JP2008023362A - Pachinko ball-shooting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a Pachinko ball-shooting device stably shooting a Pachinko ball at a desired strength, indicating failure in adjustment of a shooting rod, and allowing understanding of a ball delivery state of a Pachinko game machine. <P>SOLUTION: The Pachinko ball-shooting device is provided with a rotation angle sensor 202 for detecting the rotation angle of an operation handle, a semiconductor distortion gauge 204 for detecting the distortion of the shooting rod 116 when shooting a Pachinko ball 140, a microcomputer 200 for processing or the like of the detected results, and an adjusting plate-driving device 206 for operating a tension-adjusting plate 108. When shooting strength is varied due to long time use, the adjusting plate-driving device 206 adjusts the shooting strength so as to be stabilized. Alternatively, when the shooting rod 116 has abnormal distortion, adjustment failure is indicated. Further, returned ball is determined by shooting strength to calculate the number of balls. Consideration of the number of balls returned allows accurate understanding of the ball delivery state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pachinko machine, and more particularly, to a pachinko ball launcher inside a pachinko machine.

  Conventionally, the launch intensity of a pachinko ball launcher has been open control. In other words, even if there was a difference between the commanded launch intensity and the actual launch intensity, it could not be detected or corrected during the game.

  In addition, a normal pachinko ball launcher launches a pachinko ball at a location where it can be launched uniformly in good condition (hereinafter referred to as a sweet spot), but due to poor adjustment, it is launched at a location other than the sweet spot. However, it could not be detected during the game.

  Next, in the pachinko hall, information on the number of pachinko balls and the number of premium balls launched in each pachinko machine is used for managing the balance of the pachinko hall, and it is disclosed to the customers as information on the game. The number of firings used here was a value obtained from the operating time of each of the launching motors and the number of firings per hour of firing 100 balls per minute.

  In general, the spring that controls the firing strength slightly expands as time passes, so the firing strength becomes weak. However, in the past, it could not be detected or corrected. For this reason, even if the device is intended to fix the firing intensity to a desired level using a device that adjusts the firing intensity, the actual launch intensity gradually changes, so the pachinko ball launch trajectory has changed over time. Generally, players often aim at only one point in order to generate a big hit, but because of the situation as described above, it is very difficult to aim at a long time.

  Also, if the launch rod does not launch the pachinko ball with a sweet spot, that is, it is in a poorly adjusted state, the launch trajectory of the pachinko ball is not constant, and in some cases it may draw a different launch trajectory for each ball . This phenomenon is also very unfavorable like the above-mentioned change in launch intensity, but in order to discover that the pachinko ball launcher has been in such a poorly adjusted state, all skilled engineers must There was no choice but to inspect the pachinko machine one by one. At the time of shipment, it was necessary to carefully check whether or not it was launched at the sweet spot. Since it was a work to investigate each unit in detail, it was very time consuming. Moreover, it is almost impossible to find a poor adjustment unless it is a skilled engineer, and it is possible that a poor adjustment will be overlooked if the technique is insufficient.

  In addition, in the counting method of the number of shots, it is understood that the return ball is not considered as described above. There is a pachinko parlor where the information about the appearance of each car is available to customers, but it must be as accurate as possible so as not to betray customers' trust. However, the number of launches was up to the number of pachinko balls that were actually returning balls. In such a counting method, it is counted as the number of returned balls that have not actually rolled down the board, so it is recognized that the number of returned balls is small for the number of shots for the number of returned balls Will be. For this reason, a large amount of prize spheres are obtained in an unauthorized manner, and after or before that, the pachinko sphere is deliberately launched with a low firing strength to increase the number of returned balls, so that the percentage of prize spheres as a whole is not so high It can be pretending to be.

  An object of the present invention is to make the pachinko ball firing strength constant at a desired strength, to notify the firing rod adjustment failure, and to accurately grasp the appearance of each pachinko machine.

  In order to achieve such an object, the pachinko ball launching device according to claim 1 is constantly urged in the firing direction by a spring, and repeats a rotating operation for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation. A pachinko ball firing rod, a biasing force adjusting member that adjusts the biasing force of the spring by a player's operation, a biasing force adjustment status detecting means that detects a status of adjustment of the biasing force by the biasing force adjusting member, and the biasing force Target launch intensity information calculating means for calculating information related to the target launch intensity corresponding to the player's operation from the detection result of the adjustment status detecting means, and actual launch intensity information for detecting information relating to the actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launcher Based on the detection means, the detection result by the actual launch intensity information detection means, and the detection result by the target launch intensity information detection means, the actual launch intensity and the target launch intensity match. So that the will and a biasing force correction means for increasing or decreasing correct biasing force of the spring.

