a fixed shaft 38, Spiral shaft guide 39, return side guide 4
0, return port upper surface guide 41, standby game ball detection sensor 42, discharge ball count sensor 43, return ball detection sensor 44, discharge ball backflow prevention valve 45A, return ball backflow prevention valve 45B, game ball intake port 46, game ball A discharge port 47 and a game ball return port 48 are provided.

  The pachinko balls discharged from the game ball storage unit 12 flow into the game ball distribution unit 14 from the game ball intake port 46 and are discharged from the game ball discharge port 47 or the game ball return port 48. Pachinko balls discharged from the game ball discharge port 47 are collected by the game ball collection device through the game ball discharge port 13A. Further, the pachinko balls discharged from the game ball return port 48 are paid out to the game platform lower plate 8 through the game ball return port 13B.

  The distribution unit bracket 31 is a member for fixing and supporting the game ball distribution unit 14. The drive motor 32 is a motor serving as a drive source for rotationally driving the spiral shaft 37. The spiral shaft drive motor 32 is constituted by, for example, a stepping motor or a DC motor.

  The motor shaft knob 33 is a knob for manually rotating the motor shaft of the drive motor 32. This is provided for the purpose of eliminating the clogged pachinko ball state by manually rotating the motor shaft knob 33 when the pachinko ball is clogged in the spiral shaft 37, for example.

  The drive gear 34 is a gear provided on the motor shaft of the drive motor 32. The driven gear 36 is a gear provided on the spiral shaft 37. By transmitting the rotational drive from the drive gear 34 to the driven gear 36, the drive of the drive motor 32 is transmitted to the spiral shaft 37.

The HP sensor 35 is a sensor that detects the HP (Home Position) position of the spiral shaft 37. On the side of the HP gear 35 in the drive gear 34, an HP sensor blocking plate that rotates with the rotation of the drive gear 34 is provided. And the groove | channel is attached | subjected to the predetermined position of this interruption | blocking board, and the HP position of the spiral shaft 37 is detected when the HP sensor 35 detects this groove | channel.

  The spiral shaft 37 distributes the pachinko balls that flowed in from the game ball storage unit 12 to the game ball discharge port 47 side or the game ball return port 48 side depending on the situation by rotating itself. On the surface of the spiral shaft 37, a spiral collar portion 37A and a valley portion 37B between the collar portions 37A are provided. When the spiral shaft 37 rotates, the pachinko ball is moved by being pushed in the axial direction by the collar portion 37A in a state where it enters the valley portion 37B. Details of the movement of the pachinko ball by the spiral shaft 37 will be described later.

  The fixed shaft 38 is a fixed shaft provided inside the spiral shaft 37, and the spiral shaft 37 rotates around the fixed shaft 38. The spiral shaft guide 39 is a guide for guiding the pachinko ball moved by the spiral shaft 37 and moving it to the game ball discharge port 47 side or the game ball return port 48 side.

  The return port side guide 40 and the return port upper surface guide 41 are guides for guiding the pachinko balls distributed to the game ball return port 48 side by the spiral shaft 37 to the game ball return port 48.

The standby game ball detection sensor 42 is provided in a pachinko ball passage from the game ball inlet 46 to the spiral shaft 37, and is a sensor that detects whether or not the pachinko ball is waiting in this passage area. The standby game ball detection sensor 42 is configured by, for example, a photo sensor that optically detects a pachinko ball, a proximity sensor that detects a pachinko ball by a change in a magnetic field, and the like.

  The discharged ball count sensor 43 is provided in the pachinko ball passage from the spiral shaft 37 to the game ball discharge port 47 and is a sensor that counts the pachinko balls discharged from the game ball discharge port 47. The discharged ball count sensor 43 includes, for example, a photo sensor that optically detects a pachinko ball, a proximity sensor that detects a pachinko ball by a change in a magnetic field, and the like.

  The return ball detection sensor 44 is provided in a pachinko ball passage from the spiral shaft 37 to the game ball return port 48 and is a sensor that detects a pachinko ball discharged from the game ball return port 48. The return ball detection sensor 44 includes, for example, a photo sensor that optically detects a pachinko ball, a proximity sensor that detects a pachinko ball by a change in a magnetic field, and the like.

  The discharged ball backflow prevention valve 45A is provided in a pachinko ball passage from the spiral shaft 37 to the game ball outlet 47, and is a valve for preventing the pachinko ball flowing through this passage from flowing backward. The return ball backflow prevention valve 45B is provided in a pachinko ball passage from the spiral shaft 37 to the game ball return port 48, and is a valve for preventing the pachinko ball flowing through this passage from flowing backward.

(Prefetch)
Here, the prefetching will be described. In the game ball take-in device 9 according to the present embodiment, the pachinko balls are taken in by so-called first take-in. That is, when it is confirmed that the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is the maximum number of MAXBETs (the maximum number that can be used in one game), the player can select a multiplier. It is possible to start the game immediately after selecting the number. That is, the actual discharge of the pachinko balls for the game balls to the game ball collecting device is started after the multiplier is selected, and is also performed during the game.

  On the other hand, in the case of a device that does not perform pre-fetching, the player selects a multiplier, and the game is started after discharging the pachinko balls for the multiplier into the game ball collecting device is completed. Become. In other words, in the case of an apparatus in which pre-fetching is performed, the player can start the game immediately after selecting the multiplier, so that the game can be advanced promptly.

(Distribution by spiral shaft)
Next, the distribution operation in the game ball distribution unit 14 will be described in detail. FIGS. 6A to 6C show an operation when the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball return port 48 side by the spiral shaft 37. First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the pachinko ball that has flowed in from the game ball intake 46 hits the spiral shaft 37 and stops. Here, when the rotational position of the spiral shaft 37 is the HP position, the pachinko balls are disposed in the valley portion 37 </ b> B on the surface of the spiral shaft 37.

Here, when the spiral shaft 37 rotates clockwise (CW), as shown in FIG. 6B, the collar portion 37A is formed in a spiral shape, so that the pachinko ball is in one axial direction (FIG. 6). (B) moves to the right). Here, the direction in which the pachinko ball moves is referred to as a first axial direction. Further, here, the clockwise direction means the spiral shaft 37.
In FIG. 4, the rotational direction when viewed from the axial direction in which the driven gear 36 is not provided is shown.

  When the spiral shaft 37 further rotates clockwise, as shown in FIG. 6C, the pachinko ball that has moved in the first axial direction hits the spiral shaft guide 39, whereby the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37 is increased. The direction of movement is changed in the vertical direction. Here, an opening (not shown) is provided in a direction in which the pachinko ball is moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37, and reaches the game ball return port 48 from this opening. A passage will be provided.

  FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C show an operation when the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball discharge port 47 side by the spiral shaft 37. First, the state shown in FIG. 7A is the same as the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the spiral shaft 37 rotates counterclockwise (CCW), as shown in FIG. 7B, the collar portion 37A is formed in a spiral shape, so that the pachinko balls are in the first axial direction. It moves in the second axial direction (the left direction in FIG. 7B) which is the opposite axial direction.

  When the spiral shaft 37 further rotates counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 7C, the pachinko ball that has moved in the second axial direction hits the spiral shaft guide 39, whereby the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37 is increased. The direction of movement can be changed to a vertical direction. Here, an opening (not shown) is provided in a direction in which the pachinko ball is moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37, and reaches the game ball discharge port 47 from this opening. A passage will be provided.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 7C, the direction in which the movement direction of the pachinko ball is changed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37 is the game ball return port 48. The direction is the same for the case of being distributed to the side and the case of being distributed to the game ball outlet 47 side. In other words, when the spiral shaft 37 is viewed from above, the distribution direction of the pachinko balls is divided into the game ball return port 48 side and the game ball discharge port 47 side. They are distributed in the same direction with respect to the axis, and only the positions to be distributed are different. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the game ball discharge port 13 </ b> A and the game ball return port 13 </ b> B can be arranged on the same side surface of the game ball take-in device 9.

