JP2007203104A - Game medium counting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time of processing and to prevent a stream path from regionally being damaged, by distributing a stream of fed game media such as pachinko game balls or the like and by preventing from causing a jam and a clogging at a part of the stream path. <P>SOLUTION: A game medium counting device provides an introduction path 45 for moving while aligning and partitioning game media fed to a receiving part by a plurality of partitioning member 51 and 51' into two or more lines, and the aligned game media are counted by a counting means 43 which is arranged in a downstream region of the introduction path. In the introduction path, an upper edge at least near upstream end of a part of the partitioning members 51' is set higher than the upper edge of the other partitioning members 51. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a game medium counting device, and more particularly to an introduction path that moves and distributes game media input to a receiving portion into a plurality of rows by a plurality of partition members while aligning the game media. The present invention relates to a game medium counting device for counting by counting means arranged in a downstream area.

  Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-17464 discloses a conventional technique in which game media (pachinko balls) are arranged and sent to a ball counting unit.

  The pachinko ball counter described in this publication is provided with a ball receiving plate on which a pachinko ball falling from a ball receiving plate collides on a plurality of rows of counting rails provided with an inclined gradient. The counters are distributed on the counting rail and flow down, and the pachinko balls are shielded from light from the detection lines of the counting sensors arranged on the counting rail.

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, all the multiple rows of counting rails through which the pachinko balls flow are arranged with rails having the same structure, so the pachinko balls are supplied from the outlet of the ball tray to the upstream side of the counting rails. When this happens, pachinko balls may concentrate on some rails. For example, when the flow path is linear in the upstream portion of the counting rail, the pachinko balls that flow down tend to concentrate near the center in the width direction of the counting rail group. When the flow path is curved, the pachinko balls are concentrated on the outer counting rail by centrifugal force.

  On the other hand, the bias also occurs depending on the shape of the ball tray. In other words, when the ball outlet is located at one side, the pachinko balls are concentrated on the counting rail on the side where the outlet is located, and even if the ball tray has a symmetrical shape, There is a tendency to concentrate on the rail.

  As a result, the flow of pachinko balls tends to stagnate in some counting rails, and there is a problem that the overall processing speed is slow, and clogging is likely to occur in the counting rails where pachinko balls are concentrated. In addition, the counting rail on which the pachinko balls are concentrated is so worn that the loss of the entire counting rail becomes necessary even though other rails can be used.

  The present invention distributes the flow of game media such as pachinko balls to be supplied, eliminates the occurrence of traffic jams and clogging in some flow paths, shortens the processing time, and prevents local wear of the flow paths. It is an object of the present invention to provide a game medium counting device.

  As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has an introduction path for moving and aligning game media thrown into the receiving portion into a plurality of rows by a plurality of partition members and aligning the game media. In the game medium counting device for counting by the counting means arranged in the downstream area, the introduction path is set such that the upper edge of at least the upstream end of some of the partition members is set higher than the upper edges of the other partition members. is there.

  The partition member having a high upper edge is preferably provided at a location where game media are concentrated, and the location is often near the center in the width direction of the introduction path.

  Note that the fact that the upper edge of the partition member is high means that it is high in the vicinity of the upstream end, and there is no problem even if the height is all the same on the downstream side or the height relationship is reversed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the pachinko balls are evenly arranged in the width direction by changing the height of the partition member that partitions the introduction path for aligning and feeding the pachinko balls to the counting portion of the pachinko balls into a plurality of rows. Since they are dispersed and sent to the counting section, it is possible to prevent clogging or stagnation of pachinko balls in the counting section, wear of some passages, and the like.

The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. The illustrated embodiment shows a case in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine as a gaming machine 1, and gaming units constituted by the gaming machine 1 and its peripheral devices are arranged in the width direction as shown in FIG. Amusement islands are configured by arranging unit rows back to back as shown in FIG.
Inside the amusement island, a ball collecting passage 4 for collecting pachinko balls, as well as a ball replenishing passage 3 for replenishing pachinko balls to each gaming machine 1 and inter-ball ball lending machine 2, are arranged. Yes.

  The ball replenishment passage 3 conveys pachinko balls lifted by unillustrated lifting means in the direction of the game islands, and supplies the pachinko balls to the gaming machines 1 and the inter-ball ball lending machine 2. The ball collecting passage 4 collects the pachinko balls discharged from each gaming machine 1 and the counting device 5, conveys them to one place, and feeds them by a lifting means.

