JP2008036239A - Conveying rotor, game media conveying unit and game media conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying drum member, a ball conveying unit and a ball conveying device which facilitate the implementation of maintenance. <P>SOLUTION: The ball conveying drum member 550 includes core parts 552 each of which gets a shaft part 551 driven to rotate with a drive part fitted and inserted into it, fin setting cylinder parts 553 which have a plurality of fin setting holes 553C adapted to get the respective core parts 552 inserted through them to communicate between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces and fins 554 which individually have fixing end parts grasped between the core parts 552 and the fin setting cylinder parts 553 and have insertion parts inserted through the respective fin setting holes 553C from the respective fixing end parts to be extended almost along a curved part 534A in the direction of the outer diameter of the conveying drum member 550 and conveying blade parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport rotating body that transports game media for playing with a gaming device, a game media transport unit, and a game media transport system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a game device generally called “pachinko”, a transport device that transports a pachinko ball as a game medium in a predetermined direction is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  What is described in Patent Document 1 is a lifting and polishing apparatus including a transport unit that transports a pachinko ball of a lower storage tank upward. The lifting unit of the lifting polishing apparatus is configured to cause pachinko balls stored in the lower storage tank to flow into the lifting unit from the inflow path, and to engage with a lifting sprocket that is rotationally driven with a recess formed in the peripheral surface. A configuration is adopted in which the pachinko ball and the lifting sprocket are disengaged by the lifting guide and released into the discharge passage.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-104341 (refer to pages 3 to 4 and FIG. 1)

  By the way, in the conventional techniques as described above, the pachinko balls are transported by engaging the recesses of the lifting sprocket, but since the pachinko balls are generally formed of metal, the recesses are missing or damaged. There is a risk of it. In such a case, it is necessary to replace the entire lifting sprocket, and the problem that maintenance is complicated is an example.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport rotating body, a game medium transport unit, and a game medium transport system that can be easily maintained.

The transport rotator of the present invention is a transport rotator that is provided opposite to a transport path surface that guides game media and transports the game media on the transport path surface in a predetermined direction, and that is driven by a driving means. A rotating body portion that is driven to rotate about the center and that has an engaging portion provided along an outer peripheral surface; a locking portion that is detachably locked to the engaging portion of the rotating body portion; The game medium is extended from the stop portion in a state substantially along the transport path surface in a radial direction centered on the axis of the rotating body portion, and the game medium is transferred to the transport path surface by the rotation of the rotating body portion. And a fin provided with a blade portion that is pushed out in the rotation direction of the rotating body portion and conveyed.
According to this invention, the engaging part of the rotating body part is detachably engaged with the engaging part of the fin along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body part. Thereby, the fin of a rotary body part can be attached or detached easily. Therefore, even when the fin is broken, only the fin can be easily replaced, so that the cost associated with the replacement can be reduced. Further, by rotating such a transport rotator around the axis, the game medium on the transport path surface can be pushed out by the fins and transported easily.

In the transport rotating body according to the present invention, the engaging portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body portion, and the insertion hole into which the blade portion can be inserted, and the insertion hole closer to the axial center than the insertion hole. It is preferable that a presser portion that is continuously provided and can be engaged by being inserted through the locking portion is provided, and the locking portion is formed to have a larger width dimension than the insertion hole.
In the present invention, the engaging portion includes an insertion hole through which the blade portion can be inserted, and a presser portion that is inserted into and engaged with the locking portion continuously to the insertion hole. On the other hand, the fin locking portion is formed to have a larger width dimension than the insertion hole than the blade portion. As a result, the locking portion is formed in a size larger than the insertion hole by inserting and engaging the locking portion of the fin with the presser portion. It is possible to transport game media to the game.

Further, in the transport rotating body according to the present invention, the rotating body portion is formed in a hollow shape so as to face the core portion rotatably provided around the axis and substantially along the outer peripheral surface of the core portion. And an exterior portion provided with an insertion hole through which the blade portion of the fin can be inserted to communicate with the inside and outside, and the locking portion of the fin is formed to have a width dimension larger than that of the insertion hole. In addition, the blade portion is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the core portion and the inner peripheral surface of the exterior portion in a state where the blade portion is inserted through the insertion hole and protrudes in the radial direction of the rotating body portion. It is preferable.
According to this invention, the conveying rotator includes a core portion that is rotationally driven by the driving means, and an exterior portion that includes the plurality of insertion holes that pass through the core portion and communicate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. The fin locking portion is formed in a size larger than the insertion hole, and the blade is sandwiched between the core portion and the exterior portion with the blade portion inserted in the radial direction from the insertion hole. Are combined.
Thereby, since the fin is clamped between the core part and the exterior part, the fin can be easily removed by removing the exterior part from the core part. Therefore, even when the fin is broken, only the fin can be easily replaced, so that the cost associated with the replacement can be reduced. In addition, since the locking portion is formed in a system size larger than the insertion hole, and this locking portion is sandwiched and fixed between the core portion and the exterior portion, the rotating body portion is rotated and the game is played with the fins. When the medium is being pushed out, the fins are not displaced due to the stress applied to the fins, and the fins can be more reliably prevented from falling off.

In the transport rotating body of the present invention, either one of the core part and the exterior part includes a projecting part projecting in a direction facing each other, and the core part and the exterior part where the projecting part is not provided. The other preferably includes a concave portion that engages the protruding portion.
According to this invention, either one of the core portion and the exterior portion includes a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to each other, and the concave portion that engages the protruding portion on the other side where the protruding portion is not provided. Is provided.
Thereby, a core part and an exterior part can be positioned by engaging a protrusion part and a concave-shaped part. Therefore, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the core part falling off from the exterior part during the rotation of the transport rotating body.

Here, in the transport rotator of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the protruding portions and the concave portions are provided at predetermined intervals.
According to the present invention, since a plurality of protruding portions and concave portions are provided at predetermined intervals, the engagement strength between the core portion and the exterior portion is increased, and the core portion and the exterior portion are more reliably positioned. Inconvenience such as falling off can be prevented more reliably.

And in the conveyance rotary body of this invention, it is preferable that the said protrusion part is a pin member and the said recessed part is an engagement hole which engages with the said pin member.
According to this invention, the protrusion is a pin member and the concave portion is an engagement hole. Thereby, by allowing the pin member to pass through the engagement hole, the movement of the core portion and the exterior portion in the axial direction can be restricted, and positioning in the axial direction can be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the exterior part falling off from the core part during the rotation of the transport rotating body.

In the transport rotating body of the present invention, it is preferable that the pin member and the engagement hole are provided on one end side in the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion.
According to this invention, the pin member and the engagement hole are provided on one end side in the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion. Thereby, when inserting the exterior part into the core part, the other end side where the pin member or engagement hole of the core part is not provided is inserted from one end part of the exterior part provided with the pin member or engagement hole. Thus, the core portion can be easily inserted into the exterior portion without the pin member being in the way. Therefore, since the assembly work of the transport rotating body can be easily performed, the maintenance can be easily performed.

At this time, in the transport rotating body of the present invention, the other of the core portion and the exterior portion where the pin member is not provided is from the engagement hole to an end portion on one end side where the engagement hole is provided. It is preferable that a sliding groove having a depth smaller than the depth of the engagement hole by a predetermined dimension is formed.
According to the present invention, a sliding groove having a depth that is shallower by a predetermined dimension than the depth of the engagement hole is formed from the engagement hole to the end on the one end side where the engagement hole is provided. ing. Accordingly, when the core portion is inserted into the exterior portion, the pin member can be easily guided to the engagement hole by moving the tip end portion of the pin member along the sliding groove. Assembly work can be performed more easily.

  In the transport rotating body of the present invention, the protruding portion is a protruding piece formed in a longitudinal direction in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion, and the concave portion is formed on the protruding piece. It is preferable that the protruding piece engaging groove is provided to face each other and is formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion.

  According to this invention, the projecting portion is a projecting piece formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion, and the recessed portion is provided to face the projecting piece. And a protruding piece engaging groove formed in a longitudinal direction in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the drum shaft portion and the exterior portion. For this reason, rotation with respect to the core part of an exterior part can be prevented by engaging a protrusion piece along a protrusion piece engaging groove. Therefore, when the core portion is driven to rotate, the exterior portion can be rotated with the same rotational force as the rotation of the core portion, and the fin protruding from the insertion hole of the exterior portion can be rotated favorably. Therefore, the game medium on the transport path surface can be favorably pushed out by the fins and transported.

Here, in the transport rotating body of the present invention, it is preferable that the protruding piece and the protruding piece engaging groove are provided across both end portions in the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion.
According to this invention, the protruding piece and the protruding piece engaging groove are provided over both ends in the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion. Thus, when the core part is inserted into the exterior part, the projecting piece does not get caught in the core part or the exterior part easily by inserting the core part into the exterior part so that the projecting piece follows the projecting piece engaging groove. Can be inserted. Therefore, the assembly work of the transport rotating body can be easily performed, and the maintenance work can be easily performed.

  In the transport rotator of the present invention, it is preferable that the blade portion of the fin is provided to be inclined in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the core portion.

  According to this invention, the blade | wing part of a fin inclines in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of a core part, and is provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the game medium conveyed by the fins is picked up by the fins and pinched between the exterior part and the fins when the conveyance rotating body is driven to rotate. The medium can be carried out well in the carrying direction, and the game medium can be carried well.

In the transport rotating body of the present invention, it is preferable that the fin is formed of a flexible member.
According to this invention, the fin is formed of the flexible member. Thereby, even when a game medium is pinched between the fin and the transport path surface, the pinched game medium can be easily removed by bending the fin. Therefore, it is possible to avoid malfunction due to the game medium being sandwiched between the fin and the transport path surface.

In the transport rotating body according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the fin is formed in a substantially T-shaped cross section in which the blade portion protrudes from a substantially center position in a tangential direction of the core portion and the exterior portion of the locking portion. .
According to this invention, the fin is formed in a substantially T-shaped cross section in which the blade portion protrudes from a substantially center position in the tangential direction of the conveying rotating body of the locking portion. Thereby, the width dimension in the tangent direction of the conveyance rotation body of a latching | locking part can be made larger than an insertion hole, and omission of a fin can be prevented. In addition, since the blade portion is formed so as to protrude from a substantially central position in the tangential direction of the conveying rotating body of the locking portion, the conveying rotating body of the blade portion can be obtained by sandwiching the locking portion between the core portion and the exterior portion. Both side portions along the axial center direction can be fixed. Therefore, the fins can be more reliably fixed, and even when the transport rotator is rotated, the fins are not dropped by the rotational force, and the game medium can be transported satisfactorily.

The conveying rotating body according to the present invention is configured to detect the rotating state of the rotating body portion, and to drive the driving means when the rotational speed of the core portion detected by the detecting means is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. And a control means for stopping.
In general, for example, when a game medium is clogged between the fin and the conveyance path surface, or when another foreign object is caught between the core and the driving means, the rotation speed of the conveyance rotation body decreases. If the transport rotator is further rotated in this state, the transport rotator, the transport path surface, the driving means, etc. may be damaged and become unrecoverable.
On the other hand, according to the present invention, the detecting means detects the rotational speed of the core part, and the control means detects the driving means when the rotational speed detected by the detecting means is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed. Control to stop the drive. For this reason, driving of the driving means can be stopped before breakage of the conveying rotator, the conveying path surface, the driving means, and the like, and it is possible to avoid a state in which recovery is impossible.