  Here, the merit by having the game ball discharge port 13A and the game ball return port 13B arranged on the same side in the game ball take-in device 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the game ball take-in device 9 is arranged on the right side of the game table upper plate 7 and the game table lower plate 8. In other words, the game ball return port 13B is preferably provided on the surface of the game ball take-in device 9 in the direction in which the game table lower plate 8 is arranged. This surface is the left side surface of the game ball take-in device 9 when viewed from the front side of the gaming apparatus 1.

  On the other hand, on the back side of the gaming device 1, the gaming ball collection passage from the gaming ball collection device (not shown) is basically arranged in the vicinity of the center on the back side of the gaming device 1 in many cases. This is because the structure of the so-called pachinko gaming apparatus is configured to discharge pachinko balls from the vicinity of the center of the back side of the pachinko gaming apparatus. In order to divert such a game ball collection facility, even in the gaming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pachinko balls discharged to the game ball collection apparatus are discharged toward the center near the back side of the gaming apparatus 1. It will be preferable to do. Considering the above, it is preferable that the game ball discharge port 13 </ b> A is provided on the surface of the game ball take-in device 9 facing the center side of the game device 1. This surface is the left side surface of the game ball take-in device 9 when viewed from the front side of the gaming apparatus 1.

  As described above, the game ball discharge port 13A and the game ball return port 13B are arranged on the same side surface of the game ball take-in device 9, that is, on the left side surface in the game ball take-in device 9 as viewed from the front side of the game device 1. It will be preferable to do.

  The center axis of the spiral shaft 37 is divided into a case where the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball return port 48 side and a case where the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball discharge port 47 side when the spiral shaft 37 is viewed from above. Even if it is configured to be distributed in different directions, if at least one of the path to the game ball discharge port 13A and the path to the game ball return port 13B is routed, The exit 13A and the game ball return port 13B can be arranged on the same side of the game ball take-in device 9. However, in this case, problems such as an increase in the size of the game ball take-in device 9, a complicated structure, a complicated maintenance, and an increase in the movement time of the pachinko ball occur due to the provision of a path for drawing. become.

(Details of operation in the game ball holding part)
Next, the details of the operation of the game ball presser 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (c). In the state shown in FIG. 8A, pachinko balls are clogged between the spiral passage 22 and the spiral shaft 37. The pachinko balls arranged in the valley portion 37 </ b> B in the spiral shaft 37 are located at positions shifted leftward from the central axis of the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22.

  When the pachinko ball arranged in the valley portion 37B moves in the right direction by rotating the spiral shaft 37 from this state, the state shown in FIG. 8B is obtained. In this state, the pachinko ball is located on the central axis of the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22. That is, with respect to the state shown in FIG. 8A, the pachinko balls arranged in the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22 are lifted upward. Here, since the game ball holding portion 28 is provided in the upper portion of the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22, the pachinko ball group located in the vertical passage portion pushes the game ball holding portion 28 up to the upper portion. Will move. Therefore, no force is applied to the pachinko ball group located at the slope portion in the spiral passage 22.

  Thereafter, when the spiral shaft 37 further rotates and the pachinko balls arranged in the valley portion 37B move further to the right, the state shown in FIG. 8C is obtained. In this state, the pachinko balls arranged in the valley portion 37 </ b> B are located at positions shifted rightward from the central axis of the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22. Therefore, the pachinko ball group arranged in the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22 moves downward. Here, the game ball holding portion 28 is applied with a force to be pressed downward by the coil spring 29, so that it does not lose the downward movement force due to its own weight of the pachinko ball group located in the slope portion in the spiral passage 22, It is possible to move the pachinko balls arranged in the vertical passage part downward.

Here, the case where the game ball holding | suppressing part 28 is not provided is demonstrated. In this case, when the force that lifts the pachinko ball group positioned in the vertical passage portion by the rotation of the spiral shaft 37 is applied, this force is applied to the pachinko ball group positioned in the slope portion in the spiral passage 22 as it is. Will be added. Here, when the number of pachinko ball groups located in the slope portion in the spiral passage 22 is large, the downward movement force due to the weight of these pachinko ball groups increases, and the pachinko ball group located in the spiral passage 22 cannot move. It will be. Therefore, the pachinko ball located in the valley portion 37B of the spiral shaft 37 cannot move in the axial direction, and the spiral shaft 37 cannot rotate. This is a so-called clogged state, and when the pachinko ball sorting process is disabled, the operation of the apparatus is stopped. In other words, it is possible to prevent clogging by providing the game ball pressing portion 28 as described above.

  In this embodiment, the game ball holding portion 28 is provided at the upper part of the vertical passage portion in the spiral passage 22, but is not limited to this, and the pachinko ball is directed upward from the game ball distributing portion 14 side. As long as a pressing force is applied, the game ball pressing portion 28 may be provided at any position as long as the force can be released. Also, the direction in which the game ball holding portion 28 can move is not limited to the vertical direction, and may move in an oblique direction.

(Shape of spiral passage)
Next, the shape of the spiral passage 22 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10A and the like, the spiral passage 22 has a substantially spiral shape with a substantially vertical direction as a central axis. In the case of such a shape, the spiral passage 22 is gently inclined in the vertical direction and is also gently bent in the horizontal direction. Therefore, since there is no place where the conveyance direction of the pachinko balls changes suddenly, the possibility of clogging during the conveyance of the pachinko balls can be reduced.

  Further, in the case of the shape as described above, the height between the game table upper plate 7 and the game ball distributing unit 14 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to secure a large area of the game board in the gaming apparatus 1. Here, the game board indicates an area where the symbol display windows 2A, 2B, and 2C shown in FIG. 1 are arranged and an area where various other displays are performed. Thus, it is possible to provide a highly entertaining gaming apparatus 1 by ensuring a large game board area.

  In the present embodiment, the spiral passage 22 has a substantially spiral shape with the substantially vertical direction as the central axis as described above, but is not limited thereto. For example, regarding the change in the direction of travel while the pachinko ball passes through the spiral path 22, the shape of the spiral path 22 is set so that the angle range in which the direction of the component in the horizontal plane in the direction of travel changes is greater than 90 °. It may be set. Specifically, for example, the shape when the spiral passage 22 is projected in the vertical direction may be a substantially U shape, a substantially J shape, a substantially semicircular shape, or the like. With such a shape, the distance between the entrance and the exit of the spiral passage 22 when the spiral passage 22 is projected in the vertical direction can be made relatively short, so that the outer shape of the game ball take-in device 9 is compact. Can be.

  In addition, regarding the change in the traveling direction while the pachinko ball passes through the spiral passage 22, the shape of the spiral passage 22 is set so that the angle range in which the direction of the component in the horizontal plane in the traveling direction changes is greater than 180 °. It may be set. In this case, the distance between the inlet and the outlet of the spiral passage 22 when the spiral passage 22 is projected in the vertical direction can be more reliably reduced.

  In addition, said angle range may be a range exceeding 360 degrees. For example, when the spiral passage 22 has a substantially spiral shape, when viewed from the vertical direction, a shape that makes one or more circles between the start point of the spiral and the end point of the spiral is assumed. In this case, the above angle range exceeds 360 °.

Further, the shape of the spiral passage 22 may be set so that the projected shape when the pachinko ball passage route in the spiral passage 22 is projected in the vertical direction is a two-dimensional shape including a curve. Specifically, for example, the spiral passage 22 may have a shape that is inclined while meandering. However, in this case, when the spiral passage 22 is projected in the vertical direction, the distance between the inlet and the outlet of the spiral passage 22 is increased.