  According to this pachinko ball launching device, first, when the firing strength desired by the player is set by the biasing force adjusting member, the biasing force adjustment status detecting means detects the adjustment status of the biasing force and uses the detection result. Then, the target firing intensity information calculation means obtains information on the target firing intensity. Next, the actual launch intensity information detecting means detects information relating to the launch intensity at which the pachinko ball launch rod actually fired the pachinko ball (hereinafter referred to as actual launch intensity). Then, the urging force correcting means performs correction by increasing / decreasing the urging force of the spring so that the actual firing intensity and the target firing intensity coincide with each other. In other words, this pachinko ball launcher performs control so that the actual launch intensity of the pachinko ball maintains the target launch intensity determined by the player's setting.

  Therefore, according to this pachinko ball launching device, even if the elastic force of the spring changes due to long-term use, correction is performed in accordance with the change, so that the target launch intensity can be maintained. This makes it impossible to aim at a point for a long time.

  The pachinko ball launching device according to claim 2, wherein the pachinko ball launching rod is constantly biased in the firing direction by a spring and repeats a turning operation for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, Necessary firing intensity information storage means for storing information relating to the firing intensity necessary for launching the pachinko ball so as not to be a return ball by the pachinko ball launching rod, and information relating to the actual firing intensity by the pachinko ball launching rod is detected. Based on the actual launch intensity information detecting means, the detection result by the actual launch intensity information detecting means, and the stored contents of the required launch intensity information storing means, the number of launch operations in which the actual launch intensity is less than the required launch intensity is calculated. Return ball counting means for counting the number of return balls is provided.

  According to this pachinko ball launching device, first, the actual launch intensity information detecting means detects information relating to the actual launch intensity. Then, using the “information relating to the firing intensity necessary for launching so as not to be a return ball” (hereinafter referred to as “required launch intensity”) stored in the necessary launch intensity information storage means in advance, the actual launch intensity is required. If it is less than this, it is determined that the fired pachinko ball has become a return ball, and the return ball counting means counts the number thereof.

When there are a large number of return balls, there is a risk of poor adjustment of the pachinko ball launcher and the like, and this can be used to register a poorly adjusted pachinko machine. Alternatively, an illegal player can be registered.
The pachinko ball launching device according to claim 3, wherein the pachinko ball launching rod is always biased in the firing direction by a spring and repeats a turning motion for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, Necessary firing intensity information storage means for storing information relating to the firing intensity necessary for launching the pachinko ball so as not to be a return ball by the pachinko ball launching rod, and information relating to the actual firing intensity by the pachinko ball launching rod is detected. Based on the actual launch intensity information detecting means, the detection result by the actual launch intensity information detecting means, and the stored content by the required launch intensity information storing means, the launch operation in which the actual launch intensity exceeding the required launch intensity is detected. An actual firing number counting means for counting the number of times as the number of pachinko balls actually fired;

  According to this pachinko ball launching device, as in the pachinko ball launching device according to claim 2, the information on the actual launch intensity detected by the actual launch intensity information detecting means and the necessary launch intensity information storing means are stored. The actual launch strength is compared with the required launch strength based on the information on the required launch strength. Unlike the pachinko ball launcher according to claim 2, the actual launch strength is calculated as a result of the comparison. In the case where the number exceeds 50, it is determined that the fired pachinko ball has not become a return ball, and the actual firing number counting means counts the number.

Since the number of balls that did not become a return ball is directly counted, it is efficient to know only the number of balls actually used in the game.
The pachinko ball launching device according to claim 4, wherein the pachinko ball launching rod is always biased in the firing direction by a spring and repeats a turning motion for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, The actual firing number counting means for counting the number of times the pachinko ball firing rod is fired as the actual firing number of the pachinko ball, and the firing strength necessary for launching the pachinko ball so that it does not become a return ball by the pachinko ball firing rod. Necessary launch intensity information storage means for storing information, actual launch intensity information detection means for detecting information on actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launch rod, detection results by the actual launch intensity information detection means, and the necessary launch Based on the content stored by the intensity information storage means, the count result of the actual firing number counting means is reduced by the number of times of launch operations in which the actual launch intensity is less than the required launch intensity. Comprising a real firing speed correcting means for.

  According to this pachinko ball launching device, first, the actual firing number counting means counts the number of firing operations of the pachinko ball launching rod, that is, the number of cycles of the rotational motion performed periodically. Next, similarly to the pachinko ball launching device according to claim 2, information relating to the actual launch intensity detected by the actual launch intensity information detecting means and information relating to the required launch intensity stored in the necessary launch intensity information storage means Based on the above, the actual launch strength is compared with the required launch strength. In the pachinko ball launching device according to claim 2, as a result of comparison, when the actual launch strength is less than the required launch strength, it is judged as a return ball, and the number of times judged as a return ball is counted. In the pachinko ball launching apparatus, the number of cases where the actual launch intensity is less than the required launch intensity as a result of the comparison is subtracted from the count result of the actual launch number counting means.