The game medium transport unit of the present invention is provided continuously from the carry-in port for carrying in game media, the carry-out port for carrying out the game medium, the carry-in port and the carry-out port, and carried in from the carry-in port. In addition to guiding the game medium to the carry-out port, a transfer path portion having a transfer path surface formed in a substantially circular curved surface shape from the carry-in port toward the carry-out port, and facing the transfer route surface The transport rotary body according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and the core portion of the transport rotary body, wherein the fin is substantially along the transport path surface from the carry-in entrance to the carry-out exit. And driving means for moving to a state.
According to this invention, the game medium carried in from the carry-in port by the carrying rotator can be favorably carried to the carry-out side and carried out from the carry-out port. Further, as described above, the transport rotating body is easy to assemble, the fins can be easily replaced, and has excellent maintainability. Therefore, the transport rotating body can be easily assembled and maintained.

  In the game medium transport unit of the present invention, the transport medium includes the carry-in port, the carry-out port, and the transport path part, and includes a case body that can house the transport rotary body and the driving unit. It is preferable that the case body is detachably provided.

  According to this invention, the conveyance rotating body is detachably provided on the case body. Therefore, at the time of maintenance of the transport rotator, such as replacement of the fins of the transport rotator, the maintenance work can be performed by removing only the transport rotator from the case body without disassembling the game medium transport unit.

The game medium transport unit according to the present invention preferably includes a drum holding member that rotatably holds the core portion of the transport rotating body and is detachably locked to the case body.
According to the present invention, the game medium transport unit includes the drum holding member that rotatably holds the core of the transport rotating body and is detachably locked to the case body. For this reason, the transport rotating body can be easily detached from the game medium transport unit simply by removing the drum holding member from the case body. Therefore, maintainability of the game medium transport unit and the transport rotator can be improved.

The game medium transport system of the present invention is a game medium transport system that is provided in an island structure in which a plurality of game devices that are played using game media are arranged substantially in parallel, and that distributes the game media to the game devices. A first transport lane that is provided in a longitudinal direction substantially in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the gaming devices and inclines at an inclination angle at which the game medium can be moved by its own weight, and substantially in the same direction as the alignment direction of the gaming devices. Provided in the longitudinal direction, the game medium is inclined at an inclination angle at which the game medium can be moved by its own weight, and an upstream end in the movement direction of the game medium is downstream in the movement direction of the game medium in the first transport lane. A second transport lane provided at a height position higher than the end, and provided in the first transport lane and the second transport lane; The game medium supply unit to be supplied and the downstream end portion of the first transport lane are connected to the carry-in port, and the upstream end portion of the second transport lane is connected to the carry-out port, and is loaded from the first transport lane. The game medium transport unit according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the game medium is transported upward and carried out to the second transport lane.
According to the present invention, since the game medium transport system has a plurality of guide portions connected by the game medium transport unit as described above, even if the length of the island structure is long, the height of the island structure is high. Can be lowered. Further, as described above, since the maintainability of the transport rotating body and the game medium transport unit is good, the maintainability of the game medium transport system can also be improved.

  Hereinafter, a gaming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a pachinko game device called a “pachinko” will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, a slot machine for playing using a spherical game medium, an arcade video game machine. It can also be applied.

[Game system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a part of the gaming system in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the ball conveying device at the top of the gaming system. FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of the ball transport unit of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a replenishing rod in the ball conveying device. FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view in which the ball transport unit of FIG. 3 is enlarged. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ball transport unit. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the ball transport unit as seen from the top side. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view in which the transport drum member in the ball transport unit is sectioned in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a core portion constituting the transport drum member. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the fin-installed cylinder portion that constitutes the transport drum member.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a game system, and this game system 100 includes an island structure 200, a game main body 300, a game medium lending device 400, and a ball transfer device 500 as a game medium transfer system. Yes. This gaming system 100 is configured as an island structure 200 that is a single independent structure in which a plurality of gaming main bodies 300 and a gaming medium lending device 400 are integrally installed on a floor of a store called “Hall”. ing. The game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400 constitute a game device of the present invention.

And this island structure 200 is comprised on the rectangular frame, for example with a timber, aluminum alloy, etc. As shown in FIG. On both side surfaces of the island structure 200 with respect to the longitudinal direction, a gaming machine window portion 210 into which the game main body 300 is inserted and closed, a lending machine window portion 220 into which the game medium lending device 400 is inserted and closed, A plurality of openings are formed so as to form a pair with an unillustrated lifting machine window portion into which the lifting device 250 is inserted and closed. In the present embodiment, the case where the number of gaming machine window portions 210 and the number of lending machine window portions 220 provided on both side surfaces of the island structure 200 is the same will be described. It is good also as a structure opened only to the one surface side provided in the wall.
In addition, a lower portion of the island structure 200 is provided with a recovery storage portion 260 where the island recovery means 240 is provided, and an upper portion of the island structure 200 is provided with a transfer storage portion 270 where the ball transfer device 500 is provided. Yes. The island structure 200 includes a power supply means for supplying power to the game main body 300, the game medium lending device 400, the lifting device 250, and the ball transfer device 500, and the game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400. , A control device for controlling the operation of the lifting device 250 and the ball conveying device 500, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the island collection unit 240 includes a collection basket 241 and a plurality of collection hoppers 242. The collection basket 241 is formed in a substantially bowl shape, for example, and is provided so as to be inclined downward from the end side of the island structure 200 toward the lifting device 250. The collection hoppers 242 are provided in numbers corresponding to the number of the game main body 300 above the collection basket 241. The collection hopper 242 sends a substantially spherical pachinko ball P (see FIGS. 5 and 6) as a game medium collected by each game main body 300 to the collection basket 241.

  As described above, the lifting device 250 is provided adjacent to the game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400 at a substantially central position of the island structure 200. This lifting device 250 collects the pachinko balls P that have flowed through the collection basket 241 and transports the collected pachinko balls P to the ball transport device 500 as a game medium transport device provided on the upper part of the island structure 200. To do. Specifically, the lifting device 250 includes a ball collecting port 251 having a lower end portion connected to a recovery basket 241, a ball outlet port 252 provided at the upper end portion, and a pachinko ball from the ball collecting port 251 to the ball outlet port 252. An unillustrated lifting means for conveying P and a driving source (not shown) for driving the lifting means are provided. Further, the lifting device 250 is provided with a cleaning means (not shown), and the pachinko balls P collected by the cleaning means are cleaned.

[Configuration of ball transport device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ball transport device 500 includes a replenishment basket 510 serving as a plurality of transport lanes, a ball transport unit 520 that connects these replenishment baskets 510, and a control device as a control unit (not shown). , Etc. Here, the replenishment rod 510 provided on the lifting device 250 side across the ball transport unit 520 constitutes the first transport lane in the present invention, and is provided on the end side of the island structure 200 across the ball transport unit 520. The supplied replenishing rod 510 constitutes the second transport lane.

The replenishment basket 510 is formed in a longitudinal shape in substantially the same direction as the arrangement direction of the game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400 of the island structure 200, and is directed from the transfer device 250 toward the end of the island structure 200, for example. It is provided in a state of descending and tilting at an angle of 5 minutes (2.86 degrees). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the length dimension of the replenishing basket 510 is set to the length dimension of two game main bodies 300 and game medium lending devices 400. Among these replenishing rods 510, the end of the replenishing rod 510 disposed adjacent to the lifting device 250 on the side of the lifting device 250 is connected to the ball discharge port 252 of the lifting device 250. Further, the replenishment rod 510 disposed at the end of the island structure 200 is connected to an end recovery hopper (not shown), and the pachinko balls P that have reached the end of the replenishment reed 510 are recovered from the end recovery hopper. It is transported to the collection basket 241 of the means 240. Further, a ball transport unit 520 serving as a game medium transport unit is disposed between the replenishing rods 510 disposed adjacent to each other, and the end portions of the respective replenishing rods 510 are connected to the ball transport unit 520. .
As shown in FIG. 4, the replenishing rod 510 includes a replenishing rod main body 511, a saddle side member 512, a roof plate 513, and the like.

  The replenishment rod main body 511 includes a pair of holding portions 511A provided in parallel with each other along the longitudinal direction. The holding portion 511A is formed in a substantially U shape with a side opening at the lower end. The replenishing bowl main body 511 is held by locking the holding portion 511 </ b> A to a locking portion (not shown) provided in the transport storage portion 270.

In addition, a lower side wall portion 511B is formed to rise from the upper end portion of the holding portion 511A. On the inner surface side of the lower side wall portion 511B, that is, the side facing the other lower side wall portion 511B, a transport plate holding portion 511C protrudes.
A conveying plate foot 511D is formed upright from the protruding tip of the conveying plate holding portion 511C so as to face the lower side wall 511B. Further, a concave groove 511D1 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the replenishing rod main body 511 on the surface of the conveying plate foot portion 511D facing the lower side wall portion 511B.

  Further, the replenishing rod main body 511 is provided with a conveyance plate 511E that connects the rising tips of the pair of conveyance plate legs 511D. The transport plate 511E is formed in a curved shape with a central portion raised upward along a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the replenishment rod main body 511. Thereby, the pachinko ball P that rolls on the transport plate 511E moves to the side of the transport plate 511E.

  In addition, a pair of substantially hook-like engaging portions 511 </ b> F protruding downward are provided at the lower portion of the conveying plate 511 </ b> E. These engaging portions 511F are formed with hook portions in directions opposite to each other, and are provided in parallel with the substantially central portion of the transport plate 511E along the longitudinal direction of the transport plate 511E.

The heel side member 512 is a substantially plate-like member erected along the side surface along the longitudinal direction of the replenishment jar body 511. A lower portion of the saddle side member 512 has a convex portion 512 </ b> A that protrudes inward of the replenishing rod main body 511. Then, the heel side member 512 has a lower portion inserted between the lower side wall portion 511B of the replenishing jar body 511 and the transport plate foot portion 511D, and the convex portion 512A is engaged with the concave groove 511D1 of the transport plate foot portion 511D. Thus, it is fixed to the replenishment bowl main body 511.
Further, a top surface engaging portion 512B having a substantially circular cross section is provided at the upper end portion of the heel side member 512.

Furthermore, a ball outlet 512C (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is formed in the heel side member 512 so as to correspond to a predetermined position above the game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400, for example.
Each ball outlet 512C is provided with a ball supply chute 514 as a game medium supply unit. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ball supply chute 514 is connected to the game main body 300 or the game medium lending device 400, respectively.
The ball supply chute 514 is provided with an electric opening / closing valve (not shown), and the electric opening / closing valve is electrically connected to the game main body 300 and the game medium lending device 400. For example, when a predetermined signal is input from the game main body 300 or the game medium lending device 400, the electric on-off valve is opened, and the pachinko ball introduced to the ball replenishment chute 514 from the transport plate 511E via the ball outlet 512C. P is supplied to the game main body 300 or the game medium lending device 400 connected to the ball supply chute 514.