  Next, the cross-sectional shape of the spiral passage 22 will be described. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the spiral passage intake 22A in the spiral passage 22 is viewed from the front. As shown in the figure, a groove 22D is provided in the central portion of the lower surface of the spiral passage 22 in parallel to the passage, in other words, parallel to the pachinko ball conveying direction. According to such a configuration, the pachinko ball passing through the spiral passage 22 moves along the groove 22D. Here, when the groove 22 </ b> D is not provided in the spiral passage 22, the pachinko balls flow while colliding with the left and right wall surfaces in the spiral passage 22, and the flow of the pachinko balls becomes worse. On the other hand, according to said structure, since a pachinko ball will move along the groove | channel 22D, the flow of a pachinko ball can be made smooth.

  The groove 22 </ b> D includes a groove side surface provided substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the spiral passage 22 and a groove lower surface. That is, the pachinko ball moving through the spiral passage 22 is supported at the uppermost portions of the two groove side surfaces. In other words, the pachinko ball moving in the spiral passage 22 is supported by two points. On the other hand, when the groove 22D is not provided in the passage, the pachinko ball is supported by one point on the lower surface of the passage. Therefore, since the number of support points of the pachinko balls can be increased in the configuration provided with the grooves 22D, the pachinko balls can be transported more stably.

  Next, a dust pit provided in the spiral passage 22 will be described. FIG. 10B shows a state when the spiral passage 22 is viewed from above. In the figure, the hatched area shown inside the spiral passage 22 indicates dust drop holes (openings) 22C and 22D provided through the lower surface of the spiral passage 22. There are cases where dust or the like adheres to the pachinko balls, but it is conceivable that such pachinko balls will drop dust when passing through the spiral passage 22. If such dust adheres to the spiral passage 22, the flow of the pachinko balls will be deteriorated. On the other hand, if dust drop holes 22C and 22D are provided as described above, such dust can be dropped from these holes. Therefore, it is possible to constantly maintain a state in which the flow of pachinko balls is good.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (c), in the lower part of the central cover 21 where the dust drop holes 22C and 22D are disposed, the dust dropped from the dust drop holes 22C and 22D Garbage discharge portions 21C and 21D that can be discharged to the outside of the game ball take-in device 9 are provided. The dust discharge portions 21C and 21D have a slope shape, and the dust dropped from the dust drop holes 22C and 22D can be discharged outside the game ball take-in device 9 by the weight of the dust. ing.

(Shape of spiral shaft)
Next, the formation state of the collar part 37A and the trough part 37B in the spiral shaft 37 will be described. 12A and 12B show a state where the cylindrical surface of the spiral shaft 37 is developed. FIG. 12A shows a general shape, and FIG. 12B shows a shape used in this embodiment. In these drawings, the horizontal direction is the axial direction of the spiral shaft 37, and the vertical direction is the center angle position on the cylindrical surface of the spiral shaft 37. Further, the center position in the vertical direction is the uppermost point on the cylindrical surface of the spiral shaft 37 when the rotational position of the spiral shaft 37 is the HP position, and the angular position on this cylindrical surface is 180 °.

As shown in FIG. 12 (a), in a general spiral shaft 37, the valley portion 37B serving as a pachinko ball passage and the flange portions 37A provided on both sides thereof are axially arranged at any angular position on the cylindrical surface. Is formed at a predetermined angle (greater than 0 ° and less than 90 °), thereby realizing a spiral structure.

  In such a configuration, the pachinko balls that have flowed in from the game ball storage unit 12 can be accommodated in the valleys 37B of the spiral shaft 37 only when the rotational position of the spiral shaft 37 is at the HP position. . In other words, if the rotational position of the spiral shaft 37 is slightly deviated from the HP position, the pachinko balls cannot be accommodated in the valleys 37B and cannot be moved for distribution.

  Here, when a plurality of pachinko balls continuously flows from the game ball storage unit 12, it is possible to distribute one pachinko ball for each rotation of the spiral shaft 37. However, when a plurality of pachinko balls flow in with a slight gap between them, it may occur that one pachinko ball cannot be distributed every time the spiral shaft 37 rotates.

  On the other hand, in the shape shown in FIG. 12B, the valley portion 37B and the collar portions 37A provided on both sides of the valley portion 37B have a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction (except for a predetermined angle range on the cylindrical surface). On the other hand, it is formed so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction within the predetermined angle range. A portion where the valley portion 37B is provided so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction will be referred to as a game ball introduction region 37BA (indicated by a lattice region in FIG. 12B).

  By providing such a game ball introduction area 37BA, even if the rotational position of the spiral shaft 37 is deviated from the HP position within the predetermined angle range, the pachinko ball can be stored in the valley portion 37B. Become. Therefore, even when a plurality of pachinko balls flow in slightly between each other, it is possible to distribute one pachinko ball for each rotation of the spiral shaft 37, and an efficient distribution process can be performed. it can.

Next, the twisting direction (inclination direction) of the flange portion 37A and the valley portion 37B of the spiral shaft 37 will be described. In the state where the cylindrical surface of the spiral shaft 37 shown in FIG. 12B is developed, the collar portion 37A and the valley portion 37B change from the upper part (360 °) to the lower part (0 °) from the upper left to the lower right. Yes. On the other hand, a state of changing from the upper right to the lower left as the reverse twist direction is also conceivable. Here, the case where the twist direction is twisted from the upper left to the lower right is called left twist, and conversely, the case where the twist is twisted from the upper right to the lower left is called right twist.

  Here, the merit by having made the spiral shaft 37 of this apparatus left-handed is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 6D, when the pachinko ball is sent to the game ball return port 13B, when the pachinko ball falls from the spiral shaft, the bank portion 37C of the spiral shaft is opposite to the moving direction of the pachinko ball. It will interfere, and the flow of pachinko balls will be worse.

  On the other hand, when the pachinko ball is sent to the game ball outlet 13A as shown in FIG. 7 (d), when the pachinko ball falls from the spiral shaft, the pachinko ball is pushed out by the bank portion 37D of the spiral shaft. Become.

  Considering the above, it can be seen that the flow is better when the pachinko ball is sent to the game ball return port 13B and when the pachinko ball is sent to the game ball discharge port 13A.

  Further, in the market demand for the apparatus, it is required to make the discharge speed to the game ball discharge port 13A faster than the ball return speed to the game ball return port 13B.

  From the above, the twisting direction of the spiral shaft is set to the left twist so that the pachinko ball discharge speed of the game ball return port 13A can be made faster than the game ball return port 13B.

(Control system configuration)
Next, the configuration of the control system in the game ball take-in device 9 will be described below with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the game ball take-in device 9 includes a control unit 51, a flag storage unit 52, a counter storage unit 53, and a variable storage unit 54 in addition to the above-described configuration.

  The control unit 51 receives detection signals and the like from the respective components described above, and sends out control signals for controlling operations of the respective components based on the detection signals. Here, the configuration related to the control by the control unit 51 includes the return button 10, the start lever 4, the MAXBET button 6B, the 1BET button 6A, the solenoid 25, the game ball count sensor 23, the standby game ball detection sensor 42, and the HP sensor 35. , Discharged ball count sensor 43, and return ball detection sensor 44. The control unit 51 is realized by an IC or the like that can execute each control process described later.