Since the number of balls that have become return balls is subtracted from the number of shots that have been performed, the number of calculations is increased as compared with the pachinko ball launcher according to claim 3, but the number of return balls and the ball that was actually used in the game This is convenient if you want to know both numbers.
The pachinko ball launching device according to claim 5, wherein the pachinko ball launching rod is always biased in the firing direction by a spring and repeats a turning motion for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, Reference information storage means for storing, as reference information, information relating to the reaction force received when the pachinko ball hits the sweet spot of the pachinko ball, and the pachinko ball launcher actually receives when the pachinko ball launches the pachinko ball Based on the coincidence of the launch reaction force information detection means for detecting information related to the launch reaction force, the detection result of the launch reaction force information detection means, and the content stored in the reference information storage means, the pachinko ball launcher Sweet spot determination means for determining whether or not a sweet spot of a pachinko ball is hit at the time of ball launch, and based on the determination result of the sweet spot determination means Te detects that the misalignment occurs in the pachinko ball firing rod, comprising a maladjustment informing means for informing the result.

  According to the pachinko ball launching device, the “fire reaction force information detecting means detects“ information about the reaction force actually received by the pachinko ball launching rod during the pachinko ball launch (for example, the direction and magnitude of the force) ”, The “information on the reaction force received by the pachinko ball firing rod during normal time” stored in the reference information storage means is compared. And when the said sweet spot determination means determines that the comparison result exceeds a tolerance | permissible_range, the said adjustment failure alerting | reporting means alert | reports that the pachinko ball | bowl launching rod is inadequately adjusted.

  Since the reference reaction force information and the actual reaction force information are compared, it is possible to find a misalignment before falling into a serious misalignment. Moreover, since the store clerk can find a poor adjustment without checking one by one, labor can be saved. Even in the inspection at the time of shipment, if there is the data of the pachinko machine that serves as a reference, it is possible to easily find a poor adjustment even if it is not a skilled engineer.

A pachinko machine according to a sixth aspect includes the pachinko ball launching device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.
According to this pachinko machine, as described above, a useful effect can be obtained for both the player and the store clerk. Further, the effect can be further increased by combining two or more functions.

  The pachinko ball firing rod according to claim 7 is provided with a strain sensor. According to this pachinko ball launch rod, it is possible to detect how the pachinko ball launch rod is deformed when the pachinko ball is launched by a strain sensor attached to the pachinko ball launch rod.

Since the strain sensor can detect the deformation state of the pachinko ball launch rod, it can be used as an actual launch intensity information detection means or a reflection reaction force information detection means.
The pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 8 is the pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the strain sensors are used, and each strain sensor is attached so as to detect strain in a plurality of directions. To do.

According to this pachinko ball firing rod, the deformation state of the pachinko ball firing rod can be detected in more detail by a plurality of strain sensors attached to the pachinko ball firing rod.
Therefore, like the effect in claim 7, it can be used as an actual emission intensity information detection means or a reflection reaction force information detection means. Since multiple strain sensors are provided, a lot of information can be obtained by sharing the detection target (direction in which the force acts, etc.) with each strain sensor, or the same detection target can be detected by multiple strain sensors. Therefore, the error of the detection result can be reduced.

In the pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 9, a pressure sensor is attached to the bottom of a telescopic member for hitting the pachinko ball provided at the tip.
According to this pachinko ball firing rod, the magnitude of the force acting on the expansion / contraction member when hitting the pachinko ball can be detected by the pressure sensor attached to the pachinko ball firing rod.

Therefore, it can be used as actual launch intensity information detection means.
The pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 10 is the pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the pressure sensors are used so that pressures at a plurality of positions at the bottom of the telescopic member can be separately detected. A pressure sensor is attached.

According to this pachinko ball firing rod, the force of the force acting on each pressure sensor is not only determined by the magnitude of the force acting on the expansion / contraction member by the plurality of pressure sensors attached to the pachinko ball firing rod. The direction can also be detected.
Therefore, it can be used as actual launch intensity information detection means or reflection reaction force information detection means.

  The launch rod rotation speed detection device according to claim 11 is provided with a plurality of sensors capable of detecting the passage of the pachinko ball launch rod in the pivot area of the pachinko ball launch rod, and passes between detection points. The rotation speed of the pachinko ball launcher rod is detected from the time required for.

  According to this firing rod rotation speed detection device, the rotation speed of the pachinko ball firing rod can be calculated from the information obtained by the sensor provided in the rotation area of the pachinko ball firing rod. The higher the rotation speed of the pachinko ball launch rod, the higher the launch intensity of the pachinko ball. Therefore, it can be used as an actual launch intensity information detecting means.