  The inter-ball ball lending machine 2 has a state display lamp 6 for flashing when an abnormality occurs or the like at the upper front position of the front to inform the store clerk, and a ball counting device 5 which will be described in detail later on the lower position. There are five ball stacking lamps 7, a coin insertion slot 8, an operation unit 9, a ball throwing nozzle 11 for guiding a pachinko ball to the upper plate 10 of the gaming machine 1, and a card insertion slot 12. One unit is arranged on the side of the gaming machine 1.

  The operation unit 9 includes an LED display unit capable of displaying a two-digit numerical value, a throwing button for instructing to throw a pachinko ball, a card return button for instructing the return of a card inserted into the card insertion slot 12, and a call A call button for operating the lamp 13 and a numeric keypad used for inputting a personal identification number, which will be described later, are provided.

  Inside the interball ball lending machine 2, there are a coin processing unit for identifying, storing and returning coins, returning a fishing coin, a pachinko ball throwing mechanism, and a card processing unit for identifying, holding and returning cards. Is provided.

  Further, a curtain board 14 and a call lamp 13 are disposed above the gaming machine 1, a waist board 15 is disposed below the gaming machine 1, and a top plate 16 projecting like a table is formed at the lower front part of the gaming machine 1. The above configuration belongs to a known technique.

  A pachinko ball counting device 5 is arranged below the top plate 16 as shown in a sectional view in FIG. The counting device 5 receives and counts pachinko balls introduced through the insertion port 17 opened in the top plate 16, and the counted pachinko balls are collected in the ball collection passage 4 in the island.

  3 and 4 show the configuration of the peripheral portion of the counting device 5, FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal side view as described above, and FIG. 4 shows a plan view. In these figures, the side on which the player sits and uses (left side in FIG. 3, lower side in FIG. 4) will be described as the front.

  On the top surface of the top plate 16, a shallow concave portion 19 having a size matching the bottom of the ball box 18 is formed to place a ball box 18 made of synthetic resin or the like for receiving the pachinko balls as a pachinko ball receiving portion. In the vicinity of the rear edge of the recess 19, plate-like protrusions 20 and 20 made of two conductive materials are disposed, and cut into an L shape from the side wall 18a to the bottom 18b of the lower rear corner of the ball box 18. By fitting the provided slits 21 and 21 to the protrusions 20 and 20, the ball box 18 is stably placed at a fixed position. When the protrusions 20 and 20 are fitted, a part above the protrusions 20 and 20 protrudes into the ball box 18 to come into contact with the pachinko balls 22 in the ball box 18 so as to remove the static electricity charged in the pachinko balls 22. For this reason, a ground wire 23 is connected to the protrusions 20 and 20 and is grounded. The protrusions 20 and 20 may be provided so as to protrude from the gaming machine 1 in addition to protruding upward on the top plate 16.

  The bottom portion 18b of the ball box 18 is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the center. A discharge hole 24 is opened at the bottom portion, and the discharge hole 24 of the ball box 18 placed at a fixed position is formed on the top plate 16. The charging hole 17 is opened to face the opening. The discharge hole 24 is slightly smaller than the input hole 17. Further, a lever stop projection 25 is provided at a position closer to the front of the recess 19, and this projection 25 has a gentle inclined surface on one side (right side in FIG. 4) and a vertical surface on the opposite side. Yes.

  Spaces 26 and 27 for the player to place small articles such as cigarettes are provided on both sides of the concave portion 19, and these spaces 26 and 27 have a slightly higher peripheral edge and a pachinko ball or the like. Is hard to fall. In addition, a coin storage portion 28 is formed on the front side of the one space 26. The coin storage portion 28 is formed of a concave groove having a semi-cylindrical cross section and for placing coins upright. Further, a hook 29 for suspending a load is provided at one end of the top plate 16.

  An operation unit 32 having a display unit 30 (7-segment LED, 5 digits) for displaying a count value and an operation button 31 (throw-out button) is disposed on the front side of the ball box mounting recess 19. Yes. The operation unit 32 is provided at a position slightly recessed from the top surface of the top plate 16 so as to make it less susceptible to external impacts and improve visibility.

  The top plate 16 can be attached to and detached from the game island, and can be removed by operating a lock mechanism (not shown), so that the maintenance of the counting device 5 located below the top plate 16 can be performed.

  A cover 33 is fixed to the lower portion of the top plate 16 so as to include the counting device 5 and passages for guiding pachinko balls to the counting device 5 so that the bottom 33a is inclined downward toward the rear.