Note that the control unit 51 is not limited to being realized by an IC, and for example, can be configured to execute a program that realizes each control process described later by calculation by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The program in this case is a software program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program, etc.) for realizing the processing. This program may be used alone or in combination with other programs (such as OS). The program may be stored in, for example, a readable / writable non-volatile storage unit, and may be read from the storage unit and executed. Further, the program may be acquired via a transmission medium (a medium that fluidly holds the program) such as a network (connected to a wired line or a wireless line).

  The flag storage unit 52 stores a game table lower plate full flg, an island full flg, a shutter shutoff monitoring flg, a solenoid signal OFFflg, a shutter re-shutoff flg, a step-out monitoring flg, and an initial failure detection flg. The counter storage unit 53 includes a motor retry counter, initial retry counter, solenoid suction counter, clock counter, game ball internal counter, HP sensor counter, discharge ball counter, take-in retry counter, return ball detection ON counter, return ball detection OFF. A counter, a discharge ball detection ON counter, and a discharge ball detection OFF counter are stored. In addition, the variable storage unit 54 stores a designated discharge number, a minimum storage number, and a maximum storage number.

  First, each item stored in the flag storage unit 52 will be described. The game table lower plate full flg is a flag indicating that the pachinko balls stored in the game table lower plate 8 are full. The island full flg is a flag indicating that the pachinko balls stored in the game ball collecting device are full. The shutter cutoff monitor flg is a flag indicating that it is necessary to monitor the shutter 26 cutoff. The solenoid signal OFFflg is a flag indicating that it is necessary to turn off all signals input to the solenoid 25. The shutter re-blocking flg is a flag indicating that the shutter 26 needs to be re-blocked. The step-out monitoring flg is a flag indicating that it is necessary to monitor the step-out of the drive motor 32. The initial failure detection flg is a flag indicating that it is detected whether the initial process is normally performed.

  Next, each item stored in the counter storage unit 53 will be described. The motor retry counter counts the number of times the retry process has been performed when the drive motor 32 has stepped out. The initial retry counter counts the number of times initial processing described later has been performed. The solenoid suction counter counts the number of times that the solenoid 25 is suctioned. The clock counter counts the number of clocks of the drive signal input to the drive motor 32. The game ball internal counter stores a count by the game ball count sensor 23. The HP sensor counter counts the number of edges at which the detection signal from the HP sensor 35 turns from OFF to ON. The discharged ball counter stores a count by the discharged ball count sensor 43. The capture retry counter counts the number of times capture processing described later has been performed. The return ball detection ON counter counts the number of times the detection signal from the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned ON. The return ball detection OFF counter counts the number of times the detection signal from the return ball detection sensor 44 is OFF. The discharged ball detection ON counter counts the number of times the detection signal from the discharged ball count sensor 43 is turned on. The discharged ball detection OFF counter counts the number of times the detection signal from the discharged ball count sensor 43 is OFF.

  Next, each item stored in the variable storage unit 54 will be described. The designated discharge number stores the number of pachinko balls corresponding to the number of BETs specified by pressing the MAXBET button 6B or the 1BET button 6A. This designated number is discharged every time the pachinko balls are discharged to the game ball collecting device and the next BET number is set. The minimum storage number and the maximum storage number respectively store the minimum value and the maximum value of the number of pachinko balls that can be stored in the spiral passage 22. These minimum storage number and maximum storage number are fixed values corresponding to the structure of the game ball take-in device 9.

  The flag storage unit 52, the counter storage unit 53, and the variable storage unit 54 are configured by, for example, a register, but are not limited thereto, and may be configured by a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, or the like. Good.

(Control processing)
Below, the various control processing performed in the game ball taking-in apparatus 9 is demonstrated. Various control processes include basic control processing, initial processing, shutter cutoff processing, shutter cutoff release processing, solenoid signal OFF processing, shutter re-blocking processing, shutter cutoff monitoring processing, initial failure detection processing, drive motor step-out monitoring processing, and return processing. In the following, a description will be given of a loading process, a gaming machine lower plate full detection process, a gaming machine lower plate full release detection process, an island full detection process, an island full release detection process, an error process, and a game ball storage number defect detection process. These various control processes are performed by the control unit 51 described above.

(Basic control processing)
Next, the basic processing flow in the game ball take-in device 9 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, when the game ball take-in device 9 is turned on, in step 000 (hereinafter referred to as S000), it is determined whether or not the game table lower plate full flg is set. The game table lower plate full flg is a flag indicating that the game table lower plate 8 is full of pachinko balls. If NO in S000, that is, if it is determined that the game table lower plate full flg is not set, the process proceeds to S001. On the other hand, if YES in S000, that is, if it is determined that the game table lower plate full flg is set, the process waits until the state where the pachinko balls in the game table lower plate 8 are full is released. Will be.

Next, in S001, initial processing is performed. Details of the initial process will be described later.

  Next, in S002, it is confirmed whether or not the initial process has been normally completed. If NO in S002, that is, if the initial process has not ended normally, an error process in S013 is performed. Details of the error processing will be described later. After the error processing in S013 is performed, the game ball take-in device 9 is turned off once, turned on again, and the processing from S000 is performed again.

  On the other hand, if YES in S002, that is, if the initial process ends normally, the process proceeds to S003.

  In S003, it is determined whether or not a return processing request has been made by the player. The return processing request is recognized by detecting that the return button 10 has been pressed by the player. If YES in S003, that is, if it is determined that a return process request has been made, the process proceeds to S010.

  On the other hand, if NO in S003, that is, if it is determined that a return process request has not been made, it is determined in S004 whether or not a capture process request has been made by the player. The capture processing request is recognized by detecting that the start lever 4 is operated after the multiplier is set by the player. Further, the capture processing request may be recognized by detecting that the player operates the 1BET button 6A or the MAXBET button 6B.

  If YES in S004, that is, if it is determined that a capture processing request has been made, it is determined in S005 whether or not the island full flg is set. If YES in S005, that is, if the full island flg is set, the process returns to S003.

  On the other hand, if NO in S005, that is, if the full island flg is not set, the value of the game ball internal counter counted by the game ball count sensor 23, that is, the pachinko stored in the spiral passage 22 in S006. It is determined whether or not the number of balls is equal to or greater than the designated discharge number N. If NO in S006, that is, if the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is smaller than the designated discharge number N, the take-in process is canceled and the process returns to S003.

  On the other hand, if YES in S006, that is, if the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is equal to or greater than the designated discharge number N, the process proceeds to S007. Details of the capturing process will be described later.

  When the capturing process in S007 is completed, it is determined in S008 whether the capturing process has been completed normally. If YES in S008, that is, if it is determined that the capture process has been completed normally, the game process of S009 is performed. The game process referred to here is a known slot machine game process. When the game process in S009 ends, the process returns to S003.

  On the other hand, if NO in S008, that is, if it is determined that the capturing process has not ended normally, an error process described later in S013 is performed. After the error processing in S013 is performed, the game ball take-in device 9 is turned off once, turned on again, and the processing from S000 is performed again.

  Next, a process when it is determined YES in S003 will be described. If YES is determined in S003, it is determined in S010 whether or not the game table lower plate full flg is set. If NO in S010, that is, if the game table lower plate full flg is not set, the process proceeds to S011 and a return process is performed. Details of the return process will be described later.

  When the return process in S011 is completed, it is determined in S012 whether or not the return process has ended normally. If YES in S011, that is, if it is determined that the return process has ended normally, the process returns to S003. On the other hand, if NO in S012, that is, if it is determined that the return process has not ended normally, an error process described later in S013 is performed. After the error processing in S013 is performed, the game ball take-in device 9 is turned off once, turned on again, and the processing from S000 is performed again.

(Initial processing)
Next, details of the initial process shown in S001 in FIG. 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the initial process, a process of returning the pachinko balls remaining in the spiral passage 22 on the downstream side of the shutter 26 to the gaming machine lower tray 8 is performed.