Next, examples will be described in order to further clarify the embodiment of the present invention.
[First embodiment]
A pachinko ball launcher of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The pachinko ball launching device 100 of this embodiment is similar to the conventional pachinko ball launching device, the pachinko ball launching rod 116, a motor (not shown) as a drive source for tilting the firing rod 116, and the pachinko ball launching device. An operation handle (not shown) that is rotated by a player to operate 100, and a first pulley 102 that rotates integrally with a support shaft of the operation handle and has one end of a wire 104 attached thereto. The second pulley 106 over which the wire 104 is stretched, the coupling member 109 to which the end of the wire 104 opposite to the first pulley 102 is attached, and the wire 104 side of the coupling member 109 are: A tension adjusting plate 108 that rotatably supports the opposite end, a rotating shaft 111 on which the tension adjusting plate 108 is rotatably supported, and the tension adjusting plate 1 And a third pulley 112 and the like that is pivotally supported by the rotating shaft 111 in the same manner as 8.

The motor is configured to be energized when the operation handle is rotated.
In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the rotation angle sensor 202 that detects how much the operation handle is rotated from the rotation angle of the first pulley 102 and the firing rod 116 fire the pachinko ball 140. A semiconductor strain gauge 204 for detecting the state of strain when performing the operation, a microcomputer 200 for processing detection results from the two detection devices, and an adjustment plate for adjusting the tension adjustment plate 108 in response to a command from the microcomputer 200 A drive device 206 and the like are provided.

  In addition, a hall computer 300 that collects information emitted from the microcomputer 200 is provided in order to grasp the operating status of each pachinko machine. Connected to the hall computer 300 are an operation panel 302, an alarm device 304 for notifying abnormality, a monitor 306, a printer 308, and the like.

Here, the firing rod 116 is pivotally supported by a bearing portion made up of a support shaft 122, a nut 124, and the like so that the striking member 118 at the upper end faces the firing position of the firing rail 138.
The firing rod 116 urges the firing rod 116 in a direction toward the firing position at a predetermined position between the rotation center position pivotally supported by the bearing portion and the impacting member 118. One end of a coil spring 114 as an urging member is attached, and the other end of the coil spring 114 is attached to the third pulley 112 and the tension adjusting plate 108.

  That is, when the operation handle is rotated, the first pulley 102 rotates counterclockwise and the wire 104 is pulled leftward, and accordingly, the coupling member 109, the tension adjusting plate 108, and the third pulley 112. Is rotated clockwise and the coil spring 114 is pulled rightward. For this reason, the urging force of the coil spring 114 on the firing rod 116 is changed according to the amount of rotation of the operation handle.

Further, when the firing rod 116 is rotated by the tension of the coil spring 114 (when rotating in the clockwise direction), it comes into contact with the buffer members 134 and 136 and stops.
On the other hand, the firing rod 116 is provided with an arm 126 that rotates integrally with the firing rod 116, and a roller 128 extends horizontally from the tip of the arm 126.

A cam piece 132 as a drive cam that engages with and disengages from the roller 128 extends on the rotation shaft 130 of the motor.
Next, the operation of the pachinko ball launcher 100 configured as described above will be described. First, when the operating handle is rotated by the player, the motor is energized, and the cam piece 132 rotates clockwise together with the rotating shaft 130.

As the cam piece 132 rotates, the cam piece 132 engages with a roller 128 provided on the arm 126, and the firing rod 116 is tilted rearward of the firing position against the tension of the coil spring 114.
When the cam rod 132 is further rotated and the cam piece 132 is separated from the roller 128, the firing rod 116 is rotated back in the clockwise direction by the tension of the coil spring 114, and is fired by the striking member 118 at the tip of the returning firing rod 116. The pachinko ball 140 placed at the position is fired.

In this way, a single pachinko ball is launched while the motor makes one revolution. In this embodiment, the following control is performed in parallel with the firing operation. This control will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the player rotates the operation handle to a desired position, the rotation angle sensor 202 detects the rotation angle, and the detection result is sent to the microcomputer 200 (S1010). The microcomputer 200 obtains information on the target firing intensity from the rotation angle. Specifically, the following is performed. The correspondence between “the rotation angle of the operation handle” and “the amplitude of the strain waveform detected by the semiconductor strain gauge 204 at the time of launch” is examined in advance from a number of normal launch devices. From the obtained results, the average of the magnitude of the distortion amplitude at each rotation angle is taken and digitized. Then, a correspondence table (hereinafter referred to as correspondence table 1) between the rotation angle and the distortion amplitude is created. The obtained correspondence table 1 is stored in the ROM in the microcomputer 200. When the rotation angle is sent, the microcomputer 200 reads the correspondence table 1 from the ROM, and obtains the magnitude of the distortion amplitude (hereinafter referred to as the target distortion amplitude) as information relating to the firing intensity desired by the player (S1020). .