Furthermore, the movement state of the pachinko ball P rolling on the upper surface of the conveying plate 511E is detected at the end side of the island structure 200 of the side surface member 512, that is, on the downstream end side, at a position of a predetermined dimension from the end. A heel side detection sensor C1 is provided.
For example, the heel side detection sensor C1 emits light such as infrared rays from one heel side member 512 toward the other heel side member 512, and is emitted by a light receiving unit provided on the other heel side member 512. Receives light. And the heel side detection sensor C1 is electrically connected to the control device, and when light is detected by the light receiving unit, a predetermined detection signal is appropriately output to the control device. Note that the heel side detection sensor C1 is not limited to the above-described optical sensor and infrared sensor. For example, a light receiving portion is provided on the heel side member 512 on the light emitting side, and the light reflected by the pachinko ball P is received. Then, a configuration for outputting to the control device or a configuration using other sensors may be used.

The roof plate 513 is a plate-like member that is formed in a longitudinal direction in substantially the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the replenishing bowl main body 511. On both sides along the longitudinal direction of the roof plate 513, a substantially U-shaped top surface mounting portion 513A protruding downward is formed. The ceiling plate 513 is attached so as to cover the transport plate 511E by engaging the top surface attaching portion 513A with the top surface engaging portion 512B of the side surface member 512.
Here, a region surrounded by the transport plate 511E, the saddle side member 512, and the transport plate top surface portion 513 of the replenishing spear body 511 is a transport region for rolling and transporting the pachinko balls P.

As described above, the ball transport unit 520 is disposed between the replenishing rods 510 adjacent to each other, and connects the end portions of the replenishing rods 510. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ball transport unit 520 is fixed to a bracket 280 fixed in advance to the transport storage unit 270 of the island structure 200 by, for example, bolting.
The ball transport unit 520 is configured to transfer the pachinko ball P introduced from the replenishment basket 510 arranged on the lifting device 250 side, that is, the upstream side in the moving direction of the pachinko ball P, to the end side of the other island structure 200. That is, it is conveyed to the replenishment basket 510 arranged on the downstream side in the moving direction of the pachinko ball P.
The ball conveying unit 520 includes a lower case 530, an upper case 540, a conveying drum member 550 as a conveying rotating body, a driving unit 560 as a driving unit, and the like.

  The lower case 530 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyoxymethylene (POM: polyoxymethylene, generic name: Duracon). As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 to 7, the lower case 530 has a first side surface 530 </ b> A that faces the replenishment rod 510 disposed on the upstream side, and a first surface that faces the replenishment rod 510 disposed on the downstream side. Two side surfaces 530B, a front surface 530C in the same direction as the front surface of the game body 300 of the island structure 200, a rear surface 530D facing the front surface 530C, and the first side surface 530A, the second side surface 530B, the front surface 530C, and the rear surface 530D It is formed in a substantially box shape having an adjacent bottom surface (not shown). Further, an opening window 531 through which the transport drum member 550 can be taken in and out is formed on the upper surface side of the lower case 530. Further, an attachment portion (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the lower case 530, and the lower case 530 is fixed to the island structure 200 by, for example, bolting the attachment portion to the bracket 280.

On the lower side of the first side surface 530 </ b> A of the lower case 530, a first connection portion 532 serving as a carry-in port having a substantially rectangular cross section is formed to protrude toward the lifting device 250. A wall-shaped first stopper 532 </ b> A that rises from the bottom surface of the first connection portion 532 is formed at the base end portion of the first connection portion 532, that is, the inner side of the lower case 530.
The first stopper 532A is formed to have substantially the same height as the length from the lower end of the holding portion 511A of the replenishing rod main body 511 of the replenishing rod 510 to the conveying plate 511E. Further, the upper end portion of the first stopper 532A is provided with a not-shown flexible tongue piece portion that protrudes substantially in parallel with the conveying plate 511E of the replenishing rod 510 disposed on the upstream side. .
The first connecting portion 532 is inserted so that the end portion of the replenishing rod 510 arranged on the upstream side is in contact with the first stopper 532A. At this time, the tongue piece is engaged with the engaging portion 511F provided on the lower surface side of the conveying plate 511E, so that the height position of the upper surface of the conveying plate 511E and the height position of the upper end portion of the first stopper 532A are set. They substantially coincide with each other and prevent the generation of a gap between the transport plate 511E and the first stopper 532A.

In addition, a second connection portion 533 serving as a carry-out port having a substantially U-shaped cross-section opening on the upper side is formed on the upper side of the second side surface 530B of the lower case 530 so as to protrude downstream. A wall-like second stopper 533 </ b> A that rises from the bottom surface of the second connection portion 533 is formed at the base end portion of the first connection portion 532, that is, the inner side of the lower case 530. The second connecting portion 533 is placed and installed from above so that the end of the replenishing rod 510 disposed on the downstream side comes into contact with the second stopper 533A.
In addition, it is good also as a structure by which a flexible tongue piece part is provided from the 2nd stopper 533A of the 2nd connection part 533 similarly to the 1st connection part 532, In this case, this tongue piece part is good for the conveyance board 511E. By engaging with the engaging portion 511F, the replenishing rod 510 can be reliably connected, and the height positions of the transport plate 511E and the second stopper 533A can be reliably aligned.

  In the lower case 530, a transport path portion 534 that connects from the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A of the first connecting portion 532 to the upper end edge of the second stopper 533A of the second connecting portion 533 has a front surface 530C and a rear surface. It is arranged in a state sandwiched between 530D. The conveyance path portion 534 is adjacent to the movable plate 535 as a movable portion, the curved surface portion 534A disposed adjacent to the second connection portion 533 side of the movable plate 535, and the second connection portion 533 side of the curved surface portion 534A. And a carry-out surface 534B connected to the upper end edge of the second stopper 533A.

The movable plate 535 is a plate-like member that connects the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A and the first connecting portion 532 side of the curved surface portion 534A, and is, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyoxymethylene (POM: polyoxymethylene, generic name: Duracon). It is formed by. A bearing portion 535A that protrudes downward is formed at the end of the movable plate 535 on the curved surface portion 534A side.
The bearing portion 535A is formed in a cylindrical shape that is coaxial with a direction from the front surface 530C toward the rear surface 530D, and a pin 535B protruding from the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D is engaged therewith. The pin 535B is provided at a position where the height position is lower than the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A. Accordingly, by engaging the bearing portion 535A with the pin 535B, the movable plate 535 is slightly inclined at an inclination angle of, for example, 5 minutes (2.86 degrees) from the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A toward the curved surface portion 534A. And is attached so as to be rotatable about the bearing portion 535A.
Further, below the movable plate 535, an urging spring 535C as urging means is provided, for example, on at least one of the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D. The biasing spring 535C is a torsion spring, one end of which is fixed to the front surface 530C or the rear surface 530D, and the other end is in contact with the movable plate 535. The urging spring 535C is configured such that when the movable plate 535 rotates downward about the bearing portion 535A, the distal end portion of the movable plate 535 on the first connecting portion 532 side is the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A. The movable plate 535 is urged upward so as to reach the height position. That is, the biasing spring 535C has a contact surface on the upper surface side that contacts the game medium of the movable plate 535, the first connection of the upper end edge of the first stopper 532A of the first connection portion 532 and the curved surface portion 534A of the transport path portion 534. The movable plate 535 is biased so as to be continuous with the part 532 side.
Further, below the movable plate 535, a movable detection switch C2 is provided as detection means. For example, the movable detection switch C2 is fixed to a surface facing the rear surface 530D of the front surface 530C, and has a button that can freely move forward and backward. For example, in the state where the pachinko balls are stacked in three or more stages on the upper portion of the movable plate 535 and pressed downward by the fins 554, the movable detection switch C2 is configured such that the upper end surface of the button contacts the lower surface side of the movable plate 535. It is arranged at the position to be pushed in contact.
The movable detection switch C2 is electrically connected to the control device. In the movable detection switch C2, when the movable plate 535 is rotated downward by a predetermined distance, the button is pushed by the lower surface of the movable plate 535, and a predetermined detection signal is output to the control device.

  For example, when a predetermined number or more of pachinko balls P are carried into the conveyance path portion 534 in the ball conveyance unit 520, the movable plate 535 is moved downward by the rotation of the conveyance drum member 550. The movable plate 535 is rotated.

  The curved surface portion 534A constitutes the transport path surface of the present invention. As described above, the curved surface portion 534A is provided adjacent to the second connecting portion 533 side of the movable plate 535 and is connected to the second connecting portion 533. It is connected to the first connecting portion 532 side. The curved surface portion 534A extends from the end portion of the movable plate 535 on the second connection portion 533 side to the end portion of the carry-out surface 534B on the first connection portion 532 side so that the curvature of the transport drum member 550 described later is substantially the same curvature. In other words, the curved surface is curved upward with a curved surface having a predetermined radius around the rotation axis of the transport drum member 550. Moreover, the central angle with respect to the circular arc which connects the 2nd connection part side edge part from the 1st connection part side edge part of curved surface part 534A is set to substantially right angle. Note that although an example in which the central angle of the curved surface portion 534A is substantially a right angle is described in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the central angle is 90 degrees or less.

The carry-out surface 534B is integrally formed with the curved surface portion 534A and the second stopper 533A. In addition, the carry-out surface 534B is formed to slightly tilt upward from the upper end edge of the second stopper 533A of the second connecting portion 533, for example, in 5 minutes (2.86 degrees), and to extend toward the first connecting portion 532. Has been.
A carry-out sensor C3 is provided on the front surface 530C side of the carry-out surface 534B. The carry-out sensor C3 is fixed to the outside of the front surface 530C, for example. That is, a sensor hole 530C1 that penetrates the inside and outside of the lower case 530 is formed in the vicinity of the carry-out surface 534B of the front surface 530C, and a carry-out sensor C3 is provided facing the sensor hole 530C1. Examples of the carry-out sensor C3 include an optical sensor and an infrared sensor. That is, sensor light for detection is emitted from the sensor hole 530C1 toward the inside, and the sensor light emitted by a light receiving unit (not shown) provided on the rear surface 530D side is received. In the carry-out sensor C3, the light reception time interval of the sensor light received by the light receiving unit is output to the control device. The carry-out sensor C3 is not limited to this. For example, the light receiving unit may be configured to detect the sensor light reflected by the pachinko ball P, or may use another sensor.

Attaching pieces 536 that protrude outward are provided in a flange shape on the upper end edges of the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D of the lower case 530, respectively, at positions adjacent to the first side surface 530A and the second side surface 530B. The attachment piece 536 is formed with an insertion hole through which a bolt penetrates when the upper case 540 is attached.
Further, a U-shaped groove 537 communicating with the opening window 531 is formed at the upper end edges of the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D. The U-shaped groove 537 is formed in a longitudinal shape from the approximate center position of the upper edge of the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D toward the bottom surface. A shaft portion 551 of a transport drum member 550 described later is inserted into the U-shaped groove 537. Here, the U-shaped groove 537 has a distance dimension from the center line in the width direction along the longitudinal direction to the connecting portion of the curved surface portion 534A and the carry-out surface 534B, and the fin 554 from the center of the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550. It is formed at a position that substantially coincides with the sum of the distance dimension to the front end portion of the conveying blade portion 554C and the gap size between the front end portion of the conveying blade portion 554C of the fin 554 and the curved surface portion 534A. The longitudinal dimension of the U-shaped groove 537 is at least the distance dimension from the center of the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550 to the tip of the transport blade portion 554C of the fin 554 and the tip of the transport blade portion 554C of the fin 554. It is formed to be greater than or equal to the sum of the gap with the curved surface portion 534A. That is, the U-shaped groove 537 is configured such that the transport blade of the fin 554 is rotated when the transport drum member 550 is rotated in a state where the upper case 540 is attached to the lower case 530 and the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550 is inserted. The position and the length in the longitudinal direction are set so that the tip of the portion 554C moves substantially along the curved surface portion 534A.