  First, in S100, a shutter cutoff process is performed. Details of the shutter blocking process will be described later. After the shutter blocking process is performed, the waiting process of S101 is performed in order to wait for the mechanical operation time for the shutter 26 to completely block the spiral passage 22.

  Thereafter, in S102, a clock signal is given to the drive motor 32, and the spiral shaft 37 is rotated counterclockwise (CCW). As a result, the pachinko balls remaining in the spiral passage 22 are moved in a direction to be discharged to the game platform lower plate 8.

  Next, in S103, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is set. Thereby, the step-out monitoring process of the drive motor 32 to be described later is processed in parallel.

  Next, in S104, the shutter cutoff monitor flg is set. As a result, the shutter cutoff monitoring process described later is processed in parallel.

  Next, in S105, the shutter re-blocking flg is set. Thereby, the shutter re-blocking process described later is processed in parallel.

  Next, in S106, it is determined whether or not the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON. If YES in S106, that is, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON, the process waits until the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is OFF in S107. If NO in S106, that is, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is OFF, the process of S107 is passed and the process proceeds to S108.

  In S108, the shutter re-blocking flg is cleared. Thereby, the shutter re-blocking process ends. Thereafter, in order to wait for a mechanical operation time until the pachinko balls remaining in the spiral passage 22 on the downstream side of the shutter 26 are reliably discharged, a standby process in S109 is performed. The purpose of this process is to discharge pachinko balls existing downstream of the standby game ball detection sensor 42 and upstream of the spiral shaft 37.

When the discharge of the pachinko balls is completed, the process of stopping the drive of the drive motor 32 is performed by stopping the clock signal supplied to the drive motor 32 in S110. In step S111, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is cleared. Thereby, the step-out monitoring process of the drive motor 32 ends.

  Next, in S112, the shutter cutoff monitor flg is cleared. Thereby, the shutter cutoff monitoring process ends. Next, in S113, a game ball internal counter that counts the number of pachinko balls in the spiral passage 22 that is downstream of the shutter 26 and upstream of the spiral shaft 37 is cleared to zero.

  Next, in S114, it is determined whether or not the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is OFF. If YES in S114, that is, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is OFF, the pachinko ball does not remain in the spiral passage 22 downstream from the shutter 26 and upstream from the spiral shaft 37, the process proceeds to S115. Transition to processing. On the other hand, if NO in S114, that is, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is OFF, the pachinko ball remains in the spiral passage 22 downstream from the shutter 26 and upstream from the spiral shaft 37, The process proceeds to S119.

  In S115, processing for clearing the initial retry counter is performed. Thereafter, in S116, a shutter cutoff release process described later is performed. As a result, the pachinko balls stored in the game platform upper plate 7 flow into the spiral passage 22. The number of pachinko balls that have flowed in is counted by the game ball count sensor 23, and the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is managed.

  In S117, after the waiting time until the pachinko ball on the game table upper plate 7 that has been blocked by the shutter 26 flows into the spiral passage 22 and stabilizes, the initial process is normally completed. (S118), the processing shifts from S001 to S002 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, in the case of NO in S114, since the discharge of the pachinko balls remaining in the spiral passage 22 downstream of the shutter 26 and upstream of the spiral shaft 37 has failed, the initial process has failed. Will be. Therefore, in S119, it is determined whether or not the count number by the initial retry counter has become larger than a predetermined value N. If the number of initial retries is N or less, the process proceeds to S120, the initial retry counter is incremented, and the initial process is performed again from the beginning. On the other hand, when the number of initial retries is larger than N, it is regarded as abnormal termination (S121), and the processing shifts from S001 to S002 shown in FIG.

(Shutter blocking process)
Next, details of the shutter blocking process shown in S101 in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the shutter shut-off process, when the plunger of the solenoid 25 is sucked, the shutter 26 protrudes into the spiral passage 22, and thereby the process of shutting down the flow of pachinko balls from the game table upper plate 7 to the spiral passage 22 is performed. Done.

  First, in S200, the suction release signal for the solenoid 25 is turned off. Next, in S201, the suction signal for the solenoid 25 is turned ON. Next, in S202, the solenoid signal OFFflg is set. As a result, a solenoid signal OFF process, which will be described later, is performed, and the solenoid suction signal is turned OFF after a predetermined time. Thus, the shutter blocking process is completed.

(Shutter cutoff release processing)
Next, details of the shutter cutoff release process shown in S119 in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the shutter shut-off release processing, the plunger of the solenoid 25 is released by suction, whereby the shutter 26 is withdrawn from the spiral passage 22, thereby allowing the pachinko balls to flow from the game table upper plate 7 into the spiral passage 22. Processing to make a state is performed.

  First, in S300, the suction signal for the solenoid 25 is turned off. Next, in S301, the suction release signal for the solenoid 25 is turned ON. Next, in S302, the solenoid signal OFFflg is set. As a result, a solenoid signal OFF process, which will be described later, is performed, and the solenoid suction release signal is turned OFF after a predetermined time. Thus, the shutter cutoff release process is completed.

(Solenoid signal OFF processing)
Next, the details of the solenoid signal OFF process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The solenoid signal OFF process is a process called at any given time. In the solenoid signal OFF process, when the solenoid signal OFFflg is set, a process for turning off all signals for the solenoid 25 is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  First, in S400, it is determined whether or not the solenoid signal OFFflg is set. If YES in S400, that is, if the solenoid signal OFFflg is set, a process of waiting for the elapse of a fixed time is performed in S401. On the other hand, when the solenoid signal OFFflg is not set, and after waiting for a predetermined time in S401, the solenoid suction signal is turned off in S402, the solenoid suction release signal is turned off in S403, and the solenoid signal is sent in S404. OFFflg is cleared. Thus, the solenoid signal OFF process ends.

(Shutter re-blocking process)
Next, details of the shutter re-blocking process executed when the shutter re-blocking flg is set will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This shutter re-blocking process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S500, it is determined whether or not the shutter re-blocking flg is set. If YES in S500, that is, if the shutter re-blocking flg is set, in S501, a process of waiting for a time until the game balls in the game ball storage unit 12 starts to flow down is performed, and then the shutter described above. A blocking process is performed. On the other hand, if NO in S500, that is, if the shutter re-blocking flg is not set, the shutter re-blocking process is not performed and the process ends.

  When the shutter blocking process in S502 is completed, it is determined in S503 whether or not the shutter re-blocking flg is set again. If YES in S503, that is, if the shutter re-blocking flg is set, a process of waiting for the time until the shutter 26 is mechanically blocked is performed in S504. On the other hand, if NO in S503, that is, if the shutter re-blocking flg is not set, the shutter re-blocking process ends.

After the standby process is performed, in S505, it is determined whether or not the number of times of suction counted by the solenoid suction counter, that is, the number of times of shutter shut-off exceeds the specified number N. If the specified number of times N has not been exceeded, the process returns to S502 and a shutter blocking process is performed.
On the other hand, if the specified number N is exceeded, the shutter re-blocking process is terminated.

(Shutter cutoff monitoring process)
Next, details of the shutter cutoff monitoring process executed when the shutter cutoff monitoring flg is set will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This shutter cutoff monitoring process is periodically executed as needed after the power is turned on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S600, it is determined whether or not the shutter cutoff monitor flg is set. If YES in S600, that is, if shutter shut-off monitoring flg is set, the remaining pachinko balls between the shutter 26 and the game ball count sensor 23 are surely passed through the game ball count sensor 23 in S601. Processing to wait for time is performed. On the other hand, if NO in S600, that is, if the shutter cutoff monitoring flg is not set, the shutter cutoff monitoring process is not performed and the process ends.