  A shutter member 34 for opening and closing the discharge hole 24 is provided on the lower surface of the discharge hole 24 of the ball box 18. 5 to 8, the shutter member 34 is provided with one end pivotally supported by a shaft 35 on the lower surface of the ball box 18, and the shutter portion 34a is in a position where the discharge hole 24 is fully closed (FIG. 6). ) And a fully open position (shown in FIG. 8), and the operation lever portion 34b is located at the lower part of the front side of the ball box 18 and can be opened and closed. Thus, the shutter portion 34a is urged so as to be in a position where the discharge hole 24 is fully closed.

  A shutter member 37 that opens and closes the insertion hole 17 and a shutter unit 38 that includes an opening and closing drive mechanism are disposed at a position immediately below the insertion hole 17 of the top plate 16.

  The shutter unit 38 includes a plate-like shutter member 37 that can move between a “closed position” that closes the closing hole 17 and a “retracted position” that opens the closing hole 17, and both side edges of the shutter member 37. A guide portion (not shown) for guiding, a drive motor 39 for moving the shutter member 37 forward and backward, and a receiving plate 40 provided to be inclined forward and downward below the insertion hole 17, a path of movement of the shutter member 37. Is provided with an open / close detecting means (not shown) for detecting the opening and closing of the shutter member 37.

  A direction changing unit 41 for changing the flow direction of the pachinko balls from the front end of the receiving plate 40 downward is provided. The direction changing unit 41 includes a vertical portion 41a that is vertically arranged to face the tip of the receiving plate 40, and a bottom surface portion 41b that is inclined downward from the lower end of the vertical portion 41a. A pachinko ball that flows down the receiving plate 40 forward is received by the vertical portion 41a and the bottom surface portion 41b, and the pachinko ball is caused to flow backward along the bottom surface portion 41b.

  The vertical portion 41a and the bottom surface portion 41b are provided with a plurality of small holes 42, 42,... For draining water in a shape and size that do not allow pachinko balls to pass through. This is for discharging the liquid (for example, juice) that has been accidentally or intentionally poured into the charging hole 17, and the liquid is used for collecting the counting unit 43 having electronic components and the ball that is difficult to clean downstream. This prevents the flow into the passage 4 in advance. The liquid flowing down from the small holes 42, 42... Falls into the cover 33, flows down along the slope of the bottom 33 a, and is discharged to the outside through a drain hole 44 opened at the lower end position.

  In the rear part of the direction changing unit 41, an alignment unit 46 is provided which constitutes an introduction path 45 for aligning and guiding the pachinko balls flowing down from the unit 41 to the counting unit 43.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 14, the alignment unit 46 is configured such that a passage plate 50 and a partition plate 51 are alternately erected in a unit frame 49 composed of left and right side walls 47, 47 and a bottom 48. A plurality of (five rows in the figure) introduction paths are formed, and the distance between the partition plate 51 and the side wall 47 or between the partition plates 51 and 51 is set to d + α at a slightly larger interval than the diameter d of the pachinko ball, A passage plate 50, 50... Is erected at each intermediate position.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the upper end edge of the side walls 47, 47 is made horizontal in the upstream area and the downstream area is inclined backward, and the upper end edge of the passage plates 50, 50. The conversion unit 41 is formed with a downward slope so as to coincide with the level of the end of the bottom surface portion 41 a of the conversion unit 41, and the outlet end thereof coincides with the level of the starting end of a counting passage 52 described later of the counting unit 43.

  The upper end edge of the partition plate 51 has an inlet end that coincides with the level of the end of the bottom surface portion 41a of the direction changing unit 41, and is inclined upward from there, and a region near the downstream end is inclined downward. Of the four partition plates 51, 51..., Two partition plates (indicated by 51 ′, 51 ′) closer to the center in the width direction are inclined in an upward slope region than the other two partition plates 51, 51. Has a steep top edge.

  A lid 53 is provided on the downstream upper surface of the unit frame 49 of the alignment unit 46 so as to be freely opened and closed. In the illustrated example, the end of the lid 53 on the upstream side is pivotally attached by a shaft 54 between the side walls 47 of the unit frame 49, and the closed position covers the downstream upper surface of the unit frame 49 and pivots upward. It is possible to rotate between the opened position.