  Further, a motor attachment hole 538 is formed below the corresponding positions of the curved surface portion 534A and the carry-out surface 534B of the front surface 530C of the lower case 530. A motor 561 of the driving unit 560 is fitted and fixed in the motor mounting hole 538. Further, a transmission gear 562 of the drive unit 560 is rotatably supported on the front surface 530C.

  In the present embodiment, the first side surface 530A, the second side surface 530B, the front surface 530C, the rear surface 530D, the first connection portion 532, the second connection portion 533, the curved surface portion 534A, and the carry-out surface 534B of the lower case 530 are provided. Although the structure currently formed integrally is illustrated, it is not restricted to this. For example, the first side surface 530A, the second side surface 530B, the first connection portion 532, the second connection portion 533, the curved surface portion 534A, and the carry-out surface 534B are synthetic resins such as polyoxymethylene (POM: polyoxymethylene, generic name: Duracon). The front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D are formed of, for example, a metal member, etc., and the first side surface 530A, the second side surface 530B, the first connection portion 532, the second connection portion 533, the curved surface portion 534A, and the carry-out surface It is good also as the structure currently fixed to the front surface 530C side and rear surface 530D side of 534B.

  The upper case 540 is formed of, for example, a metal member. The upper case 540 is detachably attached to the lower case 530 and holds a conveyance drum member 550 described later rotatably. The upper case 540 includes a top surface 541, a front holding surface 542, and a rear holding surface 543 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to 7.

  The top surface 541 is formed with a drum insertion port 541A through which a part of the transport drum member 550 can be inserted. In addition, at four corners of the top surface 541, that is, at positions corresponding to the attachment pieces 536 of the lower case 530, attachment / detachment pieces 541B projecting to the front surface 530C side and the rear surface 530D side are provided. Each of the detachable pieces 541B is formed with an insertion hole through which a bolt is inserted. Then, the upper case 540 is detachably attached to the lower case 530 by bringing the attachment / detachment piece 541B into contact with the attachment piece 536 of the lower case 530 and bolting.

  The front holding surface 542 and the rear holding surface 543 are formed continuously adjacent to the top surface 541. The front holding surface 542 and the rear holding surface 543 are arranged so as to cover the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D of the lower case 530, respectively, in a state where the upper case 540 is fixed to the lower case 530. Further, the front holding surface 542 and the rear holding surface 543 are formed such that a drum mounting piece 544 protrudes downward at a substantially central position. A shaft insertion groove 545 formed in a longitudinal shape toward the top surface 541 is formed at the lower end edge of the drum mounting piece 544. The drum attachment piece 544 includes a drum holding member 551A that rotatably holds the shaft portion 551 in a state where the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550 is inserted into the shaft insertion groove 545 of the drum attachment piece 544. For example, the transport drum member 550 is detachably attached to the upper case 540 via the drum holding member 551A by being fixed by screwing or the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the drum holding member 551A is formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction from the first side surface 530A to the second side surface 530B, and has a diameter substantially the same as that of the shaft portion 551 at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction. A shaft holding hole 551A1 having a size is formed. In this shaft portion holding hole 551A1, the tip end side of the shaft portion 551 is rotatably held. The drum holding member 551A is detachably attached to the upper case 540 by, for example, screwing the both ends in the longitudinal direction with the shaft portion 551 held in the shaft portion holding hole 551A1.

  The conveyance drum member 550 includes a shaft portion 551, a core portion 552, a fin installation cylinder portion 553 as an exterior portion, and a plurality of fins 554 having a conveyance blade portion 554C. The shaft portion 551, the core portion 552, and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 constitute the rotating body portion of the present invention.

The shaft portion 551 is disposed on a substantially central axis of the transport drum member 550.
A drum gear 551B that can mesh with the transmission gear 562 of the drive unit 560 is fixed at a predetermined position on one end side of the shaft portion 551 on the front surface 530C side. For example, the drum gear 551B is fixed to the shaft portion 551 by notching a part of the shaft portion 551 and forming a hole through which the shaft portion 551 of the drum gear 551B is inserted into a shape corresponding to the notch.
Further, a pressing member 551C is inserted and fixed on the further end side of the fixing position of the drum gear 551B of the shaft portion 551. The pressing member 551C is engaged with the drum gear 551B to prevent the drum gear 551B from falling off. In addition, it is good also as a structure etc. which fix a drum gear 551B to the axial part 551 by inserting a pin member etc. in the radial direction of the axial part 551, and making this pin member and the drum gear 551B latch.
Further, an operation knob 551D is fixed to the end portion of the shaft portion 551 on the front surface 530C side. Specifically, a male screw portion (not shown) is provided at the end portion of the shaft portion 551 on the front surface 530C side, and an operation knob 551D is screwed and fixed to the male screw portion. Accordingly, the transport drum member 550 can be forcibly rotated by manually rotating the operation knob 551D. Therefore, for example, when the pachinko ball P is clogged in the ball conveyance unit 520, the conveyance drum member 550 is rotated by rotating the operation knob 551D, and the clogging can be eliminated.

  Further, on the inner side of the fixed position of the drum gear 551B, that is, on the other end side, the drum holding member 551A is provided so as to rotatably hold the shaft portion 551 as described above. Further, the drum holding member 551A is similarly provided at a predetermined position on the other end side on the rear surface 530D side of the shaft portion 551 so as to rotatably hold the shaft portion 551. Then, as described above, the drum holding member 551A is screwed to the drum mounting piece 544 of the upper case 540, for example, so that the transport drum member 550 is rotatably and detachably fixed to the upper case 540. Yes.

  Furthermore, the other end portion of the shaft portion 551 is provided with a drum torque sensor C4 as detection means as shown in FIG. The drum torque sensor C4 includes a meniscus C41 provided at the other end of the shaft portion 551, an infrared sensor (not shown) that detects infrared rays reflected from the meniscus by irradiating, for example, infrared rays toward the half moon pieces. Etc. The infrared sensor of the drum torque sensor C4 is electrically connected to the control device, and the detection interval of the meniscus C41 is input to the control device as a detection signal. Thus, the control device can calculate the rotational speed of the transport drum member 550 based on the detection interval of the half-moon C41 of the infrared sensor.

  The core part 552 is made of a synthetic resin such as Duracon. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the core portion 552 includes an inner cylinder portion 552A into which the shaft portion 551 is inserted, an outer cylinder portion 552B inserted through the fin installation cylinder portion 553, and these inner cylinder portions 552A. And a plurality of radiation connecting portions 552C for connecting the outer cylinder portions 552B. The inner cylinder part 552A, the outer cylinder part 552B, and the radiation connection part 552C are integrally formed of, for example, synthetic resin.

  The inner cylinder portion 552A is formed such that the diameter of the inner peripheral surface is substantially the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 551, and the shaft portion 551 is fitted into the inner peripheral portion. Accordingly, when the shaft portion 551 is rotationally driven, the inner cylinder portion 552A is also rotated, and the transport drum member 550 is rotationally driven. In addition, although it was set as the structure which inserts the axial part 551 in the inner cylinder part 552A, it is not limited to this, For example, in the state which inserted the axial part 551 in the inner cylinder part 552A, the axial part 551 from the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part 552A. It is good also as a structure fixed so that the axial part 551 may not rotate with respect to the inner cylinder part 552A by inserting a pin member toward the center axis | shaft. Furthermore, the structure by which the axial part 551 and the core part 552 were integrally formed may be sufficient. Further, a plurality of radial coupling portions 552C are formed in the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 552A. As described above, the inner cylindrical portion 552A and the outer cylindrical portion 552B are coupled by the radial coupling portion 552C. Has been.

  As described above, the outer tube portion 552B is connected and fixed to the inner tube portion 552A by the radiation connecting portion 552C. When the inner tube portion 552A is driven to rotate by the rotation of the shaft portion 551, the outer tube portion 552B is also driven to rotate. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, positioning pins 552B1 as pin members protruding in the outer diameter direction are formed at predetermined intervals, for example, at intervals of 90 degrees, on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 552B. These positioning pins 552B1 are formed at the end portion on the front surface 530C side in the axial direction of the outer cylinder portion 552B. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 552B, a rotation stop portion 552B2 is formed as a protruding piece that protrudes in the outer diameter direction at predetermined intervals and is formed in a longitudinal shape parallel to the axial direction of the core portion 552. Is done. The rotation stop portion 552B2 is formed in a longitudinal shape from the front surface 530C side end portion to the rear surface 530D side end portion substantially parallel to the axial direction of the outer cylinder portion 552B. These rotation stoppers 552B2 are disposed, for example, two at equal intervals between adjacent positioning pins 552B1.

As shown in FIG. 10, the fin installation cylinder portion 553 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape using, for example, a synthetic resin. The inner peripheral diameter of the fin installation cylinder 553 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the outer cylinder 552B of the core 552. Further, the length dimension in the axial direction of the fin installation cylinder portion 553 is formed to be approximately the same as the distance dimension between the front surface 530C and the rear surface 530D of the lower case 530.
And this fin installation cylinder part 553 has the pin insertion hole 553A and protrusion piece engagement as an engagement hole in the position facing the positioning pin 552B1 formed in the outer cylinder part 552B of the core part 552, and the rotation stop part 552B2, respectively. A rotation stop insertion groove 553B as a groove is formed.
The pin insertion hole 553A is formed on the end side on the front surface 530C side of the fin installation cylinder 553, and a sliding groove is formed from the pin insertion hole 553A toward the end of the fin installation cylinder 553. Thereby, when inserting the core part 552 in the fin installation cylinder part 553, the positioning pin 552B1 can be slid along the sliding groove and moved to the pin insertion hole 553A, and the assemblability is improved.
Further, the rotation stop insertion groove 553B is formed in a longitudinal direction from the front surface 530C side end portion to the rear surface 530D side end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the fin installation tube portion 553 substantially parallel to the axial center direction of the fin installation tube portion 553. Has been.

  In addition, a plurality of fin installation holes 553C are formed at predetermined intervals in the fin installation cylinder portion 553 as penetrating the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface and extending in the axial direction. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the fin installation holes 553C are arranged at equal intervals, for example, at intervals of 30 degrees, between the adjacent pin insertion holes 553A and the rotation stop insertion grooves 553B, and between the rotation stop insertion grooves 553B adjacent to each other. Each is provided in between. The fins 554 are inserted through the fin installation holes 553C so as to protrude from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side. In this embodiment, an example in which the fin installation holes 553C are formed at intervals of 30 degrees is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a pachinko ball conveyed by the fin 554 to the curved surface portion 534A of the conveyance path portion 534 The distance is not particularly limited as long as it can be lifted and conveyed.