  When the standby process in S601 ends, it is next determined in S602 whether or not the shutter cutoff monitor flg is set again. If NO in S602, that is, if the shutter cutoff monitor flg is not set, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if YES in S602, that is, if the shutter cutoff monitoring flg is set, it is determined in S603 whether or not the pachinko ball has been detected by the game ball count sensor 23. If NO in S603, that is, if it is determined that the passage of the pachinko ball has not been detected, the process returns to S602.

  On the other hand, if YES in S603, that is, if it is determined that the passage of the pachinko ball has been detected, the shutter blocking process described above is performed in S604. When the shutter cutoff process in S604 is completed, it is determined again in S605 whether or not the shutter cutoff monitor flg is set. If NO in S605, that is, if the shutter cutoff monitor flg is not set, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if YES in S605, that is, if the shutter cutoff monitor flg is set, in S606, a process of waiting for the time until the shutter 26 is mechanically shut off is performed, and then the processes from S602 are performed. Return to.

(Drive motor step-out monitoring process)
Next, the details of the step-out monitoring process executed when the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is set will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This step-out monitoring process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S800, it is determined whether or not the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is set. If NO in S800, that is, if the step-out monitoring flg is not set, the step-out monitoring process is not performed and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if YES in S800, that is, if the step-out monitoring flg is set, it is determined in S801 whether or not an edge is detected when the detection signal from the HP sensor 35 changes from OFF to ON. . If YES in S801, that is, if an edge when the detection signal from the HP sensor 35 changes from OFF to ON is detected, the number of clock outputs of the drive signal applied to the drive motor 32 is cleared in S803. Processing is performed. Thereafter, the processing from S800 is performed.

  On the other hand, if NO in S801, that is, if it is determined that the edge when the detection signal from the HP sensor 35 changes from OFF to ON is not detected, the number of clock outputs counted by the clock counter is a predetermined number in S802. It is determined whether or not it is larger than the number N. If NO in S802, that is, if it is determined that the number of clock outputs is equal to or less than the predetermined number N, the processing returns to S800.

  On the other hand, if YES in S802, that is, if the number of clock outputs is greater than the predetermined number N, the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped and the process is interrupted in S804. Thereafter, in S805, it is determined whether or not the count number by the motor retry counter that counts the motor step-out count exceeds a predetermined number N.

  If NO in S805, that is, if it is determined that the number of motor retries does not exceed the predetermined number N, a drive signal clock is applied to the drive motor 32 so that the spiral shaft 37 rotates in S806. It is done. Thereafter, the processing from S803 is performed. On the other hand, if YES in S805, that is, if the number of motor retries exceeds the predetermined number N, error processing described later in S807 is performed. After the error processing in S807 is performed, the processing from S800 is performed again.

(Return processing)
Next, details of the return process shown in S011 in FIG. 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the return process, the pachinko balls in the game ball take-in device 9 and the pachinko balls stored in the game table upper plate 7 are transferred to the game table lower plate 8 by the rotation of the spiral shaft 37 based on the return request. Processing to discharge is performed. Then, based on the return end request, the process of discharging the pachinko balls to the game platform lower tray 8 is stopped. After the return process is completed, the initial process is always performed.

  First, in S900, a drive signal clock is applied to the drive motor 32 so that the spiral shaft 37 rotates counterclockwise (CCW direction). Thereafter, in step S901, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is set. Thereby, the step-out monitoring process described above is performed in parallel.

  Next, in S902, a return completion process request standby process is performed. When the return end processing request is made, in S903, the input of the drive signal to the drive motor 32 is stopped, and the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped. Thereafter, in step S904, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is cleared, and the step-out monitoring process ends.

  Thereafter, in S905, a standby process is performed to wait for a time when the game ball is surely paid out to the game platform lower tray 8. In step S906, it is confirmed whether or not an error has been detected in the step-out monitoring of the drive motor of the spiral shaft.

  If NO in S906, that is, if an error is detected in the step-out monitoring of the drive motor of the spiral shaft, the return process ends abnormally (S908), and the process proceeds to the error process described later in S013 shown in FIG. To do. On the other hand, if YES in S906, that is, if the return process is completed normally (S907), the process proceeds to S012 shown in FIG.

(Import process)
Next, details of the capturing process shown in S004 in FIG. 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the taking-in process, the pachinko balls counted by the game ball count sensor 23 and stored in the spiral passage 22 are discharged to the game ball collecting device by the rotation of the spiral shaft 37. If it is less than the number to be ejected in one capture process, the capture process is repeatedly executed for the shortage. In the following description, each time one pachinko ball is discharged to the game ball collecting device, the count number of the game ball internal counter that counts the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is decremented by 1. It will be.

  First, in S1000, a drive signal clock is applied to the drive motor 32 so that the spiral shaft 37 rotates in the clockwise direction (CW direction). Thereafter, in S1001, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is set. Thereby, the step-out monitoring process described above is performed in parallel.

  Next, the rotation number of the spiral shaft 37 is counted by the HP sensor counter by the number of edges at which the detection signal from the HP sensor 35 turns ON from OFF, and it is determined whether or not this number has reached the designated discharge number N. (S1002). If NO in S1002, that is, if the number of counts is less than the discharge number N, it is determined in S1003 whether or not an error is detected in the step-out monitoring of the spiral shaft drive motor.

  If NO in S1003, that is, if a step-out monitoring error is not detected, the processing from S1002 is repeated. On the other hand, if YES in S1003, that is, if a step-out monitoring error is detected, the process proceeds to S1004, where the process ends abnormally, and the process proceeds to an error process (described later) illustrated in S012 of FIG.

  On the other hand, if YES in S1002, that is, if the number of counts reaches the number N of discharges, input of the drive signal to the drive motor 32 is stopped and the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped in S1005. In step S1006, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is cleared, and the step-out monitoring process ends.

  Next, in S1007, it is determined whether or not the count number of the discharge ball ON counter that counts the number of edges at which the detection signal from the discharge ball count sensor 43 turns ON from OFF matches the designated discharge number N. If they match, the capturing process ends normally, and the process proceeds to S008 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if NO in S1007, that is, if the number of pachinko balls to be discharged does not coincide with the specified discharge number N, whether or not the number of pachinko balls to be discharged is larger than the specified discharge number N in S1008. Determined. If YES in S1008, that is, if the number of pachinko balls to be discharged is larger than the specified discharge number N, excessive discharge occurs, the process proceeds to S1004 and ends abnormally, and an error described later in S012 of FIG. Transition to processing.

  On the other hand, if NO in S1008, that is, if the number of pachinko balls to be discharged is equal to or less than the specified discharge number N, in S1009, the count by the capture retry counter that counts the number of times the capture process is repeated (the number of capture retries) It is determined whether the number is greater than a predetermined value L. If the fetching process has been retried more than the predetermined value L, the process proceeds to S1004, where the process ends abnormally, and the process proceeds to an error process (described later) illustrated in S012 of FIG.

  On the other hand, if the capture process has been retried for the number of times equal to or less than the predetermined value L, the capture retry counter is incremented in S1010, and the shortage relative to the specified number of discharges is calculated in S1011. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S1002, and a shortage capturing process is performed.

(Game table lower plate full detection process)
Next, a lower plate full detection process for detecting whether the game table lower plate 8 is full will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the lower plate full detection process, it is assumed that the game table lower plate 8 is full when the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned ON continuously for a certain period of time after detecting a change from OFF to ON. Suspend the return of pachinko balls to the base plate 8. This process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S1101, standby processing is performed until the detection signal of the return ball detection sensor 44 changes from OFF to ON. When a change from the OFF detection signal of the return ball detection sensor 44 to ON is detected, a standby process for a predetermined time is performed in S1102. Thereafter, in S1103, it is determined whether or not the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned on. If NO in S1103, that is, if no return ball is detected, in S1105, the return ball detection ON counter that counts the number of times the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned on (the number of ON times) is initialized to 0, and in S1101 Return.