  The end portion on the downstream side of the lid 53 is bent upward leaving a guide portion that covers the top of the introduction path 45, and an operation handle portion 53 a for opening and closing the lid 53 is formed. Further, the lid 53 is provided with a relief hole 55 for preventing clogging at a position where the distance L between the upper end edge of the passage plates 50, 50... Is about twice the diameter of the pachinko ball in the closed state. This is to prevent two pachinko balls from clogging in the state where they overlap each other.

  Positioning projections 56 and 56 are provided on the outer surfaces of the side walls 47 and 47 of the unit frame 49, and the projections 56 and 56 are engaged with guide grooves (not shown) formed on the cover 33 side. By doing so, the alignment unit 46 is set at a fixed position in the counting device 5 to constitute the introduction path 45. If the top plate 16 is removed, the alignment unit 46 can be extracted upward, and if it is pulled out and then reversed, dust or the like accumulated on the bottom 48 can be removed.

  The counting unit 43 is installed downstream of the rectifying unit 46. This counting unit 43 is formed by a plurality of (five rows in the figure) counting passages formed by a partition plate 58 and a passage plate 59 in a rectangular tube-like frame body 57 whose front and rear ends are open. Is provided with a counting sensor S1 comprising an optical light emitting part and a light receiving part. The pachinko balls aligned by the alignment unit 46 flow through the counting passage and block the detection line of the counting sensor S1 for counting. Is made.

  A relay passage 58 passing through the amusement island is disposed at a downstream position of the counting unit 43, and a check sensor S2 for preventing fraud is disposed in the relay passage 58. As the check sensor S2, a pressure detection sensor for detecting pressure, a sensor provided with a detection lever that is directly pushed down by a passing pachinko ball, and a photo interrupter for detecting the movement of the detection lever are used. If there is a difference greater than the set value between the pachinko ball detection status by the counting sensor S1 and the detection status by the check sensor S2, it is determined that some fraud or failure has occurred, Measures such as abnormal neglect are taken.

  The end of the relay passage 58 communicates with the ball collection passage 4 in the game island, and the counted pachinko balls are collected in the ball collection passage 4. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 59 is a lower plate and 1a is a game handle.

  Next, an outline of the storage and replay system relating to the game will be described with reference to FIG. The player registers as a member in advance, sets up a savings account and receives a membership card. At the counter or the like, the store clerk operates the member registration terminal device 60 to register as a member, and the member card issued from the member card issuing device 61 is handed over to the player (member). The player then registers a password.

  The player who became a member stores the pachinko ball acquired by the game in his / her own savings account and withdraws it at the time of game or prize exchange. When a pachinko ball is withdrawn from an account, a membership card and a password are required. At the time of membership registration or when there is no savings in the savings account, borrow a pachinko ball with cash.

  The stored ball data is managed by the management computer 62 in the hall, and the acquired pachinko balls counted by each counting device 5 can be stored. Also, if a membership card is inserted into the daitama ball lending machine 2 and a password is entered, a pachinko ball can be withdrawn from the stored amount and used for a game. Furthermore, it is possible to exchange the stored amount for a prize at a counter or the like.

  When a non-member player uses it, it is sufficient to borrow a pachinko ball with cash and play the game, and it is not always necessary to be a member to play the game. However, in order to count the acquired pachinko balls and store the number of pachinko balls of the counting result, a savings account is required, so a temporary membership card is handed to the player who wants to count the pachinko balls. The temporary membership card has a savings account that can be used for only one day, and the counted ball count data is stored in the savings account. The player (temporary member) who is given this card receives the prize at the counter or the like after the game is over.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described according to the use procedure.
<1> Standby state All the ball loading lamps 7 of the stand-by ball lending machine 2 are in a light-off state.

A ball box 18 is placed in the concave portion 19 on the top plate 16, and positioning and charge removal protrusions 20, 20 are inserted into slits 21, 21 of the ball box 18 so as to protrude into the ball box 18 and the ball box. 18 is positioned. At this time, the discharge hole 24 of the ball box 18 and the input hole 17 of the top plate 16 are in an overlapping position, but the discharge hole 24 is closed by the shutter portion 34a of the shutter member 34, and the input hole 17 is a shutter. The member 37 is closed.
<2> Pachinko ball lending When a player inserts a membership card into the card insertion slot 12 of the daitama ball lending machine 2, the authenticity of the card is determined, and if the card is confirmed to be authentic, The player can input the password by operating the numeric keypad of the operation unit 9. As a result, the hall management computer 62 is inquired whether the membership card information and the personal identification number match.