The fins 554 are substantially plate-like members formed of, for example, flexible synthetic resin such as urethane rubber, and are formed in a longitudinal shape along the axial direction of the transport drum member 550. As shown in FIG. 8, the fin 554 includes a fixed end portion 554A as an engaging portion, an insertion portion 554B, and a conveying blade portion 554C. The fixed end portion 554A, the insertion portion 554B, and the conveying blade portion 554C are integrally formed. The insertion portion 554B and the conveying blade portion 554C constitute the blade portion of the present invention.
The fixed end portion 554A is provided at an end portion of the fin 554, and is formed in a substantially T shape with respect to the insertion portion 554B. That is, the fixed end portion 554A is formed in a longitudinal shape substantially parallel to the axial direction of the transport drum member 550, is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and is substantially at the center position in the direction along the tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the core portion 552. The insertion portion 554B protrudes in the outer diameter direction of the transport drum member 550, so that the cross section is formed in a substantially T shape. The fixed end portion 554A is a portion that is sandwiched and fixed between the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553. The fixed end portion 554A is formed such that the length in the tangential direction of the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553 is larger than the groove width of the fin installation hole 553C of the fin installation tube portion 553.

  The insertion portion 554B is formed to rise substantially vertically from a substantially center position in the tangential direction of the fin installation cylinder portion 553 of the fixed end portion 554A. The insertion portion 554B is inserted into the fin installation hole 553C of the fin installation cylinder portion 553.

The conveying blade portion 554C is formed continuously with the insertion portion 554B and is inclined with respect to the insertion portion 554B at a predetermined angle. Here, the conveying blade portion 554 </ b> C is formed at a predetermined inclination angle that inclines in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the conveying drum member 550 toward the outer diameter side of the conveying drum member 550.
Further, the length dimension of the conveying blade portion 554C in the radial direction of the conveying drum member 550 is such that the gap between the tip end portion of the conveying blade portion 554C and the curved surface portion 534A of the lower case 530 is at least the diameter of the pachinko ball P to be conveyed. The size is smaller than the size.

  The drive unit 560 includes a motor 561, a transmission gear 562, and the like. As described above, the motor 561 is fitted into the motor mounting hole 538 provided in the front surface 530C of the lower case 530, and is fixed by, for example, screwing. The motor 561 is electrically connected to the control device, and rotates a motor shaft that projects from the front surface 530C side when predetermined power is supplied from the control device. A motor gear 561A is fixed to the tip of the motor shaft of the motor 561, and the rotational driving force of the motor 561 is transmitted to the transmission gear 562.

  As described above, the transmission gear 562 is rotatably attached to the front surface 530C and meshes with the motor gear 561A of the motor 561. The transmission gear 562 meshes with a drum gear 551B fixed to the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550 in a state where the upper case 540 is fixed to the lower case 530. Then, the rotational driving force transmitted from the motor 561 is transmitted to the drum gear 551B, and the transport drum member 550 is rotationally driven.

The control device controls the overall operation of the ball conveying device 500.
Specifically, as described above, the control device is electrically connected to the lifting device 250, the heel side detection sensor C1, the movable detection switch C2, the carry-out sensor C3, the drum torque sensor C4, the motor 561, and the like. A predetermined power is supplied to these.
Further, the control device recognizes various detection signals input from the heel side detection sensor C1, the movable detection switch C2, the carry-out sensor C3, and the drum torque sensor C4, and the motor of the lifting device 250 and each ball transport unit 520. The drive of 561 is controlled.

  Specifically, the control device determines the clogged state of the pachinko ball P moving on the transport plate 511E based on the detection signal input from the heel side detection sensor C1. That is, the control device recognizes the time when the detection signal is not input from the heel side detection sensor C1. When the time during which this detection signal is not input is equal to or longer than a predetermined time set in advance, it is determined that the replenishment basket 510 is in a clogged state, for example, a ball transport unit 520 disposed on the upstream side of the replenishment basket 510. The motor 561 is temporarily stopped and driven again after a predetermined time.

  Further, when the control device recognizes the detection signal from the movable detection switch C2, the control device stops the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 of the ball transport device 500 and the lifting device 250.

  Further, the ball transport unit 520 recognizes the time when the detection signal is not input from the carry-out sensor C3 based on the detection signal input from the carry-out sensor C3. If the time during which this detection signal is not input is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, it is determined that the pachinko ball P on the carry-out surface 534B has not moved, that is, the replenishment basket 510 on the downstream side of the ball transport unit 520 is clogged. Then, control is performed to stop the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 provided with the carry-out sensor C3. Further, when the detection signal is input from the carry-out sensor C3 with the motor 561 stopped, the control to drive the motor 561 again is performed.

  Furthermore, the control device recognizes the rotational speed of the transport drum member 550 based on the detection signal input from the drum torque sensor C4. When the rotational speed of the transport drum member 550 is lower than a predetermined rotational speed set in advance, the control device urgently stops the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 of the ball transport device 500 and the transport operation of the transport device 250. To control.

[Game system operation]
Next, the operation of the ball transport device 500 in the installed gaming system 100 will be described.

  The pachinko balls P introduced into the collection hopper 242 provided in the game main body 300 arranged in the island structure 200 and the pachinko balls P introduced from the counting means (not shown) provided at, for example, the end of the island structure 200 are Then, it is stored in the collection tank 241 of the island collection means 240.

  Then, the control device controls the lifting means of the lifting device 250 to convey the pachinko balls P stored in the collection basket 241 from the ball collection port 251 to the ball discharge port 252.

  The pachinko balls P discharged from the ball discharge port 252 are introduced into the ball transport device 500. That is, the pachinko balls P are discharged onto the transport plate 511E of the replenishing basket 510 connected to the ball discharge port 252 and flow on the transport plate 511E to be transported downstream.

At this time, since the transport plate 511E of the replenishing rod 510 is formed in a substantially arc shape with the substantially central portion on the upper side, the pachinko ball P moves on the transport plate 511E along the saddle side surface member 512. Then, the pachinko balls P are conveyed and supplied to the game main bodies 300 and the game medium lending devices 400 from the ball outlets 512 </ b> C provided on the heel side member 512 through the ball supply chute 514.
In addition, when the pachinko balls P are sufficiently supplied to the ball supply chute 514, about 1/4 of the pachinko balls P in the vicinity of the final tail among the pachinko balls P supplied to the ball outlet 512C are balls. Projecting from the outlet 512C onto the conveying plate 511E. As a result, the pachinko balls P conveyed from the upstream side of the conveying plate 511E come into contact with some of the pachinko balls P near the final tail, bounce back to the central side of the conveying plate 511E, and are conveyed downstream. Is done.

  Further, the control device recognizes the number of transport movements per unit time of the pachinko balls P transported on the transport plate 511E based on a detection signal input from the heel side detection sensor C1 provided on the downstream side of the replenishment jar 510. . Then, when the number of transport movements is smaller than a predetermined number, the control device determines that the replenishment basket 510 is clogged with pachinko balls P conveyed from the upstream side, and the upstream of the replenishment basket 510 The motor 561 of the ball conveying unit 520 arranged on the side, that is, the upstream side, or the lifting means of the lifting device 250 is controlled to be temporarily stopped, and the lifting of the motor 561 and the lifting device 250 is again performed after a predetermined time. Control to drive the feeding means.

  Thereafter, the pachinko balls P transported by the replenishing basket 510 are carried into the first connecting portion 532 of the ball transport unit 520.

  Further, the control device controls the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 to rotate the transport drum member 550. Thereby, the fins 554 of the transport drum member 550 lift the pachinko balls P transported to the first connecting portion 532 to the unloading surface 534B side along the curved surface portion 534A. At this time, since the fins 554 are formed in a shape that is inclined in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the transport drum member 550, for example, the problem that the pachinko balls P are picked up by the fins 554 and are not discharged to the carry-out surface 534B is prevented. It becomes possible.

  And a control apparatus recognizes the detection signal input from the carrying-out sensor C3 provided in the side of the carrying-out surface 534B, and recognizes the movement state of the pachinko ball P in the carrying-out surface 534B. When the control device determines that the pachinko ball P on the carry-out surface 534B is clogged, the control device controls the motor 561 to stop. Then, when the control device recognizes that the clogged state of the pachinko balls P on the carry-out surface 534B has been eliminated based on the detection signal input from the carry-out sensor C3, the control device drives the motor 561 again and uses the conveyance drum member 550. Control to resume the lifting operation of the pachinko ball P is performed.

  In addition, when a predetermined number or more of the pachinko balls P conveyed from the upstream side are carried into the ball conveyance unit 520, the pachinko balls P are stacked on the movable plate 535 in multiple stages. When the transport drum member 550 is rotationally driven in this state, the movable plate 535 is pushed downward, and the movable detection switch C2 is pushed. In such a case, the control device recognizes the detection signal input from the movable detection switch C2, and urgently stops the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 in which the movable detection switch C2 is pressed.

  Further, the control device calculates the rotation speed of the transport drum member 550 based on the detection signal input from the drum torque sensor C4. When the rotation speed calculated in a state where the motor 561 is driven is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed set in advance, the ball transport unit 520 and all the balls disposed on the upstream side of the ball transport unit 520 are arranged. The motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 and the lifting device of the lifting device are stopped in an emergency.

  Further, when the pachinko ball P starts to accumulate in the replenishing rod 510 due to the stop of the motor 561 as described above, the clogging of the pachinko ball P is detected by the carry-out sensor C3 and the rod-side detection sensor C1 of the upstream ball conveyance unit 520. Then, the motor 561 of the upstream ball conveying unit 520 is also stopped. Here, when the motor 561 of the ball transport unit 520 located on the downstream side of the lifting device 250 is stopped, the control device performs control to stop driving of the lifting means of the lifting device 250.

  On the other hand, the pachinko balls P carried out to the carry-out surface 534 </ b> B are carried out to the supply basket 510 connected to the second connecting portion 533. Then, the replenishment basket 510 connected to the second connection portion 533 transports the pachinko balls P to the downstream side and introduces them into the ball transport unit 520 disposed on the downstream side, similarly to the above-described supply basket 510. Hereinafter, similarly, the pachinko balls P are transported by the replenishment basket 510 and the ball transport unit 520 to the end of the island structure 200, and each game body 300 and the Pachinko balls P are supplied to each game medium lending device 400.

[Effects of Embodiment]
As described above, the transport drum member 550 in the ball transport unit 520 of the ball transport device 500 of the gaming system as described above includes the core portion 552 into which the shaft portion 551 that is rotationally driven by the drive portion 560 is inserted, and the core portion 552. The fin installation cylinder part 553 provided with the several fin installation hole 553C which penetrates the part 552 and connects an internal peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, and a fixed end part between these core part 552 and fin installation cylinder part 553 An insertion portion 554B and a conveyance blade portion 554C that are sandwiched by 554A and extend through the fin installation hole 553C from the fixed end portion 554A and extend substantially along the curved surface portion 534A toward the outer diameter direction of the conveyance drum member 550. And a fin 554 provided with.
For this reason, the fin 554 has a simple configuration in which the fixed end portion 554A is simply sandwiched between the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553, and thus the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553 are removed. Thus, the fin 554 can be easily removed. Therefore, maintenance of the transport drum member 550 can be easily performed. Further, even when the fin 554 is damaged, only the fin 554 can be easily replaced. Similarly, even when the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 are damaged, only these components can be replaced. Therefore, the cost accompanying replacement can be reduced. Further, by rotating the transport drum member 550 about the shaft portion 551, the pachinko balls P on the curved surface portion 534A can be pushed out by the fins 554 and easily transported.