  On the other hand, if YES in S1103, that is, if a return ball is detected, it is determined in S1104 whether or not the number of ONs is greater than a predetermined number N. If the ON count is less than or equal to the predetermined number N, the return ball detection ON counter is incremented in S1107, and the process returns to S1102.

  On the other hand, if the ON count exceeds the predetermined number N, it is determined in S1106 whether the return process in S005 in FIG. 14 or the initial process in S000 in FIG. 14 is in progress. If YES in S1106, that is, if return processing or initial processing is being performed, the process proceeds to S1108. If NO in S1106, that is, if neither return process nor initial process is being performed, the process proceeds to S1110. To do.

  In S1108, the input of the drive signal to the drive motor 32 is stopped, and the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped. Thereafter, in step S1109, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is cleared, and in step S1110, the game table lower plate full flg is set, and the process ends.

(Game table lower plate full release detection process)
Next, a lower plate full release detection process for detecting that the gaming platform lower plate 8 has shifted from a full state to a non-full state will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the lower plate full release detection process, it is assumed that the game table lower plate 8 is released from full when the return ball detection sensor 44 has been turned OFF for a certain period of time after detecting a change from ON to OFF. The return of the pachinko ball to the game platform lower plate 8 is resumed. That is, each operation is restarted during the initial process or the return process. This process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S1201, standby processing is performed until the detection signal of the return ball detection sensor 44 changes from ON to OFF. When a change from ON to OFF of the detection signal of the return ball detection sensor 44 is detected, standby processing for a predetermined time is performed in S1202. Thereafter, in S1203, it is determined whether or not the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned off. If a return ball is detected, a return ball detection OFF counter that counts the number of times the return ball detection sensor 44 is turned off (the number of OFF times) is initialized to 0 in S1205, and the process returns to S1201.

On the other hand, if no return ball is detected in S1205, it is determined in S1204 whether or not the number of OFF times is greater than a predetermined number N. If the number of OFF times is equal to or less than the predetermined number N, the return ball detection OFF counter is incremented in S1207, and the process returns to S1202.

  On the other hand, if the number of times of OFF exceeds the predetermined number N, the game table lower plate full flg is cleared in S1206. Thereafter, the process returns, but if the initial process is being performed, the process from S002 in FIG. 14 is performed. On the other hand, when the return process is being performed, the process from S012 of FIG. 14 is performed.

(Full island detection process)
Next, an island full detection process for detecting whether the game ball collecting device is full will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the island full detection process, when the change of the discharge ball count sensor 43 from OFF to ON is detected, it is assumed that the game ball collecting device is full when it is continuously turned on for a certain period of time. Discontinue pachinko ball discharge. This process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

  First, in S1301, standby processing is performed until the detection signal of the discharged ball count sensor 43 changes from OFF to ON. When the change of the detection signal of the discharged ball count sensor 43 from OFF to ON is detected, standby processing for a predetermined time is performed in S1302. Thereafter, in S1303, it is determined whether or not the discharged ball count sensor 43 is turned on. If no discharged ball is detected here, a discharged ball detection ON counter that counts the number of times the discharged ball count sensor 43 is turned on (ON count) is initialized to 0 in S1305, and the process returns to S1301.

  On the other hand, if a discharged ball is detected in S1305, it is determined in S1304 whether or not the number of times of ON is greater than a predetermined number N. If the ON count is equal to or less than the predetermined number N, the discharged ball detection ON counter is incremented in S1307, and the process returns to S1302.

  On the other hand, if the ON count exceeds the predetermined number N, it is determined in S1306 whether the capture process in S004 in FIG. If YES in S1306, that is, if the capturing process is being performed, the process proceeds to S1308. If NO in S1306, that is, if the capturing process is not being performed, the process proceeds to S1310.

  In S1308, the input of the drive signal to the drive motor 32 is stopped, and the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped. Thereafter, the step-out monitoring flg of the drive motor 32 is cleared in S1309, the island full flg is set in S1310, and the process ends.

(Island full release detection process)
Next, an island full release detection process for detecting that the game ball discharging device has shifted from a full state to a non-full state will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the island full release detection process, it is assumed that the game ball collecting device has been released from the full state when the discharge ball count sensor 43 has been turned OFF for a certain period of time after detecting a change from ON to OFF. Resumes pachinko ball discharge to. That is, the operation is resumed when it is being captured. This process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG.

First, in S1401, standby processing is performed until the detection signal of the discharged ball count sensor 43 changes from ON to OFF. When a change from ON to OFF of the detection signal of the discharged ball count sensor 43 is detected, standby processing for a predetermined time is performed in S1402. Thereafter, in S1403, it is determined whether or not the discharged ball count sensor 43 is turned off. If a discharged ball is detected, a discharged ball detection OFF counter that counts the number of times the discharged ball count sensor 43 is turned off (the number of OFF times) is initialized to 0 in S1405, and the process returns to S1401.

  On the other hand, if no discharged ball is detected in S1405, it is determined in S1404 whether or not the number of OFF times is greater than a predetermined number N. If the OFF count is equal to or less than the predetermined number N, the discharged ball detection OFF counter is incremented in S1407, and the process returns to S1402.

  On the other hand, if the OFF count exceeds the predetermined number N, the island full flg is cleared in S1406. Thereafter, the process returns, but when the capturing process is being performed, the process returns to S007 in FIG. 14 and the capturing process is performed again.

(Defect detection processing for the number of game balls stored)
Next, a process for detecting whether or not the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is defective will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In this process, when the drive motor 32 is stopped and the game balls in the game ball storage unit 12 are stably stopped, that is, when the game ball take-in device 9 is in the standby state, the standby game ball detection sensor 42, and whether the actual number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 matches the internal counter using the logic of detection signals from the two sensors A and B in the game ball count sensor 23 Is detected. If they do not match, the initial process is performed as a stored number defect. This process is periodically executed as needed after power-on (after CPU reset) shown in FIG. Note that the number of pachinko balls stored in the spiral passage 22 is mechanically L or more and M or less, assuming that it is stored at the maximum.

  First, in S1500, a standby process until the drive motor 32 stops driving is performed. When the drive of the drive motor 32 is stopped, it is determined in S1501 whether the upstream sensor A in the game ball count sensor 23 is ON or whether the downstream sensor B is ON.

  If YES in S1501, it is determined in S1502 whether or not the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON. When the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is not ON, the initial process of S000 shown in FIG. 14 is performed.

  On the other hand, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON in S1502, it is determined in S1504 whether or not the number N stored by the game ball internal counter is smaller than L. If YES in step S1504, the initial process in step S001 shown in FIG. 14 is performed.

  On the other hand, if NO in S1504, it is determined in S1505 whether or not the number N stored by the game ball internal counter is greater than M. If YES in S1505, the initial process of S001 shown in FIG. 14 is performed, and if NO, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if NO in S1501, it is determined in S1503 whether the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON. If the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is not ON, it is determined in S1507 whether or not the stored number is not zero. When the stored number is 0, the process is terminated, and when the stored number is not 0, the initial process of S001 shown in FIG. 14 is performed.

  On the other hand, if the standby game ball detection sensor 42 is ON in S1503, it is determined in S1506 whether or not the number N stored by the game ball internal counter is greater than M. If YES in step S1506, the initial process in step S001 shown in FIG. 14 is performed.