  Next, when the pachinko ball 140 is fired, the semiconductor strain gauge 204 attached to the firing rod 116 detects the state of distortion (magnitude) of the firing rod 116. Then, the detection result is sent to the microcomputer 200 (S1030). The microcomputer 200 quantifies the magnitude of the detected distortion amplitude to obtain the magnitude of the distortion amplitude (hereinafter referred to as the actual distortion amplitude) as information on the actual firing intensity (S1040).

Here, the magnitude of the distortion amplitude described above corresponds to the strength of the firing intensity, so “large distortion amplitude” means “launch intensity is high”, and “small distortion amplitude” means “low launch intensity”. Can be read as "
Next, the microcomputer 200 compares the obtained target distortion amplitude with the actual distortion amplitude. That is, the “launch strength desired by the player (target launch strength)” and the “actual launch strength (actual launch strength)” are compared. Specifically, the following is performed. In the following description, it is assumed that the obtained target distortion amplitude is a value X and the actual distortion amplitude is a value Y. First, it is determined whether Y is greater than X. In consideration of the allowable range error δ, it is determined whether or not Y−X> δ (S1050). When it is determined that the proposition “the actual launch intensity is greater than the target launch intensity” is false (S1050: NO), it is determined whether Y is less than X. Similarly to S1050, it is determined whether or not XY> ε in consideration of the allowable range error ε (S1060). When it is determined that the proposition that “the actual launch intensity is smaller than the target launch intensity” is false (S1060: NO), the launching device 100 is firing the pachinko ball 140 as instructed by the player. As a result, the firing intensity is not adjusted. However, the coil spring 114 may extend due to long-time use or overheating due to some cause. Conversely, it may shrink for some reason. In this case, the force that pulls the firing rod 116 becomes weaker or stronger, and the strength with which the pachinko ball 140 is fired changes. Therefore, when it is determined that the proposition “the actual launch intensity is greater than the target launch intensity” is true (S1050: YES), the tension of the coil spring 114 is reduced to reduce the actual launch intensity to the target launch intensity. Match the intensity. Specifically, the following is performed. First, the microcomputer 200 instructs the adjustment plate driving device 206 to make an adjustment to weaken the actual emission intensity. Based on the command, the adjustment plate driving device 206 rotates the fourth pulley 208 by an angle suitable for clockwise rotation by a built-in driving member. Then, the fifth pulley 212 connected by the wire 210 rotates clockwise (in the direction of decreasing the tension), thereby adjusting the actual firing strength (S1070). When it is determined that the proposition “actual launch intensity is smaller than target launch intensity” is true (S1060: YES), the actual launch intensity is set to the target launch intensity by increasing the tension of the coil spring 114. Match. Specifically, the following is performed. First, the microcomputer 200 instructs the adjustment plate driving device 206 to make an adjustment to increase the actual launch intensity. Based on the command, the adjusting plate driving device 206 rotates the fourth pulley 208 by an angle suitable for counterclockwise by a built-in driving member. Then, the fifth pulley 212 connected by the wire 210 rotates counterclockwise (in the direction of increasing the tension), thereby adjusting the actual firing strength (S1080).

  Here, a mechanism for adjusting the tension of the coil spring 114, that is, a mechanism for adjusting the actual firing strength will be specifically described. First, a conventional adjustment mechanism will be described. The periphery of the conventional tension adjusting plate 108 has a structure as shown in FIG. First, when the fine adjustment member 110 is slightly rotated left and right, the attachment angle of the coupling member 109 to the tension adjustment plate 108 changes in accordance with the rotation. As a result, the distance between the wire attachment portion 109a of the coupling member 109 and the coil spring attachment portion 108a of the tension adjustment plate 108 increases or decreases. Since the tension adjusting plate 108 can rotate around the rotation shaft 111, the tension adjusting plate 108 rotates counterclockwise or clockwise as the distance increases or decreases. The tension of the coil spring 114 is finely adjusted by the rotation of the tension adjusting plate 108. For example, in the state as shown in FIG. 8A, when the fine adjustment member 110 is rotated in the “strong” direction, the coil spring mounting portion 108a of the tension adjustment plate 108 is moved to “ It rotates in the direction of “strong”, and the state shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, a pulley (fifth pulley 212) is provided in a portion that is the conventional fine adjustment member 110. In response to a command from the microcomputer 200, when the fourth pulley 208 provided in the adjusting plate driving device 206 rotates, the fifth pulley 212 connected by the wire 210 rotates in synchronization with this, and the tension of the coil spring 114 is rotated. Is corrected.

When the correction is made, this is notified to the hall computer 300, and the hall computer 300 stores the correction information (corrected time, etc.) in the storage device (S1090).
In this manner, the firing strength is kept constant by correcting the tension of the coil spring 114. Therefore, the game can be enjoyed with a constant firing intensity for a long time.

  Moreover, it is also possible to sense the degree of wear of the coil spring 114 and abnormality of other parts by utilizing this control characteristic. Once the biasing force is corrected by the method as described above, it should not be necessary to correct for a certain period of time. Therefore, when the interval of “corrected time” stored in the hall computer 300 is narrow, that is, when correction is continuously performed, it is estimated that there is some abnormality. In this case, the alarm device 304 may be activated to notify the abnormality. Further, by checking the number of corrections per day or per week, the degree of wear of the coil spring 114 on the stand can be measured.

[Second Embodiment]
The pachinko ball launching apparatus of this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the pachinko ball launching apparatus of the first embodiment, and the process of launching the pachinko ball is the same as that of the first embodiment, so description of the configuration and the like is omitted. To do. In this embodiment, the following processing is performed in parallel with the firing operation. This process will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

First, the value A of the firing number counter in the microcomputer 200 is incremented by one. This is for counting the number of firing operations (S2010).
When the actual distortion amplitude is obtained in the manner described in the first embodiment, the microcomputer 200 determines whether the fired pachinko ball becomes a return ball. Specifically, the following is performed. A range of distortion amplitudes that do not become return balls is examined in advance from a number of normal launching devices, and the weakest distortion amplitude (hereinafter referred to as necessary distortion amplitude) in that range is obtained. The obtained necessary distortion amplitude is stored in the ROM in the microcomputer 200. When the actual distortion amplitude is obtained, the microcomputer 200 reads out the necessary distortion amplitude from the ROM to determine whether or not the actual distortion amplitude has reached the necessary distortion amplitude. That is, it is determined whether or not the “actual launch strength” has reached the “weakest launch strength (required launch strength) in a range that does not become a return ball”. For example, if the obtained actual distortion amplitude is a value Y and the required distortion amplitude is a value Z, it is determined whether or not Y ≧ Z (S2040). When it is determined that the proposition “actual launch intensity is greater than or equal to the required launch intensity” is true (S2040: YES), the launched pachinko ball 140 does not become a return ball but reaches the board and It was used for games. If it is determined that the proposition “the actual launch intensity is greater than or equal to the required launch strength” is false (S2040: NO), the launched pachinko ball 140 has become a return ball. In this case, the value B of the return ball number counter in the microcomputer 200 is incremented by 1 (S2050).

  The value of the firing number counter and the value of the return ball number counter are sent to the hall computer 300 at regular intervals. The hall computer 300 stores the value A of the firing number counter and the value B of the return ball number counter in the storage device, and also the actual number of shots which is a value obtained by subtracting the value B of the return ball number counter from the value A of the firing number counter. C (= A−B) is calculated and stored (S2070, S2080).

  In this way, the hall computer 300 can grasp the number of shots, the number of returned balls, and the actual number of shots per fixed time. From this information and the number of prize balls paid out by another device, it is possible to grasp the exact appearance of each pachinko machine. As a result, the reliability of the results of the balance calculation of the entire pachinko hall and the information on the status of the game to be provided to customers are increased. Further, when the value of B / A (0 to 1) is large, that is, when the ratio of return balls is high, there is any abnormality in the pachinko ball launcher 100, or the player intentionally returns balls. It is possible that Therefore, it is possible to detect a failure of the pachinko ball launching device 100 or the like at an early stage, or to register an unauthorized player.

[Third embodiment]
The pachinko ball launching apparatus of this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the pachinko ball launching apparatus of the first embodiment, and the process of launching the pachinko ball is the same as that of the first embodiment, so description of the configuration and the like is omitted. To do. However, it is assumed that the semiconductor strain gauge 204 is arranged as shown in FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the semiconductor strain gauge 204 of the firing rod 116, and is a view of the firing rod 116 viewed from the left in FIG. That is, assuming that the side on which the striking member 118 is provided is the front surface of the firing rod 116, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the rear surface of the firing rod 116. As shown in FIG. 4, there are two semiconductor strain gauges 204 attached to the firing rod 116, and they are arranged at right angles to each other. For this reason, it is possible to detect force in two directions, and the detection accuracy is increased.

In this embodiment, the following processing is performed in parallel with the firing operation. This process will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
When the target firing strength is obtained in the manner described in the first embodiment (S3010), the microcomputer 200 obtains a normal state of distortion of the firing rod at the target firing strength. Specifically, the following is performed. A strain waveform (hereinafter referred to as a normal strain waveform) detected by a semiconductor strain gauge at each launch intensity is examined in advance from a number of normal launch devices. Then, a correspondence table (hereinafter referred to as correspondence table 3) between the firing intensity and the normal distortion waveform is created. The obtained correspondence table 3 is stored in the ROM in the microcomputer 200. When the target launch intensity is obtained, the microcomputer 200 reads the correspondence table 3 from the ROM to obtain a normal distortion waveform Ψ (S3020).