  When the match between the membership card information and the password is confirmed, it becomes possible to withdraw the stored ball by the stand lending machine 2. Next, when the throw button 31 is pressed, a predetermined number of pachikon balls are thrown onto the upper plate 10 of the gaming machine 1 through the ball throwing nozzle 11. Further, the shutter member 37 is driven in accordance with the confirmation of the membership card information, and the insertion hole 17 of the top plate 16 is opened so that the counting device 5 can be used.

  If the match between the membership card information and the personal identification number is not confirmed, the stored ball cannot be withdrawn, and the counting device 5 cannot be used.

You can also borrow pachinko balls with cash. In this case, if a coin is inserted into the coin insertion slot 8 of the pedestal ball lending machine 2 and the dispensing button 31 is pressed, a predetermined number of pachinko balls are thrown out to the upper plate 10 of the gaming machine 1 through the dispensing nozzle 11. . Therefore, a member who does not want to use the stored amount, a member who does not have a withdrawal ball, a player who does not have a savings account, borrows pachinko balls with cash. However, when the membership card is not verified, the insertion hole 17 of the top plate 16 remains closed, and the counting device 5 cannot be used.
<3> Game operation As usual, a game can be performed by operating the handle, and a pachinko ball is launched.

  The pachinko balls acquired by the game are thrown out on the lower plate 59 of the gaming machine 1, and if the bottom of the lower plate 59 is opened, the pachinko balls flow into the ball box 18 placed on the top plate 16. The pachinko balls that have entered the ball box 18 come into contact with the positioning / static discharge protrusions 20 and 20 protruding into the ball box 18, and the static electricity generated when the pachinko balls flow down is grounded through the protrusions 20 and 20. It does not give the person discomfort due to electric shock or adversely affect peripheral devices.

If there is a pachinko ball in the ball box 18 and the pachinko ball on the upper plate 10 is almost gone during the game, the game is almost interrupted by removing the pachinko ball from the ball box 18 and moving it to the upper plate 10. You can continue without it.
<4> Counting process When a certain amount of pachinko balls are stored in the ball box 18, the operation lever portion 34 b of the shutter member 34 is operated to rotate the shutter member 34 against the spring 36 to open the discharge hole 24. Then, the pachinko balls in the ball box 18 are fed into the counting device 5 through the discharge holes 24 and the insertion holes 17 of the top plate 16. Even if the pachinko ball is loaded on the shutter member 34 when the shutter member 34 rotates, the shutter member 34 does not become heavy due to the rotation in the horizontal plane. Further, when the shutter member 34 is opened, the operation lever portion 34b engages with the lever stop protrusion 25, so that the discharge hole 24 is kept open even if the operation lever portion 34b is released. If the ball box 18 is lifted slightly, the operation lever portion 34b is disengaged from the projection 25, and is automatically rotated to the closed position by the bias of the spring 36, and the discharge hole 24 is closed.

  Therefore, during the counting operation, even if the hand is not attached, the discharge hole 24 is left open, and the burden on the player can be reduced.

  The pachinko balls that have entered the counting device 5 from the insertion hole 17 as described above drop onto the receiving plate 40, roll forward on the receiving plate 40 while being decelerated, and move from the end to the direction changing unit 33. It falls, changes direction here, rolls backward, and is sent to the alignment unit 46.

  The pachinko balls that have entered the alignment unit 46 are partitioned into rows by the partition plates 51, 51 ', and enter the alignment passages. At this time, pachinko balls in contact with the upper end edges of the partition plates 51, 51 ′ are distributed to the left and right, but the partition plates 51, 51 ′, which are located closer to the center in the width direction, are located on the end side. Since it is formed higher, the pachinko balls tend to be distributed toward the ends. On the other hand, pachinko balls that flow down from the upstream side have a large flow rate near the center in the width direction, and the flow rate tends to decrease toward the end.

  These two tendencies cancel each other out in the rectifying unit 46, and are distributed evenly over the entire width direction. By equalizing the flow of the pachinko balls in this way, problems such as a decrease in processing speed and local wear due to the stagnation of the pachinko balls do not occur.

  The pachinko balls that have passed through the alignment unit 46 are sent to the counting passage 52 of the counting unit 43 as they are, and are counted by the counting sensor S1. The counted pachinko balls flow into the relay passage 58, roll while being detected by the check sensor S2, and are fed into the ball collection passage 4.

  The total of the count values in each counting passage is stored as an acquired number of balls in a storage unit provided in the interball ball lending machine 2 and displayed on the display unit 30 at the front of the counting device 5. Further, even when the discharge hole 24 of the ball box 18 is opened and closed and counting is performed several times, the counting results are sequentially added.

  When the number of acquired balls reaches 1000, one ball stacking lamp 7 is lit, when it reaches 2000, 2 are lit, and when it exceeds 5000, all 5 are lit. This allows other players and store clerks to know how many pachinko balls the player has acquired.

  If there are no more balls after counting the pachinko balls, a predetermined number of pachinko balls are paid out from the number of acquired balls by pressing the throw button 31, and the numerical values stored in the storage unit and displayed on the display unit 30 The number being subtracted is subtracted. The pachinko balls that have been counted by the counting unit 43 have already been collected in the game island, so that even if the data is refunded, the pachinko balls that are paid out are newly supplied.

  In this way, when the pachinko balls are refunded and the number of acquired balls decreases and falls below the lighting standard of the ball loading lamp 7, the ball loading lamp 7 is sequentially turned off.

  If you want to count the pachinko balls acquired by non-member players, press the call button on the daitama ball lending machine 2 to call the clerk, receive a temporary membership card from the clerk, and receive the card from the daima ball lending machine 2 When inserted into the card insertion slot 12, the insertion hole 17 of the counting device 5 is opened and the counting device 5 can be used.

When counting, the counting unit 43 counts by the same operation as described above, the count data is stored in the storage unit, and the refund can be made from the count, as in the case of the above-mentioned member.
<5> Termination Process When a player who is a member finishes a game, the player may end the game with a pachinko ball in his / her hand (by counting or playing) and press the return button of the daitama ball lending machine 2. The acquired number-of-acquisition data stored in this way is transmitted to the hall management computer 62 and stored in the member's storage account, and the storage unit and the display unit 30 of the interbank ball lending machine 2 are cleared.

  When the communication processing between the hall management computer 62 and the daitama ball lending machine 2 is completed, the membership card is returned from the daima ball lending machine 2. Further, the shutter member 37 of the charging hole 17 of the counting device 5 moves to the closed position, and the charging hole 17 is closed. If the number of balls acquired is “0”, it is a matter of course that no balls are stored and only the membership card is returned.

  A case where a player who is not a member ends a game with an acquired ball is the same as a case where a member ends a game with a acquired ball. When a player who is not a member ends the game without using the counting device 5 without using the counting device 5, no operation is required, and the player can leave the seat as it is.

A player who is not a member receives a temporary membership card and counts it. However, if the player loses and uses the acquired number of balls to finish the game, the player can leave the seat as it is. At this time, the temporary membership card is not returned and remains held in the daitama ball lending machine 2. When the temporary member card is held and no game is continued for a predetermined time, the insertion hole 17 of the counting device 5 is closed and the calling lamp 13 is activated, and the clerk who rushed to see this collects the temporary member card. Then, the gaming machine 1 is returned to the standby state.
<6> Abnormality processing When the check sensor S2 detects an abnormality during the counting operation, the shutter member 37 of the charging hole 17 of the counting device 5 moves to the closed position, closes the charging hole 17, and the clerk is called by the notification means. The In addition, the operation unit 32 such as the return button or the throw-out button 31 cannot be operated. At this time, the member card (or the temporary member card) is kept in the daitama ball lending machine 2.

  When the clerk performs a predetermined abnormality canceling process, the game is returned to a playable state. If there is no continuity in the gaming state, it is returned to the standby state, and if there is continuity, it may be returned to the state before the occurrence of the abnormality.

The member card that has been held in the daitama ball lending machine 2 is taken out by the clerk and returned to the player if there is no problem such as counterfeiting. If there is a problem, the clerk collects and responds.
<7> Prize exchange The player who has finished the game gives the member card to the staff at the counter. When the attendant receives the card and inserts it into the member card reader, the member data is read, and the number of possessions of the member's storage account is called. When the prize management terminal device 63 is operated in accordance with the prize selection by the player, the number of possessions is subtracted. The special prize is dispensed from the prize dispensing device 64. Usually, the prize is taken out from the gift cupboard and handed over.

  If the player is a member, it is not always necessary to exchange all possessions for prizes, and they can be left in the savings account.