  On the other hand, in the case of NO in S1506, it is determined in S1508 whether or not the stored number is zero. When the stored number is 0, the initial process of S001 shown in FIG. 14 is performed, and when the stored number is not 0, the process ends.

  In addition, the table | surface which shows the storage number defect detection condition by the logic of the detection signal by two sensors A and B in the waiting game ball detection sensor 42 and the game ball count sensor 23 is shown in FIG.

(Error handling)
Next, the error processing shown in S013 of FIG. 14 and S807 of FIG. 22 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When error processing is started, first, in S700, processing for determining an error code according to the type of error that has occurred is performed. In S701, in accordance with the determined error code, a process of notifying an administrator of the gaming apparatus 1, for example, a store clerk of the store where the gaming apparatus 1 is installed, is performed. As a notification method, for example, an alarm sound is output from a speaker provided in the gaming device 1, a lamp provided in the gaming device 1 is turned on, or a plurality of gaming devices 1 are integrated and managed through a communication network. For example, reporting to the existing server.

  Thereafter, the notification is performed so that the administrator of the gaming apparatus 1 recognizes the occurrence of the error, and the administrator starts the error recovery process, thereby completing the notification process (S702). When the error recovery process is completed, the error process ends and the process returns.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The game ball transport device according to the present invention can be used, for example, as a game ball transport device provided in a game device such as a slot machine using a pachinko ball as a game medium. Since the game ball transport device according to the present invention can accurately count pachinko balls, it is possible to provide a highly reliable game device.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the game device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a game ball taking-in apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance in the state which decomposed | disassembled the game ball taking-in apparatus. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the game ball storage unit, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section in the vicinity of the lower end of the spiral passage in the game ball storage unit. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a state when the appearance of the game ball distributing portion is viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the spiral shaft. FIGS. 4A to 4D are views showing operations when the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball return port side by the spiral shaft. FIGS. 4A to 4D are views showing an operation when the pachinko balls are distributed to the game ball discharge port side by the spiral shaft. The same figure (a)-the figure (c) are figures which show the operation | movement in a game ball holding | suppressing part. It is a side view which shows the state which looked at the spiral path taking-in port in the spiral path from the front. The figure (a) is a perspective view which shows the state by which the game ball storage part is arrange | positioned in the center part cover, The figure (b) is a top view at the time of seeing the figure (a) from the upper part FIG. 10C is a perspective view of FIG. 10A viewed from the opposite direction. It is a side view which shows the state which looked at the spiral path taking-in port in a spiral path from the front when the interruption | blocking by the shutter is performed. (A) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which the cylindrical surface of the spiral shaft is developed, (a) shows a general shape, and (b) in FIG. The shape used in this embodiment is shown. The figure (a) is a figure which shows the outline of the waveform of the detection signal by two sensors when the pachinko ball flows from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the figure (b) shows the pachinko ball upstream from the downstream side. It is a figure which shows the outline of the waveform of the detection signal by two sensors at the time of flowing to the side. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a basic control process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an initial process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a shutter interruption | blocking process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a shutter interruption | blocking cancellation | release process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a solenoid signal OFF process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a shutter re-blocking process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a shutter interruption | blocking monitoring process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an initial defect detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a step-out monitoring process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a return process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an acquisition process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a game stand lower plate full detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a game stand lower plate full release detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an island full detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an island full release detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the defect detection process of the number of game balls storage. It is a table | surface which shows the storage number defect detection conditions by the logic of the detection signal by two sensors A and B in a waiting game ball detection sensor and a game ball count sensor. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of a structure of a control system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Game device 2A * 2B * 2C Symbol display window 3A * 3B * 3C Symbol display reel 4 Start lever 5A * 5B * 5C Stop button 6A 1BET button 6B MAXBET button 7 Game stand upper plate 8 Game stand lower plate 9 Game ball taking-in Device 10 Return button 11A Game ball intake 12 Game ball storage part (game ball storage means)
13A game ball outlet 13B game ball return (return passage)
14 Game ball distribution part (game ball distribution means)
21 Center cover 21C / 21D Waste discharge part (opening)
22 Spiral passage (game ball transport passage)
22D Groove 23 Game ball count sensor 24 Solenoid bracket 25 Solenoid 26 Shutter 27 Coil spring 29 Coil spring 32 Drive motor 35 HP sensor 37 Spiral shaft 37B Valley 37BA Game ball introduction area 39 Spiral shaft guide 42 Standby game ball detection sensor 43 Ejection ball count sensor 44 Return ball detection sensor 51 Control unit 52 Flag storage unit 53 Counter storage unit 54 Variable storage unit

Claims (7)

In gaming machines where games are played using game balls,
A game ball transport passage for rolling and transporting game balls;
A shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport passage or a passing position that does not interfere with the flow of game balls;
A keep solenoid for driving the movement of the shutter;
A game ball transport device comprising control means for controlling the drive of the keep solenoid;
When the control means needs to move the shutter to the shut-off position, a shut-off process is performed for the keep solenoid to perform the control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position twice or more times. A featured gaming machine. An inflow game ball detection sensor that detects a game ball that is disposed on the downstream side of the flow of the game ball from the position where the shutter is disposed in the game ball transport passage, and that detects the game ball passing through the game ball transport passage;
The said control means performs the said interruption | blocking process again, when a game ball is detected by the said inflow game ball detection sensor after predetermined time passes since performing the said interruption | blocking process. The gaming machine according to 1. In gaming machines where games are played using game balls,
A game ball transport passage for rolling and transporting game balls;
A shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport passage or a passing position that does not interfere with the flow of game balls;
An inflow game ball detection sensor that detects a game ball that is disposed downstream of the flow of the game ball from a position where the shutter is disposed in the game ball transport passage, and that passes through the game ball transport passage;
A keep solenoid for driving the movement of the shutter;
A game ball transport device comprising control means for controlling the drive of the keep solenoid;
When the control means needs to move the shutter to the shut-off position, the control means performs shut-off control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position with respect to the keep solenoid, and performs a predetermined process after performing the shut-off process. A gaming machine characterized in that, when a game ball is detected by the inflow game ball detection sensor after a lapse of time, the blocking process is performed again. A game ball transport path that rolls and transports game balls, a shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport path, or a passing position that does not interfere with the flow of game balls, and movement of the shutter A game machine control method, in which a game ball is played using a game ball, comprising a game ball transport device including a keep solenoid for driving
A gaming machine characterized in that when it becomes necessary to move the shutter to a shut-off position, the keep solenoid is subjected to a shut-off process in which the control for moving the shutter to the shut-off position is performed two or more times. Control method. A game ball transport path for rolling the game ball by its own weight; a shutter that moves to a blocking position that blocks the flow of game balls in the game ball transport path; or a passing position that does not block the flow of game balls; and the game ball transport path And an inflow game ball detection sensor that detects a game ball that passes through the game ball transport passage, and is driven downstream of the location where the shutter is disposed. A game machine control method comprising a game ball transport device including a keep solenoid, wherein a game is played using a game ball,
When it is necessary to move the shutter to the blocking position, the blocking solenoid is controlled to move the shutter to the blocking position, and after a predetermined time has passed since the blocking process was performed. When the game ball is detected by the inflow game ball detection sensor, the blocking process is performed again. In a game ball take-in device provided in a gaming machine having a game platform upper plate for storing game balls and a return passage for returning game balls to a player,
Game ball storage means for storing game balls flowing in from the game table top plate;
The game balls stored in the game ball storage means comprise game ball distribution means for distributing whether the game balls are discharged to the game ball collection device or returned to the player from the return path,
The game ball transport device provided in the gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the game ball storage unit rolls and transports a game ball from the game platform top plate to the game ball distribution unit. A game ball take-in device characterized by comprising:   A game ball transport device provided in the gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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