Next, a strain waveform Φ (hereinafter referred to as an actual strain waveform) when the pachinko ball 140 is actually fired is detected by the semiconductor strain gauge 204. Then, the detection result is sent to the microcomputer 200 (S3030).
Next, the microcomputer 200 compares the obtained normal distortion waveform Ψ with the actual distortion waveform Φ. Specifically, the following is performed. First, one waveform is reversed in polarity and added to the other. If Ψ and Φ are different, some waveform (hereinafter referred to as an error waveform) is obtained as a result of the addition. Allowable conditions and errors are set in advance, and it is determined whether or not the error waveform is within the allowable range (S3040). As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the error waveform does not exceed the allowable range (S3040: YES), the actual distortion waveform is within the normal range, and no processing is performed. As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the error waveform exceeds the allowable range (S3040: NO), an abnormality is observed in the actual distortion waveform. In this case, the microcomputer 200 sends a signal (hereinafter referred to as an adjustment failure detection signal) indicating that the adjustment failure of the firing rod 116 has been detected to the hall computer 300 (S3050).

  The manager of the pachinko hall, etc., determines whether or not to inspect the firing rod 116 of the corresponding base according to the reception frequency of the adjustment failure detection signal. Alternatively, the alarm device 304 is activated when a predetermined number of times are detected within a predetermined time. By doing this, even those who do not have specialized skills and knowledge can find poor adjustment. The same applies to the inspection at the time of shipment. Any device that detects an adjustment failure detection signal issued from the microcomputer 200 can find any adjustment failure. Therefore, the labor can be greatly reduced, so that both cost and time can be saved.

[Fourth embodiment]
The pachinko ball launching apparatus of this embodiment is intended to detect information relating to the pachinko ball launch intensity by attaching a pressure sensor 214 instead of the semiconductor strain gauge 204 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure sensor 214 is attached to the base portion of the striking member 118 attached to the tip of the pachinko ball firing rod 116. In this embodiment, four pressure sensors 214 are used and are arranged at equal intervals on the cross-sectional circumference of the base portion of the substantially cylindrical core 120 in the striking member 118.

  According to this embodiment, when the pachinko ball 140 is fired, the pressure sensor 214 attached to the tip of the pachinko ball firing rod 116 detects how the striking member 118 receives the force. The microcomputer 200 controls the firing intensity by obtaining information on the actual launch intensity from the detection result of the pressure sensor 214 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Further, it is also used for counting the actual number of fires as in the second embodiment. In addition, since four pressure sensors 214 are provided, if the pressure distribution in the normal case is obtained in advance, the adjustment of the firing rod 116 is poor by obtaining the pressure distribution detected by the four pressure sensors 214. Can be easily determined.

[Fifth embodiment]
Unlike the first to fourth embodiments, the pachinko ball launcher of this embodiment has no sensor attached to the pachinko ball launcher 116. Instead, as shown in FIG. Two photosensors 216 and 218 are provided in the rotation region of the firing rod 116.

  According to this embodiment, the time required to pass between the two photosensors 216 and 218 provided in the rotation area of the pachinko ball launching rod 116 (the photosensor 218 is changed after passing through the photosensor 216). The rotation speed of the pachinko ball launching rod can be obtained from the time taken to pass). The microcomputer 200 uses this rotation speed as information on the actual launch intensity in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the poor adjustment of the firing rod 116 cannot be detected.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said Example, Of course, you may implement in a various aspect. For example, the adjusting plate driving device of the first embodiment operates the tension adjusting plate via a pulley and a wire, but the adjusting plate driving device may be integrated with the tension adjusting plate. Further, by using the sensors described in the fourth and fifth embodiments in an auxiliary or parallel manner in the first to third embodiments, measurement errors can be reduced. In this way, the first to fifth embodiments can be used in combination, and the utility value is higher when combined. Moreover, although the semiconductor strain gauge, the pressure sensor, and the photosensor were mentioned as the sensor in the embodiment, the detection means is not limited to these. If information on the launch intensity, information on the reaction force received during launch, and the like can be obtained, there is no problem even if detection is performed using other means. In addition, each pachinko machine may be provided with storage means and notification means without sending each information to the hall computer, and the store clerk may check it at regular intervals.

1 is an overall view of a pachinko ball launcher according to a first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of 2nd Example. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of the pachinko ball firing rod of the third embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of 3rd Example. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of the pachinko ball firing rod of the fourth embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of the pachinko ball launcher of the fifth embodiment. It is an enlarged view around the conventional tension adjusting plate.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 200 ... Microcomputer, 202 ... Rotation angle sensor, 204 ... Semiconductor strain gauge, 206 ... Adjustment plate drive device, 208 ... Fourth pulley, 210 ... Wire, 212 ... 5th pulley, 214 ... pressure sensor, 216 ... photo sensor, 218 ... photo sensor, 300 ... hall computer, 302 ... operation panel, 304 ... alarm device, 306 ... Monitor, 308... Printer.

Claims (11)

A pachinko ball launching rod that is constantly biased in the firing direction by a spring and repeats a pivoting motion to fire the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, and the biasing force of the spring is adjusted by the player's operation An urging force adjusting member, an urging force adjusting state detecting means for detecting an adjusting state of the urging force by the urging force adjusting member, and a target firing intensity corresponding to the operation of the player from the detection result of the urging force adjusting state detecting means Target firing intensity information computing means for computing information on, actual launch intensity information detecting means for detecting information on actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launcher, detection results by the actual launch intensity information detecting means, and the target launch Urging force correcting means for increasing / decreasing the urging force of the spring based on the detection result by the intensity information detecting means so that the actual firing intensity and the target firing intensity coincide with each other. Pachinko ball launcher made. A pachinko ball firing rod that is constantly urged by a spring in the firing direction and repeats a turning operation to fire the pachinko ball once per motor rotation, and the pachinko ball does not return as a ball by the pachinko ball firing rod. Required firing intensity information storage means for storing information relating to the launch intensity necessary for launching, actual launch intensity information detecting means for detecting information relating to actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launch rod, and the actual launch intensity Based on the detection result by the information detection means and the stored contents by the necessary firing intensity information storage means, a return ball counting means for counting the number of launch operations in which the actual launch intensity is less than the required launch intensity as the number of return balls; A pachinko ball launcher comprising: A pachinko ball firing rod that is constantly urged by a spring in the firing direction and repeats a turning operation to fire the pachinko ball once per motor rotation, and the pachinko ball does not return as a ball by the pachinko ball firing rod. Required firing intensity information storage means for storing information relating to the launch intensity necessary for launching, actual launch intensity information detecting means for detecting information relating to actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launch rod, and the actual launch intensity Based on the detection result by the information detection means and the stored contents by the necessary launch intensity information storage means, the number of launch operations in which the actual launch intensity exceeding the required launch intensity is detected as the number of pachinko balls actually launched A pachinko ball launching device comprising actual firing number counting means for counting. A pachinko ball firing rod that is constantly urged by a spring in the firing direction and repeats a pivoting motion for firing the pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, and the number of times the pachinko ball firing rod is fired. Actual firing number counting means for counting as the actual number of firings, and necessary firing intensity information storage means for storing information relating to the firing strength necessary for launching the pachinko balls so as not to return balls by the pachinko ball firing rod, Based on the actual launch intensity information detecting means for detecting information on the actual launch intensity by the pachinko ball launcher, the detection result by the actual launch intensity information detecting means, and the stored content by the necessary launch intensity information storage means, The actual emission number correcting means for subtracting the count result of the actual emission number counting means by the number of times of the launch operation whose actual launch intensity is less than the required launch intensity. Nko ball launcher. A pachinko ball firing rod that is constantly urged by a spring in the firing direction and repeats a rotating motion to launch a pachinko ball at a rate of once per motor rotation, and the pachinko ball firing rod hits a sweet spot of the pachinko ball Reference information storage means for storing information on the firing reaction force received at the time of impact as reference information, and firing reaction force information for detecting information on the firing reaction force actually received when the pachinko ball firing rod launches the pachinko ball Based on the coincidence between the detection means, the detection result of the launch reaction force information detection means, and the stored contents of the reference information storage means, the pachinko ball launcher hits the sweet spot of the pachinko ball when the pachinko ball is launched. A sweet spot judging means for judging whether or not it hits, and a misalignment occurs in the pachinko ball firing rod based on the judgment result of the sweet spot judging means And it detects the are, the result pachinko ball launching device comprising a maladjustment informing means for informing a. A pachinko machine comprising the pachinko ball launcher according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A pachinko ball launcher with a strain sensor. The pachinko ball launcher according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the strain sensors are used, and each strain sensor is attached so as to detect strains in a plurality of directions. A pachinko ball launcher having a pressure sensor attached to the bottom of a telescopic member for hitting a pachinko ball provided at the tip. The pachinko ball launching rod according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the pressure sensors are used, and each pressure sensor is attached so that pressures at a plurality of positions on the bottom of the telescopic member can be separately detected. Firing rod. A plurality of sensors that can detect the passage of the pachinko ball launch rod are provided in the rotation area of the pachinko ball launch rod, and the rotation speed of the pachinko ball launch rod is detected from the time required to pass between the detection points. A firing rod rotation speed detection device characterized by:

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