  Further, a positioning pin 552B1 protruding in the outer diameter direction is provided on the outer cylinder portion 552B of the core portion 552, and a pin insertion hole 553A is provided so as to face the positioning pin 552B1 of the fin installation cylinder portion 553. Therefore, by inserting the positioning pin 552B1 into the pin insertion hole 553A, the movement of the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 in the axial direction is restricted, and the shafts of the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 are controlled. Positioning in the direction of the heart can be performed. Therefore, even when the transport drum member 550 is rotationally driven by the drive unit 560, the fin installation cylinder portion 553 can be prevented from falling off from the core portion 552, and the pachinko balls P can be transported satisfactorily by the fins 554.

Further, the positioning pin 552B1 is formed on the front surface 530C side in the axial direction of the outer cylindrical portion 552B of the core portion 552. And the pin insertion hole 553A is also formed in the front surface 530C side of the fin installation cylinder part 553 corresponding to the positioning pin 552B1.
For this reason, when inserting the fin installation cylinder part 553 into the core part 552, the positioning pin 552B1 is inserted into the fin installation cylinder part 553 from the front surface 530C side of the fin installation cylinder part 553 from the rear surface 530D side of the core part 552. The distance which touches the inner peripheral surface of the core portion 552 can be shortened, and the core portion 552 can be easily inserted into the fin installation cylinder portion 553. Therefore, the assembling property of the transport drum member 550 is improved, and maintenance can be easily performed.

  Furthermore, a sliding groove is formed from the pin insertion hole 553A to the end portion on the front surface 530C side of the fin installation cylinder portion 553. Therefore, when the core portion 552 is inserted through the fin installation cylinder portion 553, the positioning pin 552B1 can be easily guided to the pin insertion hole 553A by moving the positioning pin 552B1 along the sliding groove. . Therefore, the assemblability of the transport drum member 550 can be further improved, and maintenance can be performed more easily.

In addition, the outer cylinder portion 552B of the core portion 552 is provided with a rotation stop portion 552B2 that protrudes in the outer diameter direction and substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion 552, and is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fin installation cylinder portion 553. Is provided with a rotation stop insertion groove 553B corresponding to the rotation stop portion 552B2.
For this reason, rotation with respect to the core part 552 of the fin installation cylinder part 553 can be prevented by engaging the rotation stop part 552B2 along the rotation stop insertion groove 553B. Therefore, when the shaft portion 551 is rotated, the fin installing cylinder portion 553 can be rotated with the same rotational force as the rotation of the core portion 552. Therefore, the fins 554 can also be favorably rotated along the curved surface portion 534A, and the pachinko balls P can be well extruded and conveyed.

Further, the rotation stop portion 552B2 and the rotation stop insertion groove 553B are parallel to the axial direction of the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 from the end portion on the front surface 530C side of the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553. It is provided over both ends of the rear surface 530D side end.
For this reason, when the core portion 552 is inserted into the fin installation tube portion 553, the rotation stop portion 552B2 can be inserted along the rotation stop insertion groove 553B, and the core portion 552 can be inserted into the fin installation tube portion 553. Stop part 552B2 does not catch on the inner peripheral surface of fin installation cylinder part 553, and can be inserted easily. Therefore, the assembly work of the transport drum member 550 can be easily performed, and the maintenance work can also be easily performed.

  The conveyance blade portion 554C of the fin 554 is provided so as to be inclined in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the conveyance drum member 550 with respect to the radial direction of the conveyance drum member 550 from the fin installation cylinder portion 553 of the conveyance drum member 550. Yes. For this reason, when the front-end | tip part of the conveyance blade | wing part 554C moves to the same height position as the carrying-out surface 534B, the pachinko ball P can be rolled out to the carrying-out surface 534B along the inclination of the conveyance blade part 554C. Further, while the pachinko ball P is sandwiched between the fin 554 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553, the pachinko ball P is rotated together with the conveyance drum member 550 and returned to the first coupling portion 532 side, or the other such as the outside of the ball conveyance unit 520. Without being transported to the part, it can be reliably transported to the transport surface 534B.

  The fins 554 are formed of a flexible synthetic resin such as urethane rubber. For this reason, even if the pachinko ball P is sandwiched between the front end portion of the conveying blade portion 554C of the fin 554 and the curved surface portion 534A, the pachinko ball P sandwiched by the fin 554 can be moved. Therefore, the clogging between the fin 554 and the curved surface portion 534A can be prevented, and the pachinko ball P can be transported satisfactorily.

  Further, the insertion portion 554B protrudes from a substantially center position in the tangential direction of the outer tube portion 552B of the core portion 552 of the fixed end portion 554A, and the fin 554 is formed in a substantially T-shaped cross section. The width of the fixed end portion 554A The dimension is formed larger than the width dimension of the fin installation hole 553C. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the fixed end portion 554A from coming off from the fin installation hole 553C. Further, both side portions of the fixed end portion 554A can be held between the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553 with the insertion portion 554B interposed therebetween, and the fin 554 can be fixed more reliably. Therefore, even if the transport drum member 550 rotates and the pachinko balls P are pushed out and transported by the transport blades 554C of the fins 554, the fins do not fall off due to this rotational force, and the game medium can be transported satisfactorily. it can.

When the rotation speed of the transport drum member 550 detected by the drum torque sensor C4 is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed even though the control unit supplies the predetermined drive power to the motor 561 of the drive unit 560, The drive of the motor 561 is stopped.
For this reason, the pachinko balls P are clogged between the fins 554 and the curved surface portion 534A of the conveyance drum member 550, or the pachinko balls P are clogged in other portions, and the rotational driving force of the conveyance drum member 550 is reduced. In such a case, the abnormality of the transport drum member 550 can be detected and stopped.

The shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550 is rotatably held in the shaft portion holding hole 551A1 of the drum holding member 551A, and the drum holding member 551A is attached to and detached from the drum mounting piece 544 of the upper case 540 by, for example, screwing. It is attached freely.
Therefore, the transport drum member 550 can be attached to and detached from the upper case 540 by attaching and detaching the drum holding member 551 </ b> A from the drum attachment piece 544. Therefore, during maintenance, the upper case 540 can be removed from the lower case 530, and the transport drum member 550 can be easily removed from the upper case 540. Therefore, for example, when maintaining the transport drum member 550, when it is desired to replace the fins 554 of the transport drum member 550, or when it is desired to replace the entire transport drum member 550, these maintenance operations and replacement operations are easily performed. Can do.

In the ball transport unit 520 as described above, the pachinko balls P are carried into the first connecting portion 532 from the replenishment basket 510 disposed on the upstream side. Then, the conveyance drum member 550 is driven to rotate by the driving force of the motor 561 and the fins 554 are moved along the curved surface portion 534A, whereby the carried pachinko balls P are moved along the curved surface portion 534A to the second connecting portion 533 side. The pachinko balls P lifted to the replenishment basket 510 disposed downstream from the second connecting portion 533 are carried out.
For this reason, the pachinko ball P is scraped by the fins 554 from the first connecting portion 532 arranged at the low position to the second connecting portion 533 arranged at the high position with a simple configuration in which the transport drum member 550 is rotationally driven. It can be extruded and transported as if fried.
Further, since a plurality of such ball transport units 520 are provided and the ball transport units 520 are connected by a replenishing rod 510, the height of the ball transport device 500 can be reduced, and the island structure The installation work 200 can be easily performed. Moreover, since the height dimension of the island structure 200 becomes low, the efficiency of air conditioning can be improved. Furthermore, when a security camera or the like is installed on the ceiling, the height of the island structure 200 is reduced so that the field of view of the security camera is improved, the illegal use of the game main body 300 can be prevented, and the crime prevention side should be strengthened. Can do.

Further, the curved surface portion 534A is formed in an arcuate curved surface shape having substantially the same curvature as the curvature of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the transport drum member 550.
For this reason, the fin 554 of the conveyance drum member 550 can be moved along the curved surface portion 534A, and the pachinko ball P can be surely lifted up to the carry-out surface 534B along the curved surface portion 534A. Further, since the curved surface portion 534A is formed in an arc curved surface shape, the pachinko ball P can be smoothly conveyed along the curved surface.

  Since the center angle of the circular curved surface of the curved surface portion 534A is formed to be 90 degrees or less, the pachinko ball P lifted up to the height position of the carry-out surface 534B is used to incline the conveying blade portion 554C of the fin 554, etc. Can be carried out well to the carrying-out surface 534B side.

  Further, the gap between the tip of the conveying blade 554C of the fin 554 and the curved surface 534A is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the pachinko ball P. For this reason, the pachinko ball P is not sandwiched between the conveying blade portion 554C and the curved surface portion 534A of the fin 554, and malfunction can be prevented. Further, the pachinko balls P conveyed to the curved surface portion 534A by the fins 554 can be reliably transported to the carry-out surface 534B without missing.

  Furthermore, the control device drives the motor 561 of the drive unit 560 of each ball transport unit 520 based on detection signals input from the heel side detection sensor C1, the movable detection switch C2, the carry-out sensor C3, and the drum torque sensor C4. The state is controlled. For this reason, the conveyance of the pachinko balls P in each ball conveyance unit 520 can be controlled according to the clogged state of the pachinko balls P in each ball conveyance unit 520.

That is, the control device recognizes the transport state of the pachinko balls P in the vicinity of the carry-out surface 534B and the second connecting portion 533 based on the detection sensor input from the carry-out sensor C3. Then, when the control means recognizes that the transport state of the pachinko balls P in the vicinity of the carry-out surface 534B and the second connecting portion 533 is clogged, it stops driving the ball transport unit 520 provided with the carry-out sensor C3. I am letting.
For this reason, for example, even if a trouble occurs in the ball transport unit 520 on the downstream side of the ball transport unit 520 and the pachinko ball P is clogged in the replenishing basket 510, the control device uses the detection signal from the carry-out sensor C3 to Since the clogged state of the pachinko balls P near the two connecting portions 533 and the carry-out surface 534B is recognized and the motor 561 is stopped, inconveniences such as malfunction due to clogging of the pachinko balls P of the ball transport unit 520 can be prevented. .

Further, the control device detects the conveyance state in the vicinity of the first connecting portion 532 with the movable detection switch C2, and stops the motor 561 when the vicinity of the first connecting portion 532 is clogged.
For this reason, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the pachinko balls P are excessively carried into the first connecting portion 532 and become clogged, and the transport drum member 550 cannot be driven.

Further, in the vicinity of the first connecting portion 532, there is provided a movable plate 535 that can be rotated with the end portion on the curved surface portion 534A side as a rotation axis, and a biasing spring 535C that biases the movable plate 535 upward. The movable detection switch C2 detects whether or not the movable plate 535 is rotated downward.
That is, when a predetermined number or more of pachinko balls P are carried from the first connecting portion 532 and the transport drum member 550 rotates in a state where it overlaps with the movable plate 535 in multiple stages, the movable plate 535 is moved by the fins 554. The pachinko balls P overlapped in multiple stages are pushed and rotated downward. Alternatively, the movable plate 535 rotates downward by the weight of the pachinko balls P that overlap in multiple stages. The control device detects the rotation of the movable plate 535 by the movable detection switch C2, and stops the motor 561 when the movable plate 535 rotates.
For this reason, when a large amount of the pachinko balls P are carried into the first connecting portion 532, the fins 554 of the transport drum member 550 scrape the pachinko balls P in a large amount, for example, between the fins 554 and the curved surface portion 534A. Inconveniences such as P clogging and pachinko balls P clogged between the fins 554 can be prevented, and the ball conveying unit 520 can be operated normally.