The membership card will be returned to the player after the prize has been exchanged. If the player is not a member but a user of a temporary membership card, since the savings account is limited to that day, all the coins will be exchanged for prizes. The temporary membership card is collected at the store side.
<8> Cleaning process Cleaning of the counting device 5 is performed at an appropriate time. For this purpose, the top plate 16 is removed by key operation, and then the alignment unit 46 is removed from the cover 33 and reversed on a bucket or the like, so that foreign matters and dust etc. accumulated on the bottom are dropped and removed. Remove foreign objects with appropriate tools and fingertips, and if they are very dirty, wash them out or replace the entire unit.

  After cleaning, the alignment unit 46 is returned into the cover 33, and the top plate 16 is closed to complete the cleaning.

  16 to 19 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which the counting device 5 is arranged at a lower position of the interstitial ball lending machine 2, that is, at a side position of the gaming machine 1. FIG. 16 is a plan view of the apparatus, but a part of the internal structure is shown for convenience of explanation.

  The counting device 5 in this embodiment counts the pachinko balls acquired by the player and issues a receipt in which the number is recorded. It is also possible to play a game by returning pachinko balls from the number of balls acquired before issuing a receipt.

  In this embodiment, a recovery port 70 is opened on the bottom surface of the lower plate 59 of the gaming machine 1, and this recovery port 70 is opened and closed by a shutter member 71 that is slidable left and right, and projects to the front of the lower plate 59. The lever 71a is opened and closed.

  A cylindrical counting nozzle 72 is provided from the lower part of the recovery port 70 to the counting device 5 disposed at a position below the interbank ball lending machine 2, and the counting nozzle 72 faces the counting device 5. The slope has a downward slope, extends from the lower side of the collection port 70 to the side, and is connected to the counting device 5 by changing the direction toward the interbank ball lending machine 2 in front of the counting device 5. On the front surface of the counting device 5, a display unit 30 (7 segment LED × 5 digits) for displaying the counting result, a throw button 31 for instructing the return of a predetermined number of pachinko balls from the acquired pachinko balls, A receipt issue button 73 for instructing issue and a receipt issue port 74 for issuing a receipt in which the number of pachinko balls is recorded are provided. A receipt issuing mechanism (not shown) having a printing mechanism for printing receipt roll paper and counting data (counting date, count value, device number, etc.) is incorporated in the rear of the receipt issuing port 74.

  The counting device 5 has an alignment unit 75 and a counting unit 76 in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, and the counting unit 76 is connected from the front to the rear so as to communicate with the relay passage 58 as in the previous embodiment. Are arranged in order.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the alignment unit 75 has a unit frame 78 composed of left and right side walls 77, 77 and a bottom 77 a, and a passage plate 79 and a partition plate 80 are provided in the frame 78. Are alternately arranged to form a plurality of (five rows in the figure) introduction paths.

  The space between the partition plate 80 and the side wall 76, or between the partition plates 80, 80 is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the pachinko ball 22, and passage plates 79, 79,.

  The upper end edge of the passage plate 79 descends rearward so that the inlet end thereof coincides with the level of the end of the bottom surface of the counting nozzle 72 and the outlet end thereof coincides with the level of the starting end of the counting passage 81 of the counting unit 76. It is formed with an inclination.

  The upper end edge of the partition plate 80 has an inlet end that coincides with the level of the end of the bottom surface of the counting nozzle 72, is inclined upward from the inlet end, and the vicinity of the downstream end is formed substantially horizontally. Of the four partition plates 80, 80..., Two of them (indicated by 80 ′, 80 ′) closer to one side in the width direction have a steep slope in the upward slope region than the other two plates 80, 80. And its upper edge is formed high.

  In the counting unit 76, five rows of counting passages are formed by partition plates 83, 83... And passage plates 84, 84. Are provided with counting sensors S1 similar to those in the above-described embodiment. Further, a check sensor S2 is disposed in the relay passage 58 disposed downstream of the counting unit 76 as in the above embodiment. The end of the relay passage 58 is communicated with a ball collection passage in the game island so that the counted pachinko balls are collected in the collection passage.

  Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

  When counting the pachinko balls acquired by the player, the operation unit 71a of the shutter member 71 of the lower plate 59 is operated and slid to the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. As a result, the pachinko balls in the lower plate 59 flow into the counting nozzle 72 from the recovery port 70, flow to the left in the drawing along the inclination of the counting nozzle 72, and further turn backward to be sent to the alignment unit 75. .

  When the pachinko ball flows in the counting nozzle 72, the flow direction of the pachinko ball is changed by the curvature of the counting nozzle 72, and therefore the tendency of the pachinko ball to flow along the outer side of the curve of the curved portion (indicated by an arrow (A) in FIG. 16). The flow shown in FIG. 16 tends to be biased outward, and the flow rate of the pachinko balls tends to increase on the left side compared to the right side in FIG.

  Thus, the pachinko balls that have entered the alignment unit 75 come into contact with the upper edge of the partition plates 80, 80 ′ when they flow into the introduction path partitioned by the partition plates 80, 80 ′. Sorted in the width direction.

  In this distribution, the partition plates 80 'and 80' positioned on the left side in the width direction are formed higher than the partition plates 80 and 80 positioned on the right side, so that the pachinko balls tend to be distributed toward the right side. Occurs.

  Due to this action, even if the pachinko balls fed from the counting nozzle 72 tend to be biased to the left, they will flow evenly to the left and right after entering the alignment unit 75, and thus the pachinko balls flow evenly. As a result, the processing speed is not reduced due to the stagnation of the pachinko balls, and problems such as local wear are not caused.

  The pachinko balls that have passed through the alignment unit 75 are sent directly to the counting passage 81 of the counting unit 76 and counted by the counting sensor S1. The counted pachinko balls are sent to the relay passage 58, flow while being detected by the check sensor S2, and sent to the ball collection passage in the game island.

  The total of the count values in each count passage is stored in the storage unit as the number of acquired balls and displayed on the display unit 30. Further, when the shutter member 71 of the collection port 70 of the lower plate 59 is opened and closed and counting is performed a plurality of times, the counting results are sequentially added.

  If there are no more balls after counting the pachinko balls, if the throw button 31 is pressed, the pachinko balls are refunded from the number of acquired balls, and the numerical value stored in the storage unit or the numerical value displayed on the display unit 30 is Subtracted.

  When the game is to be ended while the number of balls acquired is stored in the storage unit, if a receipt issue button 73 is pressed, a receipt on which the number of balls acquired and other information (date and time, machine number, etc.) are printed is a receipt issuing port. Issued from 74, the data in the storage unit is cleared. Bring this receipt to the counter and exchange it for a free gift.

  In the case of storing balls and replaying, since the number of balls acquired is stored in the hall management computer, it is not necessary to provide a receipt issuing mechanism in each counting device.

The front view which shows a part of game island at the time of applying this invention to a pachinko machine. Same side view. Sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the game media counting device by this invention. The top view of the front part of a game stand. The front view of the ball box in FIG. The bottom view of the state which closed the discharge hole of the ball box of FIG. AA sectional drawing of FIG. The bottom view of the state which opened the discharge hole of the ball box of FIG. The exploded view of FIG. The top view of the alignment unit in FIG. Same as above, front view. (A) is a side view of FIG. 10, (B) is BB sectional drawing of FIG. CC expanded sectional view of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the distribution state of the pachinko ball by DD expanded sectional view of FIG. Overall system configuration diagram. The top view of the principal part which shows other embodiment of this invention. Same as above, front view. FIG. 17 is a vertical side view of the alignment unit and the counting unit in FIG. 16. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. 18, and explanatory drawing which shows the distribution state of a pachinko ball.

Explanation of symbols

1 Pachislot machines (Pachinko machines)
2 Ball renting machine 3 Ball supply passage 4 Ball collection passage 10 Upper plate 16 Top plate 17 Input hole 18 Ball box 24 Discharge hole 30 Display unit 32 Display unit 33 Cover 34, 37 Shutter member 38 Shutter unit 40 Receptacle 41 Direction Conversion unit 43, 76 Counting unit 45 Introduction path (alignment path)
46, 75 Alignment unit 49, 78 Unit frame 50, 79 Passage plate 51, 51 ', 80, 80' Partition plate 52, 81 Count passage 53 Cover 58, 83 Partition plate 59, 84 Passage plate S1 Count sensor S2 Check Sensor

Claims (3)

  It has an introduction path for moving the game media thrown into the receiving portion while being divided into a plurality of rows and aligned by a plurality of partition members, and the aligned game media are counted by a counting means disposed in the downstream area of the introduction path In the game medium counting device for counting, the introduction path is configured such that at least the upper edge of the part of the partition members in the vicinity of the upstream end is set higher than the upper edges of the other partition members.   2. The game medium counting device according to claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the partition member where the game medium is concentrated is set higher than the upper edges of the other partition members.   2. The game medium counting device according to claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the partition member positioned in the vicinity of the width direction center portion of the introduction path is set higher than an upper edge of the partition member positioned in the vicinity of the width direction end portion.

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