JP2008068029A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the efficiency in the operation of stopping game balls stored in a storage member, the operation of releasing the stoppage, and the operation of locking a put-out pathway member and the operation of releasing the locking. <P>SOLUTION: A ball stopping lever 205 is disposed in an alignment pathway part 83 in a lower tank 82. The ball stopping lever 205 can be displaced between an opening position to be engaged with a projection 103 of an upper ball pathway unit 84 for locking the upper ball pathway unit 84 and opening the alignment pathway part 83 and a closing position to be disengaged from the projection 103 for releasing the lock of the upper ball pathway unit 84 and closing the alignment pathway part 83. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine provided with a storage member for storing game balls and a payout passage member connected to the storage member for allowing the game balls to flow down to a payout path on the back surface of the gaming machine main body.

In a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, on the back of the gaming machine main body, a tank as a storage member for storing gaming balls such as rental balls and prize balls, and a gaming ball connected to the tank to flow down, A payout passage member (ball payout mechanism) and the like for guiding to a prize ball device) are provided. In addition, some payout passage members are configured to be attachable to and detachable from the back surface of the gaming machine main body in consideration of ease of maintenance and ball clogging elimination (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-38012 A

  However, in the above configuration, since the ball stop mechanism of the tank (lower tank) and the lock mechanism of the payout passage member are provided separately, each must be operated when attaching and detaching the payout passage member. Workability is poor. Further, when removing the payout passage member, if the ball stop operation by the ball stop mechanism is forgotten, there is a problem that the game ball flows out with the removal of the passage member.

  In consideration of the above facts, the present invention provides a gaming machine capable of improving the workability of the ball stop and release operation of the game ball stored in the storage member and the lock and release operation of the payout passage member. Is an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an invention according to claim 1 is provided with a gaming machine main body, a storage member that is provided on a back surface of the gaming machine main body, stores the gaming ball, and causes the gaming ball to flow downstream. , Provided on the downstream side of the storage member, an alignment passage part for aligning and discharging the stored game balls from the discharge part, and connected to the discharge part and detachably provided on the back surface of the gaming machine main body, A payout passage member that causes the discharged game balls to flow down to the payout path, a lock portion provided on a connection side of the payout passage member with the discharge portion, an alignment passage portion, and a lock portion provided on the alignment passage portion. And an opening position for locking the payout passage member and opening the alignment passage portion, and a closed position for releasing the lock of the payout passage member and closing the alignment passage portion by being released from the lock portion. Strange It is characterized by having a closing means which is possible.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the game balls are stored in the storage member provided on the back surface of the gaming machine main body, arranged on the downstream side of the storage member, aligned by the alignment passage portion, and discharged from the discharge portion. Further, it passes through a payout passage member connected to the discharge portion and detachably provided on the back surface of the gaming machine main body, and then flows down to the payout route.

  Here, when the opening / closing means (ball stop means) provided in the alignment passage portion is displaced to the open position, the alignment passage portion is opened and provided on the discharge passage member on the connection side with the discharge portion of the storage member. The opening / closing means engages with the lock portion, and the payout passage member is locked and fixed. When the opening / closing means is displaced to the closed position, the alignment passage portion is closed (ball-stopped), and the opening / closing means is released from the lock portion, and the payout passage member is unlocked and can be removed.

  In this way, the opening / closing of the alignment passage portion and the locking / unlocking of the payout passage member can be performed simultaneously by simply opening and closing the opening / closing means, so that the game balls stored in the storage member can be stopped. And the workability of the release operation and the lock and release operation of the payout passage member is improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the gaming machine according to the first aspect, a game ball that extends along the alignment passage portion above the alignment passage portion and flows down the alignment passage portion comes into contact with the game device in the vertical direction. Guide members arranged in a line are provided, and the vicinity of the contact portion of the guide member with the game ball is configured such that the angle difference with the alignment passage portion is smaller on the proximal end side than on the distal end side. It is characterized by that.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, a guide member is extended along the alignment passage portion above the alignment passage portion, and the game balls flowing down the alignment passage portion are brought into contact with the guide member to be aligned in a vertical direction. When aligning, the vicinity of the contact portion of the guide member with the game ball has a shape in which the angle difference from the alignment passage portion is smaller on the base end side than on the front end side. Thereby, it becomes possible to shorten the alignment passage portion and the guide member while suppressing clogging (ball biting) occurring in the vicinity of the contact portion of the guide member, and the space for providing the storage member and the guide member can be reduced (space saving). ) Is possible.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the gaming machine according to the first or second aspect, the guide member is supported by a support shaft provided at a downstream end portion of the alignment passage portion, and the opening and closing is performed. The means is characterized in that it is a rotation member that is rotatably supported by the support shaft and that rotates about the support shaft to be displaced between the open position and the closed position.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the guide member is connected to and supported by the support shaft provided at the downstream end of the alignment passage portion, and the rotation member constituting the opening / closing means can be rotated on the support shaft. By supporting and attaching, the displacement between the open / close positions by the rotating member can be realized. Moreover, if it is rotation operation, operativity will also become favorable and the support mechanism of a guide member and a rotation member can also be simplified.

  According to the gaming machine of the present invention, it is possible to improve the workability of the ball stop and release operation of the game ball stored in the storage member and the payout passage member lock and release operation.

  Hereinafter, a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of pachinko machine)
1 to 3 show a pachinko machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pachinko machine 10 includes a rectangular outer frame 12 that constitutes an outline of the pachinko machine 10 and is installed in an island facility of the pachinko hall. An inner frame 14 formed of a synthetic resin in a rectangular frame shape is disposed on the front surface of the outer frame 12 (see FIG. 2), and the lower end of the front surface of the outer frame 12 on the lower side of the inner frame 14 is A synthetic resin undergarment 16 that constitutes the lower end of the front surface of the pachinko machine 10 is attached.

  The inner frame 14 is attached to a pair of hinge portions 18 and 20 provided at the upper left corner of the outer frame 12 and the upper left corner of the lower decoration 16 so that the left end is pivotally supported. A glass frame 22 that constitutes the front upper portion of the pachinko machine 10 is disposed on the front upper portion of the inner frame 14, and the glass frame 22 is provided with a glass plate 26 mounted on a vertically long and substantially elliptical window portion 24, The left end is pivotally supported by the inner frame 14 and is attached so as to be opened and closed (see FIG. 2).

  A rectangular opening 15 is formed in the front upper portion of the inner frame 14 which is the back side of the glass frame 22. A game board G is set in the opening 15 of the inner frame 14 so as to be detachable (replaceable). The game board G is covered with a glass frame 22 closed with respect to the inner frame 14, and is placed on the board surface. The provided game area PA is visible from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass plate 26 of the window 24.

  On the front side of the glass frame 22, a plurality of lamps 28 for lighting effects that are turned on, turned off, and flashing according to the progress of the game to produce effects by lighting are arranged at the left and right side ends. In the vicinity of each corner on the upper right, speakers 30L and 30R for medium and high sounds that stereo output sound effects according to the progress of the game are incorporated.

  A dish unit 40 constituting the lower front portion of the pachinko machine 10 is disposed at the lower front portion of the inner frame 14. The dish unit 40 has a left end portion of a base 41 constituting the main body of the dish unit 40 supported on the inner frame 14 so as to be openable and closable. A game ball is placed on the upper front of the base 41 on the game board G. The upper plate 42 is stored in the upper plate 42 at the lower left of the upper plate 42 in the lower part of the front surface of the base 41. A lower plate 44 is provided in a protruding manner for storing game balls that cannot be filled.

  The upper plate 42 has a bottom surface inclined downward from the right side to the left side when viewed from the front, and the game balls stored in the upper plate 42 are aligned in a line on the left side of the bottom surface on the downstream side in the inclination direction. Thus, an alignment passage 46 is provided for guiding to a ball feeding device 45 (see FIG. 2) attached to the back surface of the base 41. Lending balls and prize balls that are paid out from a payout device 62 (see FIG. 3) provided on the back surface of the inner frame 14 are discharged to the right end of the inner wall surface of the upper plate 42 formed by the base 41. A ball discharge port 48 is formed, and a ball discharge port 49 through which game balls that cannot be stored in the upper plate 42 are discharged is formed at the right end of the back wall surface of the lower plate 44.

  A launching handle 54 that is electrically connected to the launching device 60 and adjusts the launching force (flying distance) of the hit ball is attached to the lower right of the front surface of the base 41 constituting the dish unit 40. An ashtray 56 is provided in the lower left portion adjacent to the lower plate 44. The center of the front surface of the base 41 swells in a rectangular box shape, and a deep bass speaker (subwoofer) 58 that outputs sound effects according to the progress of the game is provided inside.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a ball passage 70 is provided at a substantially central portion on the back surface of the base 41 to allow a game ball that cannot be stored in the upper plate 42 to flow down to the lower plate 44. A ball feeding device 45 is attached to the rotation spindle side. In the ball passage 70, a passage inlet 72 is formed at the upper end portion, and a passage outlet formed at the lower end portion is a ball discharge port 49 (see FIG. 1).

  On the other hand, on the rear side of the dish unit 40 in the lower front portion of the inner frame 14, a launching device 60 is disposed at the lower left of the game board G. Is detachably attached to the inner frame 14.

  The storage tank 74 has a box shape with an open top surface, and the bottom surface of the tank is inclined downward from the left side to the right side in a front view. A tank inlet (not shown) into which a game ball paid out from a payout device 62 of the payout mechanism 100, which will be described later in detail, flows is formed at the left end portion on the upstream side in the inclination direction of the bottom surface of the tank. A tank outlet 76 corresponding to the ball discharge port 48 of the upper plate 42 is formed on the right front surface on the downstream side. In addition, a rectangular tank overflow portion 78 is formed at the front left end of the storage tank 74. The tank overflow portion 78 is cut out in a rectangular shape so that the game ball overflows when the storage amount of the game ball in the tank becomes full. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a locking device 64 for locking the inner frame 14 and the glass frame 22 is attached to the side end of the inner frame 14 on the open side (left side in the rear view). A locking device 68 for locking the dish unit 40 is attached to the lower side of the locking device 64. The locking device 64 locks the inner frame 14 with the outer frame 12 closed, and locks the glass frame 22 with the inner frame 14 closed. The frame 14 is locked in a closed state.

  A cylinder lock (lock) 66 provided at the lower portion of the locking device 64 is exposed from the upper right of the front surface of the dish unit 40, and an unlocking operation is performed by inserting a key (not shown) into the key hole of the cylinder lock 66. Then, the inner frame 14 locked to the outer frame 12 is unlocked and opened, and the glass frame 22 locked to the inner frame 14 is unlocked and opened. Further, when the unlocking lever 69 of the locking device 68 that is exposed when the glass frame 22 is opened is operated, the dish unit 40 locked to the inner frame 14 is unlocked and can be opened.

  When the dish unit 40 is closed by the inner frame 14 and locked by the locking device 68, the ball feeding device 45 is disposed on the front side of the launching device 60, and the ball path is located on the front lower side of the tank overflow portion 78 of the storage tank 74. 70 passage inlets 72 are disposed, and the storage tank 74 and the upper plate 42 communicate with each other through the tank outlet 76 and the ball discharge port 48.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an upper tank 80 and a lower tank 82 for storing game balls supplied from the island facility are provided on the upper part of the back surface of the inner frame 14. An upper sphere passage unit 84 and a lower sphere that cause the game balls stored in the upper tank 80 and the lower tank 82 to flow down to the storage tank 74 side are provided on the side end of the inner frame 14 on the rotation support shaft side (the right side of the rear surface). A passage unit 86 is extended, a dispensing device 62 is attached between the upper sphere passage unit 84 and the lower sphere passage unit 86, and a launching device 60 is attached below the lower sphere passage unit 86. Further, on the left side of the launching device 60, a payout control board 88 is provided for controlling the payout device 62 to execute and stop paying out game balls.

  In the payout stop control by the payout control board 88, the payout device 62 is stopped to stop the payout of the game ball, and in the payout execution control, the payout device 62 is driven to move the upper ball path from the upper tank 80 and the lower tank 82. The gaming balls guided by the dispensing device 62 after flowing down the unit 84 are paid out to the lower ball passage unit 86 as rental balls or prize balls. The game ball guided to the storage tank 74 through the lower ball passage unit 86 rolls in the storage tank 74 from the upstream side (left side) to the downstream side (right side) and is discharged from the ball discharge port 48. And stored in the upper plate 42. In addition, while flowing down the upper plate 42 to the downstream side (left side), they are aligned in a row by the alignment passage 46 and are sent to the launching device 60 one by one by the ball feeding device 45 by the player's operation of the firing handle 54. The launching device 60 launches the game area PA on the game board G (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2). A game using the game ball is performed on the game board G by winning or losing in the process in which the game ball falls by itself in the game area PA.

  As the game progresses, a large amount of game balls are paid out as prize balls, and when the upper plate 42 becomes full, game balls that cannot be stored in the upper plate 42 are stored in the storage tank 74. Furthermore, when the storage tank 74 becomes full, game balls that cannot be stored in the storage tank 74 overflow from the tank overflow portion 78. The game ball overflowing from the storage tank 74 falls to the passage inlet 72 and flows down the ball passage 70, is discharged from the ball discharge port 49, and is stored in the lower plate 44.

  Further, when the game is over, for example, when the upper plate ball removal lever 50 provided on the left side of the front surface of the upper plate 42 is operated, the most downstream portion of the alignment passage 46 is opened and the game stored in the upper plate 42. The sphere is discharged to the ball passage 70 and flows down to the lower tray 44. Further, when the lower pan 44 is fully filled with game balls or when the game is over, the lower plate ball removal lever 52 provided on the lower front side of the lower plate 44 is operated, so that the bottom plate 44 The part is opened, and the game balls stored in the lower plate 44 are discharged to a ball box (not shown) arranged below the lower plate 44.

  In the pachinko machine 10 of the present embodiment, the inner frame 14 constituting the main body of the pachinko machine, and the dish unit 40 that is provided at the lower front portion of the inner frame 14 so as to be openable and closable and unitizes the upper dish 42 and the lower dish 44. The main flow paths of the game balls are as described above. The lower position of the tank outlet 76 on the front surface of the inner frame 14 and the lower position of the ball discharge port 48 on the back surface of the base 41 of the dish unit 40 are in the vertical direction. A pair of shutter plates 90 and 92 that are slidable are attached.

  When the plate unit 40 is closed, the shutter plates 90 and 92 move downward (positions shown in FIG. 2) to open and communicate the tank outlet 76 and the ball outlet 48. When the dish unit 40 is opened, each moves upward, the shutter plate 90 on the inner frame 14 side closes the lower edge side of the tank outlet 76, and the shutter plate 92 on the dish unit 40 side is below the ball discharge port 48. Block the edge. The shutter plates 90 and 92 prevent the game ball from flowing out of the storage tank 74 and the upper plate 42 when the tray unit 40 is opened.

(Structure of payout mechanism)
Next, the payout mechanism of the present embodiment provided on the back surface of the inner frame 14 of the pachinko machine 10 will be described in detail. 4 to 15 show a payout mechanism 100 according to the present embodiment. The payout mechanism 100 is unitized by assembling components described below on a rectangular base plate 102 serving as a substrate, and can be attached to and detached from the back surface of the inner frame 14 in the unit state shown in FIG. Has been.

  The above-described upper tank 80 is attached to the upper left corner of the back surface of the base plate 102 provided in the dispensing mechanism 100. The upper tank 80 has a box shape with an open top surface, and the bottom surface of the tank is inclined downward from the right side to the left side when viewed from the back side. (Omitted) is formed.

  A lower tank 82 is attached to the upper part of the back surface of the base plate 102 adjacent to the lower side of the upper tank 80. The lower tank 82 has a box shape with an open top surface, the bottom surface of the tank is inclined downward from the left side to the right side when viewed from the back side, and the alignment passage portion 83 provided on the downstream side in the inclined direction is the back side of the base plate 102. It extends to near the right end. As shown in FIG. 7, the alignment passage portion 83 is provided with two ball passages adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction of the pachinko machine 10, and two right passages on the downstream side in the inclination direction. Two tank outlets 83A and 83B corresponding to the ball passage are formed.

  An upper rail guide 200 formed of sheet metal is attached above the alignment passage portion 83. The upper rail guide 200 extends along the alignment passage portion 83 so as to incline downward from the left side to the right side when viewed from the back side, and as shown in FIG. It is bent in three stages in a valley shape, a mountain shape, and a valley shape.

  The downstream portion 200A of the upper rail guide 200 is parallel to the alignment passage portion 83, and at a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the alignment passage portion 83 so that the game balls PB are vertically aligned and can flow down one by one. The upstream portion 200 </ b> B has an inclination angle larger than the inclination angle α of the alignment passage portion 83. The upstream part of the intermediate part provided between the downstream part 200A and the upstream part 200B is a contact in which the game balls PB stored in the lower tank 82 come into contact with each other while flowing down and are aligned in a line in the vertical direction. The contact portion 200C is set so that the inclination angle (attack angle of the game ball PB) with respect to the alignment passage portion 83 (downstream portion 200A) is small (the angle β is close to 180 degrees). ). Further, the downstream portion of the intermediate portion is an inclined portion 200D, and the inclined portion 200D has an increased inclination angle with respect to the alignment passage portion 83 (downstream portion 200A) (so that the angle γ is smaller than 180 degrees). Is set). Therefore, the contact portion 200C is smaller in angle difference from the alignment passage portion 83 than the inclined portion 200D (β> γ), and in the upper rail guide 200, the vicinity of the contact portion 200C is closer to the base end than the distal end side. The side is configured to have a smaller angle difference from the alignment passage portion 83.

  As shown in FIG. 4, two slit-shaped openings 202 corresponding to the two spherical passages of the alignment passage portion 83 are formed in the contact portion 200 </ b> C of the upper rail guide 200. The downstream portion 200 </ b> A serving as the tip portion of the upper rail guide 200 is supported by a support shaft 204 provided at the upper portion of the downstream end portion of the alignment passage portion 83.

  Further, a ball stop lever 205 is rotatably supported and attached to the support shaft 204. The ball stop lever 205 has a base end portion of the lever main body 206 supported by the support shaft 204, and an operation portion 208 provided on the rear surface of the tip end portion of the lever main body 206. In addition, two claw portions 210 corresponding to the two openings 202 of the upper rail guide 200 project from the inner side surface (the left side surface as viewed from the back) of the front end portion. The surface) is provided with a recess 212 (see FIG. 7).

  The upper sphere passage unit 84 described above is attached to the upper side of the right side end portion of the back surface of the base plate 102. FIG. 7 shows the upper sphere passage unit 84 removed from the base plate 102.

  Two passage inlets (not shown) corresponding to tank outlets 83A and 83B of the lower tank 82 and a convex portion 103 corresponding to the concave portion 212 of the ball stopper lever 205 are formed on the upper part of the upper spherical passage unit 84. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 15, two upper ball payout passages 104 </ b> A and 104 </ b> B are provided inside the upper ball passage unit 84 to allow the game balls flowing into the respective passage entrances to flow down to the payout route. Yes.

  The upper ball payout passages 104A and 104B are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction on the upper side in the upper ball passage unit 84, and extend so as to meander in the left-right direction that is the width direction of the pachinko machine 10 from the upper side to the lower side. It is installed. Further, when reaching the lower side in the upper sphere passage unit 84, the upper sphere payout passage 104A located on the front side is arranged on the left side (inner side) while meandering to the rear side in the upper sphere passage unit 84, and located on the rear side. The upper sphere payout passage 104B is arranged on the right side (outside) while meandering to the rear side in the upper sphere passage unit 84, and extends downward adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. Two ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B through which the game balls flowing down the upper ball payout passages 104A and 104B flow out are formed adjacent to each other in the left-right direction at the lower rear portion of the upper ball passage unit 84.

  Two upper sphere discharge passages 108A for branching from the vicinity of meandering portions toward the rear side of the upper sphere payout passages 104A and 104B to flow the game balls down to the discharge path are further provided on the lower side in the upper ball passage unit 84. , 108B are provided, and a ball removal lever 120 is disposed at a branch portion between the upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B and the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the upper sphere discharge passages 108A and 108B are linearly adjacent to each other in the left-right direction from the branching portion with the upper sphere discharge passages 104A and 104B to the lower front side. It is extended. Two ball discharge passage outlets 110A and 110B through which the game balls flowing down the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B flow out are formed adjacent to each other in the left-right direction at the lower front portion of the upper ball passage unit 84. .

  As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the ball removal lever 120 has an operation portion 123 protruding from the right end of the lever main body 122 when viewed from the rear surface. Two slope portions 124A and 124B are provided.

  The slope portions 124A and 124B are arranged at substantially the same interval as the interval between the upper ball payout passages 104A and 104B. The slope portion 124A located on the left side of the back surface of the lever body 122 is formed narrowly by the end surface of the rib that curves from the upper side to the lower rear side, and is opened in the vertical direction on the left side of the slope portion 124A. A through portion 126A is formed by the open portion.

  The slope portion 124B located on the right side of the back surface of the lever main body 122 is formed wide by a curved surface that curves from the upper side to the lower rear side. A through portion 126B is formed between the slope portion 124B and the slope portion 124A by an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the width dimension of the through portion 126B is set to a size that allows the game ball PB to pass therethrough. Has been.

  Further, on the left side of the downstream portion of the slope portion 124A, a stopper portion 128A that protrudes upward from the downstream portion of the slope portion 124A is provided, and is on the opposite side of the stopper portion 128A sandwiching the slope portion 124A. Between the downstream portion of the slope portion 124A and the downstream portion of the slope portion 124B, a stopper portion 128B that protrudes upward from the downstream portions of the slope portions 124A and 124B is provided.

  The ball release lever 120 having the above-described configuration is attached to the branch portion of the upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B and the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The portion 123 is exposed from the right side surface (outer side surface) of the upper sphere passage unit 84 as viewed from the rear surface. Further, a stopper member 129 is attached to the right side surface portion of the upper ball passage unit 84 corresponding to the operation portion 123, and the sliding range of the ball removal lever 120 in the right direction (outward) in the rear view is the stopper member 129. Limited by.

  When the ball release lever 120 is slid leftward (in the direction of the arrow IN) as shown in FIG. 8, the slope portions 124 </ b> A and 124 </ b> B are formed at the branch portions as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. The upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B are opened, and the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B are closed by the slope portions 124A and 124B.

  When the ball release lever 120 is slid in the right direction (in the direction of the arrow OUT) as shown in FIG. 12, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the through portions 126A and 126B are connected to the branch portions as shown in FIGS. The stopper portions 128A and 128B are disposed, the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B are opened by the through portions 126A and 126B, and the stopper portions 128A and 128B are disposed downstream of the branch portions of the upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B. It is almost blocked.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a payout device fixing lever 130 is disposed at the lower rear portion of the upper spherical path unit 84.

  As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the dispensing device fixing lever 130 has an operation portion 133 projecting from the right end portion of the lever main body 132 when viewed from the back side, and the lower end portion of the operation portion 133 is A slit groove 134 is formed along the left-right direction.

  Two rectangular attachment holes 135A and 135B having a longitudinal left and right direction are formed in the front portion of the lever main body 132, and two through portions 136A and 136B are provided in the rear portion of the lever main body 132. Yes.

  The through portions 136A and 136B are arranged at substantially the same interval as the interval between the upper ball payout passages 104A and 104B, and are each formed in a concave arc shape in plan view. Between the through part 136A and the through part 136B, a stopper part 138A protrudes rearward, and on the right side of the through part 136B, a stopper part 138B protrudes rearward.

  The payout device fixing lever 130 having the above-described configuration is attached to the mounting holes 135A and 135B by screws (not shown) from below, and is slidable in the left-right direction at the rear surface of the lower surface of the upper spherical path unit 84. As shown by 4 etc., the operation part 133 is exposed from the lower end part in the right side surface (outer side surface) of the upper sphere passage unit 84 as viewed from the back.

  When the payout device fixing lever 130 is slid to the right side (in the direction of the arrow OUT) when viewed from the back side, the through portions 136A and 136B are arranged below the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B, and the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B The circuit is opened (see FIGS. 12 to 15). Further, when the payout device fixing lever 130 is slid to the left side (in the direction of the arrow IN) when viewed from the back side, the stopper portions 138A and 138B are disposed below the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B, and the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B. Is substantially occluded.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a groove portion 140 is provided at the lower end portion of the right side surface of the upper spherical passage unit 84 so as to be positioned on the front side of the dispensing device fixing lever 130. The groove part 140 has a longitudinal cross section that is reversely concave and extends along the front-rear direction. When the dispensing device fixing lever 130 is slid to the right side (in the direction of the arrow OUT) when viewed from the back side, the operation portion 133 is disposed on the rear side of the groove portion 140, and the rear side of the groove portion 140 is substantially closed (see FIG. 4). ). Further, when the payout device fixing lever 130 is slid to the left side (in the direction of the arrow IN) when viewed from the back, the operation unit 133 located on the rear side of the groove part 140 is retracted to the left side, and the rear side of the groove part 140 is opened. (See FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the above-described payout device 62 is attached to the lower right side end portion of the base plate 102 adjacent to the lower side of the upper spherical path unit 84. As shown in FIG. 7, the base plate 102 to which the upper sphere passage unit 84 and the lower sphere passage unit 86 are attached is detachable.

  Two ball payout passage inlets 142A and 142B corresponding to the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B of the upper ball passage unit 84 are formed at the rear of the upper surface of the payout device 62, and on the rear side in the payout device 62, Two ball payout passages 144A and 144B are provided for allowing the game balls flowing into the ball payout passage inlets 142A and 142B to flow down to the payout route (see FIGS. 8 to 15).

  The ball payout passages 144A and 144B are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction on the upper side in the payout device 62, and extend so as to meander in the front-rear direction from above to below. Further, when reaching the lower side in the payout device 62, the ball payout passages 144A and 144B are joined to form one ball payout passage 144C, and this ball payout passage 144C is linearly extended downward. Yes. A ball discharge passage outlet 146 through which the game ball flowing down the ball payout passage 144C flows out is formed at the rear center of the lower surface of the payout device 62. The ball discharge passage outlet 146 passes through the ball discharge passage outlet 146. A detection sensor 148 is provided for detecting a game ball that has flowed out.

  Sprockets 150 corresponding to the ball payout passages 144A and 144B are provided in a passage section connected to the ball payout passage 144C from the vicinity of the junction of the ball payout passage 144A and the ball payout passage 144B. In the sprocket 150, three concave grooves 152A corresponding to the ball payout passage 144A are formed at intervals of 120 degrees on the left side (inner side) of the outer peripheral portion when viewed from the rear surface, and the ball payout passage is formed on the right side (outer side) of the outer peripheral portion when viewed from the rear surface. Step grooves disposed at the right end in the dispensing device 62 are formed with three concave grooves 152B corresponding to 144B at intervals of 120 degrees and having a phase difference of 60 degrees with respect to the three concave grooves 152A. It is attached to a rotating shaft 156 of a motor 154 (see FIG. 4), and is arranged so that a part of the outer peripheral part faces each passage.

  Further, a connector 158 electrically connected to the detection sensor 148 and a connector 160 electrically connected to the stepping motor 154 are provided on the left end in the dispensing device 62. These connectors 158, A harness connector (not shown) connected to the payout control board 88 is connected to 160. Thereby, a game ball detection signal by the detection sensor 148 is output to the payout control board 88, and driving power is supplied from the payout control board 88 to the stepping motor 154 and a rotation control signal is input.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, two ball discharge passage inlets 162 </ b> A and 162 </ b> B corresponding to the ball discharge passage outlets 110 </ b> A and 110 </ b> B of the upper ball passage unit 84 are formed in the upper front portion of the dispensing device 62. On the front side in the payout device 62, two ball discharge passages 164A and 164B are provided for allowing the game balls flowing into the ball discharge passage inlets 162A and 162B to flow down to the discharge route (see FIGS. 8 to 15). ).

  The ball discharge passages 164A and 164B are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, and extend from the top to the bottom. Two ball discharge passage outlets 166A and 166B from which the game balls flowing down the ball discharge passages 164A and 164B flow out are formed adjacent to each other in the left-right direction at the front part of the lower surface of the payout device 62.

  A fixing rib 168 having a convex longitudinal section corresponding to the groove 140 of the upper spherical path unit 84 is extended along the front-rear direction on the right side of the upper surface of the dispensing device 62. On the rear side, a stopper rib 170 having an L shape in plan view corresponding to the slit groove 134 of the dispensing device fixing lever 130 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lower spherical passage unit 86 described above is attached below the right side end of the back surface of the base plate 102 so as to be adjacent to the lower side of the dispensing device 62. The lower sphere passage unit 86 is attached to the base plate 102 with a plurality of screws 171.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a ball payout passage inlet 172 corresponding to the ball discharge passage outlet 146 of the payout device 62 is formed at a substantially central portion on the rear side of the upper surface of the lower ball passage unit 86. The passage unit 86 is provided with a lower ball payout passage 174 through which the game balls flowing into the ball payout passage entrance 172 flow down to the payout route.

  The lower ball payout passage 174 extends from the ball payout passage inlet 172 toward the lower left side (inner side), and as shown in FIG. Then, it is connected to the tank inlet of the aforementioned storage tank 74.

  Two sphere discharge passage inlets 178A and 178B corresponding to the sphere discharge passage outlets 166A and 166B of the dispensing device 62 are formed in the upper front portion of the lower sphere passage unit 86. Two lower ball discharge passages 180A and 180B are provided for allowing the game balls flowing into the discharge passage inlets 178A and 178B to flow down to the discharge passage.

  The lower sphere discharge passages 180A and 180B are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, and extend from the upper side to the lower left side (inner side), respectively, and as shown in FIG. The ball payout passage outlets 182A and 182B are arranged on the right side (inner side) of the ball payout passage outlet 176.

  In addition, a positioning rib 184 that defines a mounting position in the left-right direction of the dispensing device 62 is extended along the front-rear direction at the left end portion of the upper surface of the lower spherical passage unit 86, and a dispensing device is disposed at the right end portion of the upper surface. A fixing lever 186 for fixing 62 is provided.

  The fixed lever 186 includes a flat lever body 188 that can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction. At the rear end of the lever body 188, an operation unit 190 that extends downward and a claw that projects upward. A portion 192 is provided. A slit-like opening (not shown) corresponding to the claw 192 is formed on the lower surface of the dispensing device 62.

  In the dispensing mechanism 100 of the present embodiment, as described above, the dispensing device 62 is configured to be detachable from the base plate 102 to which the upper sphere passage unit 84 and the lower sphere passage unit 86 are attached. In order to attach the payout device 62, first, the operating portion 133 of the payout device fixing lever 130 is pushed leftward (in the direction of the arrow IN) with a finger, and the payout device fixing lever 130 is slid to the left side to rear the groove portion 140. Open the side (see FIG. 6).

  Next, the payout device 62 is placed on the upper surface of the lower sphere passage unit 86 from the rear, and the fixing rib 168 is fitted into the upper sphere passage unit 84 in the groove portion 140 and is pushed forward as it is. Fit between units 84.

  When the push-out device 62 is pushed in until the front surface substantially comes into contact with the base plate 102, the claw portion 192 of the fixing lever 186 is fitted into a slit-like opening (not shown) formed on the lower surface of the pay-out device 62. In this state, the lower end portion of the left side surface of the payout device 62 comes into contact with the positioning rib 184, whereby the lower side of the payout device 62 is positioned in the left and right and front and rear directions and locked by the fixing lever 186.

  Further, on the upper side of the payout device 62, the fixing rib 168 passes the right side (outside) of the payout device fixing lever 130, and is fitted into and accommodated in the groove portion 140 of the upper ball path unit 84, thereby determining the position in the left-right direction. Then, when a finger is hooked on the operation unit 133 of the dispensing device fixing lever 130 and pulled rightward (in the direction of the arrow OUT) when viewed from the back, and the dispensing device fixing lever 130 is slid to the right, the slit groove 134 is fitted into the stopper rib 170. (See FIGS. 4 and 17), the position in the front-rear direction is determined. As a result, the upper side of the dispensing device 62 is positioned in the left-right and front-rear directions and locked by the dispensing device fixing lever 130.

  With the above procedure, the dispensing device 62 is attached between the upper sphere passage unit 84 and the lower sphere passage unit 86, and the dispensing mechanism 100 is unitized. In this payout mechanism 100, since the payout device fixing lever 130 is slid to the right side (in the direction of the arrow OUT) when viewed from the back side, the through portions 136A, 136B are disposed below the ball payout passage outlets 106A, 106B, The passage outlets 106A and 106B are open.

  Further, when the ball release lever 120 is slid leftward as viewed from the back (arrow IN direction), the slope portions 124A and 124B are arranged at the branch portions of the upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B and the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B, The upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B of the upper ball passage unit 84, the ball discharge passages 144A, 144B and 144C of the discharge device 62, and the lower ball discharge passage 174 of the lower ball passage unit 86 communicate with each other, and the upper tank 80 and the lower tank A payout path for paying out the game balls stored in the tank 82 to the upper plate 42 through the storage tank 74 is formed.

  On the contrary, when the ball removal lever 120 is slid in the right direction (arrow OUT direction) when viewed from the back side, the through portions 126A and 126B and the stopper portions are formed at the branch portions of the upper ball discharge passages 104A and 104B and the upper ball discharge passages 108A and 108B. 128A and 128B are arranged, and the upper sphere discharge passages 108A and 108B branched from the middle of the upper sphere discharge passages 104A and 104B, the sphere discharge passages 164A and 164B of the discharge device 62, and the lower sphere discharge passage of the lower sphere passage unit 86 180A and 180B communicate with each other to form a discharge path (ball discharge path) for discharging the game balls stored in the upper tank 80 and the lower tank 82 to the outside of the pachinko machine 10.

  When playing a game in the pachinko machine 10 provided with the payout mechanism 100, the operation unit 123 of the ball removal lever 120 is pushed with a finger, and the ball removal lever 120 is shown on the left side (arrow IN) as shown in FIG. Slid in the direction). Thereby, the game balls stored in the upper tank 80 and the lower tank 82 flow down the upper ball payout passages 104A and 104B, and as shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 11, and FIG. The game ball PB is guided to the slope portions 124A and 124B of the ball release lever 120, flows down to the ball payout passages 144A and 144B of the payout device 62, is blocked by the sprocket 150, and stays upstream of the sprocket 150. .

  Then, at the time of lending a ball or winning a prize, the payout control board 88 controls the stepping motor 154 to rotate. As a result, the sprocket 150 rotates, and the game balls PB in the ball payout passages 144A and 144B are fitted into the concave grooves 152A and 152B, and are alternately guided to the ball payout passage 144C as the sprocket 150 rotates. It is paid out as a ball or prize ball.

  The game ball PB paid out from the payout device 62 is detected by the detection sensor 148, and the detection sensor 148 outputs a detection signal to the payout control board 88 every time the game ball PB is detected. Based on this detection signal, the payout control board 88 controls the stepping motor 154, whereby the rotation / stop of the sprocket 150 is controlled, and the payout number of the game balls PB is controlled. Then, the game ball PB paid out from the payout device 62 flows down the lower ball payout passage 174, passes through the storage tank 74, and is paid out to the upper plate 42.

  Further, when performing ball removal due to maintenance or replacement of the pachinko machine 10, a finger is hooked on the operation unit 123 of the ball removal lever 120, and the ball removal lever 120 is shown on the right side (as shown in FIG. 12). Slide in the direction of arrow OUT). As a result, the game balls retained on the upstream side of the ball removal lever 120 and the game balls stored in the upper tank 80 and the lower tank 82 are played as shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 15, and FIG. The ball PB passes through the through portions 126A and 126B of the ball removal lever 120 and flows down to the ball discharge passages 164A and 164B of the discharge device 62, and further flows down the lower ball discharge passage 174 and is discharged to the outside of the pachinko machine 10. The

  Further, when removing the payout device 62 for maintenance of the pachinko machine 10 or elimination of ball clogging in the payout mechanism 100, the operation unit 133 of the payout device fixing lever 130 is first pushed with a finger, 130 is slid to the left as viewed from the back (in the direction of the arrow IN), the slit groove 134 is extracted from the stopper rib 170, and the upper lock of the dispensing device 62 is released. Along with this unlocking, the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B are substantially closed by the stopper portions 138A and 138B of the payout device fixing lever 130, and the game balls staying upstream of the payout device fixing lever 130 are moved to the stopper portions 138A and 138B. Can be blocked.

  Next, when the operation portion 190 of the fixing lever 186 is pushed with a finger, the lever main body 188 is bent downward to release the lock on the lower side of the dispensing device 62 by the claw portion 192, and the dispensing device 62 is pulled out rearward as it is. The dispensing device 62 is removed from between the upper sphere passage unit 84 and the lower sphere passage unit 86. In the payout mechanism 100, even if the payout device 62 is removed, the game balls staying upstream of the payout device fixing lever 130 do not flow out of the ball payout passage outlets 106A and 106B. Without this, the dispensing device 62 can be easily removed.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  In the pachinko machine 10 configured as described above, the operation unit 208 of the ball stop lever 205 is operated with a finger, and the ball stop lever 205 is rotated in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. When in a substantially vertical position (opening position), the concave portion 212 of the ball stop lever 205 is fitted (engaged) with the convex portion 103 of the upper spherical passage unit 84, and the upper portion of the upper spherical passage unit 84 is locked. Further, in this state, the claw portion 210 of the ball stop lever 205 is detached from the alignment passage portion 83 and is disposed in a substantially horizontal posture above the alignment passage portion 83. Thereby, the alignment passage part 83 is opened, and the game ball PB can flow down.

  When the ball stop lever 205 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (closed position), the concave portion 212 is detached (engaged) from the convex portion 103 of the upper spherical path unit 84 as shown in FIG. 18B. The upper part of the upper ball passage unit 84 is unlocked. In this state, the claw portion 210 of the ball stop lever 205 is inserted into the opening 202 of the upper rail guide 200 and enters the alignment passage portion 83, and is disposed in a substantially vertical posture in the passage. As a result, the alignment passage portion 83 is closed and the game ball PB cannot flow down (the ball is stopped).

  As described above, the opening / closing of the alignment passage portion 83 and the locking / unlocking of the upper ball passage unit 84 can be simultaneously performed only by rotating the ball stop lever 205. The workability of the ball stop and release operation of the game ball PB and the lock and release operation of the upper ball passage unit 84 is improved.

  Further, the game balls PB flowing down the alignment passage portion 83 in the opened state (the state of FIG. 18A) are aligned in a line in the vertical direction by contacting the contact portion 200C of the upper rail guide 200 on the way. Flow down.

Here, as shown in FIG. 20, in the vicinity of the contact portion 200C of the upper rail guide 200, _{F 1} acts from game balls PB aligned passages 83, also above the game ball PB rail guides 200 (contact portion 200C ) Acts on F ₂ .

F ₁ : Force acting from the game ball to the alignment passage portion F ₂ : Force acting from the game ball to the upper rail guide F _2X : F ₂ component force in the X direction F _2Y : F ₂ component force in the Y direction β: Upper rail guide tilt angle (attack angle)
θ: Game ball position (angle)
h: Game ball position (height)

Then, by reducing F _2X which is a component force of F _{2 in} the X direction, that is, by making the inclination angle (attack angle) β of the upper rail guide 200 close to 180 degrees, the frequency of ball clogging can be reduced. it can.

  However, for example, in the configuration in which the contact portion 300C is provided linearly (planarly) between the downstream portion 300A and the upstream portion 300B as in the conventional upper rail guide 300 shown in FIG. In order to reduce the clogging frequency, if the inclination angle (attack angle of the game ball PB) β ′ of the contact portion 300C with respect to the alignment passage portion 83 (downstream portion 200A) is set to be close to 180 degrees, the total length of the upper rail guide 300 is As a result, the alignment passage portion 83 must be lengthened (see FIGS. 19A and 19B).

  On the other hand, in the upper rail guide 200 of the present embodiment, the vicinity of the contact portion 200C with the game ball PB is shaped so that the angle difference with the alignment passage portion 83 is smaller on the base end side than on the front end side. As a result, it is possible to shorten the alignment passage portion 83 and the upper rail guide 200 while suppressing clogging (ball biting) that occurs near the contact portion 200C of the upper rail guide 200. Therefore, the space for providing the lower tank 82 and the upper rail guide 200 can be reduced (space saving).

  Further, particularly in the present embodiment, the upper rail guide 200 is connected to and supported by the support shaft 204 provided at the downstream end of the alignment passage portion 83, and the ball stopper lever 205 can be rotated on the support shaft 204. By supporting and attaching, displacement between the open / close positions by the ball stop lever 205 can be realized. In addition, the ball stop lever 205 by such a rotation operation has good operability, and the support mechanism for the upper rail guide 200 and the ball stop lever 205 can be simplified.

  As for the above-described upper rail guide, the contact portion 220C to the inclined portion 220E provided between the downstream portion 220A and the upstream portion 220B are formed in more stages as in the upper rail guide 220 shown in FIG. Or, like the upper rail guide 230 shown in FIG. 21B, the contact portion 230C provided between the downstream portion 230A and the upstream portion 230B may be formed in an R shape (curved surface), With these upper rail guides 220 and 230, the overall length can be further shortened.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated in detail by the specific embodiment mentioned above, this invention is not limited to it, Various other forms can be implemented within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ball stop lever 205 that stops the ball of the alignment passage 83 is described as being pivotable. However, the ball stop lever may be slid.

It is the perspective view seen from the front side which shows the pachinko machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the front side which shows the state by which the glass frame and plate unit of the pachinko machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention were opened. It is the perspective view seen from the back side which shows the pachinko machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the back side which shows the dispensing mechanism provided in the back of the pachinko machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the front side which shows the dispensing mechanism provided in the back surface of the pachinko machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the back side showing the state where the discharge device of the discharge mechanism concerning one embodiment of the present invention was removed. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the back side which shows the state by which the upper bulb | ball channel | path unit and payout apparatus of the payout mechanism which concern on one Embodiment of this invention were removed. It is a rear view which shows the normal state of the payout mechanism which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 8. It is the 11-11 line sectional view of FIG. It is a rear view which shows the ball removal state of the payout mechanism which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 in FIG. 12. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS (A) which shows the ball removal lever which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is the perspective view seen from the back side, (B) is the perspective view seen from the front side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS (A) which shows the dispensing device fixing lever which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is the perspective view seen from the back side, (B) is the perspective view seen from the front side. (A), (B) is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of the ball stop lever which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A), (B) is explanatory drawing which compares and demonstrates the shape of the upper rail guide which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention conventionally. (A)-(C) is explanatory drawing which compares and demonstrates the force which acts on an upper rail guide from a game ball | bowl, and the shape of the upper rail guide which concerns on one Embodiment of the past and this invention. (A), (B) is sectional drawing which shows the shape of the upper rail guide which concerns on the modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Pachinko machines (game machines)
80 Upper tank (storage member)
82 Lower tank (storage member)
84 Upper sphere passage unit (dispensing passage member)
103 Convex part (lock part)
200 Upper rail guide 200C Contact portion 205 Ball stop lever (opening / closing means / rotating member)
PB game ball

Claims (3)

A gaming machine body,
A storage member provided on the back surface of the gaming machine main body for storing the game ball and flowing the game ball downstream;
An alignment passage portion that is provided on the downstream side of the storage member and aligns and discharges the stored game balls from the discharge portion;
A payout passage member connected to the discharge portion and detachably provided on a back surface of the gaming machine main body, and causing the discharged game ball to flow down to a payout path;
A lock portion provided on the connection side of the discharge passage member with the discharge portion;
Provided in the alignment passage portion, engages with the lock portion to lock the payout passage member and opens the alignment passage portion, and disengages from the lock portion to unlock the payout passage member. And an opening / closing means that is displaceable between a closing position that closes the alignment passage portion, and
A gaming machine characterized by comprising: A guide member that extends along the alignment passage portion above the alignment passage portion, and that is aligned with the game balls flowing down the alignment passage portion in a vertical direction in contact with the game balls;
2. The vicinity of the contact portion of the guide member with the game ball has a shape in which an angle difference with the alignment passage portion is smaller on a proximal end side than on a distal end side. Game machines.   The guide member is connected to and supported by a support shaft provided at the downstream end of the alignment passage portion, and the opening / closing means is rotatably supported by the support shaft and rotates about the support shaft. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is a rotating member that is displaced between the opening position and the closing position.

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