  The first connecting portion 532 of the ball conveying unit 520 is provided with a flexible tongue piece, and this tongue piece is attached to an engaging portion 511F provided below the conveying plate 511E of the replenishing rod 510. Is engaged. For this reason, the replenishment basket 510 and the ball transport unit 520 can be easily positioned. In addition, since the tongue piece portion is flexible even if the inclination angle of the replenishing rod 510 changes, the gap between the replenishing rod 510 and the first connecting portion 532 can be filled, and the pachinko balls P are smoothly conveyed. be able to.

  An operation knob 551D is fixed to the end of the shaft portion 551 of the transport drum member 550. For this reason, the conveyance drum member 550 can be rotated around the shaft portion 551 by manually rotating the operation knob 551D. Therefore, for example, even when the pachinko ball P is jammed inside the ball transport unit 520, the jammed pachinko ball P can be easily removed by rotating the operation knob 551D to eliminate the jam. Therefore, the maintainability of the ball transport unit 520 can be improved.

[Modification of Embodiment]
The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various improvements and design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Is possible.

  For example, although the configuration in which the operation knob 551D is provided at the end portion on the front surface 530C side of the shaft portion 551 is shown, it may be configured to be provided on the rear surface 530D side of the shaft portion 551, for example.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the drive unit 560 is attached to the motor attachment hole 538 provided in the front surface 530C of the lower case 530 is shown. However, for example, a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 11, the upper case 540 includes a drive mounting piece 546 that extends from the top surface 541 to the first side surface 530 </ b> A side to which the replenishing rod 510 is connected. The tip of the drive mounting piece 546 has a substantially plate-shaped drive mounting portion 546A that is bent downward. Then, the drive mounting portion 546A is brought into contact with the drive mounting portion 546A in a state where the upper surface of the drive motor 571 of the drive unit 570 is brought into contact with the drive mounting piece 546 and the surface adjacent to the upper surface is brought into contact with the drive mounting portion 546A. The drive motor 571 is fixed by, for example, bolting the 571. The lower case 530 is provided with a transmission gear 572 between the drive motor 571 and the conveyance drum member 550. The transmission gear 572 is connected to the motor gear 571A of the drive motor 571 and the drum gear 551B of the conveyance drum member 550. Is engaged. Even in such a configuration, the transport drum member 550 can be rotationally driven by driving the drive motor 571 as in the above embodiment. Further, since the drive motor 571 is fixed to the upper case 540, the drive motor 571 can be easily removed by removing it from the upper case. Therefore, maintenance of the drive unit 570 such as replacement of the drive motor 571 can be easily performed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the upper case 540 showed the example detachably fixed to the lower case 530 by bolting, it is not restricted to this. For example, the attachment piece 536 of the lower case 530 includes a pin member protruding upward, and the pin member is engaged with a hole provided in the attachment / detachment piece 541B of the upper case 540 so that the lower case 530 is engaged with the upper case 530. It is good also as composition which attaches case 540.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which attaches the lower case 530 and the upper case 540 detachably using the locking mechanism 580 as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. That is, in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the lock mechanism 580 is provided at, for example, three locations on the front side 530C side of the ball transport unit 520, the second side surface 530B side on the rear surface 530D side, and the first side surface 530A side. Is provided. The lock mechanism 580 includes a first lock member 581 fixed to the lower case 530 and an upper second lock member 582.

The first lock member 581 includes a lock plate 582, a rotating claw 583, and an arm 584.
The lock plate 582 is a flat plate member, and is formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction away from the upper case 540. The end of the lock plate 582 that is separated from the upper case 540 is fixed to the lower case 530 by, for example, screwing. In addition, shaft support pieces (not shown) facing each other are provided on both ends of the lock plate 582 close to the upper case 540 along both side edges substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Is provided with a claw rotation shaft 582A.

  The rotating claw 583 is formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction away from the upper case 540 and is provided to face the lock plate 582. A claw rotation shaft 582A is inserted into one end portion of the rotation claw 583 on the side close to the upper case 540, and the claw rotation shaft 582A is pivotally attached to the lock plate 582 with the claw rotation shaft 582A as a central axis. Yes. Further, an arm rotation shaft 583A is provided on the other end side of the rotation claw 583 which is separated from the upper case 540, and supports the arm 584 in a freely rotatable manner. Further, a claw member 583B extending in a direction away from the upper case 540, for example, is provided at the other end of the rotating claw 583.

The arm 584 includes a pair of first arms 584A facing each other, a pair of second arms 584B facing each other, an engagement shaft 584C, and a coil spring 584D.
The first arm 584A is formed in a longitudinal shape, and one end thereof is rotatably supported by the arm rotation shaft 583A. Further, the other end of the first arm 584A is provided with a pair of first spring stoppers 584A1 protruding in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first arm 584A, and is formed in a substantially T-shape. Yes.
The second arm 584B is formed in a longitudinal shape in substantially the same direction as the first arm 584A. Further, the second arm 584B is disposed so that one end side on the arm rotation shaft 583A side overlaps with the other end side separated from the arm rotation shaft 583A of the first arm 584A, and the second arm 584B is longer than the first arm 584A. It is provided so as to be relatively movable along the direction. In addition, a pair of second spring stoppers 584B1 projecting in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second arm 584B is provided at one end of the second arm 584B on the arm rotation shaft 583A side. It is formed in a letter shape. Further, a shaft support portion 584B2 is provided at the other end of the second arm 584B. The shaft support portion 584B2 supports the engagement shaft 584C by the shaft support portion 584B2 of the other second arm 584 facing each other.
The engagement shaft 584C is a shaft member supported between the shaft support portions 584B2 facing each other, and is provided so as to be engageable with the hook portion 585A of the second lock member 585.
The coil spring 584D is provided between the first spring stopper 584A1 of the first arm 584A and the second spring stopper 584B1 of the second arm 584B. The coil spring 584D has a first arm 584A and a second arm 584B inserted through the center of the coil, and has an inner diameter smaller than the T-shaped width of the first spring stopper 584A1 and the second spring stopper 584B1. Thus, the coil spring 584D prevents the first arm 584A and the second arm 584B from being detached. Further, when the first spring stopper 584A1 and the second spring stopper 584B1 move in the approaching direction, the spring stoppers 584A1 and 584B1 are urged away from each other, and the engagement shaft 584C is rotated. The shaft 583A is biased.

  The second lock member 584 is fixed to the upper case 540 by, for example, screwing. A hook portion 584 </ b> A capable of locking the engaging shaft 584 </ b> C is formed in a part near the lower case 530 of the second lock member 584.

In the lock mechanism 580, with the upper case 540 placed at a predetermined position of the lower case 530, the rotating claw 583 is moved away from the lock plate 582, and the engagement shaft 584C is engaged with the hook portion 585A. Stop. Thereafter, the first claw stopping portion 584A1 and the second spring stopping portion 584B1 move in a direction in which they are moved by rotating the turning claw 583 to the lock plate 582 side. At this time, the coil spring 584D biases the first spring stop portion 584A1 and the second spring stop portion 584B1 in a direction away from each other, so that the engagement shaft 584C is also biased toward the arm rotation shaft 583A. As a result, the engagement shaft 584C is firmly engaged with the hook portion 585A, and the upper case 540 is fixed to the lower case 530.
By using the lock mechanism 580 having such a configuration, the upper case 540 and the lower case 530 can be easily attached and detached simply by rotating the rotating claw 583 to disengage the engaging shaft 584C. . Therefore, the maintainability can be improved and the assemblability of the ball transport unit 520 can be improved.

  Furthermore, although the core part 552 of the conveyance drum member 550 is configured to connect the inner cylinder part 552A and the outer cylinder part 552B by the radiation connection part 552C, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is good also as a structure etc. which penetrated the shaft hole which penetrates the axial part 551 on the axial center of a cylinder. Further, as described above, the shaft portion 551 and the core portion 552 may be integrally formed.

Moreover, although the core part 552 was inserted in the fin installation cylinder part 553 and the fixed end part 554A of the fin 554 was clamped, the structure which engages the fin 554 was shown, but it is not restricted to this. For example, a plurality of engagement grooves facing the shapes of the fixed end portion 554A and the insertion portion 554B of the fin 554 are formed between both ends of the cylinder along the outer peripheral surface of the columnar rotating body portion centered on the axis. It may be configured. In such a configuration, the fin 554 can be easily engaged with the rotating body portion by inserting the fixed end portion 554A and the insertion portion 554B of the fin 554 along the engaging groove from one end side of the rotating body portion. The pachinko balls P can be transported in the rotation direction by the fins 554 by rotating the rotating body portion around the axis.
Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the concave engaging portion is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the rotating body portion, and for example, a configuration in which a projecting engaging portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body portion may be employed. In this case, the fin 554 can be easily attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body portion by providing a concave locking portion for engaging the engaging portion at the base end portion of the fin 554.

And although the example where the outer cylinder part 552B and the fin installation cylinder part 553 of the core part 552 were formed in the cylindrical shape was shown, it is not restricted to this. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the core part may be substantially elliptical, or may be formed in a polygonal cross-section. In this case, the fixed end portion 554A of the fin 554 is formed between the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553 by forming the fin installation tube portion 553 so that the inner peripheral surface faces the outer peripheral surface of the core portion 552. And can be engaged.
In addition, when the rotating body part comprised by the axial part 551, the core part 552, and the fin installation cylinder part 553 is not a cross-sectional substantially circle shape, for example, is a cross-sectional substantially ellipse shape etc., the length of the conveyance blade part 554C of the fin 554 By changing the size, the fin 554 can be moved along the curved surface portion 534A. In such a configuration, depending on the length dimension of the conveying blade portion 554C of the fin 554, for example, the hardness of the conveying blade portion 554C can have a difference. For example, the fin having a small length dimension of the conveying blade portion 554C having high hardness. 554 and the fins 554 having a large length of the conveying blade portion 554C having a small hardness can be alternately moved along the curved surface portion 534A.

In addition, positioning pins 552B1 are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 552B of the core portion 552, and pin insertion holes 553A are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fin installation cylindrical portion 553 corresponding to the positioning pins 552B1. Although the structure to provide was illustrated, it is not limited to this. For example, more positioning pins 552B1 and pin insertion holes 553A may be provided at equal intervals. For example, three positioning pins 552B1 and pin insertion holes 553A may be provided at intervals of 120 degrees. Further, the interval between the positioning pin 552B1 and the pin insertion hole 553A is not limited to an equal interval, and may be randomly arranged.
Similarly, the rotation stop portions 552B2 and the rotation stop insertion grooves 553B do not have to be provided at equal intervals, and the number of installation is not particularly limited.

  Further, although the example in which the positioning pin 552B1 and the pin insertion hole 553A are formed on the front surface 530C side of the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553 is shown, for example, on the rear surface 530D side of the core portion 552 and the fin installation tube portion 553, for example. It may be formed.

