JP2005279310A - Horizontal carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely carry game media without the need of a large installation space at the time of carrying them in a game machine island where a plurality of game machines are arranged side by side and to easily and quickly cope with maintenance and inspections, etc. <P>SOLUTION: This horizontal carrier 10 is provided with at least two rollers 11 installed on the upper side of the game machines, an endless belt 12 disposed to them so that a lower surface becomes horizontal, a drive source 13 for turning the endless belt 12 and a carrying path 14 disposed on the lower side of the endless belt 12 so as to be along the lower surface of the endless belt 12, and is constituted so as to carry the game media to be replenished to the game machines by the turning of the endless belt 12 in the state of clamping them between the lower surface of the endless belt 12 and the carrying path 14. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 12, a polishing member for cleaning the surface of the game media is stuck. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a horizontal transfer device that is used in a gaming machine island and that transports game media to be replenished to the gaming machines that form the gaming machine island.

  In general, a gaming machine island installed in a game arcade has a plurality of gaming machines such as pachinko machines arranged side by side. Each gaming machine constituting these gaming machine islands must be appropriately replenished with game media such as pachinko balls as necessary. For this purpose, game machine islands are usually provided with a device for transporting game media on the upper side of the game machine. As a result, even if a plurality of gaming machines are arranged in a long line on the gaming machine island, if the game medium is lifted upward on one side of the line, the transfer device can play a game along the line. Since the medium is transported, it is possible to supply game media to each gaming machine.

  Conventionally, as a transport device for game media, a transport path formed in a bowl shape is arranged with an inclination from one end to the other end of a row of game machines constituting a game machine island. Is used to transport the gaming media (supplementation to each gaming machine) by using (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, it has a conveyor belt arranged substantially horizontally, and the game medium is forcibly and surely replenished to each gaming machine by rotationally driving the conveyor belt with the game medium placed thereon. There are some (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-42364 JP-A-6-39136

  However, the conventional game medium transport device has the following problems when installed on a gaming machine island. For example, in the transport device using the inclination as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is very difficult to appropriately control the transport state of the game medium because its own weight is used for transport of the game medium. In addition, poor conveyance such as media clogging is likely to occur. In addition, since the conveyance path needs to be inclined, a large installation space is required in the vertical direction (height direction), which is not preferable in configuring the gaming machine island.

  On the other hand, for example, in a transport device using a transport belt as disclosed in Patent Document 2 above, problems such as transport failure and installation space can be solved, but maintenance of the transport belt and its drive source (motor, etc.) is possible. Inspection is necessary. However, since the game medium is transported on the transport belt, maintenance inspection cannot be performed in a state where the game medium exists on the transport belt. In other words, even if some trouble occurs in the transfer device during the operation of the gaming machine island, the trouble cannot be dealt with unless the operation of the gaming machine island is interrupted or stopped. It is difficult to take corrective actions, and there is a risk that the operating rate of the gaming machine will be reduced.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a game medium that can be transported reliably without requiring a large installation space, and can easily and quickly respond to maintenance and inspection. An object of the present invention is to provide a horizontal transfer device used in Machine Island.

  The present invention is a horizontal conveying apparatus devised to achieve the above object. That is, a horizontal transfer device used in a gaming machine island in which a plurality of gaming machines are arranged side by side, and at least two rollers installed on the upper side of the gaming machine and the rollers so that a lower surface is horizontal An endless belt wrapped around the endless belt, a drive source for rotating the endless belt, and a conveyance path disposed on the lower side of the endless belt along the lower surface of the endless belt. A game medium to be replenished is transported by rotation of the endless belt in a state where the game medium is sandwiched between the lower surface of the endless belt and the transport path. An abrasive member for cleaning the surface of the game medium by contact with the medium is affixed.

  According to the horizontal transport device having the above-described configuration, the game medium is transported by the rotation of the endless belt. In other words, the game media is transported by an endless belt that runs around in the horizontal direction, rather than using its own weight, so that the game media can be transported compulsorily and reliably, and the installation is large. There is no need for space. Moreover, since the endless belt is disposed on the upper side of the conveyance path, maintenance and inspection can be performed from the upper side when some trouble occurs. In other words, even if there is a game medium on the transport path, maintenance and inspection can be performed on the endless belt and the like, so that it is possible to avoid the gaming machine island from becoming inoperative as much as possible. Moreover, since the polishing member is affixed to the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt, when the game medium is transported by the rotation of the endless belt, the game medium comes into contact with the polishing member along with the transport, and as a result, the surface of the game medium is Will be washed.

  Since the horizontal conveying apparatus according to the present invention is configured to convey the game medium by the rotation of the endless belt, it can be reliably conveyed without requiring a large installation space. Moreover, since the endless belt is disposed on the upper side of the conveyance path, even when a game medium is present on the conveyance path, it can easily and quickly respond to the maintenance inspection, etc. It is possible to avoid adversely affecting the operating state of the gaming machine island as much as possible.

  Hereinafter, a horizontal transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the case where the present invention is applied to a pachinko ball transport device used on a gaming machine island in which a plurality of pachinko machines are arranged in parallel will be described as an example.

  First, prior to the description of the horizontal transfer device according to the present invention, a gaming machine island in which the horizontal transfer device is used will be briefly described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a gaming machine island. As shown in the figure, the gaming machine island is formed by arranging a plurality of pachinko machines 1 in parallel, and ball lending machines 2 are arranged between the pachinko machines 1. And the collection | recovery apparatus 3 which collect | recovers the pachinko ball from the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2 (or ball counter) is provided in the downward side. Further, a lifting device 4 that lifts the pachinko balls collected by the collecting device 3 upward is provided in the approximate center of the gaming machine island or in the vicinity of the edge. Further, on the upper side of the gaming machine island, that is, above the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2, the pachinko balls received from the ball discharge port of the lifting device 4 are supplied to each pachinko machine 1 and each ball lending machine 2. Therefore, a horizontal transfer device 10 extending along the direction in which the pachinko machines 1 are arranged is provided. With this configuration, pachinko balls are circulated within the gaming machine island. In addition to these devices, the gaming machine island has a storage tank for storing pachinko balls, a polishing device for cleaning pachinko balls, a pachinko ball counter, etc. (all not shown). It may be.

  Next, the horizontal transfer device 10 used in such a gaming machine island will be described in detail. 2-5 is a block diagram which shows an example of a horizontal conveying apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the horizontal conveyance device 10 includes a roller 11 and an endless belt 12 wound around the roller 11. There may be at least two rollers 11 for winding the endless belt 12, but three or more rollers 11 including the intermediate point may be provided. However, each roller 11 shall be arrange | positioned so that the lower surface of the endless belt 12 wound around may become horizontal. For example, a urethane timing belt may be used as the endless belt 12. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 12 is capable of cleaning the surface of the pachinko ball by contact with the pachinko ball, for example, and a polishing member made of a cloth member or a skin member for polishing may be attached. I do not care.

  The roller 11 and the endless belt 12 are preferably configured as one unit (hereinafter referred to as “belt unit”) as shown in FIG. In addition, the unit here means one unit handled as a unit, and unitization means that one unit is constituted by a plurality of parts.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal conveyance device 10 is provided with a drive source 13 that rotates the endless belt 12. For example, a motor may be used as the drive source 13. When a motor is used, the drive shaft of the motor and one roller 11 may be connected by a belt, a gear, or the like.

  By the way, it is conceivable to provide one belt unit having a length substantially equal to the entire length of the horizontal conveyance device 10, but a plurality of ones are arranged in series, that is, pachinko balls of the horizontal conveyance device 10 are arranged. It is desirable to arrange a plurality of items along the conveyance direction. In this case, the drive source 13 may be provided for each belt unit. However, only one drive source 13 is provided to be shared by a plurality of belt units, and the belt units are connected by a drive transmission means such as a belt or a gear. If the endless belt 12 of the adjacent belt unit is driven by the rotation of the endless belt 12 of a certain belt unit, it is preferable from the viewpoint of simplifying the configuration.

  Below such a belt unit, a replenishing rod 14 that extends horizontally along the lower surface of the endless belt 12 and has a length substantially equal to the entire length of the horizontal conveyance device 10 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 5, the replenishing rod 14 is formed so that a portion immediately below the endless belt 12 can sandwich the pachinko ball with the lower surface of the endless belt 12. Specifically, the endless belt 12 is arranged with a certain distance from the lower surface of the endless belt 12, specifically, with an interval of approximately the diameter of the pachinko ball. Thereby, the replenishment basket 14 functions as a conveyance path for conveying the pachinko balls, as will be described later.

  Further, the replenishing rod 14 is formed wider than the endless belt 12 and is inclined so that the wide portion thereof is lowered toward both end portions. At both ends of the replenishing rod 14, there are walls for preventing the pachinko balls from rolling down, and inlets to the replenishment chute 15 for replenishing the pachinko balls to the pachinko machine 1 or the ball lending machine 2 (not shown) ) And are provided. The supply rod 14 is inclined on both sides of the portion immediately below the endless belt 12, and the inlets to the supply chute 15 are provided at both ends of the supply rod 14 on the gaming machine island. This is to correspond to the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2 arranged on the front and back. Therefore, when the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2 are arranged only on one side of the gaming machine island, the inclination of the supply basket 14 and the inlet to the supply chute 15 are provided only on the one side. Just do it. In addition, since the inlet provided in the replenishing rod 14 and the replenishment chute 15 connected to this are substantially the same as those of the conventional one, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The wide portion of the replenishing rod 14 is covered with an upper surface cover 16 that is divided in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal conveyance device 10. The upper surface cover 16 is fixed by, for example, a magnet, and can be easily attached and detached with one touch. Similarly, the belt unit disposed above the replenishing rod 14 is also configured to be easily detachable. Specifically, the belt unit is fixed on the replenishing rod 14 while being biased downward by a hook mechanism 17 using a coil spring or the like. It is configured to be detachable from the replenishing rod 14 in units.

  When the belt unit is configured such that not only the lower surface of the endless belt 12 but also the upper surface is horizontal, the upper surface side may be used for transporting other objects in addition to the pachinko balls transported by the lower surface side. I do not care. As another item, for example, a large-sized storage box 20 called a “dollar box” for storing a pachinko ball acquired by a player is conceivable.

  Next, the operation in the horizontal conveyance device 10 configured as described above will be described. When the pachinko ball is received from the ball discharge port of the lifting device 4, the horizontal transport device 10 transports the pachinko ball as described below.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, pachinko balls are fed into the horizontal conveyance device 10 from the ball discharge port of the lifting device 4. At this time, the pachinko balls to be fed are aligned in a line in the vertical direction by the guide 4 a provided at the entrance portion of the horizontal conveyance device 10. Then, the upper and lower rows of pachinko balls are fed between the lower surface of the endless belt 12 and the replenishing rod 14 in the horizontal conveying device 10 and are sandwiched between them.

  In this state, the horizontal conveyance device 10 operates the drive source 13 to rotate the endless belt 12. As a result, the pachinko balls sandwiched between the endless belt 12 and the replenishing rod 14 are conveyed in the same direction as the movement direction of the lower surface by the frictional force with the lower surface of the endless belt 12. That is, as the endless belt 12 rotates, the pachinko balls held between the endless belt 12 and the replenishing rod 14 are pumped in the moving direction of the lower surface of the endless belt 12.

  By the way, when a plurality of belt units are arranged in series, as shown in FIG. 3, the pachinko balls are not sandwiched between the endless belts 12 between the belt units. However, the endless belts 12 of each belt unit are rotated in the same direction and at the same speed. Therefore, even if it is a connecting portion between the belt units by pushing by the endless belt 12 on the upstream side in the transport direction and calling by the endless belt 12 on the downstream side in the transport direction, it is not necessary to add a transport mechanism in particular. It is possible to carry balls.

  As described above, in the region immediately below the endless belt 12 on the replenishing rod 14, that is, in the vicinity of the substantially central portion of the replenishing rod 14, the pachinko balls are positively conveyed in the rotational direction by the rotation of the endless belt 12. It has become so.

  On the other hand, in a region other than directly under the endless belt 12 on the replenishing rod 14, that is, an inclined portion of the replenishing rod 14, pachinko balls pushed out from directly under the endless belt 12 to both end sides are shown in FIG. It rolls by its own weight and moves to the edge side. And the pachinko ball stays in the inclined part. As a result, the slack portion of the replenishing rod 14, that is, the portion wider than the endless belt 12 on the replenishing rod 14, is always filled with the pachinko balls by the conveyance by the endless belt 12 described above.

  The pachinko balls staying in the inclined part on the replenishing basket 14 are then supplied to the pachinko machine 1 or the ball lending machine 2 as needed from the inlet to the replenishment chute 15 provided at the end of the replenishing basket 14. Is done. Thereby, the pachinko machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2 are replenished without delay.

  As described above, in the horizontal conveyance device 10 described in the present embodiment, by rotating the endless belt 12 with the pachinko balls sandwiched between the lower surface of the endless belt 12 and the supply rod 14, It is designed to carry pachinko balls. That is, since the pachinko ball is conveyed by the endless belt 12 that is hung along the horizontal direction instead of using the weight of the pachinko ball, the pachinko ball can be forcibly and reliably conveyed, There is no need for a large installation space in the vertical direction (height direction). Therefore, since the height of the gaming machine island can be configured to be low, the gaming machine island can be configured so that, for example, the prospects of the entire game arcade can be improved and a great merit can be obtained in management such as anti-goat measures. It becomes very preferable.

  Furthermore, since the endless belt 12 is disposed above the replenishing rod 14, even if some trouble occurs, maintenance and inspection can be performed from above. In other words, in order to solve problems such as poor conveyance and installation space in the case of the pachinko ball's own-weight conveyance, when the pachinko ball is conveyed using the rotation of the endless belt 12, the endless belt 12, the drive source 13, etc. However, since the endless belt 12 is disposed on the upper side of the replenishing rod 14, even if a pachinko ball is present on the replenishing rod 14, the maintenance inspection is performed on the endless belt 12 and the like. be able to. Therefore, even if some trouble occurs in the horizontal transfer device 10 during the operation of the gaming machine island, it is not necessary to interrupt or stop the operation of the gaming machine island, and from the upper side of the gaming machine island. The trouble can be dealt with by simply removing the cover 16. As a result, it is possible to quickly cope with the trouble and to avoid the gaming machine island from becoming inoperative as much as possible.

  Further, in the horizontal conveyance device 10 described in the present embodiment, the replenishing rod 14 is formed wider than the endless belt 12, and the wide portion is inclined so as to be lowered toward the end portion. The pachinko machine 1 or the ball lending machine 2 is provided with an inlet to the supply chute 15 for supplying the pachinko balls to the pachinko machine 1, so that the pachinko balls always stay in the wide part and the endless belt 12 rotates. Even when the pachinko balls are transported using the pachinko machine, the pachinko balls 1 and the ball lending machine 2 can be reliably replenished with no delay.

  Further, as described in the present embodiment, when at least the roller 11 and the endless belt 12 used for conveying the pachinko balls are unitized as a belt unit, and the belt unit can be easily attached and detached by, for example, the hook mechanism 17 Therefore, it is possible to perform these operations very easily even when performing maintenance and inspection on the belt unit or dealing with some trouble. The same can be said for not only the belt unit composed of the roller 11 and the endless belt 12, but also the drive source 13 and the mechanism portion associated therewith. Therefore, the drive source 13 and the like may be unitized. In any case, if the belt unit is made detachable, maintenance inspection and maintenance can be easily performed, so that it is possible to avoid as much as possible that the game is disturbed by the influence of these operations.

  Further, as described in the present embodiment, when the belt unit is divided into a plurality of units so as to be arranged in series in the pachinko ball conveyance direction, the unit of work for performing maintenance, inspection, etc. should be reduced. Can do. In other words, it is only necessary to perform work on belt units that require maintenance and maintenance, and it is also possible not to perform work on other belt units. This also facilitates maintenance inspection, maintenance, and the like, and can further reduce the influence of the player on the game.

  The size of the belt unit, which is a unit of work for maintenance inspection and maintenance, can be considered to be, for example, one pachinko machine. That is, the horizontal conveyance device 10 is configured by the same number of belt units as the number of pachinko machines 1 arranged on one surface of the gaming machine island. In this way, it is possible to avoid as much as possible the complexity of the configuration of the horizontal transfer device 10 while minimizing adverse effects on the operating state of the gaming machine island due to maintenance inspections and maintenance.

It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the game machine island in which the horizontal conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention is used. It is a block diagram of an example of the horizontal conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention, and is a front view (the 1) which shows the principal part. It is a block diagram of an example of the horizontal conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention, and is a front view (the 2) which shows the principal part. It is a block diagram of an example of the horizontal conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention, and is a perspective view which shows the principal part. It is a block diagram of an example of the horizontal conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention, and is a sectional side view which shows the principal part.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pachinko machine, 2 ... Ball lending machine, 3 ... Collection | recovery apparatus, 4 ... Lifting apparatus, 10 ... Horizontal conveyance apparatus, 11 ... Roller, 12 ... Endless belt, 13 ... Drive source, 14 ... Replenishing rod, 15 ... Replenishment Chute, 16 ... top cover, 17 ... hook mechanism

Claims (7)

A horizontal transfer device used in a gaming machine island in which a plurality of gaming machines are arranged in parallel,
At least two rollers installed on the upper side of the gaming machine;
An endless belt wound around the roller such that the lower surface is horizontal;
A drive source for rotating the endless belt;
A conveyance path disposed on the lower side of the endless belt along the lower surface of the endless belt,
The game medium to be replenished to the gaming machine is configured to be conveyed by rotation of the endless belt in a state of being sandwiched between the lower surface of the endless belt and the conveyance path,
An abrasive member for cleaning the surface of the game medium by contact with the game medium is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt. The horizontal conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the roller and the endless belt are unitized and configured to be detachable from the conveying path. The unitized roller and the endless belt are fixed on the transport path in a state of being biased downward by a hook mechanism, and the transport path is released in units by releasing the restraint by the hook mechanism. The horizontal conveyance device according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal conveyance device is configured to be detachable with respect to the frame. The horizontal transport apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a plurality of the unitized rollers and the endless belt are arranged along the transport direction of the game medium on the transport path. The transport path is formed wider than the endless belt, and the wide portion is inclined so as to be lowered toward the end, and the end is fed to supply game media to the gaming machine. The horizontal conveyance device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein an inlet is provided. The wide portion is covered by a top cover;
The horizontal transfer device according to claim 5, wherein the upper surface cover is fixed by a magnet so that it can be attached and detached with a single touch. The guide which aligns the up-down direction of the game medium sent in between the lower surface of the said endless belt and the said conveyance path in a line is provided. Horizontal transfer device.

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