  Further, a positioning pin 552B1 and a rotation stop portion 552B2 are formed to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 552B of the core portion 552 in the outer diameter direction, and correspondingly, the pins are inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the fin installation cylinder portion 553. Although the configuration in which the hole 553A and the rotation stop insertion groove 553B are formed is illustrated, it is not limited thereto. For example, a positioning pin and a rotation stopper are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fin installation cylinder 553 so as to protrude in the inner diameter direction, and the outer cylinder 552B of the core 552 corresponds to the positioning pin and the rotation stopper. The pin insertion hole and the rotation stop insertion groove may be provided.

  The transport drum member 550 is detachably attached by holding the shaft portion 551 rotatably by the drum holding member 551A and screwing the drum holding member 551A to the drum attachment piece 544 of the upper case 540. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the drum mounting piece 544 may be provided with a locking groove formed in a longitudinal shape on the bottom surface side so as to communicate with the drum insertion port 541A, and the shaft portion 551 may be locked in the locking groove. In this configuration, after the shaft portion 551 is locked in the locking groove, the conveyance drum member 550 can be held rotatably by attaching a drop-off preventing member that prevents the shaft portion 551 from falling off. The shaft portion 551 can be easily removed after removing the drop-off preventing member.

  Further, the positioning pin 552B1 and the rotation stop portion 552B2 are illustrated as the protruding portions, and the pin insertion hole 553A and the rotation stop insertion groove 553B are illustrated as the concave portions engaged with the positioning pins 552B1 and the rotation stop portion 552B2. However, it is not limited to this. For example, as the protruding portion, a rotation stop portion 552B2 is formed from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 552B of the core portion 552, and a positioning pin protruding in the outer diameter direction is formed on the rotation stop portion 552B2, for example, on the front surface 530C side. It is good also as a structure. In this case, in the fin installation cylinder portion 553, a rotation stop insertion groove 553B is formed corresponding to the rotation stop portion 552B2, and a pin insertion groove through which the positioning pin is inserted is formed on the front surface 530C side of the rotation stop insertion groove 553B. By setting it as the structure performed, positioning in the axial center direction of the core part 552 and the fin installation cylinder part 553 and positioning in a rotation direction can be implemented simultaneously.

  Further, as a projecting portion for positioning in the rotational direction, for example, a ring piece projecting in the outer diameter direction along the circumferential direction of the outer tube portion 552B of the core portion 552 is provided, and the inner periphery of the fin installation tube portion 553 is provided. It is good also as a structure by which the ring-shaped recessed part engaged with this ring piece was provided in the surface. Even with such a configuration, positioning can be performed in the axial direction of the core portion 552 and the fin installation cylinder portion 553.

  Moreover, although the example which incorporates the conveyance drum member 550 which is a conveyance drum of this invention in the ball | bowl conveyance unit 520 was shown, it is not limited to this. For example, only the transport drum member 550 may be rotatably held on the transport plate 511E of the replenishing rod 510, and the transport drum of the present invention may be used as the lifting means in the lifting device 250.

  In the above description, the ball transport unit 520 is configured to connect the replenishment rod 510 that is inclined downward from the lifting device 250 side toward the end portion side of the island structure 200, but is not limited thereto. For example, the pachinko ball P carried into the first connecting portion 532 by a belt conveyor or the like may be transported to the second connecting portion 533.

  In the above embodiment, a substantially spherical pachinko ball P is used as the game medium. However, for example, a medals or the like formed in a substantially disc shape, a substantially oval sphere or the like, It may be of a shape.

Although the best configuration for carrying out the present invention has been disclosed in the above description, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the invention has been illustrated and described primarily with respect to particular embodiments, but may be configured for the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art in terms of materials, quantity, and other detailed configurations.
Therefore, the description limited to the shape, material, etc. disclosed above is an example for easy understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The description by the name of the member which remove | excluded the limitation of one part or all of such is included in this invention.

  The present invention can be used for a game medium transport unit and a game medium transport system for transporting a game medium for playing with a gaming device.

It is a front view which shows a part of game system in one embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows a part of ball conveying apparatus of the upper part of a game system. It is the front view which expanded further the vicinity of the ball conveyance unit of FIG. It is a perspective view of the replenishment basket in a ball conveyance apparatus. It is the enlarged front view which expanded the ball | bowl conveyance unit of FIG. It is sectional drawing of a ball conveyance unit. It is the top view which looked at the ball conveyance unit from the top side. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the conveyance drum member in the ball | bowl conveyance unit in the direction substantially orthogonal to an axial center. It is a perspective view of the core part which comprises a conveyance drum member. It is a perspective view of the fin installation cylinder part which comprises a conveyance drum member. It is a front view of the ball conveyance unit in other embodiments. It is a figure which shows the locking mechanism of the lower case and upper case in other embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 200 ... Island structure 300 ... Game main body 400 which comprises a game device ... Game medium rental device 500 which comprises a game device ... Ball transport device 510 as a game media transport system ... Supply bowl 514 as a transport lane ... Game media supply part Ball replenishing chute 520 as a ball transport unit 532 as a game medium transport unit ... a first connection part 533 as a carry-in entrance ... a second connection part 534 as a carry-out exit ... a transport path part 534A ... a curved surface part as a transport path surface 550 ... Conveying drum member 551 as a conveying rotating body ... Shaft portion 551A constituting a part of the core part ... Drum holding member 552 ... Core part 552B1 ... Positioning pin 552B2 as a pin member ... Anti-rotation part 553 as a protruding piece ... Fin installation cylinder part 553A as an exterior part ... Pin insertion hole 553B as an engagement hole ... Rotation stop insertion groove 553C ... fin installation hole 554 as an insertion hole constituting the engaging part ... fin 554A ... fixed end part 554B as a locking part ... insertion part 554C constituting the blade part ... constituting the blade part Conveying blade 560... Driving unit C4 as driving means. Drum torque switch as detecting means.

Claims (18)

A transport rotator which is provided opposite to a transport path surface for guiding game media and transports the game media on the transport path surface in a predetermined direction;
A rotary body portion that is driven to rotate about an axis by a driving means, and has an engaging portion provided along an outer peripheral surface;
A locking portion that is detachably locked to the engaging portion of the rotating body portion, and is substantially on the conveyance path surface from the locking portion toward a radial direction centering on the axis of the rotating body portion. A fin provided with a blade portion extending in a state along which the game medium is pushed in the rotation direction of the rotary body portion along the transfer path surface by the rotation of the rotary body portion, and conveyed.
A conveying rotator characterized by comprising: The transport rotating body according to claim 1,
The engaging portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body portion, and is inserted through the insertion hole into which the blade portion can be inserted, and is continuously provided on the axial side of the insertion hole from the insertion hole. It has a presser part that can be inserted through the stop and can be engaged,
The conveying rotating body, wherein the locking portion is formed to have a larger width dimension than the insertion hole. The transport rotating body according to claim 1,
The rotating body portion is formed in a hollow shape so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the core portion so as to be rotatable about the shaft center, and communicate with the inside and outside. An exterior portion provided with an insertion hole through which the blade portion of the fin can be inserted,
The locking portion of the fin is formed with a width dimension larger than that of the insertion hole, and the core portion is in a state where the blade portion is inserted into the insertion hole and protrudes in the radial direction of the rotating body portion. The conveying rotator is engaged by being sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the outer periphery and the inner peripheral surface of the exterior portion. It is a conveyance rotary body of Claim 3, Comprising:
Either one of the core part and the exterior part includes a protruding part that protrudes in a direction facing each other.
The other of the core part and the exterior part where the projecting part is not provided is provided with a concave part that engages the projecting part. It is a conveyance rotating body according to claim 4,
A plurality of the projecting portions and the recessed portions are provided at predetermined intervals. The transport rotating body according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The protrusion is a pin member,
The concave rotating part is an engagement hole for engaging the pin member. The transport rotating body according to claim 6,
The pin member and the engagement hole are provided on one end side in the axial direction of the core part and the exterior part. It is a conveyance rotation body according to claim 7,
The other of the core portion and the exterior portion where the pin member is not provided is the depth dimension of the engagement hole extending from the engagement hole to an end portion on one end side where the engagement hole is provided. A conveying rotating body characterized in that a sliding groove having a depth shallower than a predetermined dimension is formed. The transport rotating body according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The protruding portion is a protruding piece formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion,
The concave portion is a protruding piece engaging groove that is provided opposite to the protruding piece and is formed in a longitudinal shape in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion. Transported rotating body. It is a conveyance rotating body according to claim 9,
The projecting piece and the projecting piece engaging groove are provided over both end portions in the axial direction of the core portion and the exterior portion. It is a conveyance rotary body in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 10, Comprising:
The said rotating blade part of the said fin is inclined and provided in the reverse direction to the rotation direction of the said rotary body part. The conveyance rotary body characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a conveyance rotary body in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 11, Comprising:
The fin is formed of a flexible member. It is a conveyance rotary body in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 12, Comprising:
The conveyance rotating body characterized in that the fin is formed in a substantially T-shaped cross section in which the blade portion protrudes in a radial direction from a substantially center position in a tangential direction of the core portion and the exterior portion of the locking portion. . It is a conveyance rotary body in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 13, Comprising:
Detecting means for detecting a rotating state of the rotating body part;
Based on the rotation state of the core detected by the detection means, when the rotation speed of the rotating body part with respect to the drive output for driving the drive means is smaller than a predetermined rotation speed, Control means for stopping driving of the driving means;
Conveying rotating body with A carry-in entrance for a game medium;
A carry-out port for carrying out the game medium;
Provided continuously to the carry-in port and the carry-out port, guides the game medium carried in from the carry-in port to the carry-out port, and is formed in a substantially circular curved surface shape from the carry-in port toward the carry-out port A transport path section having a transport path surface to be
The transport rotator according to any one of claims 1 to 14, provided to face the transport path surface,
Driving means for moving the core part of the transport rotating body from the carry-in entrance to the carry-out exit substantially along the transport path surface;
A game medium transport unit comprising: The game medium transport unit according to claim 15,
Comprising the carry-in port, the carry-out port, and the carrying path section, the carrying rotary body, and a case body capable of storing the driving means therein,
The game medium transport unit, wherein the transport rotating body is detachably provided on the case body. The game medium transport unit according to claim 16,
A game medium transport unit comprising: a drum holding member that rotatably holds the core portion of the transport rotating body and is detachably locked to the case body. A game medium transport system that is provided in an island structure in which a plurality of gaming devices that are played using gaming media are arranged substantially in parallel, and that distributes the gaming media to the gaming devices,
A first transport lane that is provided longitudinally in the same direction as the line-up direction of the gaming devices, and the game medium is inclined at an inclination angle at which the game medium can be moved by its own weight;
The game apparatus is provided in a longitudinal direction substantially in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the game devices, and the game medium is inclined at an inclination angle at which the game medium can be moved by its own weight, and an upstream end in the movement direction of the game medium is the first transport. A second transport lane provided at a height position higher than the downstream end in the moving direction of the game medium in the lane;
A game medium supply unit that is provided in the first transfer lane and the second transfer lane, and supplies the game medium to the game device;
The downstream end of the first transport lane is connected to the carry-in entrance, the upstream end of the second transport lane is connected to the carry-out exit, and the game medium loaded from the first transport lane is transported upward. The game medium transport unit according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the game medium transport unit is carried out to the second transport lane.
A game medium transport system comprising: